Ross University School of Medicine and Tuskegee University Partner to Address Physician Diversity in the U.S.

L-R: Roberta Troy, Ph.D., Provost, Tuskegee University; Lily McNair, Ph.D., President, Tuskegee University; Lisa W.
Wardell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Adtalem Global Education; William F. Owen, M.D., FACP, Dean and Chancellor, Ross University School of Medicine. 

TUSKEGEE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The United States is facing a critical absence of diversity in medicine, and the disproportionately low numbers of African-American doctors is causing negative health outcomes in communities across the country. Reflecting its commitment to improve diversity among the nation’s doctors, Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) has entered into an agreement with Tuskegee University in Alabama to increase the number of African-American students who enter medical school at RUSM, and ultimately become physicians. This educational pathway allows qualified Tuskegee students who earn full acceptance into the medical school to receive a scholarship covering full tuition for the first semester. These students will spend the first two years of medical school at the RUSM campus in Barbados.

RUSM has a diverse student population with 51 percent of students being persons of color. With more than 14,000 alumni, RUSM graduates practice in direct patient care in all 50 states, including a high percentage of graduates who are in the essential field of primary care. African Americans make up only six percent1 of U.S. physicians. While most U.S. medical schools had an average of eight African-American graduates this past year, RUSM had more than 80.

“Significantly greater representation in medicine is imperative to the health of our communities and our nation, and RUSM’s unique impact and portable lessons on medical school diversity promise to reduce health disparities,” said RUSM Dean and Chancellor, Dr. William F. Owen, Jr., M.D., FACP. “We are pleased to partner with Tuskegee University. By increasing the participation of underrepresented Americans in health education we promulgate an opportunity to share in social justice for health.”

“This is an exciting partnership that I expect will yield tremendous dividends for everyone involved — especially for Tuskegee University’s students, whose broadening professional opportunities will also mean a more diverse medical workforce,” said Tuskegee University President Dr. Lily D. McNair. “I look forward to the wonderful opportunities for our students and our university, as Tuskegee gains a valuable academic partner.”

“The Alabama Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs applauds Tuskegee University and Ross University School of Medicine for tackling the long-standing lack of diversity in medicine. The adverse effects stemming from a lack of access to care and the pervasiveness of health inequality have long been felt, not only across Alabama, but nationwide,” said Nichelle Williams Nix, Director of Alabama’s Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs, which works with Tuskegee and the state’s other HBCUs to enhance their collective impact on Alabama’s economic and workforce development success.

RUSM recently announced similar agreements with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. As part of its continued commitment to addressing diversity in medicine, RUSM’s parent company, Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE), signed on to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Partnership Challenge created by the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, pledging to invest in creating strategic collaborations with HBCUs and working to increase diversity in key workforce sectors.

Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, RUSM is part of Adtalem Global Education’s medical and healthcare education vertical, which also includes American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in Sint Maarten, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts, and Chamberlain University, the largest provider of nursing education in the United States. Adtalem is a mission-driven educator and workforce solutions provider with institutions and companies around the world, including the U.S., Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Brazil.

About Tuskegee University

Located in Tuskegee, Alabama, Tuskegee University is a private, state-related and nationally ranked land-grant institution that serves a racially, ethnically and religiously diverse student body of 3,000-plus students. The institution was founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington and is one of the nation's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges since 1933, Tuskegee’s academic programs — many accredited by their respective accrediting bodies — currently lead to 41 bachelor’s, 16 master’s and five doctoral degree opportunities. For more information about Tuskegee University, visit www.tuskegee.edu.

About Ross University School of Medicine

Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is an institution of Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE), a global education provider headquartered in the United States. The organization's purpose is to empower students to achieve their goals, find success and make inspiring contributions to our global community. Founded in 1978 and located in Barbados, RUSM has more than 14,000 alumni and is committed to educating a diverse group of skilled physicians. RUSM is accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP). For more information, please visit medical.rossu.edu and follow RUSM on Twitter (@RossMedSchool), Instagram (@rossmedschool) and Facebook (@RossMedSchool).

About Adtalem Global Education

The purpose of Adtalem Global Education is to empower students to achieve their goals, find success, and make inspiring contributions to our global community. Adtalem Global Education Inc. (NYSE: ATGE; member S&P MidCap 400 Index) is a leading global education provider and the parent organization of Adtalem Educacional do Brasil (IBMEC, Damásio and Wyden institutions), American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, Becker Professional Education, Chamberlain University, EduPristine, Ross University School of Medicine and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. For more information, please visit adtalem.com and follow us on Twitter (@adtalemglobal) and LinkedIn.

Rep. Clyburn calls General Robert E. Lee a loser

House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn sharply rebuked President Trump’s praise of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, who the president praised as a “great general,” but the Democrat called a “loser.”

“The fact of the matter is, Robert E. Lee was a great tactician, was not a great person,” said Clyburn, of South Carolina, on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “Robert E. Lee was a slave owner and a brutal slave master. Thankfully, he lost that war and I find it kind of interesting the president is now glorifying a loser. He always said that he hated losers. Robert E. Lee was a loser.”

“And even if you could get beyond that at the end of the Civil War,” he continued, “Robert E. Lee asked all of his comrades to lay down their guns and to furl those Confederate flags, and if my memory serves and put them in your attics, so if the president is going to glorify Robert E. Lee, let's at least be consistent about it.”

[SOURCE: YAHOO NEWS]

Stacey Abrams will not run for Senate

Stacey Abrams has decided against running for the Senate from Georgia in 2020, according to a Democratic official.

Abrams met with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Monday to inform him of her plans.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Abrams will focus on her voting rights project. She has not decided whether to seek any other office at this time.

Abrams is considered a rising star in Democratic politics. A former Georgia state House minority leader, Abrams rose to national prominence last year during a closely fought gubernatorial bid. Abrams, who would have been the first African American woman ever elected governor, narrowly lost the race in the reliably red state.

[SOURCE: CNN]

NJ Governor Murphy Orders Mississippi State Flag be Removed From Liberty State Park

NJ Governor Phil Murphy today ordered that the Mississippi state flag be replaced by the American flag at New Jersey’s Liberty State Park. Flags from every state in the country adorn poles along Freedom Way, which runs through the park. The Mississippi State flag, which prominently features the Confederate emblem, will be replaced with an American flag.

“New Jersey’s strength is rooted in our diverse communities,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “The Confederate symbol displayed on the Mississippi state flag is reprehensible and does not reflect our values of inclusivity and equality. I applaud Senator Cunningham for bringing this issue in her district to my attention.”

“The Confederate flag symbolizes an era of hate, violence, and division,” said Sen. Sandra Cunningham. “I thank Governor Murphy for his commitment to tolerance and equality and for the decision to remove this hateful symbol from Liberty State Park. Hate has no home in New Jersey.”

Rodney Robinson named 2019 National Teacher of the Year

HBCU graduate Rodney Robinson of Virginia has been named the 2019 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State Officers. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, the Bureau of Indian Education and the five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions.

Rodney Robinson is a 19-year teaching veteran. He became a teacher to honor his mother, who struggled to receive an education after being denied an education as a child due to segregation and poverty in rural Virginia. In 2015, Robinson started teaching at Virgie Binford Education Center, a school inside the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center, in an effort to better understand the school-to-prison pipeline.

Robinson uses the whole child approach to education to help the students who are most vulnerable. His classroom is a collaborative partnership between himself and his students and is anchored in him providing a civic centered education that promotes social-emotional growth. Robinson uses the knowledge he has gained from his students to develop alternative programs to prevent students from entering the school-to-prison pipeline.

Robinson has been published three times by Yale University and has received numerous awards for his accomplishments in and out of the classroom, most notably the R.E.B. Award for Teaching Excellence. He is a member of Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s Education Compact Team, which includes politicians, educators, business leaders, and community leaders, and is working with city leaders and local colleges to recruit underrepresented male teachers into the field of education. He has also worked with Pulitzer Award winning author James Foreman on developing curriculum units on race, class, and punishment as a part of the Yale Teacher’s Institute.

Robinson earned a Bachelor of arts in history from Virginia State University and a master’s in educational administration and supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University.