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Forums Archive
Events Archive
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HIKING
Bde Maka Ska kayaking "hike"Event Date:Our July 14 "hike" is a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles led by Barb Friedman and Bev Moe. More... |
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HIKING
County park hike in MonticelloEvent Date:The UMRA Hiking Club will hike two wonderful county parks in Monticello, MN on Monday, July 7. Lynn Anderson will lead the hikes and we will meet at her home at 9:30 a.m. and carpool from there. More... |
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BOOK CLUB II
Fourth Friday Book Club in JuneEvent Date:H is for Hawk: A Memoir on Grief and Falconry by Helen Macdonald, published 2016. More... |
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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Breakfast: Facing challenges to democracyEvent Date:Professor Kathryn Pearson will be a special guest at the UMRA breakfast in June. This will be an opportunity to hear Professor Pearson’s perspective on President Trumps’s first 100 days, and to engage in discussion about what we, as individual citizens, can do in these challenging times for democracy. More... |
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EVENTS
2025 Age-Friendly University DayEvent Date:Learn about writing memoirs, technology for seniors, campus architecture, and more at the fourth annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held in the McNamara Alumni Center on the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis on Monday, June 23. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Club I in JuneEvent Date:The UMRA Book Club will discuss The Great River by Boyce Upholt when it meets via Zoom on June 20. More... |
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HIKING
Richardson Nature Center hikeEvent Date:Join Michael Luxenberg for a 4-to-5-mile hike at one of the most popular parks in the West Metro, Richardson Nature Center in Bloomington. It is located at the north end of Hyland Lake Park Reserve at 8737 East Bush Lake Road in Bloomington. More... |
PHOTO CLUB
June Photo ClubEvent Date:The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards. The theme is hats. More... |
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HIKING
Minnehaha Creek hikeEvent Date:June is the perfect time for an urban hike! Bev will lead a 4-mile hike from Lake Nokomis Community Center along Minnehaha Creek to Minnehaha Falls and back. More... |
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BOOK CLUB II
Fourth Friday Book Club in MayEvent Date:I, Claudius by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934, will be up for discussion when UMRA's Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom on May 23. More... |
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HIKING
Wood Lake Nature CenterEvent Date:Wood Lake Nature Center is a peaceful 150-acre cattail marsh, woodland, and restored prairie that is a haven for migrating birds and waterfowl. This UMRA hike is a great opportunity for those who would like a shorter, easier hike. The trails are dirt, grass, and woodchip, with some bridges and a bit of paved trails. Only a couple small hills to navigate, the park is mostly flat. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Club I May 16Event Date:The UMRA Book Club will discuss The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon when it meets via Zoom on May 16. More... |
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PHOTO CLUB
Photo Club photo shoot May 13Event Date:The UMRA Photo Club is having a photo shoot at the Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul on Tuesday, May 13. More... |
FINANCE AND LEGAL GROUP
Education Funding, tax-efficiently, for Children by Parents, Grandparents, Great Grandparents and Friends.Event Date:You are cordially invited to this presentation by Andy Whitman, Professor, Attorney, Volunteer Financial Planner. He will discuss investments for your grandchildren. More... |
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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
UMRA breakfast: Cancer and recoveryEvent Date:Cancer has touched all of us. If you are willing to share your cancer journey or talk about your experience with a person you have supported, please consider attending the May 8 UMRA breakfast gathering at The Original Pancake House in Roseville. More... |
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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Cabinets of Curiosity: Revisiting Minnesota Memories in the University ArchivesEvent Date:We will revisit 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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FAMILY HISTORY
Open discussion and planning for next yearEvent Date:UMRA’s Family History Interest Group will meet via Zoom on Wednesday, May 7, for an open discussion of ideas, insights, questions, and issues related to family history, and to discuss topics for next year’s meetings. More... |
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HIKING
Minnesota Landscape ArboretumEvent Date:Peter Moe, retired Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director and UMRA member, will be leading a hiking tour of the Arboretum again this year. The amazing tulip display was at its peak for our hike last year, and we will undoubtedly enjoy seeing many spring-blooming trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and perennials. Plan to stay for lunch together (optional) after the hike at the Rootstock café in the Oswald Visitor Center. More... |
UMN MORRIS RETIREES
Morris Campus Retirees April meetingEvent Date:Morris Campus Retirees will host a Zoom meeting. Morris Campus Retirees are part of the University of Minnesota Retiree Association (UMRA). The group has already held two meetings in its first year of existence. More... |
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BOOK CLUB II
Fourth Friday Book Club April 25Event Date:The Black Count: Glory and Betrayal by Tom Reiss, published in 2012 and winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in biography, will be the selection for discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 25. Newcomers are welcome. More... |
FINANCE AND LEGAL GROUP
Commercializing UMN Research & Inventions - Yields Excellent, Lasting ReturnsEvent Date:Rick Huebsch, Associate VP for Research, Technology Commercialization at UMN, discussed 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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PLACE ON HOME
HELLO, my name is Sandy WeisbergMeet UMRA member and statistics Professor Emeritus Sandy Weisberg. His work in “regression analysis” is the direct ancestor of predictive artificial intelligence. His first job was renting televisions to patients in the now-defunct Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles. More...Published: |
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JOIE
JOIE is seeking new editor-in-chiefThe UMRA-sponsored Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays is seeking a new editor-in-chief who can promote the e-publication, solicit authors, and ensure JOIE’s continued success. More...Published: |
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VOLUNTEER CENTER
What's in an hour?Volunteer work is usually evaluated according to “replacement rate” figures based on hourly wages. But the data on hours contributed and people served are just the notes on the page; the music is in the human spirit behind and beyond them. More...Published: |
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VOLUNTEER CENTER
Two new members elected to URVC Leadership CouncilThe University Retirees Volunteer Center Leadership Council has elected two new members, including UMRA member Scott Elton (pictured), and re-elected four members for second, three-year terms. More...Published: |
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BOOK CLUB I
Book Notes | ‘Random Family’Event Date:Author Adrian Nicole LeBlanc spent 10 years hanging out in the Bronx with one loosely defined family, while she tracked its fate. Most UMRA Book Club members thought LeBlanc’s “unflinching documentary” provided more questions than answers. More... |
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NEWS
Announcing the new UMRA member portalUMRA is excited to announce the launch of a new member portal in late April. This web-based, member management software system is hosted by a company called WildApricot and will replace the current member portal at retirees.umn.edu, where you currently renew your membership and sign up for events. The new portal simplifies and more efficiently manages many essential tasks for UMRA, including enrolling new members, updating member records, registering event attendees, and processing payments. More...Published: |
FAMILY HISTORY
Finding Almira Fifield (1833-1863) of Valparaiso, IndianaEvent Date:Barbara Brandt discovered her ancestor, Dr. Almira Fifield, “the Lost Heroine of Porter County,” buried in an unmarked grave in Indiana. Learn how she unlocked Almira’s story. More... |
FAMILY HISTORY
Dale LangeI have developed a special interest in my seventh great grandfather, Michael Pierce… Putting together the pieces of Michael’s life has been an interesting journey, even if at times complicated and confusing. I have learned to evaluate sources that tell different stories and cannot agree on what one might think are basic facts like when and where someone was born. I have learned to accept and live with these and other ambiguities. More...Published: |
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BOOK CLUB I
Book Notes | ‘Good Night, Irene’Event Date:Luis Alberto Urrea’s historical novel about the Red Cross Clubmobile women who served in Europe during World War II is based on the experiences of his mother, who joined the service in 1943. More... |
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NEWS
Operational needs: Help make UMRA runThis will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: More...Published: |
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NEWS
Regents OK “institutional” communication policy changesAt a contentious meeting March 14, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved a resolution restricting University units from issuing statements “of public concern or public interest.” Several dozen faculty and students present vehemently protested the resolution. More...Published: |
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NEWS
HELLO, my name is Vicki GaylordMeet UMRA member Vicki Gaylord. In her 32-year career at the Institute of Community Integration, a U of M Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, she made a positive impact on the lives of thousands of people around the world. More...Published: |
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VOLUNTEER CENTER
Join the URVC Leadership CouncilThe University Retirees Volunteer Center is seeking candidates to serve on the URVC Leadership Council. The council meets six times per year to identify opportunities for volunteer projects and develop strategies for growing and supporting volunteer participation. More...Published: |
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VOLUNTEER CENTER
Volunteer spotlight | A life of dedication and serviceDeanne Magnusson was raised in a family in which education and volunteerism were encouraged. She earned three degrees at the U of M, and enjoyed a career working in education with leaders and schools in Minnesota and across the world. These experiences, and her volunteer work today with URVC, continue to transform her as an educator and as a person. More...Published: |