Diversity Initiative for Tenure in Economics

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Diversity Initiative for Tenure in Economics (DITE) is a research mentoring workshop that seeks to facilitate successful transition from junior faculty status to tenured associate professor for economists from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (especially blacks, Latinos, and native Americans). The gross underrepresentation of these economists in the ranks of university faculty, particularly within economics departments, creates an added imperative to ensure that junior faculty from these groups develop the research and teaching profile that will lead to promotion to tenure. DITE is the only program designed specifically to increase the representation of black, Latino, and native American economists in tenured faculty positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States via mentoring of junior faculty focused on research and teaching.

Each year, DITE matches up to twelve junior scholars with six senior faculty mentors and convenes an annual one-and-a-half-day workshop, during which the junior fellows receive critical guidance on their research as well as professional development advice. Afterwards, senior faculty members continue to mentor the junior scholars by reviewing papers, offering advice, and writing recommendations for the tenure consideration process. Eight cohorts have been mentored through the program thus far, and many of these scholars have been promoted to tenure, while even more have collaborated on publishing research in economic journals.

DITE fellows have placed papers in highly-regarded economics journals including Journal of Human Resources, Journal of Econometrics, American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings, Economic Inquiry, Journal of Economic History, Journal of Development Economics, Review of Finance, Review of Economics and Statistic, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Journal of Development Studies, and Applied Economic Letters.

Fellows also have placed papers in top journals in other disciplines, including American Sociological Review (Sociology) and American Journal of Public Health (Epidemiology).

In recent years, DITE fellows have earned appointments at Duke University, Harvard University, Howard University, New College of Florida, Spelman College, and elsewhere.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *