SPELMAN CONNECTION

By bmorenews on May 15, 2018

	Education Professor and Scholar Awarded Two Prominent Fellowships Richard Benson, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Education, has been awarded a 2018-2019 W. E. B. Du Bois Visiting Scholars Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as well as a C.L.R. James Research Fellowship by the African American Intellectual History Society. Both fellowships will support Dr. Benson’s work to finalize research and writing for his forthcoming book, “Funding the Revolution: Black Power, White Church Money and the Financial Architects of Black Radicalism 1966-1976.” He will spend this summer at UMass Amherst continuing to draft chapters for the book, collecting data for an upcoming article on Malcolm X and investigating more materials that he can use to teach his two courses at Spelman College. “The fellowship will give me the much needed time to complete my projects and build relationships with scholars and archivists who have made significant contributions in the fields of African-American studies and education,” he said.
	Academic Scholarships Presented to Student Biochemistry Researchers Three biochemistry majors are each the recipients of an inaugural Gladys S. Bayse Memorial Academic Scholarship. The awards are based on outstanding service in theDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, demonstrated potential as researchers, a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.2 GPA in chemistry. Gabrielle Webb, C’2019, is working on a cancer biology research project through the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development at Clark Atlanta University. Gygeria Manuel, C’2020, is a research scholar participant in the Undergraduate Health Sciences Academy at Morehouse School of Medicine. Dominique Mosley, C’2020, is studying the effects of natural products on prostate cancer tumors at Spelman. Webb, Manuel and Mosley are in the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program and active in the Chemistry Club. The late Gladys Bayse, Ph.D., (pictured) was a professor of biochemistry at Spelman. She spearheaded the effort to form a full-fledged chemistry and biochemistry department and was its first chair. The department celebrated its 40th anniversary in April.
	Commencement News: The Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts III to Serve as Baccalaureate Speaker; Spelman Introduces Commencement Mobile Guide Spelman will hold its annualBaccalaureate ceremony onSaturday, May 19 at 9 a.m., on the Spelman Oval. Calvin O. Butts, III, D.Min., president of State University of New York College at Old Westbury and pastor of the nationally renowned Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City, will be the keynote speaker forthe service. Dr. Butts, president of Old Westbury since 1999, is credited with leading substantial growth at the institution. His leadership of Abyssinian Baptist is distinguished by the church’s involvement and impact on the addressing the city’s pressing social issues such as homelessness. The Spelman community can access Baccalaureate 2018 updates and other Commencement weekend events by downloading the new Commencement mobile app from the app store. Android and IOS users can use the following instructions: (1) Download the Guidebook app to your device; (2) Search for Spelman College Commencement 2018; and (3) Sign in using an existing account or create an account.
	Anthropology Professor Recognized with Fellowship for Food Justice Work and Research Ashanté Reese, Ph.D., assistant professor of anthropology in theDepartment of Sociology and Anthropology, is a recipient of a Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship, which she will begin in January 2019. Dr. Reese is exploring using the fellowship to begin work on a food-related research project or completing her book manuscript, “Between a Corner Store and a Safeway: Race, Self-Reliance, and Food Access in the Nation’s Capital.” She looks forward to the fellowship opportunity also supporting her work in the classroom. “I love teaching,” said Dr. Reese. “I love sharing the texts with my students that influenced my thinking and seeing student-growth as a result the exposure. Being a faculty fellow will give me some time away to generate new ideas and new directions in my teaching and research.” The fellowship offers underrepresented faculty, who are pursuing racial justice projects, a setting in which they can continue working on research that strengthens their tenure dossiers. Read more.
	Alumna Aims to be a Model for Peace Corps Volunteerism and Serving Internationally This summer, Monique Gray, C’2013, will complete a 27-month commitment to provide the people of Guinea, West Africa, with potentially life-saving health information. Gray’s work consists of designing and directing public health programs for the Peace Corps, filling a void in a region where lack of access to adequate health care, health education and gender equality is prevalent. “I knew the work would be one of the most difficult undertakings of my life but I am leading projects on gender empowerment, sexual health and maternal and child health,” said Gray, who majored in comparative women’s studies with a concentration in women’s health. Gray wants to see the number of Black women in the Peace Corps increase and hopes her service inspires more Spelman graduates to join. In February, the Peace Corps announced that Spelman tied for No. 4 among small schools on its 2018 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. Read more.