Dr. Don P. Trahan, Jr. is a licensed professional counselor (LPC), national certified counselor (NCC), approved clinical supervisor (ACS), professor of counseling at the University of Southern California, and a consultant both independently and with Prototype Entities. He is recognized as a global leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion change management, with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education and professional industries. More specifically, Dr. Trahan leads enterprise diversity and inclusion workforce development initiatives and psychoeducation driven professional development trainings to inform organizational culture and management practices. His efforts have directly influenced targeted recruitment and retention endeavors as well as academic and industry-based curricula aligned to culturally responsive pedagogy. Dr. Trahan’s areas of expertise include executive leadership development and coaching, multicultural pedagogy, distance education, organizational culture, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, policy drafting and implementation, and program development and evaluation.
As a research-driven practitioner, Dr. Trahan focuses his scholarly work on advocacy and culturally responsive leadership, which has led to the publication of several peer-reviewed articles, nationwide conference presentations, and international speaking engagements. He utilizes both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to evaluate equity within organizations. Through his work, he has developed metrics for assessing organizational climate and targeted trainings for managing diversity within and between groups. Dr. Trahan’s research and unique content delivery enabled him to develop partnerships as a consultant with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the United States Department of Education, and the United States Department of Justice.
Dr. Trahan is a devoted advocate of social justice and educational equity, and he dedicates a significant amount of time to mentoring and community-based activities. Additionally, he is an active member of the American Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Dr. Trahan holds a B.A. in Psychology and a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, a M.A. in Educational Leadership and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of New Mexico, and he is currently pursuing a D.Mgt. from the University of Maryland University College.