All College News

School of Music conducting students Foster Beyers, Christina Chen-Beyers, and Jeffrey Specht are preparing to take on the challenge of conducting an opera by Igor Stravinsky.

On October 16, 2009, Professors Daniel and Mária Brewer of the Department of French and Italian were awarded the Palmes Academiques by the French government and made chevaliers in the French government.

Recent English alumni Stephen Courchane and Ryan Magee describe the highs and lows of joining Teach for America.

In 1969, the U of M established the first American Indian studies and second African American studies departments in the United States. To celebrate the anniversary of this historic event, the University Libraries are exhibiting archival materials that chronicle the establishment of these pioneering programs.

Ideas of romantic love, faithfulness and commitment still valued highly by 18-28 year-olds, say researchers.

Schools and colleges nation-wide celebrated the diversity of writing Tuesday, which was declared by the United States Senate.

The University is requesting $23 million from the state for renovations to century-old classroom building.

The University of Minnesota School of Music presents its Collage Concert, an annual ensemble concert with more than 400 students and faculty performing in a non-stop, surround-sound, musical extravaganza at Ted Mann Concert Hall.

Narayana Kocherlakota of the University of Minnesota Department of Economics will assume his new post October 8.

The first chair will be held by professor Susan Noakes of the Department of French and Italian for her project, "Globalization of the Middle Ages." The program is part of the University's Imagine Fund.

Alsop, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra music director, became first woman to head a major American symphony in 2007.

Anthropologist Karen Ho shares a view of the investment banking mentality.

In a global classroom, geography professor Helga Leitner is a constant meridian.

For someone with a physics degree from MIT, Josephine Lee sure has made an impact on Asian American studies and the performing arts graduate programs at the University.

Fred Lukermann, University of Minnesota geography professor and former dean of the College of Liberal Arts, passed away on September 1, 2009.

In response to the ongoing media maelstrom, the SJMC offered some twists on its traditional curriculum during the 2008-09 academic year.

Research is first to examine trend over time and clearly demonstrate use of harassment as a workplace equalizer.

Interim director of the U of M Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Kennedy won the award by raising awareness and enabling advocacy about recent genocides.

The University of Minnesota School of Music and the Minnesota Oratorio Society present Haydn's The Creation on Friday, August 1, featuring the Summer Chorus conducted by Matthew Mehaffey.

On the morning of Saturday, July 25, the "Pride of Minnesota" will move into its own space in the new TCF Bank Stadium. The band is the first group to officially move into the stadium.

Michael Sommers, assistant professor of the Department of Theatre Arts and dance and Interdisciplinary Program in Collaborative Arts, has been awarded a 2009 Enduring Vision Award from the Bush Foundation.

The Program in Asian American Studies and the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota announced today the selection of the University of Minnesota's first Hmong Studies Postdoctoral Fellow and Graduate Fellow for 2009-2010.

Six undergraduates and two graduate students from the U of M-Twin Cities have been awarded Critical Language Scholarships for language study abroad during the summer of 2009.

Playwright Tony Kushner is awarded an honorary doctorate.

Sponsored by the U's School of Music and the Oratorio Society of Minnesota (OSM), the Summer Chorus will perform Haydn’s Creation (with full orchestra) at Ted Mann Concert Hall, with U faculty member and OSM artistic director, Matthew Mehaffey. You are invited to join.

The University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts will award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to playwright Tony Kushner on Thursday, May 21.

The first American Indian studies department in the nation will mark another first when the department at the University of Minnesota hosts the first Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) conference on May 21 - 23.

The University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, home to around 40 foreign language programs, will play host to nearly 2,000 students from 25 Minnesota high schools during its 6th annual World Languages Day on Tuesday, May 19.

Philip Brodeen, a student in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, has been awarded a 2009 Morris K. Udall Native American Congressional Internship.

Anh Tran, a senior psychology and neuroscience student has been selected to the 2009 USA Today All-USA College Academic Team.

An Immigration History Research Center's database related to the 1918 flu pandemic may help researchers in modeling responses to the current swine flu outbreak.

Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Political Science John Freeman will be inducted to the academy at the fall 2009 ceremony.

Linguist Dustin Chacón, who speaks six languages, becomes third U of M student to win award.

American studies professor David Noble to retire after 56 years at U.

Doctoral candidates show off their discoveries at a research fair.

David Noble dissected the American dream.

As scientists search for answers, philosopher Alan Love focuses on the questions.

An intensely moving and powerful social drama that depicts the tragedy and triumph of a young woman’s “sin” in an intolerant, unforgiving society. Music by Czech composer Leos Janacek and libretto by Gabriela Preissova. Performed in English. For more information, visit opera.umn.edu.

At the U, nearly 40 language options provide a wealth of cultural opportunity.

The Duo Gelland, internationally renowned Swedish violin duo, will perform the music of James Dillon and Luigi Nono at a free concert at the Weisman Art Museum. More information is available on the School of Music website.

CLA undergraduate Ellie Lijewski will be part of a research team examining how adolescents process and interpret anti-drug ads.

U of M economics professor V.V. Chari weighs in on the government bailout policy.

This week, Wednesday through Sunday, for the first time, the department will host the North Central Regional American College Dance Festival (ACDFA) Conference.

Nine students chosen to perform with prestigious dance company on Northrop stage March 19.

The Frank Premack Public Affairs Journalism Award competition is one of Minnesota's most coveted and celebrated journalism honors.

Anthropologist Kieran McNulty studied how shrinking made Indonesian 'hobbit' fossils look deceptively like modern humans.

New Regents Professor Madelon Sprengnether writes about the mind.

The U of M's six-day celebration of technology and music kicks off this week.

A ceremony to honor these faculty will be held February 11, 2009.

University Libraries has opened an exhibit to display Chicano Studies research materials at Wilson Library.

Why bother with what happened between A.D. 400 and 800? Because, anthropology professor Peter Wells says, to understand how our world works today, we need to understand how it got that way.

For nearly 40 years, Ray Wakefield has shared his passion for language, history, and culture with students.

The Department of African American & African Studies remembers the events that launched their department.

The University of Minnesota will present the annual "From Every Voice" concert to honor life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. on February 22, 2009.

The daily newspaper may be in its death throes, but students are flocking to journalism school, cell phone and MacBook in hand, ready for the brave new e-world.

Anthropology professor Kieran McNulty has made an important contribution toward solving one of the greatest paleoanthropological mysteries in recent history.

An Annual German Record Critics' Award was recently awarded to a film based on an interpretation of the music of James Dillon, School of Music professor and composer.

Regents Professor Eric Sheppard is a giant in geography.

Family members of Hmong people whose graves were desecrated in Thailand in 2005 will call upon a United Nations official to recognize a violation of human rights in a hearing at the University of Minnesota on Dec. 10.

Senior Ashley Nord is summa cum laude candidate for a B.A. in global studies with a minor in Spanish studies, and a candidate for B.S. degrees in physics and astrophysics.

Professor Carla Rahn Phillips was knighted into Spain's Order of Isabella the Catholic in a special ceremony.

U professor breaks down historic 2008 election

University of Minnesota Provost Thomas Sullivan named professor James A. Parente, Jr. as dean of the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts (CLA).

Looking at current and past events, political scientists at the University of Minnesota are unraveling the mysteries of political behavior.

Archaeologists use geographic information systems to pinpoint ancient sites.

Virtuosos James Dillon and Noriko Kawai share knowledge and music with U community

The U's production of Woyzeck challenges us to piece together the play in our own way

New Regents Professor Steven Ruggles is changing how research gets done and debunking social myths along the way

Nash Gallery exhibit captures the experiences of genocide survivors

How to Make it to the Dance Floor: A Salsa Guide for Women (Based on Actual Experiences)

Why the new Imagine Fund is critical

Dr. David Myers from the Georgia State University has been named director of the U's School of Music.

Music professor Doug Geers composed music for a 9/11-inspired opera about a family's experience on that tragic day.

Candidates will make public presentations during September.

The School of Journalism & Mass Communication is co-sponosring an exhibit of compelling news photos from the AP archives.

Showboat offers The Count of Monte Cristo for 50th anniversary season.

J-School alum Kevin Groenke's created the innovative CDesK to meet design students' needs.

Physics professor Allen Goldman, history professor Steven Ruggles, geography professor Eric Sheppard and English professor Madelon Sprengnether.

Rudolph J. Vecoli, former director of the Immigration History Research Center (IHRC), died June 17 after a long-term illness.

Filmmaker and faculty member Hisham Bizri turns everyday life into visual poetry with an emotional pulse.

Study takes American media to task for coverage of new treatments.

A U grad student turns the 'dismal science' into performance art

According to a recent Pew report, more than 1 in every 100 adults is now behind bars in the United States, the first time we've ever crossed that threshold.

According to new University of Minnesota research, presidential candidates must understand public opinion on health care if they expect to woo voters.

U students have crafted original music compositions in response to art works in the Weisman Art Museum's permanent collection.

The Office for University Women will celebrate the contributions and achievements of outstanding female employees and scholars at an award banquet.

U student Katie Nelson establishes a foundation to help Kenyan families.

The University of Minnesota's Office for Equity and Diversity has named Ananya Chatterjea, associate professor of theatre arts and dance, and Ross Neely, graduate student in social justice education, as the recipients of the 2008 Josie R. Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award.

Using data gathered from presidential biographers and historians, University psychologist Deniz Ones and her colleagues studied which personality traits have historically been associated with superior presidential performance.

Hisham Bizri, College of Liberal Arts (CLA) faculty member at the University of Minnesota, has been selected as a recipient of the 112th annual American Academy in Rome Prize Competition.

A study by University psychology graduate student Jaime Derringer and a colleague suggests that the human brain has evolved to single out spiders for special attention.

This week, April 16-19, University Theatre and Dance continues its production of "The Wiz," an eye-opening, head-scratching take on the 1975 Broadway musical "The Wiz," which was adapted from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Through May 4, the Science Museum of Minnesota, along with the U's Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, is hosting "Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race," an exhibition that delves into the theory of eugenics, its spread across the globe, and its role in the Nazi effort to legitimize persecution and the killing of human beings in pursuit of a superior Germany.

It is with great sadness that we announce Steve Feinstein, the director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and adjunct professor of history, died Tuesday, March 4.

Online games have been developed to train firefighters, soldiers, and others preparing for fast-paced jobs. So why not a game to train journalists?

A U professor and graduate created the widely acclaimed work.

Daniel Ellsberg risked imprisonment by leaking the top-secret Pentagon Papers and helping end the Vietnam War. This month, he discusses his insights about the roles of citizens in a democracy, particularly with regard to today's war in Iraq, with University of Minnesota professor Larry Jacobs in "American Democracy in Dissent."

The Professional Master of Arts in Strategic Communication program in the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication has appointed an inaugural eight-member advisory panel, comprised of some of the Twin Cities' top advertising and public relations professionals.

It's rare for a political blog to take a neutral position and comment on the changing electoral landscape in as balanced and objective a manner as possible. But that's precisely the mission and the day-to-day undertaking of "Smart Politics," a blog from the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the U's Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs.

University Regents Professor and historian Sara Evans believes that those who want to make history must know their own story.

Midmorning's word expert Anatoly Liberman returns to discuss words that look alike and sound alike, but may have different meanings. He'll also try to tackle the origins of Merriam-Webster's word of the year, w00t.

U faculty member and local artist Michael Sommers named 2007 USA Ford Fellow.

University of Minnesota hosts annual conducting symposium.

News Service Video - Leonid Hurwicz Nobel ceremony.

Over the past century, the United States has witnessed historic advances in public health and medicine that have contributed to improved health and a significant increase in life expectancy for all socioeconomic groups. But despite 100 years of historic advances, University of Minnesota sociologists have found that the health gap between classes has not changed.

"I think, therefore I provoke" might well be Jack Zipes's motto. An internationally renowned scholar and translator who has published prolifically, the University of Minnesota professor is also a cultural activist who motivates children to question the traditional stories they've been told and helps them create new ones.

Ask the average American what Scandinavians look like, and you're bound to get an answer like this: "Tall, blond, blue eyes." But ask associate professor Monika Zagar that question, and she'll tell you a more complicated story.

Troublemaker. Free spirit. Outlier. She's the most popular girl to come out of Sweden since Greta Garbo. We're talking, of course, about Pippi Longstocking.

From slides to pixels, the U's Visual Resources Center moves art history into the 21st century.

Matthew Martinez, a doctoral student in the University of Minnesota American studies department, is one of four students in the country selected by the American Indian College Fund to its prestigious Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship Program for 2007-08.

Leonid Hurwicz's work puts the human factor into economic theory.

The all-University Award for Global Engagement is given to faculty and staff members—active or retired—in recognition of outstanding contributions to global education and international programs in their field, discipline, or the University.

When R. Justin Stewart looks at a map, he sees more than a way to get from Point A to Point B.

University of Minnesota sociologists have found that the U.S. high school dropout rate is considerably higher than most people think -- with one in four students not graduating -- and has not improved appreciably in recent decades.

His Majesty King Harald V of Norway has appointed Robert Berthel Kvavik Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for his promotion of research and university collaboration between the United States and Norway.

U professor's book adapted to film; hits cinemas September 28.

"All our tenure-track art faculty are participating in this exhibit [that runs through Thursday, October 4, at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery on the West Bank Arts Quarter in Minneapolis]," says Nick Shank, gallery director.

History is being made at the University of Minnesota this fall in professor Mai Na Lee's Hmong History Across the Globe class.

To ensure the discussion about diversity is not lost in the dizzying array of dialogues taking place at the University, five scholars will be welcomed to Twin Cities campus this fall.

New regents professor Elaine Tyler May explores the links between politics and family life.

In the wake of the I-35W tragedy, students look to the future.

Irving I. Gottesman, Ph.D., Bernstein Professor in Adult Psychiatry in the University of Minnesota Medical School and senior fellow in the department of psychology, has been awarded the 2007 American Psychological Foundation (APF) Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Science of Psychology.

An online downpour of catchy 'Chocolate Rain'.

As director of the Human Rights Program in CLA's Institute for Global Studies, Barbara Frey has covered a lot of ground.

CLA's new K-12 outreach office is encouraging Minnesota's youngest citizens to think big.

Leppert is a professor of cultural studies and comparative literature at the Twin Cities campus. He's also one of the most important intellectuals now working in the humanities at the overlapping boundaries of fields including musicology and art history.

From Ross Macmillan's 11th floor window in the Social Sciences Building on the West Bank, the Mississippi River seems to meander calmly below, framed by the Washington Avenue Bridge and the Weisman Art Museum on the left and the I-94 and Franklin Avenue bridges on the right.

Filmaker and Ph.D. student Rachel Raimist is currently editing a film she made of a weekly poetry workshop in a maximum security prison.

An innovative program made its debut at the University this summer, giving high school and college students an exceptional opportunity in the world of research.

Mirjana "Minja" Lausevic, an ethnomusicology professor at the University, died July 15 in Northampton, Mass., of an undisclosed illness.

Conference activities include academic panels and entertainment.

Twin Cities alumnus and Sudan native Mohamed Bakri has been awarded a 2007 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship.

Vocational psychologist Jo-Ida Hansen has created a questionnaire to help recent retirees find meaningful leisure activities.

Full of surprises and twists, as well as creepy music and the occasional gunshot, Sherlock's Last Case revolves around a death threat against everybody's favorite sleuth by the supposed son of his late nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

McGue, one of five newly named regents professors--the University of Minnesota's highest faculty rank--is among the world's leading behavioral geneticists.

Students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota placed first in the annual National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC), sponsored by the American Advertising Federation (AAF).

The University of Minnesota is launching a new program designed to engage high school students from diverse backgrounds in undergraduate and graduate education.

Experts from Germany and the United States will discuss innovation in health care.

According to a new study by researchers in the University of Minnesota's sociology department, Americans are generally positive -- even optimistic -- about the word 'diversity,' but when asked, even those working in the field of race relations have trouble describing diversity's value and stumble when giving real life examples.

The University of Minnesota department of economics has added 10 new faculty members to its ranks.

Branding people, such as "Soccer Mom" and "NASCAR Dad," perpetuates outdated ideas about gender roles, says U researcher Mary Vavrus.

Researcher to talk with people about their views on the emergence of Latinos as America's largest ethnic minority.

U student and professor focus on disability in a joint research project.

While most teens suffer no mental health side effects, some teens appear to be more at risk.

University of Minnesota sociology professor Carl Malmquist has received the prestigious Manfred Guttmacher Award for his new book "Homicide: A Psychiatric Perspective" (2006).

U student Amber Ruel's dedication to preserving the Ojibwe language has made her a state finalist for the national Frank Newman Leadership award.

A research collaborative at the University of Minnesota is the recipient of a $45,000 planning grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities that will support documenting social history along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

English Regents Professor Patricia Hampl, along with political science Regents Professor John Sullivan and philosophy professor Geoffrey Hellman, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

John Bul Dau, one of the ‘Lost Boys of Sudan’ featured in the film "God Grew Tired of Us" delivered the commencement address at the College of Liberal Arts commencement on May 13, 2007 in Northrop Auditorium.

Mary Moga has been named one of four recipients of the 2007 John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.

The 2007 fellowship winners include 189 artists, scholars and scientists selected from nearly 2,800 applicants for awards totaling $7.6 million. Decisions are based on recommendations from hundreds of expert advisors and are approved by the Guggenheim Foundation's board of trustees.

The event which is likely to attract large crowds of people from the Swahili culture and those intent on learning Swahili as an emerging African international language spoken by over 100 million people will be held at the Sabathani Community Center on 310 E, 38th Street, Minneapolis.

Steven Rosenstone, the current dean of the university's College of Liberal Arts, has been named to the position of vice president for scholarly and cultural affairs for the University of Minnesota.

Anatoly Liberman, professor in the Department of German, Scandinavian and Dutch, was born in Leningrad in 1937 in the Stalinist Soviet Union.

B.F.A. actor training students learn tricks of the trade at the riverfront Guthrie

U students are winning major scholarships, bringing prestige to Minnesota.

U-sponsored program teaches young scholars valuable research skills.

The U's famed literary magazine makes a comeback

The College of Liberal Arts is proud to be a partner in a pathbreaking initiative that will create higher education opportunities for economically disadvantaged young people in the state of Minnesota.

When Ananya Chatterjea read Arundhati Roy's book The Algebra of Infinite Justice, a passionate and poetic collection of political essays written after 9/11, she found herself contemplating a recurring question: how can women of color communicate honestly about race, gender, politics and their dreams?

For daring to create a new dance company in uncertain economic times, and for creative daring as choreographers and performers, we give the nod to Uri Sands and Toni Pierce-Sands.

Holocaust survivor and artist Daisy Brand will give a talk and slide show of her work on Thursday, January 12, 7:30 p.m. at the Sabes JCC in St. Louis Park.

The rich history of the communities surrounding the west bank of the Twin Cities campus is explored in "Community/University: Students Explore West Bank History," an exhibition sponsored by the Department of History and the University Libraries and featuring projects by undergraduate students enrolled in a public history course at the U.

The new-and-improved building, which was built in 1890, will be the new home to the Department of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies, the Center for Writing, and Honors, all units of the College of Liberal Arts.

When someone offers to teach for free at the University, it's an offer the school can't refuse, Garrison Keillor said.

U of M Presents historical perspective on French riots (PDF).

Iraqi war civilian death toll to be examined at University of Minnesota lecture (PDF).

U of M groups to present Día de los Muertos Procession (PDF).

Sophie Scholl movie screening presented by U of M center (PDF).

“Screaming Queens” director to appear at area premiere (PDF).

The anthropology department is using advanced imaging for research.

Award-winning journalist and author Rubén Martínez to speak at U of M.

U of M program features art and thoughts of Holocaust survivor (PDF).

U of M Center’s program nominated for regional Emmy (PDF).

Minnesota radio stations broadcasted live from the University of Minnesota’s Washington Avenue Bridge on Friday, September 9, 2005, from 5 a.m. to noon. The radiothon raised $842,678 by late Friday afternoon for Hurricane Katrina victims.

Colleges across the country have stepped up to help student and faculty victims affected by Hurricane Katrina.

New home to Language Center and Welcome Center maintains historic elements while going high tech.

Selling the Ivory Tower (PDF)

A University program that links theater students to the Guthrie Theater is entering its sixth year.

The openings include computer labs, more classrooms and a language center.

This article is the second in a three-part series outlining various structural changes to the University a task force recommended to University President Bob Bruininks in March.

In fall, the Spanish department will offer a new class for students who are raised in a Spanish-speaking environment.

The college is pleased to announce the appointment of Ann Waltner (professor, history) as the first director of the Institute of Advanced Study, created as part of the President's Interdisciplinary Initiative on the Arts and Humanities.

Leading architect of World Trade Center site’s rebuilding to speak at U of M (PDF).

Lecture Series to explore The French Middle-East: Fallout From The Arab-Israeli Conflict In France (PDF).

Someday, there will be no segregation, no discrimination and only complete integration, musical group the Sounds of Blackness sang Sunday, filling Ted Mann Concert Hall with the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The University's Minnesota Population Center had the grand opening of its new facility Friday in Willey Hall.

The Board of Regents approved a $700,000 increase in funding for the reconstruction of Jones Hall at a committee meeting Thursday.

Students will have the opportunity to debate the French portrayal of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Science Classroom Building today.

Administrators, professors and higher-education experts from across the country gathered at the University last week to discuss diversity among faculty.

The Austrian government recently awarded two University professors and a retired staff member with medals of honor for their contribution to the University's Center for Austrian Studies.