HELLO, my name is Jim Luby
Hometown: I was born in Indiana but, from about 6 months old, I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin.
When did you join UMRA? In 2023, when my spouse, Professor Emily Hoover, former head of the Department of Horticultural Science, retired. She signed me up as a partner member, although I still had a bit over a year until my retirement.
What was your very first job? I was a farmhand on my uncle's dairy farm—milking cows, baling hay, fixing fences, and all the other good chores that went along with dairy farming.
What was your occupation when you retired from FT work? I was a professor in the Department of Horticultural Science where I led the fruit crops breeding and genetics team for almost 42 years. I also mentored graduate students and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in plant breeding and fruit crop production.
Emily had a distinguished faculty career as well. She researched various aspects of fruit crop production, and was a great teacher of numerous biology and horticulture courses, recognized as a Morse Distinguished Teaching Professor
How has technology revolutionized the field of plant breeding? The computing powers we now have enable us to evaluate prospective parents and their offspring by analyzing large sets (can be thousands) of genomic markers to predict their compatibility as parents and the success of their offspring, based on their genetic composition. Previously we could only guess based on what the parents looked like. This genomic prediction is something we studied as theoretically possible back in graduate school in the 1970s. However, we couldn't do this in fruit crops until we had these capabilities in the 2010s.
I've heard it said that it took a lifetime to develop the Honeycrisp apple. Is that true? It took about 30 years for Honeycrisp from when its parents were crossed until it was introduced in 1991. With our more recent varieties, we can be down at around 16 years if all goes well. A lot of this is better horticultural practices that make the trees bear fruit sooner. We have also become more efficient at the commercialization process, working with a great team in Technology Commercialization at RIO (Research & Innovation Office).
You must have some "aha" moments that are special memories from your career, yes? My really memorable moment was my first taste of the apple that would come to be known as SweeTango. I was on sabbatical leave in New Zealand when my long-time apple breeding colleague David Bedford first found this apple, known as MN1914 at the time. When I returned, he gave me one to try. I knew from the first bite that we had to make this our next introduction. It was bound to be a success due to its crisp texture and stunning flavor. It is still my favorite apple.
Do you have a favorite place on the U of M campus? The Horticultural Research Center at the Arboretum. It is where most of our research plots are located, and I always treasured the days I could spend there with the plants and people on our research team.
What is something you currently enjoy doing with your time now that you’ve been retired for a year? More time skiing (I am an avid Nordic skier) and being with my family. It is great to have more flexibility with my time.
News
Declining government funding, inflation, loss of purchasing power, low birthrates, and lack of trust in the nation’s institutions have combined to create a confidence crisis in higher education not seen for decades. Minnesota is no exception.
Since its inception 40 years ago, the University Retirees Volunteer Center has focused on identifying where help is needed within the University community and has provided opportunities for thousands of retirees to use their skills, experience, and interests to help address those needs.
Meet UMRA member Nancy Carpenter. She grew up in the American heartland; nevertheless, she was surprised by the frigid, snow-covered landscape when she visited Minnesota for the first tine to interview for a job teaching chemistry at UMN Morris.
UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees are intended to support projects related to University of Minnesota retirees' research, instructional or work history, or new scholarly interests that contribute to the academic reputation of the University.
After working decades in communications for the U’s Center for Transportation Studies, Pam Snople perks up whenever she sees transportation news. It’s usually the salacious stuff that makes the headlines. But, behind the scenes, vehicle automation research keeps rolling along — including key work by UMN researchers.
Renée Good was killed in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge. One month later, a community memorial to mourn her death and celebrate her life was held. Susan Ranney attended the ceremony and wrote an evocative essay on the service, which was published recently in UMRA’s Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays.
Professor Emeritus Alan Kagan has played many roles in his nearly 30 years of service with the University Retirees Volunteer Center. From assisting with phone calls to becoming office manager and eventually serving on and chairing the Volunteer Center’s board, Kagan helped build the organization into the robust operation it is today.
We’re already getting organized to identify and recruit members to step into leadership roles in 2027. As a well-informed and engaged UMRA member, you are invited to play a role in the process.
I’ve been an UMRA member for more than a decade and each year I’m impressed anew by the energy and dedication of the volunteers who do the work of the organization. I invite you to join in their efforts. But if that’s not possible, there’s something else you can do to help support UMRA: Renew your membership.
You don’t have to go far, and you don’t have to drink coffee. It’s the conversation that matters. It’s a new, experimental effort being organized by the wizards of UMRA; a meet-up of members who live in the same zip code.
Beginning January 1, 2027, the University of Minnesota is making updates to medical plans, the pharmacy vendor, and the Wellbeing Program incentive that apply to retirees and dependents enrolled in these plans.
The University of Minnesota has had a presence at the Great Minnesota Get-Together for 167 years. And on September 3, 2026, UMRA made its Minnesota State Fair debut to talk with fairgoers (on Seniors Day) about retirement and to promote opportunities to volunteer through our University Retirees Volunteer Center.
Like all of us, UMRA member Barbara Heinemann has been reflecting on 9/11 and life in the 25 years since then, with mixed feelings.
December 31 is the application deadline for UMRA’s 2027 Professional Development Grants for Retirees competition. Retirees from all five University of Minnesota campuses are eligible to apply. We invited Brad Hokanson, professor emeritus, UMN Department of Design Innovation, to tell us about the work supported by his 2026 grant to promote teaching creativity in high schools.
Meet UMRA member and volunteer extraordinaire Kay Louis. She devoted her career as an Extension educator — “bringing the University to the people” — to developing and providing programming for adults and youth.
The UMRA membership year runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership for 2027, it’s definitely time to do so!
UMRA has a Facebook group that is open to UMN retirees and others with close ties to the University, for posting messages about anything University- or retiree-related. Learn more.
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: