SPEAKER BIOS
President Rebecca Cunningham
Dr. Rebecca Cunningham began her appointment as the 18th President of the University of Minnesota System on July 1, 2024. As President, Dr. Cunningham is committed to working closely with the U of M community and Minnesotans broadly to shape a strong vision for the five-campus system and execute innovative strategies that achieve excellence in fulfilling the University’s three-part land-grant mission of teaching, research, and outreach. President Cunningham also has a faculty appointment in the School of Public Health's Division of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Dr. Cunningham most recently served as the Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Michigan, where she was responsible for fostering excellence and upholding the institution’s public mission in research, scholarship, and creative practice across three campuses and a health system. In 2019, Dr. Cunningham was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, and in 2023, Crain’s Detroit Business recognized Dr. Cunningham as a “Notable Leader in Higher Education.”
Dr. Cunningham holds a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University and a medical doctorate from Jefferson Medical College. She completed her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Health System and a postdoctoral research fellowship with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Dr. Betsy McCann
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Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Kerns McCann is the Assistant Director of Bands/Director of Marching and Athletic Bands at the University of Minnesota. McCann is the first female head director of a marching band in the Big Ten Conference. She started with the U of M Marching Band in 2013 as Assistant Director. She previously directed bands at Watertown-Mayer High School (Watertown, MN), Waubonsie Valley High School (Aurora, Illinois) and Burnsville Senior High School (Burnsville, Minnesota). She holds degrees from Northwestern University (Master of Music) and the University of Minnesota (Bachelor and Doctor of Music).
