Gavin Grivna

Background

About Gavin Grivna

Gavin Grivna is the Director of Gopher Family Engagement at the University of Minnesota, where he proudly supports a growing community of over parents and daily members of students. Now in his third year leading this work, Gavin oversees signature programs such as Family Weekend, Families First for families of First-Gen students and the annual Northern Stars Student Remembrance Event. In May 2024, he had the honor of hosting family engagement professionals from across the Big Ten, advancing collaboration and innovation across the field.Since joining the University of Minnesota in 2009, Gavin has served in a variety of student-facing roles, including positions in Housing & Residential Life and as Associate Director of The Aurora Center. There, he championed support services for victim/survivors and led campus-wide prevention education initiatives.Beyond campus, Gavin is a proud father to Owen and Ethan, a proud husband of 13+ years, and a loyal companion to Hemingway, the family’s rescue pup. He’s a passionate youth baseball coach, podcast enthusiast, and lifelong Star Wars fan. He also holds what he considers a distinguished culinary title—2nd place in his neighborhood’s annual “Smokefest” BBQ competition.