Assistant Professor
2009-2014: Portland State University (Portland, OR, USA) Specialization: Community Psychology and Research Methods
2005-2007: DePaul University (Chicago, IL, USA) Master of Science in Psychology, with Honors
2002-2005: DePaul University (Chicago, IL, USA) Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with Honors
Bio
Dr. Patka is an American community psychologist working in the UAE since 2019. Prior to moving to the UAE, Dr. Patka worked with communities and schools in Mauritius and Kenya to explore way to promote well-being for various stakeholder groups. From 2013 to 2016, Dr. Patka worked at Governors State University in the United States as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Patka was a member of the international research delegation for Special Olympics International in 2011 and 2013. Dr. Patka also served as United State Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine from 2007 to 2009 as a university instructor while also engaging in health promotion projects.
Office
Dubai Academic City, F-L2-036
Email:
mazna.patka@zu.ac.aeTeaching Areas
Dr. Patka’s research interests center on understanding the dynamics of oppression and liberation and the social and psychological forces that drive social change. Dr. Patka has pursued these interests through formal research, activist work, university service, and teaching; these experiences contribute not just to their understanding of the dynamics of social change but also directly to social justice. Dr. Patka is not committed to working with a single population or social problem; their interests and experiences center around two broad areas (1) the use and understanding of participatory action research and (2) the examination of social, psychological, and environmental factors that facilitate critical consciousness development.
Research and Professional Activities
Patka, M., Bukhash, M. F.*, Jogia, J., Barbato, M. & Moussa, M. (2021). Undergraduate teaching assistantships: Exploring career readiness and relationality among Emirati students. Higher Education, Skills, and Work-Based Learning, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-03-2021-0045
Patka, M., Wallin-Ruschman, J., bin Nauman, H.^, Ul Hasan, T.^, Ikram, S., Sharif^, J. M^….Sharif, G. M.^ (2021). Special Olympics Pakistan: Using a segregated space to transition to independence in mainstream settings. Disability & Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2021.1888284
Patka, M., Wallin-Ruschman, J., Al Rahma*, B. A., Zar^, A., bin Nauman, H.^, Sharif, J. M^….Khanam, Z.^ (2020). “We need to share our stories”: The lives of Pakistanis with intellectual disabilities and their guardians. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 64(5), 345-356. doi: 10.1111/jir.12723
Patka, M., Wallin-Ruschman, J., Murry, A. & Minich, N. (2018). Exploring sense of community as a predictor of critical consciousness among youth in Ukraine. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 9(1), 1-17.
Wallin-Ruschman, J., Patka, M., & Murry, A. (2018) The role of sense of community on perceived inequalities. Community Psychology in Global Perspective, 4(1), 42-65. doi: 10.1285/i24212113v4i1p42
