Brief summer schedule: Brief will publish on May 19; June 9 and 23; July 14 and 28; and Aug. 11 and 25. Weekly publication will resume Sept. 8.
- Board of Regents meets May 13-14.
- Features: Coping with the mental health crisis; Meet the next generation of neurosurgery; A niche in research and podcasting.
- Awards and Recognition: Eight new McKnight Presidential Fellows have been named; and more.
Board of Regents meets May 13-14
In the latest in a series of campus-level strategic planning conversations, the Board of Regents will discuss how the Crookston campus will advance the University’s systemwide mission. As part of its May meetings, the Board is also expected to review President Joan Gabel’s recommended fiscal year 2022 capital improvement budget and receive an update on the University’s fiscal year 2021 budget. Regents will also act on promotion, tenure, and continuous appointment recommendations, and more. See the news release for more details.
Coping with the mental health crisis
The last 13 months have brought layer upon layer of challenges and stress to students everywhere, including at the University of Minnesota. This multimedia feature details the extraordinary challenges faced by U of M students this year, while also highlighting the President's Initiative for Student Mental Health and mental health resources available for students and others in our community.
Meet the next generation of neurosurgery
When Cleresa Roberts graduates this month with two degrees—a medical degree and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management—she will move to Virginia to begin her residency in neurosurgery as one of only two Black, female medical students in the United States to have matched into a North American neurosurgical residency program. While the U of M Medical School did help train the first-ever Black, female neurosurgeon, in 1981, much work has yet to be done—by all medical schools—to close the diversity gap among neurosurgery physicians.
A niche in research and podcasting
As a computer science major, Tanmay Agarwal believes that pursuing a career in research should be lauded as highly as getting a job at Google or Microsoft. So the graduating senior started his own podcast—Undergraduate AI, where he interviews professors and industry researchers. The podcast gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the researchers entered their careers, how their failures have guided their successes, and why they love their jobs.
Awards and Recognition
Eight new McKnight Presidential Fellows have been named; Karen Diver has been named the University of Minnesota’s inaugural Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs; Michael Goh has been appointed by Governor Tim Walz as a commissioner for the Midwestern Higher Education Compact; Jerica Berge and an interdisciplinary team of co-investigators have been awarded $5 million for an NIH clinical trial examining childhood obesity interventions; Bharat Jalan has received the Peter Mark Memorial Award from the American Vacuum Society; U in the News features highlights of U faculty and staff cited in the media. Awards and Recognition
Talking aquatic invasive species with the U of M
Minnesota’s walleye, bass, northern pike, and lake trout fishing opener is May 15, and aquatic invasive species (AIS) will be on many people’s minds. Amy Kinsley, an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, answers questions on what the latest research on AIS shows, what boaters and anglers alike can do to stop the spread of AIS, as well as the new AIS Explorer dashboard. See additional recent “Talking with U of M” features.
SPARK eZine features the work of BIPOC graduate researchers
The Community of Scholars Writing Initiative recently announced the inaugural issue of SPARK, an eZine that amplifies the research, experiences, and voices of graduate researchers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color (BIPOC). Each of the stories shared in this issue stimulates new ways of making academic scholarship relevant to our communities and beyond.
Alcohol-induced deaths grow
As the damage from the opioid epidemic grabbed national attention, U.S. deaths directly attributed to drinking alcohol quietly grew at an alarming rate. A new report (PDF) from the School of Public Health shows that from 2006 to 2019, the U.S. recorded approximately 416,000 opioid overdose deaths, compared to 414,000 alcohol-involved deaths. Previous research shows that rates of binge drinking and heavy drinking increased in the U.S. around this same time period.
How to build a Learning Health System
Over the past year, many institutions began to create a Learning Health System in which individual clinician-patient interactions inform the larger health system and generate new evidence on how to continually improve the quality of healthcare for all patients. Learn more about what this has meant for the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Research Brief: Animal production responsible for vast majority of air quality-related health impacts from U.S. food
Poor air quality caused by food production in the United States is estimated to result in 16,000 deaths annually, 80 percent of which are related to animal production, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota. The research also found there are measures farmers and consumers alike can take to reduce the air quality-related health impacts of the food we eat.
June 2021 - U of M Industry Series: Detection and Diagnostics
The U of M Industry Series connects industry leaders with faculty and researchers from the U of M to build relationships and advance innovative research partnerships. This summer, the series will explore industry challenges and opportunities in the area of detection and diagnostics. Faculty and researchers are invited to sign up for virtual sessions with industry (BASF, Beckman Coulter, H.B. Fuller, and Schwan’s Company) to discuss how their work can help answer industry questions and uncover possible solutions. Registration closes May 17.
May 19 - Women’s Faculty Cabinet session: The Fighting Spirit
The Let's Talk! seminar and workshop series will present The Fighting Spirit, with Nicole Swentzell, noon-1 p.m., via Zoom. Through an empowerment self-defense lens that emerges from work with Indigenous communities in the U.S., this session will focus on the philosophy and practice of the fighting spirit, which is the belief that “I can, I will, and I deserve to defend myself.” Register and learn more about the session.
May 20 - Equity and Diversity Spring Convening
Presented by the Office for Equity and Diversity, the Equity and Diversity Spring Convening will recognize student recipients of the Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) Awards, as well as the winners of the Outstanding Unit Award for Equity and Diversity and the Josie R. Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award. The event will feature President Joan Gabel, Vice President for Equity and Diversity Michael Goh, and keynote speaker Ana Núñez, Medical School vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
U of M featured virtual events
May 17-27 - Teaching with Writing Online: Spring 2021
May 18 - Percussion Ensemble Spring Concert
Through June 1 - Online Teaching & Design Program
June 5 - All About Dogs Day at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
June 1, 8, and 22 - Mind-Body Tools to Manage Anxiety and Difficult Emotions
Crookston holds international graduate sashing ceremony
Five Crookston seniors and twelve study abroad students were sashed at the recent international graduation and sashing ceremony. Sashing is an annual event recognizing students' international travel.
Crookston students named as Minnesota Teach Ag Ambassadors
Two Crookston ag education students have been named by The Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council as 2021 Minnesota Teach Ag Ambassadors. Britton Fuglseth and Faith Kowalke, sophomores, were chosen along with four other students from Minnesota institutions that train future agriculture teachers.
A life in music
Originally from Venezuela, Christian Moreno Cova came to UMD to study jazz. His compositions fuse traditional Venezuelan music with components of American jazz. He also learned about the business side of music. “My time at UMD has really prepared me with opportunities to learn about the arts and arts management and leadership,” says Moreno Cova. He recently graduated with a degree in jazz studies (piano performance). Learn more about Moreno Cova’s experience in this video.
Socially responsive medical education
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and calls for social justice across the globe, the Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Evaluation (OCAE) on the Duluth Campus collaborated with medical students for education reform. OCAE assistant dean Kevin Diebel says, “I think it opened our eyes to what we can accomplish by having faculty and students working together in a more meaningful way.”
Morris celebrates two Fulbright recipients
Two U of M Morris alums have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Research Grants to further their studies. Rose Schwietz ’13 will travel to Nepal to research theatre arts, namely traditional forms of dance-drama and the stories the dances tell. Breanna Dragseth ’21 will study in Ireland and aims to become a more well-rounded veterinarian through her research observing biodiversity and its responses to nutrient levels.
Commencement ceremonies
Two commencement ceremonies to celebrate Morris graduates will be held in the Cougar Sports Center gymnasium on May 15. Although there will not be a faculty procession this year, there are still many opportunities for faculty and staff.
Rochester selected to participate in Institute on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation
UMR has been selected through a competitive process to participate in the 2021 Virtual Institute on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Centers (TRHT). TRHT is a national and community-based effort developed to plan for and bring about transformational and sustainable change, and to address the historic and contemporary effects of racism. The goal of this effort is the development of at least 150 self-sustaining, community-integrated TRHT Campus Centers that will position higher education and U of M Rochester at the forefront of promoting racial and social justice.
Rochester’s Career Pathways: Public Policy and Global Health
UMR's innovative degree programs and integrated curriculum provide students with a foundational undergraduate education. Discover how Ashlyn Stenberg navigated UMR’s many health career pathway opportunities with an individually planned capstone to prepare her for her work on a Community Powered Parks team, where she transforms Minnesota schoolyards into life-giving, park-like spaces that are created by and for students and the surrounding community. Learn more about Rochester’s Pathways.
Capstone provides time to reflect on roots
Paw Ler Shwe’s final year at UMR was beset by tragedy in his homeland, but also marked a major period of personal growth. His top goal for the future, he says, is to help other people struggling with their heritage recognize the beauty of their experiences.
Research report: Centering LGBTQ+ Voices in Sexual Violence Prevention
The President’s Initiative to Prevent Sexual Misconduct has released a new report, Study Snapshot: Centering LGBTQ+ Voices in Sexual Violence Prevention. This community-engaged, qualitative study is informing sexual violence prevention among LGBTQ+ undergraduates at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Two students awarded Boren Scholarships for language study
Two University of Minnesota students have been selected by the National Security Education Program as winners of competitive Boren Awards to support the study of languages and cultures critical to U.S. interests. This program aims to strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and enhance international cooperation and security by providing students with scholarships to support long-term, immersive study in critical regions of the world.
CSE senior has engineering in her blood, saving the planet on her mind
In her first year of college, Alexis Bern moved from Texas to Minnesota. In her second, the chemical engineering major ran for president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) University of Minnesota chapter. In her third, she spent the summer in Louisiana, interning with Exxon Mobil. This May, Bern is wiser thanks to those experiences—and among the 1,000-plus seniors graduating from the College of Science and Engineering.
Summer reading road trip
Join the U of M Libraries for a summer reading road trip by picking a classic American road trip route from the map and reading one page per mile. Book recommendations are available through the libraries’ matchmaking service.
Campus Club is open
Located on the fourth floor of Coffman Union, the Campus Club is an affordable member organization that is open to all individuals and businesses as well as University departments. The club is now featuring a new, bistro-style service and menu, with takeout and delivery available. Non-members are welcome but pay a surcharge. Join for just $3.38 per pay period.