CEHD Research in Press: 2025 September
NEWS
Dr. Pempho Chinkondenji was selected by the National Academy of Education (NAEd) as a 2025 NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Chinkondenji was one of 25 fellows selected for the award from a pool of more than 270 education scholars. This prestigious fellowship award offers $70,000 to support her during the fellowship period as she conducts her research project with pregnant learners and school-aged mothers at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. The study focuses on schooling after pregnancy among refugee girls and young women in encampment contexts with the aim of illuminating how education is reclaimed amidst displacement and structural barriers.
Dr. Hyonsuk Cho had a proposal funded by the Spencer Foundation Small Grant program entitled “MYSELF-MLI: Midwestern Youth Social-Emotional Learning Focused on Multilingual Identity”. The proposed project investigates how racialized multilingual youth, specifically Asian, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx students in predominantly White, monolingual Midwestern schools, explore their social-emotional well-being and identity through a summer multilingual writing program. Aiming to empower this often-underrepresented demographic in the Midwest, the project offers a writing workshop that addresses essential writing skills and promotes social-emotional learning, focusing on identity development.
Logan Rutten recently published The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry (5th ed.) with Nancy Fichtman Dana and Diane Yendol-Hoppey. This book invites pre- and in-service educators to view inquiry as a process, a product, and an enduring stance toward professional practice. It guides readers to wonder about teaching, collect and analyze data from practice and literature, take action to grow, and share their learning with others. A joint publication with Learning Forward, the book was endorsed by the Association of Teacher Educators and the National Association for School–University Partnerships. Highlights include a new chapter on crafting an actionable inquiry plan, discussions of how inquiry is changing with the times, and examples of how inquiry can support educators to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with teaching while supporting the academic success of every student.
Rutten and colleagues also published The Cambridge Handbook of School–University Partnerships, the first scholarly handbook focused on school–university partnerships (SUPs). Encompassing 54 chapters and commentaries from 105 contributors, the coedited handbook presents a comprehensive, international portrait of SUPs and features sections exploring the historical and theoretical foundations of SUPs; teacher education in SUPs; equity and student learning in SUPs; leadership in SUPs; community schools as SUPs; inquiry and innovation in SUPs; funding, policy, and politics of SUPs; and international perspectives on SUPs.
Drs. Renuka de Silva and Julie Robinson carried out their UND-Connect grant project entitled “Connecting with Native American Learning Communities, Building Relationships“. In the photo, some of the key players in the UND CONNECT project stand in front of the decorative backdrop that served as the first runway spot in the 21st Century Native Youth Fashion Show. They are (from left) Julie Robinson, Lorena Brown-Joshua, Renuka de Silva, Byron Engberg, Mena de la Paz and Leora Fox-White (Photo by Janelle Vonasek/UND Today). Mena de la Paz, fourth-grade teacher and director of the K-8 21st Century after-school program, said the following about the UND-Connect experience: “This is all about human connection,” De la Paz said. “Taking time to talk to people and listening to what they have to share, that’s how ideas come about. That’s the root of human connection.”
Dr. Charmeka Newton, in August, during the American Psychological Association (APA) Convention in Denver, Colorado, I had the privilege of conducting a critical conversation session with my colleague from the Advocacy Coordinating Committee of APA. I was appointed by the president of APA to serve on the ACC and I’m currently serving my second year term on the committee The Advocacy Coordinating Committee (ACC) responsibility is to evaluate and prioritize advocacy goals with respect to impact on both the discipline of psychology and the professions of psychologists in scientific, educational, public interest, health service practice and applied practice settings.
Our session during the convention, “Advocacy in Uncertain Times,” was featured as part of the APA Spotlight Stage, an honor reserved for a small percentage of presentations selected to highlight innovative and high-impact work. We explored the critical role of the ACC in advancing psychology’s contributions to policy and social change. We discussed how the science of psychology impacts advocacy. My remarks focused on creative advocacy strategies designed to amplify diverse voices, promote equity, and ensure that pressing issues are effectively addressed at all levels of leadership and with the profession.
Dr. Zarrina Azizova published in The Conversation “The hidden bias in college admission tests: How standardized exams can favor privilege over potential”.
And Dr. Shelbie Witte published “Getting beyond answers like ‘fine’ and ‘nothing’: 5 simple ways to spark real talk with kids” in The Conversation.
Dr. Lee Ann Williams also published in The Conversation. When disasters fall out of the public eye, survivors continue to suffer – a rehabilitation professional explains how sustained mental health support is critical to recovery. She then had the opportunity to join clinical psychologist Dr. Jessica Stern of NYU Langone Health on the “Psychiatry” program on SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio. Our conversation drew on my published work in The Conversation and focused on the intersection of disasters and mental health. We discussed the often-overlooked psychological toll of disasters, not only on immediate survivors, but also on communities navigating the long road of recovery. A particular focus was the impact on aging adults, who face unique vulnerabilities when disasters disrupt access to healthcare, mobility supports, and social networks. Our conversation also highlighted practical steps to support individuals before, during, and after disasters, from strengthening local mental health systems to ensuring inclusive recovery plans that address the needs of older adults and people with disabilities.
In July, an interview with Dr. Matt Knutson was featured on Sage’s video content within their Disability Studies collection. Dr. Knutson also appeared in a story for Team Liquid’s Newsroom for which he was interviewed on collegiate esports degree programs. (Team Liquid is one of the most prominent professional esports organizations in North America.)
SPOTLIGHT
Welcome to the newest CEHD faculty members who started in August 2025!
Dr. Priyanka Ravi joined the University of North Dakota (UND) in 2025 as a faculty member in Public Health Education. She earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery and Master of Dental Surgery in Public Health Dentistry in India and completed her Ph.D. in Health Behavior Health Promotion at the University of Arizona.
Before her doctoral training, Dr. Ravi served as a Scientist at the ICMR–National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research and as a Senior Resident in Public Health Dentistry at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. She contributed to India’s National Public Health Program, gaining extensive experience implementing oral health and cancer screening initiatives.
Her recent study in Karnataka, India, explored the occupational health experiences of women tobacco farmers and beedi workers. Using a mixed-methods approach that combined qualitative photovoice documentation with quantitative assessments of environmental exposures, she identified key occupational health challenges such as green tobacco sickness, adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, wage inequities, and pesticide and heavy metal exposures. Findings showed that women in the tobacco industry are exposed during vulnerable reproductive stages, including menstruation, pregnancy, postnatal, and postmenopause, which amplifies their health risks over time. These findings contribute to advocacy efforts aimed at improving protections for women workers in the tobacco industry. Her research has been supported by the University of Arizona’s One Health Fellowship ($50,000) and a NIOSH pilot grant ($10,000) through the Southern California Education and Research Center at UCLA. Globally, she collaborates with researchers on understanding the barriers and facilitators of adolescent human papilloma virus vaccination initiatives in Nigeria and surveillance of infection prevention in tertiary care hospitals in Kenya. At UND, Dr. Ravi will lead a community-based participatory research project examining youth exposure to e-cigarette marketing in North Dakota. She is also planning on developing an educational training module on radon for health professionals, including nurses and respiratory therapists, to strengthen awareness of environmental health risks. Dr. Ravi is deeply committed to mentoring students through applied research opportunities, fostering experiential learning, and advancing global public health scholarship.
Dr. HyeJin Tina Yeo (she/her) is excited to join the University of North Dakota as Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Education, Health & Behavior Studies. A critical scholar, sociologist, and mixed methodologist, Dr. Yeo explores power and inequity across individual, institutional, and global levels to reveal how institutions shape access, success, and equity in academic and career pathways for historically and systematically marginalized students. She also examines the racialized experiences of international students, their identity (re)formation, and the development of equity- and justice-oriented mindsets. To address these dynamics, she developed International Student Critical Race Theory (IntlCrit), a pioneering framework that unpacks how global, sociocultural, and institutional contexts shape the developmental experiences of international students in the U.S.
Her recent studies provide critical insights into pressing issues in higher education. Using nationwide longitudinal data, Dr. Yeo identified racial and gender disparities in access to advanced technologies such as AI and robotics, and found that student success in computing is further constrained by persistently masculine, color-evasive, and competitive cultures. In another project, she examined how institutional characteristics and state-level socioeconomic and political contexts shape the structure of diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, contributing to an innovative dataset across 52 flagship universities in the U.S. She also uncovered differences in racial attitudes and views on equity-related policies (e.g., affirmative action) among Chinese, Korean, and Indian international students. Building on this work, she is collaborating internationally to develop tools for examining equity mindsets, beliefs about justice, and social justice orientations, with early findings from students in Korea. She is actively expanding her professional networks to pursue internal and external grants and build partnerships that amplify the impact of her research.
Before joining UND, Dr. Yeo served as Associate Director for Inclusive Computing Research at UCLA, where she led NSF-funded longitudinal survey projects. She earned her Ph.D. in the Sociology of Higher Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Yeo is excited to bring her expertise, energy, and commitment to equity-driven teaching, research, and mentorship to UND. Beyond academia, she enjoys documentaries, sports, tennis, and meditation, and looks forward to building meaningful connections with colleagues, students, and the UND community as she begins this new chapter.
Dr. Ian Grande is beginning his first year as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Teaching, Leadership, and Professional Practice Department. Before joining the University of North Dakota, he served as Superintendent/Secondary Principal for the Hope-Page School District, K-12 Principal for Shiloh Christian (Bismarck), and Assistant Principal for Shiloh Christian. Prior to those administrative roles, Dr. Grande served as an English Teacher at Shiloh Christian. Dr. Grande had an opportunity to present his research on the teacher shortage in North Dakota to the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB).
LATEST SCHOLARSHIP
CEHD faculty are in bold, and CEHD students are underlined.
Grants
Chinkondenji, P. (2025) NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship ($70,000), National Academy of Education and Spencer Foundation
Cho, H. (2025). MYSELF-MLI: Midwestern Youth Social-Emotional Learning Focused on Multilingual Identity. Spencer Foundation.
Link, L. J. (Principal Investigator). (2025-26). Aspiring Principals’ Pipeline [Grant]. ND Department of Public Instruction. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NDDPI/bulletins/3ed6e76
Votava, K. & Johnson, C. (2025). REIL early intervention leadership certificate cohort 3.0, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, ($144,215; Funded).
Fehr, K., Wettersten, K., Quincer, M., & Legerski, JP (July 2025-June 2029).Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Programs for Professionals (BHWET-ND). Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Programs for Professionals (BH-WET) Program. ($2,399,225)
Publications
Brecklin, C. I. (2025) Beyond school walls: The community politics of educational policy. Educational Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131946.2025.2545184.
Batt, L. M., Brecklin, C. I., & Schad, N. (2025). “We’ve reached a tipping point”: Using frame theory to understand the community politics of school funding referenda. Leadership and Policy in Schools. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2025.2527637.
Tunseth, F. (in press; accepted 7/15/2025). Book Review: Frame Shifting for Teachers. Urban Education
Hunter, C. & Campbell, L. (2025). Special Places in School: Using Provocative Pedagogy to Teach Place-Based Environmental Education. Climate Literacy in Education, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.24926/cle.v3i1.6780
Hunter, C. (2025). Reflections on teaching provocatively. Climate Literacy in Education, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.24926/cle.v3i1.6590
Suazo-Flores, E., Kastberg, E., S., Grant, M., & Chapman, O. (2025). Mathematics teacher educators’ intimate scholarship: Being, knowing, and ethics. Emerald Publisher. https://bookstore.emerald.com/mathematics-teacher-educators-intimate-scholarship-hb-9781835496251.html#
Kastberg, S., Suazo-Flores, E., Grant, M., & Chapman, O. (2025). Scholarly inquiry and practice in mathematics teacher education through intimate scholarship. In Suazo-Flores, E., Kastberg, S., Grant, M., and Chapman, O. (Eds.) Mathematics teacher educators’ intimate scholarship: Being, knowing, and ethics. Emerald Publisher. https://bookstore.emerald.com/mathematics-teacher-educators-intimate-scholarship-hb-9781835496251.html#
Chamdimba, E., & Chinkondenji, P. (2025). Humanizing methodologies in a digital world: A critical awareness of Ubuntu-informed approaches in participatory visual research in Malawi. Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/15327086251348261
Link, L. J., & Mitic, R. R. (2025). Examining grading purpose and practices: A multivariate analysis of secondary stakeholder perceptions. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policies & Practice, 1-19. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2025.2534813
Link, L. J., Guskey, T. R., & Lingat, J. M. (2025). Variation in stakeholders’ views on homework and grading: A study to improve policy & practice. Improving Schools, 26(2-3), 73 -98. Sage. https://doi.org/10.1177/13654802251325382
Perry, A. M. (2025). Unlocking the black box of school–industry partnerships: A comparative case study. International Journal of Training and Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.70003
Gherardi, S.A., Flinn, R.E., Jaure, V.B., & Peterson, L.S. (Accepted). Assessing teacher attitudes toward trauma-informed education: Are we measuring what matters? Journal of Trauma Studies in Education.
Liu F. & Cho H. (2025) Factor structure of teacher-related boredom in EFL classroom: a mini literature review. Front. Educ. 10:1641256. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1641256
Liu, F. & Xu, W. (2025) Trauma and Chinese Traditional Culture: Essays of Tai Chinese Writer Mengli: “Escape from the Wolf Den (Taoli Langxue)” and “A Tiny Heart (Cun Cao Xin)”. Advances in Literary Study, 13, 153-161. doi: 10.4236/als.2025.133012.
Midkiff, Emily. (2025) “Cozy Fantasy and Queer Ecology in Kay O’Neill’s Tea Dragon Books.” Extrapolation, 66(2). https://doi.org/10.3828/extr.2025.12
Dana, N. F., Yendol-Hoppey, D., & Rutten, L. (2025). The reflective educator’s guide to practitioner inquiry (5th ed.). Corwin.
Rutten, L., Dana, N. F., & Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2025). Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into your classroom: Let inquiry lead the way. Corwin Connect.
Dresden, J., Ferrara, J., Neapolitan, J. E., Yendol-Hoppey, D., Beck, J. S., Faison, M. Z., Janis, S., Provinzano, K., & Rutten, L. (Eds.). (2025). The Cambridge handbook of school–university partnerships. Cambridge University Press.
Wolkenhauer, R., & Rutten, L. (2025). Locating practitioner inquiry within the Professional Development School movement: A qualitative review of contemporary PDS literature. In J. Dresden, J. Ferrara, J. E. Neapolitan, D. Yendol-Hoppey, J. S. Beck, M. Z. Faison, S. Janis, K. Provinzano, & L. Rutten, (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of school–university partnerships (pp. 582–606). Cambridge University Press.
Teriba, A. A., & Foley-Nicpon, M. (2025). Motivating human flourishing: An ethnoracial appraisal-based intervention on growth mindset. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 10(3), 24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-025-00236-y
de Silva, R. M., & Fifita, P. (2025). Nā Limu O Ke Kai: Inspiring Kānaka Health and Wellbeing. Cultural Studies↔ Critical Methodologies, 15327086251346129
de Silva, Renuka Mahari. (In Press, September 2025 publication). Voices from Within: Exploring A Wahine’s Mana Through the Visual Medium. International Review of Qualitative Research.
de Silva, R. M. & Chinkondenji, P. (In Press, Fall 2025 publication). Weaving Tapestries: A Story of Two Transnational Female Students in Higher Education. In N. K. Denzin & J. Salvo (Eds.). Educational and Sustainability: Constructing Meaning Through a Qualitative Lens. Gorham, ME. Myers Education Press.
Chinkondenji, P. & de Silva, R. M. (In Press, Fall 2025 publication). Virtual futures in qualitative inquiry: The discomforts and freedoms of virtual data gathering using multi-modal tools in transnational digital storytelling. In N. K. Denzin & J. Salvo (Eds.). ). Education and Technology. Gorham, ME. Myers Education Press.
de Silva, Renuka Mahari. (In Press, Fall 2025 publication). Kupu ka niu kupu ke kanaka- When coconuts grow, humanity flourishes: Exploring the Hawaiian Indigenous understanding of niu as the tree of life. In Food Sovereignty in Oceania, Fifita, P., Riley, K., and J. Wagner (Eds). [Special Issue]. Journal of Pacific Studies.
de Silva, Renuka, Mahari, Fifita, Patricia. (In Press, Fall 2025 publication). Life-giving kalo, my shield, and my protector: A woman’s journey of hope and food security. In Food Sovereignty in Oceania, Fifita, P., Riley, K., and J. Wagner (Eds). [Special Issue]. Journal of Pacific Studies.
Steele, J. M., & Newton, C. S. (2025). Black Lives Are Beautiful: Training School Counselors to Foster Positive Racial Identity and Academic Success Among Black K-12 Students. Journal of Black Studies, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00219347251369045
Kruse, M. & Fehr, K. (2024). Child behavioral sleep concerns: Caregiver problem recognition and help-seeking. Clinical Practice of Pediatric Psychology. Advance publication online.
Long, L., & Bjorg, R. (2025). Methods of Tactile Reading and Writing for Students with Visual Impairments. In Handbook for Educating Students with Disabilities: Implications and Strategies (pp. 1-20). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Presentations
Suazo-Flores, E., (June 2025). Visuospatializing our mathematics lessons grades K-5. North Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2025 Summer Conference, Minot State University, Minot ND.
Williams, L. A. (2025, August 28–30). Invisible aftershocks: Addressing mental health gaps in disability-focused disaster recovery and rehabilitation. Paper presentation at the World Disability and Rehabilitation Conference (virtual), Bangkok, Thailand.
Perry, A. M. And Read, K. (2025, accepted) From Policy to Practice: A Pilot Study of Career Readiness Assessment Practices. [Conference paper]. CTE Research and Professional Development Conference. Nashville, TN, United States
Anderson, S. & Flinn, R.E. (2025, August). Exploring the stories of growing up rural and LGBTQ+: A narrative analysis of challenges, strengths, and identity. Poster presented at the 2025 American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO, American Psychological Association of Graduate Students.
Drazdowski, T.K. (Chair), Pasman, E., Flinn, R.E., Tillson, M., & Sheidow, A. J. (2025, June). Mentoring early career researchers who have direct lived experience with substance use recovery: How to recruit and retain those with experiential expertise. College on Problems of Drug Dependence Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.
Midkiff, Emily. (2025). “Hope in Cozy Fantasy, Cozy Apocalypse, and Environmental Activism.” Presentation at International Research in Children’s Literature International Congress. Salamanca, Spain.
Brown, C., Cooper, A., Teriba, A., (2025). Community mindset: How community of origin relates to athletes’ growth mindset and satisfaction [Poster session]. American Psychological Association 2025 Convention, Denver, Colorado.
Guo, J., Tobeck, C., Fehr, K., Teriba, A., Honaker, S. (2025). Caregivers’ recognition and treatment-seeking for child sleep difficulties in rural areas [Poster session]. American Psychological Association 2025 Convention, Denver, Colorado.
Roerick, A., Guo, J., Fehr, K., Teriba, A., Honaker, S. (2025). Caregiver preferences for pediatric behavioral sleep intervention: A qualitative study [Poster session]. American Psychological Association 2025 Convention, Denver, Colorado.
Peterson, A., Rollag, A., Tang, Z., Flinn, R.E., Teriba, A. (2025). Therapists’ Fortitude: How psychological fortitude impacts therapists’ burnout and job satisfaction [Poster session]. American Psychological Association 2025 Convention, Denver, Colorado.
Renuka de Silva, Invited Speaker (Conference), Online: Centering Technology as a Pathway to Student Success: Digital Stories. 2nd World Conference on Education and Training WCET2025 Conference, Tokyo, Japan. (August 2025).
Votava, K., Johnson, C. (author only), Anderson, J. (author only) & Adusumilli, J. (author only). 325L impacts: Leadership development in the early intervention workforce. Office of Special Education Programs Leadership and Project Director’s Conference, poster presentation, Washington, DC, August 6, 2025.
Adusumilli, J., Anderson, J., Johnson, C., & Votava, K. Strengthening family voice: Improving response rate representativeness in Part C, poster. Office of Special Education Programs Leadership and Project Director’s Conference, poster presentation, Washington, DC, August 6, 2025.
Public Media
Suazo-Flores, E., (June 2025). Visuospatializing our mathematics lessons grades K-5. North Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2025 Summer Conference, Minot State University, Minot ND.
Cho, H., Turner, S., Gustin, T., & Scherbenske, K. (2025). Why should native English-speaking teachers learn English grammar to support multilingual learners? Dakota TESOL Newsletter, 15(1), 25–28. https://dakotatesol.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Dakota-TESOL-Newsletter-2025-1.pdf
Isono, A., & Cho, H. (2025). Interactive use of Kahoot! for content-language integrated instruction for multilingual learners. Dakota TESOL Newsletter, 15(1), 8–11. https://dakotatesol.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Dakota-TESOL-Newsletter-2025-1.pdf
Williams, L.A. (July, 2025). When disasters fall out of the public eye, survivors continue to suffer-a rehabilitation professional explains how sustained mental health support is critical to recovery. The Conversation. When disasters fall out of the public eye, survivors continue to suffer – a rehabilitation professional explains how sustained mental health support is critical to recovery
Williams, L.A. (August, 2025). Opportunity to join clinical psychologist Dr. Jessica Stern of NYU Langone Health on the “Psychiatry” program on SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio. Our conversation drew on my published work in The Conversation and focused on the intersection of disasters and mental health.
Dr. Jesse Rhoades’ BiPed lab was also mentioned in the Space Studies press release regarding the new pool under construction https://blogs.und.edu/und-today/2025/07/space-studies-to-make-splash-with-new-underwater-facility/
Kudos to our own Dean Shelbie Witte on becoming the latest member of our college to be published in The Conversation! Her article, “Getting beyond answers like ‘fine’ and ‘nothing’” 5 simple ways to spark real talk with kids,” easily resonates with parents and teachers alike.
In July an interview with Matt Knutson was featured on Sage’s video content within their Disability Studies collection. Dr. Knutson also appeared in a story for Team Liquid’s Newsroom for which he was interviewed on collegiate esports degree programs. (Team Liquid is one of the most prominent professional esports organizations in North America.)
Comments