Dr. Vidalino Raatior is a Chuukese Micronesian international educator, social entrepreneur, community organizer, and an advocate for Pacific Islander empowerment in the United States. He founded the Pacific Leadership Assistance Network (PLAN), Pacific FocusEd, Raatior Consulting, and co-founded the We Are Oceania (WAO), the Dr. Joakim Peter Memorial Scholarship, the COFA – Community Leadership & Advocacy Network (COFA-CLAN), the Navigating Success and other initiatives aimed at advancing educational and social equity for the Pacific Islander diaspora in the United States particularly from the Micronesian region of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau (ROP).
Currently, he works at the College of Professional & Global Education at San Jose State University (SJSU) as coordinator for study abroad & bilateral student exchange programs for Asia and Oceania. He is also the advisor for the SJSU Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA). Previously, he served as the Director of the Pacific Islander Student Center (PISC) and the AANAPISI Project at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He also worked for 10 years at Santa Clara University in California as the Assistant Director of International Programs Office and as Associate Director of the Center for Multicultural Learning. Vid has also served as Assistant Director and classroom teacher at Xavier High School in Chuuk, FSM.
Vid belongs to the Pwaraka and Alengeitaw clans of the Northwest region of Chuuk State in the FSM where he attended public schools before coming to the US for college. He graduated with a Bachelors degree in communications from the University of Guam, a Masters degree in private school administration from the University of San Francisco, and a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D) from the College of Education at University of Hawai’i at Manoa’. His dissertation, “Successful Practices of Micronesian College Students in Hawai‘i: Utilizing Positive Deviants to Develop Strength-Based Student Support Services in Higher Education,” focused on strength-based approaches to supporting Micronesian college students in the United States.
Profile
Position: Coordinator, Study Abroad & Exchange Programs
Org: College of Professional & Global Education, San Jose State University
Phone: (831) 924 – 2684
Email: vid.raatior@sjsu.edu
Website: sjsu.edu/cpge
Areas of Focus
- Global Education
- Equity
- Micronesian diaspora
- Education
Language
- Chuukese