Doctoral Scholars Program
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program
The 2020 Institute has been rescheduled as a virtual event April 16-18, 2021. Details to come >
New publication alert: Now is the Time to Focus on Faculty Diversity 
Increasing Faculty Diversity
More than one-third of America’s college students are people of color. But racial and ethnic minorities make up only small fractions of college faculty. Nationwide, about 5 percent of faculty are African-American, about 3 percent are Hispanic and about 1 percent are Native American. The SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program is working to change that.
The 2021 DSP Fellowship application is now open
The goal: more minority 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 1,100 Graduates and Counting
The goal of the Doctoral Scholars Program is to increase the number of minority students who earn doctorates and choose to become faculty at colleges and universities. Since its founding in 1993, the program has supported more than 1,800 scholars who have attended 107 institutions in more than 30 states.
Future Institute Dates
View the upcoming dates for the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring.
Finding Faculty
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program graduates paying it forward
As if the percentages of African-American or Hispanic faculty aren’t stark enough, consider the shortage of Native American scholars: a miniscule 0.01 percent of postdoctoral faculty and scholars nationally.
Shortages and Support
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program graduates paying it forward
For Dr. Lorrie Frasure-Yokley, a graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park, the SREB program “paid for my tuition and fees, allowing me the freedom to join several research projects” rather than to work as a teaching assistant. She is the first woman of color to attain a tenure-track position and to earn tenure in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Giving Back
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program graduates paying it forward
Former SREB scholar Dr. Fashaad Crawford is the associate vice provost for assessment and accreditation at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Crawford aids in the planning process for new academic programming and oversees the university’s regional accreditation and assessment of student learning processes. Throughout his career, he has worked to promote greater access and retention for faculty and students from underrepresented origins.
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.
Tips for Exemplary Teaching from Award-Winning Faculty
24th Annual Institute on Teaching and Learning
The 24th Institute on Teaching and Mentoring publication highlights the personal stories of six award-winning Institute scholars on best practices to engage and encourage students in college classrooms.
Fewer than 1 in 10 professors are someone of color
The SREB DSP addresses the issue of faculty diversity in new video
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.
SREB Goal for College Attainment
Helping States Meet Their Needs
This handout shows the impact the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program has on states in the areas of increasing graduates, public service and research. It also addresses the ways the SREB DSP leverages state and higher education institutional partnerships to increase faculty diversity in the region’s college and universities.
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.
2016 Institute on Teaching and Mentoring Recap
Dr. Archie Taylor inspired more than 1,000 faculty, scholars, friends and family in Tampa, Florida, at last October’s Institute on Teaching and Mentoring: “Increase your expectation for excellence and decrease your comfort zone.” He along with 34 other graduates from institutions across the country stepped up to the podium to discuss their journeys to the Ph.D.
2016 Institute Quick Stats
Two DSP grads prepare a generation of potential Ph.D. Scholars
In January 2016, the Doctoral Scholars Program staff re-established the DSP Service Grant. The $2,000 grant, supported by donations from program graduates and constituents, funds two service projects that are submitted by program graduates and helps graduates expand the educational experiences of the next generation of K-12 and undergraduate students.
Dr. Jamie Fisher
2013 DSP Program Graduate
Vanderbilt University
Speech Language Pathology
Awards, Tenure and Promotions
DSP graduates making waves in the academy
Edward A. Brown accepted a full-time position
with Potomac State College in West Virginia as an activities
program manager with the student life division. 
Dr. Brown plans and implements social and educational activities students and creates opportunities for student involvement at the college. He also oversees Student Union operations, works with student organizations and serves as advisor to the Student Government Association.