Dr. Fawzia Reza

Educators are role models and authority figures, and many students look up to them. However, their attitudes can reinforce stereotypes

The more I learn about racism, the more I recognize it is deeply ingrained in some organizations. We do not prune a weed. Instead, we uproot it so it cannot grow back. We need a similar systemic strategy to eliminate racism.

About the Researcher

Dr. Reza received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in May 2013. Her thesis topic explored the experiences and expectations of immigrant Pakistani parents regarding parental involvement in U.S. schools and highlighted the social justice shortcomings that have been faced by these parents in the light of recent world events. While enrolled in the doctoral program, she completed a parallel research study on teacher perspectives on Assessment Strategies and Professional Development for Transitional Kindergarten, under a grant from the Lucile-Packard Foundation. She also co-conducted a research study regarding the perceptions towards girls’ education, which involved a multisite case study with teachers and administrators of Pakistani elementary schools. Results from this study were presented at the 2015 American Educational Research Association (AERA) in Washington DC. Other studies explored the implications of the Common Core State Standards for the field of Pre-k education, accepted for presentation at the 2017 AERA conference; successes and challenges in retaining girls in Pakistani schools, accepted for publication in the Forum on Public Policy and presented at the 2018 Oxford International Round Table Symposium; and parenting styles and discipline strategies: a qualitative study, presented at the 2019 Oxford International Round Table Symposium.

Dr. Reza has written research-based articles that address social justice issues of immigrant parents and students in several journals. Her first book, The Effects of the September 11 Terrorist Attack on Pakistani-American Parental Involvement in U.S. Schools, was released by Lexington books in 2015. She also co-authored a chapter, Cultural literacy practices in U.S. public schools: Voices of Pakistani immigrant parents in Reconceptualizing Literacy in the New Age of Multiculturalism and Pluralism by Information Age Publishing (2015). Dr. Reza was also featured in the Women of Distinction Magazine in the October 2015 issue.

In 2019, Austin Macauley Publishers in the United Kingdom published Dr. Reza's first children's book, Mary and Her New Friends, which addresses themes related to South Asian culture and at the same time helps young children develop empathy for those with special needs. At the end of the book, there are some coloring pages based on henna patterns for readers to color and enjoy.

Dr. Reza completed a master’s degree in early childhood education from CSULB in 2013. She also has a Montessori diploma from Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). In 2018 she attended a specialized workshop regarding the Reggio Emilia philosophy from Italy. She has conducted extensive research on ECE and is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), AMI, Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), and the National Academic Honor Societies Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Theta Kappa and Pi Lambda Theta.

Dr. Reza has completed a certificate program in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University and has taken graduate level courses in diversity and inclusion in management at Harvard University and in intercultural communications at Oxford University. She currently serves as the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator and Adjunct Faculty at the American College of Education in Indiana, USA where she develops initiatives promoting greater cultural competence within staff and faculty and also teaches online graduate and undergraduate courses. She also serves as a University Supervisor for Brandman University, wherein she evaluates the performance and progress of candidate teachers via formative and summative assessments.

“Even though our society has made significant strides towards racial equality, many minorities and immigrant citizens remained concerned that their needs are not addressed by their children’s schools”