About

Background

Rita Curl-Langager grew up with two lovely sisters in Rochelle, Illinois, a small friendly community surrounded by beautiful farms. Her immediate family was composed of a stay-at-home mother and father who taught at the high school level. Her extended family included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and many cousins who lived a few hours away. They were marvelous examples of the benefits of remaining close to family, supporting the community, getting a good education, and remaining persistent in all endeavors.

Dr. Curl-Langager began teaching full-time as an associate professor at Minot State University (MSU) in August 1991 and was promoted to full professor in 1997. During her 27 years as a psychology faculty member, she taught courses in child, adolescent, and adult developmental psychology; behavior management; industrial/organizational psychology; service learning; psychology practicum; and senior seminar. She served as chairperson for the Academic Assessment Committee, conducted university wide assessments of student learning and satisfaction to inform curriculum development. As chairperson and member of the Intellectual Climate Committee, budget and compensation committees, and member of the MSU Faculty Senate, she worked to enhance the educational environment for students and faculty members alike.

It was as a professor across eight areas of psychology that Dr. Curl-Langager recognized the importance of comprehensive textbooks to inform students about current research and information. Having the ability to explain tested theoretical frameworks, to organize detailed evidence and conclusions, and to apply information to real-world events ensured student learning and knowledge retention. As she compiled the material to provide understandable explanations to students, Adulthood: An Introduction grew into a book.

Dr. Curl-Langager’s professional affiliations include the American Psychological Association, the Gerontological Society of America, and the Association for Psychological Science. As a member of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, (STP; APA Division 2), a major contribution, among others, was as chairpersons for the G. Stanley Hall/Harry Kirke Wolf lectures for the American Psychological Association national meetings from 2006 to 2009. She served as chairperson of the Membership Task Force and the Society for Teaching of Psychology Work Group on Responses to the Quality Principles, the APA National Committee on Undergraduate Education in Psychology, and as as member of the E-publishing Task Force.

Currently, Dr. Curl-Langager is professor emeritus from the Department of Addiction Studies, Psychology, and Social Work at Minot State University. She is the author of Adulthood: An Introduction (2024), available for purchase at Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Dr. Curl-Langager is an International Peace Garden board member and a Co-Chairperson for the IPG capital campaign. Established in 1932, the Peace Garden is located on the U.S. and Canadian border near the geographic center of North America, between Dunseith, ND and Boissevain, MB. It continues to represent the ideals of peace and friendship, and to honor the long-standing peace between the U.S. and Canada.

Dr. Curl-Langager currently lives in Minot, ND in the winter and Audubon, MN during the summer with her husband Tyrone and two standard poodles, Rochelle and Sabrina. Her passions include investigating puzzling questions and proposing probable answers, cooking, gardening, and avoiding speeding citations in her Corvette.