Community Engaged Research & Creative Activity

The College of Arts & Sciences conducts community engaged research and creative activity that makes a positive, lasting impact in our region and across the state of North Dakota.  Check out what CAS faculty are doing to enhance our community!

NDSU’s Upper Midwest Center on Public Policy, led by Nicholas Bauroth, released the results of a mail survey of Fargo voters, finding that most voters are content with city services, but are less satisfied with the Fargo City Commission. Consequently, local voters are receptive to the idea of changing the current system of government in Fargo from at-large representation to a City Council format where officials represent specific districts within the city. Indeed, the survey found that 49.8% of respondents would support such a change while 19.7% would not. The citywide mail survey was done in conjunction with the Social Research Center at NDSU. Survey results will be released to the local media and politicians in December 2023.

Stevenson Beck (Professor & Chair, Communication) conducts research on special education teams. These teams (often called IEP teams) are composed around the needs of a special needs students. These teams, which include teachers, therapists, principals, and parents), make educational decisions based on the needs of the student. Unfortunately, facilitating IEP meetings can be tricky, and educators don't receive much conflict resolution training. Professor Beck has published two articles, and made several presentations to the West Fargo, Fargo, and Moorhead School Districts to help IEP teams make better decisions and better support special needs students and families.

Dean L. Bresciani (Distinguished Professor, Educational and Organizational Leadership) serves on the Board of Directors for the Good Samaritan Society. Under the corporate umbrella of Sanford Health, Good Samaritan provides quality post-acute care living environments for senior citizens around the country, with a focus on rural areas.

Dennis Cooley (Professor & Chair, School of Humanities) performs informal end of life consultations for those thinking about making end of life decisions for themselves or their loved ones. Professor Cooley’s work provides a civil and thoughtful challenge to some of the thinking about what death and dying means to each person.

Liza Gilblom (Assistant Professor of Educational and Organizational Leadership), along with NDSU collaborator Angie Johnson (NDSU Farm and Ranch Safety Coordinator), were awarded a pilot grant from the National Institute of Health to conduct geospatial analysis of traumatic agricultural injuries in the upper Midwest. The team’s research serves the public by bringing awareness of agricultural injuries in the region with the intent of developing safety programs and interventions that reduce the incidence of agricultural injuries and reducing hospital visits and emergency care that Sanford Health ultimately provides.

Health Education/Physical Education faculty Jenny Linker, Joe Deutsch, and Justin Pieterick run NDSU’s Let’s Move in Homeschool, an outreach program that provides health and physical education lessons to homeschooled children ages 4-12. Let’s Move in Homeschool runs every Tuesday for ten weeks each semester. It provides affordable lessons using best-practices, ensuring opportunities for families to supplement current homeschooling practices.

Dane Mataic & Christina Weber (Sociology & Anthropology) are collaborating with the Great Plains Food Bank (GPFB) to expand their TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) efforts and further understand food insecurity and access in North Dakota. The faculty identified communities that have the greatest need for food resources, and then engaged with community members through a combination of interviews and surveys. The final impact of this project is to identify intersecting challenges of food access in these North Dakota communities. In addition, Mataic & Weber are making preliminary recommendations about how to address some of these challenges.

AJ Myer and the North Dakota Department of Correction and Rehabilitation received a federal grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance program for $2.5 million dollars over four years. The money will be used to expand the use of adult drug treatment courts in North Dakota. NDSU and Dr. Myer will work with the six adult treatment courts in the state to adhere to evidence-based practices that decrease recidivism. Dr. Myer and graduate students will work with the six adult drug courts across the state to: (1) review and update court practices and procedures, (2) assess the adherence to EBP practices for each court, (3) evaluate the cost effectiveness of the courts, and (4) assess the impact of the courts on recidivism. Dr. Myer will also work with the state to expand the use of courts across the state.

In addition, Dr. Myer has entered an agreement with the North Dakota Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. This contract will allow Dr. Myer and graduate students to function as the research unit for the state, giving DOCR more data driven feedback on various practices.

Rooth Varland (Professor, Theatre Arts) is serving as Costume Designer for two feature films set and filmed in North Dakota. Hazel is based on the true story of Hazel Miner. It tells the story of a heroic 16-year-old girl in a North Dakota blizzard circa 1920 as she saves the lives of her younger siblings. Medora: Empress of the Badlands is about the Marquis DeMores as told by his wife, Medora. Both films will be distributed to a national audience.