Our Training Team

Dr. Emily Gaarder (she/her/hers) is the Director of the Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking at the University of Minnesota Duluth and an Associate Professor in the Department of Studies in Justice, Culture, and Social Change at UMD.

Since 2003, Emily has taught restorative justice at the university level and also for community groups and organizations. She loves to share how restorative justice can be used in daily life by everyone. She has trained hundreds of volunteers in the circle process, circle keeping, and restorative dialogue.

Dr. Mark Umbreit is a Professor and founding Director of the Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking at the University  of Minnesota, School of Social Work. Mark serves on the faculty of the Center for Spirituality & Healing in the Academic  Health Center at the University of Minnesota, teaching courses on Peacebuilding Through Mindfulness Practice, and  Forgiveness & Healing. He also serves as a Visiting Professor at the Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee teaching a course on Peacemaking and Spirituality.

Jacob Otis is a research and training associate with the Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking at the University of Minnesota Duluth and the Director of Programming at St. Croix Valley Restorative Services in Wisconsin.  

Laura (she/her/hers) focuses on healing from trauma through restorative and transformational approaches. Laura co-runs a restorative practice program she developed for those residing at correctional facilities. She has an A.S. in Psychology, a B.A. in IS-Psychology of Domestic Violence, a B.A. in Criminology, and a Masters' degree through UMD's Master of Professional Studies program with a focus on violence prevention and community building. Laura also has developed and taught Intro to Domestic Violence at UMD.

Joel Friesz (he/him/his) has worked with communities across North Dakota for 16+ years to implement restorative practices into schools, the juvenile justice system, adult corrections, and other community entities.

E Ornelas (they/them/theirs) is a PhD candidate and Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellow at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Ceema Samimi (they/them/theirs) is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. They have been a restorative justice practitioner for over 20 years and have volunteered as a circle facilitator and mediator. Ceema's research examines the intersections of service organizations, societal systems, criminalization, and race, and how these intersections impact young people. 

Cary Waubanascum is a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Wakeny^ta (Turtle Clan), with ancestral roots in the Menominee, Forest County Potawatomi, and Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Nations of Wisconsin. Her work centers on identifying and challenging ongoing colonialism in social work and child welfare and reclaiming Indigenous lifeways. She is currently an Assistant Professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Ariel Johnson is the owner and educational consultant of Tell It to the Trees Curriculum, LLC, an educational initiative that integrates restorative practices, environmental education, place-based learning, and holistic approaches to healing and personal growth.