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Faculty Fellow

Melissa L. Gilliam

President Boston University

Biography

Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam is an esteemed and award-winning interdisciplinary researcher in medicine, public health, and the humanities. Dr. Gilliam joined Boston University from The Ohio State University, where she served as executive vice president and provost overseeing 15 colleges and six campuses and the Office of Academic Affairs. Previously she served as vice provost, the Ellen H. Block Distinguished Service Professor of Health Justice, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. Dr. Gilliam conducts domestic and international research, addressing adolescent health and education using technology, design, and narrative. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Ford Foundation, and others. Dr. Gilliam is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. During her tenure at the University of Chicago, she held a variety of roles, including founder and director of the university’s Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health, Dean of Diversity and Inclusion for the Biological Sciences Division at University of Chicago Medicine, and leader of the Program in Gynecology for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults.

Featured Project

The Game Changer Chicago Design Lab

2013 – 2016

Projects

Transmedia Story Lab: Impacting the Public Humanities and Public Health through Digital Narratives

Transmedia Story Lab: Impacting the Public Humanities and Public Health through Digital Narratives

This project sought to produce a unique body of knowledge about new media storytelling, exploring the potential for narrative arts to influence broader publics, shape policies, and improve health.
The Transmedia Story Lab project brought together a research team from the Biological Sciences Division, Humanities Division, and School of Social Service Administration to explore ways that narrative arts — especially emergent digital media and transmedia storytelling forms — can influence broader ...