We invite you to spend a little time getting to know us and learn about what makes UROC tick. UROC is a University of Minnesota research center, but it’s also an important resource for the North Minneapolis community. It’s a gathering place for local residents, an educational and cultural setting, and a living laboratory where the community and University researchers work together to improve the lives of those in urban areas.
The Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center is a unit of the University of Minnesota Office for Public Engagement within the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
Cultural districts are defined as contiguous areas with cultural and/or linguistic identity rooted in communities significantly populated by people of color, Indigenous people, and/or immigrants. Join Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, community leaders and residents in a UROC Critical Conversation discussion of the possibilities and potential of cultural districts in North Minneapolis and beyond.
The public is invited to "Policing in Minneapolis: Northside Voices," a community forum on the past, present, and future of policing in North Minneapolis. The event will build off a University of Minnesota research project that examines how neighborhood residents in North Minneapolis understand policing in the wake of the Movement for Black Lives and related local organizing.
Makeda Zulu-Gillespie has been named executive director of the University of Minnesota Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC). A staff member of UROC since its inception, Zulu-Gillespie has served as UROC's first director of community outreach since 2009.
As UROC’s executive director, she will serve as the center’s chief executive with primary responsibility for securing the UROC’s success in all aspects of its work. She will provide executive oversight of UROC’s strategic planning, revenue generation, financial stewardship, organizational development, staff management, and operational activities.
Celebrate North Minneapolis and the great state of Minnesota at UROC Community Day 2019. This year's event features an appearance by University of Minnesota President Joan T.A. Gabel, research demonstrations and learning activities, Goldy Gopher, live music, giveaways, and foods representing Minnesota's communities. The event is free and open to the public.
Wangari Maathai Standing Triumphantly on a Mountain by Sarojini T. Pokawa
September 26, 2019 through January 4, 2020
Female artists of all ages and skills share portraits and narratives of the women and girls they admire most in the world. Based on an idea by former Split Rock Arts Program Director Andrea "Andy" Gilats and curated by UROC Gallery Curator Hawona Sullivan Janzen, "She Inspires Me" is meant to delight, inspire, and illuminate what it means to be a woman and a role model in contemporary society.