Massa Mafi

In this role, I collaborate with program directors, faculty, and institutional partners to advance academic quality, learning outcomes assessment, curriculum development, accreditation, and continuous improvement across the KU School of Professional Studies.

Prior to joining the KU Edwards Campus, I worked with the KU Center for Teaching Excellence and the Department of Curriculum and Teaching in the School of Education and Human Sciences. My work included faculty support, educational research, student-centered and evidence-based teaching practices, and teaching physical sciences, including physics and chemistry, to pre-service teachers. I also contributed to the development of a competency-based STEM education program and served as principal investigator for a NASA-supported professional development project for secondary STEM educators.

Before moving into higher education, I worked for more than 10 years as a secondary STEM teacher and was recognized as a Highly Effective Teacher for the 2017–2018 academic year. I hold a Kansas teaching license in secondary biology, chemistry, earth and space science, health, and physics.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in nutritional science with a minor in chemistry, a master’s degree in biomedical sciences, a graduate certificate in public health, and a Ph.D. with distinction in teacher education, educational leadership, and policy.

Together, these experiences provide a broad foundation for supporting academic programs, strengthening student learning, and collaborating with faculty and program leaders to advance academic quality.