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BEFORE TODAY
BEYOND TOMORROW
FALL–WINTER 2019 | VOL. 82, NO. 1
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Associate Vice President and
Chief Marketing Officer
Stephen Jendraszak
jendra@augsburg.edu
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
On s...
Show more BEFORE TODAY BEYOND TOMORROW FALL–WINTER 2019 | VOL. 82, NO. 1 AUGSBURG NOW Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Rebecca John ’13 MBA rjohn@augsburg.edu Associate Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Jendraszak jendra@augsburg.edu NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW On seeing and being seen We see you! This summer, Assistant Professor Joaquin Muñoz from our education department greeted our incoming students with a powerful message. He said that every one of them deserved an adult who loved them unconditionally. He then looked out at our remarkable students and told them that he loved them. He said, “I see you,” and “I will do all I can to ensure that you are successful at Augsburg and beyond.” Joaquin was speaking to students of color and indigenous students in particular, but this is our promise to all our students: “We see you” is at the center of Augsburg’s commitment to meet students where they are and walk alongside them as they pursue their educational goals. What does it mean to say that “we see you”? It means that your life experience, your vocational journey, your path to Augsburg is important to us and will be taken seriously as we work together to ensure your success. It seems especially fitting as we launch our 150th anniversary—our sesquicentennial— that we renew our promise to meet our students where they are, to see them in all of their astonishing and diverse life experiences, and to accompany them as they pursue an Augsburg education. Our promise to see our students is evident in all of our celebrations of our 150th anniversary. For example, the remarkable “Each, Together” art project—part of an international initiative known as “Inside Out”—is featured in this issue of Augsburg Now (see page 16). More than 1,200 photographs are displayed on buildings across campus: images of current students, faculty, staff, and alumni alongside those of historic figures like Bernhard Christensen ’22, Augsburg’s fifth president, who looks at me each day as I pull into my campus parking spot! Every time I look at those photographs, I think about how they reflect our commitment to seeing each other, to recognizing that our various journeys to Augsburg and beyond are part of a remarkable narrative that has unfolded over the past 150 years. Since our founding in 1869 and through the decades that followed, our institution has grown and changed, yet our commitment to our foundational promise has remained the same. We see you, we love you, and together we will fulfill our abiding promise that Augsburg is “small to our students and big for the world.” Faithfully yours, PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT Director of Marketing Laura Swanson Lindahl ’15 MBA swansonl@augsburg.edu Director of Public Relations and Internal Communications Gita Sitaramiah sitarami@augsburg.edu Assistant Director of Marketing Creative Denielle Stepka ’11 stepkad@augsburg.edu Senior Creative Associate, Design Elizabeth Kästner kaestner@augsburg.edu Marketing Copywriter John Weirick weirick@augsburg.edu Communication and Social Media Specialist Briana Alamilla ’17 alamilla@augsburg.edu Advancement Communications Specialist Kaia Chambers chamberk2@augsburg.edu Web Manager Joe Mann mannj@augsburg.edu Contributors Kate H. Elliott Jen Nagorski ’08 Lisa Renze-Rhodes Augsburg Now is published by Augsburg University 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official university policy. ISSN 1058-1545 AUGSBURG NOW Fall–Winter 2019 During Augsburg’s annual community engagement and service event—now known as City Engagement Day—first-year students volunteer at Twin Cities-based organizations at the start of the academic year. On September 3, more than 650 students in Augsburg T-shirts worked alongside faculty and staff. Some sites included community gardens and a river cleanup with the National Park Service. The Class of 2023 is Augsburg’s largest ever. See the back cover. 02 Around the quad 16 Face value 08 Annual report to donors 22 10 A September to remember 26 Auggies connect 12 Building on an early lead 15 Honoring Auggies Balancing the books 28 Class notes 32 In memoriam On the cover: Portraits of community members—past and present—create a tapestry of faces that celebrate, recognize, and honor the individuals who have contributed to Augsburg University during the past 150 years. Read more on page 16. All photos by Courtney Perry unless otherwise indicated Send address corrections to alumniupdate@augsburg.edu. Send comments to now@augsburg.edu. PHOTO BY REBECCA SLATER AUGSBURG’S LARGEST CLASS KICKS OFF ACADEMIC YEAR WITH VOLUNTEERING PHOTOS BY SHAWN NIELSEN AROUND THE QUAD Augsburg launches TRANSIT PASS FOR UNDERGRADUATES Augsburg University now offers the Auggie Pass, a universal transit pass that gives undergraduate students unlimited rides on buses and light rail in a first-of-its-kind partnership between Metro Transit and a Twin Cities university. Augsburg’s student government approved increasing the green fee by $5 to $20 per semester to pay for the Auggie Pass in order to reduce students’ out-of-pocket costs while improving their chances of accepting jobs and internships that involve a commute. Day Student Government is officially responsible for overseeing the green fee that supports sustainability efforts. The Auggie Pass is valid throughout the school year and is paid for from both the student green fee and university operating funds. All traditional undergraduate students who pay the semester green fee are eligible for the pass at no additional cost. “As someone who uses the bus every day, it’s great not to have that financial burden,” said Skye Ryge ’20, who advocated for the pass. “It’s really economically advantageous to students who pay for school, like me, to not have to choose between textbooks and bus fare.” 2 AUGSBURG NOW President Paul Pribbenow named FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow was named an Outstanding Fundraising Professional for his effective, creative, and inspiring leadership. The highest honor bestowed upon one of its members, the award was presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals at the International Fundraising Conference in San Antonio this spring. “The impact of Paul Pribbenow on the organizations he has served is only exceeded by the impact he has had on the entire fundraising profession,” said AFP President and CEO Mike Geiger. “It is fair to say that fundraising—and how we look at ethics and philanthropy—would look differently without the contributions of Paul. His work will serve as one of the cornerstones of the profession for years to come.” QUIZ: OLDER OR YOUNGER THAN AUGSBURG? VARSITY WOMEN’S WRESTLING TEAM Augsburg announced earlier this year the addition of a varsity women’s wrestling team. This new team continues the pioneering tradition in women’s athletics at Augsburg, which now has the only varsity women’s wrestling team in Minnesota. In 1995, Augsburg became the first college in the Midwest to sponsor a varsity women’s ice hockey team. Then, in 2014, Augsburg became the first collegiate institution in Minnesota to sponsor a varsity women’s lacrosse team. The women’s wrestling team is competing this academic year under head coach Max Mejia, who most recently served as women’s and developmental coach at the Sunkist Kids Regional Training Center in Tempe, Arizona. Mejia, a 2015 graduate of Harvard University, has helped coach a World Team Trials champion and another finalist; two senior national team members; a U.S. Open champion, finalist, and placewinner; and four Arizona high school state champions. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The first recorded baseball game occurs. Abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman are born. Leaders sign Norway’s constitution. Abraham Lincoln serves as president of the United States. Victor Hugo publishes the novel “Les Misérables.” Pharmacist John Pemberton invents Coca-Cola. The first automobile with an internal combustion engine is invented. Answers: 1. Older; 1846. 2. Older; 1818 and 1822. 3. Older; 1814. 4. Older; 1861–65. 5. Older; 1862. 6. Younger; 1886. 7. Older; 1807. MINNESOTA’S ONLY In honor of Augsburg’s founding in 1869, the university is celebrating the past and the present with sesquicentennial events all year long. Think you know history? Test your knowledge: Identify whether each of the events below is older or younger than Augsburg. German scholars and artists join RIVER SEMESTER PHOTO BY STEPHEN GEFFRE Augsburg University’s third River Semester launched in August as part of a prestigious German initiative to explore the Mississippi River. “Mississippi. An Anthropocene River” is a German research project involving many communities and initiatives along the river with a focus on climate change. Joining Augsburg students are German travelers, including artists, authors, journalists, and scholars from the Max Planck Institute and the Goethe Institute. This year’s River Semester voyagers departed from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and, for 100 days, are paddling portions of the Mississippi River to reach New Orleans. The students will earn 16 to 19 credits. FALL–WINTER 2019 3 AROUND THE QUAD NEW AUGSBURG BOARD OF REGENTS MEMBERS At its annual September meeting, the Augsburg Corporation elected four new members to the Board of Regents and re-elected three members. Elected to their first term on the Augsburg Board of Regents: • Sylvia Bartley, senior global director, Medtronic Foundation • Ellen Ewald, co-owner and executive advisor at Tysvar LLC and mobileAxept in Minneapolis • John O’Brien, president and chief executive officer of Educause; former president of North Hennepin Community College in Minneapolis • John Schwartz ’67, retired hospital administrator at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago and former general manager of SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories, Schaumburg, Illinois Sylvia Bartley Upgraded training room boosts athletes’ efficiency Augsburg’s athletic training room has moved to a larger, substantially upgraded space in Si Melby Hall. In this new space, sports medicine support staff from on and off campus—including team physicians, chiropractors, physical therapists, and dietitians—can work collaboratively with athletic trainers to better serve Augsburg’s more than 500 student-athletes from 22 varsity sports. Philanthropic gifts paid for the upgrades, with student-athletes gaining the benefit of more efficient scheduling. “The ability to serve multiple teams at the same time in the larger space, with state-of-the-art equipment, will be the biggest advantage and benefit for the student-athlete,” said Missy Strauch, Augsburg’s head athletic trainer. Ellen Ewald Augsburg hosts inaugural HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM Elected to a third term: • Karen Durant ’81, retired vice president and controller of Tennant Company, Golden Valley, Minnesota • Matt Entenza, attorney in private practice in St. Paul, Minnesota, and former Minnesota state representative • Jeff Nodland ’77, retired president and chief executive officer of KIK Custom Products John O’Brien The Human Rights Forum at Augsburg University welcomed about 800 students, thought leaders, global changemakers, and activists this fall. In partnership with the Human Rights Foundation, which also produces the Oslo Freedom Forum, the two-day event at Augsburg brought together participants from a variety of institutions and locations around the world. The first day explored human rights issues in authoritarian regimes, and the second day focused on racial justice, indigenous rights, and environmental sustainability. John Schwartz ’67 See the full list of Board of Regents members at augsburg.edu/about/leadership. 4 AUGSBURG NOW 2019 Media Sponsor Learn more at augsburg.edu/humanrightsforum. OREN GATEWAY CENTER lobby renovation provides aesthetic convenience The Oren Gateway Center lobby and adjoining Nabo cafe were redesigned and renovated during the summer, creating more inviting campus meeting spaces. The Nabo security gate was relocated to allow access to the bookstore and seating area beyond the cafe’s hours of operation. Key pieces of kitchen equipment also were upgraded. This project was funded by A’viands, Augsburg’s food service provider, as part of its most recent dining contract with the university. Augsburg names inaugural Augsburg welcomes Sundquist Endowed Professor of Business Administration This fall, Augsburg named Business Department Chair Jeanne Boeh the Sundquist Endowed Professor of Business Administration. The Sundquist professorship supports business administration, Augsburg’s largest academic department with the most undergraduate students on campus. Boeh, a professor of economics, has been teaching at Augsburg since 1990 and often appears in media interviews and on business panels using her talent for bringing complex business concepts to life. “Jeanne Boeh will lead Augsburg’s efforts to attract top business faculty, thanks to this generous endowment,” said Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow. “She is known as a faculty leader on campus and for her strong commitment to students as they prepare for careers in business.” This endowed professorship is named for alumnus Dean Sundquist ’81, an Augsburg Board of Regents member and chairman and CEO of Anoka, Minnesota-based Mate Precision Tooling. Sundquist and his wife, Amy, have made several major investments in Augsburg. The Forum on Workplace Inclusion has a new home at Augsburg University. Previously based at the University of St. Thomas, the forum is the nation’s largest workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion conference designed for national and global audiences. The forum has served as a convening hub for those seeking to grow professional leadership and effective skills in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion by engaging people, advancing ideas, and igniting change. “The Forum on Workplace Inclusion is excited to begin a new chapter at Augsburg University,” said Steve Humerickhouse, executive director of The Forum. “We look forward to the amazing things we can create with our new Auggie family.” FALL–WINTER 2019 5 ARCHIVE PHOTO From disease to remedy: How nostalgia offers a psychological boost A special vacation with family members you miss. That unforgettable meal at your favorite restaurant with your favorite person. The album you used to listen to nonstop during the ups and downs of high school. You’re happy you have those pleasant memories, but you’re also sad they’re over. You are experiencing nostalgia. Throwback TV shows, retro fashion, and reboots of toys, trinkets, and stories from decades ago have people wondering if American culture is at its peak in terms of nostalgia—and how long it can last. Bridget Robinson-Riegler is a professor of psychology at Augsburg University. Taking a moment between writing a cognitive psychology textbook, research, and teaching and learning with her students, she explores what psychology can tell us about nostalgia’s appeal. Q: A: What is nostalgia? How does it relate to memory? Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for one’s past. The emotion is deeply social and bittersweet but predominantly positive. Nostalgic memories are recollections of atypical life events (e.g., vacations) that involve close relationships (e.g., family, friends) or events from childhood. We view these experiences with rose-colored glasses so negative aspects are often not remembered. We miss those experiences and yearn to relive them. Q: A: Where did the idea of nostalgia originate? The word “nostalgia” is a compound of two Greek words that essentially mean a sad mood originating from a desire to return to one’s native land. The word was coined in the 17th century by a medical student who was helping Swiss mercenaries working in France. He observed symptoms of sadness, loss of appetite, insomnia, cardiac 6 AUGSBURG NOW palpitation—things we would diagnose as post-traumatic stress disorder today. Much of the early interest in nostalgia focused on how to stop these thoughts because it was considered a disease and the resulting symptoms prevented individuals from performing at their military best. Q: A: How does nostalgia affect people psychologically? Nostalgic remembering is most likely to occur in times of loneliness, negative moods, or feelings of meaninglessness. It is basically a coping mechanism to deal with distress. Rather than being the problem (the disease, as it was conceptualized when the term was first coined), it is the way we cope (more like the remedy or cure). Even if we may feel bad and disconnected in our current life, we can “relive” a time when we felt good and were not lonely. Reconstructing memories and projecting ourselves into the future are interdependent cognitive processes that share a system in the brain. So, when we think about a time when we were socially connected and at our “personal best,” these feelings stretch out into our future, and we become hopeful and consequently feel better. Q: A: How is nostalgia active in society today? Given the state of the world— climate change, ups and downs in the economy, racist acts, problematic government leadership—it is not surprising that nostalgic thinking is common. This type of societal distress can lead to personal nostalgia and to collective nostalgia in which people long for a time when they viewed the world as a better place, even if it wasn’t. So there is a resurgence of old TV shows, vinyl records, throwback uniforms for athletic teams, retro clothes, and other products. We seek comfort with familiar products from childhood or from a time when the world was viewed as “better” or “easier.” Visit augsburg.edu/now to read more about nostalgia. COURTESY PHOTOS 2019–20 CONVOCATION SERIES Augsburg University’s annual convocation series provides dedicated time during the academic year to hear from outstanding leaders and visionaries. In October, this year’s series kicked off with the Bernhard Munib Younan M. Christensen Symposium featuring Munib Younan, retired bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and former president of the Lutheran World Federation, and Hamdy El-Sawaf, founder and psychotherapist at the Family Counseling Center and imam of Masjid Al-Iman in Hamdy El-Sawaf Minneapolis. Through their presentations, each shared personal experiences and religious perspectives Join us January 20, 2020 on hope, reconciliation, and resiliency for the Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation. All convocation events are free and open to in the midst of suffering and struggles the public. Visit augsburg.edu/convo. that often are intensified by religious convictions and differences. SAVE THE DATE: PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES PROGRAM moves to new Minneapolis location The physician assistant studies graduate program moved into a renovated, leased space in the Riverside Park Plaza building. The building’s location, at 701 25th Avenue South in Minneapolis, puts it among the medical facilities of the University of Minnesota Medical Center and the Masonic Children’s Hospital and just a short walk from the Augsburg University campus. The program’s move in August came after four years at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. The new space, which features an increased footprint for classroom and clinical lab instruction, supports potential future departmental growth and allows the program faculty, students, and staff to engage with Minneapolis campus activities. “The curriculum was redesigned to be more case-based and hands-on, and this new space will allow for a more creative and innovative learning environment,” said Alicia Quella, the physician assistant studies program director and department chair. AROUND THE QUAD AWARDS AND HONORS Best Regional Universities by U.S. News & World Report: U.S. News & World Report again named Augsburg one of the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest in 2019. This year, Augsburg is No. 13, which makes it the top Minnesota school on the list. Augsburg is also ranked ninth for undergraduate teaching, eighth in its support for veterans, top in the state and sixth overall for innovation, and fourth in promoting social mobility. Rankings are based on average first-year retention rates, graduation rates, class sizes, student-to-faculty ratios, and other information. Best in the Midwest by The Princeton Review: The Princeton Review again named Augsburg one of the Best in the Midwest for academic excellence this year. 25 LGBTQ Friendly Colleges: College Consensus, a new college review aggregator, recognized Augsburg in its survey of 25 LGBTQ Friendly Colleges of 2019. College Consensus works to bring attention to schools that other ranking publishers overlook. Top Schools for Indigenous Americans: In 2019, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s Winds of Change magazine selected Augsburg as one of the Top 200 Schools for Indigenous American and Alaska Native students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math. Top Military Friendly School: Augsburg was again named a Military Friendly® School, a list compiled through extensive research and a free, data-driven survey of more than 10,000 Veterans Administration-approved schools nationwide. FALL–WINTER 2019 7 2018–19 AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS You are a part of a large community of Augsburg donors. We are so grateful for the generosity of this community of people who support our mission. AUGSBURG BY THE NUMBERS ACADEMICS STUDENTS 16.2 average class size 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio 50+ undergraduate majors 10 graduate degrees 2,005 traditional undergraduate students 76% of traditional undergraduate first-year students live on campus Data from 2018–19 academic year 27% of Augsburg undergraduates are first-generation college students 47% of traditional undergraduates are students of color 38 U.S. states represented by the undergraduate student body 44 countries represented by the undergraduate student body 97% of traditional undergraduates receive some form of financial aid AUGSBURG DONORS ENSURE OPPORTUNITIES Parents: Hazen and Kathy Graves • Hazen: Retired partner at Faegre Baker Daniels law firm • Kathy: Principal for communications and planning firm Parenteau Graves • Priority: Support higher education institutions that serve students with physical disabilities When Hazen and Kathy Graves toured Augsburg with their son, Sam Graves ’16, they found that it offered the unique assistance Sam needed as a young man with cerebral palsy who uses a power wheelchair. “As we learned more about the support Augsburg offers to students with various kinds of challenges, we came to understand that Augsburg had been doing this for a long time,” said Hazen. Sam graduated with a degree in psychology. The idea of supporting Augsburg financially occurred to both Hazen and Kathy independently, and they decided to donate $50,000 to endow a scholarship. “Access to higher education is a big issue,” Hazen said, “and we’re just doing our little part.” Find more donor stories at augsburg.edu/giving. AVERAGE GIFT SIZE $2,565 NUMBER OF DONORS LAST YEAR 9,966 Alumni: Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81 • Brian: PhD in physics at the University of Minnesota, taught at Augsburg, joined Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory • Leeann: MD from the University of Minnesota, pathologist at Frederick Memorial Hospital • Priority: Expand students’ academic opportunities and multidisciplinary efforts Husband and wife Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81 are donating $50,000 to endow the Raymond E. and Margaret J. Anderson Scholarship in honor of Brian’s parents’ legacy, as well as in honor of Brian’s brother, Augsburg Physics Professor Emeritus Stuart Anderson ’78. Brian’s father, the late Raymond E. Anderson, joined Augsburg in 1949 as a speech and communications professor. Brian’s mother, the late Margaret J. Anderson, came to Augsburg in 1967 and became library director. Endowing a scholarship is “a formal way of maintaining our relationship with Augsburg while ensuring more opportunities for students in the future,” Brian said. • Retired clinical psychologist who studied at the State University of New York—Buffalo and Michigan State University • Priority: Equitable representation of women in education and leadership, including in faculty roles, administration, and political offices Linda Giacomo was the first in her family to attend college. She empathizes with immigrant struggles, recalling impoverished grandparents who left southern Italy to become naturalized U.S. citizens and parents who could not afford their children’s college tuition despite holding four jobs combined. “Education is transformative in a way that gives you so much power and choice. People should not be denied that opportunity because they have no money,” she said. Noting that women earn 26% less than men but carry two-thirds of the nation’s college debt, Giacomo designated a $30,000 outright gift to the Augsburg Women Engaged Scholarship as well as a generous estate gift. “To not be generous, to not share what you have with those in need, is heartbreaking,” she said. “In making these gifts to Augsburg, my heart is full.” ENDOWMENT MARKET VALUE $48.1 May 31, 2019—$49,644,712 $40.5 $38.3 $32.4 $31.5 $28.2 $49.6 $43.9 $39.4 $34.6 $33.3 $29.8 $24.5 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 REVENUE BY SOURCE EXPENSES BY SOURCE 39% Salaries and benefits 34% Financial aid 19% Operating expenses 3% Utilities and insurance 2% Debt services 2% Student compensation 1% Capital improvement Friend: Linda Giacomo WHERE GIFTS ARE FROM 72.57% Individuals 14.70% Corporations 12.73% Foundations 79% Tuition 8% Room and board 6% Gifts and private grants 3% Government grants 2% Endowment income 2% Other GALA AT A GLANCE • 1,000 Auggies attended the gala. • Thanks to our generous guests, we raised a total of $1.4 million in support of Augsburg’s mission. • Paul Mueller ’84 and Nancy (Mackey) Mueller ’85 issued a challenge and pledged to match every gift at the $1,000 level dollar for dollar up to $100,000. 1 A SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER 2 SESQUICENTENNIAL GALA It wouldn’t be right to mark 150 years of Augsburg with a small affair—so we threw a huge, once-in-a-lifetime party. On Friday, September 27, Auggies of all kinds dressed up and headed to Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel—The Depot in downtown Minneapolis for the Sesquicentennial Gala, a night of dinner, dancing, revisiting the university’s history, and rallying support to propel Augsburg into the next 150 years. 10 AUGSBURG NOW 3 1) Gala attendees pose for a photo. 2) Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a guest speaker for the evening, takes a selfie with Augsburg Day Student Government leaders Arianna Antone-Ramirez ’20 and Lucia Davila ’20. 3) Provost Karen Kaivola and students dance to live music. PHOTO BY LAUREN FALK HOMECOMING 2019 Auggies continued the celebration Saturday, September 28, with a full day of Homecoming festivities, including Taste of Augsburg, a chapel service, the football game, and the Augsburg Music Department Collage Concert. The classes of 1969, 1979, and 2009 celebrated milestone reunions. Donte Collins ’18 embraces English Professor Doug Green. “Auggie, you are called into the world. Into your wonder. Your why. To wrestle with reason. To spot the problem. And propose new parts. To walk toward your fears. To find the heart. We are Called. We are Auggies.” —from “We Are Auggies,” a spoken-word piece written and performed by Donte Collins ’18 PHOTO BY BOB STACKE '71 Campaign Chair Paul Mueller ’84 joins President Paul Pribbenow on stage. “Augsburg is astonishing. Which is really to say that the people of Augsburg are astonishing—Brilliant. Committed. Resilient. You might try to hide it or downplay it, but it is undeniably, unequivocally, tangibly bursting forth from everything you do. It has been nearly 15 years since I first stepped on campus. And, today, the world is noticing Augsburg, what it is, and does, and stands for. Not just in the Twin Cities, but nationally and internationally.” —from President Paul Pribbenow’s gala remarks FALL–WINTER 2019 11 BUILDING ON AN EARLY LEAD BY KATE H. ELLIOTT Athletics secures NCAA grant to fund first-of-its-kind position supporting culture of inclusion Hop, step, and jump. Hop, step, and jump. Training for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, Chris Dixon could think of little else than the triple jump cadence. Hop, step, and jump. Hop, step, and jump. Then at practice, hop, step, and crack—followed by intense pain, doctors, and confirmation that his Olympic dreams shattered along with his ankle. Dixon spent the next few years figuring out who he was off the field—the place where athletic ability and subsequent praise had become closely linked to his sense of identity. It was a journey as difficult—if not more so—than his climb to peak performance. During that dark, confusing time, he promised himself: If I’m ever in a position to help others transition to life after sports, I will. Since July, Dixon has served as Augsburg University’s director of athletic diversity and inclusion and assistant coach for the men’s and women’s track and field teams. He is eager to return to the field as a coach, and he has a game plan to use the new role to promote a culture of inclusion. This job is personal, Dixon said. “I was one of only a few African American kids in elementary school. People would ask to touch my hair, and I felt different until fifth grade, when I performed in front of my peers and teachers at a district track meet,” he said. “For the first time, I felt accepted and embraced, and from then on, my identity was as an athlete. I loved it, don’t get me wrong, but it was difficult to adjust once I left the arena.” Dixon never had an African American teacher or coach other than a friend’s dad who, after selling insurance all day, volunteered for Dixon’s high school track and field team. “I had amazing coaches and teachers, but I never saw myself in those roles,” he said. These and other life experiences inform his outlook on this new role and emphasize the importance of his presence at Augsburg, where he also teaches Introduction to Kinesiology. “I am meeting student-athletes and talking with them about the challenges they face. I am working to be a presence on campus— to break down stereotypes for some and to be a role model for others,” he said. “Alongside student-athletes and our athletics administration, I want to create or enhance academic resources, life-skills development, and networking opportunities.” Personal connections and consistent, centralized support are critical to the success of underrepresented studentathletes, Dixon said. “Augsburg is already ahead of the game. The student body is diverse, and there are many resources across campus that support inclusion. I plan to work with and build on what’s already there.” A plan—starting with breakfast Student-athletes attend a networking event hosted by Chris Dixon. 12 AUGSBURG NOW As the sun rose on the second Thursday in October, Dixon greeted several tables of student-athletes seated in The Commons in Christensen Center. The young men of color connected with each other over breakfast before hearing advice from Jareck Horton, district sales manager at PDC IDenticard, and Augsburg Football Assistant Coach Keanon Cooper. Dixon plans to invite successful men of color from a range of professions to these monthly networking socials, and he will hold similar events with other groups. Alicia Schuelke ’20 MAE, graduate assistant coach for track and field, said she and other students are thrilled with Dixon’s enthusiasm and vision for the role. “In a world where, many times, the odds are stacked against us, leaders of color provide hope and strength,” said Schuelke, a student in the Master of Arts in Education program. “I came to Augsburg for the MAE program, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how diverse the campus is, and it is my absolute favorite part of my learning experience. “If we can move the needle toward a more diverse group of leaders that better represent our country’s demographics, then students of color will begin to understand that the sky’s the limit in terms of their own hopes, dreams, and aspirations.” athletics r u o d n a s nt-athlete e d u t enhance s r e o id e s t g a n e r lo c “A ment, p , I want to n lo e io t v a e r d t is ills admin es, life-sk c r u o s e r academic unities.” t r o p p o g rkin INCLUSION and netwo RSITY AND —CHRIS ECTOR DIXON, DIR E IC DIV OF ATHLET FALL–WINTER 2019 13 AUGGIES Position the result of NCAA diversity grant Dixon’s position is largely made possible through a two-year NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant, which provides financial assistance to member institutions who create full-time, entry-level administrative positions for people who identify as an ethnic minority and/or a woman, according to federal guidelines. The grant also supports professional development and formalized mentoring. Augsburg was one of only 20 institutions and conference offices selected to receive the grant this cycle, and it is the third award for Augsburg in the past decade. The university first secured the Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant during the 2012 to 2014 cycle to fund Jennifer Jacobs’ role as assistant director of NCAA compliance and assistant volleyball coach. In 2014, Augsburg received the NCAA’s Strategic Alliance Matching Grant, which funds fulltime, mid- to senior-level athletics administration positions during a fiveyear commitment. Jacobs’ role then evolved into assistant athletic director of external relations and diversity and inclusion, in addition to her role as assistant volleyball coach. She is now head volleyball coach at Augustana University. Augsburg’s Associate Athletic Director Kelly Anderson Diercks said the department is driven to advance diversity and inclusion. “Embracing and connecting students of all backgrounds and experiences is the right thing to do, but it is also smart,” she said. “More diverse teams are often stronger teams. They produce student-athletes who are better prepared to excel in play and in life.” Anderson Diercks is a product of the NCAA’s diversity grants, first as an intern for the Minnesota Intercollegiate 14 AUGSBURG NOW Athletic Conference and then as an assistant director. The experience, Anderson Diercks said, transformed how she operates as a leader in a maledominated profession. More than a decade has passed, but she remains in contact with the mentor assigned to her during the internship. “These are critical opportunities for women and minorities to enter into leadership positions with tremendous personal and professional resources designed to equip them with the tools and outlook to navigate difficult roles,” said Anderson Diercks, who formerly served as chair of the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Internship selection committee. “We are particularly excited about Coach Dixon’s position because, to our knowledge, it is the only role of its kind.” Augsburg is ‘ahead of the game’ Ali Spungen, associate director of Division III for the NCAA, said that about 130 positions have been awarded through diversity grants during the past five years—that’s more than $36 million in funds for positions and professional development. Augsburg, Spungen said, stands out as a leader in the division, which is well positioned to meet the needs of diverse populations. “Division III allows student-athletes to play the sports they love within departments also focused on their academics and social engagement,” said Spungen, also a past grant recipient. “These positions empower leaders like Coach Dixon to thrive, which inspires and encourages students. Augsburg clearly cares for its student-athletes and is willing to dedicate time and resources to ensure they are successful and well-rounded.” Dixon is ready and grateful to come full-circle—to be the coach and teacher he never had and to prepare others for the transitions he never saw coming. ARCHIVE PHOTOS IN MEMORIAM Merton Strommen ’42 and Gladys Strommen ’46 Merton Strommen ’42 and Gladys Strommen ’46 were a part of a family legacy at Augsburg that has spanned generations. The Strommens have widely shared their gifts and talents with the university, and their impact on the Augsburg community will be felt for many years to come. Mert Strommen died September 2. Youth ministry was the core of his life’s work—as campus pastor at Augsburg and founder of Search Institute, which has an international impact on youth work through research. Mert and his wife, Irene (Huglen) ’44, started the Youth and Family Institute at Augsburg and also created the David Strommen Endowed Fund for youth ministry. Mert also served on Augsburg’s Board of Regents, founded and directed the Augsburg Centennial Singers, and was awarded Fellow status by the American Psychological Association for his pioneering research in psychology and religion. Gladys Boxrud Strommen passed away May 26. Gladys and husband, Clair ’46, who passed away in 2001, have served and supported Augsburg in many significant ways over their lives and created a lasting legacy through their work and dedication. Gladys was a supportive partner to Clair in developing his career in business and leadership with Strommen & Associates and Lutheran Brotherhood, now known as Thrivent Financial. Gladys served on the Board of Regents, co-founded the Augsburg Associates, and hosted many alumni gatherings in her homes in Minnesota and Florida. Through a generous gift, the family established the Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work in 2014 in recognition of their personal commitment to create meaning and purpose in work and life. “Clair and Gladys Strommen are forever woven into the fabric of Augsburg through their commitment to lives filled with purpose and meaning,” said Lee George, executive director of the Strommen Center. “Through the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work, Clair and Gladys’ legacy is realized in students who commit themselves to exploring their values, passions, and skills and understanding how they can be put to use in the world.” The Strommens also commissioned a sculpture in front of Christensen Center and have two endowed funds: a scholarship fund and a program fund for the Strommen Center. As President Paul Pribbenow said in his campus announcement of Gladys’ passing, “Her loss is a big one, but her legacy will continue to be felt by generations of Auggies to come.” FALL–WINTER 2019 15 Face Value BY LISA RENZE-RHODES Dakota and Ojibwe. Norwegian and Irish. Art installations celebrate individuals, expound on Augsburg’s history, and expand the boundaries of community. Somali and Ethiopian. On and around the land that today houses Augsburg University’s Minneapolis campus, they celebrated births and mourned deaths. They spoke languages of love and laughter, stress and sorrow. They built families, businesses, and dreams. They were here and many are gone, at once everywhere and nowhere because in the blistering pace and abundant distractions of the human ecosystem we all inhabit, it’s natural that we forget who came before us. But what if—even for a moment—we turned our attention to who we were and who we are right now? To who worships next to us, or walks by us in the grocery, or shares an apartment wall? “On This Spot” and “Each, Together” bring into focus the history of the campus and the surrounding neighborhood, and the people who are the Augsburg of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What would we discover if we intentionally took notice of who we are and where we’ve come from? This idea is at the core of new art and historical exhibits that cover collectively four city blocks on 12 of Augsburg’s building facades and 37 window panes around campus. As part of Augsburg’s sesquicentennial celebration, artists and designers at the university wanted to give the community a chance to reflect on their history and their people. So the works, dubbed respectively “On This Spot” and “Each, Together,” bring into focus the history of the campus and the surrounding neighborhood, and the people who are the Augsburg of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. FALL–WINTER 2019 17 ‘Humans at the center’ Photographers capture portraits at Augsburg events to use in “Each, Together.” “Each, Together,” the larger of the two projects, is a Group Action of the international “Inside Out: The People’s Art Project” initiative that launched in 2011 after a French street artist, known only as JR, won that year’s TED Prize. First awarded in 2005, the TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) Prize has become synonymous with visionary thinking meant to spark change throughout the world. Winners of the award—including educators, artists, chefs, journalists, and even former President Bill Clinton—have used the $1 million prize to fuel specific community projects, like healthy food initiatives and educational innovations. The winning projects all have one thing in common: They are designed to make people engage in their communities. In the case of artist JR’s project, his vision was to create works that “shine a light on the unsung and give everyone the dignity they deserve.” And he hoped that beyond his capacity as one artist, people around the world would join in the celebration of others. To date, more than 260,000 people in 129 countries have participated in different versions of the project featuring faces displayed on billboards, buildings, sidewalks, and in digital collections. Augsburg is one of the latest communities to answer the call. “We saw that invitation, that there was a related, common ethos to what we have here at Augsburg, and that the project was similar to public works we’ve done here,” said Christopher Houltberg, Augsburg associate professor of art and design. “It’s really about putting humans at the center.” SOCIAL MEDIA Spotlight My former college roommate had eagle eyes today and found me! Responses edited for length and clarity. —ERICA HULS ’01 Hey, look who I found! #AugsburgFamous —SETH RUETER Look ma I made it!!!!! @AugsburgU wahooo!!!! #sesquicentennial —APRIL JOHNSON ’18 18 AUGSBURG NOW So a team that included a curator, nine photographers, and three designers—Houltberg, Maggie Royce ’15, and Indra Ramassamy ’18—worked for several months between Fall 2018 and Summer 2019. The photographers attended between 15 and 20 campus events, all working to capture as many faces as possible to best tell the Augsburg story. “The way we went about it was really organic,” Houltberg said. “We started going to events around campus in Fall 2018 and then in the springtime, trying to get to as many different ones as possible. There’s a really big holiday event called Advent Vespers, and a lot of alumni come to that.” All told, the group took more than 900 photos and gathered about 300 additional images of historic Auggies. “It’s very democratic; everyone is given the same amount of space,” Houltberg said. “From our president, Paul Pribbenow, to people who work on our janitorial staff, to our students, to our former mayor, R.T. Rybak. “As we were defining the parameters [of the ‘Each, Together’ project] it was a fun surprise for us to see who self-identified as part of Augsburg.” Bigger dose of Augsburg R.T. Rybak, current president of the Minneapolis Foundation, was the mayor of Minneapolis from 2002 to 2014. He said it would be impossible to think of the growth and development of the city without considering the role Augsburg has played in that history. “I’ve conservatively said 1,000 times in public speeches that the neighborhood where Augsburg is, is our Ellis Island. One wave after the other washes in and the next wave builds on top, and it’s something that no one wave could have created in isolation,” Rybak said. That’s most certainly the story of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood that surrounds Augsburg and the story of Minneapolis as a whole. “... I often think we just need a bigger dose of Augsburg. We need to realize that offering that ladder of opportunity to someone else makes all of us able to climb higher. We are better together.” —R.T. Rybak, former Minneapolis mayor “Augsburg is a shining example of the very best parts of Minneapolis’ history. The university represents opening doors to people with strange names like Johnson or Anderson or Rybak, and keeping those doors open for people with names that come from Africa, Asia, and places across the globe. “When I get down about what’s fracturing our deeply divided country and world today, I often think we just need a bigger dose of Augsburg. We need to realize that offering that ladder of opportunity to someone else makes all of us able to climb higher. We are better together.” Houltberg said the “together” ideal is at the heart of the exhibit. “As individuals we are showing up, and collectively we can do something greater than what we can do on our own,” he said. “I loved seeing the portraits blocked together, seeing people stop and take selfies. There are people who say, ‘I recognize who that is!’” Forward facing, historic reflections Kristin Anderson, a co-creator of these projects as well as a professor of art history and Augsburg archivist, said she’s only heard good things about the exhibit. “I have seen emails and tweets—sometimes emotional—with people responding to the wall as a whole, as well as to their individual images,” Anderson said. The community is responding to the historical revisit that “On This Spot” installations provide, too, she said. That exhibit features enormous panels that share Augsburg moments that photographers captured decades ago. The campus life of yesteryear includes images of young bobby soxer women from the 1940s in saddle shoes and flowing skirts in contrast with men wearing formal suits while tramping across a snowcovered campus. I’m so proud to be part of the @insideoutproject at @augsburguniversity in honor of the Sesquicentennial! —NIK LINDE ’15 FALL–WINTER 2019 19 “It has been a fun way to bring some old photographs to life and to show how the campus is layered on the site. Those ‘lost’ buildings displayed on the walls of the current buildings help to connect us to our past, reminding us of the imagination and commitment of our predecessors,” Anderson said. The two exhibits are being admired by community members who see the campus regularly and by those who keep up with Augsburg from a distance. Killa (Martinez Aleman) Marti ’08 came to Augsburg from her home in Honduras. Marti said she brought her own values with her when she enrolled, “but Augsburg put them to work. The Auggie community showed me that I wasn’t crazy to want a career with meaning.” “Those ‘lost’ buildings displayed on the walls of the current buildings help to connect us to our past, reminding us of the imagination and commitment of our predecessors.” —Kristin Anderson, university archivist For Marti, “Each, Together” perfectly sums up her experience at Augsburg. “My career is an intersection of what I love to do with the opportunity to serve,” said Marti, an attorney in Atlanta. “To think critically, to be socially and community-minded—all of the things I exercise in my life were supported and further developed at Augsburg.” Houltberg said it’s difficult not to consider the greater impact that art, especially a work like “Each, Together,” has. “Having a group of artists, designers, and photographers come together to make something this beautiful and to see it up and fully functioning is pretty great,” he said. “It has created a tangible thread between all of us, which transcends 150 years and all our history,” said Ramassamy, who worked with the team to design “Each, Together.” “We live in a visual world yet we can be unaware of each other,” she said. “This project is making us aware of one another, making us pay attention, making us curious about the person in the portrait above or to the left or right of us.” “I love watching people who are walking down the streets looking at the portraits,” Houltberg said. “There’s an element of surprise to it that’s really fantastic. Sometimes the tendency is to put people in big groups. But if you look at these portraits, look at the eyes, and look at the humans who are represented here, you see just how wide a spectrum of humans we are. Anytime we can show the humans and not the institution, we win.” “On This Spot” installations show how Augsburg’s landscape, architecture, and people have changed in the past 150 years. 20 AUGSBURG NOW BY THE NUMBERS Each, Together A crew works to install a portion of the 1,246 portraits that make up “Each, Together.” 302 HISTORICAL 143 STAFF 1,246 PORTRAITS 517 STUDENTS 103 ALUMNI 92 FACULTY 29 COMMUNITY MEMBERS installations 37 photographers 60 INCOMING FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS 3,475 1 2 building facade SQUARE FEET curator window panes 9 3 10 building facades 3 designers 12,710 SQUARE FEET 1 curator BY THE NUMBERS On This Spot designers Members of the university’s faculty and staff launched a number of special projects, including “Each, Together” and “On This Spot,” to commemorate Augsburg’s anniversary year. See other sesquicentennial projects at augsburg.edu/150. Catch a glimpse of the Augsburg of yesteryear, thanks to “On This Spot” displays on window panes around campus. FALL–WINTER 2019 21 Mary Taris ’04 is a graduate of Augsburg’s Adult Undergraduate program, which was ranked ninth in Best Colleges’ 50 Top Colleges for Older Students. g n i c n Bala s k o o b the LIOTT BY KATE H. EL Augsburg alumna starts a publishing company, creates the diverse book list she wished she had Y oung Mary Taris ’04 was so thankful to be a girl. The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority required children of different genders to have separate bedrooms, so while her brothers had to share a room, Taris had her own. Through reading, her bedroom walls grew into a mythical grove where she’d encounter a prince or sit for tea with Frog and Toad. “I escaped into books. Or maybe,” she said, “I disappeared in them.” Books gave her the life she longed for, but those beloved tales were someone else’s story. She was 20 before she read a book with black characters. Now 55, the retired teacher is driven to change that narrative. Last August, at the historic James J. Hill Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, Taris stood in front of family and friends to voice her dream, Strive Publishing, into existence. The startup—based out of her Twin Cities home—supports emerging authors of picture books and young adult novels that are culturally relevant, contemporary, and relatable to kids of all shades, abilities, and experiences. “Everyone has a story, and those stories build bridges to connect us all,” said Taris, a graduate of Augsburg University’s Adult Undergraduate program, a flexible degree program that pairs on-campus FALL–WINTER 2019 23 classes with online coursework in a dozen undergraduate majors. “Too often, authors conform to narrow industry standards driven by profit, but I refuse.” At Strive, Taris and her team work to create pathways for writers and artists from all backgrounds to write about their own experiences and a wider array of identities. Publishing stories that represent and connect Strive Publishing has released three titles by local African American authors, and several more books are in the works with upcoming launch dates. Taris’ efforts have been featured nationally and celebrated locally, with invitations to conduct workshops at schools, partner with established publishing companies, and co-sponsor the inaugural African American Voices in Children’s Literature Contest in partnership with Free Spirit Publishing. “Strive is more than a company; it’s a mindset,” she said. “I was a runaway teen mom who finished high school while striving to raise a son and work for a better life.” That determination led her to enroll in Augsburg’s elementary education program. Juggling work and family, it took Taris eight years to graduate, but she walked across the commencement stage and into the classroom where she taught a range of grades and subjects (mostly English) for 15 years. “I became the first person in my family to earn a college degree,” she said. “It had been my dream since childhood.” Augsburg left a mark on Taris, as classes exposed her to inequities in education and literature. Taris reframed those inequities as opportunities. Now, years later, Barbara West, director of student teacher placement at Augsburg, recalled Taris’ embrace of story-filled, relevant learning. While student-teaching, Taris invited a Japanese friend to talk with students who were reading a novel about a Japanese girl during World War II. On her lunch hour, Taris met with eighth-graders to advise on a student-produced newsletter. She sought to incorporate diverse voices and stories into the curriculum. “Augsburg taught me to consider the whole child and to understand the classroom as a life-giving space where you can listen and let people tell their stories,” she said. “As a teacher, I struggled to find diverse texts.” Taris also struggled when administrators brought speakers and books that reinforced cultural stereotypes and limited experiences rather than providing real cultural and ethnic diversity. “I wish they would have, instead, given kids diverse books or brought in local authors who looked like the students.” Celebrating voices that defy stereotypes Taris launched Strive in 2016 while teaching full time, but three years later, she took early retirement to dedicate herself fully to the publishing company. Taris remains an educator, though, as a mentor to young authors and as an advocate for change. She challenges communities, schools, and publishing houses to invite new titles that can find their way onto more readers’ nightstands. Ricardo Peters is among Strive’s “founding authors,” as Taris calls them, and he says he is indebted to “Miss Mary” for her guidance and encouragement. Peters’ book— the first in a fantasy series— sold out within months. The 35-year-old stands out, Taris said, because he is a black man who loves and lives the arts like few others. “Plenty of black men are deeply connected to their artistic side, but society doesn’t celebrate that expression,” Taris added. “Our sons are not all basketball and hip hop. Ricardo defies that stereotype, and his work will lead others to do the same.” Peters had been dreaming up stories since he filled stapledtogether notebook paper with “Transformers” stickers. Publishing a book remained his dream, but it wouldn’t have happened without Taris. “I had been working on this series for nine years and likely would have sat on it forever,” said Peters, who works as a reading instructor at Kumon Math and Reading Center of Maple Grove. “But Mary presented me with this opportunity, she believed in me, and I am eternally grateful.” Strive Publishing’s Book List “Under a Cloven Sky” and “A Wild Nature Embraced” by Ricardo Peters Books one and two in the young adult fantasy series, “The Scorched Heavens,” in which the fate of two nations rests on the city’s young princess and her protector. “Red’s Adventures: The Egg Pie” by Donna Gingery The hilarious first book in a picture book series for children, this story follows the precocious Red, who grows up in Alabama under the watchful eye of her grandmother. “Story to Story: A Strive Short “Isaiah’s Sunglasses” Story Series,” Volume 1 by Linda Miller This collaborative book A short, rhythmic story for project aims to celebrate and children about family, hope, empower emerging authors acceptance, and learning about different types of people. and illustrators. “Who Can I Be?” by Arielle Grant Created by Strive’s founding illustrator, this is a story of a girl who sees her potential through the example of women in her community. Representation in literature on the rise but has ‘a long way to go’ Mary Taris ’04 with two of her children, Jermaine Taris and LaToya Taris-James, who both work with Strive Publishing. Making stories more accessible runs in the family This sentiment is shared among the authors who work with Taris. Her children are equally inspired by her, so much so that they joined the Strive team. Her oldest son, Jermaine Taris, is a book illustrator. Her 16-year-old daughter, Grace Taris-Allen, serves as “quality control,” happily reading manuscripts; and her eldest daughter, LaToya Taris-James, assists with marketing and social media. “My mom makes things happen,” said Taris-James, a student leadership program coordinator for Augsburg’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship. “She is resourceful and passionate, with a unique way of connecting with and inspiring others. “When I was 12, she introduced me to ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe. It was the first piece of African literature I had read on my own, and it shaped my view of black people across the African diaspora and helped connect me with my heritage.” Through Strive, her mother is making those connections on a broader scale, said Taris-James, who hasn’t fallen far from the tree. Along with a friend, Taris-James created a social impact initiative known as Rooftop (or RFTP) that uses storytelling to engage communities in dialogue around difficult, often polarizing, issues. Mother and daughter are both driven to make stories of all kinds more accessible and communal. “I felt called to create Strive, and to be honest, it’s been difficult to wear so many hats and break through,” Taris said. “Where I have come to see the greatest need is for a safe space for all people to tell their stories, whether they get published or not. I’m working with PopUp Think Tank to gather ideas for how Strive can make the greatest impact, and it’s feeling more like a social enterprise than trying to operate as a traditional publishing house. Whatever Strive looks like in a year— or five years—I know it will be moving the dial.” The Cooperative Children’s Book Center researched and compiled statistics about the number of children’s books and young adult literature published by and about people of color, American Indians, and those of First Nations. “Every year, we see amazing books by and about people of color and first/native nations. There just aren’t enough of them,” CCBC Director Kathleen Horning reflected in the ongoing study’s abstract. “The more books there are, especially books created by authors and illustrators of color, the more opportunities librarians, teachers, parents, and other adults have of finding outstanding books for young readers and listeners that reflect dimensions of their lives and give a broader understanding of who we are as a nation.” 1985 2,500 Children’s books published in the United States 0.72% Children’s books written or illustrated by black people 2018 3,312 Children’s books published in the United States 17.8% By or about Asian Pacific people 17.5% By or about black people 12.8% By or about Latinx people 1.6% By or about American Indians/First Nations FALL–WINTER 2019 25 AUGGIES CONNECT ARCHIVE PHOTO Create inclusive and engaging experiences for fellow Auggies The Alumni Board is the governing body of the Augsburg Alumni Association. The board exists to guide the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations in serving the valued alumni, parents, and friends who make up the Auggie community. All alumni are welcome and encouraged to join the Alumni Board. See the job description and apply at augsburg.edu/alumni under “Leadership Boards,” or contact Katie (Koch) Code ’01 at codek@augsburg.edu. New video available: MARTIN SABO ’59 Video of an interview with late Congressman Martin Sabo, whose rise to politics was supported by Augsburg University students, will be available later this year at the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship website, augsburg.edu/sabo, thanks to an Augsburg Sesquicentennial Project award that paid for an updated video description and closed captioning. One year after graduating from Augsburg, Sabo —then 22— was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives. During his tenure, he became the first member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party to serve as Speaker of the House, and he went on to the U.S. House of Representatives, retiring in 2007. Sabo died in 2016. COURTESY PHOTO COURTESY PHOTO Serve on Augsburg’s Alumni Board Augsburg’s first ALL-SCHOOL REUNION Mark your calendar for the All-School Reunion during Homecoming: September 26, 2020. More than 150 enthusiastic Sesquicentennial Stewards have committed to help plan Augsburg’s inaugural All-School Reunion. Volunteers are the heart of this sesquicentennial year of events, and this work is not only more fun but is strengthened by their participation and input. Volunteers assist with the All-School Reunion’s schedule, entertainment, venues, and marketing. Visit augsburg.edu/150. 26 AUGSBURG NOW YOU CHIMED IN: SESQUICENTENNIAL FAVORITE FACULTY IN FOCUS HERITAGE TRIPS Augsburg Now staff asked the university’s Facebook followers for their most memorable professors. Here are a few of their responses, edited for length and clarity. NORWAY ARTS AND CULTURE May 8–18, 2020 $4,800 “Mary Lowe—I had a lot of memorable professors, most of them dear to me, but she and I worked so closely together in my last years of my degree that I cannot think of Augsburg without thinking of her. She is a wonderful, insightful, funny mentor who held me accountable and helped me reach heights I wouldn’t have dreamed of initially.” —TIMOTHY PAUL BISHOP JR. ’18 GERMANY July 15–26, 2020 $5,300 “Merilee Klemp ’75—So many lessons learned from her, both music and life. It’s impossible to forget those in your life who have taught, pushed, encouraged, and mentored as well as she does. She’s an incredible human being with such a kind, wonderful soul. Thank you for everything!” —JENNIFER SCHMITT ’04 Hosted by Religion Department faculty Lori Brandt Hale and Hans Wiersma Oberammergau, Germany COURTESY PHOTOS “Oh, do I have to choose? Matthew Maruggi in the Religion Department—he completely changed how I looked at religion, opened my mind to new perspectives, and taught me the meaning of ‘vocation.’” —GINA MARIE GAINOUS ’15 CAMPUS TOUR Hosted by Theater Professor Darcey Engen ’88 and Luverne Seifert ’85 National Theater, Norway “Kristin Anderson—I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without her! She taught me how to think critically about the built environment, ask the hard questions, and think about all of my research from the standpoint of race, class, and gender. She’s one of the smartest women I’ve ever known.” —KACIE LUCCHINI BUTCHER ’13 Take a limited-edition In honor of Augsburg’s 150th anniversary, three trips hosted by expert faculty guides will celebrate the university’s heritage in Germany and Norway. NIDAROS PILGRIMAGE August 4–13, 2020 $3,300 Hosted by Vice President for Mission and Identity Sonja Hagander Nidaros Cathedral, Norway Learn more at augsburg.edu/alumni/travel or contact Katie (Koch) Code ’01 at codek@augsburg.edu. Two walking tours are available on campus this year: “Augsburg Nooks and Crannies” and “Augsburg Campus: Past and Present.” Led by Kristin Anderson, university archivist, each tour lasts one hour and is limited to 20 people. The tours move through indoor and outdoor spaces to learn about the evolution of the campus from 1872 to the present. The Nooks and Crannies tour includes a visit to the old chapel and gymnasium in Old Main, the Old Main attic, an Art Deco filling station, and other little-known spots of interest. Augsburg Campus: Past and Present Augsburg Nooks and Crannies • • • • • • Wednesday, April 8 Wednesday, April 22 Tuesday, May 5 Wednesday, April 15 Wednesday, April 29 Wednesday, May 6 Save your spot on a tour. RSVP required: eventrsvp@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1104. FALL–WINTER 2019 27 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1961 Jim Holden ’61 wrote a new book called “Heron Thieves, a Bat Out of Hell, and Other Flyfishing Stories, Essays, and Poems.” Holden has been a fly fisherman for more than 40 years, and the book highlights his experiences on trout streams. 1965 Dwight Olson ’65 presented President Paul Pribbenow a copy of his book “Northern Lights: The Beauty of the Forgotten Scandinavian Enamel Artisans” for Augsburg’s library in celebration of the university’s sesquicentennial. 1969 Cheri (Kraskin) Best ’69, Pam (Fredrickson) Gunderson ’69, Sue Kelly ’69, Linda (Stewart) Miller ’69, Margi Ness ’69, and Anna (Stivland) Olsen ’69 celebrated the 50th anniversary of their graduation from Augsburg with a trip to Boulder, Colorado, in May. 1973 David Colacci ’73 and partner Susan Ericksen, both classically trained theater professionals, were featured in a Star Tribune news story that detailed their success as audiobook narrators. The couple records their audiobook narrations in their St. Louis Park, Minnesota, home. They have each narrated more than 500 titles. 1978 This year, Augsburg’s Excellence In Coaching Award recognized Ken Novak Jr. ’78. Novak led high school boys basketball teams at Blaine and Hopkins to 17 state tournaments, the most of any boys basketball coach in Minnesota history. After winning three consecutive state titles and seven in a 10-year span (2002– 11), Novak was named ESPN RISE National Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013, and in 2019 he was inducted into the second class of the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame. 28 AUGSBURG NOW 1987 Andrew Altenburg ’87 joined KPMG in a senior associate role in May 2019. He previously worked as an events manager for The Bank of Tokyo for three years. As a freelance event planner, his clients included MNG, Louis Vuitton, Colgate-Palmolive, and The Carlyle Group. From 2005 to 2015, he produced and emceed 470 bingo events, which raised $250,000 for dozens of LGBTQIA+ organizations. He also is a wedding officiant and cartoonist, posting his work at jumpingforjoy.net. He lives with his partner, Matthew, and their parrot, Lulu, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in New York City. Minasie Theophilos ’87 received the Distinguished Athletic Service Award in honor of his decades-long support of Augsburg’s student-athletes and coaches. A custodian in Augsburg’s athletic facilities, Theophilos has grown close to many people in Auggie athletics including the men’s hockey team. He came to Augsburg as a student in 1983 from Ethiopia and had not been able to return to his home for more than 30 years. In 2017, after the death of his mother, the men’s hockey team raised more than $7,500 to fund a trip for Theophilos to see his family, who now live in Norway. 1993 Tanya Schwartz ’93 was named the seventh police chief of Burnsville and is the first woman to hold the post. Schwartz has been with the police department for 23 years, beginning as a patrol sergeant and then serving as detective sergeant and captain. 1994 Lori Higgins ’94, ’12 MAL became president of Augsburg’s Alumni Board. She currently serves on several boards including the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. She joined the Alumni Board in 2016 because of her deep connection to the university and support of its mission. 1999 The first NCAA Division III player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, Devean George ’99 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. George led the Auggies to two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and berths in the NCAA Division III national playoffs, earning conference MVP honors both times. He finished his college career with 2,258 career points and 868 career rebounds, both second in school history, and a 23.5 points-per-game average, the best in school history. George has played with three NBA teams and works to develop affordable housing in North Minneapolis. Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Scott Hvistendahl ’99 was Augsburg baseball’s starting centerfielder as well an AllAmerican wide receiver on the football team. He was the first player to break the NCAA career receiving yardage record held by NFL legend Jerry Rice, finishing his career with 285 receptions for 4,696 yards. He now stands 14th in NCAA all-divisions history in career receiving yardage. Hvistendahl was named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, and won the Gagliardi Trophy for his performance in academics, athletics, and community service. Qiuxia (Xia) Welch ’99 and Kevin Welch, co-founders and owners of Boom Island Brewing, hosted Augsburg’s first “beer choir” in the spring. The couple started their company in 2011 focusing on Belgian-style beers, and they recently relocated the business to a new space in Minnetonka, Minnesota. 2002 Crescent Cove, a hospice home for children founded by Katie Lindenfelser ’02, was featured in a New York Times story. Lindenfelser, the executive director and an Augsburgtrained music therapist, opened the St. Louis Park, Minnesota, care facility in 2018. Crescent Cove offers respite and hospice care to children and is the only facility of its kind in the Midwest. 2003 Kristen Opalinski ’03 began a new professional chapter as the manager for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This role includes managing communications, providing staffing for EIR committees and events, extending hospitality to ecumenical and interreligious partners at the Lutheran Center in Chicago, and serving as the ELCA representative at various EIR meetings held both domestically and internationally. This is a new position designed to meet the needs of the everchanging ecumenical and inter-religious landscape and the expansion of the church’s ecumenical and inter-religious commitments. Opalinski also serves as a writer for Living Lutheran Magazine. 2004 Max Langaard ’04 was featured on “Good Morning America,” where he shared his journey as a teacher and also his time as a mentor and coach at a nonprofit called Playworks in Oakland, California. Playworks helps schools and youth organizations create a place on the playground for every child to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills. Langaard also received NBA Finals tickets from the television show. Adam Langer ’12 and wife, Alyssa, welcomed their first child, Addison, in November 2018. Dual sport athlete Kristen Lideen ’04 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. As softball shortstop, Lideen was the lone Auggie to hit better than .400 in their career (.444). Her 38 career doubles remain a school record, while her 18 doubles and 89 total bases in 2003 are both single-season school records. In soccer, Lideen played as a sweeper for an Auggie defense that recorded a 1.04 goals-against-average in her four seasons. Lideen earned All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors three times as a soccer athlete and earned All-MIAC first-team honors four times as a softball player. 2008 Greg May ’08 was hired by the University of Minnesota’s hockey program as the new director of hockey operations. May spent the previous three years as the hockey head coach and associate athletic director at the Blake School in Minneapolis. While playing hockey during his time at Augsburg, he was a MIAC All-Conference honoree. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS Christina Olstad ’00, ’05 MSW began her new role as dean of students at the University of Wisconsin—Madison in July. Olstad previously was the interim assistant vice president for student affairs, housing, and residence life at Towson University in Maryland. She has worked in higher education administration for nearly two decades, beginning with her time at Augsburg. 2009 Caitlin (Hozeny) Lienard ’09, ’16 MSW passed her Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker exam in April. The late Donny Wichmann ’89—a three-time Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion, a national tournament All-American, and a longtime assistant coach who was a part of 10 NCAA Division III national championship teams with the Auggies—was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame in August. Augsburg Men’s Wrestling Co-Head Coach Tony Valek ’12, ’14 MAL and wife, Kassi (Goranowski) Valek, welcomed a son, Hudson Ricke, in June. Denielle (Johnson) Stepka ’11 and Timothy Stepka welcomed a daughter, Halle Jo Jean, on September 30. FALL–WINTER 2019 29 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES Bobby Rose ’16 married fiancée, Amber, in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, in May. Mara (Breczinski) Barrozo ’14 and Enrico Barrozo ’14 welcomed a daughter, Ryna, in June. Carlson Inc. announced the appointment of Richard “Rick” Gage ’96 as its non-executive chair of the board in August. Gage is the founder and former CEO of YourMLSSearch. com, a director of the World Childhood Foundation, and is on the board of the Carlson Family Foundation, where he has served for more than 20 years. Tyler Heaps ’13, manager of analytics and research for U.S. Soccer, was on the staff of the USA national women’s soccer team that celebrated a World Cup Championship victory in July. Heaps, who helped play a part in the team’s seven-game win series to clinch the title, said it was “one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences” of his life. Heaps’ work in data analysis and use of video coverage enhances skills on the field and helps athletes better prepare for their competition. Read more of this story at augsburg.edu/alumni/blog. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS Hayley (Thomas) Ball ’12 and Emerson Ball ’14, ’19 MSW welcomed a daughter, Zara, on March 13. Jessica Barker ’97, Amy (Bowar) Mellinger ’97, Tara (Cesaretti) McLeod ’97, Christa Winkelman ’97, and Jane (Ruth) Zirbes ’97 gathered for their annual girls’ trip in Las Vegas. Since their days at Augsburg, they’ve planned yearly trips and remained close friends. 30 AUGSBURG NOW Two rural Osakis, Minnesota, churches—with roots dating back to the early days in the state’s history—are thriving with the help of their new intentional interim pastor John Douglas Hopper ’68. Hopper, who lives in Delano, Minnesota, and spends weekends at Salem and Sauk Valley Lutheran churches. He began a one-year pastorate on October 21, 2018. Stephanie Putzier ’16 MBA serves Minnesota Women of Today at the state level as the internal vice president, a position in which she oversees the organization’s internal programming. Putzier received the Programing Award of Excellence for her commitment and efforts. She has been an active member of the organization since 2002. Ross Murray ’00, ’09 MBA received the Living Loehe Award at Wartburg Seminary’s commencement in May. The award was given in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, the 10th anniversary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s steps toward inclusion for LGBTQIA+-identified people, and his calling as a deacon to engage in LGBTQIA+ advocacy in the church and the world. Murray is the senior director of education and training at GLAAD Media Institute and is the founding director of The Naming Project. Read more of this story at augsburg.edu/alumni/blog. K. Marshall Williams Sr. ’78 received the Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service from Oklahoma Baptist University. Williams, who has served as pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church in Philadelphia for more than 35 years, accepted the award on June 10 during the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE Tell us about the news in your life—your new job, move, marriage, and milestones. Visit augsburg.edu/now to submit your announcements. Kristy Millering ’06 became the new director of finance at Winona Area Public Schools. Millering began this role after eight years in finance at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, most recently as a senior internal auditor. She also worked as an accountant for McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing and owned her own dance studio. Jason Oare ’05 and wife, Erin, welcomed a daughter, Remedy Faith, in April. Amber (Stransky) Caswell ’07 and husband, Tavid, welcomed a daughter, Olivia Sandra Donna, in June. Mary Christine Kane ’94 released her first book of poems, “between the stars where you are lost.” Kane also works in marketing and volunteers for the arts and animal rescue initiatives. Her poetry and nonfiction works have appeared in journals and anthologies including Bluestem; The Buffalo Anthology, Right Here, Right Now; Ponder Review; and Sleet. FALL–WINTER 2019 31 IN MEMORIAM Gladys I. (Boxrud) Strommen ’46, Edina, Minnesota, age 93, on May 27. Gladys H. I. (Vigen) Hallstrom ’56, Thief River Falls, Minnesota, age 87, on March 27. Omar N. Gjerness ’47, Fergus Falls, Minnesota, age 97, on July 19. Sylva M. (Dahl) Kubicek ’56, Lake Crystal, Minnesota, age 83, on March 18. Prudence V. (Hokanson) Nystuen ’47, Lakeville, Minnesota, age 93, on July 3. Mary J. (Christiansen) Meyer ’56, Miami, age 84, on April 7. Barbara (Ekse) Carlson ’48, Minneapolis, age 92, on April 1. Catherine A. (Mork) Kordahl ’48, Fertile, Minnesota, age 96, on June 28. Lorraine W. (Weltzin) Peterson ’49, Hastings, Minnesota, age 94, on May 28. Sheldon L. Torgerson ’49, Minneapolis, age 92, on May 26. Gordon N. Berntson ’50, Fargo, North Dakota, age 93, on April 25. Wayne H. Wickoren ’50, Fargo, North Dakota, age 92, on July 7. Elizabeth A. Becken ’51, Shoreview, Minnesota, age 90, on June 3. Harriet M. (Haller) Brown ’52, Hastings, Minnesota, age 89, on May 11. Evonne L. (Emerson) Johnson ’52, Faribault, Minnesota, age 88, on March 9. Duane L. Addison ’53, Minneapolis, age 88, on April 18. Robert L. Lindquist ’53, Worthington, Minnesota, age 87, on April 28. Arthur V. Rimmereid ’53, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 87, on June 24. Jeannine L. (Torstenson) Blanchard ’54, Fresno, California, age 86, on March 6. Oliver K. Vick ’54, Lancaster, Wisconsin, age 88, on March 22. 32 AUGSBURG NOW Marvin L. Dooley ’59, Eagle Grove, Iowa, age 95, on July 20. Edean A. Berglund ’73, Lacey, Washington, age 67, on April 11. Nancy J. (Thompson) Peterson ’75, Minneapolis, age 65, on May 27. Bonnie M. Goetzke ’76, Memphis, Tennessee, age 65, on April 19. Pamela S. Slette ’76, Albert Lea, Minnesota, age 65, on June 21. James A. Hanson ’59, Dodge Center, Minnesota, age 88, on July 6. Marcia G. (Thompson) Turcotte ’78, Chanhassen, Minnesota, age 97, on July 19. Donald E. Jorenby ’59, Woodbury, Minnesota, age 81, on March 19. Michael J. Riley ’84, Brainerd, Minnesota, age 58, on July 25. Bonnie J. (Martinson) Storley ’59, Minneapolis, age 81, on March 31. Donald D. Wichmann ’89, Minneapolis, age 53, on July 16. Arden S. Flaten ’60, Hastings, Minnesota, age 82, on May 4. Thad D. Firchau ’92, Mankato, Minnesota, age 48, on March 23. Marlin B. Aadland ’62, Delta, British Columbia, age 82, on May 30. Marna R. Brown ’93, Fergus Falls, Minnesota, age 49, on March 28. Jerome C. Barney ’62, Fergus Falls, Minnesota, age 81, on July 9. Theresa D. (Holt) Wimann ’94, Baraboo, Wisconsin, age 60, on May 7. LeRoy E. Lee ’63, Solon Springs, Wisconsin, age 79, on March 25. Gerald A. Carlson ’64, Pine, Arizona, age 78, on June 19. Lennore A. (Bylund) Bevis ’66, Minneapolis, age 75, on July 28. Verland E. Kruse ’66, Stillwater, Minnesota, age 83, on March 23. Richard E. Andersen ’68, Phoenix, age 73, on June 2. Russell K. Jones ’69, Mercer, Maine, age 71, on May 9. Raymond J. Wesley ’69, Maple Grove, Minnesota, age 77, on July 27. Daniel L. Knak ’72, Hastings, Minnesota, age 69, on July 19. Mary S. (Wozniak) Sergeant ’99, Kansas City, Kansas, age 61, on May 25. Mauris N. De Silva ’00, Jackson, New Jersey, age 46, on July 31. Robin A. Olsen ’01, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 48, on April 28. Amanda J. Kelley ’09, Ave Maria, Florida, age 38, on May 25. Patrick J. Inman ’11, Rochester, Minnesota, age 41, on July 9. Matthew C. Blackburn ’15, Plymouth, Minnesota, age 36, on August 19. The “In memoriam” listings in this publication include notifications received before September 1. ARCHIVE PHOTOS Augsburg community – 1931 L L A G N CALLI S E I G AUG . LL A N A E M E W —AND 1970 1975 2004 N O I N U E R L O ALL-SCHO 020 R 26, 2 SEPTEMBE LIS MINNEAPO s at Follow update u/150. augsburg.ed opportunity e m ti fe li a -in Join this once ith to celebrate w every class, program, e e r g e d y r e ev e, every decad ity. urg commun b s g u A e th everyone in TURN THE PAGE to see the Class of 2023. Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID PHOTO BY TOM ROSTER 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 2031 Augsburg enrolls historic first-year class A record-setting 636 undergraduate first-year students started at Augsburg University this fall. The Class of 2023 marks the third year in a row in which a majority are students of color. All told, the university now has 2,159 students in the traditional undergraduate program, which is also a record for Augsburg.
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