Elfreda began her career as an educator in Rochester, NY as a middle school English and multi-grade teacher. Thereafter, she taught Writing Composition at Monroe Community College and a study skills bridge program at the State University of New York at Brockport. These experiences had a significant impact on her professional development.
As an education specialist, Elfreda has taught middle school, high school, elementary special education, community college, and traditional institutions of higher education at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level. She has led public school consortiums and published research in numerous articles and one book in the field of special education. The International Reading Association named her, with a team of researchers, recipients of the Albert Harris Researcher of the Year award in 2004. She has maintained professional affiliation at the local, state, and national levels of the Council of Exceptional Children over two decades, served as the vice president (2013) and president (2014) of the New York State Council for Exceptional Children. Dr. Blue also served on a USAID team of English textbook writers for the government of Ethiopia.
Dr. Blue maintained tenure-track status at a number of institutions of higher education for more than to two decades as Assistant Professor in the Department of Reading and Elementary Education at Buffalo State College (1998-2000), Assistant Professor and Associate Professor of Special Education at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University in Normal, AL (2001-2007), and as Associate Professor and Professor of Special Education (2007-2014),
Here administrative experience ranged from service as
- Associate Dean for Urban Education and Program Development (2001-2002) work which focused on teacher education curriculum change, managing the America Reads initiative, a Canadian student recruitment initiative, and collaborative urban education projects throughout the city of Buffalo.
- past chairperson of the Department of Specialized Programs in Education (2014-2017) at Hofstra University.
- Vice Provost for Graduate and Undergraduate Studies at Hofstra University (2019). In this capacity, she was responsible for graduate and undergraduate curriculum, student issues, and global education through Study Abroad and Exchange programs. In 2021 her portfolio’s focus shifted to undergraduate studies, student success (university advising and academic excellence), and academic excellence programs (New Opportunities at Hofstra and Hofstra International Programs).
Today, Dr. Blue is the Provost of Washington Adventist University. As chief academic officer, her focus is upon academic curriculum, faculty, and student success across the university. She is excited to serve in this capacity to prepare men and women for service to God in this generation.
As a Seventh-day Adventist, from Albany, GA, Dr. Blue has committed her life to serving God as Sabbath School teacher and superintendent, an education ministries leader, and as a pastoral spouse. She served for five years as president of the Pastors Wives association of Northeastern Conference. She co-founder of Adventist Against AIDS in Africa. and a founding member of the Harlem Education Guild—a not for profit organization aimed at offering education initiatives for children, ages 5-18. She is a founding board member of the SDA College Fund, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to increase the number of graduates from Adventist institutions.
She met her husband, Dr. Dedrick Blue, at Oakwood University. They have been married more than 40 years. Her lifelong goal is to serve God, spread the Gospel message, and be ready when Jesus comes again.