Weaving a tapestry
Catherine Jordan's ability to make things happen has served her and organizations well, as she has been weaving arts, education, and health into her career tapestry. “I have been able to design and build things — whether a program, an event, or an organization,” says Jordan, Chair of the Friends of the University Libraries board.
Multifaceted scholar
Chinese is a tough language for an English speaker to learn, with thousands of ideographic characters to learn, and four tones in spoken Mandarin. But as a college student, Ann Waltner didn’t yet know enough to be daunted by it. She found the language and the nation fascinating, and eventually became a historian of China and professor of history at the U of M. She's also a member of the Friends of the University Libraries.
A storytelling path
University Historian Ann Pflaum — the former Associate Dean of what is now known as the College of Continuing and Professional Studies and author of “The University of Minnesota, 1945-2000” — is now serving on the Board of the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries.
Collecting her thoughts
Peg Guilfoyle has a new book out: “Singing All the Verses: Essays from a Mid-American.” Guilfoyle, a member of the Friends of the Libraries board, along with actor Sally Wingert, will hold a free online book launch Jan. 13 at 7 p.m.
Preservation that begins with people
School of Architecture Associate Professor Greg Donofrio co-founded the Heritage Studies and Public History graduate program, which strives to add diverse perspectives to conversations about history and preservation. The longtime lover of libraries is a member of the U of M Friends of the Libraries. “There’s no point in creating knowledge if you can’t disseminate knowledge. And that’s part of what libraries do is hold and disseminate knowledge.”
The value of pie
On June 1, Rose McGee, founder of Sweet Potato Comfort Pies, arrived at the memorial for George Floyd Jr. with more than 20 pies, baked the night before by volunteers. It’s a path of caregiving that she began following the 2014 shooting of young Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., by a police officer. Sweet as pie is, and as much attention as it attracts, it’s not just about the pie, says McGee.