Mark Strand, a professor of pharmacy practice and public health, has taught at NDSU for 12 years. His classes include epidemiology, chronic illness, global health and public health for pharmacists.
For Mark Strand, experiencing his students understand and apply the content he teaches in the classroom has been a highlight of his teaching career.
“I relish the opportunity to see students move from one place of understanding to another,” said Strand, a professor in the School of Pharmacy and the Department of Public Health. “The ‘Aha’ moments, which happen when real learning occurs, are very enjoyable. Learning is what students do and think, it is not what knowledge is transferred from the instructor to the student.”
Strand has taught at NDSU for 12 years. His classes include epidemiology, chronic illness, global health and public health for pharmacists. In his classes, Strand likes to ensure students are in a learning environment that enables success in their future professions.
“I use a case study approach where students work together to solve problems by drawing upon a variety of sources of information to solve the problem,” he said. “In their future careers, they won’t sit for 50 minutes listening to lectures; rather, they will most likely work with others to solve problems and accomplish tasks. So, it is imperative that we create learning methods and learning environments that move people forward to their eventual profession.”
Strand's professional career has focused on chronic disease epidemiology, a path that aligned with his fascination for numbers and patterns of disease in large populations. Strand worked in diabetes previously and now his focus is on opioid misuse prevention, something he’s currently researching.
Strand serves as senior scientist in NDSU’s Center for Collaboration & Advancement in Pharmacy (CAP Center) and is a Principal Investigator for NDSU’s Opioid and Naloxone Education (ONE) Program. The ONE Program was the innovation of Strand and fellow NDSU professor of pharmacy practice, Heidi Eukel, and other colleagues, in 2018. The program equips pharmacists to use evidence/based tools to prevent opioid misuse and thus make an impact on drug overdose deaths.
“A significant portion of people do not cope well with mood-altering substances. Humans experience life in community, so we are all affected by the burden of substance use disorders experienced by others. As a society we all benefit when everyone is helped and is able to experience wholeness and human flourishing,” he said.
The ONE program has gained national recognition and has received several awards over the years, including the 2023 Trailblazer Award from North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum.
Strand has also received recognition, not only for his involvement in the ONE Program, but for his dedication in the classroom. Last year Strand was named the 2024 Distinguished Educator by NDSU’s chapter of the Blue Key National Honor Society. The award was created in 1969 by Blue Key to honor an outstanding educator for going beyond what is required to benefit and assist NDSU students.
Over the span of his years at NDSU, the campus community has stood out to Strand as a place where learning and research thrive.
“NDSU is a true learning community, with faculty and students in a shared space for learning and research,” he said. “I have a shared position in the School of Pharmacy and the Department of Public Health, so I get to teach students in two different programs. Both programs are high quality, with excellent students, who want to prepare themselves to be professionals and leaders who accomplish good in the world.”
Throughout the rest of the academic year Strand said he looks forward to working on more hands-on experiences and field trips for his students in the community and to meet current professionals in the workplace.
“This expands their horizons and improves my teaching,” he said.
