Dr. Enrica Ruggs Selected for MBJ Super Women in Business 2020

Dr. Enrica Ruggs, Assistant Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Workplace Diversity and Inclusion (CWDI) was recently chosen by the Memphis Business Journal as one of the Super Women for 2020.

Ruggs is a gifted researcher and instructor whose scholarly work is primarily in the area of workplace diversity and inclusion. She was recruited from the University of North Carolina Charlotte in 2018, where she had built a strong academic record after graduating with her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology in 2013.

Ruggs' research focuses on the experiences of various stigmatized groups who experience discrimination in the workplace. These groups include African Americans, women, LGBTQ individuals, and obese individuals. Her research examines both attitudes and consequences for members of marginalized groups, as well as organizational interventions that build diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Her research has been profiled on BBC, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Fortune, Yahoo! Finance, and IOatWork.com.

As Director of CWDI, Ruggs has multiple presentations in the community, and co-hosted the Bank of America's Crucial Conversations – "The State of Black America in the Workforce." In the wake of recent events of social injustice and heightened awareness of the need to work together to improve Black lives, the Center has posted a number of evidence-based papers on actions individuals and organizations can take towards making meaningful change in reducing racial inequity.

Ruggs will accept the award in September at a virtual ceremony.