The Sway | March 2024

Spring is in the air!

For the Graduate School, that means commencement is around the corner. April is a busy month for us, but so much of that activity is related to thesis and dissertation defenses, student and faculty research presentations for the university's annual research month, conferences (including the Bouchet conference at Yale where we will induct 10 new graduate students), and ceremonies that celebrate our students' milestones.

I have so many found memories of this time of year—as a graduate student here, as a member of the graduate faculty and as a dissertation advisor, and as a member of the Graduate School committees that do so much of the behind the scenes work to make the Graduate School run smoothly. Those faculty and committees, along with staff, are still hard at work now, doing everything they can to ensure that our students can focus on their research and writing. 

by Anna De Cheke Qualls | Last month, the National Naval Officer Association hosted an historic event. It was the first time in the United States Coast Guard when the only two accession points into the U.S. Coast Guard's 233 year history are led by African Americans: Admiral Michael Johnston and Captain Warren D. Judge, a Howard alumi.

Johnston is the 43rd Superintendent at the Coast Guard Academy located in New London, Connecticut. Judge, a Master's graduate of Howard's Computer Science Department, is the 33rd Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard's only Boot Camp, located in Cape May, New Jersey. There he oversees the military basic training of approximately 3,800 new Coast Guard men and women.

Congratulations

Dr. Angela Pashayan | Doctoral Alumni

On her new book Development in Africa's Informal Settlements: Below the Proletariat. Based on a sample of 500 residents from Nairobi, Kenya, and 100 international development professionals, the book discusses the effectiveness of international development programs in these settlements (slums) and also represents the voices of slum dwellers and how they view the programs offered.

Dr. Zoeann Finzi Adams | Faculty

Department of Counseling Psychology

On appearing on Good Morning America to speak about the importance of Black Women's mental health and the Superwomen Schema that we often experience.   

Howard Graduate Dean Dana Williams was on MSNBC?

Dr. Dana A. Williams, the Graduate Dean was on MSNBC’s The ReidOut recently discussing voting trends.

Howard and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) have joint programs?

In late February, Howard and AIR co-sponsored a distinguished lecture with Dr. Odis Johnson entitled Race, AI, and the School-to-Prison Probabilities. His presentation explored the inequitable racial impact of "hardening schools" with the implementation of AI and other enhancements to the security and punishment infrastructure of educational institutions to prevent gun violence.

HBCU Doctoral Career Pathways Conference

March 25 - 28, 2024 (virtual)

Register: gs.howard.edu/docpathwaysconference

Graduate Student Mental Health and Wellness Fair

This spring was the first-ever Graduate School Mental Health and Wellness Fair in partnership with various campus offices.

Graduate students were encouraged to think about their mental health much like their physical health. Throughout the afternoon, there was an opportunity to connect with the Counseling Center, the Offices of Intercultural Affairs & LGBTQ+ Resource, Military & Veteran Affairs, Student Advocacy & Support, Student Accessibility, Public Safety, Student Health Center, Public Health, International Student Affairs and the Chapel. There was an opportunity to learn relaxation techniques and also to line dance.