UST community invited to interview finalists for McNair Scholars

UST community invited to interview finalists for McNair Scholars’ assistant director position Dec. 19, 20

After a national search, the McNair Scholars Program Assistant Director Search Committee has recommended three from a diverse pool of more than 50 applicants to visit campus. Students, faculty and staff are invited to meet the candidates and attend open interview sessions of the finalists for the position.

Open interview sessions will be held 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, in the O'Shaughnessy Room, Room 108 (often called the Leather Room), O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center, and twice on Thursday, Dec. 20: 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. in Room 155, Murray-Herrick Campus Center, and 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. in Room 303, O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center.

Meet the candidates:

Dr. Laura Jarrett

Dr. Laura Jarrett is associate director of training for residency programs at the Harold Abel School of Psychology at Capella University in Minneapolis. She is a college educator with more than 12 years’ experience in college-student services. At the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, she served as assistant director of undergraduate advising in the Department of African-American and African Studies and as an academic adviser in the College of Human Ecology. She also was an academic adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Jarrett also has been a clinical supervisor and an associate counselor and therapist in counseling services at both Minnesota and Missouri. She earned a Ph.D. and an M.A. in counseling and student personnel psychology from Minnesota and a B.A. in psychology and French from Missouri. An open session for the community to meet and interview her will be from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, in Room 108, O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library.

Cynthia Fraction

Cynthia Fraction is senior project manager for Data Recognition Corporation – NCLB Educational Testing in Maple Grove, Minn. She has more than 20 years experience in education program and project management, academic enrichment program development and management, educational marketing, strategic planning and program evaluation, college admissions and financial aid, as well as multicultural education programming and educational initiatives. Fraction previously served as associate director for higher educational assessments, director and program manager (The Academic Profile College Test) and senior business developer and program director for international business development at Educational Testing Services (ETS) in Princeton, N.J. She served as a director in the Office of the Council for Multicultural Affairs (now the Lealtad-Suzuki Center). Fraction was a director of multicultural admissions at both Macalester College and Hamline University. She earned a B.S. in communications from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. An open session for the community to meet and interview her will be held from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, in Room 155, Murray-Herrick Campus Center.

Keith Brooks

Keith Brooks, who is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, has committed the past decade to being a servant-leader through educational development in K-12 settings, community development and higher education. His background includes a successful record of implementing programs based on sound research and best practices that focus on community relations, cultural competency, and program management and evaluation and student achievement. He has worked as an educational consultant for Chosen Path Consulting, a diversity coordinator at Sandburg Middle School, director of diversity and multiculturalism at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, and has been a research associate with Minnesota’s Preparing Future Faculty Program and Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. Brooks earned an M.Ed. from Minnesota in teacher leadership and a B.A. from Xavier University in English education. An open session for the community to meet and interview Brooks will be held from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, in Room 303, O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center.

Search committee

Members of the search committee are Dr. Buffy Smith (assistant professor, Sociology and Criminal Justice Department); Susan Anderson (director, Academic Counseling Center); Tonia Jones (program manager, Multicultural Student Services); and Dr. Lawrence Potter (Office of Institutional Diversity; search committee chair).

Professional narratives and response sheets will be available at the beginning of each candidate’s open session.