Conference Speakers

Erin Todey (she/her) is the Assistant Director for the McNair Scholars Program at Iowa State University and the Managing Editor for the McNair National Research Journal. She earned her BA in French and International Studies, her MA in Applied Linguistics, and is currently pursuing her EdD in Community College Leadership. Erin has worked with undergraduate and graduate students and has a particular interest in integrating trauma-informed practices into the teaching and tutoring of academic communication, especially the empirical research article and self-promotional genres like the statement of purpose. Using her training as a discourse analyst, Erin conducted a study exploring the structure of the statement of purpose and used the framework to write an open educational resource A Guide to Writing the Statement of Purpose for Graduate School Applications which is available from ISU Digital Press.

Dr. Duren works with clinical and basic science faculty to elevate MU School of Medicine's AAU metrics through competitive federal research grant proposals to NIH and DoD. She also directs the Skeletal Morphology Laboratory where breakthroughs are made in the development and application of methods for assessing skeletal maturation, bone accrual, and fracture risk in the pediatric skeleton, and novel directions are being pursued for protecting musculoskeletal health after life-altering surgeries such as bariatric weight loss surgery and surgical repair of hip fracture in the elderly. Her research is funded by grants from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Scoliosis Research Society. She has been continually funded since 2007.