About Tiffany

Tiffany M. Nyachae (she/her) is a Black woman and descendant of enslaved African peoples in the United States. Her paternal grandparents were born in Bessemer, Alabama and lived there until their migration to Buffalo, New York in the early 1950s. In fact, Tiffany is a Buffalo native and resided there up until the summer of 2020. As a Black Feminist pedagogue and a transdisciplinary, community-engaged scholar, Tiffany’s lived experiences and complicated historical connection to this land foreground her justice work in various contexts, for the purposes of reimagining schools, our world, and overall social transformation. Specifically, at the heart of her research agenda is, has been, and will be improving the educational experiences of students of Color. Tiffany finds her greatest joy in learning with (and from) young people. As a former middle school teacher of urban Black youth and now as an assistant professor of education at Penn State University, she is interested in the continuous transparent and reflective work that is required from those who claim to center social justice in their leadership, instruction, and research. Acting as podcast host, educational consultant, and trainer through The Evolving Education Project grants her the opportunity to bring together others who share these interests. Additionally, as a fellow in the STAR (Scholars of Color Transitioning into Academic Research Institutions) Mentoring Program through the Literacy Research Association (LRA) and 2018-2020 Cultivating New Voices (CNV) Among Scholars of Color Fellow through the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), she is especially grateful for her loving family of scholars of Color who push her to keep doing this good work. Overall, her manifesting destiny is the result of her mother’s prayers and her father’s dreams.

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People Are Talking

AFTER WORKING WITH THE EVOLVING EDUCATION PROJECT…

“During my tenure as Vice President of Development and Communications at the Buffalo Urban League, I was responsible for serving as the liaison/advisor to the affiliate’s Young Professionals chapter. Dr. Nyachae served as chair of the Buffalo Urban League Young Professionals (BULYP) education committee with distinction. She utilized this high-profile platform to champion the intersections of critical race theory, innovations in literacy education, and social justice. During her tenure as education chair, Dr. Nyachae conceptualized, planned and organized several highly successful and award-winning initiatives; including, The BULYP Education Mini-Conference and a Summer Social Justice Literacy Program for high school age youth. She masterfully reconciles the intellectual heft of educational scholarship and the practical application of culturally relevant and urgent subject matter to improve the educational experiences of students of Color.”

Vincent Clark, Director of Development at Stony Brook University

“I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Nyachae at Westminster Community Charter School when she was a classroom teacher. Dr. Nyachae planned many activities there to inspire her students. Her 7th and 8th graders planned an interactive experience for younger grades to teach them about African American experiences during Black History Month. Dr. Tiffany Nyachae also inspired a few of her coworkers to develop a program called Sisters of Promise to inspire and empower young Black girls in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8. The program developed self-esteem and taught the girls real life skills. Dr. Nyachae is a phenomenal woman and educator.”

Rene Baugh, Retired Buffalo Public School Teacher

“Dr. Nyachae helped me to cultivate my identity as a critical guide in my high school English classroom. Her knowledge of both digital literacies and critical discourse was extremely useful to me as both a classroom teacher and a doctoral student. As always, it’s so important to have people who look like me and who I can look to for sound professional development and mentorship. I also had the opportunity to work with Dr. Nyachae during the African American Youth Summer Research Academy at Buffalo State College. As I learned and assisted in supporting Black youth through the program, Dr. Nyachae made me truly feel like I was a member of a community of scholars. I learned about research, teaching, history, and most importantly, I made lifelong connections. At this program, not only did I get a large dose of raised consciousness, I felt like I was at home and valued.”

William O’Neil White, English Teacher at Olmsted High School, Buffalo Public Schools

“I had the pleasure of working with Tiffany through the Buffalo Urban League Young Professionals’ Summer Social Justice Literacy Program and the Education Mini Conference, both of which Tiffany established. Tiffany’s passion for education, especially towards traditionally marginalized and underrepresented groups, helps foster effective learning environments and ultimately increase the learning potential for students. Tiffany is a leader and scholar who challenges educational norms and standards of education in order to ultimately improve the lives of students.”

Kendra Brim, Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Opportunity at Nardin Academy

“The work I did with Dr. Nyachae was truly self-affirming. We explored literature and had authentic conversations that were highly engaging. The books we read spoke to the black narrative, where we were the central focus of the text. You seldomly get that experience in a traditional educational setting, so it was quite refreshing and affirming to have the opportunity to do so. It is moments and spaces like these that are invaluable!”

Ja’Quona Renfro, English Teacher at Health Sciences Charter School

“I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Nyachae while on the Executive Leadership Team of the Buffalo Urban League Young Professionals (BULYPNY) in her capacity as the Education Chair. Dr. Nyachae is exceptionally dedicated to developing experiences that are feasible, relevant, and impactful to reducing educational disparities in communities of Color. Some of my fondest memories of working with her include her taking the leading role in creating the Social Justice Literacy Workshops and the Education Mini-Conference in 2015 — both which continue to be signature community programs offered by BULYPNY.”

Mark L. Glasgow, President of the Buffalo Urban League Young Professionals