Introducing Donovan and two new ALA classes
Meet Donovan and learn more about his role:
Donovan joined optiMize as a Lecturer passionate about connecting technology, justice, and community. With a background in engineering, education, and mentorship, he brings a deep commitment to helping students think critically and creatively about innovation. We’re excited to see how Donovan continues to inspire students to build a more equitable and human-centered future through his teaching and leadership.
What drew you to optiMize and how did you first hear about it?
Before officially joining the team, Donovan was already mentoring with optiMize, so when the chance came to step in more fully, it just clicked. With his background in tech, education, and mentoring, optiMize felt like the perfect space to help students think big about innovation, justice, and what the future of technology could look like.
What excites you about social innovation and the SIC itself?
For Donovan, social innovation is all about people. He loves that ALA gives students the freedom to experiment, dream, and bring their personal stories into their work. He describes it as a space where optimism and curiosity thrive, where students can go beyond the classroom and create projects that truly make a difference in their communities.
What inspires you? How does that apply to your role?
Donovan says his biggest inspiration is his son. He also draws inspiration from Dr. Ruha Benjamin, a scholar whose research on technology and justice changed the way he views his work. Watching her combine activism and academia showed him that it is possible to create real change within institutions, and now he brings that same passion into his own teaching to help students use innovation as a tool for good.
What was your path before you joined optiMize, and what brought you here?
Donovan grew up in Metro Detroit and dreamed of attending the University of Michigan from a young age. He started in engineering during the rise of social media, a time that opened his eyes to how technology, race, and justice intersect. Those experiences inspired him to pursue a PhD in engineering education, where he studied how students use their cultural backgrounds to build businesses that strengthen their communities. That commitment to empowerment and equity is what eventually led him to optiMize.
Outside of optiMize, what are some things we should know about you?
When he is not teaching or mentoring, Donovan is a poet. He has published two books and is working on a third, exploring themes of fatherhood, love, and faith. He also enjoys jogging, kickboxing, and spending time with his son, who he calls his greatest teacher.
What will Donovan be working on?
Donovan is currently teaching ALA 256: Stewarding Technological Futures and ALA 258: Cultivating Culturally Sustainable Entrepreneurship. He is also teaching a COMPFOR 111: Computing for Justice, through the Program in Computing for the Art and Sciences, which will be one of the first computer science classes at UM with a race and ethnicity designation. Across all of his courses, Donovan encourages students to think intentionally about how technology can be used with awareness, creativity, and care.
Where do you see yourself/ the work you are doing in the next couple of years?
Donovan hopes to keep growing courses centered on social innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology justice. His goal is to promote regenerative and restorative forms of innovation that focus on community and collaboration. He wants students to learn how to build power with one another instead of power over one another while keeping justice and sustainability at the center of everything they do.
Our Three ALA Class offerings!
ALA 256: Stewarding Technological Futures
This class helps students explore how peace, purpose, and people connect with technology. Donovan encourages students to reflect on their relationship with innovation and to imagine how they can shape a future that is ethical, sustainable, and grounded in human values.
ALA 258: Cultivating Culturally Sustainable Entrepreneurship
In this course, students learn how to create businesses that reflect their cultural identities and support their communities. Donovan focuses on authenticity, agency, and creativity while teaching students to put people first and profit second.
ALA 250: Critical Issues Series
How often do you see problems in the world and think, “Someone needs to do something about that”? This 1-credit course invites you to ask, “Why not me?” through the Critical Issues Series presented by optiMize Social Innovation. Each week, expert speakers from across campus and beyond introduce pressing societal challenges in climate solutions to education equity and inspire students to design creative responses. The course is student-led, guided by Faculty Director Dr. Tim McKay, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education in LSA, and uses gameful learning through Gradecraft, empowering students to chart their own learning pathways while tackling real-world issues.