FORUM

President Cunningham’s vision for the University of Minnesota

Wed, October 16 2024, 10:45am
Rebecca Cunningham, MD
President
University of Minnesota

Location
Midland Hills Country Club
2001 Fulham Street
Roseville MN 55113

 
 

We are thrilled that Rebecca Cunningham, MD, the new president of the University of Minnesota, has agreed to share her vision and priorities with us at UMRA’s Wednesday, October 16, luncheon forum at Midland Hills Country Club. 

It is always exciting and a bit uncertain when a university inaugurates a new president, with the possibility of new directions or priorities. We’re honored that President Cunningham chose UMRA as one of her early audiences, and we hope to have a big turnout to show her that our members are engaged and involved. 

As the 18th president of the University of Minnesota System, Cunningham’s experience as an emergency medicine physician and public health researcher will surely come to the fore to help drive the University’s commitment to the health, well-being, and safety of our state, nation, and world. She served the University of Michigan as the vice president for research and innovation and worked strategically across their three campuses immediately prior to becoming president of the University of Minnesota. 

Working together

On her presidential website Cunningham states: “By working together, I am confident we can push the boundaries of research and discovery, advance teaching and learning, enhance health, and strengthen our collective outreach for the public good.” We hope to hear more specifics from her in person.

The website also includes multiple communications in the short time Cunningham has been in office. (She officially took office on July 1.) Her reports to the Board of Regents range from the personal—she was the first in her family to go directly to college after high school—to a promise to lead by listening. In her first weeks in Minnesota, she met with tribal leaders, toured the four academic health facilities that make up the M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center, connected with alumni networks, toured the St. Paul campus and its colleges, and threw out the first pitch at a Minnesota Twins baseball game.

Cunningham began her medical career with a residency in emergency medicine at the University of Michigan and a postdoctoral fellowship with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. She held faculty appointments in the University of Michigan’s Medical School and School of Public Health. Her research focuses on public health and injury and violence prevention, collaborating with colleagues across disciplines including engineering, communications, transportation, and public policy. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019. 

Please make your reservation now for UMRA’s Wednesday, October 16, luncheon forum at Midland Hills. As a colleague at another Big Ten institution recently said, “We (retirees) ‘set the table’ for everything that happens at the university now.” 

—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA president



Covid: UMRA policy requires all participants to be vaccinated. Masks are optional.

Cancellations: Cancellations and refunds will be honored until October 6. We are not able to accommodate registrations on the day of the event.


Upcoming Events

Event Date: October 7, 2024, at 9:30am

Our October 7 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park.  This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside.  The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks.  After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park. 


Event Date: October 8, 2024, at 12:30pm

The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. at the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards. "Plains" is the theme for October.


Event Date: October 13, 2024, at 9am

This trip begins in Madrid and ends in Barcelona with stops 3 cities in between. International round trip airfare from NYC is included in the quoted price. See the attached a copy of the e-brochure with highlights and complete itinerary.  Register by May 1.  Trip is October 13, 2024.


Event Date: October 15, 2024, at 11am

Our annual workshop on Open Enrollment for University retiree health insurance plans for the coming year will include information about changes in federal law impacting drug coverage in 2025. The presentation by Katie Kolodge will also include a preview of changes ahead for 2026, when the U will introduce a new “exchange program” offering a wider variety in premium and plan options to choose from and navigators to help guide your decision-making. 


Event Date: October 16, 2024, at 10:45am

We are thrilled and honored that Rebecca Cunningham, MD, the new president of the University of Minnesota, has agreed to share her vision and priorities for the University with us at UMRA’s October luncheon forum. And we hope to have a big turnout to show her that our members are engaged and involved. 


Event Date: October 18, 2024, at 2pm

Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver.


Event Date: October 21, 2024, at 9:30am

We will hike Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, located 15 minutes southeast of Northfield, Minnesota, and about one hour from the Twin Cities northern suburbs, one of the last remnants of Minnesota’s Big Woods. We will see the ancient forests of pre-settlement Minnesota: sugar maple, basswood, elm, green ash, and ironwood trees; over 50 varieties of wildflowers and many species of ferns and mushrooms along the rolling hills and glacial-cut valleys. 


Event Date: October 25, 2024, at 2pm

Vintage Munro is a collection of short stories from throughout the literary career of author Alice Munro, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013. 


Event Date: October 28, 2024, at 12pm - November 8, 2024, at 12pm

Your UMRA Travel Committee has added a new Road Scholar tour in 2024 for members, "On the Road: Absolute Southwest - A Canyon Lands Adventure." The journey begins on Monday, October 28, 2024 to Friday, November 8, 2024. Register by May 1.


Event Date: November 6, 2024, at 10am

Earl and Rebecca Scott present "An African American family history."


Event Date: November 11, 2024, at 10am

Estate Planning Attorney Matt Guttman discusses trusts and other estate planning issues.


Event Date: November 12, 2024, at 12:30pm

Museums is the theme for November.


Event Date: November 13, 2024, at 10:30am

The Kerlan is one of the world’s leading collections of rare books, manuscripts, and original art of children’s literature. It contains the work of more the 1,700 authors and illustrators from the 19th and 20th centuries to today, and it is the founding and largest collection within the University’s Children’s Literature and Research Collections.


Event Date: November 23, 2024, at 4:30pm

Group of tickets is reserved for us. Enjoy discounted tickets and attend with your fellow UMRA Members! Time is to be determined.


Event Date: December 2, 2024, at 10am

Presented by Andy Whitman, PhD, Licensed Attorney, Tax Preparer & Volunteer Financial Planner at Prepare + Prosper.

Choose the moves that are right for you. Everyone's tax situation is different, consult with a tax professional to come up with a financial plan well before year end.


Event Date: December 10, 2024, at 12:30pm

The theme is "Flowers."


Event Date: December 20, 2024, at 2pm

Planning meeting for 2025.