Johnson Committed to Empowering Female MBA Students and Closing the Gender Gap in Business

Events and Initiatives Provide Female MBAs with the Skills and Guidance Necessary to Succeed

ITHACA, N.Y., Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to a study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women average $4,600 less than men at their initial post-MBA jobs, and the gap extends from that point forward. At the same time, the number of women pursuing MBAs is on the rise and it is especially critical now for business schools to address this gap and how to keep women interested in the MBA. Johnson at Cornell University is aggressively reviewing the ways it can increase the number of females it enrolls and also ways it can support its female students and alumnae. To this end, the school is featuring a number of female-specific events, initiatives and resources that foster development and success.

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"Our program offerings are designed to give women the tools and resources necessary to achieve a successful career in business," said Nsombi B. Ricketts, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Johnson. "Women face specific challenges in the workplace, but the value they provide in all areas of the business world is critical so we must continue to grow their presence in this turbulent economy."

Johnson's Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) strives to recruit women and offers a variety of services to support women currently in the program and close the gender gap. The ODI works with companies seeking to recruit female students during their studies and upon graduation. In addition, Johnson's ODI also hosts a number of events geared for female MBAs including the Women's Power Lunch Series, and the upcoming annual Johnson Women in Business (JWIB) conference.

The JWIB conference, being held on Cornell's campus from October 20-21, is a female student hosting event that allows students to learn about its MBA programs, gain valuable insight on how to position oneself as a top female candidate for MBA admissions and network with Johnson's female students, faculty, staff and alumnae.

Anne Weisberg, Director of Diversity at Blackrock, will begin the two-day event addressing attendees at Thursday's welcome dinner.  Among a jam-packed agenda, including sessions on "Financing Your MBA," statistics and strategy, day two of JWIB will kick off with a keynote breakfast followed by The Women's Power Lunch with speaker Janet Carr from Johnson's Advisory Council. This year's alumna keynote speaker is Jodi Glickman, MBA '02,  an entrepreneur, author, public speaker, consultant and regular blogger for the Harvard Business Review and a contributor to Fortune.com and Business Insider.  Among her many roles, Glickman also serves as a faculty member of the Johnson School's Leadership Program.  

"It is important now, more than ever before, to empower women and provide them with insight and guidance on how they can thrive in today's economy," said Glickman. "I feel privileged to be part of such a significant event and hope that my presence and personal story can make a difference in someone's life."

In addition to ODI, Johnson's Parker Center is actively involved in promoting women in business initiatives and hosts the annual Women in Investing Conference. This event was founded in 2010 by Parker Center Director Lakshmi Bhojraj, MBA '01, to educate women about the rewarding career opportunities available to them in investment management—a field in which women are vastly underrepresented.

Furthering its commitment to female MBAs, Johnson partners with the Forte Foundation to offer Forte Fellowships to select women pursuing Full-time, Part-Time or Executive MBA. These fellowships are intended to increase female MBA applications and enrollment. In order to be considered for a fellowship, individuals must submit an MBA application.

About Johnson at Cornell University
Founded in 1946, the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management is consistently ranked as one of the top graduate schools of business.  Johnson builds upon Cornell's depth and breadth of distinguished research and teaching, and its vast, worldwide network of alumni, faculty, and colleagues. The school's "performance learning" approach offers students defined frameworks and analytical tools, combined with expert feedback to solve real problems in real organizations. Deliberately small and extremely selective,  Johnson maintains an intense, collaborative community, where students develop teamwork and networking skills that foster innovation and deliver results. Programs include one- and two-year MBA degrees, an Executive MBA and the Cornell-Queen's Executive MBA, which offers interactive videoconferencing sessions across the U.S. and Canada. For more about the Johnson at Cornell University please visit: www.johnson.cornell.edu.

SOURCE The Johnson School at Cornell University