Kowsar Mohamed, a Ph.D. candidate from the Twin Cities, has officially begun her term as the student-at-large representative on the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents, becoming the first Somali American woman to hold the position.
Mohamed was born in Minneapolis to Somali immigrants and raised in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, a bustling immigrant community known for its cultural vibrancy. In a recent interview with Mshale, Mohamed said she grew up seeing firsthand how public policy affects families like her own – an experience that shaped her commitment to civic engagement and community advocacy.
“I started this work as a young person advocating for my community,” Mohamed said. “That commitment to public service has guided me ever since.”
Mohamed was one of four new members appointed in August by Gov. Tim Walz to the University of Minnesota’s governing body.
“The University of Minnesota Board of Regents is gaining four accomplished, knowledgeable, and dedicated leaders,” Walz said when he announced the appointments. “They will bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives, united by a deep commitment to the University’s mission.”
Mohamed was officially sworn in by Minnesota Chief Justice Natalie Hudson during the regent’s meeting held on Oct. 10. Her swearing-in marked the start of a new chapter in her long-standing commitment to public service and community representation.
“Welcome officially regents Bergstrom, Heins, Lugar, and Mohamed,” Doug Huebsch, chair of the Board of Regents, said.
As a teenager, Mohamed co-founded the Cedar-Riverside Neighborhood Youth Council, which worked with local nonprofits to secure resources and expand community programming for the neighborhood. The group was responsible for helping to establish new community centered local businesses such as the Sisterhood Boutique, a thrift store that hires and empowers young girls in the community. They also collaborated with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation board to build a new gymnasium and a soccer field.
Mohamed is a two-time alumna of the University of Minnesota. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, policy and management and another in urban studies. After her undergraduate studies, she went on to earn a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the university’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Mohamed has had a substantial career in public service which includes serving as Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Center for Economic Inclusion and as senior project manager for the city of St. Paul’s Department of Planning and Economic Development. She was also an adjunct professor at the university, teaching courses in urban studies, and served on the Regent Candidate Advisory Council from 2020 to 2024. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in natural resources science and management, with a focus on equity, sustainability, and community development.
Mohamed said that her immigrant background informs her approach to leadership.
“When you come from an immigrant family, you grow up understanding how systems can both empower and exclude people,” she said. “That perspective is something I carry with me in every space I enter.”
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents governs the state’s land grant institution, overseeing its budget, policy direction, and strategic planning. As a student-at-large regent, Mohamed represents the interests of students across the university’s five campuses, including graduate and professional students. She is a full member of the board.
“I see this role as a bridge,” she said. “It’s about ensuring that the student experience, in all its diversity, is reflected in the decisions made at the highest level of the university.”
Her appointment comes at a time when higher education is facing critical issues around affordability, student well-being, and equity. Mohamed said she intends to center those concerns in her work on the board.
Mohamed’s priorities include increasing student engagement in governance, advancing equitable policies, and strengthening ties between the University and surrounding communities, she said. She also hoped to amplify the voices of first-generation and immigrant students.
“I want students to know they matter, their voice matters,” she said. “Policy should not be something that happens to us. It should be something we help shape.”
Author
About Cynthia Simba, Mshale Reporter
Cynthia is a graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Journalism. She has interned at Mshale and Voice of America and previously worked at the Minnesota Daily. She recently returned from Seoul, South Korea where she was an English educator.
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