A True Scholar-Practitioner Bridges the Urban-Rural Divide with Dr. Teresa Spaeth
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:41:33]
And so it’s pretty obvious from what you said. But tell folks, how did the Ph.D. come into play with these opportunities? Are these things that would have happened without the you know?
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:41:45]
Oh, absolutely. Well, obviously, having my background at the tribal college, one thing that was unique is in our state, we have a new university president. So she and she wanted to do more work with indigenous communities to begin with. But she was just coming on board when I was finishing. And so I would have absolutely never had the opportunity to be a dean. I mean, how do you walk into an interim dean position when you’re fresh off a PhD in educational leadership? Only because I had that. So would I have ever been able to do that. And I wouldn’t have known what I was doing because of the particular type of Ph.D. I had. I already knew elements of student success, elements of it. I knew what those roles were like. If I didn’t have that Ph.D., nobody would have accepted that right. And had I not. One of the struggles that I had in my previous executive director, life and running a research institute was researchers don’t really take you that seriously if they don’t think you understand. And it is it’s a process and it is a different way of thinking. And it is as you know, it is a discipline in of itself to get through that process and to think about it. And so there is a tremendously different level of respect that people show me now because they know I came through the gauntlet with everybody else. Right. You want to you’re an equal and you’re a peer. More so than I want to say before, when I ran the research institute and I was an executive director. Oh, your role. And that’s nice. And we’ll smile and we think that’s. But I wasn’t their colleague. Now I’m on these committees that just blow my mind, you know, and and I just I think, wow, I may not be the president of the university or the head any longer, but there’s nothing – I’m at an R1 institution. Right. And there’s an expert and just about anything I can think of. And they can’t wait to tell you their story. Right?
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:43:35]
That’s true.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:43:36]
And so it’s just amazing the opportunities that people work back and forth. And there’s really it’s a collegial experience. And I didn’t really understand that before, you know, but it does open doors in ways.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:43:50]
There’s a lot of backbiting and infighting.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:43:51]
Certainly there that there’s that.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:43:57]
That you found a place that’s that’s more free, friendly and as you said, collegial.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:44:04]
Yeah. And I get to do something on a professional level because research does make a difference and understanding how to do research, and especially in this world where, you know, the difference between Google and Google scholar, you know, and how to find fact and truth, especially in rural, because people don’t pay attention to rural as much as they probably should. And there’s a lot of a divide that happens there and then there’s nobody really paying attention. And so there’s just not enough critical mass to pay attention to how how would things that we’re seeing in the urban environment apply in the rural?
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:44:36]
Right.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:44:36]
So it’s kind of fun for me to be able to bring that opportunity and bring that credibility to that.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:44:42]
So what are some of the things you are there specific initiatives you can talk about, specific projects, things that you guys have done to bridge, as you mentioned, that urban rural divide?
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:44:51]
Yeah. So one that we’re working on that we just launched a cohort this last month. I wrote a grant for a program to do technical assistance and business and career development for the Latino population and so in rural areas specific. So what we did is we created a program and having to do it in a in the pandemic was not what we applied for in the grant, but we had to figure that out. But we developed through a learning management system, a program so that individuals who are interested in exploring their future, whether it’s a future career path and a living wage job in rural areas, that can be difficult. So helping them find a career path that would lead to a living wage job or helping them explore a path for entrepreneurship or a path for business development, or maybe even especially in rural communities, succession planning, because maybe the the restaurant owner that’s been there for 50 years is not going to reopen that restaurant. But maybe that’s an opportunity. So we that first program there, we just we are launching this week and it’s oversubscribed. When we wrote the grant, we were hoping to get a cohort of 10 and ultimately run three cohorts of 10. And we already had 30 in the first cohort.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:46:01]
Wow.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:46:02]
So that’s pretty exciting. And we we’ve translated things into Spanish and we’ve been very culturally relevant and consulted with individuals to do that. So we’re super excited about that program. Another program I’m working on is in Crookston campus is very remote from the main campus of the University of Minnesota is in the Twin Cities. So extremely urban. But there’s a lot of amazing innovation and a lot of things that happen there. So we’re working on a career pathway for site for animal and food science, because there’s a there’s a there’s a lingering theory in our thought that rural or agriculture is lower, but there’s some really awesome jobs and there are some well-paying jobs and things that if you do get a degree in food or animal science or especially veterinary medicine, you’ll have a great career. I live in more than a living wage job and a great future. So we’re developing pathways to reinstill and to find and help underserved communities and underserved individuals realize that it’s not just about working at a meatpacking plant, but during something that there’s other opportunities. And there’s meat science, there’s food safety. So we’re creating those pathways.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:47:10]
That’s awesome.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:47:12]
That’s an awesome pathway. And then, of course, in Minnesota, we probably all know about the Dorje Floyd riots and we know about Native American communities are very similar in the fact that the George Floyd riots created food insecurity, food deserts, because so much devastation occurred. And when we have reservations, we have a very similar situation and very remote rural communities in the pandemic are having food supply chain problems. So we’re working with some pretty prolific innovators on how to redesign food supply chains so that we can increase.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:47:44]
That’s very, very important.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:47:45]
Yeah, and so these are just like I said, that’s where I just can’t believe there are people like a university, like the University of Minnesota that there’s an expert on everything. So it’s the things people are coming together and things that you like in a traditional thing. It’s not just about getting the groceries to the rural Institution like a rural grocery store, but making sure that they’re fresh, making sure that there’s an adequate supply of things for nutrition and that we’re not just something in empty calories or processed food into the into their grocery store so that they have healthy diets. It’s just very amazing how intricate these problems are that people haven’t looked at them as a rural issue in the rural environment as much as they could. So I get to do that.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:48:29]
And that sounds like going back to what we talked about earlier, that calling that you mentioned, because you’re out there not just doing interesting things and not just having fun and being in a really fun environment with your university, but you’re making a difference in people’s lives, and that’s what.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:48:47]
I hope so.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:48:48]
That’s what I think. That’s why I like to work with doctoral student, because I think that that’s what happens is they go out there and they make the world a better place somehow, at least the ones that are good people.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:49:01]
So I can tell you on the teams that I’m on like food sovereignty and I’m even on a mask team helping disseminate the best practices and mask utilization. And it’s just so fun to be on. Like you said, people that are called to serve because the earn that you really have to be passionate about that, whatever it is. Right. And you think about it day and night and to be on a team of people who really do think that way and they can tease each other and it’s just it’s really inspiring, you know. That is the Mask the mask committee where we kind of piece about the future of masks and for people whose life they are taking very seriously the things that I don’t even understand and how to keep us safe. But it’s very fun.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:49:49]
Well, I’m hoping the future masks as though they will go away soon because they’re very annoying to people with the necessity. Is there to be able to have folks that are able to help us figure out our best practices and figure out what we can do to stay safe as a as a community. As a nation. Absolutely. Very important. So, gosh, this has been a great a great conversation. Dr. Teresa, tell folks if they wanted to continue this conversation with you, if they wanted to reach out and how should folks get in touch with you, if if anything that you’ve said today has, you know, resonates with them and they and they want to continue to talk to you about some of these issues.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:50:32]
Certainly just Google the Veden Center V-E-D-E-N at the University of Minnesota, Crookston and the programs that.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:50:41]
We’ll put that in the show notes we can that.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:50:43]
And programs we have. That’s the best way can always email me um spae0012@umn.edu. And, you know, I’m happy to connect with me on LinkedIn. I, I got work with people all the time. I love to hear ideas and I love to share and I love if I can help anybody create a network and new connection. I love that. So LinkedIn is a great way to do that as well.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:51:10]
Very cool. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us for sharing your inspirational story with us today. I’ll remind folks just one more time that this episode has been brought to you by Dissertation Done. If you are about to start your dissertation, think you might be starting a dissertation soon struggling through it or about to quit because you’re so frustrated by it? Reach out to us. First, at DissertationDone.com/done. We’ll see if we can get you on a path to graduation in about a year and save you years in your time to graduation over a lot of your colleagues. And if you’re out there right now living your unconventional life, you have an expertise and the passion that you want to share with the world so you can serve at a higher level. There’s no better way to get that expertise out there than by becoming a published author. We can take it from a blank page to a published book in much less time than you thought you might need. And the world just opens up to you when they know how how you can serve them. So go to DissertationDone.com/book to find out more about that Dr. Spaeth, again, thank you so much for joining me. I had a wonderful time today. Thank you again.
Dr. Teresa Spaeth [00:52:15]
Oh, thank you so much. I appreciate it. You take care.
Dr. Russell Strickland [00:52:18]
You’re welcome. And everyone else out there go out there and live your unconventional life. A great day.
Outro [00:52:30]
This has been an unconventional life. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today’s episode, subscribe now to keep getting inspirational stories of unconventional lives as soon as they’re released. Until then, go out and live your best unconventional life.
