Recent PhDs are suddenly required to take full responsibility for planning a research agenda, developing a publication strategy, and figuring out how to navigate service demands without alienating colleagues. The PhD retreat is held in odd numbered years beginning in 2007, it  brings  together Mellon PhDs for three days to exchange ideas, update networks and engage the key issues and challenges they face as junior faculty—teaching, research, publication and tenure as well as making the transition from the professoriate to administration.  So much energy is focused on obtaining the PhD that making the transition to professional life is often difficult.   Having been mentored, directed and supervised, they are now expected to know how to mentor others.  Faculty of color are especially vulnerable to being asked to take on unreasonable service obligations.  Negotiating these demands successfully is critical to continued personal and professional growth.  The program will include special sessions on the aforementioned topics by more senior Mellon PhDs as well as other colleagues, presentations by editors from prominent university presses, and a plenary session on diversity in higher education, for which we will invite leading researchers to explain the demographic, institutional and legal trends in this arena.  The three-day PhD Retreat will take place in January during the academic winter break.