The 34 University task forces involved in the strategic positioning process have begun gathering feedback from the University community and the general public.
To make the process as inclusive and productive as possible, the task forces are gathering input through focus groups, interviews, and forums.
The University has scheduled task force consultative sessions, some of which will be convened for a specific audience and others that are intended for the general public. Stakeholders may also offer suggestions online. All comments will be reviewed by task force members.
"I urge all IT faculty, staff, students, and alumni to take part in this process," says IT dean Steven Crouch. "Your ideas and comments are critical in shaping our college's role in making the University one of the world's finest public research institutions."
The first task force reports are scheduled to be completed by mid-December and will be posted online. After the close of the public comment period on January 27, 2006, the task forces will evaluate the feedback and issue their final reports. More...
3M Foundation funds student retention initiative
IT has received a $93,000 grant from the 3M Foundation that will fund a new effort to increase the number of engineering students, with a special focus on women and members of underrepresented populations.
The 3M Foundation Retention Initiative provides financial support for new components of existing programs offered by the IT Program for Women, Academic Programs for Excellence in Engineering and Science (APEXES), and the IT Center for Educational Programs.
New components include a 10-week summer bridge program for 20 incoming IT freshmen; a summer career exploration program for girls in grades 9 through 11; the development of an elective course for IT freshmen that introduces them to the field of engineering; and involvement in Project Lead the Way, an innovative engineering curriculum for high school and middle school students that currently is being taught in 42 states.
IT honors OAA recipients
IT dean Steven Crouch hosted a reception and ceremony September 23 honoring the college’s distinguished graduates who have received the Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA), the University’s highest alumni honor.
University regent Dallas Bohnsack conferred the OAA on Richard DeLeo (Aeronautical ’46, M.S. ’48), Richard Hackborn (Electrical ’60), John Jordan (Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics ’73, Mechanics M.S. ’75), Robert Naka (Electrical M.S. ’47), and Darrell Rinerson (Physics ’69, Electrical M.S. ’77).
A total of 243 IT alumni have received the OAA since its inception. They are among more than 1,000 OAA recipients whose names will be engraved on the Alumni Wall of Honor, a landmark work of art located on Gateway Plaza. The IT event was held in conjunction with the University’s official dedication of the Alumni Wall of Honor.
CRLT Players act to change faculty culture
A six-member faculty search committee met October 18 to decide which of two finalists it would recommend for a faculty position. The meeting's true agenda, however, was to engage people in thinking and talking about issues of diversity and inclusion.
In reality, "The Faculty Meeting" was an interactive sketch performed for an audience of IT and University administrators and faculty by the CRLT Players Theatre Program, a service of the University of Michigan's Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT). The sketch depicts how gender dynamics and faculty rank influence the conversation and affect the participants. The characters portrayed in the sketch include a department chairman, two full professors (one of whom is the only woman on the committee), and three junior faculty.
Founded in 1962, CRLT seeks to create a campus culture in which students and faculty from diverse backgrounds can succeed. In 2002 the CRLT theatre program began partnering with the university's ADVANCE Program, funded by the National Science Foundation, to improve the recruitment and retention of women faculty in the sciences and engineering.
The CRLT troupe has developed three sketches for ADVANCE, which are centered on faculty hiring, mentoring, and the tenure process. Following each sketch, the audience asks questions of the performers, who stay in character. A trained facilitator guides the discussion and provides professional expertise and research-based information about the topic at hand.
"The sketch shows the impact of these dynamics, and that in turn gets the audience talking about what could have been done differently in the meeting," says IT associate dean Roberta Humphreys, director of the IT Program for Women, which sponsored the event. "The discussion is a very effective, positive step toward changing the culture."
Humphreys hopes to bring the CRLT ensemble back to the University for a performance next year.
In memoriam: Walter Weyhmann
Walter Weyhmann, professor emeritus of physics and former head of the School of Physics and Astronomy, died September 24 in New Brighton, Minnesota. He was 69.
Weyhmann received a bachelor of science with distinction from Duke University in 1957 and a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University in 1963. He joined the University of Minnesota faculty in 1964. He made several important contributions in the area of experimental low-temperature physics, including pioneering techniques in nuclear cooling.
Weyhmann served as head of the School from 1975–82 and as acting head from 1973–74. In 1989 he was appointed associate dean for research in the Graduate School and continued in this position until 1993. During this period he also served as acting dean of the Graduate School for two quarters. He retired in 2001 but continued his research until about a year ago.
Research awards
The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) has awarded over $8.5 million to 24 multiyear renewable energy projects at the University. IT faculty and researchers are involved in 13 of the projects, notably in the areas of bioenergy and bioproducts, hydrogen production and distribution, and efficient energy systems.
A research team led by Professor Mitchell Luskin (mathematics) has received a three-year, $2.3 million grant from the new Multiscale Mathematics Program funded by the Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The program will develop and apply new multiscale mathematics algorithms and analysis to help solve complex energy and environmental problems. Luskin’s group, which includes researchers from the University of California at San Diego and from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will unite experts in mathematics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering to develop new multiscale methods for the design of advanced materials. Seventeen universities and eight DOE national laboratories have received a total of $20 million in research awards through the program.
Gifts
Boston Scientific makes lead gift for endowed graduate student fellowships
Boston Scientific will contribute $500,000 over five years to build an endowment, matched by University funds, to support first-year biomedical engineering graduate students as Boston Scientific Fellows during their first semester of study. This contribution is the lead gift in a campaign whose goal is to create an endowment that supports the entire class of biomedical engineering graduate students each fall.
Guidant gift supports fellowships in three departments
A $60,000 gift from Guidant Corporation is funding 2005–06 Guidant Fellowships for students in mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science and engineering. Each department received an equal share of the gift.
Honors
Professors E. Calvin Alexander and Chris Paola (geology and geophysics) are among 16 individuals recently inducted into the University’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers. The new academy members are previous winners of the Horace T. Morse-University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award. Academy members also include recipients of the Award for Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education.
Professor Edward Cussler (chemical engineering and materials science) and his former student Brian Gettelfinger (ChemE ’04) won the 2005 Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry for an experiment conducted at a Cooke Hall pool in August 2003. Awarded at the same time and generally in the same fields as the real Nobel Prize, the “Igs” celebrate research that both amuses and enlightens.
Professor Wei-Shou Hu (chemical engineering and materials science) won the 2005 Marvin J. Johnson Award in Microbial and Biochemical Technology, which is sponsored by Pfizer Inc. through the American Chemical Society. Hu received the award for his work in animal-cell biotechnology, liver tissue engineering, and metabolic engineering for antibiotic production.
2005 Technology Futures Forum: Calculating R&D Value
October 27: Demonstrating shareholder value is a growing challenge for R&D and technology development organizations. Forum participants will share ideas and methods for better understanding R&D and technology initiatives and for forecasting their future value. Keynote speaker is Dr. F. Peter Boer, president and CEO of Tiger Scientific, Inc. and adjunct faculty member at Yale School of Management. Fee. Register online. Sponsored by the Center for the Development of Technological Leadership. For more information call 612-624-5747 or email forum-cdtl@umn.edu. 8 a.m.–4:15 p.m., West Bank Office Building.
2005 Civil Engineering Open House and Alumni Reunion
October 28: This year's open house includes a professional development seminar on the changing role of civil engineers in the era of design-build projects. The seminar, "A Changing Culture: Civil Engineers and Design-Build," will bring together consultants, managers, and contractors to talk about the challenges of managing projects under design-build rules and how design-build has changed the industry's way of doing business. Seminar fee includes 2PDHs, parking, and program materials. Register online or download pdf registration form. Open house is free. For more information call 612-625-5522 or email cive@umn.edu. The seminar will be held from 2:30-4:30 p.m.; the open house is scheduled from 4:30–5:30 p.m. Civil Engineering Building.
Dinner with the Dean
October 29: This popular social event offers IT parents a unique opportunity to meet the college’s deans, faculty, and staff who are guiding their child’s education. The evening includes a reception and dinner, a presentation by IT dean Steven Crouch, a panel discussion, and Q&A session. Parents and their students are welcome to attend. Alternate date is December 6. Fee. RSVP by October 25. Sponsored by IT Alumni Society. 5:30–8:00 p.m., Mississippi Room, Coffman Memorial Union.
Looking ahead
IT Public Lecture: Crash! The Legacy of Auto Safety Pioneer James J. Ryan
November 15: Professor Max Donath, director of the University’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, narrates the story of the legendary James Ryan, mechanical engineering professor and transportation safety advocate. Program includes footage from vintage film and TV programs. Free. For more information call 612-626-8282. Sponsored by IT Alumni Society. 7:00 p.m. Theater, Coffman Memorial Union.
IREE Annual Research Symposium
November 29: University researchers showcase groundbreaking new work in the areas of renewable energy and the environment. Program includes keynote speech by Governor Tim Pawlenty. For more information call 612-624-6140 or email reub0002@umn.edu. Sponsored by the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment. 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m., Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs.
Dinner with the Dean
December 6: This popular social event offers IT parents a unique opportunity to meet the college’s deans, faculty, and staff who are guiding their child’s education. The evening includes a reception and dinner, a presentation by IT dean Steven Crouch, a panel discussion, and Q&A session. Parents and their students are welcome to attend. Fee. RSVP by November 28. Sponsored by IT Alumni Society. 5:30–8:00 p.m., Mississippi Room, Coffman Memorial Union.
Walter Weyhmann, professor emeritus of physics and former head of the School of Physics and Astronomy, died September 24 in New Brighton, Minnesota. He was 69.