New president Eric Kaler: overall excellence at the U of M is dependent on strong health sciences programs.

Abstract

Welcome to Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota. Last month, Eric Kaler took the reins as the 16th University of Minnesota president. His top priorities: Ensuring access and delivering excellence. <Kaler: “It’s critically important that the barriers to the students who do not have the financial means to come to the University be as low as possible. The second element is a bigger element and that’s encapsulated on one word: which is excellence. And what that means to me is really focusing.”>Kaler said that Minnesota’s many quality programs provide the University with a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful multidisciplinary efforts spanning agriculture, veterinary medicine, public health, human health, and more. <Kaler: “I think there are very few institutions that have the scope and span of the University of Minnesota across disciplines with the quality that we have. … That means that we can be very impactful in the world in ways that very few other institutions have that opportunity to be. “> Kaler adds that overall excellence at the U of M is dependent on strong health sciences programs.

<Kaler: “There is no, there is no top-flight public institution that doesn’t have a strong leadership position in academic health. We can’t succeed without the Academic Health Center being excellent.”>