Nancy Chakrin (B.S. ‘66) is a recipient of the University of Minnesota Buckman Fellowship for Leadership Philanthropy 2013. Chakrin is featured in a traveling photography exhibit called “Yoga ON and OFF the Wall” at the University of Minnesota Bio-Medical Library, which marks the 25th exhibit within three Upper Midwest States. The exhibit is based upon the book FRIENDSHIP The Art of the Practice by photographer, Nancy Chakrin and yogini, Laurie Ellis-— TRISTAN Publishing.

http://www.continuum.umn.edu/2016/03/yoga-off-wall-deepening-connections-mindfulness-friendship-nature/#.V05Q39fZiwk

Carrie Rogers (Ph.D. ’10) recently earned tenure and promotion to Associate Professor at Western Carolina University, part of the University of North Carolina system. She is an Associate Professor in the School of Teaching and Learning.

Thomas De Vita (BS ’16) having worked for five months in Italy working with refugee populations as an undergraduate, has been selected as an U.S. Department of State VFP Fellow to serve the U.S. Tri- Mission – Rome, Italy in support of the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center. He will support this program remotely from Minnesota while pursing a Master of Public Affairs from the Humphrey School.

Bernadette Thomasy (B.S. ‘66) is the coauthor with her sister Colleen Gengler, ’73, of Under Minnesota Skies, (2015) a memoir of three daughters growing up on a farm near Owatonna, MN, in the 1940s-60s, available on Amazon.com and in the Minnesota State Historical Society collection.

Grant Boulanger (M.Ed. ’12), a middle school teacher in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale district, was recently named the Regional Language Teacher of the Year by the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (CSCTFL) board. He will represent the central states at the national competition at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Convention and World Languages Expo in November 2016.

Elizabeth Jayanti (Ph.D. ‘13) has published “The Galileo Moment” (ATSUI Press, 2015), which includes interviews with 61 professionals from the c-suite to the front lines of Forbes, one of the “world’s most innovative” list companies. Ultimately, The Galileo Moment asks readers to leave behind Industrial-era management practices and step into the present-day knowledge economy.

Eufrossine “Frosso” Motti-Stefanidi (Ph.D. ’86), an Institute of Child Development alumna, was invited by the 2016 Working Group on the Quality of Childhood to present at the European Parliament after an experts’ meeting in Greece on immigrant youth adaptation and well-being that resulted in a mission statement using current scientific evidence to propose ways to promote immigrant and refugee youth’s positive adaptation. Motti-Stefanidi was a 2005 recipient of the CEHD Distinguished International Alumni Award.

Jenzi Silverman (Ph.D. ’08) created and is teaching a new class for the U’s Learning Life Program “Music City Trio: New Orleans, Chicago, New York,” about the great contributions of musicians in these cities to American popular music.

Lisa Ashley  (M.S.W. ’95), school social worker at Hopkins High School, recently retired after 24 years with Hopkins Public Schools.  During her tenure, Ashley received the Community Leadership Award from Amy Klobuchar, Hennepin County Attorney at the time, for her work with truancy in schools and the community at large.

Lisa Quinn-Lee (Ph.D. ‘09) was promoted to the rank of associate professor in the department of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Siobhan Smith (B.S. ‘15) is a supported employment instructor with CHOICE, Inc., a day program for adults with disabilities. CHOICE, Inc. works to support inclusion and community engagement as well as employment and enrichment programs.