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Spelman Sloan Program

Through the support of a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a not-for-profit grant-making institution dedicated to the advancement of scientific knowledge, the Department of Economics at Spelman College will develop curriculum and programming to address the scarcity of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. Nationwide, there are very few African Americans in economics professions, and fewer than 10 percent of underrepresented minorities are awarded advanced degrees in the discipline, said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman and a member of the Sloan Foundation board of trustees.

Large Blue Quote Left Economists and economic theory impact virtually every aspect of policy making in this country. Policies that shape finance, labor, education, public health, the criminal justice system are deeply influenced by economists and their research. Yet, the number of African Americans with Ph.D.s in economics has been declining for several decades,” Dr. Campbell said. “This groundbreaking grant from the Sloan Foundation seeks to reverse this trend by building on Spelman College’s strong mathematics and economics departments in a way that encourages more students to choose an academic path that leads to graduate studies, a Ph.D. in economics and a voice at important policy making decisions.

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Summer Bridge Program

The College will also utilize the Sloan Foundation award to develop learning modules focused on economics for its annual summer bridge program and launch an initiative that provides financial support to students with an interest in economics graduate programs.

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Distinguished Speaker Series

To give students real-world examples of careers in economics, the grant will fund the creation of a new distinguished speaker series that focuses on alumnae and other women of color who hold doctoral degrees in economics. The series will be open to students from various majors.

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Contact Us

Economics Department
Spelman College
350 Spelman Lane SW
Atlanta, GA 30314
404-270-5697

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