Workforce Diversity

Dr. Marilyn Y. Byrd is Assistant Professor of Management and Marketing, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, Texas. Dr. Byrd earned a BBA and MBA from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and Ph.D in Human Resource Development from Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas. She is a former administrator with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville, Texas where she was responsible for human resource functions for the Records and Classification Department. Dr. Byrd is a member of the Academy of Management and the Academy of Human Resource Development where she serves on the Diversity Committee SIG. She is interested in contributing to research in the area of leadership theorizing that reflects the multiple perspectives that shape the leadership experience. Her other research interests include group dynamics in organizations, social systems in organizations, issues emerging from diversity, and pursuing training interventions in the area of organizational social justice. Dr. Chaunda L. Scott is an Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator of the Master of Training and Development Program in the Department of Human Resource Development (HRD) at Oakland University in Rochester Michigan. Dr. Scott comes to Oakland University by way of The White House, The Harvard Graduate School of Education and Teachers College Columbia University. At Oakland University, Dr. Scott teaches a variety of other HRD courses in the Undergraduate HRD Program, Masters of Training and Development Program and the Honors College. Her scholarly research interests lie in the following areas: eradicating racism, workforce diversity education and training, human resource development, training and development, organizational culture, and organizational justice, and she has published her research in a number of respected journals including the Human Resource Development Quarterly, The International Journal of Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations, The International Journal of Intellectual Capital and The Journal of College Student Retention. She has as well presented her research in such locations as the Republic of South Africa, Oxford, England, Beijing, China, Limerick, Ireland, Montreal, Canada, Washington D.C., and Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to the above, Dr. Scott is the Founder and President of the Diverse Voices Initiative, created in 1999. Diverse Voices is a Michigan statewide higher education initiative that provides a supportive forum for Michigan higher education students, renowned scholars, business professionals and community members to speak out in support of valuing all aspects of human diversity. She also serves as chair of the Academy of Human Resource Development's (AHRD) Cultural Diversity Special Interest Group, a member of the Academy of Management, and an appointed member of the Society of Human Resource Management Diversity & Inclusion Standards Task Force. Most notable in 2009, Dr. Scott received a Cutting Edge Research Award from the Academy of Human Resource Development.