University of Minnesota Giving

From climate policy work at the Capitol to ecology fieldwork in Ireland, Martha Wondimu is turning her passion for environmental justice into action 🌎

The third-year CFANS student is combining science, policy and hands-on experiences to shape a future focused on sustainability and meaningful change, all while discovering new opportunities through study abroad and scholarship support.

See how scholarship support is helping Martha pursue opportunities that are shaping her future: give.umn.edu/stories/bridging-science-and-society

From reading textbooks at a one-dollar bookstore to becoming a second-year student at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Nicholas Chapman’s journey is powered by resilience and determination.

After experiencing homelessness as a teen, Nicholas found purpose in medicine through his desire to provide others with the sense of safety and trust he once searched for himself.

Read more about Nicholas’s inspiring story and learn how you can support students like him at: give.umn.edu/stories/safety-and-trust

Every gift makes a difference, and today your impact goes twice as far. Thanks to The Raptor Center’s loyal donors Ann and Tom Schwalen, all gifts will be matched up to $50,000.

Each spring, more than 250 young raptors arrive at The Raptor Center in need of urgent care. From medications and specialized equipment to food and expert treatment, donor support makes lifesaving care possible.

Your gift can help provide:
🦅 One day of food for a baby bald eagle for $10
🪶 One week of food for a baby American kestrel for $20
🦉 One week of food for a baby great horned owl for $40

Learn more about how you can support TRC today: crowdfund.umn.edu/campaigns/BabyRaptors26

I'm supporting the University of Minnesota Foundation! Help support community and outreach at the University of Minnesota.

Could red seaweed help reduce cows’ methane emissions? 🌎🐄

Researchers at the University of Minnesota’s West Central Research and Outreach Center found that adding small amounts of red seaweed to dairy cattle diets reduced methane emissions by 30–40%, without affecting milk production. Supported by donor funding, this research is helping advance more sustainable solutions for agriculture.

Learn more about this research and its potential impact: https://bit.ly/4trdoOx

CFANS

At the University of Minnesota Medical School, students like Lila Lohmiller are turning a passion for close-knit communities into a purpose-driven career. Through the Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP), she’s gaining hands-on experience across the full spectrum of care and building meaningful relationships with patients every step of the way.

Learn more about their story and how to can support RPAP today at: give.umn.edu/stories/medicine-all-minnesota

At University of Minnesota Morris, students like Connor Kuhn and Hannah Robertson are proving that curiosity, and a little ingenuity, can take you far. With no formal rocketry classes available, they built their own path, designing and launching “Morris Maang” as part of the Intercollegiate High-Powered Rocket Challenge.

With mentorship from the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium and dedicated faculty, their journey was powered by hands-on learning, collaboration, and determination. For Connor, the experience reinforced a lifelong passion for science, and a future goal of developing new treatments to fight disease.

Read more about their story at: https://give.umn.edu/stories/new-heights

From navigating cancer to taking the stage, University of Minnesota senior Maddy Tax is celebrating five years cancer-free. Through every performance, mentorship, and opportunity, donor support helped make her path possible both on and off the stage. Now, she’s giving back, organizing a campus blood drive to honor the generosity that once saved her life.

Read more about her story and learn how you can show your support for students like Maddy today at: give.umn.edu/stories/life-giving-performance

From concert halls to community spaces, University of Minnesota alumni are using creativity to shape culture, spark dialogue, and drive change.

Meet a group of artists, Dessa, Wing Young Huie, Ahmed Anzaldúa, and Craig Minowa, whose work spans music, photography, and social impact. Across disciplines, they share a common thread: using their art to explore identity, build community, and create meaningful change.

Their journeys reflect how the arts, grounded in a liberal arts education, can inspire innovation, amplify voices, and connect people in powerful ways.

Read more about each of their unique stories at: https://bit.ly/41YTn6G

At the Weisman Art Museum, students from the University of Minnesota Medical School are stepping outside the traditional classroom to explore how art can shape the way they see, think, and care for patients.

Through a new course blending visual art and medicine, future physicians are learning to slow down, observe deeply, and embrace uncertainty. These skills go far beyond textbooks and directly shape how they’ll care for patients.

Explore how students are expanding their medical education through the arts at: https://bit.ly/42oBbmV