From the Dean
Collaboration
The 2007 Pixar film of Ratatouille has a perfect visual shorthand for the power inherent in the blending of flavors.
The film's main character is Remy, a Parisian rat with a rarified sense of taste. In one scene, he is shown holding a piece of cheese in one paw, and a strawberry in the other. As he tastes each morsel separately, he sees shapes and colors swirl all around him, signifying the sweet dance on his taste buds. Pleasant as these sensations are, he decides to take the next step by biting into both cheese and berry at once--and is nearly overcome by the sudden burst of fireworks.
This metaphor also can be applied to the University of Minnesota. Each of its colleges has expertise in its particular domain. Cutting-edge advancements in healthcare, technology, business, and many, many other fields are all found here.
But as you start overlapping these areas-- jointly offered programs, faculty collaborations, dual degrees--even greater intensities than Remy's fireworks can be reached. The collective power of the University of Minnesota strengthens everyone.
In this issue, we will take a look at some of these cross-campus relationships. We will check in with classes and programs that cater not just to students from the Carlson School, but from the University at large. Both types of students will tell us how exposure to each other brought forth new insights and perspectives that they could not have received in isolation.
We have many faculty members with join appointments throughout campus. We will see how working with their counterparts in other colleges opens up new avenues of impactful research. Looking to unleash the potential of such faculty collaboration, the University launched its Grand Challenges Research Initiative in 201. Its goal is to promote interdisciplinary research to address challenges facing society today and in the future. We will learn about several Carlson faculty members hard at work right now with their campus colleagues on their Grand Challenges projects.
Finally, there is another form of collaboration that takes place solely outside of the classroom: The myriad activities that are available on campus. Student clubs, athletics, volunteer organizations; they all provide students an opportunity to meet with others and grow from their experiences.
Now after all this talk about collaboration, I would like to take this time to pull back and focus solely on the Carlson School for a moment. In just a few short months, we will begin celebrating a significant milestone--our 100th anniversary. We have many exciting activities planned to recognize our centennial and I hope to see many of you involved. Be sure to stay tuned for upcoming announcements of our celebration plans.
And, as always, I hope you enjoy this issue and I look forward to your comments.
Sri Zaheer, Dean
Elmer L. Andersen Chair in
Global Corporate Social Responsibility
