Spring 2023 - faculty and staff accolades

Highlighting the spring 2023 achievements of faculty and staff in the College of Education and Human Service Professions.

Promotion & Tenure

Jessica Hanson, Department of Applied Human Sciences, to associate professor with indefinite tenure

Publications

Chuck Fountaine, professor and head of the Department of Applied Human Sciences, writes the "Take Ten" column for the American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Journal. He published three columns during spring semester.

Marzell Gray, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, (along with colleagues James Pike and Mathew Nyashanu) published a manuscript called "Bridging Two Continents: Using Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) to Explore Healthcare Services" to the Journal of Education and Training Studies (JETS).

Jessica Hanson, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, had a chapter published titled "Prevention of exposure during the preconception period." It's part of the new book, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A Multidisciplinary Approach (Rahman & Petrenko, editors).

June Lee, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, and her colleagues published a paper titled "Effects of home-based exergaming on preschool children’s cognition, sedentary behavior, and physical activity: A randomized crossover trial" in the Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative.

Estelle Simard, instructor in the Department of Social Work, published "Indigenous Child Welfare within Settler Colonial Canada: Child Neglect and Poverty, a chapter in the book titled Child Neglect, Inequity, & Poverty: Contextual Issues and Implications. 

Grants

Student Grant Mrozek received an award of $3500 to do a collaborative research project with Marzell Gray, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, (summer 2023—fall 2023) from the Region V Public Health Training Center called, RVPHTC Student Field Placement Funding.

Sharyl Samargia-Grivette, associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was awarded a research grant from the Medical University of South Carolina’s National Center of Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation (NC NM4R) Pilot Project Program. The pilot project title is "Combining cerebellar tDCS with CILT in non-fluent aphasia: a novel approach to target discourse."

Jessica Hanson, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences is part of a multiple principal investigator team that was just awarded a 5-year, $2.8 million grant focused on developing an mHealth intervention for Native women at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy. The project includes a Multiphase Optimization (MOST) design with collaborators from the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins University. 

Samantha Lukert, instructor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, received the Parkinson Voice Project SPEAK OUT! Program Development Grant. This grant will train all of CSD's graduate students in SPEAK OUT! & LOUD Crowd therapy, a treatment protocol for evaluating and treating individuals with Parkinson’s and related movement disorders. This will allow graduate students to further support the community by offering these voice services free of charge to clients with Parkinson's disease in the community. 

Suki Jones Mozenter, assistant professor in the Department of Education, received an Imagine Fund Annual Faculty Research Grant. This is a UMN systemwide program, administered at UMD by the CAHSS Dean's Office. Mozenter was awarded a grant to work with two local elementary school teachers, their students, and two teacher candidates to review their classroom library collection and move it toward social justice.

Mary Stenson, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, was awarded a PALM Grant (Partners in Affordable Learning Materials) through the University of Minnesota libraries to revise two courses through the adoption of openly-licensed instructional resources and library materials in place of traditional commercial textbooks.

Awards

Blehart Distinguished Teaching Award
UMD award honors excellence in teaching.

  • Viann Nguyen-Feng, assistant professor, Department of Psychology
  • Michael Young, assistant professor, Department of Education

CEHSP Staff Award
Recognizes excellence in leadership on the job, customer service, and quality of service.

  • Becky Blackwood, Department of Psychology
  • Jinhua Xun, Department of Applied Human Sciences


Outstanding Graduate Advisor Faculty Award

UMD award for faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding service to their graduate students.

  • Lynn Brice, associate professor, Department of Education

Presentations

Stacy Crawford presented the "Just Breathe 988" campaign on WDIO's, the Lift program. The campaign to raise awareness for the 988 hotline that people can text or call to reach qualified counselors when seeking help for mental health or substance abuse crises.

Rebecca Gilbertson, associate professor in the Department of Psychology presented:

  • "Association between Anxiety, Heart Rate Variability, and Alcohol Consumption in Treatment-Seeking Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder" (along with Schulz, E.M. & Anker, J.J.) at the Midwestern Psychological  Association in April.
  • "Heart Rate Variability as a Biomarker of Recovery among Alcohol Use Disorder Inpatients with Co-Occurring Anxiety Disorder" (along with Schulz, E.M. & Anker, J.J.) at the Midwestern Psychological  Association in April.
  • "Heart Rate During Virtual Reality in College Students" Twin Ports Undergraduate Psychology Conference in April (along with R., Shelby, A., Finlo, J., Downs, E., Moberg, R., Bleth, A., Childers, B., Hessler, E., & Wilemsen, P.).
  • "The Relationship Between Cognitive Function and Bilingualism in Young Adults" Midwestern Psychological  Association in April (along with Swenson, S.).

Madeline Harms, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, presented a flash talk titled “Changes in Exploration and Links to Perceived Stress and Loneliness in Adolescence" at Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting on March 23 in Salt Lake City.

Suki Jones Mozenter, assistant professor in the Department of Education, presented research on institutional caring pedagogy during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic at the annual meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) in Washington, D.C., along with colleagues from Chile and South Africa.

Mozenter also gave three presentations at the American Education Research Association (AERA) in Chicago. These presentations reported on three different studies: a study, conducted with a colleague from Chile, on the impacts of changes to teacher practicum during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a follow-up to an earlier study presented at AERA in 2022; a self-study on engaging teacher candidates in translanguaging pedagogy; and a case study on establishing Collaborative Education Research as an early career researcher. 

Jodie Riek, associate professor in the Department of Education, was a presenter at the Minnesota Association for Education of Young Children Annual Conference facilitating a session about building effective partnerships for supportive transitions. This session discussed how early years can work collaboratively and effectively with families, paraprofessionals, schools and communities to support young children transitioning between services and educational settings.

Jodie Riek with her fellow breakout session presenters and some of the participants in the session
Jodie Riek with her fellow breakout session presenters and some of the participants in the session

Riek was also a plenary speaker at the World Forum on Early Care and Education in Panama City, Panama in early May; promoting play and calling on participants to take action in being a play advocate. Riek also presented a breakout session alongside fellow members of the World Forum's Working Group on Play (Neelima Chopra from India and Barbara Easton from Scotland). The breakout session concentrated on promoting and strengthening play globally in early childhood and focused on unpacking the Debunking the Myths of Play document, along with introducing their new Action Planning Professional Development Tool. The presentation also highlighted a project in India that addresses the social emotional needs of young children through play.

Additional Accomplishments

Julie Ernst, professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, was invited by the U.S. Department of State to give a virtual presentation on conservation education to the U.S. Embassy in Uganda and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (which oversees their parks and reserves and is responsible for wildlife management inside and outside of protected areas).  

Seniors along with students from exercise and rehabilitation science in the weight room

Chuck Fountaine, professor and department head for the Department of Applied Human Sciences, taught his popular "Resistance Training for Seniors" course in both the winter and spring sessions for the UMD University for Seniors program (assisted by Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences students Talli Martinez, Logan Jesperson, Jenna Holmgren, and Cody Sagen). 

Sharyl Samargia-Grivette, associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, has been invited to serve on the executive board of two organizations: 

  • The Posterior Fossa Society, an international interdisciplinary professional organization with the goal of sharing research, forging collaborative working groups, and improving treatment and functional outcomes of children with cerebellar mutism syndrome following brain tumor surgery. 
  • Member of the Van Gorden Fund Committee, a local interdisciplinary group is to assure that Miller-Dwan Foundation Van Gorden Funds are administered and distributed to support and promote rehabilitation services, programs, research and education consistent with and complementary to those efforts historically pursued by the Nat G. Polinsky Memorial Rehabilitation Center and the Van Gorden Foundation of Polinsky Rehabilitation Center.
Image: The first cohort of JICC with the training team and the Denfeld High School Principal. From L to R: Ben Johnson (Arrowhead Safety Solutions - First Aid/CPR), Peg Johnson (JICC), Tom Tusken (Denfeld Principal), Jodie Riek (UMD Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator) and Kristi Wickstrom (Child Care Aware MN).
The first cohort of JICC with the training team and the Denfeld High School Principal. From L to R: Ben Johnson (Arrowhead Safety Solutions - First Aid/CPR), Peg Johnson (JICC), Tom Tusken (Denfeld Principal), Jodie Riek (UMD Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator) and Kristi Wickstrom (Child Care Aware MN). 
 

Jodie Riek, associate professor of education, has been working with a committed group of early childhood professionals here in Duluth to design and deliver the Jump Into Child Care (JICC) program. This program is designed to provide education and training opportunities for people who are interested in beginning a career in child care. On April 27, the first cohort completed the requirements of the Jump into Child Care program (JICC). The program was hosted by Denfeld High School to support high school students to get career ready for an entry-level position in the early childhood profession by completing courses in Health and Safety for Child Care Centers, Abusive Head Trauma, Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, and First Aid/CPR Training. 

Riek was also voted in as a director of the Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children (MnAEYC) Board of Directors. MnAEYC is a professional association of a diverse group of professionals representing early care and education across Minnesota. 

Riek was also voted in as chair of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Duluth Branch Education Committee. This committee advocates for equitable local, state, and federal policies that establish education standards, allocate resources, and set priorities for education and workforce systems. In particular, the committee has three main priorities: college and workforce success; racial justice in education; and, an end to the school-to-prison pipeline.

Abstract photo with hues of green
The Forest Primeval
Abstract photo with pastel colors
Subtle Seasons

Ladona Tornabene, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, had several works of photography exhibited.

photo of window with light coming in
Love Broke Through
  • "Subtle Seasons" and "The Forest Primeval" appeared in Art Connective's ABSTRACTED! Group Exhibition (April 20June 20). This juried international competition was open to artists in all mediums, as opposed to only photographers. This was an online exhibition.
  • "Love Broke Through" was featured in the Annual Praxis Artist Member Exhibition in the Praxis Gallery in Minneapolis (March 18April 1).