At age 88, says John Bieri (Ph.D. Biochemistry ’49): “Just being able to get out of bed and get moving in the morning is enough!” Bieri plays golf four times a week. He and his wife Shirley enjoy traveling and spending time with their two great-grandchildren.
After a number of years in retail sales, Matthew Brown (B.S. Biology ’94) transitioned to a career that draws on his training in the biological sciences. He teaches biology and anatomy at Richfield High School. He also coaches the girls’ swimming and diving team. Matthew and his wife, Patricia, have three children: Emma, Ian and Quinlan.
After completing his degree last year, Luke Bryant (B.S. Biochemistry ’07) decided to launch his own eco-friendly home services business, Bryant Window Cleaning. His Minneapolis-based company uses all biodegradable cleaners and fuel-efficient vehicles.
Elizabeth Chrans (B.S. Genetics, Cell Biology and Development ’06) manages the lab at the University of Minnesota’s Beckman Center for Transposon Research. She and her fiancé recently bought a house in New Brighton with plans to wed this December.
A research scientist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Judy Crane (B.S. Ecology, Evolution and Behavior ’84) completed a Ph.D. in water chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1990. Last year, she spent a month in New Zealand snorkeling, backpacking, sea kayaking, looking for Kiwi birds and sledding down giant sand dunes. The trip marked her one-year anniversary as a breast cancer survivor.
Zach Lechner
Zachary Lechner (B.S. Biology ’06) is a second-year dental student at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. He recently became engaged to a kinesiology graduate and former U of M women’s basketball player.
Now a resident in family medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Leila Midelfort (B.S. Biology ’99) graduated from UW-M Medical School in 2006 after spending two years in the Peace Corps in Honduras.
Eleven years of research in clinical ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester inspired Cherie Nau (B.S. Biology ’96) to return to school. She currently attends the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago where she is working toward a doctor of optometry degree. When back home in Rochester, Cherie gardens, makes home improvements and performs and teaches Middle Eastern dance.
The University of Minnesota began its century-long relationship with Itasca, an ecological gem at the headwaters of the Mississippi, when a summer training program for forestry students was launched in 1909. Field biology courses were first offered in 1935. Ever since, biology students have headed to Itasca every summer to take part in hands-on courses in ecology, ornithology, mammalogy, aquatic biology, plant biology, genetics, entomology, photography and other topics.
Over the years, a visit to Itasca has provided a defining academic experience for many students. Since 2003, Itasca has also been the first experience for College of Biological Sciences students. Incoming freshmen spend three days at Itasca in the Nature of Life program, getting acquainted with one another, college faculty and the breadth and depth of biology. Nature of Life is the only program of its kind in the United States. In 2007, when students from the first Nature of Life class graduated, four-year graduation rates jumped by 12 percent.
Did you know that tuition at the University of Minnesota has nearly doubled in less than 10 years? Only a handful of students receive scholarships from the College of Biological Sciences each year. Together we can change that. Every contribution makes a difference. We’re asking you to support students by contributing to the the Biological Sciences Alumni Society (BSAS) scholarship fund.
Our goal: 500 contributions by December 31.
The Itasca station is also used by groups within the University of Minnesota, other colleges and universities, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and a variety of outside organizations.
One hundred years takes a toll. The field station’s rustic structures have outlived their usefulness and its laboratories have become obsolete. The University of Minnesota recently approved a $25 million plan to renovate the entire campus. The renovation will make it possible to continue offering quality biology education, expand environmental research, and open the station to more University and outside groups.
Itasca is a place that leaves a mark on anyone who visits—especially students. It’s a legacy worth preserving. But we cannot do it without the help of CBS alumni and friends of the college. CBS must raise millions toward the renovation to make it happen. And it’s worth every penny.
To learn about giving opportunities, go to the Itasca Web site.
—Laurie Hennen, Director of Development
hennen@umn.edu
