February 14 : "Courageous Conversations: Black in the C-Suite" featuring Tracee Ellis Ross

Join us for the next edition of "Courageous Conversations: Black in the C-Suite," on Monday, February 20, at 12 p.m. ET., at Spelman College.

President Helene Gayle will be joined by Tracee Ellis Ross, award-winning actress, producer and CEO and founder of PATTERN Beauty, for a candid conversation about the "business and beauty of Black hair," including her journey into cosmetic science.

Save the date and tune in! On Thursday, Feb.16, at 10 a.m. EST, Spelman College will be featured in a special edition of ESPN's First Take – part of the network's celebration of Black History Month and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

During the program, viewers will hear our students share why attending an HBCU is important to them and ask host Stephen A. Smith questions related to the day's hot topics in sports.

For more information, visit the ESPN First Take Facebook page.

February 11 marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science – a celebration of the critical role women and girls play in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). To commemorate the significance of this holiday, Study International has recognized Spelman College as one of "7 universities and organisations that want to get more women into STEM."

Spelman has built a strong record of educating women of African descent in STEM disciplines. From recent partnerships with Google’s charitable arm – Google.org – and the College’s Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM (COE-MWS) to a substantial commitment from the Simons Foundation to further support STEM studies, Spelman has remained intent on increasing the presence of women of color in the STEM workforce.

To further support this mission, the College has developed multiple scholarship programs such as the Falconer Scholar in Residence, the Living and Learning in an Interdisciplinary Networked Community of STEM Scholars (LINCS Scholars), and a joint venture with SMASH – a STEM racial justice non-profit focused on addressing education inequities.

Moreover, such academic programs like G-STEM (Enhancing Global Research and Education in STEM) and the RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) program to annual events like Research Day provide structured research training opportunities that give Spelman women the experience to interact with STEM on a global scale.

For more information and resources, visit STEM at Spelman.

Cadence Patrick, C’2025, was recently named one of three winners of Target’s 2023 HBCU Design Challenge.

"It has been such an honor to be a part of this campaign alongside Mekenzy and Cameron, the other winners of this year’s HBCU Design Challenge," said Patrick. "Working with them and the amazing designers at Target to help create this year’s 100% Black owned or designed collection was an incredible experience that I am so thankful for."

Patrick was just one of a number of students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the nation to submit designs for potential inclusion in its Black History Month collection. For the Oakland, Calif., native, and computer science major, art and technology have been longtime passions – a combination she hopes to use to impact her community.

Patrick’s winning design is available in stores and online, featuring a dark blue graphic of Black man holding glowing orb that reads "Black Futures Are Bright." Her graphic can be seen on a variety of items, including an adult t-shirt, a toddler t-shirt, a onesie and a journal.

To read more, visit Spelman's Our Stories page.

As cardiovascular disease remains one of the most widespread and complicated health challenges in the United States and around the world, it is important to note this Heart Health Month that most cardiovascular-related deaths and health problems disproportionately affect people of color, especially in Black communities.

Despite these enormous challenges, there are still some ways to modify your risk for heart disease and its related health issues. Jayne Morgan, M.D., C’84, cardiologist and executive director of the Covid Task Force for the Piedmont Healthcare Corporation in Atlanta offers simple, yet significant ways to keep your heart healthy.

1. Maintaining a healthy diet is key to a healthy heart. Whether in conjunction with exercise or simply remaining conscious of how many vegetables or fruits you eat, one’s diet directly influences the state of the heart. According to Dr. Morgan, the heart is the driving force that influences additional health risks, such as obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes, or worse. In addition, regular exercise and related events – like the upcoming Spelman Wellness Heart Health "Fun" Walk on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m. – can also help keep your heart healthy and keep blood flowing.

2. Sleep is vital! Underestimating the importance of sleep is a common misconception when it comes to maintaining a healthy heart. From Dr. Morgan’s experience, sleep is increasingly being referenced when it comes to quality of life and quality of cardiovascular health.

3. It is important to understand how institutional racism and societal construct can impact your health. Access to education and information greatly influences the quality of life one can live, thus, influencing one’s quality of health as well.

For more information and resources, visit Dr. Morgan’s website.

Spelman College’s Division of Student Affairs would like to extend a warm welcome and invitation to you and your family to join us for Family Weekend 2023 (Feb. 17-19).

Just days away, Family Weekend is an exciting, fun-filled celebration for students, parents, families, friends and community supporters.

Family Weekend is always a wonderful time for everyone on our campus to connect and learn more about the Spelman experience.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit Spelman’s Family Weekend page.

It’s a great time to work at Spelman College! With a variety of perks and benefits for staff, including tuition waivers, health and wellness resources, and a beautiful, historic campus, Spelman is more than a place to work.

The Spelman College Division of Institutional Advancement is seeking motivated candidates to fill the following positions:

Digital Fundraising Officer
Director For Leadership and Planned Giving
Leadership Gifts Officer

Below are additional staff opportunities:

Floor Technician
Groundskeeper
Housekeeper
Campus Driver and Expeditor
Public Safety Officer
eSpelman Database Assistant

To apply, or to learn more about these and other positions, visit Spelman.edu.

Wellness educator and social entrepreneur Jamilah Pitts, C’2012, is transforming the world of women and girls of the Global Majority by prioritizing their holistic development and radical healing through her organization She, Imprints. She, Imprints works to alleviate barriers that impede women and girls of color from living with purpose.

From systemic oppression to mental health disparities and gender discrimination, Pitts hopes to inspire communities of color to break forms of resistance by creating a space where Black women can rest deliberately, reclaim intentionally, and "return to self" as authentic as possible.

Pitts also serves as the founder and CEO of Jamilah Pitts Consulting. Through her consulting firm, Pitts furthers her goals and mission of She, Imprints by working with schools, communities, organizations, and universities to advance the work of racial, social and intersectional justice through training, coaching, strategic planning, custom curriculum design and wellness retreats.

As a first-generation college student, Pitts always knew education would be her pathway to freedom. Through her passion for human rights and liberation through education, Pitts has always believed that social equity is not a unilateral experience.