Forums Archive
Events Archive
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Cabinets of Curiosity: Spring at the UMN CBS ConservatoryEvent Date:The UMRA Cabinets of Curiosity tour will be at the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) Conservatory & Botanical Collection on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. The amazing glass-walled greenhouse features four biomes with distinct climates, landscapes, and floras, with particular emphasis on plants of the southern hemisphere. Please plan to join us in this special opportunity to visit spaces not normally open to the public. More... |
FAMILY HISTORY
Women’s early role in social changeEvent Date:UMRA members Vicki Gaylord and Craig Swan will share stories of their ancestors’ participation in social change movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—and how they discovered those stories—when UMRA’s Family History Interest Group meets via Zoom on Wednesday, April 3. More... |
TRAVEL TOURS
Sunny PortugalEvent Date:The Retiree Association at Winona State is inviting UMRA members to join them a trip to Portugal in 2024. The final date to register is October 2, 2023. You're encouraged to register some time in August as spaces will fill up. More... |
HIKING
Lake Nokomis hikeEvent Date:Let's meet on the west side of Lake Nokomis by the main beach and shelter for a 5 to 5.5 mile hike. We will go around the north end of the lake and on to Minnehaha Falls by way of Minnehaha Parkway, returning to the start by a different route through neighborhoods around the lake. This is an easy hike on paved walkways. Pace will accommodate all hikers. More... |
BOOK CLUB II
Fourth Friday Book Club to meet March 22Event Date:Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, a recipient of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and other awards, is the Fourth Friday Book Club’s selection for March. The setting is Appalachia in the early days of the opioid epidemic. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Club I to meet March 15Event Date:Mariah Snyder will lead the discussion of The Other Einstein, an historical novel by bestselling author Marie Benedict, when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 15. More... |
PHOTO CLUB
Photo Club to meet March 12Event Date:“Houses of worship” will be the theme when the UMRA Photo Club meets in person at the Hennepin County branch library in St. Anthony on March. Newcomers are welcome. More... |
ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
Explore life above the Arctic Circle and close to homeEvent Date:Explore life above the Arctic Circle with Janet and Craig Swan, and closer to home with Carol Urness when UMRA’s Armchair Traveler program meets via Zoom on Wednesday, March 6. More... |
TRAVEL TOURS
Bountiful BrazilEvent Date:Step aboard Oceania Cruises’ Marina on this UMAA trip and let your wanderlust guide you on an unforgettable 10-night journey through the vibrant heart of South America. More... |
HIKING
Hike Fort Snelling State Park March 4Event Date:The UMRA Hiking Club will explore wildlife along the Mississippi River when it hikes the Pike Island Loop in Fort Snelling State Park on Monday, March 4. More... |
BOOK CLUB II
Fourth Friday Book Club to read 'The Bluest Eye' by Toni MorrisonEvent Date:The Bluest Eye, published in 1970 and the first novel by Toni Morrison, is next up for UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club when it meets via Zoom on February 23. Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. More... |
EVENTS
Informational webinar on transferring emailsEvent Date:I'm pleased to share with you the invitation from UMN OIT for a training session (Feb. 22, 9:30am - 11:00am, via Zoom) to provide information on how to transfer your umn.edu emails and contacts to another platform - either the @alumnus.umn.edu one or another you might already have. Eric Hockert, UMRA President More... |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Club I to discuss E. M. Forster's masterpiece 'Howards End'Event Date:Pat Tollefson will lead the discussion of E. M. Forster’s classic work Howard’s End when the UMRA Book Club meets on Friday, February 16. More... |
PHOTO CLUB
Photo Club February meetingEvent Date:“Wallpaper” will be the theme when the UMRA Photo Club meets at 12:30 p.m., on Tuesday, February 13, in the St. Anthony branch of the Hennepin County Library, located at the east end of the shopping center at 2941 Pentagon Drive NE in St. Anthony. More... |
EVENTS
Premier screening of 'Hope in the Struggle'Event Date:This PBS Twin Cities documentary showcases the life and work of author, activist, and UMN Regent Emerita Josie Johnson. More... |
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Cabinets of Curiosity: Insect Collection and Natural Resources LibraryEvent Date:If you are curious about insects in their astonishing variety, plan to join the UMRA Cabinets of Curiosity to tour the Insect Collection and Natural Resources Library in Hodson Hall. More... |
FAMILY HISTORY
Are we Cousins?Event Date:Inspired by the unexpected discovery that a friend of 15 years was his third cousin, and by the PBS series “Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates Jr.,” Craig Swan wondered how many other cousins he might be meeting every day without realizing they were cousins. More... |
HIKING
Encore urban hike February 5Event Date:For our first hike of the new year, the UMRA Hiking Club will again sample a stretch of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park, from The Bakken Museum to the Lake Harriet Bandshell. More... |
TRAVEL TOURS
Cancelled: Ancient Egypt & Nile River CruiseEvent Date:This trip has been cancelled. Smartours is offering a trip to Egypt, visiting cities along the Nile and a 3 day Nile cruise for $3,749 per person, double occupancy, RT from N.Y., on 3 dates. More... |
EVENT SUMMARY
AROHE “Reimagining Retirement” webinarsEvent Date: -UMRA is pleased to offer a free webinar series developed by the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE), of which we are a member. More... |
NEWS
Help support UMRA programs and activitiesUMRA members now have two convenient online giving options for making donations to support UMRA programs and activities. More...Published: |
NEWS
Program Committee wants feedbackUMRA runs on volunteers. The Program Committee is a great way to have an impact with a very reasonable time commitment. More...Published: |
PLACE ON HOME
Nominations sought for UMRA officers and directorsThe Nominating Committee invites you to contribute to UMRA by volunteering to run for election to serve on UMRA’s Board of Directors or by nominating someone else who would add value and perspective to our organization. More...Published: |
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: |
ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
Knowing IcelandEvent Date:For our Armchair Traveler Program on January 24, 2024, Kate Maple took us to western Iceland. Her photos are incredible and her descriptions are informative and poetic. She and her friend and traveling companion Michelle Schermann had an amazing experience exploring some lesser-known parts of Iceland and we had an amazing experience hearing all about it and seeing amazing pictures. More... |
NEWS
Presidential searchUMRA sent a letter to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents on January 9, urging them to be keenly aware of the overwhelming challenges the new University president will face and the immense range of skills they’ll require. An abbreviated version of the letter was published on the letters-to-the-editor page of the Star Tribune on January 25. More...Published: |
BOOK CLUB I
Book Notes | ‘Fox Creek’Event Date:Set in the Northwoods of Minnesota, 'Fox Creek,' the 19th book in the Cork O’Connor mystery series by William Kent Krueger, is about the conflict between Native and white people in the use of natural resources in both the U.S. and Canada. More... |
PLACE ON HOME
UMN email updateAttention UMRA members who use a UMN email account and internet ID. In early January, you should have received an email from the Office of Information Technology stating “… your University of Minnesota email and Google Workspace account will be closed on Saturday, December 7, 2024.” See the announcement for this event. More...Published: |
NEWS
Hello, my name is Brad ClaryMeet UMRA member Bradley G. Clary, emeritus clinical professor of law, Distinguished University Teacher, and tae kwon do black belt. More...Published: |
JOIE
JOIE wants your opinions, ideas, and essaysIf you have an article you’ve written, or would like to write, but haven’t found a place for publication, UMRA’s online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays may be just the right place for you. More...Published: |
PLACE ON HOME
UMRA’s Silver Gopher Service Corps welcomes youIf you’re one of the 200-plus new members who joined UMRA in the past two years and are looking for ways to meet people and give back to the community, consider volunteering with UMRA’s Silver Gopher Service Corps. More...Published: |
EVENT SUMMARY
Reframing your identityEvent Date: -The first session of the three-part “Reimagining Retirement” series developed by the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education featured University of Toronto sociology professor Michelle Pannor Silver, PhD. She discussed how careful planning for late career transitions can honor one’s lifelong commitment to work. More... |
PLACE ON HOME
UMRA dues will increase in 2024UMRA provides an engaging array of learning opportunities and social events to make UMRA membership a great value. But, like everyone, we’re feeling the effects of inflation and paying more for everything we buy. More...Published: |
NEWS
Hello, my name is Alice A. LarsonMeet UMRA member and Professor Emeritus Alice Larson, and take note of what she has to say about the importance of “creative muscle” as we age. More...Published: |
NEWS
Help wanted: Nominating Committee membersAs UMRA’s immediate past president, it’s my job to chair this year’s Nominating Committee to recommend nominations for our next president-elect/Program Committee chair and open positions on the UMRA Board of Directors. Might you be interested in serving on the committee, or being a candidate? More...Published: |