Ticks, ethics & bioeconomics on the Range

Education NewsWhat do ticks, digital ethics and “the bioeconomy” have in common?

The short answer is that dogs have no use for studying these things, but the University of Minnesota does.

The University of Minnesota is sending some of its researchers around the state for its “Minnesota Sparks” tour. The idea is to encourage broader conversations about interesting research being done at Minnesota’s revered land grant institution.

The Minnesota Sparks tour comes to the Iron Range on Tuesday, May 17.

Here are some of the topics:

  • Teaming Up on Lyme Disease: Lynne Bemis shares how she’s discovering better ways to detect, treat and prevent North America’s most common tick-borne disease. Audiences will see the challenges Lyme disease poses to clinicians, researchers and all of humanity. Lynne Bemis is chair of the U of M Medical School, Duluth campus.
  • Connecting Ethics and Success: Rand Park asks: Is it possible to “do good” and “do well” while pursuing careers in a digitally connected world? Park will share the latest in behavioral research on individual ethical decision-making and how to be more aware of biases and conflicts of interest. Rand Park is a senior lecturer at the Carlson School of Management in the Department of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship.
  • Together for a Bioeconomy: Rolf Weberg shows how U of M Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute is partnering in northern Minnesota to drive solutions for a natural resource-based economy. Weberg will share how we can diversify industries and businesses to make economies more resilient while protecting water resources and environment. Rolf Weberg is the executive director of the Natural Resources Research Institute at U of M, Duluth.

From the press release:

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., presentations and Q&A discussions are held from 6-7:15 p.m., and an open social hour will be held at 7:15 p.m. to close the evening. Minnesota Sparks is free of charge, and all are welcome to attend. Registration, found here, is encouraged, but walk-in attendance is welcome. U of M Regents Dave McMillan and Tom Anderson host the event.

Minnesota Sparks is part of a broader mission:

“University of Minnesota researchers are committed to solving the state’s most critical challenges, from clean water to the educational achievement gap to agricultural challenges, and Minnesota Sparks events are an excellent way to engage communities across Greater Minnesota with this research,” said Lisa Lewis, President and CEO of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.

“Through both presentations and discussion, the event series gives the public the opportunity to learn about the research at the University that directly benefits their community. Additionally, University researchers will be able to learn first-hand even more about the state’s most pressing challenges,” said Lewis.

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