Vicki Mayer, professor of communication at the School of Liberal Arts (SLA), was awarded the Professional Freedom & Responsibility Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The award is bestowed annually on a journalist, writer, activist or scholar who the group believes embodies the spirit of cultural studies. Mayer, who is also associate dean for academic initiatives and curriculum at SLA, is an expert in media and communication industries, their political economies, infrastructures and organizational work cultures.

The rigorous schedule for testing for the novel coronavirus continues on the Tulane campuses this spring. Students are required to participate in ongoing surveillance testing throughout the semester regardless of vaccine status or the presence of antibodies from a previous COVID-19 infection. Masking and social distancing guidelines are also still in effect. The COVID-19 Dashboard on the Tulane website tracks the results of the testing, both positive and negative, for students, faculty and staff.

“This event promises to be an exciting and engaging literary gathering for our local, national and Tulane communities. We can’t wait to welcome authors and book lovers to campus.”

Five students will receive a total of $100,000 for their work in promoting racial equity, justice or diversity initiatives as the first recipients of the Judge A. Leon Higginbotham Scholarship. The scholarship, a part of Tulane’s A Plan for Now, was established through a personal donation of President Michael A. Fitts and his wife, Renée J. Sobel, Esq. The recipients will receive funds between $8,000 and $10,000 per year through the scholarship, which will be renewed each semester.

President Michael A. Fitts announced Louisiana Promise, a new initiative that will make a Tulane undergraduate degree more accessible and affordable for Louisiana residents from low- and middle-income families and increase access to higher education for all students in New Orleans. New programs associated with the initiative include debt-free financial awards, a pre-college summer program and a new college preparatory center.

Two former Green Wave football players — Ryan Griffin and Thakarius “BoPete” Keyes — were on teams that made it to the NFL Super Bowl championship in February. Former Tulane quarterback Griffin, in his sixth year in the NFL, was part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl LV team, serving as third-string backup quarterback to Tom Brady. Griffin spent his first two professional seasons on the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad. In his rookie season in the NFL, cornerback Keyes is on the Kansas City Chiefs team.

Andrea Boyles, associate professor of sociology and Africana studies at the School of Liberal Arts, has been appointed as a delegate to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, providing expertise on such issues as reproductive health and violence against women. Boyles is serving on the council in her capacity as secretary for Sociologists for Women in Society, an organization that supports cutting-edge feminist research and promotes social justice through local, national and international activism.

Kendall Gardner, a graduate of the Class of 2020, won a George C. Marshall Scholarship, becoming the second Tulanian in two consecutive years to be honored with the award. (Praveena Fernes, featured in the fall 2020 Tulanian, won the award last year.) Marshall Scholarships are awarded annually to 40 recipients or fewer and provide support for young Americans to study for a graduate degree in the United Kingdom.