Now that the centennial anniversary of Black History Month has given way to Women’s History Month, an important question arises: where do we place the contributions of Black women? For many, the answer has not always been clear. The difficulty of answering this question points to an ongoing challenge in how we frame and discuss [...]
Tonya Webb, PhD, and PhD student Alena McQuarter grew up in different places and different generations. Tonya is an American Cancer Society (ACS)-funded researcher and associate director for workforce excellence and development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). Alena is a second-year PhD student in cancer biology at Loma Linda University in California and one of the youngest doctoral students in the country.
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (March 9, 2026) — As Women’s History Month celebrates the theme “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” Prairie View A&M University researcher Dr. Therese Pennell is helping farmers across the South adopt more sustainable agricultural practices. Therese Pennell, PhD Dr. Pennell, an associate professor in the Marvin D. [...]
Prairie View A&M University’s Google Endowed Professor Judy Perkins, PhD, PE, still uses a book her sister gave her as a child when encouraging students to pursue engineering: “Can I Be an Engineer?” That early gift, along with the support of her mother and mentors, laid the foundation for a lifelong career in transportation engineering [...]
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (March 3, 2026) – In recognition of Women’s History Month, Prairie View A&M University librarians present a curated reading list highlighting the scholarship, creativity, leadership, and cultural influence of women across disciplines and generations. As noted on the PVAMU Library Guides website, these selections are intended to spark meaningful conversations, deepen understanding [...]
Photo by Jordan Guidry, Office for Marketing and Communications Intern PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (April 24, 2025) – Growing up in Cypress, Texas, science never came easy to Dr. Merlyn X. Pulikkathara, a double graduate (’01 ‘04) and assistant professor in Prairie View A&M University’s Department of Chemistry and Physics. While pursuing her BS [...]
Memphis has long had legendary women pushing the city forward. Among those is Maxine Smith, who taught at Prairie View A&M University and Florida A&M University before teaching at LeMoyne College in Memphis. Her fire for justice was ignited when in 1957 she was denied admission to graduate school at Memphis State University because she [...]
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (March 21, 2025) – For Ann Johnson '91, art has always been more than just a creative outlet—it’s a way of life. A longtime art professor at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), Johnson describes art as “freedom.” “There is a freedom—a freedom of expression—and a power for others to view and think [...]
For Nikki Handy, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) wasn’t just a stop along the way—it was the launchpad for everything she has built today.
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (March 13, 2025) – Six-thousand and fourteen: That’s how many students achieved academic excellence at Prairie View A&M University in the fall and spring semesters of 2024. Now, the University is set to celebrate them at this year’s Founders’ Day and Honors Recognition Convocation. The event on March 19, hosted by the [...]