What's Inside

U comments on central corridor LRT alignment
(February 26, 2007) On February 27, the Metropolitan Council will vote on the route alignment for the Central Corridor light rail transit (CCLRT) line. Kathleen O'Brien, the University's vice president for University Services, released a statement on the alignment.

Recognizing those who change the world, one award at a time
(From Brief, February 27, 2008) For more than 10 years, the U has recognized faculty, staff, and students who have devoted their time and talent to making enduring contributions to the community. This year, nominations for the Outstanding Community Service Awards are due March 14.

Preparing for an emergency
(February 25, 2008) The University of Minnesota unveiled a new emergency preparedness Web site on Monday with help from its police department. The site (www.umn.edu/prepared) is where members of the U community can conveniently find information about campus health, weather, and safety emergencies.

Street wisdom
(From eNews, February 21, 2008) U alum Matthew Ayres conducted a survey on panhandlers in Minneapolis last year, and he found that the local panhandling ordinance doesn't effectively help the homeless population.

Rates of uninsured Minnesotans stabilize
(From eNews, February 21, 2008) A survey from the U's School of Public Health and Minnesota Department of Health shows that after rising between 2001 and 2004, the percentage of Minnesotans without health insurance was stable between 2004 and 2007.

Building a better Holstein
(From eNews, February 21, 2008 ) Despite controversy, University of Minnesota professor Les Hansen advocates crossbreeding in cows.

Summer fun for youth
(February 20, 2008; updated April 24) The University of Minnesota offers and hosts one of the most comprehensive line-ups of summer camps for youth in Minnesota.

New research takes aim at oral cancer
(February 19, 2008) An interdisciplinary research team at the University of Minnesota is working to change oral cancer statistics by studying the proteins found in saliva.

Cultivating culture
(February 22, 2008) U researchers in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences are learning to work in cooperation with people from different cultures.

Lecture-free biology
(February 19, 2008) In the new freshman biology sequence, students must master text material on their own and think for themselves--with a little help from their friends.

The missing link
(February 15, 2008) As America gains weight, the incidence of insulin resistance and diabetes is growing, too. Understanding the link between obesity and insulin resistance is a goal of U professor David Bernlohr.

New chances to hear Holocaust memorial oratorio
(February 12, 2008) The Holocaust memorial oratorio To Be Certain of the Dawn, composed by U grad Stephen Paulus with text by U professor Michael Dennis Browne, gets new performances and a recording.

Their votes count
(February 8, 2008) Nationwide, the turnout by young people on Super Tuesday was unprecedently high. UMD students added to that number and their enthusiasm for the presidential race runs high.

Converting pristine lands to biofuel farms worsens global warming
(February 7, 2008) Biofuels may be a source of renewable energy, but destroying pristine land to produce them makes global warming worse. A new study documents the damage.

Respect for the voice of children
(From eNews, February 6, 2008) "Children know best what comforts them when they're sick," says Linda Lindeke. The University of Minnesota associate professor is capturing the child's voice for quality improvements at hospitals and clinics nationwide.

Destined to lie, cheat, or steal?
(From eNews,February 6, 2008) New research from the University of Minnesota finds that believing in free will can keep us honest.

Studio arts on memory lane
(February 6, 2008) Artwork from University of Minnesota, Morris, studio art faculty--those who have made contributions to the studio art program over the past 47 years--is on exhibit through Friday, March 14, in the Humanities Fine Arts Gallery on the Morris campus.

Biomedical informatics leaders join forces for research, education
(February 4, 2008) The first Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology Research Symposium brought together teams from the University of Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic, IBM and the Hormel Institute.

Blood donor pool shrinking
(February 5, 2008) Estimates of the number of Americans eligible to donate blood are off by as much as one-third, according to new research from the University of Minnesota.

Doing things better
(February 4, 2008) For the second consecutive year, the U's Quality Fair drew a large crowd. The event highlighted projects from around the University that "innovate, improve, and inspire."

Pastry chefs, born and bread
(February 1, 2008) In their new book, Zoë François and U adjunct professor Jeff Hertzberg show us how to bring such things as boules, rye bread, brioche, bagels, and apricot pastries into our daily lives in less time than the average American spends taking a shower.

Celestial tsunamis
(January 29, 2008) University-designed instruments aboard NASA's twin STEREO spacecraft have picked up huge radio waves that may lead to damage to spacecraft and even astronauts.

A smart look at politics
(January 29, 2008) The Smart Politics blog is a destination for both political junkies and casual observers looking for a more fulsome take on the latest trends and stories.

All together now
(Brief, Jan. 30, 2008) Andrew Furco is the University of Minnesota's new associate vice president for public engagement. In this Q-and-A, he talks about why he chose to move from California to Minnesota.

Slime sublime
(January 25, 2008) University researcher Roger Ruan knows algae can remove pollutants from water and make usable fuel. But can their abilities be scaled up and put to commercial use?

Take food allergies seriously
(From eNews, January 24, 2008) Eating is an enjoyable experience for most of us, but it can be frightening and even life threatening for people with food allergies. University of Minnesota Extension has some tips on how to avoid a harmful reaction for those with food allergies or food intolerance.

Music to soothe the stressed-out patient
(From eNews, January 24, 2008) Listening to music tailored to a hospital patient's personal and cultural preferences can significantly reduce that patient's anxiety, according to University associate professor Linda Chlan.

Maps of the body
(January 22, 2008) The U's Owen H. Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine has in its collection hundreds of anatomical atlases dating from the 1400s to the 20th century. The collection reveals not only medical ideas about the body, but also the philosophies of the anatomists and the times they lived in.

Research on the rise
(January 18, 2008) The National Science Foundation's latest figures show the University starting to regain ground as a research institution. Revenue from technology commercialization is also up.

Autism up close
(January 15, 2008) Scott Selleck is one of a group of researchers in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development working to unravel the cause of autism.

Putting women in the spotlight
(January 15, 2008) Regents Professor Sara Evans helped found the field of women's studies. Now she is one of its most prominent scholars.

To your health in 2008
(Brief, Jan. 16, 2008) Rewards are available to employees who go to a fitness club at least eight times a month or take or retake the health assessment.

A proposal for postemployment health care costs
(Brief, Jan. 16, 2008) The Civil Service Committee and Office of Human Resources request feedback on a proposal that would allow employees who leave the U or retire to use accrued vacation time to pay for health care costs.

Researchers create a new heart in the lab
( ) University researcher Doris Taylor and her colleagues have found a way to create beating hearts in the laboratory by first stripping away the cells, leaving only the matrix, then repopulating with new cells.

A sporting chance
(January 11, 2008) How do young athletes want parents to behave? Jens Omli, a research associate at the U's Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, posed that question to a group. A common reply: quiet attentiveness. In other words, don't coach from the sidelines or yell at the referee.

The sound of silence
(January 11, 2008) For U professor Peggy Nelson, the sound of silence is the sound of children learning. Nelson has spent her career studying the effects of noise on classroom learning.

Going green
(January 11, 2008) The new Gopher football stadium hopes to get LEED certified--the new gold standard for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings.

Holiday plants: To stay or go
(From eNews, January 10, 2008) Holiday plants add to the festivity of the season, but when is it time to toss them? The University of Minnesota Extension has some tips on understanding the limitations on growing space and the conditions imposed by the home environment.

Bridging languages, bridging cultures
(From eNews, January 10, 2008) Pui-Fong Kan, a University of Minnesota Ph.D. candidate, is studying the relationship between language acquisition and culture, especially in bilingual children.

Family meals quell eating disorders in teenage girls
(January 9, 2008) U researchers surveyed teenage girls and boys over a five-year span and found that regular family meals can decrease eating disorders among girls.

The role of oil prices in renewable energy
(From eNews, January 10, 2008) Experts who attended the University of Minnesota's E3 conference on renewable energy say the price of oil will have the greatest impact on renewable fuel development in the Midwest.

Delving deeper
(January 9, 2008) The U's the Borchert Map Library--with its more than 350,000 sheet maps, 9,600 atlases, and 415,000 aerial photos--is the place to go for the histories of towns, neighborhoods, and individual properties, as well as for information about wetlands, lakes, and streams that have been altered or destroyed by urban growth.

American Indian Cultural House helps U students succeed in college
(January 8, 2008) The U's American Indian Cultural House helps American Indian students adjust to life on the Twin Cities campus. It is the first of its kind among Big Ten universities and third in the nation after Harvard and Dartmouth.

A bigger welcome for new employees
(Brief, Jan. 9, 2008) An expanded new-employee orientation program will debut on the Twin Cities campus this month as part of a larger effort to recruit and retain a high quality faculty and staff.

Book reviews winter 2008
(From M, winter 2008) Three books with connections to the U, on notable historical moments, trolley days, and weird Minnesota.

A speck of Stardust, a window on the young solar system
(January 4, 2008) Physicist Bob Pepin studied pieces of the young solar system--namely, grains of comet dust. He says gases from near the infant sun probably bombarded their way into the dust, which researchers think was later flung out past Neptune and incorporated into comets.

U gets creative, wins award
(December 27, 2007) Following the collapse of the I-35W bridge, the gridlock that some expected on the Twin Cities campus never materialized, thanks in part to the efforts and ingenuity of the University and its Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) department. The University was recently recognized with a 2007 Commuter Choice Award in the category of Outstanding Promotion for a Large Organization.

Garden of Iron Mirrors reflects past and present
(December 21, 2007) The new Education Sciences Building on the Twin Cities campus is a window into the past and present, whether you're inside looking through its many windows or outside admiring the banks of the Mississippi through the Garden of Iron Mirrors public sculpture.

Fighting HIV in cyberspace
(December 21, 2007) A new Web-based software program is the latest tool University of Minnesota researchers are using to help fight the spread of HIV.

When alumnus Earl Bakken invented a wearable pacemaker, he sparked a revolution in medicine
(December 21, 2007) Alumnus and Medtronic founder Earl Bakken was feted this month to honor his invention 50 years ago of the world's first wearable cardiac pacemaker.

Dealing with loss during the holidays
(From eNews, December 20, 2007) Holidays can be difficult and stressful times, especially following the death of a loved one or a major life-changing event. University psychologist Martha Erickson has some tips to help you find some pleasure in this holiday season without denying that it might be very hard.

To forgive or not to forgive
(From eNews, December 20, 2007) Ling-Hsuan Tung, a University of Minnesota doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, examines how forgiveness and healing can go hand in hand.

Materialism linked to self esteem
(From eNews, December 20, 2007) University of Minnesota researcher Deborah Roedder John has found that materialism in children and adolescents is directly connected to their self esteem.

Be aware of states that lack strong seat belt laws
(From eNews, December 20, 2007) According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the day after Christmas is the second most traveled day during the holidays (12 million trips). And this could spell increases in the number of fatal car crashes, particularly in rural areas. Nowhere is that more true than in states that don't adequately enforce seat belt laws.

Emotional competence and breakthrough leadership
(Brief, Dec. 19, 2007) The Transformational Leadership Program group at UMD is integrating the key component of emotional competence in the preparation of current and future campus leaders.

Tenure policy revised in historic effort
(Brief, Dec. 19, 2007) The University's faculty tenure policy, revised in 2007 in a process led by the faculty, increases the rigor and adds flexibility for the next generation of outstanding faculty members.

U names Wippman new dean of Law School
(December 17, 2007) The University has invited Minnesota native David Wippman to lead the U's Law School, one of the top 20 law schools in the nation.

Behind the scenes and on stage
(December 14, 2007; updated Dec. 18) He's been in the theatre business for 30 years but his ideas are still attention grabbing and fresh. U professor Michael Sommers was recently named a USA Ford Fellow for his work behind the scenes and on stage.

Graduation rates continue to rise on Twin Cities campus
(December 14, 2007) The U announced that on the Twin Cities campus, the percentage of students graduating in four years increased to 44.9 percent in 2007, significantly up from the 2006 rate of 41.1 percent. In addition, the five-year graduation rate increased to 60.5 percent and the six-year rate has climbed to 63.6 percent.

Chiimps and the change of life
(December 14, 2007) How come women live well beyond their childbearing years? A study complicates the picture by finding no evidence for a menopause-like event in our closest relatives: chimpanzees.

A day for music makers
(December 11, 2007) Since 2005, the University has hosted a daylong instrumental conducting symposium for band conductors and music educators. Creativity, collaboration, and personal renewal is the goal.

Assessing interdisciplinary success
(Brief, Dec. 12, 2007) Engineering professor Doug Ernie is charged with overseeing a new process to monitor the growing number of U-wide interdisciplinary centers and institutes.

Mind the digital generation gap
(From eNews, January 10, 2008) Students may be experienced technology users, but not experts, and the technology gap between them and faculty may be smaller than we think.

See how they run
(December 7, 2007) Men and women tend to run family businesses differently, and understanding the differences can be vital to business success, according to U researcher Sharon Danes.

Jack be nimble
(December 5, 2007) Jack Zipes recently won an award for his book, Why Fairy Tales Stick. The University professor of German has a way of not only motivating children to question the traditional stories they've been told but challenging conventional wisdom about the role of folklore in our lives.

Helping business is U business
(December 5, 2007) As the front door to the University, the Academic and Corporate Relations Center assisted hundreds of businesses last year with relationship managers acting as their corporate concierge, and provided free services valued at more than $3.5 million for businesses, which included sponsoring workshops, seminars, and conferences.

Decorating for the holidays
(From eNews, December 6, 2007) The holiday season has begun, and you don't have to spend a fortune to create a joyous and festive mood in your home. University of Minnesota horticulture instructor Sue Jacobson has some holiday decorating ideas and tips.

Setting the stage
(From eNews, December 2007) University of Minnesota student Lola Abdul dreams of starring in a different kind of medical drama; the native Nigerian has successfully combined the study of biology and theater in her quest to become a doctor.

Win-win for principals
(From eNews, December 6, 2007) Each month, about 20 school principals from across Minnesota travel to St. Paul for the U's Principals' Academy. The yearlong professional development program, which also provides participants the rare chance to network with their peers, is based on leadership best practices from education, business, and the military.

Seeding the future
(December 4, 2007) A standout researcher, Regents Professor Ronald Phillips (left) has ushered crop sciences into the modern age with new ways to culture and breed crop plants.

Reality psych
(Brief, Dec. 5, 2007) A UMD professor transformed a class for undergraduates, beginning with a simple call to Duluth branch of Head Start.

The Rochester campus has a new home
(From M, winter 2008) The University of Minnesota, Rochester finally has its very own digs in the heart of downtown Rochester. Chancellor Lehmkuhle talks about what lies ahead for UMR.

Tango bomb
( From M, winter 2008) Dancers from the U's Tango Club use unusual advertising tactics to introduce potential club members to the dance, and their club.

A class act
( From M, winter 2008) With the help of matching funds, the School of Nursing class of 1960 banded together to create the first-ever alumni scholarship.

Generosity in the genes
( From M, winter 2008) Jeff Carlson and his parents, all graduates of the University of Minnesota, Duluth, each gave scholarships in the same year. Because the Carlson family values business and liberal arts, the money will go to students in these fields.

Building blocks for a career
( From M, winter 2008) Alex Kossett, a senior in the engineering department, is able to focus on his career in robotics, thanks to a Benson Family Scholarship. He wants to apply robotics to medical treatments and procedures with the goal of introducing new life-saving technologies.

Power of passion
( From M, winter 2008) After leaving college early for the pros, former Gopher basketball star Quincy Lewis was determined to finish his bachelor's degree in environmental studies. He completed his degree, and has established a endowed scholarship in CFANS.

On the march
( From M, winter 2008) With much of the groundwork completed, TCF Bank Stadium is taking shape as the countdown continues to the September 12, 2009 inaugural kickoff. Thanks to the generosity of individual donors and community-minded corporations, fund raising for the stadium continues its march toward the goal line.

Show me the Moebius
(November 30, 2007; updated December 1, 2007) How do you turn a plane inside out? One of the hottest videos on YouTube, produced by University of Minnesota mathematicians Douglas Arnold and Jonathan Rogness, transforms math into a visual treat.

Extreme film
(From M, winter 2008) University of Minnesota, Duluth alumnus J.J. Kelley is an environmental educator, an extreme adventurer, and as of September 2007, a production coordinator at National Geographic Television.

Art without reservation
(November 30, 2007) A new exhibit at the Weisman Art Museum, which features Native American artists from west of the Mississippi, blends traditional materials or styles with the contemporary, creating a new kind of showcase of Native art.

Florida Minne-College
(From M, winter 2008) Touring faculty, new UMAA benefits, and a course on social graces.

The inside story/M, winter 2008
(From M, winter 2008) Excerpts from two great stories from the November-December 2007 issue of Minnesota

Good news for stem cell research
(November 30, 2007) University researcher Meri Firpo tells how a new method to create stand-ins for human embryonic stem cells will aid in the fight against intractable diseases.

Capitol priorities
(From M, winter 2008; updated February 12, 2008) The University's 2008 Capital Request, which totals $288.3 million, will soon be considered by the Minnesota State Legislature. The request contains funding for buildings and basic infrastructure improvements all around the U's campuses.

Clack relishes honor of being Minneapolis fire chief
(From M, winter 2008) James Clack shares his thoughts on getting a degree from the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC), on recently taking over the state's largest fire department, and on some historic events along the way.

The unusual biology of lichens
(November 27, 2007) Lichens are extraordinary organisms, at once commonplace and exotic. They are actually complex organisms comprising a fungus and an alga living in symbiosis.

Outstanding in his fields
(November 27, 2007) Kamil Ugurbil has achieved national recognition for his pioneering work in MRI scanning. In October he was elected to the Institute of Medicine.

Everybody out of the pool
(Brief, Nov. 28, 2007) The Twin Cities campus will decommission its aging modem pool Dec. 31, and about 3,000 remaining users need to arrange for Internet service providers by then to access the Internet at home.

Beyond blue eyes
(November 21, 2007) With few children available for domestic adoption in Scandinavia, couples are turning to Asia or Central and South America. U professor Monika Zagar's research focuses on the new generation of Nordic citizens--a group that doesn't look anything like its predecessors.

Survey measures health of college students
(November 20, 2007) A report released last week by the University of Minnesota's Boynton Health Service reveals results from the state's first-ever comprehensive study of the health of college and university students.

Putting America on the map
(November 20, 2007) The U's James Ford Bell Library has a 1507 Waldseemüller map--the first drawing to portray the world as a globe and also the first to label the "New World" as "America."

New information on Wikipedia
(November 16, 2007) Some ongoing University of Minnesota research has revealed some interesting facts about Wikipedia that may fly in the face of some commonly held perceptions and perhaps misconceptions. A relatively small number of people are making the bulk of the contributions to the site, and for the most part, Wikipedia is very resistant to vandalism.

Text messaging debuts for emergency communications
(November 15, 2007) The University of Minnesota has made text messaging a major part of its emergency notification system, adding one more way to potentially reach every member of the U as quickly as possible.

Hi-tech helmets help U monitor concussions
(November 13, 2007) This year the Gopher football team has been equipped with a tool to help in the fight against concussions--helmets embedded with sensors that detect hits capable of causing a concussion.

Morris hosts the CSC
(Brief, Nov. 14, 2007) For its annual meeting outside the Twin Cities, the Civil Service Committee met on the Morris campus in October.

U celebrates student veterans
(November 13, 2007; updated November 14) On Wednesday, November 14, the U held its first-ever Student Veterans Appreciation Day to honor its student veterans' service and sacrifice to the United States.

Astrid at 100
(November 9, 2007) On Wednesday, November 14, the U will host a conference on Sweden's best known writer, Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking.

Putting pathogens in their place
(November 9, 2007) A new quarantine facility will lead the way to preventing outbreaks of devastating plant diseases before they become established in Minnesota.

At the front lines of interdisciplinary inquiry
(Brief, Nov. 14, 2007) The U's Network of Interdisciplinary Inquiry, which will meet Nov. 19, is a sign of a sea change in higher education in which the University of Minnesota is leading the way.