Faculty Pursuits: May-June 2025

Dr. Meagan McBride (MAC) attended the 52nd Annual National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH) Conference, held in Anchorage, Alaska, in May. Meagan's participation was funded in part through Heidelberg’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Behavioral Health Workforce grant.

With topics ranging from rural ethics and indigenous mental health to policy shifts and provider advocacy, the conference emphasized real-world application and community-rooted solutions. One highlight of the conference was reconnecting with MAC program alumna Mo Wallbrown, MA, LPCC, a doctoral student at Kent State University now living and practicing in Alaska. Mo is also teaching and counseling as she completes her Ph.D.

Heidelberg’s participation reflects the MAC program’s mission to prepare clinicians equipped to serve rural, vulnerable, and underserved communities. Through hands-on learning, expert faculty, and access to grant-funded opportunities like this one, MAC students are trained to lead

The National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH) has been a national leader in rural behavioral health advocacy and education for more than 50 years. Learn more about their work at www.narmhconference.org.

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National Center for Water Quality Research (NCWQR) scientists recently convened a session and gave presentations at the International Association for Great Lakes Research's 68th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

All Rivers Great and Small: Riverine Loading of Nutrients and More into Large Lakes included 14 presentations, with Dr. Nate Manning presenting on Lake Erie Tribs: Loading Updates from the Heidelberg Tributary Loading Program and Dr. Colleen Cosgrove on Meeting the Target? Examining Conservation Practice Effectiveness and Discharge Impacts on Nutrient Loads, with co-authors from several different agencies. Finally, Dr. Doug Kane presented on Beyond the Algal Loading Hypothesis: Potamoplankton Monitoring as Part of the Heidelberg Tributary Loading Program with recent Heidelberg graduate Kelly Peterson, Emily Clark, Jakob Boehler, and Nate as co-authors.

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Dr. Lisa Kahle-Piasecki (School of Business) was recently on two podcasts.

In January, she was interviewed by Ecosystemic Futures, a podcast in collaboration with Shoshin Works for NASA’s Convergent Aeronautics Solution Project. The purpose of the podcast is to help explore and share technological advances and structural patterns that help innovate, operate, and navigate in our increasingly connected world. Lisa’s episode is titled The Renaissance Graduate: Education for Complex System Challenges. In the conversation, topics such as cross-cultural competence, systems thinking, technological adaptability, and versatile career preparation highlight her work in the classroom, research, and workforce development and the advantages that HU provides to students. The podcast was released to the public in May. 

In May, she was invited as a guest on Heidelberg MBA student Isaac Wienen and alumnus Kelly Itito's ‘23 podcast, Back2Basics. Her episode is titled The Fourth Industrial Revolution Is Here: How AI Will Change Education and Business.