Some of the previous PDGR grant recipients gathered for a group picture following UMRA’s October luncheon. Pictured, from left: Alan Lathrop, Calvin Kendall, Cathy Lee Gierke, Kim Munholland, Joanne Eicher, Jonathan Ravdin, Gloria Williams, and Jerry Rinehart. Drs. Eicher and Ravdin were the featured speakers for the luncheon forum.

Professional Development Grants for Retirees are available for all faculty, professional and administrative, and civil service retirees from all campuses of the University who will be fully retired by July 1, 2019. The application deadline is December 14.

Grants may provide up to $5,000. Expenses may include travel and per diem costs related to research trips and conference attendance, stipends for undergraduate and/or graduate research assistants, photocopying, the purchase of books, computer hardware, software, and other relevant costs of scholarship.

Visit umra.umn.edu > Serving U > Grants for Retirees for application instructions and a listing of previous awards.

The variety of projects that have been funded since the PDGR program was launched 10 years ago is impressive. It shows the value this program has played in helping retirees from all parts of the University to remain actively engaged in their professional interests.

For example, a retired librarian did a book-length study of the life and career of architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, who designed the Cathedral of St. Paul and the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. And a retired Duluth faculty member analyzed pollutants held in the rings of old-growth northern hardwoods to enable a deeper understanding of the long-term trends in these forests.

The PDGR program is funded by the University and by generous gifts from individuals, including many UMRA members. We welcome your support! Contact Lynn Praska ([email protected] or 612-624-4158) at the University of Minnesota Foundation to learn about options for supporting this valuable program.

—Dick Poppele, chair, PDGR Committee

Give to the Max Day

Give to the Max Day is an annual, online-only fundraising effort to raise philanthropic support for nonprofits and schools throughout the state, including the University. Last year, the U received more than 3,300 gifts and raised a record-setting $1.4 million on the big day.

There are no fees charged on gifts made directly to the U during the one-day giving event, to be held November 15 this year. To make a gift in support of the PDGR program, go to givingday.umn.edu > Give now > Find a cause, then search for “retirees” and choose Professional Development Grants for Retirees.