MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) selected graduate student Mikal Dufor ('19) as an SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program award recipient for 2025-2026. Dufor's doctoral study will be funded through an arrangement between the SREB, the state of West Virginia, and West Virginia University for three years.
Through the program, Dufor will gain access to financial support, leadership opportunities, networking events, and intensive professional development to help him finish his degree and work towards a career in academia. "The biggest focus of the fellowship is teaching and mentoring," Dufor explains. "It's intended for people who are interested in becoming faculty after graduation, and provides students with support to become a talented professor."
A major component of the fellowship is the requirement that scholars attend the annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring Conference. It is one of the largest national gatherings dedicated to supporting underrepresented graduate students as they transition into careers in academia and beyond. This year, Dufor represented WVU at the conference in Atlanta, Georgia, where participants engaged in four days of professional development workshops, networking sessions, and conversations with leading educators and researchers.
The experience offered Dufor the chance to connect with peers from across the country and explore new strategies for success.
"They hosted several sessions, but two in particular stood out," Dufor said. "The first focused on checkpoints for your Ph.D. to not only ensure you're getting good research done, but also to make sure you're taking care of yourself. I was worried about whether I was keeping up with my peers, and it helped me see that I'm on pace—I was just setting expectations too high. I learned not to compare and contrast myself with others because it is unhealthy."
"At the other session, I was surrounded by other people of color, which isn't something that happens often. Seeing so many others in the same situation was important, and we could relate more openly. I was able to network with so many people, and we're all trying to support each other through being an open ear, getting this Ph.D., and walking through that together."
For Dufor, the conference served as a reminder that thriving in a Ph.D. program requires more than hard work: it also requires people. The relationships he built and conversations he shared helped reaffirm the importance of moving through the process with a strong network beside him. “There is a proverb that says, 'if you want to finish fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with a group,'" Dufor said. "The conference helped me apply that saying not only to my life, but specifically to this doctoral program.”
Over the next three years, Dufor will continue to attend conferences and participate in other progressional development opportunities through the fellowship, gaining ongoing support and strengthening his network. The program's resources, from mentoring to nationwide networking, will help ensure he has the guidance, community, and tools needed to succeed at the University and beyond.