Faculty & Lecturers

Melissa Gjellstad

melissa.gjellstad@und.edu / (701) 777-0487 / Merrifield 301A

Melissa Gjellstad arrived at UND in August 2008. As Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, Melissa teaches first- and fourth-year language classes as well as classes in literature and culture taught in English. With a research specialty in contemporary Norwegian literature (1990s-today) and gender studies, Melissa writes and publishes on recent fiction – often with a keen eye to how feminism and masculinity studies inform the texts. On campus, Melissa is active in growing the Norwegian program in ways that involve students and the greater campus community.

 

Kim Kristvåg Pedersen

kim.pedersen@und.edu / (701) 777-2697 / Merrifield 307

Kim Pedersen started in the Norwegian program in 1996 as an assistant to Faythe Dyrud Thureen, the Norwegian program coordinator at the time. After substituting for Mrs. Thureen and assisting with grading and research, Kim co-taught an introductory Norwegian class with Mrs. Thureen in 1998. In 2000, he was hired full-time as a Lecturer in Norwegian, and has taught Norwegian 101 and Norwegian 102 every fall and spring semester since. A native of Kongsberg, Norway, Kim has also worked as copy-editor and consultant on several projects for Hippocrene Publishing, including most recently a Norwegian-Am. English/Am. English-Norwegian dictionary to be published in 2010.

 

Steven Finney

steven.finney@und.edu / (701) 777-4652 / Merrifield 307

Steve Finney started teaching introductory Norwegian at UND in January of 2005. He served as interim program coordinator for the Norwegian program from August 2006 through July 2008. Steve currently teaches the 200-level classes and occasionally 100-level classes at UND. He is also the Languages Department's Language Lab Director and works for the UND Writing Center.