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About Me
Research Interests: Adult learning; higher education; adult behavior change; leadership
Social Change Interests: Communication and technology access; fitness and body image
Joined Walden: 2007
Location: Minnesota
About Heidi: I have my Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing and my Doctor of Education (EdD) in Higher Education and Adult Learning. I have worked for Walden in a variety of capacities for over a decade, including as a Writing Center Instructor, Dissertation Editor, the Associate Director of the Academic Skills Center, and, most recently, as Core Faculty for the Office of Academic Support. In addition to my writing and teaching, I coach girl’s lacrosse and CrossFit and women’s strength training classes. I am also a volunteer coach for 261 Fearless, an organization that empowers women through running and strength.
Highlights
Gredler, J. & Marshall, H. (2018). Out of the box: Effective feedback for the iterative assignment. Session at Walden’s National Faculty Meeting.
Workshops Taught
My Advice to Walden Students
We have a children's book in our house called Stand in My Shoes, which is about a young girl learning lessons in empathy. She learns to pay attention
to those around her, to how they are feeling, and to what they might need for support. The story has helped my own children to be more aware
of how people experience things differently from them and how they can intervene when someone might be being treated unfairly.
What I love most about the book though is that it is relatable for almost anyone. Being aware of our unique needs is critical,
but so is being aware of how much we all tend to need to the much of the same things--someone to listen, to understand, to care.
This is my advice to Walden students:
Chances are, many students are in your same, or similar, shoes. Whether it is feeling like an imposter in the world of academia,
feeling "lost" when it comes to APA, or feeling overwhelmed by the thought of writing a dissertation, you are not alone.
But we are here for you, to offer you empathy and the support you need to succeed.
My Experience as a Walden Student
Was much like yours! On any given day, I was engaged, motivated, excited, eager, anxious, overwhelmed, discouraged. The degree journey requires learning how to manage those emotions and to leverage them when appropriate. I won't lie--it wasn't easy. But it's not meant to be. You WILL get through it.
My Role as a Teacher
Why I enjoy teaching at Walden:
My work is fueled by student success. When I am working with a student who breaks through a milestone, whether completing a prospectus or passing proposal defense, I get to share their joy as someone who touched their work along the way. It's a great feeling.
What students can expect from me as a teacher:
For me, the dissertation process (the writing process in general, too) is about negotiation and dialogue. It's about learning to receive feedback, to think about it critically, to make critical decisions about our writing and our research. My role is to help students feel empowered in the process, to have a voice, and to have confidence in and self-efficacy for the process.