MSUM honored with inaugural AI Innovation Award
Minnesota State Moorhead received the first-ever AI Innovation Award at Engage Summit 2026 in Charlotte, N.C.
Hosted by Element451, Engage is a premier higher education conference where higher ed leaders and practitioners explore the intersection of advanced technology and student success. The June 15-17, 2026, event focused heavily on “Building the Agentic Campus.” Over a thousand university leaders, enrollment managers, and marketing professionals gathered to learn about and share real-world strategies for leveraging autonomous AI agents and platforms.
Moorhead received the AI Innovation Award, one of Element451’s “Boltie Awards,” for “leaning into the future of AI-powered engagement and exploring what is possible when innovation meets institutional ambition.”
The following was read on stage as MSUM was announced as the award recipient:
“This year’s winner represents the kind of forward-thinking spirit this award is all about. Their team is asking what AI can make possible, not someday, but now. They are leaning into new ideas, exploring bold use cases, and helping push the conversation forward for what AI-powered student engagement can become. That is what innovation looks like. Not just adopting new technology but seeing its potential before everyone else does.”
Josh Riedy, executive director of the Institute of Applied AI, was part of the conference’s opening keynote panel discussion. Riedy and Jason Trainer, vice president of enrollment management and strategic initiatives, shared information about the Institute at a gathering of university presidents during the summit.
