Mary K Malu
Professor • Educational Leadership and Professional Studies
With a total of more than 40 years of teaching experience in K-12 and higher education, Dr. Malu began her career as a secondary school English as a Foreign Language teacher in La République Démocratique du Congo (DRC) (Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV), 1973-75) and later Inspectrice for Le Ministère de l’Education Nationale of Rwanda (PCV, 1980-81). She taught for many years at the United Nations International School in New York City and the City University of New York. Upon receipt of her doctorate, she entered the field of teacher education and has been training teachers at the undergraduate and graduate levels for more than 20 years.
In addition to her work at William Paterson University, Dr. Malu is a recipient of two Fulbright Scholar Awards and a Fulbright Specialist Award. She serves as an international humanitarian educator and an English Language Specialist (ELS) for the U.S. Department of State, traveling widely to support English language teaching. She returned recently to DRC to conduct a needs assessment/fact finding mission that resulted in her designing and authoring 3 English language club manuals that explore issues of democracy, gender equality, human rights, community action, social change, and diversity.
She returned to Rwanda as a Fulbright Scholar (2009-10) and taught in the Languages and Linguistics Department of the National University of Rwanda, assisting with program and course development for their English, French, Kinyarwanda, and Swahili majors. She taught children’s literature in Ethiopia and cross-cultural issues in Kenya.
As an ELS for the Department of State, the most prestigious award given by the US government in this field, she served in Turkey, Guinea, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Angola, and South Africa as a keynote speaker, literacy coach trainer, program developer, English language teacher trainer, and middle school teacher trainer. Most recently she was an ELS in China.
As a Fulbright Scholar in 2017 Dr. Malu conducted research on Language Learning at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in the U.K. In 2018 she received a Fulbright Specialist Award to design curricula and support professional development for teachers of foreign languages, sciences, and humanities at the Casei Corpului Didactic “Grigore Tăbăcaru” in Bacău, România.
Dr. Malu’s research and publications focus on English clubs, middle level education, literacy, language policy in Africa, and English language education. She has two publications in the Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education series of the American Educational Research Association. Her articles have appeared in various publications, most recently in the U.S. Department of State's English Teaching Forum.
Throughout the pandemic Dr. Malu continued to receive awards from the U.S. Department of State. For one award, she gave multiple workshops for the Public Affairs Office at the U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar to more than 100 Malagasy English language educators. For another award, she served as the Teachers Corner Expert in September 2021 for the American English, U.S. Department of State's Facebook Group that includes more than 5,000 members worldwide.
Here are two weblinks where some of her work is featured:
https://www.facebook.com/christopher.mcdonnell.566/videos/532763401326816
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=359063752548771&set=g.329853647972510
In addition to her Fulbright and U.S. Department of State awards, Dr. Malu received the Tom Erb Award from the Middle Level Education Research Group of the American Educational Research Association, the Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the National Broadcasting Company, the Benigna Education Award from Moravian College, and a Certificate in Excellence in Teacher Education from the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education.
Professional Interests
Great Lakes Region (Africa); Language Policy across Africa; World Englishes; Middle Level Education; Writing Process Activities
Other Interests
Fulbright Scholar; Fulbright Specialist; English Language Specialist, USA Department of State; Research Fellow, University of South Africa; English language clubs worldwide
French Spanish Swahili Other
Degrees
Specialization
Literacy, Language Arts; ESL; Middle Level Education; Qualitative Research Methodology; Middle Level Education
Licenses and Certifications
Professional Development Consultant for the Teaching of Writing,
English to Speakers of Other Languages Permanent Certificate ,
French 7-12 Permanent Certificate ,
Representative Publications
Do We Need Global Education in the Middle?;
, Middle Grades Review ;
2021
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1295345.pdf
Teacher Training at the Oldest Institute in Angola: Preparing Secondary Level English Language Teachers;
Middle Level Teacher Preparation across International Contexts: Understanding Local and Global Factors Influencing Teacher Education; Routledge;
https://www.routledge.com/Middle-Level-Teacher-Preparation-across-International-Contexts-Understanding/Ellerbrock-Main-Virtue/p/book/9781032080406
Teacher Training at the Institut Supérieur Pédagogique in Bukavu, République Démocratique du Congo;
Middle Level Teacher Preparation across International Contexts: Understanding Local and Global Factors Influencing Teacher Education; Routledge;
https://www.routledge.com/Middle-Level-Teacher-Preparation-across-International-Contexts-Understanding/Ellerbrock-Main-Virtue/p/book/9781032080406
English Clubs: The Concise Guide for Leaders and Members;
Washington, DC; Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs; U.S. Department of State;
2018
https://americanenglish.state.gov
Creating cartoons: A learner-centered approach to comprehending texts. ;
, English Teaching Forum;
Volume
https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/english-teaching-forum-volume-55-number-2#child-2279
Representative Presentations
ELT in Romania: What Can We Learn?
Materials Development: Supporting and Sustaining Materials Writers Across Africa
Designing a Course for Romanian Mentor-Teachers: A Work-in-Progress
Creating and Sustaining ELT Affiliates Across Africa: Problems and Possibilities
Refugees, Sectarian Strife, Community Building: ELT in Turkey and Congo
Awards and Honors
11/07/2019
04/15/2018
04/01/2017
10/01/2017
01/01/2014
Media
70th Anniversary Celebration of the US-UK Fulbright Commission
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usukfulbright/albums/with/72157694960173401
Invited guest at the 70th Anniversary Celebration of the US-UK Fulbright Commission hosted by the British Ambassador at his residence in Washington, DC
Also available at: http://www.fulbright.org.uk/news
Esteemed Professor Visits Woodglen School
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2018/05/esteemed_professor_visits_woodglen_school.html
Report of my visit to this school. More details under Public Service tab.
US-UK Fulbright Commission End Cap Ceremony
http://www.fulbright.org.uk/news/british-and-american-fulbrighters-offer-perspectives-at-endcap-conference-2017
Presentation of research for the Fulbright Scholars Closing Ceremony for 2016-2017.
Fellowships, Grants and Research
English Language Teaching at the Middle Level in Angola
Language Policy: Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, Guinea
Research Fellow
National University of Rwanda Gender Survey, Audit, and Policy Making Consultancy
Notable Courses Taught
Taught more than 26 courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels; designed online graduate program; converted 8 courses online. Taught: young children's literacy; adolescent and adult literacy; written expression in the technological age; graduate research courses for majors in Literacy, TESOL/Bilingual Education; Special Education, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Media/Library.
