Erin Wiggins Gilliam, PhD is currently the Assistant Vice President for Student Retention and Matriculation Success at Texas Southern University. She is responsible for programs and services that promote, strengthen, encourage, and support student development and retention. Prior to her appointment, Dr. Gilliam served as the Dean of the Whitney Young Honors College and as associate professor of History at Kentucky State University. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in American History specializing in African American and Southern History from the University of Kentucky. Her dissertation focused on the rich history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. With over 15 years in education, Dr. Gilliam has served as an educator and advocate. It is her goal to ensure that African American perspectives are included in the narrative and helps to address societal issues of race and class.
Dr. Gilliam is the author of several peer- reviewed articles and is currently working on book about the galvanizing power of the poet, scholar, and activist Dr. Maya Angelou. She has won several teaching awards such as Professor of the Year. She was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship with the West African Research Center in Senegal. She currently serves as a board member on several history and activism community organizations that highlight her active role in academic scholarship, student engagement and developing student leaders as they become the next generation of scholars.
