Gresham D. Collom, Ph.D. (He/Him)

Hello! Oneewe (Mohican-thank you) for visiting my personal site. 

I am currently an assistant professor of higher education at St. Cloud State University and an incoming (August 2024) assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. Broadly, I research how state and federal policies impact student success and equity in education. I conduct critical research which informs policy and practice, and uplifts those who are often harmed by the exclusion of their voices in the policy context. My research agenda is driven by my experiences as an Indigenous (Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican), first-generation student who benefitted from effectively structured programs and policies created to uplift marginalized students. 

I currently focus on two primary areas: 

1. Scholarship and grant programs/policies for Indigenous Students (https://news.wisc.edu/sstar-lab-project-will-connect-native-students-with-financial-support/).  

2. Statewide free-college policies and their impact on student enrollment, retention, and graduation. 

Educational activism runs in my family. I am a descendent of Electa Quinney (Wuh-weh-wee-nee-meew Quan-au-kaunt), who was a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Tribe and the first woman to teach in a public school in Wisconsin. My mother was the Vice President of our community's school board, where she served for 14 years. And my grandmother taught nursing students at the Menominee Nation Tribal College. Like my family before me, I strive to create a more inclusive and equitable society through education, policy, and practice, and hopefully make a difference during my life.