SUNY Potsdam Hosts Multicultural Educational Specialist Dr. Mubina H. Kirmani on April 10 and 11

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Dr. Mubina Hassanali Kirmani will present a keynote address and an interactive workshop at SUNY Potsdam on April 10 and 11. The community is welcome to attend.

POTSDAM, NY (03/31/2014)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam will welcome visiting scholar Dr. Mubina Hassanali Kirmani, a specialist in multicultural education, for a keynote address and an interactive workshop on Thursday and Friday, April 10 and 11.

The School of Education and Professional Studies is hosting the events, featuring Kirmani, a professor of education at Towson University in Maryland. During her visit, she will share her personal and professional experiences in teaching within different cultures, and the importance of embracing and teaching diversity in the classroom. Kirmani is the author of the award-winning children's books, "Wandering Wind" and "Bundle of Secrets: Savita Returns Home."

Entitled "Teaching and Learning in a Diverse Society," Kirmani's keynote address will be offered on Thursday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m. in Dunn Theater. As a leading expert on integrating culture and diversity into children's literature, she will address the broader concepts of diversity, culture and its global importance. Her talk will highlight historical and contemporary perspectives on diversity, and present a theoretical framework for acknowledging diversity in the classroom.

The next day, Kirmani will present a workshop, "Strategies for Teaching Diversity in the Classroom," from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, April 11 in the Knowles Conference Center. Through the acclaimed children's books that she has authored, she will focus on practical teaching strategies that will sensitize teacher candidates to issues of cultural and religious diversity, in alignment with the Common Core standards.

Both events are free, but registration is required, as space is limited. To RSVP, please visit bit.ly/1hWspml. You can also contact the Center for Graduate Studies, at (315) 267-2165.

About the visiting scholar:

Dr. Mubina Hassanali Kirmani is a professor of education with more than 20 years of experience working in multicultural education. She brings multiple perspectives with her unique background, having been being born in Kenya, with Indian ancestry. She studied at the University of Nairobi and at Harvard University. Kirmani was a consultant with the World Bank, in the women and development department, where she worked to address issues on gender inequities in education in sub-Saharan Africa. Since she joined academia in 1994, she has worked and written extensively to promote multicultural education, and is also the author and co-author of several publications and books, including two recently published children's books, "Wandering Wind" and "Bundle of Secrets: Savita Returns Home." The books are beginning to be used as literacy examples for the National Common Core Curriculum Standards in Maryland. Kirmani's book, "Oral Literature of Asians in East Africa," is a recommended text for elementary and secondary schools in Kenya. She currently teaches at Towson University, Maryland, where she has trained pre-service and in-service teachers and students across all disciplines, to prepare them for diverse professional settings. She has been the chair of the College of Education Diversity Committee and co-directed the university-wide Multicultural Conference. She is often invited to conferences nationally and internationally to present on the subject of teaching and learning in diverse societies.

The School of Education and Professional Studies at SUNY Potsdam has been preparing educators for nearly 200 years. Today, that legacy of educational excellence also stretches to programs in business administration, community health, wilderness education, and information and communication technology, to help students prepare for professions in the global economy. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/SOEPS.

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,300 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently launched Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $27 million by the College's bicentennial in 2016.

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