U of M prepares for inauguration of 18th president

Inauguration events for Dr. Rebecca Cunningham will feature community engagement and University traditions

After welcoming students, faculty and staff back to its five campuses statewide in recent weeks, the University of Minnesota will ceremonially welcome Rebecca Cunningham as its new president during inauguration events on Wed., Sept. 18. Officially, Cunningham’s presidency began on July 1. 

The day’s events will honor University history and traditions, reflect on the U of M’s important public mission as Minnesota’s leading public university, and look ahead to the future under Cunningham’s leadership. 

The inauguration ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. inside Northrop, where members of the University community and invited guests will gather to hear speakers from inside and outside the U of M. Guests will also hear from Cunningham, who will deliver an inaugural address. Traditional aspects of U of M presidential inaugurations, such as the presentation of the mace and medallion, will be included in the program as well. 

Following the inauguration ceremony, around 4:30 p.m., the celebration turns to the broader campus community with live entertainment, food and refreshments, and outdoor activities along the Northrop Mall. 

In a departure from more traditional inauguration day activities, Cunningham will convene and moderate a special panel discussion that morning to shine a spotlight on the unique role that public research universities play in addressing society’s greatest health challenges — from human and animal health, to environmental, agricultural and economic health. 

Addressing the world’s most pressing health challenges is something the U of M and Cunningham have in common. Before she arrived in Minnesota, she served as Michigan’s vice president for research and innovation, where she was responsible for fostering excellence and upholding the institution’s public mission in research, scholarship and creative practice across three campuses and a health system. Under Cunningham’s leadership, Michigan expanded its research volume to a record $1.86 billion annually. She was also a faculty member in the University of Michigan Schools of Public Health and Medicine, appointments she held for more than 25 years. She previously served in various leadership positions, including associate vice president for research-health sciences, associate chair of emergency medicine and director of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-sponsored Injury Prevention Center at the University of Michigan. 

For more details about inauguration events and the schedule for Inauguration Day, visit president.umn.edu/inauguration.