News

New Adjunct Teaching Specialist

June 7, 2010

I am pleased to announce that following a comprehensive search process, Mr. Thomas Ellis has been appointed to the position of Adjunct Teaching Specialist, Grief Psychology, effective Fall Semester, 2010.

Mr. Ellis is a 1983 graduate of our Program. For 18 years he owned and operated his family's funeral home in Hastings, MN. During this time he served several hundred grieving families in his role as a funeral director.

In addition to his bachelor of science degree with a major in mortuary science from the University of Minnesota, Mr. Ellis also holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of St. Thomas (1981) and a master of arts degree in counseling psychology from St. Mary's University (1997), Minneapolis.

Since 1996, Mr. Ellis has worked as a therapist at the Center for Grief, Loss, and Transition in St. Paul. He currently serves as the Center's executive director. Mr. Ellis has presented numerous workshops and training activites related to topics of grief facilitation, children and grief, response to traumatic loss, complicated grief and disability and grief. His extensive background in funeral service and grief psychology will further enhance the outstanding quality of education we are able to provide our students. When you meet Mr. Ellis this Fall, please extend to him a warm welcome to the Program.

Finally, I wish to extend my thanks to all who were involved in the search process: Michael Mathews, Donna Spannaus-Martin, Jody LaCourt, Molly Diethelm, and Angela Woosley. Know that your active participation in this process has been sincerely appreciated.

March 1, 2010

Dear Colleagues,

As a result of the recent economic downturn, the Program has noticed that it is now taking graduates more time to find an internship following the completion of their degree program than was the case in previous years. In the past, many students reported that they were able to secure an internship to begin immediately following graduation. Of the ten students who graduated from the Program this past December, several have reported to us that they are still looking for an internship. My colleagues at mortuary science programs across the country tell me that they are hearing similar stories from their graduates, as well.

Here in Minnesota, often students tell me that following graduation they think that want to either a) stay in the metro-area to find an internship, or b) move back to their hometown, where they have family. It is with less frequency that a graduate reports they are willing to go to a new or unfamiliar place to find employment. With the change in the economy, however, student are now beginning to realize that they need to broaden their job search parameters in order to secure an internship.

In response to recent student questions related to the process of finding an internship following graduation, the Program hosted a 2-hour employment seminar on February 11th. I invited a panel of funeral home owners and managers to come to campus for the purpose of discussing job search-related questions. The panelists were Pat and Sue Patton, William Jorgensen, and Cathy Lehman-Caho. Each of these panelists works for a company which represents a different funeral service business model: Small family operated, regional family operated and corporately operated, respectively. The panel members spoke about their experiences in funeral service, and offered the students suggestions about how to begin their search for a job following graduation. The feedback from this panel discussion has been excellent: Days after the event, I still have students make a point of telling me how helpful they felt this seminar was for them! I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Pat, Sue, Bill, and Cathy for their participation in this seminar.

In other news, the Program is preparing for its upcoming graduation ceremony, which be held on Friday, May 14th, at 3:00 PM at the Theatre of the Coffman Memorial Student Union building. There is ample seating capacity, so if you would like to attend in support of a graduate you may know, please RSVP by calling the Program office (612) 624-6464 – we want to be sure to order enough cake and punch for our guests!

Sincerely,
Michael LuBrant

Students Participating in the Employment Panel Discussion

The Employment Panel

Sue Patton, Pat Patton, Cathy Lehman-Caho and Bill Jorgensen (left to right)

On Gratitude

Prepared 2/5/2010
Typically when one thinks of a season for giving thanks, the autumn months, not those of winter, come to mind. And although the ground is covered with snow and the temperatures are bitter cold, as program director, I have been thinking a lot about gratitude in recent months.
In early January, I called an Advisory Board Meeting to discuss Program matters. The purpose of our Advisory Board meetings is to solicit feedback to strengthen the Program of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota. All accredited mortuary science programs have either an Advisory Board (public institutions) or Board of Directors (private institutions). Our Advisory Board consists of numerous professionals, including funeral directors (both from the Metro area and outstate MN), professional funeral service associations (MFDA and AFDA), LifeSource MN, the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank, the MN Department of Health Mortuary Science Section, cemeterians, funeral service vendors, and other professional associates. I deeply appreciate the time this group takes out of their busy schedules to review documents, discuss issues, and offer suggestions as we work to advance our educational mission. I am grateful for the work of dedicated volunteers who believe in the importance of funeral service education, and give generously of their time and talent to support our Program.

I am grateful for graduates who work hard to support alumni activities which benefit the Program. Ms. Donna Dvorak, winner of a 2009 University Service Award, has volunteered literally hundreds of hours to revitalize and provide leadership for our Alumni Group. Donna, Kay Sperry, Ken B. Peterson, Rich and Sharon Purcell, and Ray Gorski all have met several times in recent months to plan alumni activities. Later this month, Rich and Sharon Purcell, who are not only alumni of the Program, but also funeral home owners, will open their home for an alumni-mixer event. I am grateful for all the good things these people do to keep alumni and supporters connected to the Program, and to promote the visibility of the Program here on campus, as well as in the community.

I am grateful for the scores of licensed morticians, both Program alumni, and those who graduated from other mortuary science programs, who give freely of their time to serve as clinical instructors for our students. Thinking back to when we entered the profession, we all remember how important it was for a veteran practitioner to take us “under their wings” when we were first starting out as novice morticians. I am grateful that we are able to offer our students an excellent clinical education program, the quality of which I truly believe is without parallel at a national level.

I am grateful for the financial support of our Program from alumni, friends, and supporters. I am thankful to the many individuals who, during our Fall 2009 fund-raising campaign, contributed $6,715 to support program activities and scholarship opportunities. Most recently, O.J. and Karen Fawcett donated $25,000 to the Program to establish a permanently endowed scholarship fund to benefit mortuary science students. With a lifetime of giving to the Program in excess of $100,000 O.J. and Karen have been among the Program’s most generous benefactors. I am grateful for all who served as major benefactors, including the late Mr. Leo Hodroff and his widow Doris, Bill and Kay McReavy and the McReavy Family, and Jim and Jayne Bradshaw, and the Bradshaw family. I am grateful to the Ellison family for their work in establishing a scholarship fund in memory of their son James, a Program student whose life ended at far too young an age. And I am most grateful to the members of MFDA, especially the family of Past Presidents, who have demonstrated leadership in the funeral service profession for over a century, and who have been steadfast and ardent in their support of mortuary science education at the University of Minnesota. The scholarship funds established by MFDA Past Presidents, which include the Robert C. Slater Scholarship Fund and MFDA Past Presidents Scholarship Fund, stand in evidence of the commitment to higher education held by leadership at MFDA. Few academic programs can claim the loyalty, respect, and devotion that friends and alumni feel towards the Program of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota. I am grateful for the resources we have which come to us through the generosity of others who believe in our work and mission.

It is always heartening to hear a compliment about work that we do. As many of you know, I have had numerous occasions to travel the country and speak with fellow educators at professional meetings, and I cannot help but discuss with pride and gratitude the Program accomplishments made possible by our alumni, friends, and supporters. More than once I have been told by a colleague how fortunate I am, as a program director, to have the kind of support from so many stakeholders interested in the success of our work here at the U. Going away from one’s “center of gravity” can often help give one a new perspective on life, and can help us more fully appreciate the gifts we have been given. Recently, someone passed along to me a snippet that was posted by one of our students to an on-line social network site. (I am sure the student is not aware that I had been forwarded this message!) The student wrote “Just visited the mortuary science program in (name withheld) and the U of M does not lie when they say they are the best program in the nation….. [the program I visited] has done only 12 embalmings in the past 15 years… Made me really appreciate Anatomy Bequest……” How heartening it is to know that this student, after visiting another school, has developed a greater sense of appreciation for the mortuary science program at the U of M.

In a time of so much uncertainty, let us take a moment to offer gratitude for the blessings in our life. On behalf of the University and the students, faculty, and staff of our Program, I would like to close by saying I am grateful for the important role you play in contributing to the success of funeral service education at the University of Minnesota.

Sincerely,

Michael LuBrant

Director

Program of Mortuary Science Update

by Michael LuBrant, Director

August 28, 2009

Dear Colleagues,

I am please to announce that a new faculty member will be joining the Program this Fall.

Ms. Angela Woosley, B.S., has been hired as a full-time faculty member, and will teach several courses related to funeral practice. Angela graduated from our Program in 2004 with High Distinction, and was that year’s recipient of the J.M. Nolte Scholar Award. Since graduating, she has worked actively as a licensed mortician and funeral home manager, most recently having served as Location Manager for Sunset Funeral Home and Cemetery in Minneapolis.

Angela will teach several courses for the Program, including MORT 3012: Organization and Management of Funeral Business during Fall Semester; MORT 3016: Funeral Service Marketing and Merchandising during Spring Semester; and MORT 3379: Clinical Rotations, which are offered Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and May Session.

I am perhaps most excited to announce that Angela will be teaching a new course for us: MORT 3022W: Funeral Service Arrangements, to be offered during both Fall and Spring Semesters. This course will take advantage of the new William L. McReavy Teaching Center, and will involve students participating in mock funeral arrangements. The purpose of the course is to help students become familiar with aspects of funeral service arrangement process, including pre- and at-need funeral planning scenarios. Students will participate in mock arrangements with people from the community representing a variety of different social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, who have had experience related to loss and funeral planning. We are working now to recruit families who are willing to come to campus and re-enact their arrangement experience for the benefit of student learning. So far, we have had a positive experience scheduling these arrangements, and we look forward to the learning that will take place in our new Teaching Center.

Ms. Woosley began her work with us in mid-August.



Sincerely,
Michael P. LuBrant
Director, Program of Mortuary Science.

 

May 15, 2009

Dear Colleagues,

Last Friday, our Program held its 101st Commencement Ceremony here on campus in the Theater of the Coffman Memorial Student Union building. This year, 27 students earned their Bachelor’s of Science degree with a major in Mortuary Science from the University of Minnesota.

Our ceremony included presentations from several guest speakers. I was honored that O.J. and Karen Fawcett accepted my invitation to give the charge to the graduates. O.J. and Karen have committed their lives to the service of others, especially to citizens living in and near their home community of Winona, Minnesota. Significantly, O.J. and Karen have been among the most generous benefactors to the Program of Mortuary Science in its 100 year history. Their gifts have made possible numerous classroom renovations, which have included the purchase of tables, chairs, audio-visual, and teaching equipment. Likewise, they have funded transportation for field trips, meals for student events, and financial aid for student participation at state funeral director conventions. Last year, they pledged a gift of $25,000 to establish the O.J. and Karen Fawcett Scholarship Fund for Mortuary Science Students attending the University of Minnesota. Kudos to O.J. and Karen for their outstanding support of higher education in general, and the Program of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota, in particular!

Other special guests participating in the awards portion of the Commencement Ceremony included Jane Slater-Draheim (Robert C. Slater Scholarship), Ken B. Peterson (MFDA Past-President’s Scholarship), Cory Michaelson (MFDA Award of Merit), Sally and Carsten Ellison (James Ellison Memorial Scholarship), and Tiffany Hofer & Mandy Luikens (sisters, funeral directors, and Alumni of the Year). I wish to extend my deepest thanks to all our special guests for being with us on this important day.

In other Program news, we continue to review and selectively offer admission to students for Fall semester enrollment. To date, we have received 50 applications from prospective students. We expect to enroll a class of approximately 30 new students this September. As is the national trend, more women than men continue to pursue a career in mortuary science. We estimate that approximately 60 percent of the incoming class will be female.

In closing, it’s hard to believe, but in less than three weeks, Kathy Nolan will retire from the Program. She has been working very hard these past few weeks to bring our new support assistant, Ms. Molly Diethelm, up to speed with student record keeping and various office operating procedures. Kathy’s final day with us here in the program will be Friday, June 5th. If you would like to send her a message or call to wish her well on her upcoming retirement, I know she would enjoy hearing from you!

As always, I thank you for your continued support of our work here in the Program of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota.

Sincerely,

Michael LuBrant

February, 2009

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you are all enjoying a very happy New Year! It’s a beautiful and balmy 41F today, which gives me hope that warmer weather is not too far off. I am looking forward to the day when the tulips peek up from the ground in front of Jackson Hall, and lilacs begin to sprout their little green buds by the Coffman Student Union Building. The University campus will be turning “green again” before long, and I can’t wait for that to happen!

Speaking of “green,” I am sure many of you have been hearing more about “green trends” in funeral service in recent years. There is no single definition of what makes a product, service, or offering “green” per se, but there is a lot of discussion out there about ways in which funeral service is exploring the meaning of “green.” One book on this subject you might want to consider reading is “Grave Matters – A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial,” by Mark Harris. (Scriber, 2007) Harris, who is not a funeral director (but who has very strong feelings about how we, as a society, dispose of our dead), has written a book which explores various ways families can go about the disposition of their dead in ways he defines as “green.” The options he discusses are all alternatives that we, as funeral service professionals, can offer client families we serve. Chapters include: Cremation, burial at sea, memorial reefs, home funerals, and natural cemeteries. At the end of each chapter, there is a resource list (contact names, websites, telephone numbers, etc.) for the reader. Interestingly, I have had people I know (non-morticians) ask me about this book, and what I thought of it. Whereas I may not agree with all of Mr. Harris’s ideas, I do think that many of the questions he raises are important ones, and that we in the funeral profession should be familiar with this book. It’s a “fast read” and should take no more than a few hours to complete. I would encourage you to read it and give some thought to what he has to say. As those of you who keep up with articles and postings in our professional trade journals and list-serves are aware, “green” forms of disposition are going to become more popular into the future. How can we best serve families who request “green” offerings? This book gives us a place to start the discussion.

Another book that has come out “recently” that I would recommend is Steven Prothero’s Purified By Fire, A History of Cremation in America. (University of California Press, 2001). Prothero, who is a professor of religion at Boston University, has written an outstanding book on this subject, which is a “must read” for all of us working in mortuary science. I had students read this book (as well as the Harris book) as part of a course I taught last year. Prothero refers to primary source literature in creating a social narrative of how cremation began in America, and its evolution over several centuries. He considers how different secular and religious organizations have influenced the trend for cremation, and explores reasons for its increase in popularity since the 1960’s. As professionals, I think it is very important we have a deep understanding of the history of the work we are called to do. The students enjoyed reading and discussing this book in class, and I think this book is one that those of us with an interest in cremation will enjoy reading, as well.

Changing subjects to that of a “program update,” I am pleased to report that all is going well for us here at the University. Our Centennial Celebration was a success, as I discussed in my last article (and if you were there, I trust you had a great time!), and we now have DVD copies of the banquet celebration available for our alumni, friends, and supporters. If you are on our mailing list, you know that in December, we sent out our Winter Fund-Raising Appeal Letter. For a gift of at least $25, we will provide both a Centennial Medallion, as well as a DVD of the banquet, to the donor. Multiple medallions and DVD’s are available. Please contact me with any questions, or go on-line to www.mmf.umn.edu/giveto/09mortsci to make a gift. The Foundation informs us of gifts each month, and we will mail out the medallions and DVD’s as we are notified of the gifts we receive.

As Spring approaches, we have several events to look forward to. April 6-8 we will be in Fargo to attend the NDFDA Convention, as we do each year. Later in April, I will travel to Springfield, IL, to attend the Annual Convention of the American Board of Funeral Service Education. May 5-8 we will participate in the MFDA Convention at The Depot. We are tentatively planning a retirement reception for Kathy Nolan on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 6th, following the Business Meeting. Kathy will retire on June 5th, after nearly 45 years of service to the University. I am hoping that many of you will be able to come to the reception to greet Kathy and wish her well as she begins a new chapter in her life. The next week, on Friday, May 15th, we will hold our 101st Commencement Ceremony. Kathy will also be honored at that event, which will be held on campus at 3:00 PM in the Coffman Theatre. You are cordially invited to attend the ceremony.

As we continue to move forward into our second century of mortuary science education, I thank you all for your continued support of the Program of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota. Thank you! As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance to you: mpl@umn.edu or (612) 624-3980.

Michael LuBrant, Director

 

November, 2008

Dear Friends of the Program,

We did it! Our Centennial Celebration was a resounding success! Over 200 alumni and Program friends came to campus to be part of our special day on November 1. We filled the West Wing of the Campus Club to maximum capacity for the evening banquet. During the afternoon, over 100 people attended our Continuing Education presentations, which included an interactive lecture by our keynote speaker, Tom Lynch. The traffic into Jackson Hall for our Open House was steady all afternoon. Donations and gifts in support of the Celebration totaled approximately $7,000. From all of us here at the University and the Program of Mortuary Science, thank you for all you have done over the years to make this day possible. You have our deepest gratitude.

As part of the Celebration Events, we dedicated the new William L. McReavy Teaching Center, located in 2-125 Jackson Hall. Through a generous and major gift from the McReavy Family, and with the support of gifts to our Endowment Fund, we were able to completely renovate the former funeral arrangement conference rooms. Some of you who went through the Program in the 1960’s and 1970’s may remember making “mock” arrangements in these rooms as part of a management seminar taught by Robert Slater. The space fell into disrepair in the early 1990’s, following flooding to the space due to a broken ceiling water pipe. For years, these rooms languished as storage areas. It has been a goal of mine since becoming program director to renovate these rooms, so that we once again could teach perspectives on making funeral arrangements. We now have a state-of-the art facility for holding simulated arrangement conferences. The rooms are not only beautifully furnished, but also have been wired with the most recent technology for recording and playing back the simulated arrangement conferences. This will allow students to watch themselves work with other people, and consider ways of improving their skills interacting with families. Using cameras and a new data projector, the arrangement conference can be projected in the classroom for all to watch, and simultaneously be burned to a CD disk for review. The arrangements room is also equipped with a large, flat-screen TV monitor, allowing students to practice making arrangements using modern technology, and live internet interface tools. I know of several firms that now make all of their arrangements, and present all merchandise offerings to families, using technology. Our students will now graduate having had exposure to technology we see used in our profession today. My goal was to create the very best arrangement teaching space of any funeral service education program in the world, and I believe this goal was met!

At our Centennial Banquet, we honored four of our principal benefactor families: Jim and Jayne Bradshaw, O.J. and Karen Fawcett, Leo and Doris Hodroff, and William and Kay McReavy. Each of these families was presented with a plaque in appreciation of their generous support of the Program and University. Jim Bradshaw, O.J. Fawcett, and Bill McReavy Sr. and Jr. each took a few moments to share with the attendees a few words about why they have made the decision to support the Program over the years. (note: Leo and Doris Hodroff could not be present for the event, so at my invitation, Ms. Alicia Carr, President of Kelco Supply Company, one of the businesses established by Leo Hodroff, spoke in honor of Mr. Hodroff’s support of the Program of Mortuary Science.) As part of his remarks, O.J. Fawcett announced that he and Karen have made a pledge to establish the O.J. and Karen Fawcett Scholarship Fund for students in the Program of Mortuary Science. The scholarship will be permanently endowed, and will serve as a legacy to the lives and generosity of O.J. and Karen Fawcett and their family, in support of higher education and mortuary science at the University of Minnesota. Our deepest thanks to the entire Fawcett family for this incredibly generous gift!

Finally, as part of the Celebration, we honored Betty Slater for all of her work in support of the Program and University for over fifty years. As Keith and Charlotte Nordby would always say when they spoke at our funeral service seminar courses: “To be successful in funeral service, you need to have a good partner!” Indeed, I am sure that much of Bob Slater’s success as a leader in funeral service was due to the fact that Betty was always there for him, and supported him in all of his endeavors over the years. Betty has volunteered thousands of hours at the University hospital, and more recently she spends a great deal of time volunteering at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. We thank Betty for all that she has done in support of the Program, and greater University Community.

As part of the Centennial Celebration, I saw a lot of people taking photos. If you would be willing to share them with us, I will create a folder on our Website and will upload them. You can either mail a CD disk to me at the University with the photos on them (if there are a lot of photos, a CD would be best), or for just a few photos, you can e-mail them to me at mpl@umn.edu. I would also encourage you to visit our website, www.mortuaryscience.umn.edu. We have added links to a really great story about our Program that was produced by Minnesota Public Radio, as well as an excellent essay about our Program that will be featured in the upcoming edition of Minnesota Monthly magazine, the official publication of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.

As we look forward to our next one hundred years, I wish to once again thank each and every one of you for everything you have done in support of the Program of Mortuary Science! Because of your encouragement, ideas, presence at our events, and financial support of our initiatives, we have just completed our first century of outstanding mortuary science education to Minnesota and the world. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities for growth that will come our way into the future. With your continued support of our Program, our future is bright, indeed! Thank you!

p.s. We plan to upload a video recording of the Centennial Banquet to our website (www.mortuaryscience.umn.edu) in another month. We will also have copies of a DVD of the event available to people who would like a copy. They will be available for a small donation (or large, if you prefer!) to defray the cost of production and duplication. I will let you know when the copies of the DVD arrive here at the office.

August 26, 2008

Dear Friends,

It is hard for me to believe that our new student orientation session is just three days away – Friday, August 29th. We are looking forward to enrolling a new class of students, as our Program marks 100 years of mortuary science education! This year, our Program received 46 applications for admission. Of the 46 students who applied to the Program, 17 (37%) were men, and 29 (63%) were women. Admission was offered to 12 of 17 (71%) of the male applicants, and 20 of the 29 (69%) of the female applicants. Of the applicants who were offered admission, 10 of the 12 (83%) of male admits have enrolled for Fall Semester, and 16 of the 20 (80%) female admits have enrolled for Fall semester. Our incoming class, then, will be comprised of 26 students, of whom 10 (38%) are men, and 16 (62%) are women.

I am frequently asked about the demographics of students pursing a degree in mortuary science, and of course the one change that is perhaps most apparent is that of the gender of students pursuing a career in funeral service. Since about the year 2000, more women than men have been pursing mortuary science degree programs. According to the American Board of Funeral Service Education, in 2007, 59 percent of all mortuary science students in the U.S. were women, and women made up 57 percent of all college-enrolled students at all colleges and universities, as reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Into the future, we will likely see an increased enrollment of women in higher education, and this will, of course, also affect the gender demographic of students pursing a degree in mortuary science.

The issue of gender relating to work in funeral service is something about which there needs to be more discussion, based on questions I receive with increasing frequency from employers, students, and others working in funeral service. One goal I have for the coming year is to work with MFDA to build a strong relationship between our student body and funeral practitioners throughout the state, so that a positive and productive dialogue on this subject can begin to emerge. Jenny Meslow, who has worked for over two decades at the University as a student adviser for the Academic Health Center, is now assisting our Program as an adviser for our student association. The subject of workforce issues relating to gender (such as disability and / maternity leave, ADA regulations, etc.) is just one example of the kinds of discussions that I know students, as well as employers, have been asking about in recent years. Many of you who are on the MFDA ListServe may also recall that a few months ago, I forwarded a link to a segment on 60 minutes about the “millennial” generation – that segment of the American population now entering the workforce. Indeed, millennials have different values and ideas about work, life, and family than those of previous generations (myself included, who, as a “gen X’r” is now one generation removed from the millennials!). As funeral service moves into the future, it is important that we find new ways of bridging inter-generational differences, so that funeral service is able to retain the best and brightest of the young talent entering our profession today!

Changing subjects, I would like to remind everyone that on November 1, we will celebrate our Centennial event here on campus. A full agenda appears in a separate section of the Bulletin, as well as on-line at www.mortuarysciece.umn.edu. In September, we will mail out invitations to those individuals whose addresses we have in our data base – about 1400 names in all. It is possible that some of our friends, including non-alumni, vendors, and other supporters, might not appear on our list, and therefore may not receive a printed invitation. We would be honored to send invitations out to all who wish to attend. If you are unsure of your list status, please e-mail me at mpl@umn.edu, and I will make sure that we send an invitation to you. The afternoon portion of the day, including tours of the facilities, and presentations by Thomas Lynch and representatives from the Biomedical Library (and worth 3 CEU’s), is free and open to the public. We encourage you to bring family, friends and colleagues to campus to tour your alma mater, especially on Homecoming day! Tickets for the evening banquet at the Campus Club, for which Thomas Lynch will be the Keynote speaker, are $50 per person. We hope that many of you will be able to join us for this special day.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the MFDA District Meetings next month. Travel to the District Meetings is a highlight of my position, and look forward to updating you with additional news about the Program when I see you next month!

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (612) 624-3980, or e-mail mpl@umn.edu.

The University of Minnesota’s Program of Mortuary Science is Pleased to Announce the Creation of

The William L. McReavy Teaching Center

I am thrilled to share with you the following news (please click here to read further) about a major gift to our Program from the McReavy family! As work progresses on this project, I will keep you all informed. What an incredible way to celebrate our Centennial year! My deepest thanks to the McReavy family for their support of this project. We envision this space will be used not only for teaching current students, but for the delivery of continuing education activities for practitioners throughout the state. For those of you who wish to share ideas about the project, have questions, or would like to offer suggestions, I welcome your e-mails to me at mpl@umn.edu, or phone 612-624-3980.

Sincerely - Michael LuBrant
Director, Program of Mortuary Science

(November 2007) As I write these lines, we are already half way through the academic term. It's amazing how fast the semester is moving along!

It's been a busy Fall for all of us here in the Program. I have spent much of the past 5 weeks "on the road" bringing news about our Program to our friends, alumni, and colleagues. It was a privilege for me to attend all 10 MFDA District Meetings with President Dan Dingmann. At each meeting, I was able to give attendees a "What’s New at the U" report. I enjoy traveling to these meetings because it provides me with the opportunity to see old friends, visit with former students, and meet other funeral service professionals. I wish to thank all of you who attended the meetings and showed me such great hospitality!

Earlier this month, I attended the annual convention of the National Funeral Directors Association, held at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Convention Center (click here to see slideshow of our alumni gathering). It was a great convention, and there were many outstanding speakers and continuing education seminars. I am very happy to report that the Program was able to host a "Program of Mortuary Science Friends and Alumni Gathering" at the convention. We had over 50 alumni, friends, and supporters stop by for hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and good conversation. I wish to offer a special thank you to several people who helped make this event possible. First, my thanks to Chris Brown of Brown Wilbert, Inc., and Dan Dingmann and MFDA, for donating money to help defray the expenses of this event. Thank you, Chris, Dan, and MFDA for you generous financial support! Likewise, my thanks to Tim Johnson for securing a fine gathering space for our meeting. We all had a lot of fun visiting with one another and looking at the "old" class photo books, which I brought along with me from Minnesota for the event. A great time was had by all. Our plan is to hold a similar event at the NFDA Convention next year, so be sure to mark you calendars!

In other news, our Alumni Society is working hard at planning our Centennial Celebration, to be held a year from now, in November of 2008. Our Society's coordinator (and Program business faculty member) Stephanie Christensen has been doing an excellent job keeping us all on task and focused on the work of planning such an important event. Please visit our website (http://www.mortuaryscience.umn.edu/mortsci/alumni) for updates. If you would like more information about Alumni activities, or would like to share ideas, etc., please contact Stephanie by e-mail at chris416@umn.edu or phone 952-935-4052.

Speaking of Alumni Events, this coming weekend, our Alumni Society will be hosting a student & alumni mixer and dinner at Jax Café in Minneapolis, just prior to Homecoming here at the U. This is our "Second Annual" homecoming event, and we are very excited that our RSVP numbers have increased from last year. Our goal is to build up participation each year. It seems we are off to a good start!

Finally, I want to mention that our Fall fund raising appeal letter will be mailed out shortly. As you know, we ask for financial support from our alumni, friends, and supporters two times a year. The monies that we raise go directly to the Program, and support activities that benefit our mission of education. One of the projects we would like to complete is the conversion of a storage area in the Slater Teaching Center into a fully modern funeral service arrangement conference room. As many of you know, the use of technology is being incorporated more and more into our profession. In fact, at NFDA, I heard a very interesting and informative presentation entitled "Why You Should Celebrate the Extinction of the Selection Room." This lecture was presented by a major casket supply company, and discussed, in part, how many firms now are using technology to present funeral service options to families. It is critical that we have such technology in place to serve as a teaching tool for our students. We are now raising money to convert this area in 2-125 Jackson Hall into a state-of-the-art teaching facility.

Another opportunity for giving is that of scholarship support. I am very excited to report that after two years of development work, we have been able to permanently endow the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association’s Past Presidents Scholarship Fund. We have now raised $25,000 in cash to make this a possibility. Right now, the University is offering a "matching" scholarship program to encourage donation to scholarship funds. Any monies which we receive now that are specifically designated to the MFDA Past Presidents Scholarship Fund will count as part of this match. This means that when the Minnesota Medical Foundation pays us the income on the principal in the endowment, the University will match this payout, dollar for dollar. We are working hard to make scholarships available to our students. I would ask that you please consider a gift to one of our scholarship funds this year. A donation at any amount will help us provide students with the financial help they need to complete their higher education here at the U.

In closing, I wish to that you all for your continued support and encouragement of our work here in Mortuary Science. Thank you for all you do to help make our Program the best of its kind in the nation!

Michael LuBrant - Program Director

(September 13, 2007) Save the dates! On Saturday, November 3, from 3:00 – 6:00PM, our Alumni Society will be hosting an alumni-student gathering prior to the homecoming football game. The event will be a “tailgaiting” buffet party, with brats, pulled-beef, salad, beans, and chips being served! We will be having this fun event at Jax Café, 1928 University Avenue NE., in Minneapolis. Please RSVP your attendance to Tom Weber (763) 424-4000 or tom@evansnordby.com, by October 26th. The cost is $20 per person. All alumni and friends of the program are encouraged to attend! If you would like to attend the football game (Minnesota vs. Illinois), kickoff is at 7:00PM at the Metrodome. To order tickets, call 1-800-UGOPHER, or visit www.gophersports.com.

The second event we ask you to save the date for is November 1, 2008. On this day, we will celebrate our program’s centennial! (1908-2008). Plans are underway for celebrating this landmark event in grand style. There will be opportunities for earning CEU’s, as well as networking with classmates and other alumni. The day will conclude with a special dinner, to be held on campus at Coffman Union, in the Great Hall. In an effort to ensure that alumni receive invitations to this event, please update your contact information with Stephanie Christensen, Alumni Relations Coordinator for the Program of Mortuary Science, at chris416@umn.edu. You may also call (612) 624-6464, or write to the Program office: MMC 740, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. We would love to receive copies of photos and other memorabilia that you would like to see displayed and / or included as part of the event. If you would like to help out with planning, please let Stephanie know as soon as possible. We are also in need of corporate and individual support to help defray the expense of this event.

I am very happy to report that we have exceeded our enrollment goal for the 2007 academic year. We received 72 applications for admission: 47 (65%) were from women, and 25 (35%) were from men. We offered admission to 38 students. Of the 38 students offered admission, 35 enrolled in the program: 20 women (57%) and 15 men (43%). As is typical, most of incoming students (n=22, or 63%) are from Minnesota. We also enrolled students from North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan. The ages of our incoming student body range from 20 to 54 (median age of 22). The academic preparation of this group is very strong, with a mean grade point average of 3.1. The total student population for the program this Fall, which includes new and returning students, is 63. Indeed, we have a full house!

We have had some faculty transitions that I want to update you on. Earl Burger, who first retired from the program in the early 1990’s, has re-retired! Many of you know from my previous articles that Earl came back to the program in 2002 to help with restorative art theory and lab instruction. Thank you, Earl, for your continued service to the program. You will be missed!

Many of you knew Dick Grayson, who was our law instructor for many years. Dick’s son, Peter, began teaching for us about 5 years ago. Peter was called up for active military duty about a year and a half ago, and served as a lawyer for our troops as part of the war in Iraq. Peter returned to the States from duty this past February, and resumed teaching for the program at that time. In May, Peter accepted an excellent full-time attorney position working for the government. Unfortunately, this meant relocating to the east coast. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Peter in May. Thank you, Peter, for all you did for us!

Taking over for Peter is Doug Meslow. Doug has been a practicing attorney for over 20 years, has served in the MN House of Representatives (2003-2006), and most recently has been appointed a District Court Judge (10th Judicial District) by Governor Pawlenty. Doug taught for us when Peter was in Germany last year, and was very well received by our students. We are happy to have him back with us again this year!

Another transition is Steven Tibbetts's departure from the Program. Steve taught for us for twenty years. We thank him for his outstanding service, and will miss him. Dr. David Swarthout is now teaching our funeral service psychology and counseling coursework. David has spent much of his professional career (over twenty years) working with clients who come to him for counsel regarding issues that involve loss, grief, and bereavement. David holds a doctorate in psychology and counseling from the University of St. Thomas, and licensure as a counselor and therapist.

Finally, Dr. Janis Amauzio has requested a break from teaching a full-semester course with us for the next year or two. As many of you know, Janis is very busy building a new medical examiner complex in Anoka County. With all the work that is going into that project, she needs time to direct her full efforts to that endeavor. Janis will continue to provide lectures to our students about forensic pathology, and will teach about ways morticians and forensic pathologists can work together in service to families. He goal is to return to a full semester of teaching in a couple of years.

The remainder of the program faculty and staff is as follows: myself (administration, clinical education), Stephanie Christensen (business management, marketing, and sales), Jody LaCourt (embalming and RA theory and lab), Michael Mathews (numerous courses), Angie McArthur (human anatomy lab), and Rev. Gloria Roach-Thomas (death and dying across cultures and religions). And, as always, Kathy Nolan (student support services professional, now with 43+ years of service to the program), continues to hold everything together!

In my next column, I will discuss some changes and updates in the program’s curriculum. Until then, if you have questions or comments, please feel to write (mpl@umn.edu) or call (612) 624-3980. Likewise, visit us at www.mortuaryscience.umn.edu. I hope to see many of you at our homecoming event at Jax’s Café in November!

Michael LuBrant - Program Director