Faculty News

Nancy Fitzsimons Congratulations to Dr. Nancy Fitzsimons for being named a 2022 Distinguished Faculty Scholar in April 2022. Distinguished Faculty Scholars are chosen among tenured professors at Minnesota State Mankato whose body of scholarship and current level of scholarly achievement warrant distinction within the university community. Dr. Fitzsimons received the award from Dr. Teri Wallace, Associate Vice President for Research and Dean of Extended Campus. The honor includes a budget for research and reassigned time to focus on scholarship. Jennifer Andrashko Social Work professor Jennifer Andrashko (right) and Sabrina Ehmke, Nursing professor, traveled to the Netherlands in May 2022 to present their research at the International Education Week at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle, Netherlands. Their presentation, “Maternal mortality in the United States and the Netherlands: A case study and cross-national comparative conversation,” was completed in partnership with The Center for Global Engagement at Minnesota State Mankato. The theme of the week was “A Connecting World: Local, Global and Intercultural Challenges within Health Care and Social Work.” Professor Andrashko’s current research aims to explore the experiences of prenatal, birthing, and postpartum women in Minnesota with hopes of using survey data to shape the pilot of a Maternal Medical Home in south-central Minnesota. In November 2021, Professor Andrashko was appointed to serve a three-year term on the Minnesota Maternal Mortality Review Committee by Jan Malcolm, MN Commissioner of Health. The first ever report on maternal mortality in the state of Minnesota was published on August 4, 2022 and was based on the committee’s collective findings. In addition, Professor Andrashko was an invited speaker at the 2022 National Conference of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) held in Minneapolis in October. Working with a team of nurses, physicians, payors, policymakers, patient advocates, and administrators, Professor Andrashko presented a case-based approach to examining diagnostic error for pregnant, birthing, and postpartum women and for the improvement of maternal health outcomes. Omotola Akinsola BSSW Professor Omotola Akinsola received one of this year’s two Hope Faculty Research Fellowships. The Fellowship, open to faculty in the College of Allied Health and Nursing, provides $2,500 per year to expand the understanding of hope across individuals, families, communities, or cultures. Dr. Akinsola’s project is an evaluation of a vocational and entrepreneurship training pilot program for youth located in Nigeria. The eight-week program seeks to build hope among youth by developing vocational skillsets and practical business education that empowers the youth. Paul Mackie BSSW Program Director and Professor Paul Mackie was recently appointed to the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) Nominating Committee as the Undergraduate Faculty Representative. Dr. Mackie will serve in this position until June 2023. Dr. Mackie has also been appointed Assistant Director of the Center for Rural Behavioral Health, a new interdisciplinary research and training center at Minnesota State University, Mankato.