Three of Six Prestigious ACE Fellowships Awarded to Business Professors with Leadership Potential Go to PhD Project Professors

MONTVALE, N.J., May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The PhD Project is proud to announce that three of the six prestigious American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowships given to business professors, which prepare promising faculty for roles of senior leadership in academia, have been awarded to PhD Project Professors for the 2013-14 academic year.

Jorge Perez, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Information Systems, Kennesaw State University; Jose Antonio Rosa, Ph.D., PhD Program Director and Professor of Marketing and Sustainable Business Practices, University of Wyoming; Charles Wesley Richardson, Jr., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marketing, Clark Atlanta University, were among the 50 Fellows selected to this year's program, following a rigorous application process.

The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is designed to identify and prepare promising senior faculty and administrators for responsible positions in college and university administration. Individuals who wish to apply must seek nomination from the president or chief academic officer of their institution. Dr. Perez was nominated by KSU President Daniel Papp, Dr. Rosa was nominated by UW President Tom Buchanan and Dr. Richardson was nominated by Dr. Carlton E. Brown, CAU President. Funding for each of the Fellows is provided by both their current institution and their host institution, which is a large investment and further reinforces the incredible honor of being nominated and selected. The Fellows Program enables participants to immerse themselves in the culture, policies, and decision-making processes of another institution. This unique program condenses years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year. 

"This is meaningful, external validation of the high quality of The PhD Project's professors," said Bernard J. Milano, President of the KPMG Foundation, the creator and lead sponsor of The PhD Project. "Since The PhD Project began in 1994, the number of minority business school professors has more than quadrupled, from 294 to 1,179 today. Looking at the current state of diversity in administrative positions, the next logical step is to create diversity in these roles. That is why, in 2010, we launched Project AHEAD to encourage more professors to advance to leadership roles. Being chosen as an ACE Fellow is recognition that our PhD Project professors are potential leaders."

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 1,179. Further, 355 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 entree to a corporate career.  Diversifying the faculty attracts more minorities to study business and better prepares all students to function in a diverse workforce.

In 2010, The PhD Project created a new initiative to increase diversity at the next level- business school administration. Project AHEAD (Achieving Higher Education Administration Diversity) provides information, encouragement and support for African American, Hispanic American, and Native American business school professors who wish to advance to the positions of Department Chair, Associate Dean, Dean and other leadership roles. Minorities are severely underrepresented in these positions.

PhD Project participant and 2005-2006 ACE Fellow, Dr. Carolyn Callahan, was recently named the Dean of University of Louisville's College of Business. She is currently the director of the University of Memphis School of Accountancy, where she is also the KPMG distinguished professor of accounting. Also an ACE Fellow in 2009-2010 is PhD Project member, Dr. Fay Cobb Payton, Associate Professor at NC State University and Founder and Director of MyHealthImpactNetwork.org.

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, 240+ 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 and American Accounting Association.

For more information visit: http://www.phdproject.org or contact Lisa King at 646-234-5080 or Email. To view a short video about AHEAD, visit: http://youtu.be/DFiLT9B0I1s

Contact:
Lisa King
646-234-5080
Email

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SOURCE The PhD Project