May 15, 2003

1. Exact cut to U's state funding still up in the air
2. New hardy mums from the U
3. President Bruininks spotlights children and their families
4. Spring M on the way
5. Organic agriculture in Minnesota gets booster shot
6. On the good path of the Anishinaabeg
7. Here's to Minnesota wine
8. U alum turns corn into biodegradable plastics
9. U of M Happenings
10. Links

U IN THE NEWS

Exact cut to U's state funding still up in the air
The fate of the University of Minnesota's state funding for the next two years lies in the hands of 10 people--the Higher Education Conference Committee. If the committee cannot settle the differences between the House and Senate higher education funding bills, it will adopt Governor Tim Pawlenty's proposal--and the U will have $209 million less for 2004-05.
"There is still time to advocate for the University at the legislature," said University President Bob Bruininks in a recent budget update e-mail to faculty and staff and a voice mail to nearly 4,000 members of the University's volunteer legislative network. He encouraged the U community to call their legislators to remind them of the value and importance of the U. To get contact information for your legislators or for updates about the U's legislative request, see http://www.umn.edu/govrel.

Bruininks was among those who testified on May 8 before the conference committee, which is made up of representatives Doug Stang, Doug Meslow, Carla Nelson, Bud Nornes, and Gene Pelowski and senators Sandra Pappas, Yvonne Solon, Rod Skoe, Dan Sparks, and David Tomassoni. The committee will work out the differences between the Senate bill, which includes $109.7 million more for the U than Governor Pawlenty's recommendation, and the House bill, which includes $19.7 million more for the U. Pawlenty recommended a $209 million cut to the U's state funding in his proposed state budget.

When the Legislature finally approves the University's funding for the biennium, Bruininks will present his budget recommendation, including tuition increases and cost reductions, to the regents.

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New hardy mums from the U
Autumn Red, the first winter-hardy chrysanthemum developed by the U, was unveiled on September 20, 2001. This spring, four more hardy mums--Twilight Pink, Coral, White, and Yellow Quill--are now available.

L-R Front: 'Twilight Pink', 'White' Middle: 'Yellow' Back: 'Coral'

"This breed of chrysanthemums tolerate cold well and attract butterflies," says Neil Anderson, assistant professor of horticulture who leads the U's flower breeding program. "They are frost tolerant and self-pinching, so they require minimal care. A single plant can grow as high as 30 inches and as wide as 48 inches, and it can produce a canopy of 5,000 blooms by its third year. In regions with warmer climate, the mums will overwinter as green plants and may even flower more than once."

Anderson and his team--retired professor Peter Ascher and research fellow Esther Gesick--bred and tested this class of perennial mums for more than 10 years at four University trial sites as far north as Crookston, Minnesota. The My Favorite Company is the U's exclusive licensee to test, propagate, grow, and sell the mums worldwide. To be included in the brand, Anderson says each cultivar must have outstanding garden performance and be easy to grow.

These hardy U mums are available mostly during spring in select garden centers in the Midwest, such as Frank's Nursery and Crafts, Home Depot, and Meijer Stores. The brand will be more widely available in 2004. To order the mums by mail, call Edmunds' Roses at 888-481-7673.

To learn more about the mums, see www.myfavoritegarden.com/Display.aspx?
Page=Details&ID=108&Region=na. For general information on chrysanthemums, such as planting times, soil variety, and insect control, see www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG7068.html.

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President Bruininks spotlights children and their families
According to the 2000 Census, 26.1 percent of Minnesota children are economically disadvantaged, and research shows that as a result these children may have learning and development deficits.

U president Robert Bruininks during his recent visit to Baby’s Space, an innovative child care center in Minneapolis.

University of Minnesota President Bob Bruininks launched a three-year initiative to heighten awareness of this issue and focus University research on improving the lives of these children.

That Bruininks sees promise in young faces and wants to bring U expertise to help fulfill that promise is a natural, given his personal and professional background. He graduated from college with degrees in special education, social science, and music and later earned a master's and doctorate in education. For the last 35 years, Bruininks's career has centered on accountability and strategic improvements in education.

The five goals of the President's Initiative on Children, Youth, and Families are:

• to increase public awareness of challenges facing youth and families;
  
  
• to advance knowledge of and find solutions to those challenges through ongoing University and community partnerships;
  
  
• to improve outcomes for Minnesota's youth and families;
  
  
• to expand and share the University's intellectual vitality, leadership, and resources; and
  
  
• to establish a model for future presidential initiatives.
  

On May 30, the U is hosting as part of the initiative the first of three annual summits that will bring invited community and University leaders together to discuss the needs of Minnesota children and families. "Minnesota Children's Summit: Starting Strong" will be held in Coffman Memorial Union on the Twin Cities campus and will focus on the early foundations for healthy development and on the programs, policies, and conditions that help children and their families to thrive.

For more information on the initiative, see www.umn.edu/pres/cyf.html. To learn more about the upcoming summit, see www.childrenssummit.umn.edu/about.html.

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Spring M on the way
Watch your mailboxes next week for the spring issue of M, the U's only publication for all alumni. Read about the transformation of the freshman experience at the U, the use of aspirin in reducing the risk of colon cancer, how three B.F.A. students learned more about life and theater on the Guthrie stage, and the healthful effects of eating together as a family.

To read this issue, or past issues, of M on the Web, see www.umn.edu/urelate/m. If you do not receive M but would like to, e-mail the editor at urelate@umn.edu.

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Organic agriculture in Minnesota gets booster shot
Minnesota leads the nation in the production of organic corn and soybeans, and it ranks sixth in the nation for the most certified organic acreage. On April 21, the University of Minnesota and four state agencies sealed a deal that is the first of its kind in the nation.

Representatives from the University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the USDA Farm Service Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on activities that conserve natural resources and increase consumer choices of Minnesota-grown organic products.

Representatives from the U and other state agencies signing an "organic" agreement to work together--(from L to R) Bill Hunt, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Center; Gene Hugoson, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; John Monson, USDA Farm Service Agency; and Chuck Muscoplat, U College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences.

"This memorandum is a recognition that organic agriculture and products are significant parts of our economy," explains Bill Wilcke, biosystems professor and U of M Extension Service agricultural engineer, "and they are useful and valuable to a number of consumers and farmers."

And this recognition, says Wilcke, is symbolic because organic agriculture or farming without the use of synthetic pesticides has--like any other industry--its fair share of opposition.

"It's hard to say for sure what this memorandum will ultimately mean for consumers and farmers," says Wilcke. "But at the University, we may see more work on organic agriculture by faculty and staff who are already involved in organic-related activities."

The University has an organic research farm--the Elwell Agroecology Farm--in Lamberton Township, Minnesota. On this 30-year-old, 160-acre farm, researchers work with farmers to improve their existing operations, adopt more sustainable practices, and sell their products in traditional markets. To learn more about the farm, see http://swroc.coafes.umn.edu/eaf.html.

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On the good path of the Anishinaabeg
At its May 17 commencement ceremonies, the University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD), will graduate the largest group of American Indian teachers in the history of Minnesota.

The Teacher Corps program is a collaboration between UMD and the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) to recruit, train, and retain American Indian students interested in becoming teachers.

The group, known as Gekinoo'imaagejig or "the ones who teach," are part of the Teacher Corps program that uses a curriculum rooted in the core values or mino-bimaadizi-win (the good path) of the Anishinaabeg or Ojibwe. These values include honoring elders, plants and animals, and women, and showing kindness to everyone, including those you disagree with. The program is a collaboration between UMD and the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) to recruit, train, and retain American Indian students interested in becoming teachers.

The 16 students, whose ages range from 22 to 50, are graduating with a bachelor of applied science degree in elementary education. They attended Ojibwe language classes every semester and Ojibwe language immersion camps seasonally, and they will become the first graduating class in the state's history to earn a teaching minor in an indigenous language. Upon graduation, the students--14 of whom are American Indian--will teach in either public or tribal schools and will actively work for the betterment of indigenous people.

"Being a part of Gekinoo'imaagejig I have the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of the Anishinaabeg language and share its cultural heritage," says graduating student ReneAnn Goodrich. Since she started the program in January 2001, her classmates have been a source of inspiration and support because each person brings a "wealth of knowledge and resources" and a "shared vision of the future for our children."

The Teacher Corps program is supported by a grant from the Office of Indian Education, the U.S. Department of Education, and the UMD Ruth A. Meyers Endowed Chair in American Indian Education and Grotto Foundation.

For more information about the program, call UMD's education department at 218-726-7233 or see www.fdl.cc.mn.us/web/tc/home.htm.

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Here's to Minnesota wine
Wine connoisseurs usually think first of wines from France and California, and some praise products of vineyards in Italy and Oregon. But there's a thriving winemaking industry in Minnesota, aided and encouraged by the University of Minnesota's horticultural science department.

According to the Minnesota Grape Growers Association, there are at least nine wineries now producing grape wines in Minnesota and the number of local wines winning regional or national awards is on the rise. Minnesota's wine grape varieties, many of which were developed by the University, include Foch, Frontenac, Saint Croix, Seyval, Saint Pepin, and LaCrosse.

U researchers have bred wine grapes since the mid-1980s. The U's viticulture or grape-breeding program, which now includes 10 acres of vineyards at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, was founded to develop high-quality, winter-hardy, and disease-resistant wine grape varieties. In 2000, a state-of-the-art research winery facility was added to the U's Horticultural Research Center at the Arboretum. The facility houses the U's enology project, which supports the grape-breeding program by evaluating grape varieties for their potential use in Minnesota winemaking and determining the best processing methods for them. Project researchers also train employees of regional wineries and provide other services to local vintners.

Project leader and U enologist Anna Mansfield.

The building has a lab, classroom and office space, a tasting room, and four independently controlled, refrigerated rooms for storing fresh fruit and wine, fermenting white wines, and cold stabilization. Support for the research facility came from the Minnesota Grape Growers Association and funds appropriated by the Minnesota legislature.

As the U's enology project grows, courses and workshops in winemaking and wine appreciation may be available for experts and novices. Project leader and U enologist Anna Mansfield will collaborate with the Minnesota Grape Growers Association on educational programs and publications to increase public awareness of Minnesota wines.

To learn more about the U's viticulture program and enology project, see http://winegrapes.coafes.umn.edu/.

Editor's note: To learn about research findings related to wine and health, read "To Your Health" in the upcoming issue of M or see the article online at www.umn.edu/urelate/m/spring%202003/health.html.

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U alum turns corn into biodegradable plastics
The request from the head of Cargill's corn-milling operation was simple: find something new to make from corn. University of Minnesota alumnus Patrick Gruber did just that. And today, 15 years after the request, Gruber's new class of plastics could dramatically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

Nobody at Cargill, Inc., based in Minnesota, meant to start a revolution when they hired Gruber in 1988. They wanted Gruber, who was just completing his Ph.D. in chemistry at the U, to find a new corn derivative that could yield at least $100 million a year in revenues.

U alum Patrick Gruber's breakthrough: a new class of plastics that could dramatically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Photo by Dan Marshall

Within six months, Gruber had identified the potential product he could make from corn: a family of polymers (plastics) called polylactide or PLA. Soon after, he tested manufacturing processes, cooking up small batches in his kitchen at home. Today, PLA is being used to manufacture everything from carpet to food packaging. Production for 2003 is expected to exceed 200 million pounds, but Gruber believes PLA could soon replace almost all conventional plastics--of which some 270 billion pounds are manufactured annually. Instead of $100 million annually, he expects sales from his findings to reach $2 billion annually in less than 10 years. Eventually, sales could surpass that many times over.

In addition to matching or exceeding the performance of conventional plastics, PLA can be manufactured in an environmentally responsible way. PLA production results in 30 to 50 percent fewer greenhouse gases and consumes 30 to 50 percent less fuel than conventional plastics. In most forms, PLA is 100 percent recyclable. It can be incinerated, if necessary, with very few emissions. And, if composted, it breaks down into its basic, non-polluting building blocks in fewer than 60 days.

Gruber, who holds nearly 50 patents related to his discovery, believes that different permutations of the same basic technology may soon be used to replace fossil fuels almost entirely. The U.S. Department of Energy apparently believes Gruber is right; it recently awarded him a $25 million grant to begin figuring out how to do just that.

"Thirty or 40 years from now, people will look back at the work he has done and be wowed," says Randy Howard, CEO of Cargill Dow, which was formed in 1997 by Cargill and Dow Chemical to develop PLA and related products using Gruber's technology. "I describe it as the second industrial revolution."

Editor's note: A longer version of this story appears in the May-June issue of Minnesota, the bimonthly magazine to University of Minnesota Alumni Association members. To read it online, see www.alumni.umn.edu/minnesota.

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U OF M HAPPENINGS

Online Gopher auction
The U's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is sponsoring an online auction through 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 21, to raise money for the Golden Gopher student-athlete scholarship fund. Items on the auction block include courtside men's and women's basketball seats, a men's hockey home jersey signed by the 2003 national championship team, football season ticket packages, baseballs autographed by former Gopher baseball alumni, and a golf outing with men's golf head coach Brad James. To place a bid or for more information about the auction, see www.gophersports.com.

Wooden Korean beauties
The beauty and craftsmanship of Korean wooden furniture--65 beautiful boxes and chests--are highlighted in a Weisman Art Museum exhibition that will run from May 17 to August 3. "Beauty in the Box: The Enduring Elegance of Korean Design," from the museum's Edward Reynolds Wright, Jr. Collection, is being presented as part of Minnesota's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States. For more information about the exhibit or museum hours, call 612-625-9494 or see www.weisman.umn.edu.

UMAA birthday
The University of Minnesota Alumni Association's (UMAA) 99th Annual Celebration will be Thursday, May 29, 5:30-9 p.m. at Coffman Memorial Union on the Twin Cities campus. The evening, which marks the start of UMAA's 100th anniversary, will include a dinner and keynote address by Harvey Mackay, Twin Cities businessman and author of four New York Times bestsellers. Tickets are $40 for UMAA members and $60 for nonmembers. For more information, see www.alumni.umn.edu/annualcelebration or call 612-624-2345.

Passion for fashion
Friends of the Goldstein Museum will host a 25th anniversary celebration on Saturday, May 31, at 7 p.m. The public event will include dinner, dancing, and a live auction of items donated by some of Minnesota's premier designers. Tickets are $100-$1,000, and all proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Goldstein endowment campaign. The Goldstein Museum is located on the U's Twin Cities campus in St. Paul. For more information about the event or the group, call Mary Larson at 612-624-7434.

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LINKS

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