Alumni
Welcome back to campus! There are many great ways to show your Gopher pride and be a part of Homecoming. Join friends and fellow alumni for exciting events during Homecoming week.
Visit the University of Minnesota Alumni Association website to learn more.
Grand Marshal
Each year, the U of M Alumni Association selects as Grand Marshal a graduate who has demonstrated exceptional passion for the University and dedication to its mission. This year, Dr. Michael T. Osterholm will serve as Grand Marshal. Osterholm has been dedicated to public health efforts, infectious disease research and teaching for 47 years. In 2005, he testified before the U.S. Congress about the social and economic dangers of a viral pandemic. In 2020, Osterholm was appointed to President-elect Joe Biden’s Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board. Since the public health crisis began, he has offered expertise to countless news outlets to help the public understand the issues surrounding COVID-19 and how to respond.
Osterholm is a three-time graduate of the U of M, with a doctorate in environmental health, a master’s in public health (epidemiology), and a master’s in environmental health. He has been a faculty member since 1976. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also on the Board of Regents of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he received his bachelor's in biology and political science.