Bleu Notes: April 2021

Lots of good news from April!

• Dillard University and Jefferson Performing Arts Society have signed a three-year commitment to benefit student learning and enhance community collaborations between the institutions. Dillard University theater students and professors have contributed time, skills, and expertise to JPAS productions and presentations since the collaboration began in January.

• Study.com has published its 2021 rankings and Dillard University Film has been ranked #13 on our list Best Bachelor’s in Film Programs and has been ranked #9 on their list Best Bachelor’s in Biology.
• We found another list. The 107 listed Dillard as the #4 Most Distinctive HBCU Campus (December 2020).

Notable HBCU Campuses

• MORE RANKINGS! The Dillard women’s track & field program is ranked 16th in the South Region in the first released 2021 USTFCCCA Coaches’ Poll on March 29th.

Dillard Women's Track & Field Program Ranked 16th in the South Region In The First USTFCCCA Poll

• EVEN MORE RANKINGS! The Dillard men’s track & field program is ranked ninth in the South Region in the first released 2021 USTFCCCA Coaches’ Poll on March 29th.

Dillard Men's Track & Field Program Ranked Ninth in the South Region In The First USTFCCCA Poll

• DU History. This story, “First Black graduates from Tulane School of Social Work will be honored in ‘Trailblazers’ painting” has a strong Dillard connection as I know 2 of the 3 are Dillard grads: Gloria Bryant Banks and Pearlie Hardin Elloie.

First Black graduates from Tulane School of Social Work will be honored in 'Trailblazers' painting

CLASS OF 2021 NEWS:

• N’Dia Ruffin has accepted a position with Teach for America, Dallas-Fort Worth.
• Grace Johnson was admitted to the Master of Science in public health in environmental sciences at the Tulane University school of public health and tropical medicine, AND admitted to the Master of Science in Public Health Program at Meharry Medical College
• Justin Matthews was admitted to the masters in electrical and computer engineering at Georgia Tech.
• Dierra Mize has been admitted to the University of Houston Law Center, Tulane Law School, and the LSU Law Center.
• Rodney Perkins was admitted to LSU’s Health Sciences Program, and has deferred for the Fall of 2022.
• Nadiah Hadir was admitted to Southwestern Law School (CA), Chapman University School of Law, and University of California Hastings School of Law
• Precious Richardson was admitted to Southern University Law Center and Texas Southern Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
• Kaylan Tanner was admitted to the Master of Public Health in Health Policy at the Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH) at the George Washington University.
• Jaida Manuel was admitted to the University of San Francisco School of Law.
• Brylon Bergeron was admitted into Liberty University’s Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences
• Kira Reney has been admitted to Chicago-Kent School of Law with a merit scholarship, the University of North Texas Dallas College of Law, and South Texas College of Law Houston.
• Dinah Cador was admitted to the Master of Marine and Environmental Biology program at Nicholls State University. In addition, she was offered a position with GarLab at Nicholls State University starting fall semester 2021 and will include a teaching assistantship, tuition waiver, and summer (2022) funding.
• Honour Williams was admitted into Kennesaw State University for the MS in chemical sciences.
• Halle Taylor was admitted to the Master of Biomedical Science Program at William Carey University

SUMMER INTERNSHIPS: How MyDU is spending their summer:

• DeSirer Bailey ’23 will be with JP MorganChase as a 2021 Advancing Black Fellows for Asset and Wealth Management program and will be with the Plano/Dallas firm this summer.
• Spencer Jones ’23 was admitted to the Howard University School of Law Pre-Law Scholars Summer Enrichment Program.
• Jared Ingram ’23 will participate at the Baylor College of Medicine Houston Campus in a new program called Biocuration. This program’s focus is to provide insight into biomedical research and the genomic sciences.
• Derrick Webb was accepted into Johns Hopkins Summer Research Program and USC School of Medicine Summer Research Program.
• Kyla Mayo was accepted into the Leadership Alliance FYRE Summer Research Program.
• Jada Sayles has been admitted to the AccessLex LexScholars program for 2021–22, a law diversity pipeline program.

IN THE NEWS:

• Dr. Gary Clark was quoted in this New Orleans Advocate article, “This super PAC for pro-choice women is spending big to help get Karen Carter Peterson elected”

This super PAC for pro-choice women is spending big to help get Karen Carter Peterson elected

• Center for Racial Justice advisory board member Cedric Alexander has a nice op-ed in the Washington Post, “Which side are you on? The question every police officer must answer.”

Opinion | Which side are you on? That's a question every police officer must answer.

• Dr. Kiki Barnes participated in the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association virtual chat recently.

• Prof. Blair Condoll was interviewed by WWL for the report, “Will we see tighter gun laws? Expert says it’s not likely”

Will we see tighter gun laws? Expert says it's not likely

• Another great article on Dillard alumna Dr. Ruth Simmons “Ivy League Star, a Sharecropper’s Child, Revives a Black College”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-19/ivy-league-star-a-sharecropper-s-child-revives-a-black-college?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_2130528_nl_Philanthropy-Today_date_20210322&cid=pt&source=ams&sourceId=1242

• Dr. Ashraf Esmail conducted an interview for an upcoming TV piece in cooperation with PBS and Deutsche Welle (Germany’s global broadcaster) about gun ownership among Black American women.
• Dr. Gary Clark was quoted in this New Orleans Advocate article, “Progressive vote up for grabs? DA Jason Williams endorses Troy Carter in congressional race”

https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_49e2909e-9310-11eb-b4bc-9bf144bccd59.html

He also commented for the article, “LaToya Cantrell backs Karen Carter Peterson in congressional race; is it the ‘difference-maker?’”

LaToya Cantrell backs Karen Carter Peterson in congressional race; is it the 'difference-maker?'

• Great article! “Dillard theater interns are learning behind-the-scenes crafts through the JPAS production of ‘Tenors’”

Dillard theater interns are learning behind-the-scenes crafts through the JPAS production of…

• Dr. Ashraf Esmail conducted an interview with WWL CH 4 to discuss the Derek Chauvin trial and how it may or already has affected law enforcement’s approach to use of force.

Derek Chauvin murder trial could change use of force policies across the country

• He also was interviewed for the story, “‘It is alarming’ | Carjackings up 65% in 2021 with suspects as young as 13 arrested”

'It is alarming' | Carjackings up 65% in 2021 with suspects as young as 13 arrested

• Rev. Herbert Brisbon was interviewed for the Christianity Today article, “The Living Legacy of the HBCU: Faith-fueled education has driven the mission of the black church.”

The Living Legacy of the HBCU

• Dr. Robert Collins conducted an interview with a Turkish television station on the long-term effects of Operation Provide Comfort in the Gulf region on the 30th anniversary of the operation.

KUDOS:

• Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy was a participant in the virtual event, “It is burning. / It is dreaming. / It is waking up: Poetry & Environmental Justice” sponsored by Woodland Pattern Book Center in Milwaukee WI.

• Dr. Lovell Agwaramgbo was invited to contribute to the expert panel on “The enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates, what certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact on their job prospects and what will help people in chemistry increase their earning potential?”
• Dr. Tomekia Simeon was named Purdue nanoHUB Faculty Champion and was appointed as a visiting scholar at Northwestern University.
• Dr. Eva Baham & Dr. Jana Smith were named by the Orleans Parish School Board as part of a team of seven historians that has been assembled to scrutinize New Orleans public school names for ties to the Confederacy or slave owners.

Meet the historians in charge of vetting new public school names in New Orleans

• Dr. Nazar Mustapha moderated a panel discussion, titled “Inclusion into Curriculum and Research: Practical Implementation” for the Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research virtual conference “Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Academic Business Research: East-West Dialog of Values” in cooperation with Al Ain University, UAE and Webster University, St. Louis. He also wrote the editorial notes for the new volume of the journal.

View of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Academic Research

• Karsten Patrick was one of four students awarded the NASCAR Wendell Scott Sr. Scholarship.
• Eddie Francis recently served as a trainer for New Leaders Council fellows in Atlanta on the topic of framing and messaging. Presently he is serving as a judge for the American Marketing Association’s C.H. Robinson Perfect Pitch Competition for college chapters, and on the planning committee for the AMA’s 2021 Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education.
• Microsoft, Xbox, and Unity sponsored a video game camp in New Orleans and put together teams with different sets of skills to build a video game from scratch. Team Circular Logic which had developers, artists, designers, sound engineers, and even a voice actor (that actor being our own Walter Dixson IV ‘22). You can see part of their work and hear him via this link:

• Andrew Logan ’22 was a panelist for the Bipartisan Policy Center’s task force on free expression.

• Dillard University English Club presented Poetry and Spoken Word at the New Orleans Poetry Festival on Tuesday, April 6 at 6:30 pm. Readers included: Anaya DeClouette, Darlinda Wright, William Shelton, Lauren Rhodes, Nailah Starks, Paiton Young, Christian McGary, Allen Miller, DeJoan Mitchell.
• Dr. Nancy Dixon presented on the panel: Poetry in a Landscape of Corruption and Hope, April 25th.
• Dillard University Society of Physics Students was featured in the Society of Physics Students magazine, Winter 2021 issue.

• Dr. Ruby Broadway’s grant, “Dillard Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (DU-RISE )” has been selected for funding by the National Institutes of Health/NIGMS for over $1.4M for 5 years.
• Dennis Sigur is the faculty spotlight honoree for Paradigm Education Solutions.
• The following students presented at the 2021 Conference for Interdisciplinary Student Research.
   Emiia Charles ’21 — The Discrepancies of Financial Literacy (Faculty Advisor-Dr. Ashraf Esmail)
   Jamya Robinson ’21 — Justice for Gordon Plaza: Examining Environmental Racism in New Orleans (Faculty Advisors-Dr. Ashraf Esmail and Dr. Casey Schreiber)
• Watch Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy read her poem, “Erase Tyranny of Today,” written in response to “Tyrants before the Judgment of History” (1862), by an anonymous author.

• Paulina Webber ’23 was recently installed as the Secretary for the UNCF National Pre-Alumni Council.
• Trent Dalcourt ’22 received a Stay the Course grant from Wiley Publishing.
• Dr. Yolanda Page facilitated a discussion on the topic, “Serving as Department or Division Chair: Beyond the Job Description,” at the Council of Independent College’s Workshop for Department and Divisions Chairs, April 9–10.
• Dr. Roland Bullard was named to the Florida Atlantic University Alumni Association (FAUAA) Board of Directors.
• Dr. Marc Barnes article, “Cultivating the Relationship: The Intersection of Traditional and Pandemic-era Donor Cultivation Strategies” was published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
• Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy was named as a representative of university faculty for the Louisiana Folklife Commission.
• Dr. Ashraf Esmail conducted a presentation at the 2021 Southern Sociological Society Annual Conference entitled “Female Christian Church Leadership and Leadership Experiences.” Criminal Justice major Justin Baker chaired a session entitled “Crime, Work, and The Economy.” Criminal Justice major Jaida Washington chaired a session entitled “The Dynamics of Student and Youth Activism.” The following students also presented at the conference:
   Justin Baker — Profit, Non-Profit and Employment among Ex-Offenders
   Jamaya Robinson — Justice for Gordon Plaza; Examining Environmental Racism in New Orleans
   Nadiah Hadir — The Impact of Rehabilitative Climates on Sexual Offenders Treatment Success and Recidivism
   Jywana Moore — Adverse Childhood Experiences Across Subgroups
   Holly Neely — What is the Causal Mechanism that Drives the association between alcohol outlets and intimate partner violence
   Jadia Washington — The Development of Political and Civic Passivity as it Relates to Identity from Adolescence to Adulthood
   Yahnah Lighthall- The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Childhood Development
   Emiia Charles — The Impact of Financial Literacy
   Carlos Pollard — Foreclosure and Displacement Among African Americans
   Damaris Shakesphere — The Superwoman Effect on African American Women