University President Eric W. Kaler recently visited the School of Public Health to learn about recent research, advancement and new student programs.

Mayo D327 is no ordinary classroom. Gone are the podium and rows of tables and chairs—and along with them, the lecture-and-notes model of education that traditionally was found there.

The classroom reopened fall semester as the Mercy Learning Lab, a redesigned and re-equipped facility that includes larger tables meant to promote discussion and teamwork as well as a high-tech hub that controls, among other things, a wireless large-screen HD projector and an ITV for global video conferencing.

The new space, named in recognition of Mercy Health System, was made possible by a $275,000 gift from the health system and Mercy president and CEO Javon Bea, a 1978 alum of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s Master of Healthcare Administration program.

Technology, interactivity will promote engagement

Bea says he’s excited by the didactic, interactive atmosphere the lab creates for students.

“The electronics of this classroom really let the students get engaged not only with their professors, but also with each other,” he says. “They really are going to better simulate the way problem solving occurs in the corporate environment. As a result, the students’ level of knowledge and critical thinking ability will increase as well. They will be even more prepared for the work environment than they are today, and that is exciting to me.”

The Mercy Learning Lab isn’t the health system’s first connection to the University’s MHA program. Over the last 22 years, Mercy has provided administrative fellowships to more than 35 MHA graduates—and Bea has hired every one of them afterward.

“I’m always impressed by how well prepared they are when they arrive and by their enthusiasm to dive right in and put their knowledge to work at Mercy,” he says of MHA program graduates. “It truly is a testament to the great health care administration program. Providing these fellowships has been a win-win situation for our fellows and for Mercy.”

And for Bea, it feels good to open doors for new graduates, just as alumni did for him and his classmates.

“We have a tight-knit family at the MHA program,” he says. “It’s a tremendous program, and I’m excited to provide this technology to enhance learning for future students.”

---This article was originally featured in the School of Public Health's Advances publication.