submitted by myers@augsburg.edu
Ross Murray (BA ’00, MBA ’09) will be our speaker at this year’s Christensen Symposium.
Breaking Through and Building Up: Using Your Story to Inspire Action
Wednesday October 21, 2026
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Hoversten Chapel, Augsburg University
We are living at a time when the need for community and truth is more urgent than ever. The barriers we face are political, technological, and cultural. They feel larger than any one person or organization can handle. Yet, in spite of all these barriers, people are organizing around pressing issues and breaking through bubbles of mis- (or dis-) information with authenticity, personal connection, and storytelling. Their motivation for action comes from a variety of sources, but a shared calling is moving people to identify problems and pragmatically work toward solutions, inspiring others to action in the process. Ross will help you understand the influence you already wield and how to inspire and equip people to act for social justice through your media platforms and real-life communities.
Ross Murray (BA ’00, MBA ’09) is the Vice President at the GLAAD Media Institute, where he uses GLAAD’s best practices to provide activist, spokesperson, and media engagement training/education for LGBTQ and allied community members, the media industry, and advocacy organizations to accelerate acceptance.