3 Thoughts from Dean Prenkert: Spring 2025

Agility

This year, in my welcome message to faculty, staff, and students, I encouraged our community to see agility not just as a reaction to change (such as the construction in our building!) but as a mindset. Agility equips us to thrive in a rapidly changing world, empowering us to adapt to challenges, seize opportunities, and drive meaningful progress in all that we do. Alumni and friends, I encourage you to do the same! Whether you’re tackling professional goals, personal projects, or working toward your aspirations, adopting this mindset will prepare you to navigate complexity and lead with confidence.
 

1st Tuesday

On February 4, we debuted a new season of our long-running speaker series featuring business leaders. With Minnesota Public Radio now sponsoring, Marketplace’s Chris Farrell moderated a conversation with Best Buy CEO Corie Barry. From tariffs to supply chains, generative AI to lifelong learning, they covered a lot of ground. Watch the full conversation.
 

Bright future

To kick off 2025, I was reminded that tomorrow’s leaders are full of hope—and good questions. After receiving a letter from Jack, a fifth grader at Oxbow Creek Elementary in Champlin, Minnesota, full of questions about the Carlson School and U of M, I answered in person in early January. Joining me was incoming Online MBA student Cade Moffitt, a former Oxbow Creek fifth grader himself. We talked to the class about resilience and left feeling very optimistic about what these leaders will accomplish.