CEHD Alumni Advisory Board

Matt Bakke has been serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education for Grand Forks Public Schools since August 1, 2023. He brings  extensive experience to the field of education, having served as Superintendent of Devils Lake Public Schools, Superintendent of Manvel Public School District, and as a teacher, coach, Title I Coordinator, and Dean of Students within Grand Forks Public Schools.

A proud native of Grand Forks, ND, Matt is an alumnus of Central High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary and middle-level education, a master’s degree in middle-level education, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership, all from the University of North Dakota.

Matt is deeply committed to his family and community. He and his wife, Melissa, are proud parents of three children: Payton, Westen, and Jordyn.

Hope Burdolski serves as the Outreach and Education Director for North Dakota's Gateway to Science, overseeing outreach and partnerships across the state and country to share the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

During her time as an undergraduate student at UND, Hope served as a STEM Ambassador for the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium. Through this experience, she realized her love for informal education and its impact in supporting and propelling formal education forward.

Hope graduated from the College of Education and Human Development in December of 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Education (BSED) with minors in biology, middle level education, and music. Hope is also very involved in the community, serving as a board member for North Dakota Miss Amazing, a local titleholder for the Miss North Dakota Scholarship Organization, a volunteer committee member for the Western North Dakota Honor Flight, and an alumni advisor for the South Dakota Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi. She is very excited for this opportunity to serve the College of Education and Human Development!

Monte Gaukler graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1986 with a BS in Business Education and an MS in Vocational Education in 1989. During her teaching career, she headed a variety of business education courses, coached Speech and Debate, and instructed in cross country running and drivers education. She retired after 33 years of teaching.

Monte also enjoyed teaching and working with students at UND for five years. She concluded her educational career by working for the College of Education and Human Development as an Outreach Specialist for the Office of Teacher Recruitment and Retention while also serving on the Grand Forks Public Schools School Board.

Monte currently resides near Idaho City, Idaho where she enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren.

Staci Gilpin (she/her) earned her PhD in Educational Foundations and Research (EFR) from the University of North Dakota in 2022. Her work as a graduate research assistant focused on rural economic development, which ultimately inspired her to co-found Rural Pathways LLC, a social enterprise that provides program evaluation, applied research, and technical assistance to a range of nonprofits across the Midwest and beyond.

Staci has an extensive background in K-12 and higher education and has held various leadership positions and taught both elementary students and those with emotional/behavioral disabilities. These experiences underpin her unwavering commitment to equity and inform her expertise in research, evaluation, and strategic planning. She has led significant grant-funded projects advancing social justice in rural schools, including a multi-million-dollar initiative to expand mental health services.

A Fulbright Scholar, Staci has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has presented at conferences in the U.S. and abroad. Prior to launching Rural Pathways, she taught doctoral-level courses in program evaluation and data visualization at UND, applying her research insights to train future academics and nonprofit leaders.

Originally from rural Northwest Iowa, Staci remains passionate about championing small communities. She currently resides in Duluth, MN, and volunteers on nonprofit boards.

Salaam Green is the inaugural poet laureate of historic Birmingham, Alabama (2024-2025). This prestigious position recognizes her outstanding contributions to the literary arts and her commitment to fostering a deeper appreciation for poetry within the community. She was born in the Black Belt of rural Alabama with limited resources, raised by a family of educators, and encouraged by her mother, a retired teacher and single parent, to read, write, and dream of a better future – a future that she achieved. 

Salaam is the founder and director of Literary Healing Arts and a Road Scholar for the Alabama Humanities Alliance. A certified trainer for the Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation initiative, she also leads “Write to Heal” workshops — a series of seminars geared at instructing both individuals and organizations in using poetry, writing and storytelling to reclaim their voices and transform their lives. Her residencies include the University of Alabama at Birmingham Arts in Medicine, The Wallace House for Arts and Reconciliation, and the Auburn University Jule Collins Smith Museum. She is a published author and popular TEDx Birmingham alumnus speaker whose work has been featured in the Alabama Arts Journal, Southern Women’s Review, Scalawag and more. 

Salaam holds a BA in English from the University of Montevallo and an MS in Early Childhood Education from the University of North Dakota. She has spent nearly two decades of her life as an arts educator, healer and community leader.

Carla Haaven is a two-time graduate of the University of North Dakota with a BS in Elementary Education (1985) and an MS in Instructional Design and Technology (2002). Her diverse educational background includes years of classroom teaching in rural North Dakota and extensive experience as a Curriculum Technology Partner. She currently serves as an Instructional Coach at South Middle School within the Grand Forks Public Schools district. She partners with teachers to develop and implement best practices in instruction with the aim of creating a positive and engaging learning environment that fosters student growth. 

As a Google Certified Trainer and Google Innovator, Carla is a strong advocate for leveraging technology to make student thinking and learning visible. She has actively contributed to the educational community by planning and presenting at numerous conferences, including the Pages & Pathways literacy and STEM conferences at UND. She enjoys sharing her expertise and inspiring fellow educators. 

Carla is married to Brian and is the proud mother of two children, Megan and Jon. She also celebrates the joys of being a grandparent to her two grandchildren, Greta and Calvin.

Molly Hane is the Chief Operating Officer of Fenworks, specializing in empowering schools and students through innovative high-tech after-school activities such as esports and drone programs. With a strong background in program management and event coordination, she helps schools implement engaging, inclusive, and cutting-edge extracurricular opportunities.

Molly graduated from the University of North Dakota with a BS in Education and minors in Middle-Level Education and Math for Elementary Education. At UND, she participated in and held leadership positions in the Association of Residence Halls, Student Government, and Kappa Delta.

Molly is professionally active in her region and state. She is the president of the board of directors for the Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals, a member of the Western Leadership Network Delegate Board, and a member of the Greater Grand Forks Women's Leadership Cooperative. She was chosen in 2023 to be a part of the Western Governors’ Leadership Institute and in 2024  was named to the Five Women to Watch List in North Dakota Business by the Greater North Dakota Chamber.

Outside of professionalism, Molly enjoys participating in volleyball leagues and tournaments, traveling, and playing board, card, and video games.

Janelle Holth is a University of North Dakota graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing who has dedicated over 45 years to nursing care, leadership and education. For over 20 years of her career, she provided quality and patient safety education and oversight of compliance which assisted health systems with compliance pertaining to state and national regulations.  

Janelle was appointed to the North Dakota Board of Nursing and served an eight-year term from July 2013 to June 2021.  In this role, she advocated for patient safety for the people of North Dakota in addition to educating nurses to consistently practice safe patient care.

In Spring 2021, Janelle and her family established the Jennifer Holth Winkels Memorial Scholarship Endowment in remembrance of their daughter. The Holth family has several generations of graduates from UND, including Jennifer who had graduated with degrees in Sociology and Social work.

This scholarship, which supports students who are studying within the Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education graduate program in preparation to work with individuals on the autism spectrum, recognizes and honors Jennifer's years of caring for others with developmental disabilities and her advocacy for her son who is on the autism spectrum. The Holth family has chosen to share their journey of healing through this endowment, which they have chosen to direct to CEHD and the University of North Dakota Alumni Association. 

Julie Homstad Hegland is an innovative instructor who is passionate about finding new and effective ways to engage students. With experience as a self-contained emotional behavior disorder special education teacher, physical education teacher, and trauma care worker, she has developed a diverse skill set to create inclusive, supportive learning environments. 

During her time as a physical education teacher, she founded a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in partnership with Grand Forks Public Schools and the Grand Forks Foundation for Education that raised over $40,000 to build a state-of-the-art fitness lab at her school. Thanks to her efforts, they also secured additional funding to replace the sound system.

Julie holds an associate’s degree in Driver Education from Minot State University and a BS in Kinesiology with a minor in Health Education from UND. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Special Education in order to enhance her ability to support diverse learners. She owns and operates a driving school called "The Right Way” which teaches youth and adults to drive safely and confidently. She has been happily married to her husband, Rob, for 18 years. They share a 12-year-old daughter, Kaylee May, who is in 7th grade and actively involved in sports.

Julie is enthusiastic about collaborating with fellow board members, faculty, staff, and students to support the College of Education and Human Development’s goals of advancing educational excellence, fostering inclusive communities, and empowering the next generation of leaders in education and human development.

Although she is now officially retired, Dr. Gail Ingwalson continues to be an integral part of the College of Education and Human Development.

Gail began working at the University of North Dakota in 1988. Since then, she has served as a professor, counselor, and coach.  She has worked with the College of Education and Human Development for three decades, starting off as a GTA/Instructor in 1995. Upon completion of her PhD in 1998, she was hired as an Assistant Professor/Middle Level Coordinator.  

Gail served as the chair of the Department of Teaching, Leadership, and Professional Practice from 2015 to 2018, then served as the Associate Chair for the college from 2018 to 2021. She originally retired in 2021 but continued to serve the college as a consultant until May of 2024 when she officially retired from the University.

Gail earned all of her degrees from the University of North Dakota: a BS in Education (1980), a Master of Arts in Counseling (1990), and a PhD in Teaching and Learning (1998).

Dr. Brandon Lunak serves as the 11th superintendent of Moorhead Area Public Schools, a role he has held since 2018. A native of Grand Forks, Brandon has over 25 years of experience in education and leadership.

Brandon earned both his bachelor’s degree (1997) and master’s degree (2002) from the University of North Dakota, followed by a K-12 principal and superintendent’s license and a doctorate in educational leadership from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Brandon began his career teaching physical education and health in Climax, Minnesota before joining Emerado Public School District in Emerado, ND in 2005 as the superintendent and elementary principal. During his time there, he led an HVAC system upgrade using an energy efficiency grant. From 2011 to 2014, he led Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Public Schools as superintendent, where he oversaw a preschool addition funded by a state grant.

In 2014, Brandon joined Moorhead Area Public Schools as assistant superintendent of finance and operations. He played a critical role in advancing the district’s operational efficiency and fiscal health before assuming the role of superintendent in 2018.

Brandon and his wife, Melissa, reside in Moorhead, Minnesota with their two children, Brycen and Azylen.

Nicole Poolman grew up in Farmington, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in English and Secondary Education. She has spent the last 27 years in the classroom, teaching at Grand Forks Red River, Mandan, and Bismarck Century High Schools. She currently teaches American Pageant, a course combining American literature and American history, at Century High School.

In 2012, Nicole was elected to the North Dakota State Senate representing North Bismarck, serving in that office for a decade. Much of her work focused on public education funding and policy work as a member of the education and appropriations committees. She sponsored bills to provide safety grants to local school districts, help young people consolidate their student loans with the creation of the DEAL program, and provide early childhood education funding for at-risk children. She also sponsored a bill to provide greater access to post-secondary educational programs for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Nicole retired from the senate in 2022.

Nicole has served on many boards and commissions, and recently served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Anne Carlsen organization. She and her husband, Jim, are small business owners and continue to support the University of North Dakota with the Poolman Leadership Academy and their work with the UND Alumni Board and Campaign committees. They have three adult children: Collin (UND Law ’23), Grace (UND Education ’22), and Nick. 

Dr. Shelbie Witte joined the University of North Dakota and the College of Education and Human Development as Dean in July of 2024. She is the founding director of the Initiative for Literacy in a Digital Age, which recognizes the annual recipients of the Divergent Award for Literacy in a Digital Age Research, produces the annual Divergent Lecture Series, and provides theory to practice resources for classroom teachers and students interested in implementing digital literacies in the classroom. She was also formerly the Kim and Chuck Watson Chair in Education and professor of adolescent literacy and English Education at Oklahoma State University, where she also served as Senior Director of Outreach and Teacher Education and School Head of the School of Teaching, Learning & Educational Sciences.  In addition, she served as site director emeritus of the Oklahoma State University Writing Project.

Shelbie began her teaching career in 1995 as an English Language Arts teacher in a small city in southwest Oklahoma. Since that time, she has taught every level of adolescents and adults, from middle school through doctoral students, in rural, urban, and suburban communities. 

Ashley’s talents lie with people. After some time in sales and working as a philanthropy specialist at Altru Health System, she specializes in building trust, friendship, and comradery through genuine interactions.

Ashley works closely with alumni and friends to connect their passions and interests to the needs of the University of North Dakota and more specifically the College of Education & Human Development. She is passionate about building authentic relationships and aspires to help others leave a legacy for future generations of students, faculty, and staff at UND.  

Not only does Ashley love attending UND Athletics events, but she’s a lover of concerts and music. She enjoys spending time outside in the summer with her husband, John, and their children Brooklin and Noah.

Dr. Robert Stupnisky arrived at UND in 2010 after completing his PhD at the University of Manitoba and a postdoctoral fellowship at Laval University. He is interested in how motivation and emotions affect individual’s success higher education, initially studying college students and more recently focusing on university professors as director of the Faculty Motivation Research Group. 

Rob is CEHD’s Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Development and the director of the Bureau of Evaluation and Research Services (BEARS) at UND. He teaches educational psychology, research methods, statistics, structural equation modeling, learning analytics, R programming, and data literacy. He is the coordinator of the graduate certificate in Learning Analytics. 

Rob is the past-chair of the AERA Special Interest Group on Faculty Teaching Evaluation and Development (SIG FTED), from which in 2023 he received the W. J. McKeachie Career Achievement Award “…to recognize outstanding contributions, over a career, to the fields of faculty teaching, evaluation and development, and to SIG-FTED.” He is the father of three boys, coaches hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and enjoys playing golf.

Kenya Zarns joined the College of Education and Human Development in 2022 as the Director of Communications, Outreach and Recruitment. She holds a bachelor's degree from Columbia College Chicago and an MS in Integrated Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL.

Kenya is dedicated to elevating CEHD’s profile within the UND community and beyond by showcasing programs of study, events, research and more. Her work helps highlight the achievements of students, faculty, staff and alumni via EHD’s website, digital and print publications, social media, media outreach and other means. She is also the resident creative expert for the college and designer of most of the college’s print and digital materials. She is excited to serve on the board and support the college and alumni/CEHD community in this manner.

In addition to her duties to the college, Kenya is currently a PhD student at UND studying Communication. She loves travel, trivia and spending time with her husband Kris and bonus kid Calvin.