CEHD Research in Press: October 2026

NEWS 

Dr. Ethan Dahl (PI), along with Co-PIs Drs. Rachel Navarro and Shelby Bandel (psychology), and Project Director Sarah Kemp-Tabbut, has received a $400,000 award from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to support the North Dakota Rural Zero Suicide (ND RZS) project. The project will expand implementation of the evidence-based Zero Suicide framework across up to 16 rural healthcare and behavioral healthcare organizations throughout North Dakota. Through specialized training, technical assistance, and partnerships with healthcare providers, the team will strengthen suicide risk screening, assessment, treatment, referrals, and follow-up care. The project aims to address gaps in rural healthcare systems, improve coordination of services, and ultimately reduce suicide risk among rural North Dakotans. The award supports activities through September 2027, with the potential for annual renewal as part of the state’s five-year Rural Health Transformation Program.

The American Association for Cancer Education (AACE) has elected Dr. Priyanka Ravi to serve as a Member-at-Large on its Executive Council (2-Year Term; 2026–2028). This appointment recognizes her contributions to cancer prevention, community-engaged research, and efforts to advance cancer awareness and education through the Innovative Cancer Awareness, Research, and Education (iCARE) Lab at UND. In this role, Dr. Ravi will help shape AACE’s strategic direction, strengthen member engagement, and foster national and international collaborations in cancer education.

Dr. Lee Ann Williams attended the 2nd session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons at the United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, October 24-October 30, 2026. This international gathering brings together government representatives, human rights experts, and advocates to advance the protection and promotion of the rights of older persons worldwide. Her participation will provide opportunities to engage in global discussions on aging, human rights, and social policy, while strengthening connections to her teaching, scholarship, and professional work with disability, disaster preparedness, and mental health with focus on older adulthood.

Led by Drs. Elizabether Suazo-Flores and Renuka de Silva, during the second year of the KUA grant, participating teachers attended Educator Day at the National Indian Education Association’s (NIEA) 2026 Annual Conference. The conference theme, “Strength in Community: Building the Future Together,” affirmed the collective responsibility to support one another, uplift students, and shape educational systems that honor sovereignty, language, and identity. KUA’s participating teachers are UND Indigenous Language Program alumni. Educator Day created space for Indigenous educators to share their experiences developing and teaching lessons grounded in Indigenous students’ backgrounds, knowledge, and strengths. A panel of Indigenous scholars and published authors discussed their writing and publishing journeys, as well as their perspectives on Indian education, professional learning, collaboration, and community-rooted connections. KUA teachers attended different sessions and participated in a two-hour PI-led training at NIEA. They reflected on their conference experiences and identified school-based projects they could undertake and present at future NIEA conferences.

SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Shelbie Witte, Dean of the University of North Dakota’s College of Education & Human Development (CEHD), has received the 2026 Lawrence Baines Award from the Oklahoma Council of Teachers of English (OKCTE). The award recognizes her nearly three decades of leadership, advocacy, and service to the teaching profession. Throughout her career, Witte has combined educational research with a commitment to strengthening teacher preparation, professional learning, and collaboration among educators. Dr. Witte was profiled in UND Today.

Witte’s research focuses on digital literacies, adolescent literacy, English education, and the integration of emerging technologies into teaching and learning. She has published extensively on topics including digital writing, young adult literature, visual literacy, and teacher-librarian collaborations. She is also the founding director of the Initiative for Literacy in a Digital Age, which promotes research and its application to classroom practice through scholarly recognition, lectures, and resources for educators. Her scholarship emphasizes the evolving ways students engage with texts, technologies, and communication in contemporary learning environments.

Witte’s commitment to connecting research and practice is also reflected in her leadership of the Oklahoma State University Writing Project, part of the National Writing Project network. As director, she secured more than $1.15 million in external grant funding to support literacy initiatives, professional development, and partnerships with schools, including rural districts. Her work has helped create opportunities for teachers to engage with research, strengthen instructional practices, and contribute their own expertise to professional learning communities. The Lawrence Baines Award recognizes this longstanding commitment to advancing teacher education through scholarship, collaboration, and educator leadership.

LATEST SCHOLARSHIP

CEHD faculty are in bold, and CEHD students are underlined. 

Grants

Dahl, E. (Principal Investigator), Navarro, R., & Bandel, S. (Co-Principal Investigators). (2026). North Dakota Rural Zero Suicide (ND RZS) [Grant; $400,000]. North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Rural Health Transformation Program.

Publications

Nagawa, C. S., Ravi, P., Lee, R. M., Dargon-Hart, S., Pagan, J., Correa-Fernández, V., Austin, J. D., Daly, J. G., & Emmons, K. M. (2026). Federally qualified health center-level characteristics associated with sustaining tobacco screening and treatment in the United States, 2020–2024. Preventive Medicine, Article 108684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2026.108684

Kanma-Okafor, O. J., Ravi, P., Ngaybe, M. G. B., Yusoof, K., Leal Neto, O. B., McClelland, D. J., Ellingson, K. D., Hu, C., Magrath, P., & Ehiri, J. (2026). Enrollment in participatory surveillance programs and influenza vaccination uptake: A systematic review protocol. PLOS ONE, 21(10), e0358599. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358599

Denson, A., Kim, J., & Yeo, H. T. (2026). Navigating the Margins: Institutional Regulation of Executive Leadership Pathways for Black Women. Studies in Higher Education, 1-20.  https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2026.2737342

Link, L. J. (2026). What students say about classroom assessment and grades. School Administrator, 83(9), 16 – 20. School Superintendent Association. https://www.aasa.org/publications/publication/october-2026-school-administrator

Navarette-Burks, L., Link, L. J., & Miller, D. M. (2026). Increasing Latinas’ full potential in university leadership roles: Towards liberated leadership. Advancing Women in Leadership Journal, 45(1), 52 – 65. https://doi.org/10.21423/awlj-v45.a621

Newton, C., & Steele, J. M. (2026). Preliminary Development of the Broaching Readiness Scale: A Delphi Consensus and Content Validity Study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmcd.70034

Williams, L. A. (2026). Artificial intelligence (AI) as a support tool for case and caseload management in rehabilitation practice. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 57(3), 211-222. https://doi.org/10.1891/JARC-2025-0038.

Suazo-Flores, E., Cian, H., Hunter, C., & Hunter, J. (2026). Advocating for bringing into dialogue indigenous and place-based knowledge in rural communities. Frontiers in Education, 11, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1992694

Chinkondenji, P., & Chamdimba, E. (2026). Through the eyes of Umunthu: Participatory visual research with marginalized youth in Afrocentric indigenous research ethics. Qualitative Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14687941261497488

Presentations

Walker, W., & Suazo-Flores, E. (October 2026). Mathematics education researchers’ interdisciplinary collaborations [three-day working group]. The 48th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Brigham Young University. Provo, Utah.

Public Media

Falat, B. (October 14, 2026). Survey: Students want to keep letter grades, but want more clarity. Valley News Live interview with Laura Link. https://www.valleynewslive.com/2026/10/15/survey-students-want-keep-letter-grades-want-more-clarity/

Killoran, A., Oachs, K., & Link, L. J. (October 27, 2026). Closing the distance, expanding opportunity. UND LEADS Special Issue. UND Today. https://blogs.und.edu/und-today/2026/10/closing-the-distance-expanding-opportunity/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_source_platform=mailpoet&utm_campaign=October%2027,%202026%20issue

Williams, L. A. (2026, November 4). Aging, older adults, and counseling [Live invited expert radio interview conducted by Dr. Jessica Stern]. The Psychiatry Show, SiriusXM Doctor Radio, NYU Langone Health.