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New Extension educator to work on manure management
<br />The Water Resources Center wel-
<br />comes Jose Hernandez to his new posi-
<br />tion as Extension Educator in Nutrient
<br />Management for UM Extension. Jose
<br />will be the principal educator and
<br />researcher on the new grant project,
<br />"Maximizing the economic benefits of
<br />manure to reduce nutrient loading:' The
<br />project combines small-group education
<br />on calculating the value of manure for
<br />individual operation with on-farm trials
<br />on corn response to the timing of manure
<br />applications.
<br />Jose spent most of his childhood on
<br />a Costa Rican banana farm, the son of
<br />an agronomist who worked for the Del
<br />Monte Corporation. Jose followed in
<br />his father's footsteps, obtaining a B.Sc.
<br />in Agricultural Sciences and Natural
<br />Resources from EARTH University in
<br />Jose Hernandez at work in the field.
<br />Costa Rica in 1996. Jose came to the UM
<br />in 2001 to pursue his Ph.D, in Soil Sci-
<br />ence with David Mulla and Pierre Robert.
<br />Since 2005, Jose has been a lecturer and
<br />researcher in the Department of Soil, Wa-
<br />ter, and Climate on the topics of precision
<br />agriculture, nutrient management and
<br />water quality.
<br />aerless
<br />ie r coming
<br />in arch 9
<br />Thank you to the over 100 Minne-
<br />gram readers who sent in paperless Min-
<br />negram subscriptions. We are pleased
<br />to announce that the March 2009 issue
<br />will be sent to our online subscribers as
<br />an electronic link. In the March issue we
<br />will also unveil afull-color format and
<br />our new wordmark, which reflects the
<br />University of Minnesota's award-winning
<br />Driven to Discover campaign. We con-
<br />tinue to poll our readers on page eight,
<br />and hope that many more of you will use
<br />the simple online form to sign up for the
<br />electronic Minnegram.
<br />Bridge symposium explores relationship between river and city
<br />The new I-35W bridge opened quietly
<br />at 5:00 a.m. September 18, 2008, and
<br />traffic streamed across it, into and out of
<br />Minneapolis. While the story of building
<br />the bridge has ended, "It's not like you can
<br />just walk away from what happened there
<br />and the issues related to the river;' said
<br />Pat Nunnally, instructor of urban studies
<br />and co-organizer of the October 10, 2008,
<br />symposium, "The City, the River, the
<br />Bridge." The symposium, held at Herbert
<br />M. Hanson Jr. Hal] at the University of
<br />Minnesota, examined topics relating to
<br />the Mississippi River and transportation
<br />infrastructure in light of the collapse of
<br />the I-35W bridge, Symposium organiz-
<br />ers created a forum for University faculty,
<br />students, non-profit employees, city staff,
<br />and park service employees to exchange
<br />ideas about the relationship of Minneapo-
<br />lis to the Mississippi River.
<br />Among the questions asked were:
<br />What lessons have been learned from the
<br />disaster and the response? What policy
<br />and planning changes have occurred
<br />or are likely to occur? What will be the
<br />long-term consequences for the City of
<br />Minneapolis and its relationship to the
<br />Mississippi? In ten years, what will be
<br />seen as opportunities taken or missed?
<br />Tom Fisher, dean of the UM College of
<br />Design, believes the new bridge is well
<br />built, unlike the old one, saying, "The way
<br />the bridge is designed now, it is like four
<br />connected bridges, so if one were to fall,
<br />it wouldn't bring down the others." UM
<br />Geography professor Roger Miller said
<br />that a year of living without the bridge
<br />highlighted the problem areas of the
<br />transportation system. "If we continue to
<br />address transportation issues by putting
<br />in more roadways, we may be missing the
<br />point," he said.
<br />Deb Swackhamer, WRC co-director,
<br />described the importance of the Missis-
<br />sippi River and current pollution issues.
<br />The I-35W bridge and the river are im-
<br />portant routes of transportation, and the
<br />river is also a vital ecosystem. Human-
<br />generated pollution, including the build-
<br />ing of locks and dams and the discharge
<br />of wastewater, is destroying the river, she
<br />said. "We are the beginning point of the
<br />river, so in many ways, we are its parents;'
<br />said Swackhamer. "Let us use this
<br />tragedy to reacquaint ourselves
<br />with the value of the river"
<br />The symposium closed with
<br />remarks from President Robert
<br />Bruininl<s, who said it is important
<br />that the University demonstrate
<br />its drive to discover to real- world
<br />solutions, highlighting the St.
<br />Anthony Fa11s Laboratory. The lab,
<br />located on an island in the river,
<br />conducts research for developing
<br />engineering solutions to major
<br />em~ironmental, water and energy-
<br />related problems.
<br />Following the symposium, Nunnally
<br />pronounced it a success, with the broad
<br />participation that he had envisioned. He
<br />believes that participants recognize the
<br />bridge and its rebuilt site as an historic
<br />site. He added that the success of the
<br />symposium lies in the issues raised and
<br />conversations begun among planners,
<br />scholars, and students about the future
<br />relationships between the city, the river,
<br />and the bridge that connects them.
<br />Nunnally is editing a book about the
<br />bridge and the river while his urban stud-
<br />ies workshop students are writing their
<br />own river stories, highlighting aspects of
<br />the river's history and design that they
<br />find significant.
<br />Video of the symposium presentations
<br />can be viewed at: ias@umn.edu.
<br />The new 1-35W bridge opened September 18, 2008.
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