2019 PDGR grants—time to apply!
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.
News
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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.
“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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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: