University of Virginia Hires PhD Project Professor Dr. Kisha Lashley

She receives her Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University and has accepted a faculty position at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce

Dr. Lashley is one of only 182 female, black American, Management business school professors in the U.S., most of whom have become professors since The PhD Project was created in 1994. The Project's vision is to diversify corporate America by increasing the number of minority business professors (African-American, Hispanic-American and Native American), who attract more minority students to study business in college.

"Dr. Lashley has succeeded in the very difficult endeavor of becoming a business school professor,” said Bernard J. Milano, President of The PhD Project and president of the KPMG Foundation, founder and lead Sponsor of the program. “She has demonstrated dedication, hard work and intelligence in joining the rapidly growing ranks of minorities choosing to influence the next generation of business leaders as college professors.

The PhD Project takes great pride in her achievements, and looks forward to following her success throughout her career.”

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 1,274. Further, 307 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. Lashley began her PhD journey by attending the 2008 PhD Project November 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, information systems, marketing and management) 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. Lashley is a member of The PhD Project Management Doctoral Students Association.

The PhD Project has received ongoing support from its sponsoring companies, participating universities and organizations, and supply alliance members. Its founding organizations in addition to the KPMG Foundation, are theGraduate Management Admission Council,Citi Foundation,AACSB International. The leading corporations, foundations and associations funding it include: 295+Participating Universities,AICPA Foundation, DiversityInc,Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP,Rockwell Collins,Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., American Marketing Association, John Deere Foundation , CIGNA,ADP,Edison International (on behalf of theCalifornia State University System),Lincoln Financial Group,Aerotek/ TEKsystems(operating companies of Allegis Group),3M,American Accounting Association,The Hershey Company,VMware, Academy of Management, and NASBA.