In the studio, he challenges students to balance theory and practice through participation in community design and interaction with clients, fostering collaboration in the shaping of sustainable urban form. He has written America Town: Building the Outposts of Empire (University of Minnesota Press, 2007), that draws on his experience teaching at the Air Force Institute of Technology and as Architect and Planner for the United States Air Force. Dr. Gillem is also Principal for The Urban Collaborative in Eugene, and holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.