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

Raka graduated in 2019 with an MS in Physics, completing a thesis under the supervision of Dr. Dall'Asen. Upon graduation, she moved to Stockholm University where she begin a PhD program in physics studying the properties of dust grains like fullerenes and PAHs which are found in abundance in the universe and essentail for understanding a number of fundamental open questions in astrophysics.

She describes her research at Stockholm as focused on: "...understanding the interaction process and charge transfer mechanism between oppositely charged molecules, at the DESIREE cryogenic facility at Stockholm University’s physics department."

Of her time at Minnesota State University, Raka says "Minnesota State University has been a great catalyst and big leap forward toward achieving my current position. The faculty at Physics department, especially Dr. Brown, Dr. Xu and Dr. Dall’Asén have been the guiding and shaping factors, both in their teaching and mentoring skills. In the span of my masters’ studies, interaction with the faculty, my peer and the general work environment of a TA at the department have all made me a better physicist than when I started."