Dr. Donald Mitchell is an '06 graduate of Shaw University, the oldest HBCU in the South, founded in 1865. He went on to earn a master's in educational leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a Ph.D. in educational policy and administration with a concentration in higher education from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, finishing at the age of 27.
Being a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., not only sparked Donald's research interests, but led him to receive the 2012 Richard McKaig Outstanding Doctoral Research Award. His dissertation was also cited Honorable Mention for the American Association of Blacks in
Higher Education's 2013 "Outstanding Doctoral Research Award Competition."
“Since I was able to personally experience many of the social benefits of being a member of an African American fraternity while pursuing my doctoral degree, I became interested to see what influence these organizations had on undergraduate academic outcomes,” said Donald
Donald’s interests led to his dissertation, “Are they truly divine?: A grounded theory of the influences of Black Greek-lettered organizations on the persistence of African Americans at predominantly White institutions.”
“A lot of the time researchers and the media focus on the negative aspects of Greek organizations, so my research agenda examines the educational outcomes of these organizations,” said Donald.
The qualitative study conducted by Donald found that these organizations had positive effects on persistence levels among students included in the study, and members of the organizations reported having a social support system and being more involved and motivated to graduate. As a result of his Greek life advocacy, Donald launched ΓΙΑ ΜΑΣ, ΑΠΟ ΜΑΣ Greek-lettered Organization Development (www.fubugreeks.com).
More broadly, Donald's research focuses on the impact of race, gender, and identity intersections in higher education contexts, with a particular interest in historically Black fraternities and sororities and historically Black
colleges and universities.
Donald is currently an assistant professor of higher education at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI. In addition, he currently serves as editor-in-chief of Annuals of the Next Generation and as an editorial board member for the Journal of African American Males in Education and the Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research. He is also editor of the forthcoming volume, Intersectionality and Higher Education: Theory, Research & Praxis (Peter Lang).
Breaking down educational barriers is Donald's purpose in life. "If I change one life, all my schooling, all the loans, all the writing is worth it," said Donald.
Portions of the story is pulled from this article:
Hines, J. (2013, January 24). Mitchell earns research award. Success Stories. Retrieved from http://www.gvsu.edu/successstory/story.htm?storyId=D3F617594A21D299E0403D94210A3AD
Mitchell, D., Jr., Simmons, C., & Greyerbiehl, L. (Eds.). (Forthcoming, 2014). Intersectionality & Higher Education: Theory, Research & Praxis. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
2012 Richard McKaig Outstanding Doctoral Research Award given by the Center for the Study of the College Fraternity and the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors.
Assistant Professor of Higher Education|
Grand Valley State University
From August 2012 to Current • 14 year(s)
Teach graduate-level courses in the Higher Education Program including student development, administration, and minority serving institutions.
President & CEO|
Harris, Mitchell & Co. Investment Group, LLP
From June 2006 to September 2012 • 6 year(s)
Led donations totaling over $8,000 to educational programs and founded TheHBCUjobsite.com.
Graduate Recruitment & Retention Specialist|
University of Rochester
From July 2010 to July 2012 • 2 year(s)
Led graduate recruitment efforts to increase qualified underrepresented minority student applicants and assisted with retention initiatives.
Instructor & Coordinator|
Xavier University of Louisiana
From June 2009 to August 2009 • 0 year(s)
Taught and coordinated Super Scholar/EXCEL Summer Academy program.
Graduate Assistant|
University of Minnesota
From January 2009 to May 2009 • 0 year(s)
Assisted program coordinator with advertising and evaluation initiatives for Common Ground Consortium.
Instructor of Educational Leadership & Pre-Doctoral Fellow|
Minnesota State University
From August 2007 to May 2009 • 2 year(s)
Taught graduate and undergraduate courses in educational leadership and chemistry.
Graduate Research Assistant|
Minnesota State University
From August 2006 to May 2007 • 1 year(s)
Conducted research, assessment, and planning projects for the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
Substitute Teacher|
Portsmouth Public Schools
From May 2003 to August 2006 • 3 year(s)
Provided substitute teaching services across various grade levels and subjects.
