University of Maryland University College - Humanities
Freelance Writer and Professorial Lecturer, History at American University
Higher Education
Donald Earl
Collins
Washington D.C. Metro Area
A career that includes twenty (20) years of teaching experience with high school juniors and seniors, undergraduate and graduate students, more than twenty (20) years of freelance writing, product development and publishing experience, and eleven (11) years of nonprofit and project management experience and (3) three years of consulting in the fields of social justice and education reform.
I am looking for three kinds of work, arranged in order of immediate need:
1. I am looking for freelance writing opportunities on subjects such as American identity and culture, African American identity and culture, diversity and social justice, and higher education inequalities.
2. I am looking for full-time work in higher education and related fields, particularly around diversity and inclusion and pre-college access/ college retention. Ideally administrator-level work with some teaching, advising, or mentoring component.
3. I am also interested in additional consulting. Specifically, I am looking for work related to my grantmaking and grant-seeking, resource development, teaching/curriculum development, and/or technical assistance skills formed in my work on social justice and college access/retention.
Please peruse my profile for additional background information.
Specialties: Program development/adminstration, strategic planning/technical assistance, curriculum development, teaching, student advising, professional development, freelance writing, resource and product development, grant-writing, grantmaking, public speaking.
Consultant
- Short and long-term consultancies and/or contract work with the following: Academy for Educational Development (now FHI 360), New York, NY; American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC; Cengage Learning, Stamford, CT; Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, NJ; Junior Statesmen of America, Princeton University Summer Program, Princeton, NJ/San Mateo, CA; College & Career Academy Support Network (CCASN), University of California at Berkeley, CA.
- Completed the “Using Partnerships as a Strategy” toolkit, resource and technical assistance guide on the best practices and lessons learned from AED Partnerships for College Access and Success (PCAS) initiative.
- Served as technical assistance liaison in transitioning the Sacramento PCAS grant to another organization.
- Served as a facilitator for and wrote a report on the Wallace Foundation’s Conditions that Impede and Support Effective Leadership meeting with the Iowa Area Educational Agencies in Des Moines, Iowa.
- Developed test modules for a national standardized examination, including the selection of subject matter, passages and the development of questions and rubrics.
- Reviewed and edited materials for an upcoming, online, college-level US history textbook.
- Scored student essays from the 2009 AP US History and 2011-15 AP World History examinations.
- Attended workshops on the scoring of the essays and on the rubrics/metrics used by ETS for the essays.
- Co-designed AP US History intensive course for JSA high school students at Princeton University
Publicity/Interviews
Clips from recent podcast, television, and radio interviews.
Associate Professor (non-tenured)
School of Undergraduate Studies
• Teaching 5-6 courses in Social History of Washington, DC, US History, World History, and African American History per year.
• Courses include an introduction to the notion of social history and key forces in shaping social history.
Freelance Writer
Published articles and op-eds on race/racism, American culture, Black identity, narcissism, and K-16 education with The Washington Post, Al Jazeera English, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Teachers College Record, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Seven Scribes. Blog: https://donaldearlcollins.com/.
Lecturer in History and American Studies
Teaching courses in African American History and on Race in US History in the Department of History and American Studies (via the Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies Collaborative) at American University.
B.A
History
M.A
History
PhD
History
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
Academe
There is a need for systemic change at HBCUs in order to make them more compatible with -- and financially viable for -- higher education in the 21st century, for students and faculty alike.
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
Academe
There is a need for systemic change at HBCUs in order to make them more compatible with -- and financially viable for -- higher education in the 21st century, for students and faculty alike.
E-Book/Donald Earl Collins
Boy @ The Window is my coming-of-age story, taking place between 1981 and 1989. I guess you could say that being a nerd saved me, at least as a preteen and teenager in Mount Vernon. But it was much more than that. I was so much more than that. A seven-year journey in the wilderness before finding my way to the road to rediscover what I had lost as a preteen – one that led me to the University of Pittsburgh – was what saved me.
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
Academe
There is a need for systemic change at HBCUs in order to make them more compatible with -- and financially viable for -- higher education in the 21st century, for students and faculty alike.
E-Book/Donald Earl Collins
Boy @ The Window is my coming-of-age story, taking place between 1981 and 1989. I guess you could say that being a nerd saved me, at least as a preteen and teenager in Mount Vernon. But it was much more than that. I was so much more than that. A seven-year journey in the wilderness before finding my way to the road to rediscover what I had lost as a preteen – one that led me to the University of Pittsburgh – was what saved me.
The Guardian
Expert panels led by technocrats can never address the deep flaws in the police system that affect the poor and communities of color most
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
Academe
There is a need for systemic change at HBCUs in order to make them more compatible with -- and financially viable for -- higher education in the 21st century, for students and faculty alike.
E-Book/Donald Earl Collins
Boy @ The Window is my coming-of-age story, taking place between 1981 and 1989. I guess you could say that being a nerd saved me, at least as a preteen and teenager in Mount Vernon. But it was much more than that. I was so much more than that. A seven-year journey in the wilderness before finding my way to the road to rediscover what I had lost as a preteen – one that led me to the University of Pittsburgh – was what saved me.
The Guardian
Expert panels led by technocrats can never address the deep flaws in the police system that affect the poor and communities of color most
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
Addresses tokenism, lackluster efforts at diversity, and higher education leadership's lack of leadership in consistently addressing diversity beyond a student body count.
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
Academe
There is a need for systemic change at HBCUs in order to make them more compatible with -- and financially viable for -- higher education in the 21st century, for students and faculty alike.
E-Book/Donald Earl Collins
Boy @ The Window is my coming-of-age story, taking place between 1981 and 1989. I guess you could say that being a nerd saved me, at least as a preteen and teenager in Mount Vernon. But it was much more than that. I was so much more than that. A seven-year journey in the wilderness before finding my way to the road to rediscover what I had lost as a preteen – one that led me to the University of Pittsburgh – was what saved me.
The Guardian
Expert panels led by technocrats can never address the deep flaws in the police system that affect the poor and communities of color most
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
Addresses tokenism, lackluster efforts at diversity, and higher education leadership's lack of leadership in consistently addressing diversity beyond a student body count.
Huffington Post
Right now and in the coming weeks and months, many Americans will beat their brains black and blue attempting to decipher the mystery behind President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s successful 2016 White House run. To fully appreciate Trump and his 60 million voters, the world must dig deeper, and consider the narcissism that Trump the narcissist managed to tap into. But this in no way exonerates the Trump voters who do not see themselves as racist, sexist, or anti-immigrant. Like Trump, their narcissism means they cared only about their needs for greatness and admiration. So much so that other Americans didn’t matter at all.
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
Academe
There is a need for systemic change at HBCUs in order to make them more compatible with -- and financially viable for -- higher education in the 21st century, for students and faculty alike.
E-Book/Donald Earl Collins
Boy @ The Window is my coming-of-age story, taking place between 1981 and 1989. I guess you could say that being a nerd saved me, at least as a preteen and teenager in Mount Vernon. But it was much more than that. I was so much more than that. A seven-year journey in the wilderness before finding my way to the road to rediscover what I had lost as a preteen – one that led me to the University of Pittsburgh – was what saved me.
The Guardian
Expert panels led by technocrats can never address the deep flaws in the police system that affect the poor and communities of color most
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
Addresses tokenism, lackluster efforts at diversity, and higher education leadership's lack of leadership in consistently addressing diversity beyond a student body count.
Huffington Post
Right now and in the coming weeks and months, many Americans will beat their brains black and blue attempting to decipher the mystery behind President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s successful 2016 White House run. To fully appreciate Trump and his 60 million voters, the world must dig deeper, and consider the narcissism that Trump the narcissist managed to tap into. But this in no way exonerates the Trump voters who do not see themselves as racist, sexist, or anti-immigrant. Like Trump, their narcissism means they cared only about their needs for greatness and admiration. So much so that other Americans didn’t matter at all.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In this essay, I take on the controversy over revisions to the AP US History curriculum framework by the College Board. I take the view that the revisions are hardly worthy of controversy, being as middle-of-the-road as a state highway running through a small town. I argue based on evidence that if anything, the revisions are so centrist ideologically, that the revisions should've been more progressive.
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
Academe
There is a need for systemic change at HBCUs in order to make them more compatible with -- and financially viable for -- higher education in the 21st century, for students and faculty alike.
E-Book/Donald Earl Collins
Boy @ The Window is my coming-of-age story, taking place between 1981 and 1989. I guess you could say that being a nerd saved me, at least as a preteen and teenager in Mount Vernon. But it was much more than that. I was so much more than that. A seven-year journey in the wilderness before finding my way to the road to rediscover what I had lost as a preteen – one that led me to the University of Pittsburgh – was what saved me.
The Guardian
Expert panels led by technocrats can never address the deep flaws in the police system that affect the poor and communities of color most
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
Addresses tokenism, lackluster efforts at diversity, and higher education leadership's lack of leadership in consistently addressing diversity beyond a student body count.
Huffington Post
Right now and in the coming weeks and months, many Americans will beat their brains black and blue attempting to decipher the mystery behind President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s successful 2016 White House run. To fully appreciate Trump and his 60 million voters, the world must dig deeper, and consider the narcissism that Trump the narcissist managed to tap into. But this in no way exonerates the Trump voters who do not see themselves as racist, sexist, or anti-immigrant. Like Trump, their narcissism means they cared only about their needs for greatness and admiration. So much so that other Americans didn’t matter at all.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In this essay, I take on the controversy over revisions to the AP US History curriculum framework by the College Board. I take the view that the revisions are hardly worthy of controversy, being as middle-of-the-road as a state highway running through a small town. I argue based on evidence that if anything, the revisions are so centrist ideologically, that the revisions should've been more progressive.
Al Jazeera English
"I and many others have done little to give readers a glimpse of the only possible future, one without the happy ending of social justice and racial equality achieved." From "With American Racism and Black History, There Are No Happy Endings" my latest piece, in Al Jazeera English (8/16). http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/08/black-historians-wrong-170816071925403.html
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
Academe
There is a need for systemic change at HBCUs in order to make them more compatible with -- and financially viable for -- higher education in the 21st century, for students and faculty alike.
E-Book/Donald Earl Collins
Boy @ The Window is my coming-of-age story, taking place between 1981 and 1989. I guess you could say that being a nerd saved me, at least as a preteen and teenager in Mount Vernon. But it was much more than that. I was so much more than that. A seven-year journey in the wilderness before finding my way to the road to rediscover what I had lost as a preteen – one that led me to the University of Pittsburgh – was what saved me.
The Guardian
Expert panels led by technocrats can never address the deep flaws in the police system that affect the poor and communities of color most
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
Addresses tokenism, lackluster efforts at diversity, and higher education leadership's lack of leadership in consistently addressing diversity beyond a student body count.
Huffington Post
Right now and in the coming weeks and months, many Americans will beat their brains black and blue attempting to decipher the mystery behind President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s successful 2016 White House run. To fully appreciate Trump and his 60 million voters, the world must dig deeper, and consider the narcissism that Trump the narcissist managed to tap into. But this in no way exonerates the Trump voters who do not see themselves as racist, sexist, or anti-immigrant. Like Trump, their narcissism means they cared only about their needs for greatness and admiration. So much so that other Americans didn’t matter at all.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In this essay, I take on the controversy over revisions to the AP US History curriculum framework by the College Board. I take the view that the revisions are hardly worthy of controversy, being as middle-of-the-road as a state highway running through a small town. I argue based on evidence that if anything, the revisions are so centrist ideologically, that the revisions should've been more progressive.
Al Jazeera English
"I and many others have done little to give readers a glimpse of the only possible future, one without the happy ending of social justice and racial equality achieved." From "With American Racism and Black History, There Are No Happy Endings" my latest piece, in Al Jazeera English (8/16). http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/08/black-historians-wrong-170816071925403.html
Al Jazeera English
"White Americans and Europeans should understand the full catalogue that is Western civilisation. A more whitewashed history and more European babies will definitely not make America and the West great again."
The Atlantic
An essay about the need to address the social, the psychological, the emotional, issues of race, of socioeconomic diversity, familial obligations, and a host of other obstacles that 1st-generation and students from low-income backgrounds (particularly students of color) face.
Academe
There is a need for systemic change at HBCUs in order to make them more compatible with -- and financially viable for -- higher education in the 21st century, for students and faculty alike.
E-Book/Donald Earl Collins
Boy @ The Window is my coming-of-age story, taking place between 1981 and 1989. I guess you could say that being a nerd saved me, at least as a preteen and teenager in Mount Vernon. But it was much more than that. I was so much more than that. A seven-year journey in the wilderness before finding my way to the road to rediscover what I had lost as a preteen – one that led me to the University of Pittsburgh – was what saved me.
The Guardian
Expert panels led by technocrats can never address the deep flaws in the police system that affect the poor and communities of color most
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
Addresses tokenism, lackluster efforts at diversity, and higher education leadership's lack of leadership in consistently addressing diversity beyond a student body count.
Huffington Post
Right now and in the coming weeks and months, many Americans will beat their brains black and blue attempting to decipher the mystery behind President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s successful 2016 White House run. To fully appreciate Trump and his 60 million voters, the world must dig deeper, and consider the narcissism that Trump the narcissist managed to tap into. But this in no way exonerates the Trump voters who do not see themselves as racist, sexist, or anti-immigrant. Like Trump, their narcissism means they cared only about their needs for greatness and admiration. So much so that other Americans didn’t matter at all.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In this essay, I take on the controversy over revisions to the AP US History curriculum framework by the College Board. I take the view that the revisions are hardly worthy of controversy, being as middle-of-the-road as a state highway running through a small town. I argue based on evidence that if anything, the revisions are so centrist ideologically, that the revisions should've been more progressive.
Al Jazeera English
"I and many others have done little to give readers a glimpse of the only possible future, one without the happy ending of social justice and racial equality achieved." From "With American Racism and Black History, There Are No Happy Endings" my latest piece, in Al Jazeera English (8/16). http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/08/black-historians-wrong-170816071925403.html
Al Jazeera English
"White Americans and Europeans should understand the full catalogue that is Western civilisation. A more whitewashed history and more European babies will definitely not make America and the West great again."
Seven Scribes
For now, race-based affirmative action in US higher education remains constitutional, as the Supreme Court ruled in June via Fisher v. University of Texas II. Still, one fact remains evident: for many Americans, the idea of any Black applicant being more qualified to attend any predominantly White university than any White applicant is simply inconceivable. Using an angle on Claude Steele's stereotype threat work and applying it to White anti-affirmative action litigants like Abigail Fisher. All in providing a rationale for their use of the Supreme Court to affirm their beliefs in intellectual superiority.
The following profiles may or may not be the same professor: