The PhD Project was founded in 1994 by the KPMG Foundation in an effort to increase the number of minority professors at the nation’s business schools. The PhD project has since become an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by KPMG and many other corporations and foundations. The effort has been a tremendous success. Since 1994, the number of minority professors at U.S. business schools has increased from 294 to more than 1,100.
The PhD Project provides a network of peer support for Black and other minority doctoral students in business disciplines. The organization also helps these students secure financial aid to enable them to continue their education.
Now the PhD Project has begun a new initiative to increase the number of minorities in business school administration. The Achieving Higher Education Administration Diversity (AHEAD) project will conduct seminars, networking, and mentoring for minority business school faculty who aspire to become business school deans. Today, only about 3 percent of all business school deans are from underrepresented minority groups.
This is an excellent initiative to develop the next wave of business school deans and higher education leaders.
This is great, but is there a program like this in the humanities and sciences?
A lot of other faculty would be interested. I guess that I am.
Just understanding how important deans are in terms of shaping the lives of minority students.