The Sway | January 2026 - Cloned

Bison Trailblazers | Building the Mathematical Mecca: Howard’s Half‑Century of Innovation, Scholarship, and Leadership

by Anna De Cheke Qualls | By any standard, 1976 was a threshold year. When Howard University launched the nation’s first PhD program in mathematics at a historically Black college or university, it didn’t simply add another graduate credential. It built a durable pipeline—one that would carry generations of Black mathematicians into research, classrooms, laboratories, agencies, and leadership roles around the world.

But the story of Howard mathematics is older than the modern doctorate. It’s a narrative of continuity—of ideas, people, and purpose—running from the late nineteenth century to today’s research-active department. That throughline begins with Kelly Miller, a foundational figure who helped shape mathematics and science education at Howard at the turn of the 20th century. Often cited as perhaps the first African American to undertake graduate study in mathematics, Miller’s influence extended beyond pedagogy; he laid intellectual and institutional groundwork for a department that would become nationally significant.

Word to the Wise | Dr. Tracey Thomas

By Anna De Cheke Qualls | Dr. Tracey Thomas’s journey into science began long before she ever stepped into a laboratory. Raised in Birmingham, Alabama, by a registered nurse and a Social Security Administration accountant, she grew up in a home where education was treated as both an opportunity and a responsibility. Her childhood curiosity—often expressed through taking apart household objects just to put them back together—hinted at an early fascination with how things worked. But it was her late father’s battle with cancer, and his eventual passing, that transformed that curiosity into a profound scientific drive.

That drive carried Thomas through a rigorous biology curriculum and into a doctoral program at Howard University, where she earned her PhD studying cell signaling and calcium mobilization. A postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine followed, allowing her to delve deeper into cellular mechanisms by examining HIV–host cell interactions. Like many young scientists, Thomas initially imagined a future rooted in academia. Yet a pivotal AAAS Science Policy Fellowship revealed a broader landscape—one where her strengths in strategy, communication, systems thinking, and translating complex science for decision‑makers could have wide‑ranging impact.

Bison Trailblazers | AI in Doctoral Education: A Tool, Not a Shortcut

by Anna De Cheke Qualls | Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept in academia—it’s here, and transforming the way doctoral students learn, research, and write. But as AI becomes embedded in PhD programs, educators are grappling with a critical question: How do we harness its benefits without compromising the intellectual rigor and authenticity that define doctoral work?

For Dr. Desta Haileselassie Hagos — a Lecturer of Computer Science and AI/ML Technical Lead Manager at Howard University—the answer lies in balance. “AI should be treated as an intellectual partner, not a substitute for thinking,” he says. “Its role is to improve how our graduate students search, analyze, simulate, and communicate. But the core intellectual work—framing problems, exercising judgment, making original contributions—must remain the responsibility of the researcher.”

Word to the Wise | Sahir Muhammad

by India Crowe | At the crossroads of identity and inquiry stands Sahir Muhammad, a second-year graduate student whose academic journey has been shaped as much by self-discovery as by research. A graduate of Temple University, Muhammad’s newfound passion for politics and sense of purpose led him to Howard University’s Graduate School. In pursuit of a Master’s degree in Political Science and Government, Muhammad’s work considers political science not only as a discipline to study political institutions, but also as a tool to better understand power, representation, and lived experience. As a Black Muslim scholar himself, Muhammad utilizes his passion for political science to explore and challenge the position of Black Muslim Americans in the American political landscape, a subject that remains underexplored in scholarly literature. In this interview, Sahir Muhammad shares insights from his academic path and reflects on how his lived experiences have led to his advocacy-driven scholarly pursuit.