Whitman School to launch Diversity Center with brainstorming workshop, Oct. 7-9

Whitman School to launch Diversity Center with brainstorming workshop, Oct. 7-9October 04, 2005Amy Schmitzaemehrin@syr.edu

Diversity experts from across the nation will join Dean Melvin T. Stith and faculty from the strategy and human resources department of Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Oct. 7-9, for a diversity conference in Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. The conference, titled “Diversity as a Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy,” will plant the seeds for a diversity research center, which will be housed in the Whitman School.

“There is a growing recognition that diversity in the workforce is a crucial issue for management,” says Dennis Gillen, chair of the strategy and human resources department. “What is lacking is systematic research on what characteristics of diversity best contribute to the productivity and effectiveness of organizations. The conference and the subsequent creation of a diversity center at the Whitman School of Management will spearhead academic research and discussion on this subject for implementation in the work world.”

Participants at the three-day conference will include Charles Barrentine, chief Kodak operating system officer and vice president for Eastman Kodak Co.; Lisa Wicker, human resource executive for Daimler Chrysler Corp.; Laura Roberts, of Harvard University; Peter W. Wood, of King’s College; Aparna Joshi, of the University of Illinois; Pamela Tolbert, of Cornell University; Gary Powell, of the University of Connecticut; Nancy DiTomaso, of Rutgers University; Yitzhak Fried, professor of organization and management in the Whitman School; and Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn, professor of history in SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

For more information, contact Amy Mehringer, communications manager,Whitman School of Management, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.