BSU celebrates first graduates from newly renamed Sunderman College

Bemidji State University marked the first graduates of its newly renamed Sunderman College of Creativity, Enterprise and Place with a ceremony that pointed as much to local economic development as to campus tradition. The college now carries an $8.1 million gift from the estate of alumnus R. Allen Sunderman, which BSU said is the largest testamentary contribution in the university’s 107-year history.

President John L. Hoffman framed the gift as more than a name change. The money is intended to support scholarships, upgrade learning technology, establish a new Office of Sponsored Programs, build a regional innovation fund and a technology advancement fund, and strengthen partnerships tied to engineering and information-technology programs. For Bemidji and Beltrami County, that puts the college squarely in the pipeline for the kinds of graduates and projects that can shape hiring, startup activity and grant-funded work across the region.

BSU said the gift will also support students in information-technology-related majors and transfer students from partner two-year colleges. That matters in a place where employers often look to the university for a steady stream of job candidates who can move into technical roles, engineering support, and the administrative and business functions that keep local organizations running.

The first Sunderman College graduates were recognized Friday morning at the Sanford Center during BSU’s 107th commencement. The Sunderman College ceremony was held at 10 a.m., with the College of Sciences and Health following at 1 p.m. No tickets were required for students or guests, keeping the focus on families, faculty and the graduates stepping into the local workforce.

Sunderman, born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1948, graduated from BSU in 1975 with a degree in business administration before building a real-estate career. He died of cancer in 2019 at age 71. BSU named retired U.S. Air Force officer and sustainable farming advocate Brent Larson as the 2026 commencement speaker on behalf of Sunderman, linking the day’s recognition to the donor whose gift is meant to shape what BSU produces for northern Minnesota next.