| U of M Alumni Association | U of M Twin Cities |
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5/6/2009
In the 1920s the Alumni Association organized a campaign to raise funds for construction of an on-campus auditorium for the arts and a football stadium. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni stepped up to donate $2 million toward construction of what would become Memorial Stadium, where the Gophers would play football for more than 50 years, and Northrop Auditorium, which continues to be one of the U’s most prominent landmarks. Named for Cyrus Northrop, the University’s second president, it was dedicated in October 1929 on the site of the former College of Pharmacy medicinal herb garden. This photo depicts how it looked in October 1928, one year prior to dedication. Celebrating a Special Connection The Alumni Association Mentor Connection feted nearly 225 mentors and mentees at the 2009 Mentor Appreciation Dinner at McNamara Alumni Center in April. The annual event celebrates the relationships that students and their mentors build throughout the school year. Featured speaker was Darrell Thompson, former Gopher football player and current executive director of Bolder Options, a nonprofit that works with at-risk youth. Thompson (pictured below right) spoke of his experience with mentors growing up and as a U student. He also talked about his role as a mentor to his four children. The Mentor Connection is a clearinghouse for mentoring programs throughout the University, collaborating with Alumni Association alumni
Entertainment to Float Your Boat The Minnesota Showboat Players is a unique troupe of talented University of Minnesota students whose whimsical musical numbers, zany costumes, and crazy antics hearken back to vaudeville. Every summer they take the stage on the Minnesota Centennial Showboat, a grand vessel permanently docked at Harriet Island Regional Park in downtown St. Paul. The Showboat’s richest feature is its intimate 225-seat jewel box theater. Members of the Alumni Association have two special opportunities this summer to enjoy the Showboat Players’ 2009 production of Is There a Doctor in the House? Opening night, June 19, is reserved exclusively for Alumni Association members. The $49.40 ticket covers dinner, a pre-show talk with director Kenneth Noel Mitchell, and performance of the show. A complimentary reception follows. On July 21, members can take in the performance and a post-show reception with the cast for $30. University Salutes Distinguished Teachers Ask a student what he or she most treasures about being at the University, and chances are the answer will have to do with an inspiring teacher. In April, the University community saluted its best
Here’s what some students and former students had to say about this year’s recipients. Morse-Alumni Award Recipients: Don Alstad, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences “I remember when I first walked into [Don’s] classroom. He paused while shuffling some papers on the podium, looked up and smiled, and said “Hello, Jake.” I was stunned. . . . [H]e had recognized me because he had memorized my name and face [using my freshman picture] before the first day of class. We immediately respected Don because he had shown how much he respected us.” —Jake Musser (B.S. ’08) Justin Rubin, Department of Music, UM Duluth “Dr. Rubin fostered our creativity and remained supportive of our musical ideas while helping us discover new ways to expand our pieces. I went into the course with little confidence in myself as a writer. Dr. Rubin quickly inspired me to find and develop my own voice.” —Rachel Ford, student James Stout, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Institute of Technology “Dr.
Albert “Bud” Markhart III, Department of Horticultural Science, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences “It is because of Bud that I am writing this on an organic farm for my internship as a farmhand, something that if you told me I would be doing three years ago, I would have laughed. It is because of Bud that I will have a green-collar career. For me, Bud isn’t just a great teacher. He’s a mentor, but even that word doesn’t encapsulate the whole of how he’s given my college career meaning and affected the course of my life.” —Stephanie Tessitore, student John Loegering, Department of Natural Resources, UM Crookston “Teaching is never confined to the classroom for Dr. Loegering; it’s just the starting point. His vision and determination to get students active in their field is not always an easy task, but one that he takes to heart knowing that this will and does help us in our careers.” —Jessica Larson (B.S. ’04) Doreen Geller Leopold, Department of Chemistry, Institute
“I first encountered Dr. Leopold in a freshman seminar, “Quantum Mechanics and Modern Philosophy”. . . . In our little classroom in a side hallway of Kolthoff Hall, we were reshaping the world. Sometimes our ideas were too grand for me to wrap my finite mind around. Sometimes I disagreed. But we still had magnificent discussions. Most importantly, we had fun. Any professor who can provoke new perceptions of the world and make it enjoyable should be hailed a champion.” —Nathaniel Trulsen, student Carmen M. Latterell, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, UM Duluth “Before I enrolled in Dr. Latterell’s class, mathematics was something that I did; after her course, a mathematician was someone who I was. Never in my life has a teacher been so powerful or provoked such a life change.” —Heather Ann Kahler (B.S. ’03, M.S. ’05) Stephen Castleberry Sr., Marketing Department, UM Duluth “I was lucky enough to be a student in Dr. Castleberry’s Fundamentals of Selling course. I had heard many scary things about this course and I admit I was a little nervous to “sell” in front of my peers. However, Dr. Castleberry’s positive, motivating, and encouraging style turned my fears into excitement. . . . He is a dedicated man who passionately lives, breathes, and sleeps to teach his students in this manner.” —Heather Carr (B.A. ’05) Graduate-Professional Teaching Award Recipients: Jennifer York-Barr,
“Dr. York-Barr supported my desire to create a field project that reflected my best effort and ability. Ultimately, I had a much better field project [because she challenged me]. I am proud to say that I met the challenge she afforded me and appreciate the core values that she holds as a foundation for her work as an educator in graduate education: excellence and integrity.” —Donna Palivec (Ed.D. ’05) Jon Schommer, Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health, College of Pharmacy “Dr. Schommer is successful in recruiting quality graduate students in part because he is recognized as an exceptional researcher. . . . [H]e uses his research experiences to help students think critically and develop the skills needed to become independent researchers. I have no doubt that I would not be where I am in my professional career today without the guidance of Dr. Schommer.” —Joel Farley (Ph.D. ’06) Terry L. Roe, Department of Applied Economics, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences “Professor Roe . . . pushes students to learn how to use economic theory and its results to ‘tell the story’ of what is happening in an economy’s growth process. . . . He is helping me to grow as a scholar and equal collaborator; in effect, he is guiding my transformation from student to scholar. For this, I am forever
Michael Rodriguez, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development “Dr. Rodriguez is a model professor. He is a great teacher, advisor, and mentor who does everything he can to help his students attain their goals. . . . Without his advising and mentoring, I could not accomplish my professional goal to become a professor. As a new professor at Purdue University, I sincerely hope to become an advisor like Dr. Rodriguez.” —Yukiko Maeda (B.A. ’98, Ph.D. ’07) Helga Leitner, Department of Geography, College of Liberal Arts “As a scholar, advisor, and mentor Helga is a force of nature. Her own academic accomplishments clearly speak for themselves, but they are also what make Helga such an extraordinary advisor and mentor. . . . It is Helga’s high expectations of herself and others, coupled with a tremendous generosity in terms of the time and vigor she devotes to graduate teaching and advising that make her such an outstanding mentor and role model.” —Patricia Ehrkamp (Ph.D. ’02) Josephine Lee, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts “There is perhaps nothing more important for someone trying to write his first major work of scholarship than to have a coach and a collaborator who you can really talk to—frankly, honestly, passionately. My opinions, ideas, arguments, and research methods were
Jean Anne King, Department of Educational Policy and Administration, College of Education and Human Development “Dr. King does what every great faculty should do—she supports, encourages, and inspires her students so they do more than they ever knew they could. She challenges her students to learn and instills intellectual curiosity, while never compromising academic rigor. As a student and now as a professional, I have achieved things I never would have without her encouragement, guidance, and support.” —Linda Bosma (B.A. ’93, Ph.D. ’05) Sally Kenney, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs “Whether I believed I had something to contribute [to class discussions] or not, Sally knew I did—and she would make me say it. It takes professors like Sally—those who are astute observers and judges of their students’ abilities and characters—to encourage such participation. I cannot overestimate Sally’s ability to boost her students’ confidence in their own intellects and opinions. It is truly remarkable.” —Sarah Doire, (M.A. ’04) Fore Your Benefit Alumni Association members receive the same great discounted rates in 2009 as in 2008 at the popular Les Bolstad U of M Golf Course, located adjacent to the St. Paul Campus. A season pass for members costs $1,185, a savings of $155 over the general public rate.
Head over Heels for Homecoming Homecoming is special every year, but the return of football to campus means that the 2009 event will be historic. Make plans now to return to campus during Homecoming Week October 4 through 11. Highlights will include the parade on Friday evening, October 9 (pictured is a previous parade), and the Gophers’ game against the Purdue Boilermakers on October 10. Save the dates, and watch the Alumni Association Web site at www.alumni.umn.edu for details. Congratulations! Congratulations to former Alumni Association national board member Rick Beeson (B.A. ’76), who was appointed to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. He resigned his position on the alumni board in order to assume his new duties. Beeson, along with reappointed incumbents Patricia Simmons, Clyde Allen, and John Frobenius (M.H.A. ’69), took the oath of office on March 12. He succeeds David Metzen (B.A. ’64, M.A. ’70, Ph.D. ’73), who served as a Regent since 1997. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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