Associate professor Katie Lyman has adapted her approach to help students gain the knowledge they need to succeed in their career and in life, despite the global pandemic.
Katie Lyman is an encouraging voice in the classroom who helps students reach their potential with clear communication and openness.
Lyman teaches a variety of classes in two separate health, nutrition and exercise science graduate programs. The courses include advanced sports medicine techniques, orthopedic assessment, advanced emergency care and athletic training terminology.
Her hands-on approach has been tested during the global pandemic, but Lyman has found ways to adapt to help students gain the knowledge they need to succeed in their career and in life.
“In an era of an international pandemic, the teacher-student connection is, perhaps, one of the most complex yet rewarding components of education,” she said. “Although the communication style may look different from what it has in the past, we have an opportunity to refine the teacher-student connection by interacting in multiple formats.”
Lyman hopes to be a valuable mentor and is motivated each day by her students’ diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
“Success is defined by students obtaining the knowledge and skills to reach their personal goals as well as the ability to make a difference in someone else’s life,” she said. “I am proud to refer to my students as colleagues when they graduate and enjoy watching them embark on their professional journeys."
Lyman earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science at Central College in Pella, Iowa. She earned her master’s degree in kinesiology at Michigan State University and her doctorate in higher education administration with a specialization in emergency preparedness from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She joined the NDSU faculty in 2014.