Brianna Menning has served as assistant to the President of the University of Minnesota (UMN) since 2021, where she works as part of the strategy team. As part of the work to implement the University's strategic plan, her portfolio includes work across the five campuses of the UMN system and the University's work in Native American affairs. She has worked at UMN since 2013, including directing programs and communications at the Institute for Advanced Study, and overseen urban sustainability projects in the U.S., India, and China while working at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Prior to her time at UMN, she directed a nationwide program on asset-based community development. She holds a master of public administration with a concentration in human rights and social justice from Cornell University, and a bachelor's degree in philosophy and political science. Brianna is a Fellow of Salzburg Global Seminar.