Closing the Opportunity Gap (PDF)

Vijay Pendakur Dr. Vijay Pendakur serves as an Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at California State University - Fullerton. Prior to joining Cal State Fullerton, Dr. Pendakur served as the Director for the Office of Multicultural Student Success, a department charged with increasing the retention and persistence of low-income students, first generation students, and students of color at DePaul University in Chicago. He holds a bachelor's degree in history and East Asian studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a master's degree in U.S. history from the University of California, San Diego, and a doctorate in education from DePaul University. Shaun R. Harper, PhD, is a professor in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and is the USC Race and Equity Center Executive Director. He is an expert on racial, gender, and LGBT issues in corporations, law firms, Hollywood production companies, and universities. He also is an expert on college sports. He offers organizations live, and high-quality virtual experiences on a range of topics pertaining to equity, diversity, and inclusion in business and on campus.Dr. Harper has consulted with more than 200 businesses and institutions on strategies related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and other academic publications, and procured $13 million in research grants. He is presently working on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Business, his 13th book. His research has been cited in over 12,000 published studies. The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Fortune, Washington Post, Black Enterprise, and several thousand other news outlets have quoted Professor Harper and featured his research. He has been interviewed on CNN, ESPN, and NPR.Prior to becoming a faculty member, he was Assistant Director of MBA Admissions for the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Dr. Harper spent a decade at the Universi