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INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY & PHYSIOLOGY t 15 Department Returns to Itasca Biological Station for Annual RetreatThis past August, the department made its highly anticipated return to the Itasca Biological Station for our departmental and graduate program retreat. The event brought together an impressive gathering of 42 participants, including 25 students and 17 faculty members.The retreat featured programming with hopes of creating deeper connections within our department. Students participated in targeted professional development workshops, including sessions on personalizing Individual Development Plans (IDPs), adapting scientific communication for different audiences, and general professional development strategies. A highlight of the student programming was the three-minute thesis presentations, where students showcased their research in concise, engaging formats and received feedback from faculty.Faculty sessions dedicated time to highlighting current grant initiatives and exploring new technologies in research, including discussions on AI approaches in research applications. The faculty programming also featured presentations from our newest faculty members. The retreat also focused on community building through recreational activities. On the first evening some played soccer and others joined in a volleyball game followed by a bonfire for informal conversations. Faculty and students joined an Itasca naturalist and learned about the local ecosystem. There was also time for participants to explore the beautiful surroundings through kayaking, hiking, biking and hanging out on the pontoons watching the sunset.We were very pleased with the increased participation in this year%u2019s retreat, which showed strong engagement from across our department. The natural setting of Itasca provides a great space to be away from the daily campus routines and engage with colleagues in a more relaxed environment. Looking ahead, our goal will be to continue improving and enhancing faculty and student interactions, to encourage getting to know each other in a nonscience context to build stronger personal connections.MISSION STATEMENTDepartment of Integrative Biology & PhysiologyUniversity of Minnesota Medical SchoolDedicated to an integrative systems biology approach to bio-medical discovery. We partner with colleagues across disciplines to investigate questions ranging from the gene/molecule to the intact animal, while striving for excellence in research and dissemination of new knowledge with local, national, and global impact.Committed to mentoring and training graduate students and fellows. We empower students to develop a deep understanding of the complexity of physiological systems to enable them to pursue unique career pathways spanning from academia to bio-industry.Devoted to excellence, innovation and scholarship in education. We educate undergraduate, graduate and professional students in the integration of structure and function of cells, organ-systems, and living animals, providing a strong foundation for knowledge discovery in basic science and human health fields.