Howard U. picks African diaspora scholar as next president

By ASHRAF KHALIL
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Howard University is turning to an experienced scholar of the African diaspora to serve as its new university president. Ben Vinson III, currently the provost at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, will officially take over as president from the retiring Wayne Frederick on Sept. 1. Vinson is a historian specializing in studies of the African diaspora, particularly in Latin America. His appointment comes at a crucial time for the historically Black university; the venerable institution is riding a wave of national prominence, with illustrious alumni, major funding boosts and high-profile staff additions. Vinson called the Howard position “the honor of a lifetime.”