MSU is Among Five HBCUs Selected for Partnership to Create Custom Biopharma Educational Programming and Increase Recruitment of Black Talent in the Biopharma Industry

BALTIMORE — Despite representing roughly 12% of the U.S. adult population, in biopharma, Black professionals account for just 7% of the total workforce and 3% of executive teams. In an initiative designed to curb this trend, Bristol Myers Squibb—one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies—has forged a unique partnership with Morgan State University to increase access to and awareness of the biopharma industry among Black talent and build a diverse talent pipeline. The initiative is part of Bristol Myers Squib’s Tomorrow’s Innovators, a multimillion-dollar strategic alliance to attract top HBCU-affiliated talent to the bio-pharma industry in the next five years.

Tomorrow’s Innovators extends the health equity and diversity and inclusion commitments announced by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020, which includes the goal of increasing the diversity of the company’s workforce. By the end of 2022, Bristol Myers Squibb aims to double executive representation of Black and Hispanic/Latino employees in the U.S. and achieve gender parity at the executive level globally.

“We applaud Bristol Myers Squibb for their initiative and bold steps towards cultivating diversity and workplace equity in the very consequential biopharma industry in a manner that will certainly advance student access and spur innovation within the ranks of our most talented,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “Through our collaboration in this effort, not only will our faculty and students be able to take advantage of all the opportunities participation in ‘Tomorrow’s Innovators’ affords, but we also intend to make good on its promise and deliver the leaders who are primed to compete and prepared for success.”

Designed to reach diverse talent sooner in their undergraduate career, Tomorrow’s Innovators will provide them the support and education needed to reach their career goals within the biopharma industry. Through this alliance, Bristol Myers Squibb and the HBCUs seek to:

• design and host specific career-focused workshops for diverse talent
• develop a two-way exchange program with commercial leaders and faculty members to facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration and research development opportunities
• create custom biopharma curriculum to further prepare diverse students for internships and career opportunities within the biopharma sector, which is an area of historical underrepresentation.

“At Bristol Myers Squibb, we believe that bringing innovative medicines to patients requires a workforce with diverse experiences, perspectives and personal backgrounds that reflect the diverse patients and communities we serve around the world,” said Chris Boerner, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercialization Officer at Bristol Myers Squibb. “While there is still more to do in addressing racial and societal equity, programs like Tomorrow’s Innovators provide a critical opportunity to reach diverse talent sooner and cultivate a richer talent pipeline within our industry. When diversity is celebrated and inclusion is intentional, everyone benefits, especially our patients.”

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Howard University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff join Morgan to round out the principal HBCU partners in the inaugural effort.

For more information on the Tomorrow’s Innovators program, visit https://www.bms.com/tomorrows-innovators.

About Bristol Myers Squibb

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 120 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

Media Contact(s):

Larry Jones or Dell Jackson, University PR
(443) 885-3022

Yakub Mohamed
(617) 661-7900
ymohamed@webershandwick.com

MSU is First HBCU, Only Second Maryland University to Earn CEPR Distinction from Public Relations Society of America

BALTIMORE – The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the nation’s leading professional organization serving the communications community and principal advocate for industry excellence, ethical conduct and the advancement of its membered practitioners, has approved the recommendation for the School of Global Journalism and Strategic Communication’s (SGJC) Department of Strategic Communication (SCOM) at Morgan State University to receive the Certification in Education for Public Relations (CEPR).

Morgan is the first HBCU to earn this national recognition and is only the second university in Maryland to hold the CEPR.

“This is a remarkable achievement for SCOM and The School of Global Journalism and Communication,” said Jackie Jones, dean of School of Global Journalism and Strategic Communication. “The certification demonstrates our students are getting a world class education that is propelling them to professional excellence while at Morgan and when they graduate.”

Former SGJC Dean DeWayne Wickham, who stepped down on July 31, gave the initial approval for SCOM to seek the CEPR  designation.

Earning this credential is recognition and a resounding endorsement that Morgan’s SCOM department is a leading program in preparing students for careers in public relations and related fields. It positions SCOM students to be more competitive as they graduate from Morgan and actively pursue their chosen fields within the broad communications industry.

A three-person team of national experts reviewed SCOM’s program earlier this year, culminating with an onsite visit in May by an evaluator for a firsthand assessment of the SCOM program. The team reviewed SCOM’s ability to meet eight CEPR standards: the curriculum, the faculty, resources, equipment and facilities, quality of the students, assessment, external professional affiliations, relationship with other units at the university, and diversity/global perspectives. In addition, the team conducted more than a dozen interviews with SCOM students, alumni, internship supervisors, employers, faculty, and administration during its review.

“They asked really tough questions about the types of experiences we were having in the classroom and at our internships,” said Iyanna Harris a May 2021 graduate. “As a student, I already knew we were in a department that was working hard for our success. This certification just validates the great academic experiences our majors are getting.”

Reviewers noted they discovered a department where, “faculty pushed [students] to be better, and then helped them find ways to actually do and be better.” The reported listed several positive comments from employers like, “MSU students are more prepared; they exceed expectations.”

“Of course, I am immensely proud of our SCOM faculty for their investment in our majors. The CEPR is a testament to their hard work and dedication,” said Dr. David Marshall, SCOM Chair. “But the reality is the ultimate kudos go to our talented students whose professionalism and academic achievements made this national certification possible.”

There are only 52 certified PR programs worldwide including six post-graduate and 46 undergraduate programs on five continents.

SCOM will officially receive its certificate at the Public Relations Society of America Annual conference this October in Orlando.

Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communication began in July 2013. DeWayne Wickham, a former columnist for USA TODAY and a founding member and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, served as its founding dean. The school is dedicated to giving voice to people who struggle to contribute to the public discourse that shapes the nation and the world through innovative teaching, cutting-edge research and exemplary service to Maryland, the nation and the world. The school seeks to instill students with the skills, knowledge, and training necessary to become effective communicators and to add to the diversity of thought in the media. In May 2020, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) voted unanimously to grant SGJC full accreditation.

SGJC’s Department of Strategic Communication, affectionately known as #scomup, is one of three academic units housed within the School and is focused on preparing students for careers in public relations, social media, entertainment communication, and digital related jobs.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 120 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

Media Contact(s):

Larry Jones or Dell Jackson, University PR

(443) 885-3022

MSU Board Approves University’s Conversion of Contractual Employees to Full-time With Benefits and Increases Minimum Wage to $15 per Hour

BALTIMORE — Today, with the support of the Board of Regents, Morgan State University President David K. Wilson announced an end to the longtime practice of hiring contractual employees to augment the University’s workforce needs and heralded the conversion of eligible existing contractual employees to full-time with benefits. In addition to offering benefits to contractual employees, the University will also increase the minimum wage for all applicable hourly workers to $15 per hour and has increased the adjunct faculty pay to be more competitive in attracting and retaining high-quality instructors for courses at all levels. All of these measures come as the University seeks to address employee inequity in a profound and meaningful way at the state’s largest historically Black university.

The workforce-wide overhaul will provide benefits to approximately 60 eligible full-time employees who have never had employee benefits provided by Morgan and will increase the hourly wage for 66 regular employees. The wage increase becomes effective on Aug. 4; the contractual conversions will begin on Aug. 4 and conclude by the end of the current fiscal year.

“Our employees deserve to earn a living wage and have access to benefits that will enhance their quality of life; it’s the moral thing to do,” said President Wilson. “Coming from the apex of the pandemic, when many of our contractual employees were still showing up to work and serving on the front line to keep things going despite COVID’s impact on their own families, the workforce inequities were made clear, including those on our own campus. For Morgan to ascend to the next level of national prominence, our first order of business must be to make our Morgan family whole.”

Dependence on contractual employees has been a component of the University’s strategy to address its workforce needs for more than two decades. Contractual employees touch all major areas of Morgan’s operations, most prevalently within the physical plant and custodial services but also in the offices of a number of units throughout the University. These employees do not receive health benefits from the University or accumulate vacation days, however, and they are typically omitted from the State of Maryland’s cost of living increases.

Since Wilson’s arrival in 2010, the University has used its authority to improve working conditions for Morgan employees and address their needs, by securing Board of Regents approval for tuition remission (through the Tuition Waiver Program); University-provided cost of living increases for contractual employees; and paid time off for occasions when the University is closed, and working is not an option. However, the conversion of contractual employees and discontinuing the reliance on hiring them has been a top priority for Wilson during his 10-year tenure. Now contractual workers at the University will have their employment status improved, thereby gaining access to highly coveted benefits previously unavailable to them.

The minimum wage increase announced today will directly benefit nearly 70 regular employees. Morgan joins the State of Maryland, which passed a new minimum wage law raising the state’s minimum wage from $10.10 to $15 per hour by 2025.

“We’ve worked with Morgan State to address long-standing inequities in pay and benefits for our members. Under President Wilson’s leadership our partnership is taking a giant step forward,” said Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Council 3, the union for Morgan State employees. “This Board of Regents action recognizes the hard work of frontline staff at Morgan State and is a testament to collaboration and visionary leadership.”

The opportunity to correct these longstanding employee inequities comes as the result of an extraordinary period of monetary investment in Morgan. Because of its financial position, the University will be able to absorb the estimated cost of the contractual conversions and wage increases into its operational budget.

The president has also approved a new pay scale for Morgan faculty teaching on a part-time basis during the academic year. The revamped adjunct faculty compensation simplifies the pay scale, making Morgan more competitive with other universities in the area and ensures an equitable salary for lecturers, adjuncts and faculty who maintain certain teaching loads. It will also enhance the University’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality instructional talent necessary for supporting student success.

“It was past time that we made this happen,” Wilson added. “Our employees are the engine that keeps the University running successfully, and we need to take care of that engine if we want to get to where we’re going as an institution.”

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 120 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

Media Contact(s):
Larry Jones or Dell Jackson, University PR
(443) 885-3022

Uncovering the Transcendent Humanity in Mid-Modern and Modern Hispanic Fiction

Storytelling is the cornerstone of our collective humanity. It serves as a fundamental cog in the unifying wheel of creative expression. The narrative transcends generations, borders and language exposing a deeper understanding of the human experience. The tropes and themes often explored in literature help to define the social constructs and mores of a culture and its people. Literature is the looking glass into humanity and fictional works—even genres such as fantasy and the supernatural —are prime for such analysis.

Beginning August 2021, Morgan’s Dr. Megan DeVirgilis, assistant professor of Spanish and program coordinator of Latinx, Latin American and Caribbean Studies in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), will endeavor to do just that: engage in an analysis and critical anthology of a unique genre of 19th- and 20th-century Hispanic short fiction—and she’ll do so aided by a $60,000 grant from The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

“Through transatlantic, historical, and feminist interpretive frameworks, my introduction will synthesize and expound upon existing scholarship on the lesser or unknown works of established Spanish and Latin American authors such as Leopoldo Lugones, Clemente Palma, Emilia Pardo-Bazán, and Carmen de Burgos,” says Dr. DeVirgilis. “The majority of the project will then be dedicated to translating their Gothic-inspired stories to English, a task that would introduce these stories within the context of a greater Hispanic Gothic tradition into the British and Eurocentric field of Gothic Studies.”

One of six NEH grants awarded to Maryland higher education institutions this year, Dr. DeVirgilis’ faculty award is specifically designated for educators at minority-serving institutions to enhance and promote excellence in the humanities. Each grant is allocated following a competitive submission and examination, by panels of independent, external reviewers, of top-rated proposals.

According to Dr. DeVirgilis, her analysis of Leopoldo Lugones’ short story La Vampira (1899), is the first-ever critical study on the story, and a revision of the section was later published in Liverpool University Press’s Bulletin of Hispanic Studies. “The purpose of my critical anthology is two-fold,” says Dr. DeVirgilis, “first, to synthesize and further contribute to the existing scholarship on these stories (in the cases where there is scholarship), and second, to make the five stories I have selected, ranging from 10 to 30 pages in length, accessible to Gothic scholars across the globe, as only one of them has been previously published in English, and none with accompanying analysis. While most of the authors are well known in their respective countries, and even beyond, these works tend to go unnoticed.”

Dr. DeVirgilis’ critical anthology of Hispanic short fiction and representations of female vampires during mid-modern and the modern period will encompass a full-time, year-long fellowship that according to Dr. DeVirgilis will encompass the translation of five short stories for the anthology that best represents the unique trend in parodic, sympathetic, and complex female vampires.

The NEH grant-supported composition will serve college-level literature courses as a complement to Euro- and American-centric curricula, providing a more comprehensive understanding of literary and historical processes, and the relationship between cultural production and ideology.

Dr. DeVirgilis believes that developing cultural competency and expanded awareness as global citizens is a skill that is transmigratory into other fields. In addition to developing and teaching a General Education course on Latinx and Afro-Latinx literature and film this past semester, she hopes to incorporate her research on the Gothic into a future course that will support transdisciplinary critical thinking. Her department, World Languages and International Studies, is focused on reaching and supporting Morgan’s students across the CLA and beyond. For example, nursing students are being taught Spanish, which will advance them professionally as well as enhance their understanding of culture and politics.

Congratulations to Dr. DeVirgilis on receiving the NEH award from one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the nation. Her very original approach to analyzing Gothic literature and its correlation to societal norms exemplifies innovation!

First Historically Black College or University Recognized in Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism is pleased to announce today that Morgan State University is the first Historically Black College or University in Maryland designated as an AmeriCorps’ Schools of National Service. As of today, 10 Maryland universities and colleges have been named Schools of National Service.

“This initiative lowers barriers for students to access higher education and expands the vibrancy of campus communities and scholarship,” said Winston Wilkinson, Chief of Staff for the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives. “As a member of the Morgan State University Board of Regents, I am proud to see us emerge as a national leader investing in service-minded students.”

Schools of National service are committed to public service as a pathway to help pay for college. Morgan State is the third Historically Black College or University in the nation to be named. Schools invest in AmeriCorps alumni by offering them benefits such as tuition matching for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, in-state tuition, and more.

“As a proud Morgan State University graduate, I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this family,” said Sadiq Ali, Commissioner of the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism and graduate of the Graves School of Business. “With this announcement, Morgan’s legacy is cemented through its dedication to service.”

Since 1994, more than 1 million AmeriCorps members have served 4 billion hours. Schools of National Service will incentivize AmeriCorps alumni across the nation to learn, work, and serve in Maryland.

“This office and our esteemed commissioners were able to proudly work alongside Campus Compact and Maryland Higher Education Commission to expand benefits for students,” said Nicki Fiocco, Director of the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism.

Learn more about becoming a School for National Service or how to access benefits as an AmeriCorps alumni at gosv.maryland.gov/americorps.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 120 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

About the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism

The Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism is dedicated to supporting the mission of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to serve our neighbors in need. This coordinating office funds AmeriCorps programs supporting disaster relief, economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families, public safety, health, and the environment in Maryland. A unit of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, it has honored nearly 100,000 Maryland volunteers on behalf of Governor Hogan. Learn more by visiting our website at gosv.maryland.gov and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact(s):
Larry Jones or Dell Jackson, University PR
(443) 885-3022

Joanna Chen, Office on Service and Volunteerism
(410) 697-9269

Decorated Journalist Jackie Jones Selected to Replace Inaugural Dean DeWayne Wickham, Advancing the School’s Mission Into the Future

BALTIMORE — Following a national search, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and current Assistant Dean for Programs Jackie Jones was selected by Morgan State University President David K. Wilson to serve as the next dean of Morgan’s School of Global Journalism and Communication (SGJC). Jones, who in addition to her role as assistant dean also serves as the chair of the Department of Multimedia Journalism, replaces DeWayne Wickham, the school’s inaugural dean, following his near decade of leadership. She will assume the role effective Aug. 1, becoming only the second person to lead SGJC.

“We searched the nation seeking a qualified and highly capable candidate to build upon the success that DeWayne Wickham began, and that search has led us right back to Morgan, where we found the best person, in the selection of Jackie Jones, to take over the leadership reins,” said President Wilson. “Jackie Jones has been a co-collaborator in the School of Global Journalism and Communication’s growth into a top destination for students seeking preparation for careers in a diverse and competitive communications field, and she was instrumental in navigating the school to attainment of its first-ever accreditation. In her, we’ve found the right person for the job.”

As dean, Jones will be responsible for management and oversight of 24 faculty members and more than 400 students. She will also oversee and coordinate the activities of SGJC’s three academic units (Department of Multimedia Journalism, Department of Multiplatform Production and Department of Strategic Communication) and the performance centers that provide students in these departments with opportunities to apply to real-world settings the things they learned in the classroom. Her responsibilities will also include leadership of the operation of WEAA-FM, the university’s NPR affiliate radio station, which has a small professional staff and serves as a learning lab for students.

In addition, she will be tasked with expanding experiential learning opportunities for SGJC’s undergraduate students and guiding the school through the launch of a master’s degree in Global Multimedia Journalism and Communication in Africa and the development of a Journalism and Mass Communication Ph.D. program.

“While this is exciting news for me, personally, I am especially excited for the opportunity to engage faculty, staff and students in taking our program to the next level of excellence,” said Jones. “SGJC made rapid progress in a relatively short time under Dean Wickham, and I look forward to taking the baton from him and moving us ever forward.”

Jones, who has served as assistant dean for programs for the past five years and as chair of the Department of Multimedia Journalism since 2013, has been a journalist for more than 40 years and is a nationally recognized leader in journalism and journalism education. The Pulitzer Prize winner has worked in markets around the country and at a host of highly regarded publications, including the Philadelphia Daily News, New York Newsday, the Baltimore Sun, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Washington Post.

For more than 25 years, she sat on the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC), the world’s largest accrediting body for programs of journalism and mass communications, and has traveled around the country evaluating programs at dozens of universities, including elite programs at Penn State, New York, Columbia and Michigan State Universities and the University of Maryland, College Park. She was recently elected to the Accrediting Committee of the ACEJMC.

Jones has been a newsroom consultant and a media career coach and has taught as a senior lecturer at Penn State University as well as an adjunct instructor at several journalism programs, including at Howard and New York Universities. A graduate of George Washington University with a degree in Journalism, she is a member and former officer of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and represented the NABJ within ACEJMC. She came to Morgan in 2012 as one of Wickham’s first key hires.

Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communication, created in July 2013, is led by founding Dean DeWayne Wickham, a former columnist for USA TODAY and a founding member and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists. In the fall of 2020, Wickham conveyed his intention to step down, paving the way for new leadership. The school is dedicated to giving voice to people who struggle to contribute to the public discourse that shapes the nation and the world, through innovative teaching, cutting-edge research and exemplary service to Maryland, the nation and the world. The school seeks to instill in students the skills, knowledge and training to become effective communicators and to add to the diversity of thought in the media.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 120 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

Media Contact(s):
Larry Jones or Dell Jackson, University PR
(443) 885-3022

A first-of-its-kind collaboration between Morgan State University (MSU) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), a fiduciary and funding agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, will bring more than 70 Nigerian doctoral students and more than 15 Nigerian postdoctoral students to MSU for scholarship and research during the fall 2021 semester, the university announced Wednesday.

Former Baltimore Raven Torrey Smith visits the campus of Morgan State University to recognize The Ryan Institute and its president, Morgan alum Antoynica L. Ryan, as the WJZ Community MVP.

Nigerian Delegation Visits the University to Observe Progress, Research Capabilities in Preparation for More than 80 Doctoral and Postdoctoral Candidates in Fall 2021

BALTIMORE — A first-of-its-kind collaboration between Morgan State University (MSU) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), a fiduciary and funding agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, will bring more than 70 Nigerian doctoral students and more than 15 Nigerian postdoctoral students to MSU for scholarship and research during the Fall 2021 semester, the university has announced. A significant increase in applicants yielded more acceptances in the program surpassing original projections.

“The leadership team of Morgan State University extends its thanks to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Executive Secretary Suleiman Bogoro and the TETFund for this unique and historic opportunity to achieve our common goals in social advancement, economic development and most important the academic exchange and advanced degree attainment within the African continent,” said MSU President David K. Wilson.

A TETFund delegation of 8 administrators visited Morgan’s campus in person and virtually on June 21–23, 2021 to meet with senior MSU administrators, discuss the proposed and ongoing research of the Ph.D. students being funded by the program and to learn more about the research and development capabilities of Morgan, Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University and the largest Historical Black College or University (HBCU) in the state.

Yacob Astatke, D.Eng., assistant vice president for Morgan’s Division of International Affairs, reported that the demand for admission to Morgan through the MSU-TETFund partnership this year greatly exceeded expectations, as more than 600 students applied. He anticipates multiple benefits to Morgan from the success of the partnership, as Nigeria produces intellectual capital to advance the nation toward its goals.

“Morgan has had great success over the past three years, raising our number of graduating Ph.D. students from 40 to 50 per year to close to 70, and sustaining that number. With the TETFund partnership, we will add close to 70 more doctoral graduates each year for the next five years,” Dr. Astatke said. “It is easy to envision MSU rising from the pack to become the nation’s leader in conferring Ph.Ds. to Black students. This will be a significant boost toward our strategic goal of moving Morgan from our current classification as an R2 (‘high research’) institution to an R1 (‘very high research’) institution.”

Speaking to the progress of the partnership and its impact, Wilson continued “The COVID-19 pandemic, while it slowed the implementation of this partnership, also has provided our organizations with a greater motivation to move forward with our joint plans, by reminding us just how interconnected the world is today. This partnership between Morgan and the TETFund reflects the future of higher education, a future that will be increasingly international and collaborative.”

The partnership’s framework enables early, mid-level and senior career faculty and staff members of Nigeria’s 238 public universities, colleges of education and polytechnics to pursue their Ph.Ds. and postdoctoral research at Morgan in fields ranging from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to the liberal arts.

The MSU-TETFund partnership was launched in May 2020 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding. However, the program’s timeline was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic during its inaugural year, which saw 17 Nigerian Ph.D. students engage in virtual and/or in-person learning at MSU in Fall 2020 through Spring 2021. The TETFund’s five-year agreement with Morgan is designed to create a pathway for students to pursue Ph.Ds. and postdoctoral research in disciplines relevant to the developmental needs of Nigeria and move Morgan further toward fulfillment of its global aspirations. The agreement provides the doctoral students with scholarships and other grants to fully fund their tuition, fees and living expenses for at least three years and also calls for TETFund’s establishment of Centers of Excellence in Nigeria, institutions designed to increase the research capacity of Nigerian higher education institutions through collaborative research with Morgan.

Dr. Astatke also anticipates a significant enhancement of Morgan’s brand recognition and influence in Africa.

“As a result of the TETFund partnership, if it continues for 10 years, Morgan will have maybe 500 Ph.D. alumni in the leadership of the top universities in Nigeria, the most populous nation on the continent,” he said. “The relationships we are building now will enable international research collaborations that will make a beneficial impact on generations to come.”

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 120 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

Media Contact(s):
Larry Jones or Dell Jackson, University PR
(443) 885-3022

MSU’s CAP Center to Provide 24 Secure Embedded Systems Scholarships to Students Seeking Careers in Government Cybersecurity

BALTIMORE — Morgan State University’s (MSU) Cybersecurity Assurance and Policy (CAP) Center has been awarded a $3.2 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to implement the agency’s novel CyberCorps^® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program at Morgan, providing 24 cybersecurity scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. As the only HBCU recipient to be awarded the grant this year, Morgan joins six other universities distinguished by the NSF to administer the CyberCorps program at their respective institutions. The award, which carries a term of five years, recognizes MSU’s CAP Center as a leader in cyber defense education and the study of secure embedded systems. Kevin T. Kornegay, Ph.D., the director for the CAP Center and professor at Morgan, will serve as principal investigator.

“The innovation and high-degree of instruction Dr. Kornegay and his team are pursuing within the Cybersecurity Assurance and Policy Center is not only a model to follow, but it is representative of the high-value research and experiential learning opportunities that we afford our students here at Morgan,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “We thank the National Science Foundation and its partners for recognizing the critical role that Morgan will play in preparing future qualified digital security professionals as well as for the investment in our students to fill these roles.”

The threat of security breaches resulting from exposed vulnerabilities and compromised data hacks looms large in today’s connected world. Recent reports indicate nearly $1 trillion in global losses—a record—resulted from cybercrime in 2020. The prevalence of cybercrime and its rate of incidence are projected to increase exponentially. From smart cars to baby monitors and more, daily interaction with a conclave of devices that are connected by the Internet of Things (IoT) are no longer the exception but the norm. These devices are a constant target of exploitation by hackers that threaten critical infrastructures across numerous industries both private and public. NSF’s CyberCorps program presents a frontline defense to thwart the mounting and ever-present threat of cybercrime by cultivating talent pipelines from leading institutions, such as Morgan.

Designed to recruit and train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, CyberCorps alongside its partner institutions creates pathways for students to receive critical training and education. At Morgan, the program will afford scholarships to 24 MSU students (10 bachelors, eight masters and six doctoral) providing them with an opportunity to participate in a unique educational program and innovative curriculum rooted in secure embedded systems integrating active learning experiences and mentoring.

The CAP Center will oversee the program’s implementation at Morgan branding it as the Secure Embedded Systems Scholarship (SES²). The resources provided will assist the Center in recruitment, mentoring, and will afford students pursuing cybersecurity-focused bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees with financial support.

“This award is essential to our efforts to recruit the very best students for our Ph.D. in Secure Embedded Systems program and develop a highly skilled workforce for careers in cybersecurity,” said Kornegay.

SES² utilizes peer and professional mentoring, active and experiential learning activities, and a comprehensive, secure embedded systems curriculum to prepare students for government careers in cybersecurity. The establishment of a pre-freshman through doctorate student pipeline will be a unique aspect of the program. Through SES² Morgan’s ability to prepare a diverse workforce that can meet the nation’s cybersecurity needs and help to protect our critical infrastructures, will be greatly enhanced.

Aided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the NSF, the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program has made significant investment to the advancement and progression of homegrown cybersecurity expertise and ingenuity by providing institutions funding towards scholarships for cybersecurity-related degree programs. In return, scholarship recipients must agree to work for the U.S. government after graduation in a cybersecurity-related position for a period equal to the length of the scholarship. Since its inception in 2017, more than 3,458 students have received scholarships and committed to work for federal, state, local or tribal government organizations.

The Cybersecurity Assurance & Policy (CAP) Center at MSU is an NSA National Center of Academic Excellence in cyber defense education. The CAP Center is a university-wide research center that spans several schools at MSU. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department hosts the CAP Center. It has several academic program offerings in cybersecurity, including a Masters of Engineering in Cybersecurity Engineering (MECE), Doctorate of Engineering (DEN), and Masters of Science and Ph.D. in Secure Embedded Systems.

For more information about the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service in Secure Embedded Systems at Morgan and to apply, visit here.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 120 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

Media Contact(s):
Larry Jones or Dell Jackson, University PR
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