Alumnus Named Texas American Indian Individual of the Year
In recognition of his ongoing work with Native American students and diversity initiatives, Steven Denson, MSPPM 1993, was recently named American Indian Individual of the Year for the state of Texas by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Texas, the largest American Indian Chamber of Commerce in the United States. In a ceremony that included presentation of colors by three-time winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Native veterans, representatives and students from several tribes in Canada and the United States, as well as American Indian musicians and dancers, Professor Denson was presented with the award during the Chamber`s Annual Banquet.
In the last year, the SMU Cox School of Business Diversity Initiative, headed by Professor Denson, has provided over $300,000 in scholarship to women and students of color. Denson has also worked with the Small Business Administration to provide entrepreneurial training to people wanting to start their own businesses. He serves as an advisor to the National Association of Black Accountants, the National Society of Hispanic MBA`s DFW Chapter, the National Black MBA Association`s DFW Chapter, the Youth Achievement Program and the National Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting. Professor Denson is a founding member of the Young Collector`s Circle of the Meadows Museum and a lifetime member of the British Museum Society.
As a result of the SMU/Cox Diversity Initiative, members of the Choctaw and Chippewa Nations have recently graduated from the MBA program. Members of the Nakota Sioux, Cree, Ponca, Pottawatomie and Creek Nations are currently attending the MBA program.
In 2003, SMU Cox established the position of Director of Diversity. This position was intended to provide strategic direction and coordination to all activities to recruit and support under-represented students for Cox MBA programs. Denson was named to this position, following four years as director of MBA student services. In September 2004, SMU Cox debuted in HISPANIC Trends' annual listing of the Top 25 Programs for Hispanic MBAs.
Denson is a rancher and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. Previous to joining SMU Cox, he served as chief development officer for the Chickasaw Foundation. From 1993 to 1996, he worked with Dresser Industries as a labor negotiator and was the associate director of student and employer services at Carnegie Mellon. In 1990, Denson was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Fellow of the Wilson Foundation of Princeton and earned the International and Public Policy Institute Certification at University of Michigan. He earned a BA in Political Science and History from East Central University in 1991 and an MS in Public Management and Policy from Carnegie Mellon University in 1993. He has been a member of the SMU Cox School faculty since 1998 and was chosen Outstanding Faculty Member in 2000.