- Board of Regents March meeting highlights.
- Features: The future of mobility; A closer look at the Cereal Disease Lab.
- Awards and Recognition: Recipients of the 2023 Distinguished McKnight University Professorship; and more.
Board of Regents March meeting highlights
At its March meeting, the Board of Regents approved an updated legislative request to fund the reacquisition and initial operations of the U of M’s health care facilities on the Twin Cities campus. The Board also approved all amendments to the University’s budget request for the 2024-25 biennium, received an update about the Board’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group, and discussed the impact of the Morris campus on the community, the U of M System, and the state. See the news release for more details.
The future of mobility
What’s next in transportation? Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) researchers are working to find out. CTS has published a Future of Mobility series highlighting the perspectives of leading U of M researchers and national experts. In 17 articles, the authors scan the horizon and reflect on critical transportation topics ranging from advanced air mobility to rural transportation, from automated vehicles to accessibility and equity for users.
A closer look at the Cereal Disease Lab
The Cereal Disease Lab (CDL) on the Twin Cities campus in St. Paul is led by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in collaboration with the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. The mission of CDL is clear: to reduce losses in wheat, oat, and barley to major diseases including leaf rust, stem rust, and Fusarium head blight. These fungal diseases are some of the most damaging diseases among cereal crops. Read more about CDL’s work.
Awards and Recognition
Announcing the recipients of the 2023 Distinguished McKnight University Professorship; the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $15 million to a team of Midwestern research partners, including the U of M Center for Transportation Studies; the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative has awarded approximately $160,000 to eight research projects; Ka I Ip has been awarded a $100,000 grant jointly supported by the President’s Initiative on Student Mental Health and the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain; U in the News features highlights of University faculty and staff cited in the media.
UMN Headlines: March 2023
The March edition of the “UMN Headlines” video series features awards, honors, discoveries, and other highlights from around the University of Minnesota System. The video showcases new lifetime fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, new research showing how humans affect wolves in national parks, a top ranking for our U of M Medical School, a look back at U of M Rochester’s groundbreaking educational beginnings, and more. See past episodes here.
Findings lay groundwork for shared mobility transit in rural Minnesota
Residents in rural communities are often limited in their mobility due to the high costs and low availability of affordable, reliable transportation options. To address this issue, U of M researchers studied how public transit funding may be used to fund shared mobility services in the state’s small urban and rural areas.
Seeking nominations and applications: Sexual Misconduct Prevention Program leadership position
The University is seeking nominations and applications for the position of program director of the newly formed Sexual Misconduct Prevention Program, which builds on the nationally recognized sexual misconduct prevention work of the President's Initiative to Prevent Sexual Misconduct (PIPSM). The PIPSM initiative provides strategic coordination of evidence-based prevention initiatives and activities across the University’s five campuses.
Nominations sought for chair of the Faculty Misconduct Implementation Team
Following the work and report of the Task Force on Faculty Misconduct, a team will review the recommendations and determine how best to implement them across the University System. Nominate an individual to serve as chair of the Faculty Misconduct Implementation Team by March 15.
Research Brief: U of M research indicates clues to early detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease
College of Veterinary Medicine researchers looked at existing data from both Alzheimer’s brains and healthy brains to identify the key neuropeptides—the chemical messengers that are released by neurons—involved in Alzheimer’s. They also examined the relationship between neuropeptide activity and aging. See additional recent Research Briefs.
Professional development: Inclusive Teaching for the Multilingual Classroom
The Minnesota English Language Program is offering an online, self-paced professional development module for University faculty about teaching in multilingual classrooms. Explore common challenges international and multilingual learners may face and learn strategies for making your content and teaching more inclusive and accessible, particularly for international multilingual learners of English.
Required course: Fundamentals of Disability Accommodations and Inclusive Course Design
The U of M is rolling out a required online course, Fundamentals of Disability Accommodations and Inclusive Course Design, for all instructors (faculty, instructional staff, and graduate teaching assistants) systemwide on March 20. Created at the request of faculty governance and developed with consultation from stakeholders systemwide, this Canvas-housed course will take approximately one hour and has a completion deadline of June 18. Instructors will receive an email on March 20 that provides access to the course.
March 22 - Are synchronous chats a silver lining of emergency remote instruction?
Join a discussion (register) about a research article that analyzed in-class chatting in two sections of a large-enrollment, introductory biology class offered remotely during the COVID 19 pandemic. Findings indicate that text-based chatting suggests not only a high level of student engagement, but a type of participation that is disproportionately favored by women. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., via Zoom.
March 27 - Artificial Intelligence and Machine Language Applications
This interactive online event (register) will explore artificial intelligence and machine language product and service applications. Learn what these terms mean and how they can be incorporated into products and services to add more value for the company and the customer and differentiate from competition.
March 31 - Cultural health conference
Attend From Cultural Mismatch to Cultural Health, a conference that will explore ways cultural health is lived out, practiced, and fostered through research, rituals, and the everyday lives of people. This conference is endorsed by the President’s Initiative for Student Mental Health (PRISMH) and supported by the College of Education and Human Development. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Register and request disability accommodations by March 22.
Apr. 17-21 - Institute for Engineering in Medicine Innovation Week
The Institute for Engineering in Medicine Week will highlight events that focus on advances and new directions in medical engineering, including the Minnesota Neuromodulation Symposium (Apr. 20-21).
U of M Crookston announces new senior vice chancellor for academic affairs
U of M Crookston has named Rosemary Erickson Johnsen as the next senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. Johnsen currently serves as head of the Division of Business, Arts, and Education. She will start her new role May 1. Johnsen came to Crookston in 2022 and previously served as the associate provost and associate vice president of academic affairs at Governors State University in Chicago.
March 15 - Film showing: Nana’s Porch
The short film Nana’s Porch, produced by UMD alumna Daniel Oyinloye ’09, is about “family, adventures, and hope, despite the interruptions that hinder Black joy.” A discussion follows the film. No charge. Noon, Griggs Center. Sponsored by UMD Office of Diversity & Inclusion.
March 21 - Visual Culture Lecture Series presents Jacqueline Lombard
Jacqueline Lombard teaches art history and medieval art history at the University of New Hampshire, where her research explores pre-modern conceptions of ethnic and racial identity and seeks to understand how medieval peoples articulated and understood their own identities and spaces through artistic production. 6-7 p.m., 120 Solon Campus Center.
Bulldog Athletics in postseason
The UMD men’s basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Central Region, marking their first-ever NCAA Tournament win in program history. Led by players Charlie Katona, Drew Blair, and Joshua Brown, the Bulldogs men's basketball team joins women's hockey, women's basketball, and women's track and field in postseason appearances.
U of M Morris chancellor finalists to visit campus
Four finalists for the position of U of M Morris chancellor have been selected and will visit the campus and give a presentation between March 20 and 30. Specific details about the candidates will be posted the day before each presentation on the search website. See the schedule of visiting candidates.
Into the Den podcast
Into the Den is a weekly podcast co-hosted by U of M Morris athletic director Matt Johnson and women’s basketball coach Tim Grove. The pair discuss all things Cougar sports, available via Spotify.
March 20 - Native American Performers Showcase
A Native American Performers Showcase will feature Clayton Crawford in the men's fancy dance style. Free and open to the public. 1:30-2:45 p.m., Humanities Fine Arts Building.
UMR students accepted into young scholars program
Two U of M Rochester students have been accepted into the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Young Scholars Program. First-year Joud Sakor and junior Sophia Moore will participate in a yearlong mentorship program that will provide an introduction to the field of cardiology and open up research opportunities. They will also attend the yearly ACC conference and meet scientists from around the world. The two join current student and ACC Young Scholar Enrique Alvirez-Gonzalez, a senior graduating this spring.
Health Care Research and Discovery Pathway
Discover how Mikey Bergman navigated his time at UMR to prepare him for PhD candidacy at Northeastern University in Boston. UMR's innovative degree programs and integrated curriculum provide students with a foundational health sciences education through six distinct health career pathways. Learn more about UMR’s Health Care Research and Discovery Pathway.
March 21 - Health Equity Corridor in Primary Care
U of M Rochester and the Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery at Mayo Clinic will present Kern Center Connects featuring Jane Njeru and Mark Wieland in “Health Equity Corridor in Primary Care.” 5 p.m., 414 University Square.
Call for participation: Juneteenth Celebration
The University of Minnesota will host its second annual Juneteenth Celebration block party and commemorative march in North Minneapolis on June 17, noon-6 p.m. The free event will feature Black vendors, speakers, workshops, poster showcases, storytellers, musicians, food, free haircuts, art-making, a bouncy house, a petting zoo, and more. Faculty and staff are invited to be part of the event by showcasing your research, presenting a workshop, tabling, and more. Learn how you can get involved.
New safety initiatives microsite
The University has created a new safety initiatives microsite which features the latest campus safety updates, resources for keeping you safe, and information about the University’s comprehensive approach to safety.
U of M to offer new Data Science for Chemical Engineering and Materials Science master’s degree
The College of Science and Engineering has announced that it will offer a new, first-of-its-kind master’s degree in data science for chemical engineering and materials science. Beginning in fall 2023, the program will meet growing industry demand for chemical engineers and materials scientists with experience in digital technologies such as automation and robotics, computing, artificial intelligence, and data analysis.
An innovative pilot matches students with employers during school breaks
Sophomore Sahra Jilaow is one of 120 College of Liberal Arts (CLA) students who have gained valuable career experience through CLA's Get Ready program. The innovative pilot program, which launched in May 2022, targets first-generation, limited-income, and BIPOC students early in their academic experience and matches them with employers during school breaks.
Combining computer science and medicine
Artificial intelligence is being used for chatbots, self-driving cars, facial recognition—and, in research by PhD candidate Quincy Gu, to help diagnose melanoma and select the target treatment. The new technology is able to achieve an 89 percent pixel-level accuracy in identifying melanoma tumor tissue from the whole slide images. The new process could enable doctors to find the right treatment for an individual patient more quickly.
OLLI scholar ups his game
“Let’s play a game. We start with a pile of 21 stones and take turns removing stones. On each turn, we can remove one or two stones. The goal is to take the last stone. I will go second. Can you beat me?” So begins a course through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Scholars program, which has a rich history of selecting U of M graduates and postdoc instructors. The scholars get valuable teaching experience and stipends, while OLLI members, most 50-plus years of age and retired, are enthusiastic and eager students.
March 20 - Climate Action Planning Open House
The Office of Sustainability and the Twin Cities Sustainability Committee will host a Climate Action Planning Open House (register) to review the results of the climate action planning process. 4-5:30 p.m., Mississippi Room, Coffman Union.
UMTC featured events
March 16 - Medical Innovation Commercialization Bootcamp & Happy Hour
March 22 - Justice in Public Health: Design Justice
March 23 - KDI Burst event: Empathy at scale
March 24 - Speaking Science Conference
March 29 - Health Professional School Expo
March 29 - People & Planet: Indigenous Fires in the Great Lakes Region
March 29 & 30 - Plant Protein Innovation Center Research Spotlight Meeting
March 30 - Introduction to Anti-Racist Pedagogy at a Predominantly White Institution