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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!
The Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies program at the The Gopher Adventure Race is a mental and physical challenge to the participants who race in teams, traveling by foot and campus transportation to decipher clues that lead them to discover many "gems" that exist at this great University. Teams of two can be made up of females, males, or co-ed (student category), alumni who have graduated less than ten years ago and alumni who have graduated ten years ago and over (alumni category), or faculty & staff. The Gopher Adventure Race (GAR) is an environmentally responsible event and incorporates "green" practices in line with the FitPlanet criteria for their "Pledge of Sustainability". A portion of each registration fee is donated to our community partner, the Three Rivers Park District, for Forests Forever, a reforestation project that provides critical habitat for wildlife threatened by urban sprawl and ensures the beauty of our parks for future generations. If you are a U of M student, alumni, or faculty & staff member, register today for this exciting adventure!
The University of Minnesota is one of the nation's top public research universities, with opportunities that all undergraduate students can benefit from--including personal experiences working with faculty mentors in research and creative activities. Earlier this week, I visited the University of Minnesota TRiO Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program Nineteenth Annual Poster Presentation and Reception to honor and showcase student participants and their faculty mentors. At this event, students who have participated in research with faculty mentors at the U of M presented their findings on a variety of issues. The McNair Scholars Program seeks to increase doctoral program application, matriculation, and degree attainment by underrepresented and first-generation college students. The students who took part in this program are looking to later obtain a masters degree. Through the McNair Scholars experience, students develop higher-level academic and research skills necessary to gain admission to and successfully complete graduate study. This year there was a diverse group of 20 first generation college students who studied with distinguished University of Minnesota faculty research mentors. I was able to meet and speak with the student researchers, and I learned about the very interesting ideas and information that resulted from this research. The poster presentations displayed findings in policy effectiveness in addressing women's inequality throughout Africa, trauma in the lives of college students, how reality T.V. prevents teen pregnancy, and much more. As I spoke with the students about their research, it was easy to see that every student actually cared about and had a passion for the issue that they addressed. This event provided an excellent forum to display the research efforts of these exceptional McNair Scholars and their University of Minnesota faculty mentors. I was happy to be able to attend and recognize these outstanding students and their faculty mentors! Visit the McNair Scholars program website for more information or read about previous McNair scholars on the alumni page. Pictured below are two of the student researchers that I had a chance to speak with--Osman Ahmed and Morgan Bobo. Osman, a senior majoring in political science and global studies, studied the experiences of meat packers in Willmar, MN. Meanwhile, Morgan, who is a senior majoring in child psychology, focused on the association between early adversity and the timing of the transition to parenthood. I had a great time learning from the both of them, as well as from the rest of the students. All in all, the McNair Scholars Poster Presentation and Reception made for a very inspiring afternoon. Osman Ahmen, U of M senior--political science and global studies major I remember feeling nervous when I graduated from the College of Education and Human Devlopment in 2008. It was a rough time on college graduates across the counrty in finding employment. Thankfully, with the help of my academic advisor and the University of Minnesota Career Services Centers, I was able to have the guidence to succeed in finding my first professional job after college and was able to begin to establish my career path in Minneapolis, MN. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities features ten specialized career services centers--one for each of the seven freshman admitting colleges as well as for our graduate and professional programs. Most people think of career services as a place to look for job and volunteer opportunities, but the career services centers at the U of M have a lot more to offer. Whether you're selecting your major or preparing for a job interview, the specialized career counselors can help you explore which career field is right for you, gain professional experience during school, and secure a job after graduation. Counselors also offer assistance in professional development by holding resume building workshops, mock interviews, and helping students seek teaching and research opportunities. The best part about our career services centers is that they are available to all U of M alumni for future support and guidance in their career. Whether you are an incoming freshman, or a recent graduate, the career services center is there to ensure that you're hard work and dedication during school is applied to the next step in your life, a fulfilling career! When summer arrives in Minneapolis and St. Paul, the cities come alive with festivals and celebrations of arts, culture, and community. Each June and July, the city of St.Paul features many neighborhood and cultural festivals. Rondo Days is an annual weekend festival held in mid-July that commemorates the Rondo neighborhood, an African-American community that was split in two by the construction of Interstate 94 in the mid 1960s. Another cultural event, the Dragon Festival, brings two days of colorful, traditional dances and music that showcases the performance arts of Asia. The festival also features the popular Dragon Boat races in which 20 local teams race large dragon-shaped boats across Lake Phalen. In addition to these celebrations of the life and culture in the Twin Cities, our own campus features many summer events such as the Movies and Music concert series held outdoors at Coffman Plaza. To stay updated on all the events taking place on campus, students can check out the Events Calendar which is continuously updated by our Student Unions & Activities. These events are just another reason I love living in the Twin Cities! Students in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) are united in their common drive to make a difference in the lives of others. CEHD students and faculty have many amazing opportunities to make a difference through research, engagement and outreach in their career field. CEHD's magazine, Connect, is a great resource for our students, faculty and alumni to stay up-to-date on highlights of the research, accomplishments and current news generated by our CEHD community. Every season (spring, summer, fall, winter), the college magazine centers its articles around a common theme. The Spring 2011 issue focuses on global stability through education. The issue features articles that showcase the impact our students can make globally through opportunities such as our learning abroad programs. This issue not only talks about the global impacts that our students, faculty and alumni have made on other people, but also features current student experiences from our unique First Year Experience program. If you are a person that knows you want to make an impact on other people's lives, I would suggest reading Connect and see how people like yourself can make a big difference! One of the best things about walking around the U of M campus is constantly seeing and experiencing new things. Today, I learned that it is Ag Awareness Day, hosted by the students of the Minnesota Agricultural Club. I was greeted to campus by live cows, llamas, sheep, and even a pig! Ag Awareness Day was created to promote awareness of the necessities of life that we as Americans recieve from our agriculutral resources. The necessities of life, such as food, clothing, and fuel, are displayed to show how agricultural resources play a critical role in our modern civilization. Along with students from the Minnesota Agruiculturaul Club, there are also Minnesota agricultural producers and agencies to offer information and display how their agricultural work helps support people all over the state of Minnesota (and around the world). There is rarely a dull day on campus, so take advantage of events such as this one to enhance your U of M experience! To learn about future events on campus, visit the Campus Event website. There are literally thousands of opportunities to enhance your college experience and prepare for a successful future. A new website geared toward helping you get involved in the U of M and Twin Cities communities is Engage! This is a website where you can find activites in a specific area of interest. From A to Z there is something for everyone! There are also links for student employment, community outreach, research, and even internships. All the tools you need to enhance your experience and prepare you for success are right at your fingertips. Take some time to look and see what activites you can find that interest you! Do you enjoy outdoor activites? Are you interested in learning more about the unique things that make the U of M special? Well here is your chance: the annual Gopher Adventure Race is back on campus for another year of fun and exploration! The Gopher Amazing Race is a competition for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to experience the U of M in a new and exciting way. Participants of the race form teams and travel across the University of Minnesota campus (East Bank, West Bank, and St. Paul). Each team will have mental and/or physical challenges at selected spots across campus to solve. This speicalized activity was created by students and staff in the Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies Department within the College of Education and Human Development. Students in the Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies program study health and wellness with activites that enhance the mind and body. Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies is one of the many majors in CEHD that prepares students to help people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy life to its fullest! The University of Minnesota offers a variety of ways for students to gain professional development. With professional experience incorporated into the curriculum, students in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) are provided opportunities to gain professional experience and make connections through networking. Beyond the classroom, a great way for students to gain additional experience is through our many student organizations. One such group is the CEHD Student Board. The CEHD Student Board is the governing body for all of the CEHD undergraduate student organizations and clubs. Members are able to represent CEHD students, groups, clubs, and organizations in meetings with the dean and other college leadership. Members also build the student community through special projects, events, and activities. One of the events planned by the student board is called Making Connections. It is a breakfast event held on the morning of the U of M homecoming parade. This event is designed to allow undergradutes to meet with alumni of the college and build connections. CEHD Student Board is just one of the many great opportunities for students to get involved at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. To find out more about opportunities to get involved (and to browse our 600+ student groups) visit the Student Unions & Activities website. 
Morgan Bobo, U of M senior--child psychology major