Spotlight On: Lori Carrell, Chancellor, University of Minnesota Rochester
September 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, Chancellor Lori Carrell of the University of Minnesota Rochester highlighted the institution’s achievements in enrollment growth, campus expansion, and its ongoing commitment to health education and innovation, shaping the future of healthcare professionals.
What are some key milestone achievements for the university over the last academic cycle?
Over the last academic year, we continued to support our students who aspire to make a difference in the world through careers in health. We saw an increase in our enrollment, which is crucial as the healthcare sector’s demand for skilled professionals continues to grow. Minnesota students who are dreaming of a health career will be well-served to start here – at the University of Minnesota Rochester. The opportunities for UMR students with our partner Mayo Clinic, and others in this city of care and innovation, are expansive.
One significant achievement was the completion of our Campus and Climate Action Plan, which outlines our expansion over the next 10 years and beyond. This plan addresses how we’ll grow our facilities as we expand our academic programs and enrollment, all with a firm commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The plan was a massive project with substantial input from both the campus and the community. It will be presented to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents for the second time in September, and we anticipate their approval, given the positive reception during the first presentation in May. This is a pivotal moment for our campus, and I’m incredibly proud of this accomplishment, which involved the collaboration of community partners, students, faculty, and staff.
Can you elaborate on the growth in the health area and how you are driving innovations to empower both students and graduates to solve today’s health challenges?
The answer lies in the first part of our vision statement: to transform higher education. It’s an ambitious goal, but achievable at UMR because we were given a blank canvas when we launched in 2009. Everyone involved, then and now, is committed to using that gift responsibly.
By designing college experiences informed by research, more students, particularly those from historically underrepresented backgrounds in higher education and healthcare, will succeed. This evidence-based approach is key to helping students thrive. But we must remain open to continuous improvement, constantly generating new ideas, testing them, gathering evidence, and adapting based on what we learn.
UMR is driven by rapid innovation. As educational entrepreneurs, we recognize that what was best practice in 2009 has evolved — partly due to the pandemic, but also advancements in AI and the changing needs of the healthcare workforce. There’s also a growing compassion for health-related challenges, like healthcare deserts across Minnesota. We cannot be idle in the face of these challenges.
We are actively partnering with the healthcare sector to design new ways of learning and to develop new programs. Faculty-led design sprints are focusing on areas like digital health and mental health. Our approach to addressing health challenges is rooted in transforming higher education through research-based practices, with innovations in digital health and mental health. Our goal is to help individuals flourish in this rapidly evolving environment.
[fusion_images order_by=”desc” picture_size=”auto” hover_type=”none” autoplay=”yes” autoplay_speed=”3000″ flex_align_items=”center” columns=”1″ column_spacing=”0″ scroll_items=”” show_nav=”yes” mouse_scroll=”no” border=”no” lightbox=”no” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” caption_style=”off” caption_title_tag=”2″ fusion_font_family_caption_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_caption_title_font=”” caption_title_size=”” caption_title_line_height=”” caption_title_letter_spacing=”” caption_title_transform=”” caption_title_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” caption_background_color=”” fusion_font_family_caption_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_caption_text_font=”” caption_text_size=”” caption_text_line_height=”” caption_text_letter_spacing=”” caption_text_transform=”” caption_text_color=”” caption_border_color=”” caption_overlay_color=”” caption_align_medium=”none” caption_align_small=”none” caption_align=”none” caption_margin_top=”” caption_margin_right=”” caption_margin_bottom=”” caption_margin_left=”” parent_dynamic_content=””] [fusion_image image=”https://capitalanalyticsassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CAA24_Invest-Insights-S6-Web-Banners-7.jpg” image_id=”64377″ image_title=”” image_caption=”” link=”” linktarget=”_self” alt=”” /] [fusion_image image=”https://capitalanalyticsassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CAA24_Invest-Insights-S6-Web-Banners-10.jpg” image_id=”64380″ image_title=”” image_caption=”” link=”” linktarget=”_self” alt=”” /] [fusion_image image=”https://capitalanalyticsassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CAA24_Invest-Insights-S6-Web-Banners-9.jpg” image_id=”64379″ image_title=”” image_caption=”” link=”” linktarget=”_self” alt=”” /] [fusion_image image=”https://capitalanalyticsassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CAA24_Invest-Insights-S6-Web-Banners-8.jpg” image_id=”64378″ image_title=”” image_caption=”” link=”” linktarget=”_self” alt=”” /] [/fusion_images]
How does UMR’s educational approach contribute to long-term impacts, particularly in areas like health equity?
Sometimes, long term impacts require delayed gratification. We have to look at the big picture. I believe that our graduates, with their diverse backgrounds, will ultimately have a significant impact on health equity. For even one person to have a better quality of life or a longer life, because of what our students have learned and will go on to do, is incredibly inspiring. It’s real, and it takes time, often longer than we wish. But the process of change, of learning, does take time.
For example, a student who comes to us and eventually becomes a psychiatrist might go to a community where there are no mental health resources. Their education may be a 10-year journey, but the potential impact is profound. For all of us involved in education, knowing that the learning that occurs in our environment leads to such results makes the daily struggle incredibly worth it.
What’s the relationship between high-tech and high-touch learning, and how does technology impact the future of both education and healthcare?
If only we had a magic view into the future. There’s a lot of speculation about what will emerge, but we do see trends shaping how we focus education differently. One key trend is the relationship between machines, which are getting better at being machines, and humans, who need to get better at being human.
In conversations with digital health experts in our region, a motivating conclusion emerged to key questions like: “In what do we need college graduates to excel? What habits of mind or learning outcomes should we prioritize?” While some might predict specific coding languages or analytical methodologies, these skills will change rapidly. The consensus among the digital health experts was that the most important outcome of a college education is a burning curiosity, paired with the skills to advance it.
I was thrilled by that conclusion. It challenges educators to ask: “How can we better teach and measure curiosity?” This leads us to problem-based and experiential learning, and research projects that tackle challenges without known solutions. It’s not just about teaching methods, though there’s plenty to discuss there, but also about what we’re asking students to learn. It’s crucial for students to reflect on their progress and be self-aware of their readiness for an unknowable future.
What role does UMR play in contributing to the region’s growing life sciences hub?
We are definitely contributing by providing world-class education to develop talent that meets the needs of the emerging biotech and healthcare industries. We’ll only get better at this vital task if we work in partnership from the outset when developing our curriculum. It’s crucial for emerging industries to regularly consider and communicate what they truly need in new talent — what competencies and proficiencies are essential, alongside the ability to keep learning and a strong sense of curiosity.
As we move forward, hiring practices will need to adapt as well. Rather than sorting resumes by major and GPA, we need to look at what a person knows how to do, how they can demonstrate those skills, and how they contribute to a team in unique ways. Instead of saying, “We need five biology majors to get started,” we should be thinking about the specific skills and contributions each individual can bring.
Looking ahead, what excites you the most about the future of UMR and what legacy do you hope to leave?
What I’m most looking forward to is the arrival of our first-year students this fall. Their energy and the spark it creates among all of us is something I truly cherish. Serving them with our core mission — to develop their potential — is a privilege.
I’m also excited about the new academic programs we’re designing in biotech, pre-med, digital health, AI and humanity, and mental health. We’re addressing these key issues with innovative programs. UMR needs to expand our facilities with partners creatively, and as we do, we must also tackle grand challenges in higher education, like cost and student outcomes.
The creativity and innovation ahead is invigorating. With a focus on health, aligned with the vision of the new University of Minnesota system president Dr. Rebecca Cunningham, we fit snugly into that priority. We’re constantly figuring out new ways to educate students for the health industry and biotech, so there’s a lot of design and creativity on the horizon.
To grow our enrollments, we need new programs, facilities, and strategic investment, which I’m actively pursuing from industry partners, foundations, and others. We’re a startup in higher education, ready for a Phase B infusion after proving our concept. This investment is crucial for us to keep growing and producing well-prepared graduates from diverse backgrounds across Minnesota.
In terms of legacy, my background in communication — how we use it to bring about change and connect with each other — leads me to hope that my legacy lies in fostering a culture of creativity and kindness. I hope that 10 or 20 years from now, UMR graduates will not only be reducing health disparities and collaborating with AI to solve current challenges but that the culture and spirit of this Rochester campus will continue to be informed by the habits of interaction we’ve cultivated. I hope that innovative culture endures.
For more information, please visit:
