Milestone anniversaries invite us to look back. They remind us of the people, discoveries, and defining moments that shaped who we are. But they also invite a more important question: What has made the University of Minnesota endure and what will carry us forward into the next 175 years?

As I reflect on 175 years of our history, one thing becomes clear: The University’s history is, at its heart, a history of helping answer the big questions facing Minnesota and the world.

More than a century ago, when disease threatened Minnesota agriculture, University researchers developed disease-resistant cereal varieties that helped protect crops and strengthen the state’s food supply. In the decades that followed, our physicians and researchers pioneered breakthroughs in open-heart surgery and transplantation that transformed medicine and gave hope to patients and families around the world. More recently, as avian influenza has challenged Minnesota’s poultry industry, University veterinarians and researchers have helped producers respond through advanced testing, surveillance and research that protect animal health and strengthen one of our state’s most important industries.

These accomplishments span generations, but they share something in common. They reflect a University driven by curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to serving Minnesota and the public good. Our best work has never happened in isolation. It has happened by listening, partnering and learning alongside the people and communities we serve.

While the questions we face today are different, the responsibility is the same.

How do we protect the health of people, animals, crops and the natural resources that sustain our communities? How do we harness artificial intelligence responsibly and sustainably? How do we empower knowledge and innovation across our state?

As I travel across Minnesota, I see faculty, staff, students, and alumni working together across disciplines to tackle these challenges every day. I see industry experts advancing artificial intelligence in ways that strengthen communities while earning the public’s trust.

I see breakthroughs from researchers like SpudCell, the world’s first synthetic cell with a complete life cycle built entirely from non-living chemical components, opening new possibilities in medicine, engineering, and beyond. And this summer, as I visited county fairs across our state, I saw Extension at work through the 4-H’ers showcasing months of hard work alongside the educators and volunteers who help make those learning experiences possible.

I believe the University’s greatest strength has never been a single discovery, classroom, or community program. It has been our ability to bring together talented people from different disciplines, backgrounds, and perspectives around a shared purpose. Time and again, that collaboration has turned learning into action, ideas into innovation and research into lasting impact for Minnesota and beyond.

While the questions have changed over 175 years, the University’s purpose has not. We bring people together around knowledge, discovery, and service to help solve problems, create opportunity and improve lives. That has always been our story.

This fall, you’ll begin to see a new expression of the University of Minnesota’s brand. At its heart is a simple idea: Our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are the energy for change. To me, it is a renewed way of expressing what has always been true about this University. Together, they have helped Minnesota meet the moment for 175 years, and they will continue to do so for generations to come.

As one of more than 650,000 alumni around the world, you are part of that enduring purpose. The University’s story has always been shaped by the people who learn here, teach here, work here and carry those experiences into their communities. Thank you for being such an important part of that story.

Rebecca Cunningham
President

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