Associate Professor Jane Carlson is retiring at the end of the fall semester after 26 years of service at UMD. She is “forever grateful to UMD for the many opportunities to learn, create, and grow.”
In the Department of Applied Human Sciences (AHS), Carlson served in various roles including instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, Physical Education Teacher Education program coordinator, and associate department head.
Carlson served as head of the Department of Education and as director of graduate studies for both UMD’s Educational Specialist and the Educational Doctorate programs. Over the course of her time with the department, she served as coordinator for several programs, including Unified Early Childhood Education; the Early Childhood Studies major and minor; and the Deaf Studies minor.
Carlson led the Department of Education through three successful Minnesota Professional Educators Licensing and Standards Board accreditations of UMD teacher preparation licensure programs. She also served as assistant dean for the College of Education and Human Service Professions and supervised the Accreditation, Licensure, and Field Experience Office for a year.
Lisa Kittelson and Carlson co-created and developed the Educational Studies degree to allow students to graduate without a teaching license. Carlson credits “the dream team” of Shelley Michalicek and Brianne Vigen with helping her to lead the Department of Education.
A student-centered teacher and administrator, Carlson was honored with the UMD Jean G. Blehart Distinguished Teaching Award, CEHSP Outstanding Faculty Member Award, and Lou Keller Award from the Minnesota Society of Health and Physical Educators.
Carlson is thankful to CEHSP Dean Jill Pinkney Pastrana for giving her leadership opportunities. And to Mark Nierengarten, former AHS department head, who allowed Carlson to develop and lead the PE Partnership in the Schools, which has been used for the past 20 years for PE majors to get authentic teaching experience with children in the schools.
She expresses gratitude for the faculty and staff in both AHS and Education who became dear friends throughout the years and the numerous students who “allowed her to be part of their lives at UMD and afterward."
Carlson’s retirement plans are to spend time with her husband Glenn, her sons Pete and Mike, her grandson Raffa, her daughter-in-law Danae, and her family.
“Thank you, UMD, for being such a great place to work for the past 26 years,” she says.