University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM): Digital Well

Communications and Marketing

University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
Campus News Archive Campus News, Newsletters, and Events 
6-25-2024 
UMN Morris Recognized Among the Most Transfer-Friendly 
Colleges in the Nation 
Communications and Marketing 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urel_news 
Recommended Citation 
Communications and Marketing, "UMN Morris Recognized Among the Most Transfer-Friendly Colleges in 
the Nation" (2024). Campus News Archive. 3521. 
https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urel_news/3521 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Campus News, Newsletters, and Events at University 
of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. It has been accepted for inclusion in Campus News Archive by an authorized 
administrator of University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. For more information, please contact 
skulann@morris.umn.edu. 
UMN Morris recognized among the most 
transfer-friendly colleges in the nation
(June 25, 2024) The University of Minnesota Morris is one of 228 
colleges and universities that has been named to the Phi Theta 
Kappa Honor Society (PTK) 2024 Transfer Honor Roll. This 
distinction recognizes UMN Morris as being among the most 
transfer-friendly colleges in the nation
The Transfer Honor Roll is determined by 40 key metrics related to 
the support and success of transfer students, including college cost 
and financial aid, campus life for transfer, admission practices, and 
bachelor’s degree completion. The Transfer Honor Roll was based 
on analysis from the National Student Clearinghouse, and on data submitted through the 
four-year institution’s profile on PTK Connect, Phi Theta Kappa’s online tool designed to help 
students find their best-fit colleges and career pathways.
Colleges completing the PTK Connect profile are given a Transfer Friendliness Rating. The 
Honor Roll is chosen from among the top 25 percent highest-rated colleges.
UMN Morris is one of six Minnesota institutions to be included in the 2024 Honor Roll. 
According to Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa, ““The goal of 
most students attending community college is earning a bachelor’s degree, but few do because 
of financial barriers and the complexity of the transfer process. We are proud to recognize the 
exceptional colleges and universities that go above and beyond to create accessible pathways 
to bachelor’s degree completion for community college transfer students.”


English

UMN Morris Recognized Among the Most Transfer-Friendly Colleges in the Nation

University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
Campus News Archive Campus News, Newsletters, and Events 
5-18-2024 
Alumni Spotlight: Jane Johnson 
Communications and Marketing 
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(May 18, 2024) The University of Minnesota Morris
and the North Central Soil Conservation Research
Laboratory are woven into the career of Jane
(Fischer) Johnson ’83.
Growing up on a dairy farm near Holloway,
Johnson occasionally visited UMN Morris in the
1960s while her older sister was a student here.
But when it was her turn to head off to college,
Jane thought bigger would be better and started
her undergraduate career in St. Cloud. But she
didn’t quite fit there, so she transferred to UMN
Morris to earn her bachelor’s degree in biology with
a chemistry minor.
“I appreciated the small class size and the approachability of the faculty.”
As a student, Johnson worked as a laboratory assistant. One of the perks was occasionally
joining the field trips to the University of Minnesota biological station at Itasca State Park.
“I learned something new each time, such as how unpredictable northern Minnesota weather
can be over the Memorial Day weekend. Some students experienced first-hand that racoons
can open even latched coolers and they will eat or at least sample every bit of food. And finally,
there is no such thing as packing too many pairs of dry socks.”
After graduation, Johnson got a limited appointment at the North Central Soil Conservation
Research Laboratory, commonly known as the Soils Lab, in Morris. At the same time, professor
Jim Olsen asked her to help teach analytical chemistry, and she was able to do both.
“The undergraduate experience at UMN Morris and the work experiences with Dr. Olsen
prepared me for the next steps on my journey.”
Johnson went on to get her master’s degree in soil science and a PhD in plant biology from the
University of Minnesota St. Paul. She accepted a tenure-track position at the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point. That job allowed her to “reflect on what I’d observed and learned as a
Morris alumnae and bring it to my students.”
On a whim, while home for the holidays in 1999, Johnson stopped to visit her former supervisor
at the Soils Lab. As luck would have it, there was an open position for a research scientist, and
Johnson has been a part of the scientific staff there ever since.
In 2019, Johnson was named research leader for the lab, the first woman to hold that title.
Johnson says she’s always delighted to bring new UMN Morris students into the lab as interns,
as well as summer and part-time help.
“I’m pleased to say some of those students have stayed and become part of the permanent
staff. I wonder if perhaps one of these students will follow a similar path and eventually sit in
what is currently my chair, overseeing a nationally recognized federal research facility, which
quietly sits at the top of the hill gazing down at Morris.”
Pictured (L-R): First Row: Prof. R.S. Abbott, Wayne Barstad, Kent Nelson, Arden Virnig, Jack
Erickson, Mary Olson Holman, Todd Holman, Cindy Watson, Randy Grev, Victor Myers III,
Nancy Delage, Dawn Carlson, John Wesp, Christine Reike, Jane Fischer, Steve Boese,
Assoc. Prof. Tom Straw, Assoc. Prof. Ellen Ordway, Don Patterson, Monica O'Hara


Alumni Spotlight: Jane Johnson

Ericksen, Janet Schrunk

University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
Campus News Archive Campus News, Newsletters, and Events 
1-2-2024 
Chancellor's Column 
Janet Schrunk Ericksen 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urel_news 
Recommended Citation 
Ericksen, Janet Schrunk, "Chancellor's Column" (2024). Campus News Archive. 3500. 
https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urel_news/3500 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Campus News, Newsletters, and Events at 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. It has been accepted for inclusion in Campus News Archive by an 
authorized administrator of University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. For more information, please contact 
skulann@morris.umn.edu. 
Chancellor’s Column
Morris campus HEAPR projects are focused on improving
accessibility and efficiency in several buildings as well as
ongoing maintenance to maximize the lifespan of buildings,
classrooms, and labs.
HEAPR funding keeps these buildings useful, extending the
value of past state investment while also cutting down on
the higher operating costs from outdated building systems
and utilities. HEAPR is a lot cheaper than a new building,
and maintenance and improvements can help reduce
sudden, expensive repairs.
UMN Morris has 933,000 gross square feet of facility space.
Facility Condition Assessments have rated almost half of
these facilities as in poor/critical condition, and the projects
in the 2022 HEAPR Request address the most critical projects to address utility repairs and
upgrades, HVAC control upgrades, water infiltration issues, and accessibility enhancements.
The total request for Morris includes 26 renovation and repair projects for $11.8 million, which is
a fixed percentage of the total HEAPR request from the University of Minnesota. The work that
needs to be done will employ local and regional contractors–the campus is an economic asset
to west central Minnesota.
HEAPR funding is especially critical to the Morris campus because the core of the campus is
listed as an historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Several buildings on the
campus date to the early 20th century, including the Multi-Ethnic Resource Center, which was
built at the turn of the last century and has not been substantially updated. Greater access to
this building and others will allow the campus both to better serve students and to maximize the
useful life of its historic buildings.
The proposed improvements will also help the campus improve energy efficiency and so reduce
operating costs while contributing to UMN Morris’s nationally recognized leadership in
sustainability.
The Morris campus has been a good steward of public resources as it has turned a 20th-century
agricultural high school into a model public liberal arts institution. We look forward to being here
for the next hundred years, serving the region, state, and well beyond.
<printed in Stevens County Times 1/2/2024>


Chancellor\u27s Column

University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
Campus News Archive Campus News, Newsletters, and Events 
9-20-2024 
UMN Morris Theatre Announces 2024-2025 Season 
Communications and Marketing 
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UMN Morris Theatre Announces 2024-2025 Season
(September 20, 2024) The University of Minnesota Morris Theatre Discipline is thrilled to
announce its 2024-2025 season, offering a range of captivating performances showcased
throughout three exciting productions.
Kicking off the season is The Outsider, a sharp, witty comedy by Paul Slade Smith, directed by
Siobhan Bremer, associate professor of theatre arts. This timely and hilarious play explores
themes of political absurdity and the value of authenticity. In a political landscape dominated by
image and artifice, the state’s new governor, Ned Newley, doesn’t even want to be governor.
He’s terrified of public speaking, his poll numbers are impressively bad, and in the eyes of
everyone around him Ned seems destined to fail. When a political consultant offers a different
point of view, a new plan begins to form. Ned might be the worst candidate to ever run for office,
unless the public is looking for... the worst candidate to ever run for office. Hilarity is sure to
ensue as unexpecting characters navigate a satirical look at the world that skewers politics and
celebrates democracy. Performances will take place in the Raymond J. Lammers Proscenium
Theatre, Oct. 24-26 at 7:30 p.m. with an additional matinee on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.
Continuing the season into the winter with the annual Meiningens student theatre production.
This year, the Morris Meiningens Performing Arts Collective is excited to present Joan The Girl
of Arc by Darrah Cloud. Directed by theatre arts and music major Evan Anderson ‘26, of
Chanhassen. The play tells the inspiring story of Joan of Arc, the young girl who defied the odds
and led the soldiers of France to victory in the Hundred Years' War. This production will run Feb.
13-15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Raymond J. Lammers Proscenium Theatre.
Closing out the season in the spring, theatre arts major Michael Oberton ‘25, of Randall, will
direct the annual children’s show Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook by Allison Gregory. This
delightful children’s production brings to life the beloved character of Junie B. Jones on stage,
as she learns about honesty and friendship, making this production a perfect theatrical
experience for all ages. Showing in the Raymond J. Lammers Proscenium Theatre, invited
school performances will take place on weekdays between Apr. 9-16, with public performances
on Apr. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Apr. 12 at 2 p.m.
For information on our current production and to purchase tickets, please visit our website at
tickets.umn.edu/UMM/Online for the latest information and availability for individual tickets. For
more information about invited school performances or group rates, please contact the UMN
Morris Theatre Publicity and Box Office at 320-589-6274 or via email at
thrpub@morris.umn.edu.



UMN Morris Theatre Announces 2024-2025 Season

Dahle, J.R., Brugger, K.A., and Laabs, B.J.C., 2024, Surficial geology of the Taylor River Valley, Sawatch and Elk Ranges, Colorado, USA: United States Geologic Survey, Educational Component of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (EDMAP), in press.https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/cosa2024/1003/thumbnail.jp

Keith Brugger

University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
Campus News Archive Campus News, Newsletters, and Events 
10-23-2024 
Safety is the Focus of a Studio Upgrade Grant 
Communications and Marketing 
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Safety is the focus of a studio upgrade grant
(October 23, 2024) Thanks to a grant from the Windgate Foundation, UMN Morris studio arts
students are enjoying an improved studio experience.
The $80,000 grant, which focused on studio safety, funded the replacement of aging equipment
including a printmaking press, gas kiln, ceramics glaze mixing tables, and upgraded ventilation
for the printmaking, ceramics, and woodworking studios.
Associate Professor of Studio Art Jason Ramey says the new equipment fits with the campus’s
focus on sustainability.
“The new gas kiln is more efficient and holds a larger load, so the firing time is decreased from
16 hours to 10 hours. That means less gas is needed per each firing, lowering our carbon
footprint.”
Ramey has fired the new kiln twice so far this semester, and is eager for the next firing, as the
first two firings yielded excellent results for his ceramics majors and non-majors courses.
“I’m grateful for the support of Bryan Herrmann, Andrew Bjur and everyone in Facilities
Management who worked to get the old equipment out and the new equipment installed. I would
also like to thank the Grants Development office, as this could not have happened without their
support in navigating the process, both before and after the grant was awarded.”
This is the second grant Ramey and UMN Morris have received from the Windgate Foundation.
In 2019, $75,000 was used to purchase and install industrial grade woodworking machinery and
European style woodworking benches.
About the Windgate Foundation
The Windgate Foundation has been supporting
contemporary craft and visual arts for 25 years. Learn
more at windgatefoundation.org





Safety is the Focus of a Studio Upgrade Grant

University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
Campus News Archive Campus News, Newsletters, and Events 
2-13-2024 
Keni Zenner Receives Tate Award for Advising 
Communications and Marketing 
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Keni Zenner receives Tate Award for advising
(Feb. 13, 2024) Keni Zenner is sure she has the best job on the University of Minnesota Morris
campus. Zenner is the learning assistance coordinator in the Student Success Center and TRIO
Student Support Services and a 2012 UMN Morris graduate with majors in psychology and
liberal arts for human services. She is also a 2024 recipient of the University of Minnesota John
Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.
The award, established in 1986-87 in honor of John Tate, professor of physics and first dean of
University College, calls attention to the contributions advisers make in helping students
formulate and achieve intellectual, career and personal goals.
Zenner works with students at various points in their academic careers and in different
capacities, but admits that she thinks of all Morris students as her students.
The nominations from her colleagues point to Zenner’s work as an exemplary and caring
adviser who has made significant contributions to the improvement and development of UMN
Morris student support programs and campus activities that enrich academic advising and
student success. She is recognized as an ally, advocate, and cheerleader for all students, and
an adept relationship builder who seeks to create effective and supportive relationships with
students, faculty, and staff.
Zenner believes that it is important to allow students to be the authors of their own stories.
“If anything, I think the most important thing I can do in an advising meeting is to try to expand a
student’s imagination of what might be possible for them–studying abroad, becoming a tutor,
pursuing graduate school. I do this by identifying students’ strengths, resources on campus, and
people from our amazing network at the University of Minnesota Morris that can help them
realize their dreams.”
Zenner will received the award in a ceremony at the he John Tate Professional Development
Conference and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, February 29, 2024



Keni Zenner Receives Tate Award for Advising

University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
Campus News Archive Campus News, Newsletters, and Events 
4-9-2024 
2024 Student Senior Art Exhibition Opens April 17 
Communications and Marketing 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urel_news 
Recommended Citation 
Communications and Marketing, "2024 Student Senior Art Exhibition Opens April 17" (2024). Campus 
News Archive. 3512. 
https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urel_news/3512 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Campus News, Newsletters, and Events at 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. It has been accepted for inclusion in Campus News Archive by an 
authorized administrator of University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. For more information, please contact 
skulann@morris.umn.edu. 
2024 Student Senior Art exhibition opens April 17
Summary: Work by nine UMN Morris senior art students can be seen during the 2024 Student
Senior Art Exhibition in the Edward J. and Helen Jane Morrison Gallery. A public opening
reception will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 17.
(April 9, 2024) The University of Minnesota Morris proudly presents the 2024 senior art
exhibition, ‘Split the Lark.’ Based on the poem by Emily Dickinson, where the yearning calls of
two separated larks become a sort of music, ‘Split the Lark’ explores the creative process in the
wake of global catastrophe and isolation.
The show will feature nine graduating students from the Studio Art discipline. An impressive
variety of media will be presented in this exhibit, including sculpture, painting, printmaking,
drawing, digital illustration, fiber arts, bookmaking and ceramics.
Seniors along with their primary media, majors/minors and hometowns are as follows:
● Rae Boatman, fibers and sculpture, art history major/studio art minor;
● August Estrada, sculpture and printmaking, studio art major, Clint Texas;
● Margot Finneran-Flyckt, drawing and printmaking, studio art major, St. Paul;
● Hal Raven, drawing and digital illustration, studio art major/creative writing and art
history minors, Aberdeen, South Dakota;
● Sierra Kallio, painting and sculpture, studio art major/art history minor;
● Eliza Klarer, ceramics, studio art major, White Earth;
● Allison Koos, painting, studio art/environmental studies majors, Bemidji;
● Melissa Snyder, drawing, studio art major/English minor, Dawson; and
● Sam Workman, printmaking, studio art major, Park Rapids.
This exhibition will run from April 17-May 11 in the Edward J. and Helen Jane Morrison. Gallery
hours are Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
An opening reception will be held Wednesday, April 17, from 7 to 8 pm in the Edward J. and
Helen Jane Morrison Gallery. Refreshments will be served along with a short program
recognizing the seniors.


2024 Student Senior Art Exhibition Opens April 17

https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/tafs/1070/thumbnail.jp

Dabbs, Julia K.

Researching May Alcott Nieriker: Past, Present, Future

University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well 
Campus News Archive Campus News, Newsletters, and Events 
6-4-2024 
Peters Got the Full Morris Experience in Three Years 
Communications and Marketing 
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Peters got the full Morris experience in three years  
(June 4, 2024) Kim Peters ’24, Eagan, didn’t plan to get her bachelor’s degree in three years. 
But her courses lined up and she received her biology degree this past May at the University of 
Minnesota Morris.
 
Peters had college credit when she started at UMN Morris, after taking Advanced Placement 
and College in the Schools courses in high school.
When it came time to pick a college, Peters was initially looking closer to the Twin Cities. 
“I was looking for a school that had small class sizes, really good professors, and a chance to 
do undergraduate research.”
A college mentor suggested Morris, and, even though it was a bit farther away from home than 
she wanted, Peters visited campus. Not too much later, she got a call from the track coach. 
“I love soccer and track. I didn't really plan on going into college [athletics] because I didn't know 
if I was good enough.”
Peters feels being a college athlete only made her more determined.  
“You know, you don't go play a college sport just for fun. You do it because you really want to be 
there and put the work in.”
Peters had a massive impact on both the soccer and track & 
field programs, earning recognition from the Upper Midwest 
Athletic Conference (UMAC)  in both sports. On the soccer 
pitch, Peters was Second Team All-UMAC once and Honorable 
Mention All-UMAC twice, netting 22 goals in her career. She 
has also been All-UMAC four times in her track & field career, 
both as part of relay teams on the track and as a long jumper 
and triple jumper. She was Academic All-UMAC in each of the 
seasons she has competed in, was named College Sports 
Communicators Academic All-District as well, and received the 
2024 Women’s Cougar Excellence Award. 
Being in sports also allowed her to travel abroad to Australia 
and New Zealand with the women’s soccer team where her 
team was able to watch two Women’s World Cup games. 
Success wasn’t limited to athletics for Peters, who carried a 4.00 grade point average.  
“I worked with [Associate Professor of Biology] Rachel Johnson, who was my molecular biology 
teacher. We were looking at a specific plant, Monarda fistulosa or wild bergamot, and the 
anti-inflammatory properties of that plant. I was able to present my research [at the 
Undergraduate Research Symposium] along with the two other girls who I was working with.”
Peters also found that she was able to step outside her comfort zone at UMN Morris, and try 
new things. 
“Having to take ecology, for example, was kind of scary to me. It's not really what I have done 
before. It's not really what I was interested in. But then being able to do it, really opened up a 
new interest and experience for me, which was really great.”
Ecology wasn’t the only class that scared her, but she took anyway. 
 
“Even though I was a biology major, I got to do classes outside of science. One that stands out 
to me was I got to do a piano class, which was super fun.”
She was also a tutor in PAL, peer-assisted learning, participated in intramural volleyball, 
basketball, and soccer, and volunteered to help collect native prairie seeds.
Peters admits that she wasn’t expecting to be able to do this much in three years at a small 
college in Morris. “But I thought if I'm going to live here, I might as well do it all because it 
wouldn't be any other time like this.”




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