Number of Minority Business Professors in U.S. has Quintupled, The PhD Project Reports, as "Dr. Cinco" is Named

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Sep 06, 2018, 07:53 ET

MONTVALE, N.J., Sept. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of doctorally-qualified minority (African-American, Hispanic-American, and Native American) professors at U.S. business schools has quintupled since 1994, due largely to the efforts of The PhD Project, an award-winning program aimed at increasing diversity in America's business management ranks.

The quintupling occurred recently, as Dr. Nicole Fuller received her Ph.D. from Texas A&M, and became the 1,470^th minority business professor in the U.S. earning the title "Dr. Cinco." When The PhD Project started in 1994, there were only 294 doctorally-qualified minority professors in business schools across the Unites States. The Project previously celebrated Drs. Double, Triple and Cuatro, and now Dr. Fuller is Dr. Cinco.

"The decision to leave my corporate position in finance and move across the country to enroll in graduate school full-time was a complete step out on faith," said Dr. Fuller. "The support I received and network connections I established through The PhD Project made the rocky road from enrollment to graduation smoother. I am grateful for The PhD Project and excited to be Dr. Cinco!"

"We are proud of Dr. Fuller's personal accomplishment in completing the challenging journey to becoming a professor," said Bernard J. Milano, President of The PhD Project and the KPMG Foundation, the creator and lead sponsor of the program. "Moreover, her achievement symbolizes the collective success of over 1,100 new minority professors, whom we have recruited, encouraged and supported over the past 24 years. With this milestone, and the generous support of our sponsors, together we are changing the face of business education."

The PhD Project, a 501(c) (3) organization that the KPMG Foundation founded in 1994, recruits minority professionals from business into doctoral programs in all business disciplines. Since its inception, The PhD Project has been responsible for the increase in the number of minority business professors from 294 to 1,470. Further, 270 minorities are currently enrolled in doctoral programs, and will take a place at the front of the classroom over the next few years. The Project attacks the root cause of minority under-representation in corporate jobs: historically, very few minority college students study business as an entrée to a corporate career. Diversifying the faculty attracts more minorities to study business and better prepares all students to function in a diverse workforce.

Dr. Fuller began her PhD journey by attending the 2010 November PhD Project conference. Each year, highly qualified professionals who are considering leaving their careers to enter doctoral programs in business are invited to The PhD Project Conference where they hear from deans, professors and current minority doctoral students about the benefits of pursuing a business Ph.D. Conference participants are provided with the tools and resources they need for the application/admission process to doctoral programs. Once they enter a program, every minority business doctoral student in an AACSB accredited U.S. business school becomes a member of one of The Project's five (accounting, finance and economics, information systems, management and marketing) Doctoral Student Associations (DSAs). Each year, The Project holds a conference for each of the five DSAs, where the doctoral students come together, forming a strong support network while receiving important tools to help them navigate their doctoral programs. Dr. Fuller was a member of The PhD Project Management Doctoral Students Association and currently as faculty, is a member of The PhD Project Management Faculty Alumni Association.

The PhD Project has received ongoing support from its sponsoring companies, participating universities and organizations. The founding organizations in addition to the KPMG Foundation are the Graduate Management Admission Council and AACSB International. Other leading corporations, foundations and associations funding The Project include: AICPA Foundation, DiversityInc, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, American Marketing Association, Rockwell Collins, John Deere Foundation, California State University System, Lincoln Financial Group, Academy of Management, American Accounting Association, City University of New York System, Aerotek, NASBA, Thrivent Financial, American Express Foundation, Fidelity Investments, Bentley University, LinkedIn and over 300 Participating Universities.