VSU Board of Visitors extends president’s contract
By Sheyla Fairley
Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA, president Makola M. Abdullah has had his contract extended by the VSU Board of Visitors where he will remain at the university through the year 2029.
“Serving in this capacity at Virginia State University has been the highlight of my academic career. I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of an education,” said Abdullah. “I work with the amazing faculty and staff who show an unwavering commitment to excellence in education. I extend my gratitude to the VSU Board of Visitors for their vote of confidence and for giving me the opportunity to continue the GREATER work at Virginia State University through the remainder of this decade.”
For more information, read the full article here.
Hampton University welcomed into the CAA
By Sheyla Fairley
Hampton University, Hampton, VA, is one of two historically Black colleges and universities to become the first to join the Colonial Athletic Association, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletic conference, on July 1, 2022.
As stated in a release, Hampton’s athletic department “sponsors 17 Division I varsity sports and moves to the CAA after most recently competing in the Big South Conference after a long, successful stint in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.”
“On behalf of the entire Hampton University Athletic Department, student-athletes, coaches and staff, we are pleased and very excited to join the community that is the Colonial Athletic Association,” said Eugene Marshall, Jr., Hampton University Director of Athletics. “The CAA’s history and tradition both athletically and academically align perfectly with the ideals and core values of our visionary President, Dr. William R. Harvey, who believes in building leaders and champions in the classroom and field of play.”
ECSU, AeroX, and Piedmont Flight Training join forces to expand aviation education in state
By Sheyla Fairley
Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC, is partnering with AeroX and Piedmont Flight Training to expand aviation education online for students in North Carolina.
ECSU is the only university in the state to offer a degree in aviation science and unmanned aircraft systems, also known as drones.
“We conducted the first public air taxi — or flying car — demonstration in the nation,” said Basil Yap, president of AeroX and an appointee to NASA’s Aeronautics Research and Technology Roundtable. “This collaboration between AeroX, ECSU, and Piedmont Flight Training ensures we are giving our communities the education and training to benefit from these advancements.”
For more details, read the article here.
Nation’s largest African-American-owned architecture firm to design new science complex at Morgan State
By Sheyla Fairley
As stated in a release, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, has selected Moody Nolan Inc., the nation’s largest African-American-owned architecture firm, to “lead the creative vision for a new, innovative, state-of-the-art science complex.”
The design of the new facility is expected to be completed in spring 2024, with construction set to begin in summer 2024. The project is expected to be finished in 2027.
“To bring to life the vision for a high-tech science facility capable of housing some of our top research projects and STEM instruction, we sought to partner with an equally innovative design firm with experience in the HBCU space and a national reputation for creative architecture. And we believe we have that in the selection of Moody Nolan,” said MSU president David K. Wilson.
Claflin University launches new teaching and nursing program
By Sheyla Fairley
Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC, has launched a new outreach initiative known as The Institute of Teaching and Nursing (TITAN).
According to an article, the goal of the program is to introduce “high school students to the concepts of the teaching and nursing professions,” and expose them to college life and “offer internships and other experiential learning opportunities.”
“Claflin University is renowned for the rigor of its academic programs, and we are excited about the opportunities to showcase teaching and nursing, which are among the most critically needed helping professions locally, regionally, and nationally,” said Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, president of Claflin University.
Read the full article, here.
