Donald D. Gilliam currently serves as the Student Support Specialist at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center (GOBCC) and Program Instructor for the award-winning Mizzou Black Men’s Initiative (MBMI) program at the University of Missouri. Through his work, he provides opportunities for self-awareness, leadership and identity development via educational, cultural, and social programming to promote student persistence and achievement. As the MBMI Program Instructor, Donald has experience in teaching freshman and sophomore seminar courses including Foundations of Education, ONYX Redefined: Explorations of You, and Black Collar: Exploring Professional Environments. These courses have allowed him to work intentionally with young Black male scholars to encourage them to critically examine topics such as academic and career planning, social identity, masculinity and social justice. Prior to his current role, he served as a College Adviser with Missouri College Advising Corps (MCAC) at Gateway STEM High School in St. Louis, Missouri, where his passion for education and social justice-related work was ignited.
Donald is a proud two-time alumnus of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of General Studies with an emphasis in Marketing & Communication and Master of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis. He has been able to combine his educational, professional, and personal experiences to facilitate various critical conversations, conference presentations, and trainings at the local and national level. His areas of focus include Cultural Competency, Black Masculinity, Creating Inclusive Environments, and Social Identity Exploration through Diversity & Inclusion. To contact Donald D. Gilliam, please email him at GilliamDD@missouri.edu
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