New Orleans, La – Four Xavier University of Louisiana Exponential Honors Program students have taken the first-place prize during the collegiate finals of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Invent2Prevent Competition. The Invent2Prevent program encourages student teams at the high school or college level to develop innovative projects that seek to prevent targeted violence and terrorism in local communities. Xavier University has long formed its students as creative and able thinkers instilled with its mission to promote a more just and humane society, an ideal that guided the Xavierites to victory.

The winning team included Jamya Davis, a junior political science major; Anthony Jeanmarie IV, a junior studying sociology; Aarinii Parms-Green, a sophomore with a political science major; and Nehemiah Strawberry, a sophomore in the chemistry/pre-med major. Additionally, Parms-Green also individually won a scholarship through the competition.

“We are incredibly proud of Jamya, Anthony, Aarinii, and Nehemia. They are truly exemplary of the near 100 years of Xavier elevating its students to be leaders and change-makers towards a better future for all,” said Dr. Reynold Verret, President of Xavier University of Louisiana. “They shine with such a bright light, and Xavier will continue to support them as they grow to shine even more brightly.”

Xavier’s first-place victory overcame competitive teams from John Hopkins University and George Washington University, who came in second and third place, respectively, and were teams comprised of recent college graduates and graduate students. DHS and Microsoft executives and other targeted violence experts acted as judges for the competition.

The Invent2Prevent competition is a semester-long project, with each university team identifying, evaluating, and proposing a solution to a current threat facing the nation. The solution comes in the version of a tool or program that would better educate a specific target audience on the potential ideologies that can lead individuals to commit acts of violence.

The Xavierites presented their project, “Still We R.O.S.E (Recognizing Our Shared Experience),” aimed at bridging the misunderstanding between Black and Jewish communities due to controversial statements made by certain Black celebrities. For the last six months, the team partnered with 26 organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, to educate Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and high school students about the history of Black and Jewish relations and solidarity.

Dr. Shearon Roberts, Director of Xavier’s Exponential Honors Program, associate professor of Mass Communication at Xavier and faculty member in the university’s African American and Diaspora Studies Program, acted as an advisor and escort for Xavier’s Invent2Prevent competitive team. A program for Xavier’s high-performing and high-achieving students, Xavier Exponential is just one of the many initiatives employed by Xavier to provide its students, who are often from underserved communities, with rich opportunities for a solid academic foundation, preparing them for their future endeavors.

According to Dr. Roberts, Xavier’s appearance at this year’s competition was a big draw, with Dr. Roberts citing that the DHS had “expressed a keen interest in [the team’s] initiative early on.” Dr. Roberts shared that many officials attended the competition to hear Xavier’s presentation in particular.

“Thank you to Jamya, Aarinii, Nehemiah and Anthony for six months of hard work. I know this is an experience they will never forget, and their work has had a tremendous impact!” said Dr. Roberts after their victory.

A generous donor who learned of the semester-long initiative has offered the four Exponential students the opportunity to travel to Israel in July with a team of other HBCU students to study the diversity of the Jewish people and culture.

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About Xavier University of Louisiana

Xavier University of Louisiana, America’s only historically Black and Catholic University, is ranked among the top three HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) in the nation. Recognized as a national leader in STEM and health sciences, Xavier produces more African American students who graduate from medical schools each year than any other university in the United States. Additionally, Xavier’s College of Pharmacy is also among the top producers of African American pharmacists in the country.

Established in 1925 by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament as a place for African American and Native Americans to receive quality education, Xavier has since expanded its programs in art, business, education, biological sciences, chemistry, pharmacy and political science. More recent additions in robotics, bioinformatics, engineering, data science, neuroscience and genetics, in addition to new STEM-based master’s programs, have provided Xavier students (3,419 students) an unbeatable combination of traditional classroom study, hands-on research, service-learning opportunities and life experiences. Xavier students collaborate with world-renowned faculty, who are experts in their fields, to produce award-winning research and notable work. The winning Xavier formula provides students with a well-balanced curriculum and an environment that nurtures their intellect and feeds their souls, thereby facilitating a more just and humane society for all. For more information about Xavier University of Louisiana, visit us online at www.xula.edu or contact Regi Reyes at (504) 520-5240 or rreyes@xula.edu.