BLACK ALUMNI NETWORK
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
BLACK ALUMNI NETWORK
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
The Black Alumni Network is a leadership organization that seeks to empower, connect, and celebrate the University of Rochester alumni. This group encourages communication and cooperation between alumni, students, friends, faculty, and staff, and fosters a network for personal and professional connections, and provides a sense of community and family for alumni.
2022 Juneteenth Celebration
For Us, By Us: A Celebration of Us
This June, join the Black Alumni Network to honor the excellence, diversity, and unity of the peoples of the African diaspora. As we stand unified in our pursuit of freedom and inclusion, come celebrate the tenacity, ingenuity, and distinction of Black people in America and around the world.
August is Black Philanthropy Month. Celebrate with us!
Join us all month long as we roll out our third annual Why I Give Series in celebration of Black Philanthropy Month. Follow along for weekly stories of inspiration featuring Black alumni donors.
Gary Roebuck ’99E
Dr. Anika Simone Johnson ’18W (EdD)
Damian Otsile Rantshabeng ’24
Krystalyn Jones Broughton ’19S (MBA)
Celebration of the Black Alumni Network fifth year anniversary
The UR Travel Club has designed a memorable trip to Paris featuring the African American Experience as a unique way to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Black Alumni Network in 2025: You can access details and register on the tour page Paris featuring the African American Experience.
We are delighted to announce that UR faculty member Cilas Kemedjio, a renowned expert who teaches a Black Paris class, will be the Faculty Host. He is already developing terrific ideas to enhance the travelers’ experience! We hope you will consider participating in this trip.
Introducing the first Black Alumni Network scholarship recipients
Nadia Niyogushima ’26, a first-generation student with a passion for engineering, and Mervyn Winn ’26, who is exploring languages of all kinds at the University, are the first Black Alumni Network scholarship recipients.
Meet the leaders
Ashley Campbell ’09, ’10 (MS)
Rochester, NY
Global Co-Chair
Sean Allen ’11 (MS)
Los Angeles, CA
Global Co-Chair
Emerson Fullwood
Rochester, NY
Global Co-Chair
We warmly invite and encourage participation from people of all backgrounds. Your engagement makes our dialogue richer and unites our community. Attending demonstrates your dedication to learning and mutual respect, making our University stronger and ever better.
Family, we can do this together.
We build a sense of community and belonging as extended family members of the African diaspora. With your support, we can:
- Cultivate opportunities for Black alumni to authentically connect to each other, current students, and the University
- Identify and foster opportunities that celebrate and preserve the University’s history of Black achievements
- Promote Black alumni, students, faculty, and staff in the spirit of inclusive excellence
- Leverage partnerships and resources to recruit, retain, mentor, and support fundraising efforts of Black students
- Provide educational programs and resources relevant to the Black experience that foster a framework in which Black alumni and students can thrive
Spotlight stories
Jon Onyiriuka ’08: From courtside to client-side
How the Rochester alumnus has converted his experiences as a student and an athlete into career success on Wall Street.
Seven UR Nursing Alumni, Faculty Recognized as Top Diversity Leaders by NBNA
The ADLN Fellowship recognizes nurses who have demonstrated expertise in nursing education…
Eastman scores
Luther Henderson III ’71E, ’73E (MM) chooses Eastman’s Ensemble Library as home for his father’s Duke Ellington arrangements
Stories from the Boardroom: Experiences of our Black Leaders
In celebration of the Black Alumni Network’s first anniversary, a distinguished panel of Black members of the University of Rochester’s Board of Trustees hosted this special event to share their career paths, their commitment to serving the University, and their perspectives on efforts to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education and in their professional work.
Upcoming events
Please email Amari Tevell Simpson at amari.simpson@rochester.edu for upcoming events and details at this time.
Support empowerment and engagement.
Together, we can do more, change more, and inspire more. With your support, we can channel our collective philanthropic resources to advocate for the causes that matter to us the most, from student support to career and leadership development to innovation across academic disciplines and beyond.
When making your gift, you can choose to support any of the following initiatives or write-in the URochester fund that’s meaningful to you.
Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Scholarship Fund
The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Scholarship Fund supports full and partial tuition fellowships to expand access to graduate business education and careers in management.
Dean's Fund for the Burgett Intercultural Center
The Dean's Fund for the Burgett Intercultural Center provides unrestricted support for programs that promote cultural understanding, strengthen community, and create opportunities for connection across campus.
Douglass Leadership House
The Douglass Leadership House provides unrestricted support for an intellectual student community that explores and raises awareness of the many facets of cultural experiences.
Frederick Douglass Institute
The Frederick Douglass Institute supports exploration of the histories, experiences, and futures of communities of African descent through teaching, research, artistic practice, and public engagement.
Kearns Center Unrestricted Gift Fund
The Kearns Center Unrestricted Gift Fund provides unrestricted support for the Center’s commitment to academic excellence and expanding pathways to advanced degrees and supporting student academic success.
Minority Male Leadership Association (MMLA)
The Minority Male Leadership Association (MMLA) provides unrestricted support for a student led community focused on mentorship, leadership development, and student success.
The Momentum Fund
The Momentum Fund helps remove financial barriers so students can fully participate in the experiential opportunities available at URochester.
Office of Engagement and Enrichment Leadership Development Fund
The Office of Engagement and Enrichment Leadership Development Fund supports programs that strengthen community and bring new perspectives to campus.
Office of Mentoring and Student Advocacy
The Office of Mentoring and Student Advocacy supports students from a variety of backgrounds by providing resources, guidance, and opportunities for academic, professional, and personal growth.
Rochester Education Justice Initiative and Justice Scholars
The Rochester Education Justice Initiative and Justice Scholars supports pathways to postsecondary education for formerly incarcerated individuals.
SMD Engagement and Enrichment Scholarship
The SMD Engagement and Enrichment Scholarship opens doors for medical students while promoting academic excellence and community engagement.
Black Alumni Network webinar library
These videos exemplify the values of the volunteer-led Black Alumni Network. The Network unites the University of Rochester’s Black community through engaging and empowering programming and conversations.
Volunteer
You can help us build our alumni network. As one of our founding members, there are many ways for you to be a part of this effort. To join and volunteer, please tell us about yourself.
Connect
- Find us on Facebook and LinkedIn
- Network with other alumni and students on The Meliora Collective
- Visit the Office of University Engagement and Enrichment website.
Photo Gallery
Through new events and activities, such as networking with students, celebrating at Meliora Weekend, and conversations around Juneteenth, the Black Alumni Network has grown its membership, involvement, and awareness.
Contact Us
Dr. Nkiruka (Nky) McGinnis joined the Advancement team at the University of Rochester in 2022. She brings over 20 years of higher education advancement and alumni engagement experience working at the University of Pittsburgh, American University, George Washington University, Georgetown University and Towson University. At these institutions, she has focused on both fundraising and engagement strategies, including the inaugural Multicultural Alumni Reunion Weekend at American University, the development of identity-based affinity networks at two different institutions before partnering with the Black Alumni Network Scholarship Fund and “Why I Give” series here at Rochester. She has served as a conference presenter for multiple higher education advancement organizations and is an active member of the University of Rochester’s Advancement DEI committee. With a passion and expertise in working with identity-based affinity volunteers and as a leader in higher education advancement, she looks forward to continuing to build and strengthen engagement efforts within identity-based affinity networks and DEI programming while also facilitating strategies for supporting DEI fundraising priorities.
