Presidential Inauguration Address

Wow, thank you

As I look out and see so many dear friends, colleagues and family members, I am truly humbled

To the Board of Regents

To our students, faculty, staff and alumni who proudly represent Crookston, Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Morris and Rochester

To our previous University of Minnesota presidents

To the Lieutenant Governor and esteemed alum Peggy Flanagan

And to our distinguished guests who hail from every corner of Minnesota and beyond

Thank you so much for being here today

Thank you for your leadership, your support, your collegiality and your unwavering commitment to the success of this University

Our University

Having worked in the Big Ten for the past 30 years, I was well aware of the power and prestige of the University of Minnesota

But it was not until I arrived here last spring that I discovered how truly extraordinary this place is

I saw it when I toured our observatory in Duluth, where teams are exploring the largest lakes on Earth to help solve critical issues ranging from water quality and quantity to infrastructure and aquatic life

Our work there is guiding global efforts to sustain and preserve the lakes for future generations

I saw it when I visited our researchers in St. Paul who oversee an animal surveillance network that is designed to explore, control and eradicate diseases like swine flu

Their work supports our farmers and producers, protects our food supply and preserves our economy

And in Morris, I got to see two massive wind turbines — affectionately named Bert and Ernie — that generate 60% of the electricity to fuel our campus there

We are one of America’s leading public research universities, and yet we always prioritize our commitment to the people of this great state

Our work is reflected in every county across Minnesota

Our broad and deep knowledge, together with our special connection to this place, uniquely positions us to explore and improve the intertwined health of our people, our land, our water, our animals, our crops and our collective wellbeing

What we learn, do and solve right here in Minnesota will advance understanding for our nation and for a world that is sorely in need of solutions

My energy and enthusiasm for what we can build here grows stronger by the minute

Today offers us an opportunity to come together and to celebrate

To reflect on our tremendous 173-year history and honor our shared achievements

To build on our distinctive power and identity

And to imagine what the future of our University can look like

I get chills when I think about all of the great things we can accomplish together

And I am thrilled to serve as your 18th President

As I stand here and reflect a bit, there is still a small voice in the back of my head that says I am not supposed to be on this stage, dressed in regalia and delivering remarks to thousands of people in a fancy theater

You see, I grew up in Philadelphia

Money was always tight, but my mother worked tirelessly to provide for our family

My mother, Frances Betz, personified perseverance

When her secretarial job ended for the day, she packed up her textbooks and, together, we headed to night school in Camden, New Jersey

We did not have money for a babysitter back then, and so for five years, instead of going to soccer practice after school, I joined my mom at night school

I can remember sitting in the back row, with a book and a box of crayons

During breaks, my mother would buy me hot cocoa and remind me to not interrupt the teacher and to not talk in class

I often found myself wondering why exactly my mother chose to return to those dimly lit classrooms after a hard day’s work, over and over, throughout my childhood and teenage years

My mom graduated from college the same year I graduated from high school

Her college degree lifted us out of financial hardship

And because of her resilience, I was able to become the first person in my family to go directly to college after high school

Watching my mother’s zeal for learning gave me my first true taste of the extraordinary power of an education 

Then higher education transformed the course of my own life, and the lives of my children who are here today

My mother’s resilience and dedication is the reason I am standing here on this stage

And it is the reason I will work tirelessly to ensure that students from across our state, nation and world have an opportunity to receive an affordable, world-class education from the University of Minnesota

If there is one thing I have learned about this place in recent months, it is that the U of M has a rich tradition of creating opportunity and impact

Take Norman BOR-LOG, for example

Norman grew up on a farm in Iowa, about 10 miles from the Minnesota border

Money was tight, so college was not part of the plan for Norman

Instead, in high school, he focused on wrestling

Eventually, he caught the eye of a coach at the University of Minnesota, where he landed a scholarship

Norman was one year short on credits when he arrived on campus, so he had to take a special exam

He flunked, but he persevered and eventually transferred to the College of Agriculture

One day, Norman attended a lecture by U of M plant pathologist E.C. Stakman

As Norman would later say: “When I heard him speak, it changed my life, my whole career”

Norman eventually earned three degrees from the U of M, including a doctorate in 1942

He would go on to fight world hunger by helping farmers increase their production

Norman spearheaded ‘The Green Revolution,’ which expanded global food supplies by improving crop plants, while upgrading soils and growing conditions

His work saved countless lives and brought prosperity to areas of the world that were once considered hopeless

In 1970, Norman was rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize

He is one of 26 U of M faculty and students to have won a Nobel Prize

Norman’s story demonstrates the power of the University to change a person’s life, and the power of our shared public mission to make the world a better place

As we move forward, we have a rare opportunity to think BOLDLY about what the University of Minnesota can look like and accomplish over the next decade

I am committed to a future that continues to prioritize an affordable, world-class education for students across Minnesota and beyond

Having worked in higher education for nearly 30 years, I am thrilled to see how the U of M is creating flexible and affordable pathways for students to earn a degree and land their dream job

After applying financial aid, the actual cost of a degree for a low or middle income student is lower here at the U of M than any other four-year college in Minnesota

And systemwide, nearly half of our students graduate with no debt at all

I am always so inspired when I see the career placement rates across our system, like in Crookston, where 93% of our graduates find jobs in their field within a year of graduation

There is still plenty of work for us to do to make a U of M degree MORE accessible and affordable for ALL, but our trajectory is strong and positive

Looking ahead, I also envision a future that solidifies our commitment to the health, wellbeing and safety of everyone

I am trained as an emergency medicine physician, so I tend to see the world through the lens of health and wellbeing

That is more important now than ever

People are looking to the University to help DRIVE the health and wellbeing of our society

And we will answer that call

By delivering world-class care for our patients, and for members of the University community

By creating innovations that lead to life-changing treatments

And by training a skilled healthcare workforce to support Minnesotans, as well as communities across the country

Health is so deeply interconnected, isn’t it?

It goes well beyond treating people who are sick

And so we will work collaboratively to improve the health of our animals

The health of our soil, our agriculture, our environment

And the health of our economy

Together, we can work toward a healthy Minnesota and a healthier planet

As we look toward the future, we must not forget that this University’s foundation is built on the strength of our system

Crookston, Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Morris and Rochester — TOGETHER

We are greater than the sum of our parts, and we excel at research and discovery when we work together

We will use that collective power to transform teaching and learning

To improve health, safety and wellbeing

And to strengthen our community outreach, which includes rebuilding trust with Minnesota’s Tribal Nations

I have visited all of our Greater Minnesota campuses within my first 50 days in office

And I will continue to work closely with all of our campuses to identify opportunities to harness our collective knowledge

So that we can solve problems plaguing communities right here in Minnesota

So that we can train students for leadership roles in clinics, classrooms, C-suites  and communities — where they will go on to change the world 

We will fulfill that mission with the utmost resolve and confidence

We will tap the diverse experiences and perspectives found throughout this extraordinary community of students and scholars

Our differences will help us sharpen our ideas

Open our minds to new ways of thinking

And advance our understanding

This reminds me of an excerpt from one of my favorite books, Finding the Mother Tree

Every single tree in the forest is connected underground, forming a vast network of communication and mutual support

So as we embark on this exciting journey together, amid all this ceremony and celebration, I hope each of us can pause for a moment to ask ourselves and one another

How can we do the greatest good for the University of Minnesota, and for children and families across our state, nation and world?

And how can we better come together to discover new solutions and create new opportunities? 

I look forward to hearing YOUR ideas for advancing the University of Minnesota

I look forward to celebrating YOUR successes

And I look forward to partnering with YOU to realize the promise that this great University offers, and to make the most of the gift we have in our time here together

Thank you