News & Events Archives

Select a tab to see archives for News, Events, Forums and Living Well Workshops.

Forums Archive

Forums Archive

ViewsReference
Living Well Workshops Archive

Living Well Workshops Archive

ViewsReference
Events Archive

Events Archive

ViewsReference
Gilgamesh: A New English Version, book cover
BOOK CLUB II

‘Gilgamesh: A New English Version’ is FF Book Club selection for May

Event Date:

Stephen Mitchell’s Gilgamesh: A New English Version, published in 2004, has been acclaimed by scholars and critics alike as a lithe, muscular rendering of the epic of Gilgamesh, first published 5,000 years ago.

More...
BOOK CLUB I

Book Club announces May 19 and summer meeting plans

Event Date:

UMRA member Stephanie Daily will lead a discussion of Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce, which debuted as a New York Times bestseller in 2020, when the UMRA Book Club meets on May 19.

More...
FAMILY HISTORY

Family Stories: Open Discussion

Event Date:

Join us for our final Family History Interest Group (FHIG) meeting, an open forum for participants to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects,

More...
"Variations on Becoming" by Tom Berlein | Franconia Sculpture Park
PHOTO CLUB

Photo Club May Photo Shoot

Event Date:

The UMRA Photo Club is planning a photo shoot at the Franconia Sculpture Park. Lunch before at the Taylor's Falls Drive-In, if you are interested.

More...
Hidden Falls Regional Park, St. Pauo
HIKING

Hike Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul

Event Date:

Join the UMRA Hiking Club for a scenic hike along the Mississippi River through Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul on Monday, May 15.

More...
FINANCE AND LEGAL GROUP

When will the Medicare Advantage bubble burst?

Event Date:

The overpayment by billions to health plans is well documented, and the fraudulent and surprising denials of claims has left some MA enrollees with large unexpected medical debt.  This zoom session spreads awareness to rein in this privatized system and protect traditional Medicare funding.

More...
Hiking Trails sign, Bloomington MN
HIKING

Hike Moir Park in Bloomington

Event Date:

On Monday, May 1, the UMRA Hiking Club will meet at Moir Park in Bloomington for a 4.5-mile hike along Nine Mile Creek on grass, wood chips, and paved trails.

More...
Empire Falls, book cover
BOOK CLUB II

'Empire Falls' is Fourth Friday Book Club selection for April

Event Date:

UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will meet April 28 to discuss Empire Falls by Richard Russo, winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is a familiar story of shuttered factories, failed businesses, and a diminished civic and cultural community.

More...
The Piazza Bra in Verona, Italy.
ARMCHAIR TRAVELER

Experience the beauty and history of Pavia and Verona, Italy

Event Date:

UMRA members Pieranna Garavaso and her husband, Lory Lemke, will share images of their recent sojourn to northern Italy. Pieranna was born and raised in Verona and the pictures and information they will share come from their many trips there over the years, in particular its Roman monuments, museums, and churches.

More...
BOOK CLUB I

April Book Club I

Event Date:

Joni Mitchell will lead the discussion of Elephant Company by Vicki Croke when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 21.

More...
Mississippi River Blvd. at Summit Ave., St. Paul
HIKING

Minnehaha Falls hike

Event Date:

Our April 17 hike will be in St. Paul, walking to Minnehaha Falls and back for an energizing 5.5-mile hike. We did this hike in November 2021, and hikers loved it.

More...
FAMILY HISTORY

Telling the stories of the living

Event Date:

UMRA members Vicki Gaylord and Larry Rudnick will share what they have learned about gathering, preserving, and sharing the life stories of family members living today while there are still opportunities to do so.

More...
Cat photo by Marilyn Ercikson
PHOTO CLUB

April Photo Club

Event Date:

“Domesticated animals” is the theme for the in-person gathering of the UMRA Photo Club in April. For those interested in having lunch together first, meet at the Great Dragon Buffet, across the St. Anthony Shopping Center parking lot, at 11:30 a.m. Newcomers are welcome!

More...
EVENTS

Mini Medical School: Aging and Health

Event Date: -

Last fall, the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs asked their Mini Medical School learners what they most wanted to hear from University experts, and the overwhelming majority said aging.  In April, you can attend a Mini Medical School series of three lectures on aging.  The series is free.

More...
Isles Bun & Coffee, Minneapolis
HIKING

Take a hike—or two!

Event Date:

Welcome to spring, UMRA hikers. April is when the UMRA Hiking Club returns to two hikes a month, on the first and third Mondays of the month. We may still have snow on the ground in April, making urban paved and plowed trails a better option.

More...
Love Medicine
BOOK CLUB II

Fourth Friday Book Club to discuss Louise Erdrich’s debut novel

Event Date:

Members of UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will discuss Minnesota-born author Louise Erdrich’s 1984 debut novel Love Medicine when they meet via Zoom in March. It is a story of love and survival, of the comic and the tragic.

More...
BOOK CLUB I

Book Club I to discuss 'A House Among Trees'

Event Date:

Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass when the UMRA Book Club meets  on Friday, March 17.

More...
PHOTO CLUB

‘Staircases’ is the theme for March Photo Club meeting

Event Date:

“Staircases” is the theme for the in-person gathering of the UMRA Photo Club to be held in person on Tuesday, March 14. Newcomers are welcome!

More...
Wangensteen book spread
EVENT SUMMARY

Cabinets of Curiosity: Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine

Event Date:

UMRA has arranged an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine, including a meeting with long-time curator and collector Lois Hendrickson. This will be the second in UMRA’s new “Cabinets of Curiosity” series of visits to obscure and fascinating collections on the U of M Twin Cities campus.

More...
Hiking club members at Lake Harriet
HIKING

Hike around the Lake of the Isles and Bde Maka Ska

Event Date:

Let’s walk around Lake of the Isles and Bde Maka Ska. Will meet at Lake of the Isles Parkway and 28th Street, on the east side of Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. The walk will be about 5 1/2 miles. 

More...
News Archive

News Archive

ViewsReference
Silver Gopher Service Corps logo
VOLUNTEER CENTER

Join the Silver Gopher Service Corps

Service to the University and community is a key element in UMRA’s mission, and our members have frequently asked about opportunities to team up with colleagues on activities. In response to these queries, UMRA’s new “Silver Gopher Service Corps” is making its debut in April.

More...
Published:
Regent Emerita Josie Johnson with granddaughter Rosa Duffy and Professor Emeritus John Wright, March 13, 2023
PLACE ON HOME

Professor, author, civil rights activist Josie Johnson honored with U of M Regents Award

Granddaughter Rosa Duffy and Professor Emeritus John Wright were among the many illustrious people who gathered on March 13 to celebrate Josie Johnson when she received the University of Minnesota Regents Award for “exceptionally valuable and meritorious service.”

More...
Published:
A House Among the Trees, book cover
BOOK CLUB I

Book Notes | ‘A House Among the Trees’

Event Date:
The fictional story and characters portrayed in 'A House Among the Trees' are based on the last will of Maurice Sendak, the renowned author and illustrator of children’s books who died in 2012 and left his entire estate to his longtime personal assistant. More...
Tips and Tricks
NEWS

Cyber tips & tricks--mysteries of site navigation

There are standard elements used on virtually all websites that make navigation easier.  Familiarity with lesser known elements can take some of the mystery out of website navigation.   We review a few of the standard website navigation tricks in this article.  Look for these next time you visit your favorite websites

More...
Published:
Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine. Photo by Kris Mortensen
EVENT SUMMARY

A fascinating glimpse into a rare collection

Event Date:
More than two dozen UMRA members gathered for a behind-the-scenes visit to the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine on the U of M Twin Cities campus in early March. More...
Nomadland, book cover
BOOK CLUB I

Book Notes | 'Nomadland'

Event Date:
For several years, journalist and author Jessica Bruder followed a group of retirees who lived in their vehicles, everything from small cars to worn out RVs, as they tried to piece together a subsistence lifestyle. Her book chronicles the challenges, the hardships, and the community these modern nomads created for themselves. More...
Prof Notes book cover
BOOK NOTES

‘Prof Notes: Wry Observations on Academic Life’

UMRA member and Professor Emerita Melissa Anderson has published a collection of five-line observations— peculiar, delightful, humorous and poignant—on academic life, based on her 36 years at the University.

More...
Published:
NEWS

UMRA member and explorer of Earth’s interior honored with prestigious geology award

David Kohlstedt, professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences, has been awarded the 2023 Vetlesen Prize.

More...
Published:
Russell Luepker
NEWS

HELLO, my name is Russell Luepker

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago in Roseland, where Barack Obama would later become a community organizer, Russell Luepker was inspired by his father to pursue a career that combined medicine and public health.

More...
Published:
Jeanne Jacobson
VOLUNTEER CENTER

Finding purpose through volunteering

Of all her volunteer experiences, Jeanne Jacobson says she especially finds satisfaction in seeing students learn and come to belong to their communities.

More...
Published:
Holzenthal insect collection box
GRANTS FOR RETIREES

2022–23 PDGR awards: From investigating insects to interpreting Shakespeare

UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees program is pleased to announce nine awards totaling more than $41,000 in financial support for projects that reflect the University’s broad reach and presence, statewide and internationally.

More...
Published:
UMRA News
NEWS

Nominations sought for UMRA officers and board members

The 2023 UMRA Nominating Committee invites you to nominate yourself or other members for election to leadership of our retirees association.

More...
Published:
FAMILY HISTORY

Ways to engage family members in family history

Event Date:
UMRA's Family History Interest Group (FHIG) met via Zoom for two presentations on ways to engage family members in family history. More...
Tips and Tricks
NEWS

Cyber tips & tricks—UMRA annual calendar

One of the new features on the UMRA website is an annual calendar. We now have a page where you can see all of the many programs and events, upcoming and past, for the entire fiscal year.

More...
Published:
ARMCHAIR TRAVELER

Mount Kilimanjaro and the Cleveland Way in England

Event Date:
Watch the recording of the January 25, 2023 Armchair Traveler Program and be transported to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and enjoy a hike along the Cleveland Way. More...