Dean Tolar's Visit to Medical School, Duluth Campus

Colleagues,

The first week of November, I had the opportunity to visit the Medical School Duluth Campus.

Deans message

The day started with a tour for students from Nett Lake Elementary. They were warmly welcomed, and post-doc, Sarah Lacher, PhD, guided them expertly through a fun (and edible) introduction to DNA. At the end, the students were provided with bright yellow t-shirts that read “Nice Genes!” Not only was this excellent outreach, but it was also smart early-stage recruiting for the next generation of physicians and scientists. Duluth students who participated had a valuable opportunity to give back to the community (and also have a lot of fun).

Message from the dean

Next on the agenda was the opening of the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team in downtown Duluth. A repurposed tire store, the building was thoughtfully designed with sensitivity and respect for the community and elders it serves. It also emphasizes a collaborative community of researchers—who have been recruited from across the U.S. and Canada—by using glass office walls that make the space seem continuous. 

Annette L. Boman Research Symposium

The last event of the day was the Annette L. Boman Research Symposium. Annette Boman was a brilliant young researcher and faculty member whose career was cut short by cancer in 2003. Her colleagues and family came together to recognize her achievements and to create the Annette L. Boman Fellowship, which supports a young female scientist in her honor. Students presented scientific posters at the Symposium, which showed a wide range of excellent research, often being performed in the laboratories of faculty who have been with the school since it first opened.

Special thanks to Dean Termuhlen and the faculty and staff, for their tireless efforts in making the Medical School Duluth a great place to visit and to be.

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