George Mason University

• ASHBURN, Va., Feb. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Furhan Qureshi is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member for his contributions to the field of Pathology.
• Dr. Qureshi pursued higher education at George Mason University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree.
• He then attended Ross University School of Medicine, graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree in 2012.
• A specialist in the field of internal medicine, Dr. Qureshi focuses his practice on the pathology of disease, diagnosis, and treatment.

After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, when travel brands – including Delta Air Lines, Hilton and Enterprise – pronounced their support for diversity and the Black Lives Matter movement, our research group was motivated to conduct a study that collected data of the travel experiences of more than 5,000 Black people and people of color. Our work, published in Afar magazine and Tourism Geographies, found that Black travelers expressed dissatisfaction with how the travel industry promotes itself as inclusive.

Authenticity matters

• We conducted in-depth interviews with several of the people who provided data to us.
• Those we interviewed told us plainly that they are weary of being perceived as a single, uniform entity.
• Joshlyn Crystal Adams, CEO of Urbanista Travel, told us, “It’s definitely more than being Black.
• But the people in our study emphasized the need for brands and destinations to make a greater effort.

Diversity is not a box to check

• In the Jim Crow era, Black travelers were regularly denied access to crucial services such as gas, food, restrooms and lodging.
• Stopping in unfamiliar locations posed the threat of humiliation, threats or worse.
• “If companies want to understand how to be appeasing to our communities, they should go directly to us,” study participant and AfroBuenaventura Transformative Travel founder Ronnell Perry said.

Change the industry from within

• Black individuals hold fewer than 1% of top leadership roles – C-suite, director, CEO/president – in the U.S. hospitality industry, according to a report by Castell Project.
• Over the past decade, consultancies such as McKinsey have made it increasingly clear that companies with more diverse workforces perform better financially.
• However, change requires taking power from the hands of dominant white, heterosexual, nondisabled and first-world nation groups.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• The UKG Workforce Institute — a think tank known for its global research and actionable insights on what’s impacting HR, organizations, and their people — is pleased to welcome Dr. William Beach, labor economist and former Commissioner of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to the institute’s advisory board of experts.
• Appointed to a four-year term at the BLS in 2019 , Beach served under two U.S. presidential administrations as the bureau’s 15th Commissioner of Labor Statistics.
• “I’m excited to be joining the UKG Workforce Institute advisory board,” said Beach.
• As a member of the UKG Workforce Institute advisory board, Beach will tackle such topics as what’s happening in the U.S. labor market , the next generation of work, automation, employee engagement, and population trends.

• VIENNA, Va., Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Omega , a leading IT solutions provider, proudly announces the appointment of Reha Gill as the head of the Data & Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence.
• Prior to joining Alpha Omega, Reha served as the Director of Strategy for Card Data Engineering and Analysis at Capital One Financial.
• "We are investing in our Data & Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence to cut through the AI noise and deliver pragmatic AI solutions that positively benefit mission and augment productivity for our federal customers.
• Alpha Omega is confident that Reha's leadership will drive the Data & Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence to new heights, delivering impactful solutions and advancing the company's commitment to innovation and excellence.