The goal of any research—particularly at an institution dedicated to human development and to education—is to have an impact. To make a difference. Every day, graduate students at the College take their discoveries out into the community. Though their programs and their research focuses differ, they have a singular vision: To create a better future. Meet three doctoral candidates and a recent alumnus who are ambassadors for the College as it applies research and scholarship to transform the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

• A sporting chance—Jens Omli, a doctoral candidate in sport psychology and a research associate at the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, asks the question: How do young athletes really want their parents and their coaches to behave?
• Street wisdom—Alumnus Matthew Ayres, winner of the Mark S. Umbreit Scholarship for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking for 2006-07, influenced public policy with a first-of-its-kind survey on panhandling and homelessness.
• Compiling strength—Eva Boehm, a Ph.D. candidate in curriculum and instruction, gathers the resources and wisdom of experts across the Minnesota, creating a network dedicated to literacy.
• To forgive or not to forgive—Ling-Hsuan Tung, a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, examines how forgiveness and healing can go hand in hand.