Carenlee Barkdull

Biography

Carenlee Barkdull graduated with her MSW degree in 1989 and received her PhD in Social Work from the University of Utah in 2004; she also holds an undergraduate degree in Anthropology. She has been teaching at the University of North Dakota since 2005 and has served as the MSW Program Director and Department Chair. An advocate for affordable, accessible, and caring social work education programs that meet busy students’ needs, she helped to expand affordable distance education to BSSW students throughout the state and region, and also helped to develop articulation agreements with several North Dakota Tribal colleges.

Dr. Barkdull’s years of social work experience in the public and nonprofit sectors are where she developed a passion for research and practice focused on community collaborations, particularly those that improve child and family well-being in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. She has also had the honor of working with Native American communities to help develop university-community partnerships. Current research is focused on improved implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act, support for child welfare workforce issues, and COVID-19-related community action research. Other areas of interest include improving the conditions of refugee populations, eliminating bias and discrimination against Muslims, and environmental social work.