Biography

Daniel Nathan Glassmann was born in Saint Louis, Missouri on January 10, 1982, son of Melva Sue Bates and Richard Glassmann. He and his older brother, Joseph Michael Bates, grew up predominately in Pocahontas, Arkansas with their mother. At the age of seven, Danny's parents separated and three years later, his mother married Michael Webb Irwin, who has a son, Michael John Irwin. Danny was always active in school, being a member of the cheerleading squad, band, student council, PRIDE, and many other organizations. The summer between his junior and senior year of high school, he attended Arkansas Governor's School in Instrumental Music. In 2001, he graduated as a Student of Distinction from Pocahontas High School.

He entered college at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in the fall of 2001. While at UCA, Danny explored many of his interests. He was a four-year member of the co-ed cheerleading squad, which won the national title in 2002. He was also a part of the Honors College and active in many student organizations. Through an Honors' Travel Abroad Grant he was awarded, Danny traveled one summer to several European countries to study his interest in social psychology. Furthering his interest in psychology and research, he conducted behavioral and laboratory experiments in a biology research lab at both Arkansas Children's Hospital and UCA to understand how pain in newborns affects the manner in which brain architecture develops, connects, matures, and ages. In his junior year, he became a Resident Assistant (RA), which little did he know this would be the start of his career in student affairs. The following year, as an undergraduate senior, he was promoted to the graduate-level position of residence hall director. In 2005, Danny graduated with honors and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, minoring in Honors, Interdisciplinary Studies.

Having found an interest in student affairs through being an RA, hall director, and involved in student organizations, Danny choose to stay at UCA and pursue a Masters of Science degree in College Student Personnel Services & Administration. While in graduate school, he was a graduate assistant for the Department of Housing and Residence Life as the Research and Recognition Coordinator. In the spring semester of Danny's first year of graduate school, he interned at Hendrix College in the Dean of Students and Multicultural and International Student Affairs Offices. During the summer between his first and second years of graduate school, Danny traveled again to several European countries, but this time he studied the European system of higher education. Also that summer, Danny completed a Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals internship in Housing Services and LGBT Resource Center at the University of California, Riverside. He continued to be involved on campus through several student organizations, which included Admissions Ambassadors, Student Government Association as a Graduate Senator, and President of the Graduate Association of Student Personnel.

After completing graduate school, Danny took a position at Elon University as the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Multicultual Center. In this position, Danny's love for developing college students holistically and working with multicultural students was seen in his varied responsibilities--administration of a residential area of students, supervising student and support staff, advising student and multicultural organizations, and coordinating multicultural programs and events. Outside of his job responsibilities, he advised a sorority, sat on university committees, taught and advised first-year students in an introductory class to the university, and served as an advisor to many trips and service projects. In 2008, he was named the North Carolina Housing Officers Outstanding New Professional.

After working at Elon, Danny furthered his education and career at the University of Georgia (UGA). At UGA, Danny pursued his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Counseling and Student Personnel Services in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services and graduated in the summer of 2012. His research interests included student and identity development, social justice, organizational and institutional climate, access and equity, multicultural populations and competencies, gender roles, student leadership and mentoring, safe spaces, and technology. His dissertation focused on physical and virtual safe spaces for lesbian, gay, and bisexual college students. Outside of his studies and research, Danny was a Doctoral Intern for Staff Development and Student Conduct for the Department of University Housing. In this role, his main responsiblies included recruiting, selecting, training, and advising the Student Conduct Board and developing web based training modules for new undergraduate, graduate, and full-time staff. Danny also completed an administrative internship during his doctoral work focused on the areas of assessment, fundraising, and policy developmet at Emory University in the Office of LGBT Life.

While finishing his doctorate, Danny began and currently works at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia as the Director of Residence Life. As the Director, Danny is responsible for the full administration, operation, planning, and strategic management of programs and services for Residence Life, Student Conduct, and Greek Affairs on campus. To this end, Danny directly supervises professional staff, coordinates professional and student staff training, manages the departmental budgets, and serves as the chief conduct officer for the university. Danny is also involved as a trainer and facilitator of Safe OUtlet Program and as a member of many university-wide committees. Outside of his professional and academic career, Danny also is and has been a member and in leadership positions at the local, state, and national levels of many professional organizations.

In his leisure time, Danny enjoys working out, researching, designing websites, politics, technology, traveling, and spending time with family, friends, and his two pugs, Ebony and Cooper.