The number of minority professors across the United States who are Ph.D. qualified has seen a fivefold rise in last 24 years.
The rise in doctorally-qualified African-American, Hispanics and Native American is largely seen due to the efforts of The PhD Project, a non-profit program aimed at increasing diversity in business management ranks of the nation.
The project, supported by various universities and organization founded in 1994, recruits minority professionals from business into doctoral programs.
The quintupling of professors was marked when Nicole Fuller became the 1,470th minority business professor in the U.S., earning the title “Dr. Cinco” after receiving her doctorate from Texas A&M University.
“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,” Fuller said.
“The support I received and network connections I established through The Ph.D. Project made the rocky road from enrollment to graduation smoother. I am grateful for The Ph.D. Project and excited to be Dr. Cinco!”
Bernard J. Milano, President of The Ph.D. Project, termed Fuller’s achievement as a collective success of 1,100 new minority professors.
“We are proud of Dr. Fuller’s personal accomplishment in completing the challenging journey to becoming a professor,” Milano said.
“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.”
