Hamline Newsroom

For the latest Hamline University information on COVID-19 (commonly known as Coronavirus), please see the dedicated Counseling and Health Services webpage. Click this story to access a direct link.

Hamline University has implemented two significant changes to its admissions policies. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hamline University has moved the enrollment decision day from May 1, 2020 to June 1, 2020. The second change is that Hamline University will not require the ACT or SAT for admission.

On March 1, 2020, the Hamline University Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution officially welcoming people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions, formally affiliating the university with Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN).

Since its start in 2017, Feed Your Brain has grown to meet the needs of Hamline students facing food insecurity. In this academic year, Feed Your Brain has made great strides and succeeded in expanding the organization even further.

The theatre department had a strong showing at the 2020 Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in January. Hamline students and recent alumni received seven honors for productions in the Anne Simely Theatre over the last year.

A new initiative has been funded as part of Hamline’s Take the Lead Campaign. The Hamline Leadership Scholars Program was created with the goal of increasing student retention and graduation outcomes.

Student leaders discussed the future of Hamline University with trustees at the “100 Who Influence” Luncheon, an event dedicated to giving students an opportunity to speak directly with institutional decision-makers.

For the second time in two years, a team of MBA students from the Hamline School of Business finished second in the Association for Corporate Growth regional competition for its prestigious ACG Cup. The event was held on Thursday, February 13 at the Carlson School of Management.

Hamline President Fayneese Miller and City of St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter shared the stage, some serious moments and a few laughs in front of a crowd in Sundin Music Hall during the noon hour on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

Bishop Karen P. Oliveto from United Methodist Church Mountain Sky Area will deliver the Spring 2020 Mahle Lecture entitled "Imago Dei in an Age of Selfies, Separations and Schisms" on Tuesday, February 25 at 7 p.m. in Sundin Hall. She will be on campus and in community in the days before and after her keynote as well. Bishop Oliveto is the first openly LGBTQ+ Bishop in the United Methodist Church.  

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams, MFAC alumna ‘16 receives a Newbery Honor, the Coretta Scott King Award, and is a finalist for the William C. Morris Award.

Kris Norman-Major, professor and director of public administration programs in the Hamline School of Business, has been awarded the Joan Fiss Bishop Award by the American Society for Public Administration, Section on Women in Public Administration.

Hamline University Professor Emerita Nancy Jean Holland passed away on Saturday, January 25, 2020. Professor Holland was a faculty leader in the philosophy department who taught from 1981 until her retirement in 2017. There will be no service in accordance with her wishes.

Each year Hamline comes together for Scholars Day to welcome top incoming high school students to learn about the university’s honors program and the diverse opportunities and experiences that await them in the fall.

Assistant Professor Valentine Cadieux, who also directs Environmental Studies and Sustainability at Hamline, is part of a team that created The Holding Shanty for the Art Shanty Projects, a three-week winter public art event that runs Saturdays and Sundays through February 9, 2020 on Bde Unma/Lake Harriet.

The Hamline Undergraduate Student Congress (HUSC) had a busy fall semester, making policy changes that will impact the campus community in many ways.

Hamline University’s School of Education Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching (CEUT) was one of five Minnesota institutions to receive a 2020 grant as part of Minnesota’s Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color (CUGMEC) program.

Hamline University will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a community Commemoration and Day of Service on Tuesday, January 21, 2020.

Ten Pipers will be spending 3 weeks of J-Term in Thailand where they’ll report and produce environmental stories with the help of prominent and experienced journalism mentors.

Calonna Carlisle, Mariana Cervantes, and Evelyn Humphrey are the latest Pipers to be named to Minnesota Governor Walz’s Young Women’s Cabinet. Senior Raie Gessesse was previously appointed and remains a member. 

Associate Dean of Students Javier Gutierrez, Ed.D. recently received the Robert E. Mosier Professional Enrichment Award from the Upper Midwest Region Association of University Housing Officers (UMR-ACUHO).

Senior Nicholas Jenkins jump-started a career in community leadership with his recent appointment by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan to the Governor’s Council on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday for 2020.

“Humanize My Hoodie”, a movement led by Hamline University adjunct instructor Jason Sole and his collaborator Andre Wright, recently released their biggest project to date: The “Humanize My Hoodie Book” and the “Road to New York Fashion Week Documentary.”

Current MFA Student Jessica Lind Peterson Wins 2020 Deborah tall Lyric Essay Book Prize

Hamline alumnus John A. Downing ‘73 has been elected a 2019 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his contributions to water health.

Hamline University’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center (TRHT) took its unifying mission to Washington D.C. in October.

Hamline alumnus Dr. Robert Mikulak ‘64 was one of three recipients of the Hague Award from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) during the first day of the Twenty-Fourth Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Hamline students were key team members on the publically released mass shooter database, the most comprehensive database of mass shooters in the United States.

On Saturday, November 9, Hamline juniors Andrew Argeros and Lindsey Hawk with their teammate Lindsay Steiger, a senior, successfully competed and won second place in the fourth-annual MinneMUDAC Student Data Science Challenge.

The Violence Project, a nonpartisan think tank led by Jillian Peterson of Hamline University and James Densley of Metropolitan State University, have publicly released the largest, most comprehensive database of mass shooters in the United States.

Hamline University named David Chun to the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO), a leadership position at the Associate Vice President level.

Hamline senior Hannah Coleman directs “Iphigenia and Other Daughters,” the latest production to hit the stage in the Anne Simley Theatre. The play opens Friday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Hamline students' participation rate was 63.3 percent in the 2018 midterm election and as a result the the university was awarded a platinum seal for having the overall highest voting rate among peer institutions nationwide.

Hamline University has launched “Take the Lead: The Campaign for Hamline University”, a comprehensive fundraising effort with a final goal of $110 million.

Hamline University School of Business has expanded the successful Master of Nonprofit Management (MNM) program by offering a new online hybrid option. The new program is currently enrolling and classes will begin in January 2020.

Two MFAC faculty’s middle grade novels and one MFAC alum young adult novel have been chosen as Publisher Weekly’s Best Books of 2019! 

Earlier this month, Hamline alumni Michael Abata ‘05 and Brent Reykdal ‘08 gathered with other Target representatives to officially unveil the new soccer mini-pitch constructed in Hamline Park.

MFAC faculty Anne Ursu’s newest novel The Lost Girl is set to be Adapted into Series Produced by Drew Barrymore

Hamline’s personal training certification class is helping students to become smarter in the classroom and in the gym too.

During National Transfer Student Week from October 21-25, Hamline will celebrate the students who have chosen this institution to complete their college journey.

Each fall, the Hamline community comes together for Homecoming, a week packed with festivities and celebration. As midterms approach, here’s a recap of some of the fun on campus during the week of October 7.

The School of Business celebrated the new Wells Fargo Finance and Analytics Room with a ribbon cutting event.

Hamline University mourns the passing of Carol E. Anderson '46, a life trustee, institutional benefactor and strong believer in the power of education.

MFAC faculty Laura Ruby takes her place on the 2019 National Book Awards Shortlist for Young People's Literature with her newest novel Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All. 

Events will be held to celebrate the release of Evidence of V: a Novel of Fragments, Facts, and Fictions by creative writing professor Sheila O'Connor on Oct. 26 and Nov. 3.

Looking to expand your global footprint and intercultural perspective? Hamline University’s Global Engagement Center has expanded to twenty-one international partners and added the SPAN program to campus all within the last year and a half.

Four Alumni of Hamline's MFA in creative writing program earn fellowships in the prestigious Loft Mentor Series.

Hamline’s undergraduate researchers left their labs and laptops behind to present their work to the community during the annual fall interdisciplinary research symposium.

Hamline’s Undergraduate Student Congress is coming up with new ways to engage students on and off campus for the 2019-2020 school year.

During Convocation in the Walker Fieldhouse on Thursday, September 5, 2019, President Fayneese Miller welcomed 109 transfer and 549 first-year students to the campus community.

Team members at the Hamline Elementary-Hamline University Collaborative Learning University School won a grant for a new makerspace.

Two Hamline students have received the Eddie Phillips Scholarship for African-American Men.

Over the summer, two Hamline students practiced ancient skills in a modern lab to better understand the past.

Teachers from all over the United States converged on the local waterways for a three-day education STEM intensive hosted by Hamline's Center for Global Environmental Education.

A friendly competition concluded the MBA summer session.

For the second year in a row Emeritus Professor Ann Mabbott has been selected by the U.S. Department of State to be one of only 80 English Language Specialists stationed around the world.

Mai Nhia Xiong Chan and the admission team have developed a winning approach to enrollment.

Hamline School of Business offers new programs that can help professionals advance their careers in a data-driven world.

Research by a team of students led by Leif Hembre, Ph.D. a Hamline Biology professor, showed that a moratorium on trout stocking improved water quality in a local lake.

The Hamline men's basketball team has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Academic Team Excellence unit announced July 11. To qualify, a team must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher for the 2018-19 season.

Linnette Werner, Ph.D became Associate Dean of Graduate Programs for the College of Liberal Arts in early July.

Kathryn Russell joined Hamline in late June as the new Director of Continuing Studies.

Quite a number, 58 to be exact, HU student-athletes have been named to the MIAC Winter-Spring Academic All-Conference team.

Women's basketball standout Reilly Geistfeld has been named to the roster of D-3 Team USA, which will play four games in Brazil next month.

Hamline celebrates Pride this weekend and supports its message always.

Two teams from the School of Business upheld Hamline's track record of success in the Manhattan College Business Analytics Competition.

A record number of Hamline's lacrosse players (14) were named to the 2019 Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference All-Academic Team (MWLC). To qualify, athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher.

Hamline Elementary School has a new tagline -- Collaborative Learning University School -- that reflects a deepening educational partnership with Hamline University.

Memorial Day is an appropriate time to reflect on the service and contributions of our military student graduates.

Hamline MFAC Alumna Blair Thornburgh Receives Multiple Starred Reviews for her new YA novel Ordinary Girls. 

Families and friends gathered in locations throughout campus to celebrate the 2019 Hamline University graduates.

Jessica Davis had planned to pursue an MD. Instead, she opted for an MAT at Hamline after deciding to be a high school math teacher.

Honor societies are part of the Hamline experience. Phi Beta Kappa inducts members with a ceremony steeped in history that venerates scholarship and friendship.

For 15 years, the McVay Youth Partnership has been supporting St. Paul youth and giving Hamline students a chance to take the lead.

 MFA Alum Joe Horton and CWP Faculty Richard Pelster-Wiebe have been selected for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship Program. The Jerome Foundation seeks to contribute to a dynamic and evolving culture by supporting the creation, development, and production of new works by early career/emerging artists.

The end of the spring semester is a time to recognize student accomplishments. On Monday, April 29, twenty-two seniors who completed the Hamline University Honors program received their due.

The new anthology Under Purple Skies: The Minneapolis Anthology, edited by Frank Burnes from Belt Publishing features short stories by six Hamline University affiliated writers.

Raie Gessesse is Hamline’s first woman of color and first first-generation student to be named a Truman Scholar. She was one of 62 outstanding students chosen from an application pool of 840 from across the United States.

A team of Hamline MBA students came in second in the regional Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Cup competition held at the University of St. Thomas’ Minneapolis campus in February.

MFA Faculty Angela Pelster-Weibe will moderate a reading and interview hosted by Coffee House Press The reading will be at the American Swedish Institute in the Folke Bernadotte Conference Room on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m.

It's always earth month in the REER Lab where Hamline students are working to advance sustainability.

Since 2015, Professor of Sculpture Alison Baker has broken through stereotypes and crossed international borders in the art field at Hamline.

Join us on April 12 at 7 pm in the Kay Fredericks Ballroom for a celebration of Ed Bok Lee's newest collection of poetry, Mitochondrial Night, from Coffeehouse Press.

Hamline community members headed to the capitol on Thursday, March 14 in their work to end hunger in Minnesota.

Justice Alan C. Page will deliver the address during undergraduate Commencement at Hamline University on Saturday, May 18, 2019. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m.

Just in time for Women's History Month, the Women in Public Service Seminars are now accepting registrations.

New Novel from MFAC Faculty Member Anne Ursu.

Senior Emily "Remi" Remmey's summer research project uses theater to help young people by spotlighting the signs of anxiety and depression in a way that creates empathy and understanding.

MFAC faculty member Meg Medina wins Newbery Medal for her middle grade novel Merci Suárez Changes Gears published by Candlewick Press.

February is Black History Month and this year members of the Black Student Collective are celebrating their 50th anniversary as a Hamline University student organization. The theme "Still We Rise: Fifty Years of Black Excellence at Hamline University" inspired events throughout the month.

On Wednesday, February 13, Hamline students took the short trip to downtown Saint Paul to advocate for the Minnesota State Grant, a grant that makes it possible for many Pipers to attend Hamline.

Before classes spring ahead into the next semester, it is time to reflect on the busy and adventurous J-Term many Hamline students had. From Jamaica to Germany, Hamline students traveled all over the world through the wonderful J-Term study abroad option.

Hamline student and advocate “takes the lead” in more ways than one.

Three Hamline University Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults (MFAC) faculty members won national book awards for their works of fiction at the recent American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Conference in Seattle.

New York Times bestselling author Robin DiAngelo, PhD facilitated a campus conversation about racism.

Duane Benson ‘67 has passed away. The accomplished football player and track star for Hamline University went on to become a civic leader after he graduated.

Twenty-seven Hamline scholar athletes named to MIAC All-Conference team.

Angela Conley’s approach to public service makes her a new voice on the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners for more reasons than one.

CWP faculty member John Brandon’s novel Arkansas has been adapted into a film of the same name, directed by Clark Duke and filmed in Alabama.

Gymnast Meghan Webb garnered conference honors after the season-opening meet.

Members of the Mock Trial program affirmed the benefits of strong arguments, preparation and teamwork when they shared their knowledge and experience with deaf and hearing impaired high school students.

On Wednesday, December 12, Women's Hockey Coach Natalie Darwitz took her place in hockey history when she was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Adam King, a junior on the men's soccer team, was named to the United Soccer Coaches' North Region third team for the second consecutive season. He is the first Piper ever to be so honored by the USC twice.

Aspiring teachers who received Hamline's Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching (CEUT) scholarships get a chance to help close the racial gap between students and teachers in Minnesota.

Molly Garin, a first-year forward for Hamline, was named to D3Hockey.com women's team of the week.

The Minnesota State Arts Board awarded Professor O'Connor a grant in support of her newest book.

Hamline's own Luke Trudell was named to the D3Football.com West Region team. Read more on the Hamline Athletics website.

Amy Bohman '95 will bring her teaching expertise and experience to Cambodia.

The Hamline Hmong Student Association (HSA) hosted a Hmong New Year extravaganza on Saturday, December 1 from 6 - 9 p.m. in the Anderson Center. The celebration was the culmination of a November full of Hmong cultural events. 

Hamline grad Keenan Daoudi will use the university’s 57th Fulbright Award in Algeria -- to teach English and increase cultural understanding.

Find out just a few of the ways that Hamline students live Wesleyan community values through giving their time and energy to improve our community.

Hamline was the first university to host professional journalists from around the world as part of a new program sponsored by the U.S. State Department and Global Minnesota.

Learn a bit about two veterans from Hamline's community and find out how they plan to spend Veterans Day.

Sergeant First Class Warren Gammell, a Hamline student who served and was killed in World War I, was recently honored at Camp Ripley.

Dr. David Everett, Associate Vice President of Inclusive Excellence, has been awarded a grant of $25,000 from the St. Paul and Minnesota Community Foundations to work in collaboration with several community partners to tackle the issue of changing racial narratives in media.

Hamline University students took the lead and collaborated with peers at area colleges to create a day-long sold-out social justice conference.

Hamline University students took part in a program dedicated to answering one of higher education’s toughest questions – how should I choose my major?

October 11 is National Coming Out Day, which celebrates the personal act of people coming out to family or friends about their sexuality or gender identity. This day also raises awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community and advocates for equal civil rights for this community.

The Provost's Office would like to announce the formation of the Center for Academic Success and Achievement (CASA) as part of an expansion of student success efforts at Hamline University. CASA will provide students with the academic advising, academic skills support, tutoring, and resources needed to successfully manage the college experience and maximize student involvement in their own learning and development.

On October 2, a packed house in the Giddens Learning Center observed Wrongful Conviction Day with a program examining the case of Audrey Edmunds. The event is part of a series from the Center for Justice and Law. The next event is a conference focusing on life after conviction on October 15.

Hamline University is pleased to announce a $25,000 gift from the College of Reconciliation and Development (CRD) to the Global Studies Department in support of educational programs designed to enhance understanding between Israelis and Middle East neighbors. The gift represents the next chapter for the CRD, a nonprofit organization that supported Hamline faculty in their work on various U.S. State Department and other peace building grants between 2001 and 2013.

The Hamline Village History Project and the Department of Anthropology invites students, faculty, and neighborhood history bluffs to participate in the unearthing of a 19th century homestead and old artifacts on Saturday, October 13 as part of the second Open Dig.

Hamline’s sustainability team, under the leadership of Valentine Cadieux, spent their summer getting their hands dirty and keeping them that way. It was productive time spent outdoors in more ways than one. Working in the dirt complemented classroom and other traditional liberal arts learning experiences, plus it was beneficial to our community.

Professor Emeritus Ann Mabbott will continue to educate teachers of English as a second language into her retirement. She is taking her expertise to around the world as an English Language Specialist for the U.S. Department of State. Her first stop will be Spain.

Hamline University is a leader in student community service with the Liberal Education as Practice (LEAP), which began in 2013. As part of first-year students’ fall orientation, LEAP introduces new Pipers to the importance of community involvement and learning through immersion in not only life on campus, but in the surrounding neighborhoods and communities.

Dr. Anne McCarthy, Dean of Hamline’s School of Business, has received a grant of $200,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation to create an innovative Finance and Analytics Lab on campus.

Hamline University moved up into the top fifteen institutions in its class and maintained its position as a top-ranked Midwestern regional university according to U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2019 edition.

The 2018-2019 school year is off to a running start! This year Hamline University is welcoming more fresh faces than in years past. Hamline’s largest incoming class record was set in fall of 2016 with 548 first year students, but two years later the 2018 first-year class is on track to be even larger.

Hamline School of Education recently received national Special Program Accreditation (SPA) through the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages international association (TESOL) Licensure program based on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) standards.

Women’s Equality Day celebrates the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. This day is a great reminder to recognize the fantastic contributions and accomplishments of women at Hamline. The first graduates of Hamline University were women, and they rose to be great advocates and leaders.

Meg Medina’s young adult novel Burn Baby Burn has been selected for the City of Saint Paul’s 2019 Read Brave initiative.

The physics department was in motion this summer. Professor Bruce Bolon represented Hamline University at the Saint Paul Saints' Gravity Night, which was a sponsored celebration of Isaac Newton’s 375th Birthday at CHS Field on Saturday, August 18.

Ever wonder what Hamline professors do during summer vacation? Professor of Religion Deanna Thompson and Professor of Political Science David Schultz have kept busy working to publish their nonfiction books, Glimpsing Resurrection: Cancer, Trauma, and Ministry, and The Conservative Revolution of Antonin Scalia.

Natalie Darwitz, head Hamline women’s hockey coach and three-time Olympic medalist, has been selected for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

On Saturday, July 27, Hamline heroes took over CHS Field for the Hamline-sponsored superhero night at the Saints. Students and staff attended the game to cheer on the Saints, participate in Saints in-game promotions, and hand out some Piper swag. Join in on the fun again on August 18.

A strong connection to Hamline’s Methodist roots and an institutional commitment to social justice and community engagement contributed to a successful Creation Care Summit, a conference dedicated to empowering Methodist communities to take action in protection of the planet and building a sustainable and just world.

Minnesota Equity Edcamp returned for the second time to the Anderson Center on July 19th for a day of educator-led discussion and learning opportunities. David Everett, who was recently named Hamline’s New Associate Vice President of Inclusive Excellence, helped kick-off the event by moderating a panel.

Hamline's spirit of collaboration was on full display Saturday, July 14 when over 600 people gathered in the Anderson Center to listen to and meditate with the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, Joseph Goldstein, in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Common Ground Meditation Center.

Abby Thompson, who will be a senior Digital Media Ethic and Cinema flex major this fall, used Hamline University's Summer Collaborative Undergraduate Research program to develop her research project, entitled "The Exploration and Application of Female Representation in Narrative Cinema" -- a film with all-female creators and cast.

Hamline University has been selected to host and help organize training for the media on racial equity in an event called Truth and Transformation: Changing Racial Narratives in Media. The Saint Paul and Minnesota Community Foundations awarded a $250,000 grant to six partner organizations, including Hamline, for the planning of this event.

The Hamline University Center for Justice and Law recently convened an expert panel to discuss the ongoing immigration crisis in the United States. The panelists, included someone from the ACLU, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, the Advocates for Human Rights and an immigrant, provided 200 attendees with individual actions toward ending the situation. A post-event survey indicated that many people acted on these suggestions and took steps to help immigrants.

Eleven teachers and staff from a school in Kauai, Hawaii visited Hamline University to participate in the Rivers Institute on the St. Croix. Their mainland adventure was part of a collaboration with Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education (CGEE) that will support the Hawaiian school's special curriculum and environmental focus that is designed to help keep the Niihau culture and language alive.

Hamline University has hired Dr. David L. Everett as its first Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence. He will begin his duties on Monday, August 27.

Hamline University hosted three summer camps in June that gave high school students hands-on learning opportunities in creative writing, accounting, and law.

Hamline University’s Soeffker Gallery recently received a substantial gift of prints by Minnesota artists George Morrison and Leonardo Lasansky. These noteworthy works further strengthen Hamline’s permanent art collection.

Hamline University has hired Michael Tompos as its new Vice President of Institutional Advancement. He will begin work at the university on Wednesday, August 1.

Jordan Lein BBA ‘18 and his mother, Mary Lein MPA ‘18, both received diplomas from the Hamline School of Business during Commencement 2018. Jordan majored in business analytics and finance, which inspired Mary to get her Master’s of Public Administration. The Lein family’s relationship with Hamline began in 2013 when Jordan participated in the AA Minnesota State High School League Track and Field Championship. The meet has been held annually for the last thirteen years at Klas Field and is happening again this Friday and Saturday.

With every sunny day of summer, the urge to sit in a park with a good book grows stronger. As you browse on a tablet or wander through a bookstore, consider picking up a book written by a student, alumnus, or faculty member from the Creative Writing Programs at Hamline.

Zinzile Sibanda was the first international student to address a Hamline Commencement. She spoke movingly at the 2018 undergraduate graduation ceremony about her 8000-plus mile journey to the school and her powerful experience with the community here. She concluded by challenging her classmates to continue to build and strengthen communities once they leave Hamline.

The Hamline University gymnastics team shatters school records with a big score at the NCGA meet.