April 13, 2022

Inside This Issue
  • Features: Survivor elms; A bacterial bullseye.
  • Awards and Recognition: The University has been named as part of a $360-million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve water management; and more.
Top News

Survivor elms

elm tree cuttings in greenhouse

The durable, stoic elm tree has become an emblem of American landscapes. And for good reason. Elms intercept thousands of gallons of runoff each year and offer food and habitat to insects and other animals. Elms in urban settings also help reduce winter heating and summer cooling costs. Unfortunately, what these magnificent pillars to Minnesota ecosystems cannot withstand is Dutch elm disease. U of M researchers are using funding from the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Pests and Plants Center to find a solution

 
A bacterial bullseye

Maddy Bygd

Polyfluorinated chemicals—often known as PFAS—are in a wide range of products including the ubiquitous nonstick pans in kitchen cupboards. The widespread chemicals degrade slowly, earning the nickname “forever chemicals.” Microbial Engineering graduate student Maddy Bygd has identified a promising new candidate for remediating these chemicals in soil.

 
 
Awards and Recognition

The University has been named as part of a transformative $360-million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve water management; U in the News features highlights of University faculty and staff cited in the media.

Awards and Recognition

U-Wide News

Optimism for Minnesota’s halal meat supply chain

Many Muslims consider halal goat and lamb meat as a staple food and an essential part of their traditional diet. Currently, the majority of Minnesota halal meat stores sell mostly imported frozen meat, but many consumers crave high-quality fresh meat. University of Minnesota Extension facilitates collaborations among local governments, farmers and breeders, meat processors, wholesalers, distributors, and consumers to support the domestic halal meat supply chain. See Halal-friendly Minnesota for more information. 

Don’t pack a pest

University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota Sea Grant have joined a national team working to increase awareness of carrying potential pests into the country. The program, called “Don’t Pack a Pest,” is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Universities join the initiative to bring awareness to international academic travelers about the risk of carrying unwanted pests into the country.

Research Brief: Molecular properties of lung surfactants could lead to better treatments for respiratory illnesses

A University of Minnesota-led research team analyzed the fundamental properties and structures of the naturally occurring substances that help human lungs expand and contract, providing insight into how the substances help us breathe. Additional recent Research Briefs include “International Study Shows Risk Factors in Childhood are Related to Cardiovascular Events in Adulthood” and “Critical benefits of snowpack for winter wheat are diminishing.”  

U of M featured virtual events

purple flower

Apr. 14 - Immigrant Legal Status among Essential Frontline Workers in the U.S. during the COVID-19 Pandemic Era 
 
Apr. 14 - Fireside Chat: Black Advocacy in the Cancer Space 
 
Apr. 15 - An Introduction to Collaborative Online International Learning 
 
Apr. 18 - AA and NH/PI Writers and Activism 
 
Apr. 18 - Medical Valuation Lab Fireside Chat  
 
Apr. 18 - The Long-View of Russia’s War in Ukraine: Personal Perspectives and Context for the Growing Humanitarian Crisis
 
Apr. 25 - How Values Light the Way: Connecting to values to get through hard times 
 
Apr. 26 - Advancing the public good through housing 
 
Apr. 28 - Examining the Burnout Crisis in Health Care: A Healthcare Worker Panel Discussion 
 
May 3, 10, 24 - Mind-Body Tools to Manage Anxiety and Difficult Emotions

See the full Events Calendar

Crookston

NACTA team brings home Sweepstakes Division Runner Up

UMC Nacta team

The University of Minnesota Crookston team competing at the annual North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) brought home the four-year Sweepstakes Division Runner Up. This year’s competition was held in North Platte at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

 

 

Trista Curry and Bryan Dean's unfathomable heartache

Trista Curry and her 3 children holding photo of two deceased children

Trista Curry ’12 (applied studies) and Bryan Dean ’10 (business management) met at the U of M Crookston as students and built their family together. After losing two of their children in a car accident in 2018, Trista and Bryan have honored Camden and Maxwell through a foundation, scholarship, and more

Duluth

‘Office Hours’ with Carter Meland

Carter Meland

In this episode of “Office Hours,” UMD chats with Carter Meland, assistant professor of American Indian Studies. Meland worked on the Twin Cities campus for 20 years until the pull of the lake drew him back home. Regarding his field, Carter says, "Everyone thinks American Indian Studies is about history, but it's not. It's about now."

 

NRRI simulator prepares Minnesota for iron resources of the future

Person in safety vest with iron ore sample

With grants from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and matching funds from the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), metallurgical engineers are researching and improving the direct reduced iron process for Minnesota ores. Direct reduced iron is used by the growing electric-arc furnace steel industry, which now makes up 70 percent of the steel market in the United States.

 

UMD team advances to regional semifinals of financial analyst competition

aerial view of Labovitz School

Students from the Labovitz School of Business and Economics’ Financial Markets program advanced to the Americas Region Semifinals of the Global Chartered Financial Analyst competition. Teams conducted an extensive financial analysis on the subject company, Ecolab. In April the UMD team will compete in the Americas Regional in Atlanta against 16 other teams advancing from North, Central, and South America.

Morris

McQuarrie earns 2022 U of M Morris Alumni Association Teaching Award 

Barry McQuarrie

University of Minnesota Morris associate professor of mathematics Barry McQuarrie has earned the 2022 U of M Morris Alumni Association Teaching Award. McQuarrie was cited as a student-centered, engaging, inspiring instructor and adviser who has had a lasting positive impact on a wide array of students of diverse backgrounds, experience, interests, and affinity for mathematics.

 

Apr. 20 - Fulbright Scholar in Residence seminar

Iiris Happo

Iiris Happo, Fulbright Scholar in Residence from Oulu University of Applied Sciences, School of Professional Teacher Education, in northern Finland, will give a special Wednesday seminar to discuss “Early Childhood Education and Care in Minnesota and Finland - Similarities and Differences.”  


 

Apr. 21 - Prayers for a Feverish Planet

Ann DuHamel

Ann DuHamel, associate professor of music and head of keyboard studies, will launch a multi-day music series, Prayers for a Feverish Planet, that reflects on climate change as part of the Institute for Advanced Studies Thursdays program. Additional presentations are scheduled on Apr. 22, 23, and 24. Online and Humanities Fine Arts Recital Hall. 

Rochester

Apr. 19-26 - Capstone presentations

Poster with woman and text reading Capstone week

Spring graduates of UMR's Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS) program will present their capstones Apr. 19-26. A capstone is a combined set of learning experiences focused on an individualized theme that aligns with each student's personal and professional goals. BSHS students have the unique opportunity to personalize their education with a capstone experience. 

  

UMR Career Pathways: Patient Care

Ryker Vanderheiden

UMR's innovative degree programs and integrated curriculum provide students with a foundational undergraduate education. Discover how Ryker VanderHeiden navigated UMR’s many health career opportunities with an individually planned capstone to further solidify his skills to apply for medical school and prepare himself for a career as a physician. Learn more about UMR's Pathways.    

Twin Cities

Center for Learning Health System Sciences call for proposals

Do you have an idea that could improve patient outcomes and experiences, or reduce the cost of care and burden on the health care team? Test your idea with dedicated support from research experts. The RapidEval Unit within the Center for Learning Health System Sciences is accepting proposals for research projects through May 9. For more information, see the RapidEval website or email [email protected].  

Gopher athletes build brands, business amid NIL changes

Illustration of a gymnast, wrestler, and social media symbols

Thanks to a recent change to the NCAA rulebook, a first generation of student-athletes is building brands, businesses—and bank accounts. Student-athletes can appear in advertisements, charge for signing autographs, and post about products on social media. To help student-athletes navigate the changes, the athletics department has created the MINDset program, which educates athletes about NIL. 

 

Law school to launch Sports and NIL Clinic

3 students of the law school stand on a stadium field

A new Minnesota Law clinic launching next fall will offer name, image, and likeness (NIL) legal assistance to students with NIL needs, including college athletes and social media influencers of all types. Created in partnership with the law firm of Fredrikson & Byron, the Sports and NIL Clinic will help its student clients navigate the tricky legal waters of sponsorships, endorsement deals, and image licensing. 
 
 

Senior takes on climate change and, eventually, bioproducts in space

Ben Alva in the lab

Arriving at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities his freshman year, Benjamin Alva had several very clear goals. The biggest was to slow the destruction of the world’s coral reefs. Alva, now a senior studying biomedical engineering in the College of Science and Engineering, has had three internships with NASA, started his own intercollegiate student group, and is working on building a bioreactor that can eventually help save coral reefs

 

May 23-27 - Faculty Writing Hunker

The Faculty Writing Hunker is a five-day, interdisciplinary faculty/P&A writing retreat that creates a supportive and productive community of scholarly writers from a variety of disciplines and a range of academic ranks at the U of M Twin Cities. Whether you have a grant proposal to write, a journal article to revise, or a manuscript to complete, participating can help focus your writing activities and establish a plan and routine for your summer research. Applications are due by 4 p.m., May 9.  

Featured Events

artwork by BJO Nordfeldt

Apr. 13 - Scholar Talk: Perspectives on B.J.O. Nordfeldt 
 
Apr. 20 - Jazz I & II 
 
Apr. 21 - Campus Bands 
 
Apr. 27 - ‘The Other Black Girl’: A conversation with author Zakiya Dalila Harris

Apr. 28 - Inaugural Giere Memorial Lecture in Philosophy of Science 

May 17 - Robin Wall Kimmerer 

June 11 - U of M Day at Minnesota United Football Club 

Full Events Calendar