Every day, hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans feel the impact of our academic health training and research. They are helped by our dentists, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, public health and social workers, therapists, veterinarians, and others. We serve our patients as well as the public interest to meet the needs for future generations of Minnesota's workforce and the communities they will serve in virtually every part of the state.
Let’s celebrate a few of the remarkable accomplishments of 2023:
- The School of Dentistry’s Dental Therapy program was accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, making it the third dental therapy program in the nation and the first associated with a dental school to achieve this milestone.
- The Medical School received approval to expand its program for the first time in 50 years with the addition of the CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud location.
- The School of Nursing enrolled the largest number of American Indian/Alaska Native students in a Doctor of Nursing Practice program ever in the nation.
- The College of Pharmacy celebrated 20 years since its expansion to the Duluth campus to produce more pharmacists to serve Minnesotans, especially in rural areas.
- The School of Public Health launched a new Cannabis Research Center to establish a strong cannabis research and data infrastructure in Minnesota. The center’s aim is to serve as a trusted source of information in the nascent field of cannabis research.
- This fall the College of Veterinary Medicine welcomed its first cohort of students from their affiliation with South Dakota State University. This expansion of their Class of 2025 increases the number of veterinarians they will graduate by about 20%.
- The Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing’s Integrative Health & Wellbeing Research Program completed recruitment on the NIH NCCIH $10.7 million chronic back pain trial (PACBACK), and was highlighted by the NIH for its success in recruiting, engaging, and retaining participants from diverse populations.
- The Clinical and Translational Science Institute received $53.9 million in National Institutes of Health funding to find better, faster ways to bring scientific advances to real-world use. The seven-year award is one of the largest federal research grants the University has ever received and the University’s third Clinical and Translational Science Award.
- The Masonic Cancer Center received its sixth consecutive designation as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, receiving an “Outstanding” rating. This recognition highlights the center’s exceptional contributions to cancer research, prevention, treatment, and survivorship.
- Our longstanding Mini Medical School community outreach and education program featured faculty who shared their expertise on Aging and Health and Food, Nutrition & the Effects of Substances on Health.
Thank you for all you do to help educate our learners, treat patients, and make discoveries that improve health and health care in Minnesota and around the world.
Driving Innovation & Discovery
Academies for Excellence 2023 Inductees
The Academies for Excellence recognizes outstanding faculty in the areas of scientific research, educational scholarship, clinical practice, and team science. Congratulations to the 2023 inductees:
Academy for Excellence in Clinical Practice
- Jordan Dunitz, MD, professor, Medical School
- Ryan Kelly, MD, MS, assistant professor, Medical School
- Alistair McVey, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM, associate professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Jean Moon, PharmD, BCACP, associate professor, College of Pharmacy
Academy for Excellence in Health Research
- David Boulware MD, MPH, professor, Medical School
- Carol Lange, PhD, professor, Medical School
- Douglas Yee, MD, professor and director, Medical School
Academy for Excellence in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
- Susan Culican, MD, PhD, associate dean for graduate medical education and professor, Medical School
- Kerry Fierke, EdD, associate department head and associate professor, College of Pharmacy
- Paul Iaizzo, PhD, professor and director, Medical School
- Andrew Olson, MD, FACP, FAAP, associate professor and division director, Medical School
Academy for Excellence in Team Science
Facilitating research to discover new treatments that improve the physical and emotional health of children who are affected by obesity and obesity-related conditions.
- Eric Bomberg, MD, MAS, assistant professor, Medical School
- Carolyn Bramante, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Medical School
- Don Dengel, PhD, MA, professor, College of Education and Human Development
- Claudia Fox, MD, MPH, associate professor, Co-Director and Fellowship Program Director, Medical School
- Amy Gross, PhD, LP, BCBA, associate professor and division director, Medical School
- Aaron Kelly, PhD, professor and co-director, Medical School
- Alicia Kunin-Batson, PhD, LP, associate professor, Medical School
- Megan Oberle Bensignor, MD, MSHP, assistant professor, Medical School
- Sarah Raatz, MD, MS, assistant professor, Medical School
- Kyle Rudser, PhD, professor, School of Public Health
Details on a recognition event are forthcoming. The names and photos of this year's recipients will be added to the Academies for Excellence wall plaques in Moos Tower.
Elevate Your Research Career Today with CTSI
The Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has released new RFAs for the CTSI T32 Program and the Translational Research Development Program (TRDP), inviting applications from qualified predoctoral and postdoctoral students. These programs offer opportunities for those eager to advance in the field of translational research. Interested candidates should submit their Letters of Intent by Jan. 8.
Advancing Interprofessional Education and Training
Register for the WILD Series: Values & Ethics
The Center for Interprofessional Health invites health professionals to participate in the upcoming WILD (Workplace Interprofessional Learning & Development) Series. Focusing on Values and Ethics, this series includes five weekly emails and a one-hour group debriefing session for skill development in interprofessional practice. Participants attending a debrief session can earn two hours of continuing education credit through the National Center for Interprofessional Education & Practice. Register by Jan.18 for the series beginning Jan. 21.
Are You the Next Health Care Innovator? Enter UMN's CLARION Case Competition and Show Your Skills!
The CLARION Local Case Competition, organized by the Center for Health Interprofessional Programs, invites health professional students to collaborate in teams. Participants analyze a health care case, develop a root cause analysis and recommendations, and present their solutions to an interprofessional panel. This competition enhances skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, reflecting the real-world health care environment. Registration closes Jan. 18.
Join UMN's Itasca Ecohealth IPE Retreat
The Itasca Ecohealth IPE Experience is a unique weekend-long retreat for health sciences students. Held at the Itasca Biological Station, this collaborative learning experience focuses on ecohealth principles and geopolitical considerations in health. Students from various health professions engage in activities that include problem-solving sessions, interactions with faculty experts, and exploration of environmental and ecosystem health. The experience aims to enhance students' understanding of interdisciplinary approaches to health challenges. Applications are open until Jan. 7.
Partnering With Communities
Longtime CUHCC Staff Member Receives Outstanding Community Health Center Employee Award
Mary J. Brown, a patient services representative at Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC), received the Outstanding Community Health Center Employee Award at the Many Faces of Community Health Conference for her exceptional service. She reflects, “CUHCC has become the place where I learned to be a part of something bigger than me. It makes me feel like what I do matters.” Brown’s dedication to health equity and patient care is at the heart of CUHCC’s mission, and she adds, “These experiences have both been numinous in nature as well as numerous. Helping people has brought me compassionate satisfaction.”
U-Wide Events And Opportunities
Uncover Mindfulness Techniques at the Bakken Center's Stress Reduction Program
Learn mindful meditation and movement practices in this experiential program based on ancient contemplative practices integrated with western medical approaches.
43rd Annual U of M Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert
The Office for Equity and Diversity hosts the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert, featuring music, dance, and reflections inspired by Dr. King's legacy.
Other News
