About our Staff
Amber Letcher, Ph.D.
Project Director
Associate Professor/4H Youth Development Specialist | SDSU
Dr. Letcher’s work focuses on youth development and wellness in the context of rural communities. She has experience implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of mentoring programs for school-age youth, exploring formal sexual education programs in rural communities, and assessing suicide risk among college students. Current projects involve assessing the feasibility of social and emotional learning programs among youth in Head Start and middle school . Since 2006, Dr. Letcher has worked with at-risk populations including substance-abusing youth, runaway and homeless youth, homeless mothers and their young children, and substance-abusing mothers with children.
Kristine Ramsay-Seaner, Ph.D., NCC
Implementation Director
Assistant Professor | SDSU
Dr. Ramsay-Seaner’s research and advocacy focuses on diversity, inclusivity, and empathy development to support the mental health needs of underserved populations. She has served as the Chair of Council of Directors for the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Training Grant at South Dakota State University and is the Clinical Experiences Coordinator for the Counseling and Human Development department. Since 2012, Dr. Ramsay-Seaner has provided counseling services to individuals across the lifespan with a variety of mental health needs including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and psychosis.
Meagan Scott Hoffman, Ph.D.
Project Evaluation and ND Project Lead
Assistant Professor/4-H Youth Development Specialist | NDSU
Dr. Hoffman is the lead specialist for the 4-H educational programming efforts for NDSU Extension. She conducts applied research in the field of youth development to create environments that help youth reach their full potential. She is also responsible for coordinating all evaluation efforts in the state utilizing the 4-H Common Measures instruments, and integrating evaluation into all curriculum design. Additionally, she leads professional development opportunities for 4-H staff across the state of ND. Dr. Hoffman has more than eight years of experience as an Extension 4-H youth agent in Pearl River County, Mississippi, where she developed and led a comprehensive 4-H youth development programs with a priority on youth leadership development.
Chamika Hawkins-Taylor, Ph.D.
Public Health Campaign Coordinator
Assistant Professor | College of Pharmacy | SDSU
Department of Clinical and Administrative Sciences| Xavier University of Louisiana
Dr. Hawkins-Taylor’s research is grounded in the factors influencing chronic disease epidemiology, treatment and outcomes of underserved, minority populations with a focus of social determinants of health. She has experience in research on chronic disease management and is exploring medication adherence, drug misuse and abuse, and social contributors to population health. Current projects focus on efficacy of cancer survivorship care plans, multiple sclerosis in Black American patients, and Substance Abuse training for professional students.
Ms. Quamme leads 4-H youth leadership and civic engagement educational programming efforts for NDSU Extension. She is also the lead adviser for the North Dakota 4-H Ambassador program. While working on her master’s degree, she worked in the Center for 4-H Youth Development assisting with programs such as Operation: Military Kids, North Dakota Governor’s School and Parents LEAD (Listen, Educate, Ask, Discuss). She also contributed to the creation of several youth development-related educational resources. After obtaining her counseling degree, she served as a school counselor at Oak Grove Elementary School in Fargo, ND, from 2010 to 2014. Prior to that, she was a family and consumer science teacher in Breckenridge, MN, from 2004 to 2009.
Ms. Pisha is an interdisciplinary visual strategist, serving a dual role of technology and brand specialist. With background in brand design, communication strategy, and front-end web design, she provides creative and technical expertise for the project. She serves as the brand designer for STH, maintaining an active web presence for the project, facilitating webinars, designing educational materials and collateral, and assisting with promoting events.
Ms. Arnold is an Extension Parent Educator with the Parent and Family Resource Center. She coordinates and delivers educational opportunities, information, and resources to parents, caregivers, and other professionals.
Ms. Reisenauer is a retired educator. She spent 34 years in North Dakota and 6 years in South Dakota as a health and family and consumer sciences instructor, a school counselor, and a high school principal. She has presented the This is (Not) About Drugs program to students and adults in the following North Dakota locations: New England, Solen, Fort Yates, Dickinson, South Heart, Ray, Divide County, Powers Lake, and the North Dakota Counselor’s Conference. In South Dakota, Ms. Reisenauer has reached youth in Bison, McIntosh, Phillip, and Mobridge.
Ms. Huot is a master’s student in the CHRD program at South Dakota State University. She assists the Strengthening the Heartland project with data entry, mailing curriculum materials as well as communicating with potential presentation cites.
Ms. Schmaltz is a senior undergraduate student in North Dakota State University's Biological Sciences program. She assists the Strengthening the Heartland project with data entry, mailing program materials, and coordinating with schools and youth organizations to schedule presentations.