Melinda C. Bier, PhD
Principal Investigator
bierm@umsl.edu

Laura Harrison, LCSW, MPA
Project Director
youthempowerment@umsl.edu

Edie Barnard, MS
Consultant
youthempowerment@umsl.edu

Steve Sherblom, PhD
Associate
sherbloms@umsl.edu

David Shields, PhD
Associate
shieldsda@umsl.edu

Mark Hallett
Video Specialist
hallettmr@umsl.edu

Spring Schmidt
Doctoral Student
schmidtsp@umsl.edu

Spring Schmidt is a Project Development Specialist for the Center for Character & Citizenship at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. She is a certified project manager with 7 years of experience. She is proficient with a wide variety of project tools, including the PeopleSoft and Microsoft Project budget, grant and project management tools. She has 3 years of educational grant research experience at the University and has been responsible for grant budgeting, billing, reporting and compliance methods for two years. She has a B.A. in Psychology and is a Doctoral Candidate in Educational Psychology, Research & Evaluation Methods and is expected to complete her dissertation work in early 2010. Her research interests include youth empowerment and prevention, character education, new media tools for educators and students and preparing students for participatory democratic citizenship.