The fall 2025 semester not only marks the start of a new school year, but the arrival of four new regents: Joel Bergstrom, Samuel Heins, Ellen Luger, and Kowsar Mohamed. Get to know them a bit better below.

Joel Bergstrom—Member at Large

Joel Bergstrom is a principal at Orion Search Group, where he leads executive searches for clients across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. His work focuses on higher education, social services, housing, and the arts. Bergstrom previously served as vice president at Cohen Taylor Executive Search Services and held development leadership roles at Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery and the Minnesota Medical Foundation. He began his career as an attorney in New York and Minnesota before transitioning to nonprofit leadership. 

Bergstrom is a volunteer with the Western Golf Association / Evans Scholars Foundation, where he served as National Alumni chair and board member. He earned his juris doctorate from New York University School of Law and his bachelor of arts in history from the University of Minnesota. 

What excites you about joining the Board of Regents?
I have always believed that the University gave me more than I can ever repay. The opportunity to serve on the Board excites me because the University is the most critical driver of the State of Minnesota's overall health. I trust it will be a challenging and edifying experience!

What is the best advice you have received?
I made the most of my undergraduate years at the University because of advice I received from my high school history teacher, Barney Hall. He sensed that I was unsure about going to such a large school and told me that the University had everything a student could want out of their experience, but it won't always be handed to you or right in front of you. He emphasized to me that it was up to me to make the most of my four years.

What qualities do you appreciate in others?
I gravitate towards kind, positive, hopeful people who are fun, funny, and curious.

Samuel Heins—Member at Large

Samuel Heins is a retired United States Ambassador to Norway under President Obama and a longtime human rights advocate and attorney. Previously, he served as a senior partner at Heins Mills & Olson, where he led securities fraud and antitrust litigation.

Heins founded The Advocates for Human Rights and co-founded the Center for Victims of Torture, both internationally active non-governmental organizations. He has served on election monitoring teams in Pakistan and Ukraine, and he has held board roles with the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, Ploughshares Fund, PEN America, and Planned Parenthood North Central States. He is a member of the Ambassadors Circle of the National Democratic Institute and the Council of American Ambassadors.

Heins earned his bachelor of arts and juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota and is a recipient of the University of Minnesota’s Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award. He also received the Minnesota Governor’s Award for International Human Rights Activities and the Don and Arvonne Fraser Human Rights Award. 

What excites you about joining the Board of Regents?
Being of service to the University to which I owe a great deal; particularly at a fraught moment for the country’s universities, the State of Minnesota and the United States.

What experiences have you had that informed who you are today?
The management and administration short course at state department ambassador school—an entirely different approach to human relations than taught in law school.

What qualities do you appreciate in others?
Irony, ironically enough, and a good tennis ground stroke. 

Ellen Luger—Congressional District 5

Ellen Goldberg Luger most recently served as minister counselor for Agriculture at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations food agencies in Rome, where she was later named Acting Deputy Chief of Mission. In this role, she represented U.S. agriculture in global efforts to improve food security, including supporting CODEX and collaborating with the Rockefeller Foundation on expanding school meal programs.

Prior to her government service, Luger held senior philanthropic leadership roles at The Minneapolis Foundation and General Mills. She also held extensive nonprofit board service, including Twin Cities Public Television, the Global Foodbanking Network, and Wellesley College.

Luger earned her juris doctorate from Georgetown University and her bachelor of arts from Wellesley College. 

What excites you about joining the Board of Regents? 
I’m excited to serve our state. I’m also excited to learn more about our great University and how we continue to excel.

What experiences have you had that informed who you are today?
I have worked in Minnesota and outside our state and country. These experiences exposed me to many situations I learned from and will guide me in serving as a regent.

What qualities do you appreciate in others? 
I appreciate people who listen, work well with others and respect all those engaged in our work.

Kowsar Mohamed—Student at Large

Kowsar Mohamed is a two-time University of Minnesota alum, economic development practitioner, and an Enterprise Director with the State of Minnesota. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Natural Resources Science and Management, with research focused on regenerative systems, water governance, and community resilience. Mohamed’s career spans leadership roles across the Southern Atlantic and Heartland regions, including serving as Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Center for Economic Inclusion and as Senior Project Manager for the City of Saint Paul’s Department of Planning and Economic Development.

A former Regent Candidate Advisory Council member (2020–2024), Mohamed has also taught urban studies as an adjunct instructor at the University of Minnesota. She currently serves on the City of Minneapolis Climate Legacy Roundtable, the Full Stack Saint Paul Steering Committee, and Xcel Energy’s Environmental Justice Accountability Board.

What excites you about joining the Board of Regents?  
What excites me most about joining the Board of Regents is the unique opportunity to strengthen the University’s role as a civic steward, deepening relationships with communities while shaping innovative systems that drive sustainability and resilience. This is a pivotal time, and I’m eager to contribute my lived experiences and leadership in building regenerative practices that honor our land-grant designation, ensuring the University remains a model for economic growth, community engagement, and long-term impact.

Why are you passionate about higher education?  
I’m passionate about higher education because I've witnessed firsthand how it can serve as a powerful catalyst for unlocking potential and economic mobility within fragmented systems, while laying the foundation for resilient futures in communities.

What is the best advice you have received?
The best advice I received early in my career is to listen twice as much as I speak, a practice that has impacted how I work to build trust across differences, understand complexity, and collectively drive thoughtful action.