Skip to main content
University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
    • Email
    • Employee Self-Service
    • Finance (PeopleSoft)
    • Campus Connection
    • Flex Spending
    • Hawk Central
    • Faculty Success
  • Calendar
  • Directory
  • Scope of this search:
Campus Services
  • Employee Resources
    • Job Openings
    • Benefits
    • Equal Opportunity
    • Staff Senate
    • TTaDA (Professional Development)
    • UCLC (Childcare)
    • University Council for Women+
    • University Senate
    • Work Well (Employee Wellness)
  • Financial Services
    • Shared Service Center
    • Grants & Contracts Accounting
    • Procurement & Payment Services
    • Resource Planning & Allocation
    • Treasury
    • Accounting Services-Controller
  • Operations
    • Facilities Management
    • Parking & Transportation
    • Policy Office
    • Records Management
    • Safety
  • Communication Services
    • Brand and Identity
    • Campus Postal Services
    • Duplicating
    • Marketing & Communications
    • Telecommunications
    • University Information Technology
    • Web Support
University of North Dakota
  • Employee Resources
    • Job Openings
    • Benefits
    • Equal Opportunity
    • Staff Senate
    • TTaDA (Professional Development)
    • UCLC (Childcare)
    • University Council for Women+
    • University Senate
    • Work Well (Employee Wellness)
  • Financial Services
    • Shared Service Center
    • Grants & Contracts Accounting
    • Procurement & Payment Services
    • Resource Planning & Allocation
    • Treasury
    • Accounting Services-Controller
  • Operations
    • Facilities Management
    • Parking & Transportation
    • Policy Office
    • Records Management
    • Safety
  • Communication Services
    • Brand and Identity
    • Campus Postal Services
    • Duplicating
    • Marketing & Communications
    • Telecommunications
    • University Information Technology
    • Web Support
Scope of this search:
Scope of this search:
  • Home
  • Directory
  • Cheryl Hunter
Cheryl Hunter

Cheryl Hunter

PhD Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Professor, Education, Health & Behavior
    • sustainability education, qualitative methodology and design; narrative research methods; gender, education and the environment; nature-based curriculum and instruction; critical pedagogy; educational leadership

Contact Info

  • Email: cheryl.hunter@UND.edu
  • Office: 701.777.3431
  • Dept: 701.777.2171

Office Address

Education Building Room 240
231 Centennial Drive Stop 7189
Grand Forks, ND 58202-7189

Curriculum Vitae

  • Curriculum Vitae

Websites

  • Research on Gro.UND Learning Gardens

Biography

Hello! I am Cheryl Hunter and I am a field-based qualitative researcher and Professor in Educational Foundations and Research. I work with students that are interested in research that directly impacts the people in their communities, addressing both the ecological and social needs of our current environment. For a real-world example, please visit our university & community learning gardens project- where our research project also feeds people and teaches sustainability education through nature-based pedagogy.

My research areas include sustainability education and nature-based pedagogy, qualitative methodology and design, gender, education and the environment. 

I have published in the areas of qualitative research methods, research pedagogy, curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, naturalist interpretation, nature-based and experiential education, environmental studies and medical education. My publications span research journals, practitioner journals, books, edited volumes, book chapters, as well as federally funded grants. 

Please reach out if you are a doctoral student interested in using advanced qualitative research methods specifically to examine sustainability education and nature-based pedagogy, intersections of gender and education and the environment, and want your research to respond to community-based social and ecological needs.

Sustainability Education

National Association for Interpretation Magazine;

Qualitative Research Methods

Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice in Educational Research; Journal of Research & Method in Education; Ethnography and Education; Journal of Natural Inquiry and Reflective Practice; Journal of Research Practice; Handbook of Teaching and Learning Social Research Methods; National Center for Research Methods; The Qualitative Report

Curriculum, Instruction, and Critical Pedagogy

Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice; Journal of Education for Teaching; Interculturalization and Teacher Education; Multicultural Perspectives; Multicultural Education; Annual Review of Comparative and International Education

Gender, Education and Education Leadership

School Leadership Review; Planning and Changing: An Educational Leadership and Policy Journal; Educational Studies; Planning and Changing: Education Leadership Journal

Medical Education and Environmental Studies

Anthropology and Medicine; Journal of Reproductive Medicine; Understanding Doulas and Childbirth: Women, Love, and Advocacy.; Journal of Rural Health Nursing; Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences; Energy and Environment Research

TLPP

TL 539 College Teaching

TL 

EFR

EFR 500 Foundations of Educational Thought

EFR 505 Sociological Foundations of Education

EFR 506 Multicultural Education; EFR 507 Gender, Education and the Environment

EFR 509 Introduction to Applied Education Research

EFR 510 Qualitative Research Methods (Participatory Research Methods)

EFR 520 Advanced Qualitative Research Methods (Translational and Pluralistic Research Design)

EFR 525 Comparative and International Education

EFR 590 Special Topics:The Witch and the Wolf

EFR 590 Special Topics:Translational Qualitative Research

sustainability education

qualitative methodology and design

narrative research methods

gender, education and the environment

nature-based curriculum and instruction

critical pedagogy

educational leadership and advocacy

medical and ecological education

I have 36 publications spanning research journals, practitioner journals, books, edited volumes, book chapters, as well as federally funded grants. I have published in the areas of: qualitative research methods, research pedagogy, curriculum and instruction, naturalist interpretation, nature-based and experiential education, environmental studies, medical education, and educational leadership.

Below are a selected representation:

Hunter, J.E., Hunter, C. (2025). Lessons for hopeful and hungry academics: Conviviality, community, and rootedness inspired thru the sharing of food and kitchen stories. In Brewer, Jameson & Hayes II, Cleveland (Eds.), Food stories: Navigating the academy with cultural lessons from the kitchen. Gorham, ME: Myers Education Press.

Hunter, C. (2024) Provocative Pedagogy: What Interpretive Methods Offer in Traditional Education Spaces. National Association of Interpretation, Legacy Magazine 35(4)

Felege, C., Hunter, C. & Felege, S. (2022). Personal impacts of the undergraduate teaching assistant experience. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 22(2) pp.33-66 DOI:10.14434/josotl.v22i2.31306

Hunter, C., Hoffer, T., Hunter, J.E. (2022). Using Intentionality and Interactivity to frame how we teach research methods online. In Nind, Melanie (editor), Handbook of Teaching and Learning Social Research Methods. University of Southampton, National Center for Research Methods, UK

Felege, C., Romsdahl, R., Hunter, J.E., Hunter, C., & Ellis-Felege, S. (2019). Immersive field experiences lead to higher level learning and more translational impact on students. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 9(3), 286-296.

Johansen, L., Evanson, T., Ralph, J., Hunter, C., & Hart, G. (2018). Experiences of rural health nurses who commute to larger communities. Journal of Rural Health Nursing 18(2) pp. 224-264

de Silva, R., Gleditsch, R., Job, C., Jesme, S., Urness, B., & Hunter, C. (2018). Igniting student learning through teacher engagement in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. Multicultural Education 25(3&4), pp. 23-28

Felege, C., Hunter, C., Hunter, J., & Felege, S. (2018.) Pedagogy and practice in STEM field experiences: intersections of student and mentor identity and impacts upon student outcomes. Journal of Education for Teaching 44 (4) DOI: 10.1080/02607476.1450818

Felege, C., Hahn, E., Hunter, C., & Gleditsch, R. (2016). Bench, bedside, curbside, and home: Translational research to include transformative change using education research. Journal of Research Practice 12(2), pp.1-11

Hunter, C.,  & Kallio, A. (2016). Understanding Doulas and Childbirth: Women, Love, and Advocacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Gleditsch, R., Hahn, E., Molapo, T. & Hunter, C.A. (2016). Intercultural Competency in Social Studies Education Methods. Journal of Natural Inquiry and Reflective Practice 29:2, pp.105-120

Parson, L., Hunter, C. A., & Kallio, B. (2016) Exploring educational leadership in rural schools. Planning and Changing: An Educational Leadership and Policy Journal 47:1/2, pp.63-81

Molapo, T., Parson, L., Hunter, C., & Butz, J. (2016). Changes in principal evaluation standards: A case study of North Dakota. School Leadership Review 11:1, pp. 18-25

Hunter, C.A., Parson, L., Pearson, D., Kallio, B., Hung, S., & Houdek, S. (2015). The North Dakota Rural Principalship: Qualitative differences according to school enrollment. North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

Hunter, C.A., Winkle-Wagner, R., & Ortloff, D. (2014). Out of our Comfort Zones: Teaching Qualitative Research at a Distance. The Qualitative Report 19:45, pp. 1-24

Kartoshkina, Y. & Hunter, C.A. (2014). Applying cognitive task analysis methodology in educational research. Journal of Research & Method in Education 4:5, pp. 51-57

Hunter, C., Pearson, D., & Gutierrez, A.R. (2014). Interculturalization and Teacher Education: From Theory to Practice. New York: Routledge / Taylor & Francis Group.

Winkle-Wagner, R., Hunter, C.A., & Ortloff, J.D. (Eds) (paperback 2013, 2009). Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice in Educational Research: Methods at the Margins. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan

Hunter, C.A. & Gutierrez, A.R. (2013). Learning language is ‘hard work’: Pre-service teacher reflections upon second language acquisition through cultural immersion. Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice 5:1, pp.1-23

Gutierrez, A.R. & Hunter, C.A. (2012). Learning about literacy outside the classroom: Pre-service teachers reflect on learning a second language through cultural immersion. Journal of Education for Teaching 38:5, pp. 629–632

Hunter, C.A. (2012). Intimate space within institutionalized birth: women’s experiences birthing with doulas. Anthropology and Medicine 19:3, pp. 315–326

Hunter, C. & Eder, D. (2010). The Role of Storytelling in Understanding Children's Moral/Ethic Decision-Making, Multicultural Perspectives, 12: 4, pp. 223 — 228

Hunter, C. A. (2007). On the Outskirts of Education: The Liminal Space of Rural Teen Pregnancy. Ethnography and Education, 2(1), pp.75-92

AWARDS and HONORS

Recipient (2016), Thomas J. Clifford Faculty Award for Graduate or Professional Teaching Excellence, UND. This award recognizes individual graduate or professional faculty who meet the highest standards in teaching as recognized by their students and peers.

Finalist (2013),Thomas J. Clifford Faculty Award for Graduate or Professional Teaching Excellence, UND

Recipient (2011), President's Award for Outstanding Paper, The Society of Gynecologic Surgeons

Diwadkar, G. and Hunter, C. (2011) Using cognitive task analysis to understand the critical components of performing vaginal hysterectomy. 37th Annual Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeon's, San Antonio, TX. April 11, 2011

Cleveland Clinic Scholarship in Teaching Award (2010). This award was based upon collaborative research on the implications of using virtual technology for teaching communication skills to medical students.

Distinguished Educator Certificate (2009), Cleveland Clinic Academy. This award represents completion of a year-long faculty development training series and successful faculty teaching observations.

FELLOWSHIPS

Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University (2008-2009). The medical education fellowship provided the opportunity to hone my skills as a qualitative methodologist by consulting on multiple research projects with faculty. I completed an independent research project on the assessment of portfolios in medical education, participated in faculty development projects, evaluation projects and completed the Distinguished Educator Series.

John H. Edwards, Graduate Fellowship, Indiana University (2006-2007). The John H. Edwards Fellowship is one of the University’s most prestigious academic awards at Indiana University; a university-wide committee selects fellows of superior scholastic ability, intellectual capacity, good citizenship and character as demonstrated by a strong record of voluntary public service.

Spencer Foundation, Graduate Fellowship Discipline Based Scholarship in Education (2002-2003; 2003-2004). The Spencer Fellowship offered a unique opportunity to gain direct research experience with Sociology faculty and interdisciplinary research/study opportunities in collaborations between departments.

I received my PhD in History, Philosophy and Policy Studies at Indiana University with an emphasis in qualitative research methodologies. As a Spencer Foundation Fellow at Indiana University, I worked closely with Sociology faculty exploring education policy as well as the use of narrative methodologies. I was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Cleveland Clinic College of Medicine where I focused on the areas of curriculum design and instruction, research design, and the use qualitative assessment within the framework of medical education.

Ph.D. History, Philosophy and Policy Studies (2007)

Dept  of Education Leadership and Policy Studies

School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Concentration: International and Comparative Education

Minor: Sociology

M.S. Elementary Education (1999)                                               

Indiana University, Bloomington                                                      

License Awarded 1997

B.A. Sociology (with Honors) (1995)

Butler University, Indianapolis, IN

DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE

Graduate Director, Qualitative Inquiry Certificate (2024- current)

Search Committee Chair (2022-2023), EFR Faculty Search Committee: Qualitative Methodologist position

Department Chair (2018-2022), Teaching, Leadership, and Professional Practice

Graduate Director (2023-2024; 2016-2017; 2014-2015), Educational Foundations and Research Department (EFR)

Search Committee Chair (2015-2016), EFR Faculty Search Committee: Program Evaluation position

Faculty Advisor (2012-2015), EFR Graduate Student Organization

Assessment Chair (2012- 2013), EFR Department Research Assessment Retreat

Website Coordinator (2011-2013), EFR

COLLEGE SERVICE

Finance Committee member (2024-2026)

Interim Dean (2023-2024)

Ad hoc Policy Committee Member (2022-2023)

Assistant Dean, Graduate Studies (2021-2022)

Chair, College Research Council (2016-2017)

College Research Council Member (2015- 2016)

Appeals Committee Member (2012-2015)

UNIVERSITY SERVICE

Co-Director, Gro.UND Learning Gardens (2024-current)

Outstanding Faculty Awards Committee (2017), Office of Instructional Development, University of North Dakota

Graduate Advocate (2016-2017), Dean of School of Graduate School, University of North Dakota

Senate Executive Committee (2015-2017), University of North Dakota

Co-Chair (2015-2016), Study of Practices for the Evaluation of Administration (SPEA), Ad Hoc Senate Committee, University of North Dakota

University Search Committee (2015-2016), Dean Search, School of Graduate Studies, University of North Dakota

Mentor (2015-2016), Alice T. Clark Faculty Mentoring Program

Senator (2014-2016), University Senate, University of North Dakota

Higher Learning Commission Committee (2011-2013), 2-C, University of North Dakota

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Grand Forks Food Policy Council (2024-2026). Founding member of Grand Fork’s Food Policy Council.

Reviewer

  • The Qualitative Report (2012-2013; 2022-2024)
  • Research Methods and Education, Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group (September 2017)
  • Social Science and Medicine (September 2017)
  • Sociological Spectrum (2014-2015)
  • Medical Anthropology Quarterly (2014-2015)
  • Teaching and Learning: Journal of Natural Inquiry and Reflective Practice (2012-2013)
  • Comparative and International Education Society, SIG: Teacher Education and the Teaching Profession (2013- 2014)
  • American Education Research Association Division G - Social Context of Education: Education in Multicultural Contexts Within and Across Subject Areas (2013)

Committees

Chair (2019-2021), Excellence in Teaching Award Committee Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools

Chair (2018-2019), Outstanding Dissertation Committee, American Education Research Association-Qualitative Research SIG

Executive Committee (2018-2019), American Education Research Association-Qualitative Research SIG

Member (2017-2019), Excellence in Teaching Award Committee Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools

Member (2013-2017), Outstanding Dissertation Committee, American Education Research Association-Qualitative Research SIG

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Grand Forks Public Schools Summer Book Study (2014, 2015) I developed and facilitated a five-week book study for teachers in the Grand Forks Public Schools. I met with teachers for 2 hours each session over four weeks during each summer session.

Safe Kids Water Safety Committee (2012-2013) Altru Health and YMCA

GRO.UND (Grow UND) Learning Gardens was initiated on the campus of UND (and with the generous support of the CEHD) to develop ecological literacy and a sense of place in our schools and communities through sustainable and regenerative garden education. Learning gardens and place-based practices create a vehicle for community engaged stewardship and sustainability while addressing the social, economic and ecological needs of our community. We also believe that being outside and working together is what connects all of us, as humans on this planet. We live in a time when personally connecting to the earth by working alongside each other is even more necessary than ever before - and there is no place better than outside in nature.

Please viist our webpage GRO.UND LEARNING GARDENS

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Women and Other Monsters by Jess Zimmerman

Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke

Edit Profile

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience.

By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies, Privacy Information.

UND.info@UND.edu  |  701.777.3000
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Campus Map
  • Employment
  • Vector Solutions Training
  • UND Today
  • U Letter
  • Campus Safety (SafeUND)
University of North Dakota

© 2025 University of North Dakota - Grand Forks, ND - Member of ND University System

  • Accessibility & Website Feedback
  • Terms of Use & Privacy
  • Notice of Nondiscrimination
  • Student Disclosure Information
  • Title IX
©