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Events Archive
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ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
Rwanda and the British Columbia CoastEvent Date:UMRA’s Armchair Traveler program on Wednesday, April 23, will take us to the coast of British Columbia for a month-long cruise and—halfway around the world—to Rwanda, a landlocked country located just a few degrees south of the Equator in East-Central Africa. More... |
FINANCE AND LEGAL GROUP
Commercializing UMN Research & Inventions - Yields Excellent, Lasting ReturnsEvent Date:You are cordially invited to see Rick Huebsch, Associate VP for Research, Technology Commercialization at UMN, who will discuss UMN Technology Commercialization. Tech Comm facilitates the transfer of UMN innovation beyond the research lab, to benefit the public good, foster economic growth, and generate revenue to support the University's mission. More... |
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HIKING
Old Cedar Avenue Bridge Trail HikeEvent Date:The UMRA Hiking Club will welcome guest leaders Bion Beebe and Linda Bjornberg from Twin Cities Hiking Meetup to introduce our group to a “new-to-us” trail on Monday, April 21. We will hike approximately 4 miles at a moderate 17 to 18 mile pace along the Minnesota River to Bass Ponds, a floodplain marsh and premier birding area. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Club I in AprilEvent Date:The UMRA Book Club will discuss Random Family by journalist Adrian Nicole LeBlanc when it meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 18, 2025. More... |
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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
NEW! UMRA breakfast gatheringsEvent Date:Would you enjoy gathering with a group of 15-20 other UMRA members to share breakfast and conversation about a specific topic? Then UMRA’s new topical breakfast gatherings at The Original Pancake House in Roseville are for you. More... |
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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Cabinets of Curiosity: Retrieving Minnesota memories in the University ArchivesEvent Date:The University of Minnesota Archives, with its major holdings largely tucked away in two huge underground caverns along the Mississippi River under the West Bank campus, holds the essential records of our University of Minnesota’s past. University Archivist Erik Moore will interpret the holdings and bring out a sampling of what it holds. We will also get a tour of the caverns (Minnesota Library Access Center), revealing where these precious materials are housed, including the original tapes of KUOM, now Radio K. More... |
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PHOTO CLUB
April Photo ClubEvent Date:“Geometrical shapes” will be the theme when the UMRA Photo Club will meets on April 8 at the Hennepin County St. Anthony Library in the St. Anthony Village Shops shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards. For those interested in lunch first, meet at 11:30 a.m. at the Great Dragon Buffet, located across the parking lot from the library. More... |
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HIKING
Fort Snelling State Park hikeEvent Date:The UMRA Hiking Club will explore wildlife along the Mississippi River in Fort Snelling State Park. The 3.9-mile Pike Island Loop is generally considered an easy route and takes just over an hour. Hikers can leave at that point, or stay to add another short loop. The trail is located below the bluff on which the historic fort sits. The last time we were there we saw a lot of deer, and the river always provides fascinating views. More... |
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FAMILY HISTORY
Finding Almira Fifield, MD (1833–63)Event Date:The Family History Interest Group meeting on April 2 will feature a presentation by UMRA member Barbara Fifield Brandt (pictured), who will describe how she unlocked the story of her ancestor, Almira Fifield, MD (1833–63), the “lost heroine of Porter County (Indiana)” and one of the first female physicians in the U.S. More... |
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BOOK CLUB II
Fourth Friday Book Club meeting in MarchEvent Date:UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will discuss The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson when it meets on Friday, March 28, via Zoom. It is a horrifying and compelling read. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Club I March 21Event Date:Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Good Night, Irene by the Mexican-American poet and novelist Luis Alberto Urrea when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom on Friday, March 21. More... |
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PHOTO CLUB
Photo Club March 11Event Date:“Insects” is the theme for the UMRA Photo Club meeting in March, and “Geometrical Forms” is the theme for April. Newcomers are welcome. More... |
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FAMILY HISTORY
Researching family history using local and virtual resourcesEvent Date:You are invited to the March 5 meeting via Zoom of the Family History Interest Group (FHIG) for presentations by Will Craig and Laura Ericksen on researching family history using local and virtual resources. More... |
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HIKING
Hike Lebanon Hills March 3Event Date:Join members of the UMRA Hiking Club for a hike on March 3 at the Holland Lake Trailhead in Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan. It is the largest park in the Dakota County park system. Our route will take us on an unpaved trail with some roots, rocks, and easy hills. It will be about 5 miles for 2 to 2.5 hours. We will meet for an optional lunch afterwards somewhere nearby (TBD). More... |
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BOOK CLUB II
Fourth Friday Book Club to meet February 28Event Date:The Fourth Friday Book Club will meet via Zoom on February 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CST to discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. More... |
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AROHE
Reimagining Retirement: Holistic Cognitive HealthEvent Date:The Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education, of which UMRA is a member, is offering a three-part series of free webinars exploring the cognitive side of retirement. The series is designed to help attendees clarify their goals and embrace the changes that occur during life’s next chapter. More... |
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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Men's Hockey vs. Ohio StateEvent Date:Join UMRA members to watch two of the best hockey teams in the nation. UMRA has negotiated a discounted ticket price of $33. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Club I to meet February 21Event Date:John Bantle will lead the discussion of A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson when the UMRA book club meets via Zoom on February 21. More... |
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PHOTO CLUB
UMRA Photo Club to meet February 11Event Date:"Things that drive me crazy" will be the theme when the UMRA Photo Club meets on February 11. Newcomers are welcome. More... |
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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Cabinets of Curiosity: Herbarium CollectionEvent Date:Cabinets of Curiosity will seek out the University of Minnesota Herbarium on the Twin Cities campus in St. Paul. Collections Manager Tim Whitfeld will share his knowledge of that amazing collection and explain its critical importance in the 21st century. Botanists study these pressed plants, individually and collectively, to establish a history of plant life, often over centuries, because they contain compelling evidence of the ever modulating geographical distribution of plants and evidence of how climate, pests, and other factors have changed species over time. More... |
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PLACE ON HOME
Searching for the next JOIE editor-in-chiefUMRA’s online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays is a unique venue hosting diverse content that is enjoyed by people around the world. If you enjoy helping authors polish their products for publication, JOIE is looking for a new leader. It’s an opportunity that has been tremendously rewarding for the outgoing editor-in-chief. More...Published: |
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PLACE ON HOME
Updating your email address with UMRAUMRA has lost contact with many members because of the unfortunate demise of your @umn.edu email accounts. If you haven’t done so already, please update your email address on our system. It won’t take long. More...Published: |
ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
Japan, Norway, and SwedenEvent Date:UMRA’s first Armchair Traveler program of the new year included two presentations featuring travels in Japan with Wayne “Ironwain” Potratz and in Norway and Sweden with Lynn Anderson. More... |
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BOOK CLUB I
Book Notes | ‘Tom Lake’Event Date:'Tom Lake' by Ann Patchett is set in the early summer of 2020 at a cherry orchard on the shores of Lake Michigan, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the three daughters of the main character have returned home to help with the harvest. More... |
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PLACE ON HOME
2025 Nominating Committee update: There’s still time to suggest candidatesIf you or someone you know would be a good candidate for president-elect or a position on the UMRA Board of Directors, please contact one of the eight members of UMRA’s 2025 Nominating Committee. More...Published: |
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VOLUNTEER CENTER
Volunteer Center: Connecting people to projects that really make a differenceFormer President Jimmy Carter’s version of “retirement” was remarkable. What if all U of M retirees started the new year stepping up our efforts to make the world better? More...Published: |
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PLACE ON HOME
HELLO, my name is Michael LuxenbergMeet Michael Luxenberg, the new co-leader of the UMRA Hiking Club. A retired data analyst and entrepreneur, he met his wife, UMRA member and Professor Emerita Joan Garfield, when both were grad students at the U of M and rode the campus bus from Minneapolis to St. Paul. More...Published: |
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JOIE
JOIE has videos!The UMRA-sponsored Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has added three videos to its online collection of original publications by UMRA members. More...Published: |
FAMILY HISTORY
Out of the basement and into the museumEvent Date:See the Family History presentations on sharing belongings that have historic value outside the family! More... |
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GRANTS FOR RETIREES
Give now to the PDGR program, and double your supportNow is an especially good time to support the UMRA grants program because all gifts made by December 31 will be doubled thanks to a challenge grant. Contributions are tax-deductible. More...Published: |
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PLACE ON HOME
HELLO, my name is Kathy Cramer.Kathy Cramer retired from the University as an associate professor of mathematics education and has some good advice for older adults interested in tutoring children: Don’t teach them what you learned. More...Published: |
NEWS
Help identify UMRA’s next leadersDo you have ideas for people who might be good candidates to serve on UMRA’s Board of Directors or as president-elect? If so, please consider volunteering to join the Nominating Committee for UMRA’s 2025 elections. It’s a modest commitment, but important. More...Published: |
FINANCE AND LEGAL GROUP
Taxes and Elections and Sunsets, Oh My! Tax planning for 2024 and beyond.Event Date:Watch the video to help you choose the moves that are right for you in this coming tax season. Everyone's tax situation is different, consult with a tax professional to come up with a financial plan well before year end. More... |
ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
Israel, Egypt, and TanzaniaEvent Date:UMRA member Paul Letourneau takes us on a safari in northern Tanzania and Brenda Knapp-Polzin shares photos and insights from a 2023 family trip to Israel and Egypt. More... |
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BOOK CLUB I
Book Notes | ‘A Fever in the Heartland’Event Date:This riveting story of the Ku Klux Klan’s reemergence in the 1920s, particularly in the Midwest, has many parallels with today. Members of UMRA’s Book Club were surprised to learn of the Klan’s phenomenal rise and control over the North in the ’20s. They agreed that there are differences today but that there is still much to be done. More... |