Faculty Fellows

Faculty fellows are experienced and empowered faculty committed to cultivating service learning.

The UNO Service Learning Academy (SLA) Faculty Fellows program is a critical component in the University’s efforts to accomplish its strategic plan and metropolitan mission. Our student-centered, academically-excellent and community-engaged institution is richened by the Faculty Fellows who teach in collaboration with the community and serve as a mentor for interested faculty members.

Full-time faculty members from all UNO colleges that have taught 3 semesters of service learning instruction are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to applicants who have completed Service Learning 101, the Service Learning Seminar, and/or other service learning training. For more information regarding our faculty fellows, please contact Julie Dierberger at jdierberger@unomaha.edu or 402.554.6019.

 

2017 Faculty Fellow

Mitzi J. Ritzman, Ph.D.

Dr. Ritzman is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders at UNO. Her primary areas of interest are child language development/disorders with an emphasis on autism spectrum disorder, literacy, best practices in service delivery, and working in diverse communities. Each of her undergraduate and graduate courses include service-learning pedagogy. Her community partners include Omaha Public Schools’ Blackburn Alternative Program, the Autism Society of Nebraska, Omaha Public Library’s Charles B. Washington Branch, the Learning Community Center of South Omaha, and metro area high schools. She is the recipient of the 2017 UNO Faculty Service Learning Award.

Dr. Ritzman is the co-director of the Transitions Program, a social learning program for young adults on the autism spectrum. She earned her B.S. in speech-language pathology and audiology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UN-L) in 1996, her M.S. in communication disorders from UN-L in 1998, and her Ph.D. in Psychological and Cultural Studies from UN-L in 2006.