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Minority Ph.D. Students In Tampa To Tackle Faculty Issue

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By ADAM EMERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2008

TAMPA - The nation's largest gathering of minority Ph.D. students is taking place through Sunday at the Tampa Waterside Marriott.

More than 1,000 doctoral students and college faculty members have assembled to train, network and resolve a mounting challenge: the thin ranks of minority faculty nationwide.

The Southern Regional Education Board formed the State Doctoral Scholars Program 15 years ago, and has supported hundreds of minority Ph.D. students through financial aid, networking and professional development.

About 425 students have completed their studies while enrolled in the program, and another 336 are in the pipeline, said Ansley Abraham, the program's director.

The average time to complete Ph.D. studies is about seven years. For minority candidates, the length is 10 years, Abraham said. For students in the State Doctoral Scholars Program, the average span is about 3.8 years.

"We put a lot of things in place to keep them on track," Abraham said.

Students in the program meet annually. This morning's keynote address in Tampa will be led by academic leaders at Howard University, the University of Washington in Seattle and Worcester State College in Massachusetts.

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285.

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