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Seoul Meets Minnesota - A Global Perspective
Twenty undergraduate students from South Korea are spending a portion of their summer at UMD. For the first time, UMD is presenting an Introduction to American Environmental Writing from the North Woods to students from Kyung Hee University. The students alternated their daily intensive writing classes with visits to UMD programs and community organizations. Habin Kim, one of the students, was pleased with his experience, "The program is teaching us many fields: literature, linguistics, history, philosophy, and environmental studies," he says. All of the students are English majors, and while a few of them want to be English language teachers, their career goals are varied. Surim Back also says the program is valuable. She eventually wants to be a public official. "I want to learn diplomacy," she says. "I'm very interested in the relations between South Korea, North Korea, and the United States." Songhee Cheon, who comes from a small town outside of Seoul, is looking forward to a career as a "cultural marketer," a job that is similar to Chamber of Commerce personnel in the U.S. "We need to tell the story of the best parts of our cities," she explains. "We also need to educate others about the negative effects people are having on the environment." She says the program at UMD will help her prepare for that goal. Linda LeGarde Grover, an American Indian writer and faculty member at UMD, is meeting with the Korean students about her book, "Onigamiising: Seasons of an Ojibwe Year." The class is also visiting the cultural museum at the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Yurim Jeong has a special interest in the topic. "I plan to work as a translator, and I'm curious about different cultures," she says. Yurim is an avid reader of Korean literature and is quick to point out books in English that have been translated from the Korean language. The field trips have exposed the students to American culture and environmental sustainability. A class at the Duluth Folk School (see top photo) gave them hands-on experience using natural methods to make hand soap. A trip to the Mall of America (MOA), was a crash course on consumerism, but it was also a lesson in how the MOA recycles and reuses more than 90 percent of its waste, from cardboard to cooking oil. Other sites the group visited included the Large Lakes Observatory's Blue Heron research vessel and the Natural Resources Research institute. Excursions to Bayfield and the Apostle Islands in Wisconsin, as well as the Glensheen Historic Estate, rounded out their immersion into the Upper Midwest. Geonhee Kim, who is pursuing a career teaching the English language, was especially attracted to the UMD summer institute because of Lake Superior. "Relaxing in the environment, breathing clean air, and spending time on the beach are wonderful," she says. "The outdoors is so beautiful, it's really comforting." UMD staff are pleased the program is going well. "The students are participating in discussions facilitated by UMD faculty members," says Dr. Susan Maher, a professor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies. "They are studying three Minnesota writers, sociolinguistics, and learning new theories and perspectives on American environmental (nature) writing." This unique program was initiated and organized by Maher, UMD’s Dr. Chongwon Park, also a professor of English, linguistics, and writing studies, Chris Haidos, director, international partnerships and outreach, and Kremena Popov, director of English as a Second Language International. They partnered with Jong-Bok Kim, faculty in the Department of English, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea. For more information: Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies. UMD Internationalization Initiative Photos — Top: Students making soap using natural ingredients at the Duluth Folk School. Center: Geonhee Kim, Songhee Cheon, Yurim Yeong, and Surim Back hold stuffed animals in the Rainforest Cafe. The cafe supports threatened habitats through the World Land Trust. Bottom: The first stop at the Mall of America was the Disney store.
The 24 Hour Musicals
The 24 Hour Musicals will be held on August 19, 2019 at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, 501 West 78th St, Chanhassen, Minn., beginning at 7:30 p.m. Cost: $35, $75, or $100. For tickets, contact: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres at 952-934-1525 or visit them online at http://bit.ly/24HrMusical2019 After two magical productions of The 24 Hour Plays: Minneapolis, the 2019 event, produced in partnership with The 24 Hour Plays, New York, NY, will be the Midwest premiere of The 24 Hour Musicals: Minneapolis. The 24 Hour Plays artistic director Mark Armstrong (a UMD theater alumnus) will be joined by his team of New York collaborators, including Zac Zinger, the longtime music supervisor for The 24 Hour Musicals on and off Broadway. Artists scheduled to participate include actors Sally Wingert, Michelle Barber, Sasha Andreev, Cat Brindisi, Warren C. Bowles, Hope Nordquist, Taj Ruler, Fernando Collado, Denzel Belin; composers and lyricists David Darrow, Becky Shaheen, Kasano Mwanza, Thomas Jacobson; directors Florendino Lagundino and William Payne; choreographers Kelly Foster Warder and Rebecca Katz Harwood; and a live band led by music supervisor Zac Zinger. The cast will also feature UMD student actors Jenessa Iverson and Bret Burggraff. More cast and creative team updates to come! The 24 Hour Plays® bring together extraordinary artists to create time-limited theatre around the world. In addition to the The 24 Hour Plays® on Broadway and The 24 Hour Musicals® in New York City, regular events take place in London, Los Angeles, Dublin, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Mexico, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy and many others. Through collaborations with partner charities, The 24 Hour Company’s productions have raised millions of dollars for arts education around the world. “The 24 Hour Plays and Musicals are the best way to bring any community together,” said Mark Armstrong, artistic director of The 24 Hour Plays (and UMD alumni), “and it’s especially meaningful to me to bring The 24 Hour Musicals to my home state of Minnesota and rally the world-class theater community there around the meaningful goal of supporting young artists.” Proceeds from the event held at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres on August 19 support the CDT/UMD Department of Theatre scholarship program, and Spotlight Education, the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s flagship education program that engages Minnesota high schools in the performing arts and provides scholarships for students enrolled in the UMD Theatre program. Sponsored by Sherman Associates, Country Inn & Suites^® by Radisson, Reinhart Foodservice Tickets: ChanhassenDT.com • 952-934-1525 or 800-362-3515 Show-only admission donation $35 * upgraded packages available. About The 24 Hour Plays The 24 Hour Plays® bring together extraordinary artists to create time-limited theater around the world. In addition to The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway and The 24 Hour Musicals in New York City, events take place in London, Los Angeles, Dublin, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Germany, Athens, Finland, Mexico City, Florence and Denmark. Through collaborations with The Lillys, Dublin Youth Theatre, Urban Arts Partnership, The Old Vic Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, Bennington College, Hennepin Theatre Trust, The University of Minnesota-Duluth, Cornerstone Theater Company, PlayGround, Rakastajat-teatteri, El Círculo Teatral, El77 Centro Cultural AutogestivoThe Orchard Project, The Del Sole Foundation and others, The 24 Hour Plays have raised millions of dollars for charities. Each summer, The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals partner with the New School for Drama to bring together the best young actors, directors, playwrights and producers for an intensive professional experience that culminates in their own production of The 24 Hour Plays. Licensed affiliates have produced their own versions of The 24 Hour Plays in regional and professional theaters, colleges and universities, and just about everywhere you can find a curtain and a stage. About UMD School of Fine Arts (Department of Theatre) UMD's Department of Theatre, providing academic and professional training in the theatre arts, is housed in the Marshall Performing Arts Center (MPAC), which includes a 550-seat flexible thrust/proscenium theatre, a black-box experimental theatre, fully equipped scenic and costume shops, computerized lighting control, digital and analog audio playback stations and studio space for acting, dance and design. The Department of Theatre offers two majors: a Theatre Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Theatre Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). In addition, we offer minors in dance, theatre and film studies. Throughout the year, UMD Theatre offers a variety of shows for the public. About Hennepin Theatre Trust Hennepin Theatre Trust is a nonprofit organization that creates positive change through the arts by bringing together people, businesses and organizations in WeDo™, the West Downtown MPLS Cultural District, to create and enjoy cultural experiences. We want everyone who comes to WeDo to have a unique experience. Our historic theatres – the Orpheum, State and Pantages – light up Hennepin Avenue with the best of Broadway and world-class entertainment. Our New Century Theatre is home to professional local productions and talent. Our Spotlight Education program inspires high school students through musical theatre. Beyond our theatre doors, we connect people to unexpected arts and cultural experiences like the iconic Bob Dylan mural and our art-in-underused spaces project, Made Here. Our collaborations with businesses, artists, local officials and other arts and culture organizations bring a wide range of quality activities and entertainment to WeDo. Learn more at HennepinTheatreTrust.org. About Chanhassen Dinner Theatres For over 50 years, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres has been celebrated as the nation’s largest professional dinner theatre company. Since 1968 CDT has welcomed over 12.5 million visitors with its unique form of hospitality. Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is a fully-professional, producing musical theatre company. With scenic and costume shops on site, all design elements are created and executed by CDT’s resident artistic design and technical staff. The artistic program is led by President and Artistic Director, Michael Brindisi. Brindisi works with co-owners Tamara Kangas-Erickson, VP and Choreographer, and Steven L. Peters, to manage CDT. Chanhassen Dinner Theatres continues to delight audiences with a high-quality end-to-end entertainment, dining, and service experience. To learn more, visit ChanhassenDT.com For more information on the August 19 performance at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, visit http://bit.ly/24HrMusicals2019. Learn more about UMD's Department of Theatre.
Knauss Fellowship Finalist
The University of Minnesota Sea Grant announced that their 2020 finalist for the National Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program is University of Minnesota Duluth Water Resources Science graduate student Kirsten Rhude. Sea Grant’s Knauss Fellowship matches nationally selected finalists with host offices of the federal government for a one-year, non-renewable paid fellowship. Legislative fellows are selected to work in the United States House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in either personal or committee offices. Executive fellows are placed in federal agencies with Great Lakes and marine-relevant policy missions. “The Knauss Fellowship is an outstanding example of how Sea Grant fulfills its mission to bring sound science to decision-makers and foster a diverse workforce trained in water science, law and policy,” said Minnesota Sea Grant Director John A. Downing. “Kirsten’s Great Lakes research and teacher education experience makes her immensely valuable as a freshwater science resource.” Named for one of Sea Grant’s founders and former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administrator, the finalists for this prestigious annual fellowship are an impressive group of 69 talented, early-career professionals who represent 27 of the 34 Sea Grant College Programs nationwide. “I believe the most meaningful contribution I can make to the ecological, social and economic well-being of the Great Lakes region is by applying my science knowledge and experience to policy,” said Rhude. “The Knauss Fellowship will help me achieve this by providing me with critical experience in the policy making process.” Rhude’s master’s research is focused on a small shrimp-like organism that is one of two species that drive the food web in Lake Superior. The fatty invertebrates are called Diporeia and are eaten by commercially important species such as whitefish. Diporeia have been disappearing in all the Great Lakes except Lake Superior and researchers do not yet know why. “Diporeia are most abundant in Lake Superior at depths of 30 to 100 meters,” said Rhude. “I am analyzing the chemical and physical properties of the sediment to determine what about that depth appeals to Diporeia.” Outreach has been important in Rhude’s research too. In 2018, she guided 12 teachers from Minnesota Sea Grant’s shipboard science program on the R/V Blue Heron to collect samples for her research and help analyze the resulting data. Rhude helped the teachers learn field techniques and develop data analysis skills. “I was drawn to Sea Grant because they link the public to water science,” Rhude said. Rhude and the other finalists will learn about placement opportunities in the nation’s capital over the summer, interview with legislative and executive offices in the fall and begin their fellowships in February 2020. The 2020 finalists will be the 41st class of the John A. Knauss Policy Fellowship program since the program's inception in 1979. The Knauss blog includes fellowship stories from the 2019 Knauss class. The National Sea Grant College Program, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a network of 33 Sea Grant science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Puerto Rico, Lake Champlain and Guam. For more information, contact: John A. Downing, Director, Minnesota Sea Grant; Professor of Biology, Department of Biology and Scientist, Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota Duluth; downing@d.umn.edu, 218.726.8715. Marie Thoms, Communications and Public Relations, Minnesota Sea Grant, methoms@d.umn.edu, office: 218.726.8710, mobile: 907.460.1841, @MNSeaGrant. www.seagrant.umn.edu Learn more about Minnesota Sea Grant. Learn more about UMD's Water Resources Science program. Image: Kirsten Rhude, Minnesota Sea Grant's 2020 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship finalist. Credit: Eric Oberhart
Collaborations Bring Global Innovations to Minnesota
That’s why Sabine Engel connected Minnesota to Germany where energy innovation is a passion. She suggested Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) get involved to get research and ideas flowing between the two cultures. "When I think about impactful innovation around what's ahead with energy and waste reduction, I think of NRRI," said Engel. "We had to get NRRI research involved because I knew there would be a strong connection." In her role as Director of International Partnerships for the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, Engel is leading a state-wide cooperative effort of six Minnesota cities and six cities in Germany to share innovations. NRRI Executive Director Rolf Weberg started NRRI’s relationship in 2014 as part of a delegation to North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He quickly saw potential collaborations with Metabolon, a research consortium there. This landfill-turned-recreation/ education/outreach facility combines research efforts with Cologne University of Applied Sciences and the Bergische Waste Association. “I saw a lot of research underway at Metabolon that complements what NRRI is working on,” said Weberg. “They’re making great strides in waste digestion and biogas energy generation while we are delving into biofuels and biochemicals. There’s a lot we can share and learn from each other.” Germany is one of the more successful countries at turning waste into a source of raw materials and energy. As a former landfill, Metabolon allows for research projects to move from the lab to pilot scale before implementation in industrial plants. And one of those projects found its way into a laboratory at NRRI this summer. Sebastian Schroeder, a graduate student at Cologne University of Applied Sciences, was working to understand the problem of nitrate-rich landfill leaching. The challenge of his research group was to find an inexpensive carbon source for the bacteria that removes nitrate and find a use for the methane off gases from the landfill. Eric Singsaas, director of NRRI’s Materials and Bioeconomy group, met Schroeder in 2018 at the International Scientific Conference on Sustainability and Innovation and thought that NRRI’s microbial work in wetlands could fit what he was working on. Schroeder was part of a team searching for a specific type of bacteria called Methylomirabilis oxyfera. Singsaas connected Schroeder to NRRI Scientist Chan Lan Chun who is studying the microbial life in wild rice wetlands. Schroeder was chosen to go Minnesota to find the bacteria with the hope that it could live off methane in the oxygen-depleted environment of the landfill while also consuming nitrates. A big job for tiny bacteria, but initial experiments were promising. “This is newly discovered bacteria that may be everywhere but it’s not well studied,” explained Chun. “We found them in wild rice wetlands using DNA sequencing technology and the Metabolon group developed the process, so this is a very interesting collaboration.” Schroeder enjoyed his three weeks at NRRI, making friends and spending time in wetlands to collect sediment samples to bring back to Germany. “If we can find the right bacteria and prove my theory, we can keep moving this forward,” he said. “My goal is to continue this research in a doctoral program.” For NRRI, research with global relevance is the result of leveraging capabilities across the University system and making connections that advance technologies. “We help to fund the Institute on the Environment’s International Program because engaging globally allows us to go bigger, better, faster and bolder,” Weberg added. “Schroeder’s visit here is a great example of what we can do when we put our heads together.” Schroder’s research co-advisors are Astrid Rehorek, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and Stéphan Barbe, Department of Applied Natural Sciences, at the Cologne University of Applied Science. Learn more about NRRI.
Studying Abroad
She's is a Writing Studies B.A. major with minors in English and Digital, Literature & Design. Where did you study abroad? University of Roehampton in London, England, through CIS Abroad. What type of course are you taking? Hidden London, a creative writing course centered around London. What was your most memorable experience? I think my most memorable experience is hanging out with my new group of friends. Starting out we had gone to the Queen's Birthday (which wasn't her real birthday) and saw the parade that only happens once a year. We ended up seeing the Queen on our second full day of being in England, which was crazy. Throughout the trip we went out more and explored different parts of the city. I've explored multiple markets with them, found delicious bakeries and cafes, watched "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables" performed in the West End, and so many other incredible things. It's difficult to pick just one memory, but everything I have done was memorable because of the people I did it with. Additional advice? Just have fun and stay relaxed! Don't go into this with high expectations, because if you expect everything to go perfectly, you'll be disappointed. Also, if you're in London, make sure you explore not just central London, but the outer edges like the Southwest (Richmond Park is absolutely lovely), or the North (Highgate Cemetery was a strange field trip, but it's in a beautiful part of town.) Also, go visit the markets! Portobello Market seems like it spans over a mile long. It's so large and was the main setting for a great British movie ("Notting Hill"). Spitafields Market is a lot of fun and near the East End/Whitechapel area which is infamous for Jack the Ripper. Camden Market is also great and probably one of my favorite markets that I was able to visit out of the seven I went to. There's so much culture around this huge city, and it's easy to be intimidated by the huge buildings and all of the people rushing past, but take a deep breath and just know you will figure it out. What would you say to someone considering study abroad? Do it! I met a great group of people who I can now call my friends. I've only known them for a mere three weeks, but it feels like I have known them for much longer. It's also great because going to a completely different place is a step out of your comfort zone, and it'll help you grow as a person. There are so many experiences you can't even dream of having that are waiting for you to explore. Learn more about UMD's Study Abroad programs.
Coleraine Lab Prepares For the Future
This facility is gearing up for tomorrow’s Iron Range while meeting current industry needs. Once a steel company’s train repair station and research facility, NRRI’s Coleraine Labs are a maze of buildings and industrial equipment. But upgrades to infrastructure are continually underway and modern equipment keeps coming in the door. So while the original “Davis Tubes” from the 1940s still churn to show researchers the magnetic iron content of a rock sample, the focus is on the future. New equipment is being designed to test ores for higher value uses. Hydrometallurgy capabilities will extract a variety of metals from Minnesota’s ore resources. Integrating research from NRRI Duluth geologists on the basics of Minnesota’s complex mineralization, NRRI’s team in Coleraine are able to keep building. Video of NRRI Coleraine Labs Overview “This lab was set up for improving taconite pellets but we want to go beyond that,” explained NRRI Coleraine Labs Director Kevin Kangas. “We need to modernize and gear up to do larger scale research tests that are more meaningful to the steelmakers of today and tomorrow. The U.S. steel industry is evolving and so is NRRI, with methods to achieve high purity iron and enhanced uses for iron resources.” NRRI will continue to help the taconite pellet industry improve efficiencies to make the best use of the magnetic iron they’re mining today. But it’s well known that magnetite is not Minnesota’s ore of the future. Making iron ore pellets from hematite – a non-magnetic ore – is quickly becoming the focus of existing taconite producers and new startup companies. NRRI is poised to do research and provide process design data from crude ores through high value end products like direct reduced iron, pig iron, and nodular reduced iron. “We’re getting requests from industry clients to do larger scale production runs using a variety of new technologies,” said Kangas. “We can easily work with kilograms, pounds and a few tons, but we need to be able to scale up for production runs that generate many tons of products for material testing and customer samples.” One new piece of equipment is called the Fixed Bed Dynamic Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) Simulator - a uniquely designed test method that will closely simulate the DRI technologies on the market today. Shifts to higher efficiency electric arc furnaces have increased demand for a new generation feedstock for steelmaking. While much of Minnesota’s taconite industry still produces pellets for older blast furnaces, new electric arc furnaces require higher grade, metallic iron. This new metallurgical test method will enable Minnesota’s taconite industry to make the transition to modern pellet production and will be commissioned in the summer of 2020. A new Minerology Lab has been installed in a remodeled building. Now, all the mineral samples that come in from all over the world are tested before any research program begins. It allows for proper safety protocols to be established for the research team while improving the research program. In 2020, a new climate controlled Pyrometallurgy Lab will be installed to bring all of the “pyro test” methods together in one area under one roof. These high temperature tests are used to test iron oxides and other materials to assess chemical, physical and metallurgical properties. NRRI’s Chemical Lab is also undergoing a new quality initiative aimed at ensuring all lab procedures and analytical equipment are operated and maintained to match industry standards. “Providing unbiased, independent research across all of our research groups – from forestry and minerals to water and energy – is the real strength of NRRI,” Kangas added. “Helping industry prepare for the future on a smart and sustainable path is our goal.” Learn more about NRRI.
Reliving the Giant Moon Leap
The public is invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing at the UMD Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium with planetarium shows, hands-on activities, and promises to be fun for all ages. The celebration is free and open to the public. It will be held at the planetarium on 1023 University Drive, in Duluth, Minn. from 3-7 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2019. Jessica Herrington, UMD Planetarium director, said, "Apollo 11 was an enormous human effort. The UMD Planetarium recognizes the monumental undertaking and the journey of exploration that continues today. We invite the community to share the adventure with us." The event celebrates the launch on July 16, 1969, when astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins left from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in Apollo 11 on a journey to the Moon. Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface. On July 24, 1969, the astronauts safely splashed down back on Earth. About the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium
Currents in Motion
In May 2019, about 30 miles from the Minnesota shoreline, eleven people — UMD students, staff, faculty, and ship’s crew — began assembling, as Jay Austin from UMD's Large Lakes Observatory (LLO) says, “an enormous horizontal mooring” to gather data about convective cells in Lake Superior. The crew built it piece by piece on deck, and as the components were ready, lowered them deep into the lake. When they completed the endeavor, the structure dwarfed Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge. First they fastened steel cable to 1000-pound concrete block weights (see photo with Jay above). Next came the massive steel floats at the top of the mooring. The critical horizontal line, spanning the width of the experiment, followed. Finally, five lines were suspended from the upper span to near the lake bottom, with several temperature sensors attached to each. Once the assembly was complete, there was still a huge undertaking left. The R/V Blue Heron had to tow one side of the concrete weights away from the other side in order to lower the top of the assembly 100 feet below the water’s surface. Horizontal Data UMD’s LLO has had experiments moored under the surface of Lake Superior since 2005 but this is the first one that resolves features horizontally. It is gathering temperature data from five columns, not just a single column, extending near the lake floor. The data was collected over a several week period between May and July. In addition, data on currents and surface meteorology was collected, some of which was transferred in real time to the LLO facility, and some which will be analyzed after the equipment is brought back to the lab. The UMD-led study, funded by the National Science Foundation, with partners from the University of North Carolina, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of California-Davis, looks at convective cells in Lake Superior water. “It’s almost more of a fluid dynamics experiment than limnology,” says Austin, who is the principal investigator on the project and UMD department head and professor of physics and astronomy. Examining Convective Cells Convective cells occur in air and water and many factors impact them. The result is a circulation pattern such as those seen in oil heated on a stove, or, as Austin says, “the pattern you sometimes see in a bowl of miso soup when it is cooling.” This 2019 Lake Superior project looks at temperature structure, as well as horizontal and vertical velocities in order to determine the character of convective cells in Lake Superior. A similar mooring was constructed in 1998 by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to study internal waves on Georges Bank in the coastal Atlantic. The 2019 LLO experiment is much bigger and takes place in deeper water than the 1998 experiment. At nearly 1000 feet wide by 500 feet tall, and resting 100 feet below the lake surface, the experiment will gather the most comprehensive set of data on convective processes in lakes ever collected. As the data is analyzed by UMD students over the next few years, the study will add to the body of knowledge about the complex behavior of Lake Superior and other large lakes around the world. It’s an “enormous” undertaking indeed. About UMD's Large Lakes Observatory About LLO's Buoys About UMD's Department of Physics and Astronomy Top photo: Jay Austin and a stack of the 1000-pound concrete weights. Upper center: Ten of the crew members who assembled the experiment. Lower center: A schematic of the horizontal mooring, with the Duluth Lift Bridge shown for scale. (credit: Craig Hill. Lift Bridge image: MPR). Bottom photo: The buoy that collects meteorology data for the convective cell experiment.
What’s Happening with Wild Rice?
Students working with the Research Experience for Undergraduates program are collecting their wild rice research on Thursday, July 11, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. The wild rice mesocosms are at UMD’s Research and Field Studies Center– 4907 Jean Duluth Road. Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is a 10-week program for students studying science or engineering that’s funded by the National Science Foundation. Underrepresented and multicultural students are encouraged to apply. Team Zaaga’igan UMD’s REU team is Zaaga’igan, which means lake in Ojibwe. Zaaga’igan’s team members are four undergraduates from universities around the U.S. researching with UMD graduate student Sophie LaFond-Hudson. The undergraduates’ work dovetails with LaFond-Hudson’s research– finding the effect of sulfur and sulfides on wild rice. LaFond-Hudson, who grew up in Duluth, started researching wild rice as a graduate student five years ago, and continues the research as she pursues her doctorate at UMD. After spending a lot of time on the area’s lakes and rivers, LaFond-Hudson says she’s motivated by a personal interest and love of those water bodies, “I was really interested in the water quality of Northern Minnesota.” Thinking Bigger Nate Johnson is a Civil Engineering associate professor who oversees UMD’s REU site. Beyond giving LaFond-Hudson an opportunity to gain experience as a mentor and a teacher, Johnson says the REU program prepares undergraduates for graduate school. “Giving them a 10-week blitz of applicable research helps them learn to start thinking bigger.” The students will complete a paper and a poster at the conclusion of their program, which includes time at UMD’s farm, in campus labs, and at Fond Du Lac shadowing tribal scientists. Nancy Schuldt, the water projects coordinator with the Fond du Lac Environmental Program, is working with the students during their time on the reservation. She says the program provides academic research on tribal priorities and an opportunity for the students to shadow real world tribal scientists. “Fond du Lac has a lot of intersection with environmental issues. We get to model proactive tribal management and protection for students.” More information about UMD's Water Resource Science Graduate Program More information about UMD’s Civil Engineering Program
LLO Science on Deck
The public is invited to tour UMD’s Large Lakes Observatory’s research vessel, the Blue Heron, on Friday, July 19. The ship will be docked in the Twin Ports Harbor near the Great Lakes Aquarium, 353 Harbor Drive. This Large Lakes Observatory (LLO) event, LLO Science on Deck, is free and runs from noon–4 pm. In addition to the tour, attendees will have the opportunity to meet a number UMD graduate students who are working on fresh water research. At 3 pm, fresh water researcher Katherine Schreiner will give a free talk entitled "Microplastics in Lake Superior: Their source and fate." The Blue Heron is part of the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), and is chartered by research scientists to explore any of the Great Lakes. Located on the Duluth campus of the University of Minnesota Duluth, LLO is the only institute in the country dedicated to the study of large lakes throughout the world. LLO researchers focus on the global implications of investigations in the areas of aquatic chemistry, circular dynamics, geochemistry, acoustic remote sensing, plankton dynamics, sedimentology and paleoclimatology. Learn more about UMD's Large Lakes Observatory.