Fargo, N.D. – Several College of Human Development and Education faculty members at NDSU recently gave presentations, published research and received awards. 

Wendi Stachler, adjunct instructor in the School of Education, presented one of two papers named as the Research Conference Distinguished Manuscript at the 2012 North Central Conference of the American Association of Agricultural Education held in Champaign, Ill. The paper, titled “Sustainability of Professional Development to Enhance Student Achievement: A Shift in the Professional Development Paradigm,” was co-written with Stachler’s adviser, Brent Young, associate professor, and graduate committee member, Mari Borr, assistant professor, both School of Education.

The purpose of the study was to determine the sustainability of professional development and teacher utilization of the Science-in-Career and Technical Education (CTE) pedagogical model and science-enhanced lessons in curricula one year following the Science-in-CTE Pilot Study.

Anita Welch, assistant professor, School of Education, presented a paper, titled “A Psychometric Re-evaluation of the Epistemic Beliefs Inventory,” at the International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology, Istanbul, Turkey. Chris Ray, assistant professor, School of Education, was co-author.

Sharon Query, assistant professor of practice, human development and family sciences and Center for 4-H; Molly Secor-Turner, assistant professor, nursing; and Brandy Randall, associate professor, human development and family science, were awarded a $49,780 grant from the North Dakota Department of Transportation for “Increasing Seat Belt Usage among Pre-Driving Youth in North Dakota.” Query also was awarded a grant for $29,995 from the North Dakota Department of Transportation, “Parents LEAD.”

Query presented a poster session, titled “Boundaries,” with Dena Kemmet, Mercer County Extension Agent, at the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents National Meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Claudette Peterson, Anita Welch and Chris Ray, all assistant professors in the School of Education, and Mustafa Cakir, a colleague in Turkey, presented a paper, titled “Cross-Cultural Use of Surveys and Instruments in International Research: Lessons Learned from a Study in Turkey and the United States,” at the conference of the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education in Las Vegas in November. 

Peterson, Ray and doctoral student Dina Zavala-Petherbridge, also presented the results of a study, titled “Perceptions of Adult Education Faculty Concerning Advising Graduate Students,” at the conference of the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education Conference, Commission of Professors of Adult Education in Las Vegas in November. 

Sherri Stastny, assistant professor of health, nutrition and exercise sciences, presented a poster at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) in Philadelphia in October. The abstract was co-written and the poster was designed with Amelia Asperin, assistant professor of apparel, design and hospitality management, and Ann Ragan, lecturer of apparel, design and hospitality management. The submitted abstract was titled "Changing a Campus Classroom Into a Restaurant” and was published in the Academy's September 2012 journal.

The NDSU Couples and Family Therapy program was awarded the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Training Award at its annual conference in Charlotte, N.C. This award honors one association member or training program for significant contributions to advancement of the field of marriage and family therapy by encouraging and training the next generation of couple and family therapy researchers and/or practitioners.

Sarah McDougall, second-year graduate student, human development and family science, also was one of only two students in the U.S. and Canada to receive the Minority Scholarship at the conference. The Minority Scholarship supports recruitment and retention of minority students in the field and is given to students who demonstrate particular promise as future scholars.

Tia Fuhrmann, a second-year student in the Master of Athletic Training program, was selected by the North Dakota Athletic Trainer’s Association as the student representative for the 2013 iLEAD Conference in Dallas in January. The conference is sponsored by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association to promote leadership among young professionals in athletic training.  

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private research universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.