Rebecca recently retired in August 2025 after serving 11 years as the 17th President of Gustavus Adolphus College, located in St. Peter, Minnesota. Prior to assuming the role as the first woman president at Gustavus, Rebecca served on the Gustavus Board of Trustees from 2007-2014. During her tenure at Gustavus, Rebecca was recognized for generating over $400 million in documented philanthropic support for the College, driving academic innovation, and leading three major building projects on campus. Rebecca’s non-traditional path to college leadership included 26 years at Medtronic, Inc., where she served in senior executive positions in research and development and was closely involved in long-term strategic planning. During her tenure at Medtronic, Rebecca was elected as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Rebecca holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University, completed graduate studies at the University of Minnesota, and has received honorary doctorate degrees from Gustavus Adolphus College, Drexel University, and St. Catherine University.
