Fink, Alexander J - Curriculum Vitae
Fink, Alexander J - Curriculum Vitae
Fink, Alexander J - Curriculum Vitae
alexfink.com
Education
University of Minnesota, School of Social Work
Ph.D. in Social Work
Currently Enrolled, Fall 2011 – Spring 2018
Advisors: C. David Hollister and Ross VeLure Roholt
Committee: Katie Johnston-Goodstar, Robin Brown
Work Experience
Youth Studies, School of Social Work, Graduate Assistant Sept. 2013 – Aug. 2014
University of Minnesota
Gathered data through participant observation, interview, and
secondary data sources.
Analyzed mixed methods data using Dedoose Qualitative Data
Analysis tool to develop and write reports on research.
Leadership Education and Development, Graduate Assistant Aug. 2010 – Aug. 2013
University of Minnesota
Planned a research and evaluation agenda and timeline for Leadership Education and
Development programs in coordination with partners and other key stakeholders.
Developed and coordinated several research and evaluation projects to elucidate the strengths,
weaknesses, and key characteristics of leadership development pedagogy used in the
undergraduate Leadership Minor program.
Developed a rigorous adjunct instructor training program and professional development
program to support over 50 adjunct instructors to learn new pedagogical strategies and
encourage a strong community of practice.
Brian Coyle Community Center, Youth Entrepreneurship Intern Sept. 2010 – Aug. 2011
Pillsbury United Communities
Coordinated and developed entrepreneurial programs in collaboration with young people and
community institutions.
Coached Youth Leadership Council toward the development of effective youth leaders and
community organizers.
Community Research Assistant, Learning Dreams June 2008 – Aug. 2010
University of Minnesota
Developed partnerships with local community organizations to conduct research projects in
collaboration with the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs
Designed and engineered the development of organization technology projects built on open
source software frameworks, including a volunteer management application.
Technology Project Consultant, Student Employee Leadership June 2009 – Aug. 2010
Program
University of Minnesota
Collaborated with Student Affairs offices and other on-campus departments to design and
develop a website to provide information to program participants and track participant progress
through the program.
Co-Founder, Story Circle Communities Sept. 2008 – Jan. 2010
Minneapolis, MN
Alex Fink
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Peer-Reviewed Publications
Alexander, I., & Fink, A. (2018). Designing an inclusive intercultural 2018
online participatory seminar for higher education teachers and
professionals. Networked Learning: Reflections and Challenges. Springer.
Fink, A. (2018). Bigger data, less wisdom: The need for more inclusive 2018
collective intelligence in social service provision. AI & Society, 33, 61-
70. http://rdcu.be/GwCj
Fink, A. (2015). “We don’t want a teacher”: Using the past to offer 2015
fresh eyes to contemporary practice. Child & Youth Services, 36(1), 56-
78.
Wildermuth, C., Smith-Bright, E., Noll-Wilson, S., & Fink, A. (2015). 2015
Walking the razor’s edge: Risks and rewards for students and faculty
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Works in Process
Fink, A. (in process). The other big data: Dialogic youth work in the In Process
age of algorithms.
VeLure Roholt, R., & Fink, A. (in process). Effective training to In Process
support the diffusion of quality youth work.
Fink, A. (in process). “Lost in Translation”: A History of Risk and In Process
Resilience in Social Work
VeLure Roholt, R., Fink, A., & Werner, L. (in process). Developing In Process
leaders for social change: Understanding students’ perspectives of
agency.
Book Reviews
Brito, M., & Fink, A. (2017). Civic Media: Design, Technology, 2017
Practice. The Information Society, 33(2), 98-100.
Fink, A. (2016). Favela Digital by David Nemer. The Information 2016
Society, 32(5), 368-369.
Fink, A. (2016). To the Cloud: Big Data in a Turbulent World by 2016
Vincent Mosco, Journal of Community Informatics, 12(2), 226-228.
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Santavasy, C., & Fink, A. (2016). Youth Studies: Fundamental Issues & 2016
Debates by James Cote, Child & Youth Services, 37(1), 92-93.
Moua, K.N., & Fink, A. (2015). Review: Badass Teachers Unite by 2015
Mark D. Naison. Youth and Policy, 114, 133-135.
Fink, A. “Review of Chapter 6.” It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of 2014
Networked Teens. A Collaborative Book Engagement. Eds. Iskandar
Zulkarnain, Megan Farnel and Fiona Barnett. HASTAC. Web. 11
August 2014.
Fink, A. (2013, Oct.). Youth Policy in a Changing World by M. Hahn- 2013
Bleibtreu & M. Molgat. Youth and Policy, 111, 90-92.
Teaching Experience
• University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Sept. 2011 – Dec 2011
Development
Instructor, EdPA 3401, Field Experience
• University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Jan. 2011 – May 2011
Development
Instructor, EdPA 1961W, Personal Leadership in the University
• University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Sept. 2010 – Dec. 2010
Development
Instructor, EdPA 1961W, Personal Leadership in the University
• University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts Jan. 2009 – June 2009
Apprentice Instructor, PHIL 4993, Lives Worth Living: Questions
of Self, Vocation, and Community
• University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts Sept. 2008 – Dec. 2008
Teaching Assistant, CLA 1001, Introduction to the College of
Liberal Arts First-Year Interest Group, Topic: Service and Society
• University of Minnesota, Student Engagement and Leadership Jan. 2008 – May 2008
Teaching Assistant, PA 3961W, Leadership, You, and Your
Community
Invited Presentations
Fink, A. (2016). It takes a village (of computers?) to raise a child: A Sept. 2016
political economic perspective on youth and family agency in social
service mass data collection systems. Institute for Advanced Studies
Critical Data Studies Fellowship Presentation, 2016, Minneapolis, MN,
USA
Alexander, I., & Fink, A. (2015). OOPS! Or, Designing an Intercultural Oct. 2015
Online Participatory Seminar that Draws on the Spirit of Highlander
Folk School, Center for Educational Innovation, Minneapolis, MN,
USA
Fink, A. (2015). Big Data and Inequality, Ethics in the Information Sept. 2015
Age Course, Metro State University, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Fink, A., Rivas, J., Kingsley, K., Weah, W. (2015). Engaging Youth in Mar. 2015
Research to Improve Systems, Every Hour Counts 2015, Oakland, CA,
USA
Fink, A. (2015). The Right to Research & Action: Participatory Apr. 2015
Advocacy in the Digital Age, Macro Policy Advocacy Course,
University of Minnesota School of Social Work, Minneapolis, MN
Alex Fink
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Fink, A. (2015). Ethics and Data Use. Continuing Education Series, Mar. 2015
University of Minnesota School of Social Work, Minneapolis, MN
Fink, A., Bushey, B., Springer, A., & Murray, K. (2014). Open Data and Nov. 2014
Civic Technology. Digital Arts, Sciences, and Humanities Panel,
November 2014, Minneapolis, MN
Fink, A., Anklesaria, F., & Marsh, L. (2014). Digital pedagogy, Digital Oct. 2014
Arts, Sciences, and Humanities Workshop, October 2014, Minneapolis,
MN
Werner, L., Hellstrom, D., & Fink, A. (2013). From What? To Wow!: Jun. 2013
Exploring Case-In-Point Teaching. Leadership Can Be Taught
Symposium 2013, Minneapolis, MN.
Fink, A. (2013). Transformational Leadership. Leadership in Film and Nov. 2013
Media, Fall 2013, Minneapolis, MN
Conference Presentations
• Alexander, I., & Fink, A. OOPS! Or, Designing an Intercultural May 2016
Online Participatory Seminar in the Spirit of the Highlander Folk
School, Networked Learning, Lancashire, UK
• Johnston-Goodstar, K., VeLure Roholt, R., Fink, A., & Zieffler, A. Apr. 2016
School Climate and Native American Youth Wellbeing, American
Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Washington,
DC
• Fink, A. The New Collective Intelligence for Narrow Goods in Social Jun. 2015
Service Provision, Communities and Technology, Limerick, Ireland
• Fink, A. The Political Economy of Data in Collective Impact Jun. 2015
Strategies, Data Power, Sheffield, UK
• Alexander, I., & Fink, A. OOPS! We created an Open, Online, Apr. 2015
Participatory Seminar, Academy of Distinguished Teachers 2015,
University of Minnesota, Minnesota, USA
• Brito, M., & Fink, A. We Can Do Better: Freeing Education from the Dec. 2014
Cultural Artifact of Childhood, American Philosophical Association
Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
• Brito, M., & Fink, A. Schooled by those who come before us: Lessons Aug. 2014
in pedagogy from early childhood education. American Association
of Philosophy Teachers Conference, Collegeville, MN, USA
• Fink, A. Is it “just data”? The political economy and infrastructure of July 2014
data in community research. What Went Wrong?": Reflecting and
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• Fink, A., Frazzini, R., & Speer, J. Creating a mentor training Oct. 2012
program for transformational mentoring in the University of
Minneosta leadership programs. University of New Mexico
Mentoring Institute Conference 2012, Albuquerque, NM
• Fink, A. & Link, A. “Making Things Better”: The Role of Leadership June 2012
in Evaluation Use. Evaluation in Practice, Pori, Finland
• Brito, M., & Fink, A. Asking the Right Questions of Occupy Wall Apr. 2013
Street. The Crisis in American Democracy, Purdue University
• Fink, A. Where is the Youth Work(er) in Afterschool? Apr. 2012
National Afterschool Association 2012 Annual Convention, Dallas,
TX
• Nienow, M. & Fink, A. The Everyday Experience of Hope in Micro, Mar. 2012
Mezzo, and Macro Social Work Practitioners. Minnesota Social
Services Administrations Annual Meeting 2012
• Fink, A. & Werner, L. Curricular and Programmatic Structures to Nov. 2011
Support Sustained Community Research and Action in a Large
Undergraduate Student Leadership Program
International Symposium on Research, Education, and Problem-
Solving 2011, Orlando, FL
• Frazzini, R. & Fink, A. Transformational Mentoring in University of Oct. 2011
Minnesota Co-Curricular Leadership Programs, University of New
Mexico Mentoring Conference, Albuquerque, NM
• Fink, A. Opportunities for Strengthening Democracy through Sept. 2011
Campus/Community Engagement, Imagining America 2011
National Conference, Minneapolis, MN
• Fink, A. & Blevins, J. Innovations in Youth Entrepreneurship: A May 2011
Strengths-Based Approach to Workforce and Community
Development, National Association of Social Workers – Minnesota
Annual Conference, Saint Paul, MN
• The Green M&M Project: a reality-based examination of myths and Jan. 2008
message about sex, power, and growing up male and female,
National Sexual Assault Conference, Washington, DC
• Fink, A. (2015). Our Data Cooperative: Technical Enquiry. London, UK: Apr. 2015
Common Futures
Alex Fink
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• Rivas, J., Kim, D., Carruthers, P., Robinson, D., Larson, B., & Fink, Jan. 2015
A. (2015). Holistic indicators of youth development. Minneapolis, MN:
Youthprise.
Poster Presentations
• Fink, A., & VeLure Roholt, R. Effective training to support the May 2014
diffusion of quality civic youth work. Research Poster Day,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• Frazzini, R., & Fink, A. What do I do now? The impacts of the new Oct. 2013
training program on transformational mentoring at the University
of Minnesota. University of New Mexico Mentoring Institute
Conference 2013, Albuquerque, NM
• Fink, A., Frazzini, R., & Speer, J. Necessary processes and Oct. 2012
characteristics for transformational mentoring. University of New
Mexico Mentoring Institute Conference 2012, Albuquerque, NM
Research Experience
Grants Received
• VeLure Roholt, R., Catalano, J., Hollister, R., & Fink, A. (2017) Educating Nov. 24, 2017
transformative entrepreneurs at university. University World News.
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20171122074419459
• Fink, A. (2015). Three Resources to Engage in Participatory Research with Mar. 23, 2015
Youth. Youthprise. https://youthprise.org/blog/three-resources-to-engage-in-
participatory-research-with-youth/
• Fink, A., & Friend, C. (2015). MMCP: Learning Our Way away from Feb. 25, 2015
Institutions. Hybrid Pedagogy.
http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/announcements/moocmooc/away-from-
institutions/
• Brito, M., Fink, A., Friend, C., Heidebrink-Bruno, A., Moe, R., Shaffer, K., Nov. 22, 2014
Robin, V., & Wharton, R. (2014). Love in the Time of Peer Review. Hybrid
Pedagogy. http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/journal/love-time-peer-review/
• Fink, A. (2014). What’s a scholarly workflow – and why do I want one? Jul. 21, 2014
University of Minnesota Techniques in Teaching and Learning.
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https://uminntilt.com/2014/09/29/whats-a-scholarly-workflow-and-why-do-
i-want-one/
• Fink, A. (2012). Why deal with the “hard stuff” in class. Or, the danger of Oct. 9, 2012
sterilizing education. University of Minnesota Techniques in Teaching and
Learning. https://uminntilt.com/2012/10/09/why-deal-with-the-hard-stuff-
in-class/
• Brito, M., and Fink, A. (2012). Learning from early childhood education—two Apr. 23, 2012
pedagogy nerds contemplate what higher ed might be overlooking. University
of Minnesota Techniques in Teaching and Learning.
https://uminntilt.com/2012/04/23/learning-from-early-childhood-education-
two-pedagogy-nerds-contemplate-what-higher-ed-might-be-overlooking/
Certifications
• Ph.D. Committee, School of Social Work, University of Minnesota Oct. 2013 – Oct. 2014
• School of Social Work Council, University of Minnesota Oct. 2012 – Oct. 2013
• Mentor Advisory Board, Co-Curricular Leadership Programs, Oct. 2012 – Sept. 2013
University of Minnesota
• Cedar Riverside Youth Council Advisory Board Jan 2012 - Present
• Aurora Center for Advocacy and Education Advisory Board Sept. 2005 - Present
Student Representative to the Advisory Board
• Prairie Oaks Institute at Robert Creek, Belle Plaine, MN June 2010 - Present
Program Development and Community Development Volunteer
• Social Justice Leadership Retreat, University of Minnesota Aug. 2010 – Jan. 2011
Tier II Retreat Planner and Facilitator
• The Alliance: A University District Partnership, Minneapolis, MN Jan. 2010 – August 2010
Vision and Planning Team Committee Member
• Learning Dreams, University of Minnesota, School of Social Work Oct. 2009 – August 2010
Volunteer Neighborhood Educator
• University of Minnesota, Student Experiences Task Force Oct. 2008 – May 2010
Task Force Representative
• First-Year Leadership Institute, University of Minnesota Jan. 2009 – May 2010
Mentor
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Awards
• Lives Worth Living: Questions of Self, Vocation, and Community, May 2008 – June 2008
May Term Residential Course, Windom, Minnesota
• Ghana: A Sociopolitical Case Study, May Term Study Abroad with May 2007 – June 2007
Professor Priscilla Gibson, School of Social Work, University of
Minnesota