Rate My Professor Kelli Odden

Dr. Odden is deeply involved in professional leadership, serving as president-elect of the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE), where she has also acted as Vice-President of Conferences, planning and emceeing annual national conferences in 2022 in Washington, D.C., and 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. She was elected for a second term as Region 8 Representative for NAECTE, representing North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah, contributing to policy work with the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Power to the Profession. At the state level, she participates on the Early Childhood Standards committee and the Infant and Toddler Impact Grant committee. She advises the Student Education Association, fostering student leadership, and has led initiatives like the Para-to-Teacher Pathway and online professional development opportunities. In 2020, Odden received the inaugural Jeff Sieg Award for Teaching Excellence, recognizing her outstanding teaching, particularly during the transition to online instruction amid COVID-19 challenges. Through her roles, she promotes Mayville State University's early childhood programs nationally and internationally, collaborating with educators and institutions to advance teacher preparation and early childhood education.