Mississippi State University received a $347,959 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for development of a hands-on, research field school for students to help preserve a historic Black cemetery near campus. The cemetery was used by the Black community in Starkville from the late 1800s to the mid-1950s, with the oldest marker dated 1882. Students will learn Geographic Information System and Ground-Penetrating Radar analysis while also delving into archival searches and oral histories within the community. The project is under the direction of Jordon Lynton Cox, an assistant professor of anthropology
Coppin State University, the historically Black educational institution in Baltimore received a $2 million grant from Truist Financial Corporation to establish the Truist Hub for Black Economic Mobility. The hub will enhance the quality of advising, programming, and technology related to educational opportunities and career pathways for Coppin students. The $2 million grant is the largest corporate commitment in Coppinโs history.
Historically Black Fayetteville State University in North Carolina received nearly $400,000 from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to enhance the Collegiate Recovery Community Program. The funding will create the Bystander and Mental Health First Aid training programs, enhance alcohol/drug-free social activities for students, and increase involvement of student groups and peer mentorship.
Saint Augustineโs University, the historically Black educational institution in Raleigh, North Carolina, received a $490,000 federal grant to fund the Public Health Education Center at the university. The Public Health Education Center will support health and wellness education, student research regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19, and related programs. Funding will also support faculty, establish smart classrooms for students, and purchase research and lab equipment.
The University of Georgia received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development for the implementation of a program entitled Higher Education Conservation Activity in the Republic of Liberia in Africa. The program aims to strengthen forest management and conservation in Liberia through education, training, and technical assistance.
Historically Black Morgan State University in Baltimore was awarded a $420,000 grant by the Army Research Office to conduct pioneering, interdisciplinary research integrating mathematics with computational science, mechanical engineering, and medical research in the study of respiratory conditions and other lung diseases. Using high-performance computing, including mathematical equations, and lung geometry, researchers in the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences will pursue simulations of respiratory mechanics that can replicate the condition of lungs, and provide knowledge about respiratory patterns and rates that lead to pulmonary fibrosis, as well as asthmatic, chronic breathing conditions.
Misha G. Cornelius was appointed director of public relations in the Office of University Communications at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Cornelius has been a member of Howard Universityโs public relations team for over four years, serving in roles of increasing responsibility since 2018, most recently serving as the interim director of public relations.
Cornelius earned a bachelorโs degree in political science from San Francisco State University. She is currently a doctoral student in political science at Howard University.
Zac Selmon was appointed director of athletics at Mississippi State University. He was the deputy athletics director for external engagement and advancement at the University of Oklahoma. Earlier he was senior associate athletics director for administration and development at the University of Oklahoma.
Selmon was a four-year starter at tight end for the football team at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He was a deanโs list scholar graduating in 2007 with a degree in religion and international studies. He holds a masterโs degree in education with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletics administration from the University of Oklahoma.
Anne Edwards was named director of the Black Cultural Center at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She was director of the Center for Black Studies at Northern Illinois University. Previously, she served for six years in the Office of Career Services at Northern Illinois University.
Dr. Edwards holds bachelorโs and masterโs degrees in hospitality management from Purdue University. She earned an MBA at Valparaiso University in Indiana and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from Northern Illinois University.