UMR Connects

The University of Minnesota Rochester strives to sustain an open exchange of ideas in an environment that embodies the values of academic freedom, responsibility, integrity, and cooperation. In support of this, UMR is launching a weekly series for the Rochester community and visitors titled “UMR CONNECTS.”

Every Tuesday at 7:00 pm ~ 4th floor ~ UMR Campus

Following a specific theme each month, this weekly showcase will connect you to speakers, authors, panels, etc. on a variety of engaging topics, such as:

• March ~ Artfully Yours
• April ~ The Dirt on Gardening
• May ~ Silent Spring, Fifty Years Later
• June ~ Building Community Through Music
• July ~ Athletics and Sports
• August ~ The Great Outdoors
• September ~ Election 2012
• October ~ Healthcare Policy

UMR CONNECTS strives to support the University's overall mission of public engagement and outreach by fostering connections between the University, its students, and those who live in or visit our community. No pre-registration is required, and we hope you will join us!

Questions, please contact Mary DeWitt at 507-258-8053 or dewit007@r.umn.edu.

Upcoming Sessions  

FEBRUARY THEME ~ Patents and Innovative Research

Are you intrigued by “ideas” and “innovation” and “inventions”?  There are endless possibilities created by the human imagination…from Chia Pets to artificial hearts! Please join us as we discuss the importance of research and innovation to the nation’s economic vitality, and hear about some specific patents that originated right here in SE Minnesota!

February 28 ~ Minnesota Innovation Partnerships

With Minnesota Innovation Partnerships, the University of Minnesota has effectively eliminated the need for protracted negotiations over rights to intellectual property that may result from industry-funded research. Announced in Dec. 2011, this unique initiative makes it much easier for industry partners to sponsor research on our campuses.

Speaker: R. Timothy Mulcahy, Vice President for Research, University of Minnesota. As Vice President for Research, Mulcahy is responsible for the oversight and administration of an externally-funded research program of more than $700 million on the five campuses of the University of Minnesota system. He has primary responsibility for the overall vitality of the University-wide research environment, including supporting evolution of new research, maintaining a competitive research infrastructure, developing and managing campus-wide research policies, and overseeing administrative management of all sponsored research activity. He is also responsible for technology commercialization activities at the University and for the administration of regulatory offices associated with research.

Mulcahy earned his doctorate in pathology and radiological sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1979. His research has focused on cancer biology with an emphasis on the development of novel therapeutic approaches and on the molecular mechanisms of tumor cell resistance to conventional chemotherapy.

MARCH THEME ~ Artfully Yours

March 27 ~ How to be an Arts Historian

What do art historians actually do? In this presentation the speaker discuss her research on a little known St. Paul artist named Clara Mairs who was an integral figure in the development of the Minnesota arts scene at the beginning of the 20th century. After studying in Paris and Algeria in the 1920s, Mairs returned to St. Paul to be one of the leaders of the modernist movements in Minnesota. She will also discuss the trials and errors of being an art historian, a student, and how the best way to approach a career in the arts field is to jump in.

Speaker: Annika Johnson graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011 with a degree in Art History. Her first experience as a gallery guard at the Minnesota Museum of American Art inspired her to pursue a career in the museum field. As an undergraduate she received the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Award that enabled her to research the Minnesotan artists Clara Mairs and Clement Haupers. Her research involves documenting and interpreting artworks in private collections primarily in Minnesota and New York. An avid traveler, she recently returned from a two-month trip to Turkey, Serbia, and Bosnia. 

Watch for further updates and specific details of upcoming sessions!  Please check out our Event Calendar for a full list of events happening at UMR.