These amazing people have some pretty interesting jobs, so we’re bringing you a fun peek into their work-world along with some of their personal facets. This series will be ongoing, so if you have anyone you’d like to nominate as a potential Spotlight feature, put it in the comments, or send us an email. Enjoy!
Spotlight on Kim Nichols Dauner
Kim has been associate professor and Health Care Management Program director at UMD’s Labovitz School of Business and Economics since January 2011.
The BBER partnered with Kim on the projects Interviews with Stakeholders: The Potential Social, Environmental, and Economic Impacts on Duluth, Minnesota, as a Climate Refuge (which will be on the U of M Digital Conservancy in July) and Duluth Bethel Program Evaluation.
What does a typical day look like in your job?
A fairly typical day would include teaching two classes and an assortment of the following: grading, planning for future classes, advising students, working on research (data collection, analysis, or paper writing), working on behalf of the HCM program (meetings, planning courses, working with LSBE’s internship director, and lots of other varied tasks), or participating in service activities and school/university committees.
What do you like best about your current job?
I love several things about my job: interacting with students in and out of the classroom, thinking through the best way to teach a concept, and that there is no typical day. I like the three aspects of teaching, research, and service and creating synergy between the three. I also find joy in being creative in teaching and research and that my job has a lot of autonomy to exercise that creativity.
What about your current job do you find most challenging?
Sometimes there are administrative hurdles/constraints that feel very counterproductive. Those get frustrating. Also challenging is the constant budget cutting at UMD.
If you could snap your fingers and solve any problem facing our community, what would it be?
I would ensure everyone has access to good quality health care. Every other wealthy nation has done this. Unfortunately we have huge disparities in access to care and a huge population of uninsured.
What is the most recent thing you’ve read (besides email)?
The Bag Man by Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz. It is non-fiction about how Nixon’s Vice President Spiro Agnew was accepting bribes and those that were investigating him. Of course, this was all overshadowed by Watergate.
What is something (knowledge or a skill) you would like to learn?
I would really like to learn how to weld and/or learn how to make furniture/woodworking.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received that has helped you in your career?
Work is all about developing relationships. Many people in my first jobs (before my PhD) really took this to heart, and I learned from them.
Also, I’ve valued “show up just to see what happens next”—meaning to be patient, listen, and let a situation unfold. When I worked for the CDC, one of our project officers would say that whenever things seemed to be spiraling out of control. It was a good reminder that others’ issues could be left as others’ issues and that a situation could just play out without interference from those not involved.
Read our other Spotlight features:
Spotlight on Tamara Lowney