Dr. Debra Mesch

Dr. Debra Mesch is Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy, Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis as well as Professor of Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University. Debra’s primary focus at WPI is on expanding the research about women’s philanthropy.

Debra received both her M.B.A. and Ph.D. in organizational behavior/human resource management from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Before coming to Indiana University, she taught at Simmons College and Northeastern University, College of Business Administration in Boston. Debra’s recent research agenda has focused on issues of civic engagement, volunteer motivation and management, executive compensation, diversity, and race and gender issues in giving and volunteering. She currently has undertaken a national study examining issues related to board diversity in nonprofit organizations. She has published over thirty articles in management and nonprofit journals and has worked with many nonprofit organizations such as Goodwill Industries, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and United Way in dealing with human resource management issues. She teaches graduate courses in human resource management for nonprofit organizations and her students have worked with over 40 different nonprofit organizations through her courses.