Melissa L. Gilliam

Melissa Gilliam
11th President of Boston University
Incumbent
Assumed office July 1, 2024
Preceded by	Kenneth W. Freeman (acting)
Personal details
Born	Melissa Lynn Gilliam Washington, D.C., U.S.
Relatives	Dorothy Butler Gilliam (mother) Sam Gilliam (father) Leah Gilliam (sister)
Education	Yale University (BA) University of Oxford (MA) Harvard University (MD) University of Illinois, Chicago (MPH)

Melissa Lynn Gilliam is an American pediatric and adolescent gynecologist. She is the first black woman to serve as provost of Ohio State University, having previously served as a professor of health justice at the University of Chicago. On the 4th of October 2023, she was announced as the incoming president of Boston University.[1]

On July 1, 2024 Gilliam started her post as president of Boston University.[2]

Early life and education

Gilliam was born in Washington, D.C., to journalist Dorothy Butler Gilliam and abstract painter Sam Gilliam.[3] Her mother was the first African-American journalist for The Washington Post.[4]

She earned her Bachelor's degree in English literature from Yale University, a Master of Arts degree in philosophy and politics from the University of Oxford, a medical degree from Harvard University, and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Illinois Chicago.[5]

Career

Gilliam joined the faculty at the University of Chicago in 2005.[6] She eventually became the chief of family planning and contraceptive research and head of the program in gynecology for children, adolescents, and young women at the University of Chicago Medical Center. In this role, her research team followed African American teenage mothers to see how their education, housing, exercise, weight gain, emotional state, and relationships influence their risk of a repeat pregnancy.[7]

Research

Gilliam's research covers adolescent health and education, domestically and internationally, through methods including narrative, technology, and design. As of 2023, this work had received funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Ford Foundation.[8]

As a result of her research, Gilliam was named a Faculty Fellow of the Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence for the 2013–14 academic year.[9] During this time, she founded the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health (Ci3), which used games, narrative, and design to understand and address the social and structural determinants of adolescent sexual and reproductive health.[10] The Ci3's three labs are divided between focuses on game design, storytelling, and design thinking.[11]

In the game design lab, Gilliam used video games and digital storytelling to discuss sexual violence prevention in a "safe risk taking" manner. In 2015, the lab developed a game called A Day in the Life to teach teenagers about HIV, bullying, teen pregnancy, healthy relationships, and intersections between home and school life.[12]

She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine for being "an authority on contraception and adolescent health."[13]

University administration

In 2016, Gilliam was appointed as the University of Chicago's Vice Provost for Academic Leadership, Advancement, and Diversity and was named as the Ellen H. Block Professor in Health and Justice.[6][14] In 2020, she was named as a Distinguished Service Professor in recognition of her work supporting faculty as Vice Provost.[15]

In August 2021, Gilliam joined Ohio State University as Executive Vice President and Provost, and joined the faculty as professor of obstetrics and gynecology.[16][17] She became the first woman of color to serve as OSU's Provost.[18] Also in 2021, she joined the board of directors at Talis Biomedical.[19]

In October 2023, it was announced that Gilliam will become President at Boston University in July 2024, succeeding Kenneth Freeman.[20][21]

Gilliam currently serves on the Board of Governors of Argonne National Laboratory and previously advised the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[22]

Publications

Gilliam has published a range of research and policy papers on reproductive health, including:

• The likelihood of placenta previa with greater number of cesarean deliveries and higher parity (2002)[23]
• Cesarean delivery on request: reproductive consequences (2006)[24]
• Interventions using new digital media to improve adolescent sexual health (2012)[25]

Personal life

Gilliam is married to physician-researcher William Grobman. They have two children, a son and a daughter.[20]

References

1. "Melissa L. Gilliam to lead Boston University". Melissa L. Gilliam to lead Boston University. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
2. "A Conversation: Boston University President Melissa L. Gilliam on First Impressions, Challenges, and Ambitions". Boston University. July 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
3. Schoenberg, Nara (March 31, 2013). "Remarkable Woman: Melissa Gilliam". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
4. Orozco, Jessica (May 28, 2021). "New provost looks to make lasting impact at Ohio State, promote a more inclusive environment". The Lantern. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
5. Kyaw, Arrman (May 27, 2021). "Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam Named Ohio State University's First Woman of Color Provost". Diverse. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
6. "UChicago faculty members receive named, distinguished service professorships". University of Chicago. February 17, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
7. Springen, Karen (January 11, 2011). "U of C Doc Melissa Gilliam Fights Teen Pregnancies". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
8. "Melissa L. Gilliam | The Ohio State University". trustees.osu.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
9. "Melissa Gilliam, MD, MPH 2013–2014 SENIOR FACULTY SCHOLAR". Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
10. "VICE PROVOST, FACULTY, PHYSICIAN, REASEARCHER". The Chicago News. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
11. O'Neill, Brook (May 17, 2016). "Changing the game on teen health: Melissa Gilliam gives young people a voice". University of Chicago. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
12. Feldheim, Ben (June 9, 2015). "Gaming Against Sexual Violence". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
13. Easton, John (October 19, 2015). "Profs. Melissa Gilliam and David Meltzer elected to National Academy of Medicine". University of Chicago. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
14. "Beilock, Gilliam and Hale appointed to leadership roles in Office of the Provost". University of Chicago. May 19, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
15. "Twenty-three UChicago faculty receive named, distinguished service professorships". University of Chicago. December 22, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
16. "Melissa Gilliam, MD, MPH | Ohio State College of Medicine". medicine.osu.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
17. Szilagy, Alissa Widman Neese and Sarah. "Ohio State University chooses Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam to be its new provost". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
18. "Melissa L. Gilliam, MD, named Ohio State provost". Ohio State University. May 27, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
19. "Talis Appoints Melissa L. Gilliam, M.D., M.P.H., to Board of Directors". BioSpace. January 27, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
20. Most, Doug (6 October 2023). "Boston University Names Melissa L. Gilliam 11th President". Boston University School of Public Health. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
21. "Boston University Names Melissa Gilliam 11th President". Boston University. 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
22. Callahan, Molly (4 October 2023). "Melissa L. Gilliam, BU's New President, Brings Robust Research Background in Well-Being of Young People". BU Today. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
23. Gilliam, Melissa; Rosenberg, Deborah; Davis, Faith (2002-06-01). "The likelihood of placenta previa with greater number of cesarean deliveries and higher parity". Obstetrics & Gynecology. 99 (6): 976–980. doi:10.1016/S0029-7844(02)02002-1. ISSN 0029-7844. PMID 12052584.
24. Gilliam, Melissa (2006-10-01). "Cesarean Delivery on Request: Reproductive Consequences". Seminars in Perinatology. Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request. 30 (5): 257–260. doi:10.1053/j.semperi.2006.07.005. ISSN 0146-0005. PMID 17011396.
25. Guse, Kylene; Levine, Deb; Martins, Summer; Lira, Andrea; Gaarde, Jenna; Westmorland, Whitney; Gilliam, Melissa (2012-12-01). "Interventions Using New Digital Media to Improve Adolescent Sexual Health: A Systematic Review". Journal of Adolescent Health. 51 (6): 535–543. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.03.014. ISSN 1054-139X. PMID 23174462.