Faculty Profile

Associate Professor
Educational Leadership and Policy
malemke@buffalo.edu

• PhD, Educational Policy and Planning, The University of Texas at Austin, 2015
  

• Program Director, Educational Leadership and Policy for Equity Minor, University at Buffalo
  
• Affiliate Faculty, Global Gender and Sexuality Studies, University at Buffalo
• High School Social Studies Teacher and Curriculum Writer, Austin Independent School District and Region XIII Education Service Center

I have been fortunate to have knowledgeable, committed, and caring informal and formal mentors throughout my career. Their wisdom and examples guide my mentorship of high school, college, and graduate students, both in the U.S. and abroad. In my view, sound mentoring involves three key things: 1. difference is welcome – mentees and the mentor meet as individual humans with diverse life experiences, identities, goals, and fears, and thus mentoring should evolve in a way that critically enhances mentee strengths, including those that have yet to be defined; 2. demystifying learning processes – whether in high school or in a Ph.D. program, the mentor is a gate opener who helps mentees unpack the hidden curriculum of schooling and who serves as a consistent source of positive reinforcement; and 3. reciprocity when engaging – mutual respect, honesty, being present, and a willingness to listen deeply are essential to maintaining a healthy and reciprocal relationship that allows BOTH the mentor and mentees to grow.