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Stéphane Bancel
MS ’95, Chemical Engineering
Founding Chief Executive Officer, Moderna
Stéphane Bancel has served as Moderna’s chief executive ocer since
October 2011 and as a member of Moderna’s board of directors since
March 2011. Before joining the company, Mr. Bancel served for ve
years as chief executive ocer of the French diagnostics company
bioMérieux SA. From July 2000 to March 2006, he served in various
roles at Eli Lilly and Company, including as managing director,
Belgium and as executive director, global manufacturing strategy and
supply chain. Prior to Lilly, Mr. Bancel served as Asia-Pacic sales
and marketing director for bioMérieux. Mr. Bancel currently serves
on the board of directors of Indigo. He is currently a venture partner
at Flagship Pioneering. Mr. Bancel holds a master of engineering
degree from École Centrale Paris (ECP), a master of science in
chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota, and a
master of business administration from Harvard Business School.
Emilia Ndely-Ogundipe
BA ’11, Economics
White House Presidential Innovation Fellow
Emilia Ndely-Ogundipe is currently in her second year as a White
House Presidential Innovation Fellow, where she is detailed to the
United States Department of Labor engaging in special projects for
the secretary’s oce. Prior to her role at the federal government,
Emilia was a product lead within the Oce of Innovation for the
State of New Jersey where she helped millions of residents nd
vaccines by creating the nation’s second state-sponsored vaccine
appointment nder. Emilia started her career as a management
consultant at Ernst and Young (EY) helping dozens of healthcare
institutions across the country transform their digital products.
Emilia was a dual degree student at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill earning her master of business administration and master of healthcare administration in 2015. She is a 2011
graduate of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities earning her bachelor of arts in economics and double minoring in
sociology and management. During her time at the U she served on the Black Student Union board, Boynton’s Student Health
Advisory Council, and was president of Black Motivated Women. She continued to support the Gopher community after
graduating by founding the University of Minnesota Black Alumni Network (UMNBAN) in 2015 and serving as UMNBAN’s
president for its rst ve years. She then started serving on the UMN Alumni Network board of directors in 2018 as the
student and recent alumni director and has served in an executive capacity for the board in 2022 as secretary.
Emilia is a rst-generation American, with parents hailing from Cameroon, West Africa and a second-generation Gopher.
Her parents’ commitment to education, service, and community has inspired her to be a lifelong learner who is passionate
about elevating voices of marginalized folks through inclusive product design. As a lifetime Alumni Association member
Emilia continues to hold these values dear by showing up, investing, and giving back to her fellow Gophers.
KEYNOTESPEAKER
ALUMNISPEAKER
Joan Gabel
President, University of Minnesota
Joan T.A. Gabel is the 17th president of the University of
Minnesota, where she’s led the creation and metric-driven
implementation of the University’s rst comprehensive systemwide
strategic plan, MPact 2025, resulting in record-setting graduation
rates, annual research expenditures, start-ups, and patents,
along with unmatched private giving, and completion of the
$4 billion Driven campaign at 10% over goal. Transformational
collaborations, such as NXT GEN MED, a ground-breaking
partnership between the University, the Mayo Clinic and Google,
have elevated the University’s impact. President Gabel also relied
upon MPact 2025 priorities to enhance PIPSM, the President’s
Initiative to Prevent Sexual Misconduct and launch PRISMH, the
President’s Initiative on Student Mental Health.
Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, President Gabel was the executive vice president and provost at the University
of South Carolina, where she revitalized the scholarly enterprise and launched new interdisciplinary programs, increasing
enrollment and alternative revenue streams. Her academic interests include legal and ethical issues in business and governance,
including public higher education and women’s leadership. A sought-after national and international speaker/advisor,
President Gabel’s expertise and research emphasizes inclusion, leadership, risk management, ethics, and governance for
higher education, industry, and federal and state government.
Aarohi Shah
BA ’23, Human Physiology, BA/MD Program
Aarohi A. Shah (she/her) will be graduating from the College of
Liberal Arts with a bachelor of arts in human physiology and a
minor in interdisciplinary design from the College of Design.
Born and raised in Minnesota as a rst-generation American,
Aarohi’s parents are both Gopher alumni, which instilled a love
for the University in her from a young age.
During her time at the University, Aarohi has been deeply involved
in the community, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.
She has served as the president of the College of Liberal Arts
Student Board, Homecoming Queen, a member of the Indian
Student Association, and a group tness instructor.
Aarohi is an avid hiker, cook, and a big fan of peanut butter, but above all else, she cherishes spending time with her family.
She believes that her University experience has taught her the importance of creating an inclusive space, and that happiness
lies in giving more than we take. Beginning fall 2023, Aarohi will be continuing her journey as a Gopher at the University of
Minnesota Medical School in the Twin Cities.
CEREMONYHOST
STUDENTSPEAKER