- Features: Next-generation science; A fertile niche.
- Awards and Recognition: Andrew Alleyne has been named the next dean of the Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering; and more.
Next-generation science
Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari can’t help but dream big. As director of the U of M 3D Bioprinting Facility, she’s privy to what’s possible with this booming technology. In this facility, where biology and engineering intersect, teams made up of stem cell scientists, biomedical engineers, mechanical engineers, computer scientists, surgeons, and more have collaborated on a variety of projects—from creating small beating hearts to making 3D tissue models to more accurately screen the effectiveness of different cancer therapies. Here, she shares some big ideas that are becoming realities in the world of 3D bioprinting.
A fertile niche
Food and agriculture are among the most dynamic and complex industries in the world. With both innovation and regulation on the rise in these industries, lawyers must navigate an increasingly complicated landscape of compliance, environmental concerns, food and animal safety, intellectual property, technology, and trade. Minnesota Law grads are thriving in this fast-changing world of food and agriculture law. Seven alumni recently shared their stories and insights about the fast-evolving fields of agriculture and food.
Awards and Recognition
Andrew Alleyne has been named the next dean of the Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering; U in the News features highlights of U faculty and staff cited in the media. Awards and Recognition
U of M Public Engagement Footprint
As part of the University’s MPact 2025 Systemwide Strategic Plan, and with support from the Office for Public Engagement in partnership with U-Spatial, the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost is gathering data to launch the University of Minnesota Public Engagement Footprint database and map. The footprint details the breadth and scope of the University’s service, outreach, and community engagement across Minnesota and beyond. Projects and programs are updated annually and submitted voluntarily by community-engaged researchers, faculty, and staff from across the University System. Add your service/outreach/engagement project here.
Collaborative research improves understanding and usability of climate outlook maps
An interdisciplinary research team from the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and the University of Maryland worked with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center to improve public understanding of U.S. temperature and precipitation forecasts through updated maps. The new maps were released Sept. 15 and affect millions of data users.
Research Brief: Researchers and citizen scientists complete first-ever Weddell seal count
A research team led by the University of Minnesota has completed a first-ever global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica, showing that there are significantly fewer seals than previously thought. Documenting the seals’ population trends over time will help scientists better understand the effects of climate change and commercial fishing. Additional recent Research Briefs include “Prior exposure to conflicting health information reduces people’s receptivity to messages about widely recommended health behaviors” and “Practice interruptions more likely for physicians in 2020 than 2019.”
Sept. 30 - University and Faculty Senate meetings
The University and Faculty Senates will meet Sept. 30, 2:30-5 p.m. Topics include a proposed new policy on discrimination and a proposed process for faculty discipline related to the vaccine/testing attestation requirement. The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube. See the docket materials for more details.
Oct. 8-Dec. 3 - Foundations of Inclusive Teaching Program
U of M faculty and instructors ready for in-depth exploration of inclusive teaching are invited to register for five facilitated discussions this fall. The overall goal of the Foundations of Inclusive Teaching Program is to develop a repertoire of practices suited to participants’ evolving teaching contexts. Typical preparation for the 90-minute sessions includes reviewing one reading or resource, reflecting on your teaching practice, and/or responding to a scenario.
Oct. 19 - Info session: Promotion and tenure dossier review for community-engaged faculty
Faculty who conduct community-engaged research and/or teaching who are approaching the promotion and tenure process are invited to attend an information session about the University's Review Committee on Community-Engaged Scholarship. An initiative of the Office for Public Engagement and the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, the committee is composed of tenured professors from diverse disciplines and professional fields. Registration is requested by Oct. 15.
Oct. 25, Nov. 1, and Nov. 8 - Mini Medical School: Health and Wellness During a Pandemic
Few people could have predicted the world would be approaching the second-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, but here we are with the rollout of effective vaccines, new and more aggressive variants, and still many unknowns about what lies ahead. How do we persevere while maintaining health and wellness in the changing tide of a pandemic? Learn more and register for Mini Medical School: Health and Wellness During a Pandemic.
Dec. 3 - Data, Rigor, and Reproducibility in Light of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
This systemwide daylong symposium (in-person and virtual) will focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in data related to reproducibility in research. In addition to invited speakers, there will be a lightning talk session on issues related to the symposium theme (call for proposals abstract deadline: Oct. 22). Free and open to all, but registration is required.
U of M featured virtual events
Sept. 30 - Kolshorn Lecture: Coloring the Conservation Conversation with Dr. Drew Lanham
Sept. 30 - Help! My Class Has Both Online and In-Person Students!
Oct. 1 - Ensuring Minnesota’s Competitiveness: Pandemic Influenced Priorities for Infrastructure
Oct. 5 - The Deportation Machine: America’s Long History of Expelling Immigrants
Oct. 6 - ArcGIS Story Maps: Visual Storytelling with Maps
Top Aggie Award winners honored at 2021 NWSA Reunion
Classmates and friends recently gathered to reconnect and honor outstanding alumni from the Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) with the Top Aggie Award. The award recognizes alumni who have displayed exemplary commitment and service to community, education, family, or in their occupational field. Recipients for 2021 include: Vern Cleveland '64, Gardner, ND; Ed Grove '55, Yorba Linda, CA; and Gordon Syverson '54, Fosston, MN.
Researchers search for 1.5 million-year-old Antarctic ice
A new NSF-funded center, COLDEX, will study some of the oldest ice on the planet in order to learn more about the earth’s climate system. Samples of ice and air collected using the Rapid Access Ice Drill will provide researchers, including UMD’s John Goodge, with a record of how greenhouse gases and climate are linked.
World premiere of Maxa, the Maddest Woman in the World
On Oct.14, UMD Theatre will feature the world premiere of Maxa, The Maddest Woman in the World. This horror musical tells the story of Paula Maxa, French tragedienne who died thousands of deaths for patrons of the horror theater known as the Grand Guignol. The show runs Oct. 14-16 and Oct. 20-23, 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 17, 2 p.m.
Outdoor learning at its finest
Several UMD students and recent graduates spent the summer taking advantage of hands-on learning opportunities at Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center. They organized public events, studied local ecology, and more. Boulder Lake is an 18,000-acre outdoor classroom—a partnership between UMD’s College of Education and Human Service Professions, Minnesota Power, and Saint Louis County Land and Minerals Department.
Partnership results in Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Iiris Happo’s visit is a joint effort between U of M Morris and the West Central Initiative Fund, a philanthropic and planning organization serving nine counties in West Central Minnesota. During her stay in Morris, Happo will meet with U of M Morris education faculty and students and with community members in Morris and throughout the region. Happo is a principal lecturer at the Oulu University of Applied Sciences in northern Finland.
Oct. 1-3 - Homecoming 2021
Celebrate U of M Morris Homecoming 2021 with events on campus. Highlights include the Distinguished Alumni and Cougar Hall of Fame Recognition Banquet, the George Fosgate Black Box Theatre dedication, the Clifford J. Benson Center for Community Partnerships dedication, the Cougar Athletic Garage Sale, and more. See the full schedule of events for more information.
UMR celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. UMR celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with several events including LatinX/Hispanic Student Group meet and greets, film viewings, a Diversity Dialogue, and more.
‘I am From’ student poetry collection
During New Raptor Ready Week, first-year students, orientation welcome leaders, transfer students, and PSEO students wrote poems expressing who they are. Their experiences range from rural to urban life, in-state and out-of-state, common language, and more. View the “I am From” poetry collection.
UROC seeks doctoral students for fellows program
The University's Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) seeks doctoral students for its Josie R. Johnson Engaged Dissertation Fellows Program. Program elements include workspace at UROC, a $500 professional development stipend, academic and partnership mentoring, and peer support. The two-year cohort program meets monthly to assist students in developing their skills and perspectives for community engaged research.
A new lab for workforce research
The new Workforce Development and Research Lab in the College of Education and Human Development is an interdisciplinary nexus of scholars, researchers, and students for addressing the needs and aspirations of a diverse workforce in the context of societal and technological transformation. The lab focuses on developing and testing possible solutions to complex workforce-related problems in collaboration with nonprofit, public, and private partners.
Bringing ag innovation and healthier crops from the lab to the field
U of M plant pathologist Linda Kinkel had spent 20 years researching how to harness microbes—microscopic organisms like bacteria and fungi—to improve agriculture and reduce chemical pesticide use, but her discoveries hadn’t made it out into the world where they could actually make a difference to farmers. That changed with the assistance of the University’s technology commercialization team, which helped launch Jord BioScience, a startup that today is building on Kinkel's work and offering customized microbial solutions for agriculture to enhance crop health and productivity.
Not business as usual
For the past year and a half, alumni entrepreneurs faced calamity as Minnesotans retreated indoors and commerce ground to a halt. This is how some of them coped and what they learned along the way.
Maternal emergencies without a safety net
The isolated Suba and Luo communities of Mfangano Island on Lake Victoria in western Kenya experience some of the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates in East Africa. To understand factors at the heart of this complex challenge, researchers from the Center for Global Health & Social Responsibility have partnered with one of the most remote and underserved populations in the world.
Climate eye in the sky
If a cow burps in Illinois, can you hear it at the University of Minnesota? No, but from the U of M's Tall Tower Trace Gas Observatory you can see the burp—or at least you can identify the methane it produced. The tower uses trace gas sensors to measure gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, ammonia, and methane. Located just south of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area, it operates off the same tower that Minnesota Public Radio uses for its broadcasts.
Look within the world of fish
Two new exhibitions at the Bell Museum dive deeper into the intricate beauty of fish. In “X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out,” radiographs illuminate the complex bone structures of fish and other aquatic vertebrates in dramatic detail. In “Cleared,” art meets science to depict dyed fish specimens in vibrant colors. Both shows will feature specimens from the Bell’s fish collection, allowing you to explore the depths of Minnesota’s great lakes, rivers, and beyond.