Campus News - Page 427

Philander Smith Wins $300K Microsoft Workforce Grant

Courtesy of Philander Smith College Philander Smith College is pleased to be the recipient of a $300,000 award from Microsoft to participate in the company’s community skills grant program. The grant will provide unrestricted funds over the next three years to support the institution’s WISE P3 workforce development initiative. “This recognition by Microsoft amplifies our vision to enhance employability skills as part of our commitment to workforce development in Arkansas,” said PSC President Roderick L. Smothers Sr.  “We are so pleased that Philander Smith College has been cited for the demonstrated focus we are placing on information technology, which is

Students Grow School Garden with UAPB STEM Initiative

By Wil Hehemann Students at Jack Robey Junior High School recently set up their own school garden thanks to a University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) initiative, said Dr. Karleah Harris, assistant professor for the UAPB Department of Human Sciences. Funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant, the project promotes active and inquiry-based science learning. Dr. Harris and undergraduate students from the UAPB Department of Human Sciences helped Tamika Ratliff and her science students prepare garden beds for planting produce such as strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and bell peppers. “It is

J. Alphonse Nicholson Headlines NCCU Rock the Lyceum

By Ariel Germain The North Carolina Central University Rock the Lyceum lecture series returns for the 2022-2023 academic year with Eagle alumnus and actor J. Alphonse Nicholson on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m., as part of the university’s Eagle Mania events welcoming students to campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the event hall of the NCCU Student Center at 500 Nelson St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Greensboro, N.C., native is prominently known for his role as Lil Murda on the Starz series “P-Valley.” Along with his NAACP Image Award-nominated role, Nicholson is

Albany State Secures $1.3M Talent Search Grant for Students

By Albany State University The Albany State University (ASU) Educational Talent Search Program has received a grant award of over $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education. The University will receive the grant in payments of $277,375 over the course of five years. ASU will use the funds to provide educational services for both middle and high school students, and students up to age 27 seeking to complete their high school education in Dougherty County. “Our goal is to provide students with access to opportunities while equipping them with the tools they need to achieve overall success as they

NC A&T Joins NIH All of Us Researcher Academy Cohort

Courtesy of North Carolina A&T State University North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been included in the initial cohort of institutional champions for the All of Us Researcher Academy. RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, selected N.C. A&T and five other historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) following a public call for nominations to provide training, technical assistance and peer-to-peer learning for health researchers at Minority Serving Institutions with support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Institutional awards of approximately $425,000 will be dispersed to support faculty and staff use of the All of Us Researcher Workbench, a cloud-based platform to

Howard Med Students Join NFL Diversity Sports Med Program

By Sholnn Z. Freeman Six students from Howard University’s College of Medicine have been named to the roster of medical students participating this Fall in the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative, according to a major update on the program today. Some of the future Howard doctors selected for the program are already describing it as a career-changing, and possibly life-changing, opportunity. This Fall, the new NFL initiative will embed 14 students from the nation’s four HBCU medical schools within the medical staffs of eight NFL clubs as part of the students’ clinical rotation instruction. The program was created by the NFL, together with

Philander Smith Awarded $1M to Support Black Church Leaders

Courtesy of Philander Smith Philander Smith College is excited to be the recipient of funds totaling $1,049,130 to help establish the Strengthening Ministries in Black and Small Churches in Central Arkansas program. It is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry, an initiative that supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry. Earlier in the year the College received a $50,000 award from Lilly Endowment to support the development

Benedict College Launches First HBCU Esports Degree Program

By Kayla L. Wright The institution is the first historically Black college to jump into the esports space. As esports has quickly risen among gamers worldwide, even with space opening for the sporting category in the 2024 Olympics, many colleges are following suit, academically. With an esports team at Syracuse University and esports majors at universities like Northwood and The Ohio State University, Benedict College is the first HBCU to step into the academic esports field. “It is a billion-dollar industry, it’s growing every year, and there is more opportunities, especially for African Americans and people of color in esports,” said Dr. Paula Shelby, head of

ASU Forensic Team Gets NSF Grant to Extend COVID Research

By Hazel Scott/ASU Dr.  Gulnaz Javan, a nationally acclaimed forensic scientist at Alabama State University, and her team will be able to further their research related to COVID-19 thanks to the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF awarded an additional $40,000 to extend the Department of Forensic Science’s 2020 grant of $200,000 until August 2024.   The two-year program is titled “Infusing Collaborations in Forensics for Conceptualizing Student Innovation at Alabama State University (CSI-ASU).” “We will be able to continue research into the microbiome of death signatures of postmortem samples obtained at autopsy from COVID-19 infected and noninfected corpses,” said Javan. “This supplemental grant

UAPB Sees Record Growth in Graduation Rates Across 6 Years

Courtesy of University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) announced Thursday that it continues to show significant achievement in graduation rates. UAPB increased its four-year graduation rate and maintained its highest five-year and six-year graduation rates on record. Overall,  the four-year rate improved 133% from 2016 to 2020; the five-year rate increased 58.2% from 2017 to 2021; and the preliminary six-year graduation rate increased 38.9%. Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander, calling it a major victory for the entire UAPB community, credited the strategic approach to retaining students and assisting seniors with financial resources so they clear

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