On January 31, 2012, APEX is pleased to announce that Dr. Eric W. Kaler, President of the University of Minnesota, will be featured as the keynote speaker at the 2012 Annual Meeting, beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the Kitchi Gammi Club in Duluth. At this invite-only event, APEX members will review the activities and outcomes of 2011, while looking ahead to another successful year in 2012.
After the regular business portion of the meeting, Dr. Kaler will present the APEX Board of Directors and membership with information regarding his plans for the University system, including the role he sees for more rural campuses like the University of Minnesota-Duluth. With APEX members representing an effective cross-section of the region's business community, questions are sure to arise on the issues of workforce development, investments in the Arrowhead Region, and the potential for enhanced interaction between the University system and the local communities it serves.
Prior to assuming the presidency at the University of Minnesota on July 1, 2011, Dr. Kaler served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and vice president for Brookhaven National Laboratory affairs at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. Kaler received his undergraduate degree from the California Institute of Technology in 1978 and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1982.
Kaler has received many awards and recognitions for his research, including election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2010. President Kaler and his wife, Karen, have two adult sons, Charlie and Sam. In addition to traveling with his family, Dr. Kaler loves to read, watch baseball and play with his dogs, Mo and Lida.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Kaler as the keynote speaker at the 2012 APEX Annual Meeting. We look forward to visiting with you on the 31st and thank you for your ongoing support. To learn more about the APEX Annual Meeting, please contact Sandy Johnson at: (218) 740-3667
