Aaron Rife, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D. Social and Cultural Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, August 2014 Dissertation: Shifting Identities in South Kansas City: Hickman. Mills School District's Transformation from Suburban to Urban. 
  • Doctoral Advisor: Dr. John Rury
  • Major Areas: Foundations of Education
  • Minor Areas: History, Sociology
• M.S. Foundations of Education, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, December 2008    Master's Thesis: Sumner Kigh School, A History
• B.A. History Teaching/Secondary Education, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, April 2002

Academic Interests

• Desegregation and Resegregation of American Education
• Urban Education
• Teacher Training and status of the profession

Courses Taught

• CI 321 Introduction to Diversity: Cultural Issues
• CI 425J History/Government Methods I
• CI 427 History, Philosophy, Ethics of Education
• CI 427 TAP—History, Philosophy, Ethics of Education
• CI 435J History/Government Methods II  
• CI 436J History/Government Methods III
• CI 701 Foundations of Education
• WSUD/FYED 102B First Year Seminar: Race and Ethnicity

Teaching Interests

• History, Government, and Social Studies Methodology
• History of American Education
• Race and Educational Opportunity
• American Educational Philosophy

Papers and Presentations

Publications-Journal Articles (peer-reviewed)

• Rife, Aaron.  “Shaking the Rattle: De-Professionalization of Teaching and the Danger of Submitting to the Neo-Liberal Vision of School.” Journal of Philosophy and History of Education 70, no. 1 (2020/21). 17-32
• Rife, Aaron.  “We Are All in This Together: Teacher Preparation, Lesson Planning, and Aiding Classroom Teachers During an Emergency School Shutdown.” The Advocate 26, no. 1 (2020)
• Rife, Aaron. “Desegregation and Re-segregation in the Air Capital of the World: The Case of Wichita USD 259.” Journal of Philosophy and History of Education 69, no. 1 (2019). 51-61
• Rife, Aaron. “Missing the Signs: Imperfect Allyship and the Re-examination of Personal Biases.” Kansas English 100, no. 1 (2019). 23-26
• Rury, John and Aaron Rife. “Race, Schools and Opportunity Hoarding: Evidence from a Post-War Metropolis.” History of Education 47, no. 1 (2018, online in 2017), 87-107
• Rife, Aaron. “Creating Success from the Midst of Adversity: Sumner High School and Community Identity.” Journal of Philosophy and History of Education 60, no. 1 (2010) 251-256

Publications-Newsletter Articles

• Rife, Aaron.  “First Year Students are a Joy.”  Teaching Today Newsletter, WSU Instructional Design and Access, 2/11/21 https://www.wichita.edu/services/mrc/OIR/TT/2021/Feb.php
• Rife, Aaron.  “How Far FYS Has Come.”  Teaching Today Newsletter, WSU Instructional Design and Access, 3/11/21 https://www.wichita.edu/services/mrc/OIR/TT/2021/March.php
• Rife, Aaron.  “Thinking During a Pandemic.”  Teaching Today Newsletter, WSU Instructional Design and Access, 4/16/21  https://www.wichita.edu/services/mrc/OIR/TT/2021/April.php 
• Rife, Aaron.  “Demonstrating Care.”  Teaching Today Newsletter, WSU Instructional Design and Access, 3/20/20  https://www.wichita.edu/services/mrc/instructional_technology/NewsletterArticleContributions/DemonstratingCareAndTeaching.php 
• Rife, Aaron.  “Why Didn’t Someone Tell me That?!”  Teaching Today Newsletter, WSU Instructional Design and Access, 1/20/20.  https://www.wichita.edu/services/mrc/CIR/TT/2020/Jan20.php 

Publications—Opinion/Editorials

• Rife, Aaron.  “Voucher-based education programs do not solve our problems.”  Wichita Eagle, July 4, 2021.

National Presentations

• Rife, Aaron. “TikTok and the Classroom:  Distractions and Dangers, Pedagogy, and Insight into the Teaching Profession.” Popular Culture Association Conference, Virtual Conference, April 2022
• Rife, Aaron.  “Talking About Structure in Education: The Legacy of Emphasizing Positivity in Diversity Education While Downplaying Deep Inequality.”  Association of Teacher Educators Conference, Chicago, IL, February 2022
• Rife, Aaron. “Education in the Post-Post Apocalypse: Nurture and Care in Horizon: Zero Dawn.” Popular Culture Association Conference, Virtual Conference, May-June 2021
• Rife, Aaron. “Shaking the Rattle: A History of the De-Professionalization of Teaching.” Society of Philosophy and History of Education (SOPHE) Conference, Oklahoma City, OK, September 2019
• Rife, Aaron. “Flying Under the Radar: Desegregation and Re-Segregation in the Air Capital of the World.” Society of Philosophy and History of Education (SOPHE) Conference, St. Louis, MO, September 2018
• Rife, Aaron. “Practicum on Graduate Student Teaching Concerns.” Panelist, History of Education (HES) Conference, Providence, RI, November 2016
• Rife, Aaron. “Suburban vs Urban Identity: Municipal and School Boundary Battles in South Kansas City, 1961-1984.” American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, Washington D.C., April 2016
• Rife, Aaron. “African-American Suburban Settlement, Education, and Geospatial Differentiation.” History of Education Society (HES) Conference, St. Louis, MO, November 2015
• Rife, Aaron, Jim Granada, and Anh Tran. “Bridges to Opportunity: Overcoming Barriers to College
  Access.” Prepárate College Board Conference, New Orleans, LA, March 2015
• Rife, Aaron. "Read My Lips! Schools and Taxes in South Kansas City; 1950-2000." American Educational Research Association (AERA), Philadelphia, PA, April 2014
• Rife, Aaron. “Demography and the Economics of Race in ‘Suburban’ Kansas City.” American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Francisco, April-May 2013
• Rife, Aaron. “Ivory Towers and Trenches: Teacher Preparation and Occupational Socialization.” Society of Philosophy and History of Education (SOPHE) Conference, St. Louis, MO, September 2012
• Rife, Aaron. “Achievement Culture among Sumner High: Identity and Adversity.” American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, Vancouver, April 2012
• Rife, Aaron. “Sumner High School, Black Leadership and Community Identity.” History of Education Society (HES) Conference, Boston, MA, November 2010
• Rife, Aaron. “The Bud Had a Bitter Taste, but Sweet Indeed is the Flower: Sumner High School and Community Identity,” Society of Philosophy and History of Education (SOPHE) Conference, St. Louis, MO, September 2009

Regional and Invited Presentations

• Rife, Aaron. “Racial Inequality and Wichita.”  College of Applied Studies Professional Development 
  Seminar, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, November 2020
• Rife, Aaron and Shareika Fisher. “Getting off on the right foot: Group discussion about serving first-
  year students.”  Academic Resources Conference, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, June 2020
• Rife, Aaron. “Forced Busing, Magnet Schools, and the Unexamined Danger of School Choice in 
  Wichita, Kansas.”  School of Education Faculty Meeting, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, November 2018
• Rife, Aaron. “Teaching Truth and Inquiry in a Time of Resistance.” Wichita Public Schools USD 259  
  District Social Studies In-Service, Wichita, KS, February 2018
• Rife, Aaron. “Wrestling the Elephant in the Room: Teaching About Race and Ethnicity with Courage.” Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE) Conference, Wichita, KS, October 2016

 

Faculty/Teaching Experience

• July 2019-present -  Faculty Coordinator, Wichita State University First-Year Seminar Program 
• April 2020-present - Associate Professor, Wichita State University.  School of Education, Middle/Secondary History/Government Education Chair
• 2014-2020 - Assistant Professor, Wichita State University.  School of Education,
  Middle/Secondary History/Government Education Chair

K-12 Teaching Experience

• 2004-2008 - World History and Spanish teacher, USD 338 Valley Falls, KS
• 2003-2004 - Spanish teacher, Muscatine High School, Muscatine, IA
• 2002-2003 - History and Spanish teacher, faculty sponsor of school drama club and film club, A University for Children, Springville, UT

Awards and Honors

• 2022 - Technology Innovation Award (WSU College of Applied Studies)
• 2021 - Wichita State University Excellence in Teaching Award
• 2020 - Emory Lindquist Teaching Award (WSU College of Applied Studies)

Grants

• Fall 2011, Spring 2012 - Mary Oyster O’Guin Scholarship, School of Education Merit Scholarship Graduate Award, University of Kansas                                                           
• Fall 2011, Spring 2012 - Mary Oyster O’Guin Scholarship, School of Education Merit Scholarship Graduate Award, University of Kansas                                                            
• August 2008 - School of Education Merit Scholarship Graduate Award, University of Kansas

Service to the University and College

• First-Year Seminar Faculty Coordinator
• Middle/Secondary History/Government Education Programs, School of Education chair
• University Residency Committee chair
• Accreditation Steering Committee member
• Initial Licensure Teacher Program Committee member 
• School of Education Faculty Personnel Committee member
• Middle/Secondary Education Program Committee member

Service to the Profession

• Kansas Council for the Social Studies Board member
• Kansas State Department of Education History, Government, and Social Studies Higher Education Standards Revision Committee member
• National Resource Center First Year Experience Conference submission reviewer
• Journal of Philosophy and History of Education Editorial Board member

Additional Information

• American Educational Research Association
• Association of Teacher Educators
• History of Education Society
• Society of Philosophy and History of Education  
• National Council for the Social Studies
• Kansas Council for the Social Studies
• Kansas Association of Teacher Educators