- Institute for brain development opening this November.
- Features: Antiviral mask coating could strengthen protection against COVID-19; Relief from the ringing; A life-changing experience.
- Awards and Recognition: The School of Nursing has received the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award; and more.
Institute for brain development opening this November
Opening Nov. 1, the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) will bring together an unmatched depth and breadth of expertise focused on understanding how young brains develop and in applying that knowledge during the periods when the biggest difference can be made. MIDB’s mission is to advance brain health from the earliest stages of development across the lifespan.
Antiviral mask coating could strengthen protection against COVID-19
Face masks have shown to be one of the most essential weapons in preventing the transmission of COVID-19. But, although homemade cloth or surgical masks provide some protection, they are nowhere near 100 percent effective. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control, Assistant Professor Boya Xiong is working on a liquid coating that, when applied to face masks, can remove the COVID-19 virus on contact.
Relief from the ringing
Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is one of the most common health concerns in the United States, affecting up to a quarter of the population. For some, it’s a minor annoyance; for others, it’s a life-altering obstacle. Despite its prevalence, effective treatments are hard to come by. But in the largest and longest clinical study of its kind, Professor Hubert Lim and colleagues have shown that a device that combines calibrated audio tones and mild electrical stimulation pulses to the tongue can provide long-lasting relief from tinnitus.
A life-changing experience
Lydia Lahmann-Sharbonda was drawn to the field of health coaching after being diagnosed with a genetic disease that changed how she views the world. Now a third-year graduate student, Lahmann-Sharbonda wants to help people make positive changes in their lives and navigate through unforeseen circumstances like the ones she experienced.
Awards and Recognition
The School of Nursing has received the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine; the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum was recently awarded Level IV Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum; the U.S. Government Publishing Office has named the Government Publications Library at the U of M the 2021 Federal Depository Library of the Year; Lori Carrell, John Coleman, and Maggie Tomas were named as Notable Leaders in Higher Education by Twin Cities Business magazine; U in the News features highlights of U faculty and staff cited in the media.
LinkedIn Learning for faculty, staff, and students
The University provides access to LinkedIn Learning to all students, faculty, and staff. With more than 13,000 courses and personalized recommendations, you can discover, complete, and track courses related to your needs and interests. Use your UMN credentials to log in.
Growing with Jenny Thull
Jenny Thull's pumpkins are all over the Arboretum grounds and at the AppleHouse this time of year, but pumpkins are just a side project for Thull, who works at the Horticultural Research Center's Cold Hardy Grape Breeding Project. Learn more about Thull's fascinating career path—from intelligence specialist with the U.S. Air Force to a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu—and what sparked her passion for pumpkins.
Osterholm Update: ‘Don't Think Like June’
In episode 73 of the Osterholm Update, Michael Osterholm and host Chris Dall discuss the decline in global COVID-19 cases, the effect of boosters on the trajectory of the pandemic, and a new CIDRAP commentary on respiratory protection. See past episodes.
Oct. 20-27 - Open Access Week workshops
University Libraries will celebrate Open Access Week through this year’s theme, “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity.” Learn more and register for Open Access Week workshops.
Nov. 4 - 2021 Transportation Research Conference
Jonathan Foley will present a science-based plan to stop climate change at the 2021 Center for Transportation Studies Transportation Research Conference. Foley is executive director of Project Drawdown and was founding director of the U of M Institute on the Environment. Additional topics at the daylong virtual event include health and equity in transportation, COVID-19 impacts, automated vehicles, safety, electrification, shared mobility, and transit.
U of M featured virtual events
Oct. 27 - Science in China: Implications for U.S. Public Policy
Oct. 27 - Concrete and canopy: Urban nature in the spotlight
Oct. 28 - Journalism, Political Power, and Public Trust
Oct. 28 - Amplifying Black Narratives: Black Publishers and Bookstores
Oct. 29 - Understanding the Health and Well-Being of Sexual- and Gender-Diverse Populations
Nov. 4 - ignite 2021: Marketing GPS: Navigating the New Era of Constant Change
Nov. 4 - Headliners: Music Therapy in Mental Health and Addiction
Oct. 23 - UMC Teambackers to host homecoming tailgate
Join the UMC Teambackers in celebrating Homecoming 2021. The University of Minnesota Golden Eagle Western Equestrian Team will host a home meet at 1 p.m. at the Charles H. Casey Equine Arena and the University Teaching and Outreach Center. Tailgate begins at 11:30 a.m., a cash bar and complimentary tailgate will be provided by the One N Only of Euclid.
Content-integrated language instruction
Professor Emeritus Aydin Durgunoglu and her colleagues have been awarded a $2.8 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of their research is to develop an adult English language curriculum that includes academic language about topics such as United States history, civics, and other concepts that might not be covered in a traditional ESL class.
Johnson receives NAFOA Lifetime Achievement Award
Tadd Johnson has been recognized for decades of work as a faculty member, liaison, tribal court attorney and judge, and the University of Minnesota’s first senior director of American Indian Tribal Nations relations. NAFOA, the Native American Finance Officers Association, supports the advancement of American Indian and Alaska Native communities through its work in growing tribal economies and strengthening tribal finance.
UMD receives scholarship for MTRES program students
The University of Minnesota Duluth has established a scholarship that will award five students in the Master of Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship (MTRES) program $5,000 each. The scholarship will aid in recruiting American Indian and Alaska Native students to the MTRES program and improving graduation rates. MTRES prepares students for tribal leadership roles in program operations, sustainability, and integrated ecosystems stewardship.
A model for life-changing student experiences: Loek-Rice-Titus Family Scholarship
Kathleen Rice and Gregory Loek have established an endowed scholarship, the Loek-Rice-Titus Family Scholarship, through the U of M’s Bentson Scholarship Challenge. Inspiration for the scholarship, which will live on in perpetuity, comes, in part, from their daughter, Ellen Titus ’15, and her experience at the University of Minnesota Morris. “At Morris, there were so many people interested in so many different things,” says Titus, who earned degrees in biology and studio art. “It was one of the reasons I fell in love with the student and faculty communities."
Oct. 21 - Kleber-Diggs to share poetry
Michael Kleber-Diggs will be on campus to read from his poetry collection Worldly Things. Kleber-Diggs is an award-winning poet who teaches creative writing through the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop and at colleges and high schools in Minnesota. 7 p.m., HFA Recital Hall.
2021 Parent and Family Weekend
More than 100 students, parents, and families celebrated Parent and Family Weekend at the University of Minnesota Rochester in early October. The event brought families together while providing a sneak peek at the UMR student experience. The weekend included a meet and greet, music, a Rochester history tour, trolley rides to Sekapp Orchard, and a question-and-answer session with Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa.
Faculty and staff days at the Rec Center
The Recreation and Wellness Center is offering free faculty and staff days at its Minneapolis and St. Paul facilities on the third Thursday of every month (Oct. 21 this month). Get a free day pass to RecWell, free climbing (Minneapolis location only), free group fitness classes, and a free daily locker on those days.
Youth and AIDS Project aims to prevent and treat HIV in high-risk youth
The nonprofit Youth and AIDS Project has been housed in the U of M Medical School Department of Pediatrics for 30 years and provides multiple different sexual education programs and services to at-risk youth in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Its focus is on HIV prevention and treatment in individuals aged 13 to 30.
Graduate student receives HHMI Fellowship
Sofia Moraes, a PhD candidate in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, was recently awarded a fellowship in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Gilliam Program. The HHMI fellowship recognizes research achievements and fosters diversity and inclusion in science.
Immersion in forest bathing
Forest bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku, arose in Japan during the 1980s as a way to combat workplace stress. Recently, Kristen Mastel, an outreach and instruction librarian with a background in nature-based therapy, led a group in a forest bathing session. “I am always looking for ways to incorporate nature into academia, either through assignments or outreach opportunities,” says Mastel. “Forest bathing is just one activity which might help students reconnect with nature, to reconnect with themselves, to slow down and practice self-care.”