MURC Newsletter 05/13/2020 (May 13, 2020)

May 20, 2020

Melissa Horning & Leah Porter - TC Mobile Market

Addressing Social Determinants of Health, The development of and research on TC Mobile Market Impact

View entire list

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MURC Member Weekly Assignments

Date: Greeter/Note-taker/Editor

May 13 Chuck/Jean/Jean

May 20 Erik/Ferd/Kriti

June 3 Carole P/Virginia/Lori

June 10 Ellen/Jean/Jean

June 17 End of Year Event

June 24 Bob/Carol CH/Lori

IF YOU CANNOT COMPLETE YOUR ASSIGNMENT, PLEASE FIND ANOTHER MEMBER TO TAKE YOUR PLACE. THANK YOU, EVERYONE!

Visitors and Guests

We welcomed Erin Bagniewski, who, while working in Uganda, joined Rotary there. Erin has has worked for local companies and in Africa and is now a graduate student in the comparative and international development program at the U of MN. We also welcomed back Stela Center, former member of Minneapolis University Rotary. Good to have both of you!

Announcements

Club officers for 2020-21. As approved by unanimous vote, they include: Erik Van Kuijk, president-elect; Jerry Yanz, past president; Carol ClineHedblom, Secretary; Mike Nation, Treasurer; Jean Westberg, club service chair; John Bantle and Carol Skulstad, community service co-chairs; and Chuck Larson, Rotary Foundation. Please let Jerry know of candidates public relations chair for ’20-21 and president-elect for ’21-22.

Wed. May 27. There will be noon noon club meeting.

Wed. June 17. We will hold our club’s end-of year celebration by ZOOM from 4:30-6:30. Awards for Rotarian of the Year and Citizen of the Year will be given.

Immigrant Family Mentoring. John Bantle described a community service project the club will consider when we resume in-person activities again. It would involve mentoring an immigrant family, under the auspices of the International Institute of MN.

Bhutan Farm Project. Our club foundation board approved a $500 grant to Rotary Club of Brooklyn Park for the Bhutan Farm project which will further economic development in rural Bhutan by providing shade nets, tillers, fencing and business advice to subsistence farmers in the area.

Santiago Chile Hearing Project. Jerry and Bob will be submitting a global grant application to RI to update hearing equipment in an auditory health clinic in Santiago. Our club foundation will contribute $1,000. City of Minneapolis Rotary and International Hearing will contribute the remainder of the $10,000 local match.

The Rotary Foundation Annual Goal. Club members have given $6795 to The Rotary Foundation this year, 76% of our goal of $9,000. Every member, any amount is welcome. Please make your contribution before the end of June. Contact Chuck Larson with questions.

Brag-a-Bucks

Jerry: Fishing season has opened. Wonderful to enjoy spring.

Carole: Thanks to all who have donated “brags” dollars during our ZOOm meetings. We’ll miss Kriti.

Bob: Welcome to all. We’ll be welcoming two new students to our club, even as Kriti leaves us.

Jean: Welcome to all. Enjoyed boating and fishing with family over last few days.

Carol S: Took part in school parade last week with teachers driving past students’ houses.

Erik: Encouraged all to take part in Rotary’s Paul Harris Society of Rotary International. He also related the use of graphite by Picasso to Kriti’s research on graphene.

Today's Speaker

Photo from when Kriti's parents attended a MUR meeting-- Before CoVid19

Guest Speaker: Kriti Agarwal, Ph.D.

Topic: Lifecycle of a graduate student

Our own Kriti Agarwal has successfully defended her doctoral dissertation and will receive her PhD this spring from the University of Minnesota. Born in India, she has spent the past six years in research at the U’s College Computer Science and Engineering. In her presentation, Kriti provided a summary of her work, focusing on the complexities of light-matter interaction and the movement of particles as a wave in the world of physics. The enhanced interaction using graphene-based electron oscillation allows detecting changes and mutations in DNA, RNA, proteins, cells, and tissues. Kriti’s research will be used to further efforts to detect disease using a single drop of blood. If the subject matter was over the heads of some of her audience, Kriti’s command of her subject matter was obvious to us all.

With fun photos, Kriti showed off a wide variety of experiences she enjoyed while living in Minnesota. In the form of a “points” game—which she won because most of us native Minnesotans haven’t done all she has—she pointed out the weird and wonderful quirkiness of life in Minnesota. She included scenes from homecoming and Halloween, state fair and Stillwater, Renaissance and reindeer, plus the fun of soccer in a football stadium and mac and cheese on a pizza. Kriti said she enjoyed her time with our Rotary club and looks forward to joining us by ZOOM from her new home in Albuquerque when she can.

We will miss you, Kriti. You have been an important part of Minneapolis University Rotary Club and we wish you all the best in your profession. Intel is lucky to have you!!