Awards and Recognition

Tim Schacker, Michael Osterholm, and Pinar Karaca-Mandic are quoted in a Star Tribune story about virus transmission and a new Minnesota COVID-19 milestone; Francis Shen is quoted in the New York Times story, “Trump's Campaign Talk of Troop Withdrawals Doesn't Match Military Reality”; Ann Philbrick is quoted in Time about why this year’s flu vaccine will be vital in the fight against COVID-19; Stephen Parente is quoted at Minnesota Public Radio about the Supreme Court and the future of the Affordable Care Act; Sarah Cross is quoted in National Geographic about the lingering effects of COVID-19 among pregnant people; Hubert Lim is quoted in Scientific American about his study showing promise for a potential new tinnitus treatment; Enid Logan is quoted in a Star Tribune story about a South Dakota town that is lashing out at George Floyd, his uncle; Christopher Federico is quoted at NBC Today about how to cope with election stress; Joshua Page is quoted in a Star Tribune story about the release of Derek Chauvin and bail questions; Anne-Marie Leuck was interviewed by FOX 21 about the experimental COVID-19 treatment given to President Trump, which is part of an ongoing study at the U of M; Steven McCarthy recently published an article in AIHGA talking about race and how a person's skin color doesn't necessarily determine their race; William Robiner authored a piece in the St. Louis Post Dispatch titled, “Psychology and the coronavirus means adherence and adaptation.”

University of Minnesota Twin Cities faculty Paul Dauenhauer and Damien Fair have been named fellows by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation this year. Fair and Dauenhauer were each recipients of "genius grants" that are given to faculty who illustrate originality and creative pursuits in their field of study.

The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota announced today that it has received a grant from Wellcome Trust to support the enhancement and reach of the CIDRAP Antimicrobial Stewardship Project (CIDRAP-ASP). CIDRAP is a global leader in addressing public health preparedness, emerging infectious disease response, and antimicrobial resistance. The $1.1 million, two-year Wellcome Trust grant supports the work of CIDRAP-ASP to continue building a research base to inform antimicrobial stewardship practice and policy and the intersection of COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance, while also instituting a project-wide communications and outreach strategy focused particularly on the needs of low- and middle-income countries.

The University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering (Twin Cities) announced a new $1 million donation from Polaris Inc. designed to expand educational and experiential opportunities, including support for project-based learning experiences and scholarships aimed at diverse and underrepresented students. The gift focuses on providing access to STEM-related education, project-based learning programs, and scholarships for diverse and underrepresented student communities.

The Medical School’s Center for Women in Medicine and Science received the “Emerging Leadership Award for an Organization” from the AAMC’s Group on Women in Medicine and Science. Fellow recipients include representatives from Harvard Medical School, the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Drexel University College of Medicine.

The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) has recognized the Mapping Prejudice Project with a Catalyst award. The project, which mobilizes volunteers to map racial covenants that barred non-whites from owning or even occupying property, last fall also received a Minnesota Governor’s Commendation.

Ann Masten is quoted in the New York Times story, “At-Home Learning, When Home is in Ashes”; Mark Schleiss comments in a Politico story about whether voting in person is safe; Catherine Squires writes in MinnPost about Trump's attacks on anti-racist training and curriculum; Hannah Neprash is quoted in a CNN story about a study that found that female doctors work harder for less money; Christopher Uggen is quoted in a Time story about voting rights for felons; Michael Osterholm is quoted in The Wall Street Journal story, “Who Is Dying From Covid-19? Why?”; Jane Kirtley and Danielle Kilgo are quoted in a Star Tribune story about Unicorn Riot's protest coverage; Sonja Arsham Kuftinec is quoted in Mpls St. Paul Magazine about the fate of the arts.

A collaborative team between the University of Minnesota Medical School and Van Andel Institute (VAI) will soon begin a $6.2 million study that seeks to define the molecular linkages between aging and Parkinson’s disease—an approach for new treatment targets not yet explored by many researchers.

With $1.5 million in new funding announced this month from the U.S. Department of Education, University of Minnesota Professor Bic Ngo will expand programming aimed at improving academic experiences and outcomes for Asian American and Pacific Islander students studying at the University’s Twin Cities campus. The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institutions award is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Minority Serving Institutions program.

University of Minnesota startup BlueCube Bio brought home the grand prize from the 2020 MN Cup startup competition, with UMN startup CounterFlow Technologies receiving the runner-up award. The two startups, both based on College of Science and Engineering research and launched through UMN Technology Commercialization’s Venture Center, competed against seven other finalists for the grand prize after winning their divisions earlier this month. The annual MN Cup startup competition, hosted by the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management, brings together corporations, venture capitalists, foundations, government, and skilled volunteers to support Minnesota’s entrepreneurs as they work to launch and accelerate their new ventures.