The College of Education and Human Services Professions (CEHSP) at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) is proud to announce that Kimberly Zoder-Martell, PhD, has accepted the position of dean, pending final approval from the Board of Regents.

Dr. Zoder-Martell most recently served as a professor of Applied Behavior Analysis and chair of the Department of Special Education at Ball State University in Muncie, IN, a Carnegie R2 public university, where she provided academic, administrative, and strategic leadership for a large and complex department with over 100 faculty, and approximately 3,300 enrolled students. She is a licensed psychologist (HSPP) and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst–Doctoral (BCBA-D).

“I am thrilled to join the leadership team at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s College of Education and Human Services Professions,” Dr. Martell said. “Throughout my career I have focused on building programs that expand opportunity for students, and I am eager to continue that work with the talented faculty, staff, and students of CEHSP.”

Dr. Zoder-Martell's research centers on improving outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, with a particular emphasis on developing and evaluating effective, scalable strategies to train caregivers, educators, and direct service providers to implement behavior analytic interventions with high treatment fidelity. Her work bridges research and practice to enhance real-world impact in schools, homes, and community settings.

During her 14 years at Ball State, she also served as assistant chair for the Department of Special Education and as the first faculty program director for undergraduate programs in Applied Behavior Analysis (Autism). Her clinical background includes over two decades as a consultant and psychologist.

“Dr. Zoder-Martell is an expert in her field, and a collaborative leader with experience partnering both within universities and with broader communities,” Rebecca Ropers, UMD’s executive vice chancellor and provost, said. “Kim brings to UMD a wealth of knowledge to guide the College of Education and Human Services Professions into this next chapter and contribute to UMD’s academic programs.”

We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Jill Pinkney Pastrana, who led CEHSP as dean from 2013 to 2025, and to Dr. Scott Carlson, who served as interim dean during the 2025-2026 academic year following seven years as associate dean. We thank each of them for their extraordinary service to UMD. We are especially grateful to Dr. Carlson for providing critical continuity during this transition; his engaged and collaborative approach has significantly strengthened the college's academic programs and culture.

Dr. Zoder-Martell’s appointment begins July 27, 2026 pending final approval by the Board of Regents.