The Ph.D. Project, a national group working to increase diversity within business school faculty, has recently inducted Eli Jones, the dean of Texas A&M University – Mays Business School, into their Hall of Fame.
Eli Jones, Mays School dean and holder of the Peggy Pitman Mays Eminent Scholar Chair in Business, was given the honor during the Ph.D. Project’s annual Faculty Dinner, held in Atlanta at the beginning of august. Taking place in conjunction with the American Marketing Association (AMA)’s conference, the dinner was attended by roughly 100 one of the Ph.D. Project’s 200 Marketing Doctoral Students Association members.
In presenting the award to Jones, KPMG Foundation and Ph.D. Project President Bernard Milano commented on his inspiring work, saying: “you have been a wonderful role model and mentor to many, many people.” The organization has been recognizing faculty in this manner since 2011 to honor “commitment, involvement and inspiration”.
Accepting the award, Jones commented on the need to increase the number of underrepresented minority college graduates. “In organizing the Ph.D. Project, what may not have been anticipated is the greater impact that this wonderful initiative would have on society.”
During the ceremony, Jones was additionally awarded with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the AMA’s Sales and Sales Management Special Interest Group (SIG), which works to improve the scholarship, teaching and practice of selling and sales management.
For the first time, the awards program also included a charity component: friends, colleagues and and members of the AMA’s Sales SIG raised more than $14,000 to donate to the Ph.D. Project in Jones’ name.