Provost Summit

The 2026 Provost Summit is Tuesday, March 24 in the Atwood Memorial Center.

The 2026 Provost Summit gathers faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community leaders to celebrate the deep, evolving partnership between St. Cloud State and Central Minnesota. Historian Robert Galler will open the day with insights drawn from sesquicentennial research and alumni narratives, highlighting how SCSU and the city have shaped one another through seasons of challenge, growth, and shared purpose—and how that history can guide us forward.

Lightning talks will highlight today’s place-rooted collaborations—from fall‑risk prevention research conducted in community settings, to engineering and industry partnerships, to teacher preparation with local school districts, to honors pedagogy focused on local identity, to a business-healthcare study examining supply‑chain impacts on regional healthcare costs.

Afternoon Miller Scholar presentations continue this theme, showcasing cross‑disciplinary applications of AI tools and models to advance academic success for immigrant and refugee students. Together, the summit invites all participants to renew and imagine partnerships that move St. Cloud State and our region confidently into “what’s next.”

RSVP for lunch by 5 p.m. Friday, March 13

Note: Parking validation is available for the 4th Avenue Parking Ramp located at 516 4th Avenue South.

Schedule of Events

Join the Provost Summit via Zoom

Morning

  • 8:15–8:45 a.m. – Coffee & Community
  • 8:45–9 a.m. – Welcome & Framing with President Tomso
  • 9–9:30 a.m. – Community Engagement Update with King Banaian
  • 9:30–10:30 a.m. – Keynote: Robert Galler, SCSU History Professor
    • This presentation highlights St. Cloud State University’s evolving connection to central Minnesota and the importance of strengthening our stewardship of place. As a regional comprehensive university, SCSU is deeply linked to the communities, institutions, and histories that shape our region. We explore how these connections create meaningful opportunities for students—past, present, and future—to contribute to the well‑being of central Minnesota, the state, and the nation.
  • 10:30–10:45 a.m. – Break
  • 10:45 a.m.–noon – Lightning Talks (10 minutes each) showcasing current SCSU community partnerships:
    • Kyle Reason, Assistant Professor and Program Director of Exercise Science: From Campus to Community: Studying Fall Risk Where it Matters | Community partners: CentraCare Orthopedics & Whitney Senior Center
    • Jungwon Ahn, PhD, Associate Professor and Program Director, Manufacturing Engineering Technology: Collaborations with Industry Partners and Other Colleges | Community industry partners: 17 local companies including Carfair Composites
    • Stephanie Peterson, Director, SCSU Center for Teacher Preparation, and Joe Rosh, Director of Pipelines and Partnerships: SCSU Future Teacher Academy: Cultivating Diverse Teachers Through Community Collaboration | Community partners: St. Cloud Area Schools, Buffalo Hanover Montrose Area Schools
    • Jennifer Cavalli, Executive Director, SCSU Honors College, and Dheraj Behram, Community Engagement & Programming Graduate Assistant: From Assets to Action: Building Sustained University–Community Partnerships Through a Pedagogy of Place | Campus and community partners: American Red Cross, Anna Marie’s Alliance, Boys & Girls Club of Central Minnesota, Central Minnesota Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden, Gospel Light Baptist Church, Alexandria, St. Cloud Arrive Ministries, SCSU Community Garden, SCSU Intensive English Center, Sauk Rapids–Rice Public Schools
    • Sudipendra Nath Roy, Assistant Professor, HBS, and Sarah Sengupta, Associate Professor, HBS: Improving Mental Healthcare Access Through Capacity and Care-Transition Analysis | Community partners: CentraCare Health System and St. Cloud Hospital

Lunch

  • 12:05–1 p.m. – Campus & Community Lunch 

Afternoon

  • 1:15–1:30 p.m. – Incoming Miller Scholar Awards
  • 1:30–2:30 p.m. – Miller Scholar Presentations
    • Younsook Anna Yeo, Professor of Social Work. Culturally Responsive Empowerment in Social Work Theory Learning for Immigrant and Refugee Student
    • Mary Clifford, Professor of Criminal Justice, and Mark Gill, SCSU Visualization Engineer: Evaluating Advanced AI Tools for Enhanced Teaching and Learning: A Cross‑Disciplinary Assessment Framework