That's five in the entire country. Joanne Martin, who last year completed a five-year stint as director of the PhD Program, was strongly committed to increasing enrollment and graduation of talented minority students at the GSB, and that commitment continues under her successor Jonathan Bendor. Pipeline pro-grams like the PhD Project have helped in recruiting, but they are only part of a larger effort. Current minority students like Michael Clement and Joseph Guzman, who is working toward a PhD in economics, represent the School at organized recruiting functions. GSB faculty interview promising minority candidates prior to admission or even application, and place follow-up calls to those who are accepted.
Recruitment is only a beginning.
In order to retain the minorities who enroll, faculty and administrators, particularly Elizabeth Fitting, assistant director of the PhD Program, attend carefully to progress toward the degree, giving time, individual attention, and financial help where it is needed. And, as a group, all the minority PhD students, including Alva Taylor, Donnel Briley, Damon Phillips, and Albert Perez, work to ensure the success of their fellow students. Increasing the number of minority doctoral students won't put professors in the classroom tomorrow, but it looks like the best hope for the future. You can support MBAs and end up with one employee for each person supported. But you support PhDs and they touch hundreds of MBA students a year.