Marilyn Grave, program director of Early Childhood Education at the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC), was promoted to associate professor at the University. The University of Minnesota Board of Regents passed the promotion at their May meeting.

Grave joined the UMC faculty in 1975. She was promoted to the rank of assistant professor and granted tenure in 1981. She has a master of science degree in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education from the University of North Dakota and a bachelor of science degree in Child Development and Family Relations from South Dakota State University.

She is also a "Qualified Neutral" for Alternative Dispute Resolution and served as a Family mediator for Minnesota Judicial Court System.

She has been instrumental in the planning, development, coordinating and design of the new collaborative program with Bemidji State University for the new degree program offering the future teacher education license Birth through Grade 3. She also was responsible for the development of program outcomes for the baccalaureate degree program in Early Childhood Program Management and Program Outcomes for the associate degree program in Early Childhood Education.

Grave has played a key role in developing and guiding the UMC Children’s Center into a successful lab school. Currently, she is working with the planning and leading in the construction of UMC’s new Early Childhood Development Center.