Over 400 Minorities Considering New Careers as Business Professors to Attend Award-Winning PhD Project Conference

AACSB International Supports Program Promoting Diversity In Corporate America

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As a founding supporter, AACSB International (AACSB) is pleased to announce that The PhD Project has invited over 400 minority business professionals (of the approximate 800 who applied) to attend its annual 2013 PhD Project Conference, being held November 20-22, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Chicago, IL. Since 1994, AACSB has been a supporter of The PhD Project, which encourages minority business professionals to consider careers as business professors, as a way to attract and mentor a new generation of minority undergraduates within higher education.

As attendees, the selected candidates will hear about the benefits of pursuing a business PhD from esteemed deans, professors, and current minority doctoral students. Participants will also be exposed to more than 100 doctoral-granting universities represented via an exhibit fair, and will have the extensive opportunity to network with university reps, presenters, and attendees of all levels—providing prospective candidates with the tools and resources they need to be better prepared for the doctoral application/admission process.

The PhD Project, a non-profit organization founded in 1994 by the KPMG Foundation, recruits minority professionals from industry, and encourages individuals to transition into doctoral programs within management education. Through such efforts, there has been an increase in the number of minority business professors from 294 to 1,217; with an approximate 360 more graduates set to take a place at the front of the classroom over the next few years.

The award-winning Project attacks one root cause to the minority under-representation in corporate jobs: that historically, very few minority college students consider studying business as their foundation to a successful corporate career. As such, diversifying faculty within management education attracts more minorities to study business, and better prepares all students to function in a diverse workforce.

"Higher education is in need of minority role models and mentors as faculty," said John J. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International, and current chair of The PhD Project Board of Directors. "Since its inception, the PhD Project has been instrumental to the increase of diversity in doctoral education.  AACSB is pleased to support the Project, and its mission to provide a network of peer-to-peer and faculty support for minority students within management education."  

Some of America's top companies, foundations, associations and academic organizations support The PhD Project. They are: KPMG Foundation, Graduate Management Admission Council, Citi Foundation, AACSB International, over 250 participating universities, AICPA Foundation, DiversityInc, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, The Merck Company Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, Rockwell Collins, American Marketing Association, John Deere Foundation,  AT&T, CIGNA, ADP, The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, California State University System,  Edison International, Lincoln Financial Group, Aerotek /TEKsystems (operating companies of Allegis Group), 3M, American Accounting Association, and The Hershey Company.

For specific information on The PhD Project, visit: http://www.phdproject.org or contact Lisa King at 646-234-5080 or [email protected].

About AACSB International
AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), founded in 1916, is an association of more than 1,350 educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations in 85 countries and territories. AACSB's mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering undergraduate, master's, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, the association also conducts a wide array of conferences and seminar programs at locations throughout the world. AACSB's global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA and its Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore.  For more information, please visit: www.aacsb.edu.

SOURCE AACSB International

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