Brief summer schedule: May 18; June 1, 15, and 29; July 20; Aug. 3, 17. Weekly publication resumes Sept. 7.
- Board of Regents meets May 12-13.
- Feature: Mental health care for all.
- Awards and Recognition: Jean O'Brien has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and more.
Board of Regents meets May 12-13
The Board of Regents will review President Joan Gabel’s recommended operating budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year. The budget emphasizes investments guided by the systemwide strategic plan, MPact 2025. Notably, the budget proposes merit-based increases for University employees systemwide. The Board will accept comments on the proposed budget both online and during a public forum on May 13. Regents will also review and act on recommendations for promotion and tenure; recognize distinguished students, faculty, and staff; review Gabel’s recommended FY23 capital improvement budget; and more. See the news release for more details.
Mental health care for all
As a doctoral student in counseling psychology, Vanessa Anyanso is learning to be a clinician while counseling a wide variety of clients. Some are University students with mental health challenges, while others are community members grappling with issues like addiction or anger management. Anyanso often notices a palpable sense of relief when BIPOC patients see that she is Black, knowing that she likely has similar life experiences. Often it confirms Anyanso’s perspective that the academic and clinical sides of psychology need more practitioners from underrepresented communities.
Awards and Recognition
Jean O'Brien has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Stephanie Carlson has received a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation; Alexandra Klass has been appointed to serve as deputy general counsel for litigation, regulation, and enforcement at the Department of Energy; recipients of the President's Award for Outstanding Service; U in the News features highlights of University faculty and staff cited in the media.
Register your international travel
Are you planning to travel to another country for academic or University-related purposes? All faculty, staff, and students (including graduate assistants, residents, and fellows) are required to register their international travel before they depart. The International Travel Registry is part of the University's efforts to ensure that all travelers are prepared and educated about safe and healthy travel abroad.
Seeking nominations/applications: Director of the Institute for Advanced Study
Nominations and applications are invited from U of M tenured faculty for the position of director, Institute for Advanced Study. This half-time academic leadership position leads a systemwide center whose mission is to collaborate broadly to advance scholarship and teaching, foster critical engagement with issues and ideas, and build generative relationships with larger communities. See the position description for more information. Applications will be reviewed beginning May 16 until the position is filled.
Seeking applications: Humanities Futures Labs Graduate Fellowship
The three-campus Mellon Environmental Stewardship, Place, and Community Initiative at the Institute for Advanced Study is seeking graduate students to participate in a cohort of interdisciplinary faculty and graduate students designing curriculum. Participants will design a humanities course focused on Indigenous epistemologies and environmental stewardship and will mentor undergraduate students who enroll in the subsequent course(s). Applications are due May 13.
Statistics support for University researchers
The Institute for Research on Statistics and its Applications is accepting applications for its 2022 Summer Statistical Collaboration Program. Researchers involved in this program receive expertise from students at the School of Statistics. Students meet with researchers to learn about their study, understand their scientific questions, propose and implement solutions, and share the results. Collaborations typically run 10 hours per week over 8 weeks, but timing is flexible.
U of M and Sandia National Labs partner to advance national security research
The University of Minnesota and Sandia National Laboratories are implementing a memorandum of understanding as a foundation for increased research interactions and collaborations between individual staff, faculty, and students at the two institutions.
Reducing alcohol-impaired traffic crashes: Which law enforcement strategies are most effective?
Traffic crashes caused by alcohol-impaired driving are a leading cause of death and injury in the United States. A recent U of M study analyzed the effectiveness of several law enforcement strategies to determine how well they work—and ultimately, help agencies prioritize their enforcement efforts.
Osterholm Update: Choose Your Own Path
In episode 102 of the Osterholm Update, "Choose Your Own Path," Michael Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the state of the pandemic in the U.S. and around the world, address recent comments about future COVID surges, and answer a non-COVID query about pediatric hepatitis cases.
Research Brief: Study finds that landslides can have a major impact on glacier melt and movement
Using satellite imagery to study the effects of a 2019 landslide on the Amalia Glacier in Patagonia, a University of Minnesota-led research team found the landslide helped stabilize the glacier and caused it to grow by about 1,000 meters over the last three years.
May 19 - Global Accessibility Awareness Day
The Cultivate Inclusion campaign invites faculty and staff to engage in conversation, thinking, and learning about access and inclusion for people with disabilities during Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Visit the GAAD event site to hear from Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel Croson and other prominent University leaders about the importance of accessibility, and register to join one or more sessions.
U of M featured virtual events
Beginning May 12 - The Art and Practice of Good Eating
May 13 - Boots on the Ground Conference
May 18 - Better NSF Proposals: Improving Broader Impacts
May 19 - Equity in Research Seminar: Community Engagement to Facilitate Equity in Research
U of M Crookston celebrates students at annual banquet
The University of Minnesota Crookston recently held its annual Student Awards Program, a celebration of student service, leadership, and academic and athletic achievement. Marah Mcdougal, a marketing major from Minneapolis, and Elaina Knott, an agricultural education major from Thief River Falls, were named the U of M Crookston Students of the Year. See the full list of award recipients.
Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Resource Center provides lessons in literacy
A visit to Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Resource Center helped UMD students in integrated elementary and special education broaden their understanding of the concept of literacy. “We look at different types of literacies and notions of what it means to read or be a reader,” says Assistant Professor Suki Mozenter. “You can read interactions. You can read a landscape. There are lots of ways to sensemaking.”
Synthetic fibers could improve performance of concrete pavements
To help stretch limited roadway dollars and save on material costs, the strategy of mixing synthetic structural fibers into thin concrete pavements and overlays is gaining traction. In a recent study, researchers from the University of Minnesota Duluth and the Minnesota Department of Transportation tested eight sections of thin concrete pavement to gain a clearer understanding of the real-world performance benefits of synthetic structural fibers.
UMD resumes in-person commencement
For the first time since 2019, UMD held its commencement exercises in person, on May 7, at AMSOIL Arena. This year 2,469 Bulldogs graduated: 2,027 undergrads, 221 graduate students, 3 doctoral students, and 218 master’s degree students. Student speakers were Kayla Nelson and Eliza Woods.
Center for Renewable Energy Storage Technology launches
The Center for Renewable Energy Storage Technology (CREST) was announced on May 4 in Morris. The new U of M intercollegiate center is a partnership between the University of Minnesota Morris and the West Central Research and Outreach Center. CREST will provide leadership in research, demonstration, education, and outreach by organizing teams and partnerships and incubating energy storage research and demonstration-scale projects.
Commencement 2022
More than 225 University of Minnesota Morris students will receive their degrees at the 59th commencement on May 14. The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. on the campus mall, or in the Cougar Sports Center in case of rain. All are invited to attend or to watch the event streamed online.
UMR student wins environmental Student Impact Award
The University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment and the Office of Sustainability awarded UMR student Kara Nyhus a Student Impact Award. The Student Impact Awards honor students’ efforts to lead the way toward a future in which people and the environment prosper together.
Research and Education Symposium
The University of Minnesota Rochester held the 12th annual Research and Education Symposium on May 2. View winners and entries from this year's symposium.
May 12-13 - Physics Force public show
See a physicist break a cement block on the chest of his colleague lying on a bed of nails or watch as a barrel is crushed using the force of air pressure at this year's U of M Physics Force show. The show combines large-scale physics demonstrations and slapstick humor and is fun for adults and children of all ages. Tickets are free, but registration is required and tickets may sell out. 7 p.m., Mayo Civic Center.
Researchers develop smartphone-powered microchip for at-home medical diagnostic testing
A University of Minnesota Twin Cities research team has developed a new microfluidic chip for diagnosing diseases that uses a minimal number of components and can be powered wirelessly by a smartphone. The innovation opens the door for faster and more affordable at-home medical testing.
School of Public Health launches center to help strengthen health departments across U.S.
The U of M School of Public Health has launched the Center for Public Health Systems (CPHS) to conduct field-defining public health systems research and to provide technical assistance and other services to support public health departments. CPHS supports governmental health departments in assessing the impact of public health in their communities, strengthening their organizational performance, and translating research findings to support change.
May 20 - Bike to Work Day
Join Parking & Transportation Services at the U of M Bike Center on Oak Street for this Bike to Work Day event, including giveaways, food, and beverages while supplies last.
UMTC Featured Events
May 14 opening reception: 'Separate Not Equal: The Hale-Field Pairing'
May 14 - Global Surgery Benefit
May 16-17 - National Tribal Tobacco Conference
May 20 - The John S. Najarian Symposium