Dr. Alexandria Proff
| Title: | Department Chair / Assistant Professor – Education |
| School: | School of Arts & Sciences |
| Department: | Humanities & Social Sciences Department |
| Office: | Bldg. K 305 |
| Phone: | +971 7 246 8836 |
| Email: | alexandria.proff@aurak.ac.ae |
Dr. Alexandria Proff is an Assistant Professor of Education at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah where she teaches courses in research, leadership, and change. She currently serves as the Education Program Coordinator and Department Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is an educational leader who has served as a senior administrator in primary, secondary, and tertiary education settings. Through successfully leading and facilitating change initiatives in schools and universities, she has developed a successful track record as a leader of positive change for performance improvement. Dr. Proff is a teacher-trainer, leadership coach, and speaker. Whether training teachers, coaching leaders, or speaking with the public, she emphasizes the need to put theory into practice and provide teachers, leaders, and individuals with tools they can use to improve their performance and achieve their goals.
Dr. Proff earned her Doctor of Education from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California in 2018. Her interdisciplinary research is oriented around access for girls and women to various, intersecting facets related to education, leadership, and advancement in the Arabian Gulf and MENA region. Through her active research agenda, Dr. Proff aims to collaborate with researchers from different disciplines, backgrounds, and lived-experiences to engage in meaningful and reflective knowledge dissemination typically focused on under-researched segments of the population. To this end, she has been awarded two research grants over the last two years to in support of her research. In addition, Dr. Proff supervises several Graduate Students’ research in the Master of Education program, supporting students as they develop and enhance their real-world research skills.
Dr. Proff was born and raised in southern California, where she completed her Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees. She relocated to the United Arab Emirates in 2010, where she has built a meaningful career as a teacher, administrator, and educational leader.
- 2018: Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- 2015: Certificate of Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
- 2009: Master of Arts in Education with a Concentration in Teaching Methodologies from Alliant International University, San Diego, California, USA.
- 2009: California Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential issued by the California Commission for Teaching Credentialing, Sacramento, California, USA.
- 2008: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a Concentration in Communication, English Minor from Alliant International University, San Diego, California, USA.
Research:
- 2021: Awarded a research grant, to be co-authored with Dr. Fathia Elmenghawi, from the Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy research for the study, “Women’s Use of Public Space in Ras Al Khaimah”.
- 2020: Awarded the AURAK Seed Grant in 2019, for her study, “Becoming Women: Period. Examining Barriers and Facilitators of Access to Menstrual Health Education for Girls in Pakistan”.
Highlighted Conferences and Publications:
- 2020: “Exploring the Role of Utility and Intrinsic Value in Implementing M-Learning among Arabic Teachers”. Co-authored with Ms. Dina Tareq Ismail. Paper presented at the International Conference on Advances in Mobile-Gaming, Games-Based Learning, and Case Studies in Educational Games. 17-18 December 2020. Dubai, UAE.
- 2020: “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Series: Tackling Implicit Bias”. Guest Panelist discussing implicit biases and potential solutions for the workplace. Mixed-Methods Consulting. June, 2020. Los Angeles, California. USA.
- 2019: Funded Study: “Becoming Women: Period. Examining Barriers and Facilitators of Access to Menstrual Health Education for Girls in Pakistan”. Awarded AURAK Seed Grant in 2019; study currently underway with expected submission in December 2020.
- 2019: “Men Advancing Women in the UAE: Institutional Agents as Facilitators of Women Business Leaders”. AURAK Faculty Colloquium. November, 2019. Ras al Khaimah, UAE.
- 2018: “From a Doctor of Business to Business Leader: Addressing the Upward Mobility Gender Gap in the Arabian Gulf” Doctoral Dissertation. University of Southern California. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2061221815).
- 2016: “Social Change, Difference, and Access to Schooling and Quality Education in International Contexts”. Guest Lecturer at Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California. Discussed meaningful differences in educational contexts within both the USA and the UAE. June, 2016. Los Angeles, California.
- 2015: “The Role of Gender in Management Innovation: An Arab Perspective” Paper presented at the International Conference on Organization and Management. The paper presented initial research findings for the purpose of soliciting feedback before publication. Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- 2013: “An Ideal Islamic Educational Institution: A Conceptual Model”. International Journal of Education and Research. Vol. 1, No.9, pp. 79 – 90.
Graduate Research Supervision:
- Anticipated submission 2021: “Toward closing the procedural knowledge gap among teachers in implementing distance learning.” Graduate research with Ms. Aamna Al Mazrouei for the Master of Education program.
- Anticipated submission 2021: “Examining language teacher readiness for blended learning among Cycle One public schools in the UAE.” Graduate research with Ms. Alya Al Ketbi for the Master of Education program.
- Anticipated submission 2021: “Understanding role of school leaders in closing the parental knowledge gap in distance learning assessment.” Graduate research with Ms. Aamna Al Zaabi for the Master of Education program.
- Anticipated submission 2021: “Exploring the Teacher Behaviors that Influence Cycle Three Student’s Classroom Participation in the UAE.” Graduate research with Mr. Jacob Olantunji for the Master of Education program.
- Anticipated submission 2021: “Exploring Antecedents and Consequences of Student Retention and Social Promotion among UAE High School Students.” Graduate research with Ms. Asmaa Al Bloushi for the Master of Education program.
- Anticipated submission 2021:“Exploring Cycle Three Student Perceptions of the College Readiness Gap in the UAE.” Graduate research with Ms. Aaesha Al Nuaimi for the Master of Education program.
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