Biography
Dr. Crystal Aschenbrener is an adjunct faculty member in the Social Work Department and is employed full time as the department chair of the social work program at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of South Dakota. Crystal earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas and her Doctor of Social Work from Aurora University. At UND, she teaches social policy for the undergraduate program and advanced generalist research methods and analysis (program evaluation) for the graduate program. During her 12 years of teaching, she has also taught courses including Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Social Work Practice Methods courses, Families and Society, and Native American Service and Research.
Dr. Aschenbrener is the creator, program coordinator, and principal investigator of the Today & Beyond Program. This mentoring intervention program introduces college students to tribal culture, traditions, and strengths as well as the historical trauma and social barriers challenging Native American youth. College students have traveled with her to a tribal school to mentor junior high students on the strengths of high school, college, and beyond while the youth mentor the college students on the strengths of their culture.