Rebecca Hoffman
Cohort 4 Alum - 2024-2025

Dr. Rebecca Hoffman is an Associate Professor in the Social Work Department at Bemidji State University. Before joining BSU in 2014, she worked as a social work practitioner for nearly two decades, developing community partnerships and advancing macro-level social policy initiatives.

At BSU, Dr. Hoffman collaborates on two campus initiatives centered on student resiliency. She serves as a co-principal investigator on a $2.5 million S-STEM grant from the National Science Foundation with the College of Business, Math, and Sciences, supporting the development of the Resilience-Focused Systemic Paradigm for Education, rooted in Social Emotional Learning (SEL). She is also an SEL evaluator for BSU’s Noyce Scholars Program, which recruits and prepares STEM majors to become K–12 teachers in high-need rural communities.

Previously, as Executive Director of Ours to Serve House of Hospitality, Dr. Hoffman led the campaign to create Village of Hope, a homeless shelter for families in Bemidji, Minnesota. At Evergreen Youth & Family Services, she directed community programs and partnered with a local developer to build transitional housing with on-site support for youth experiencing homelessness in rural northern Minnesota.

A Licensed Independent Social Worker through the Minnesota Board of Social Work, Dr. Hoffman lives in Bemidji with her husband, Brodie, and their two college-aged children. She enjoys time with family, glamping in Minnesota’s state parks, and pontooning on Lake Bemidji.