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Issue 21 - Spring 2012

In this Issue:

Dean's List and Exceptional Students Celebration

We hope you'll join us for this event! The CLA Alumni Society and the Student Board will be recognizing CLA students who have made outstanding academic achievements during 2011-12. Honored students and their loved ones as well as CLA alumni, faculty, and staff are invited to attend this free event. Register >

Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Ted Mann Concert Hall, West Bank Campus

5:00 - 6:15 p.m. Lobby Reception
6:15 p.m. Guests Seated for Program in Auditorium
6:15 - 6:45 p.m. Remarks by CLA Dean Jim Parente
6:45 - 7:30 p.m. School of Music Concert with performances by the Wind Band, Campus Singers Mosaic, Jazz Combo, and University Orchestra and Opera Theatr

Celebrate our newest alums

Volunteer at CLA's commencement ceremonies: Sun., May 13

The CLA Commencement Committee invites you to join in celebrating our students' achievement by volunteering for the spring commencement ceremonies.

This ceremony is the culmination of our students' hard work, and representation of CLA alumni at this important event demonstrates our commitment to CLA undergraduates and their families.

Because we hold 2 ceremonies, we will be coordinating 3 groups of volunteers:

  • Group 1 (both ceremonies) 9:15 am - 5:00 pm
  • Group 2 (1st ceremony) 9:15 am - 12:00 pm
  • Group 3 (2nd ceremony) 2:15 pm - 5:00 pm

Group 1 volunteers will be provided a free lunch from Kafe 421.

To volunteer, please register and choose the group that works best for you.
Registration deadline: Thurs., Apr. 19.

An optional commencement volunteer training session will be held Fri., May 4 in Mariucci Arena from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. At this training, you will be assigned to your commencement role and be provided an overview of duties for the day.

If you are not able to attend this training, your assignment will be emailed to you a week before the ceremony.

April 21: U-wide TEDx Conference

Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED is an international nonprofit organization devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading." Each year, the world's leading thinkers and doers gather for TED events many describe as the highlight of their year.

The U of M has a TED organization that works to stimulate dialogue on various subjects at the local level. The 2012 TEDx U of M event on Sat., Apr. 21 will feature 15 to 16 speakers from the U of M community who have incredible stories to tell and amazing ideas worth spreading.

This event is open to the the public and will be streamed live on the TEDx U of M website. Online registration will be available via the University of Minnesota Alumni Association starting March 26.

For more information go to: http://tedxumn.com/the-events/

Some CLA affiliated speakers confirmed so far include:

  • Ananya Chatterjea, theatre arts & dance 
  • Jeanne Kilde, religious studies
  • Chris Cloud (BA 2006, psychology) - co-founder, collaboration director, and curator in chief of MPLS.TV 

CLA recognizes alumni of notable achievement for 2012

2012 College of Liberal Arts Alumni of Notable Achievement awardees

Front row, L to R: Deb L. Redmond; Mark T. Fitzpatrick; Tony J. Bianco, III; Sharon Rice Vaughan; Alan Bjerga; Sugith Varughese

Back row, L to R: John C. Pierce; Doug Gorence; Harvey H. Zuckman; Steve H. Bickel; Greg J. Pulles; Perry A. Witkin

Not Pictured: Ray Foley and Kathy Tunheim

On March 29, 2012, the College honored 14 alumni who have made remarkable contributions or attained significant achievements in their fields. Read more >

Join the CLA Alumni Society Board

The CLA Alumni Society represents over 120,000 U of M alumni--over a quarter of all Twin Cities campus alumni! The CLA Alumni Society Board plans creative activities and provides meaningful volunteer service opportunities that support CLA's mission.

  • If you are interested in joining the fun, please take a few minutes to fill out our online application.

CLA Events Highlights

For all CLA events, visit: www.cla.umn.edu/events/

20% off Books by CLA Authors

"Bound to Please" from our alumni magazine, Reach, brings you reviews of nonfiction and creative writing by CLA faculty, alumni, and students. Plus, you can purchase these books at a 20% discount at the U of M Bookstore or online through the U of M Bookstore website.

Share Your News

Do you have an announcement you would like to share? We're always glad to hear from our alumni. When you use our online form, you can choose whether you would like us to consider publishing your news in the next issue of Reach.

Be an Ambassador

When you join the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, you can designate that a portion of your dues support the alumni society of your choice.

As an alumni of CLA, you may be interested in joining the CLA Alumni Society or the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) Alumni Society.

Use special membership codes to contribute to CLA Alumni Society programs and activities or SJMC Alumni Society programs and activities.

  • For CLA: NP4CL
  • For SJMC: NP4JR

For more information on how to connect with the CLA or SJMC alumni societies, contact Erica Giorgi in the CLA External Relations office at 612-625-8837.

Make a Gift

Honor a loved one, support a department or program, show students that you care. We appreciate any and all gifts and thank you for supporting the liberal arts.

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CLA Events Highlights

For a full list of CLA events, visit the events page.