Diet to Reduce Cancer Risk Through Modulating the Gut Biome
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 6:30 Social time, 7:00 Program
Trinity Lutheran Church
Dr. Leena Hilakivi-Clarke is Professor of Food Science and Nutrition and Assistant Director for Faculty Affairs at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota. Her research involves studying the role of dietary factors in affecting breast cancer risk and mortality. She investigates how maternal diet and obesity during pregnancy can pre-program offspring’s risk of developing breast cancer, focusing on persistent changes in the offspring’s epigenome, gut microbiota and inflammatory pathways. She also studies possible interventions that could be implemented either during pregnancy or to adult offspring to prevent their increased breast cancer risk and risk of breast cancer recurrence.
Dr. Hilakivi-Clarke will help us lay-persons understand the power of our gut microbiome and its influence on our overall health. Her presentation at the 2025 AAUW Minnesota State Meeting in Austin was a highlight of the conference.
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It’s time to pay our dues!
Dues for the coming year are:
$74 Association + $9 State + $10 Branch = $93 total. Please send a check for $93 to Kay Oberle, 50 18th Place NE, Owatonna, MN 55060. Check payable to AAUW Owatonna Branch. (deadline is June 30, 2025)
For the coming year $84 of your annual dues will be tax deductible.
Membership voting concluded and did NOT pass on AAUW Bylaws Change to open eligibility to remove degree requirements for membership. Thanks to all who took the time to vote. Per the AAUW Election page:
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- The open membership initiative did not pass. Changes to AAUW’s bylaws require 2/3 majority (66.6%) to pass. AAUW members voted 65.1% to approve the measure, just shy of passing.
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Our officers for 2025-2026:
President: Mary Schwanke
Co-Program VPs: Alana Bunkers & Julie Fiske
Membership VP: Mary Overlee Olson
Secretary: Sandi Tobin
Treasurer: Kay Oberle
Co-AAUW Funds: Trudy Severson & Shelly Rockman
Finance: Eileen Newhouse
Visibility: Nancy Vaillancourt
Webmaster: Linda Hoffman
Fundraising (Taste): Mary Cronin & Linda Hoffman
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Dues for the coming year are:
$74 Association + $9 State + $10 Branch = $93 total. Please send a check for $91 to Linda Boorman, 1250 Edgewood Place, Owatonna, MN 55060. Check payable to AAUW Owatonna Branch. (deadline is June 30, 2025)
For the coming year $84 of your annual dues will be tax deductible.
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Here are the vendors for this year’s Taste event.
Be sure to thank them for their support – and support them!
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- Basilleo’s Pizza
- Candullo’s Coffee
- Costas
- Grapeful Wine Bar
- Mizuki Fusion
- Mon Ferment
- Old Town Bagels & Café
- Owatonna Eagle’s
- Owatonna Elk’s
- Spare Time Entertainment
- Steve’s Meat Market
- Taqueria Jalisco
- Torey’s
Thanks to Thrivent Financial for supporting some of our Taste-related expenses.
Attendees gather at the Owatonna Eagles for Taste of Steele County, sampling a wide array of offerings from local businesses. (Josh LaFollette/southernminn.com)
Rachel Lee, of Steve’s Meat Market in Ellendale, serves up snacks at Taste of Steele County, an AAUW Owatonna fundraiser that supports scholarships for local women and girls. (Josh LaFollette/southernminn.com)
Jennifer Candullo, of Candullo’s Coffee, hands out samples at Taste of Steele County. (Josh LaFollette/southernminn.com)
Tom Lester from Basilleo’s Pizza dishes up some his delicious pasta at the Taste of Steele County.
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