Ava Thomas
Ava
Thomas
Clerk
Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies

Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies
700 East Oakwood Blvd
Chicago, IL 60653
United States

Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
NEIU logo
Deidra
Chaney
Office Administrator
Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies

Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies
700 East Oakwood Blvd
Chicago, IL 60653
United States

Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
NEIU logo
Barbara
Stovall
Administrative Assistant
Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies

Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies
700 East Oakwood Blvd
Chicago, IL 60653
United States

Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Phillip-Pugh
Phillip
Pugh
Instructional Media Service Technician, Media Services
Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies

700 East Oakwood Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60653
United States

Office Hours
8:30am-5:00pm
Shonda Triplett
Shonda
Triplett
Recruitment Specialist
Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies

700 East Oakwood Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60653
United States

Office Hours
8:30am-5:00pm
Sunni Ali
Sunni
Ali
Ed.D.
Associate Professor
Educational Inquiry and Curriculum Studies
Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies
College of Education
College of Education
(773) 268-7500
Courses Taught
ICSE 301: Race and Racism in Theorey and Fact
ICSE 432: Curriculum Development in the Inner City
ICSE 427: African American Community
ICSE 452: Field Internship
ICSE 453: Seminar in Field Internship
SCED 305: Student Teaching Supervision
Research Interests
Curriculum and Instruction, School Community Involvement, Management and Data Driven Initiatives, Cultural relevancy in urban education as a best practice.
Education

Ed.D. Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL September 2003
Educational Leadership & Organizational Change
Dissertation: Female Leaders in Afro-centered Schools: A Qualitative Analysis

M.A. Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL September 1998
Social Science Education

B.A. Howard University, Washington, DC December 1992
Sociology

Special Education National Louis University, Chicago, IL July 2008

Social Studies Education University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC May 1994

Certifications: Illinois Type 75, Illinois Type 9, Illinois LBS1

Selected Publications

Ali, Sunni. Lessons Learned: Critical Conversations in Hip-Hop and Social Justice. African American Images, IL.

Ali, Sunni. "Redefining Exceptionalism: The Importance of Removing Super Hero Language from Education.” Vol. 4, No. 3. Available at: 

Ali, Sunni. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. (October 2019). “The Black and Hispanic/Latino Male Teacher Networked Improved Community: Promising Practices to Recruit and Retain Male Teachers of  Color: Phase 1: Exploring New Pathways to Recruit and Retain.” Available at: 

Ali, Sunni. "A Second-Class Workforce: How Neoliberal Policies and Reforms Undermined the Education Profession," Vol. 8, No. 3. Available at: 

Ali, Sunni. (June 6, 2018). “A Qualitative Study: How 91Porn’s College of Education Program Successfully Prepares Black Males with a Previous Individualized Learning Plan to Become Educators,” Volume 3, Number 2, Article 7 of Returning African American Males with Learning Disabilities in Higher Education. Available at:

Ali, S. (2018). Here’s to a Flag of Mine. African American Images, IL.

Ali, S. (2017). “How Cinema Excerpts Enhance a Cultural Relevant Responsive-Value Driven Pedagogy,” Journal of Research Initiatives, Vol. 2: Issue 3. Available at:

Ali, S. (2017). “The Power of Hidden Language.” International Journal of Modern Engineering Research (IJMER), Volume 13 (March 3, 2017), ISSN: 2249-6645

Ali, S. (2016). “How Race and Racism Empower a School’s Curriculum.” IOSR Journal of Research and Method in Education, e-ISSN: 2320-7388, p-ISSN: 2320-737X volume 6, Issue 4, ver. II (Jul-Aug. 2016), pp 65- 70. Available at:

Ali, S. (2016). My Schoolhouse Is A Ghost Town. Authorhouse, IN.

Ali, S. (2015). “Integrating Hip-Hop and Cultural Relevant Lessons into the Public School Curriculum," Journal of Research Initiatives, Vol. 1: Issue 3, Article 4. Available at:

Ali, S., & Barden, K. (2015). “Popular Cultural Milieu Illustrated Through A Hip-Hop Culturally Values Driven Pedagogy.” In M.A. Fang He, B.D. Schultz, and W.H. Schubert (Eds.), The Sage Guide to Curriculum in Education: (407-415). Los Angles, CA: Sage.

Ali, S. & Murphy, R. (2013). “Merging and Creating Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Public Schools,” Journal of Research Initiatives, Vol.1: (1): 40-46. Available at:

Background

HONORS

➢ In-Residence Scholarship to St. John’s College at Oxford University (July 29-August 10, 2018)

➢ DePaul University’s Exceptional Teacher Recognition Award (August 2015)

➢ AVID Coordinator Award (April 2009)

➢ Extra Mile Award (May 2006)

➢ Who’s Who of American Teachers (February 2006)

➢ Golden Apple Nominee (January 2002)

Additional Information

Possesses Illinois Type 75, Illinois Type 9, and Illinois LBS1 certifications

CCICS Room 413
700 E. Oakwood Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60653
United States

(773) 268-7500
Office Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; 4-6 p.m.
Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies
Main Campus