- Engineers develop tool for more personalized cell therapies.
- Solar Vehicle Project team wins 2022 American Solar Challenge.
- Awards and Recognition: Recipients of the 2022 Award for Global Engagement; and more.
Engineers develop tool for more personalized cell therapies
A University of Minnesota team has developed a new tool to predict and customize the rate of a specific kind of DNA editing called “site-specific recombination.” The research paves the way for more personalized, efficient genetic and cell therapies for diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
Solar Vehicle Project team wins 2022 American Solar Challenge
The University of Minnesota student-led Solar Vehicle Project team took first place in the Multi-Occupant Vehicle category in the 2022 American Solar Challenge, a biennial collegiate competition in which teams race solar-powered cars between 1,000 and 2,000 miles across North America. The team has been competing in the American Solar Challenge since 1993, but this is the first time in history they’ve crossed the finish line first.
Awards and Recognition
Recipients of the 2022 Award for Global Engagement; Eric Watkins has been appointed vice provost for distributed learning; the 2022 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects has recognized the U of M Twin Cities as one of the world’s leading research universities; David McMillan has been appointed to a two-year term as the interim chancellor for the U of M Duluth; Panayiota Kendeou, Kristen McMaster, and Nidhi Kohli have been awarded a $3.8M grant to scale up their Early Language Comprehension Individualized Instruction technology; Panayiota Kendeou, Danielle Dupuis, and colleagues have been awarded a $1.9M grant from the Institute of Education Sciences; the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition has received more than $750,000 from the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI Language Resource Centers program; U in the News features highlights of University faculty and staff cited in the media.
Wellbeing Program year-end notice
The 2021-22 Wellbeing Program year ends on Aug. 31. Participants need to earn 5,000 points (or 7,500 points for employee and spouse) by that date to receive a discount on your 2023 medical insurance rates. Learn more on the Office of Human Resources website.
Updated: University Awards instructions and due dates
Updated nomination instructions and due dates are now available for six systemwide University awards. The updated awards include the Awards for Outstanding Contributions to Education; the McKnight Professorships; the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award; and the Imagine Fund's Arts, Humanities and Design Chair Award.
Professor to take research project on the road to county fairs
Virginia Solis Zuiker, associate professor in Family Social Science, will be conducting research at two county fairs this summer as part of a University of Minnesota pilot program to extend research opportunities to county fairs across Minnesota. The D2D Research facility at the Minnesota State Fair has reached over 110,000 individuals since 2013, however the majority of participants are from the metro area.
U of M researchers discover protein that may be associated with better prognosis for women with ovarian cancer
Researchers from the University of Minnesota have discovered that a protein associated with metabolism, and formerly recognized as a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer, may instead be associated with a better prognosis for women with this cancer.
Research Brief: Data scientists use new techniques to identify lakes and reservoirs around the world
A University of Minnesota team of data scientists has published a first-of-its-kind comprehensive global dataset of the lakes and reservoirs on Earth showing how they have changed over the last 30+ years. Additional recent Research Briefs include “Conserving critical habitat in the face of climate change in Midwestern lakes by managing watershed land use” and “Researchers determine that AI-based tools have not yet reached full diagnostic potential in COVID-19.”
Aug. 11 - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Sampler
Share high-quality noncredit courses and social, cultural, and volunteer opportunities with a community of dedicated lifelong learners with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Sampler. Free, but registration is required.
Aug. 17-Sept. 1 - Teaching Enrichment Series
Begin the new academic year by participating in webinars focused on strategies that you can implement in your courses for the fall 2022 semester and beyond. Topics include finalizing your syllabus, supporting student mental health, planning accessible learning, designing transparent assignments, teaching practices supported by pedagogical literature, and many more.
Aug. 24, 25, 29, and 30 - Teaching with Access & Inclusion Program
Are you committed to supporting diverse students but feel unsure of how to address questions of exclusion and belonging in your courses? Through four highly interactive synchronous Zoom sessions, the Teaching with Access and Inclusion (TAI) Program offers an exploration of critical frameworks and practical strategies towards creating more equitable educational experiences for all. Register for TAI by Aug. 17.
Aug. 25 - Data management topics and tools: An introduction to data management
This introductory workshop (register), the first in a fall series of data management workshops, will introduce topics and tools to help you manage your research data. The workshop will share foundational data management tips, present issues specific to data management for researchers, and give a preview of tools for managing a variety of data across your research project. 10 a.m.-noon, online.
Crookston announces new partnerships in support of working adults
U of M Crookston announced a new partnership with Guild, a Career Opportunity Platform, to help increase access to in-demand degrees and certificates for working adults across the country. Through this new partnership, employers will have access to a variety of in-demand programs at Crookston, including degrees in accounting, agricultural business, applied health, communications, finance, health management, and IT management, and certificates in agricultural business and manufacturing management.
Gudmundson receives MacPhail Fellowship
Paula Gudmundson, associate professor of music and department head, was recently awarded a fellowship supported by the McKnight Foundation and administered by the MacPhail Center for Music. Out of 82 applicants, Gudmundson was selected as one of four recipients to receive $25,000. Gudmundson’s work centers around collaborations, community engagement, and giving voice to absent narratives in the arts.
Helping MnDOT track travel time
Civil Engineering professor Eil Kwon and his research team are working on a tool to better estimate freeway travel time. Reliable, consistent estimates are crucial to the quality of life and economic health in busy metro areas. For traffic managers to achieve travel time reliability, information is essential. Kwon’s innovative tool provides new insights—helping MnDOT traffic managers effectively and efficiently manage traffic congestion and incidents.
Aug. 8-13 - Dark Sky Caravan
The Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium (MWAP) will host star parties along the North Shore to celebrate Minnesota’s dark skies. The group will gaze through telescopes while staff members give a live tour of stars, constellations, and potential meteor showers above. The free-of-charge caravan will stop at MWAP, Tettegouche State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse, North House Folk School, and the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center.
Ninety-five Cougar athletes named Academic All-UMAC
A total of 95 U of M Morris student-athletes from winter and spring sports have been recognized with Academic All-UMAC honors. Individuals who earn a 3.5 or better grade point average during their respective semesters of competition are recognized with the prestigious individual honor.
RISE for Equity
Jenny Casper, U of M Rochester's director of community engagement and career development, recently participated in a poster session with Guy Finne, director of the Office for Academic Partnerships at Mayo Clinic, and Jess Anderson, program manager of the Office of Academic Partnerships for Mayo Clinic. Their poster, presented at the 2022 RISE for Equity conference, shared how UMR's Invest in Success program creates a diverse and equitable talent pathway.
‘Art saved my life’: Accomplished alumnus leaves the Department of Art generous gift
The Department of Art has established the Dr. Harold R. Adams Fund, thanks to a generous gift from his estate. It has been almost three decades since Adams (MFA ’94) attended the University, but his gift is a testament to the lasting power of the practice of making art. After all, as Adams often said, art saved his life.
Project helps global agriculture supply chains and sustainability schemes improve environmental performance
A team of University of Minnesota researchers is developing an innovative geodesign tool called SCOPE (Sustainable Commodity Optimization and Performance Evaluation) that will help commodity producers, certification organizations, and customers plan and evaluate environmental performance.
Interprofessional internship provides real-world experience in healthcare
Ally Taubenheim believes in interprofessional education (IPE). “It sounds simple, but I have learned that one of the greatest challenges to making IPE a reality is inviting people to dream bigger and envision healthcare differently to improve the health and wellbeing of patients, communities, staff, and learners,” she says. Learn more about her IPE experience.
Now open: The Bistro at Northrop
The Bistro at Northrop, located in the former Surdyk’s Café space, is now open. Take a break and enjoy a new menu with a range of breakfast, lunch, and snack options including avocado toast and freshly baked pastries, plus a cooler of fresh grab-and-go options—not to mention coffee, espresso drinks, tea, and seasonally infused fruit water.
UMTC Featured Events
Aug. 4 - Trauma and the Rule of Two: Why Trauma Symptoms Show Up When They Do
Aug. 6 - Oak Savanna Birding Walk at Cedar Creek
Aug. 8 - Mindful Mondays: Free Drop-In Sessions
Aug. 9 - Digital Learning Lab: Canvas Groups
Aug. 11 - A Better Path to Achieving Public Safety
Aug. 15 - Art Show | Art for All | “Finding Myself in Color”
Aug. 24 - Amplifying Solidarity: DeTrell Melodies
Aug. 25 - Assigning and Assessing Student Writing: Workshop for Graduate Student Instructors
Sept. 14 - Minnesota Symposium on Addiction Neuroscience