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[1995] [1996] [1997] [1998] [1999]Cindy (Haarstad) Darrow
BSU Psychology major
M.A. (College/University Student Services) University of Northern Iowa (1995)
After graduating from BSU, Cindy worked as a Youth Service Worker at a residential treatment center for emotionally-disturbed kids. After earning her masters degree, she became a Program Advisor at the University of Wyoming, working in various student activities/college union capacities, including the renovation of the student union. Currently, Cindy is the Associate Director for Operations, Campus Center/Programs at Macalester College where she is responsible for the operation of the Campus Center, supervising more than 25 student employees. Cindy says, "I truly loved my BSU experience and have many fond memories that I share often. I think the psych and applied psych programs provided me with a solid foundation on which to enter the working world and continued education."Glenna Gentile
BSU Applied Psychology major
M.A. St. Mary's University
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist University of Wisconsin - Superior
Glenna has worked at Range Mental Health as well as doing part time couples counseling for the Employee Assistance Program at a hospital. She has also taught psychology courses at Hibbing Community College and for the BSU Applied Psychology program through the Arrowhead University Center.Michelle Ryan
BSU Psychology major
Michelle went to work for the state of Minnesota directly out of college. She worked at the Faribault Regional Treatment Center, and then went to work at Department of Human Services, working in Licensing and taking reports of abuse and neglect at all licensed facilities in the state of MN. She moved into being an investigator for Licensing and is now investigating MA providers (fraud and abuse) in the Surveillance and Integrity Review unit. Michelle says, “I really should have continued on with a masters program somewhere. That is my tip for the new grads - continue on so that you don't lose the momentum.”LeAnne (Palmer) Schmidt
BSU Psychology major
M.S. (Counseling Psychology, emphasis in Community Counseling) St. Cloud State University (1992)
LeAnne is a counselor at Inver Hills Community College, helping students with academic, career, and personal concerns. She says, "It’s very rewarding to see students who have so many barriers to their success be able to achieve their goals and I’m really lucky to have a job that allows me to help make that road to their goals a little easier or at least less stressful."Jodi Sladek
BSU Applied Psychology major
M.S.W. Portland State University (2000)
After graduating from BSU, Jodi worked with juvenile offenders, juvenile sex offenders, pregnant and parenting homeless teens, inmates, inmates in drug and alcohol treatment, adult sex offenders, and adult probationers. She also helped on a local crisis hotline. Jodi earned her masters degree while working full-time for the Sheriff's Office in the jail. Subsequently, she transferred to Parole and Probation to be the Cognitive Instructor, teaching classes to probationers and inmates on how to be responsible. Due to state budget cuts, Jodi was laid off; but she has been hired by the County Juvenile Department to be a mental health therapist for the lock-down program.Danae (Beatty) Lund
BSU Psychology major
Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology) University of North Dalota (1996)
Danae completed a predoctoral internship and post-doctoral residency at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, specializing in assessment of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is currently in private practice in Bemidji.Nicole (Stream) Schaffer
BSU Applied Psychology Major
After graduating, Nicole was a Residential Counselor with the Bar None Residential Treatment Center, applying behavior modification techniques on a locked unit with adjudicated teenage males. She then worked as an Evening Supervisor/Social Worker at Northwest Passage, a residential treatment facility for juvenile delinquent males, where she ensured the quality and efficiency of programming and provided a positive female role model for residents. Nicole also served as a Summer Programming Specialist as well Teen Coordinator, running a 6 day a week Teen Center, which entailed recruiting, hiring, training, scheduling and supervising 12-15 staff, for Fridley Recreation and Natural Resources. She has worked for a large school district as Community Education School Programmer, serving after-school and evening elementary, pre-school and parent/child programs. Currently, Nicole is Office Assistant for Fridley Recreation and Natural Resources, responsible for a variety of activities related to providing successful programs.Carol (Simons) Bennett
BSU Psychology major
B.S. (Registered Nursing) Bemidji State University (1999)
M.A. (Experimental Psychology) University of North Dakota (2003)
Ph.D. (Experimental Psychology) University of North Dakota (2006)
While pursuing her nursing degree, Carol held a position as adjunct faculty at Bemidji State University. She also held summer positions as an LPN, an RN, and a nurse researcher. Carol’s research at the University of North Dakota focused on the areas of cognition and aging. Carol is now a faculty member in the Psychology Department at BSU and is married to Russ Bennett Dr. Russ Bennett, also in the BSU Psychology Department.Andrea (Abbott) Bieberich
BSU Psychology major
Ph.D. (Child Clinical Psychology; emphases in Pediatric Psychology & Developmental Disabilities) University of Memphis (1998)
During graduate school, Andrea conducted research with the psychology group at St. Jude, as well as obtaining clinical experience in outpatient and inpatient mental health clinics and a clinic designed with government funding for training leaders in the field of developmental disabilities within an interdisciplinary setting. Her doctoral dissertation focused on emotional regulation in autism. Andrea completed an internship at Children's Hospitals and Clinics in Minneapolis and went on to a post-doctoral position at Fraser Child and Family Services where she conducted a group for preschoolers with significant emotional and behavioral disturbances, supervised graduate students, and worked with therapy and testing clients. She then took a position as a psychologist at the Alexander Center for children with developmental disabilities. She stayed in this position until she became pregnant and was placed on bed rest indefinitely. Andrea plans to return to part-time work in the field of autism. She says, " being a stay-at-home mom is much more difficult than being a child psychologist!"Thomas Chong
BSU Psychology minor & Education major
M.S. (Education - Curriculum and Instruction) Bemidji State University
Thomas is Director for Education Initiatives for Asia with Infocomm Asia, an online games company. He is also a Fellow at Stanford University Center for Social Innovation. His doctoral research is in Adult Learner Development and Change and he has written two books, one on volunteerism and the other a satire in the tradition of "Animal Farm" and "Charlotte's Web." After graduating from BSU, Thomas headed for Texas Tech to pursue his doctoral degree only to have to return home to Singapore after a semester to attend to family matters. While based in Singapore, Thomas took on ASEAN projects, including starting an international preschool in Malaysia and starting Singapore's first Computer Playground under Government funding. Thomas was later recruited by IBM ASEAN / South Asia as an Education Solutions Specialist. After winning the prestigious IBM Asia-Pacific President's Team Award in 1998 (as Team Manager), Thomas joined academia to invest more time in his doctoral degree program at Leicester University, United Kingdom. Between 1998 and now, Thomas managed two e-learning companies that won major contracts from the Hong Kong Department of Education and the Malaysian Government and received three national and one international awards. Feeling that something was missing, Thomas joined the Singapore Workforce Development Agency to co-lead the development of national employability skills programs and capability development of training providers across 69 different industries in Singapore. He continues to be involved in for-profit projects such as the setting up and maintenance of seven international schools in China and three in Vietnam; he currently sits on their Board. Thomas was appointed to lead the formation of a Resource Center for Discharged Youths in Singapore. Thomas is also serving as a Consultant to the Headquarters Singapore Artillery of the Singapore Ministry of Defense and as a Resource Panel Member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, which includes Homeland Security. Thomas participated in Public Engagement training at Harvard University in 2002. He is currently on the Board of Malaysia's largest chain of kindergartens (all 86 of them). Thomas confided that he misses ice-fishing, snowmobiling, and sauerkraut and would love to return to Bemidji.DeWayne Teig
BSU Applied Psychology Major
DeWayne is the Director for Admissions and Candidacy at Wartburg Theological Seminary, spending lots of time on the phone, responding to emails, and traveling the country in search of prospective students interested in serving as leaders in the church. He says, "Most days I enjoy more variety in my work than I can handle. If variety is the spice of life, it's giving me indigestion on some days." DeWayne is also pursuing a Master of Sacred Theology degree, incorporating his work responsibilities with his continuing interest in human behavior and theology. His thesis focuses on emotional intelligence and its relationship to those preparing for leadership positions in ministry. His work includes qualitative research with students, alumni, and entering students as well as some quantitative testing.Suthakaran Veerasamy
BSU Psychology major
M.A. (Educational Psychology) University of Nebraska, Lincoln (1996)
Ph.D. (Counseling Psychology) University of Maryland (2002)
Sutha is currently at the University of Notre Dame doing a post-doc. He is teaching and conducting research in the area of multicultural psychology. Sutha recently presented a paper titled "The Experiential/Rational Model of Religious Identity Development." Before beginning his masters program, Sutha worked for about a year at three different group homes for the mentally handicapped.Cindy Sifonis
BSU Psychology major
M.A. (Psychology) Texas A&M University (1995)
Ph.D. (Psychology) Texas A&M University (1998)
After receiving her doctorate, Cindy was a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, funded by a National Science Foundation grant. Cindy is now an Assistant Professor at Oakland University in Michigan. One of her primary research areas is creativity; she was approached by General Motors to help them enhance the creativity of their management teams. She says, "I'm positive the work I started at BSU examining creativity got me the graduate position at Texas A&M University." Cindy has a number of publications and more than 20 conference presentations.Jeanne Troge
BSU Applied Psychology major
M.A. (Human Development) St. Mary's College
Jeanne's M.A. program had focus areas in transpersonal psychology, ecopsychology, and grief and bereavement counseling and education. She has worked as an in-home family counselor for Lutheran Social Service, serving families who have been reported for child abuse/neglect, domestic abuse, and teen delinquency. Recently, she became co-owner of a wellness center, offering alternative and complementary health services in the Park Rapids region. In addition, Jeanne teaches classes and workshops throughout the Midwest area on personal/spiritual growth.Warren Finseth
BSU Psychology major
Warren reminds us that he was 41 when he graduated and "not a typical student!" After graduating, he returned to the wholesale business that he was in when he began college. Later, instead of expanding to keep up with the competition, he became an insurance agent, selling property and liability insurance to churches and other houses of worship, Bible Camps, Colleges, and Senior Living Facilities. Warren has been rewarded for his work by qualifying for trips to Las Vegas and Alaska.Todd Helvig
BSU Psychology major
Ph.D. Nova Southeastern University (2000)
After completing his doctorate, Todd was hired by the Colorado Department of Corrections, doing diagnostic evaluations, testing, and crisis intervention/stabilization and referral within the state system for male offenders. He moved from the men's diagnostic intake setting to a Special Needs Unit at the Denver Women's Correctional Facility which serves chronically mentally ill women participating in the mental health program. Todd is also a member of a band that is recording a CD.Sarah (Doeden) How
BSU Psychology major
M.S. (School Psychology) Moorhead State University (1998)
Specialist Degree (School Psychology) Moorhead State University (2000)
Sarah is a School Psychologist in the West Fargo School District, working primarily with middle school and high school students. She also serves some students at the elementary level and at the Kindergarten Center. Sarah says that she is "still using statistics as we normed the district for curriculum based measures for grades k-3 in reading." She also makes the following offer: "If ever you have someone interested in school psychology I would be glad to talk them into this field." Her latest job is becoming the newsletter editor of the North Dakota School Psychologist Association.Sandy Johnson
BSU Applied Psychology major
After graduating, Sandy started working for the Bagley School District as a parent educator in their Early Childhood Family Education program. She continues as a parent educator and is also Coordinator of Family Education in Bagley. Sandy characterizes her work as "challenging and rewarding."June (Baumgart) Madurski
BSU Applied Psychology major
Immediately after graduation, June worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation Director at a facility for disabled adults, and part-time as a drug and alcohol counselor. Later, she moved to Georgia, where she set up a Crisis Unit program for acute detoxification and psycho-social crisis just outside of Metro Atlanta. More recently, June established a pilot program to reduce recidivism among the chronic mentally ill in Nevada, then later took a position in an acute rehabilitation hospital as a Case Manager. She trained as a Nursing Home Administrator and is currently the Administrator/Executive Director of a Long Term Care and Skilled Care Nursing Facility in Ely, Nevada. June says, "Because of the diversity of the Applied Psychology Major, I have found that I possessed employable skills in many fields of human services, and have been fortunate to be able to pursue all my interests." She also notes, "I too was an older student returning to school at the age of 29."(Constance) Pui-Wa Lei
BSU Applied Psychology & Psychology majors
M.S. (Measurement and Statistics) University of Iowa (1997)
Ph.D. (Measurement and Statistics, Minor: Mathematical Statistics) University of Iowa (2001)
Pui-Wa completed a one-year postdoc at the University of Iowa and is now an Assistant Professor of Education at The Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests are in measurement, and she has a recent publication and presentation.Michele Mandrich
BSU Psychology major
M.S.W. Augsburg College (1998)
After receiving her M.S.W., Michele worked full-time as an educator and advocate for nursing home residents, families, and staff at the Advocacy Center for Long-Term Care in Bloomington. She also worked part-time as a social worker in the emergency room at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics. Michele was promoted to program director at the Advocacy Center, supervising a statewide staff, lobbying for consumer protections, and developing programs aimed to improve the quality of care in nursing homes. Michele has also done casework with low-income elderly at risk of nursing home placement. Currently, she works in the Children, Family and Adult Services Department of Hennepin County in the child protection system of their foster care program. Michele is a consumer director on the Board of Directors for HealthFront, a nonprofit organization conducting research and disseminating information to the public on care systems’ adherence to best-practice guidelines.Heidi (Ohman) Gaston
BSU Psychology major
After graduating, Heidi took a position with the Department of Justice and continues to work for the Department.Thant Pearson
BSU Psychology major
M.A. (Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling & Vocational Rehabilitation Evaluation) University of Wisconsin - Stout
Thant began working in human services, took a break to make circuit boards, and then returned to human services. He is currently working for Rehabilitation Services with the State of Minnesota in the Twin Cities area.Jay Bergland
BSU Applied Psychology major
M.A. (Counseling and Student Personnel) St. Mary's. University (1998)
Jay is working in Student Judicial Affairs at the University of Minnesota, where he deals with student disciplinary affairs involving such things as alcohol violations, assaults, and sexual assaults. Jay has been a Hall Director at both St. Mary's University and St. Olaf College. He has also served as an advisor/counselor for High School Upward Bound through Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Jay is married to Toby Bergland.Carol Canivez
BSU Applied Psychology major
Carol worked as a counselor for the Family Help Center in Baudette, serving victims of domestic violence/sexual assault along with groups for teens, wives of alcoholics, and anger management classes. She did some grant writing, including the "Change Direction" program for first time offenders of alcohol/drug violations. Carol also had a staff of 5-6 trained volunteers who worked a 24-hour crisis line for victims. Carol is now retired and living in warmer climates. Carol is the mother of Gary Canivez (1982).Sasha Chernyshenko
BSU Psychology major
M.A. (Counseling Psychology) University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (1998)
M.A. (Industrial/Organizational Psychology) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2000)
Ph. D. (Industrial/Organizational Psychology) University of Illinios at Urbana-Champaign (2002)
Sasha came to BSU as an exchange student after Dr. Louise Jackson's sabbatical in Ukraine. He spent his last year as an undergraduate at BSU and then pursued a master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of Minnesota. After Minnesota, Sasha had a "change of heart" and decided to get his Ph. D. in I/O psychology at Illinois. His research targets primarily issues related to applied psychology measurement and decision making. He has published in Journal of Applied Psychology, Multivariate Behavioral Research, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, and Educational and Psychological Measurement. Currently, Sasha is a Senior Lecturer in I/O psychology at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. During summer sessions from 1997-2001, Sasha taught a number of courses at BSU, including Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Introduction to Psychology, Learning and Cognition, Abnormal Psychology, and Human Sexuality.Cascia Corcoran
BSU Psychology major
M.Ed. (School Psychology) University of Massachusetts, Boston (1998)
C.A.G.S. (School Psychology) University of Massachusetts, Boston (1998)
While in graduate school, Cascia worked for the Nursing Department, analyzing the statistics for the department's annual alumni survey. After completing her program at the University of Massachusetts, Cascia began working as a School Psychologist in a community near Boston. She recently accepted a new position as School Psychologist in Newton, MA and is "looking forward to the challenge." Cascia says, "My experience in Bemidji was really wonderful and prepared me well for graduate studies."Lila Finney
BSU Psychology major
M.A. (Psychology) Miami University (1997)
Ph.D. (Social Psychology) Miami University (2001)
M.P.H. (Quantitative Methods) Harvard University - School of Public Health (2002)
While at Miami University, Lila received the Patrick J. Capretta Memorial Scholarship for Academic Excellence as well as a Dissertation Scholar award ($10,000 and tuition waiver). Lila's M.P.H. was funded by the National Cancer Institute where she currently works. She is a Cancer Prevention Fellow, working in the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch. She does research full time with the bulk of her work focusing on cancer screening and the informational needs of cancer patients. Lila has also been employed as a statistician and behavior specialist. She has a number of publications and many presentations.Dan Holmberg
BSU Psychology major
B.S. (Computer Science - 2002) Metropolitan State UniversityDan is currently working as the Information Systems Coordinator for the United States Postal Service, doing everything from web development on their intranet to supporting servers and networks. Dan says, “I attribute my success to the knowledge and skills that I gained studying for my degree in Psychology at Bemidji State.”
Michael Jobin
BSU Applied Psychology major
Mike is a Medical Release Tech at St. Mary's Duluth Clinic in the Behavioral Health Department. He processes requests for information from attorneys, Social Security, healthcare facilities, etc.Virginia Kwan
BSU Psychology major
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley (2002)
Virginia is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Princeton University. She has publications in social psychology, and her research focus is in the area of social perception.David Matz
BSU Psychology major
M.S. North Dakota State University (1997)
Ph.D. Texas A&M University (2001)
Dave is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Augsburg College. His interests are in the areas of social influence, attitudes and persuasion, groups and group decision making, and evolutionary psychology. He has a number of publications and presentations.Julie Senum
BSU Applied Psychology & Psychology majors
Julie works at Roseau County Social Services as a social worker. When she started, she worked in children's services (child protection/child welfare) and also carried a partial chemical dependency load. She has since changed to a caseload working with elderly services and services for the disabled. Julie says, "I really enjoy my work and there is always plenty of it."Laura Augustson
BSU Applied Psychology Major
M.S.Laura is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, working at the Central Minnesota Mental Health Center
Toby (O'Neill) Bergland
BSU Psychology major
M.A. (Secondary School Counseling) Winona State University (1998)
Toby is a school counselor at the middle school level in Richfield, MN, having previously served at the high school level. She notes that School Counseling internships are available at her school on a semi-regular basis. Toby has also been a high school social studies teacher. Toby is married to Jay Bergland.Jason Carlson
BSU Applied Psychology MajorJason is currently working as a CEO for Kittson Memorial Healthcare Center which has a hospital in Hallock, MN, and clinics in Karlstad and Stephen, MN. He is a licensed long-term care administrator in both MN and ND. Kittson Memorial is a 15- bed acute hospital with an attached 77- bed skilled nursing home. Jason will be starting school again this spring, pursuing a master’s degree in Health Management
Rebecca Gilbertson
BSU Psychology major (A.A. degree)
B.S. (Industrial/Organizational Psychology) Mankato State University
Rebecca completed an internship at Prudential in Human Resources. Following her internship, she accepted a position at Prudential and is currently an Internal Wholesaler.Kane Nashimoto
BSU Psychology major
Ph.D. (Statistics) University of Missouri, Columbia (2004)
M.A. (Statistics) University of Missouri, Columbia (2002)
M.A. (General Psychology) University of North Dakota (1998)
While at BSU, Kane wrote and sold a "Handbook for Statistics Students." He also presented a paper on memory at the Meeting of the American Psychological Society in San Francisco. His master's thesis examined Stroop interference, a topic he had investigated while at BSU. During his first year in the doctoral program in experimental psychology at UND, Kane's strong interests in quantitative aspects of psychology motivated him to pursue statistics. His doctoral thesis examined multiple comparison techniques. Kane is currently teaching in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. I am in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. He is enjoying teaching and doing research and likes the town which "reminds me of Bemidji - small town with friendly people."Da'Nel Randall
BSU Psychology major
M.S. (Community Counseling) St. Cloud State University (2005)
Da'Nel just started her Ph.D. in General Psychology through Capella University. She lives near Park Rapids and recently accepted a position there as an EAP counselor through The Village Family Services, Inc. Da'Nel is in the process of receiving supervision for her LPC licensure.Val (Reitmeier) Ras
BSU Applied Psychology major
Val works at Beltrami County Human Services as a Child Protection Social Worker. She says, "it is a VERY challenging job...to say the least!"Brian Brooks
BSU Psychology major
M.S. (Cognitive Psychology) Iowa State University (2001)
Ph.D. (Neuroscience & Cognitive Psychology) Iowa State University (2003)
Brian is a recent graduate of Iowa State University where he received both the Graduate Teaching Excellence Award and the Graduate Research Excellence Award. His research interests are in visual neuroscience and cognition, and he has numerous conference presentations as well as some journal articles.Missy (Johnson) Hebrink
BSU Applied Psychology major
Missy was a Self-Sufficiency Counselor with Bi-County Community Action Programs in Bemidji but left the field because of the stress and low pay. She worked as a realtor's assistant until recently and is now at home with her young son. Missy says, "I use my education everyday, especially the techniques of behavior modification."Melissa (Gunwall) Ion
BSU Applied Psychology & Psychology majors
Melissa is a supervisor at Northwood Children's Services in Duluth. She previously worked at St. Croix Girls Camp in Minnesota. While living in Florida, Melissa worked as a supervisor at a battered women's shelter in a day-treatment center working with 4 year-old children.Kath Molitor
BSU Applied Psychology Major
Kath works in Bemidji at GoldPine Home, an Assisted Living Plus facility for the elderly. She is the Administrator of GoldPine and responsible for more than 60 residents and approximately 60 employees. Kath says, " I love the elderly and get far more from the job than I give. I learn more each day there than I could ever imagine."Carrie (Pawlenty) Patton
BSU Psychology majorAfter graduation, Carrie pursued a career in Human Resources. Currently, she is the Human Resources Generalist for a commercial real estate company in the Twin Cities. She work in all areas of Human Resources, including employee relations, recruitment, compensation, and policy administration. She holds the Professional in Human Resources Designation (PHR).
Christine Crawford
BSU Applied Psychology major
Christine is with Stellher Human Services Day Treatment Program as a Mental Health Practitioner, working in the Pine River/Backus School District. Previously she was a Counseling Specialist at the Archdeacon Gilfillan Center Day Treatment Program.Amy Long
BSU Psychology majorCurrently, Amy is working on an MBA in Human Resources Management at the University of St. Thomas . She works in HR-related capacities for two different organizations. In looking at her life, she says, “Balancing work, school, and life is a constant challenge, but I am more than prepared. I love what I'm doing right now.”
Matthias Machowinski
BSU Psychology major
After graduating, Matthias worked as a Residential Counselor at the Gilfillan Center in Bemidji, working with kids with a variety of mental health and behavioral problems. Following that position, he had a short stint with a firm in Boston that used locally gathered information to build a data base for tracking the new-housing market in the Boston area. Matthias then joined Infonetics Research in Boston, a market researcher and consultancy in the telecom space. He began in the research department, learning the processes of a market research company and getting acquainted with the technology. In addition to his research responsibilities, Matthias is also involved in IP voice equipment.Cordelia Santa-Maria
BSU Psychology major
After graduating, Cordelia worked for DRI Consulting in the Twin Cities as their "psychometrist-cum-office manager." At DRI, she learned about administering personality tests and how the consultants used the results to help clients with a change of career or to improve their management skills. Cordelia says, "I think career consulting is a very relevant help these days when careers can be so demanding and people get confused about whether they're in the right field of work." Following this, Cordelia returned to Malaysia. She has been working in management/administrative positions. Currently, Cordelia is a Manager for Royal Selangor Pewter, a Malaysian company that produces world-renowned pewter gift and souvenir items. She is also exploring the possibility of emigrating to Australia.Trisha (Kirk) Saulsbury
BSU Applied Psychology major
Trisha did her internship at Cambridge Elementary and Middle School where she "loved working with the children in the school." After graduating, she took a position at a battered women's resource center in Milaca, MN as an advocate. Then, she returned to Bemidji and worked for Planned Parenthood as a receptionist. It was at that time that Trisha decided she wanted to return to school for an Elementary Education degree which she is doing part-time. She is enrolled in the DLITE program through BSU and says "It really works well for people who would have to commute to school and need to work." Recently, Trisha has been a teacher's assistant at both the elementary and middle school levels.Martin Woon
BSU Psychology major
M.A. (Music Therapy) University of the Pacific (2003)
Martin completed an internship at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville (near Napa) where he also worked as a music therapist. Following a rigorous search process, Martin recently began a Ph.D. program in neuropsychology at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT where he recently defended his dissertation prospectus. Martin has been working in three different labs with three different professors, co-authoring three peer-reviewed journal articles. He says, “What is even more rewarding is to provide therapy and neuropsych assessment services.” Martin offers to provide “service to the current BSU students interested in pursuing further education.”April Ballard
BSU Applied Psychology major
Through the Applied Psychology major and her Early Childhood Education program at BSU, April became involved in the Head Start program. Her advice to students is "choose your internship with great care and go for the one you want." April is an Early Head Start Educator, working with families who have children birth to three as well as expectant parents. She does weekly home visits and holds bi-monthly classes at the school, assisting parents with meeting basic needs, parenting skills, and mental health needs. April says, "the Psychology Department did a great job preparing me for the work I do in the real world."Jennifer (Lerfald) Bodnarchuk
BSU Psychology/Biology major
M.A. (Developmental Psychology) University of Manitoba (2001)
Ph.D. (Developmental Psychology) University of Manitoba (2005)After graduating from Bemidji in 1999, Jennifer moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to pursue graduate studies. As part of her doctoral studies: she followed a sample of infants from birth to 2 years of age; her dissertation was titled: "The Breastfeeding Triangle: Crawling as a Mediator of Breastfeeding Duration and Cognitive Development at 2 Years of Age." During graduate school, Jennifer worked as a research assistant at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba , and just before earning her Ph.D. she accepted a new research job at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba. The new job combines her developmental psychology and health policy skills. Jennifer plans to continue her research career after an upcoming break: Jennifer and her husband Brian are expecting their first child in May 2006!
Lori (Thoma) Byrne
BSU Applied Psychology major
Lori is working as Program Coordinator for a new Supervised Visitation Program in Rochester. She was hired to develop and build the program. She is responsible for all aspects of the program: intake, setting up visitation, supervising staff, recruiting and training volunteers and interns, reporting to the court, and child protection. Lori says, "I love being able to work with volunteers and students." Previously, Lori worked as a Case Manager under the Minnesota MFIP program.Robin Cook
BSU Psychology major
Robin works in the Twin Cities for International Decision Systems, a company creating leasing and tax software for businesses. He has moved into a business consulting role, traveling the country dealing with leasing companies that are making portfolio acquisitions and working with them to merge their accounts and portfolios; plus evaluating new products and helping them meet their business needs and implementing the new software. Robin says, “How I ended up here with a degree in psychology is anyone’s guess, but it sure comes in handy when dealing with people.” He has also passed the Minnesota and National tests to obtain a real estate license and is a high school baseball umpire for the Minnesota High School League.Andrew Darchuk
BSU Psychology major
M.S. Ohio University (2001)
Andy just finished his fourth year in the doctoral clinical program at Ohio University and will be doing his internship at Hazelden in Minnesota. He has been involved with studies on a variety of psychotherapy research topics but is focusing on the therapeutic alliance in adolescent populations for his dissertation. He recently taught personality theory at Ohio University.Linda Erickson
BSU Psychology major
Linda is currently finishing a masters degree in English. She is a graduate assistant, teaching College Writing I and II. Linda also teaches a General Psychology course at Northwest Technical College.John Gonzalez
BSU Psychology major
M.A. (Clinical Psychology) University of North Dakota (2002)
Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology) university of North Dakota (2005)
While at BSU, John presented a paper with Dr. Russ Bennett titled "Self-identity in the indigenous peoples of North America: Factor structure and correlates" at the meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Nashville, TN. As part of his doctoral clinical program at University of North Dakota, John completed an internship at Michigan State University. John's research while in graduate school focused on ethnic minority issues in mental health. He presented at APA in 2003 and 2004 and co-authored a book chapter on cognitive-behavior therapy and Native Americans. His dissertation investigated the prejudice and discrimination towards Native American students because of the Fighting Sioux logo at the University of North Dakota. John is currently Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.Susan (Johnson) Privette
BSU Applied Psychology major
Susan has worked with people with developmental disabilities, mental illness, and welfare to work. She is currently seeking employment after having been laid off in these tough times for human services. Susan says it's "very frustrating to see good programs going down the drain."Nicole (Stromgren) Thompson
BSU Applied Psychology major
Nicole is the Child Support Supervisor for Beltrami County. She says that she is "really enjoying the job, and has found many of the skills that [her psychology] professors taught very useful...having the Applied Psych degree was what aided me in getting the position."
