Congratulations to Elizabeth Welfel (PhD ’79, educational psychology), who was given the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award in Ethics Education by the American Psychological Association for her teaching and research while on the faculties of Boston College and Cleveland State University.
New book from KIN alum
Emily Dane-Staples (PhD ’06, Kinesiology), has written a book that was released by FIT Publishing in Fall 2023. “The Sport Management Educator: Strategies for Teaching” is a desk reference targeting sport management educators in higher education. The book offers educational concepts, insights, and strategies for all aspects of teaching – including course design, enhanced instructional planning and skills, classroom management and assessment, and student engagement.
Forthcoming Book from C&I Alum
A book by Dr. Chelda Smith Kondo will be published in December: Pedagogy of Humanization: Preparing Teachers for Culturally Sustaining Classrooms. Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (Culture and Teaching Emphasis) in 2014, and is a 2021 CEHD Rising Alumni award recipient. Her life work and this book was inspired by her dissertation, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Multicultural Teacher Education: A Paradoxical Objective, and guidance from staff and colleagues at CEHD. The purpose of Pedagogy of Humanization is to build a critical mass of educators who know how to employ the principles of critical pedagogy in elementary classrooms.
CEHD Alumnae Honored
Congratulations to Angela Lewis-Dmello (MSW ’10) and Larissa Loden (MEd ’09) on their U of M Alumni Association recognitions! Lewis-Dmello, President and CEO of Northeast Youth & Family Services, has received the Community Leader Award, and Loden, founder and CEO of her namesake jewelry company, has received the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. They were honored at the campuswide Alumni Awards Affair on September 28.
ICD Professor Emeritus Richard Weinberg receives Outstanding Achievement Award
Institute of Child Development Professor Emeritus Richard Weinberg (Ph.D. ’68) spent his career researching best practices in developmental science and ensuring practitioners could access and implement them in early childhood education settings, making a lasting impact on families and educators. He served as Director of the Institute of Child Development from 1989-1999. On November 17, he was recognized for his accomplishments with the Outstanding Achievement Award, the University’s highest honor for alumni.
Weinberg founded the Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) in response to growing interest in the welfare of children and their families, and a need to organize efforts across the University in multiple disciplines. He initiated a variety of outreach programs to “give away” research-proven education and development practices and policies. Today, CEED is a leader in the state for helping the early childhood workforce achieve strong outcomes for our youngest citizens.
Additionally, he established the Children, Youth, and Family Consortium (CYFC). Now part of UMN Extension, CYFC bridges campus, community, and policymakers to promote well-being with the goal to ensure that the knowledge and resources of the University actively benefit Minnesota.
Richard Weinberg’s commitment to child development and translating research to practice has greatly benefited individual children and the larger community, improving lives through collaborative partnerships and influencing policy.
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Photography: Marjan Samadi Photography
ICD alum Sarah Mangelsdorf receives Outstanding Achievement Award
The top-ranked Institute of Child Development has a long list of esteemed graduates. This month, ICD honored an exceptionally distinguished alumna.
Sarah Mangelsdorf earned her PhD in child psychology in 1988, and was the first graduate advisee of Megan Gunnar, Regents Professor and former Director of ICD. Today, Mangelsdorf is a highly esteemed academic leader recognized for her work on issues of academic quality, educational access, and diversity and inclusion at some of the nation’s leading public and private institutions. She has frequently broken the glass ceiling in higher education, including becoming the first female Liberal Arts and Sciences dean at the University of Illinois. In 2019, Mangelsdorf left her position as provost of the University of Wisconsin to join an elite group as the first woman president of the University of Rochester. In addition, her continued research on social and emotional development in infancy and early childhood is internationally known in her field, and she has been honored several times for her teaching.
On October 6, Mangelsdorf was recognized by President Joan Gabel with the U’s highest honor, the Outstanding Achievement Award, at an event with family and friends. As one of her Rochester colleagues shared, “We believe we have a truly distinctive leader. We believe she is an outstanding Minnesota graduate and her academic prowess and leadership skills reflect on her Minnesota background in an extraordinarily positive way.”
Krista Schulte (BS ’15) obituary
Dr. Krista Marie Schulte (September 20, 1992-December 15, 2021) graduated from Champlin Park High School in 2011 and graduated with a BS in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2015. She attended Northwestern Health Sciences University where she earned both a Masters (2018) and a Doctorate (2020) in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. Her chronic pain and other health issues prevented her from launching her acupuncture career, but she expressed herself by designing unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry under the KM Designs logo. She put on “armor” to disguise her pain in the form of exquisite eye makeup techniques.
Juliette Weiland (BS) receives service award
SCORE Charlotte awarded its highest honor, the prestigious “Dick O’Brien Award,” to Juliette Weiland in recognition of her over six years of exemplary volunteer service. Since joining SCORE Charlotte in October 2015, Weiland served two years as Chapter President from 2019 and 2020 and before that was Vice President of Marketing and Vice President of Education. In 2021 alone, she mentored 24 clients, 16 of which were follow-ons, and amassed an impressive 102 sessions for over 136 mentoring hours. Weiland is a resident of Waxhaw, NC and has a BS in English education from CEHD. A volunteer organization consisting of active, retired or semi-retired business executives and business owners, SCORE provides a network of free mentoring for small businesses.
David Peterson (BS) publishes memoir
Last year, David Peterson published A Mind of His Own: An Autobiography. Peterson spent his formative years in Minnesota. He holds a BS in Spanish Secondary Education from the University of Minnesota and an MA in Spanish American Literature from the University of Wisconsin that led to his appreciation of Latin American culture. He traveled the globe extensively on his own and as an employee of two airlines. Peterson had a diverse career and retired as a writer and editor of hospital software. He now lives in Philadelphia.
Erin Heath (PhD ’07) named UM Senate director
Erin Heath has been named the director of the University of Minnesota Senate Office. She previously worked at Institutional Analysis and has been a University employee for most of her 25-year career in higher education. Heath earned her PhD in Organizational Leadership & Policy Development in 2007 from the University of Minnesota, and has been a participant in University Senate Governance for several years, including as the 2020-21 chair of the P&A Senate.
Jonathan Okstad (MEd ’16) Honored
Jonathan Okstad (MEd ’16, Youth Development Leadership), graduate research assistant and PhD in higher education student at Loyola University Chicago, was recently awarded the Loyola President’s Medallion. This award is one of the most prestigious awards conferred by the University. The President’s Medallion is presented to a student who ranks academically in the upper 25% of their class, best exemplifies a combination of outstanding scholarship, leadership, and service, is a person of integrity and good reputation, and manifests leadership in serving others through involvement in student organizations or volunteering in community settings.
Luke Becker Named National Teacher of the Year
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced Luke Becker, Agricultural Science and Technology Instructor and Career and Technical Education Coordinator at Braham High School in Braham, MN, as the 2022 National ACTE Teacher of the Year. This award recognizes the finest career and technical education teachers at the middle/secondary school level who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students and dedication to the improvement of CTE in their institutions and communities. Becker has a degree in agricultural education, a joint program between CFANS and CEHD.
Michael Funk (EdD ’04) is Superintendent of the Year
The Minnesota Association of School Administrators has named Michael Funk (EdD’04), Superintendent of Albert Lea Area Schools, the 2022 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year. As the Minnesota honoree, Dr. Funk is a candidate among other state recipients for National Superintendent of the Year, to be announced during the American Association of School Administrators National Conference on Education. Dr. Funk was selected for this honor by a panel of representatives from a variety of Minnesota education organizations. Nominees are evaluated on how each candidate demonstrates leadership for learning, communication skills, professionalism, and community involvement. Congratulations!
Lisa S. Kaler (PhD ’21) and Jenny P. Steiner (PhD ’19) Launch Consulting Company
Lisa S. Kaler (OLPD, PhD’21) and Jenny P. Steiner (OLPD, PhD’19) recently launched Steiner|Kaler, a consultancy focused on graduate and professional student mental health and wellbeing. Leveraging their expertise and experience in student mental health, student success, and higher education change management, cultivated during their doctoral programs in OLPD, the two leaders aim to improve graduate student mental health and wellbeing through systemic change.
Beth Bowman Named to Women in Leadership Board
C&I master’s graduate Beth Bowman has been selected to join the Minnesota State University-Mankato’s Women in Leadership Program advisory board. The certificate serves as a platform for female leaders to engage and uplift each other by inspiring positive change.
Leon “Lee” Cook (Waase Waagosh – “Shining Fox”), 82, of Cass Lake, MN died Wednesday, October 13, 2021. His career was focused on the advancement of tribes, with a focus on Indian education. In addition to many national roles, his career included service as the Director of Indian Education for the Minneapolis Public Schools, the Assistant to the President for Diversity at Augsburg College, and as the Commissioner for Health & Human Services at the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Lee also played a key role in the development of the Red Lake Nation Tribal College, serving in an advisory role for many years. He had a bachelor’s and master’s of social work from the U.
Marjorie Schaffer (PhD ’93) Publishes Book
Marjorie Schaffer (PhD, Family Social Science, ’93) published a new book titled “Journey Through the Mental Illness Maze: How Families Find Hope and Acceptance.” Dr. Schaffer completed a qualitative research study to collect the stories of parents, partners, siblings, and adult children who support a relative living with a mental illness. The book (available on Amazon in print and digital formats) highlights strategies for navigating a pathway through the complex and confusing world of mental health conditions and treatment. Both family members and health professionals will benefit from reading about the experiences of family members who pursue mental health resources for a loved one. The complete stories can be found on Dr. Schaffer’s website.
Sandra Pulles (Phd) Wins National Service Award
Diversity, equity and inclusion leader Sandra Pulles was recognized with the Outstanding Commission Staff Award by America’s Service Commissions, the professional organization of all 52 state service commissions. The award is reserved for an individual who demonstrates leadership and implements innovative strategies to get things done. Dr. Pulles was nominated by her colleagues for her work centering equity and inclusion in programming, stronger partnerships with families and stakeholders, a more diverse corps, and ultimately, better outcomes for the communities AmeriCorps serves. Dr. Pulles earned her master’s and PhD in educational psychology in CEHD.
Reid Trulson (BS ’69)
Reid Trulson (BS ’69) is pleased to announce the September 2021 publication of his book, Charlotte Atlee White Rowe: The Story of America’s First Appointed Woman Missionary (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2021). Charlotte Atlee White was the first woman officially appointed as a missionary by any denomination or mission agency. The scandal of her 1815 appointment required her to prevail over gender bias, survive attempts to revoke her appointment, and surmount the challenge of insufficient funding.
Krysta Goligoski Gibbons (BS ’05)
Krysta Goligoski Gibbons (BS’05 Human Ecology-Interior Design) was named a “New Trad 2021” in the fall issue of Traditional Home magazine, along with the redo of a condo in the Historical Gold Coast of Chicago. She is a senior designer for Kipling House Interiors in Minneapolis.