The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
The October luncheon program: a sampling of work funded by PDGR
The October program was a delightful sample of what can be done with an UMRA Professional Development Grant for Retirees. Kathleen O’Brien and Kathryn Fennelly talked about their projects.
O’Brien shared insights from 54 interviews she conducted of women from 35 cities in elected office from 1970–2000. The grant that she received paid for transcribing interviews but also “gave me credibility and opened doors,” she said. The Minnesota Historical Society has this archival collection, which includes the oral history interviews, transcripts, donated personal manuscripts, and memorabilia. She is planning to publish a manuscript and book of her findings.
Fennelly stated her appreciation for the PDGR funding that enabled her to adapt an e-course—one that she developed for law enforcement personnel who work with immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers—for use by other professional groups. Using her grant, she incorporated new interviews for social workers and health care professionals. Thousands of law enforcement, social workers, and health care personnel are now enrolled in the e-course in New York, where she now lives, and nationwide. For info: [email protected].
Kathleen O’Brien and Katherine Fennelly have stories to tell
Tue, October 25 2016, 11:30am
Conference Room ABC, Campus Club, Fourth Floor, Coffman Memorial Union
Kathleen O’Brien has used her academic training and experience as a historian to interview more than 50 women who have served in 30 Minnesota cities as mayor or city council members between 1970 and 2000. The goal of these oral history interviews is to capture the contributions of women in our state’s local government and to ensure they are preserved and included in Minnesota’s history.
The Minnesota Historical Society has established an archival collection to house this project, which includes the oral history interviews, printed transcripts, donated personal manuscripts, and campaign memorabilia. Among her objectives in this three-year project is encouraging women to report their own stories.
O’Brien served as vice president for University Services for 11 years and had responsibility for the non-academic operations of the University across the state. During her tenure she addressed many complex issues including negotiating the alignment of the Central Corridor LRT through the Twin Cities campus and the construction of capital projects such as the BioSciences Discovery District, Bruininks Hall, and TCF Bank Stadium. Prior to her administrative positions at the University, she was elected to three terms on the Minneapolis City Council and served as chief administrator for Minneapolis for eight years.
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.