Adam J Greteman

Adam J Greteman serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Art Education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where his work bridges philosophy of education, queer theory, and community-engaged art practices. He develops curricula that critically examine oppressive structures while centering marginalized voices through Chicago's cultural resources.

His academic foundation includes:

• BA, 2006, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
• PhD, 2011, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Greteman's research interrogates how queerness navigates educational spaces beyond survival toward thriving, examining intersections with religious discourses and everyday concepts like 'liking.' His scholarship employs feminist and trans frameworks to reimagine curriculum theory through art education, emphasizing agonistic dialogue and community-based knowledge production. This manifests in projects connecting theoretical critique with tangible social interventions.

His three-book trajectory reveals evolving focus from the politics of 'liking' (2017) to queer thriving (2018) and religious-queer discourse intersections (2022), consistently challenging educational norms while proposing generative alternatives for 21st-century pedagogy.

Major recognitions include:

• Spencer Foundation Large Research Grant on Education
• Hunt-Simes Junior Visiting Chair of Sexuality Studies (University of Sydney)
• Two Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Awards (2020, 2022)
• University of Illinois Chicago Award for Creative Activity
• Innovation 80 CoGen Grant

As an advisor, Greteman supervises graduate thesis research while co-founding the LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project—a multi-institutional initiative connecting queer college students with elders through bi-weekly dialogues and creative work. His grant portfolio supports community-based educational innovation addressing intergenerational isolation.

He leads the LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project (SAIC/Center on Halsted/UIC), facilitating year-long engagements between racially and socioeconomically diverse queer youth and elders through themed dialogues, collaborative art-making, and shared meals to build cross-generational community.