From  the  University  of  Minnesota,  Rochester. This  is  beyond  the  Nest  0  Mars  alumni  podcast. I'm  Amber  Klein,  a  content creation  specialist  here  on  campus. Later  this  year,  June, for  many  2013  college  graduates will  celebrate  their  ten  year  class  reunion. There  will  be  barbecues,  socials, and  campus  tours  led  by  bright  eyed  students. Beck  in  school  colors. It  will  be  a  time  to  reconnect  and  account  for the  past  decade  and  all  its  growth  and  change. It  will  also  be  a  time  to  recollect  and reminisce  on  memories  from  college  classes, tests,  professors,  and  most  importantly, friends  here  at  the  University  of  Minnesota,  Rochester. June  of  2023  will  see  the  first  ten  year  reunion  in school  history  as  the  newest  campus within  the  University  of  Minnesota  system, UMR,  as  it  is  widely  known, opened  its  doors  to  its  first  class of  undergraduate  students. In  the  Fall  of  2009, against  the  backdrop  of  the  Great  Recession, more  than  50  trailblazing  students  walked through  the  hallowed  halls  of the  Galleria  Mall  at  University  Square, trudged  up  a  rickety  escalator  to the  third  and  fourth  floor  of  what  used  to be  a  movie  theater  to  guinea  pig. A  novel  and  innovative  approach  to higher  education  in  the  21st  century. Across  this  season  of  Beyond  the  Nest, we  dig  into  the  origins  of  UMR. And  examine  each  of  the  pillars  responsible  for building  our  first  class  of  raptor  graduates. So  join  us,  won't  you? As  we  look  at  the  history  of  Rochester. The  powerful  personalities  who envisioned  a  U  of  M  campus  in  Med  City, and  peel  back  the  layers  of  work required  to  build  a  university  from  scratch. The  University  of  Minnesota, Rochester  2023  is  a  central  figure  in  Med  City, a  moniker  given  to  Rochester, Minnesota  as  America's  most  fertile  healthcare  ecosystem. Once  contained  to  the  third  and  fourth  floor  of  a  mall, in  a  space  that  once  served  as  a  movie  theater, Umar's  footprint  is  now dotted  across  an  expanding  downtown. Relying  on  intricate  and intentional  public  private  partnerships to  address  complex  housing, classroom  and  staff  facility  needs. Umar  collaborates  with  numerous  partners including  the  Mayo  Clinic, the  YMCA,  and  Destination  Medical  Center. A  20  year,  $5,000,000,000  economic  development  initiative designed  to  bolster  Rochester  as a  global  destination  for  health  and  wellness. It  is  Umar's  position  as a  pillar  of  contemporary  Rochester, which  attracts  a  unique  caliber  of  students  interested in  pursuing  careers  in  health  science  and  medicine. Hovering  around  1,000  students, Umar  is  the  most  diverse  campus  within  the  UFM  system. True  to  its  commitment  as  a  land  grant  institution, more  than  80%  of UMR  students  come  from  the  state  of  Minnesota, and  more  than  60%  of all  UMR  students  are  considered  under  represented, meaning  they  are  either  bi  poc  a  first  generation  college student  or  their  family  is eligible  to  receive  the  federal  Pell  grant. At  the  undergraduate  level, students  come  to  UMR  to  pursue one  of  two  degrees  offered, a  Bachelor  of  Science  in  Health  Sciences, or  a  Bachelor's  of  Science  and  Health  Professions. The  former,  a  flexible  and integrated  academic  experience  exploring various  career  pathways  from  patient  care  to emerging  health  technologies  to the  business  and  leadership  of  healthcare. The  latter  being  a  partnership  program with  the  Mayo  Clinic  to  train students  in  one  of  four  high  demand  career  tracks, Echocardiography, radiography,  respiratory  therapy,  or  stenography. For  graduate  students. Umr  offers  Master  and  doctoral  degrees in  bioinformatics  and  computational  biology, or  the  study  of  large  data  sets found  in  complex  biological  systems. Umar  is  a  unique  experience  derived from  an  innovative  approach  to the  delivery  of  higher  education. Guiding  the  journey  of Umar's  diverse  student  body  is the  Center  for  Learning  Innovation,  or  CLI. A  single  interdisciplinary  academic  department tasked  not  only  with educating  the  next  generation of  healthcare  professionals, but  expanding  the  scholarship of  teaching  and  learning  as  well. In  addition  to  conducting  research  within their  chosen  academic  discipline, UMR  faculty  explored  the  intersection between  how  a  field  of  study  is taught  and  how  a  student  learns applying  research  and  findings  from  the  classroom. Umar's  academic  approach  provides a  continuous  feedback  loop  for innovation  in  the  delivery  of  higher  education. This  approach  has  led  to  cutting edge  programs  such  as  Next  Gen  Med, a  partnership  with  Mayo  Clinic  and Google  Cloud  to  accelerate  and  transform the  traditional  Bachelor  of  Science  degree  from a  four  year  experience  to  a  2.5  year  experience. Through  the  adoption  of  year  round  courses  and industry  informed  curriculum and  experiential  learning  opportunities. A  shorter  time  to  degree completion  often  equals  less  debt  and greater  long  term  earning  potential as  alumni  and  speaking  of  which, in  the  ten  years  since  the  class  of  2013, walked  across  the  stage  to collect  their  well  earned  diplomas. The  UMR  alumni  community  has  grown  from 52  trail  blazers  to  more  than  1,200  dynamic  graduates, Rapper  alumni  have  gone  on  to  become  physicians, nurses,  research  scientists,  professors,  marketers, mental  health  counselors,  data  scientists,  stenographers, respiratory  therapists, and  small  business  owners,  just  to  name  a  few. They  have  attended  some  of  the  nation's  most prestigious  and  rigorous  graduate programs  and  professional  schools. They  are  employed  by  some  of the  best  hospital  systems  in  the  country and  have  charted  careers across  the  American  healthcare  spectrum. While  many  have  chosen  to  make  Minnesota  their  home, UMR  alumni  have  fanned  to more  than  30  states  and  across  multiple  oceans to  forge  their  own  unique  journeys as  for  things  to  come  here  in  Rochester. Later  this  year,  Umar  will  begin  to write  yet  another  chapter  in  its  growing  history. With  the  opening  of  the  new  Student  Life  Center, formerly  the  Double  Tree  by  Hilton  Hotel, a  downtown  Rochester  staple. The  new  Student  Life  Center will  welcome  in  coming  first  years. This  August,  the  renovated  facility  will  house more  than  400  students  and  include  a  dining  hall, an  admissions  welcome  center, multicultural  space, recreation  and  wellness  facilities,  and  a  pool. And  true  to  Umar's  founding  principles, the  New  Student  Life  Center is  a  public  private  partnership, bridging  civic  business  and  academic  leaders to  address  complex  challenges  facing  higher  education, workforce  development,  and  community  growth. But  where  does  Mars  story  begin? Marilyn  Steward.  Then  Marilyn  Delano first  arrived  in  Rochester  in  1953. I  grew  up  in  a  time  when  girls  could  go  and be  nurses,  teachers,  or  secretaries. And  I  didn't  want  to  be  secretary. And  I  knew  I  couldn't  be  a  nurse because  I  wasn't  good  with  blood. And  I  knew  I  enjoyed teaching  because  I'd  been  involved  with  the  Girl  Scouts. And  that  gave  me  some  of  those  opportunities. So  I  knew  that  I  was  headed  in  the  right  direction. Fresh  out  of  college  with  a  degree  in  nursery  school, kindergarten  and  primary  education from  the  University  of  Minnesota  in  the  Twin  Cities, Maryland  signed  a  one  year  contract with  the  Rochester  Public  School  System. Born  in  Lake  City,  Iowa, Marilyn  moved  with  her  parents  to  Fairmont,  Minnesota. As  a  young  girl,  Marilyn  would  go  on  to  graduate  from Fairmont  High  School  in  1949  and would  be  the  first  in  her  family  to  attend  college. And  it  was  in  college  at  the  UO  M, where  Maryland  would  discover a  passion  for  teaching  and  education. Now  in  Rochester,  a  bubbling  city  of 35,000  in  home  to  the  renowned  Mayo  Clinic, Marilyn  found  herself  in  front  of  a  class  of 18  first  graders  at  Washington  Elementary  School. While  Marilyn  only  spent a  short  while  in  Rochester  before getting  married  in  1954 and  heading  out  east  with  her  husband  Jack, then  a  naval  intelligence  officer, the  city  left  an  indelible  impression and  one  that  would  ultimately  lure  her  back. While  Maryland  discovered  Rochester, an  idyllic  town,  buttressed by  a  world  class  hospital  system. The  city  had  come  a  long  way  since  its  founding, nearly  100  years  earlier  in  18  54, carved  out  of  land  ceded  by  the  Dakota  in  the  brutal, heavy  handed  and  industry. Back  18,  51  Treaties  of  Traverse,  Sue,  and  Mendota. Rochester  first  served  as a  sleepy  stop  along  the  way for  stagecoaches  sneaking  between  St. Paul  and  Dubuque,  Iowa. Founded  by  Eastern  settlers  George  and  Henrietta  Head, the  city  was  named  after Head's  hometown  of  Rochester,  New  York. By  18  56,  Rochester had  grown  to  a  population  of  more  than  50, and  had  been  named  the  seat  of Olmsted  County  by  the  Minnesota  Territorial  Legislature. A  couple  of  years  later,  Rochester would  officially  incorporate, and  Minnesota  would  formally  join  the  Union. And  in  18  64, the  Civil  War  would  bring  an aspiring  young  physician  named William  Worrell  Mayo  and  his virginal  family  to  southern  Minnesota, posted  to  Rochester  as an  examining  surgeon  for  the  Union  Army. Dr.  Mayo  would  eventually  settle  and  chart  a  career  in both  medicine  as  well  as  local  politics  in  public  policy. However,  on  August  21, 18,  83,  an  act  of  mother  nature. But  got  a  unique  and  novel  collaboration between  the  sisters  of  St.  Francis  and  WW. Mao  that  would  eventually  become  the  Mayo  Clinic. Struck  by  what  would  be  now categorized  as  an  F  five  tornado, Rochester  and  its  surrounding  communities were  devastated  by a  catastrophic  cyclone  with  scores dead  and  hundreds  of  homes  and  businesses  destroyed. Mother  Mary  Alfred  Mos  of  the  Sisters  of  St. Francis  attempted  to  triage  a  community  in  dire  straits. Compounded  by  the  reality, Rochester  lacked  a  hospital  with support  from  Dr.  Mail  and his  two  sons,  William  and  Charlie. Mother  Mary  Alford  with the  sisters  of  St.  Francis  deployed  as  nurses tended  to  the  victims  of the  tornado  and  walked  away  from  the  experience. Convinced  Rochester  needed  the  hospital. Approaching  Dr.  Mail  mother,  Mary  Alford  proposed. He  and  his  sons  run an  eventual  hospital  with  the  sisters  of  St.  Francis, maintaining  their  role  as  nurses. Initially  reluctant,  WW. Mayo  eventually  acceded  when Mother  Mary  Alford  was  able  to  raise enough  funds  to  establish what  would  become  St.  Mary's  Hospital. Opening  in  18  89  with  27  beds. St.  Mary's  Hospital  would  go  from a  regional  clinic  serving  3,000 patients  a  year  in  18  92  to  more than  20,000  patients  a  year. By  1911,  the  year Dr.  Mayo  would  pass  away  at  the  age  of  91. And  in  1919,  William and  Charlie  Male  would  transform  the  Male  clinic. From  a  family  operation  to  a  not  for profit  organization  dedicated  to  expanding  patient  care, research,  and  education  through the  first  half  of  the  20  century. Male  clinic  would  grow  from a  small  but  mighty  shop  on  the  plains  of southern  Minnesota  to  an  American  institution producing  Nobel  laureates, astounding  medical  breakthroughs  and advancements  in  the  way  health  care  is  delivered, both  visible  and  otherwise. Along  the  way,  males  growth would  transform  the  city  of  Rochester. And  by  the  end  of  the  1950s, the  city's  highly  educated and  scientifically  savvy  community would  attract  a  new  player  on the  scene  and  one  who  would  meld  science, technology,  and  medicine  in  IBM. After  nearly  a  decade  away, first  living  in  Virginia  while  Jack  was assigned  to  the  Pentagon,  then  Minneapolis, While  Jack  attended  the  University  of Minnesota's  School  of  Dentistry, Marilyn  returned  to  Rochester  in  1961. As  a  young  wife  and  mother  to a  growing  gaggle  of  children, Marilyn  sought  to  create  a  life  in  a  city  she  would  go on  to  irrevocably  change  in  charting  a  career. Marilyn  then  still  very  much  passionate  about  education, responded  to  a  call  for  those  who  had previous  experience  as  educators  in  Rochester. However,  at  her  first  meeting  to  discuss  the  opportunity, Marilyn  found  herself  confronted  with  a  culture still  very  much  rooted  in  mid  century  pay  Cherokee. I  was  surprised  and  amazed  that one  of  the  members  of  AU  that  I  knew  said  to  me, what  are  you  doing  here? And  I  said,  well,  I  came  to  learn  about this  program  and  she  said  to  me, you  shouldn't  be  here  taking a  job  when  your  husband's  a  dentist. So  I  went  home  that  night  and  I  said  to  check, I've  got  to  find  something  to  do  that  is just  me  and  not  reflects  on  you. In  response  to  the  expected  dynamics  of  a  1960s  marriage, Marilyn  endeavored  to  carve a  career  distinct  for  herself  and one  in  which  the  community could  distinguish  from  that  of  her  husbands, who  at  the  time  had  recently opened  his  own  dental  practice. Enrolling  in  real  estate  courses  at the  University  of  Minnesota  Rochester  Center. Marilyn  began  her  pursuit  of  a  career  in  realty. Once  she  earned  her  realtor's  license, Marilyn  joined  a  small  firm  and  began  what would  be  a  nearly  four  decade  long  career. Along  the  way,  she  volunteered  with  the  Girl  Scouts, joined  the  Rotary  Club,  and  became a  member  of  the  Rochester  Chamber  of  Commerce. In  her  work  with  the  Chamber  of  Commerce, Marilyn  joined  a  heretofore  male  dominated  organization and  found  herself  sitting  at  the  head  of  the  table. It  is  this  positionality  which would  allow  Marilyn  the  opportunity  to begin  putting  the  various  pieces  in  place  to  transform the  U  of  M  small  footprint  in Rochester  into  a  fully  fledged  campus. In  1986,  the  Rochester  Chamber  of  Commerce  pushed forth  an  idea  for  the  city  to envision  its  needs  in  the  year  2000. At  the  time,  Rochester  was  a  city  of  75,000 and  many  of  its  citizens  were  either employed  by  Mayo  Clinic  or  IBM, or  happened  to  be  related  to  someone  who was  called  Future  Scan  2000. The  community  of  Rochester  looked  at a  variety  of  needs  including  downtown  development, economic  diversification,  local  government, affordable  housing,  and  of  course,  higher  education. In  collaboration  with  civic  business and  academic  leaders  and  experts. Future  Scan  2000  set  out  a  series of  recommendations  for  the  City  of  Rochester  to  enact, to  prepare  the  community  for  the  coming  millennium. Out  of  those  numerous  recommendations, many  of  which  have  advanced  on  their  own  merits. Future  Scan  2000  insisted  on  the  formation of  an  advocacy  group  to  push  local  and  state  policy on  higher  education  to  better  serve  the  city  of Rochester  and  its  growing and  diverse  workforce  and  community. Formally  established  in  1987, then  as  the  Greater  Rochester  Area  University  Center. And  now  as  the  Greater  Rochester  Advocates for  Universities  and  Colleges, or  Grout  is  in  known  town, was  charged  with  better  coordinating,  monitoring, and  promoting  higher  education  in  Rochester. And  serves  as  a  voice  for the  community  in  all  matters  of  higher  education. I  served  on  the  steering  committee for  the  Future  Scan  2000  project, which  was  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Ms  County, the  City  of  Rochester, and  Mayo  Clinic,  and  IBM were  all  involved  in  this  planning. We  developed  a  number of  areas  where  we  thought  Rochester  really  needed to  focus  in  the  coming  years  to  be  prepared  for 2001  of  the  major  areas  was  what  about  higher  education? Over  the  next  two  decades, Grouch  would  be  instrumental  in the  development  of  the  University  Center,  Rochester. A  collaborative  partnership  established  in the  early  1990s  between  three  local  institutions. The  Rochester  Community  and  Technical  College, Winona  State  University,  and  The  University  of  Minnesota. As  well  as  a  foundational  partner in  the  turn  of  the  century, push  to  transform  the  U  of M's  presence  in  Rochester  from  a  branch  to a  campus  grouch  had  decided that  was  our  focus  now  to  get  a  UO  M  branch. And  our  legislators  caught  the  message  and  they  talked, we  had  the  best  governor  we  could  have  had. Time  in  January  of  2005, the  vision  for  a  fully  fledged  campus. So  the  University  of  Minnesota  in Rochester  received  a  key  endorsement  when  then Governor  Tim  Plenti  delivered  his  annual  at the  state  address  from  the  Mayo  Clinic before  a  packed  house. Governor  Plenti  extolled  the  symbiotic  manner  at which  Rochester  can  weave  science,  technology, medicine,  business,  and  education  to  create a  highly  fertile  environment for  innovation  and  advancement. In  that  vein,  Governor  Plenti  announced  his  support  of proposal  for  the  creation  of a  U  of  M  campus  in  Rochester, including  state  funding  to  initiate  the  project. Something  that  had  been  missing  from  earlier  attempts. Following  a  successful  and  bipartisan  push at  the  state  capitol  over  the  spring  legislative  session, by  July  of  2005, Governor  Plenty  was  able  to  name  and  appoint  members  to the  newly  created  Rochester Higher  Education  Development  Committee. And  who  should  find  herself  chairing what  would  be  known  as  RH  EDC? Well,  none  other  than  Marilyn  Stewart. Thank  you  for  listening  to  be  on the  Nest  UM  R's  alumni  podcast. We'll  be  back  next  month  where the  story  of  UMR  picks  up  with Rochester's  civic  and  business leaders  planning  for  the  turn  of the  century  as  the  concept  of a  new  campus  comes  into  focus. This  season  of  Beyond  the  Nest  is produced  by  UM  R  Alumni  Relations, written  by  Marco  Lance  and  edited  by  Dante  Fumo. Until  next  time,  I  am  Amber  Klein, and  thank  you  for  listening  to  Beyond  the  Nest.