University of Minnesota

The Symposium host, the University of Minnesota, is both the state land-grant university, with a strong tradition of education and public service, and a major research institution, with scholars of national and international reputation. The Twin Cities campus, the largest of the four campuses with 38,000 students, is a classic Big Ten university in the heart of a metropolis. It is made up of 19 colleges and offers 161 bachelor's degrees, 218 master's degrees, 114 doctoral degrees, and 5 professional degrees. Many of the programs at the "U" are highly ranked and recognized. Among the achievements credited to the University are the pioneering of open-heart surgery, development of cardiac pacemakers and implantable drug pumps, spearheading the "green revolution" with improved agricultural products, inventions of the flight recorder (black box) for aircraft as well as retractable seat belts, and creation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). In the words of writer and alumnus Garrison Keillor, "The University of Minnesota is one of the glories of the state."

• Short narrative on the University of Minnesota
• Department of Chemistry
• University of Minnesota