URVC welcomes new leadership
As the University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) transitions into a new program year and a new “home” within UMRA, we welcome three new members to the URVC Management Committee.
Terry Smith retired three years ago as a senior staff scientist in fiber optics at 3M. He has taken several non-credit classes from the University and has participated in the U of M Extension Master Gardner volunteer program. His broad volunteer activities focus on food security, nutrition, and disability—including, in the latter area, a horse therapy program for the developmentally disabled.
Andrew Phelan worked at the U for 30 years and retired as assistant director of the Department of Environmental Health & Safety. He was a recipient, in 2008, of the President’s Award for Outstanding Service. His volunteer activities during his first 10 years of retirement include working with AARP tax preparation each January through April, and participating in Hook and Ladder musical theater in the Seward neighborhood in Minneapolis.
Michelle Trudeau-Spanjers was interviewed in the May 2022 UMRA News. Her educational background in horticultural science is reflected in her completion of the U’s Master Gardener and Minnesota Master Naturalist programs. Through URVC she has volunteered for Red Cross blood drives, Second Harvest Heartland, and Great River Greening. Her interests are biology, science, and food equity.
To find out more about volunteer opportunities available through URVC, please call 612-625-8016 or visit the URVC website at urvc.umn.edu, where you can register to receive information related to your areas of interest.
—Jerry Rinehart, URVC Management Committee, chair
News
The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.
“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson
Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.
The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans.
Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody.
Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!
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:
Meet UMRA member Millie Woodbury, a lifelong world traveler whose favorite place on campus is Aisle C, Seat 24, at Northrop Auditorium.
Eight retirees from the Twin Cities and Morris campuses have been chosen to receive 2024 awards from UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees Program. As in previous years, their projects cover a diverse set of topics, reflecting the breadth of studies and continuing professional activities undertaken by University retirees.