The summer 2012 London Olympics was the pop culture event of the year. Of the 530 athletes competing for Team USA, the University of Minnesota represented maroon and gold across several events. Not only in an athletic sense, but behind the scenes as well. We're #UMNProud of these Gophers and alumni!
Kelci Bryandt
Kelci is a synchronized diver who
previously finished 4th in the 3-meter synchronized diving event in
Beijing four years ago. After training with Olympic diving coach Wenbo CFhen at
the U of M, she was ready for this year's competition. This summer Kelci and
her partner, Abby Johnston, won the silver medal in the event.
Lindsay Whalen
As a senior at the U of M, Lindsay
led the women's basketball team to the Final Four in 2004. She also holds
Minnesota career records in points, scorning average, free throws made, free
throw percentage, and games in double figures. She helped the Minnesota Lynx
win their first WNBA title last fall, and was chosen for the Olympic basketball
team for the first time. We're so proud of Lindsay, who helped lead Team USA to take the gold in women's basketball!
Jillian Tyler
A native of our neighboring country
Canada, Jillian was the NCAA champion in the 100-yard breaststroke as a senior
at the U of M in 20011, as well as eight-time Big Ten champion and 13-time All
American. She earned her second straight trip to the Olympics by placing first
in the 100-meater breaststroke at the Canadian Olympic trials.
Hugh McCutcheon
New Zealand native Hugh McCutcheon led the USA men's team to an Olympic gold victory in 2008. He has since coached the women's national team to an 85-37 record in just three years! We are proud to say that Hugh will be coming to the U of M this fall to replace the retiring Mike Herbert.
Amanda Smock
Although Amanda was never a Gopher athlete, she did manage to find time between training sessions to earn her Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the U of M in 2010. After four years of focus and training, she won the triple jump at the U.S. Olympic trials in June.
Barbora Spotakova
As a member of Minnesota's track and field team, Barbora was All-American in 2002 in the javelin and also made it to the NCAA champtionships in heptathlon. Currently, she is the reigning Olympic champion and world-record holder in the javelin. This sumer will be her third time competing in the olympics, representing her native Czech Republic.
Roberto Sobalvarro
En garde! Roberto has developed and taught several classes at the U of M in both sabre fencing and foil fencing for the last 20 years. He coached the U.S. women's epee team in the individual team competition of the London Olympics.
Susan Sokolowski
Susan earned her Ph.D. in apparel design from the College of Design here at the U of M. Currently, she works as the senior innovation manager on the Apparel Innovation Team at Nike. The U.S. women's track and field team featured her team's work in London this summer. She has been recognized internationally for her achievements in design and innovation.
Brock Anundson
After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in sport and recreation management, Brock has been working at the U.S. Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs since January 2011. He works as a programs coordinator/operations specialist, which involves setting up everything that's required for athlete training at the complex- from lodging and meals to training schedules.
Julie (Schmitz) Miller
CEHD alumna Julie Miller lived in London this summer and worked in the Athlete Village during the Olympic games on behalf of the United States Olympic Committee. If you want to read about her amazing experiences in London, check out her blog!
This summer, I have not only been working as the Communications Intern here at the Office of Admissions, but I have also been interning at Allied-THA, a film promotions company in the Twin Cities.
Back in June I was partnered with another Allied intern (and recent U of M graduate), Brianna Morel, to compete in a nation-wide contest. For the contest, two interns from every Allied office (23 total) worked to promote the upcoming film "The Campaign" in the most effective and creative ways. The prize was a trip to Hollywood, CA, to attend the premiere of the movie. The film, starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, is a comedy about two politicians--Marty Huggins and Cam Brady--competing for positions in Congress.
Our promotional adventures included holding up Cam Brady signs at a Twins Game and getting on the big screen (3 times!); distributing promotional materials to restaurants and shops around Dinkytown; hanging up posters on campus; handing out shirts at the Minnesota Aquatennial; staging a "protest" on Nicollet Ave downtown; visiting The Dave Ryan in the Morning Show in the KDWB studio; and holding promotional banners over Interstate 394 during rush hour.
Our hard work paid off! During a conference call with fellow competitors, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis told us we had won the contest and would be flown to Hollywood! One week later, I was on my way to Hollywood. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a fellow U of M graduate named Lisa, who works at the Allied office in Los Angeles as the Warner Bros. publicist.
We explored the city including the Hollywood sign, Walk of Fame, and the world famous Grauman's Chinese Theater, where we attended the premiere of The Campaign. We also stayed at the amazing Lowes Hollywood Hotel and had the opportunity to tour Warner Brothers Studios where we walked on the set of True Blood, Heart of Dixie, and Pretty Little Liars.
I have dreamed of going to a Hollywood movie premiere since I was a little girl, and I have been watching Will Ferrell since he was a Spartan cheerleader on Saturday Night Live. This experience was one I definitely would not have had without everything I've learned and all the opportunities that I've had as a student the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and the amazing internship possibilities that come along with living in a major metropolitan area like Minneapolis. Dreams do come true!
The College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources offers majors in environmental science;
bioresources and bioenergy; engineering; food, animal and nutritional sciences;
applied economics and business; education; agriculture; natural resources; and
plant sciences. We've highlighted two CFANS majors below. To learn about more U of M major options, visit http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/admissioninfo/fresh_acadprog.html.
Major: Agricultural Education
Description: Majoring in agricultural education provides an
understanding of how to work with people in business and education through
courses including applied economics, physical and biological sciences,
humanities, and communications. Students choose between two exciting
specializations within the major:
- Agricultural Education Teacher Licensure
- Agricultural Leadership and Communication
Examples of Careers: Agriculture Education Teacher,
Communications Specialist, Extension Educator, Corporate Agricultural
Associate, Customer Service Representative, and Sales Representative
Major: Nutrition
Description: Nutrition explores how nutrients and the foods
from which they are derived aid the body in growth and development and in
maintaining health and wellness. With the national and international concern
for the effects of food an nutrition on health and wellness as a disease, there
are many career opportunities for graduates of this program. Students choose
from three possible fields of study:
- Nutrition Studies
- Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)
- Nutritional Science
Examples of Careers: Community Health Worker, Nutrition
Educator, Assistant Food Editor, Research Scientist, Sports Nutritionist,
Nutrition Program Manager, or Dietetic Technician
If you would like to learn more about Agricultural Education or Nutrition, we encourage you to schedule a campus visit at http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/visit. CFANS visits are held every Monday and Friday.
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