Louisiana State University Health Shreveport (LSUHS) School of Medicine and Dillard University have established a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Guaranteed Interview Program at LSU.
During Black History Month 2021, Dillard celebrated “History Made, History in the Making.” Everyday, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, the University posted #DUBlackFacts to celebrate Dillard’s contributions to society. Despite how COVID-19 changed life at Dillard during the 2020-2021 academic year, student groups lost neither their competitive edge nor their desire to be the best. As a different kind of academic year kicked off, Bleu Devils wasted no time making their mark. All photos are by Dillard’s photographer, Sabree Hill.
Traelon Rodgers has been ready for law school since he was three years old. “I just kept asking ‘why’ and ‘why not,’” says the 2021 Dillard co-valedictorian. By the time he reached fifth grade, Rodgers knew law was in his future. He was especially motivated by the case of Troy Anthony Davis, a Black man sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer despite witnesses reportedly recanting their testimonies and a loud public outcry for the State of Georgia to stay his 2011 execution.
Dillard University will hold its inaugural Women’s Health Conference June 25-26, 2021. Themed “Women’s Health Across the Life Span,” the two-day conference will be held virtually and it is being hosted by the University’s College of Nursing and Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center. Clinicians such as physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and allied health professionals are encouraged to attend. The conference is also for researchers, health educators, public and community health leaders, and students who have an interest in women’s health and grant writing.
Veteran businessman and New Orleans native, Frank J. Mason, will retire from Dillard University’s board of trustees in June after 25 years of service. A 1971 graduate of Dillard, Mason began his career in the financial sector, then found additional success as a businessman. The board will welcome three new members, all Dillard alumni: Michael Griffin ‘94, Alfred Lee ‘80 and Chelsea Bosley Robinson ‘17.
On the morning of May 15, actor and producer Michael Ealy spoke frankly to the Dillard University class of 2021 about the value of individualism as a way of staying ready for the unexpected in life. In the first commencement held on the Rosa Keller Freeman Avenue of the Oaks since 2018, Ealy spoke to an audience that was masked, distanced and of limited size due to City of New Orleans COVID-19 event guidelines. On a sunny and clear morning with the temperature in the mid-70s, Ealy began his address by taking note of the conditions, “This is a very, very beautiful morning. I don’t think it could have been more beautiful than this.”
Dillard University’s Office of Community and Church Relations, DePaul Community Health Centers, and local churches will host several COVID-19 Pfizer vaccination sites, starting May 7, 2021, at New Hope Baptist Church. The partnership will bring health services directly to underserved communities to address health disparities in the Crescent City. The vaccines are free and available to the public. No medical insurance is needed.
The Ray Charles Foundation is continuing its longstanding relationship with Dillard University with a $1 million grant. The grant will continue to support the University’s Ray Charles Program in African-American Material Culture which launched a food studies minor in the spring of 2020. Funds will also support scholarships for students participating in the program.
Journalist, author and speaker Malcolm Gladwell visited Dillard April 22 as part of his research on college rankings. A staff writer for The New Yorker, Gladwell has spent about a decade challenging U.S. News & World Report’s ranking methodology. As part of his research, he visited campus and spoke with a group of Dillard students to learn more about their experiences at the University. Gladwell also interviewed President Walter Kimbrough for an upcoming edition of his ”Revisionist History” podcast.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $1.4 million grant to Dillard University. The grant is aimed at increasing the diversity of students earning their bachelor’s degrees and moving on to complete research-focused, biomedical advanced degrees. The Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement, or U-RISE, will target undergraduate students who are planning to continue their academic careers and gain Ph.D.s in research-based health or biomedical sciences.
Two of Dillard’s academic programs have been named top programs among Study.com’s 2021 Top-Ranked Schools. The University’s biology program ranked ninth and the film studies program ranked 13th. Every month, Study.com receives over 40 million visitors who research colleges and universities in addition to degree programs and careers. Study.com’s criteria for selection includes several elements. According to the company’s education research division, those criteria include “academic and career resources, the quality of education, faculty and more.”
Our celebration of Women’s History Month at Dillard continues with our “Essential” series which features women who are among the University’s essential staff.
Generation Z is described as the most innovative yet nuanced generation. Born in the age of terrorism, climate change and economic crisis, Generation Z is restructuring outdated traditions and structures that have had a hold on society for far too long. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has now added to how this generation will respond to grief and its seven stages. In an interview with Dillard University’s Office of Communications and Marketing, freshman Asia Richardson shared how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her family and community in Baldwin, Louisiana (St. Mary’s Parish).
After the COVID-19 pandemic took away UNCF New Orleans’ 2020 Mayor’s Masked Ball, the highly-anticipated gala returned in 2021 as a virtual event. The slickly produced ball earned rave reviews, but one appearance stood out. Dillard senior criminal justice major Justin Baker gave a memorable testimonial about how the United Negro College Fund is helping him complete his undergraduate journey.
Our celebration of Women’s History Month at Dillard continues with our “Essential” series. The series features women who are among the University’s essential employees.
Our celebration of Women’s History Month at Dillard continues with our “Essential” series. The series features women who are among the University’s essential employees.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, the Office of Communications and Marketing is featuring women at Dillard who are essential employees. These highly valuable employees are designated to carry out their job duties even when campus is closed to ensure that Dillard continues to operate and provide services for students.
Hundreds of study hours and intense preparation have paid off for a team of scholars from Dillard University, who have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen Playoffs in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC). Now in its 32nd season, HCASC is America’s premier academic competition between students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through which Honda annually awards more than $350,000 in institutional grants to the participating HBCUs. Due to the pandemic, HCASC will shift from in-person events to virtual tournaments. On March 20-21, Dillard University will compete in the HCASC Sweet Sixteen Playoffs with the goal of advancing to the National Championship Tournament, April 17-20.
William Shelton had an active imagination as a child, but there was a particular creative style that caught his attention. He couldn’t describe it, but it took his imagination to another level. “I often visualized myself in these alternate worlds,” says the junior English major from Nashville. At first, he saw examples of the genre in comic books then, he says, it expanded to music. “Childish Gambino’s ‘Awaken My Love’ and ‘3.15.20’ are huge favorites of mine. I’m also a big fan of Janelle Monáe’s ‘Dirty Computer.’”
Donté and Sondriahn Smallwood met as freshmen at Dillard University and fell in love by the time they graduated from the illustrious Jewel of Gentilly. Known for their creative skills (especially Sondriahn’s powerhouse vocals), the Smallwoods made impactful contributions to the Dillard community, especially during the 150th Founding Anniversary. For Valentine’s Day, The Office of Communications and Marketing interviewed the Smallwoods about the alchemy of their love. If you’ve ever been in their presence, you would know the couple had to be connected in other lifetimes and continue to choose each other in this one, no matter what. Learn how this couple navigated dating in college where most students are swiping left (or right) and what the “perfect relationship” means to them.
In continuing our “History Made, History in the Making” Black History Month series, we are continuing our coverage of Dillard alumnus Jay H. Banks ‘82, New Orleans Councilmember, District B for #weDUthis Wednesday. He continued to grant the Office of Communications and Marketing access to both his life as a public and community servant. The photos we taken by Sabree Hill, Dillard’s university photographer.
For Black History Month 2021, Dillard University is celebrating “History Made, History in the Making.” Everyday, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, the University is posting #DUBlackFacts to celebrate Dillard’s contributions to society. To help the Dillard community celebrate Black History Month, the University’s Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) contacted alumnus Jay H. Banks ‘82, a New Orleans city councilmember.
Kaylan Tanner ‘21 serves as the 85th Miss Dillard University and is known on campus for her quick-witted debate skills, intellectual aptitude, and majestic ‘fro that crowns her head. This fall, she received recognition for her commitment to community service and reproductive healthcare advocacy from Seventeen Magazine.
© 2024 – All Rights Reserved
