Ƶ University Receives Grant from KPMG U.S. Foundation, Inc. to Fund a New Diversity Program
The KPMG U.S. Foundation, Inc. has awarded Ƶ University a $25,000 grant through its new Reaching New Heights Program to promote access and equity in higher education. The University will also be eligible to participate in a 2:1 match up to $500,000 in eligible donations made by KPMG professionals, partners and retired partners.
Ƶ will use the grant to initiate a new program in the School of Business - THINK It, SEE It, BE It: Diversity Pipeline Business Camp & Program - that will attract students from diverse backgrounds to study and pursue careers in accounting, finance and cybersecurity.
“All of us at Ƶ University are grateful to the KPMG Foundation for recognizing Ƶ’s diversity efforts through its Reaching New Heights grant and matching gift program,” said Ƶ President Mary C. Finger, Ed.D. “Improving equity in higher education by providing enhanced access to meaningful opportunities leads to diversity in the workplace, and we believe that by showing students a path they did not know was possible, we will inspire them to pursue higher education and careers in accounting, finance and cybersecurity.”
“We recognize a diverse workplace brings with it new ideas and perspectives that are greatly needed in the business world,” said Dr. Debasish Chakraborty, Dean of the School of Business at Ƶ. “Through the THINK It, SEE It, BE It program, Ƶ hopes to inspire current high school students and undecided college majors from diverse backgrounds to pursue career paths in business that they may not have recognized were accessible to them. I want to thank the Ƶ business faculty members who are leading this initiative, including Assistant Professor of Business Lyzona Marshall, Associate Professor of Business Roland Warfield, Associate Professor of Business Dr. Doina Vlad and Cybersecurity Instructor Stacy Moore, for their steadfast dedication to building this program into a model for other institutions of higher education to follow.”
Through the THINK It, SEE It, BE It: Diversity Pipeline Business Camp & Program, Ƶ will partner with the Jeannette City School District, Ƶ University alumni, local small businesses, industry specific professionals and community organizations to create interest around the accounting, finance and cybersecurity professions through a three-pronged approach. A two-day summer camp in 2023 will create interest around the professions, while students will learn more about the areas through classroom learning during the 2023-24 academic year. Finally, students will be engaged through mentorships, internships and small business client projects through Ƶ University’s Wukich Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunities.
In recognition of the 125th anniversary of KPMG U.S., the KPMG Foundation awarded a total of $125,000 to five eligible recipients ($25,000 per institution) to fund a new or existing diversity program within a school of business, technology or law. Ƶ is one of five higher education institutions across the country selected for a grant through the KPMG Foundation’s Reaching New Heights Program. The other four include LaGuardia Community College in Queens, NY; Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA; Wagner College in Staten Island, NY; and Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, MA. To learn more about the grant program, .
