Monday’s Editorial: Florida A&M shows its commitment to health
Florida A&M University is getting noticed for its academic excellence.
The university has produced 10 Fulbright Scholars in the last decade. Recently, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs named FAMU a 2018-2019 Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader.
U.S. News & World Report ranks FAMU No. 7 in the country for Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
It’s also ranked 45th in Top Performers on Social Mobility, a rating that considers how far economically disadvantaged students rise. Among the standouts are Fox Sports reporter Pam Oliver, Vibe magazine co-founder Keith Clinkscales and Jacksonville’s Olympic gold medalist and football Hall of Famer Bob Hayes.
Now, one of its professors, Jennifer Taylor, has received national recognition from the Rodale Institute, which presented her with its Organic Pioneer Award.
Taylor grew up eating produce from the grandmother’s farm in Glenwood, Ga. She now owns the land called Lola’s Organic Farm where she grows ginger, kale, turmeric, garlic and strawberries.
“Everybody didn’t want to return to that hard life,” she said. “The life of the soil and growing healthy food is what I was interested in early.”
Taylor earned her bachelor’s degree in agronomy at FAMU, a master’s degree in agronomy at Iowa State University and a doctorate in vocational and technical education from Virginia Tech.
She now is an associate professor at FAMU’s College of Agriculture and Food Sciences. She helped start and now coordinates the Small Farm Programs, a sustainable development program that focuses on education, training and technical assistance for underserved small farm populations.
Last year, Taylor was named “2019 Woman of the Year in Agriculture” by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Organic farming is becoming commercially viable with a growing emphasis on healthy eating. That’s vitally important for African-Americans who face additional challenges accessing affordable health care.
FAMU is making a difference in that arena, too, and is turning out health care professionals in a variety of fields, something that was noticed in a recent Florida Trend article.
The School of Allied Health Sciences trains physical therapists, occupational therapists and respiratory therapists, as well as health care management and information management.
The School of Nursing offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
And the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has several campuses around the state, including one in Jacksonville.
FAMU also is trying to address the gap in health care for low-income residents through its Institute for Health Equity and the Institute of Public Health.
Recently, FAMU ventured into the arena of medical marijuana with an education and research initiative.
FAMU deserves a drum roll for the recognition it is receiving and the commitment it shows to improving the lives and health of underserved Floridians.
Duval teachers received recognition
Jacksonville educators recently received recognition during the 29th annual EDDY Awards, hosted by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund.
Leena Hall-Young, the 10th grade language arts teacher at Raines High School, was named the 2020 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year. She receives a cash prize and a classroom grant from READUSA. She also joins the education fund’s board of directors as an ex-officio member for the next year.
She will compete for the statewide Florida Teacher of the Year title.
This year, 182 teachers were nominated for their outstanding service in Duval County’s public schools.
The other Duval finalists were Leslie White, Leadership Academies at Eugene Butler Middle School; Michael Ham, Matthew Gilbert Middle School; Carol Thomas, Dinsmore Elementary; and Renee McNulty, Ribault High School.
The EDDY Awards also recognized 10 teachers in the Florida Blue Spotlight: Alexis Carrington at Arlington Middle School; Khalifa Dieye at Westside High School; Garold Harris at Frank H. Peterson High School; Lynn Linton at Greenland Pines Elementary; Ashley Rogan at River City Science Academy Innovation; Latonya Smith at Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary; Marilyn Smith at R. L. Brown Gifted and Talented Academy; Jessica Sotomayor at Alfred I. Dupont Middle School; George Teuber at Andrew Jackson High School of Advanced Technology; and Lindsay Volk at John Stockton Elementary. Each receives $500 classroom grants.
Congratulations. Educators play a critical role in this city.