Place on home

Santa Fe and Taos: A Tale of Two Cities

Get an insider's perspective on Santa Fe and Taos alongside local artists, exploring the Georgia O'Keeffe museum, enjoying traditional music and learning about native cultures. The deadline for reserving a space is June 2, 2023.

Age-Friendly University Day

Two special presenters and discussions on financial fraud, mindfulness, climate change, and more will be the focus of the second annual “Age-Friendly University Day” at the University on Monday, June 26. 

Photo Club May Photo Shoot

The UMRA Photo Club is planning a photo shoot at the Franconia Sculpture Park. Lunch before at the Taylor's Falls Drive-In, if you are interested.

Election of UMRA’s 2023–24 leadership to be held online

This year’s election of UMRA officers and new board members will be conducted via an online poll from May 15 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 23. Also on the ballot will be a vote to amend the UMRA bylaws.

Hike Moir Park in Bloomington

On Monday, May 1, the UMRA Hiking Club will meet at Moir Park in Bloomington for a 4.5-mile hike along Nine Mile Creek on grass, wood chips, and paved trails.

Silver Gophers volunteer to help children experiencing food insecurity

Nearly 20 members of UMRA’s Silver Gopher Service Corps met as a team in mid-April to pack food for school children facing food insecurity at home in Minnesota. The food-packing event, held at the Every Meal Volunteer Center in Roseville, was superbly organized. It felt “good to be involved in a worthy cause,” said Clif Ware, one of the volunteers.

Silver Gopher Service Corps steps up to help fill the Class of 2027

An enthusiastic group of stalwart retirees trudged through snow, ice, and wind to greet future students and their families on the University’s first-ever Newly Admitted Students Welcome Day, hosted by the Office of Admissions.

Time to renew your membership

Soon you will be receiving an invitation to renew your UMRA membership for the 2023–24 year. UMRA is an all-volunteer organization that depends on membership dues to provide a wide range of opportunities and other benefits to its members. We hope you’ll renew before you get busy with your summer activities.

Join the Silver Gopher Service Corps

Service to the University and community is a key element in UMRA’s mission, and our members have frequently asked about opportunities to team up with colleagues on activities. In response to these queries, UMRA’s new “Silver Gopher Service Corps” is making its debut in April.

Professor, author, civil rights activist Josie Johnson honored with U of M Regents Award

Granddaughter Rosa Duffy and Professor Emeritus John Wright were among the many illustrious people who gathered on March 13 to celebrate Josie Johnson when she received the University of Minnesota Regents Award for “exceptionally valuable and meritorious service.”

Special Forum: A merger, a medical school, and health care in Minnesota

Medical School Dean Jakub Tolar will be the guest speaker for a special UMRA forum on February 14 via Zoom. He will address the proposed merger between Fairview Health Services (current owner of the University’s hospitals and clinics) and South Dakota-based Sanford Health, as well as the U’s recently announced MPact Health Care Innovation project.

Gophers women’s hockey vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

UMRA has reserved a block of 25 seats in Ridder Arena for the Gophers women’s hockey game against Ohio State on Saturday, February 4.

‘Circles’ is the theme for January Photo Club meeting

The first meeting of the UMRA Photo Club for 2023 will start with members sharing pictures on the theme "circles."

Commentary: U of M needs regents of great accomplishment and high integrity

As the 2023 legislative session begins, senators and representatives of the state of Minnesota will soon face one of their most significant responsibilities: selecting members of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. The state and nation may be divided along partisan lines, but that division should not be imported into our flagship University.

Tracing family history with DNA testing

Event Date: December 7, 2022, at 10:00 AM

The Family History Interest Group learned about tracing family history using DNA testing and tools including Ancestry DNA, 23andMe, and GEDmatch which uses the GEDCOM files generated by those companies to connect across platforms.