SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

MEET THE FACULTY

P. Rudy Mattai, Ph.D.
Professor, SPFE

Bacon Hall 312J
1300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: 716-878-5028
Fax: 716-878-5833
mattaipr@buffalostate.edu

 

EDUCATION                                               

Ph.D. (1977), Social Foundations of Education, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

M.A., (1977), Sociology of Religion, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, PA

M.Ed., (1975), Social Foundations of Education, University of Pittsburgh, PA

B.A. (Hons.), Philosophy & Sociology, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, 1974.

Dip. In Theology, United Theological College of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica, 1974

Additional postdoctoral work done at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

 

COURSES OFFERED

EDF 203: School & Society

EDF 221; The History of Black education in America           

EDF 222: The Development of Modern Education in Africa

EDF 225: Ethnic Studies in the Elementary school

EDF 403: Historical & Philosophical Forces Affecting Secondary Education

EDF/EDL 500: Multicultural Education

EDF 641: Social Foundations of Education

EDF 645: Social Influences on Teaching & Learning

EDF 686: Seminar in Inner City Education

 

TEACHING & RESEARCH INTERESTS

Urban Education

Sociology of Education

Cultural Diversity Issues and Schooling

Race, Class & Gender Issues in Schooling

International & Comparative Education.

 

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS & CONSULTATIONS

Invited Co-Principal Technical Advisor, India-U.S.A. (2007), Teacher Education Partnership Project

Invited, Principal Technical Advisor (2006), Teacher Accreditation Project, University of the West Indies

Invited Consultant (2006), African Association for Teacher Education, Dakar, Senegal,

 

GRANTS

  • Noyce Capacity Building Project: STEM Teach VI, Noyce Teacher Scholarships - Capacity Building Noyce Grant Project, National Science Foundation, Division of Undergraduate Education,  2011-2013, $316,531. Co-PI with Camille McKayle, Angela Adams, Marc K. Boumedine, & Steven Greenstein, University of the Virgin Islands. 
  • Increasing the Cadre of Highly Qualified Teachers in the U.S. Virgin Islands through In-Service and Professional Development, U. S. Department of Education, SAFRA Project, 2010-2015, $899, 989. P. Rudy Mattai & Noreen Michael, Co-Principal Investigators.            
  • Margaret L. Wendt Foundation & Fleet Bank. Consortium on Urban Issues.  $100,000.
  • United States Department of Education. Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. (FIPSE).  Comprehensive Grant Program. Project RICE, (Responsive Inner City Education). $137,000.00.  1991-1994.
  • United States Department of Education. Mid-Career Teacher Training Program.  Towards Increasing the Number of Minority Teachers in Special Education Classrooms. Collaborated with Dr. Don Logan, Professor & Chair, Exceptional Education Department, SUNY-College at Buffalo. $99,476.00.
 

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

  • Invited Keynote Address, Virgin Islands Writing Project, November 1, 2010, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, The Pivotal Role of Social Capital in Developing a Culture of Learning: Delivering Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in the Classroom
  • Invited keynote Address, St. Croix Educational Administrators’ Association, U.S. Virgin Islands, Annual Professional Development Day, October 18, 2010, Application of the Principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching & Learning in the Classroom: The Administrator’s Role in a Diverse Society
  • Invited Keynote Address, International Education March 9-15, 2009, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Unlocking the Artificial Borders in Global Relations: A Discourse on Building Cross-Cultural Relationships Through Understanding, March 13, 2009.
  • Invited workshop, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and the Classroom: Educating All- Children for Excellence, K-9 educators, Urbana-Champaign School District, March 12, 2009.
  • Invited presentation, Addressing some unobtrusive issues in the preparation of teachers for diverse classrooms, Special Presentation, Commission on Preparation & Support of Teachers in Diverse Communities, ATE 2008 Annual Meeting, Sheraton New Orleans, February 24-27, 2008.
  • Invited Workshop, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Teaching All Child Efficaciously, Mattai, P. R., & Williams, J. W., April 12, 2007, SelaQui World School, Dehradun, Uttranchal, India.
  • Invited Workshop, University Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET), Addressing Issues of Cultural Diversity Within the Academy – Mattai, P. R. (State University of New York-College at Buffalo), Williams, J. W.  (Argosy University, Ohiwerei, G.  (New Jersey City University), Staverton Park Conference Centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire, England, November 10-11, 2006

 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVEMENT

  • President, Global Federation of Associations of Teacher Education (GloFATE), 2006-2009
  • President, Association for Teacher Educators (ATE), 2005-2006
  • Board of Examiners, NCATE, 1999-2005
  • National Task Force on Diversity in Teachers in Schools, ATE/AACTE/NEA/ACE/NCATE, 2000-
  • Member, Board of Directors, National Association for Ethnic Studies
  • Member, Board of Directors, International Society for Educational Planning
 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

  • Mattai, P.R., Wagle, A.T., & Williams, J.M.  (2010). An Often Neglected Issue in Consideration of Gifted African American Millennial Students:  Implications for School Planning and Policy. Gifted Child Today, 33(3), Spring 2010, 26-31.
  • Wagle, A.T., Mattai, P.R., & Williams, J.M.  (2009). Perceived Linguistic Shortcoming as an Impediment to Academic Success: The Plight of Bilingual Students and Gifted and Talented Programs.  Journal of Urban Education, 6(2), Special Issue of Issues on Gifted & Talented Among Culturally & Linguistically Different Students: Pivotal Considerations That Often Go Neglected. pp. 87-101
  • Mattai, P.R., Wagle, A.T., & Williams, J.M.  (2009). I Don’t Really ‘Think’ That S/He Should be in the Gifted and Talented Group- The Silent Though Oftentimes Self-Fulfilling Prophecies of Teacher Disposition on Identification & Participation of Students in Gifted & Talented Program. Journal of Urban Education, 6(2). pp. 145-159.
  • Invited Chapter, Mattai, P.R., & Williams, J.M. (2007). Benign neglect or deliberate exclusion? Lessons learnt from Hurricane Katrina regarding professional teacher education. In AACTE Special Publication, Robinson, S.P. & Brown, II, M.C. The children Hurricane Katrina left behind: Schooling contexts, professional preparation and community politics (pp. 129-141). New York: Peter Lang Publishing Group.
  • Invited Introductory Chapter, Mattai, P.R., & Williams, J.M. (2006). Bridging the Theory, Practice and Policy Gap for Achieving Excellence in Teaching and Learning. In Sahli, A. (Ed.).  Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Bridging the Theory, Practice, and Policy Gap (pp. 1-16).Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education. 
  • Invited Article, (2006). Mattai, P.R., & Williams, J.M.  The disconnect between teacher education and schooling: Neglecting the community. Journal of Urban Education: Focus on Enhancement, 3(1), 3-11.
 

SERVICE

  • Fulbright Senior Specialist, 2008-2013
  • Professional Journal Committee, Action in Teacher Education, The Official Journal (Refereed) of the Association for Teacher Educators (2006-2012)
  • Invited Reviewer, Routledge Publishers, 2009-
  • Invited Reviewer, Caribbean Curriculum, 2008-