Norman Borlaug and the Value of a U of M Education
Today's Star-Tribune has a letter from Peter Agre, a native Minnesotan and Nobel Prize winner.
Norman Borlaug was unique in many ways, but the importance of his U of M education cannot be overstated.
Borlaug's modest agrarian roots would have restricted his career choices, but the opportunity to gain a full university education - particularly at an outstanding land grant university providing advanced scientific and technical training - made all the difference.
Like other native Minnesotans who have gone into science, I have always found Borlaug's story inspirational. My own research career began as a young Augsburg student working at the U of M Variety Club Heart Hospital on the East River Road. Those experiences were transformational.
All Minnesotans - whether they reside in the state or follow their careers elsewhere - should be proud of Norman Borlaug and the University of Minnesota.
Peter Agre, MD
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry