Anna-Lind Pétursdóttir, alumni of the special education program, PhD ‘06, is professor of special education and behavior analysis at the University of Iceland as well as head psychologist at the Department of Preschool Service, Municipality of Kopavogur, Iceland.

As a professor she teaches graduate-level courses on learning theories and on methods to teach students with special needs in inclusive environments, as well as conducting research on behavioral and instructional interventions for children with special needs. As a head psychologist, Pétursdóttir oversees psychological services provided to referred preschoolers with possible intellectual, learning and/or social-emotional difficulties in collaboration with parents, teachers and other school professionals.

Pétursdóttir first heard about the Department of Educational Psychology’s special education PhD program at a conference on Applied Behavior Analysis held in Toronto in May 2002. At this conference, she was impressed by faculty member Jennifer McComas’ enthusiasm as well as the program. “The emphasis of the program seemed to be a great fit with my research interests and the program was among the highest ranked Special Education programs in the US.” she continues, “I decided to apply and was fortunate enough to be admitted.”

Pétursdóttir then moved to Minnesota with her family, including two school-aged boys, to pursue her PhD. “I was guided by two excellent professors, Jennifer McComas, a specialist in behavior analysis, and Kristen McMaster, a specialist in reading instruction. They skillfully guided and helped me complete my PhD studies within my chosen timeframe,” she says.

Pétursdóttir reflects on her time at the U of M saying, “to be around and guided by an incredibly skilled group of professors, each a top-level expert in their field. They, along with fellow students from all over the world, were a continuous source of motivation and inspiration,” she continues, “All in all, the years at the U of M were tremendously well spent and a wonderful experience for me and my family.”

Gena Nelson, alumni of the special education program, PhD ‘17, is an assistant professor at Boise State University’s Department of Early and Special Education. Here she teaching methods and content area courses in the special education teacher preparation program, supervising pre-service teachers, and conducting a line of research related to math learning disabilities.

Nelson pursued an undergraduate degree in education and became a high school special education teacher after graduation. A few years into teaching, Nelson realized that she was interested in learning more about assessment and intervention. Initially, Nelson wanted to be a practicing school psychologist, and the MA and specialist certificate program in school psychology is what initially attracted her to the University of Minnesota. After getting involved in a research project related to developing math assessments, she knew that she wanted to pursue a Ph.D. so that she could be prepared for a career in special education research.

“I love to learn new things, and being a student at the University of Minnesota provided me with opportunities to work with and learn from faculty from different departments,” Nelson says. “It was also exciting to me to see that the work I was doing informed current practices in education and impacted student outcomes in a positive way.”

Nelson wants prospective students to know that, “It is okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to do with your degree or what your specific research interests are when you start graduate school. Part of being a student is the process of developing your own interests and career goals. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try something new. Most importantly, be your own best advocate.”

Pyung-Gang Jung, alumni of the special education program, PhD ‘15, is a lecturer in the Department of Special Education at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Jung teaches undergraduate and graduate students, focusing on courses about education students with learning disabilities and mild disabilities. She also does research on developing reading writing intervention programs and measures for Korean students who are struggling.

Jung received her undergraduate degree in special education and in that became interested in students’ learning and how to teach them effectively. “I decided to study abroad to learn more about it.” she says.

Jung found out about the University of Minnesota by meeting with a former student to hear more about the special education program. “I would say meeting with her changed my path,” Jung says.

“Every one of my work and experiences at the University of Minnesota was very valuable and meaningful to me,” she says. “One of them was to do research on data-based individualization project with Dr. Kristen McMaster and my colleagues.” In this research project, Jung was able to be exposed to a variety of areas including assessments, research-based intervention, data-based instructional decisions, and professional development.

Jung uses what she learned at the University of Minnesota in her position as a lecturer daily. Not only in teaching students, but in research as well. In a recent project, Jung was recently a part of a research project that was very similar to a project she was involved with here at the U of M. “I was able to provide a lot of advice through every step of research and thankfully was also able to get advice from my former doctoral adviser, Dr. Kristen McMaster.”

When asked about her overall graduate experience Jung says, “the smiles of fellow students, improvements in spelling, efforts of my tutors, encouragement from colleagues and advisor during my time at the University of Minnesota still remain as an unforgettable memory to me.”