News

Profs. Susan M. Wolf and James G. Hodge, Jr., are publishing an important new article on “Designing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates in Colleges and Universities: A Roadmap to the 10 Key Questions” in the Journal of Law and the Biosciences. With the Omicron variant now driving a major surge in COVID-19 infections, the authors map the ten big questions that institutions of higher education need to address to ensure that any COVID-19 vaccine and booster mandate is effective in reducing risk and advancing institutional goals.

Researchers from the Food Protection and Defense Institute (FPDI) are working with food producers to protect vulnerable software systems against cybersecurity threats. While many people are familiar with cyberattacks that focus on stealing data or intellectual property, cyberattacks on food production facilities often lock up software systems so perpetrators can demand a ransom to unlock them. The FPDI is a Consortium member center.

Representatives from the Institute on the Environment (IonE), including Prof. Cathy Jordan, Director of Leadership and Education, and Beth Mercer-Taylor, Co-Program Director of Sustainability Education, were among a delegation of 29 University of Minnesota staff, students, and faculty that attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) opened the doors of its new facility on November 1, 2021. The new facility is located on a 10.2 acre property that features event and conference spaces, accessible playgrounds, and walking trails, all of which supplement its cutting-edge brain assessment research and outpatient clinics. MIDB takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding brain development and how and when interventions can be most effective. MIDB is co-directed by Damien Fair, PA-C, PhD, and Michael Georgieff, MD, and is a Consortium member center.