Minot State University announces three faculty sabbaticals

Bethany Andreasen

David Fuller, Minot State University president, recently announced three sabbatical projects. Bethany Andreasen, professor of history, will receive a 50 percent sabbatical leave for the 2014-15 academic year. Margaret Sherve, assistant professor of English, will receive sabbatical leave during fall semester 2014, while Alexandra Deufel, professor of biology, will receive sabbatical leave for spring semester 2015.

Building upon her previous research, Andreasen will conduct comparative archival research on normal schools in the U.S. and Canada. The study's central focus will be to understand the factors underlying the differing development paths of the institutions in the state and the province, as North Dakota normal schools became degree-granting teachers colleges in the 1920s, while Saskatchewan normal schools did not make that transition for another 30 years.

 “This sabbatical project will be an important step toward my ultimate production of a monograph that examines a broader sample of American and Canadian normal schools in the northern Great Plains, in order to construct a comparative analysis of the development of teacher training in the two nations,” Andreasen said.

Alexandra DeufelDeufel will prepare a manuscript for submission to the Journal of Morphology, a renowned publication in the field of functional morphology. She will compile and publish her ground-breaking research on burrowing by the Shield-nosed Cobra, Aspidelaps scutatus.

Deufel initially presented her work at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, where it was well received. Science magazine covered the symposium and featured her presentation.

Margaret Sherve

Sherve will search for small-press accounts that document the settlement of the Upper Great Plains and create an annotated bibliography of the documents that depict pioneers’ lives. She plans to conduct research in North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Minnesota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“My driving goal is to increase the availability of knowledge about individuals and families who settled on the Upper Great Plains before 1915,” Sherve said. “Many of their letters and papers have now been published not only by large, recognized presses but also by hometown newspapers and obscure small presses.”

The objective of MSU’s sabbatical program is to support faculty, professional development and scholarly research. The program contributes in new and powerful ways to students, faculty, the university and Vision 2013. The sabbatical proposals were reviewed and evaluated with three criteria categories: demonstrated teaching excellence, advanced professional development within a faculty member’s discipline and contribution to Vision 2013.

About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.

Published: 01/29/14   


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