Morgan State University, a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution, has unveiled its autonomous wheelchair technology designed to help users navigate congested areas such as airports, hospitals, museums, college campuses, and military bases. Researchers and students spent the past five years developing the technology. How does the wheelchair work? The technology was demonstrated Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI Airport). Passengers can retrieve the autonomous wheelchair through an app by scanning the QR code from the designated areas. To access the wheelchair, passengers will have to register or log into the app.
DeMarcus Edwards, a PhD graduate from Howard University, is the founder of an AI security startup, DARE Labs, which secured over $1 million in contracts last year. Edwards launched the company after being laid off from Google. The importance of mentorship Speaking to The Dig, Edwards highlights the growing number of computer scientists who studied at Howard. “People in the Valley have a lot of respect for Howard,” Edwards said. “I’d like that to be more well-known.” Edwards earned his master’s degree in computer science in 2020 and finished his Ph.D. program
Latimer AI, the first inclusive Large Language Model (LLM), and Grammarly are collaborating to help students improve their writing skills and cultural awareness. Grammarly for Education customers will now have access to both services, enabling institutions to enhance students’ academic success and improve learning outcomes. “Our partnership with Latimer helps us further demonstrate this commitment by providing an inclusive LLM to the more than 3,000 educational institutions we work with, supporting equity efforts in higher education,” Jenny Maxwell, Head of Education at Grammarly, said. Increasing students’ cultural awareness Latimer is
Marc Andreessen, founder of Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), said universities will “pay the price” for promoting diversity and allegedly discriminating against supporters of President Donald Trump. The comments come from leaked messages to a WhatsApp group used by White House officials and technology leaders, according to screenshots of the chatfrom May and June reviewed by The Washington Post. Andreessen criticizes universities The investor criticized Stanford and MIT, sending out a rapid-fire series of messages, according to screenshots and two members of the chat, who spoke to
Kande Sill, 16, has been awarded the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, one of the UK’s most prestigious honors for young engineering talent. Her award-winning project, “Enhancing Medical Delivery,” explores how drones can securely transport critical medical supplies, such as vaccines and blood, to underserved communities. Medical drone innovation Sill’s design features an insulated, theft-resistant container and a delivery mechanism designed for safety and precision. “My project focused on the development of a secure medical drone delivery system to transport sensitive items while preventing theft,” she told her school. The Arkwright Scholarship
Social Change Fund United, a non-profit founded by Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony, is partnering with several HBCU students to provide them with scholarships. Founded in 2020 in response to racial injustice, the nonprofit aims to create equity and reduce the racial opportunity gap. Over the years, the Social Change United Fund has provided community partners with nearly $1 million in grant funding, reaching more than 132,000 people through targeted initiatives and outreach. $40,000 scholarship for HCBU students The Social Change Fund United has announced that applications for its annual scholarship
Michael Feldstein developed an AI Learning Design Assistant (ALDA) as part of a broader project aimed at addressing the needs of educators with the aid of AI. The project included a course that used AI tools to transform online course creation and was sponsored by D2L, VitalSource, and Engageli. Feldstein was the chief accountability officer at e-Literate, a publication dedicated to explaining educational technology (edtech). Now, he serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at 1EdTech, a leading member of a nonprofit edtech partnership dedicated to transforming the digital learning landscape. ALDA
Five Howard students have won a $1 million grant for their school as winenrs of the Goldman Sachs Fifth Annual Market Madness Competition. Keyla Arrechea, Jordan Atkins, Aaron Harrison, Kadijah Mansaray, and Jada Rabun were participants in the 2024–2025 cohort of Goldman Sachs’ HBCU Possibilities Program. The semester-long program offers HBCU students industry experience, professional development, and networking opportunities inside the investment banking sector. A major component of the program is a case competition that challenges students to pitch and defend strategic business solutions for real-world companies. Howard team wins the
On May 1, 2025, Tennessee State University graduate Dorsey West will launch HBCU$™ to help tackle decades of disparities in public funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), according to a press release. HBCU$™ is an alumni giving and wealth-building network that will support the entrepreneurs they produce. Disparities in public funding West was inspired to create HBCU$™ after finding a 2023 analysis by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that found between 1987 and 2020, HBCU land-grant institutions received approximately $12.6 billion less
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) has announced the launch of the Innovation Leader Scholarship, as stated in a press release. This unique initiative aims to support upcoming diverse leaders in engineering and computer science and inspire them to influence the future of technology. The Innovation Leader Scholarship will financially support five outstanding rising sophomore, junior, and senior students undertaking engineering or computer science degrees. The Innovation Leader Scholarship Recipients must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA and be enrolled at an ABET-accredited engineering college that is part of the
