On public opinion and health care
(4/30/2008) According to new University of Minnesota research, presidential candidates must understand public opinion on health care if they expect to woo voters. Americans ranked health care among the most important problems facing the country.

Traits for greatness
(4/21/2008) Using data gathered from presidential biographers and historians, University psychologist Deniz Ones and her colleagues studied which personality traits have historically been associated with superior presidential performance.

Bonding bill finalized
(4/7/2008) The University of Minnesota received funding for most of its capital investment projects and the Minnesota Biomedical Research Program.

Biomedical boom?
(3/4/2008) This year the U is again renewing a request for its Minnesota Biomedical Research Program, and more than 100 faculty, staff, students, and other U backers attended a legislative hearing last week to show their support for the plan.

A smart look at politics
(1/29/2008) 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.

Be aware of states that lack strong seat belt laws
(12/19/2007) 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.

U names Wippman new dean of Law School
(12/17/2007) 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.

Capitol priorities
(11/29/2007) 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.

Clearing the way to collaborate
(9/18/2007) Minnesota's largest county and its research university signed a historic agreement that will give Hennepin County easier access to U-wide expertise and students.

The research give-and-take
(9/17/2007) Community-based research has become a hot topic in the past decade, and the U is rising to meet its unique challenges.

Connecting the silos
(8/15/2007) U professor Barbara Frey founded Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, the largest human rights organization in the Midwest, and more recently, she explored the link between human rights and small firearms.

Cool country, warm ties
(7/23/2007) The universities of Iceland and Minnesota celebrated 25 years of collaboration when a U of M delegation visited the island nation in May, conferring an honorary degree on the prime minister, a U alumnus.

Legislature passes higher ed bill
(5/22/2007) On the final day of the 2007 session, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a higher education spending bill that would provide an increase in funding of about $149 million for the University of Minnesota for the 2008-09 biennium.

Fighting words
(5/22/2007) Ann Hironaka's new research shows that civil wars are nearly three times longer than they were 60 years ago. What's behind this disconcerting trend? And what does it mean for Iraq?

In good company
(5/15/2007) From great literature to hidden political motivations to the underpinnings of all mathematics and science, three College of Liberal Arts professors' contributions to their fields have earned them election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Continuing the work of a lifetime
(5/8/2007) Retiring Regents Professor Ed Schuh devoted his career to the economics of agriculture--and he's not done yet.

Vice President Mondale returns to the classroom
(5/4/2007) Walter Mondale, the former Vice President of the United States (1977-1981), U.S. senator, and ambassador to Japan, will be returning to his alma mater this fall to teach a lower-level course examining the ongoing battle between the President and Congress over control of the country's most vital decisions.

News coverage in the hot seat
(4/27/2007) Two U professors offer their opinions on how news media should cover tragedies like the Virginia Tech shootings. How does one report the news without glorifying a killer?

Teach locally, act globally
(4/2/2007) Award-winning U faculty illustrate the importance of putting the University's mission into action on the world stage

Seeking an edge in the biomedical sciences
(3/13/2007) The University of Minnesota has a rich legacy of innovation in the biomedical sciences. To ensure that it stays competitive in attracting star researchers, the U is asking the state for a unique bonding capability to invest in biomedical science facilities.

UMD alumna elected tribal chair
(2/23/2007) Karen Diver is the first chairwoman of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The 1987 University of Minnesota, Duluth graduate heads a tribal government that employs approximately 1,700 people and has assets exceeding $300 million.

Climate change is easy; breaking habits is hard
(1/30/2007) A University-hosted meeting of experts on how to get action on global warming gave a rare peek into the psychology and politics of the issue.

U makes push for increased state funding
(1/16/2007) University officials are turning to the Minnesota State Legislature for the funding support necessary to both sustain the U's current quality and competitiveness and invest in the University's plan to become one of the top public research universities in the world.

Eye on immigration
(11/10/2006) Immigration remains a hot topic among policy makers, as well as the average citizen. Recently, the U's Center for the Study of Politics and Governance invited some immigration experts and three Minnesota mayors to offer insights on U.S. immigration.

DWI Task Force implements change beyond the University
(11/7/2006) Minnesota's DWI legal process, including blood-alcohol testing results and vehicle plate impoundment, has undergone a number of changes thanks to Law School professor Steve Simon.

Alternative voices spark debate
(10/24/2006) A speaker series and course on "The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy: Alternative Voices" has garnered enthusiasm from Vinay Gidwani's students--and criticism from other quarters.

Colin Powell looks at leadership
(10/4/2006) Colin Powell gave the Humphrey Institute's Distinguished Carlson Lecture Series talk on the Twin Cities campus earlier this month and spoke about leadership, responsibility and America's place in the world.

Pawlenty signs bonding bill on campus
(6/1/2006) For the second time in two weeks, Gov. Tim Pawlenty came to the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus to sign a major piece of legislation. On Thursday (June 1) in the atrium of the Carlson School of Management, the governor signed the bonding bill that includes $26.6 million in state funding for an expansion to the Carlson School.

A supreme speaker
(5/15/2006) Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman ever confirmed to the nation's highest court, will be making one of her first public speeches since her retirement in January next Tuesday, May 23, at 8 p.m. on the Twin Cities campus. Her appearance coincides with the University of Minnesota Alumni Association's 102nd Annual Celebration.

Senate passes two key University bills
(5/9/2006) The Minnesota State Senate on May 9 passed two key items of legislation for the University of Minnesota--a bill that would create a special bonding authority for biomedical sciences research facilities, and another bill that would fund an on-campus football stadium.

U hosts conference to combat child trafficking
(5/1/2006) Each year, more than 1.2 million young boys and girls are trafficked around the world for the purposes of forced labor, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation. A recent conference held by the University of Minnesota Human Rights Program gathered leaders from various disciplines to address the problem and forge new collaborations to combat it.

Paying more to prevent terrorism
(4/19/2006) A University of Minnesota survey has found that people living in the United States are willing to pay more to protect against terrorism. Nearly 98 percent of U.S. residents believe there will be another terrorist attack in their lifetime, and more than 50 percent believe at least one attack will occur within the next five years.

Stopping the traffic
(4/18/2006) Hundreds of thousands of young boys and girls are bought, sold, or kidnapped for sexual exploitation each year. The University joins with other partners to address the issue on April 21 and bring its expertise to bear on stopping this crime.

House approves new football stadium for U
(4/7/2006) On April 6, at the Minnesota Legislature, the House passed a bill in a vote of 103-30 to bring on-campus football back to campus. The Senate still needs to pass a companion bill for the stadium deal to be sealed. That bill has been approved by the Senate Higher Education Budget Division and is awaiting a hearing in the Finance Committee.

Events at U to examine Darfur genocide
(3/28/2006) More than 200,000 people have been raped, killed, or driven from their homes in the Darfur region of Sudan. Two upcoming events at the U will help bring attention to what the United Nations calls the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world.

Musty archives shed light on democracies at war
(3/28/2006) Just as his book on military service and the rights of citizenship is published, assistant professor Ron Krebs is embarking on an even more ambitious project. A two-year professorship for young faculty members engaged in critical research will help to make it possible.

Proposed deal with state would increase funding for stadium
(3/27/2006) The University of Minnesota's quest to build a new on-campus football stadium moved forward March 27 when the Board of Regents approved a new plan that would provide more state money for a stadium in exchange for a parcel of University-owned land at UMore Park being set aside for a state-owned nature preserve.

U of M survey finds consumers willing to pay more to protect against terrorism
(3/22/2006) A new study released by University researchers shows that, on average, Americans are willing to spend more of their tax dollars to prevent another terrorist act, especially one involving the country's food supply.

A peek at the Arab world
(3/21/2006) The conflict that rages in the Israel-Palestine region is among the topics tackled in one of the free films appearing in "Cinema and Society in the Arab World," a symposium taking place from March 24 to 26 on the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. U researchers and filmmakers are among those who will discuss the history, politics, and art of more than 100 years of Arab cinema.

Felons on the fringe
(3/7/2006) Should states deny people convicted of felonies the right to vote? In some, including Florida, felons lose the right forever. University sociologist Christopher Uggen argues in a new book that punitive disenfranchisement can interfere with the reintegration of former criminals into society, dilute the voting power of ethnic groups, and even swing elections.

Is war necessary?
(1/30/2006) During much of the 20th century, major wars and the threat of war has impelled the military to generate radical new technologies that have boosted the civilian economy. In his new book, Is War Necessary for Economic Growth?, retired U professor Vernon Ruttan makes the case for a new strategy to jump-start the tradition of radical technological progress.

UMM alum Gildea named associate justice
(1/10/2006) Governor Tim Pawlenty has appointed Lorie Gildea, a 1983 alumna of University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM), as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court--a role that will provide her a new opportunity to share her judicial talents with the people of her home state.

Wildlife in war zones
(1/10/2006) People aren't the only victims of war. In countries wracked by conflict, wildlife and the ecosystems that support them may also take a beating. Nicole Benjamin-Fink, a graduate student in conservation biology, is researching ways her native Israel and other war-torn countries can build protections into their national policies.

A good judge of character
(12/19/2005) The honorable Diana Murphy (B.A. '54, J.D. '74) has been on the bench for three decades, currently serving for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Madeleine Albright at the U
(12/6/2005) Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will join Humphrey Institute Senior Fellow Vin Weber for a policy discussion on democracy in the Middle East from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Thursday, December 8, at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, 301 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Road trip to empowerment
(10/28/2005) Nonviolent resistance walks a path between violent resistance on one hand and compliance on the other. It is the intellectual passion of assistant professor Katy Gray Brown, who organized a course about social change and a trip to key sites in the U.S. civil rights movement. Then, with nine students, she got behind the wheel and made it happen.

University of Minnesota to observe Constitution Day with Law School presentation
(9/14/2005) The University of Minnesota Law School, on behalf of the entire University of Minnesota system, presents a program on Friday, September 16, from 12:15-2:15 p.m., commemorating the United States Constitution. The two-hour presentation at the Law School (Mondale Hall, Room 25) by members of the Law School faculty will address recent and forthcoming Supreme Court controversies and the nomination of Judge John Roberts to serve as the next Chief Justice of the United States.

Pawlenty praises U plan to become world leader
(4/13/2005) During an appearance at the University of Minnesota's Health Careers Center, Governor Tim Pawlenty praised the University's goal of becoming one of the top three public research universities in the world in the next decade.

Playtime for Law School students
(3/1/2005) The Theatre of the Relatively Talentless, or TORT, puts on its third annual show this weekend in St. Paul. It's a great chance to see normally serious Law School students at their creative best.

Germane to the genome
(2/23/2005) As we continue to decode the human genome, we are discovering more about people's predispositions. But genetic science does nothing to help society decide what to do with this information. A lecture on campus will discuss these issues facing courts, legislative bodies, and workers on the ground.