2019 Rising Alumni: Jennifer Ridgeway

Please list any professional accomplishments you wish to mention.

I recently received an appointment of Assistant Professor of Health Services Research in the College of Medicine at Mayo Clinic.

Volunteer activities

I currently volunteer at my church and with the women's leadership group of my local United Way. I really enjoy the opportunities I have to volunteer with the women of that group, for example working an evening meal at the Salvation Army together. When we lived in St. Paul I was an active volunteer in the League of Women Voters and worked as an election judge.

Awards

I won the Elmer and Olga Hauge Endowed Fellowship Award at the University of Minnesota in 2017.

What professor(s) or course(s) were most influential during your time in CEHD?

Stuart Yeh's guidance on my dissertation work was invaluable. I had done research and writing before, but a dissertation is different and I really appreciated his patience in helping me understand how to approach it and helping me stay on track to complete it. I also appreciated my coursework and informal conversations with Jean King and David Johnson. They are examples of leaders in the evaluation field who also demonstrate substantial dedication to lifting up others. Joshua Collins was also an inspiration in terms of his dedication to education, as well as his dedication to those who are participants in our research and evaluation.

What was the impact and benefit of your educational experience in CEHD?

I was interested in the Evaluation Studies program because of my interest in methods—the same interest that drew me to the Advanced Policy Analysis Methods track of my MPP. An unexpected benefit was the opportunities to be in courses with people in other areas of CEHD though, including people who were working in areas of education and human development that I did not see as naturally intersecting with health or health care. I learned a lot from hearing how they approached their own research topics, and I was energized by the exciting contributions they are making. In terms of educational benefit to my career, the CEHD program is one of the few and best dedicated doctoral level evaluation programs in the U.S. Many people do evaluation, but I am fortunate to have both practical evaluation experience and an educational foundation in the field of evaluation practice.

Who has inspired you the most during your career?

My father holds a 4-year degree and my mother holds a 2-year degree. I did not know much about graduate education or know many people who held advanced degrees when I was a child, which may be part of the reason it took me so long to advance to my master's and doctoral degrees. My parents inspired me in their dedication to their careers though, which they worked at tirelessly until they retired a few years ago. From them, I learned the value of hard work and a strong work ethic. Working in non-profit women's organizations, I was inspired by colleagues' dedication to work because it was work for others and work toward a greater good. At the legislature, I was inspired by the dedication of public servants. In my current role, I am inspired by the scientists who lead research and discovery, and the patient care workers who foster a place of hope and healing. There are a number of female physicians in particular who inspire me. They balance daily care for their patients with leadership of research programs aimed at improving care, including access to care for underserved members of the community. They inspire me because they are among the most caring physicians I have ever met, but they also dedicate time to scientific discovery, as well as improving practice and reducing disparities in care.