August 22, 2002
1. Aspirin may help prevent pancreatic cancer
2. The University at the fair: that's "Edutainment"
3. U physicist wins coveted London Prize
4. Improving reading by improving teaching
5. Two alumni honored for outstanding achievement
6. Alumni giving is up
7. Golden Eagles join NCAA Division II
8. U of M Happenings
9. Links
U IN THE NEWS
Aspirin may help prevent pancreatic cancer
After seven years of monitoring a group of
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postmenopausal women, Kristin Anderson and her colleagues at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health found that pancreatic cancer occurred less frequently among women who had reported the use of aspirin compared to those who reported they did not use it.
The women, who were part of the Iowa Women's Health Study, were asked how often they took aspirin or aspirin-containing products and how often they took other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
"There is strong evidence to suggest that using aspirin may help in preventing pancreatic cancer, and what's most encouraging is that we've seen these benefits in women who've taken aspirin two to five times per week," says Anderson, assistant professor of epidemiology. "Based on these observations, we estimate that aspirin use might prevent 43 percent of pancreatic cancer cases in women who do not normally use aspirin. While these results are promising, further studies are necessary to learn more about other factors such as dose, duration, and types of NSAIDs that may help prevent this disease."
Anderson says that it's important to consult a physician before starting an aspirin regime. Several previous studies have provided evidence that NSAIDs may lower risk for pancreatic cancer, but this University study is the largest to date. The study was published in the Aug. 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute: http://jncicancerspectrum.oupjournals.org/cgi/reprint/jnci;94/15/1168.pdf
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The University at the fair: that's "Edutainment"
What do you get when you cross a raptor with an imploding 30-gallon drum? The University of Minnesota at the Minnesota State Fair. The University's fair building (1670 Dan Patch Ave—one and a half blocks west of the main gate off Snelling) features educational and entertaining professors, students and animals combined with world-class research to provide "edutainment." The fair runs from Thursday, Aug. 22 to Monday, Sept. 2. For a complete list of exhibits and University stage events, see www.umn.edu/statefair.
This is the third year the University will have demonstrations, performances, and contests on an outdoor stage in front of its fair building. Performers will include the Physics Force, which revels in stunts such as imploding a 30-gallon drum, and the Raptor Center, which travels with a variety of meat-eating birds of prey.
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A stage highlight will occur on Maroon and Gold Day, Sunday, Aug. 25, when the "Know Your U" trivia contest takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contestants will compete for prizes by answering goofy and interesting trivia questions about the University. The 300-piece University of Minnesota Marching Band will kick-step through the fairgrounds as part of the daily parade at 2 p.m.
Inside the U's fair building, colleges and departments, including the Intercollegiate Athletics Department, the Academic Health Center, the College of Continuing Education, the Extension Service, the Alumni Association, the College of Biological Sciences, and the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, will host exhibits. At the alumni association's new booth, you can get information about the University's grassroots Legislative Network or pick up a free Goldy greeting postcard. On Maroon and Gold Day, you may even get a free Maroon and Gold Day bandana, while they last.
Miracle of Birth Center
Thanks to fertility management techniques, several live births of calves, piglets, and lambs are expected each day at the State Fair; the exact timing, of course, is still up to Mother Nature.
The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine is cohosting the second annual Miracle of Birth Center at the farm building located at the Children's Barnyard site, 1260 Nelson Street.
During the birthing and immediately following, health care procedures will be demonstrated such as colostrum testing and administration and warming and drying of the newborns. To accommodate the many fairgoers expected to visit, the facility has been improved with bleachers for better viewing and video monitors to capture the excitement of the birthing process. Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association and University veterinary students will assist with the births and help educate visitors on the intricacies of modern reproduction practices.
Veterinary students will also discuss training and requirements for becoming a veterinarian at 10 a.m. on Aug. 23, 25, 27, 29, and 31.
Discounted state fair admission tickets ($5) are available at the University Bookstores. Regular price for adults is $8. For more information, call 612-625-6564 or 625-6000
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U physicist wins coveted London Prize
One out of every four London Prize recipients has gone on to win the Nobel Prize in physics. Could University of Minnesota professor Allen Goldman be next? Goldman, head of the physics department on the Twin Cities campus, recently received the Fritz London Memorial Prize, considered the highest award in the field of low-temperature physics.
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U professor Allen Goldman
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Goldman was chosen for his contributions to the physics of superconductivity, a state in which electrons move freely or encounter no electrical resistance. The phenomenon, which occurs only at low temperatures, is usually studied in 3-dimensional solids. Goldman was among the first to study in detail ultrathin 2-dimensional metal films. He and his students devised a way to construct metal films of only one or a few atoms in thickness; they went on to explain how thin layers of metal atoms switch from behaving like insulators--through which electricity cannot flow--to behaving as superconductors. Such transitions are as profound as the changes in water when it freezes, melts, or turns into steam.
"Thin films are an important factor in the shrinking of electronic circuits," says award committee chair Moses Chan of Pennsylvania State University. "Also, Goldman's work clarified a lot of questions physicists had about the superconductivity of thin films." Chan noted that about one in four London Prize recipients have gone on to win the Nobel Prize in physics.
Goldman is the second faculty member of the University's School of Physics and Astronomy to win the London Prize. Anatoly Larkin won in 1990, before he came to the United States from the former Soviet Union. Goldman shares the prize with Russell Donnelly of the University of Oregon and Walter Hardy of the University of British Columbia. The prize, founded and endowed by two-time Nobel Prize winner John Bardeen, is given once every three years by Duke University, where Fritz London (who died in 1954) was a pioneer in low-temperature physics.
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Improving reading by improving teaching
Minnesota's future teachers will be better prepared for teaching children how to read, especially those at-risk, thanks to a new grant to the University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).
The $1 million, three-year Bush Foundation Grant will fund Minnesota Reads, a joint project between CEHD, St. Cloud State University, the College of St. Catherine, and Augsburg College, four institutions which prepare 50 percent of the new teachers in Minnesota each year.
"What we are doing now to prepare teachers in language arts and reading is very good, but we need to make things better," says Deborah Dillon, chair of CEHD's curriculum and instruction department.
Through Minnesota Reads, literacy education courses that are part of the schools' teacher licensure programs will be analyzed and redesigned to improve teaching of literacy content and skills to K-12 students. The new classes will be based upon research findings in teacher education and best practices research in literacy instruction.
According to Dillon, the grant will give teacher educators and researchers the opportunity to build consensus on the literacy knowledge and practices in which future teachers should be proficient when they leave teacher preparation programs.
CEHD is also partnering with the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning on a $24.5 million Reading Excellence Act (REA) federal grant. The REA focuses on professional development and support for current teachers at schools with high numbers of students from poor families and schools in need of improving reading skills.
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Two alumni honored for outstanding achievement
Forty-three years after "building an alumni center" first appeared on the University of Minnesota Alumni Association's (UMAA) agenda, the McNamara Alumni Center opened. On August 13, the University honored two alumni--Fred Friswold and Larry Laukka--who were key to the building's completion with Outstanding Achievement Awards, its highest award given to alumni.
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| Larry Laukka (left) and Fred Friswold (Photo by Tim Rummelhoff) |
"Friswold and Laukka are the unshakeable team primarily responsible for making the dream of the McNamara Alumni Center come true," says Margaret Carlson, UMAA executive director. "They will be forever remembered as the dynamic duo who brought a new front door to the Twin Cities campus."
The McNamara Alumni Center serves as a major entryway to the University of Minnesota and home to the UMAA, University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF), Minnesota Medical Foundation, University of Minnesota Board of Regents, and several University departments with significant outreach missions. The 230,000-square-foot building stands on the approximate site of the old Memorial Stadium at the corner of Oak and University Avenues, across from Williams Arena. The building came to be after the alumni association decided that the best solution to years of operating out of cramped quarters was to have its own freestanding building; constructing an alumni center has been on its agenda since 1957.
Friswold, a 1958 Carlson School of Management graduate, is currently the chief executive officer of Tonka Equipment Co., a Plymouth-based manufacturer of water and wastewater treatment systems, and chair of the board of the University of Gateway Corp.
Laukka, who received a bachelor's degree in economics in 1958 from the University, is founder and owner of the Edina-based Laukka Development Co. As a residential builder and developer, Laukka created the Edinborough and Centennial Lakes developments in Edina.
The Outstanding Achievement Award is conferred on University graduates who have attained unusual distinction in their chosen fields, professions, or in public service, and who have demonstrated leadership on behalf of their communities, nation, or the world.
For historical information about the McNamara Alumni Center, see www.alumnicenter.umn.edu/history.html.
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Alumni giving is up
The number of alumni donors to the University of Minnesota increased by seven percent in fiscal year 2002, and they gave one third of the $165 million in gifts received for the year ending June 30, 2002. A record 73,000 donors made gifts last year, with 40 donating $1 million or more. Although less than the previous two years, donations from all donors were 22 percent higher than in fiscal year 1999, when Campaign Minnesota was launched.
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"This was a challenging year for
fund-raising," says Gerald Fischer, president and CEOof the University of Minnesota Foundation, which raises and manages gifts for the University. "But we are pleased with the significant increase in alumni giving back and with those who have stepped forward to help the University, even in a time of uncertainty."
Campaign Minnesota, the University's seven-year fund-raising campaign, surpassed its initial goal of $1.3 billion a year early. As of June 30, $1.368 billion had been raised. The campaign will continue through June 2003, with the goal of completing all campaign priorities, including funding for students and the libraries, and meeting all campus and college funding goals. Since the campaign began in 1996, the amount disbursed to campuses and colleges from the University of Minnesota Foundation and the Minnesota Medical Foundation has increased from $60 million to $109 million per year.
Gifts to the University provide scholarships and fellowships for students, create endowed faculty positions, support teaching and outreach programs, fund cutting-edge research, and help in building new facilities and other resources.
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Golden Eagles join NCAA Division II
This fall's student athletes at the University of Minnesota, Crookston UMC), will be actively participating in the next stage of evolution for the campus and its athletics program--UMC has been approved as a full-fledged Division II member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) effective Sept. 1.
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For the past four years UMC had been a provisional member of NCAA Division II within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Beginning next month, the Golden Eagles will be eligible to participate in NCAA championship playoffs. Other benefits of full NCAA Division II membership include eligibility to vote at the annual NCAA Convention, coverage under the NCAA Catastrophic Athletics Injury Insurance Program, and access to the NCAA Division II Enhancement Fund.
"This is a great step forward for UMC Athletics and for the campus as a whole," says UMC athletics director Lon Boike. "The enthusiasm of our coaching staff and our student athletes is very high, and UMC will now be eligible to apply for NCAA grants in the education and outreach programs and be able to serve on various NCAA administrative and sport committees."
Mike Curfman, women's head basketball coach and last year's NSIC Coach of the Year, adds that "being eligible for NCAA postseason play will aid in recruitment and give current players the excitement of the opportunity for postseason play."
Earning active Division II membership is the culmination of a transition that began in 1993, when the campus first began offering baccalaureate degrees. That change moved UMC from junior college competition to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the North Dakota College Athletics Conference (NDCAC). UMC continued building its athletics program throughout its four-year tenure in the NDCAC. In 1999, it was offered the chance to become a provisional member of NCAA Division II by joining the NSIC.
The campus accepted the offer because, according to UMC Chancellor Don Sargeant, "it gave us an opportunity to better meet students' interests and needs. It has also offered more opportunities for regional and national media exposure." In subsequent years, the decision to move to Division II play has led to many positive changes, including the addition of women's soccer and equestrian as varsity sports.
UMC will begin its fall sports season when the Golden Eagles football team faces the defending NCAA Division II champion, University of North Dakota, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.
To learn more about UMC athletics, see www.crk.umn.edu/athletics.
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U OF M HAPPENINGS
The Minnesota Medical Foundation's 12th Annual Golf Classic will be Monday, Aug. 26 at the Minneapolis Golf Club in St. Louis Park. The tournament, to benefit medical research and education at the Medical School and the School of Medicine, Duluth, is open to alumni, faculty, and friends of the medical schools. The entry fee of $225 ($25 tax deductible) includes the tournament fee, cart, breakfast, lunch, evening reception, on-course competitions, prizes, and more. Celebrity guests will include honorary cochairs Dave Mona, Dave Lee, John Gordon, and Darrell Thompson. To register, or for more information, see www.mmf.umn.edu or call Sue Clark at 612-626-0619.
The Glacial Ridge Chapter of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association will host a student send-off on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 5:30 p.m. in Little Melvin's Restaurant in Spicer, Minn. Gopher women's head basketball coach, Pam Borton, is the featured guest. For more information, call the Alumni Association at 612-624-2323.
On Thursday, Aug. 29, the Raptor Center will offer presentations about bird migration at 5:30 p.m. and raptor identification at 6:30 p.m., and a falconry demonstration will be held from 7:30-8 p.m. The events are free and open to the public and no reservations are required. The Raptor Center is located at 1920 Fitch Ave. on the Twin Cities campus in St. Paul. For more information, call 612-624-4745 or see www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu.
The 2001 University of Minnesota/McKnight Foundation Artist Fellowships for Photographers Program exhibit featuring Patrick Kelley, Northfield; Jeff Krueger, St. Paul; Jeff Millikan, Minneapolis; and Paul Shambroom, Minneapolis, will run Tuesday, Sept. 3 through Friday, Oct. 4 at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery on the Twin Cities Minneapolis campus. A public reception will be held Friday, Sept. 13, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, see www.mcknightphoto.org or http://artdept.umn.edu/nash/default.html.
A new series, "First Fridays at Andersen Library," will offer an insider's look at the University's special collections. The kick off is Friday, Sept. 6, from noon to 1 p.m. with "Bon Voyage: Travel Accounts and Travel Books" at the Givens Conference Suite, 120 Elmer L. Andersen Library on the Twin Cities campus. First Fridays will include brief presentations by a variety of archivists, curators, and faculty. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call Karen Nelson Hoyle at 612-624-4576 or e-mail clrc@umn.edu.
The Academic Health Center will host the Access to Essential Medicines EXPO, sponsored by Doctors Without Borders, on Sunday and Monday, Sept. 8 and 9. The interactive exhibit, which was awarded a 1999 Nobel Peace Prize, is housed in a 48-foot tractor-trailer. Using photographs and multimedia, the exhibit highlights the need for more research and development into treatments for diseases that affect the world's poor. The exhibit will be located on Harvard Street at East River Parkway, across from the main entrance to Fairview-University Medical Center. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, see www.doctorswithoutborders.org/outreach/expo.
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LINKS
Hey, Sports Fans! Check out sports news and schedules of the U's teams:
Gophers
Duluth Bulldogs
Morris Cougars
Crookston Golden Eagles
Campaign Minnesota: Learn more about this fund-raising effort to build excellence in every corner of the U.
University of Minnesota Alumni Association: Your membership makes a difference.
U of M Legislative Network: Read about the University's legislative request and how you can help.
University of Minnesota Systemwide Home Page
U of M E-News is a biweekly e-mail newsletter for alumni and friends of the University of Minnesota. The newsletter, a free information source prepared by University Relations, is designed to help alumni and friends stay connected to the University of Minnesota campuses in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Crookston, Morris and Duluth.
PRIVACY POLICY
© 2002 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
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