SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Breakfast: Facing challenges to democracy

Wed, Jun 25, 2025, 8:30am

Location
Original Pancake House- private dining room
1661 W County Rd B2
Roseville, MN 55113
 

Professor Kathryn Pearson will be a special guest at the UMRA breakfast in June. This will be an opportunity to hear Professor Pearson’s perspective on President Trumps’s first 100 days, and to engage in discussion about what we, as individual citizens, can do in these challenging times for democracy.

Kathryn Pearson, PhD, is an associate professor of political science in the U’s College of Liberal Arts. She focuses on American politics, including Congress, elections, political parties, and gender bias.

She earned her doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley; worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant; was a research fellow at the Brookings Institution; and is a recipient of the Morse-Alumni Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education at the U of M.

Sign ups for this event are through the new member portal -- be sure to create your login before you try to use this.  Don't have the email?  Search for an email from [email protected].  It may have gone to your spam folder. 

Reserve online or contact the reservationist. 

Please let us know if you sign up and cannot attend.  Cancellations can be made in your profile, online.  

For questions, contact Lynn Slifer or Bill Donohue.



Upcoming Events

Event Date: July 13, 2026, at 9:30am

Kayaking at Lake Bde Maka Ska.


Event Date: July 17, 2026, at 2pm

UMRA Book Club I will discuss The Silent Patient, a psychological thriller and debut novel by Alex Michaelides, when it meets via Zoom on Friday, July 17. 


Event Date: July 21, 2026, at 4pm


Two major conferences, one organized by the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) and the other by the Big Ten Retirees Association (BTRA), will take place this year. The AROHE conference will be held in Florida and the BTRA conference will be hosted by UMRA on the UMN campus.

The AROHE conference invites all interested retirees and university faculty and staff to reimagine retirement. You are invited to register if interested at https://www.arohe.org/2026-Conference.

The BTRA is being hosted by UMRA this year. Leadership of retiree organizations around the US will convene to share competencies. Attendance is restricted.


Event Date: August 3, 2026, at 9:30am

Bev leads the Nokomis walk to Minnehaha Falls.


Event Date: August 17, 2026, at 9:30am

Nanette leads a trail of two cities hike.


Event Date: August 18, 2026, at 11am - 1:30pm

10:30 a.m. check in; 10:45 boarding; cruise from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Join UMRA friends and colleagues for a summer cruise and lunch aboard the Paradise Destiny II on beautiful Lake Minnetonka. Paul Maravelas, sailor, historian, and author of The History of Big Island, Lake Minnetonka will join us to share stories from 200+ years of lake-dwellers. Come early or stay after the cruise to explore Excelsior, a charming small town on the big lake.

Ticket price includes lunch: chef's sandwich, garden salad, fruit, chips, and cookies. Coffee, iced tea, and lemonade are complimentary and there will be a cash bar for other beverages. A vegetarian sandwich can be selected during registration.


Event Date: September 8, 2026, at 12:30pm

The theme for September is "Monuments."


Event Date: September 21, 2026, at 9:30am

Bev leads a Lake of the Isles hike with Bun Coffee afterwards.


Event Date: September 21, 2026, at 10am

Critical issues facing detained immigrants and their families will be discussed.