Promotion and Tenure
On May 9, 2025, the Board of Regents approved the following individuals for promotion and/or tenure.
- Lynette Carlson, promoted to senior instructor, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders
- Nomi Ostrander, granted indefinite tenure, Department of Social Work
- Rhea Owens, promoted to full professor, Department of Psychology
- Erin Pepelnjak, promoted to senior instructor, Department of Education
- Karen Skrbich, promoted to senior instructor, Department of Applied Human Sciences
- Mary Stenson, granted indefinite tenure, Department of Applied Human Sciences
- Sandra van den Bosse, promoted to senior instructor, Department of Social Work
- Patricia Wendinger, promoted to senior instructor, Department of Applied Human Sciences
- Keith Young, promoted to senior instructor, Department of Psychology
Publications
John Blanchar, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, along with a co-author from Swarthmore College, published, “Is Abortion Policy the Next Catalyst for Ideological Migration? Dobbs v. Jackson and Migration Intentions Across the United States” in the journal Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology.
Mark Hartman, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, along with co-authors, published “When studying affective responses to exercise, the definition of 'intensity' must reference homeostatic perturbations” in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology.
Hartman, along with co-authors, published “Examining gender norms of eating behavior and body checking in NCAA student-athletes” in the Journal of Athletic Training.
Hartman, along with co-authors from Rhode Island, published “Risk of low energy availability, disordered eating, eating disorders, and bone stress injuries in United States female track and field athletes” in the Journal of Exercise and Nutrition.
Nomi Ostrander, associate professor in the Department of Social Work, published “Co-transitions: Understanding the ways couples navigate a gender transition” in the International Journal of Transgender Health.
Jodie Riek, associate professor in the Department of Education, published an article titled “Standing up for play: The neverending story” in Exchange Magazine.
Amy Smallwood, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, published “Embracing Agency: Ontological Considerations for Wilding Pedagogies” in the Australian Journal of Environmental Education, Wilding Pedagogies (special issue).
Grants
Samantha Burlingame, Ashley Weber, and Mark Mizuko, faculty members in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, were awarded a $50,000 grant from the Parkinson Voice Project in 2025. This grant will support comprehensive training for both students and staff in the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program, an evidence-based approach designed to improve speech and communication outcomes for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Through this initiative, the department aims to enhance clinical education and expand its capacity to provide free, specialized services to those with Parkinson’s.
Matt Dingler, assistant professor in the Department of Education, received a $4,000 Imagine Fund Grant. Funds will be used to facilitate a workshop for a small group of Minnesota high school economics teachers focused on developing approaches to economics education that center the problems of poverty, economic inequality, and ecological destruction for critical social inquiry.
Mark Hartman, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, received a $26,140 Technology Fund Grant from CEHSP. It will fund the purchase of three state-of-the-art cycle ergometers for the Exercise Physiology Lab. This new equipment will enhance undergraduate education in clinical assessment and fitness testing, and support faculty research initiatives.
Jody O'Connor, director of the American Indian Learning Resource Center, received a $1,200 U of M Campus Climate Micro-Grant to provide a monthly event called "Fry Bread Friday." These nine sessions created a welcoming community event for all students. The theme with the grant program was to "Engage, Energize and Empower" each other. These grants are dedicated to fostering a university environment where respect, belonging, and inclusion are woven into everyday experiences.
Julie Slowiak, professor in the Department of Psychology, along with colleagues at UMD, received a 2025 EVCAA Research and Scholarship Grant for $24,767 titled, “A Partnership with Rural Critical Access Hospitals: Empowering Healthcare Workers and Managing Tourist Expectations to Address Burnout.”
The interdisciplinary research team will work together to study and develop interventions to address the burnout crisis in rural healthcare in Northern Minnesota. Co-investigators on the grant include: Kathryn Van Wert (assistant professor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies) and Kim Dauner (professor in the Department of Economics & Health Care Management).
Mary Stenson, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences along with Sharyl Samargia-Grivette, associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and June Lee, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, received a Chancellor’s Innovation Grand titled “The Physiologic and Neurophysiologic Impact of Exercise with Virtual Reality Compared to Exercise Alone: A Randomized Control Trial.”
Awards
UMD/UMN Awards
Spring 2025 CEHSP Staff Award:
- Jeri Jasken, Tribal Training and Certification Partnership, Department of Social Work
- Sydney Hassing, Department of Applied Human Sciences
Two CEHSP faculty have been recognized by UMD for excellence in teaching and advising.
UMD Outstanding Staff Award:
- Iris Carufel, Social Work
- Jody O’Connor, American Indian Learning Resource Center
- UMD Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Advisor Award:
- Mary Stenson, associate professor, Applied Human Sciences
- UMD Outstanding Graduate Faculty Teacher/Advisor Award:
- Sharyl Samargia-Grivette, associate professor, Communication Sciences & Disorders
Mary Stenson also received a University of Minnesota Award for Excellence in Academic Unit Service. This systemwide award recognizes ongoing institutional service at the local level.
External Awards
Two faculty from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders have been given Lifetime Achievement Awards given by the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association.
- Lynette Carlson, instructor and director of the Robert F Pierce Speech-Language Hearing Clinic
- Dana Collins, associate professor and director of Graduate Studies
Kayleen Jones, CEHSP librarian, has been selected by Library Journal as one of 50 "Movers and Shakers" from across the country "who are shaping the future of libraries."
Nomi Ostrander, associate professor in the Department of Social Work, received the 2025 Paul & Sheila Wellstone Award for Social Justice. This award was presented by the National Association of Social Workers, Minnesota Chapter, at the annual Social Work Day at the Capitol in St. Paul on March 5. It recognizes Ostrander's extensive contributions to advance social justice for transgender and gender expansive communities in Minnesota and beyond.
Presentations
Elizabeth Boileau, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, presented “Nature-Based Early Learning in Canada Post-Covid-19” at the American Educational Research Association’s annual meeting in Denver.
Matt Dingler, assistant professor in the Department of Education, presented “Economically Pluralist, Pedagogically Critical Economics Education for a Sustainable Future” in an Invited Research Discussion for ENED 5998: Outdoor Education Seminar on March 18, 2025.
Jennifer K. Frisch, associate professor in the Department of Education, presented “Not just 'busy work': Comparing elementary teacher candidate nature journals in 2020-21 with 2023-24” at the international meeting of the Association for Science Teacher Education on January 17, 2025.
Frisch, along with colleagues, presented the book, “Wicked Problems in Pre-K12 Formal Science Education” at the international meeting of the Association for Science Teacher Education on January 16, 2025.
Mark Hartman, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, was the lead speaker for a symposium titled “The Mind, The Body, The Brain: An Integrated View on Mental Health of Collegiate Athletes” at the New England American College of Sports Medicine annual conference.
Hartman also co-authored a student-led presentation titled “DLPFC Stimulation During Exercise Affects Affective Responses but not RPE Among High-Tolerance Individuals” at the Northland American College of Sports Medicine Annual Conference.
Jodie Riek, associate professor in the Department of Education, presented “Jump into Child Care: A Grassroots Solution to Building Workforce Capacity” at Leadership in Bloom: National Conference for Early Childhood Leaders in Schaumburg, Illinois on May 8, 2025.
Riek was a keynote speaker for “Reclaiming PLAY: Purposeful Learning Accentuating Yourself!!” at the Grow North Early Childhood Conference.
Riek was also a keynote speaker for “Get Loud, Be Proud and PLAY!!” at the Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children 2025 Annual Conference.
Additional Accomplishments
Matt Dingler, assistant professor in the Department of Education, accepted an invitation to join the Editorial Advisory Board of the international journal, Social Studies Research and Practice
Amy Smallwood, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, was chosen as a member of the Accreditation Council for the Association for Experiential Education.
Smallwood also received a DEI Outdoor Practitioner Certification.
Mary Stenson, associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, completed her term as President of Northland American College of Sports Medicine.