Gov. Tim Walz named four new members of the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents Tuesday.
Joel Bergstrom and Samuel Heins will serve as at-large representatives, with Kowsar Mohamed serving as the student at-large. Ellen Luger will represent the 5th Congressional District. The new members include a search firm principal, a retired U.S. ambassador, former minister counselor at the United States Mission to the United Nations and a doctoral student.
They replace at-large representatives Bo Thao-Urabe and Mary Davenport and student at-large Mike Kenyanya, as well as 5th Congressional District representative Janie Mayeron. Their terms ended in June.
Members of the 12-seat board serve six-year terms as volunteers with a third of board seats up for election by the Legislature every two years. The positions are typically filled by the Legislature during a joint convention, but that didn’t happen this year. Walz interviewed candidates last week.
“The University of Minnesota Board of Regents is gaining four accomplished, knowledgeable, and dedicated leaders,” Walz said in a statement. “They will bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives, united by a deep commitment to the University’s mission. Their leadership will be critical as the Board addresses current challenges and shapes the University’s future.”
The board controls policy, curriculum, tuition and fees for the University of Minnesota’s campuses around the state and manages all University lands.
One member represents each of the state’s eight congressional districts and four are at-large positions.
The new members join the University at a time it faces significant budgetary challenges. The Board of Regents at its June meeting approved a budget which cut about 7% of the University system budget and raised in-state tuition by 6.5% and out-of-state tuition by 7.5%.
As of late May, the University had lost around $22 million dollars worth of federal research award grants and officials expect to lose 10% to 30% of federal funding. Federal research funding represented more than $600 million for the U last fiscal year.
At the same time, international student enrollment in the state could fall, according to NAFSA, a nonprofit also known as the Association of International Educators, adding to those challenges and following a nationwide trend down in international student enrollment.
The board’s next regular meeting will be Oct. 9 to Oct. 10.
Ellen Luger
Luger will represent the 5th District and most recently served as minister counselor for agriculture at the U.S. mission to the United Nations food agencies in Rome. She was later appointed acting deputy chief of mission.
She has held philanthropic leadership roles at The Minneapolis Foundation and General Mills. Her board service includes work with Twin Cities Public Television, the Global Foodbanking Network and Wellesley College. She holds a juris doctor degree from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College
Joel Bergstrom
Bergstrom is a principal at Orion Search Group, leading executive searches for clients in the nonprofit, public and private sectors, with a focus on higher education, social services, housing and the arts.
He previously served as vice president at CohenTaylor Executive Search Services and held development leadership positions at Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery and the Minnesota Medical Foundation. Currently, he volunteers with the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation and is a former board member.
Prior to his nonprofit work, Bergstrom worked as an attorney in New York and Minnesota.
He holds a juris doctor from New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in history from the U.
Samuel Heins
Heins is a retired U.S. Ambassador to Norway under President Barack Obama. He previously worked as a senior partner at Heins Mills and Olson, leading securities fraud and antitrust litigation as an attorney.
Heins has founded or co-founded international NGOs including The Advocates for Human Rights and the Center for Victims of Torture. He also has served on election monitoring teams in Pakistan and Ukraine.
He has held board roles with the ACLU of Minnesota, Ploughshares Fund, PEN America and Planned Parenthood North Central States. Heins earned his bachelor’s degree and juris doctor from the U and has received several human rights awards, including the Minnesota Governor’s Award for International Human Rights Activities.
Kowsar Mohamed
Mohamed is the enterprise director of inclusion at the state’s Office of Inclusion and a doctoral student in Natural Resources Science and Management.
She previously served as director of strategic partnerships at the Center for Economic Inclusion and as a senior project manager with St. Paul’s Department of Planning and Economic Development. She has taught urban studies as an adjunct professor at the U and served four years on the Regent Candidate Advisory Council until 2024.
She is a member of Minneapolis’ Climate Legacy Roundtable, the Full Stack St. Paul Steering Committee and Xcel Energy’s Environmental Justice Accountability Board.
Related Articles
With new regents to arrive, UMN faces series of challenges
UMN College of Veterinary Medicine to open new teaching clinic on St. Paul campus
‘What makes a team win?’ 10 things a Woodbury podcaster learned from local leaders
Ramsey County, Falcon Heights not interested in purchasing U golf course
Layoffs hit UMN Extension food educators as MN grapples with Trump’s budget
Leave a Reply