Dr. Ayanna Howard has joined the Spelman College Board of Trustees as its 12th president, the historically Black liberal arts school for women. Howard will become the university’s roboticist and artificial intelligence expert. “I am deeply honoured and excited to join Spelman College, and the amazing faculty, staff, and trustees that have shaped generations of Black women,” said Dr. Howard in a press release. “Students choose Spelman because they want to make a difference in the world, and as the world changes, we must equip them to thrive. At a
A group of Historically Black Colleges and Universities has launched the Association of HBCU Research Institutions (AHRI) to address key societal issues. AHRI will bring together 15 HBCUs to work towards achieving R1 status, the highest level of research activity under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This will be achieved by improving policy influence and boosting transformative discoveries at scale, according to a press release. “Today is not just an announcement, but a declaration that HBCUs are not only contributors to research and innovation, but also leaders
Saint Augustine’s University, a historically Black college, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to Bloomberg. Founded in 1867, Saint Augustine’s is one of the oldest historically Black colleges in the US, but has faced financial struggles in recent years. Earlier this month, the board of directors at the Raleigh, North Carolina-based school voted unanimously in favor of initiating the bankruptcy process, as per a resolution included with court documents. On Monday, the college listed liabilities of $50 million to $100 million and assets of $100 million to $500
Morehouse College, a historically Black college and university, has received a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to build a supercomputer. The Morehouse Center for Broadening Participation in Computing has received the initial $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to start building the supercomputer Horizon. Further capital will be donated to support similar initiatives. The grant is part of a wider $457 million project to build one of the most powerful academic supercomputers in the southeast. The college will become a national hub by introducing
Historically Black College, Tennessee State University (TSU), is preparing to build a 70,000-square-foot engineering building. The Tennessee State Building Commission approved the future-ready campus on August 15, and TSU’s commitment to sustainability, workforce development, and leadership among university engineering programs. The $50 million facility will serve as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and cutting-edge research, as stated by a press release. The completion date is summer 2027, with construction expected to begin later this year. “This facility will provide a world-class space that enhances interdisciplinary collaboration across six undergraduate programs,
Rep. Ro Khanna of California is on a mission to connect students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities with high-paying tech jobs at leading Silicon Valley companies. Khanna is working with Jackson State University to inspire students at HBCUs to pursue careers at top corporate tech companies, beginning in his district – the 17th congressional district in California, according to WLBT Channel 3 News. He aims to engage Black Southerners in the digital revolution by learning about and working with artificial intelligence and technology. “There are ambitious students at our
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.
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
