Barr-Anderson, Konczak, Nielsen receive CEHD awards

Award recipients Nielsen, Konczak, Barr-Anderson (left to right)
Nielsen, Konczak, Barr-Anderson (left to right)

At the 2018 CEHD Spring Assembly on April 30, three outstanding members of the School of Kinesiology, received College awards. Congratulations to Daheia Barr-Anderson, Ph.D., Jürgen Konczak, Ph.D., and Carol Nielsen.

Daheia Barr-Anderson, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Kinesiology, was honored with the Multicultural Recognition Award for Faculty. This award recognizes significant professional or extracurricular contributions to and promotion of multicultural relations and perspectives. Barr-Anderson’s research centers on increasing physical activity behavior and decreasing sedentary behavior among children, particularly African-American females. Her professionally and personally involvement in the community fuel her passion. These services, such as volunteering for two African-American female organizations committed to the empowerment and education of our youth, Barr-Anderson states, have influenced her research and most importantly allow her to use her privilege as an African-American academic researcher to share the voices from her community.

Jürgen Konczak, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, received the Marty and Jack Rossmann Faculty Development Award. The Rossmann Award recognizes a tenured faculty member who has demonstrated a truly exceptional level of creativity and productivity in scholarship, teaching and service, and who shows great promise of continuing such achievement. Konzak has instituted and directs the Human Sensorimotor Control Laboratory (HSCL) as well as the Center for Clinical Movement Science (CCMS), an interdisciplinary unit across the University. His research, currently supported by grants from NIH and the NSF, focuses on the study of neurological movement disorders, motor learning after brain injury, and motor development in infancy and childhood and collaborates with, among others, the School of Nursing, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Engineering as well as with international research centers, primarily in Italy and Singapore. Since joining the faculty in 1999 he has served in leading roles on several Graduate School and College committees and has been the Director of Graduate Studies for the School.

Carol Nielsen is the recipient of the Jeanne T. Lupton Civil Service/Bargaining Unit Outstanding Service Award. Named in honor of Jeanne T. Lupton, Dean of General College (1979-86), this award recognizes outstanding service to CEHD and to the University of Minnesota by a CEHD Civil Service/Bargaining Unit staff. Although Nielsen’s primary responsibilities focus on all aspects of course management, she also has been heavily involved in building management and securing a safe workplace for others. She has built an excellent relationship with Facilities Management (FM) and takes a proactive approach to find solutions that are financially in our best interests. Nielsen is a passionate advocate for students and works directly with advisors and instructors to ensure high 4-year graduation rates in the School. What truly sets her apart, however, is Carol’s positive impact on her staff and colleagues. Her kindness, consideration, and inspired leadership style makes people feel welcome and appreciated, causing very high morale and productivity among the department staff.

Congratulations to all!