Winter 2014
A publication for alumni and friends of the College of Continuing Education
Changing
and
Reflecting
From the Dean
CCE Current Editorial Board Mary Nichols, Dean
Photo by Tim Rummelhoff
Dear Friends, “Hopefulness”—it’s a state of mind that comes with the turning of a calendar page on a new year, or with an afternoon of bright sunshine during a bitterly cold run of days in the winter. (May the bird of paradise on the front cover be a harbinger of warmer days ahead!) I am also filled with a sense of hope when reviewing the compelling stories of individuals featured in this edition of Current. I invite you to turn the pages and feel hopeful, too. The experiences of our students and alumni have been transformative for them. But what makes me truly hopeful is what they are planning to do for others as a result of those experiences and educational opportunities. Many are working or will work in the health professions, including Ian McLoone, a bright young man who has used his own experiences with addiction as an impetus to work as a counselor. Others have been shaped by international
experiences, and can now bring a global perspective to their careers. Such is the case with Olivia Quarberg, whose studies in Africa led her to a deeper interest in holistic maternal health. And, of course, there are individuals like Ravi Tavakley, who started out seeking knowledge for knowledge’s sake…and is now a published researcher studying issues fundamental to our very human nature. If you are reading as an alumnus, or as a friend of the College who shares our commitment; if you are a fellow educator, a donor to scholarship funds, or a participating lifelong learner—it is hard to avoid feeling inspired by the ambition, the resilience, the sheer joy of all of the learners profiled in this issue. It is rewarding, too, to be able to feel connected with them in whatever capacity we might be linked. Let’s cheer them on in their life’s work. Let’s redouble our efforts to help others through education. And, let’s enjoy the hopefulness of this new year. Wishing you a year of discovery and personal fulfillment in 2014.
Dr. Mary L. Nichols Dean, College of Continuing Education University of Minnesota
Kathleen Davoli, Director of Development
CCE Current Team Editor: Megan Rocker Writers: Megan Rocker and Nancy Strege Graphic Designer: Linda Peterson Production Coordinator: Kendra Weichbrodt Mail List Coordinators: Sheryl Weber-Paxton and Peggy Lehti Photographers: Daniel Corrigan, Tim Rummelhoff, and V. Paul Virtucio
On the Cover Selected by designer Linda Peterson “When searching for an image that illustrates the concept of changing and reflecting, I came across this bird of paradise. The color and beauty of this flower are breathtaking, and I might add, a little healing on a cold winter’s day in Minnesota. It’s the perfect image to illustrate the healing work described in the pages that follow.”
Volume 10, Number 1 CCE Current, a publication for alumni, donors, and friends of the College of Continuing Education at the University of Minnesota, is published twice a year from offices at Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108-6080. Readers are encouraged to submit comments and story ideas to the editor at this address or via e-mail to rocke014@umn.edu. The information in this publication is available in alternative formats. Disability accommodations for programs in this publication are available upon request. Call 612-625-1711.
For More Information www.cce.umn.edu 612-624-4000
The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. © 2014 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. DO-0573-01/11.13
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Thank You TO OUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTORS
UPDATES, NEWS, AND NOTES
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Development Director
2 IBH student Ian McLoone climbs out of the shadows of heroin addiction
9 Four young women chart career paths while helping others abroad
18 A life changed: a letter from scholarship recipient Andre Hui
6 Groundbreaking degree program is changing the standard of addiction treatment
14 Updates, News, and Notes
19 Donor acknowledgements
16 “Retired� grandfather Ravi Tavakley finds a second career as an accidental scientist
21 From the Development Director
7 Specialized business training for vet and med professionals
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Climbing out of the Shadows U of M graduate student Ian McLoone survived heroin addiction, and now works to change the model of addiction treatment from the inside out.
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hen you look at Ian McLoone, you see a devoted husband and a father to two absolutely cherubic little kids. You see a bright, college-educated individual who has spent his professional life working with and advocating for others. You see someone who moved back to Minnesota from Oregon to care for an ailing parent. You see an amiable, well-spoken Midwestern guy, with bright blue eyes and a quick smile.
Chances are, though, what you don’t see when you look at handsome, affable, 30-year-old Ian McLoone is a heroin addict. And that, he says, is exactly what makes Minnesota’s opiate epidemic so insidious. “When you think of someone who goes into treatment, to a methadone clinic, you don’t think of the ‘success stories.’ You don’t think of the white-collar professional. Or of a doctor or a lawyer.” Instead, he says, the common perception of an addict— especially here in Minnesota—is that it must be someone who is marginalized, “the lowest of the low.”
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“When in reality,” McLoone says, “they are often anything but.” The scary truth is, addiction to opiates (the class of drugs that includes prescription painkillers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, as well as heroin) is a rising problem—and its victims are quite often the people you’d never suspect: your average, everyday, normal working- and middle-class John and Jane Does. The rate of prescription opiate abuse has risen steadily nationwide (so much so, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified it as an epidemic), and Minnesota is no different. Where the state stands apart, however, is in its skyrocketing rate of heroin abuse—thanks to a ready, inexpensive supply of some of the purest heroin in the country. In 2012, addiction treatment admissions for heroin and all other opiates combined accounted for more than 20 percent of all treatment admissions in the Twin Cities—second only to alcohol. Heroin alone accounted for 12.9 percent of all admissions—and among those, nearly 42 percent were young
people age 18-25. That same year, Ramsey County saw a 25-percent jump in opiate-related fatalities (36 to a recordsetting 54), while Hennepin County recorded 84 deaths.
From addiction to ultimatum Like many of the other John and Jane Does swept up in the rising tide of the heroin epidemic, McLoone’s story started out innocuously enough. The St. Louis Park native moved back to Minnesota following his college graduation (University of Oregon, International Studies with an emphasis in Spanish, Latin America, and Crosscultural Communication) to help out with his ailing mother. He settled back in, met the woman who would become his wife, and took a job running a food shelf in St. Paul. And, McLoone says, not long after, he took the first steps down a path that would quickly spiral away from him. Following shoulder surgery for a sports injury, he was prescribed a course of painkillers. The story might have ended there, but he was in a car accident not long after—and received another prescription. “And, pretty soon…I was abusing them. And when the prescriptions ran out? I started buying them on the street. And when my dealers ran out? I discovered heroin.”
From there, he says, his addiction progressed rapidly, and “within a year, year and a half, I was injecting every day, multiple times a day.” And although he recognized he needed to get clean, and tried multiple out-patient treatment programs, McLoone says none of them really was effective. Eventually, he ended up in trouble with the law…and faced with an ultimatum at home. “It had gotten to the point, even beside the legal trouble, where I was just being such an [expletive] to my family and friends. Finally, both my father and my wife said to me ‘you have to stop. Go and get help, or go away. You will end up on the street if you don’t do something.’” And so McLoone packed his bags and checked in to a residential in-patient facility, leaving his wife home alone with their infant son while he spent four months in a battle to reclaim his life. And while he did in fact get clean following treatment, the experience itself was an emotionally harrowing one—and not necessarily for the reasons one might think. Many of the individuals in the program were on probation or there because of a court-order, he explains, and the methods employed were highly punitive-based— adding yet another level of stress and shame to an already difficult experience.
“The mentality was a ‘we’re going to break you down in order to build you back up’ sort of philosophy—and consequently, I saw a lot of guys who didn’t get help, didn’t get rehabilitation… they got their lives ruined, instead,” McLoone says.
“People are dying—they are dying at unprecedented rates. But maybe it doesn’t have to be that way. Maybe by changing people’s minds about medication-assisted treatment and recovery, by educating people about co-occurring disorders, and by getting rid of the stereotypes, we can, eventually, change the way addiction treatment is dealt with here in the U.S.” He recounts one weekend where he served as an escort to one of his fellow residents on a day pass. “I was accompanying a fellow client on his first six-hour ‘pass.’ He had lined up a ride for us to get back to the program, but at the last moment it fell through, and we were an hour and a half late getting back.” It seems like it shouldn’t be too big of a deal—there was a valid, logical reason, and McLoone didn’t think much of it after they checked back in. It wasn’t until the following afternoon, however, that he saw the repercussions. “The next day was my son’s first birthday party and I had gone home on my own pass to celebrate. Three hours in, I got a call from staff, telling me to get back to the program, ASAP. Embarrassed, I had to excuse myself from the birthday party and head back. “I discovered that because of the events of the previous day, I was being punished. I would then have to spend the next three days on ‘The Bench.’ For eight hours each day, I sat on a bench out in the hall while the other clients attended groups.
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and cutting-edge interventions through the website of Dr. Mark Willenbring, the former director of treatment and recovery research at the National Institutes for Health’s Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, who is also McLoone’s professional mentor as he completes his graduate work. “My research focuses on medicationassisted therapy, because I know how important access to medication was— and is—to my recovery and treatment, and I also am aware of the tremendous stigma that it has associated with it.”
Photo by Daniel Corrigan
It’s a preconception, McLoone says, that is held not just by the general public, but even within the treatment industry. And it’s a battle similar to one that has been fought in other disciplines in years past. “There was a time, for example, where if you were in AA, you couldn’t be considered ‘sober’ unless you were off all substances—so no anti-depressants or other medication for co-occurring mental health conditions. Those were a crutch, a violation. Now, on the other hand, you are more often referred to a psychiatrist by your sponsor than by anyone else,” he says.
Ian and his wife Sara, son Ollie (left), and daughter Scout (right). “It was because of experiences like that that I came to the realization that there had to be a better way of helping people find recovery.”
“It’s my responsibility to be a voice.”
He also had a personal motivation for earning a graduate education. “The four months I was away were incredibly difficult for my wife. She was essentially a single mom: working full-time, caring for our son, keeping the mortgage payments up, and the food on the table.
Which is why when he got out of the program, and made the decision to go back to school he knew he wanted to enroll in the IBH/Addiction Studies Program through the College of Continuing Education. “I realized there were a lot of things wrong with the current state of addiction treatment… and I saw an opportunity to use my own experiences to be able to change the rehab model from the inside out.
My wife was understandably cautious when I was in [treatment] and then for months after I got out. She wanted to believe I was getting better, but had been burned so many times that I knew I had to rebuild the trust that I had spent years destroying. Even so, without a doubt… Sara has been rooting for me and has been the single biggest source of support in my life. …I couldn’t do any of this without her.”
“I realized that the phrase, ‘evidencebased practices’ had never been uttered in my old treatment regime. It became a goal for me professionally—to be able to provide to my clients the compassion, empathy, and hopefulness that I had looked for so often early in my own recovery.”
And what “any of this is” is a very full plate. In addition to finishing his studies, McLoone is a research assistant in the new Minnesota Center for Mental Health, has a leadership role in the Opioid Coalition, volunteers for the Steve Rummler Hope Foundation, and actively blogs about the science of substance use
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“I realized there were a lot of things wrong with the current state of addiction treatment…and I saw an opportunity to use my own experiences to be able to change the rehab model from the inside out.” “It’s also similar to what the mental health field went through—the idea that medication as a part of therapy and of maintenance afterward means you aren’t ‘fixed’ or ‘better.’ Now, many people understand that medication can be a valuable tool in helping people on the path to recovery, and that, for some people, it is also necessary for daily well-being and maintenance. We’re not there yet with opioid addiction and
medication therapy. But, with work and education, we can be.” It’s work that McLoone is eager to do, because he knows firsthand how insidious —and deceptive—the problem can be. “The stigma associated with addiction— and especially with medication-assisted recovery—is still very prevalent.” It’s also why he openly, honestly, and candidly shares his story. “It is important to me that I speak out, because when most people hear ‘methadone’ the first image that comes to mind isn’t a graduate student with a 4.0 GPA, two kids, an amazing wife, and a career that is full of possibilities. That stigma is part of what keeps people ‘in the closet’ about their status—for fear of the reactions of employers, family members, or friends. I am grateful for the opportunity to challenge, in my own little way, the stereotypes and biases associated with [it].”
McLoone has hope, too, for the treatment resources for people caught up in the same vicious cycle he was. “People are dying— they are dying at unprecedented rates. But maybe it doesn’t have to be that way. Maybe by changing people’s minds about medication-assisted treatment and recovery, by educating people about co-occurring disorders, and by getting rid of the stereotypes, we can, eventually, change the way addiction treatment is dealt with here in the U.S. [That’s why] I’m doing this work. Why I share my experiences. It’s my responsibility to be a voice.”
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ast year, after a program representative for the National Youth Recovery Foundation (NYRF) heard McLoone speak at an event, he was asked to be a volunteer for the organization—something he agreed to eagerly.
“But, ah, when you get in your harness and all that, and you actually have to step over the ledge,” he says sheepishly, “Well, I revise my statement. It would have to be a pretty fit and brave grandma. It’s a long way down,” he smiles.
The organization works with individuals ranging in ages from early teens all the way up to 30, which is obviously a demographic that hits close to home for McLoone. NYRF funds and promotes programs and initiatives that increase young people’s access to treatment and aftercare; support students as they continue and complete their educations; help young adults build career and social networks; and remove barriers to their sustained and active recovery.
Watch a video of McLoone as he goes “over the edge” at: http://z.umn.edu/overtheedge
Photo by Megan Rocker
Today, in addition to his research, graduate studies, and volunteer work, he works as a counselor at a private clinic in Burnsville that specializes in treating co-occurring mental illness and chemical dependency. “I’m in an amazing position right now. I’ve broken that cycle of addiction, and feel like I have room to breathe. I continue to learn new things—and the ability to apply them in my work. I have a wife who has stood with me. I have two great kids who I can be a dad to. It sounds sort of grandiose, but, honestly, I’m humbled. I’m grateful. I’m hopeful.”
LEAP OF FAITH
This summer, McLoone took part in the Over the Edge fundraiser in downtown Minneapolis. At the event, he was sponsored to “basically jump off a ledge.” (In other words, he raised money to rappel down the side of the 30+ story Hilton Hotel.) “I talked a big game on the way up—you know, at first thought, it seemed like nothing. It seemed like something an elderly, arthritic, frail grandma with a bad heart could do.”
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A New Standard The CCE Integrated Behavioral Health program is changing lives, and changing the standards of care for individuals in treatment and recovery programs.
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dvances in science and medicine, coupled with changing health care standards have helped make addiction and substance abuse treatment an emerging specialty health care discipline. As the field evolves, the need for qualified individuals with advanced education and training in the science and practice of chemical addiction and counseling is growing exponentially. What’s more, the high prevalence of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders virtually guarantees that counselors, no matter the treatment setting, will encounter clients struggling with not one but two or more disorders. The College’s groundbreaking Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) program prepares counselors for this clinical reality by merging mental health and substance abuse education and training into a single, comprehensive and cohesive program. Students from the program are able to obtain dual licensure as LADC (Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor) and LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor).
methods and models, as well as relapse prevention, maintenance in recovery, and group practice. “Our program integrates substance use and mental health disorders in each and every course,” Rohovit says. “What’s more,” she continues, “the curriculum teaches evidence-based best practices and has its roots in research and applied clinical realities.”
“The clinical reality is that a significant percentage of patients present with a dual disorder. Almost nine million adults have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. They rarely receive services that effectively address both of these issues— if they receive services at all.
Says program director Julie Rohovit, Ph.D., “The clinical reality is that a significant percentage of patients present with a dual disorder. Almost nine million adults have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. They rarely receive services that effectively address both of these issues—if they receive services at all. Just over seven percent receive treatment for both; over half receive no treatment at all.”
The integrated theory, applied course work, and ability to obtain dual licensure make program graduates good candidates for the workforce, as well. “There is a real need for people with dual licensures in Minnesota and beyond. Both substance abuse counseling and mental health counseling are projected to grow much faster than average for all occupations over the next decade,” says Rohovit.
Graduates of the MPS-IBH program are uniquely prepared to handle those types of cases, Rohovit says, as students receive training in a number of treatment
For those individuals already in the field, and looking to increase their professional knowledge, the College of Continuing Education is also home to the new
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Minnesota Center for Mental Health (MCMH). The Center is the result of a nearly $3.4 million, four-year grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and was created in partnership with the School of Social Work and the Department of Psychiatry. Designed to help Minnesota’s mental health practitioners serve their clients in the most effective way, the Center’s goals are training clinicians in holistic, integrated care, using evidence-informed services and fostering mental wellness for all citizens of Minnesota. IBH director Rohovit is also the principal investigator for the grant and for the Center. “Our mission is to help service providers meet the reality of co-occurring disorders by providing them with the training, tools, and resources necessary to build and sustain excellence in the delivery of broad-based mental health services. We are thrilled and excited for the opportunity to serve as a resource for providers and people living with complex mental health and substance use issues.” Concludes Rohovit, “Minnesota is known as a pioneer for treatment options. The IBH program and the MCMH will go a long way in adding to that reputation. Our IBH students will get the training and education they need to get out and fill a critical gap. Rather than just reading about theory, they will see the conceptual piece firsthand, and put it into practice as they learn. It’s a rigorous program, but a pioneering one, and, I think, is going to produce a new generation of highly sought, uniquely qualified behavioral health professionals. And the Center will be able to support them and all of Minnesota’s diverse behavioral health workforce by bridging science with practice to promote a culture of lifelong learning and the renewal of clinical skills.”
The Business of MEDICINE The Managing the Professional Practice certificate helps medical and veterinary professionals develop business acumen.
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or medical professionals of all walks, the road to practice involves several years of intense, demanding study. Yet despite such rigorous education, today’s world demands even more from these professionals, as the art and science of medicine has become greatly intertwined with business. This is one reason the U of M College of Continuing Education began offering the Managing the Professional Practice Applied Business Certificate program (MPP). This program is designed for medical students and practitioners—including veterinarians, physicians, dentists, nurses, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and physical and massage therapists—who want to improve their business acumen to better meet the requirements of a modern medical practice. “For many years, medical professionals did not need to know much about money
to start a practice and do reasonably well, financially, in their careers,” Dr. David E. Lee, the U’s veterinary medical center hospital director and MPP program instructor, explains. “Today’s marketplace is now much more competitive and the cost of professional education much more expensive. Good business principles are necessary to increase the return on investment of professional degrees.” Michelle Koker, the College’s director of undergraduate degree and certificate programs, agrees. “Most medical professionals are technically well-trained and very competent at their professional specialty, but they are not always equipped with the leadership and management education necessary to also successfully run the business side of a practice.” Since nearly every action undertaken by medical professionals today has a business component, she Winter 2014
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continues, “Being able to understand and apply the principles and techniques of sound business management allows these practitioners to enhance their success. In turn, this optimizes their contributions to their communities and to a prosperous state economy.” Lee also says that for years veterinary practice owners have complained that graduates from veterinary programs do not have the necessary non-technical skills to be truly successful in modern practice. “Most medical programs have now added some aspects of practice management to their curricula, but the University of Minnesota is fairly unique in offering an advanced certification at this level. The MPP program has a challenging curriculum tailored for the student who really wants to lead a team or organization in their career.”
Take Dr. Lee, for example, who teaches the Financial Management of the Professional Practice and the Leading and Managing Teams in the Professional Practice classes. “My financial management class is based on those elements from my own MBA studies that have proved most useful to me in my many years as a director of large veterinary teaching hospitals. My leadership class is applicable to anyone who will lead organizations or work teams and teaches the ‘soft skills’ most leaders agree are critical to success.” He adds that all of the principles he teaches apply to any kind of business. “My students are individuals who come from all sectors with diverse backgrounds and interests…I give them a lot of freedom to approach the classes from their own perspectives. This results in some very interesting dialogue in the
“Being able to understand and apply the principles and techniques of sound business management allows these practitioners to enhance their success. In turn, this optimizes their contributions to their communities and to a prosperous state economy.” The credit-based MPP certificate program is delivered entirely online and comprises five courses streamlined to include only the core competencies essential to successful practice management. The fact that the program is focused on key business topics makes it practical and affordable for medical students to complete. According to Koker, the program, which has been developed in partnership with industry members, takes a truly innovative approach in that it enhances the U’s public-private partnerships by bringing new management knowledge to assist business owners dealing with a more complex work environment. And, she adds, “The program brings real-world instructors and experience to our students in a meaningful and accessible manner.”
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online forums and some very creative group projects.” Regardless of their profession of choice, Lee says, having some business acumen provides medical professionals with new options, opens new doors, and better prepares them to sustain long and rewarding careers even in a dynamic marketplace. “While other medical professionals will spend their careers reacting to changes, students in the certificate will have a chance to recognize those changes in advance, analyze them, and use them to their ultimate advantage.”
Student Spotlight Lee Michels Certificate in Applied Business: Managing the Professional Practice, August 2013 Third-Year Veterinary Student, University of Minnesota (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Candidate, 2015) As a kid growing up on a small dairy farm in western Wisconsin, Lee Michels found his passion for agriculture and animals at an early age. While he always knew he wanted a career involving agriculture, he also knew that he did not want to be a dairy farmer. “After job shadowing with our local veterinarian, I realized veterinary medicine was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life,” Michels explains. After earning a bachelor of science degree from the U, Michels was accepted into the U’s College of Veterinary Medicine where he is now in his third year. “Because I want to own a veterinary practice someday, I knew I would need some formal business training. During my first year of veterinary school, a representative from CCE gave a brief presentation on the ABus MPP certificate, so I decided to enroll.” Through his ABus MPP course work, Michels says he gained real-world exposure to key business principles and practices necessary to run a successful practice. “This certificate is broad and basic, but it familiarized me with the strategies for managing a professional practice. I was able to construct a complete marketing plan, a business plan, and detailed shortand long-term career plans,” he says. “The ABus classes were challenging, but very gratifying. Completing the program allowed me to get the foundation of a business education, but it was entirely feasible to complete while still in veterinary school, which I did over summer break in 2012 and 2013.”
Health and Wellness Abroad
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or many students interested in studying health-related disciplines, it can often be difficult to find one single major that is “exactly right.” Especially for those looking to combine disciplines or paving their own unique paths to a career or graduate/ professional school. Enter the Health and Wellness thematic area within the College’s Inter-College Program (ICP), where individuals work with advisers to design a degree plan that accesses courses from the University’s more than 100 disciplines and through any of the U’s many colleges, including Liberal Arts, Public Health, and the Carlson School of Management, among others. The flexibility of the degree also affords opportunities for distinctive, often life-changing internships and study abroad experiences—something each of the four women here found out for herself.
Alumni Voice: Olivia Quarberg Area of Focus: Public Health Midwifery/Maternal and Child Health Olivia Quarberg had always known she wanted to work in the field of maternal health; she also knew she wanted to design her own major—one that was tailored to what she wanted to focus on in her career, and in an area she was passionate about. “I had always been fascinated with the whole pregnancy experience, and with babies, and what makes a good environment for mother/child care. And my experiences in public health courses really opened my eyes to how scary the situation was for many Winter 2014
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women in developing countries—in Africa, in particular. [In my degree], I wanted to take a multifaceted approach to looking into why women are not having healthy pregnancy outcomes, and how that affects both the mother and child.” Through the Health and Wellness track, Quarberg was able to study public health with an emphasis on maternal/child care and a leadership minor. She was also able to get hands-on experience working in Tanzania through a study abroad opportunity. “It was an incredibly immersive experience,” she says. “I did three months of intensive study—classes in Swahili (the official language of Tanzania), as well as courses looking at social change and public health within the Tanzanian context…and how to promote public health in a developing nation.”
“It was the epitome of what a college degree should be, in my mind. An experience that had meaning, that helped me figure out who I was, what I wanted, and how I could get there.” Following the conclusion of her class work, Quarberg elected to stay in Tanzania to work with one of her public health teachers doing outreach services. “She is an amazing woman,” Quarberg says of Mackrine Shao, her instructor and mentor. “She founded an outreach/intervention/education foundation working with women and children, as well as people living with HIV and AIDS, and she ran a clinic.” Working alongside of Shao, Quarberg was able to experience firsthand the entire spectrum of maternal health care in the region. “We’d be in the clinic one day in the city, assisting with delivery and with postpartum care, and the next…driving three hours across the countryside to some remote area measuring pregnant women’s bellies and talking with the village midwives.” Quarberg was surprised to learn that despite the city clinics having fully equipped facilities with doctors and nurses trained in all the latest health care developments, 70 percent of women in the area still chose to deliver in their villages with a traditional, untrained midwife, as opposed to in a hospital or clinic setting. “I became fascinated by WHY this was happening,” Quarberg explains. “Some of the better clinics are very Westernized in terms of medical technology and equipment…but it’s very sterile, austere. There’s maybe not that human connection or emphasis on patient care that we have here. The birthing wards are these big open rooms where the mothers are all alone (no family can come in), but surrounded by other beds full of women
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having babies. And while they have better medical equipment than village midwives, they are still missing…something. “Which, I think, is why so many women choose to stay in the village. No, the women at their births are not formally trained midwives or nurses. They don’t have access to the medical equipment should something go wrong. But the mothers are surrounded by family, friends, and people who care about them. It’s a much more humanizing, personal experience. And so they stay out of the cities and the clinics.” Quarberg’s first reaction, she says, was “Why don’t these women go to the hospital anyway? But then I began to see the relationships the women in the village had, and the importance of their communal experience, and I realized that truthfully, the best outcomes—mentally and physically, were often happening in those remote settings, despite the fact that hospitals are technically ‘safer.’” That knowledge further inspired Quarberg to investigate a career track focused on a more holistic form of maternal health—one that had that personal connection, but still had access to modern medicine, in the event of emergencies. A balance between caring for the body and the mind. “The two philosophies don’t need to be fighting over what’s ‘right,’ or which one is ‘better.’ They can complement each other.” Upon returning home, and motivated by both her work and educational experiences, she worked with her adviser to narrow her post-degree options, and today is working as a doula, while preparing for a professional midwife certification—as well as nursing school. “Through my degree, I took a wide variety of interrelated courses, ones that might not necessarily appear to fit together. But they did. And I was able to have a truly transformative, experiential learning experience in Tanzania—one that changed me and my way of thinking. It was the epitome of what a college degree should be, in my mind. An experience that had meaning, that helped me figure out who I was, what I wanted, and how I could get there.” Quarberg currently volunteers as a doula at Woodwinds in Woodbury, Minnesota, as well as with the Twin Cities Doula Project—an organization providing prenatal doula care, childbirth education, and social support to low-income women in the Twin Cities.
Fascinated by this, Lee switched her major to the InterCollege Program’s Health and Wellness track in order to have the flexibility to incorporate more aspects of holistic medicine and public health into her studies. “I didn’t want to obtain my M.D.,” she says, “but I did want to be able to pursue nursing or P.A. (physician’s assistant) school after graduation. The core classes of my degree provided a glimpse into the complex world of health care through health-care finance and administration, nutrition, ethics, and effective communication. Add in my public health and traditional health sciences courses, and I felt very prepared for a role in community health and nursing.” Lee put her education to work for her when she spent half of her junior year abroad yet again, this time in Khon Kaen, Thailand, a small city in the northeast region rich in rice farming. “Thailand has a well-known public-health history and state-of-the-art hospitals from the community to provincial levels. [Plus,] the Thai health system is focused primarily on health promotion and disease prevention—things I believe create a healthy society. I thought it sounded like the ideal opportunity to boost my knowledge of holistic medicine, get a better understanding of how to fuse eastern and western health methods, and experience [public health work] firsthand.”
Alumni Voice: Becky Lee Area of Focus: Public Health and Portuguese Some people seem to be born knowing what field they want to go into as an adult—Becky Lee is one of those people. Even at an early age, she knew she wanted a career in the health sciences. “When I was little, I was never seen without my Fisher Price doctor’s kit. I carried it around, and would use it to ‘bandage’ my mother’s arms and legs, or to take my sister’s temperature and administer ‘medicine’ (candy, that is).” High school courses in anatomy and physiology only further deepened Lee’s interest in medicine, and following graduation, she spent a year in Brazil working with underserved populations. “I worked in the inner-city slums with children who had malaria, tuberculosis, and other communicable diseases, and it made a lasting impression on me, and helped me decide my emphasis in college.” Initially, Lee planned to major in chemistry and go on to med school; however, a holistic healing course changed her thinking. “After studying traditions and techniques in maintaining a balanced and healthy life originating from Native American cultures, China, Tibet, and India, I began to feel like the American people were relying too much on pharmaceuticals and on the disease or ailment and not the body as a whole. “The human body is a system of parts that together make it complete: if one part is malfunctioning, it can cause problems in other areas—a foundation of health that has been understood for thousands of years by Eastern cultures.”
Her experiences in Thailand affected her profoundly, and opened her eyes about community health. “I did rural village home-stays where I saw the health issues faced by the people of Thailand—diabetes, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. [I also did] a field practicum in which I assessed the developmental stages of children in a Thai village and presented my findings to the parents and caretakers of the children. The goal of this project was to inform families of the importance of child developmental milestones and to educate them in ways that foster physical, socio-emotional, and communication development of their children.” She continues, “In staying with the Thai villagers, I had the chance to see their everyday lives, and [how they intersected with] the Thai health system. I was able to see the navigation of the fusion of eastern and western medicinal practices. Each family I stayed with faced its own health challenges, some of which could be solved at the village health center using herbs and traditional healing, while others at the city hospital required surgeries and medications.” Through the diversity of her course work and her work/study abroad, Lee built a solid foundation for a career in health care: “I was able to complete the pre-reqs for post-baccalaureate work, while still being able to personalize my degree to include my broader interests.” Lee graduated in spring 2012, and today lives in Boston, where she is applying to nursing school. Currently, she works in public and community health at the Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center as a patient navigator, coordinating the care of diabetic and hypertensive patients.
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Following a conversation with her adviser in the College of Liberal Arts, Schumacher switched to CCE and the InterCollege Program’s Health and Wellness track, where she could design a degree that accommodated her desire for experiential learning, as well as helped her meet the prerequisites she would need to fulfill to go on to graduate school for OT. Experiential learning proved to be a key part of Schumacher’s education. Following her move to the ICP, she was able to job-shadow at Gillette Children’s Hospital working with kids in an in-patient setting, a sub-specialty that led her to include child psychology as a focus area for her degree. It also led her to volunteer work in Prague, Czech Republic, where she spent five months as an exchange student studying Central/Eastern European history. “When I got there, I was instantly attracted to a volunteer program that would allow us to give back to this wonderful city that was hosting us for several months. There was a spot working at the local children’s hospital, and it truly opened my eyes to what health care is like in a very different cultural setting.” While at the hospital, Schumacher worked with the children teaching them English, and had a chance to observe the doctors, nurses, and therapists in a daily care setting.
Alumni Voice: Jessi Schumacher Area of Focus: Pre-occupational Therapy and Child Psychology Inspired by the “compassionate, wonderful care team” of doctors, nurses, and therapists her grandfather had during his hospice care, Jessi Schumacher decided to pursue a major in the health sciences at the U of M. But, like many incoming students, she wasn’t sure exactly which area of emphasis to focus on. “I considered nursing, for a while, but decided that wasn’t the right match. It was after an online course in occupational therapy that I realized I was on to something, and that this was a possible career path,” Schumacher says. A job working at ACR Homes, a group home, was what cemented her plans—and helped her choose her major. “I had a role as a program counselor, working and caring for four women with mental disabilities. It would be my job to help them with daily tasks and everyday living—which is very similar to what an OT [occupational therapist] would do. “It was my first experience working with people with disabilities; I was a little nervous. But after the first day, when I met the women for the first time, I fell in love with them and with my new job. I knew right away this was a good fit…I was eager to contact [my adviser] and tell her about my interest.”
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“[My time in Prague] absolutely confirmed my thinking that therapy, children, and disabilities would figure centrally in my career path. Occupational therapists, in general, help people participate effectively in life activities using a variety of approaches to enhance physical, cognitive, and emotional health. My primary goal is to pursue an OT undergraduate and then graduate degree that will prepare me to work in pediatrics, improving the lives of children, helping them develop and fully use their cognitive and physical abilities.” She continues, “My degree allowed me to spend time doing hands-on learning outside of the classroom—during my four years at the U, I was able to work as a personal care assistant, supervise in a group home, assist with nurses, and have several shadowing and volunteer roles in the rehabilitation unit at Gillette Children’s. “All of those experiences shaped my college experience, and made me sure that OT was the career I wanted to do. It was nice to give back and use my passion for helping people in so many different areas while in school.” Schumacher now lives in Boston, where she works as a nanny and volunteers at Boston Children’s Hospital. She will enter a graduate program in OT beginning fall 2014.
Student Voice: Kristen Williams Area of Focus: Public Health/Pre-Nursing Like many students in the ICP program’s Health and Wellness concentration, Kristen Williams knew she wanted a medicalfield-focused degree—but wasn’t sure which area to concentrate on. “I started out in the BSE major [Biology, Science, and Environment], but I just didn’t have an interest or a need in a lot of the courses in that major, and a [pure] science focus wasn’t what I wanted to end up with, either.” In the end, serendipity and good connections led Williams to her home at CCE. “I actually found my major through my cousin,” she says. “She had been interested in a similar area of public health, and had designed her own major, and she got a hold of me and told me what a perfect fit for me it would be… and she was absolutely right!”
“[My experiences] empowered me, and I feel like I’m ready to embark on a career where I can make a difference in the world, like I’m ready to help people.” Serendipity also had a hand in Williams’ out-of-classroom learning, when she was offered an opportunity to study abroad in Athens, Greece. “It’s a place I had always wanted to go, and when the chance came, I took it. On the surface, it didn’t seem to be directly related to my major, but in reality I gained so much when I was there.” Despite the uncertain and volatile political and economic climate of the country while she was there, Williams says she never felt unsafe. “Before I left [to go to Greece], I had watched the news and was aware of the situation, but I didn’t let it scare me too much. When we got there, they sat us all down and told us how to handle any possible situations that might come up, so we were prepared—but never felt threatened. In the end, it was a very interesting time to have lived through and experienced.” In addition to taking classes while she was there, Williams interned at a free health clinic in an underserved area of Athens. “It started as a clinic for illegal immigrants who couldn’t afford care,” she says. “But I was there at the height of the economic meltdown, and so many people were out of work and needing inexpensive care, so the clientele was much larger.” It was a very small facility, and at first, Williams was taken aback at how different it was from what we think of in terms of medical facilities here. “Really, it was quite small, with just the basics. It had two doctors’ offices, and had a pharmacy attached, but again, that was also just a room with some shelves and some medicines piled up.”
Primarily, Williams worked in the pharmacy, but also shadowed the doctor and nurses, interacting with patients when she could. The experience of working in the clinic drove home how different health care is when class-related disparities come into play. “It opened my eyes—some of these folks don’t have access to even the most basic medicines. Things we take for granted quite often. For example, my sister has diabetes…we’ve never had trouble obtaining her insulin or finding care for her. Diabetes is a serious illness, but access to treatment hasn’t been a problem. But some of the patients at the clinic have never had the right medicine, or couldn’t afford it…or the language barriers they had as immigrants meant they didn’t know what to ask for or where to find it.” The experience refined her focus, and she came back knowing that she wanted to work with people—and that a public health emphasis would help give her the background and perspective she needed for an eventual nursing career. “My ICP major, along with my internship and study abroad experience clarified my thinking in regards to what I want to do after school. I’ve become very interested in holistic health care and how it can work with Western medicine, and my end goal is to become a nurse practitioner and blend the two theories. “[My experiences] empowered me, and I feel like I’m ready to embark on a career where I can make a difference in the world, like I’m ready to help people.”
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UPDATES, NEWS, AND NOTES IBH honored by UPCEA In September, the Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Behavioral Health program (IBH) received the 2013 Celebration of Excellence Award for Innovative Credit Program from the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA)Central Region.
FROM THE EDITOR This winter, we’re debuting a new section in CCE Current—the Updates, News, and Notes section. It’s often the most popular feature in an alumni magazine—and with good reason! Seeing how all that hard work pays off in the end makes everyone feel good.
The stories we run feature the students, colleagues, and programs that make CCE such a unique part of the University— and the community as a whole—we couldn’t do it without your help. Thanks so much, Megan Rocker Editor, CCE Current rocke014@umn.edu
IBH graduates go on to serve as change agents in the community, practicing and modeling integrated treatment approaches, and providing quality care to an underserved population. Dr. Julie Rohovit (program director and faculty director) accepted the award on behalf of the program at the UPCEA Central Region Conference September 25-27 in Minneapolis.
Read more about the IBH program and its groundbreaking work on page 6.
Urban Oasis idea wins big Eric Sannerud (’12), an ICP alum with a selfdesigned major in food systems, partnered with former U of M epidemiology fellow Tracey Sides and other University alumni to win a $1 million grant to help improve St. Paul.
Photo by V. Paul Virtucio
And so, we want to hear from you! Are you an alum of one of the College of Continuing Education programs? Or an instructor or advisory board member (current or former)? Send us your updates, your achievements, your inspiring, intriguing, amazing, informative, and otherwise awesome accomplishments so we can update our readers!
The IBH program is designed to address a growing need for qualified behavioral health professionals trained to work with individuals experiencing cooccurring mental health and substance use disorders. Innovative in both its content and delivery, the program provides easy access to courses, integrates learning with real-world application in clinical settings, employs an online platform for clinical field
supervision, and utilizes a dynamic portfolio process for student evaluation and graduate readiness.
The Urban Oasis project received the most votes from Minnesotans as part of the Forever Saint Paul Challenge, a competition organized by the Saint Paul Foundation and Minnesota Idea Open. It emerged from a pool of 946 ideas to be one of three finalists, and then garnered over half of the more than 16,000 votes cast by the public to pick a winner.
The Urban Oasis, or food hub, will be the focal point for local produce, fish, and meat, and would combine a food processing operation with a kitchen, a classroom, a café, and an events center. It also will help transform an abandoned, graffitilittered building in the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, east of Lowertown on St. Paul’s East Side between I-94 and the Mississippi River.
Photo by V. Paul Virtucio Rafferty Rafferty Tollefson Lindeke Architects
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Next Generation Environmental Leaders are national award winners
The students were presented their award at AASHE’s national conference in Nashville, Tennessee. This remarkable interdisciplinary collaboration—featuring students from two University of Minnesota campuses and several colleges and departments—was lauded for more than 12 months of work that culminated with a transformative panel at Governor Mark Dayton’s 2013 Environmental Congress.
Photo submitted by Radio K
ICP graduates Emma Wright (’13) and Christy Newell (’12) were among the members of a team of University of Minnesota students (Next Generation Environmental Leaders) who were selected as winners of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2013 Student Sustainability Leadership Award.
R-A-D! Radio K garners accolades in the Big Apple KUOM (Radio K) took home three College Radio Awards at the annual CMJ (College Music Journal) Music Marathon on October 17. The station received honors for: Best Community Resource; Most Creative Programming; and Biggest Champion of the Local Scene. In addition, KUOM was one of four finalists for station of the year. Station representatives Nailah Taman, Alex Simpson, Marcheta Fornoff, Abbie Gobeli, and Morgan Luther were on hand to accept the awards.
Photo by V. Paul Virtucio
CMJ is a worldwide resource for musicians, entertainment and industry
professionals, college radio tastemakers, and the press; CMJ is considered by many to be the ultimate arbiter of all things musical. The annual Music Marathon, which began in 1980, features over 1,400 live performances in more than 80 of New York City’s greatest nightclubs and theaters. In conjunction with the musical performances, CMJ also presents over 100 informative conference events with renowned speakers, and an Entertainment Business Law Seminar and College Day, programmed especially for college and noncommercial radio programmers. This year’s Music Marathon was October 15-19 in New York City.
Lou Quast named CCE Distinguished Educator Louis N. Quast, Ph. D. was named the 2013 CCE Distinguished Educator. Quast, vice president and executive consultant in Leadership Development Services at PDI Ninth House ( formerly Personnel Decisions International), joined the U of M faculty with a joint appointment in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, and the Department of Educational Psychology, in the fall of 2009. He teaches several graduate courses on leadership and adult career development, conducts research on effective leadership and leadership development, and participates in numerous professional engagement efforts in the areas of leadership and career development.
Construction Quiz Bowl results On October 4, two University of Minnesota teams representing the Construction Management program participated in the Annual Construction Quiz Bowl Regional Championships, competing against other collegiate teams from Stout, Wisconsin, and Moorhead and Mankato, Minnesota. The U of M teams finished first and second, competing against each other in the tie-breaking final round. J.E. Dunn Trophy winners were Rachel Dana, Vanessa Lunardelli, Ryan Kriesel, and Marque Garczynski. Runner-up team included: Kyle McMonigal, Marcelo Ferraz de Toledo, John Mullaney, and Dustin Haan. Both teams were coached by Construction Management faculty member Peter Hilger. Winter 2014
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The Accidental Scientist Curiosity may have killed the cat…but it led Master of Biological Sciences student Ravi Tavakley to a successful encore career as a research scientist.
R
avi Tavakley had a successful career as a computer hardware and software engineer that spanned more than four decades and allowed him to be part of an evolution that moved the computer industry from giant mainframe computers to desktops and laptops and finally to today’s hand-held computing devices. He began his career in the mid-1960s and spent the following 27 years working for the supercomputer pioneer, Control Data Corporation. In the 1990s, he invented and patented a particular method and apparatus for moving large numbers of data files between computers. Then, after working for various software startup companies during the internet boom years, he retired from the field in 2007. And in some ways, it has been a pretty typical retirement. Tavakley enjoys caring for his grandchildren, Jack (8) and Max (3), as well as tinkering—both with his 20-year-old “classic car” and on any “household things” in need of repair. But in other ways, however, it’s as if he never actually retired at all…he just shifted his focus to an “encore career.”
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When the first commercialized products based on advancements in nanoscale technologies began capturing headlines in the early 2000s, they got Tavakley’s attention. “With all the hype around nanotechnology, I became curious [and] signed up for a nanotechnology course at the Dakota County Technical College (DCTC),” he recalls. From those first classes, Tavakley went on to earn an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in nanoscience technology from DCTC and a Manufacturing Operations Management Certificate from CCE in 2010. After that, he explains, “I found in order to take advanced classes and really get into biology or nanotechnology [in the Twin Cities metro area], I had to sign up for the MBS program at the U.” For Tavakley, the ability to customize his course of study and take on such an academically rigorous degree part time has been critical to his success in the program. “I am almost two years in, but I am taking things slowly, as I have to pick
Photo by Daniel Corrigan
Today, Tavakley, now in his early seventies, continues to push and challenge his engineering mind in some rather unexpected ways. For starters, he is a registered graduate student in CCE’s
Master of Biological Sciences (MBS) program. “The master’s degree I am pursuing is not related to my previous career at all, and that is by design,” he says and points out that what ultimately led him to the MBS program stems from a basic curiosity that grew into much more than he ever anticipated.
up some of the basic knowledge necessary for graduate-level biology courses on my own.” The DCTC nanoscience program, which is offered in partnership with the University of Minnesota, requires students to complete an internship. For his, Tavakley chose a research internship working under the guidance of Dr. Benjamin Stottrup, an associate professor and department chair of physics at Augsburg College and an adjunct faculty member in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. Today, Tavakley continues his work with Stottrup as part of the MBS program’s directed research requirement. He also works with him in his [Tavakley’s] position as an adjunct professor at Augsburg College providing a nanotechnology viewpoint to various physics lectures. In addition, he helps U of M undergraduate physics lab students use nanotechnology-related equipment including the scanning electron microscope (SEM) at the University of Minnesota’s Characterization Facility (CharFac), and also assists summer research students in Augsburg’s biophysics lab. And lest anyone think it sounds like Tavakley still might have too much free time on his hands, there’s also his role as a published author. Tavakley and his mentor Stottrup are part of a multiinstitutional team that recently coauthored a paper published this past summer in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, (PNAS)—one of the most-cited, most widely read multidisciplinary scientific journals in the world. Their ground-breaking paper concerns the origins of life—still one of humankind’s last great unanswered questions and one of the most experimentally challenging research areas—and is the product of collaborative efforts among leading scientists from the University of Washington, Augsburg College, the
University of Minnesota, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The team conducted various experiments uncovering some fundamental chemical interactions that may help explain how the first spark of life came about on planet Earth. “It was Ben’s vision and far-reaching network that led us to an exceptional opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Roy Black [University of Washington researcher and lead author of the PNAS paper], who was investigating the symbiotic relationship between nucleic
“I couldn’t see myself just sitting around, though, so the idea was to stay active. It turned out that I could also be useful. Everything I am doing now grew out of wanting to do something brand new and to prove that I could continue to learn things that had nothing to do with my background.”
together, none of this [research] would be possible.” Perhaps what is most surprising, even to Tavakley himself, is that there has been no “master plan” directing his postretirement studies. In fact, he “accidentally” ended up researching nucleic bases, amphiphilic molecules, and prebiotic conditions for the same reason people do a lot of different things in retirement—keeping busy. “No, I didn’t plan this at all,” he says, rather matter-of-factly. “I couldn’t see myself just sitting around, though, so the idea was to stay active. It turned out that I could also be useful. Everything I am doing now grew out of wanting to do something brand new and to prove that I could continue to learn things that had nothing to do with my background.” Even with the level of success he has already achieved in his encore career as a published scientist, Tavakley remains humble. “My success is a result of the successes of the other [scientists] I have met along the way. I admire their accomplishments and use that as an inspiration. Biology is fundamental to understanding nanotechnology…but we really know very little about nanoscience …I want to continue learning about nanomicrobiology so that I can perhaps add to the existing knowledge base. I really have no concrete plans, but hope to continue learning and inspire young minds to do the same.”
bases and amphiphilic molecules in forming a stable cell under prebiotic conditions,” Tavakley explains. Under Stottrup’s guidance, Tavakley and researchers at Augsburg designed the experiments and collected data specifically to investigate the interaction of various prebiotic acids and bases at the air/water interface. “It took us almost one year to gather data which was followed by analysis, writing, and editing. It was very exciting for all of us involved to see the work published by PNAS... without institutions like the U and Augsburg bringing the best minds Winter 2014
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nce generous assista to receive such d re no ho d E! an C C I am ecstatic offered through rship programs will help from the schola g I have received in nd fu e th as , eful versity of I am so very grat gree at the Uni de e at du ra rg de y un me complete m ity . ta so ne Min a local commun omore years at ph so d an e av an le m d to I spent my fresh ortunately, I ha so working. Unf al to support le hi rd w fo , af ge to lle r co time in orde ll fu k or y degree. w to et le to compl e m school to go ab un as w I , ly equent y away myself, and cons eant I had to sta cost of living m gh up a hi e ild th bu d to an Tuition several years r fo d ke or w I le ones I have from school whi larships like the ho Sc n. tio da un e my studies at solid financial fo for me to resum e bl ssi po it e ad received here m l the U of M. in entrepreneuria bachelor’s degree y e m g th in h ug rsu ro pu Today, I am ting education th d business marke ng dreamed of management an (ICP). I have lo m ra og ific path to Pr ge le rests and career InterCol is degree is a terr th d an s, my personal inte es th sin bo bu s n fie tis ow sa y at m owning a degree th trepreneurship. m. By designing e my goal of en ev hi ac achieve that drea to in business le ab ultimately be allowed me to ga at ill w th I s , ip ns sh tio rn ra te aspi mer relations luable in sector as a custo have had two va re I ca , es th al di he e E-ternship stu e y th m me from Delux I worked in ca s. So far, during ie ip sh str rn du te in in nt nd hip. o differe Edina. The seco r Entrepreneurs experience in tw olmes Center fo ospital Service in H H S. al at rs y th ar ve G ni ny d U pa r an m es co executive fo of Management C, a tech servic I gained Carlson School for Prodality, LL k or es. While there, w ni to pa Program in the m le co ab as up w ion rtI , sta ty r ni fo fo portu ications stomer in rmat Through that op and mobile appl ntaining the cu e ai ar m d ftw an so is, ed ys as al eb-b ta an specializes in w g, performing da e-mail marketin g in do s gave e nc rie expe , my internship rge corporations la as rough l el th . w ” se ns as ba fa s, ta da of “raving all start-up se sm ba a ith g w in th ild bo bu k ns of various e about: le to wor ns at organizatio gs I am passionat Because I was ab tio in nc th fu o t tw en e th em ag ntage on nding how man me a unique va ice; and understa rv se er m sto cu er goals, in this outstanding ishment. my specific care bl to ta e es g, dg of le ls ve ow le kn ilor my uation next sprin sizes and Following grad enabled me to ta g. s ha tin s. e ke es nc ar sin m rie d bu pe l na P ex ess an doing internatio Overall, my IC l aspects of busin an entrepreneur r hip and technica fully fo rs k pe eu or en ho w pr s, or es tre e sin en case y own bu rt-up ventur m sta ild a bu of to rt pa an pl lu be ity va e. nce, I I would like to hands-on experie a strong commun e ith or w m t in uc ga od I r pr an IT ve made Eventually, afte product and/or e of you who ha er os th um to ns y co sit sro as m ne n. Thank you inued ge developing a not let you dow tion for the cont ill ia w ec I pr d ap an y s m m s ea expres my dr ed. I will reach Again, I want to ps I have receiv hi rs la ho sc e th possible sincerely. Best regards,
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Photo by Daniel Corrigan
, Dear Donors
MANY THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTORS July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013 Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) Construction Management Program Scholarship Association for Facilities Engineering Kathleen Davoli A Peter Hilger Craig Hohensee Robert Hoisington Deirdre McMahon & Michael Headrick Andrew Ramirez Thomas Shultz
Centennial Fund Robert Hoisington Sally & Charles Jorgensen Susanne & John Peterson In memory of Jean M Hoisington Glenn Shifflet Jesse Thompson
Centennial Scholarship Fund Michael Anderson Sharell Benson Charles Borowicz Robert Burgett Bernard Burstein Charles Piper Cost Fdn Jeanne Corwin Margaret Cost In memory of Catherine P Knoblauch Melanie Flessner June Given In memory of Catherine P Knoblauch Chelen Gore Michele Goulding Spencer Loretta Graven John Hartmann Lynda Hayes Katz Stanley & Jane Hooper Jerrold Hromatka Honoring Peggy Lehti’s 40-year service at the U
Richard Hruby Patrick Joyce Tamara Kaiyalethe Shirley Kallevig Michael LaMontagna & Jennifer Mell Lori Loberg Patrick Machnik Karen Moon Marilyn Nelson Mary L Nichols Ronald Pentz In honor of Fran VanSlykeZaslofsky’s retirement/service The Prudential Fdn Deione Robertson Karen Ryan Bonnie Samletzka William Schaefer Steven Schostek Joan T Smith Fred Smoger Patricia Sulander Simon Tebandeke Zzimbe Sheryl Weber-Paxton
Lisa Roche Ardelle Rourk Terri Schlegel-David Christiane Seiler Earl Sharp Janice Sickbert Cynthia Tidbal Karolyn Walker Evan Williams Michael Woolsey Melinda Wright
Jo Ellen Lundblad Nancy Russell John Tomsyck
College of Continuing Education - Staff Campaign Fund
InterCollege Program (ICP) Development Fund
College of Continuing Education Fund
Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) Scholarship
John Albers Margaret Baier Enrique Baltierra Jerome Cherel Andrew Dahm Gareth Degolier Jane Gergen Judith Green Keithen Hayenga Agnes Hilgers Lucy Hulme Orlena Iversen Patricia Kashmark-Krebs Thomas Krall Arthur Lemke Vivien Oja Jennifer Packer & Gregory Richardson Grace Parsons Colleen Proffitt
Thomas Bezek Charles Borowicz Peggy Lehti Kimberly Lloyd
College of Continuing Education - Scholarly Events Fund Maxine Dilliard Cheryl McFadden Ellen Wolfson
Twin Cities Area Chapter of CFMA
Dean’s Scholarship Fund Derrick Fong Janice Greig Patricia Holman Brian Szczech Erica Whisney Andrew Williams
Graduate Liberal Studies Scholarship Joan Campbell In honor of Lillian & Eugene Bauer Andy Driscoll Signe Heffern Sharon Hogenson
Graduate Studies Scholarship Ella Dokken Robert Stine
Government Contracts Programming Fund Alan Peterson
Adminsoa LLC Michael Bergmann Tracy Eberly Thomas Heenan Jean & Robert Hoisington Brian Johnson Roland King Gail & Jack Kochie Matthew Kuehn Nicholas Milburn Fred Smoger David Wilkowske
Julius Nolte / Harold Miller Scholarship Fund Robert Ahles Alden Allen Lois Baker Mark Baker Lawrence Barnes Virginia Barzan Lydia Baude Jacob Bauer Doris Bautch Julie Benrud-Luhman Edith Black Robert Blees Michelle Bloom Judith Boehm Janet Broling Terri Burrell Margaret Buss Francis Butler
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Contributors continued Christine Christianson Dorothy Cleveland James Collins Maxine Dilliard Faith Dohmen Annette Elizabeth Alice Engelman F Marilyn England Express Scripts Fdn Nicholas Fee Douglas Forsmark Ryan Frailich Annisetta Fredericksen Greta Garmers Andre Gauthier Alison Gerlach Blaser David Gilberstadt Meghan Greene Kristen Hageman Jeffrey Hagen Nancy Halpern Thomas Hamel Cherie Hamilton Judith & Victor Hanks Janet Hansen Hartford Betty Havens Katie Hegland Thomas Hinz Julie Holmen Alex Holzinger Carolyn Howland Zachary Huber Lorna Hunt Ellison Rhonda Ingalsbe Ronald Jackson Brian Johnson Christine Johnson Marion Johnson Carla Kahle Janet & Joel Knoepfler Anthony Kuehn Andrew Lear Eleanor Lease Virginia Ledo Joseph Leinss Stephen Lerach Ronald Leurquin Katharine Llop
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CCE Current
Ingrid Lund Samuel Malone Lorraine Maloney Martha Marshall Charlene Matteson Tracy McCarthy Jean McCoy In memory of Robert Nolte Matteson Scott Monson Diane Mundt Janet Munson Marion Nelson Earl Nolting Carol Olmsted Jeanne Olsen In memory of Judy Nolting Claire Olson Larry Olson Oleg Osipenko Johanna Osman Richard Oyen Amy Palm Stephanie Parks Rita Parvey Kyla Patek Sally Patterson Christopher Pearson Edward Peterson Cassy Peterson Sam Pichey Pichey Associates/ Real Estate Investments Andrea Popiel Robert Poskie Elizabeth Reeves-Sfortney Bettimae Richman Roxann Ripple Betty Runyon Mary Ryerse & Allen Gooch Angela Saverice-Rohan David Schempp Joseph Schmidt Jerry Scott Marie Sedivy Joey Selzler Lansing Shepard Lawrence Sholler Donelle Slater
Melissa Smith Megan Smith Jennifer Song Edward Souther Tom Stark Beverly Stillman Todd Stroessner Dorris Taylor Andrew Thorne Cheryle Valiquette Dawn Veldhuizen Anne Voelker Paula Wagner Judith Wagner Nancy Williams Deborah Zimmerman
Rosslyn S. Kleeman Scholarship Elizabeth Frank Rosslyn Kleeman
Karin L. Larson Fund for Interdisciplinary Education Advising Matthew Brunnette
Karin L. Larson Fund for Interdisciplinary Education Scholarships Rebecca Goodwyn
Masters of Liberal Studies Program Support Honorable Edward Wilson
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Fund Pat Alland Margaret Alldredge Nell Bean Stephen Benson Michael Bosanko Sharon Bottorff Karen Bowen Judith Budreau Geraldine Burns In appreciation of help received to complete 2012 B.A. Marjorie Carr Darlene Carroll Honoring the birthdays of Marie & David Goblirsch
Beverly Christensen Dorothy Delegard Charles Denny Patricia & Richard Fishel Teena Fletcher General Mills Fdn David Goblirsch Howard Guthmann Adrienne Gutierrez Patricia Hagerty Suzanne Herberg Jay Hutchinson Marge Hutton Deborah & Robert Jansen Molly Johnson In memory of Jim Dunn Nancy Jones Joanne Kendall Georgia Knutson Janet Krofta In memory of Janet Cardle Daniel Larson The Estate of Wanda Lorentzen Roger Meyer Geraldine Mooers Diane Mundt Vivian Nelson Ruthann Ovenshire Gordon Peterson Susanne & John Peterson Elisabeth & Andreas Rosenberg Donna & Glenn Scudder Emily & Daniel Shapiro Meredith Smith Miriam Stohl Sheila Summerfield Marcia & Wesley Sundquist Renee Tasaka Mariann Tiblin Norene Wade Rolf Westgard
Elnor Peterson Pahl Scholarship
From the Development Director Dear Friends,
PCL Construction Management Scholarship
How did the U touch your life this year? Maybe you attended a Headliners program that changed your thinking. Perhaps new medical research saved or improved the life of a neighbor, friend, or loved one. You may have hired or given an internship to a student or recent graduate, helping get her foot in the working-world door.
PCL Construction Services, Inc
Miriam B. Seltzer Scholarship Fund– Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Nell Bean Florence Bogle Carol Carberry Nancy Flanagan Janice Johnson Joanne Kendall Joseph Kuznik In memory of Donn Coddington Sharon Lovo In memory of Anne Truax Betty & Merritt Marquardt Margaret Nelson Mary Quinlivan Carolyn Shrewsbury Jennet Silverman Mary Trippler Rolf Westgard Barbara & Richard Whiting In memory of Ivan Ross
Women’s Fund for Scholarships Douglas & Wendy Dayton Carolyn Holmes Micaela Massimino Jeanne Olsen
Thank you! We strive to accurately acknowledge all of our donors. If you find an error, please accept our apologies and contact the Development Office at 612-625-1253 so that we can make the needed corrections.
Photo by Tim Rummelhoff
Meredith (Matt) Musel
As a land-grant University, being an agent of change in peoples’ lives statewide is the soul and the purpose of this institution. And transforming the lives of people outside of the “traditional college experience” is something CCE, in particular, specializes in. Our students are independent thinkers, committed problem solvers, and educational visionaries. They have the drive to craft interdisciplinary degrees that match their goals. They are earning educations in fields that make them highly employable in a changing job market. They’re traveling the world and putting their skills to work making it a better place. They may be taking the road less travelled, but they aren’t doing it alone. For one, they work with advisers consistently ranked as some of the best in the University, who provide one-on-one attention. They also have access to degree advisory boards composed of industry leaders and seasoned professionals, who help keep the curricula current and relevant. Finally, CCE students can work with our financial aid adviser, who will help them discover and apply for as many of the scholarships and endowments they qualify for—which, of course, would never be possible without the help of our donors, who so generously give back to the University. Drive and motivation, along with access to dedicated advisers and resources, make for excellent results. To give a couple of examples, this fall I had a chance to review the CCE Career and Internship survey results, and I also stopped by a College-sponsored Career Day. In both, I heard repeatedly: our grads find great jobs after school. And not just jobs, but meaningful work, like they’ve always wanted. Now that’s exciting. It’s a symbiotic relationship—the community supports the University, and in return, the U gives back to the people of this state. How has the U of M, how has CCE, touched your life this year? I hope that it was in a positive, rewarding way—and I hope you let us know! Wishing you and your family all the best in 2014 and a most productive and meaningful new year.
Kathleen Davoli, Director of Development College of Continuing Education
To make a gift... Call Kathleen Davoli at 612-625-1253, visit www.cce.umn.edu/Giving-to-CCE, or e-mail davol001@umn.edu
Winter 2014
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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 811
CCE Current 201 Coffey Hall 1420 Eckles Avenue St. Paul, MN 55108-6080
Photo by Daniel Corrigan
Dear Donors,
I am ecstatic and honored to receive such generous assistance from the scholarship programs offered through CCE!
ThankYou Andre Hui
I am so very grateful, as the funding I have received will help me complete my undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota. Read Andre’s story on page 18.