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October 9, 2024

Inside This Issue

Board of Regents meets Oct. 10-11.
Feature: MN Cup turns 20: An oral history.
Awards and Recognition: Announcing the Imagine Fund grant and award recipients; and more.

Board of Regents meets Oct. 10-11

During its October meeting, the Board of Regents will hear about existing pathways and new investments in educating the future healthcare workforce for Greater Minnesota and Indigenous communities, particularly initiatives and partnerships based in Duluth, as well as other communities and Tribal Nations. Additionally, the Board is expected to receive a report on the evolution of AI in higher education; act on President Cunningham’s recommended 2025-26 biennial budget request, six-year capital plan, and 2025 capital request; receive a report on intercollegiate athletics on the Crookston, Duluth, and Morris campuses; and more. See the news release for details.

MN Cup turns 20: An oral history

A student inventor shows a crowd his automated robot snow blower

In its 20-year history, MN Cup has grown from around 600 entrants and cash prizes of $30,000 to more than $400,000 in prizes and thousands of entrants. This is the story of how an idea in the middle of the night became the largest statewide entrepreneurship competition in the nation and a rite of passage for Minnesota’s entrepreneurial community.

Awards and Recognition

Announcing the Imagine Fund grant and award recipients; Dmitriy Bilyk and collaborators were recently honored with the 2024 Alexanderson Award from the American Institute of Mathematics; Svitlana Mayboroda has been elected as a Fellow of the Mathematics Division of the European Academy of Sciences; U in the News features highlights of University faculty and staff cited in the media.

Awards and Recognition

U-Wide News

Community engagement resources

When U of M researchers and local organizations collaborate, they can address health issues in ways that are truly relevant to the community. The Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s community engagement team provides infrastructure and support so University researchers and community representatives—including nonprofits, clinics, physicians, and advocates—can work together.

Managing future floods and droughts in Minnesota

The rapidan dam ruined during recent flooding

Floods and droughts are becoming more common and more severe as Minnesota’s climate warms, posing significant challenges across a variety of sectors and industries. This year, the U of M Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP) made available detailed future climate data for communities across the state. Now, MCAP and partners are taking the project one step further, conducting additional analysis to allow communities to move from understanding their climate risk to planning and implementing the necessary changes to adapt.

A new partnership for the future of weather reporting

farmland as seen from an aerial shot showing a grid of crop squares

U of M Research and Outreach Centers (ROCs) across Minnesota maintain some of the longest-standing weather records in the state and are trusted sources of accurate weather information within their communities. Building on this legacy, several ROCs are partnering with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to upgrade the existing weather stations with advanced technology that will automatically feed weather data into ROC websites, enabling local farmers and producers to make day-to-day farm management decisions.

College courses for Minnesota high school students

two young students, boy and girl, in a classroom

Minnesota high school students have returned to classrooms, and many of them are simultaneously enrolled in college-level courses through the U of M. The University has multiple programs that allow Minnesota students to earn college credit while in high school, including College in the Schools and Postsecondary Enrollment Options offered through the Twin Cities campus. These programs are available to students across the state, not just those in the metro area.

Talking pet aging with U of M

a cat and small dog on a wooden floor look up for treats

Approximately 66 percent of households in the U.S. own a pet, and the American Veterinary Medical Association recently reported that pets are living longer now than they ever have before. Kristi Flynn, an associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, shares how pet owners can support their furry friends along the way. See more editions of "Talking with U of M."

Crookston

Oct. 14 - U of M Crookston Indigenous Peoples Day events

a man kneels on one knee holding basket weaving materials in his hand

U of M Crookston will host Wild Rice Harvest and Birch Bark, Canoe, and Basket Weaving events in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day. Guest speakers Stanton Alexander and Dana Trickey will engage guests and share knowledge about their culture. Each event will have two sessions, at 1 and 2 p.m., Bede Ballroom.

Oct. 23 - U of M Crookston to host author Sarah Stonich

U of M Crookston will host a conversation and reading with Minnesota author Sarah Stonich at 4 p.m. inside the foyer of the Fournet Building. Stonich, the author of six novels and an award-winning memoir, will read from her work, talk about the small-town northern Minnesota settings of her writing, and discuss the significance of regional fiction in the 21st century. There will be an audience Q&A and book signing as well as light refreshments served.

Duluth

UMD recognized for excellence in student voter registration and turnout

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge has recognized UMD for nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections. The recognition is a reflection of UMD’s commitment to ensuring that nonpartisan democratic engagement is a defining feature of campus life. UMD earned a Gold Seal from ALL IN based on the 2022 campus voting rate.

The Importance of Being Earnest

The UMD theatre season opens Oct. 11 with Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Wilde’s self-described “trivial comedy for serious people” stylishly satirizes the upper class and romantic comedy tropes of his time while enchanting us with characters whose happy ending we cheer. See additional showtimes and find tickets.

Oct. 14 - Autumn Round Dance

Indigenous dancers perform in traditional Native dress

UMD’s Indigenous Student Organization will present Dagwaagin Mâskisimowin, or Autumn Round Dance, to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day with an evening of music, dancing, and food. 5-8:30 p.m., Kirby Ballroom.

Morris

Morris Model wins second DOE competition to energize rural communities

a graphic of the UMM campus with a road, wind tower, and solar panels

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that the Morris Model is one of 33 winners in the DOE’s Energizing Rural Communities Phase II competition. U of M Morris launched the Morris Model with the City of Morris, Morris Area School District, WCROC, and other community partners.

Oct. 10 - Farmers Market on campus

U of M Morris will host its annual on-campus farmers market on the mall adjacent to the Student Center. Vendors will be selling fresh produce, baked goods, and crafts, and U of M Master Gardeners will once again offer free houseplants while supplies last. 3-6 p.m.

Rochester

The Hub grand opening

The Hub, an intentional and centralized resource center for all students, celebrated its grand opening recently during Parent & Family Weekend. The space provides students with access to opportunities outside of the classroom including undergraduate research, study away, and internships.

UMR celebrates student scholars and benefactors

a student in a white dress stands by an older woman in a wheelchair

UMR celebrated scholarship recipients and benefactors at the 2024 Scholarship Celebration on Oct. 6. More than 300 students were honored, including student speaker Maria Garcia-Moya, who shared her gratitude for the generosity of benefactors: “This scholarship is an important academic recognition that will support my present and future endeavors in my pursuit of becoming a cardiovascular physician,” said Garcia-Moya.

Oct. 15 - Exploring Healthcare Research: Panel of Professionals

UMR students will have the opportunity to explore the diversity of career options in healthcare and medtech research through a panel discussion from 2:30-3:30 p.m., 417 University Square. Mayo Clinic laboratory researchers, clinical researchers, community health researchers, and others will share a “day in the life” perspective and provide time for a Q&A.

Twin Cities

Behind the ballot

On Election Day, the State of Minnesota employs as many as 30,000 election judges. These temporary, paid employees are trained to handle all aspects of voting at the polling place. The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) connected with four members of the CLA community to learn about what their role entails and what inspired them to engage in the democratic process. Learn more about how the liberal arts are shaping democracy.

Griffiths named Homecoming Grand Marshal

Annie Griffiths—a Minneapolis native, world-renowned photographer, and founder of a nonprofit collective of photographers dedicated to documenting the stories of women and girls in the developing world—will serve as Grand Marshal for the University of Minnesota’s 2024 Homecoming parade on Oct. 25. A 1976 graduate of the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Griffiths’ trailblazing career has inspired photographers and humanitarian advocates alike. 2024 Homecoming celebrations will begin Oct. 21.

All in the family

Seven members of the Ndely family pose for a photo

Simon Ndely vividly remembers when his connection to the University of Minnesota started. It was 1998 and his mother, Elizabeth Gobina, was graduating from the School of Dentistry with a degree in dental hygiene. Simon was still in elementary school, but sitting in Northrop and watching his mom walk across the stage made a huge impression on him. Today, generations of the Ndely family have made their mark at the University with a focus on learning, leading, and taking part in every aspect of campus life.

‘He loved the University’

black and white photo of a young in uniform man circa WWII

U of M Regent Ruth Johnson says her late father Raymond AE Johnson—who was in World War II before enrolling as a student at the U of M—had a deep attachment to the school that helped inspire her own service. After serving as a Navy medical corpsman for eight years in WWII, Raymond would take part in one more historic endeavor: traveling as a pharmacist’s mate with Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s expedition to the Antarctic during Operation Highjump.