New OLPD faculty: Gresham Collom
Gresham Collom is an assistant professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. He holds a BA in criminal justice from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire; an MS in education from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater; and a PhD in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research interests include Indigenous communities and Tribal Nation education policy, higher education finance and policy, education policy analysis, mixed-methods research, and higher education governance. He was most recently an assistant professor of higher education at St. Cloud State University.
“My experiences as a first-descendent of Wisconsin’s Stockbridge Munsee Mohican Tribe and a first-generation student directly inform how I approach my role as an educator and scholar,” he says.
As an example, Collom currently leads a project to develop a publicly available website detailing financial aid opportunities available to Indigenous college students across the United States. The project is close to Collom’s heart, as he was unaware of such opportunities for financial assistance when he first applied to college.
Collom’s student-facing website and database will be updated annually, disseminated nationwide, and free to use. Thus far, his team identified over 240 financial aid opportunities across the United States. “We anticipate piloting a draft website with students this fall and releasing the public version in early 2025," he says. “The site also will include a corresponding publicly available panel database for researchers and policymakers to evaluate and improve upon existing policies.”
Through his teaching and research, Collom strives to uplift communities historically underrepresented in education by disrupting the systematic perpetuation of inequality in educational systems. “I prioritize conducting research which directly supports students, communities, and other stakeholders through practical applications and improves educational policy and theory through rigorous, critical analysis," he says.
Fun fact: What do you do in your downtime?
"I spend my downtime enjoying the Twin Cities with my partner, Britta (who also works at the UMN in CLA) and our three dogs Rocket, Dewey, and Loki. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, watching the Packers beat the Vikings (Go Pack Go), and reading fantasy/sci-fi. We're looking forward to attending any and all Gopher events we can now that we're both officially Gophers!"