INSTALLATION CEREMONY
——— ORDER OF THE PROGRAM
MUSICAL PRELUDE AND PROCESSIONAL
Inauguration Ensemble under the direction of Lauren Husting and Scott Agster
Scott Agster, adjunct faculty, on tuba
Riley Helgeson on trumpet
Lauren Husting, adjunct faculty, on trombone
Noah Jackson, Hamline University student, on euphonium
Reid Kennedy on percussion
Tessa Meyers, Hamline University student, on trumpet
Isaac Olevson ’25 on euphonium
Grant Peltier, Hamline University student, on trumpet
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Dr. Wesley Kisting, Provost and Dean of the Faculty
CHIEF MARSHAL
Dr. Jerry Artz, Professor, College of Liberal Arts
PROCESSION OF THE FLAGS
ACADEMIC PROCESSION
Delegates from colleges and universities, the military, and law enforcement, led by Kerri Coughlin, Hamline University Staff Association president, carrying a Hamline University red gonfalon
Delegates from Hamline University faculty and learned societies, led by Binnur Ozkececi-Taner, Hamline University Faculty Senate president, carrying a Hamline University red gonfalon
Delegates from Hamline University leadership, including past presidents, trustees, and the Hamline University Leadership Team, led by Anabel Bradley, Hamline University
Student Congress internal president, carrying a Hamline University red gonfalon
Installation platform party, escorted by Hamline University staff carrying white Hamline University seal gonfalons
WELCOME
Dr. Wesley Kisting
INVOCATION
Reverend Mariah Furness Tollgaard, Senior Pastor, Hamline Church United Methodist
GREETINGS TO THE PRESIDENT
Reverend Carol Zaagsma, Assistant to the Bishop for Connectional Ministries, Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, on behalf of Bishop Lanette Plambeck
Winnie Sullivan, Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, on behalf of Governor Tim Walz
INTRODUCTION OF PRESIDENT HOSTETTER
Laela Sturdy, Managing Partner at CapitalG
INVESTITURE
Doron Clark ’00, Chair, Hamline University Board of Trustees
PRESENTATION OF THE SYMBOLS OF OFFICE
Presentation of the Presidential Regalia
Brenda Edmondson Heim ’77, board chair emerita, life trustee
Dr. Kita McVay LDH (hon.) ’16, board chair emerita, life trustee
Presentation of the Seal
Paul Ablan ’82, Secretary, Hamline University Board of Trustees
Presentation of the Charter
Bob Klas Jr. ’75, board chair emeritus, life trustee
Presentation of the Mace
Andrea Mowery ’93, Vice Chair, Hamline University Board of Trustees
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
President Mayme K. Hostetter, EdD
BENEDICTION
Reverend Dr. Kelly Figueroa-Ray, University Chaplain and Director of the Wesley Center
RECESSIONAL
Inauguration Ensemble
BIOGRAPHY OF PRESIDENT MAYME HOSTETTER
President Hostetter is a native of the Twin Cities. She attended Harvard University as a National Merit Scholar, graduating magna cum laude in English. President Hostetter earned her EdM from Harvard Graduate School of Education and her EdD from Columbia University’s Teachers College. She has also worked in MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences as a member of the Gabrieli Laboratory, investigating the neural pathways of typical and atypical reading development, and has English teaching experience.
Mayme Hostetter began her educational leadership career in 2008 as a founding director of teaching and learning at Teacher U at Hunter College in New York City. In 2011, she helped to found the Relay Graduate School of Education, also based in New York City.
As Relay grew, so too did President Hostetter’s role and responsibilities. As president of Relay, she ensured that this relatively new institution was financially and administratively stable, right from the start. Under her administration, Relay carried no debt and was the only graduate school of education in the country to earn five straight “A” ratings from the National Council on Teacher Quality, the toughest evaluator in the field. Last spring, President Hostetter was named a 2024 Presidential Leadership Scholar by the Bush, Clinton, and LBJ Foundations.
As Hamline’s 22nd president, Mayme Hostetter brings a wealth of experience, a commitment to student success, and a desire to work with our community as a team player.
ABOUT THE CEREMONY
The installation of a new president is one of the most elaborate and formal ceremonies a university conducts. Many symbolic and meaningful traditions are represented in the processional and the ceremony itself. This is a guide to the meaning behind today’s historic event
CHIEF MARSHAL
The chief marshal is the highest honorary position in an academic ceremony. Professor Jerry Artz, a nuclear physicist, joined Hamline’s faculty in 1977. Distinguished by his passion for physics and ability to inspire students, Professor Artz was awarded the Burton Grimes Teaching Award, the Outstanding Teaching Award from the Hamline Undergraduate Student Congress (three times), the Outstanding Faculty Award from the alumni association, and the Wesley Award from the Hamline University Board of Trustees. Across his career, Professor Artz has secured 11 federal grants; served as a scientific advisor to the US House of Representatives and consultant to 3M Corporation; presented more than 70 academic papers; authored twelve peer-reviewed publications; and received eight patents. He currently serves as Hamline’s radiation safety officer and faculty representative to the Minnesota and Wisconsin intercollegiate athletic conferences.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Dr. Wesley Kisting joined Hamline University as provost, dean of the faculty, and professor of English in July 2025. As Hamline’s chief academic officer, Dr. Kisting provides leadership in establishing academic priorities, as well as support for the development of innovative academic programs and student success initiatives. He also oversees advising, athletics, inclusive excellence, institutional effectiveness, the library, and registration and records. Prior to joining Hamline, Dr. Kisting served as dean of arts and sciences at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and held multiple leadership roles at Augusta University in Georgia. A first-generation college student and scholar of early modern English literature, Dr. Kisting earned his bachelor’s degree in English and writing from Marquette University and his PhD in English from the University of Iowa.
THE PROCESSIONAL
The colorful and dignified inauguration processional is one of the most elaborate and long-standing rituals in academic tradition. This procession has several divisions, each preceded by a banner called a gonfalon. Gonfalons date back to medieval Italian republics; those who carry them are called gonfaloniers. The gonfaloniers in today’s ceremony represent Hamline University’s faculty, staff, and student organizations. The presence of delegates from other colleges, universities,
and organizations is a tradition. Delegates process in the order of the date of founding of their institution. Today’s ceremony includes 26 delegates (page 9).
Faculty from all schools of the university march in the processional wearing academic regalia. Learned societies that celebrate academic excellence are also represented. The presidential mace (page 8) at the front of the procession is carried by Professor Betsy Parrish, a senior faculty member in the School of Education and Leadership.
GUIDE TO ACADEMIC REGALIA
The academic dress of the faculty originated in the Middle Ages, when scholars wore the garb of the monastic orders every day simply to keep warm.
The academic cap, or mortarboard, has come to be symbolic of academia, and the flat square hat with a tassel can be worn by graduates and undergraduates alike. In many universities, doctoral holders wear a soft, rounded tam, also known as a Tudor bonnet. The tassel may be gold or silver, or it may indicate the university’s colors or a specific college or discipline.
The master’s gown is black with bell sleeves. Doctoral robes are more ornate, with three velvet stripes, or chevrons, across the sleeves and velvet on the front of the gown. Gowns are typically black, although some schools use robes in the school’s colors.
Holders of master’s and doctoral degrees wear colorful hoods. The color of the hood’s velvet edging symbolizes the wearer’s field of expertise; the most common are dark blue for the PhD (doctor of philosophy) and purple for the JD (juris doctor, law).
The president’s robe is similar to a doctoral robe, but has four chevrons on the sleeve instead of three. President Hostetter’s robe is embroidered with the Hamline seal, and she wears her earned academic hood.
Examples of other disciplines’ colors include:
Arts, letters, humanities: white
Business, accountancy, commerce: drab
Economics: copper
Education: light blue
Engineering: orange
Fine arts or architecture: brown
Journalism: crimson
Law: purple
Library science: lemon
Medicine: green
Music: pink
Nursing: apricot
Oratory (speech): silver gray
Philosophy: dark blue
Physical education: sage green
Public administration or foreign service: peacock blue
Public health: salmon pink
Science: golden yellow
Social work: citron
Theology: scarlet
GREETINGS TO THE PRESIDENT
An important tradition in inauguration ceremonies is the bringing of greetings on behalf of the many communities of the university. See page 9 for biographies of today’s greeters.
INTRODUCTION OF PRESIDENT HOSTETTER
President Hostetter has chosen her former college classmate and lifelong friend, Laela Sturdy, to introduce her to our community.
Laela Sturdy is the managing partner of CapitalG, a venture capital firm with >$10B AUM. Laela has invested in some of the world’s most consequential companies, including Stripe, Duolingo (DUOL), Gusto, UiPath (PATH), and Whatnot. She serves on numerous boards and is known for her high level of engagement, wide-ranging expertise, and unwavering commitment to every investment. Laela joined CapitalG shortly after its inception in 2013 from Google, where, as Managing Director of Emerging Businesses, she launched and scaled a number of domestic and international highgrowth businesses and held leadership roles on the YouTube and Google Search teams.
Before joining Google in 2007, Laela was a consultant at Bain & Company. She holds an AB in biochemistry from Harvard College, an MSc in multimedia systems from Trinity College Dublin and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. An avid basketball player and former captain of her college women’s team, Laela enjoys spending time listening to live music with her wife and kids in San Francisco.
INVESTITURE AND PRESENTATION OF SYMBOLS OF OFFICE
The investiture is a formal statement made by the chair of the board of trustees to confer the office of the presidency upon the individual. Symbols of office evoke the authority of the president or symbolize the university’s history or traditions. Members of the Hamline University Board of Trustees will present President Hostetter with four symbols of office in today’s ceremony.
Presidential Regalia
President Hostetter’s regalia is in the Hamline colors of red and gray. The sleeves of the robe have four chevrons, a styling reserved for university presidents. The chevrons on the sleeves are in Hamline colors, red with gray piping. The Hamline seal is embroidered on the red panels on the front of the robe. She wears her earned academic hood for a doctorate in education from Columbia University.
Seal
The university seal appears on official documents such as diplomas and certificates. It includes an open book and three Latin words connoting Hamline’s values: Religio, or religion, encourages the development of an individual’s personal values and religious beliefs within a community of learners; literae, or learning, encourages intellectual exploration through the liberal arts and sciences; and libertas, or freedom, encourages the respect for freedom in the pursuit of truth, knowledge, and justice. The president receives the Hamline University seal in the form of a medallion worn on a chain over the robe. The chain includes a small flame element on either side representing the United Methodist relationship. The names and years of service of all Hamline University presidents are engraved on the links of this chain.
Charter
The university’s charter was granted to the “Trustees of the Hamline University of Minnesota” and signed by Territorial Governor Willis A. Gorman on March 3, 1854–four years before Minnesota became a state.
The charter symbolizes the university founders’ enduring values and vision to establish “an institution of learning for the education of youth of both sexes….” The original charter was burned in a building fire in 1883. For Hamline’s 150th anniversary in 2004, a replica of the original charter was created using special paper and letterpress printing. President Hostetter will receive a framed reproduction during her installation ceremony.
Mace
The presidential mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, deriving from the mace originally used as a weapon to protect a sovereign. The mace represents the authority invested in the president by the Board of Trustees and is present at inaugurations, commencements, and other academic ceremonies such as convocation. By tradition, one of the longest-serving professors at Hamline carries the mace at the front of the academic procession.
This mace, designed in 2014, reflects Hamline’s commitment to its core values, and inspires us to fully embrace the traditions of the university’s Methodist founders. The Methodist flame and the university seal sit atop a carved walnut shaft with the words from the seal embedded: religio, literae, libertas.
1636
Harvard University
Diarra Lamar, alumnus
1754
Columbia University
Therese Zosel-Harper, alumna
1793
Williams College
Steve Lewis, alumnus
1851
University of Minnesota
Mimi Choy-Brown, associate professor
1853
Cornell College
RJ Holmes-Leopold, alumnus
1857
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University
Brian Bruess, president
1862
Gustavus Adolphus College
John C. Volin, president
1866
Carleton College
Helen Clarke, vice president for communications
1869
Augsburg University
Paula O’Loughlin, provost and senior vice-president
1873
Texas Christian University
Frank Hernandez, dean of education
1874
Macalester College
Suzanne Rivera, president
1885
Arizona State University
Brent Maddin, executive director, Next Education Workforce, Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation
1893
Concordia University, St. Paul
Kevin Hall, vice provost of academic affairs
1893
Hood College
Jackie Vallette Uglow, alumna
1900
Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Camille Davidson, president and dean
1902
University of Northwestern – St. Paul
Dalene Fisher, interim vice president of academic affairs
1905
Saint Catherine University
Marcheta P. Evans, president
1912
College of Saint Scholastica
Sister Kathleen Del Monte, associate vice president for mission integration
1948
Minnesota Private College Council
Paul Cerkvenik, president and CEO
DELEGATES FROM LEARNED SOCIETIES
1776
Phi Beta Kappa, Zeta Chapter of Minnesota
Mark Berkson, professor
Mike Reynolds, professor
1919
Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish)
María Jesús Leal, professor
1920
Alpha Kappa Delta (sociology)
Sharon Preves ’91, alumna and professor
MILITARY DELEGATES
1775
United States Army
Christopher O. Cadigan, lieutenant colonel, retired
LAW ENFORCEMENT DELEGATES
1845
New York City Police Department
John Hostetter, detective
1854
Saint Paul Police Department
Chad De Gree, officer, K-9 unit
BIOGRAPHIES OF GREETERS
Winnie Sullivan
Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Office of Higher Education
Deputy Commissioner Sullivan provides leadership in developing and implementing the Minnesota Office of Higher Education’s mission, vision, and strategic plan. Winnie has more than 24 years of experience with the State of Minnesota, including serving under Governor Mark Dayton’s administration and at the Minnesota Department of Administration. She has served as an effective and trusted liaison between the executive branch, legislators, and external partners.
Reverend Carol Zaagsma
Assistant to the Bishop for Connectional Ministries, Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
Reverend Zaagsma has served as clergy in the Minnesota Conference of the United Methodist Church since 2007. She is in her second year as Assistant to the Bishop for Connectional Ministries, with responsibilities that include connecting ministries with general boards, agencies, and commissions, while aligning conference ministries with the church’s mission, vision, and values.
OFFICERS
Doron Clark ’00
Chair
Senior Director Office of Ethics & Compliance Medtronic Senator Minnesota Senate
Andrea Mowery ’93 Vice Chair Principal Mowery Communications
Paul Ablan ’82 Secretary President and Chief Executive Officer (Ret.)
Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company
Lisa Carriere ’85 Treasurer
Associate Actuary (Ret.) Securian Financial
TRUSTEES
Philip Bell
President Steel Manufacturers Association
Chad Bester ’02 Partner Bester Wealth
Justin Butler Former Chief Risk Officer Bremer Bank
Paul Dadlez JD ’94 Senior VP/Director of Wealth Strategy (Ret.)
HTLF
Robin Dietz-Mayfield ’77 JD ’93 Attorney (Ret.)
Bryce Doty ’88 Senior VP/Senior Portfolio Manager
Sit Investment Associates, Inc.
Glenn Ford Chief Executive Officer InCity Farms
Jeanne Forneris
Senior Vice President and General Counsel (Ret.) Bioventus, Inc.
Jeff Green LHD (hon.) ’23
Chief Executive Officer U.S. Merchants
Cindy Gregorson ’81* Coordinator of Ministerial Services
Minnesota Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church
Jeremy Hanson ’86 Chair, Center for Leadership Assurance Heidrick & Struggles, Inc.
Patrick Hectorne ’75
Vice President and Treasurer (Ret.)
The Limited, Inc.
Denise Holloman
Vice President, Continuous Improvement and Manufacturing Support (Ret.)
General Mills
Mayme Hostetter (ex officio) President Hamline University
Daniel Loritz ’69 Senior Fellow and President Center for Policy Design
Joel Oberstar ’97
John Packard ’75 President and Chief Executive Officer (Ret.) Steel Market Update
Joseph Peschek
Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Hamline University
Lanette Plambeck (ex officio)
Resident Bishop
Minnesota Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church
Stephen Richards
Senior Pastor (Ret.)
Messiah United Methodist Church
Mariah Furness Tollgaard
Senior Pastor Hamline Church United Methodist
Marcia Urban JD ’82
Senior Wealth Planning Strategist (Ret.)
BMO Bank, N.A.
Don Weida ’72
Regional Human Resources Manager (Ret.)
3M
Jai Winston
Michael Wirth-Davis DPA ’07 President and Chief Executive Officer
Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota
Brooke Worden ’93
Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategic Advisory Padilla
LIFE TRUSTEES
Allan DeBoer ’64* Chief Executive Officer (Ret.) Rochester Cheese
Winston Folkers ’57 LHD (hon.) ’22 President Folkers Associates
Kay Fredericks* Chief Executive Officer TREND Enterprises, Inc.
Brenda Edmondson Heim ’77* Director, Caring for Kids Initiative (Ret.)
Interfaith Outreach
Bob Klas Jr. ’75* Chairman of the Board (Ret.) Tapemark Company Saint Paul, Minnesota
Gwen Lerner JD ’78
Attorney (Ret.)
The General Counsel, Ltd.
Katherine Austin Mahle Coordinator of Congregational Resources (Ret.)
Minnesota Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church
Thomas McGough, Sr. Chairman (Ret.)
McGough Construction
Kita McVay LHD (hon.) ’16*
Director and Officer
Minnwest Corporation
Ronald Mitsch ’56*
Vice Chairman & Executive Vice President (Ret.)
3M
Rozanne Ridgway ’57, LLD (hon.) ’78
Ambassador (Ret.), Assistant Secretary of State (Ret.) Foreign Service of the United States
John Turner* Chairman Hillcrest Capital Partners
Kenneth Woodrow* Vice Chairman (Ret.)
Target Corporation
*Chair emeritus
HAMLINE
Curtis G. Anderson
Richard H. Anderson
Karen J. Bach
John P. Banovetz ’89
Ann Bentdahl
Peggy J. Birk
Deborah M. Blankenship ’77
Mary K. Boyd
Bruce Buller
Lorinda A. Burgess
Ching-Meng Chew
Laura Chin
Sharon B. Christopher
Nneka S. Constantino
Jackie Copeland Carson
Sally Dyck
Irving D. Fish ’71
Joan L. Gardner ’66
James A. Gaughan
Phyllis R. Goff MPA ’02
Joseph P. Graba
Jeffrey W. Hamiel DPA ’07
Henry Han
Shirley Nelson Harris ’51
Louis F. Hill
Patricia Hinker
Richard A. Hoel ’69
John L. Hopkins
Robert S. Jepson Jr. DH (hon.) ’88
Charles H. Johnson JD ’75
D. Ward Johnson
Rodney W. Jordan
Gloria H. Kauls MALS ’92
Jennifer W. Keil
Richard R. Kruse
Michael S. LaFontaine JD ’03
Kent T. Larson
John M. Lavander
Connie Levi
Barbara K. Lupient
Richard L. Mack JD ’93
Carlos Marino
James A. Mitchell
Kathryn F. Morey ’62
Christie C. Neuger
Jay A. Novak
Kenneth H. Paulus
Jerome B. Pederson ’57
HAMLINE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS
Jabez Brooks* (1854–1857, 1861–1869)
Benjamin F. Crary* (1857–1861)
David Clarke John* (1880–1883)
George Henry Bridgman* (1883–1912)
Samuel Fletcher Kerfoot* (1912–1927)
Alfred Franklin Hughes* (1927–1932)
Henry Leslie Osborn, Acting President* (1932–1933)
J. Ralph Magee* (1933–1934)
Charles Nelson Pace* (1934–1948)
Hurst Robins Anderson* (1948–1952)
Walter Castella Coffey, Acting President* (1952–1953)
Paul Henry Giddens* (1953–1968)
Richard P. Bailey* (1968–1975)
David M. Petrocchi JD ’94
Ruth Ganfield Phelps ’62
Teri E. Popp JD ’87
Joel R. Portice MPA ’93
Bruce W. Robbins
Carol Ann Sedlacek Sander ’60
Robbie Saunders
Kathryn A. Schneider-Bryan ’77
Mary H. Schrock
Allan L. Schuman
Julie H. Showers
Charles A. Slocum ’69
Gary H. Stern
Gloria R. Thomas
Cynthia A. Trangsrud ’77
Ricardo P. Vallejos
Gary Vanic
Wendy K. Watson JD ’97
Ellen Watters
Rich Wien ’68
Thorne K. Wittstruck ’66
Jerry E. Hudson* (1975–1980)
Edgar M. Carlson, Acting President* (1980–1981)
Charles J. Graham* (1981–1987)
Jerry G. Gaff, Acting President (1987–1988)
Larry G. Osnes (1988–2005)
Linda N. Hanson (2005–2015)
Fayneese S. Miller (2015–2024)
Kathleen M. Murray, Acting/Interim President (2024–2025)
Mayme K. Hostetter (2025–present)
*Deceased
ABOUT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY
Hamline University graduated the first two students to complete bachelor’s degrees in the state of Minnesota in 1859. Founded five years earlier by Methodists in Red Wing, Minnesota, Hamline has led the way in higher education and opportunity for its graduates ever since.
The top private regional university in Minnesota in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 ranking of Midwest regional universities, Hamline’s mission is to create a diverse and collaborative community of learners dedicated to developing students’ knowledge, values, and skills for successful lives of leadership, scholarship, and service.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
The College of Liberal Arts is dedicated to preparing compassionate global citizens for a life of fulfillment and service by helping students maximize their intellectual, creative, and leadership potential. Students collaborate with dedicated faculty whose expertise spans the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. They are challenged in and out of the classroom to create and apply knowledge in local and global contexts as they cultivate an ethic of civic responsibility, social justice, and inclusive leadership and service.
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
The Hamline School of Business goes beyond the world of business. Its holistic approach dissolves the narrow confines of expertise to produce a new generation of leaders: forward-thinking, ethical, and with a broad worldview. With program offerings that span today’s demand for leaders in business, analytics, management, public administration, and more, students focus on their career track while also gaining valuable insights into public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Imaginative, inquisitive, innovative, integrative—these are the characteristics of a university where people learn how to think.
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP
Passion for teaching and learning lies at the center of the Hamline School of Education and Leadership. With a first-rate faculty and a challenging, integrated curriculum, the school is on the cutting edge, continually responding to the ever-evolving needs of the field. This entrepreneurial spirit empowers students to find their own voices as they engage in creative thought, reflection, and partnership.
INAUGURATION DAY SCHEDULE
Installation Ceremony
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Hutton Arena
This is a formal ceremony featuring an academic processional, presentation of the symbols of office, and an installation address by President Hostetter. Invitations were extended to Hamline University trustees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, as well as honored guests, dignitaries, and delegates.
Private Inaugural Luncheon
1 to 2:30 p.m.
Klas Center
This is a private event for Hamline University trustees, honored guests, dignitaries, and delegates.
Inaugural Reception for Hamline Community
3:30 to 5 p.m.
Anderson Center
This celebration is open to all members of the Hamline University community, including faculty, staff, students, and trustees.
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