Developmental Educators’ Summit
Speaker
 Dr. Nwachi Tafari |
Dr. Tafari received his BA in English Literature from Morgan State University, his M.A. in Publication Design from the University of Baltimore, and his Ed.D. in Higher Education with a concentration in Community College Leadership from Morgan State University. Dr.Tafari’s post-doctorate education includes Coppin State University’s Tegrity, an Online Grant Program, the FIPSE Quality Matters Project Peer Reviewer Course, Baltimore City Community College’s Pedagogy of Online Teaching |
Dr. Tafari served Coppin State University as the Coordinator for Master of Education programs and as a Graduate Professor of Education. Prior to joining Coppin, Tafari served the developmental education field for over ten years as the Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Acting Director of Publications, Director of Baltimore City Community College’s Institute of InterCultural Understanding, and an Assistant Professor of Developmental Writing at Baltimore City Community College. Dr. Tafari founded the Faculty Academy and was a contributing writer to the Title III grant that helps to fund the project (now entitled the Faculty Institute) for Baltimore City Community College, which is a “learning institute” for community college educators’ professional and personal development. Since the Institute’s inception, Baltimore City Community College’s faculty members have used Appalachian State University’s National Center for Developmental Education and The Kellogg Institute as resources for faculty development.
His award-winning doctoral research is on Black Racial Essentialism and the attitudes of African-American developmental writing students towards education and language. His research on Black and White English and Developmental Education has been published in The State of Black Baltimore, Minority Retention: What Works?, and the Journal of Adult and Continuing Education. He has collaborated with Morgan State University’s Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail and Appalachian State University’s Dr. Hunter Boylan and Barbara Bonham.
Dr. Tafari now serves Guilford Technical Community College as the Division Dean of Developmental Education. The Division consists of approximately 100 full- and part-time faculty members. The division has received past accolades from NADE and the National Center for Developmental Education. Dr. Tafari also serves the College on the Achieving the Dream Initiative Task Force. In addition, Dr. Tafari is an On-Course Ambassador and an On-Course trainer and instructor.
His keynote presentation, “Countering Non-Cognitive Issues with Cognitive Approaches” will be based upon his recent research into this issue. During the Summit, he will also facilitate a developmental English session.
