Morgan State University President Earl S. Richardson has been named chairman of President Clinton's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In this capacity, Dr. Richardson will play a major role in the ongoing White House initiative to strengthen the nation's 117 HBCUs. He's a national authority on the importance of HBCUs in preparing a 
diverse student body for the technological demands of the 21st Century. In addition, Morgan State will become the first HBCU in the nation to offer a doctoral degree in public health this fall and one of the few institutions to focus its program on the production of practitioners in the field rather than on research. The Maryland Higher Education Commission has given Morgan State approval to launch the new graduate program in public health in September after a two year planning study funded through a $264,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 

Florida A&M University has received the largest research award in its history. Over $11 million has been granted by the National Institutes of Health-National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) for research in AIDS, drug delivery, neuroscience and information technology. The FAMU College of Pharmacy will develop a new Pharmaceutical Research 
Center that will allow university faculty, research associates and graduate students to investigate these and other health concerns. The grant is a five-year award by the NCRR under the Research Centers in Minority Institutions program. Meanwhile, FAMU's new graduate school dean, Anna Vaughn-Cooke, wants FAMU to become a national leader in the production of African-American graduate students. By capitalizing on the school's existing strengths in undergraduate education, Dr. Vaughn-Cooke plans to develop a graduate program that emphasizes research and the application of skills. 

University of Florida freshman O'Tisha Preston was recognized as a 1998 Toyota Community Scholar, a program administered by the Educational Testing Service. The program acknowledges students who demonstrate academic excellence, great leadership skills and a dedication to community service. Of the 100 finalists chosen for this honor, Preston was one of only 12 selected as a national scholar qualifying her for additional scholarship funding. 

Shaw University has received a four-year grant for $492,861 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide an Educational Training Program (ETP) for Head Start and Early Head Start personnel. The ETP will enroll a minimum of 19 Head Start employees at Shaw University each semester earning up to six credit hours per semester. These courses will be offered free to program personnel who will learn the needed skills to better prepare the children to enter school ready to learn. 

Congratulations to Dr. Steve A. Favors, who took over the leadership reigns at Grambling State University as its sixth president at the start of the 1998-99 school year. A seasoned administrator, who has held high-profile administrative positions at several universities, Dr. Favors most recently served as vice president of student affairs at Howard University before 
assuming the Grambling presidency. 

Meanwhile, kudos are also in store for several college presidents who were inaugurated during the 1998-99 academic year. 

Dr. Audrey F. Manley was officially installed as the eighth president of Spelman College on October 31. Prior to returning to her alma mater, she served as Acting Surgeon General of the United States and Deputy Surgeon General. 

Dr. Michael L. Lomax was inaugurated as Dillard University's seventh president on October 18. After serving numerous years in Atlanta as a political and civic leader, he was the former president of The National Faculty in Atlanta before assuming the Dillard presidency. 

On October 17, Dr. Ernest McNealey was inaugurated as the fifth president of Stillman College. He most recently was associate provost at the State University of New York. 

Wayne State University celebrated the inauguration of its ninth president, Irvin D. Reid, on September 18. Dr. Reid is one of the first African Americans to lead a Carnegie 1 research university.