With the spring semester already into its fifth week, I thought now might be a good time to take a look at some of my blog's highlights from this past year. Here are a few posts that I really enjoyed writing:

Freshman seminars at the U of M

Great opportunities for aspiring communicators

Deciphering a 400-year-old map

Be sure to check back in soon for new entries!

Looking back at my blog posts from this last year, I realized a lot of things have happened! For those of you new to my blog, I thought I would share some of my favorite entries with you:

Engineers Without Borders 

is one of our College of Science and Engineering student groups.  Each year EWB undertakes a new project, most of which involve water distribution, filtration, and storage systems. During the year, they plan and fundraise, then they travel internationally to implement their projects.

Study abroad in science and engineering!  

My international experience was incredible. I traveled to China on a Global Seminar offered by the College of Science and Engineering. I learned about electrical engineering and I got to explore a new country!

Women in the College of Science and Engineering 

This year the College of Science and Engineering's freshman class is 25 percent female!  This is the highest percentage in the history of our college. CSE is committed to encouraging women in the technical fields, and in this blog post you'll learn about some of the programs that support our undergraduate women.

CSE flash mob takes over Northrop Mall  

Last fall the College of Science and Engineering celebrated its 75th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we served sandwiches and soda on Northrop Mall, and some CSE students and faculty showed off their dance moves!

I'll have a lot more exciting information, events, and research to share with you in 2011...so stay tuned!

Below is a video of Sarah Beraki, a junior here at the U of M. Sarah is very active on campus and serves as a board member for Black Motivated Women and Voices Merging. She is also a general member of the Black Student Union. Watch the video below to learn more about Sarah and why she chose to attend The U of M.

Click on the links to get more insight into the majors that Sarah mentioned! 

Anthropology http://anthropology.umn.edu/

Art http://art.umn.edu/

Studying abroad, service projects, research, and hands-on learning are all experiences available to you at the U of M. There are two student groups on campus which incorporate all of these experiences. One you may have already heard of is called Engineers Without Borders (EWB). The University of Minnesota has a very active EWB chapter, currently working on three service projects.

A similar student group was recently founded here called Innovative Engineers. Members of this student group traveled to the Nicaraguan village of La Hermita to install a wind turbine to help residents power their homes. Before the wind turbine, residents were using car batteries for power. When the batteries ran out, residents would lose a whole day of work travelling on horseback to the nearest city to recharge. 

This group was formed in 2009 by students who were inspired by their participation in a U of M Global Seminar on renewable energies in Scandinavia. The group's website explains, "The overall experience had a profound impact, providing the inspiration to forge a student organization dedicated to the development of renewable energy technology."

Paul Imbertson, professor of electrical and computer engineering, led the global seminar.  After the students' return, he worked with them to build a wind turbine. The student group grew from there.

Within a year, Innovative Engineers reached 85 members and has taken on more projects.  

Read about the group's current projects!

Greetings readers new and old! Today, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the my favorite blog posts from the the previous year. For those of you that have been up-to-date with my postings in the past, consider this one a review. And for those of you that are new to my posts, this is a great opportunity to get caught up!

College of Biological Sciences Admissions Blog: Best of 2010

1. Adventure awaits at the Center of Outdoor Adventure - This post highlights the University of Minnesota's Center for Outdoor Adventure (COA). Learn about great opportunites and resources COA offers for students interested in outdoor recreation. As a student, I was avid participant in COA activities. I really enjoyed writing this post, since outdoor adventure is my favorite hobby and I able to include a picture of me in Colorado.

2. From the classroom to the exam room - Written in September, this post detailed an amazing volunteer experience I was able to participate in the summer before my senior year in CBS. After our experience, the College of Biological Sciences put together a short video about the trip. Check out the video and learn about the amazing opportunities that await you at the College of Biological Sciences!

3. Study biology in the Galapagos...and beyond - Students interested in studying abroad, definitely consider studying in the Galapagos Islands! This incredible 3-week studying abroad experience has students walk the steps of Charles Darwin and explore first-hand the origins of evolutionary biology. My blog posted back in October includes a great video as well.

Thank for reading the Best of 2010! Stayed tuned to the University of Minnesota Admissions Blogs for more great posts in 2011. 

-Matt