February 6, 2003

1. Regent candidate forum today
2. Presidential inauguration set
3. UMM alum is first Hmong state representative
4. Heart disease and the family tree
5. Expert Q&A: 7-year-old is a perfectionist
6. Cancer Center head honored for lifetime achievement
7. Gopher sports saved; endowed scholarships needed
8. U of M Happenings
9. Links

U IN THE NEWS

Regent candidate forum today
The University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA) will sponsor a Regent Candidate Forum on Thursday, February 6, from 3:45 to 6 p.m. in the basement hearing room of the State Office Building. The forum will give the public an opportunity to meet the finalists for the each of the four Board of Regents seats up for election this year.

Last week the Regent Candidate Advisory Council announced the finalist list:

• First Congressional District: Al DeBoer, Dwight Gourneau, and Patricia Simmons;
  
  
• Fourth Congressional District: Gregory Filice, Marcia Hanson, and David Metzen;
  
  
• Sixth Congressional District: John Frobenius, Steven Hunter, and Maureen Reed;
  
  
• Seventh Congressional District: Clyde Allen, Jr., Art Brandli, and Roger Moe.
  

“The alumni association sponsors this public forum because we believe that excellent governance is crucial to the University’s success and that University regents hold the most important volunteer post in Minnesota,” said Margaret Carlson, UMAA executive director. “Our association does not endorse specific candidates. Our role is to support the selection process.”

Carlson added that the association has a long history with regent selection. The UMAA sponsored the blue ribbon task force whose work resulted in the formation of the Regent Candidate Advisory Council in 1988, which many believe helped de-politicize the selection process. The UMAA sponsored the first Regent Candidate Forum in 1995.

The State Office Building is located at 100 Constitution Ave., St. Paul. Each of the finalists will first make brief opening remarks and then answer pre-selected questions posed by forum moderator Lori Sturdevant, editorial writer and columnist for the Star Tribune.

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Presidential inauguration set
Robert Bruininks will be inaugurated as the University of Minnesota's 15th president on Friday, Feb. 28. During the ceremony, Bruininks will be presented with the mace and medallion, symbols of the University leadership, by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and University of Minnesota Board of Regents chair Maureen Reed.

Each University president is presented a medallion during the inauguration ceremony. The medallion signifies the authority of the University’s chief executive.

The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. in Northrop Auditorium on the Twin Cities campus and will include Bruininks's inaugural address, "Advancing Knowledge: A Partner for the Public Good." A reception will follow in the Great Hall, Coffman Union. The ceremony and reception is free and open to the public.

"The inauguration is an important opportunity to renew the University's connections with the people of Minnesota," said Mary Jo Kane, co-chair of the Presidential Inauguration Committee, professor and director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. "However, recognizing the state's tough financial times, this presidential inauguration will be a very modest event."

The presidential inauguration coincides with Founders Week, Feb. 23-March 1, a celebration to mark the founding of the University 152 years ago. Numerous events are planned to reflect the University's contributions as the state's primary research institution and its partnerships with communities to improve the state's economic strength and quality of life.

For the first time, the inauguration ceremony may be viewed by live streaming video at www.umn.edu/inauguration. It will also be broadcast on University of Minnesota campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and at the University Center Rochester.

For a complete list of inaugural and Founders Weeks event information, see www.umn.edu/inauguration.

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UMM alum is first Hmong state representative
When Cy Thao, a University of Minnesota, Morris, alumnus, was elected to Minnesota's House of Representatives last fall, he became the state's first Hmong representative, and the second Hmong to be elected to the Minnesota Legislature.

He follows Mee Moua, who was elected to the state senate in a special election last spring and re-elected this fall.

Cy Thao, a University of Minnesota, Morris, alumnus, is the first Hmong elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Thao, who was born in Laos and lived in refugee camps in Thailand for five years before coming to the United States, graduated from UMM in 1995 with majors in political science and studio art. He went on to become an award-winning artist and actor. He also taught in the Minneapolis Public Schools and was the first executive director of the Center of Hmong Arts and Talent in St. Paul.

As a state representative, Thao says his priorities for his St. Paul district [65A] include economic development and renovation of run-down homes and businesses.

Thao is one of 13 freshman legislators who received a degree from the University. Overall, 55 members of the 201-member Minnesota Legislature hold University degrees.

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Heart disease and the family tree
If you share certain genetic information with a sibling, parent, or grandparent, is it likely that you'll also share the same diseases? That's the question that University of Minnesota researchers are hoping to answer through a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The School of Public Health has received a four-year grant to identify and study the genes that contribute to human cardiovascular disease. Researchers will study how genetics affect the body's triglyceride levels -- a form of fat that's transported in the blood system.

The NIH study builds on previous research conducted by the University in the 1990s. Research participants will be pulled from a database that was developed during this earlier study and that's composed of families from Minnesota and Salt Lake City.

Participants will undergo two interventions. The first will focus on fat loading, which requires research subjects to drink a very high fat content milkshake followed by a blood test to measure their triglyceride levels three to five hours later. The second focuses on the body's response to a drug called fenofibrate. Also known as TriCorTM, Lipanthyl®, or Lipidil®, fenofibrate is an FDA-approved drug that's currently being used to treat high triglycerides. Only those participants with a triglyceride level of 115 milligrams per deciliter will be eligible for the drug study. Current medical practice considers a triglyceride level of 150 to be high.

"We already know how fenofibrate works, but we want to identify different genetic pathways and how the body responds to the drug so we can understand why it works better in some people than others," said Donna Arnett, associate professor in the Division of Epidemiology and lead investigator on the study.

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Expert Q&A: 7-year-old is a perfectionist
Do you have questions about raising children? Martha Erickson, director of the University of Minnesota's Children, Youth, and Family Consortium, offers "Growing Concerns," an online question-and-answer column at www.unews.umn.edu.

Question: My 7-year-old daughter is such a perfectionist. One mistake on a math worksheet, and she bursts into tears. If she messes up one letter while working on a writing assignment, she erases it furiously, then rips up the paper because it looks messy and refuses to try again. I worry that this behavior is starting to cause serious problems for her in school, especially with classmates who call her a big baby when she falls apart. How can we help her learn to lighten up?

Answer: It's important to talk with the teacher and agree on ways to help your daughter learn to handle frustration and tolerate imperfection.

Emphasize creativity over accuracy when appropriate. The teacher could include activities that engage the children in writing down story ideas as they come to them without worrying about neatness or spelling accuracy.

Teach your daughter skills for managing her feelings of frustration. Help her recognize when she starts to get upset (for example, butterflies in her tummy or her hands tightening up). Then have her take three deep breaths and say to herself, "It's just a little mistake."

Praise her when she handles her frustration well, and let her know you’re proud of her.

Be mindful of how you respond when she makes a mistake and how you handle your own mistakes. When there's a spill in the kitchen, calmly say, "Oops, we’ve got a mess to clean up." If your daughter does poorly on a math test, just say, "We'll practice those problems together this week, and you’ll probably do better next time."

With time, thoughtful support, and guidance, your daughter will learn a healthier balance of trying to do her best while accepting that it’s normal to make mistakes. But if she continues to be so hard on herself, and if it continues to impact her social relationships, request an evaluation by a school psychologist to see if there is a more serious issue that underlies her behavior.

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Cancer Center head honored for lifetime achievement
John Kersey, director, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, received the 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT). The award cites his pioneering work in blood and marrow transplantation and his major contributions to the current understanding of childhood leukemia.

"Dr. Kersey has been one of the leaders in our field, especially in the translational science of human acute leukemia," said John Wingard, ASBMT president.

Dr. John Kersey

In 1975, Kersey and colleagues performed the world's first successful bone marrow transplant for lymphoma. The patient was a 16-year-old boy with a rare form of cancer called Burkitt's lymphoma, which at the time was a fatal disease. That patient is now a husband and father in his 40s and doing well.

At the forefront of understanding the role of stem cell transplants for leukemia, Kersey was among the first to recognize that leukemia represents distinct stages of normal lymphocytes, including T-cells. Kersey was a force behind the creation of the University of the Minnesota Cancer Center, which was established in 1991 and designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute in 1998.

Kersey earned his medical degree in 1964 at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He completed residencies in pathology, immunology, oncology, and pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and then joined the faculty. From 1974 to 1995, he was director of the University's Bone Marrow Transplant Program, which trains scientists from around the world. He is the author of nearly 500 medical journal articles.

For more information about the University of Minnesota Cancer Center, see www.cancer.umn.edu. For cancer-related questions, call the Cancer Center information line at 1-888-CANCER MN (1-888-226-2376) or 612-624-2620 in the metro area.

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Gopher sports saved; endowed scholarships needed
Last week, University officials announced that $2.7 million was raised to save men's and women's golf and men's gymnastics. More importantly, the "Save Gopher Sports" fund-raising efforts will continue, with a new long-term goal of endowing all scholarships for intercollegiate athletics.

During the campaign, approximately 1,700 donors contributed gifts ranging from $5 to $300,000 to help save the threatened sports, which would have otherwise been dropped this summer. University president Robert Bruininks told a news conference that a 40-member committee led by Harvey McKay, Robert McNamara, and Lou Nanne raised $2.8 million, $100,000 more than needed, before the Feb. 1 deadline set last year by former U President Mark Yudof.

Bruininks and athletics director Joel Maturi explained that the state's current budget crisis will pose new challenges for intercollegiate athletics. "These fundraising efforts simply cannot, and must not, end here," said Bruininks.

"My goal is to have no more campaigns to save sports," said Maturi. Instead, he wants to focus on increasing the number of endowed scholarships and announced a five-year goal to endow athletic scholarships for all sports.

The department awards more than 300 scholarships annually, providing approximately $6.5 million in financial aid to student athletes. Only 15 percent of those scholarships are fully endowed, meaning that most of the annual financial aid for student-athletes must come from the department’s operations budget. The University has among the fewest endowed scholarships in the Big Ten.

An endowment creates a permanent fund that generates investment returns to support scholarships. It takes $250,000, which can be accumulated from any number of donations, to fully endow an athletic scholarship. Invested, it will provide about 5 percent, or $12,500 annually, for financial aid.

If you are interested in supporting endowed scholarships for Gopher athletics, call 612-625-1001, or e-mail Mike Halloran, director of development for Intercollegiate Athletics, at hallo008@umn.edu.

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U OF M HAPPENINGS

U Reads highlights books that inspire the University's top minds
The College of Continuing Education has launched U Reads, a recommended reading list program with book reviews by University faculty, staff, and students. Included are recommendations from President Robert Bruininks; David Taylor, dean, General College; and Joshua Colburn, undergraduate student body president. For more information or to request a poster or bookmark, see www.cce.umn.edu/ureads.

Breaking the Silence
The University Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Programs Office will host the annual "Breaking the Silence," community celebration and awards ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Campus Club, in Coffman Union on the Twin Cities campus. This year's award winners are Jean-Nickolaus Tretter, who established and maintains the Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies in Andersen Library, and Beth Zemsky, founding director of the GLBT programs office. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 612-625-8519.

A Rare Pattern
"Amy Lowell: A Rare Pattern," a part-opera, part-song recital composition by U alumna Edie Hill explores the life and personality of American poet Amy Lowell (1874-1925). It's world premiere will feature School of Music doctoral student KrisAnne Weiss, mezzo-soprano; and School of Music professor Glenda Maurice, speaker. They will be accompanied by Ruth Palmer on piano. The operetta will be performed on Saturday, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m. in the Ted Mann Concert Hall on the Twin Cities Campus. The event is free and open to the public.

"The Simpsons" visit the U live via satellite
The Museum of Television and Radio will celebrate the 300th episode of "The Simpsons" (which airs Sunday, Feb. 16) with a panel discussion featuring creator Matt Groening, executive producer Al Jean, and several of the actors who bring voice to the famous cartoon family. The discussion will be broadcast live by satellite Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications conference center, 100 Murphy Hall on the Twin Cities campus. The event is free and open to the public.

A Legacy of Building Peace
An international exhibition on nonviolence, featuring the history and legacy of three world peacemakers: Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Daisaku Ikeda opens Friday, Feb. 14, and continues through Saturday, Feb. 22, in the atrium of the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs on the Twin Cities campus. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Feb. 17 at 5 p.m., and an award presentation and closing ceremony featuring keynote speaker Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter, Sr. will be held on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the institute's Cowles Auditorium. The exhibit and events are free and open to the public.

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LINKS

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U of M Legislative Network: Read about the University's legislative request and how you can help.

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