Page 6 - 2023 Graduate Commencement

CEREMONY HOST
Joan Gabel
President, University of Minnesota
Joan T.A. Gabel is the 17th president of the University of Minnesota, where she’s led the creation and metric-driven implementation of
the University’s first comprehensive systemwide strategic plan, MPact 2025, resulting in record-setting graduation rates, annual research expenditures, start-ups, and patents, along with unmatched private giving, and completion of the $4 billion Driven campaign
at 10% over goal. Transformational collaborations, such as NXT GEN MED, a ground-breaking partnership between the University, the Mayo Clinic and Google, have elevated the University’s impact. President Gabel also relied upon MPact 2025 priorities to enhance PIPSM, the President’s Initiative to Prevent Sexual Misconduct
and launch PRISMH, the President’s Initiative on Student
Mental Health.
Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, President Gabel was the executive vice president and provost at the University
of South Carolina, where she revitalized the scholarly enterprise and launched new interdisciplinary programs, increasing enrollment and alternative revenue streams. Her academic interests include legal and ethical issues in business and governance, including public higher education and women’s leadership. A sought-after national and international speaker/advisor, President Gabel’s expertise and research emphasizes inclusion, leadership, risk management, ethics, and governance for
higher education, industry, and federal and state government.
STUDENT SPEAKER
Neil Mendonça
M Ed ’23, Sport Management
Neil Mendonça is our student speaker for the Graduate Commencement Ceremony. Neil is graduating with a master of education in sport management. He is an international student—he was born in Bangalore, India and raised in Hong Kong. He moved to Minnesota in 2016, completing his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He started his journey as a Gopher in January 2022, and has loved every minute of it.
During his time as a graduate student, Neil has stayed active in the sport industry. Last summer, he interned for Metro Baseball League, one of the largest community-based travel baseball organizations in the nation. Since October, he has worked as a graduate mentor at the
Lindahl Academic Center, assisting student athletes with their academic journey. He also volunteered for the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Minneapolis last April, and for the Minnesota Wild where he was part of the Green Team. As a student, Neil worked on three research projects with various professors, both within the sport management department and at other leading sport management universities in the nation. His capstone, a four-person research study advised by Dr. Clinton Warren, looked at competitive balance in professional sport leagues in North America. Neil is currently exploring career opportunities; he is excited to get started in the workforce and take steps towards his long-term goal of building sport facilities for youth in communities recovering from conflict or natural disasters.
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