The PhD Project Reports Results of 20 Years of Changing the Face of U.S. Business School Faculties: Minority Faculty More Than Quadrupled
Montvale, NJ. October, 2014- The PhD Project, an award-winning program to increase diversity in American business management, marked its 20th anniversary with a report on results. Since its inception in 1994, The PhD Project has been responsible for more than quadrupling the number of African-, Hispanic-, and Native American business professors, from 294 to 1,267. Furthermore, there are now 320 individuals currently in business PhD programs who are on track to join the growing number of minority faculty.
The PhD Project, a 501(c) (3) organization founded by the KPMG Foundation, works to increase faculty diversity by recruiting minority professionals who have been successful in business to switch careers and become business professors. These individuals complete a rigorous PhD program in business with support from The PhD Project, and then become professors who are inspiring and encouraging a new generation of business professionals.
“The last 20 years have demonstrated that African-, Hispanic-, and Native Americans are indeed interested and ready to excel as business professors, and they are making an impact in classrooms and research collaborations all across the country. In 1994, that wasn’t a universally held belief,” said Bernard J. Milano, The PhD Project’s co-founder and President of the KPMG Foundation, creator and lead sponsor of the program. “While we are thankful to our sponsors and gratified to have helped enable so many individuals become successful professors, the underrepresentation of minorities continues to exist and much work remains to be done.”
Each year, qualified candidates are invited to The PhD Project’s annual conference where they hear from deans, professors and current minority doctoral students about the benefits of pursuing a business Ph.D. Candidates are exposed to more than 100 doctoral-granting universities that are represented during a university exhibit fair at the conference. Networking with the university reps, deans, professors and current doctoral students provides candidates with the tools and resources they need to be better prepared for the application/admission process to doctoral programs.
The PhD Project has received ongoing support from its sponsoring companies, participating universities and organizations, and supply alliance members.
Its founding organizations in addition to the KPMG Foundation, are the Graduate Management Admission Council, Citi Foundation, AACSB International.The lengthy list of of leading corporations, foundations and associations funding it include: over 285 participating universities, AICPA Foundation, Fair360, formerly DiversityInc, The Merck Company Foundation, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, Rockwell Collins, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., American Marketing Association, John Deere Foundation, CIGNA, ADP, Edison International (on behalf of the California State University System),Lincoln Financial Group, Aerotek/ TEKsystems (operating companies of Allegis Group), 3M, American Accounting Association, The Hershey Company, VMware and Academy of Management.
To view The PhD Project 20th anniversary video, visit: . For more information, visit: http://www.phdproject.org or contact Lisa King at 646-234-5080 or lisak@mediaimpact.biz. Connect with our members at www.MyPhDNetwork.org;Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thephdproject; Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ThePhDProject.
