Ansley Abraham joined the Southern Regional Education Board in 1985 as a research associate and became the founding director of the State Doctoral Scholars Program in 1994. He retired in July 2025.

Under Ansley’s direction, the Doctoral Scholars Program has developed into a nationally recognized program for producing Ph.D.s who seek faculty careers. The program hosts the annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring. He earned a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in sociology and psychology from Florida State University. He also worked as a program specialist in the Florida Department of Education and as a management analyst in the Florida governor’s office.