• Ph.D., Nursing Philosophy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
• M.S., Nursing/Nurse Educator, Briar Cliff University, Sioux City, IA
• B.S., Nursing, Briar Cliff University, Sioux City, IA
• R.N., Nursing, St. Joseph's Mercy School of Nursing, Sioux City, IA

This community-based participatory research project through the NIGMS administrative supplemental funding to MMU BRIN is a partnership with collaboration.  During the summer of 2021, INBRE BRIN researchers and IDeA-CTR researchers will collaborate with a rural American Indian community, assess for health disparities including obesity and Diabetes Type II with youth ages 5 to 18, implement and evaluate cultural and physical activities interventions.  Dr. Diane Smith Division of Nursing from Mount Marty University is the lead researcher and collaborating with Dr. Brian Knarr Department of Biomechanics from the University of Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha.  This will occur during a 5-8 week youth physical activity program in an attempt to prevent future health complications, and to achieve health equity or as the American Indian culture would rather say achieve a culture of equality, harmony, and Wichozani-a healthy lifestyle.  Importantly, BRIN students will receive hands-on experience in the collection of physical activity data through successful execution of this project, as BRIN students will be responsible for the experimental setup and retrieval of activity monitoring devices.  This training is highly complementary to the research focus of Dr. Smith and her team, whose expertise centers on the implementation of activity and health promotion programs.