Staff spotlight: Meet Madison's newest academic adviser

December 11, 2023 - Beth Brauer

Abubakar Idris is an academic adviser from Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Idris earned his B.A. in English education from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria.He was a Fulbright Scholar at Michigan State, where he taught HausaL. Idris then earned both an M.A. and Ph.D. in educational administration from Michigan State.

How did you learn about JMC, and what previous experiences have you had prior to this position?

I learned about JMC students who participated in MSU International Studies and Programs through the African Studies Center. When I was a graduate student, I served as an assistant community director in Residence Education and Housing Services.

I also worked as an admission recruitment assistant for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program while simultaneously serving as graduate assistant supporting international students, visiting scholars and the Global Curriculum Fellowship initiative in the Office of International Studies in Education (OISE). In my last position at Arizona State University, I was the assistant director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program International Accelerated Degree Program, which partners with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Ashesi University at Arizona State.

Where did you move here from, and what brought you to MSU?

I am originally from Nigeria, but I most recently lived in Arizona. I am happy to be back in Michigan because I really like the seasonal changes.

Tell me a bit about your research and your overall goal at JMC.

My primary area of research centers on the experiences of underrepresented minority children and families in school settings and how educators and education leaders can serve them effectively. In my dissertation research, I used qualitative research methods to examine how a rural community-based school program recognizes the existence of cultural and social capitals that are often undervalued in school settings and how these forms of capital impact underprivileged children and families’ schooling experience in Northwest Nigeria.

My goal is to support student success to overcome adversity to persist, stay and graduate from James Madison College and Michigan State University in a timely fashion.