Bemidji State names four graduates to 2026 distinguished alumni class

Bemidji State University named Dr. Misty Wilkie, Joseph Broking, Dr. Michael Thomas and Erik Hopperstad to its 2026 Distinguished Alumni class. The university will recognize them at the BSU Honors Gala on Friday, Sept. 25, at 5:30 p.m. at the Sanford Center, with registration set to open Monday, June 29. Tickets are priced at $100 per adult, $50 for Golden Beavers and $25 for children 12 and under.

Wilkie, a 2001 BSU nursing graduate and former faculty member, created the Niganawenimaanaanig Indigenous Nursing Program in 2017 and later helped secure a $2.2 million continuation grant in 2021. The program supports recruitment, retention, graduation and licensure for Indigenous nursing students and has reached hospitals and clinics across the region.

Broking, a 2002 graduate, is president and chief executive of Mesabi Metallics and is overseeing completion of a $2.6 billion iron mining and processing facility on Minnesota’s Iron Range. Hopperstad, who graduated in 2004, co-founded PRx Performance in Fargo and has helped build the company to more than $200 million in sales since its launch in 2013. Thomas, who earned BSU degrees in 2002 and 2005, is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Ascension St. Vincent in Evansville, Indiana, and holds the rank of lieutenant colonel after serving in Afghanistan with the Illinois Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve.

The Distinguished Alumni award has been BSU Alumni & Foundation’s highest honor since 1972, recognizing graduates for professional achievement and service to their communities. The university has 50,000 living alumni and its Alumni & Foundation is pushing the $25 million For the North campaign, which has raised more than $19 million since July 1, 2023 for student success, campus facilities and enrollment efforts.