Soala Dede

Dr. Soala Dede serves as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Doctor of Education program at Walden University. With over twenty years of distinguished experience as an educational systems architect, Dr. Dede’s career uniquely bridges groundbreaking scholarly research with high-impact operational practice across K-12 and higher education leadership. His professional focus centers on creating systemic excellence, empowering educators, and ensuring equitable outcomes for all learners.

In the higher education space, Dr. Dede has extensive experience serving as an Assistant Professor, program coordinator, and principal investigator. He has successfully provided strategic vision for comprehensive educational leadership and Career and Technical Education graduate programs. Among his major academic accomplishments is his instructional leadership of a multi-million-dollar statewide network for aspiring assistant principals. Through this initiative, his curricular design and mentorship were instrumental in preparing and credentialing over three hundred new school leaders. Furthermore, Dr. Dede has a deep commitment to human capital development, having guided numerous doctoral candidates through the successful research and defense of their dissertations.

In the K-12 sector, Dr. Dede has held executive roles including Chief Education Officer, Executive Director of College and Career Development, and School Principal. He is a master of operational overhaul and continuous improvement. His data-driven leadership has elevated schools from the lowest state performance tiers to the highest state value-added designations, reliably delivering one hundred percent graduation and college acceptance rates while significantly reducing disciplinary incidents through positive behavior supports and restorative practices.

Dr. Dede’s scholarship informs his executive practice. His research explores continuous improvement methodologies, educational equity, and online principal preparation. He is also the author of the forthcoming book, SynergyCore Learning, which introduces a transformative framework for educator development. Actively engaged in his field, he serves as a peer reviewer for the Urban Education Journal and is an active member of the Research Association of Minority Professors and the Association for Career and Technical Education.

Dr. Dede holds a Doctor of Education in Education, Leadership, and Policy from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Science in Urban Principal Leadership and Administration from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. He began his undergraduate studies in Systems Engineering at the highly selective United States Naval Academy before transferring to complete his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education at Indiana State University.

Education

EdD, Vanderbilt University

MS, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

BS, Indiana State University

Public Service

Education Equal Opportunity Group (EEOG), Volunteer - Nashville

Publications

Dede, S. (2025). Continuous Improvement in Online Principal Preparation: Enhancing Responsiveness and Readiness.. International Journal of Social Policy and Education

Dede, S. (2024). Leadership Reflections of the Pandemic: Perceptions from Aspiring Assistant Principals.. The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors, 26(1).

Presentations

Dede, S. (2023). An Autoethnographic Exploration into a Statewide Principal Preparation Pipeline.. RAMP (Research Association of Minority Professors)

Dede, S. (2025). From Input to Impact: How Cycles of Continuous Program Improvement in a Principal Preparation Program Fostered System-Wide Impact. . RAMP (Research Association of Minority Professors)

Dede, S. (2025). Innovative Pathways: Enhancing Education Leadership Programs Through Signature Initiatives Beyond the Classroom. RAMP (Research Association of Minority Professors)