On Friday, September 5, 2025, the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) will celebrate the inauguration of Charles T. Nies, PhD, as the University’s tenth chancellor.

“The inauguration of Chancellor Nies is truly a milestone in UMD’s history; our institution’s history goes back 130 years, and yet he is only the 10th person to serve in the top leadership role for our campus,” Rebecca Ropers, UMD’s executive vice chancellor and provost, said. “His enthusiasm for students and his collaborative approach to building partnerships to strengthen internal and external communities are inspiring. In a short time, he has advanced a renewal of our culture and community and strengthened our ability to transform lives. This inauguration is both a recognition of Charles’ leadership and an opportunity to celebrate who we are as a UMD community and to envision our future together.”

The official inauguration ceremony will take place in the Marshall Performing Arts Center on the UMD campus. Provost Ropers will preside over the event, with guest speakers Lande Ajose, managing director of the Waverly Street Foundation; University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham; Remi Foust, president of UMD’s Student Government Association; and Douglas Huebsch, chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.

Following the ceremony, all are invited to a community celebration in Ordean Court, featuring live entertainment, interactive stations, light refreshments, and photo opportunities. The day’s schedule is as follows:

Inauguration of Chancellor Charles Nies

Friday, September 5, 2025 at the University of Minnesota Duluth

• Inauguration Ceremony:

  • 2 p.m. at the Marshall Performing Arts Center
  • General seating–No tickets required
  • For those unable to attend in-person, a live stream will be available on UMD’s inauguration website

• Campus Celebration: 

  • 3 p.m. at Ordean Court
  • Open to the public
  • Entertainment and light refreshments

Chancellor Nies, who began his tenure at UMD on July 1, 2024, is an experienced leader with a doctorate in education administration and leadership and a long history of leadership in higher education. He came to UMD from the University of California, Merced, and has roots in Minnesota, having grown up in Hutchinson and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas.

Panel Discussions

As the UMD campus prepares for these events, faculty, staff and guests will be looking ahead and sharing their vision for higher education in two panel events:

• Imagining Our Future: Ten Takes

  • Thursday, September 4 | 2-4:30 p.m. in the Marshall Performing Arts Center
    A series of TED-style talks sponsored by the faculty senate, this event will feature ten-minute talks by faculty and staff on topics as diverse as food justice, compassionate robots, artificial intelligence, political motivations, and more.

• The Future of Higher Education

  • Friday, September 5 | 10–11 a.m. in Weber Music Hall
    A dynamic panel discussion where distinguished leaders will explore pressing challenges and emerging trends shaping the future of higher education. Featuring University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham; Lande Ajose, managing director of the Waverly Street Foundation; and Jillian Kinzie, associate director of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the Center for Postsecondary Research, and the Indiana University School of Education. Chancellor Nies will moderate the conversation.

More information, including links to these events as well as the inauguration livestream, can be found on UMD’s inauguration website.

Image: Chancellor Nies welcomes faculty and staff to campus leading up to the fall semester at an event held on August 18.
Header Image: UMD Chancellor Charles Nies presides over his first commencement ceremony for the Duluth campus in the spring of 2025. Photos credit: University of Minnesota Duluth