Talking school-based solar energy with U of M

As Earth Day approaches, many Minnesotans are striving to make environmentally-friendly decisions that will protect our ecosystem for generations to come. Schools across the state have an opportunity to make a difference for the rising generation through solar power — creating an energy source that’s not only renewable but financially beneficial — through the Solar for Schools grant program.

How can schools transition to solar energy with Solar for Schools? Peter Lindstrom with Extension’s Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) has the answers.

Q: What is Solar for Schools?
Lindstrom:
 The Solar for Schools grant program, established by the Minnesota State Legislature in 2021, provides public schools with funds to install a solar energy system. While the cost of solar has dropped significantly, funding a solar array — the panels that convert sunlight into electricity — is the primary barrier. This program provides schools with funding to cover 40-70% of the array, depending on the district’s financial need, with federal or utility incentives covering another portion of the cost. Since its inception, the program has supported the installation of more than 40 arrays, with over 100 more in the works. Solar for Schools is tremendously popular across the state — over 80% of the participating schools are located in Greater Minnesota.

Q: How can solar energy benefit schools and the surrounding community?
Lindstrom: 
Solar panels generate sustainable electricity for communities without creating harmful air emissions — a 40 kW array also provides an environmental benefit equal to 635 tree seedlings growing for a decade.

Solar energy also relieves financial stress on Minnesota schools. Utility costs are often the second highest expense for schools behind personnel. Installing a 40kW solar array, which is about the size of a tennis court, can save a district $200,000 or more over the lifetime of the array. 

Importantly, today’s youth will be making tomorrow’s energy choices — choices around energy technologies, markets, policies or working in the energy sector. Solar arrays are a conduit for conversation and inspiration in the classroom that drive the future of Minnesota.

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Q: Is this an affordable option for local school districts? 
Lindstrom: 
Yes, by design. Solar for Schools provides the highest incentives to schools with the most financial need. In the first full year of the program, over 80% of grantees were in the highest or second-highest tiers for financial need. Under-resourced communities stand to benefit the most from the energy cost savings and educational benefits of going solar.

In addition to the grant, the federal government has made direct pay available — a 30% tax credit for non-taxpaying entities such as schools, churches and nonprofit organizations. 

The success of Solar for Schools led the Minnesota Legislature to nearly double the funding from an initial $16 million to $29 million in 2023 and expanded the list of eligible schools to tribal contract schools and cooperative districts.

Q: How can I suggest this to schools in my community?
Lindstrom: 
Solar projects often begin with interested residents bringing this opportunity to their local school. Of course, area students are particularly interested and effective advocates.

Talking summer learning with U of M

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (05/20/2024) — Keeping kids engaged and learning over the summer can help prevent learning loss over the extended break from school. 

Lisa Von Drasek, curator of the Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature, and Lesa Clarkson, professor in the College of Education and Human Development, answer questions about different strategies to keep kids engaged in reading and math over the break. 

Q: How much time should kids spend reading or practicing math?
Von Drasek: 
There is no set time for summer reading. The most important thing is making time in our busy schedules. We are building literacy skills by reading, writing, listening and speaking. Families need to model taking time to read every day and everything counts: listening to audiobooks, reciting nursery rhymes or poetry, singing, rapping, reading aloud sports knowledge and news of the day, looking up facts about the planets, selecting and making recipes, telling elephant jokes, etc.

Clarkson: Consider consistency and the quality of the time, rather than the amount of time. We often put away formal math lessons all summer and begin thinking about refreshing those skills in August, just before school starts. Summer is a great time to see math come to life — replace formal instruction with math that makes a difference. Practicing basic skills is often thought of as dull and boring but keep reading to learn about a more interesting strategy to sharpen basic skills. Summer is the ideal time for families to engage in recognizing patterns in the world around them and demonstrate how they use mathematics in their daily lives. 

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Q: How can families make reading and math fun? 
Von Drasek: Think about what is fun about reading for us. Is it finding out about things we didn’t know? Look for the series “Scientists in the Field” and learn about how actual scientists are saving animal species or adding to our knowledge of insects like in “The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe.” Do we want to time travel? How about a big historical novel like Adam Gidwitz’s “Max in the House of Spies.” Or try a new series — I am loving Lisa Yee and Dan Santat’s “The Misfits.” Does your family have a silly streak? How about “Laugh-out-loud Jokes for Kids: the Big Book of Knock-knock Jokes.” Have we been watching “Top Chef Junior?” I have been looking forward to trying the recipes in “Priya’s Kitchen Adventures Cookbook for Kids: With Recipes That You (yes, You!) Can Make.”

Clarkson: One way to remain engaged in mathematical thinking and problem solving is to play games. Several card games encourage strategic thinking and cards can also be used to build fact fluency.  Fact fluency is knowing that 2+3 = 5 and 7 x 3 =21. Games and puzzles can be fun ways to build skills and strategies, too. When using puzzles or games, start with “easy” levels so your children first build confidence. Increasing the difficulty level helps them learn to persist when doing difficult things. Another way to make math fun is to actually use it and include the family in those experiences. Make a budget for a trip. Include everyone in the kitchen when doubling or halving a recipe. Roll foam number cubes or dice to make more interesting fact fluency problems.  

Q: What materials are useful to keep kids learning over the summer? 
Von Drasek:
 A library card! Your local public youth librarians are geniuses in matching the right book with the right kid. Engaging, free and low-cost activities are also available at the library and community centers like parks and recreational centers. My favorite place near my home is The Raptor Center on the University of Minnesota campus where we can visit with Bubo, the great horned owl. Families could even prepare for a visit by reading “Greta the Great Horned Owl: A True Story of Rescue and Rehabilitation.” If you are looking for a comprehensive list of new titles, I highly recommend Bank Street College of Education’s Best Books of the Year. This list includes more than 600 titles sorted by age group and topics. Don’t forget to finish the summer at the Minnesota State Fair visiting the Alphabet Forest and Math on a Stick.

Clarkson:  Families don’t need special materials for summer math activities. We are surrounded by opportunities to explore mathematical concepts — we just need to help each other recognize them. For early learners, a trip on the elevator can provide the opportunity to have them recognize and count the numbers on the buttons. Asking a child to place three red apples in a bag is an ideal one-to-one correspondence lesson. For eight to twelve-year-olds, fact fluency is an essential skill we don’t want them to lose. 

Families can practice arithmetic facts with a regular deck of playing cards. Sums is an easy-to-play card game that is usually played in pairs. Older children can play this same game with multiplication facts. Take this to the pre-algebra level by using spades and clubs as positive numbers and hearts and diamonds as negative numbers. Face cards can be left out or be assigned a number like 11 (jacks), 12 (queens) and 13 (kings).

Q: What are the benefits of incorporating reading and math over summer break? 
Von Drasek: 
Summer reading is a crucial step in beating the summer slide. Research from the Children’s Literacy Initiative suggests students who do not read during the summer months can fall two years behind by fifth grade. It is important to provide access to reading materials for each individual. School teachers, school librarians and public librarians can provide recommendations directly and from comprehensive reading lists sorted by grade level. Beware of a short list of recommendations that promote stale “classics.” Don’t forget your local, independent bookstores are staffed by experts in high-interest reading. 

Clarkson: We often think summer reading and math literacy take a back seat or are given no thought at all, but summer is a good “no pressure” time to help children and young adults see math in their everyday lives and the world around them. Playing board games and working on jigsaw puzzles or print and electronic games like sudoku and Number Sums helps children develop strategic thinking and cultivate tenacity.

Q: What resources does the U of M have for keeping kids engaged this summer?

Von Drasek: I am an advocate of real-life experiences as part of the reading adventure. Taking a road trip this summer? Let’s read and make maps. U of M campuses across the state are abundant in experiential learning. University of Minnesota Extension can help a family start a garden, strengthening not only reading but science and math skills. I recommend Writing Boxes: The Reading/Writing Connection in Libraries for literacy-related writing activities. The recommended titles can all be found at Minnesota public libraries and the book can be downloaded for free. Ebooks Minnesota is a free service provided by Minitex, a program of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and University Libraries, that covers a wide variety of subjects for readers of all ages.

Creating meaningful engagement

Composing music and being a social advocate are more similar than you might think. You’re generating a movement, in both senses of the word, that you hope will attract and inspire people, and maybe change the world.

Master of Professional Studies in Civic Engagement (CIVE) student Kat Rohn, who studied music composition as an undergraduate, personifies this idea. “Putting together all of these different pieces to make something that’s resonant as a whole is not all too different from what it looks like to engage people in civic life.”

Rohn was doing fundraising work for the U of M’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences when they applied to the civic engagement program, hoping to eventually step into a leadership role at a nonprofit.

“There are so many different approaches to making social change and civic engagement happen, so having that space to explore and reflect on them is really valuable,” says Rohn.

Rohn also says it’s a natural fit, as they are already engaged in civic and social life.

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“[Being] a member of the LGBTQ community and the heightened political landscape around this really pushed me into thinking about what my engagement looks like.”

A month after being accepted into the program, Rohn got a new job as executive director of OutFront Minnesota, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. “I jumped into the job that I was hoping to set myself up for,” Rohn says. “But now I get the experience of going through both together.”

Rohn believes that activism and advocacy are about creating significant improvements on small and large scales, in geographical communities as well as communities connected by issues or identities.

“For me, so much of this is about engagement in the community sense but also the policy sense,” Rohn says. “It’s about thinking deeply about how change happens in communities and what leads to the most meaningful changes … [and it’s] about trying to move towards building a more equitable, inclusive, welcoming state and doing it through civic engagement.”

Talking wisdom teeth with U of M

Every year, an estimated five million people in the United States have their wisdom teeth surgically removed. Most dentists begin to discuss wisdom teeth removal in mid-to-late adolescence, making it important to stay informed on the topic for yourself and any young people in your life.

James Swift, a professor in the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, explains wisdom teeth, why they’re often removed and what to know about removal. 

Q: What are wisdom teeth? What purpose do they serve?

Dr. Swift: Wisdom teeth — also called third molars — are the furthest back teeth in the row of teeth that extend from the center of your mouth. They are considered molar teeth and are flat on the surface just like your first molars and second molars. They are part of the grinding function of back teeth, compared to the incisors in the front of your mouth, which provide a cutting function when chewing food. 

Q: Are wisdom teeth always removed?

Dr. Swift: Not everyone needs to get their wisdom teeth removed. In some people, wisdom teeth come in — or “erupt” — fully and are functional. However, many wisdom teeth that come in and are not removed from the jaw bone either partially erupt, remain beneath the gum tissue or stay beneath the bone, which we then classify as “impacted.” If wisdom teeth partially erupt, they may harbor bacteria in the mouth and may become affected by gum disease or cavities because they are not fully exposed. Some people may also experience pain and discomfort in their jaw and gums as the teeth come in.

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Q: How do you know if wisdom teeth need to be removed? 

Dr. Swift: Dentists typically begin to address wisdom teeth during a patient’s late teenage years. You can ask your dentist to evaluate your wisdom teeth during a regular check-up, where they will look for the presence of periodontal disease around the third and second molars. Dentists often refer patients to receive x-rays to identify the internal appearance of wisdom teeth and their place in the mouth and jaw. Patients should always report new pain or discomfort in the area to their dentists, as it can be linked to emerging wisdom teeth. 

A person may not need to have their wisdom teeth removed if it’s possible to maintain good oral hygiene. If this is the case, your dentist should continue to perform checks for the health of your wisdom teeth on all following dental visits. 

Q: What should people know about the removal process?

Dr. Swift: The removal of wisdom teeth is considered a minor surgical procedure and nearly always done in an outpatient setting. All four wisdom teeth may be removed in one visit, and the procedure generally takes under an hour. Patients receive anesthetic and may choose a sedative rather than local anesthetic to sleep through the procedure. 

The healing process can take up to two weeks. Patients will likely see some swelling and/or bruising after the procedure, and there may be some residual blood in the mouth immediately following the procedure as it clots. Some patients will have stitches in their mouth, which may dissolve during the healing process or require removal by a dentist. Pain medication will be discussed with your dentist. 

Q: How are you advancing oral surgery knowledge at the U of M?

Dr. Swift: Throughout my career, I have been involved in efforts to standardize practices for dentists around third molar removal, ensuring all practitioners complete a thorough evaluation to determine the necessity of removal for each patient. I have also researched pain management for third molar removal, focused on reducing pain and discomfort resulting from extraction. As both a professor and a practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeon, I work every day to improve care directly for our patients and educate the next generation of providers in the classroom. 

James Q. Swift, DDS, is a professor in the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. He is a graduate of Cornell College and the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, and completed a general practice residency at Oklahoma Children’s Memorial Hospital and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He has served on two cleft palate/craniofacial teams during his career, and has received an RO1 award from the National Institute of Dental Research to study inflammatory mediators and pain management. He has also performed clinical research in the area of temporomandibular disorders and inflammatory mediators of the temporomandibular joint space, and has acted as principal investigator on implant research which included pre-market approval studies for a number of implant systems. Dr. Swift practices full scope oral and maxillofacial surgery in the Twin Cities area.

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About the School of Dentistry

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry advances health through scientific discovery, innovative education and the highest-quality care for all communities. As the state’s only dental school, the School of Dentistry educates the next generation of oral health professionals and is a resource to five states for dental education and consultation. Of Minnesota’s practicing dentists, 72 percent are graduates of the dental school. Through its clinics, the School of Dentistry also sees more than 156,000 patient visits each year. Learn more at dentistry.umn.edu.

About “Talking…with U of M”

“Talking…with U of M” is a resource whereby University of Minnesota faculty answer questions on current and other topics of general interest. Feel free to republish this content. If you would like to schedule an interview with the faculty member or have topics you’d like the University of Minnesota to explore for future “Talking…with U of M,” please contact University Public Relations at unews@umn.edu.

Why mental health care providers decide to practice in rural communities

Americans living in rural communities experience higher rates of depression and suicide than people who live in urban areas. These long-standing mental health inequities are attributed to a wide range of factors including affordability, accessibility and lingering stigmas around receiving care. 

A new study, published in JAMA Network Open, from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, U of M Medical School and School of Social Work addresses rural mental health workforce shortages — a longstanding barrier to care — by analyzing the factors that influence where health care professionals choose to practice.

Using survey data collected by the Minnesota Department of Health from February 2022-2023, the study included responses from four groups of mental health care professionals: mental health clinicians who prescribe medications, such as psychiatrists; licensed mental health professionals, including professional clinical counselors; licensed psychologists; and licensed alcohol and drug counselors.

Key findings include:

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  • Professionals from rural areas were significantly more likely to practice in rural settings. The association between rural upbringing and rural practice location was consistent across all professional groups but was highest among licensed alcohol and drug counselors at 75%. 
  • The decision to practice in rural areas varies significantly across professions. Licensed alcohol and drug counselors were most likely to practice in rural areas, while psychologists were the least likely.
  • The desire for autonomy in their practice was a crucial factor for rural practice among psychologists and other prescribers, which suggests the ability to work independently and make professional decisions is a significant motivator for these groups.
  • Financial incentives such as loan forgiveness programs were a critical factor influencing the decision to practice in rural locations, especially for licensed mental health professionals and licensed psychologists. 

“There is an urgent need to address the shortages and disparities in mental health care access in rural areas of the U.S.,” said Carrie Henning-Smith, SPH associate professor and lead author. “While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this challenge, there is a clear need for a targeted and multifaceted recruitment strategy to encourage more people to practice mental health care in rural areas.”

The authors suggest that policy interventions to encourage rural residents to enter the mental health profession should focus on bolstering education, training and licensure pathways and tailoring recruitment strategies to the specific motivations of different professional groups. 

The study builds on research the authors published in 2023 focused on the factors associated with health care professionals’ decisions about where to practice, and was supported by a Social Justice Rural Health Care Study award from 3M.

About the School of Public Health
The University of Minnesota School of Public Health improves the health and wellbeing of populations and communities around the world by bringing innovative research, learning, and concrete actions to today’s biggest health challenges. We prepare some of the most influential leaders in the field, and partner with health departments, communities, and policymakers to advance health equity for all. Learn more at sph.umn.edu.

About the University of Minnesota Medical School
The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School, both the Twin Cities campus and Duluth campus, is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. Learn more at med.umn.edu. 

About the College of Education and Human Development
The University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) strives to teach, advance research and engage with the community to increase opportunities for all individuals. As the third largest college on the Twin Cities campus, CEHD research and specialties focus on a range of challenges, including: educational equity, teaching and learning innovations, children’s mental health and development, family resilience, and healthy aging. Learn more at cehd.umn.edu. 

Naloxone, witnessed overdoses could reduce opioid-related deaths

Opioid-related drug overdoses cause 130 deaths per day in the U.S. Access to treatment and prevention programs are key to addressing the opioid crisis, as is access to overdose reversal drugs like naloxone, which has emerged as one of the most effective tools for saving the lives of people struggling with opioid addiction.

Increasing the availability of naloxone through community-based distribution can prevent fatal overdoses, but since naloxone must be administered by another person, a major challenge to its effectiveness is the prevalence of solitary drug use. A new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) aims to address the knowledge gap on solitary drug use and interventions to effectively administer overdose reversal drugs.

Researchers used a mathematical simulation model to predict the effects of giving out 50,000 nasal spray naloxone kits through community-based distribution programs each year from 2023 to 2025 in Rhode Island. They looked at two ways to distribute naloxone: a supply-based system that follows existing patterns for areas where it is currently provided, and a demand-based system that targets areas with the most people at risk. Using the model, researchers were able to forecast annual opioid overdose deaths, evaluate the impact of expanded naloxone distribution, and assess the effectiveness of other interventions — including strategies to increase the likelihood of witnessed overdoses.

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The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found:

  • Naloxone’s effectiveness is related to how it is distributed. A supply-based approach could reduce overdose deaths by about 6.3%, and a demand-based approach could achieve an 8.8% reduction.
  • Interventions aimed at increasing the likelihood of overdoses being witnessed have a significant impact on opioid overdose deaths. Even without reversal drugs, increasing witnessed overdoses by 20% to 60% could reduce deaths by 8.5% to 24.1%. 
  • Naloxone is far more effective when people who use drugs are not alone. Combining naloxone distribution with interventions to address solitary drug use could lead to a reduction in opioid overdose deaths by up to 37.4%. 

“As funding from opioid legal settlements becomes available, policymakers can use these findings to inform more effective naloxone distribution programs, implement interventions to increase overdose witnessing and enhance public health responses to the opioid crisis,” said Xiao Zang, SPH assistant professor and lead author.

This research was conducted in collaboration with Jennifer Koziol and Michelle McKenzie of the Rhode Island Rescue Strategy Work Group.

About the School of Public Health
The University of Minnesota School of Public Health improves the health and well-being of populations and communities around the world by bringing innovative research, learning, and concrete actions to today’s biggest health challenges. We prepare some of the most influential leaders in the field, and partner with health departments, communities, and policymakers to advance health equity for all. Learn more at sph.umn.edu.

Ready, set, go!

Each year U of M master’s and doctoral students take to the stage—literally—to make a case for their research and dissertation projects. But unlike a formal defense, time is of the essence: Each presenter is allowed exactly three minutes and one static slide to convey the gist of complex research that’s taken them years to complete.

It’s the 3-Minute Thesis competition (3MT), an event that aims to hone students’ academic, presentation, and communication skills.

“To be successful as the leaders of tomorrow, our students must also be able to communicate complex ideas to people who aren’t experts in their discipline,” says Scott Lanyon, vice president and dean of the Graduate School.

Lanyon hopes the annual 3MT event also highlights the wide range of research happening at the U of M.

This is a condensed snapshot of what the three 2023 competition winners said about their research.

First place: Koushik Sampath – Wet to Dry Paper

Bioproducts and biosystems science, engineering, and management PhD
College of Science and Engineering and College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences


You may not realize this, but the paper industry uses a tremendous amount of energy to dry wet sheets of paper. That’s a problem, because paper is among the most used commodities in our daily lives, from toilet paper to cardboard to printing paper and much more.

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According to the Department of Energy, the hundred-billion-dollar paper industry uses twice as much energy as it takes to power every single home in the United States. Currently, the industrial technology for drying paper involves using a hot surface and hot air to dry the wet sheets. (Imagine using a kitchen hot plate and a hair dryer to make pancakes!) This procedure stretches back to the early 18th century, so it’s obviously not state-of-the-art.

Post Covid, lots of things have changed in our world. Businesses have moved online so printing paper use has been reduced. But the use of thicker forms of paper like cardboard—which requires 5 to 10 times more energy to produce—is on the rise. It’s as if the amount of energy being used by this industry rose from powering twice the number of homes in the U.S. to powering four or five times as many in just a decade.

How do we tackle this mess, the burden of an energy crisis, and the need to sustain the next generation? This is where my research kicks in.

Radio signals and microwaves could save the day. It turns out that using sound radio signals and microwaves in a very concentrated spot is a more efficient and effective way to dry paper than the current industrial technology. With this modified tech, there could be a 30 to 50 percent improvement in the amount of energy, time, and costs involved with the whole paper-drying process.

Our initial results show up to a 60 percent improvement—and further research will tell us more about how this innovation could help revolutionize the paper industry and save energy.

The future of free speech online

In 2021, Texas and Florida passed state laws limiting how social media companies, such as Facebook and X, regulate content on their platforms. Technology companies argued the laws violated their First Amendment rights to control the speech that appears on their platforms. 

Now, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on questions posed by the two cases: do the provisions in the laws that regulate tech companies’ ability to modify or remove the content appearing on their platforms violate the First Amendment, and do the provisions requiring tech companies to explain their decisions to modify specific content violate the First Amendment?

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Christopher Terry, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is an expert on net neutrality and available to comment on these proceedings.

Christopher Terry

“The future of free speech on the internet is at stake as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Netchoice’s challenge to the Texas and Florida social media laws. The court will have to wrestle with the application of fundamental First Amendment issues as it explores whether or not state action can be used to compel content carriage and speech on platforms in a significant legal challenge to the longstanding precedent set by the decision in Reno v. ACLU.”

Christopher Terry is an associate professor of media law and Cowles Fellow of Journalism, Policy and Law in the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. His research and expertise covers a wide range of topics including administrative law, media ownership and advertising regulation, political advertising, free expression, open access and digital media law.

From the front lines to the classroom

Andrew Jaunich’s  journey to becoming a student at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs has been marked by a dedication to service, resilience, and a strong commitment to creating positive change.

It’s been just over 20 years since Jaunich, then a high school senior, made a significant decision—to enlist in the U.S. Army. A self-described “military brat,” Jaunich was inspired by his father’s service in the Navy and felt an inherent calling to serve his country. 

Now, after finishing a complex military career, starting a family, and working in the private sector, Jaunich is finally fulfilling a personal goal by earning his master’s degree in public policy.

Jaunich’s military journey was far from straightforward. Following basic training, he went to California for language studies in Persian-Farsi. Later, he attended Florida State University and enrolled in the ROTC program to become an officer. 

The transition from barracks life to a college campus was jarring, especially as his friends began combat deployments while he pursued his studies.

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“I remember being in the [dining facility] eating when we got word that we were invading Iraq,” Jaunich says. “Our platoon sergeant said, ‘Mark my words, all of you are going to be deployed—every single one of you.'”

In fact, Jaunich faced multiple deployments, including one to South Korea and three challenging tours in Afghanistan. 

He served as an infantry officer and a military intelligence officer alongside infantry and special operations. He also went through Ranger and Airborne training, which are highly specialized courses for those facing combat. 

Recalling his last deployment to Afghanistan, Jaunich remembers a particularly difficult experience. “We lost a couple of [soldiers] under my command. And then my first son was born,” he says. “I deployed in October of 2013, and my son was born in November, so I was in Afghanistan for a month and then I came home for two and a half weeks. And then went back to Afghanistan for five more months.”

Transitions to a corporate career and graduate school

Despite steadily climbing the military ranks and becoming a senior intelligence officer for a special forces battalion, the urge to spend more time at home with his family led Andrew to leave the military in 2015 and begin working at Medtronic, a global medical device company based in Minneapolis.

After nine years, Jaunich says he felt it was time to return to college for a new challenge. So he enrolled in the Humphrey School’s Master of Public Policy program and began his studies last fall.   

“The Humphrey School is world renowned, as is the [public policy] program,” he says. “And I’m a big public school advocate, where you bring everybody together with different backgrounds and views to drive towards some kind of consistent application.”

So far, Jaunich says his first year at the school has reaffirmed his decision to pursue his master’s degree. He looks forward to supporting the Twin Cities community post-graduation. 

“My interest is becoming more and more local,” he says. “I would really like to start to get more engaged at the state, county, or city level…to be more impactful, where I can see and adjust what I am trying to do.”

Emulating Humphrey, trying to make lives better

When he was young, Harrison Maxwell didn’t see himself as college material. He grew up in a low-income family that moved frequently around the western United States during his childhood. But Maxwell had a natural curiosity and an interest in the welfare of others. 

He became interested in learning about people from modest means like him who had gone on to make significant contributions to society. Then he discovered someone who became a hero to him. 

It was Hubert Humphrey, who grew up poor in rural South Dakota and became a champion of the disadvantaged while serving as mayor of Minneapolis, a U.S. senator from Minnesota, and vice president.

Maxwell served in the U.S. Marine Corps, then enrolled in the University of Washington, becoming the first in his family to go to college. He earned a degree in sociology, and became interested in urban planning, a field in which he would be able to improve people’s lives on a large scale. 

“Urban planning is applied sociology,” he says. “I could see urban planning that was not working for people—the roads with no crosswalks, bad sidewalks, no parks. I’ve had friends who actually died because of bad urban planning. Good urban planning can benefit communities.” 

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The Humphrey School ‘was it’

“I found out that the public policy school at the University of Minnesota was called the Humphrey School, and that was it,” says Maxwell, who earned his degree in May. 

The Humphrey School’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) has several defined concentrations and also allows students to design their own. Maxwell has combined Humphrey School courses with others from across the University for a self-defined concentration in community economic development. He minored in landscape architecture from the U’s College of Design to learn placemaking skills, site analysis, and planning review—all valuable skills for a planner. 

Maxwell and three of his classmates co-produced a podcast called Veiled Truth, which examines issues in civic engagement. The group chose the podcast medium to make the discussion more accessible to more people than a journal article would be.  

Two Humphrey School internships have already kick-started Maxwell’s career: one as a community development intern in Lino Lakes, north of the Twin Cities metro area; and the other as a community development intern with the city of St. Louis Park, an inner-ring suburb just west of Minneapolis. 

Maxwell has settled in the central Minnesota town of Becker, together with his life partner. He loves living there, where neighbors look after neighbors. Eventually, he would like to be a planner in St. Cloud, which is rapidly growing from a small, majority-white city to a more diverse city, with newcomers from around the world.

Maxwell says such a role would be an exciting chance to apply his skills from his Humphrey School coursework and internships, and to contribute to the community where he wants to stay and put down roots.

“I want to be a part of the transition with changing demographics. There are layers of trauma that need to be addressed,” he says. ”The Humphrey School [has given]  me the knowledge to address that in a holistic way, with well-rounded planning.”