• 8:00 AM – Qigong (optional, 30 minute session), presented by the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing
• 8:30 AM – Registration & Continental Breakfast 
• 9:00 AM – Welcome & Remarks
• 9:20 AM – Keynote – Sheryl Ramstad, author of “Living Life Full Throttle” 
• 10:00 AM – Break & Booths
• 10:30 AM – Breakout Sessions
  • Session 1 – Homes for Life: Designing, Adapting, and Affording Places to Age Well
    • Presented by: Jay Haapala and Meghan Redmond, AARP Minnesota
  • Session 2 – AI Without the Jargon: Everyday Uses and Bigger Questions
    • Presented by: Susan McFadden, PhD & Colin McFadden, College of Liberal Arts
  • Session 3 – Navigating Constant Change with Wisdom and Equanimity
    • Presented by: Stephanie (Stevi) Shively, PhD, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing
• 11:45 AM – Lunch, booths, shopping at MN Alumni Market & chat time
• 1:00 PM – Breakout Sessions (Repeat)
• 2:15 PM – Age-Friendly University Day concludes

Registration Options:

• Full Conference Experience (In-Person Attendees)
  • General Admission: $25 (includes breakfast, lunch, and all activities)
  • Pay-It-Forward: $30 (includes full access + supports another attendee)
  • No-Cost Registration: Complimentary registration, no questions asked

• Limited Virtual Access
  • Free (keynote, panel, and one breakout session)

Exhibitors will be available on-site at the conference, offering a chance to connect one-on-one with attendees, share resources, and highlight efforts that support age-friendly communities. Stop by to learn more about the many facets of creating an inclusive, age-friendly community! Interested in exhibiting? Contact chai@umn.edu

Booths will be announced in Spring 2026.

University Avenue Parking Ramp

An adjacent 500-car ramp is connected by tunnel to the McNamara Alumni Center. Parking is $3.00 per hour with a daily maximum of $13.00. If the ramp is in event mode there will instead be a daily rate of $10.00, and no hourly rate. Once inside the parking ramp, take the East elevator to tunnel B or street level. The Alumni Center is the copper building adjacent to the ramp.

• McNamara Alumni Center parking map

Directions to University Avenue Ramp, adjacent to Alumni Center

Ramp address: 1926 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

From the north, heading south on 35W

1. Take Exit #18, 4th St-University Ave exit
2. Cross 4th Street SE; turn left on University Ave
3. Stay in the right lane, drive 9 blocks to the University Ave Parking Ramp — located on the right side of the street

From the south, heading north on 35W

1. Take Exit #18, 4th St-University Ave exit
2. Turn right on University Ave
3. Stay in the right lane, drive 9 blocks to the University Ave Parking Ramp — located on the right side of the street

From the east or west on I-94

1. Take Exit #235B, University of Minnesota/Huron Boulevard
2. Follow Huron Boulevard one block and turn left onto Fulton St (1st stop light)
3. Drive 3 blocks and turn right onto Oak St
4. Follow Oak St past the Alumni Center (on the left) and cross over University Ave.
5. Oak St will curve to the left and turn into 4th Street
6. Turn left at the first available street (18th Ave, 17th Ave or 16th Ave)
7. Drive 1 block and turn left onto University Ave
8. Immediately get into the right lane and turn right into the University Ave Parking Ramp

Other ramps if needed:

• Oak Street Ramp: 401 Oak St SE Minneapolis, MN 55455
• Washington Ave Ramp: 501 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

Metro Transit- Green Line: 

The Green line stops a short block from the McNamara Alumni Center at the East Bank Station. It is on Washington Avenue across from the Graduate Minneapolis hotel. For specific route and schedule information visit www.metrotransit.org

Keynote: 

What Remains is What Matters: Living Meaningfully Now

Sheryl Ramstad’s life has been shaped by unexpected detours—each one revealing what truly endures. In her keynote, What Remains is What Matters: Living Meaningfully Now, she shares how life’s hardest moments can strip away the nonessential and uncover a deeper sense of purpose.

At 29, a catastrophic plane crash left her with devastating injuries and a long, uncertain recovery. Through that journey, she discovered that while much can be lost, what remains—faith, resilience, and purpose—matters most.

With honesty and hope, Sheryl invites the audience to reflect on their own lives, to find meaning in the unexpected, and to live with intention and courage—right here, right now.

Speaker Info:

Sheryl Ramstad, JD, MN, DNP, RN
Author: “Living Life Full Throttle”

Sheryl Ramstad’s life was hardly straightforward, uncomplicated, or smooth sailing. It has been marked by numerous bumps, hiccups, and unexpected detours. Yet every obstacle she encountered, every stumble along the way, ultimately revealed itself as a hidden gift—a subtle nudge guiding her toward deeper self-awareness and a more profound understanding of the world around her.

At age 29, Sheryl was a dedicated federal prosecutor handling criminal cases involving drugs, bank robberies, fraud, and firearms violations, when her life took a catastrophic turn. On July 7, 1979, she began the day training for a marathon, but by evening she was fighting for her survival. During her first solo flight as a student pilot, the plane she was flying malfunctioned, crashing in a densely populated St. Paul, Minnesota neighborhood.

The crash left Sheryl with burns covering over one-third of her body and less than a one percent chance of survival. What followed was a grueling battle against unimaginable pain, multiple surgeries, and the harrowing realities of burn treatment and therapy. Over two years of recovery, Sheryl endured physical and emotional challenges that tested her resolve, emerging not only as a survivor, but determined to reclaim and redefine her life.

The crash altered Sheryl’s perspective, igniting a quest to overcome a sense of fragility and conquer the self-doubt that lingered. With extraordinary grit and determination, she ran 26.2-mile marathons, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, embraced professional and community leadership roles, raised a family, oversaw her brother’s political campaigns, and pursued her own bid for political office. Her commitment to public service led Minnesota’s governor to appoint her as the first woman to serve as the state’s Commissioner of Corrections, chair the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, and member of his leadership cabinet responsible for running the government.

Sheryl’s 37-year career extended across diverse fields as a trial lawyer, judge, mediator, and public servant when at age 62, she returned to college to earn a doctorate in nursing practice. Her transition into healthcare was deeply personal—an expression of gratitude for the medical care that had saved her life decades earlier. She worked on the burn unit where her story began, dedicating herself to supporting other burn survivors, and held a leadership position in the county’s safety net hospital, providing healthcare to the underserved.

Sheryl’s dedication to serving others extended beyond her professional roles, leading her to participate in international medical mission work in Honduras, Peru, Kenya, and Uganda. Mission work became a profound expression of her compassion and commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. Through this international work, Sheryl encouraged and reminded others that their circumstances did not define their potential. She channeled her own journey of survival into a broader mission of healing and hope, demonstrating that the impact of compassion knows no borders.

Sheryl’s life is a powerful narrative of survival, reinvention, and service. Her remarkable achievements stand as a testament to the strength of the human spirit and her enduring commitment to make a difference in the lives of others.

Professional Honors/Leadership Experience

• Minnesota State Bar Association, Past President
• American Bar Foundation Research Advisory Committee, Chair
• Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors National Board of Directors
• National Institute of Corrections Advisory Council
• National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Council
• Regions Hospital Foundation Board of Directors
• Center for the Victims of Torture Board of Directors
• Union Gospel Mission of the Twin Cities Board of Directors
• Minneapolis Children’s Hospital Board of Directors
• University of Minnesota School of Nursing Alumni Society, Past Chair
• Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
• YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis, Past Chair
• University of Minnesota Law School Board of Visitors, Past Chair
• University of Jamestown Board of Trustees
• Minnesota Supervised Release Board, Governor’s appointee
• Women Business Leaders in Healthcare Woman of Inspiration & Influence

Breakout Session I: 

Navigating a World of Constant Change, With Wisdom and Equanimity

Maintaining personal wellbeing and perspective during times of great unpredictability, change, and transition is challenging for many of us. This session will offer frameworks, resources and inspiration to help you respond more resourcefully to life’s inevitable twists and turns, while honoring your well-earned strengths and wisdom. You will be invited to privately reflect on your personal resilience, and how your core values may have guided you throughout your life.

An array of practical tips and strategies will be shared for coping with change and unpredictability – both those we have control over, and those we don’t – with increased confidence and equanimity.

Speaker Info:

Dr. Stephanie (Stevi) Shively is a wellbeing instructor at the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, where she also teaches courses on narrative & wellbeing and executive function. She holds a Ph.D. in Medical Humanities from the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she studied medical traumatization and burnout in physicians, and an MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Shively is currently completing her license as a professional clinical counselor specializing in clinical burnout, perfectionism, academic/occupational distress, self-compassion, and neurodivergence (particularly late-diagnosed ADHD). 

Breakout Session II: 

Homes for Life: Designing, Adapting, and Affording Places to Age Well

Creating homes and communities where people of all ages can thrive is at the heart of AARP’s Livable Communities work. This session shares insights and guidance from AARP’s HomeFit guide, which helps people make their homes safer, more comfortable, and better suited for aging in place. Join us to explore practical ways individuals, families, and communities can support aging well at home. We’ll highlight smart design features, low-cost changes, and evidence‑based strategies that make a home “fit” for everyone—whether someone is caring for an older adult, planning for their own future, or working to advance Age-Friendly housing in their community.

Speaker Info:

Jay Haapala and Meghan Redmond are associate state directors with AARP Minnesota. They mobilize teams of volunteers, lead educational programs, and help communities make improvements that benefit people of all ages, including older adults.

Breakout Session III: 

AI Without the Jargon: Everyday Uses and Bigger Questions

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly part of everyday life – in our phones, homes, and even in how we connect with others. It can seem like a daunting technical topic, with talk of complex math, data centers, processors, and other behind-the-scenes machinery. The most important conversations around AI are less about the technology and instead focus on the ways we interact with our communities, engage in lifelong learning, and make choices about our health and happiness. 

In this session, we’ll introduce AI in a friendly, practical way, from using a “chatbot” to plan fun outings with family and friends to discovering helpful tips like recipe substitutions or travel suggestions. Then we’ll step back to explore broader questions about AI, like how it can be both a positive and negative influence in our own lives, and the lives of people we care about . We’ll talk about AI in healthcare, including how to evaluate information and make informed choices, and how we can leverage our own wisdom and expertise to support others in this complex and ever-changing conversation. 

By focusing on real-world examples and thoughtful discussion, this session will help you feel confident engaging with AI as a resource for yourself and a support to others, empowering you to make choices that align with your goals for healthy, engaged living.

Speaker Info: 

Colin McFadden is a Technology Architect in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, where he partners with faculty and staff to design technology that meaningfully supports research, teaching, and learning. His work emphasizes data stewardship, advanced imaging, and the responsible use of emerging technologies—including AI—in ways that align with academic values and long-term institutional impact. He is particularly interested in making complex systems more approachable, transparent, and useful for the people who rely on them. When he’s not working, he can usually be found traveling, cooking, or rock climbing.

Susan H. McFadden, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of Psychology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Susan retired from the University in 2012, and now volunteers in many capacities for Fox Valley Memory Project (FVMP: www.foxvalleymemoryproject.org), a nonprofit she co-founded in 2012. She is a member of the Lead Team that developed the Memory Café Alliance (https://dfamerica.org/what-is-memory-cafe-alliance/) to support sustainable growth of Memory Cafés, particularly in under-resourced communities. Author of many books, book chapters, and journal articles, Susan believes that people experiencing dementia can thrive when their communities include them and offer opportunities for experiencing the arts, the natural world, and above all, friendship.

Morning Qigong: 

Optional offering brought to you by the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing 

Qigong, which is sometimes spelled Chi-Kung (and pronounced chee-gung), is the study and practice of cultivating vital life-force through various techniques, including; Breathing techniques, Postures, Meditations, Guided imagery

Molly Jane Sturges is a healing-centered composer, artistic director, depth facilitator, and integrative health researcher who has worked at the intersections of health, music, activism, and contemplative practice for over 30 years. Molly is a senior researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Medical School and faculty at the Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. A United States Artist Fellow in Music, Molly is also the founder of Waking The Oracle and many other music and arts informed social and ecological healing activations.