We recently connected with Mykel Mangrum Billups and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mykel, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents were educators and taught me that the one thing that can never be taken away from you is knowledge. You can lose a job or things, and these will come and go. Knowledge and education are two items that are valued beyond any material items or even a job.

They were right. I lost jobs or clients, but each experience taught me something and I was better prepared to handle the next task. Gaining experience matters and at some point, what you know is where you make the most difference.

Mykel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Dr. Mykel Billups is the Assistant Dean of Academic Support and Executive Director of the Camner Center for Academic Resources at the University of Miami. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in Architecture, Building Science, and Psychology, and earned both her Master’s and Ph.D. in Special Education and Reading from the University of Miami.
With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Billups has built a distinguished career at the intersection of education, psychology, and applied research. Her early work in Miami-Dade and Orange County Public Schools as a special education teacher and behavioral specialist laid the foundation for her research into learning differences, disabilities, and inclusive education. During her doctoral studies, she conducted field-based research in public schools, focusing on the lived educational experiences of students with disabilities and the development of evidence-based instructional strategies.
Following her Ph.D., Dr. Billups joined the Mailman Center for Child Development, where she led research on the cognitive and academic impacts of low birth weight in children. Her findings contributed to a deeper understanding of how early biological risk factors affect long-term learning outcomes and informed targeted intervention strategies for vulnerable student populations.
As an Assistant Professor at St. Thomas University, she continued her research in high-incidence disabilities and earned licensure as a school psychologist. Her academic work has consistently bridged theory and practice, with a focus on cognitive development, learning interventions, and equitable access to education.
Since joining the University of Miami in 2006, Dr. Billups has led the transformation of the Academic Resource Center into a comprehensive academic support hub, now staffed by 17 full-time professionals and over 130 student employees. Under her leadership, the center oversees tutoring programs, learning specialists, the Office of Disabilities Services, and offers various programs to support students through academic challenges.
In 2013, she redesigned the First-Year Experience course to better support student transition to higher education. Her subsequent program evaluation led to the development of a predictive statistical model that identifies students at risk of attrition within the first eight weeks of the semester—a model that continues to guide early intervention efforts today.
She also founded the Independent Learning Initiative, a research-informed program that provides individualized academic support to students with and without disabilities. The program, which expanded in 2021 due to increased demand, integrates advising and instruction to improve retention and degree completion.
Dr. Billups played a key role in the design and launch of a state-of-the-art academic support facility in 2020. She successfully transitioned in-person services to a virtual format, ensuring uninterrupted access to academic support for undergraduate, graduate, law, and medical students. Her work in the field of accessibility, intervention, and student success has had a lasting impact across the state of Florida and beyond

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Early in my career, I was a classroom teacher working in some of the most challenging educational environments—where resources were scarce, teacher burnout was high, and students often lacked the support they needed to thrive. While I loved working with my students, I found myself increasingly frustrated by the rigid, district-mandated strategies that didn’t reflect their realities or needs. For seven years, I taught in conditions where students were not making the progress they needed to graduate high school prepared for the world ahead. I spent my days navigating limited resources, advocating for individualized support, and often creating solutions where none existed.

That experience ignited a deeper question in me: What more could I do to create lasting change?

After transitioning into a leadership role as a behavioral specialist in Orange County, I encountered a moment that would change everything. A senior teacher, with resignation in their voice, told me, “Nothing will ever change for these students.” That statement struck a nerve. I knew at that moment that I couldn’t accept those words, —not for myself, and certainly not for the students I had committed to help succeed.

At the end of that school year, I made a life-altering decision: I left a stable position and returned to Miami to pursue a Ph.D. full-time. It was a leap of faith that came with financial uncertainty, long hours of research, and the personal sacrifices that come with balancing academic rigor and real life. I knew in my heart that to create systemic change, I had to deepen my understanding of the field and expand my capacity to lead.

During my doctoral studies, I immersed myself in field research across public schools and joined every research project I could find. After graduating, I joined the Mailman Center for Child Development, where I contributed to research on the cognitive development of children born with low birth weight. I absorbed everything I could from the brilliant minds around me, not knowing exactly where it would lead—but trusting that it mattered.

Those years of hard work and doing the behind-the-scenes, field research, became the foundation for everything that followed. From redesigning the First-Year Experience course at the University of Miami, to launching the Independent Learning Initiative, to helping design a new academic support center, every step was built on the resilience and skills I developed in those early classrooms.

My journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, education, and an unwavering belief that all students deserve an equitable chance at success—and I still do.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Hard work. It’s really that simple. Putting in the time and effort—while actively listening and learning from those around you—yields the greatest return on your investment. None of us will ever be the smartest person in every room, or the one with the most resources. But what we can control is how hard we work and how much we absorb from the spaces we’re in. That mindset—being willing to do the work, stay curious, and grow from every experience—is what makes the difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://camnercenter.miami.edu
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykel-billups-28534914a