In The News

Remembering Civil Rights Activist Fannie Barrier Williams

Inside the Margins | March 2025

“Inside the Margins is back! Our first episode of our relaunch Is about a civil rights activist local to the Western NY area but often gets overshadowed by Fredrick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. She is a Brockport, NY native, one of the founders of the NAACP, and was the first black woman to ever graduate from SUNY Brockport. She even has a building named after her. Her name is Fannie Barrier Williams. I sit down with Academic Success Coordinator and the person who oversees the Fannie Barrier Scholarship program, Jianna Howard. She educates us on the significance of Fannie Barrier Williams and how the program named after her has helped students succeed at SUNY Brockport.”

The Legacy of Fannie Barrier Williams

585 Magazine | January 2024

“Jianna Howard leads this group as the academic success coordinator for the Fannie Barrier Williams Scholars. She teaches the academic planning seminar, which provides learning strategies, study skills, and an introduction to the college experience. Howard serves as advisor until they declare a major.”

Closing the Equity Gap by Creating a Unique Scholarship Program

AASCU: Telling Our Story | December 2023

“To help shrink the equity gap, this university instituted a scholarship program to support students who not only exhibit financial need but demonstrate resilience and have overcome adversity.”

Not Only Funding, But a Family: Meet the Fannie Barrier Williams Scholars

SUNY Brockport | December 2022

“The Fannie Barrier Williams Scholars Program is aimed at enrolling high potential students who demonstrate financial need, with an intentional focus on racial equity. Students in this program are from the greater Rochester area, and generally are from lower income families (Adjusted Gross Income of 75K or lower a year), and identify as students of color and/or first generation students. The program provides gap funding (covering the account balance after state and federal aid has been applied, including books).

This program aims at not only providing financial support, but also provides critical transition, mentoring and leadership development of the students. It is truly an access and persistence program, opening doors to higher education to those that might not otherwise be able to afford it, AND offering the additional support for the students to stay in college and graduate.”

Fannie Barrier Williams Scholarship Program Welcomes Inaugural Cohort

Brockport Today | August 2022

“The college’s new Fannie Barrier Williams scholars participated in a four day bridge program led by their coordinator, Jianna Howard, to prepare them to start college on August 29.”

Congratulations to the 2021 Fall Do Good Medallion Recipients

Do Good Institute | December 2021

“The Do Good Institute is proud to recognize 10 graduates with a Do Good Medallion. This award recognizes distinguished graduates from across campus for their commitment to social impact and innovation. This semester's dedicated Terps graduates hail from the School of Public Policy and the School of Public Health.”

34 Students Selected for Social Impact Summer Internships with Leading Organizations

Do Good Institute | May 2021

“This summer, 34 University of Maryland students will intern with local social impact organizations as part of the Do Good Institute’s Impact Interns Program. Launched in response to COVID-19 limiting summer internship opportunities, this professional development and leadership pipeline links passionate and driven students to project- and social impact-based summer internship opportunities with alumni organizations and partners of the Do Good Institute. The program provides emerging social sector leaders with meaningful opportunities to gain professional experience, develop skills, build a professional network, and learn more about working in the nonprofit and social impact sphere.”

UMD GSG names vice presidents for 2021-22 academic year

The Diamondback | May 2021

“… The assembly also passed legislation that would allow the current chief of staff, Jianna Howard, to extend her employment to Aug. 20, instead of the current May 31 deadline. This will allow her to work on coordinating an international student shuttle bus program.”

2019-2020 Philanthropy Fellows Selected, Start Meaningful Work with Local Organizations

Do Good Institute | October 2019

“… Jianna is a second year graduate student working on a Masters of Public Health with a Concentration in Health Equity at the University of Maryland. Originally from Rochester, New York, before moving to Maryland to start graduate school, Jianna earned a BS in Health Science and Kinesiology from the College at Brockport, State University of New York in 2017. She subsequently served through AmeriCorps at Jefferson Family Medicine, a small private practice in Rochester where she built capacity by engaging with patients to better understand their needs and creating sustainable programs such as a preventive screening request process, a community garden, and free exercise classes to assist in meeting needs. Jianna is passionate about understanding health disparities and using history and policy to to inform about and overcome said disparities; much of her professional experience and research reflects this. In addition to her coursework, on campus Jianna is a graduate coordinator in both the Student Affairs department and The School of Public Health, a graduate research project lead in Community Engagement, Environmental Justice in Health, and a member of the Black Graduate Student Union.”