2021-2022 PDGR Abstracts
Joanne B. Eicher, Regents Professor Emerita College of Design, Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel, University of Minnesota, St Paul Campus.
Color images for book, Global Trade, Cultural Authentication, and the Kalabari of the Niger Delta. With aid from a 2015 UMRA grant requesting funds to prepare images for a book, I have completed a 100,000-word manuscript centered on the global trade and textiles of the Kalabari people of Nigeria. The book includes chapters from my academic publications, authored or co-authored, plus chapters by nine former advisees from the University of Minnesota. Together, we provide an in-depth examination of the Kalabari people’s long-time global connectedness and its influence on their textile traditions involving dress, including an Indian imported cloth (madras) which Kalabari artisans re-design by a process of subtracting threads. My contract with the Indiana University Press for a 2022 publication requires a $4,000 subsidy to support the cost of 80, full-color images for the book’s first print run. Since the book is visually focused, these images are crucial. With its African Expressive Cultures series, the Indiana University Press is the premiere publisher of African arts and history.
News
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.
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.
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.
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:
Meet UMRA member Millie Woodbury, a lifelong world traveler whose favorite place on campus is Aisle C, Seat 24, at Northrop Auditorium.
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.
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.
The 2024 PDGR grants have been decided and awarded. Seven grants were awarded to a variety of worthy studies.