Spelman College is expanding its partnership with the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON), formerly known as the National Education Equity Lab. The collaboration provides high school students from Title I schools — those serving large numbers of low-income families — with access to college-level courses for credit, according to a university press release. Since launching in spring 2023, the partnership has grown significantly, from one course with 50 students to nearly 300 students enrolled across two Spelman-led classes in 2025. To date, the initiative has reached more than 767 high school scholars from 47 schools in 19 cities, including New York City; Nashville, TN; Jackson, MS; Charleston, SC; and Washington, DC. The first course, “The Education of Black Girls,” was developed and taught by Andrea Lewis, Ph.D., director of Spelman’s Student Success Program and associate professor of education. The class allows high school students to explore identity, race, gender, and...

Howard University intends to use its latest investment to train medical professionals. The Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has received $80 million in unrestricted funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, according to The Washington Post. She previously invested $40 million in 2020. Scott has been making her rounds across several HBCUs, including Morgan State University. Her $63 million investment in the HBCU was the largest in the school’s history (individual or organizational), as AFROTECH™ previously reported. As it relates to Howard University, Scott’s investment has led to “a boost of confidence,” according to Wayne A.I. Frederick, Howard’s interim president. “It also says that what you’re doing, based on our own evaluation, we think is important. And we think you’re doing it well enough that we can trust you with that type of gift,” Frederick said. The investment will train medical professionals at Howard, one of four HBCUs with a medical...

SNIPES USA, the leading footwear retailer connecting streetwear culture with community and creativity, has launched a series of campus activations at Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCUs). Through its Pay It Forward initiative, launched in 2022, SNIPES has funded HBCU scholarships and campus programs at Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Morgan State University, Central State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Norfolk State University, and Hampton University, according to a news release shared with AFROTECH™. The initiative is rooted in SNIPES’ HBCU strategy, built on three core pillars: cultural celebration and connection, educational empowerment, and sustainable community integration. “Our work with HBCUs goes far beyond a campaign — it’s a commitment,” SNIPES USA Chief Marketing Officer Kelley Walton...

Howard University is introducing a new artificial intelligence certificate program as part of its broader effort to integrate AI education and research across campus. The announcement was made during the university’s AI Initiative Town Hall, held on Oct. 16, according to a press release, where administrators shared updates on new academic programs, research opportunities, and partnerships with major tech companies. The forthcoming AI certificate program, expected to launch in fall 2026, will be available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. It’s one of several projects under the university’s AI Initiative, launched in 2024 to prepare students and faculty for the expanding influence of AI in education, business, and society. Dr. Anthony Wutoh, Howard University’s provost and chief academic officer, co-chairs the AI Advisory Council and said the initiative aims to keep the institution at the forefront of AI innovation and implementation. “I want to make sure we’re...

A hub has opened in Houston’s historic Third Ward to combat health and housing disparities. Urban Public Health and Housing On Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2025, Texas Southern University unveiled a new Institute, Urban Public Health and Housing, which resides in the W.R. Banks Child Development Center, according to a news release . The 6,000-square-foot hub will address public health, affordable housing, and community wellness. It was also a focus area for the late Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who secured a $2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the initiative, the Houston Chronicle reports. She wanted Third Ward to be the “example to impoverished communities around the nation.” “It’s a reinvestment in the future of urban public health, housing, and community empowerment,” said Michelle John, Texas Southern’s vice president for research and innovation, according to the outlet. The hub will offer conference and workforce training rooms,...

Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, announced a $500 million capital campaign to expand programs training Black physicians, dentists, and scientists, The Tennessean reports. Named for the college’s upcoming 150th anniversary in 2026, the campaign, “Campaign 150,” is the largest in the institution’s history and has already secured $400 million in early donations. Dr. James Hildreth, president and CEO, said the funds will support scholarships, academic and clinical training, debt reduction, and infrastructure improvements. “Those who invest in us are not just changing individual lives — they are uplifting those underserved communities that need our graduates most,” Hildreth told The Tennessean. Approximately $20 million will be allocated to scholarships for the School of Dentistry, the only dental program in the Southeast at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Dr. Juan A. McGruder, senior vice president for institutional advancement, described the campaign as a...

An investment has been made to support scholars at Virginia-based Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). $150K Boost According to 13News Now, Google Data Centers’ Community Development and Engagement team has invested $150,000 in the Virginia Humanities HBCU Scholars Fellowship, which supports HBCU-affiliated writers, community scholars, faculty members, and doctoral candidates. This is accomplished through funding, academic publishing, and peer support networks, access to the University of Virginia’s library systems and archives at the Library of Virginia, among other avenues, per information on the fellowship’s website. The fellowship backs individuals whose work spotlights the state’s history, considers marginalized stories, and explores South Atlantic themes. “It’s heartening to see that the private sector values and supports this work,” said Yosef Medina, director of the fellowship, per 13News Now. “This funding represents more than the support it will provide...

Christopher McGinley, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate in biomedical sciences at the Howard University College of Medicine, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Antibody Scholarship Award. According to a university news release, McGinley will receive $5,000 in recognition of his academic performance, leadership, and research in biomedical sciences. The Thermo Fisher Antibody Scholarship Program provides financial awards to undergraduate and graduate students conducting research in antibody, immunology, or molecular biology. Recipients are selected based on academic achievements, research proposals, and leadership activities. McGinley graduated summa cum laude from West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a degree in cell and molecular biology. At Howard University, his research focuses on how the endogenous molecule Neuregulin-1 guides brain repair after stroke. Using advanced mouse models, he studies the spatial and temporal mechanisms involved in...

During the 2025 Congressional Black Caucus Week in Washington, DC, five Howard University students earned first place in the inaugural Microsoft AI Policython. According to a university news release, the event, hosted by the Black at Microsoft DMV Chapter, brought together students from Howard University, the University of the District of Columbia, and Coppin State University to develop and present policy solutions for real-world issues involving artificial intelligence. The Howard team, known as Truth and Service Solutions Inc., included junior psychology major Janeen Louis, junior political science and economics major Fatumata Dia, senior computer science major Kyla Hockett, junior computer science major Soluchi Fidel-Ideabuchi, and senior mathematics major Sydney Helstone, per the release. The team was supported by Dr. Talitha Washington, executive director of Howard’s Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics. Over the course of the competition, students worked with...

Morgan State University has received a historic donation. Total Of $103 Million Donated To HBCU By MacKenzie Scott According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has received its second donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. In 2020, she donated $40 million and has now circled back with a record-breaking $63 million unrestricted contribution. It is the “largest gift to Morgan in University history (individual or organizational),” according to information shared with AFROTECH™. The announcement comes as the university has logged impressive achievements in its efforts to ensure students are on track for success, including record enrollment, new degree and certificate programs, and — as previously reported by AFROTECH™ — a $1.75 million grant to establish a medical school. Scott’s recent donation will support more efforts to assist students, scale the university’s endowment, and grow initiatives that position...

Two illustrious Atlanta-based HBCUs have made a strategic business decision in light of homecoming season. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, two of the nation’s top HBCUs, Morehouse College and Spelman College, secured the trademark for “Spelhouse.” The trademark marks a celebration of the institutions’ combined homecoming festivities, which is taking place Oct. 12–19, according to Capital B News – Atlanta. “…The ‘SpelHouse’ community represents more than neighborhood geography; it stands for shared community, history, traditions, and a legacy between two of the nation’s top ranking and most renowned historically Black colleges and universities,” the press release reads. “By trademarking the term, the Colleges are claiming ownership of their names, images, and likeness, while protecting both brands from dilution and misuse by external entities.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spelman College (@spelman_college) To commemorate the trademark, the HBCUs...

Robert F. Smith is positioning his portfolio for success in generative AI and wants to do the same for HBCU students. Per IBM, generative AI takes a user prompt and creates original text, images, audio, or software code. In a fireside chat with Harold L. Martin Sr., Ph.D. — chancellor emeritus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University — Smith, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, discussed the impact of generative AI on the tech industry and his work with the technology. Smith said he has already been able to position his portfolio companies as frontrunners within their sectors through the use of gen AI. “I have the good fortune that our organization is of the size that we are top-five customer for Amazon, Microsoft, and Google,” Smith said during the conversation. “So I get unique sets of access to resources for my portfolio companies to enable them to be first in the industries that they’re in to have gen AI-enabled products in those...

A new collaboration seeks to boost student pathways into healthcare and IT careers. eHBCU The first digital HBCU consortium in the U.S., eHBCU, was launched in July to ensure Black learners could obtain degrees, certifications, and mentorship, as well as expand their access to career pipelines, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. It launched with a coalition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), including P ensole Lewis College of Business & Design, D elaware State University, Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, LA), Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University at Shreveport (LA), and Alabama State University. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, eHBCU launched with 10 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 35 certification programs created with “employer input,” per a press release, to ensure students are equipped for the workforce. Areas of learning include criminal justice administration, psychology, health information...

HBCUs have received a significant boost. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has donated $50 million through its Founder Initiatives portfolio and in collaboration with key Atlanta institutions to benefit Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College, all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Atlanta area. The funding aims to help students complete their education through gap scholarships. To be eligible, students must have explored other routes of funding such as scholarships, federal grants, state assistance, and loan programs, and be in good standing academically, the press release notes. By 2026, the donation will directly assist nearly 10,000 students. “This investment affirms that every Spelman scholar deserves access to a world-class education. It expands our ability to bridge financial gaps and support students through to graduation,” Spelman College Interim...

LaRue Moore is proof that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. At 77 years old, she’s pursuing a degree in African American studies at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T) — the very campus where, as a young girl, she witnessed the early days of sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement in Greensboro, NC, according to WFMY News 2. In 1960, the A&T Four, four Black freshmen, had sat at a whites–only lunch counter at F.W. Woolworth’s store. Now, Moore has returned as a witness to history and a student ready to shape her own legacy. “I want to do it just to study, enjoy it,” Moore said, per the outlet. “I wanna be able to take my time to do it, you know, and let it be my journey here at North Carolina A&T State University to get my degree and do it my way.” Moore attends classes online, seizing a second chance at education decades after first enrolling at North Carolina Central University . She studied there for a year and a half before life took...