The Academic Minute from 9.25 – 9.29
Monday
Bryana French – University of St. Thomas
Radically Healing Racial Trauma
Bryana H. French, PhD, LP, is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas. Her research, teaching, and clinical practice focuses on racial and sexual trauma and recovery, specifically among Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Her first authored article, “Toward a psychological framework for radical healing in Communities of Color” is ranked in the top 5% on Altmetrics publication data. Her research on men’s sexual victimization has been featured in several news outlets including Time, US News, and Huffington Post. Dr. French’s work has been recognized with awards throughout her career, including the American Psychological Association, the National Multicultural Conference and Summit, the Minnesota Psychological Association, and the Association of Black Psychologists.
Tuesday
Chelda Smith Kondo – University of St. Thomas
Pedagogy of Humanization
Chelda Smith Kondo, Ph.D., (she/her/hers) identifies as a cisgender, able-bodied, Americanized Haitian woman. Chelda is an Associate Professor of Education specializing in Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy at the University of St. Thomas (UST). Prior to joining UST, she served as an associate professor of Critical Multicultural Education at Georgia Southern University, where she was also director of the Elementary Education Master of Arts in Teaching, a social justice education and initial licensure program that she co-founded. Her scholarship has been published in leading education and interdisciplinary journals and spans intersectional justice in education, qualitative research, and asset-based pedagogy.
Wednesday
Mahmoud Kabalan – University of St. Thomas
Microgrids
Dr. Mahmoud Kabalan is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Center for Microgrid Research (CMR) at the University of St. Thomas (UST) in St. Paul, MN. He received the National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2023. Dr. Kabalan is the Principal Investigator (PI) on a $5.4 million/5 year grant from the MN Department of Commerce to expand the CMR’s research, education, and outreach activities. Dr. Kabalan led and supervised the commissioning of the UST microgrid, a $3 million real-world industry-grade microgrid. He has more than 30 peer-reviewed publications covering microgrids and power systems. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Minnesota.
Thursday
Roxanne Prichard – University of St. Thomas
Changing Students Lives Through Better Sleep
Roxanne Prichard received her BA in biopsychology and women’s studies from Transylvania University and her PhD in neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on sleep as a modifiable protective factor for student success and well-being. She served on the NCAA Taskforce for Sleep and Wellbeing, and regularly consults with universities and other organizations about ways to improve policies, practices and facilities to promote healthier sleep.
Friday
David Grenardo – University of St. Thomas
Compensating College Students for Playing
David A. Grenardo is the Associate Director of the Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions and Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minneapolis). He teaches Contracts, Sports Law, Moral Reasoning for Lawyers, Serving Clients Well, and Business Basics. He has previously taught Professional Responsibility, Business Associations, Civil Procedure, and International Sports Law.
He has presented on professionalism and ethics multiple times locally, statewide and nationally. He practiced corporate civil litigation in California and Texas for three large law firms – Jones Day, DLA Piper, and King & Spalding – for nearly a decade before joining the legal academy in 2011.
