About

Dr. Ronald W. Whitaker, II is the Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Assistant Professor of Education at Cabrini University. In this role, he is intentional about incorporating culturally responsive tenets into Cabrini’s undergraduate and graduate educational programs. At Cabrini, he also serves as the Assistant Dean in the School of Education, Director of District and School Relations, and the Director for the Center for Urban Education, Equity, and Improvement (CUEEI). Prior to working at Cabrini University, Dr. Whitaker was fortunate to work at other highly selective institutions such as The University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Duquesne University, and Lancaster Bible College, Capital Seminary and Graduate School.

Dr. Whitaker also holds the distinction of being a Schouver Fellow at Duquesne University. As a Schouver Fellow, Dr. Ron engages in improvement projects that seeks to establish, nurture, and sustain the Duquesne Collective Action Network. The Duquesne Collective Action Network is a cross-sector, research and development collective focused on building system capacity in local schools and their communities. Further, Dr. Whitaker sits on the National Board of Directors for the National Association of African Americans (NAAAHR) and serves as the Executive Director for the organizations leadership institute, which is housed at Howard University.

Educationally, Dr. Whitaker completed his Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership with a 4.0 GPA at Duquesne University where he was also inducted into Phi Kappa Phi. At Duquesne, his dissertation work explored the intersection of Black male identity, racism, and institutional inequalities through the lens of social justice. He also earned a Master’s Degree in Education (M.S. Ed) from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Eastern University, and undergraduate degrees in Urban Ministry Leadership and Biblical Studies from Geneva College where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.

As a scholar, Dr. Whitaker presents his research at both national and international scholarly conferences, and within K-12 educational milieus. His research interest includes integrating culturally responsive pedagogy into higher education teacher education and educational leadership programs, culturally responsive programing and practices for African American males, the psychology of racism and white supremacy, genuine diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within organizations, intercollegiate athletics, and integrating Black Church spirituality and theology into African American education discourse.

Dr. Whitaker is revered amongst colleagues for engaging in “tough conversations” in a respectful manner. Thus, Dr. Ron has provided countless professional developments, keynote talks, and trainings for educational institutions and organizations. Lastly, Dr. Whitaker has been a featured guest expert, or quoted in several media outlets including: Diverse Issues in Higher Education, WWDB Talk 860 Am, The Philadelphia Daily News, The Philadelphia Tribune, 900AM WURD Philadelphia, The Black Heritage Network, Scoop USA Newspaper, Gospel Highway 11, The Pittsburgh Tribune, Spiritual Connect Radio, and Ebony Magazine.com to name a few.