Photo above: CEHD alumni, learning about HADF’s “Stateless People’s Citizenship Program” from Akha elders in Thailand’s Chiangrai Province
CEHD colleagues celebrate retiring Family Social Science Professor Catherine Solheim
Catherine Solheim
There is a phrase that follows Dr. Catherine “Cathy” Solheim wherever she goes in Thailand.
Ajarn Cathy.
In Thai, ajarn means teacher, but it also conveys something deeper—a respected mentor, a trusted guide, someone whose wisdom is earned through generosity and service.
It is perhaps the title that best captures Solheim’s remarkable career at the University of Minnesota and CEHD.
As she retires from the Department of Family Social Science (FSoS), colleagues across continents agree that Solheim’s greatest legacy is not a single project, publication, or program. Instead, it is the thousands of relationships she nurtured—with students, community leaders, faculty colleagues, alumni, and families around the world.
“Cathy has never been afraid to give her time to others,” says longtime colleague Professor Chris Johnstone. “She is an experienced and generous mentor who helped me understand how to support both students and faculty.”
For many, Solheim was the professor who transformed a study abroad program into a life-changing experience. For others, she was the mentor whose office door—and home—were always open. Every Thanksgiving, while many international students faced spending the holiday alone, Solheim welcomed them into her home. They sat and ate around her family table, creating a tradition that students continue to remember years after graduation.
I believe Cathy has made a deep global impact through her warm and faithful mentoring of international students.
“I believe Cathy has made a deep global impact through her warm and faithful mentoring of international students,” says Grace Chung, now a professor at Seoul National University. “Many of those students are now influential professionals in their own fields, carrying forward Cathy’s example of kindness and dedication into families, communities, and institutions around the world."
That ripple effect defines Solheim’s career.
Over three decades, she built one of the University’s most respected international engagement portfolios, leading undergraduate study abroad programs, mentoring graduate internships, developing global research collaborations, and creating opportunities for students to learn alongside communities rather than simply study them. Her work consistently demonstrated that meaningful international education begins with listening and grows through long-term partnerships grounded in mutual respect.
Nowhere is that philosophy more evident than in Thailand.
Through years of collaboration, Solheim cultivated enduring partnerships with universities, nonprofits, and local communities that continue to benefit students and community members alike. Her commitment extended beyond academic exchange. She learned the Thai language and embraced local traditions. To her students and colleagues in Thailand, she is not an outside researcher. She is a trusted colleague and friend.
“Her greatest contribution has been building meaningful relationships across cultures and creating transformative learning experiences grounded in empathy, respect, and mutual understanding,” says Nunnaree Luangmoi, director of the Center for Girls and Solheim’s longtime collaborator in Thailand. “Organizations and communities like ours have felt truly recognized as equal partners in education and knowledge exchange.”
Former student Bao Diep experienced that partnership firsthand during a graduate internship in Thailand.
“As I transitioned from the United States to Thailand for my summer internship, Cathy provided invaluable guidance and support that helped me navigate cultural, professional, and personal adjustments with confidence,” Bao recalls. She encouraged students “to immerse themselves in local communities, deepen their cultural understanding, and apply classroom learning in real-world settings.”
Chandima Mudiyanselage, another graduate intern, added, “During my international field experience in Thailand, Cathy provided consistent guidance and support while also encouraging me to work independently and develop confidence in my professional skills. She created a supportive space where I felt comfortable discussing any challenges or questions, while also trusting me to take initiative in my work. I deeply appreciated this balance of mentorship and autonomy.”
Solheim, speaking with students at the Wiangkaen School in Chiangrai Province
For Solheim, global engagement was never confined to international travel. She believed that global learning begins at home.
Her work with Karen refugee organizations and immigrant families in Minnesota helped develop culturally responsive financial education and family support programs while introducing students to the realities of migration, resettlement, and community resilience. She regularly partnered with Minnesota’s Thai community, helping students understand that global issues are deeply connected to local experiences.
Professor Liz Wieling believes that commitment distinguished Solheim throughout her long career.
“Cathy created a sense of community for generations of international and minoritized students,” Wieling says. “Her office and home became a safe haven where students found encouragement, support, and friendship. In my time as her colleague, I experienced and observed her endless kindness, scholarly integrity, passion for supporting underserved populations, and courage to use her privileged status to point to injustices.”
That spirit extended to her leadership within the University.
Whether reimagining doctoral education, mentoring junior faculty, creating innovative global courses, or helping organize international alumni engagement in Thailand, Solheim consistently brought people together around a shared vision of learning through collaboration.
Graduate student Diana Chandara remembers walking with “Ajarn Cathy” through the busy streets of Bangkok during Pride celebrations in 2024. What stayed with her was not simply the event itself, but Solheim’s ability to help students notice the significance of the moment—to connect social movements, culture, history, and personal identity into meaningful learning.
As she retires, the programs she created will continue. International partnerships will flourish. New students will travel and learn abroad, communities will remain connected, and future scholars will build upon the foundations she established.
Most importantly, the countless students she mentored—now educators, researchers, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and community advocates across the globe—will continue extending the same generosity that Solheim first showed them.
After 30 years, her legacy is not simply global. It is deeply personal. It lives in every student who increased their confidence because someone believed in them. It lives on in every international partnership built on trust instead of transaction.
That is the enduring legacy of Ajarn Cathy—teacher, mentor, colleague, and bridge-builder—whose influence will continue to connect people across cultures for generations to come.