Activist, Author and Educator Kevin Powell Speaks on Ethical Leadership and Community Engagement During Lecture at Fisk University

Author and activist Kevin Powell spoke to Fisk students about becoming effective leaders.

Fisk University hosted a lecture by author, activist and educator Kevin Powell on Thursday, October 29 at 3 p.m. in the Appleton Room of Jubilee Hall as part of the University’s Global and Community Lecture Series. Powell’s lecture, “How to Become an Effective Leader,” emphasized ways for college students to pursue ethical leadership.

As an author, Powell has published ten books ranging from essays and poetry to self-help. Powell’s latest, “Open Letters to America” is a collection of essays that celebrates the recent political engagement of many American youth during the candidacy of President Barack Obama. Powell was also a leading contributor to the 2006 New York Times Best Seller biography, “ class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”"Tupac Shakur.”  Powell has additionally written essays and commentaries regarding pop culture and current events for publications including Esquire, Newsweek, Vibe, The Washington Post, Essence, Rolling Stone, The Amsterdam News and the Huffington Post.

As an activist, Powell has lectured in 48 states and at the United Nations on such topics as American and African-American History, hip hop culture, civic engagement, and global human rights. He has twice run for United States Congress in New York’s 10^th Congressional District and is also remembered for his role in the inaugural cast of MTV’s “The Real World” and the subsequent documentary he wrote and produced for the network on post-riot Los Angeles, California.

Inaugurated by Fisk in 2006, the Global and Community Lecture Series is made possible through a partnership with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. Cracker Barrel Chairman, President and CEO Michael A. Woodhouse serves on the Fisk University Board of Trustees. The lecture series provides the University and Nashville community access to and dialogue with leaders at the forefront of global and community engagement. Noted guests have included The Honorable Mickey Kantor, former United States Secretary of Commerce and United States Trade Representative, noted activist, scholar, distinguished professor and alumnus Dr. Preston King, and award-winning poet, author, essayist and alumna Nikki Giovanni.

Fisk Trustee Eddie George and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean Plan Redesign of Jefferson Street

Fisk University Trustee Eddie George and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean have unveiled a new master plan to enhance Nashville’s historic Jefferson Street. The plan includes a gathering place under the I-40 overpass to be named “Heritage Park” in addition to new directional signage and landscaping.

Read more about the plan here.

NAACP and Chairman Julian Bond Celebrate 100 Years of Service with Fisk University

As the NAACP celebrates 100 years of service in the global community, national organizers and the organization’s chairman Julian Bond visited Fisk University as part of a national tour to raise funds, membership and support. In 1909, acclaimed scholar, activist, educator and Fiskite W.E.B. Du Bois was one of the co-founders of the

Fisk president Hazel R. O’Leary welcomed the guests and presented a framed portrait of the class of 1929 in which Bond’s mother, Julia Washington Bond, was a member. In his remarks, Chairman Bond shared that Nashville is his city of birth and that his grandparents were also Fiskites.

Among the guests in attendance were Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, acclaimed artist Sam Gilliam, attorney and Fisk Trustee D. Billye Sanders in addition to CBRL Group CEO and Fisk Trustee Michael A. Woodhouse.

Read more about the NAACP celebration at Fisk here.

Fisk’s Spence Maners Selected as Finalist in Nashville Business Journal’s “CFO Awards 2009″

Fisk's Spence Maners was selected as a finalist in the "Best CFO" award category by the 2009 Nashville Business Journal.

Congratulations to Fisk University Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Spence Maners as he has received the nomination as a finalist in the Nashville Business Journal’s ‘Best CFO’ of Nashville award category.

Since joining the University family in 2006, Maners has assisted Fisk in strengthening fiscal integrity and accountability.  As a result, Fisk has attracted more grants from private foundations was able to show a profit in fiscal year 2008.

Click here to read more.

Recovery Act Grant Boosts Research Funding at Fisk and Vanderbilt Universities

Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Kelly Holley-Bockelmann has received nearly $1.1 million from the National Science Foundation in her research at Vanderbilt University to determine more about the growth of black holes in the Milky Way Galaxy. Holley-Bockelmann will hire two graduates to assist her from the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters to Ph.D. Bridge Program. Click here learn more about the grant that is funding this and other scientific research at Fisk and Vanderbilt Universities.

Fiskite Dr. Carol Adams to Serve as Illinois Representative to Africa

Congratulations to Fiskite Dr. Carol Adams as Governor  Pat Quinn has named her as Illinois Representative to Africa.

Dr. Adams will serve as Illinois Representative to Africa within the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Trade and Investment beginning on January 1, 2010. Until then, she will serve as Senior Advisor to the Governor.

In her 25 years of public service, Adams has contributed to global and local community development and sociological research and has been recognized by such organizations as Phi Beta Kappa, The National Association of University Women, The Illinois arts Council and the Abraham Lincoln Center.

Click here  to learn more.

Fisk Freshmen Class President Kenneth Smith Achieves Dream While Giving Back

Kenneth Smith(right) was recently elected as freshmen class president at Fisk.

Fisk freshmen class president Kenneth Smith has achieved his dream of going to college and is now assisting GED candidates with math tutoring at the Metro Action Commission. Read more about Kenneth here.

Fisk’s Muthukumaran Gunasekaran Awarded Fulbright Senior Specialist Fellowship

Fisk professor and biologist Muthukumaran Gunasekaran was recently announced as a recipient of the Fulbright Senior Specialist Fellowship. Dr. Gunasekaran will visit India’s Bharathidasan University and University of Madras in December.  

The Fulbright Specialists Program (fsp) promotes linkages between faculty in the United States and their counterparts at universities abroad. 

Grants are awarded in select disciplines to engage in short-term collaborative projects ranging from two to six weeks at higher education institutions in over 100 countries.

Fore more on the Fulbright Specialists Program, click here.

Fisk’s Boyd House to Host New Academic Success Center

Fisk announced that a new initiative, The Academic Success Center, will allow the academic divisions and departments to further structure the advising experience for Fisk students. 

Located in the University’s Boyd House, The Academic Success Center will partner with fellow campus offices including Student Life, L.E.A.D., the Living Learning Center, the Writing Center, the Math Lab and the HBCU Wellness Initiative, to offer workshops, tutoring, peer advising, a study lounge, skills testing, and counseling services.

By offering these services, The Academic Success Center will provide improved advising services to all students, promote academic success through the strategic use of resources, increase student retention and improve institutional graduation rates.

Dr. Jeff Menzise has been selected as Director of the Academic Success Center. Dr. Menzise will be responsible for the varied that functions previously operated within Academic Advising, Differently-Abled Student Services, and Student Counseling.

For more information on the Academic Success Center, contact the Office of the Provost at 615-329-8681.

Nashville’s Centennial Club Visits Carl Van Vechten Gallery

Fisk welcomed Nashville’s Centennial Club and Nashville artist, curator and art historian Donia Dickerson during their recent trip to the Carl Van Vechten Gallery. Fisk Galleries Curator Victor Simmons led the group through a tour of the renowned Stieglitz Collection as well as the African American Masters collection also located in the Van Vechten Gallery.

For more on Fisk University Galleries, click here.