Interview with Robert Veninga

Abstract

Robert Veninga begins with describing his background, including his education. He discusses some of his experiences as a faculty member in the School of Public Health (SPH), as assistant dean, and as associate dean. He describes his research in speech communication, the SPH in the 1960s, the relationship between the SPH and the Minnesota Health Department, the SPH’s collaboration with community agencies, the Summer Institute, the relationship between divisions in the SPH, relations between the SPH and other health sciences divisions and their deans, major challenges for the SPH in the 1970s, funding, the shift from an emphasis on teaching to one on research in the 1970s, Public Health Nursing, the effort in the 1970s to establish a school of allied health, the Center for Long Term Care Administrative Education, the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, the Center for Health Services Research, the Program in Human Sexuality, retrenchments in the 1980s, space, the Hospital and Health Care Administration program’s move to the Carlson School of Management, and recruitment of minority students and faculty. He talks about Gaylord Anderson, Lee Stauffer, Lyle French, Bright Dornblaser, Edith Leyasmeyer, and Robert Kane.