Dr. Ronald Whitaker serves different roles at the university. Whitaker began his career back in 2014 where he has served as an assistant professor and the assistant dean in the school of education. He is the director for the center of urban education.
Whitaker values students at the university and believes they are the most pivotal part of Cabrini. “I am always encouraged by our students and particularly just their dedication to bettering themselves,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker is especially impressed and satisfied by the attendance numbers of his classes especially on Fridays. While many students tend to skip classes before the weekend starts, it is not the case here. Whitaker says there are many students here that are invested in learning and are willing to ask questions. Whenever there is an opportunity to help a student achieve most of his or her education, Whitaker is more than willing to help.
What drew Whitaker here was the mission that the university stands by and puts into practice. The mission centers on social justice issues in the world. Whitaker says that no matter what major you intend to fulfill here, that it will be through the lens of a social justice perspective in some way. There are issues that revolved around many different topics.
Whitaker encourages discussions about sexuality, racism and politics among his students and the whole community. Whitaker believes that each person can contribute to furthering social justice. Whitaker’s ultimate message for students is to realize this no matter what your focus of the study is.
Jafet Valez who is a sophomore student takes pride in social justice and appreciates Dr. Whitaker’s approach to social justice issues. “I’ve only talked to him two or three times but I can tell he cares,” Valez said. “Not being white doesn’t make things easy but I respect how involved he is trying to fix issues like this.
Marcus Collazo who is a sophomore student like Valez feels similarly about Whitaker. “I’ve heard his classes are cool and that he’s a good person which means a lot here,” Collazo said. “There is obviously an issue with our justice system that needs to be fixed and when a professor takes a stand I’ll always respect that.
Before Whitaker officially took the job he made a phone call Cabrini about how serious the university was. “Just being in a situation where I can discuss issues with the faculty and staff is amazing,” Whitaker said.
The most difficult part of Whitaker’s job is the hours and dedication it requires work on the weekends as well. Finding time to meditate and pray are key parts of his life. Working from Monday until Saturday practically every week of the school year has made this very difficult for him. However, he believes it is all worth it and says there is no place that is quite like Cabrini.
Whitaker’s favorite part of the job is being able to wake up healthy and willing to dedicate all he has to Cabrini. There is never a dull moment in his eyes and serving the mission of social justice issues makes it all worthwhile. Although it can be difficult to keep up with all the work Whitaker always puts forth all he can do to better serve us as a community.
