24
March
2014
|
15:15 PM
America/Chicago

MBA Students Receive Grant to Research Financial Literacy of Minority Communities

UHD recently received a grant that will enable MBA students to conduct research into and implement services for minority and low-income communities on the topics of financial literacy, retirement security and financial decision making. As many UHD students belong to these communities, the impact of this research could be felt close to home.

Sarah Singletary Walker, faculty member in the UHD College of Business, who is African-American, saw a correlation between the student population that UHD serves and research that indicates this community falls behind in understanding financial literacy and how to gain financial independence. She wrote the grant that will enable MBA students the opportunity to conduct research and implement services to educate and impact this community. Currently, Osman Kavcar is participating in the research fellowship program.

77 percent of UHD students are minorities and/or live in low-income communities. The demographic background of current MBA students matches a similar pattern, with 34 percent Hispanic, 26 percent African- American, 13 percent Asian and 26 percent white.

Housed within the MBA program, these research fellowships will increase the number of graduate student researchers and expand the talent pool of scientist-practitioners who are prepared to conduct rigorous research of national significance in the areas of retirement security, financial literacy and effect change in the greater Houston and national communities. Another goal of the research fellowships is to create a model of best practices to be replicated at other minority- and Hispanic-serving institutions.