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Visiting Scholar Discusses Benefits of Diversity

Davidson

University of Virginia's Martin Davidson will speak to the UNO campus on Thursday, March 19, about rethinking diversity in the workplace. Photo Credit: University of Virginia

OMAHA – A recent challenge for many companies has been how to become more diverse and, according to a prominent scholar from the University of Virginia, the reason lies in the search for diversity itself.

On Thursday, March 19, Martin Davidson, Ph.D., a visiting scholar and author of the 2011 book “The End of Diversity As We Know It” will be on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus to share his vision for an economy based on “difference” rather than “diversity.”

Due to high demand, Davidson’s presentation, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service Collaborating Commons, is no longer open. However, a stream of the event will be available in the Milo Bail Student Center’s Nebraska Room. Access to the live stream space is free and open to the public on a first-come, first served basis.

For questions on the live stream, please contact Theresa Barron-McKeagney, Associate Dean of the College of Publica Affairs and Community Service, at tbarronm@unomaha.edu.

About Martin Davidson:

In his book, Davidson writes that “the admirably passionate pursuit of diversity in organizations has fallen short” because many businesses simply look at the number of diverse backgrounds rather than whether or not those diverse backgrounds are the right fit for the business.

Comparatively, in a difference-based model, Davidson argues that rather than looking at differences among employees as “problems that must be solved” employers should look at these differences as “opportunities for innovation.”

As a professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at the University of Virginia, Davidson, teaches, conducts research and consults with global leaders on how they can use diversity strategically to generate superior business performance.

His work has been published in Harvard Business Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and the International Journal of Conflict Management, just to name a few.

Davidson has also been featured as an expert source in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, BusinessWeek and the Wall Street Journal.

Davidson’s talk is being sponsored by:

- The University of Nebraska President’s Office
- The UNO Office of Academic and Student Affairs
- The UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service
- The UNO College of Business Administration
- The UNO College of Arts and Sciences
- The UNO College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media
- The UNO College of Information Science and Technology
- The Creighton University School of Law

For questions about this event or for media inquires, please contact Charley Reed, Associate Director of Media Relations, at unonews@unomaha.edu or 402.554.2129.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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