By BSU Alumni & Foundation
Published 4:21 p.m. on June 3, 2024
Bemidji State University is pleased to announce that Dr. Ekren Miller has joined the Alumni & Foundation as an advancement officer. His first day was today, June 3.
Miller, who has also served as the head coach of BSU’s men’s golf team since 2010, graduated magna cum laude from Bemidji State in 2003 with bachelor’s degrees in both philosophy and Spanish. He earned a master’s degree in intercultural studies from Wheaton College in 2007, and he earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Minnesota State Moorhead in May 2024.
“I think I’m a product of the opportunities at Bemidji State, whether in athletics or studying abroad or getting my college degree,” Miller said. “BSU is special for thousands of graduates who have been here. I’m excited to get started and help people leave a legacy for Bemidji State.”
In his role with the foundation, Miller will work to align current and prospective donors’ interests with BSU’s fundraising objectives.
“Ekren brings a wealth of institutional knowledge that will help him relate and connect with our alumni and supporters of the university,” said Adrian Dunn, the BSUAF’s director of development. “His visionary-style approach will align well with the direction the foundation wants to go.”
As the men’s golf coach at Bemidji State, Miller coached the Beavers to the NSIC championship in 2023 – the program’s 16th title all-time – and he was also named NSIC Coach of the Year in 2023. He will continue his coaching duties while working at the Alumni & Foundation.
Off the golf course, Miller has local and global experience in the classroom. Most recently, he taught Spanish online for Rochester Public Schools for three years. He was also the assistant principal at Heartland Christian Academy for one year and taught Spanish and Mandarin Chinese at TrekNorth Junior and Senior High School for eight years.
From 2004-08, Miller taught oral English and business writing at Hengyang Normal University in the People’s Republic of China. He then returned to Bemidji and was the business manager for the Sen Lin Hu Chinese Immersion Camp at Concordia Language Villages. Additionally, Miller has nonprofit experience at Pioneers, an overseas Christian organization.
Miller’s father, David, was also a professor of computer science for 15 years at Bemidji State. There is now an annual scholarship in his name called the David D. Miller Computer Science Scholarship, which is awarded to international or Pell Grant-eligible students.
Miller replaces Kari Cooper in his advancement officer role. He and his wife, Kari Kantack Miller, live in Bemidji.
Miller can be reached at ekren.miller@bemidjistate.edu or at 218-755-2941.
