Where are you from?
I’m originally from Kansas City. I’ve lived on both the Kansas and Missouri sides. I did my undergraduate and Master’s degrees at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
Tell me about your Master’s degree.
My Master’s was a counseling program and I emphasized in Couples and Families counseling. It was more of a practitioner degree. I did a practicum and internship which really prepared me for the field. But one of the reasons I wanted to do the Ph.D. was to develop my research skills. My Master’s gave me a good foundation for being a good clinical worker in my counseling skills, but not research oriented.
What drew you to the Counseling Psychology program at UND?
Well there were a lot of things, actually. One of them was my advisor, Dr. Cindy Juntunen. She’s amazing and really active in the APA (American Psychology Association). Her interests and mine really coincided. I am really excited about vocational psychology and she is a big player in that field.
Also, I have some family history here in North Dakota. My mom stayed up here when my dad was in Vietnam. My grandfather actually taught Geology here and in Bismarck. He was a “wildcatter”, evidently, and was in the oil fields a lot. He said the problem at that time was they knew the oil was there they just couldn’t get to it.
What was your first winter like?
You know, my wife doesn’t like snow! And our last year in Kansas City we got more snow than here but it is usually gone within a day or two. But once it comes here in North Dakota it pretty much stays. That first winter I liked the snow. - I liked getting snowed in with my family - that was fun for me. I was offered admission to a school in Florida as well as UND, but I am actually glad that I came here. I tell everybody because if I were in Florida, I’d probably be learning how to scuba dive and sail and would be on the beach all the time. Here, I do a lot of studying and get a lot done.
Can you talk a little about your research?
I am researching ageism and how racism and ageism affect employment interviews. I am just getting ready to present my dissertation to my committee…fingers crossed. So that is really exciting. I am going to be looking at employment managers and polling them for information by giving them a couple of different scales to measure each construct. It’s a population that psychology as a whole doesn’t look at very often.
You are working on your dissertation proposal?
Yes, I’ve done a lot of the writing. You have to get your introduction and start on your methods before you do your proposal. Then, that’s where the committee takes a sledgehammer to it and tells you all the things that you need to work on. But also that your project is a good idea and that makes it stronger of course. It’s just a little nerve wracking. After that, I can start on the data collection.
Is everyone on your committee from Counseling Psychology or do you have people from different departments?
My department requires that there be one person from Psychology, not just Counseling Psychology. There also must be one member-at-large (from outside the discipline). My understanding is that they are there to make sure that everything is on the level. They may not understand the subject material, but they understand the procedures and make sure everything is going the way it should be.
When did you start at UND?
This is the end of my second year here and I will be done with the majority of my coursework in December, which is a really fast timetable. I am starting to feel the burn. It’s at the end of the semester when all the fun stuff starts with the writing. But the program is great for that and allowing me to push through rather quickly and to go at my own pace – (so long as they approve my dissertation!).
You have a graduate assistantship in Career Services here at UND, which sounds like great fit for your research.
Absolutely. I was really fortunate to be a graduate assistant there, the people are amazing and it’s a wonderful opportunity to help students. Which I really love doing. I think Career Service offices are the biggest secrets on campus, which is strange because they are so helpful! I mean a student can walk in and get expert help on how to find a job, making a resume and even get hooked up with an internship that could really help launch their careers. It’s an amazing resource for students and the people that work in the office are an amazing bunch of folks!
What kinds of opportunities have you experienced at UND since you arrived?
There are lots of opportunities to expand my professionalism and professional or clinical portfolio. But because of my family obligations I have to be selective of what I take on. My situation is a little different from some of the other students because I have a wife and two young children. I have a 9 month old and a 3 year old, so I have to be selective about what else I take on.
You speak about having a young family and a spouse. How do you find a balance?
It’s a great question. My program is amazing because they have allowed me to be what I need to be so long as I meet the requirements. And the requirements are intense because it is a doctoral program. But the faculty allows me to meet them in ways that I can. So I block off time. From 5pm-7pm is when the kids get home and its bath time. It’s where I need and want to be. I think there is a narrow age range when kids want you around and pretty soon that is gone. And you’ve got a little time to make a difference in their lives and that is really important to me. I just move heaven and earth to be there as much as I can during that time. And on the weekends as well and that means a lot of sleepless nights and missing naptimes. I study during their naptimes. And if it is really intense I may have to take a day to go to my office and study all day while my wife takes care of the kids. It’s tough, but that is what you have to do. Like I said that the program has been amazing to allow me the space to be there. For my family’s and my own sake I have to be at home from 5pm-7pm and I’m not sure a lot of programs would do that.
This is a very competitive program. Give me a piece of advice that you would offer to a prospective student for the Counseling Psychology program.
Absolutely, and becoming more so with North Dakota being the only state that is making money right now. The one piece of advice for someone in the program is that whatever you take on: follow through on it. It is really easy to be blinded by all the fun and amazing opportunities that get thrown at you and to say yes to lots of things, then suddenly you are underneath a mountain of stuff you need to do. Be selective about what you accept and when you accept it, make sure that you finish it and follow through. From my experience, professors and faculty will respect that. Even if you don’t take on everything, they will appreciate that you take things seriously.
You mentioned your advisor, Dr. Cindy Juntunen, can you speak about the importance of mentorship and the importance of having a good fit with faculty?
It’s been top notch in my experience. I’ve been very fortunate in my advisors. As I said before, Cindy is amazing, and I say all the time that it’s their world and I just live in in. But because of that, a big part of what I came here for is mentorship. That personality match is really important. Something a lot of people gave me advice on before I came was that you will not change grad school but grad school will change you. That is part of the mentorship process. Cindy has been amazing - she has been very accommodating with my children and my wife and in exchange I work my tail off for her. I think that is kind of the deal that we didn’t really discuss, but that is how it worked out for us.
Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?
Currently the federal government will do federal loan reimbursements of $10,000 or $20,000 a year for a certain number of years every time you work for them, so I plan to repay my debt to society or UND doing that. Afterwards I would be really interested in teaching.
Have you had an opportunity teach while you have been here?
Yeah, its another great thing about this program. If you are interested in something, they’ll throw an opportunity or two your way. That is once again one of the difficulties because there are so many great opportunities and there is only so much time. I have an interest in teaching and so right away the first year I was teaching UND’s undergraduate career course for undecided students. It was two 8-week courses a semester for two semesters and I was a GTA through Career Services so I could use the office’s resources.
Anything I haven’t asked you that you want to share?
Before I came here I was working full-time job, started a private practice, and was writing for a newspaper, and teaching. So you know, UND forced me to slow down. The pace of life here really allowed me to slow down and focus on our family and what I am doing. It was difficult at first but now it’s really great. We went back to Kansas City, we couldn’t watch the news, we were so inoculated against the violence. We come back here and WalMart and Target are 15 minutes away. It’s a really nice city.
Another great thing about this program is its rural emphasis. It is something we don’t talk about very much. There is a great push in psychology to reach rural communities because there is a definite need. I cannot imagine a more rural place than around here. So it has been a great opportunity for me, coming from Kansas City, there is almost 3 times as many people in Kansas City as there are in the entire state of North Dakota. It has been an interesting transition and I have learned an immense amount. And this program has been great about focusing on its rural communities around us and learning about rural issues. And it follows that up with practicums and internships in the rural areas.
In our program we have an amazing school counselor program that is a distance program, and from what I know, that is hard to find. Dr Dory Walker does a great job at servicing those students, visiting the sites, and making it possible for there to be a counseling presence in some of these rural communities.
]]>
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Kansas City. I’ve lived on both the Kansas and Missouri sides. I did my undergraduate and Master’s degrees at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
Tell me about your Master’s degree.
My Master’s was a counseling program and I emphasized in Couples and Families counseling. It was more of a practitioner degree. I did a practicum and internship which really prepared me for the field. But one of the reasons I wanted to do the Ph.D. was to develop my research skills. My Master’s gave me a good foundation for being a good clinical worker in my counseling skills, but not research oriented.
What drew you to the Counseling Psychology program at UND?
Well there were a lot of things, actually. One of them was my advisor, Dr. Cindy Juntunen. She’s amazing and really active in the APA (American Psychology Association). Her interests and mine really coincided. I am really excited about vocational psychology and she is a big player in that field.
Also, I have some family history here in North Dakota. My mom stayed up here when my dad was in Vietnam. My grandfather actually taught Geology here and in Bismarck. He was a “wildcatter”, evidently, and was in the oil fields a lot. He said the problem at that time was they knew the oil was there they just couldn’t get to it.
What was your first winter like?
You know, my wife doesn’t like snow! And our last year in Kansas City we got more snow than here but it is usually gone within a day or two. But once it comes here in North Dakota it pretty much stays. That first winter I liked the snow. - I liked getting snowed in with my family - that was fun for me. I was offered admission to a school in Florida as well as UND, but I am actually glad that I came here. I tell everybody because if I were in Florida, I’d probably be learning how to scuba dive and sail and would be on the beach all the time. Here, I do a lot of studying and get a lot done.
Can you talk a little about your research?
I am researching ageism and how racism and ageism affect employment interviews. I am just getting ready to present my dissertation to my committee…fingers crossed. So that is really exciting. I am going to be looking at employment managers and polling them for information by giving them a couple of different scales to measure each construct. It’s a population that psychology as a whole doesn’t look at very often.
You are working on your dissertation proposal?
Yes, I’ve done a lot of the writing. You have to get your introduction and start on your methods before you do your proposal. Then, that’s where the committee takes a sledgehammer to it and tells you all the things that you need to work on. But also that your project is a good idea and that makes it stronger of course. It’s just a little nerve wracking. After that, I can start on the data collection.
Is everyone on your committee from Counseling Psychology or do you have people from different departments?
My department requires that there be one person from Psychology, not just Counseling Psychology. There also must be one member-at-large (from outside the discipline). My understanding is that they are there to make sure that everything is on the level. They may not understand the subject material, but they understand the procedures and make sure everything is going the way it should be.
When did you start at UND?
This is the end of my second year here and I will be done with the majority of my coursework in December, which is a really fast timetable. I am starting to feel the burn. It’s at the end of the semester when all the fun stuff starts with the writing. But the program is great for that and allowing me to push through rather quickly and to go at my own pace – (so long as they approve my dissertation!).
You have a graduate assistantship in Career Services here at UND, which sounds like great fit for your research.
Absolutely. I was really fortunate to be a graduate assistant there, the people are amazing and it’s a wonderful opportunity to help students. Which I really love doing. I think Career Service offices are the biggest secrets on campus, which is strange because they are so helpful! I mean a student can walk in and get expert help on how to find a job, making a resume and even get hooked up with an internship that could really help launch their careers. It’s an amazing resource for students and the people that work in the office are an amazing bunch of folks!
What kinds of opportunities have you experienced at UND since you arrived?
There are lots of opportunities to expand my professionalism and professional or clinical portfolio. But because of my family obligations I have to be selective of what I take on. My situation is a little different from some of the other students because I have a wife and two young children. I have a 9 month old and a 3 year old, so I have to be selective about what else I take on.
You speak about having a young family and a spouse. How do you find a balance?
It’s a great question. My program is amazing because they have allowed me to be what I need to be so long as I meet the requirements. And the requirements are intense because it is a doctoral program. But the faculty allows me to meet them in ways that I can. So I block off time. From 5pm-7pm is when the kids get home and its bath time. It’s where I need and want to be. I think there is a narrow age range when kids want you around and pretty soon that is gone. And you’ve got a little time to make a difference in their lives and that is really important to me. I just move heaven and earth to be there as much as I can during that time. And on the weekends as well and that means a lot of sleepless nights and missing naptimes. I study during their naptimes. And if it is really intense I may have to take a day to go to my office and study all day while my wife takes care of the kids. It’s tough, but that is what you have to do. Like I said that the program has been amazing to allow me the space to be there. For my family’s and my own sake I have to be at home from 5pm-7pm and I’m not sure a lot of programs would do that.
This is a very competitive program. Give me a piece of advice that you would offer to a prospective student for the Counseling Psychology program.
Absolutely, and becoming more so with North Dakota being the only state that is making money right now. The one piece of advice for someone in the program is that whatever you take on: follow through on it. It is really easy to be blinded by all the fun and amazing opportunities that get thrown at you and to say yes to lots of things, then suddenly you are underneath a mountain of stuff you need to do. Be selective about what you accept and when you accept it, make sure that you finish it and follow through. From my experience, professors and faculty will respect that. Even if you don’t take on everything, they will appreciate that you take things seriously.
You mentioned your advisor, Dr. Cindy Juntunen, can you speak about the importance of mentorship and the importance of having a good fit with faculty?
It’s been top notch in my experience. I’ve been very fortunate in my advisors. As I said before, Cindy is amazing, and I say all the time that it’s their world and I just live in in. But because of that, a big part of what I came here for is mentorship. That personality match is really important. Something a lot of people gave me advice on before I came was that you will not change grad school but grad school will change you. That is part of the mentorship process. Cindy has been amazing - she has been very accommodating with my children and my wife and in exchange I work my tail off for her. I think that is kind of the deal that we didn’t really discuss, but that is how it worked out for us.
Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?
Currently the federal government will do federal loan reimbursements of $10,000 or $20,000 a year for a certain number of years every time you work for them, so I plan to repay my debt to society or UND doing that. Afterwards I would be really interested in teaching.
Have you had an opportunity teach while you have been here?
Yeah, its another great thing about this program. If you are interested in something, they’ll throw an opportunity or two your way. That is once again one of the difficulties because there are so many great opportunities and there is only so much time. I have an interest in teaching and so right away the first year I was teaching UND’s undergraduate career course for undecided students. It was two 8-week courses a semester for two semesters and I was a GTA through Career Services so I could use the office’s resources.
Anything I haven’t asked you that you want to share?
Before I came here I was working full-time job, started a private practice, and was writing for a newspaper, and teaching. So you know, UND forced me to slow down. The pace of life here really allowed me to slow down and focus on our family and what I am doing. It was difficult at first but now it’s really great. We went back to Kansas City, we couldn’t watch the news, we were so inoculated against the violence. We come back here and WalMart and Target are 15 minutes away. It’s a really nice city.
Another great thing about this program is its rural emphasis. It is something we don’t talk about very much. There is a great push in psychology to reach rural communities because there is a definite need. I cannot imagine a more rural place than around here. So it has been a great opportunity for me, coming from Kansas City, there is almost 3 times as many people in Kansas City as there are in the entire state of North Dakota. It has been an interesting transition and I have learned an immense amount. And this program has been great about focusing on its rural communities around us and learning about rural issues. And it follows that up with practicums and internships in the rural areas.
In our program we have an amazing school counselor program that is a distance program, and from what I know, that is hard to find. Dr Dory Walker does a great job at servicing those students, visiting the sites, and making it possible for there to be a counseling presence in some of these rural communities.
Where are you from?
I graduated high school from Mohall, North Dakota, which is in the north central part of state. After graduation, I attended Minot State University for my degree in Music Education. I taught music in a rural community in south-central North Dakota and earned my Master’s Degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from the University of Mary. This really sparked my interest in education that led me here to UND.
What are you are doing now, at UND?
I’m studying in the Department in Teaching and Learning, and my focus is teacher education. I’m also a graduate teaching assistant, teaching two courses: Introduction to Education and Classroom Management. I am currently working on my dissertation research in the western part of North Dakota researching how the oil boom has impacted schools and communities in the area.
The western part of the state is changing so much – can you describe what your research there?
The oil boom has had such an economic, population, and social impact upon North Dakota. What sparked my interest initially in this project was my experience in rural education. Having attended and taught in rural North Dakota, I asked myself, if I was a teacher in one of these communities, would I feel prepared to teach? How would I feel about the effect of the boom around me?
This led me to look at the effects of the community support in the schools. So right now I go into the communities and the schools and observe different areas. I observe teachers in the classroom; I observe locations in the communities being impacted by the boom. I also interview residents and school staff and get their perspectives on how they feel about the changes that accompany the boom and how they are preparing for further growth.
The communities that I am researching aren’t the communities that are being impacted to the extent of Williston and Stanley - the big news communities. But these are communities that are facing potential growth. They are the “bedroom communities” of the oil boom. They’re experiencing some growth and they’re accommodating some of the spill from the larger boom areas. They do have some drilling and quite a bit of growth, but at this point they are not in the peak stage of booming. However, that doesn’t mean they are not being affected. They see the effects of the other communities, some 20 miles away, which are being impacted on a larger scale, and have the unique opportunity to prepare their own schools and towns for change; this is an opportunity some towns may have never had.
I’m still gathering data, although what I’m finding is that those community members do support the idea of the growth, although they are not always supportive of the changes to the community – for the most part. This is something we see quite frequently. Change is hard, especially in small towns. When they’re dealing with changes to their social structures, traditions, infrastructures, housing and roads, it can be difficult. But, like most communities in North Dakota, they are profoundly supportive of their school because it is the heart and center of the entire community. They realize that if the school fails, the community usually goes with it. They are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the community successful while they are experiencing all the other things that are dramatically impacting the way they live their lives.
You mentioned people moving into these communities and that often brings with it a change in the diversity of a community. How is that impacting the schools?
For teachers in these rural communities, some may not feel prepared to deal with some of the diversity impacts. They have the best intentions, but it ultimately comes down to: Is there an expert in the school who can help them with students who are English Language Learners? Are there experts who can deal with special education needs they are seeing move into the school that they’ve not experienced before? Are they knowledgeable of or sensitive to the needs of students with diverse cultures, beliefs, backgrounds, and academic readiness levels?
I read an article about the school in Stanley, and they have a map where they put a pin indicating where all of their students have come from across the US and across the world. That map is quite full, it seems. They are also experiencing this in the communities I am researching. They’re finding students are coming from all around the country and even some worldly students whose parents come to work and stay in these communities. Maybe they’re not on the same academic level as other students. Or maybe they don’t have the same cultural background or interests or knowledge of the community. I haven’t analyzed much of the data yet, and while it seems that the teachers are doing their best in these communities, they are definitely seeing things that they haven’t seen before.
So there is pressure on the teachers?
There absolutely is.
As well as the students in the classrooms.
Yes. It seems when it comes to standardized testing for No Child Left Behind and you have students who have just moved in and have an entirely different knowledge base, they are representing their new school with knowledge from their old schools. So the teachers are trying to get them caught up. If the students are behind academically, it may be because they have experienced dramatic change in moving across the country. [Because housing is scarce] … maybe they’re living in a garage at this point. Maybe they have moved a handful of times in the last few years as their parents look for work. Some parents drive 2-3 hours a day to and from work in the oil fields. So the home life isn’t always stable. Not to say that they are all unstable, but in some situations the students also have home issues that are impacting their academic success.
And then there are the further impacts of a sharp growth where other jobs, like afterschool care, might not be available?
Yes. I felt this research was so important and so timely. I wanted to get into the schools and see not only what they are experiencing, but also how they are preparing for the future. They have a chance to prepare for the growth that others didn’t and they’re referencing other communities when they talk about what they are doing. They say, “This happened in Williston, so this is what we are trying to prevent”, for example. So they have the opportunity to be potentially more successful than those around them at some levels.
How is the community able to help the teachers and the schools?
The research I’ve done on community support suggests that their support is vitally important. Rural communities need to be supportive of extracurricular activities, academics, fund-raising initiatives, and other school-sponsored activities. This support directly benefits the teachers and students. If the school needs to pass a bond or a levy or a new tax because of growth, or they need to put an addition on the school, such as a new building, a bus garage, or a new field, they need the community to support them and sometimes to vote for these initiatives.
The schools in the communities that haven’t been supportive during these times have suffered. Dropout rates might increase because the school cannot do what is necessary to educate the new population, and student academic success suffers. Teachers could be under an immense amount of stress with overcrowded classrooms. Some research indicates that inappropriate activities, such as drug and alcohol use, increase among some students in boomtowns, and schools need funding and development to be proactive and reactive to these issues. Community support is usually necessary for this to happen.
How often are you getting out into the field to collect data?
I try to get out there once a week. I travel across the state every Friday and usually come back on Saturday night. It’s a busy time for me, but I’ve gotten some funding from The Graduate School for my research and from our department, too. It’s about a 5 hour drive out there and 5 hours back, but it’s worth it.
Speaking of funding, can you talk about what opportunities you have as a grad student to conduct research?
One of the many reasons I chose UND was the support they give their graduate students. The university offers such great opportunities for graduate research and teaching. Teaching is what I love - it’s my passion. They’ve allowed me to teach two courses every semester and with these courses come a stipend and, in some cases, a tuition waiver. This has been just wonderful and is more than I ever thought I would get.
For my graduate dissertation research, The Graduate School has offered funding for travel and for presenting at conferences, which is great. They offer funding for doctoral-level research, and that’s been really beneficial. Our department offers opportunities for service if you want to serve on committees. Faculty members are also sometimes willing to allow you to be a part of their research or presentation projects.
You presented a couple of posters at The Graduate School’s Scholarly Forum. One was your Dissertation research and you were a contributing author on another. What was the second project?
The second project was research that I had done for a course with a few of my classmates. We looked at how teacher anxiety impacts student performance on standardized tests. The opportunity to present at the Scholarly Forum is good, because it gives you the opportunity to present in a formal and yet fairly relaxed setting that prepares you for presenting at larger conferences and at other universities. It kept me on my toes and made me think even deeper about my own research.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I want to be working in an educational institute. Whether it is pre-kindergarten, post-Secondary, or anywhere in-between, it doesn’t matter to me. I just love education and love working with teachers. In five years I want to be an advocate for our profession because I think it is the greatest and most important profession in the world.
What is the single piece of advice you would give to a student considering a graduate program in Teaching and Learning?
Be ready to make some sacrifices. Like all graduate degrees, you have to be prepared to let some parts of your life - sort of take a back burner to your education. I think that is the best way to be successful – to put your education at the forefront, but find a way to plan your academics and your life and achieve some balance. I wish I followed my own advice!
Can you discuss the importance of mentorship and faculty advisors?
At every level, whether undergraduate or graduate, it is vitally important that you are close with your advisor. If you are pursuing a degree, make sure you have an advisor that matches your interests and is knowledgeable regarding what you plan to study and research.
My advisor, Dr. Jodi Holen, has been incredibly helpful and supportive in everything I have done. I think you have to have a positive relationship with them and be willing to communicate with them. They hold in their hand your opportunity for success. In our department they seem more than willing to be available to graduate students, and care about our growth.
Do you have any funny stories as a grad student you would like to share?
Living in the Red River Valley, on this side of the state, it’s a different experience than living in central North Dakota. I wasn’t quite prepared for the amount of rain we get in the Valley. I didn’t have an umbrella - I didn’t know I needed one! I stepped out of my car and was absolutely drenched by the time I took two steps. I taught drenched, dripping from the sleeves when I wrote on the board, and, of course, had night class afterward. I was still soaked while I sat through class. What a fun night. I guess that could lead to another piece of advice: have an umbrella in the Valley! It’s beautiful, for sure, but be prepared. It’s the one thing I asked of my wife for Christmas.
Talk about the joys and pressures of graduate school.
It’s a different world at this level, even at the master’s level. But when I reached the doctorate level, since it requires so much of your time and effort, it is almost like taking on another wife. I have needed to literally write in my planner the time to spend with my wife, Laura, and my family and friends. There are so many other things pulling you in all directions during your graduate studies. It’s strengthened our relationship, but there are instances when we just haven’t found enough time to spend together. And that has been a challenge. But she has been nothing but supportive of me. I couldn’t imagine doing this without a supportive spouse.
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Where are you from?
I graduated high school from Mohall, North Dakota, which is in the north central part of state. After graduation, I attended Minot State University for my degree in Music Education. I taught music in a rural community in south-central North Dakota and earned my Master’s Degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from the University of Mary. This really sparked my interest in education that led me here to UND.
What are you are doing now, at UND?
I’m studying in the Department in Teaching and Learning, and my focus is teacher education. I’m also a graduate teaching assistant, teaching two courses: Introduction to Education and Classroom Management. I am currently working on my dissertation research in the western part of North Dakota researching how the oil boom has impacted schools and communities in the area.
The western part of the state is changing so much – can you describe what your research there?
The oil boom has had such an economic, population, and social impact upon North Dakota. What sparked my interest initially in this project was my experience in rural education. Having attended and taught in rural North Dakota, I asked myself, if I was a teacher in one of these communities, would I feel prepared to teach? How would I feel about the effect of the boom around me?
This led me to look at the effects of the community support in the schools. So right now I go into the communities and the schools and observe different areas. I observe teachers in the classroom; I observe locations in the communities being impacted by the boom. I also interview residents and school staff and get their perspectives on how they feel about the changes that accompany the boom and how they are preparing for further growth.
The communities that I am researching aren’t the communities that are being impacted to the extent of Williston and Stanley - the big news communities. But these are communities that are facing potential growth. They are the “bedroom communities” of the oil boom. They’re experiencing some growth and they’re accommodating some of the spill from the larger boom areas. They do have some drilling and quite a bit of growth, but at this point they are not in the peak stage of booming. However, that doesn’t mean they are not being affected. They see the effects of the other communities, some 20 miles away, which are being impacted on a larger scale, and have the unique opportunity to prepare their own schools and towns for change; this is an opportunity some towns may have never had.
I’m still gathering data, although what I’m finding is that those community members do support the idea of the growth, although they are not always supportive of the changes to the community – for the most part. This is something we see quite frequently. Change is hard, especially in small towns. When they’re dealing with changes to their social structures, traditions, infrastructures, housing and roads, it can be difficult. But, like most communities in North Dakota, they are profoundly supportive of their school because it is the heart and center of the entire community. They realize that if the school fails, the community usually goes with it. They are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the community successful while they are experiencing all the other things that are dramatically impacting the way they live their lives.
You mentioned people moving into these communities and that often brings with it a change in the diversity of a community. How is that impacting the schools?
For teachers in these rural communities, some may not feel prepared to deal with some of the diversity impacts. They have the best intentions, but it ultimately comes down to: Is there an expert in the school who can help them with students who are English Language Learners? Are there experts who can deal with special education needs they are seeing move into the school that they’ve not experienced before? Are they knowledgeable of or sensitive to the needs of students with diverse cultures, beliefs, backgrounds, and academic readiness levels?
I read an article about the school in Stanley, and they have a map where they put a pin indicating where all of their students have come from across the US and across the world. That map is quite full, it seems. They are also experiencing this in the communities I am researching. They’re finding students are coming from all around the country and even some worldly students whose parents come to work and stay in these communities. Maybe they’re not on the same academic level as other students. Or maybe they don’t have the same cultural background or interests or knowledge of the community. I haven’t analyzed much of the data yet, and while it seems that the teachers are doing their best in these communities, they are definitely seeing things that they haven’t seen before.
So there is pressure on the teachers?
There absolutely is.
As well as the students in the classrooms.
Yes. It seems when it comes to standardized testing for No Child Left Behind and you have students who have just moved in and have an entirely different knowledge base, they are representing their new school with knowledge from their old schools. So the teachers are trying to get them caught up. If the students are behind academically, it may be because they have experienced dramatic change in moving across the country. [Because housing is scarce] … maybe they’re living in a garage at this point. Maybe they have moved a handful of times in the last few years as their parents look for work. Some parents drive 2-3 hours a day to and from work in the oil fields. So the home life isn’t always stable. Not to say that they are all unstable, but in some situations the students also have home issues that are impacting their academic success.
And then there are the further impacts of a sharp growth where other jobs, like afterschool care, might not be available?
Yes. I felt this research was so important and so timely. I wanted to get into the schools and see not only what they are experiencing, but also how they are preparing for the future. They have a chance to prepare for the growth that others didn’t and they’re referencing other communities when they talk about what they are doing. They say, “This happened in Williston, so this is what we are trying to prevent”, for example. So they have the opportunity to be potentially more successful than those around them at some levels.
How is the community able to help the teachers and the schools?
The research I’ve done on community support suggests that their support is vitally important. Rural communities need to be supportive of extracurricular activities, academics, fund-raising initiatives, and other school-sponsored activities. This support directly benefits the teachers and students. If the school needs to pass a bond or a levy or a new tax because of growth, or they need to put an addition on the school, such as a new building, a bus garage, or a new field, they need the community to support them and sometimes to vote for these initiatives.
The schools in the communities that haven’t been supportive during these times have suffered. Dropout rates might increase because the school cannot do what is necessary to educate the new population, and student academic success suffers. Teachers could be under an immense amount of stress with overcrowded classrooms. Some research indicates that inappropriate activities, such as drug and alcohol use, increase among some students in boomtowns, and schools need funding and development to be proactive and reactive to these issues. Community support is usually necessary for this to happen.
How often are you getting out into the field to collect data?
I try to get out there once a week. I travel across the state every Friday and usually come back on Saturday night. It’s a busy time for me, but I’ve gotten some funding from The Graduate School for my research and from our department, too. It’s about a 5 hour drive out there and 5 hours back, but it’s worth it.
Speaking of funding, can you talk about what opportunities you have as a grad student to conduct research?
One of the many reasons I chose UND was the support they give their graduate students. The university offers such great opportunities for graduate research and teaching. Teaching is what I love - it’s my passion. They’ve allowed me to teach two courses every semester and with these courses come a stipend and, in some cases, a tuition waiver. This has been just wonderful and is more than I ever thought I would get.
For my graduate dissertation research, The Graduate School has offered funding for travel and for presenting at conferences, which is great. They offer funding for doctoral-level research, and that’s been really beneficial. Our department offers opportunities for service if you want to serve on committees. Faculty members are also sometimes willing to allow you to be a part of their research or presentation projects.
You presented a couple of posters at The Graduate School’s Scholarly Forum. One was your Dissertation research and you were a contributing author on another. What was the second project?
The second project was research that I had done for a course with a few of my classmates. We looked at how teacher anxiety impacts student performance on standardized tests. The opportunity to present at the Scholarly Forum is good, because it gives you the opportunity to present in a formal and yet fairly relaxed setting that prepares you for presenting at larger conferences and at other universities. It kept me on my toes and made me think even deeper about my own research.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I want to be working in an educational institute. Whether it is pre-kindergarten, post-Secondary, or anywhere in-between, it doesn’t matter to me. I just love education and love working with teachers. In five years I want to be an advocate for our profession because I think it is the greatest and most important profession in the world.
What is the single piece of advice you would give to a student considering a graduate program in Teaching and Learning?
Be ready to make some sacrifices. Like all graduate degrees, you have to be prepared to let some parts of your life - sort of take a back burner to your education. I think that is the best way to be successful – to put your education at the forefront, but find a way to plan your academics and your life and achieve some balance. I wish I followed my own advice!
Can you discuss the importance of mentorship and faculty advisors?
At every level, whether undergraduate or graduate, it is vitally important that you are close with your advisor. If you are pursuing a degree, make sure you have an advisor that matches your interests and is knowledgeable regarding what you plan to study and research.
My advisor, Dr. Jodi Holen, has been incredibly helpful and supportive in everything I have done. I think you have to have a positive relationship with them and be willing to communicate with them. They hold in their hand your opportunity for success. In our department they seem more than willing to be available to graduate students, and care about our growth.
Do you have any funny stories as a grad student you would like to share?
Living in the Red River Valley, on this side of the state, it’s a different experience than living in central North Dakota. I wasn’t quite prepared for the amount of rain we get in the Valley. I didn’t have an umbrella - I didn’t know I needed one! I stepped out of my car and was absolutely drenched by the time I took two steps. I taught drenched, dripping from the sleeves when I wrote on the board, and, of course, had night class afterward. I was still soaked while I sat through class. What a fun night. I guess that could lead to another piece of advice: have an umbrella in the Valley! It’s beautiful, for sure, but be prepared. It’s the one thing I asked of my wife for Christmas.
Talk about the joys and pressures of graduate school.
It’s a different world at this level, even at the master’s level. But when I reached the doctorate level, since it requires so much of your time and effort, it is almost like taking on another wife. I have needed to literally write in my planner the time to spend with my wife, Laura, and my family and friends. There are so many other things pulling you in all directions during your graduate studies. It’s strengthened our relationship, but there are instances when we just haven’t found enough time to spend together. And that has been a challenge. But she has been nothing but supportive of me. I couldn’t imagine doing this without a supportive spouse.
I am from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil, a town called Juiz de Fora, which is about one hour from Rio de Janiero.
Is that where you did your undergraduate degree?
Juiz de Fora is about 4 hours from my state’s capital Belo Horizonte and I went to Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
So how did you come to UND?
I came here because I had a friend who was studying at UND. When I started to look towards my international education and career my friend told me about Dr. Ingle (my trumpet professor) and said he would help me to be successful.
At first, I sent Dr. Ingle an email using Google Translator because at the time I didn’t speak one word of English! So I sent an introductory email and told him I wanted to come to study with him. Within one hour, he replied! He told me either I would need to come to audition for him, or put some videos on YouTube of my performances.
I worked hard to find someone in Brazil who could take my old videos from VHS to DVD and that took more than a month. But I finally got them up on the web and sent them to Dr. Ingle. He told me he’d help me, and then it took me about another year to be able to come to the United States. I moved back home to save money, I sold everything and I asked people for help – finally I was able to come. All I had was my airline ticket and $300 in my pocket.
I remember arriving at the airport expecting to see my friend, and when I greeted him he introduced me to Dr. Ingle who had also come to the airport to collect me! Wow! I was so surprised. I asked someone on my flight who spoke Portuguese to write on a piece of paper “I don’t speak English, but if you believe in me, I can learn.” So I started my schooling here at UND in the ELS (ELS Language Centers) program. After a few months there I received a scholarship and then after a year I graduated from the program. I worked really hard.
When I was done, I went to the chair of Music, Dr. Wittgraf, and told him I was ready to begin my graduate program. The Music Department gave me some financial assistance with a tuition waiver and graduate teaching assistant position. So, in one year after arriving with only $300 and speaking no English, I was accepted into the music graduate program and given an assistantship in Music and one in Anthropology, AND I had learned English. I didn’t know that was possible.
It was hard at times. For a year I ate only one meal a day and there was a period of 6 months when I didn’t collect a paycheck. But everyday, my will carried me through. When I was young, a trumpet player who I really admired once told me that when he was at school, he didn’t have money to eat, so he would go to the practice room and study more. This is what I did, too. I love to play, so I would go to the practice room and do my homework. I am there everyday.
When I left Brazil, my mother gave me a small vial of gold and told me that when things seem difficult, to look at that gold as a reminder of what I am doing in life. I carry it with me always.
You are a trumpet performer. Do you also compose?
Yes, a little bit, but first I am a performer. I love to play and I especially love to play new music. I love to have friends compose for me and even though I can’t pay them money, I can promise that their music will be played.
Who inspires you?
My father and my mother, my advisor Dr. Ingle, and my brother all inspire me. And people who come from nothing and are doing great.Lots of people inspire me.
What are some of the opportunities you have as a graduate student?
I have learned a lot being a GTA in the Music Department and having an opportunity to interact with students from many other departments on campus and my position with Anthropology has also been very valuable.
Last year I had an opportunity to attend the International Trumpeters Guild in Minneapolis, where I met or sat next to every trumpet player I grew up listening to and studying. It was great. I also went to Moorehead (MN) to T.R.U.M.P.E.T.S. (The Regional Upper Midwest Performance and Education Trumpet Summit), and I started to get to know other professors and trumpet players from this area, which was a really good experience.
And I presented my first paper in English at The UND Graduate School Scholarly Forum. I was excited and I worked really hard to do a nice job there! And I have been accepted to present my paper at the International Trumpeters Guild in May of this year in Columbus, Georgia.
I’ve also been given a chance to play one of the hardest pieces of music for the trumpet, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, taking the place of my trumpet professor since he was scheduled to be out of the country. I’ve had many opportunities at UND. For a person who came to UND without speaking English to be placed in this position is incredible, and I am very grateful for this.
Tell me about your research.
The title of my paper is “Uncovering New Solo Trumpet Music from Minas Gerais, Brazil”. My research started when I was an undergraduate student. I went to a school that was 100% performance and where there was much collaboration between performers and composers. Towards the end of my undergraduate studies, I came to realize how great the music from Minas Gerais is, and realized that there is nothing written about it. I decided this will be my life’s research, and have remained very passionate about it.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’m now in the middle of my second semester and beginning to think about what I’ll do next. I see that I will still be researching the composers from Minas Gerais and studying trumpet. I would like to think about doing a DMA or a PhD, but I am not sure yet. I am just so happy here and I don’t feel like I am done with UND yet. There is still so much I want to do, so we’ll see.
A friend once asked why I would come to the United States to research Brazilian music. But actually, I came to UND to develop my trumpet skills and musical ability to be able to play Brazilian music much better. And while my topic is Minas Gerais music, what I am doing here is so much more than that.
What is one of the funniest memories you have of being here?
We had a guest trumpeter from Yale University - one of the biggest trumpet players ever. After his concert, a group of us went to a local restaurant to continue our conversation and I ended up sitting next to him. We ordered some drinks and the first second that the waitress put the drinks on the table, the professor, who wasn’t paying attention, knocked the full glass into my lap. I said, “I will never wash my pants again!” It was very funny.
How was your first winter? Was it a shock?
(Laughs) Yes. The problem with that first winter wasn’t December. The problem was October! It started to get cold, and then it just kept getting colder! By December I had my clothes sorted. I remember going to class one morning and it was beautiful, the sun was shining – perfect day. By the time I left class it was so cold, and I didn’t have a jacket. I thought I would die!
Something I will always remember is being invited to spend Christmas Day with my advisor's family. They didn’t have any obligation to me, but it was so special. So my journey is not only professional, but it’s personal too. And you can’t put a price on that.
What advice would you give to a graduate student coming to UND?
Get to know your professors, because they know what they are doing. If our goal is to become a professor some day, something I have learned here at UND is how to look at my students as people, not as numbers.
]]>
Where are you from?
I am from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil, a town called Juiz de Fora, which is about one hour from Rio de Janiero.
Is that where you did your undergraduate degree?
Juiz de Fora is about 4 hours from my state’s capital Belo Horizonte and I went to Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
So how did you come to UND?
I came here because I had a friend who was studying at UND. When I started to look towards my international education and career my friend told me about Dr. Ingle (my trumpet professor) and said he would help me to be successful.
At first, I sent Dr. Ingle an email using Google Translator because at the time I didn’t speak one word of English! So I sent an introductory email and told him I wanted to come to study with him. Within one hour, he replied! He told me either I would need to come to audition for him, or put some videos on YouTube of my performances.
I worked hard to find someone in Brazil who could take my old videos from VHS to DVD and that took more than a month. But I finally got them up on the web and sent them to Dr. Ingle. He told me he’d help me, and then it took me about another year to be able to come to the United States. I moved back home to save money, I sold everything and I asked people for help – finally I was able to come. All I had was my airline ticket and $300 in my pocket.
I remember arriving at the airport expecting to see my friend, and when I greeted him he introduced me to Dr. Ingle who had also come to the airport to collect me! Wow! I was so surprised. I asked someone on my flight who spoke Portuguese to write on a piece of paper “I don’t speak English, but if you believe in me, I can learn.” So I started my schooling here at UND in the ELS (ELS Language Centers) program. After a few months there I received a scholarship and then after a year I graduated from the program. I worked really hard.
When I was done, I went to the chair of Music, Dr. Wittgraf, and told him I was ready to begin my graduate program. The Music Department gave me some financial assistance with a tuition waiver and graduate teaching assistant position. So, in one year after arriving with only $300 and speaking no English, I was accepted into the music graduate program and given an assistantship in Music and one in Anthropology, AND I had learned English. I didn’t know that was possible.
It was hard at times. For a year I ate only one meal a day and there was a period of 6 months when I didn’t collect a paycheck. But everyday, my will carried me through. When I was young, a trumpet player who I really admired once told me that when he was at school, he didn’t have money to eat, so he would go to the practice room and study more. This is what I did, too. I love to play, so I would go to the practice room and do my homework. I am there everyday.
When I left Brazil, my mother gave me a small vial of gold and told me that when things seem difficult, to look at that gold as a reminder of what I am doing in life. I carry it with me always.
You are a trumpet performer. Do you also compose?
Yes, a little bit, but first I am a performer. I love to play and I especially love to play new music. I love to have friends compose for me and even though I can’t pay them money, I can promise that their music will be played.
Who inspires you?
My father and my mother, my advisor Dr. Ingle, and my brother all inspire me. And people who come from nothing and are doing great.Lots of people inspire me.
What are some of the opportunities you have as a graduate student?
I have learned a lot being a GTA in the Music Department and having an opportunity to interact with students from many other departments on campus and my position with Anthropology has also been very valuable.
Last year I had an opportunity to attend the International Trumpeters Guild in Minneapolis, where I met or sat next to every trumpet player I grew up listening to and studying. It was great. I also went to Moorehead (MN) to T.R.U.M.P.E.T.S. (The Regional Upper Midwest Performance and Education Trumpet Summit), and I started to get to know other professors and trumpet players from this area, which was a really good experience.
And I presented my first paper in English at The UND Graduate School Scholarly Forum. I was excited and I worked really hard to do a nice job there! And I have been accepted to present my paper at the International Trumpeters Guild in May of this year in Columbus, Georgia.
I’ve also been given a chance to play one of the hardest pieces of music for the trumpet, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, taking the place of my trumpet professor since he was scheduled to be out of the country. I’ve had many opportunities at UND. For a person who came to UND without speaking English to be placed in this position is incredible, and I am very grateful for this.
Tell me about your research.
The title of my paper is “Uncovering New Solo Trumpet Music from Minas Gerais, Brazil”. My research started when I was an undergraduate student. I went to a school that was 100% performance and where there was much collaboration between performers and composers. Towards the end of my undergraduate studies, I came to realize how great the music from Minas Gerais is, and realized that there is nothing written about it. I decided this will be my life’s research, and have remained very passionate about it.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’m now in the middle of my second semester and beginning to think about what I’ll do next. I see that I will still be researching the composers from Minas Gerais and studying trumpet. I would like to think about doing a DMA or a PhD, but I am not sure yet. I am just so happy here and I don’t feel like I am done with UND yet. There is still so much I want to do, so we’ll see.
A friend once asked why I would come to the United States to research Brazilian music. But actually, I came to UND to develop my trumpet skills and musical ability to be able to play Brazilian music much better. And while my topic is Minas Gerais music, what I am doing here is so much more than that.
What is one of the funniest memories you have of being here?
We had a guest trumpeter from Yale University - one of the biggest trumpet players ever. After his concert, a group of us went to a local restaurant to continue our conversation and I ended up sitting next to him. We ordered some drinks and the first second that the waitress put the drinks on the table, the professor, who wasn’t paying attention, knocked the full glass into my lap. I said, “I will never wash my pants again!” It was very funny.
How was your first winter? Was it a shock?
(Laughs) Yes. The problem with that first winter wasn’t December. The problem was October! It started to get cold, and then it just kept getting colder! By December I had my clothes sorted. I remember going to class one morning and it was beautiful, the sun was shining – perfect day. By the time I left class it was so cold, and I didn’t have a jacket. I thought I would die!
Something I will always remember is being invited to spend Christmas Day with my advisor's family. They didn’t have any obligation to me, but it was so special. So my journey is not only professional, but it’s personal too. And you can’t put a price on that.
What advice would you give to a graduate student coming to UND?
Get to know your professors, because they know what they are doing. If our goal is to become a professor some day, something I have learned here at UND is how to look at my students as people, not as numbers.
]]>
As a nurse I have always been interested in a Master’s degree in Public Health with a nursing specialty and offered online. The University of North Dakota is the only university that offered me this unique opportunity at the time.
What is it about the program that you most enjoy?
It is very organized, well designed and structured. The instructors are readily available and would go an extra mile to assist students. The virtual classroom setting accords me the flexibility to travel, engage in my projects across the globe and study all at the same time. It is a wonderful experience.
Recently you returned to Cameroon as the sponsor of the Sanitation and Hygiene in Njinikom project. Can you describe the project and its impact on people in the town?
It is a two phase project with the overall goal to provide improved access to basic sanitation and hygiene practices in the Njinikom rural community. The first phase of the project is currently in progress with the construction of the first public toilet in the Njinikom area and ongoing education seminars on disease transmission through fecal-oral contact, benefits of adequate sanitation and hygiene, and techniques in hand washing. The second phase of the project involves the construction of residential pit latrines. The eligibility requirement for a residential pit latrine is attendance and participation in education seminars. There is a lot of enthusiasm and hope in the community. During my stay in the community I encountered people daily who would walk up to me and say thank you for saving our community. Others lamented the poor state of sanitation practices and I have been offered pieces of land from neighborhood chiefs to construct public toilets. My hope is that the enthusiasm will translate into actual usage of the public and residential toilets once constructed.
Will you be returning for the project's completion?
Absolutely. This is just the first phase of the project and I hope to be there to cut the ribbon. The goal is to complete the first public toilet by summer. I will need to be there to put in place a managerial team to ensure sustainability of the facility. The biggest challenge in a project such as this is sustainability. I will also need to train janitors prior to opening the facility and also ensure that the plan was closely followed.
How has your experience in the nursing program helped with that project?
It has helped tremendously. I have gained a wealth of knowledge being in the program. This has helped shape my vision and propelled me to make numerous revisions in the project. I initiated the project prior to getting into UND and since being in the program I have become proficient in my leadership, collaborative and communication skills. I have also developed proficiency in program assessment, implementation and evaluation.
While you are studying in the United States, you are also busy traveling for work. Can you talk a little about what you are doing?
I am a travel nurse with the VA travel nurse corps. I am required to do one thirteen week assignment a year and have a maximum of 9 months to be in one location. I am currently in Des Moines, IA where I work with VA (Veteran Affairs) and HUD (Housing and urban development) to provide housing to homeless Veterans.
How do you manage your coursework while you are on the road?
I am a very disciplined and organized person and therefore able to structure my time appropriately around my work and school.
What advice do you have for a student considering the graduate program in Nursing?
It is a very rewarding program. It is well organized and structured. Individuals considering the program have to cultivate a culture of self-discipline to be successful.
What would you like to be doing 5 years from now?
Obtain my Ph.D. degree in international or global health and continue working to promote health and prevent the spread of diseases in impoverished communities in Cameroon, the continent of Africa and beyond.
]]>
Irin, you are originally from Cameroon and now based in the US. What drew you to the Nursing program at UND?
As a nurse I have always been interested in a Master’s degree in Public Health with a nursing specialty and offered online. The University of North Dakota is the only university that offered me this unique opportunity at the time.
What is it about the program that you most enjoy?
It is very organized, well designed and structured. The instructors are readily available and would go an extra mile to assist students. The virtual classroom setting accords me the flexibility to travel, engage in my projects across the globe and study all at the same time. It is a wonderful experience.
Recently you returned to Cameroon as the sponsor of the Sanitation and Hygiene in Njinikom project. Can you describe the project and its impact on people in the town?
It is a two phase project with the overall goal to provide improved access to basic sanitation and hygiene practices in the Njinikom rural community. The first phase of the project is currently in progress with the construction of the first public toilet in the Njinikom area and ongoing education seminars on disease transmission through fecal-oral contact, benefits of adequate sanitation and hygiene, and techniques in hand washing. The second phase of the project involves the construction of residential pit latrines. The eligibility requirement for a residential pit latrine is attendance and participation in education seminars. There is a lot of enthusiasm and hope in the community. During my stay in the community I encountered people daily who would walk up to me and say thank you for saving our community. Others lamented the poor state of sanitation practices and I have been offered pieces of land from neighborhood chiefs to construct public toilets. My hope is that the enthusiasm will translate into actual usage of the public and residential toilets once constructed.
Will you be returning for the project's completion?
Absolutely. This is just the first phase of the project and I hope to be there to cut the ribbon. The goal is to complete the first public toilet by summer. I will need to be there to put in place a managerial team to ensure sustainability of the facility. The biggest challenge in a project such as this is sustainability. I will also need to train janitors prior to opening the facility and also ensure that the plan was closely followed.
How has your experience in the nursing program helped with that project?
It has helped tremendously. I have gained a wealth of knowledge being in the program. This has helped shape my vision and propelled me to make numerous revisions in the project. I initiated the project prior to getting into UND and since being in the program I have become proficient in my leadership, collaborative and communication skills. I have also developed proficiency in program assessment, implementation and evaluation.
While you are studying in the United States, you are also busy traveling for work. Can you talk a little about what you are doing?
I am a travel nurse with the VA travel nurse corps. I am required to do one thirteen week assignment a year and have a maximum of 9 months to be in one location. I am currently in Des Moines, IA where I work with VA (Veteran Affairs) and HUD (Housing and urban development) to provide housing to homeless Veterans.
How do you manage your coursework while you are on the road?
I am a very disciplined and organized person and therefore able to structure my time appropriately around my work and school.
What advice do you have for a student considering the graduate program in Nursing?
It is a very rewarding program. It is well organized and structured. Individuals considering the program have to cultivate a culture of self-discipline to be successful.
What would you like to be doing 5 years from now?
Obtain my Ph.D. degree in international or global health and continue working to promote health and prevent the spread of diseases in impoverished communities in Cameroon, the continent of Africa and beyond.
I received my BA in English from UND, so I had the opportunity to get to know the faculty before I decided to attend UND for my MA. The final decision really came down to the opportunity for one-on-one work with faculty. I knew I would have that at UND.
What was your favorite class?
That’s a tough question! The poetry workshops I was a part of were my favorite. There was a sense of community in the class, and discussions were always lively. You don’t realize what a great opportunity workshops are – the chance for several people to respond to your writing and to hear their feedback before you submit it. It’s a rare and very valuable thing.
The English Department successfully nominated your Master’s thesis for the 2010 Distinguished Thesis Award. The award is recognition of academic excellence in your field. How did you respond when you discovered you’d been chosen?
Shock. I was really honored. UND graduates many accomplished students, and I was overwhelmed to be recognized. It’s nice to have someone confirm that what you’re writing is important.
You recently published In Grain (Finishing Line Press, 2011). Can you describe the book?
It’s a collection of poetry that explores rural North Dakota and the family farm. It centers around the connection the people have with the land, exploring the interdependent relationships between the family and the family farm. It’s really less about North Dakota and more about the farming community; these poems could very well take place on a wheat farm in Kansas. As corporate farming begins to monopolize agriculture, it’s easy to say the family farm has failed, and that’s what will be remembered. The family farm also thrived. It is my hope that this project illustrates the beauty within the challenges of a farming community.
Can you talk about your writing process when you were compiling In Grain? I imagine many of the themes stem from personal experiences?
Many of the themes do stem from personal experience. I grew up on a farm in rural North Dakota, but I didn’t have an intense interest in the workings of it until I began writing. I needed to write a poem for a workshop I was in, and “Rural Route 2, Box 36” came out. It was surprising to me that this became the project that obsessed me. I spent the next two years writing and revising poems exploring this agricultural lifestyle.
Throughout a graduate student’s career they tend to work closely with faculty mentors and advisors. How important is that relationship to your success as a grad student?
This was very important to me; it was one of the reasons I chose UND’s MA program. I went to my advisor for everything, and she probably spent just as much time on In Grain as I did – reading, commenting, talking it out with me. The faculty encouragement and support throughout my time at UND was invaluable, and those faculty members are still encouraging me even after I’ve left!
What are you doing now?
I am a full-time faculty member at Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. I’m excited to get to do what my advisor did for me.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
Get to know the faculty – they are your best resource.
The truck stop is the best place to do homework – they’re open all night and the coffee is endless.
]]>Lisa, what drew you to the MA program in English?
I received my BA in English from UND, so I had the opportunity to get to know the faculty before I decided to attend UND for my MA. The final decision really came down to the opportunity for one-on-one work with faculty. I knew I would have that at UND.
What was your favorite class?
That’s a tough question! The poetry workshops I was a part of were my favorite. There was a sense of community in the class, and discussions were always lively. You don’t realize what a great opportunity workshops are – the chance for several people to respond to your writing and to hear their feedback before you submit it. It’s a rare and very valuable thing.
The English Department successfully nominated your Master’s thesis for the 2010 Distinguished Thesis Award. The award is recognition of academic excellence in your field. How did you respond when you discovered you’d been chosen?
Shock. I was really honored. UND graduates many accomplished students, and I was overwhelmed to be recognized. It’s nice to have someone confirm that what you’re writing is important.
You recently published In Grain (Finishing Line Press, 2011). Can you describe the book?
It’s a collection of poetry that explores rural North Dakota and the family farm. It centers around the connection the people have with the land, exploring the interdependent relationships between the family and the family farm. It’s really less about North Dakota and more about the farming community; these poems could very well take place on a wheat farm in Kansas. As corporate farming begins to monopolize agriculture, it’s easy to say the family farm has failed, and that’s what will be remembered. The family farm also thrived. It is my hope that this project illustrates the beauty within the challenges of a farming community.
Can you talk about your writing process when you were compiling In Grain? I imagine many of the themes stem from personal experiences?
Many of the themes do stem from personal experience. I grew up on a farm in rural North Dakota, but I didn’t have an intense interest in the workings of it until I began writing. I needed to write a poem for a workshop I was in, and “Rural Route 2, Box 36” came out. It was surprising to me that this became the project that obsessed me. I spent the next two years writing and revising poems exploring this agricultural lifestyle.
Throughout a graduate student’s career they tend to work closely with faculty mentors and advisors. How important is that relationship to your success as a grad student?
This was very important to me; it was one of the reasons I chose UND’s MA program. I went to my advisor for everything, and she probably spent just as much time on In Grain as I did – reading, commenting, talking it out with me. The faculty encouragement and support throughout my time at UND was invaluable, and those faculty members are still encouraging me even after I’ve left!
What are you doing now?
I am a full-time faculty member at Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. I’m excited to get to do what my advisor did for me.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
Get to know the faculty – they are your best resource.
The truck stop is the best place to do homework – they’re open all night and the coffee is endless.
On campus or Distance student: Distance Student
Branch of Service: USAF Military Service -
Start Year: 2002
End Year: I'm still serving
Military Job: Instructor for Civil Engineering
Are you using the GI Bill or Tuition Assistance Program?
I am currently using both. The TA covers up to $250 per credit hour in the graduate classes and I use the GI Bill top up to cover the difference.
To what degree does the GI Bill/ Tuition Assistance Program cover your school expenses?
It covers almost everything after we deduct the Top-up from the remaining tuition. The only expenses not covered are the books and I heard talks of letting active duty get the $1000 per year for books down the road.
What prompted you to return to school?
I’ve never really stopped going to school. I gathered 3 AAS from my various fields of expertise in the Air Force and I worked on my Bachelor on my down time. I am now pursuing the field that I always wanted to study into and I will try to change career path within the Air Force.
Was adjusting to university life a challenge?
I believe that after serving in the military, you should have a really good level of motivation, time management skills and the right attitude to get things done. I am still serving while going to school but I strongly believe that it would be easy to adapt to University life.
What has your experience at UND been like?
This is my first graduate class ever, but I have received great service and answers from all the staff at UND. Being a distance student, it does make it a little harder on some of the technicalities to get accomplished but overall I had a great experience.
Do you believe your military experience has made you a better student? If so, how?
Definitely, the Air Force made me aware of my potential and goals, and gave me the tools necessary to achieve and exceed both. We have great support from our education office and supervisors that not only encourage education but highly support it.
What advice do you have for veterans returning to school?
Sit down and listen! Just follow your goals, if you are sitting in a classroom it is probably because you decided to enhance your future. You will not succeed if your mind is on something else so focus your effort on one thing at a time and excel in everything all the time.
]]>SSgt Felix Gelinas, MS
Space Studies
Graduate Program: Space Studies
On campus or Distance student: Distance Student
Branch of Service: USAF Military Service -
Start Year: 2002
End Year: I'm still serving
Military Job: Instructor for Civil Engineering
Are you using the GI Bill or Tuition Assistance Program?
I am currently using both. The TA covers up to $250 per credit hour in the graduate classes and I use the GI Bill top up to cover the difference.
To what degree does the GI Bill/ Tuition Assistance Program cover your school expenses?
It covers almost everything after we deduct the Top-up from the remaining tuition. The only expenses not covered are the books and I heard talks of letting active duty get the $1000 per year for books down the road.
What prompted you to return to school?
I’ve never really stopped going to school. I gathered 3 AAS from my various fields of expertise in the Air Force and I worked on my Bachelor on my down time. I am now pursuing the field that I always wanted to study into and I will try to change career path within the Air Force.
Was adjusting to university life a challenge?
I believe that after serving in the military, you should have a really good level of motivation, time management skills and the right attitude to get things done. I am still serving while going to school but I strongly believe that it would be easy to adapt to University life.
What has your experience at UND been like?
This is my first graduate class ever, but I have received great service and answers from all the staff at UND. Being a distance student, it does make it a little harder on some of the technicalities to get accomplished but overall I had a great experience.
Do you believe your military experience has made you a better student? If so, how?
Definitely, the Air Force made me aware of my potential and goals, and gave me the tools necessary to achieve and exceed both. We have great support from our education office and supervisors that not only encourage education but highly support it.
What advice do you have for veterans returning to school?
Sit down and listen! Just follow your goals, if you are sitting in a classroom it is probably because you decided to enhance your future. You will not succeed if your mind is on something else so focus your effort on one thing at a time and excel in everything all the time.
]]>
I’m originally from Devils Lake, ND. I have always been involved in theatre arts - since I was 7 years old. I did my undergraduate degree in Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN. My undergraduate major was originally Journalism then I realized - I don’t really like to write! So it probably was not a good place for me. I was afraid to take theatre as my major, as it didn’t seem practical to me. But my advisor told me most people don’t get a job in what they major in, so maybe you do what you love. So I did it and I loved every minute. I realized I couldn’t go through life without having theatre as part of it. I was so inspired by my professor and decided that I, too, would like to teach – so that was my goal. Then I graduated, spent some time working and got married. My husband is in Communication, and we were looking for a place where we could go to school together. And so we came to UND!
Were you working in theatre during that time?
I was doing all different things in between that used my Theatre Arts background, like speech coaching in colleges and high schools.
This is one of those disciplines that really gets into your blood. And since you’ve been involved since you were 7 years old, have you tried your hand backstage or stage management?
I have done a lot of things. I’ve not done as much set-design as I’d like to. I just don’t have the skills. But, I have tried it all. Acting is a still a passion, but I found directing is the thing I love most. It’s so interesting.
You have now completed your Master of Arts degree and our grad program draws on many areas including design, directing, playwriting, technical theatre and the like. Given that you are mostly interested in directing and acting, do you find that one benefits the other?
Definitely, knowing every aspect of theatre is important for everyone. I taught Acting 1, and to learn every aspect of it I encouraged students to get involved in backstage too, to understand what supports an actor, or director. There is more to it than just the actor and director. And as a director it is important to be able to communicate with everybody. We need to know what language a director or actor speaks to bring everybody into a cohesive unit.
As grad students, did you help each other out with their specific production or work together behind the scenes?
It really depends on the program and who was there at any specific time. Among the grad students, who were in the same year as I am, two of us were directing, one was acting and the other one was more academic, history and theory emphasis. We all supported each other, though none of us actually worked on each other’s projects. We all ended up working on different projects, but we definitely discussed things: “What should I do about this actor?, how do I talk to this person, what do you think about this designer and all types of things. We were pretty close that way and supported what each other was doing.
You recently directed Spoon River - an anthology.How do you approach a script and take it to the stage.
Actually, the writing portion of my thesis is about script analysis especially for non-realistic plays. Like Spoon River Anthology, it was collection of poems as monologues, there are no characters structures or plots as you recognize it. How do you dig in to script like that? That’s what my thesis was about, and developing a process to attack that particular script. For me it really depends on the specific script, and I develop a process depending on what I have, and take more straight forward approach to it. If not I will try to figure what to do about that particular script. For this particular script I wanted to push myself making it more physical production, tried to find other theories and methods of teaching and direction to make it more physical and approachable. For me, I read the script over and over to get the feel, the tone, its symbols and structures. For me it’s more intuitive. For others, they need to take notes and make graphs. I just read through and imagine it, and take from there.
What’s your preferred genre?
I like more experimental things, but not exclusively. I like a lot of different things. I have favorite playwrights that are realistic and not realistic at all. It really depends on the show. I like comedy, but I’m not good at directing them! It takes a special person to direct comedies, and I’m still working on those skills.
Have you had a chance to take your work outside UND to the community?
Yes, very much. Right after I graduated from my undergrad, it was a struggle because I was in Twin Cities, and there are so many theatres, but also so many directors and actors looking for work. Since I didn’t have a big resume, it was challenging to find anything work that would build my resume. But being in Grand Forks, there are lot of people who wanted to do theatre but don’t have actors or directors to do it. I was actually able to do a lot of things in those two years I was here.
I’ve directed for Thomson High School, in summer I directed Cinderella, and was able to premiere one of Kathy Coudle-King’s works at the Loading Dock (on UND’s campus) last year called Look Away. It was a nice experience to work with that play.
Have you had a chance to present your research?
Yes, I have presented few academic papers at the Graduate School’s Scholarly Forum at UND and the North Dakota Arts and Humanities Summit. Last November I presented a paper about violence as spectacle. It’s a good start for me to working into the academic world.
People tend to think of theatre as production, but if you look at it in an academic sense, there are so many different layers involved in it.
It is very different, and difficult, to get into the academic side. But I love theory. It was good to challenge myself that way with applying my Communications studies from undergrad, and being able to apply those aspects into theatre and drama. The academic and intellectual approach enriched my artistic work as well and made me think deeper about it. It gives different perspective rather than just my own.
Along that line did you have opportunity to take class from outside theatre or different department?
I took a class from Teaching and Learning department to improve myself as an educator (since I like to call myself an Artist Educator). This was a good experience to see different sides of academia, and to see where education research is going. There were elementary and kindergarten teachers in the class, but I was able to add a different element and share my perspective.
Can you talk about Region V Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Where was it, who attends?
The conference is every year in January. Region V includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and I believe Kansas. The department goes there every January. Throughout the year respondents come and respond to our art productions. They also choose nominees - kind of like an audition. I was nominee for my first year. I went to the festival and competed in two scenes in a monologue. I got to semifinal round, and it was such an honor. It’s a scholarship competition and the finalists get the scholarship money to go to the Kennedy Centre Festival in Washington.It is very exciting. The respondent for my thesis production was from Bemidji State. They come from all around and share their informed perspective.
It was exciting. I attended a week of workshops, and learned so much from it. There were faculty members, theatre artists, and designers from all around sharing knowledge. Teachers from all different worlds shared their experience - it was very intensive, and I learned so much from there in two weeks. It was really a good experience.
What would you most love to direct and where - imagining budget is not an issue!
The Crucible by Arthur Miller - it’s a classic. I loved it! I also love Chekov but it’s very difficult. It would definitely stretch my ability!
I guess the next question is, would it be a proscenium arch production or theatre-in-the-round?
I like black box, I love theatre-in-the-round and thrust, or any other design that allows for intimate theatre. Arena and thrust staging allow actors more naturalism, as you don’t need to worry about being open to public and voice projection begin forced.
What advice would you give to prospective student?
It is more work than a lot of people realize, especially at the graduate level, especially if you want to make living out of it. It takes so much work, and it never pays enough! Taking extra time to meet people and networking is so important. That’s why the festival is so important. You can meet faculty from all over the country and network with them. I can add them to my Facebook and say, I met you at the festival, I heard you are directing this play, I would like to get an audition, and so on.
Can you describe the difference between Theatre Arts at the undergraduate and graduate level?
I come from a small program; I always had good relationship with my supervisor, even in under grad. It is different in undergrad and grad level. The graduate degree is more academic and involves lot of reading, writing and critical thinking. The undergrad is pretty practical. I was expecting conceptual rigor, but people can struggle with that when they first come into the graduate program. It’s definitely intellectually challenging.
]]>
Can you talk about your journey to UND?
I’m originally from Devils Lake, ND. I have always been involved in theatre arts - since I was 7 years old. I did my undergraduate degree in Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN. My undergraduate major was originally Journalism then I realized - I don’t really like to write! So it probably was not a good place for me. I was afraid to take theatre as my major, as it didn’t seem practical to me. But my advisor told me most people don’t get a job in what they major in, so maybe you do what you love. So I did it and I loved every minute. I realized I couldn’t go through life without having theatre as part of it. I was so inspired by my professor and decided that I, too, would like to teach – so that was my goal. Then I graduated, spent some time working and got married. My husband is in Communication, and we were looking for a place where we could go to school together. And so we came to UND!
Were you working in theatre during that time?
I was doing all different things in between that used my Theatre Arts background, like speech coaching in colleges and high schools.
This is one of those disciplines that really gets into your blood. And since you’ve been involved since you were 7 years old, have you tried your hand backstage or stage management?
I have done a lot of things. I’ve not done as much set-design as I’d like to. I just don’t have the skills. But, I have tried it all. Acting is a still a passion, but I found directing is the thing I love most. It’s so interesting.
You have now completed your Master of Arts degree and our grad program draws on many areas including design, directing, playwriting, technical theatre and the like. Given that you are mostly interested in directing and acting, do you find that one benefits the other?
Definitely, knowing every aspect of theatre is important for everyone. I taught Acting 1, and to learn every aspect of it I encouraged students to get involved in backstage too, to understand what supports an actor, or director. There is more to it than just the actor and director. And as a director it is important to be able to communicate with everybody. We need to know what language a director or actor speaks to bring everybody into a cohesive unit.
As grad students, did you help each other out with their specific production or work together behind the scenes?
It really depends on the program and who was there at any specific time. Among the grad students, who were in the same year as I am, two of us were directing, one was acting and the other one was more academic, history and theory emphasis. We all supported each other, though none of us actually worked on each other’s projects. We all ended up working on different projects, but we definitely discussed things: “What should I do about this actor?, how do I talk to this person, what do you think about this designer and all types of things. We were pretty close that way and supported what each other was doing.
You recently directed Spoon River - an anthology.How do you approach a script and take it to the stage.
Actually, the writing portion of my thesis is about script analysis especially for non-realistic plays. Like Spoon River Anthology, it was collection of poems as monologues, there are no characters structures or plots as you recognize it. How do you dig in to script like that? That’s what my thesis was about, and developing a process to attack that particular script. For me it really depends on the specific script, and I develop a process depending on what I have, and take more straight forward approach to it. If not I will try to figure what to do about that particular script. For this particular script I wanted to push myself making it more physical production, tried to find other theories and methods of teaching and direction to make it more physical and approachable. For me, I read the script over and over to get the feel, the tone, its symbols and structures. For me it’s more intuitive. For others, they need to take notes and make graphs. I just read through and imagine it, and take from there.
What’s your preferred genre?
I like more experimental things, but not exclusively. I like a lot of different things. I have favorite playwrights that are realistic and not realistic at all. It really depends on the show. I like comedy, but I’m not good at directing them! It takes a special person to direct comedies, and I’m still working on those skills.
Have you had a chance to take your work outside UND to the community?
Yes, very much. Right after I graduated from my undergrad, it was a struggle because I was in Twin Cities, and there are so many theatres, but also so many directors and actors looking for work. Since I didn’t have a big resume, it was challenging to find anything work that would build my resume. But being in Grand Forks, there are lot of people who wanted to do theatre but don’t have actors or directors to do it. I was actually able to do a lot of things in those two years I was here.
I’ve directed for Thomson High School, in summer I directed Cinderella, and was able to premiere one of Kathy Coudle-King’s works at the Loading Dock (on UND’s campus) last year called Look Away. It was a nice experience to work with that play.
Have you had a chance to present your research?
Yes, I have presented few academic papers at the Graduate School’s Scholarly Forum at UND and the North Dakota Arts and Humanities Summit. Last November I presented a paper about violence as spectacle. It’s a good start for me to working into the academic world.
People tend to think of theatre as production, but if you look at it in an academic sense, there are so many different layers involved in it.
It is very different, and difficult, to get into the academic side. But I love theory. It was good to challenge myself that way with applying my Communications studies from undergrad, and being able to apply those aspects into theatre and drama. The academic and intellectual approach enriched my artistic work as well and made me think deeper about it. It gives different perspective rather than just my own.
Along that line did you have opportunity to take class from outside theatre or different department?
I took a class from Teaching and Learning department to improve myself as an educator (since I like to call myself an Artist Educator). This was a good experience to see different sides of academia, and to see where education research is going. There were elementary and kindergarten teachers in the class, but I was able to add a different element and share my perspective.
Can you talk about Region V Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Where was it, who attends?
The conference is every year in January. Region V includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and I believe Kansas. The department goes there every January. Throughout the year respondents come and respond to our art productions. They also choose nominees - kind of like an audition. I was nominee for my first year. I went to the festival and competed in two scenes in a monologue. I got to semifinal round, and it was such an honor. It’s a scholarship competition and the finalists get the scholarship money to go to the Kennedy Centre Festival in Washington.It is very exciting. The respondent for my thesis production was from Bemidji State. They come from all around and share their informed perspective.
It was exciting. I attended a week of workshops, and learned so much from it. There were faculty members, theatre artists, and designers from all around sharing knowledge. Teachers from all different worlds shared their experience - it was very intensive, and I learned so much from there in two weeks. It was really a good experience.
What would you most love to direct and where - imagining budget is not an issue!
The Crucible by Arthur Miller - it’s a classic. I loved it! I also love Chekov but it’s very difficult. It would definitely stretch my ability!
I guess the next question is, would it be a proscenium arch production or theatre-in-the-round?
I like black box, I love theatre-in-the-round and thrust, or any other design that allows for intimate theatre. Arena and thrust staging allow actors more naturalism, as you don’t need to worry about being open to public and voice projection begin forced.
What advice would you give to prospective student?
It is more work than a lot of people realize, especially at the graduate level, especially if you want to make living out of it. It takes so much work, and it never pays enough! Taking extra time to meet people and networking is so important. That’s why the festival is so important. You can meet faculty from all over the country and network with them. I can add them to my Facebook and say, I met you at the festival, I heard you are directing this play, I would like to get an audition, and so on.
Can you describe the difference between Theatre Arts at the undergraduate and graduate level?
I come from a small program; I always had good relationship with my supervisor, even in under grad. It is different in undergrad and grad level. The graduate degree is more academic and involves lot of reading, writing and critical thinking. The undergrad is pretty practical. I was expecting conceptual rigor, but people can struggle with that when they first come into the graduate program. It’s definitely intellectually challenging.
]]>
My bachelor’s degree is in Biology. I completed my Master’s degree in Dr John Watt’s lab in 2008 in Anatomy and Cell Biology and since then I have continued my PhD work in Dr. Watt’s lab.
Where are you from originally?
A small town called Des Lacs, North Dakota about 3 hours west of Grand Forks near Minot.
What sparked your interest in sciences, and in particularly, in anatomy or cell biology?
I have always been interested in science. I really enjoyed my first Anatomy class in high school. It got me interested in the medical sciences. I came to UND as biology pre-med major and took undergraduate Anatomy and it was my favorite course as an undergraduate. I also enjoyed being an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Anatomy course and during that I communicated with the Anatomy & Cell Biology graduate students, and that got me interested in applying for the Anatomy & Cell Biology graduate program.
What is it about the program that you most enjoy?
There are a lot of things. One thing that is really unique with our program is that we have a lot of teaching opportunities. We have a human cadaver lab, where we teach undergraduates, graduate students and medical students. The other thing I enjoy is the scientific research. I work in Dr. Watt’s neuroscience lab.
The expertise in your department focuses on cellular biology, developmental biology and neuroscience. Can you talk a little about that?
There is diverse research interest within in our department. We have labs that conduct research on neuronal survival in the brain, on bladder cancer, and on diabetes to name a few. Regardless of the model system that the labs use in their research, cellular biology and anatomical techniques are at the crux of our department’s research. Having a wide range of research opportunities provides our graduate students the opportunity to determine what they want to do and what they most enjoy.
Can you talk about the research you are doing in Dr Watt’s lab?
The long-term goal of our research is to determine how we can promote the main cells of the brain (neurons) to survive following injury. Our lab is interested in a protein called CNTF (ciliary neurotrophic factor) and how it functions to keep neuronal cells alive following injury. If we know how CNTF promotes neuronal survival, then we would be able to manipulate different neuroprotective responses that CNTF may mediate.
How many hours do you think you’d spend in the lab in any given week? It seems very lab intensive.
Yes, it is. I don’t know the exact number, but when I am not teaching I am in the research lab during the week, including hours spent on weekends and nights. Depending on the experiments that I am performing, some days or weeks are much busier than others. You have to be committed as a graduate student, and make the time to run your experiments. Because our department has a prominent teaching obligation, it is a balancing act between teaching, research, and course work.
That’s actually a very good point that you brought in, that every student I have talked to mentioned about learning how to manage everything you need to get done as graduate student? How do you balance all these commitments?
I have always felt that having multiple obligations keeps you more focused because you need to be more efficient. When I am spending 4 hours per week teaching, I have to be very focused in the time I spend in the research lab. It is essential, not only for scientific research but for being a graduate student in general, to be organized. Organization is a trait that will allow a person to succeed in graduate school.
Are you working with closely with other students where you have your own part to play?
Currently in our lab we have 3 graduate students, a laboratory technician, a couple of undergraduate students and a medical student. We all have our own project that is under the umbrella of the lab’s main goal. While each of our projects are slightly different, they do overlap. Because of this, we are constantly in close communication with each other and our advisor. Being in a research lab with this many people has helped me foster communication skills and collaborations.
When you achieve a research goal, do you then ask a new question?
Yes, experimental results usually generate more questions which lead to more experiments.Scientific research is not linear, there are many branching points. This makes research exciting, because the results of preliminary experiments may lead you in a direction that you did not expect to go when the research project was being designed. A research project is constantly evolving, and it allows for some very interesting projects.
As you mentioned there is a lot of expectations on grad students, and part of that is sharing. I believe you presented your research in Scholarly Forum and the Frank Low Research Day? How important are those opportunity to present your work and to articulate you research?
I think is incredibly important. As you mentioned, the Graduate Scholarly Forum is a campus wide graduate research event and Frank Low research day is a research forum focusing on research in both the basic and clinical sciences. I think it is very important part of being a graduate student to present their research at local and national meetings, as it allows you talk about your research as well as allows you to meet people who have similar work or research interests. People from different areas of research think differently and their feedback can be really helpful in your experiment. It’s a very positive experience.
It’s great that you have this opportunity to share your research locally, did you say you’ve gone in to some national meetings as well?
Yes, I go to the Society for Neuroscience and American Society for Neurochemistry meetings held each year. It’s amazing to see the science that is happening, some of these large meetings might have 20,000 posters over the course of 5 days. It can be very overwhelming and encouraging at the same time. There are multiple opportunities to find potential collaborations and receive feedback from other researches at these meetings.
What are some of the challenges you faced, being a graduate student?
Early on as graduate student, one of the challenges was in prioritizing my time toward fulfilling all of my duties. Another challenge was learning to have patience with research, as it can be frustrating. You need to have patience to deal with the frustrating moments when your research does not go as expected.
Where do you see yourself in future?
I would love to be in medical school where I can have my own research lab and teach medical students. When I came in to the Anatomy & Cell Biology program I was more interested in teaching, which was one of the reasons I chose this program as they have multiple teaching opportunities, but while working on my graduate degree, I have developed a passion for research.
Running a lab requires money and grants. Is grant writing something else you have had to learn?
Being in a research lab you quickly understand how important funding is. I’ve seen, with my advisor, the commitment it takes in writing grants.
I took a course at the Medical School that had a large component on the grant writing process. My advisor has also highly recommended that I write grants of my own. I have written a grant for ND EPSCoR through NSF here at UND. And there have been smaller grants available through The Graduate School, such as the Summer Doctoral Fellowship award and the Doctoral Research Fund that allow me to receive money to buy research supplies.
I think it’s incredibly important as PhD. student that you learn the process of grant writing. Most graduate students have opportunities to publish, and that’s expected, but many are not writing grants.
How important is that mentor relationship?
It’s incredibly important. One of the reasons that I chose the specific research lab that I am in is that I get along very well with my advisor. Over the past six years I have developed a very positive relationship with my advisor. This makes life in the research lab much easier because we are both comfortable with communicating with each other.
What advice would you give to a grad student who is considering graduate school in the Anatomy and Cell Biology program?
I would say that having a plan of what type of experience you want to get from graduate school. If you enjoy teaching anatomy and scientific research, then the Anatomy & Cell Biology program will help you prepare for your career.
]]>
Jason is undertaking a PhD in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.
My bachelor’s degree is in Biology. I completed my Master’s degree in Dr John Watt’s lab in 2008 in Anatomy and Cell Biology and since then I have continued my PhD work in Dr. Watt’s lab.
Where are you from originally?
A small town called Des Lacs, North Dakota about 3 hours west of Grand Forks near Minot.
What sparked your interest in sciences, and in particularly, in anatomy or cell biology?
I have always been interested in science. I really enjoyed my first Anatomy class in high school. It got me interested in the medical sciences. I came to UND as biology pre-med major and took undergraduate Anatomy and it was my favorite course as an undergraduate. I also enjoyed being an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Anatomy course and during that I communicated with the Anatomy & Cell Biology graduate students, and that got me interested in applying for the Anatomy & Cell Biology graduate program.
What is it about the program that you most enjoy?
There are a lot of things. One thing that is really unique with our program is that we have a lot of teaching opportunities. We have a human cadaver lab, where we teach undergraduates, graduate students and medical students. The other thing I enjoy is the scientific research. I work in Dr. Watt’s neuroscience lab.
The expertise in your department focuses on cellular biology, developmental biology and neuroscience. Can you talk a little about that?
There is diverse research interest within in our department. We have labs that conduct research on neuronal survival in the brain, on bladder cancer, and on diabetes to name a few. Regardless of the model system that the labs use in their research, cellular biology and anatomical techniques are at the crux of our department’s research. Having a wide range of research opportunities provides our graduate students the opportunity to determine what they want to do and what they most enjoy.
Can you talk about the research you are doing in Dr Watt’s lab?
The long-term goal of our research is to determine how we can promote the main cells of the brain (neurons) to survive following injury. Our lab is interested in a protein called CNTF (ciliary neurotrophic factor) and how it functions to keep neuronal cells alive following injury. If we know how CNTF promotes neuronal survival, then we would be able to manipulate different neuroprotective responses that CNTF may mediate.
How many hours do you think you’d spend in the lab in any given week? It seems very lab intensive.
Yes, it is. I don’t know the exact number, but when I am not teaching I am in the research lab during the week, including hours spent on weekends and nights. Depending on the experiments that I am performing, some days or weeks are much busier than others. You have to be committed as a graduate student, and make the time to run your experiments. Because our department has a prominent teaching obligation, it is a balancing act between teaching, research, and course work.
That’s actually a very good point that you brought in, that every student I have talked to mentioned about learning how to manage everything you need to get done as graduate student? How do you balance all these commitments?
I have always felt that having multiple obligations keeps you more focused because you need to be more efficient. When I am spending 4 hours per week teaching, I have to be very focused in the time I spend in the research lab. It is essential, not only for scientific research but for being a graduate student in general, to be organized. Organization is a trait that will allow a person to succeed in graduate school.
Are you working with closely with other students where you have your own part to play?
Currently in our lab we have 3 graduate students, a laboratory technician, a couple of undergraduate students and a medical student. We all have our own project that is under the umbrella of the lab’s main goal. While each of our projects are slightly different, they do overlap. Because of this, we are constantly in close communication with each other and our advisor. Being in a research lab with this many people has helped me foster communication skills and collaborations.
When you achieve a research goal, do you then ask a new question?
Yes, experimental results usually generate more questions which lead to more experiments.Scientific research is not linear, there are many branching points. This makes research exciting, because the results of preliminary experiments may lead you in a direction that you did not expect to go when the research project was being designed. A research project is constantly evolving, and it allows for some very interesting projects.
As you mentioned there is a lot of expectations on grad students, and part of that is sharing. I believe you presented your research in Scholarly Forum and the Frank Low Research Day? How important are those opportunity to present your work and to articulate you research?
I think is incredibly important. As you mentioned, the Graduate Scholarly Forum is a campus wide graduate research event and Frank Low research day is a research forum focusing on research in both the basic and clinical sciences. I think it is very important part of being a graduate student to present their research at local and national meetings, as it allows you talk about your research as well as allows you to meet people who have similar work or research interests. People from different areas of research think differently and their feedback can be really helpful in your experiment. It’s a very positive experience.
It’s great that you have this opportunity to share your research locally, did you say you’ve gone in to some national meetings as well?
Yes, I go to the Society for Neuroscience and American Society for Neurochemistry meetings held each year. It’s amazing to see the science that is happening, some of these large meetings might have 20,000 posters over the course of 5 days. It can be very overwhelming and encouraging at the same time. There are multiple opportunities to find potential collaborations and receive feedback from other researches at these meetings.
What are some of the challenges you faced, being a graduate student?
Early on as graduate student, one of the challenges was in prioritizing my time toward fulfilling all of my duties. Another challenge was learning to have patience with research, as it can be frustrating. You need to have patience to deal with the frustrating moments when your research does not go as expected.
Where do you see yourself in future?
I would love to be in medical school where I can have my own research lab and teach medical students. When I came in to the Anatomy & Cell Biology program I was more interested in teaching, which was one of the reasons I chose this program as they have multiple teaching opportunities, but while working on my graduate degree, I have developed a passion for research.
Running a lab requires money and grants. Is grant writing something else you have had to learn?
Being in a research lab you quickly understand how important funding is. I’ve seen, with my advisor, the commitment it takes in writing grants.
I took a course at the Medical School that had a large component on the grant writing process. My advisor has also highly recommended that I write grants of my own. I have written a grant for ND EPSCoR through NSF here at UND. And there have been smaller grants available through The Graduate School, such as the Summer Doctoral Fellowship award and the Doctoral Research Fund that allow me to receive money to buy research supplies.
I think it’s incredibly important as PhD. student that you learn the process of grant writing. Most graduate students have opportunities to publish, and that’s expected, but many are not writing grants.
How important is that mentor relationship?
It’s incredibly important. One of the reasons that I chose the specific research lab that I am in is that I get along very well with my advisor. Over the past six years I have developed a very positive relationship with my advisor. This makes life in the research lab much easier because we are both comfortable with communicating with each other.
What advice would you give to a grad student who is considering graduate school in the Anatomy and Cell Biology program?
I would say that having a plan of what type of experience you want to get from graduate school. If you enjoy teaching anatomy and scientific research, then the Anatomy & Cell Biology program will help you prepare for your career.
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Growing up I have always had an interest in finding out how things work and I guess this is what captured my interest. I was very curious and always seemed to take things apart; I would either put it back together or fail, getting me into trouble with my parents. It’s very interesting to note that everyone in my family is involved in some form of business career, but I took a different route. In college, I started out as a mechanical engineering student but after taking several chemistry classes and participating in a class tour to a refinery, my interest shifted to chemical engineering. I tend to think that chemical engineering gives you the necessary engineering skills, and goes a step further in building both business and social awareness skills. It’s a very versatile degree.
How did you come to study in the US?
My parents always strived and sacrificed to give us something they never had growing up. An education that allows you to look, meet up, grow and compete with peers all over the world was an opportunity they ensured my siblings and I received. Besides studying in Kenya, I also looked at the UK and Australia. The quality of programs at the US universities was an advantage, not to say that the presence of my siblings studying in other US universities wasn’t a factor.
So you had an eye for continuing education abroad?
Yes, I had met with former students from my high school who had studied abroad and they sort of cemented my thoughts on getting my college work done abroad. At the same time, it is typical for Kenyan students to take a year off prior to joining college. Having attended boarding school from age five, the one year sabbatical helped me focus on what I really wanted to do for a career.
Then you came to UND to do your Master's. Why did you choose UND?
I had some experience in the petro-chemicals industry as a process engineer. In the back of my mind I knew I wanted to further my studies, I just didn’t know when. I have always had a penchant for the energy and environmental fields, and as a matter of fact, at age eleven I was selected to present a paper on pollution control and benefits of agroforestry at a United Nations Environmental Program meeting in Nairobi. I was looking at a change of industries and talking with some of my former professors who had previously taught at UND, they encouraged me to look into UND’s graduate programs. I enjoyed the fact that UND is renowned for its expertise in the energy and environmental fields, and this was a strong factor in my choosing UND.
Why do you think mentorship is important?
I think aligning yourself with successful experts who are open to guiding you is very important for both personal and professional growth. Mentors have gone through the same hoops, made mistakes and have learned through them. This gives them a better understanding and appreciation for what they do, and in turn can pass that critical knowledge to someone else. I believe mentors open doors and take learning to a whole new experience.
Can you talk a little bit about your research?
Definitely; I have been very lucky to be involved in several multidisciplinary projects. Perhaps the most interesting one has been on carbon dioxide capture from fossil fired powered stations. Fossil fired electric generation power plants are the highest stationary emissions source of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Together with other collaborators, we have developed a technology that uses solid sorbents that potentially have lower energy requirements and will not significantly add to the cost of electricity than competing technologies currently in development. Another project I was involved with was looking at innovative ways of using North Dakota sourced lignite coal for steam and electricity generation, while at the same time creating a saleable product. Relative to other types of coals such as a sub-bituminous grade, North Dakota lignite coal has very unique and interesting characteristics such as high moisture levels and alkali constituents, both of which tend to reduce the efficiency of any boiler and gas clean-up systems. These characteristics have sort of labeled North Dakota lignite as a troublesome fuel. To circumvent this issue, I looked at partial gasification as a way of generating syngas that could be fired in a boiler to generate high pressure steam while simultaneously producing carbon products that can be sold for profit. In simpler terms, value addition of North Dakota resources. A third project has been on mercury control, where my research group is looking at ways of increasing the capture and sequestration of mercury generated during taconite pellets processing. These are some of the high level projects I am working on, and are centered on the energy and environmental fields, which is always what I have always wanted to be involved with.
You got some positive results, are you continuing the research or switching gears a little?
Yes, the results from these projects are very positive. Each of the projects is at a different level, therefore will require a different focus. We are always trying to improve on our achievements and hence continual research and testing will be critical. Our research platform is always expanding and to stay competitive we have to approach businesses, industries and organizations alike in-order to capture the opportunities out there, ultimately growing our research portfolio.
You’ve graduated and you are now a researcher with UND’s brand new Institute for Energy Studies (IES), which is a multi-disciplinary campus-wide institute. Energy, clean energy and energy efficiency are huge buzzwords in industry, politics and education, so this Institute s very timely for our university, too.
Yes, it is. Energy security, efficiency and integration of renewables as a way to reduce or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is a great challenge facing many nations. UND is renowned for its energy-related research and what the IES brings to the table is incorporation of other parallel parties such as public policy, education, business and law to the table. All these parties need to work hand in hand in creation of policies that affect our lives and the IES is expected to play a very big role.
Its mission is educating the community and students, but it also has research and outreach components making it accessible and vital for not only the people on campus but also for the broader community.
Yes, you’re right on the money! The institute incorporates the university’s mission of being a premiere energy university while also leading in educational programs. The institute brings a variety of people and stakeholders to the same table, and provides a platform where issues related to energy and policy can be discussed. Doing this through the university allows for easier accessibility to the community.
In many graduate programs the focus is on labs and classrooms. But the Institute of Energy Studies is drawing upon expertise from various other colleges, for collaborative work, can you talk about them?
One of the key missions of the Institute is provision of quality educational programs for both university students and the community. A key aspect of learning is collaboration and the institute takes this to a higher level by encouraging and incorporating partnerships between several colleges. Some of these colleges include engineering, education, aerospace science, business and economics, just to name a few. Utilizing the unique skill set and resources available at various colleges within the university allows for a richer student and community learning experience.
What’s your role in the Institute?
I am mainly involved in the research aspect of the institute where we’re looking at integrating various research programs within the university such as energy, law, public policy and economics under a single umbrella. One advantage of this umbrella research program is that information related to the impacts of various technologies and programs we study, and their subsequent impacts on economic and political decisions can be seamlessly communicated to stakeholders. This allows for advancement in the state of knowledge while significantly improving the efficiency in decision making.
Statewide, energy is such part of our day-to-day life, and it seems like research at UND is a perfect way to make people aware of that.
Sure, in terms of energy resources, the state of North Dakota is rich particularly with regard to coal, oil and natural gas as well as renewables such as wind. UND has been a clear supporter and leader when it comes to developing technologies of interest to the energy industry. This has been done through collaborative research with assistance from both the state and private entities. I believe that the continual support UND has received has allowed for really great ideas and solutions to materialize, and in turn the community has benefitted economically as wells as through other avenues such as education.
Where do you see your future research?
I love being a chemical engineer as there’s no single day where all problems are solved. I see a lot of potential in the areas of carbon dioxide clean-up, development of newer engineered materials, water and wastewater treatment, and the advancement and integration of fossil and renewable energy sources.
What advice do you have for students?
There’s quite a myriad of advice out there, but just to name a few; patience, hard work, willingness to learn, openness to new ideas, learning and moving on from past experiences, and most importantly utilizing the vast resources available at the university for one’s personal and professional growth. At the same time, having the capability to translate what you learn in the classroom to the start of a career is where most students have difficulty in. I would recommend getting an internship during the course of study as this experience really changes the way one views things.
]]>
What sparked your interest in Chemical Engineering?
Growing up I have always had an interest in finding out how things work and I guess this is what captured my interest. I was very curious and always seemed to take things apart; I would either put it back together or fail, getting me into trouble with my parents. It’s very interesting to note that everyone in my family is involved in some form of business career, but I took a different route. In college, I started out as a mechanical engineering student but after taking several chemistry classes and participating in a class tour to a refinery, my interest shifted to chemical engineering. I tend to think that chemical engineering gives you the necessary engineering skills, and goes a step further in building both business and social awareness skills. It’s a very versatile degree.
How did you come to study in the US?
My parents always strived and sacrificed to give us something they never had growing up. An education that allows you to look, meet up, grow and compete with peers all over the world was an opportunity they ensured my siblings and I received. Besides studying in Kenya, I also looked at the UK and Australia. The quality of programs at the US universities was an advantage, not to say that the presence of my siblings studying in other US universities wasn’t a factor.
So you had an eye for continuing education abroad?
Yes, I had met with former students from my high school who had studied abroad and they sort of cemented my thoughts on getting my college work done abroad. At the same time, it is typical for Kenyan students to take a year off prior to joining college. Having attended boarding school from age five, the one year sabbatical helped me focus on what I really wanted to do for a career.
Then you came to UND to do your Master's. Why did you choose UND?
I had some experience in the petro-chemicals industry as a process engineer. In the back of my mind I knew I wanted to further my studies, I just didn’t know when. I have always had a penchant for the energy and environmental fields, and as a matter of fact, at age eleven I was selected to present a paper on pollution control and benefits of agroforestry at a United Nations Environmental Program meeting in Nairobi. I was looking at a change of industries and talking with some of my former professors who had previously taught at UND, they encouraged me to look into UND’s graduate programs. I enjoyed the fact that UND is renowned for its expertise in the energy and environmental fields, and this was a strong factor in my choosing UND.
Why do you think mentorship is important?
I think aligning yourself with successful experts who are open to guiding you is very important for both personal and professional growth. Mentors have gone through the same hoops, made mistakes and have learned through them. This gives them a better understanding and appreciation for what they do, and in turn can pass that critical knowledge to someone else. I believe mentors open doors and take learning to a whole new experience.
Can you talk a little bit about your research?
Definitely; I have been very lucky to be involved in several multidisciplinary projects. Perhaps the most interesting one has been on carbon dioxide capture from fossil fired powered stations. Fossil fired electric generation power plants are the highest stationary emissions source of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Together with other collaborators, we have developed a technology that uses solid sorbents that potentially have lower energy requirements and will not significantly add to the cost of electricity than competing technologies currently in development. Another project I was involved with was looking at innovative ways of using North Dakota sourced lignite coal for steam and electricity generation, while at the same time creating a saleable product. Relative to other types of coals such as a sub-bituminous grade, North Dakota lignite coal has very unique and interesting characteristics such as high moisture levels and alkali constituents, both of which tend to reduce the efficiency of any boiler and gas clean-up systems. These characteristics have sort of labeled North Dakota lignite as a troublesome fuel. To circumvent this issue, I looked at partial gasification as a way of generating syngas that could be fired in a boiler to generate high pressure steam while simultaneously producing carbon products that can be sold for profit. In simpler terms, value addition of North Dakota resources. A third project has been on mercury control, where my research group is looking at ways of increasing the capture and sequestration of mercury generated during taconite pellets processing. These are some of the high level projects I am working on, and are centered on the energy and environmental fields, which is always what I have always wanted to be involved with.
You got some positive results, are you continuing the research or switching gears a little?
Yes, the results from these projects are very positive. Each of the projects is at a different level, therefore will require a different focus. We are always trying to improve on our achievements and hence continual research and testing will be critical. Our research platform is always expanding and to stay competitive we have to approach businesses, industries and organizations alike in-order to capture the opportunities out there, ultimately growing our research portfolio.
You’ve graduated and you are now a researcher with UND’s brand new Institute for Energy Studies (IES), which is a multi-disciplinary campus-wide institute. Energy, clean energy and energy efficiency are huge buzzwords in industry, politics and education, so this Institute s very timely for our university, too.
Yes, it is. Energy security, efficiency and integration of renewables as a way to reduce or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is a great challenge facing many nations. UND is renowned for its energy-related research and what the IES brings to the table is incorporation of other parallel parties such as public policy, education, business and law to the table. All these parties need to work hand in hand in creation of policies that affect our lives and the IES is expected to play a very big role.
Its mission is educating the community and students, but it also has research and outreach components making it accessible and vital for not only the people on campus but also for the broader community.
Yes, you’re right on the money! The institute incorporates the university’s mission of being a premiere energy university while also leading in educational programs. The institute brings a variety of people and stakeholders to the same table, and provides a platform where issues related to energy and policy can be discussed. Doing this through the university allows for easier accessibility to the community.
In many graduate programs the focus is on labs and classrooms. But the Institute of Energy Studies is drawing upon expertise from various other colleges, for collaborative work, can you talk about them?
One of the key missions of the Institute is provision of quality educational programs for both university students and the community. A key aspect of learning is collaboration and the institute takes this to a higher level by encouraging and incorporating partnerships between several colleges. Some of these colleges include engineering, education, aerospace science, business and economics, just to name a few. Utilizing the unique skill set and resources available at various colleges within the university allows for a richer student and community learning experience.
What’s your role in the Institute?
I am mainly involved in the research aspect of the institute where we’re looking at integrating various research programs within the university such as energy, law, public policy and economics under a single umbrella. One advantage of this umbrella research program is that information related to the impacts of various technologies and programs we study, and their subsequent impacts on economic and political decisions can be seamlessly communicated to stakeholders. This allows for advancement in the state of knowledge while significantly improving the efficiency in decision making.
Statewide, energy is such part of our day-to-day life, and it seems like research at UND is a perfect way to make people aware of that.
Sure, in terms of energy resources, the state of North Dakota is rich particularly with regard to coal, oil and natural gas as well as renewables such as wind. UND has been a clear supporter and leader when it comes to developing technologies of interest to the energy industry. This has been done through collaborative research with assistance from both the state and private entities. I believe that the continual support UND has received has allowed for really great ideas and solutions to materialize, and in turn the community has benefitted economically as wells as through other avenues such as education.
Where do you see your future research?
I love being a chemical engineer as there’s no single day where all problems are solved. I see a lot of potential in the areas of carbon dioxide clean-up, development of newer engineered materials, water and wastewater treatment, and the advancement and integration of fossil and renewable energy sources.
What advice do you have for students?
There’s quite a myriad of advice out there, but just to name a few; patience, hard work, willingness to learn, openness to new ideas, learning and moving on from past experiences, and most importantly utilizing the vast resources available at the university for one’s personal and professional growth. At the same time, having the capability to translate what you learn in the classroom to the start of a career is where most students have difficulty in. I would recommend getting an internship during the course of study as this experience really changes the way one views things.
Moussa, you are a PhD student in Criminal Justice from Burkina Faso in West Africa. How did you come to study in the United States?
I was teaching law at the university in Burkina Faso. About 3 years ago I felt I really needed to add another dimension to my law background. I decided to do more research on crime and punishment, and so I needed to further my education. I had a choice between the United States and France. Comparing the education systems I felt that the US would be the best fit for me.
So, you did your law degree in Burkina Faso. What attracted you to the University of North Dakota?
I did my Masters in Law in Burkina Faso and my initial plan was to do a PhD in International Law. But my desire to expand my background led me to do my Masters in Criminal Justice and I enrolled at St Cloud State in Minnesota. Later I discussed my wish to do a PhD with some of my professors at St. Cloud, and they encouraged me to look at UND. When I looked into the program I discovered UND is one of the best universities in the midwest, in terms of quality of education, scholarship opportunities and competitive tuition for international students.
Our Criminal Justice program here is collaborative program with Minot State University. Have you had the opportunity to work with faculties across the university lines?
Yes, we have a very good collaboration with Minot University. Some of classes, depending on the concentration, can be taken through Minot State. So you can either take them in Minot or through the live, ITV system from here. I am in my 2nd semester right now, and haven’t had the chance to do that yet, but I have seen some classes there that interest me.
Our program has two emphases Criminal Justice Administration and Criminology. Which track are you most interested in pursuing for your research?
My Interest is in the Criminology track. I always have been fascinated by the criminal phenomena and I’m interested in doing research on criminal behavior.
When I was doing my Master’s degree I was really interested in transnational organized crime and white-collar crime. But when I came to UND, which is a research university, I realized that I could take that much further – I can try to understand the substance of criminal behavior. So I am developing my interests to looking at the biological perspective of crime. We have different theories about criminal behavior. Some say it is learned, so that is the social perspective. Others say it is due to psychological problems. But when I started my program here I started thinking that criminal behavior is probably linked to some mental and biological constitution. When you look at those who commit crime, you can see that most of them didn’t want to but something drove them. So I feel like we need to look at human evolution, genetics to understand the etiology of crime.
It sounds like you need to have some expertise in a variety of disciplines, from Law to Sociology to Psychology. How multidisciplinary is the program?
Absolutely. Criminal Justice is very interdisciplinary a program. For instance, you need to know a lot about statistics to do quantitative research; also, if you are looking at the biological perspective of crime you need to understand how human behavior can be linked to certain mental, psychological, and physical conditions. Those who studies forensic criminal justice, need to know basic Chemistry to undertake their research. And since we all are human and live together in society, we need to understand social settings, we need to understand social theory. It’s very, very fascinating.
Can you describe the academic and social environment at UND for an international student?
Before coming here I talked with some friends, who told me that it’s very cold and this could be a challenge for me as an international student. But since coming to Grand Forks, the people I have met and who I work with have made me forget about the cold. When I talked to my professors about my interests and research they are very interested in helping me to get there and this helps a lot in coping with any challenges out there.
Describe the importance of mentor relationship or graduate committee
In my department, I feel every professor is like a guide to me. They talk with me about what I am doing, offer ideas and suggest best ways to do it. So when I put my graduate committee together, I feel like I will have many people to draw from.
What should a prospective student know about the Criminal Justice program?
The Criminal Justice department is very well organized. You are going to find professors with different perspectives in the criminal phenomenon, so studying in the department will give you many perspectives to develop your own interests. The second thing is, you need to be organized with your own work – classes, research, study. It’s very important to be organized and it is the key to your success.
What do you hope to do with your degree?
The first thing I want to do is teach. I love teaching. At the same time I would like get involved in helping my country’s higher education. So I would love to see a criminal justice offering in the university and give the other perspectives on crime and punishment, in my country.
]]>
Moussa, you are a PhD student in Criminal Justice from Burkina Faso in West Africa. How did you come to study in the United States?
I was teaching law at the university in Burkina Faso. About 3 years ago I felt I really needed to add another dimension to my law background. I decided to do more research on crime and punishment, and so I needed to further my education. I had a choice between the United States and France. Comparing the education systems I felt that the US would be the best fit for me.
So, you did your law degree in Burkina Faso. What attracted you to the University of North Dakota?
I did my Masters in Law in Burkina Faso and my initial plan was to do a PhD in International Law. But my desire to expand my background led me to do my Masters in Criminal Justice and I enrolled at St Cloud State in Minnesota. Later I discussed my wish to do a PhD with some of my professors at St. Cloud, and they encouraged me to look at UND. When I looked into the program I discovered UND is one of the best universities in the midwest, in terms of quality of education, scholarship opportunities and competitive tuition for international students.
Our Criminal Justice program here is collaborative program with Minot State University. Have you had the opportunity to work with faculties across the university lines?
Yes, we have a very good collaboration with Minot University. Some of classes, depending on the concentration, can be taken through Minot State. So you can either take them in Minot or through the live, ITV system from here. I am in my 2nd semester right now, and haven’t had the chance to do that yet, but I have seen some classes there that interest me.
Our program has two emphases Criminal Justice Administration and Criminology. Which track are you most interested in pursuing for your research?
My Interest is in the Criminology track. I always have been fascinated by the criminal phenomena and I’m interested in doing research on criminal behavior.
When I was doing my Master’s degree I was really interested in transnational organized crime and white-collar crime. But when I came to UND, which is a research university, I realized that I could take that much further – I can try to understand the substance of criminal behavior. So I am developing my interests to looking at the biological perspective of crime. We have different theories about criminal behavior. Some say it is learned, so that is the social perspective. Others say it is due to psychological problems. But when I started my program here I started thinking that criminal behavior is probably linked to some mental and biological constitution. When you look at those who commit crime, you can see that most of them didn’t want to but something drove them. So I feel like we need to look at human evolution, genetics to understand the etiology of crime.
It sounds like you need to have some expertise in a variety of disciplines, from Law to Sociology to Psychology. How multidisciplinary is the program?
Absolutely. Criminal Justice is very interdisciplinary a program. For instance, you need to know a lot about statistics to do quantitative research; also, if you are looking at the biological perspective of crime you need to understand how human behavior can be linked to certain mental, psychological, and physical conditions. Those who studies forensic criminal justice, need to know basic Chemistry to undertake their research. And since we all are human and live together in society, we need to understand social settings, we need to understand social theory. It’s very, very fascinating.
Can you describe the academic and social environment at UND for an international student?
Before coming here I talked with some friends, who told me that it’s very cold and this could be a challenge for me as an international student. But since coming to Grand Forks, the people I have met and who I work with have made me forget about the cold. When I talked to my professors about my interests and research they are very interested in helping me to get there and this helps a lot in coping with any challenges out there.
Describe the importance of mentor relationship or graduate committee
In my department, I feel every professor is like a guide to me. They talk with me about what I am doing, offer ideas and suggest best ways to do it. So when I put my graduate committee together, I feel like I will have many people to draw from.
What should a prospective student know about the Criminal Justice program?
The Criminal Justice department is very well organized. You are going to find professors with different perspectives in the criminal phenomenon, so studying in the department will give you many perspectives to develop your own interests. The second thing is, you need to be organized with your own work – classes, research, study. It’s very important to be organized and it is the key to your success.
What do you hope to do with your degree?
The first thing I want to do is teach. I love teaching. At the same time I would like get involved in helping my country’s higher education. So I would love to see a criminal justice offering in the university and give the other perspectives on crime and punishment, in my country.