Spelman College renames building in honor of Spike Lee’s family
By Sheyla Fairley
Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, has renamed its admissions office located in Packard Hall in honor of acclaimed film director Spike Lee’s grandmother Zimmie Reatha Shelton and mother Jacquelyn Shelton Lee. They graduated from Spelman in 1929 and 1954, respectively, and both lived in Packard when it was a residential hall.
Lee and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee participated in the renaming ceremony with Spelman College president Dr. Helene Gayle, staff, and students on November 28, 2022.
“Spelman women are known for their ability to influence and change the world,” said Gayle in a release. “We are witnessing the influence of two Spelman alumnae and the legacy work of their grandson and son, respectively, Spike Lee. We are proud to lay claim to some of their aspirations and impact on Spike, through their experiences in this very place during their matriculation at Spelman, including their dorm life at Packard Hall.”
Partnership between Mcdonald’s, TMCF, and Alkeme to help HBCU students in need of financial and mental health support
By Sheyla Fairley
McDonald’s, a multinational fast food chain, has partnered up with Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and Alkeme, a Black-owned health platform, to support students at historically Black colleges and universities with financial and mental health aid.
According to an article, Mcdonald’s will “increase resources and investment to more HBCU students through the Black & Positively Golden Scholarship Program, providing access to mental health resources and awarding $1 million in scholarships” during the 2023-2024 academic year.
“It’s important to build a community of culturally competent practitioners who truly understand and represent the Black experience to best support the needs of Black students,” said Ryan Mundy, founder of Alkeme Health. “We want to empower our community to be the best and highest versions of themselves, and that is why we are honored to partner with McDonald’s to help remove mental health barriers for HBCU students and provide resources to inspire wellness.”
For more information, read the full article here.
FSU and ECSU to develop tech to tackle sex trafficking
By Sheyla Fairley
In collaboration with the Defense Alliance of North Carolina, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC, and Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC, will develop technology to combat the sex trafficking industry with a $342,076 grant ECSU received from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.
According to an article, the project will be led by “Shyamal Das, Ph.D., ECSU professor of homeland security and sociology” and “Sambit Bhattacharya, Ph.D., FSU professor of computer science.”
“The novel approach will combine my work as a social scientist with that of Dr. Bhattacharya, a computer scientist and industry expert, and use cross-model detection to hopefully curb this zero-tolerance industry that impacts the lives of families,” Das said. “Our goal is to develop an architectural model for web-based technologies that can be used in the future. We hope to combine artificial intelligence and algorithms since most sex trafficking exchanges begin online through internet exchanges and on the dark web.”
Read the full article, here.
Morehouse College launches Black history course in virtual reality (VR)
By Sheyla Fairley
Starting in spring 2023, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA, professor Ovell Hamiltion will be teaching his Black history course in the metaverse.
As stated in a release, students will “wear virtual reality headsets to experience what it was like on a slave ship, take part in the Haitian Revolution, travel the numerous stops on the Underground Railroad, or witness the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in a virtual 3D space where they can interact with each other using avatars.”
“That is an experience that they would not have if they were sitting in a classroom if they were sitting in a lecture,” Hamilton said. “When you go there and see the bottom of a slave ship, see the slaves packed in together … you will have a new appreciation and you have a greater knowledge of how the events took place.”
VSU announces center to train students in biotechnology, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and bioinformatics
By Sheyla Fairley
According to an article, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA, will be establishing the VSU Center for Biotechnology, Genomics, and Bioinformatics where it will provide students with “state-of-the-art and interdisciplinary training in biotechnology, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and bioinformatics by integrating biology, engineering, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and other related disciplines.”
“We are excited to provide extensive training in these high-in-demand fields. We look forward to preparing VSU graduates for a variety of high-quality career opportunities and opportunities to become leaders in fields with the potential to have a global impact,” said Dr. Xianfa Xie, Associate Professor in the VSU Department of Biology and the Founding Director of the VSU CeBiGeBi.
For more details, read the full article here.
