Augsburg University 2026 Christensen Symposium connects story and action

Augsburg University’s 2026 Christensen Symposium will feature Ross Murray ’00, MBA ’09. Murray is vice president at the GLAAD Media Institute, an ordained deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and a member of Augsburg’s board of regents. His address, titled “Breaking Through and Building Up: Using Your Story to Inspire Action,” will focus on the ways listeners can inspire and equip people to act for social justice through personal influence, media platforms, and real-life communities. 

In his role at the GLAAD Media Institute, Murray provides activist, spokesperson, and media engagement training/education for LGBTQ and allied community members, the media industry, and advocacy organizations to accelerate acceptance. He is also a founder and director of The Naming Project, a faith-based camp for LGBTQ youth and allies, and the author of “Made, Known, Loved: Developing LGBTQ-Inclusive Youth Ministry” and “The Everyday Advocate: Living Out Your Calling to Social Justice.”

“Ross is one of Augsburg’s many influential alumni,” said Jeremy Myers, the Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation. “He has done significant work advocating for the LGBTQ community through his work with the GLAAD Media Institute. He is a lovely and inspiring human being and I can’t wait for our students to have the opportunity to learn from him.”

The Christensen Symposium is free and open to the public. 

Event Details

2026 Christensen Symposium
“Breaking Through and Building Up: Using Your Story to Inspire Action”
Wednesday October 21, 2026
Noon–1 p.m.
Hoversten Chapel, Augsburg University

If you are unable to attend in person, register for the livestream.

About the Christensen Symposium

The Christensen Symposium and Augsburg’s Christensen Center for Vocation were both established to honor the legacy of Bernhard M. Christensen, the eighth president of Augsburg (1938–62). Five lessons from Christensen’s legacy continue to shape Augsburg today: that Christian faith liberates minds and lives, diversity strengthens vital communities, interfaith friendships enrich learning, the love of Christ draws us to God, and we are called to service in the world.