M Pride Archive

M Pride is a monthly e-newsletter distributed to opinion leaders statewide that highlights the best stories of the University's three-part mission.

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September 2023

  • Introduction to the 2023-24 Driven to Discover marketing campaign, Dear Minnesota.
  • Board of Regents update - review of recommended six-year capital investment plan and 2024 state capital request; review of proposed FY25 state supplemental budget request; annual report on academic program changes, annual report from the U of M Foundation; public safety planning for the 2023-24 academic year discussion
  • Our inspiring students and alumni - Maria Lindh, a Swedish international student studying geographic information science (GIS) at the U of M Duluth, helped provide Sweden desperately needed information during the Covid-19 pandemic; Zach Taylor, a Doctor of Nursing Practice graduate, is balancing direct patient care and systems-thinking leadership to promote change in his field; Ariadna Mondragón Botero, a gradate student in the College of Biological Sciences, studies systems and their patterns and commonalities based on her observations while working with lemurs in southern Madagascar
  • Research and discovery - an atomically thin material that can absorb 100 percent of light at room temperature, engineered by a U of M-led team, could improve a wide range of applications; evidence from U of M research shows that moose in Minnesota consume species that host brainworm; U of M research shows the ability to use gene therapy to repair neural connections for those with Hurler syndrome
  • Outreach and engagement - U of M Extension's 'Fishes n' Apples" program tackles two critical health concerns for children: swimming and nutrition; the free, eight annual National Summer Transportation Institute introduced thirty middle and high school students to aviation, bridges, vehicle technology, and more over two weeks; the 40-Day Project promotes wellness and self-care for Somali postpartum parents, was created by a group of moms, U of M Extension, and the Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health
  • More highlights - five student and alumni performing artists talk about their training and why a liberal arts environment is so vital; a statue of Champ, the UMD mascot, has been placed in front of the Darland Administration Building

July 2023

  • Board of Regents update - update on the University's efforts to strengthen relations with Tribal Nations and related programming; public safety planning for the 2023-2024 academic year; annual reports from Gopher Athletics and the University of Minnesota Alumni Association
  • Our inspiring students and alumni - Alec Helmke, a PharmD/MHA student, volunteers at Mobile Health Initiative events to engage with patients where they're at; Olivia Kingston, a U of M Morris alumnus, completed a paleography project to allow future students to see and feel what went into making an ancient manuscript; Forest Hall, an Inter-College Program alumnus, is applying his degree as a digital nomad, working online in various locations across the globe
  • Research and discovery - researchers transplanted a cryopreserved and rewarmed kidney in a rat with fully restored kidney function; a new initiative, the Minnesota Semiconductor Manufacturing Consortium, is aimed at teaching new skills to Minnesota's technical workforce interested in semiconductor manufacturing; researchers recently confirmed Minnesota is home to 508 bee species
  • Outreach and engagement - Diverse community leaders in rural Minnesota are provided training in a yearlong program offered by the University's Rural Experts Advancing Community Health (Project REACH); the School of Public Health's Urban Greenspace Access Score provides information to improve access and health equity; Laalitha Surapaneni with the U of M Medical School discusses extreme heat and the effect it can have on human health
  • More highlights - the U is taking aggressive action to create a sustainable campus; Jamie Fiske's remarkable journey started as an 11-month-old in need of a liver transplant in 1982, it changed the medical field of organ transplantation.

June 2023

  • Board of Regents update - recognition of outgoing President Joan Gabel and her husband; FY 2024 capital improvement budget approval; FY 2024 operating budget review; updates on systemwide strategic enrollment planning, public safety, and the PEAK initiative
  • Our inspiring students and alumni - Hortense Minishi, a Humphrey School of Public Affairs alum, received the Exceptional Woman of Peace Award from Pathways for Peace; Cameron Berthiaume, a U of M Morris student, designed a self-guided trail through the WCROC grounds highlighting the various renewable energy research projects being conducted there; Warda Hussein, a recent Master of Nursing graduate, discusses her path to being a nurse and her focus on critical care nursing
  • Research and discovery - a U of M Duluth associate professor, Nate Johnson, and his students are examining the heavy metal mercury and its contamination of soil and water; a U of M Twin Cities-led team has developed a more energy-efficient, tunable superconducting diode; a new species of tiny parasitic wasp that might prove beneficial to managing soybean gall midge was discovered by researchers at the University of Minnesota
  • Outreach and engagement - three more cohorts were added to the U of M's Creativity Camp, aimed at kids 12-17 with symptoms of depression, studies what happens in the brain when kids engage in creative activities and whether the activities can affect their depression; Extension educator Jon Trappe has tips for yards that accomplish multiple goals, including promoting pollinators, addressing climate concerns, and determining proper watering
  • Other highlights - the second annual Juneteenth Celebration block party; UMN Headlines

May 2023

  • Board of Regents update - report on the University's sustainability strategy; President's Initiative for Student Mental Health (PRISMH) update; NXT GEN MED and NXT GEN AG pilot programs next steps; review of FY 23 capital improvement budget recommendations
  • Our inspiring students and alumni - Quincy Gu, a PhD candidate a the U of M Rochester, uses artificial intelligence to help combat melanoma; Dylan Young, U of M Morris student association president, discusses his journey to becoming a student leader with an eye on a future political career; Isabelle Morris, a doctoral student at the U of M Twin Cities' Institute of Child Development, uses her lived experience with autism to shape the future of autism research
  • Research and discovery - a groundbreaking new diagnostic technique that will allow for faster and more accurate detection of neurodegenerative diseases is developed; a U of M-led team looked more than 13 billion years into the past to discover a unique, minuscule galaxy; a U of M computer science study shows that TikTok and its unique algorithm can serve as both a haven and a hindrance for users struggling with mental health
  • Outreach and engagement - Chippewa Tribal elders' participation in crucial U of M research will make knowledge about dementia more relevant for all people; a partnership between the U of M's Institute on Community Integration, Minneapolis Public Schools, state agencies, and others is helping young people with disabilities move from high school to adult life; a collaboration between Extension, Hennepin Country, and community partners, the Urban Agriculture Initiative, develops vacant lots into community gardens.
  • More highlights - UMN Headlines and resources and work related to Mental Health

March 2023

  • Board of Regents update - approvals of and updated legislative request to fund the reacquisition and initial operations of the U of M's health care facilities on the Twin Cities campus and amendments to the University's budget request for the 2024-25 biennium; student representatives to the Board of Regents presented their annual report; and discussions about plans to advance the U of M's diversity, inclusion, justice, and equity vision and the impact of the Morris campus on its community, the U of M System, and the state
  • Our inspiring students and alumni - Riley Tuft, a double major in political science and international studies at U of M Duluth, plays and coaches for the UMD club hockey team and serves on the UMD Student Association; after his father died unexpectedly, Miguel Anselmo, a Master of Biological Sciences student in the College of Continuing & Professional Studies, is studying the connection between endurance performance and cardiovascular health; in 2015, John Geller, a Master of Public Health student, founded the Street Dog Coalition to provide health care to the pets of people affected by homelessness
  • Research and discovery - the College of Biological Sciences and the College of Design collaborate on the design of a better hat for people living with Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP); the development of a complex recycling process that converts waste plastics into feedstock, used to make new plastic products; an invention seeks to combat the threat of antibiotic resistance by delivering new antibiotic to sites of infections that are difficult to treat
  • Outreach and engagement - Neil Linscheid, an Extension community economics educator, is digging deep to find out how communities can create environments that help entrepreneurs flourish; the U of M's Opioid Prevention and Education (C.O.P.E.) project addresses opioid abuse by leveraging the strengths and addressing the needs of specific rural and Tribal communities; the 50th anniversary of National Agriculture Day is March 21, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences dean Brian Buhr reflects on the ag industry and discusses what the next 50 years might look like
  • More highlights - March UMN Headlines video

December 2022

  • Board of Regents update - Discussions about the partnership between U of M Medical School and CentraCare ; the U of M's research expenditures; 2023 state capital request; the University's annual performance and accountability report; and progress toward MPact 2025 enrollment goals
  • Our amazing students and alumni - Marah Mcdougal, a marketing major and 2022 U of M Crookston Student of the Year reflects on her semester abroad in London; Khondoker Yasin "Ahnaf" Prio moved from Bangladesh to America to pursue higher education and in the process collaborated with friends to develop a dining app, Tavolo; Safia Dockter, a psychology student who began writing about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and created a heartwarming connection with a Ukrainian schoolgirl in Minneapolis
  • Research and discovery - New research from a global team of experts, including scientists at the U of M's IoE show the importance of conserving 30% of the Earth's land and 24% of coastal waters; researchers have discovered a new method to move objects using ultrasound waves; the NRRI's unique rock crushing equipment will be used by NASA while they work towards building a base camp on the moon
  • Outreach and engagement - DiscoverU, a program created through the collaboration of the School of Public Health, School of Nursing and Columbia Heights Public School District, is designed to improve the health of middle- and high-school students while providing college students with experiential learning opportunities; the U of M Morris welcomed 120 high school students and teachers as part of the Morris Challenge Rural Youth Institute; the Extension has your guide for proper watering
  • More highlights - This year marks the 50-year anniversary of the passage of Title IX, Betsy McCann, director of athletic and marching bands, speaks about her experience being the first woman to direct the band and her vision for the future of the program; December UMN Headlines video

November 2022

  • Our amazing students and alumni - Joshua Muñoz, a graduate student nearing the end of his graduate program, is already a high school teacher, a veteran, a participant in Extension programs, a beekeeper, and honey ambassador; alumnus Mike Lubke is a fight choreographer, performer, and stage-combat instructor; U of M Rochester graduate Hawa Ali discusses her path to medical school on Beyond the Nest podcast
  • Research and discovery - Floating duckweed on ponds can actually contribute to greenhouse gas emissions; the most detailed polar region terrain maps ever created provide new insights into the effects of climate change over time; "digital nudges" are effective at pushing us to do things, even exercise
  • Outreach and engagment - U of M Extension is playing a connecting role in the multilayered farm-to-school effort; training "stroke champions" who can educate the rest of their community; questions about who family caregivers are, what they do, and common challenges they face are answered
  • More highlights - a collaborative effort between tribal partners and the U of M to restore Indigenous fire practices to the Cloquet Forestry Center; Tadd Johnson's thoughts on becoming the first Native American on the University's Board of Regents; U of M Morris alumna Rachel Evangelisto became the first Native American to be named Miss Minnesota

October 2022

  • Steve Ruggles, a historical demographer, receives a MacArthur Fellowship
  • Board of Regents update - Approval of President Gabel's recommended legislative budget request and six-year capital plan; progress toward MPact 2025 enrollment goals; updates on trends, opportunities, and challenges in graduate education
  • Our amazing students and alumni - Joe Walbran, grandson of the first student to enroll at the U of M Morris, graduated with high distinction and honors; Kate Fessler is evaluating a strawberry-growing system that could extend the growing season in Minnesota; Mike Maslanka uses his masters degree maintains the nutrition of nearly 1,800 animals across 360 species.
  • Research and discovery - ideas to improve the performance of traditional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques; development of a process to allow researchers to build soft robots that can grown like plants; construction of extremely fast telescopes by researchers and undergraduate students
  • Outreach and engagement  - "Minnesota Prepared" aims to help create a sustainable 21st-century public health workforce through a collaboration including the School of Public Health, the Minnesota Department of Health, and other public agencies; Minnesota Extension course is helping new and emerging Latino farmers overcome obstacles; the U o M's Raptor Center recently released its 30,000th patient.
  • More highlights - Rochester, home of the U of M Rochester named the sixth-best small college town in America by Preply; October installment of the "UMN Headlines"adlines video