Event Summary

Ways to engage family members in family history

Event Date: February 15, 2023, at 10:00 AM

UMRA's Family History Interest Group (FHIG) met via Zoom for two presentations on ways to engage family members in family history.

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.

Mount Kilimanjaro and the Cleveland Way in England

Event Date: January 25, 2023, at 10:00 AM

Watch the recording of the January 25, 2023 Armchair Traveler Program and be transported to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and enjoy a hike along the Cleveland Way.

Sen. Sandy Pappas joins UMRA forum for candid discussion of regent selection

Event Date: January 24, 2023, at 12:00 PM

State Sen. Sandy Pappas joined legislative analyst Nathan Hopkins for UMRA’s January 2023 forum on the selection and election of University of Minnesota regents. They gave a master class on how this is accomplished and were candid about the process.

Book Notes | A story of war and the valiant persons who risk their lives to help others

Event Date: January 20, 2023, at 2:00 PM

The story told by author Kristin Harmel in "The Book of Lost Names" is set in the Vichy area of France, where there was an underground network to help Jews and children escape to Switzerland during World War II.

Re-discover University Libraries

The first UMRA workshop of 2023 will explore the world of content available to University retirees through the University of Minnesota Libraries, and provide tips for making the most of your online explorations using Google and the web.

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.

Book Notes | ‘Being Mortal’

Event Date: December 2, 2022, at 2:00 PM

"Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End" by Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, inspired a spirited and sometimes somber discussion by members of UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club about end-of-life health challenges.

Book Notes | 'West with Giraffes'

Event Date: November 18, 2022, at 2:00 PM

At age 105, Woodrow Wilson Nickel is living in a nursing home. He decides he needs to write his life story, and what a story it is. It’s the story of a destitute young man during the Great Depression who found a reason to keep living against all odds: driving two giraffes from New York City to San Diego.

What happened November 8? Understanding the 2022 midterm elections

With U.S. Senate and House races across the country, as well as heated governor and state executive races, there will be a lot to unpack following the midterm elections. Guest speaker Kathryn Pearson, Ph.D., a rock star among UMRA presenters for her illuminating election analyses, will help us make sense of it all. Please note the early date; luncheon reservations and prepayment are due November 5.

Neuroplasticity in aging

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to rewire itself to function in new ways. This remarkable ability of the brain to be flexible, in both structure and function, to make new connections and adapt to the circumstances of life, will be the topic for discussion when Janet M. Dubinsky, Ph.D., joins us for UMRA’s Living Well Workshop on November 8. Please note the early date.

Medicare changes and your U of M health insurance options for 2023

UMRA’s October health insurance workshop will feature a discussion of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and what it means for beneficiaries of Medicare. Staff from the U of M Office of Human Resources will then present their annual update on the University’s retiree health plans.

Book Notes | This Tender Land

Event Date: October 21, 2022, at 2:00 PM

This Tender Land is an epic coming-of-age story set in Minnesota during the summer of 1932. It chronicles a mesmerizing journey of four children who escape the horrors of the Lincoln Indian Training School and sneak away in a canoe in search of a home.

Kevina and Lee Munnich

Event Date: October 19, 2022, at 10:00 AM

Kevina and Lee Munnich gave a presentation on "Family History Tourism".  They shared information about 4 different sites and insights into their family's history. 

New Americans in Minnesota

Jane Graupman, executive director of the International Institute of Minnesota, is a tireless advocate for new Americans in our community. As the featured speaker for our September Forum, she will provide a primer on their contributions and the challenges they face.