News

From the President   

Eric Hockert, headshot cropped, summer 2023
FROM THE PRESIDENT

2024-05: Thank you to everyone

I thoroughly enjoyed this past year as UMRA president, and I’d like to recognize and thank all of you for being a part of our community of retirees and all of our leaders who provided activities and support for our 900-plus members. More...

 

News   

The Scarlet Letter, book cover 2
BOOK CLUB I

Book Notes | ‘The Scarlet Letter’

Event Date:

Set in the 1600s in a small town in Puritan New England, 'The Scarlet Letter' by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story of sin, cowardice, and survival. Members of the UMRA Book Club found the writing to be laborious, riddled with many words no longer in use, and wondered why the novel was on high school reading lists. More...

Diane Young, UMRA president-elect, April 2024
NEWS

Election of UMRA’s 2024–25 leaders to be held online

The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.

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Published:
Alice and Bob Larson and family, c. 2021.
NEWS

Our journey with Alzheimer’s

“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson

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Peter Moe. Photo by Sara Pace.
NEWS

HELLO, my name is Peter Moe

Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.

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Lynn Slifer, cropped, April 2024
VOLUNTEER CENTER

URVC Leadership Council welcomes two new members

The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.

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Google Workspace, UMN email graphic
NEWS

Changes to @umn.edu internet identity

The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans. 

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Big fish! Photo by Sheri Goldsmith May
PHOTO CLUB

An overview of the UMRA Photo Club

If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody. 

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JOIE banner
JOIE

Seeking editor-in-chief for JOIE

Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.

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UMRA, Engaging the future
NEWS

Renew your UMRA membership

Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!

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Help us make UMRA run
NEWS

Operational needs: Help make UMRA run

This 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:

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Memories: episodic, semantic, implicit, explicit
LIVING WELL WORKSHOP

Explaining the brain

Event Date:

Cognitive impairment will happen to many of us as we age. Understanding why and how and what can be done about the changes related to aging was the focus of UMRA’s March 19 workshop with neurologist Paul Schanfield, MD. The good news is, we don’t use the word “senile” any more. More...

The Other Einstein, book cover
BOOK CLUB I

Book Notes | ‘The Other Einstein’

Event Date:

In 'The Other Einstein,' an historical novel about the life of Albert Einstein’s first wife, Mileva Marić, author Marie Benedict speculates that Marić contributed significantly to the papers and relativity theory that are attributed to Einstein. The book raises several questions. More...

Millie Woodbury and Goldy
NEWS

HELLO, my name is Millie Woodbury

Meet UMRA member Millie Woodbury, a lifelong world traveler whose favorite place on campus is Aisle C, Seat 24, at Northrop Auditorium. 

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Andrea Gilats, PDGR 2024 award recipient
GRANTS FOR RETIREES

UMRA grants program announces 2024 awards

Eight retirees from the Twin Cities and Morris campuses have been chosen to receive 2024 awards from UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees Program. As in previous years, their projects cover a diverse set of topics, reflecting the breadth of studies and continuing professional activities undertaken by University retirees. 

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Tips and Tricks
NEWS

Cyber tips & tricks—changing your U email

Many of us are busy switching from using our UMN email to another email account – or at least contemplating how to go about it. This Tips & Tricks article highlights several key steps you may want to take, or need to take, as you make this change. Instructions are also included for making this change to your UMRA account login and UMRA member communications.

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