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Med City Beat is a Rochester-based news project rooted in fairness, transparency and civic responsibility.
Est. 2014
'It’s been pretty surreal': UMR grad's health care journey comes full circle
Augusta Casterton, a member of the University of Minnesota Rochester’s Class of 2021, has started her post-grad life as a cardiac sonographer at Mayo Clinic — working in some of the same rooms she sat in as a child.
The tough conversations are the ones worth having, says Professor Osiecki
Dr. Kristin Osiecki says UMR became a destination for her after hearing about their “team teaching” approach to teaching, when multiple professors teach the same class at the same time. That collaborative nature allows faculty to connect with students on a more fundamental level — plus makes it easy for professors in different fields to work together.
“I’ve always worked in interdisciplinary environments in my research, so when I found an institution like UMR, that believed in a teaching model like that, it made UMR an appealing place to be,” said Dr. Osiecki.
Now, she is using her expertise in public health and data analytics to study the student experience, especially in the aftermath of Covid-19 — researching the effects of hybrid and distance learning on study habits.
The classes she teaches for undergraduate students blend public health research with racial equity work, touching on the environmental factors in the community that contribute to different health outcomes.
At the Rochester campus of the University of Minnesota we are convinced that conversations are vital for learning and for educational innovation. Importantly, such conversations need to include people who have both similarities and differences. First, the similarities: students at UMR have at least one thing in common — a passion to make a difference in the world through a career in health. UMR faculty and staff also have a shared purpose, fueled by their commitments to student success and educational research. These common bonds are essential, but when it comes to conversation that produces transformative learning…
On Campus is a paid collaboration between the University of Minnesota Rochester and Med City Beat. Through this series, we strive to connect UMR with the broader community through storytelling; to promote the programs and resources available through UMR; to encourage engagement between current and former students; to keep the public informed of the latest campus news; and to highlight the accomplishments of students and faculty.
