UND Assistant Professor Akorede Teriba awarded faculty fellowship
Akorede Teriba, assistant professor and co-training director of Counseling Psychology in the UND College of Education & Human Development, has been selected as the recipient of the Elnora Hopper Danley Faculty Fellowship.
The fellowship recognizes early-career faculty who show exceptional promise for scholarly achievement, meaningful contributions to the college’s research mission, and strong potential for externally funded research leadership.
Teriba earned the fellowship for his proposal, “Addressing Rural Behavioral Health Disparities: Developing a Mechanism-Driven Peer Support Intervention for Rural North Dakota.” Reviewers praised the proposal for its intellectual merit, societal relevance, thoughtful methodological design, and strong alignment with both the College’s mission and UND’s strategic priorities, CEHD leaders report.
His proposed research program addresses behavioral health disparities in rural communities through innovative, scalable and community-centered approaches. The work focuses on growth mindset, emotion regulation and self-compassion as modifiable mechanisms within peer support interventions — an approach recognized for both its scholarly originality and potential for broader societal impact.
“Great research ultimately answers an important question: so what?” said Shelbie Witte, dean of the College of Education & Human Development. “Dr. Teriba’s work stands out because it connects behavioral health research with real-world impact, using an implementation science approach to develop scalable supports for rural communities while also mentoring the next generation of scholars.”
Teriba joined the College in 2023. His research and training focus includes community-based participatory research, intervention development and implementation, career development, diversity and disability advocacy, human flourishing, and social determinants of health. His clinical interests include identity development, anxiety, depression, relational trauma and self-esteem.
Established in 2012 through a gift to the UND Foundation, the Elnora Hopper Danley Faculty Fellowship supports innovative research activities and the pursuit of extramural funding for projects that address important problems in education and human development, advance knowledge and practice, and contribute to improving society.
The fellowship honors Elnora Hopper Danley, a UND alumna and North Dakota native, and her husband, Roy Danley, whose transformative estate gift continues to support students, faculty and programs across UND.
