February, 2015 Luncheon
Tue, February 24 2015, 11:30am
Campus Club ABC
Internationally recognized expert in infectious disease epidemiology Michael T. Osterholm, Ph.D., M.P.H., will speak at UMRA's February meeting on the topic "The Ebola Epidemic: where we've been, where we're at, and where we are going."
Professor of Public Health, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, and a 15-year veteran as state epidemiologist in the Minnesota Department of Health, Dr. Osterholm is largely responsible for making Minnesota one of the premier states in proactive public health protection.
His gift for informing and educating the media and his fellow citizens about the important dimensions of public health science, preparedness, prevention, and health promotion has earned him frequent interviews on local as well as national public radio stations.
His straight talk on subjects such as influenza, bioterrorism, and pandemic preparedness has thrust him into a global role as advisor and consultant to the highest levels of the World Health Organization and U.S. government agencies: NIH, FDA, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Department of Defense.
In 2008, Professor Osterholm was named to the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center's Academy of Excellence in Health Research, and the same year he was appointed to the World Economic Forum working Group on Pandemics.
He is a member of the National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine (IOM), and the Council of Foreign Relations. Impressively, he is a recent recipient of the McKnight Presidential Chair in Public Health, one of the University's highest faculty honors.
Dr. Osterholm was a special advisor to Health Secretary Tommy Thompson after 9/11 on issues related to bioterrorism and public health preparedness. He has served on the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases board of Scientific Counselors and is former president of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. He was a reviewer on an IOM report on chemical and biological terrorism.
Michael Osterholm's passion for and dedication to research and education about the public health implications of infectious diseases have won him many honors.
Always on the cutting edge, always informed, always entertaining…and sometimes scary, Dr. Osterholm promises to be a great speaker for our February luncheon.
— Jean Kinsey, UMRA President-elect and Program Committee chair
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.