Doctoral Scholars Program

Overview

SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program

Increasing Faculty Diversity

More than one-third of America’s college students are people of color. But historically underrepresented groups make up only small fractions of college faculty. Nationwide, 6 percent of faculty are African American or Black, just over 5% are Hispanic and about 1% are Native American. The SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program is working to change that.

The goal: more historically underrepresented Ph.D. students who seek careers as faculty on college campuses

The Doctoral Scholars Program provides multiple layers of support — not only financial assistance and research funding, but also career counseling, job postings and a scholar directory for networking and recruiting. Mentoring and advocacy for scholars is crucial, and support continues into early careers as graduates become faculty members. And each fall, a thousand scholars and young faculty members convene to learn and support one another at the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring.

5-minute version of this video

More than 1,225 Graduates and Counting

The goal of the Doctoral Scholars Program is to increase the number of historically underrepresented students who earn doctorates and choose to become faculty at colleges and universities. Since its founding in 1993, the program has supported more than 2,000 scholars who have attended 109 institutions in more than 30 states.

News SREB News Release

Nation’s Largest Gathering of Underrepresented Ph.D. Students in New Orleans Oct. 31 to Nov. 3
Institute on Teaching and Mentoring helps scholars finish Ph.D.s, launch faculty careers in academia

WHO

Scholars affiliated with the SREB-State Doctoral Program and seven other scholarship programs, including the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Scholars Program.

WHAT

The 31st annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring: the nation’s largest gathering of underrepresented Ph.D. students and faculty in higher education. This year, more than 1,000 are registered to attend the conference hosted by the Southern Regional Education Board’s Doctoral Scholars Program.

WHERE

New Orleans Marriott                       

WHEN

Thursday, 8 a.m. Oct. 31 through Sunday, Nov. 3 at noon CST

WHY

Faculty of color – especially in leadership positions – are still underrepresented in comparison to the racial and ethnic diversity of the students they teach. For instance, nationwide, only about 6% of faculty are Black, just over 5% are Hispanic or Latino and only about 1% are Native American. In addition, research shows that white faculty are significantly more likely to occupy higher-ranking roles in academia than faculty who are African American, Asian American or of other racial and ethnic groups.

HIGHLIGHTS

Recruiters Some 225 recruiters will work 96 booths all four days of the conference.

Sessions Topics on the 2024 conference agenda range from getting published to describing research to financial planning basics.

Graduate Banquet  Those who earned doctoral degrees in 2023-24 will speak about their experiences at a graduation celebration at 5:30 p.m.  on Friday. Testimonies from past participants and a 2020 virtual graduation ceremony are available on SREBvideo on YouTube.

MORE INFORMATION

  • The SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Institute landing page includes recent news, video shorts from previous conferences, links to past webinars, blog posts by program graduates and other information related to the program. 

Contact: Janita Poe, SREB News Manager, at Janita.Poe@sreb.org or 404-879-5516, ext. 216

The Southern Regional Education Board works with states, districts and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. An interstate compact and a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta, SREB was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region.

Spotlight

DSP Program Graduate Spotlight – Daniel Jean, Ed.D.
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Spotlight Series

SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Graduate #524 – Daniel Jean, Ed.D. 

Daniel Jean, Ed.D.Daniel Jean, Ed.D., was raised in abject poverty and rose from a 1.9 grade point average to become an author, consultant, motivational speaker, swagger trainer, playwright, and poet. He has been featured in several publications, including the Los Angeles Times, nj.com, Black Enterprise, Ebony Magazine, the Hechinger Report and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

News SREB News Release

Harriette Scott is new SREB Vice President of Postsecondary Education

Harriette Scott has joined the Southern Regional Education Board as vice president for postsecondary education.

In this role, Scott leads SREB’s postsecondary programs, including the Academic Common Market and the State Doctoral Scholars Program, education data services and state authorization reciprocity agreements.

News SREB News Release

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA FACULTY MEMBER WINS NATIONAL MENTORING AWARD
Sloan Mentor of the Year, Institute on Teaching and Mentoring

Tempestt NealTempestt Neal, founder and director of the Cyber Identity and Behavior Research Lab at the University of South Florida, received one of two national Faculty Mentor of the Year awards at the 30th annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring this October in Tampa.

The Institute is the nation’s largest annual gathering of underrepresented doctoral students and college faculty members of color.

News SREB News Release

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATE DEAN WINS NATIONAL MENTORING AWARD
SREB Mentor of the Year, Institute on Teaching and Mentoring

Ansley Abraham, Natasha Croom, Tomiko Smalls Natasha N. Croom, associate dean for academic and student affairs at Clemson University, received one of two national Faculty Mentor of the Year awards at the 30th annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring  this October in Tampa. 

The Institute is the nation’s largest annual gathering of underrepresented doctoral students and college faculty members of color.

Blog post MariTere Molinet, Guest BloggerSREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Graduate
MariTere Molinet

Giving Feedback: The art of speaking up to collaborate and empower

An occasional series from the Doctoral Scholars Program on postsecondary topics

When I first started my Ph.D. program, I was taken aback that none of the talks offered to graduate students focused on how to give feedback to others. Plenty of workshops discussed how to receive feedback, but coming from an industry where feedback was encouraged and expected, I felt we were missing a part of a very important equation.

Blog post Pilanda Watkins-Curry, Ph.D., Guest BloggerSREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Graduate
Pilanda Watkins-Curry, Ph.D.

Pursuing the Ph.D. – How to Get Your Research Published

An occasional series from the Doctoral Scholars Program on postsecondary topics

Publishing a journal article is a significant milestone for a Ph.D. student’s academic journey. It showcases your contributions to your respective field and acts as a validation of your research skills and expertise. The process of publishing can often seem overwhelming and time-consuming, but with the right approach, it can be a relatively smooth experience.

Blog post Jhonatan Saldana, Guest BloggerSREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Participant

Putting Yourself Before Your Work

An occasional series from the Doctoral Scholars Program on postsecondary topics

After working in research in one capacity or another for the past six years, the most common topic I hear about when speaking with fellow students is stress. We just can’t help but mention the stress of working on a time crunch, the stress of submitting grants, the stress of funding; stress is always an underlying theme to our careers and one that appears to have no end. However, not all is doom and gloom. There are many ways in which we can try to balance our work-related stress, and below are two which can get overlooked.

Blog post Precious Hardy, Guest BloggerSREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Participant
SREB scholar Precious Hardy

Structuring Your Dissertation Committee

An occasional series from the Doctoral Scholars Program on postsecondary topics

In graduate school we are bombarded with decisions. We decide whether to be quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods researchers, what classes to take, and what topic to expand on for our dissertation. One of the most important decisions we make, though, is deciding which faculty members will sit on our dissertation committee.

Webinar
Stella E. Nwokeji

Prioritizing Self-Care in Academia
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Webinar Series

View the webinar recording >

SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program alumni discussed the importance of prioritizing self-care and mental health on the rigorous Ph.D. journey. Scholars and faculty shared therapeutic resources and tools and answered questions on the importance of social support systems and the role culture plays.

News
Dr. Jason C. Mizell

2022 Bob Belle Service Grants Awarded

Congratulations to the 2022 SREB alumni winners of the Bob Belle Service Grant Awards. The award is another way the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program seeks to empower program graduates to make a difference in their communities. The grant supports projects that encourage and prepare the next generation of potential doctoral students. All projects must encourage students to explore opportunities that further their educational goals and aspirations.

News SREB News Release

SREB Doctoral Scholars Program’s leader will receive presidential service award

Ansley Abraham, the longtime director of the Southern Regional Education Board’s Doctoral Scholars Program, will receive the nation’s highest honor  for mentors who help to expand the nation’s talent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Abraham is among the 15 recipients of this year’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

Webinar

Starting a Grant-Funded Community or Campus-Based Initiative
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Webinar Series

View the webinar recording >

In this webinar, SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program alumna and Bob Belle Service Grant recipients Drs. Myrtede Alfred, Karin Block-Cora and Cheryl Swanier shared their expertise on several topics, including steps to conceptualizing an initiative, organizing an initiative from an existing practice, how to leverage funding and build relationships with similar programs, and the connection between service and the tenure-track.

Webinar
Dr. Janeen Perry-Campbell

Dissertation Defense Stories: Defending in a Virtual Environment
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Webinar Series

View the webinar recording >

In this webinar, SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program alumna Drs. Whitney McCoy and Janeen Perry-Campbell led the panel discussion on defending the dissertation in a virtual environment. Panelists shared their experiences defending online, offered key preparation tips surrounding the rules in a virtual environment and answered attendee questions.

News SREB News Release

SREB Doctoral Scholars Program founding director to receive lifetime achievement award

Image of Dr. Ansley AbrahamAnsley Abraham, the founding director of SREB’s acclaimed program to increase the number of underrepresented Ph.D. graduates and college faculty of color, will be awarded the 2021 Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award will be given by the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity during the association’s 47th Annual National Conference and Awards Ceremony in October.

Webinar
Dr. Armon Perry

Student Debt & Faculty Diversity
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Webinar Series

View the webinar recording >

In this webinar, SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program alumni discussed why addressing the student debt crisis is a key component of diversifying the graduate school pipeline and ultimately diversifying the professoriate, as well as thoughts on how systemic policy change can help address this issue.

News SREB News Release

Faculty diversity doesn’t match student demographics, reports show

ATLANTA — The rates of Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented college faculty members are not keeping pace with the changing student demographics in many states, according to the Southern Regional Education Board’s 16 new state profiles and regional data on faculty diversity.
 
Only about 9.2% of full- and part-time faculty members were Black and 5.1% were Hispanic at public four-year institutions in the 16-state SREB region in 2017-18, the latest year with federal data available.
 

Webinar
Dr. Torrie Cropps

Mentoring 101: Navigating Academia
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Webinar Series

View the webinar recording >

Mentorship serves as a crucial support for students as they navigate graduate school and enter the professoriate. But understanding how to build a strong mentor/mentee relationship isn’t always easy. Featuring former SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Faculty Mentor of the Year award winners in conversation with their mentees, this webinar featured advice on how to get the most out of a mentoring relationship from both perspectives.

Publication February 20213 pages

Student Debt Stifles Faculty Diversity
Comparing Debt Burdens in SREB's Doctoral Scholars Program and Nationwide

Student debt disproportionately affects students of color and could contribute to a lack of diversity among college faculty. The SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program aims to reduce this barrier by providing financial support for its participants. This brief presents findings from a survey of Doctoral Scholar Program alumni compared with data collected from a national survey to provide insight on the impact of program participation on student debt burden. 

Publication January 202112 pages
image of report cover

Now Is the Time to Focus on Faculty Diversity

The reckoning with racial injustice across the United States offers an important opportunity for state leaders and universities to address the lack of diversity among college faculty and increase their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. This report offers four recommendations for increasing faculty diversity based on SREB’s 30 years of research and work with this issue.

Webinar
Dr. Christopher Whitt

The Future of Faculty Diversity (Part 2): Faculty Retention
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Webinar Series

View the webinar recording >

In this webinar, SREB-DSP alumni from across the higher education spectrum discussed the importance of faculty diversity and shared thoughts on how institutions can better retain diverse graduate students and faculty.

Webinar
Dr. Kent Smith

The Future of Faculty Diversity (Part 1): Graduate Student & Faculty Recruitment
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Webinar Series

View the webinar recording >

In this webinar, panelists from across the higher education spectrum discussed the importance of faculty diversity and shared thoughts on how institutions can better recruit diverse graduate students and faculty.

Blog post Chinasa Elue, Ph.D., Guest BloggerSREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Graduate

The Impact of Microaggressions on Health and Job Satisfaction

An occasional series from the Doctoral Scholars Program on postsecondary topics

Dr. Chinasa Elue The multiple pandemics of 2020 have systematically forced us to engage in critical conversations around race, injustice and the pervasive nature of inequalities across all sectors of society. As these dialogues have unfolded, several organizations have stepped forward with statements decrying racism and social injustice on their websites and social media outlets.

Webinar
Dr. Loretta Neal McGregor

Moms of Color in Academia – Navigating Grad School
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Webinar Series

View the webinar recording >

This conversation-oriented panel brought together former SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program graduates to share their experiences and advice on navigating graduate school and academia as a mom of color. Panelists discussed a variety of topics including how to advocate for resources as a new mom, how to address childcare challenges, resources to seek out within your institution, how to build a supportive network/community, and how to juggle school and life.

Webinar

Transitioning to a Faculty Role
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Webinar Series

View the webinar recording > 

Transitioning from doctoral student to professor can be both exciting and challenging. In this webinar, SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program alumni discussed their experiences navigating the transition into the professoriate. The panelists also provided advice on how to adjust to your new role, continue to grow your professional skills and balance service and academic commitments.

Blog post Robin Phelps-Ward, Ed.D., Guest BloggerSREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Graduate

Pedagogical Strategies for Inclusive and Trauma-Informed Teaching

An occasional series from the Doctoral Scholars Program on postsecondary topics.

Dr. Robin Phelps-Ward As educators continue in the 2020-2021 year during a time of racial unrest, a national presidential election, and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, many are wondering how to adapt their teaching practices in response. The current climate has been traumatic for those who are navigating loss, grief, and profound changes of all sorts. As educators we must respond to this in inclusive ways that support students’ well-being.

Blog post Shani Collins Woods, Ph.D., Guest BloggerSREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program graduate

Self-Care and Your Success in Graduate School

An occasional series from the Doctoral Scholars Program on postsecondary topics.

Dr. Shani Collins Woods How do you honor your mind, body and spirit? Do you even think it’s important?

From 2007-2014 I was a full-time doctoral student in social work at the University of Alabama. The program involved writing an annotated bibliography, writing and defending an integrative paper, taking comprehensive exams, and writing and defending a dissertation. My life was consumed with this and travel between my home state of Mississippi and my surrogate city and state, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I made little time for self-care. I would leave Tuscaloosa on a Friday and return either Sunday evening or leave at 5:30 a.m. on Monday morning. I missed my family, friends, and the comforts of my Mississippi Delta home life. My home was my outlet.

News SREB News Release
Dr. Levon Esters

Purdue University Faculty Member Wins National Faculty of the Year Award

Levon T. Esters, an associate professor of agricultural sciences education and communication, was awarded one of six national Faculty Mentor of the Year awards at the 26th annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in October in Atlanta, Georgia. The Institute is the nation’s largest annual gathering of underrepresented Ph.D. students and college faculty members of color.

Blog post Dr. Ansley Abraham, DirectorSREB State-Doctoral Scholars Program

Fixing the Pipeline of Possibility

A recent Atlantic article, “The Disciplines Where No Black People Earn Ph.D.s,” is eye-opening for its title alone. “In 2017,” author Adam Harris says, “there were more than a dozen fields” — largely within STEM — “in which not a single doctoral degree was awarded to a black person anywhere in the United States.”

Blog post
Dr. Amy Ansong

Tips from Women of Color on Succeeding in Academia
Finishing the Ph.D. and Advancing in Higher Education

Women represent a majority of Ph.D. students nationally, but overcoming hurdles relating to both gender and race can make life in academia especially challenging for women scholars.

That was a major theme among scholars and experts at the 2018 annual Institute on Teaching and Learning, hosted by the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program and its partner programs.

Blog post
Dr. Brian Walton

‘I almost wasn’t’: Ph.D. graduates, experts urge self-care

A critical topic that often gets overlooked in the drive to earn a Ph.D.: taking care of yourself.

The issue was on full, courageous display at the 2018 Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, the nation’s largest gathering of underrepresented Ph.D. students and graduates of color. At the banquet celebrating the previous year’s newly minted graduates, many spoke of their emotional and health struggles during their long journey to the doctorate.

News SREB News Release

Sloan Foundation’s Elizabeth Boylan Honored with Frank Abbott Award

Dr. Elizabeth S. Boylan receives Frank Abbott Award.

Elizabeth S. Boylan, director of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s programs on STEM higher education, was honored with the 2018 Frank Abbott Award at the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in October in Arlington, Virginia.

Since joining Sloan in 2011, Dr. Boylan has been responsible for the attendance of more than 1,000 Sloan scholars at the Institute and leads the design of a number of sessions at the event.

News SREB News Release

University of Arkansas Faculty Member Wins National Mentor of the Year Award

Dr. Ana Julia Bridges (center) wins Faculty Mentor of the Year award. Ana Julia Bridges, an associate professor in the University of Arkansas department of psychological science, was awarded one of two national Faculty Mentor of the Year awards at the 25th annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in October in Arlington, Virginia. The Institute is the nation’s largest annual gathering of underrepresented Ph.D. students and college faculty members of color.

Blog post Dr. Robert (Bob) Belle, Associate Director, SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program
Dr. Robert (Bob) Belle poses for a photo behind a microphone.

Reflecting on 25 years
of the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring

As one of only three people who have attended every Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, Dr. Robert (Bob) Belle, the longtime associate director of the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program, reflects on the Institute’s growth and importance, marking the 25th year of the conference.

Publication October 201816 pages18E04

Changing the face of college faculty
25 Years of Increasing Faculty Diversity

SREB’s Doctoral Scholars Program is marking its 25th year of service to the South and the nation, having helped nearly 1,000 underrepresented students of color graduate with a Ph.D. Another 400 doctoral students are now working on a Ph.D. through the program. Nearly three out of four graduates of the program are teaching in college classrooms, in 43 states and counting. Despite this progress, the situation remains dire. Major shortages of faculty members of color persist, as many older professors retire and the nation’s student demographics continue to shift substantially.

News
DSP Graduate Featured on PBS NewsHour Segment

DSP Graduate Featured on PBS NewsHour Segment

Congratulations to SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program graduate Dr. Lorrie Frasure-Yokley, an associate professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her work as a faculty mentor was highlighted in a PBS NewsHour special series. The interview with Dr. Frasure-Yokley appears in the weekly Making the Grade series segment. ”How faculty mentors can help first-generation students succeed.” 

Blog post Grad | Logic blog

It’s All About Community
An interview with Ansley Abraham

What’s the best advice to propel a doctoral candidate toward a successful completion of their Ph.D. goal? According to Dr. Ansley Abraham, director of the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program, it boils down to connecting with “people who are vested in your success.” 

Dr. Abraham has been doling out that advice to doctoral students for over 25 years. In the article below, originally published on the blog – Grad | Logic: Navigating the Ups and Downs of Graduate School, Dr. Abraham shared some of his wisdom in an interview with Dr. Chris Golde.

Blog post Ansley Abraham, Director, SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program
Group photo: attendees of the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring

Why supporting doctoral students of color is more important than ever

Twenty-five years ago, the South was graduating so few Ph.D. students of color that, in some fields, the annual number of graduates could fit into the same car.

Fortunately that has changed, but not enough to graduate all the scholars of color we need.

News
My Mother Proved It Was Possible

My Mother Proved It Was Possible
The daughter of a DSP grad shares how her mother inspired her

In summer 2016, six pairs of SREB Doctoral Scholars entered the StoryCorps Atlanta booth to talk about their experiences as minority Ph.D. scholars and graduates in higher education. One pair discussed their struggles with isolationism and impostor syndrome; another spoke of the impact their research has had on their development not just as students, but as individuals who care deeply about the people they are serving. Nanette, a DSP graduate, sat down with her daughter Alyssa to share their experiences with mentorship. Dr.

News

Fewer than 1 in 10 professors are someone of color
The SREB DSP addresses the issue of faculty diversity

Today, a third of students entering American universities are minorities, yet among the faculty fewer than 1 in 10 is someone of color. Who stands at the front of the room matters.

The SREB DSP looks to address the issue of faculty diversity on college campuses by increasing graduates, supporting public service projects of graduates and acknowledging the research interest of DSP scholars.

See how the SREB DSP is helping states meet this need. 

Fewer than 1 in 10 professors are someone of color

Blog post Chanell Turner
Charlie Reed and Dave Spence

“He Always Said What Needed to Be Said…”

Chanell Turner, Publications and Programming Assistant for the Doctoral Scholars Program, talks with former SREB President Mark Musick as he remembers former SREB Vice Chair Charlie Reed’s impact on the Doctoral Scholars Program and his passion for education.

Blog post

20 Tips to Survive Graduate School

The Ph.D. journey is full of twists and turns that are easier to navigate with guidance from those who have already walked the path. We asked DSP scholars and Institute attendees to submit graduate school survival tips for those who are still on the journey. 

Set goals and balance your time

1. Begin with the end in mind. Have a sense of where you want to be when you graduate and  take steps to make sure you are properly prepared when you reach that goal.