Recent Program Features

Dear Students:

On Wednesday evening Gov. Walz issued Executive Order 20-99. The order has an impact on how the University will operate over the next four weeks, and I want to make certain you are aware of what these additional changes mean for you.

1. Classes will continue as they are now; most have already moved to remote or online delivery, and all will do so after Thanksgiving.
2. Our campus gyms and fitness facilities are closing at 9pm today. Campus Rec programs will either be stopped or become virtual. Intramural, club and recreational sports will be suspended.
3. Theatre and musical performances will be virtual only.
4. Clubs and organizations should make activities virtual whenever possible; when not possible, they will be postponed or canceled.
5. In-person study groups need to be limited to two people, and social distances should be observed.
6. The Dining Center will remain open, but seating will be limited to two people per table.
7. Students and employees are asked to limit campus activities between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

In general, please “lay low” for the next four weeks. The Minnesota Department of Health has asked that we encourage students to minimize activities and limit movements.

How this may impact your plans for Thanksgiving: If you are planning to leave for Thanksgiving and then returning to Mankato for work or other reasons immediately after the holiday, please consider staying here instead. We want all of you to be able to celebrate with friends and family, but we also want you to be thoughtful and careful about the impact travel may have on those around you.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will update you on changes as necessary. If you have any questions on these restrictions please email provost@mnsu.edu.

I know this is a very difficult time. Please continue to stay safe, practice masking, maintain social distancing and avoid large groups of people.

I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, even with these additional challenges caused by the pandemic.

Sincerely,

Richard Davenport
President 

Dear Faculty and Staff:

Despite the national events I wrote to you about earlier today and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I hope that you were able to enjoy a break over the holidays and that you are feeling refreshed and ready for the start of the Spring Semester. Happy New Year; we are glad that you are back!

Spring Semester classes begin on Monday, Jan. 11, and all academic buildings, the dining center and residence halls will be open. Classes will be offered this semester through online, remote, FlexSync and in-person delivery.

Please note that FlexSync in-person components will start the semester delivered remotely. Faculty, if you have not already reached out to your students to explain how to attend the first day of your class, please do so as soon as possible.

The campus continues to be highly de-densified while many services resume this week as students return for classes. If you have questions about your work location or schedule, please consult with your supervisor. And, as more students, faculty and staff begin to return to campus, please keep the health and well-being of yourself and those around you in mind:

• Observe a 10-day “lay low” period with reduced in-person contact.
• We encourage you to get tested before returning, or in the week following. There are several locations in the Mankato area for testing listed on our website.
• Consider downloading the Minnesota Department of Health’s free COVIDawareMN app, which will notify you if you’ve been near someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and anonymously notify anyone you’ve been near if you test positive.

Of course, the pandemic situation remains fluid and changes can be expected over the next several weeks. Please know that we will keep you posted as guidelines issued by public health officials evolve.

Again—welcome back! I hope you are looking forward to a great Spring Semester.

Sincerely,

Richard Davenport
President

Happy New Year, Mavericks!

We are glad you are back and are ready to start the Spring Semester. Below are a few important reminders:

Spring Semester classes begin on Monday, Jan. 11, and all academic buildings, the dining center and residence halls will be open. Classes will be offered this semester through online, remote, FlexSync and in-person delivery.

Please note that FlexSync in-person components will start the semester delivered remotely.  I have asked faculty to reach out to you with more details explaining how to attend your first class session. If you have not yet heard from a faculty member, please do not hesitate to send a message to them before your class is scheduled to start.

As you plan your return to campus or the Mankato area, please keep the health and well-being of yourself and those around you in mind:

• Observe a 10-day “lay low” period with reduced in-person contact.
• Get tested before returning, or in the week following your return. There are several locations in the Mankato area for testing listed on our website.
• Consider downloading the Minnesota Department of Health’s free COVIDawareMN app, which will notify you if you’ve been near someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and anonymously notify anyone you’ve been near if you test positive.

Of course, the pandemic situation remains fluid and changes can be expected over the next several weeks. Please know that we will keep you posted as guidelines issued by the local public health officials evolve.

Again—welcome back! I hope you are looking forward to a great Spring Semester.

Sincerely,

Richard Davenport
President

Halyna graduated in 2008 from the Physics and Astronomy department with her Masters in Physics. She came to Minnesota State University following the recommendations of her friends and colleagues, knowing she wanted to do physics because she had "always been interested in how things work." While here, she really enjoyed her interactions with other graduate students, staff, and faculty members and says the "staff and faculty were especially helpful in helping me feel like home." Throughout her time at Minnesota State University she shared the TA office with many graduate students and our interactions are very cherished by me. In particular, she thanks "Dr. Igor (Kogoutiouk) for his immense help and advice with every aspect of life," and adding that "without him I would not be where I am today."

Speaking to the preparation for her career beyond Minnesota State University, "as a TA for the labs and I found them very well written and thought through. The courses taken at Minnesoat State University, Mankato prepared me very well for the qualifying exam at ISU." Specifically, she cites her advisor Dr. Youwen Xu's supervision in setting her on her path in condensed matter physics. She is "grateful, since through the research with her I realized that that is what I like to do. I am especially grateful to her for being very strict and believing in me."

After Halyna graduated, she then attended Iowa State and earned her PhD in physics. Now, Halyna is an assistant professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Texas Tech University.