Kendeou featured in VOA article on how vaccine beliefs are formed

August 17, 2018

Panayiota (Pani) Kendeou, Guy Bond Chair in Reading and professor in the Department of Educational Psychology’s psychological foundations of education program, was recently featured in the Voice of America (VOA) article, “Psychology researchers explore how vaccine beliefs are formed.”

Kendeou shared findings from her ongoing work in her Reading + Language Lab and the Global Signature Program study on misconceptions and misinformation around vaccines.

“Having good logical arguments, it’s a great first step. But also alerting [people] that they need to pay attention to who provides those logical arguments is even more important,” she said.

Kendeou told VOA, while not easy, it is possible to refute misinformation around vaccinations.

“Misconceptions never fully go away, but we can lessen their impact by reminding people to think critically and seek good evidence to refute bad arguments,” she said.

Read the full article.

Learn more about Kendeou’s research on debunking misconceptions:

For more on Kendeou’s research related to language and memory with a focus on understanding and improving learning during reading, visit her Reading + Language Lab site.

IGDILab presents research on early childhood assessment in Brighton, UK

July 25, 2018

Alisha Wackerle-Hollman, senior research associate in the Department of Educational Psychology’s school psychology program and co-director of the department’s IGDILab, and Kelsey Will, graduate student in the psychological foundations of education program and graduate research assistant in IGDILab, recently traveled to Brighton, United Kingdom to present research on early childhood assessment. Wackerle-Hollman and Will presented three times at the joined conferences of the Society for Text & Discourse (ST&D) and the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR).

Will presented “Investigating the role of disability status in early language and literacy assessment performance” research she conducted with IGDILab colleagues Wackerle-Hollman, Qinjun Wang, and Professor Scott McConnell as part of their work on the IGDI-APEL project.

Wackerle-Hollman presented “Comparing the key position and item difficulty relationship in alphabetical knowledge and phonological awareness measures” conducted with IGDILab colleagues Wang, McConnell, and Jose Palma. She also presented on “The performance of Spanish-English bilingual preschoolers on the Spanish and English progress monitoring measures.”

For more on the IGDILab’s research related to early literacy assessment, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Ohrtman, Berger present, represent MN at ASCA

July 23, 2018

Left to right: Marguerite Ohrtman (president-elect), Sarah Korteum (current president), and Leah Kent (past-president)

On July 17, Marguerite Ohrtman, director of school counseling and MA clinical training, and Carolyn Berger, assistant professor, both in the counseling and student personnel psychology (CSPP) program co-presented on how to “Revitalize your elementary college and career readiness program” at the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California.

In addition to the joint presentation with Ohrtman, Berger gave a presentation with recent CSPP graduate, Cristina Silva Gleason, entitled “Create safe schools by celebrating gender diversity.”

Fulfilling her role as president-elect of the Minnesota School Counselor Association (MSCA), Ohrtman attended the ASCA Leadership Development Institute portion of the conference for state leaders and voted in the state delegate assembly with 105 school representatives from the fifty states and Guam.

Congratulations to Educational Psychology’s 2018-19 fellowship and award winners

July 23, 2018

The Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development, and University of Minnesota offer many fellowships and awards to support students in their academic journey. Learn more about this year’s recipients and their awards below.

Current student awards

Alice Tuseth Special Ed Scholarship

Eric Wiltbank, MEd student in the special education program, has been awarded the Alice Tuseth Special Ed Scholarship. This scholarship is in memory of Alice Tuseth and supports the student by giving $2,500.

Beverly McConnon Scholarship in LD

Hayden Lang, an undergraduate student in the special education program with an emphasis in learning disabilities (LD), has been awarded the Beverly McConnon Scholarship in LD. This scholarship is to support special education students who have learning disabilities or are studying in the field of special education with an emphasis on learning disabilities.

Bruninks-Hagstrum Fellowship

Jose Palma, PhD student in the quantitative methods of education program, has been awarded the Bruninks-Hagstrum Fellowship. This fellowship includes a $3,600 award and is given to a current full-time graduate student with a study emphasis in educational policy and reform of educational and human services programs that focus on children and youth with special learning needs.

CEHD Hauge Fellowship

Aria Fiat, PhD student in the school psychology program, has been awarded the Hauge Fellowship. The CEHD Hauge Fellowship is a $1600 award given to a student in each department of the college. Any full-time graduate student in any CEHD department or program is eligible.

Debra & Scott Schipper Fellowship

Alec Kalbow and Rachel Ortiz, both MEd students in the special education program with a specialization in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), received the Debra & Scott Schipper Fellowship. This fellowship supports ASD teacher education by awarding $2,500 to each student and aims to advance best practices in this critical field. It is given to students with; academic promise, excellent academic standing, and with exceptional potential in their field.

Henry K. & Wilma McConnon Fellowship

Kendall Forseberg, MEd student in the special education program, has been awarded the Henry K. and Wilma McConnon Fellowship. This fellowship goes to a student dedicated to teaching in the area of LD, where the student can learn more about evidence-based teaching by exploring relationship between research and the practice of teaching.

Jack Merwin Graduate Assistantship Award

Bowen Liu, PhD student in the quantitative methods of education program, has been awarded the Jack Merwin Graduate Assistantship. Professor Jack Merwin, former dean of the College of Education and chair of Educational Psychology, created this award to support graduate students in educational measurement and evaluation. The goal is to provide promising young scholars in the field of educational measurement with 1) financial support like a scholarship, 2) opportunities to work with senior scholars in the field, and 3) leveraged dollars from the endowment so as to maximize the overall support.

Jeanette Paul Scholarship

Jordan Thayer, PhD student in the school psychology program, has been awarded the Jeanette Paul Scholarship. The Jeanette Paul Scholarship supports high priority educational programs for students and faculty in the College of Education. Such activities may include: scholarships or assistantships to students whose career goals are to work in secondary agencies; visiting professors or lecturers; and other academic activities.

Lawrence Scott Doss Scholarship

Jacob Anderson, MEd student in the special education program, has been awarded the Lawrence Scott Doss Scholarship of $1,200 which is given to support individuals dedicated to serving the special needs of developmentally disabled students.

Lesley Dahl Rylander Endowed Scholarship

Sara Lysne, MEd student in the special education program, received the Lesley Dahl Rylander Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship was established by Vern Rylander in honor of his wife, Lesley Rylander and provides $2,400 to support a special education licensure student with a preference for working in an elementary education setting.

Ruth Andrews Goudie Memorial Scholarship

Levi Sampson and Heidi Briese, both undergraduate special education students have been awarded the Ruth Andrews Goudie Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is for undergraduate special education students in need and awards $2,500 each.

Susan Rose Fellowship

Alefyah Shipchandler, MEd student in the special education program, has been awarded the Susan Rose Fellowship. This fellowship is given to full-time graduate students enrolled in the special education program that show exceptional potential in their field. It supports the student by providing a payment that goes partially or totally to tuition, or as a stipend.

New student awards

DOVE/Diversity Pilot Initiative

The Graduate School has developed a pilot initiative to complement the existing Diversity of Views and Experiences (DOVE) Fellowship Program. DOVE provides one year recruiting fellowships to individual students who have been admitted to a program and a stipend of $25,000 academic year tuition.

The 2018-19 recipients of this award are:

Carlos Chavez, quantitative methods in education MA student

Amaniel Murtu, quantitative methods in education, PhD student
Thuy Nguyen, school psychology PhD student
Erika Steinbauer, school psychology MA student

Graduate Student Fellowship (GSF)

Vimal Rao, PhD student in the quantitative methods of education program, of the Department of Educational Psychology has been awarded the Graduate Student Fellowship (GSF). The GSF is a highly competitive one-year fellowship including full tuition that is meant to recruit and retain outstanding students with diverse views and experiences to graduate school in the graduate student population at the University of Minnesota.

Russell W. Burris Memorial Fellowship

Vimal Rao, PhD student in the quantitative methods of education program, of the Department of Educational Psychology has been awarded $2,500 through the Russell W. Burris Memorial Fellowship. This fellowship is awarded to students in Educational Psychology who demonstrate outstanding academic merit and is in memory of Russell Burris, professor emeritus of educational psychology.

Kendeou gives keynote on debunking misconceptions at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany

July 16, 2018

Panayiota (Pani) Kendeou, Guy Bond Chair in Reading and associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology’s psychological foundations of education program, recently presented at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, one of the largest research universities in Germany. Kendeou delivered a keynote to the Würzburg Reading and Learning in the Digital World Summer School on her research surrounding the science of debunking misconceptions. She was one of five keynote speakers at the Summer School which brought together renowned experts and doctoral students from all over the world to build connections and advance research on reading and learning in the Digital World.

Learn more about Kendeou’s research on debunking misconceptions:

For more on Kendeou’s research related to language and memory with a focus on understanding and improving learning during reading, visit her Reading + Language Lab site.

Transforming communities through teaching

July 13, 2018

Born Deaf, Aaron Waheed is becoming a teacher to help others in the Deaf community realize their full potential.

“I chose this path [becoming a Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) teacher] because I driven to understand issues that impact the lives of the people in the Deaf community and what I can do to contribute—especially towards Deaf children’s education,” says Aaron Waheed, a special education DHH MEd and licensure student.

Waheed’s goal: to see more Deaf leaders, teachers, transformative policy-makers, and administrators serve the Deaf community. He sees teaching as a way for him to contribute and use his leadership skills.

Leadership through education

“I researched what roles education leaders play in delivering such transformative services and how an effective administration could supplant these efforts across entire communities.,” he explains.

“I realized that my leadership assets needed to be reinforced with teaching skills before I could formulate broad-based policies at an administrative level to reach and benefit large segments of the deaf community.”

Waheed found a program to help him meet his goals in the Department of Educational Psychology, “In evaluating the program, both the teaching and administrative components were present and spot on for my area of focus.”

Rising to the challenge

When asked about his experience within the program he says, “I thoroughly enjoy participating in this program. The most wonderful part is the learning experience and working with my fellow student group.”

Waheed notes the difficulty of the program but insists it’s worth the hard work. He attributes his success so far to his “marvelous” interpreters and notetakers as well as his professors and classmates.

His advice to future DHH students is similar to what he’ll soon share with his own: “Be prepared to be challenged, expect high standards, expect a quality education, and expect to work very hard.”

Rodriguez blogs about social-emotional learning work with MDE

July 12, 2018

Michael Rodriguez head shot — Professor Michael Rodriguez

Michael Rodriguez, Campbell Leadership Chair in Education and Human Development and professor in the Department of Educational Psychology’s quantitative methods in education program, recently blogged for Measuring SEL about his work with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to support social-emotional learning (SEL). In his post, “A psychometric perspective on SEL assessment,” Rodriguez shares key learnings from this work.

According to Rodriguez, MDE “adopted the CASEL Five Core Competencies—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skill, and responsible decision-making—to define grade-level benchmarks for early elementary, late elementary, middle, and high school students.” Rodriguez worked alongside Minnesota educators, youth development specialists, and other higher education faculty to help MDE “support the appropriate interpretation and use of [these] social-emotional learning assessment results.”

He writes, “The Minnesota assessment guidance is comprehensive and grounded in the Testing Standards [developed and approved by the American Educational Research Association] to support appropriate interpretation and use of SEL assessment results. But they also bring to bear a set of principles that will support the broad goals of making SEL instruction and practice imbedded, intentional, and school wide.”

Read the full post.

Marin Thuen, CSPP M.A. alumni

July 11, 2018

Marin Thuen, alumni of the counseling and student personnel psychology program, MA ‘15, is a school counselor at Olson Middle School in North Minneapolis. In her role, Thuen does individual and small group counseling, classroom lessons, crisis counseling, therapy referrals, and serves on several school-wide teams.

“I do a lot of collaborating with teachers, administration, and social workers to support student success,” she says.

We asked Thuen some questions about her experience in the CSPP program, here’s what she said:

Q: What did you most enjoy about your experience in your program?

“One of the things I enjoyed most about this program was my cohort! Having almost every class with the same group of supportive, kind, and funny people for two years was an amazing experience. It is very energizing to be surrounded by people who are passionate about the same thing you are. I now have life-long friends and colleagues in the field with whom I can share the struggles and rewards of school counseling, call on the phone after a difficult day, consult and collaborate with, and learn from.”

Q: What was most challenging?

“The most challenging thing for me was to get used to being vulnerable and accepting and appreciating constructive feedback. From the very first semester of classes, you have to get used to giving and receiving feedback on your counseling skills from both professors and classmates. Your classmates watch you doing mock counseling sessions in person and eventually real counseling sessions on video and give feedback. This was simultaneously the most helpful and most difficult part about the program. It really forces you out of your comfort zone and helps you grow as a counselor.”

Q: What’s next for you?

“I’m getting ready to move to Dubai. I recently accepted a middle school counseling position in an international school there! My husband and I will be moving in August.”

Making connections

July 11, 2018

Mary Buvala’s relationships with her students, classmates, and professors inspires her to teach special education

Mary Buvala received her bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Unsure of what she wanted to pursue, Buvala moved to Minneapolis and joined AmeriCorps, working with English learners as an academic tutor.

“My time in the classroom really made me realize the connection I had with students,” she recalls, “and helped me see some improvements that teachers could make to help relay the content to students who struggle.”

Buvala’s experience working closely with a small group of students sparked her interest in teaching special education . Today, she is pursuing her MEd and teaching licensure in special education, while she works as a special education math teacher at Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis.

When asked about what she enjoys most about her experience in the MEd program, Buvala says it was her connection with her own teachers, “The professors really want students to learn and be prepared when they go out into the field,” she explains, “Connecting with them and seeing how they teach was a such an inspiration for me as a future teacher.”

Buvala encourages students interested in the special education MEd program to, “Take initiative for the things you want and expect from the program. Make things happen for yourself. It will help you get the most out of your educational experience and will be good practice for when you are teaching in schools, too.”

Buvala also suggests connecting with positive, like-minded people at your school. She references an article she read in her program, Find your Marigold.

“What I liked about it,” she says,” is that it encourages students to find the people that will get you through tough times and not pull you into negativity, which can happen so easily.”

Special ed alum changes lives through teaching

July 11, 2018

GinaMarie Theesfeld (MEd ‘16) started her career in off in the fields of criminal justice and law, but saw an opportunity to help kids in the field of teaching.

Theesfeld has always been passionate about children who are diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders—especially the overrepresentation of African American males with the disorder.

“I wanted to reach the kids before they were a part of the system, so I started working in schools,” she says. “I knew I wanted to work and understand children with EBD and how to best support them getting out of federal setting 3 (FS3) classrooms and into mainstream environments.”

Theesfeld was nominated and received the celebration of teachers award from Minneapolis Public Schools for the 2018 school year in May. This award celebrates teachers who have highly effective instructional practices that inspire students and colleagues towards excellence. In addition, she moved five kids from her caseload from FS3 to FS2 and three from FS3 to FS1 with her special education assistant (SEA) JuJuan UzziYahu Bayn Yahudah Davis.

“I did all of this amazing work with the guidance of my amazing leaders,” she says.

Theesfeld received her MEd in special education with an emphasis in emotional and behavioral disorders as a single mother working full time.

“This was not easy to do as a single mother.” She continues, “It was humbling having my mom (Marilyn Theesfeld) and alumni Mike and his wife Rachel Verdoorn help me with my son. My entire cohort and professors were all very kind and made it equitable for single moms to obtain the dream of getting their masters.”

Theesfeld encourages students to, “take the time to build relationships with your cohort and your professors.”

Currently, Theesfeld is changing the lives of EBD students as a special education teacher for Minneapolis Public Schools.

Outside of work, Theesfeld enjoys spending time with her son, Isaiah, watching him play hockey, traveling, spending time with family, and going to church. She plans to return to the University of Minnesota for her doctorate.

Day job turns dream job

July 11, 2018

Drummer, Jake Anderson, found meaningful work teaching students with disabilities

Jake Anderson always knew he wanted to play the drums for a living. He started his academic career by earning his bachelor’s degree from McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul. After graduating, Anderson played in several bands in the evening and made sandwiches during the day at Erbert’s and Gerbert’s in downtown Saint Paul. He decided that if he was going to work a day job, “It needed to mean more to me than making sandwiches.”

Anderson’s next move was to call his sister, Kate, a social worker at North High School for Minneapolis Public Schools who got her master’s in social work at the University of Minnesota. His sister suggested he try working in a group home. Anderson took her advice, eventually getting hired at Howry Residential Services as a Direct Support Professional in Maplewood.

From serving sandwiches to serving others

Anderson found a passion working with disabilities and began looking for more opportunities to do so. Once again, he contacted his sister and, through one of her connections, found a position as a para-educator at Transition Plus in the Minneapolis School District. Transition Plus provides services to help those with educational disabilities make the transition from high school to adult life.

Anderson worked as a para-educator for three years and decided to apply for the special education MEd and licensure program in the Department of Educational Psychology.

Having completed two semesters of the program, Anderson got a new job as a teacher in a developmental coordination disorder room at Transition Plus. He taught on a community expert license from January to June while enrolled as a full-time graduate student and was hired as a full-time teacher on a variance for next year. Anderson teaches 10 students, is learning as he goes, and has class two nights a week.

The beat goes on

All the while, he hasn’t stopped drumming. Anderson currently is in three full-time bands and travels frequently during the summer to play in bars and venues across the country.

“My life is crazy, stressful, and amazing. I love it,” Anderson says.

ISU professor and QME alum: ‘the way I approach teaching is completely different’

July 9, 2018

Before coming to the U of M, Laura Ziegler had been teaching for six years.

“I did not realize how much more there was to learn about teaching statistics,” she says. “It was exciting to learn that there is not just one way to teach statistics, and there is not one set curriculum that needed to be followed.”

Now a PhD alumni of the Department of Educational Psychology’s quantitative methods in education program, Ziegler looks back fondly on her experience at the U “What I enjoyed most was getting to work with amazing faculty members and students, not just at the U of M,” she recalls.“The faculty at U of M were wonderful at getting students involved in their research which often meant collaborating with others at different universities.”

As a statistics education student, Ziegler attended many conferences where she was able to make connections with other scholars around the world.

“I built many strong friendships with people I am still regularly in contact with four years later.”

After going to through the QME program, Ziegler says, “The way I approach teaching is completely different.”

She uses this new way of teaching every day. Currently a lecturer at Iowa State University, Ziegler teaches a variety of undergraduate statistics courses and coordinates a multi-section introductory statistics courses which involves assisting graduate students teaching the course.

Career counselor alum: ‘Work experience laid foundation for grad school success’

July 9, 2018

Masha Finn, alumni of the counseling and student personnel psychology, M.A. ‘17, didn’t take a single psychology class during her undergraduate career. Finn studied international relations as well as french and francophone studies at Carleton College, pursuing the fields of law and international human rights. However, she says, “These never quite felt like the right fit for me.”

Finn got a taste of counseling during her work study position as a career advisor at Carleton’s Career Center before graduating in 2009. After graduation, Finn was a french-speaking financial services representative for nearly year before she decided she needed a change of pace. Finn then served as an Americorps VISTA recruiting tutor as well as a volunteer coordinator for an international non-profit.

“All the while, I was eager to return to higher education,” Finn recalls. She worked for the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) at the University of Minnesota as the alumni relations college to career program coordinator. After several years in this position, Finn finally decided to pursue her own graduate degree.

“I knew that career services is where I wanted to be and that having a foundation in counseling would be essential to finding opportunities as a career counselor.”

She continues, “I started searching and realized that, right in my backyard, the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota is nationally renowned in the field of student counseling.”

Throughout her graduate degree, Finn was able to work full time in her position at CFANS, intern part time, and go to school part time.

“This was because of my extremely supportive supervisors, colleagues, and Ed Psych professors,” she says.

Finn valued the hands-on experience as well as guidance throughout her experience in the CSPP program. “We put together materials that we could use at our practicum sites and as we went out into the workforce,” she says.

Currently, Finn is a career counselor for Hamline University’s Career Development Center where she meets with students individually to talk through career exploration, choosing a major, preparing for job interviews, and transitioning to life post-college. In addition, she facilitates workshops on all of the above topics for a variety of classes across Hamline’s campus.

Finn’s advice to students comes from her personal experience: “I would encourage students to consider getting work experience after undergrad and before deciding on a graduate program. Everyone’s experience is different, but for me, taking time to work gave me perspective and made me feel even more sure that enrolling in the CSPP program was the right decision.”

Georgia State University professor: ‘U of M Ed Psych department is one of the best in the field’

July 5, 2018

Sarah Carlson, an alumni of the psychological foundations in education program, received her bachelor’s degree in psychology, where she found an interest in research and applying what she was learned to an educational environment.

This led Carlson to look for educational psychology programs and, later, to complete both her MA (2008) and PhD (2011) in the psychological foundations of education program.

Carlson explains how the “theoretical and practical” information she learned in the Department of Educational Psychology helped prepare her to, “work with schools, students, teachers, and administrators to conduct research and also provide training for helping educators make instructional changes in the classroom and school systems as a whole.”

Today, Carlson is an assistant professor at Georgia State University (GSU) in the Department of Educational Psychology, Special Education, and Communications Disorders (which will be changing to the Department of Learning Sciences beginning fall 2018).

“My responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate students courses in memory and cognition and the psychological foundations of learning. I also conduct research that focuses on understanding human learning through assessing readers’ cognitive processes and products of comprehension.”

Carlson wants students to know: “The Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota is one of the best in the field. I am not stating this out of my biased experience, but rather, because of its ranking and reputation both nationally and internationally.”

She also emphasizes the renowned faculty and research at the Department of Educational Psychology, both of which provide students with ample opportunity for networking and learning.

Carlson has a continued collaboration with the U of M’s Department of Educational Psychology where she has been developing a diagnostic reading comprehension assessment (i.e., MOCCA) with Dr. Mark Davison (U of M Ed Psych faculty), Dr. Ben Seipel (U of M Ed Psych alumni) and Dr. Gina Biancarosa (University of Oregon, where Carlson was for 6 years post graduation and until she relocated to her current position at GSU).

Carlson’s advice to students would be, “Be patient with yourself and the process of moving through your graduate program, and enjoy your time in graduate school.”

Outside of work, Carlson enjoys cooking, hiking, and gardening. She was also recently certified as a yoga instructor and practices and teaches regularly.

School psychologist and Ed Psych alum touches on grad school experience

July 3, 2018

Throughout undergrad, Joo Ree Chu, school psychology alumni, MA ‘12, led a mentoring program with Korean college students and local Korean adoptees. She majored in psychology and worked for a nonprofit mental health organization upon graduating. “Through that experience, it became clear to me that my true passion lies in working with youth,” she says.

Chu began researching school psychology programs. “The University of Minnesota seemed to have the longest and most prestigious history of training practitioners and researchers.” She continues, “My requests for informational interviews with a current student and field placement coordinator (who later became my advisor) were quickly fulfilled, and the rest is history!”

The most challenging part of graduate school for Chu was finding and maintaining a manageable work/life balance but she says, “With sustained effort, it can be done!” To do this, Chu made a “1 fun activity a week” rule which helped her maintain relationships and connections to her community outside of school.

Currently, Chu is a school psychologist for a school in Denver, Colorado where she works directly supporting students as well as consulting with parents and teachers.

After five years in the field of school psychology, Chu says she is inspired to make an even greater impact in schools and currently is pursuing her principal license through the administrative leadership and policy studies program at the University of Colorado.

School counselor and CSPP alum shares path, advice for grad students

July 3, 2018

Abby Whalen, counseling and student personnel psychology alumni, M.A. ‘17, never knew what she wanted to be when she grew up.

“I actually studied chemistry in my undergrad, but didn’t have a clear idea of how I wanted to use that upon graduation.”

Whalen spent two years doing volunteer work—one abroad in England and one with AmeriCorps at a school in Minneapolis.

“I was always interested in the field of education, and my experience with AmeriCorps really inspired me to pursue school counseling,” “I loved making connections with students, figuring out how the school could better meet the needs of all learners, and ensuring students had the support they needed to be successful.”

It was Whalen’s drive to help students that led her to the counseling and student personnel psychology graduate program–where she says her classmates were often her best teachers.

“I learned so much from them. Whether it was studying together, collaborating on a group project, or spending time decompressing after class, my classmates really helped me through my two years in school.”

Today, Whalen is an elementary school counselor for St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS). In this position she teaches classroom lessons, works with small groups of students, and also meets with students individually. Her work focuses on personal, social, academic, and career development of each student.

Much like she does with her students in SPPS, Whalen shares advice to future CSPP students: “Really get to know your advisors, professors, and internship supervisors. As a student, you are surrounded by so many gifted professionals which provides many opportunities to learn and grow.”

“These connections were also very beneficial for me in getting interviews and job offers as I entered the workforce.”

Q&A with Claire Harty, school psych alumni

July 3, 2018

Claire Harty, school psychology specialist certificate alumni ‘17, is currently a school psychologist in a small school district in the Bay Area. She works with a diverse group of students in grades K-8 and her role includes assessment for special education eligibility, behavior intervention, and consultation with teachers and families. “I love my job!” Harty says.

We asked her some questions about her experience in the school psychology program, here are her answers:

Q: How do you apply what you learned/your degree?

“My degree prepared me to solve problems using data! After finishing my degree, I can: Figure out what type of data I need to answer a question; collect it; interpret it; and share the results in a way that is meaningful for different audiences (parents, teachers, administrators, kids, etc.).”

Q: What did you enjoy most about your experience in your program?

“I enjoyed the people! The students and faculty (shout out to my advisor, Annie Hansen-Burke) are a wonderful support system, and we learned a lot from each other.”

Q: What would you like prospective students to know about your program?

“You won’t learn EVERYTHING (that’s impossible), but you will leave feeling prepared to problem solve. When asked a question I don’t know the answer to, I feel comfortable saying, ‘I don’t know, but let me find out!’”

Q: Do you have a productivity secret that helped you get through school?

“Use a timer! Determine how much time you want to spend on something or how long a task should realistically take. When the timer goes off, evaluate where you’re at and keep going… or just be done! This tip helped me maximize my time and set boundaries.”

QME alumni describes how she became a data and research analyst

July 2, 2018

Katherine Edwards, alumni of the quantitative methods in education (QME) program, PhD ‘16, has always had a passion for education and working with numbers.

Edwards received her bachelor’s in math and psychology with minors in education and statistics. Her major gave her the opportunity to study abroad in Denmark and it was there she first participated in an educational psychology program where she was introduced to the country’s education system.

In Denmark after talking to some teachers, Edwards decided she could contribute to the field of education in ways other than teaching which led her to pursue her graduate degree.

“In searching for various graduate programs which focused on quantitative analyses in psychology, I discovered the QME program at the University of Minnesota. I read the information about the courses I would take in the program and was immediately excited.”

Currently a data and research analyst at the Minnesota Department of Education, Edwards’ work is focused in several areas, but most predominantly around early childhood, English

learners, school and district accountability systems, and data reporting to the public.

Edwards offers advice for students, “It’s important to actively try to have a balance in your life. Graduate school is time intensive, but it’s important that you still make time to go out and do fun activities just because you enjoy them. If you don’t make time for yourself, it’s very easy to burn out.”

Edwards also suggests that students should think about what type of job they hope to have after school.

“If you want a job in academia, make sure you’re working on research projects and attempting to get them published. If you want a job in industry, take the opportunities offered to network through school and complete informational interviews.”

Edwards’ last piece of advice would be to attend conferences. “No matter what type of job you

ultimately want, go to conferences. Conferences are great opportunities learn about where research is heading in your areas of interest, to meet others with similar interests as well as to make connections which can help you get a job.”

Q&A with Sarah Gustafson-Dombeck, CSPP alumni

July 2, 2018

Sarah Gustafson-Dombeck, alumni of the counseling and student personnel psychology program, M.A. ‘17, is currently a care manager at the University of Minnesota’s Office for Student Affairs Care Program

We asked some questions about their experience in the program, here is what they said:

Q: What are you responsible for in your position?

“As a care manager, I assist and provide ongoing support through individualized case management for students dealing with increased stress, illness, personal emergencies, or other unexpected difficulties, as well as consultation and training with faculty and staff.”

Q: What was most exciting about the program?

“Who I am today, both professionally and personally, is shaped by my CSPP graduate studies and practicum. My current position incorporates many themes taught in the program: Be fully present, demonstrate respect, support personal growth and foster well-being.”

Q: What would you like prospective students to know about your program?

“The CSPP program is transformational both personally and professionally. Be prepared to challenge your current held beliefs and be willing to engage in multiple perspective taking. Direct service and consultation with others will widen your world view and scope.”

Q: Do you have any advice for prospective students?

“If you are a nontraditional student, please know that you are valued and have a place in the program, do not rule yourself out because you balance other commitments and identities separate from graduate school.”

Q: Did you have a motto that got you through graduate school?

“‘You will because you can!’ I often shared this motto with other peers, because grad school can be daunting, but it is important to remember the strength and ability you possess.”

Q: How did you celebrate completing your program?

“As a treat to myself for full-time work, grad school and parenting, I got on a plane with a friend and headed to Ft Myers Beach, FL and stayed in an oceanside hotel. I spent a few days floating in the salty water, explored the sandy beach and enjoyed the night sky to celebrate my accomplishment”.

Phillips’ investment in QME PhD pays off

July 2, 2018

Alison Phillips, quantitative methods in education (QME) PhD ‘15, always knew she wanted to be a high school math teacher—until she didn’t.

“Following a two-week break after completing my B.S., I jumped right into an initial licensure program,” Phillips recalls.

“Three years and two high school teaching positions later, I realized that I would not be happy teaching long-term, she adds. “I was headed back to school.”

Phillips met with professors in several graduate programs to help decide what path she would take but was most impressed by the faculty in the QME program and their willingness to meet with her when she wasn’t sure admission to their program was even something she wanted to pursue.

“Michael Rodriguez called Andy Zieffler on the spot to make sure he was teaching that summer and suggested I take EPSY 8261 as a non-degree seeking student to help me decide if QME would be a good fit for me.” Phillips continues, “I thought it was unusually helpful for a faculty member to identify which specific course I could take that would best give me an idea of the QME program as a whole.”

Phillip’s soul searching didn’t stop when she picked a graduate program. In her second year, she switched advisors to better fit the direction she saw her research going. Phillips also changed committee members once she locked-in a dissertation topic.

“It was important for me to realize that these sorts of changes did not ruffle any feathers,” she says. “The faculty wanted me to make changes that would support me being successful.”

Staying true to what she envisioned for her career paid off. Phillips is a senior quantitative analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. In her job, she uses banking and general economic data to build risk models. These models are used in the Bank’s Supervision and Regulation division to help assess the health of the foreign and domestic banks they supervise.

Phillips advice to graduate students: know the direction you want to go in your education, and make sure it happens.

“I decided early on that my graduate school experience was only going to be good if I made it that way,” she says.

CEHD News Sarah Jergenson

CEHD News Sarah Jergenson