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Title: Augsburg Now Fall 1985
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection

Title: Augsburg Now Spring 1986
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection

Title: Augsburg Bulletin March 1951
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection

Title: Augsburg Bulletin March 1951, Page 07
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: Engagements Corinne Rethwill (49-50) to Don- ald Tiegs, Henderson, Minnesota. ’ Dagny Quanbeck, ’50, to Luther Hegland, Roseau, Minnesota. Ruth Isaacson, ’49, to Rev. An- drew Cornell, ’44, Roseau, Minne- nota. Ruth Iesness, ’52, Morris, to Ken- neth Tweed, ’51, Tolna, N. 1). Dorothy Guldseth,...
Show moreEngagements Corinne Rethwill (49-50) to Don- ald Tiegs, Henderson, Minnesota. ’ Dagny Quanbeck, ’50, to Luther Hegland, Roseau, Minnesota. Ruth Isaacson, ’49, to Rev. An- drew Cornell, ’44, Roseau, Minne- nota. Ruth Iesness, ’52, Morris, to Ken- neth Tweed, ’51, Tolna, N. 1). Dorothy Guldseth, Minneapolis, to LeRoy Annenson, ’52, Wallace, 5. D. Mabel Danielson, '54, Farmington, to lShut Quanbeck, ’53, McVille, N. . Freda Binder, ’51, Devils Lake, N. D., to Howard L. Helm, Minot, N. D. LaVonne Erickson, ’53, Minneapo- lis, to Lowell T. Nerge, Madison, Minn. .lean Swanson, ’52, Bemidji to Arne Markland, ’49, Menagha, Min- nesota. Montages Adeline A05, ’48, of Sioux Falls, 5. 1)., to Frederick Martichuski. Roland Erickson, ’54, to Darlyne Broin of Kenyon, Minn. Margaret Moe (46-47), Constance, .\1inn., to Albert Sannerude (46-50), Hazel Run, Minn. Berton Hushagen, ’53, Gonvik, to lda Goebel, North Hollywood, Calif., on March 21st. At home, 1300 Kelly Drive N., Golden Valley, Minn. Jeane Tiblce, ’48, to Ruben Vane, ‘1‘). At home, Fort Yates, N. D. Marvin Winquist, ’51, to Carolyn Younger, Duluth. At home, 2100 S. 7th St., Minneapolis. Patricia Dillree to Donald Bloom, '50. At home, 2200 S. 7% St., Minne- apolis. John Lingen, ’53, to Elaine Swig- gum, Utica, Minn.. on March 16, 1951. Robert Huge, ’52, to Donna Mae Petersen, Lamberton, Minn. At home, 4408 29th Ave. 5., Minneapolis. Dagne Morgan, (33-34), to T/S Robert Kraus, Minneapolis. At home, 3221 E. 51st St., Minneapolis. Kenneth Wetter, (49-50), Minne- apnlis, to Carols Kjalin. Class of ’68 Daughter, Lee Ann Naomi, born to Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Henjum, ’49, (lrene Shelstad, 48-49). February 7, 1951. Son, David Allen, born to Mr. and Mrs. Harland Gabrielson (Borghild Rholl. 44-45), February 23, 1951. They live at Litchfield. Minn. Son, Allan Conrad, born to Rev. and Mrs. Conrad Iergenson, ’37. They are on a mission field in Central Africa. Daughter, born to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sanders, ’48, (Lorna Wilberg. '47). April 2, 1951. Son, Greggory Dean. born to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bervig, '49, April 5, 1951. Daughter, Nancy, born to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Arnold, (45-48), April 5, 1951. Daughter, Barbara Joanne, born to Mr. and Mrs. Harold T. Lee, ’50, on February 24, 1951. In Memoriam Mrs. E. M. Hanson, wife of Rev. E. M. Hanson, ’93, Minneapolis. Mrs. A. R. Anderson, mother of Ernest Anderson, ’37, Minneapolis. Paul 0. Sotnack, ’15, Minneapolis. Rev. L. M. Halling, ’96, 1.05 An- geles, Calif. Rev. 0. Rossing, ’90, Bergen, N. D. Student Leaders Look Ahead (Continued from page 5) men who are interested in this phase of activity. Marvel Moe, Shirley Odencrans, and Russell Berg are a committee responsible for recruiting counsellors and for giving them in- structions in this work. They have planned to present their “training course” on April 24th and May lst. After counsellors are elected and in- formed of their responsibilities, they are assigned certain students who plan to enter Augsburg in the fall. This work is under the guidance of the Personnel Department who also sponsors the Student Leadership Re- treat at Camp Tipi-Waukan. On May 8th the Student Council of the past year meets with the newly-elected Stu- dent Council to discuss the experi- ences and problems which will pass from the one group to the other. They also lay plans for Freshman Days and Homecoming. Pro-Military Information Meetings - The young men enrolled at Augs- burg College who expect to enter mili- tary service sometime in the future are being given an opportunity to become oriented through a series of pre-military service information meet- ings sponsored by the Student Coun- cil under the advising of Mr. Marvin Troutwein and Mr. R. J. Hildreth of the Augsburg faculty. James Wal- ler. Chairman of the student commit- tee. reports that the interest is keen and that attendance has been good. The program consists of weekly meetings at which such topics as Wel~ fare Agencies and the problems they can solve, As ts of the Army Ca- reer, First it): Days, Deferment Policy, Veterans Administration, Rec- reational and Educational Opportu- nities, and Adjustment to Military Life are presented by authorities in each field. The discussions have been led by military personnel from the Twin City area. After presentation of the topic, the audience is permit- ted to ask questions thereby giving the boys an opportunity to clarify their thinking on many subjects. This type of orientation program is rather new for college campuses although the need was felt as soon as it became obvious that a large per- centage of college men Would have to report to service. Augsburg is one of the first colleges in this part of the country to make such information available. In addition to baseball. the Aug gies liave full schedules in Tennis. Track. and Golf. The track squad is going to sorely miss the consistent oint-getting of Gene .lesperson who lias been called up with the National Guard. Bill Kuross, defending state singles champ, will lead the netmen. while the golfers will be paced by Don Fladland and Leon Radde. A new twist to Augsburg baseball rivalry developed recently when Kelly “Smiley” Roth accepted the baseball coaching job at Macalester College. The inimitable Roth, who starred in baseball and football at Augsburg under Edor Nelson, will ﬁnd himself facing his former coach on May 4 at Macalester. The “"0 teams meet only once. this season.
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Title: Augsburg Bulletin March 1951, Page 08
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: BASEBALL PROSPECTS FOR 1951 Finding ways to stretch the base- ball season has been an ever-present problem for as long as the sport has been play ed on a college level in the frozen inidwest. Coach Edor Nelson has not been able to squeeze more than sixty minutes out of an hour drill and his...
Show moreBASEBALL PROSPECTS FOR 1951 Finding ways to stretch the base- ball season has been an ever-present problem for as long as the sport has been play ed on a college level in the frozen inidwest. Coach Edor Nelson has not been able to squeeze more than sixty minutes out of an hour drill and his eﬁorts to alter the calen- dar have all failed. Lately. however. we have noticed changes of a quali- tative nature in his approach to the problem. Nelson, who is working his boys out in the gymnasium. begins each practice session by singing “it Might as Well Be Spring". This lends a psychological advantage to the drills which is certain to pay dividends on the diamond. Reluctant to divulge the source of his new musical ap- proach. Nelson's only comment is that he "picked the idea up while working on a progressive dairy farm." Working with a core of ten letter- men. mostly sophomores and juniors. Nelson is non-committal about pros- pects for his squad. “They have lots of hustle.” he said. “and are the kind of team you like to watch. They are kids who like to play ball and will make up in hustle what they lack in experience." The word has been get- ting around. however. that the like- able and jovial mentor has a better squad than last year’s and may even be secretly plotting an upper bracket ﬁnish. The returning lettermen include two seniors, Jerry Davis. who will be seeing a lot of action as a pitcher. and Skippy Hanson, who will also perform on the mound. Other letter- men include: Bill Onischuk. pitcher; Robert Hage. catcher: Elwood Lar- son, catcher; Harvey Peterson, third base: Mark Raabe, second base; Arlo Dahlager. ﬁrst base: Jack Schwartz. center ﬁeld, and Don Eckhoft, ﬁrst base. Some of the outstanding new pros- pects include: Don Reimer, catcher; lirling Huglen. pitcher, and Henry Sechler. outﬁelder. So far this sea- son about forty men have reported for drills. The Auggies will go out of the conference for only two games this season—a home-and~home series with the University of Minnesota. One of the encounters is the season’s opener and will be played April 17 under the lights at Delta Field. The other game will be played at 8 p.m. May 14-. in Nicollet Park. Most of the other home games will be played at Nokomis Field. 50th and Cedar. No admission will be charged for the games at Nokomis. What will be the won-lost record of the squad this season is. of neces-' sity. still in the realm of the un- known. In a recent interview, how- ever. Coach Nelson said, “You must take into consideration the fact that the art of striking a three-inch spher- oid and sending it over lengthy tra- jectories is fraught with a good many uncertainties which make it difﬁcult, if not impossible, to forecast the out- ' come of any season. I wish to deny in advance any statement you may quote me as having made." Spring Sports Schedule BASEBALL April l7—Minnesota, there. April 21—Gustavus, here. April 24—St. Thomas, here. April 28—St. Mary’s, here. May l—St. Thomas, there. May 4—Macalester, there. May S—St. Olaf, here. May 8—St. John’s, there. May Dir—Minnesota, here. May lS—Hamline, here. May 17—St. John’s, here. May 19—St. Olaf, there. May 22—Gustavus, there, 8 p.m. TENNIS April 17—Hamline, there. April 28—St. Mary’s, here. May l—St. Thomas, here. May 4—Macalester, there. May 8—St. Olaf, here. May l2—St. Olaf, there. May lS—Hamline, here. May 18 and ISL—State meet at Mac. May 22—Gustavus, there. TRACK April l4———Macalester, there. April 21—Carlton Relays. April 28—Gustavus, there. May S—Viking or St. Thomas Re- lays. May ll—St. Olaf, there. May 19—State Meet. and a large crowd is anticipated. will be charged. VARSITY-ALUMNI BASEBALL GAME SCHEDULED There will be a Varsity-Alumni baseball game held at Nicollet Park on Saturday evening, May 19, at 8 p.m. It is the ﬁrst time in history of Augsburg that a game of this type has been scheduled on such a large basis. lnterest among the Alumni is running high for this event The Alumni team has been chosen from the teams of 194-6 through 1950. Claire “Doc” Strommen, one of Augsburg’s all-time greats, will coach the team. “Doc” has received nation-wide attention for his pitch- ’ ing prowess. At the present time he is engaged in assisting Edor Nelson J in the coaching duties at Augsburg, mainly working with the pitchers. The Varsity team is the 1951 edition at Augsburg. A nominal fee 1 The Bulletin of WW WWW SW 8th St. and 213! Ave. S. MINNEAPOLIS 4. MINNESOTA
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Title: Augsburg Bulletin March 1951, Page 06
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: 1 890-1 920 Rev. and Mrs. Bernhard A. Hel- Iand, ’18, (Murial Nelson, ’25) and daughter Claire Elaine, arrived home from India on March 24th. They are living at 3231 Fremont South. Rev. Helland has resigned his position as superintendent of the Santal Mission in India. Oliver T. Swanson. ’17, of...
Show more1 890-1 920 Rev. and Mrs. Bernhard A. Hel- Iand, ’18, (Murial Nelson, ’25) and daughter Claire Elaine, arrived home from India on March 24th. They are living at 3231 Fremont South. Rev. Helland has resigned his position as superintendent of the Santal Mission in India. Oliver T. Swanson. ’17, of Dawson Creek. British Columbia. Canada. spent a few weeks in Minneapolis re- cently. visiting his son Ronald. ’48. and his mother and other relatives. Mr. Swenson is operating a farm implement and automobile establish- ment. 1930-39 Rev. H. 0. Egertson, ‘31. of Los Angeles. California. has been called as an evangelist for the ELC. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Bolslad. '34-. and famin have returned from Tanganyika. East Africa. and are at present living at 1924- So. Prairie. Sioux Falls. South Dakota. Miss Constance Slennes. '39. was a visitor on the campus in March. She is a missionary to Bolivia but is home on furlough. While here. she spoke to various groups. including the Spanish classes. and also showed pictures of the work and life in Bo- livia. 1940-50 Rev. and Mrs. Paul Sonnack. ’42. (Evelyn Amundson. ’43} have moved to Chicago where Rev. Sonnack will continue his studies at the UniVersity of Chicago. They plan to return to Minneapolis in the fall. Their pres- ent address is 6731 S. Perry. Chicago 21. Illinois. Iohn Werkel. ’49. has again Won honors in the athletic ﬁeld by being named the outstanding athlete of 1950 in Minneapolis. He earned the award through his feats in European skating events from 1948 to 1950. He has already been chosen on the United States 1952 Olympic team. Mr. Werket is now coaching the Bear- cat Legion Skating Club of Minne- apolis. Duane Addison. (49-50)). was elected president of the Lutheran Stu- dent Association on the University Campus for the coming year. He is a Junior in the College of Liberal Arts. AUGGIE FELLOWSHIP CIRCLE On the Campus On March 12th and 14th. Augs- burg College was host to the Minne- apolis Junior Chamber of Commerce and about 300 juniors from 10 Min- neapolis high schools. The event was a College Orientation Day sponsored by the J.C.’s for the purpose of ex- plaining to prospective college stu- dents such phases of college life as loans and scholarships. entrance re- quirements. and the military outlook. A movie on activities of a college, ﬁlmed at Princeton, was also shown. Mr. William Lee and Mr. Larry El- feldt of the Junior Chamber of Com- merce were co-chairmen of the event while the Public Relations depart- ment at Augsburg made the necessary arrangements on the campus. I I I The third annual Careers Confer- ence was held at Augsburg on April 4th with general arrangements made by student committees and the per- sonnel committee. Miss Leith Shackel, Director of Placement Services. Carleton College. and Dr. C. H. Beck- er. President of Wartburg College. gave the leading addresses. Miss Shackel spoke on “Careers Unlimit- ed" and Mr. Becker used “Serving God in Your Generation” as his theme. Following the general session in the chapel in the morning, the group devided into various interest groups such as mathematics, library science. physical education. and Christian service, each with a leader well qualiﬁed to give advice in his particular ﬁeld. I I I Augsburg has again enjoyed “Sci- ence Night" sponsored by the Aristo- telian Society. This annual affair was held on March 3lst and was widely and colorfully advertised by balloons which were released from the campus during the day. To each balloon was attached a return postcard with the request that the ﬁnder return the card to the college. Cards have been re- turned from Gay's Mills. Wisconsin: Klemme, Iowa: Cresco. Iowa. and Goodhue and Waseca. Minnesota. The program consisted of a colored movie entitled “Realm of the Wild”, and open house in various science laboratories of the college. In each laboratory an experiment was being conducted. Approximately 225 peo- ple attended the program. I I I The A.W.S. (Associated Women Students) of Augsburg sponsored a spring tea on April 3rd to which the women on the faculty and staff were invited. After refreshments a very in- teresting style show was given. I l I The Mission Society centered their mission festival on April 5 to 8 around the theme, “Debtors to All”. This thought was carried out by their speakers, Rev. B. A. Helland, recently returned from India, Mrs. Kim of Korea, and Rev. C. E. Wal- stad. president of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America. The ﬁlm. “I Am With You” was shown on Friday evening. I I I Spiritual Emphasis Week was held at Augsburg March 5-9 with Rev. C. E. Walstad, president of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of Amer- ica, as guest speaker. The theme of the series of meetings was “God Has the Answer". This emphasis on the positive brought a challenge and an enrichment to the audience which packed the chapel every night—a challenge to ﬁnd the answer in God through His Word, and an enrich- ment through conﬁdence in a life for which there is an answer. I I I Friends and Alumni of Augsburg are sorry to know that Prof. Lars Lillehei, Professor of New Testament Creek, is ill from an heart ailment and has been unable to conduct his classes for several weeks. Latest re- ports are that he is better but that he will be away from the college for an indeﬁnite period. I I I We wish to extend to Professor H. N. Hendrickson our congratula- tions on his 83rd birthday, and to wish him many more birthdays while he is still on the faculty at Augsburg. Willard C. McKinny, ’41. received the master of arts degree from the University of Minnesota at the com- mencement exercises on December 21. 1950.
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Title: Augsburg Bulletin March 1951, Page 04
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: GOING TO JAPAN Yes. we are going to Japan! Most people congratulate us. Perhaps a few would discourage us. Undoubted- ly those who know us best question the wisdom of our going. Why are we going? Honest an- swers could vary from a materialis- tic. “Good opportunities over there.“ to a...
Show moreGOING TO JAPAN Yes. we are going to Japan! Most people congratulate us. Perhaps a few would discourage us. Undoubted- ly those who know us best question the wisdom of our going. Why are we going? Honest an- swers could vary from a materialis- tic. “Good opportunities over there.“ to a spiritualized. “The Lord has led". Actually. our decision to go to Japan is the fruit of convictions concern- ing the need of the Church at home as much as in Japan. A glimpse of our congregational life and a hasty scrutiny of the life of the Church reveals a glaring con- trast. “even to one who runs while reading". What is the reason for the coldness. inertia. and lack of vitality in the Church? It is partly this: we have tended to make Christianity a religio-cultural process. It has been presented as an evolutionary process when it is a dynamic experience. The Church is where the Word of God is preached and believed. It is dy- namic—not institutional. On the for- eign mission ﬁeld where the Gospel continually comes in contact with un- polished heathendom. there is less temptation to equate Christianity and culture. The Church at home needs a living fellowship with the "foreign" ﬁeld to remind it of its nature. The home Church needs the mis- sion ﬁeld to combat its own egoism. Personal pride. denominational big- otry. and intense nationalism are all too evident. Our opinion of an indi- vidual soars if he joins our church. becomes of our theological persua- sion. or swears allegiance to our ﬂag. But the Church of Christ is uni- versal. God says. “Become uni- versal in your love and labor.” Mis- sions serve as a corrective to see- tional and parochial attitudes. ln going to Japan we are not ob- livious to the needs at home. By going we are allowing the Church to exer- cise the only principle by which God can bless us. Our Lord Jesus said, MR. AND MRS. BERGH "Give and it shall be given to you again”. We are still serving a Master who feeds multitudes with a few loaves and ﬁshes. But we must oper- ate on his principle of “Give and Matthew 11:1 embodies a principle which we believe is still valid. "And it came to pass when Jesus had ﬁnished commanding his twelve disciples. he departed then to teach and preach in their cities.” it we go in obedience to the Lord Jesus He shall not fail to minister in the places we have left. The LFC-ELC cooperative venture in Japan is itself a forward step in Christian unity. Details concerning our work there have been arranged in the greatest harmony between our joint boards. We are grateful for this fellowship with them in the further- ance of the Gospel. Our field in Japan includes eight million people. These are eager. liter- ate people in the industrial area from Tokyo to Nagoya. But more important than the prin- ciples and the vast multiudes, as ex- cellent and challenging as they may be. are the individuals there who may be led into fellowship with Jesus Christ. It is for them we go! OLIVER and JUDITH BERCH. AUGSBURG GOSPEL QUARTET TO TRAVEL Plans are being made once again for the Augsburg Gospel Quartet to travel extensively throughouot the United States. As is customary. the group. under the guidance and spon- sorship of the Augsburg College Mu- sic Department. will visit many of our churches that support Augsburg and a number of other communities of the Augustzma. ELC. and UELC s) nods. For many years the gospel quar- tets have traveled and have. met with outstanding success and response from the various communities. Augs- burg may well be proud of its young AUGGIES ON MISSION FIELDS IN JAPAN That Augsburg Alumni and for- mer students are taking an interest in the new mission project in Japan is evidenced by the number who have accepted a call to serve in that ﬁeld. Besides Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Bergh, whose article appears elsewhere in this issue. Mr. and Mrs. Alton P. Knulson, of the Augsburg Seminary will be leaving for Japan after grad- uation in June. Rev. and Mrs. Paul Blikstad, ’ 7, and daughter Priscilla, left from Seattle February 19th for Sakata and Akita, Japan, where they will serve under the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America. Miss Delna Coerntzen, ’49, of Mountain Lake is also planning to leave for Japan soon under an independent mission group. Rev. and Mrs. Gor- don Tang (Clean Bolslad, ’39-41) are already active on the ELC mis- sion ﬁeld near Tokyo. Their address is 21 Maruyama Cho, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. Japan. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Swanson IRth Weltzin, ’47) are also preparing for this ﬁeld of mission work. Mr. Swanson is at present studying at the Augustana Seminary in Rock Island. Miss Carola Mosby. ~51. Blue Earth. is planning to leave for Tokyo in August as a nurse on the mission ﬁeld. men that spend their summers in this manner. They present a message— the message of Christ. The personnel of the group will in- clude young men who have had many years’ experience singing in quartets. Howard Pearson will sing ﬁrst tenor and his brother Daniel. second ten- or. Marlo Peterson, this past year soloist with the Augsburg College Choir. will sing first bass, and Rich- ard “Pete” Peterson, second bass. The men are salaried and the offer- ings taken at the programs will go directly to the Music Department and the College. Each evening during their presentation. one of the group will give a short meditation on the Word of God. This year the itinerary of the quar- tet will bring them into many states. Starting in Minnesota they will visit Iowa. South Dakota. North Dakota, Montana, Idaho. Washington, Ore- gon, and British Columbia, Canada.
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Title: Augsburg Bulletin March 1951, Page 03
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: AUGSBURG YOUTH CARAVAN TO TRAVEL Six college upper classmen. plus an adult adviser, will travel among the parishes of our Rockford. Marin- ette, Duluth, and Northern Wiscon- sin districts. These youth have been selected by the Youth Director on the basis of musigianship. scholarship. persona ity,...
Show moreAUGSBURG YOUTH CARAVAN TO TRAVEL Six college upper classmen. plus an adult adviser, will travel among the parishes of our Rockford. Marin- ette, Duluth, and Northern Wiscon- sin districts. These youth have been selected by the Youth Director on the basis of musigianship. scholarship. persona ity, an Christian seal. Four of the group form a brass quartet which will rank as outstand- ing among non-professional groups. They are as follows: Ruth Schmidt, Elkton, South Da- kota, French horn. (Won ﬁrst in the National Contest.) Dorothy Strommen, Blanchardville. Wisconsin, Baritone. (Won ﬁrst in Wisconsin State Contest.) James Christo herson, Valley City, North Dakota. rumpet. ( Has trav- eled two previous years with the Youth Caravan as trumpet soloist.) Douglas Augustine, Minneapolis. Minnesota. Trombone. ( Played in Air Corps Band. Voted most valuable player in Roosevelt High Band. Min- neapolis.) in addition to the brass quartet. the group presents a mixed quartet and a vocal duo. Comprising the vo- cal duo are Charlotte Kleven. Blan- chardville, Wisconsin, pianist and so- rano soloist. and Morris Johnson. cine, Wisconsin. speaker and tenor soloist. (sang ﬁrst tenor last year (Continued on page 5) To STUDY IN NORWAY Miss Elizabeth Man er, a sopho- more at Augsburg, has n accepted as one of the 250 students from the United States to study at the Univer- sity of Oslo this summer. She plans to sail on June 12th and will spend six weeks at the University studying Norwegian music, art. literature. and government. Miss Manger has rela- tives living in Oslo and will have an opportunity to visit them as well as to travel for about a month. Students are chosen on the basis of scholar- ship and recommendations as well as a statement of their reasons for wanting to stud abroad. Miss Orlette iljelle. a junior. will also spend the summer visiting rela- tives in Gudbransdalen and Eidsvold. Norway, with her parents. They will be leaving on the Stavangerfjord on June 12th and will spend about two months abroad. NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION MARTIN qunascx The National Conference on High- er Education, each year the largest gathering of educators from colleges and universities, met in Chicago. April 2-4. While many problems of higher education were discussed, the relation of education to defense held the focus of attention. In the opening lectures, the contributions of various ﬁelds of study to defense were stressed. President Truman’s an- nouncement re arding the deferment of college students. either by acci- dent or by design, was made on the opening day of the Conference. This was the cause of some optimism on the part of those studying enrolment trends. Predictions were made that the drop in college enrolments from the fall of 1950 to the fall of 1951 would not exceed 10 or 12 per cent. with considerable variation between col- leges because of ROTC programs and other factors. C o l o n e I lr- win. speaking for General Hershey. explained the new draft deferment program at the last session. Much of the conference time was spent in smaller worsho . l had the privilege of working wit a group of about thirty-five interested in the question of how to get a program of general education under way in a small college. Under the chairman- ship of Dean Baller of Carthage Col- lege, with Dr. Walker of Goucher as recorder, Miss Holmquist of Moor- head State Teachers as analyst. and Dr. Furrow of Knox as consultant. the group made considerable prog- ress in identifying problems aml also found some suggestions for their so- lution. The efficiency of the staff respon- sible for mimeographing addresses, news and announcements. and group reports was marvelous to see. Ralph McDonald. secretary of the Higher Education Division of the N. E. A.. retained his reputation for effective- ness in organizin a conference. The only slip occurre in the ﬁnal lunch’ eon meeting, where Dr. Henderson of the University of Michigan and Dr. Wardell of Oklahoma did a Inas- terful job of stalling while Dr. Hen- derson’s manuscript returned from the eager mimeographers, who were going to have it ready for distribu- AUGSBURG FOUNDATION The Augsburg Foundation is grow- ing! The responses that have come into the Alumni Ofﬁce from our friends have been very gratifying and encouraging. However, much work will have to be done if we are to reach our goal of “every alumnus and former student a member". That goal can and will be reached—rvwheth- or it is today. tomorrow. or next year~Show less

Title: Augsburg Bulletin March 1951, Page 05
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: STUDENT RECRUITMENT EMPHASIZED Student recruitment for 1951-52 has received new impetus with the ap intment of Paul l. Roth to the Pu lic Relations De artrnent. Mr. Roth, assistant in chemistry since 1949, is traveling as Field Represen- tative for Augsburg. and in that ca- pacity is visiting...
Show moreSTUDENT RECRUITMENT EMPHASIZED Student recruitment for 1951-52 has received new impetus with the ap intment of Paul l. Roth to the Pu lic Relations De artrnent. Mr. Roth, assistant in chemistry since 1949, is traveling as Field Represen- tative for Augsburg. and in that ca- pacity is visiting high schools throughout the state. The recruitment program is off to a later start than usual because of personnel changes. Constant travel is going to be necessary in order to visit as many communities as pos- sible before the end of the school year. Correspondence with prospec- tive students continues at a high vol- ume. Maintenance of enrollment is a top priority for the years ahead. Now. as never before, a field staﬂ' made u of all Alumni is essential. and each of us can be of help in this area by: l. Recommending Augsburg to young people contemplating higher education. 2. Sending the names and ad- dresses of prospective students to the Office of Public Relations. 3. Arranging for “College Night" in your church. Films. slides. and oth- er material can be sent to you, and an alumnus in the area or a repre- sentative from the campus can be present to answer questions. 4. Encouraging prospective stu- dents to write to us for answers to their particular questions. ‘ With the addition of Science Hall. Augsburg has splendid facilities for all students, including pre-profession- al and science majors. We are grate- ful to many Alumni who have helped us in the recruitment program and who have helped their young friends to make important decisions about their future. Let’s not slack off! Our slogan for the immediate future is: “Full swing all spring—June’s soon." Student Leaders Look Ahead in order that maximum help and idance might be given new stu- dlelnts before and during fall registra- tion. the Student Council is again sponsoring a Student Counsellors Training Course for all upper class- (Continued on page 7) CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT Miss Gerda Mortenson and Mr. Berner Dahlen attended the Council of Guidance and Personnel Associa- tions at Stevens Hotel. Chicago, March 25-29. The theme for the conference was “Personnel Resources for Improving Human Relations". While technical areas for personnel service and prac- tical applications for group dynamics were given their fair share in the discussions of the topic. the signiﬁ- cance of spiritual. ethical. and moral \alues was given a greater emphasis than has been true in previous con- ferences on personnel services. Dr. Kenneth l. Brown. Executive Director of the Danforth Foundation. was one of the speakers who brought out the thought that religion plays a vital part in counselling. He emphasized the following values as being impor- tant for all: 1. Respect for truth and a deter- mination to find it at all costs. 2. A habit of faithfulness to as- signed tasks. 3. Possession of personal integrity. 4. A sense of life as an opportunity for service. He continued to say that it is of great importance that the counsellor have “a willingness to be of maxi- mum help to students. have endless patience, unmovable calmness. un- ruffled acceptance of itnerruptions. and a habitual vision of greatness". Cod and the Bible give validity to these values. CARAVAN with the l..R.l. quartet). As preludes there will be piano duets by Char~ lotte Kleven and Dorothy Strommen. both of whom are evcellent piano players. All of the six plan on professional scrv'icc in the church. four in our church body. They have been meet- ing regularly for prayer and rehears- als this semester in preparation for the tour. Four of the six are taking the Youth Work class. This group will be traveling under the sponsorship of Augsburg College and the Luther League Federation. They will be. spending two days in each parish. utilizing the time by giv- ing services each evening. and by making contacts with the youth of the (Continued from page 3“ AUGSBURG CHORAL GROUPS ENJOY SUCCESS The Augsburg Choir and Choral Club completed their concert tours this past season with great success. Although both groups experienced extremes in weather while in various parts of the states, they also experi- enced a heart-warming response to their message in song. While in llli- nois and lows. the Choir had ﬁve days of freezing rain which made the highways almost impassable, but it was not necessary to cancel any concert. The Choral Club drove (and sang) through several blizzards in North and South Dakota. It was nec- eesary to cancel two appearances on this tour. A group of Alumni in the Chicago area entertained the Choir after their concert in Christ Lutheran Church. The persons responsible for this ﬁne gesture were: Marie Pierce. ‘37: Bel- ma Mikkelson. ’39: Thora Anderson. '29. and lrene Helland. '28. Mr. Joe Seto (43-47) was at the concert also. The Choral Club was treated to a ﬁne lunch after its appearance at Mayville State Teachers College. Mayvillc. S. D.. by Mr. Orrie E. Lar- son. a member of the staff at the col- lege. He is active in the English and dramatics department there. Mr. Lar- son graduated from Augsburg in 1928. The Spring Concert of the Choir “as April 14th at Central Lutheran Church. while the Choral Club will present a concert on April 29th at Oak Grove Lutheran Church. Mr. Le- l'md l3. Sateren is directing both rzroum. parish through informal get-togethers as well as a formal banquet. Youth Caravans from Augsburg have traveled for two previous years and have met such an enthusiastic response from the pastors. that thc\ haw become a most welcome group. In preparation for the tour the group has been not only arranging music. rehearsing. and praying to- gether. but they lune also been giv- ing presentations at public gather- ings. On Saturday evening. April 7th. the group presented a service of mu. sic and witness before an assembled audience of approximately 600 youth from the area around l'irskine. Min- nesota. Tile brass quartet played sev~ crul original arrangements by Doug- las Augustine. one of the group.
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Title: Augsburg Bulletin March 1951, Page 01
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: VOLUME xur NUMBER :‘ Published by Augsbu rg College and Theological Seminary. Minneapolis. Minnesota. A Lutheran BULLETIN MARCH 1951 A Letter from President Christensen to all Alumni Dear Augsburg Alumnus: Today, as is well known to most of us, the colleges of Our country are facing grave...
Show moreVOLUME xur NUMBER :‘ Published by Augsbu rg College and Theological Seminary. Minneapolis. Minnesota. A Lutheran BULLETIN MARCH 1951 A Letter from President Christensen to all Alumni Dear Augsburg Alumnus: Today, as is well known to most of us, the colleges of Our country are facing grave difficulties, caused by the international situation. Reduced enrollments plus inflation have added to previous financial stringencies to produce a real "crisis in the colleges.” As a result, all the private and church colleges are appealing to their alumni and friends to come to their help in a special way at a critical time. As these lines are being written, the government has announced a new policy which will probably permit many more young men to remain in college next year. For this we are grateful. But for the present year, the situation remains unchanged; and almost everywhere there are dangerously unbalanced budgets. One educational leader has estimated that the Lutheran colleges will be short on an average of from $20,000 to $70,000 for the year’s operations. At Augsburg we shall need approximately $20,000 to $25,000. The Augsburg Foundation is our channel for alumni giving to current expenses. It is the work- ing arm of the Alumni Association. Regular memberships cost $10 per year,- but gifts are gladly received in any amount. And every gift is a real lift in this time of need. We deeply appreciate the efforts being put forth by many Alumni in this project, which will help carry Augsburg through another difficult period. The Church does its part year by year. It is an additional inspiration now again to sense the rallying support also of the alumni group. It is planned to begin soon regular Foundation meetings far united prayer and counsel among Augsburg friends for the purpose of solving Augsburg’s problems. All who can are cordially in- vited to participate. The first session will be announced at the Twin Cities Foundation Rally to be held in April. We need one another more than ever today. There is a great work to be done for Christ in Education at Augsburg. The times challenge each of us today as perhaps never before, to both deeper understanding and deeper commitment to the service of our country and of all mankind. Let us give of our best to the cause that unites us! Yours for Augsburg, (5mm MM BERNHARD CHRISTENSEN
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Title: Augsburg Bulletin March 1951, Page 02
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: Institutional Chaplaincy Service ALEXANDER BORREVIK, Institutional Chaplain The work of the Chaplaincy Department of the Lutheran Welfare Society of Minnesota has become well known to the Lutherans of this aiea since its activities were accelerated by the appointment of Rev. Frederick Norstad to...
Show moreInstitutional Chaplaincy Service ALEXANDER BORREVIK, Institutional Chaplain The work of the Chaplaincy Department of the Lutheran Welfare Society of Minnesota has become well known to the Lutherans of this aiea since its activities were accelerated by the appointment of Rev. Frederick Norstad to the directorship of the department in 1949. In addition to training Lutheran pastors to serve as hospital chaplains in larger urban areas of Minnesota, Mr. Narstad is also giving clinical training to others who Will be serving in the state hospitals for the mentally ill. Rev. Aleyander Borrevik, an alumnus of Augsburg College and Seminary, is one of the chaplains serving through Lutheran Wel— fare Society. His work consists in serving Lutherans in the hospitals, sanitariums, and correctional institutions of the Duluth area. In the article which follows, Mr. Borrevik gives an insight into the reason for the need of such service and the type of training required. —E. T. “General cure of souls seems at times about as eHective as putting drops into a patient‘s ey es from a third-story window . . . Unless we come to the ground floor with our 'drops“ and get new life into our personal cure of souls, it is very evident that the people at large will be left with- out our ministry." So writes E. G. Culien, Bishop of Tampere. Finland. What pastor hasn't felt his inadequacy in dealing with the people who have special needs? It may be an emotionally disturbed child in the parish. Often it is the family in which there is an inadequate r'llild. or it may be a mentally ill person. In every com- munity there are multitudes of alcoholics who need the friendship and constructive help of a counsellor. Occa- sionally an unwed mother ﬁnds herself desperately in need of counselling and sympathetic understanding. Then there is the delinquent youth, probably the fruit of a broken home, who needs help. In every congregation there are a number of repressed persons who ﬁnd them- selves in deep water continually because of a fundamental lack of knowing and directing their own normal drives. These and many more people with special needs must be reached by the resources of the Gospel. And what Chris- tian worker hasn't felt his helplessness in being able to properly minister to his people? it has been stated. erroneously or otherwise. that many Christian ministers have been living so exclusively in the atmosphere of the church that they have failed to acquaint themselves with the realms of darkness and the depths of human depravity. Their feet are, so to speak. not on the ground. Their understanding of people-—their deeper motivations and difﬁculties. their strengths and weak- nesses is inadequate. Accordingly they fail to meet the deeper needs of troubled souls. A tremendous challenge has come to the church of late. Leading doctors and psychiatrists are recognizing the tre- mendous resources of religion and are asking that clin- ically trained men of God make their contribution to the rehabilitation of people ‘in physical or mental illnesses. The term "psychosomatic medicine". used freely of late. Rev. Alexander Borrevik means that man is not just chemistry. Man’s illness is not purely maladjusted chemicals. It may be that, but it very likely hinges on nialadjusted thinking or lack of faith and peace of soul. Often guilt feelings or terriﬁc hostility in a patient bring about physical or mental illness. The doctor or psychiatrist working together with the chaplain or pastor minister to the total personality. Jesus said again and again. “Peace be unto you". This peace which is the fruit of being in tune with God is recognized as of great value by leading scientiﬁc men today. We are try- ing to meet this great challenge by adding to our semin- aries special courses in pastoral clinical training. Augs- burg. Luther. and Northwestern Theological seminaries are conducting such courses under the able and inspiring leadership of Chaplain Frederic Norstad, Chief of Chap- laincy Services of the Lutheran Welfare Society of Min- nesota. The Minnesota Mental Health Chaplaincy train- ing is also under his able direction. May the Lord bless us as we continue to bring the love and healing of Christ to our many brethren who have special needs. (- ’o’ooooo”o'ooo'oooo~~'m~"~'-~ Annual Alumni Banquet, Thurs., May 31, Nokomis Heights Lutheran Church i l l t t \ \ \ t t l t t t c "OnooomOOONON'W'mW AUGSBURG BULLETIN Published bi-monthly and one additional issue in April by Augsburg College and Theological Seminary at Minneapolis, Minnesota, tinteer as second-class matter March 21, 1947 at the post ofﬁce .1! Minneapolis, Minnesota. Vol. Xll. No. 2 MARCH. 1951
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Title: Murphy Square 1975-2020: A Sesquicentennial Sampler of Literature by Augsburg Students
Collection: Literary Journals

Title: Augsburg Now Spring-Summer 1998
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection

Title: Augsburg Now 1990s, Augsburg Now

Title: Thó Wiŋ Magazine 2022: Thó Wiŋ Magazine 2022
Collection: Literary Journals

Title: Murphy Square 2021: Murphy Square 2021
Collection: Literary Journals

Title: Murphy Square 2020
Collection: Literary Journals

Title: Augsburg Now Winter 2020-21
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: What it takes to fight a pandemic Confronting the Minnesota paradox Student-athletes’ off-and-on sports seasons Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist WINTER 2020–21 | VOL. 83, NO. 1 INSIDE AUGSBURG NOW Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE WHAT I...
Show more What it takes to fight a pandemic Confronting the Minnesota paradox Student-athletes’ off-and-on sports seasons Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist WINTER 2020–21 | VOL. 83, NO. 1 INSIDE AUGSBURG NOW Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE WHAT IT TAKES TO FIGHT A PANDEMIC: COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND MUTUAL AID (PART 1) From parking lots and phone calls to hospitals and research labs, Auggies use a multifaceted approach to confront the global crisis of a lifetime by Kate H. Elliott Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Featured Stories Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email One November afternoon, Natalie Jacobson, coordinator of Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen, opened an email from someone she didn’t recognize. It was short and to the point: First-year Auggie Sam Kristensen ’24 explained that he had collected 17 bags of canned and nonperishable food items from those who dared to enter Sign up for Email Newsletter his Halloween yard maze through a fog-lit skeleton shack and animatronic troll swamp. The business major said he was glad his ghoulish creativity could feed dozens of Submit Your Alumni News Augsburg students and residents in surrounding Minneapolis neighborhoods. “The email made my week,” Jacobson said. “We’ve been CONNECT WITH US consumed with coordinated relief e orts; Sam’s email was a great reminder that everyone and anyone can Natalie Jacobson joins Nick Keener ’20, Campus Kitchen student leadership team member. (Courtesy photo) make a di erence.” Kristensen is one of hundreds in the Augsburg community who have come together in both planned and unplanned ways to support those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, which to date has infected an estimated 28 million and killed more than 500,000 Americans. From sta and students sewing and donating face masks to medical personnel advancing policies and caring for patients, members of the Augsburg community are making a lasting impact on the front lines of disease prevention and support. These are a few of the many stories of Auggies combating the virus and its e ects with compassion, faith, and ingenuity. Serving up hope Jacobson manages donations like Kristensen’s o ering while working with a team of students and volunteers to facilitate integrated food access programs to address hunger on and near campus. According to the National Association of Student A airs Administrators in Higher Education, more than 38% of students at four-year institutions are food insecure, and 15% are homeless. Before the pandemic, Augsburg students accessed free food at the Campus Cupboard in the basement of Science Hall. Students could stop in ve days a week to select a bag of fresh and non-perishable items, no questions asked. The Campus Kitchen also made outreach e orts to support community gardens and meals, rescue unsold produce at farmers markets, and educate the public about food as wellness. Yamile Hernandez ’22 works in the Campus Cupboard. (Photo by Courtney Perry) When the pandemic hit, Campus Kitchen turned up the heat. The team moved its refrigerators, freezers, and shelves of food to a large conference room in Augsburg’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship. Campus Cupboard transitioned to an online order form, with student workers, like nance major Yamile Hernandez ’22, delivering orders on campus or making contactless deliveries to students living in the Twin Cities. The cupboard serves between 25 and 75 students each week. “It’s rewarding to know we’re helping others, especially in such hard times, and we’re using up food that would have gone to waste.”—Yamile Hernandez ’22 “Many people have found themselves without a job or having less work, which makes it di cult to keep up with expenses,” said Hernandez. “Having access to healthy, free food helps alleviate a bit of that stress.” Campus Kitchen intensi ed e orts to address health and wellness disparities in neighborhoods surrounding Augsburg. Because so many organizations and community centers were already in partnership with Augsburg, Jacobson said, they were quick to respond to increased needs during the pandemic. “We heard about an opportunity to apply for CARES Act grant funding on a Tuesday, and the application was due that Thursday. Campus Kitchen rallied together with the Health Commons, West Bank Community Development Corporation, and the People’s Center to pull an application together, and we received $22,000, which we spent in a week on nonperishable food items, personal and household cleaning products, as well as food storage equipment, including refrigerators and freezers. The Campus Kitchen volunteers [L to R]: Hank Hietala, Ellen Finn, and LaToya Taris-James (Courtesy photo) grant will enable us to provide students and neighbors with access to healthy foods on a regular basis and at an increased capacity.” In March, the Sabo Center launched the Neighborhood Food Initiative in partnership with M Health Fairview. The initiative brings together a variety of community partners to support collaborative approaches that increase access to healthy food in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. “Since the summer, we have distributed food weekly to the West Bank CDC and People’s Center,” Jacobson said. “Many households in Cedar-Riverside now see this service as a key piece of meeting their basic food needs.” Drives of support Augsburg parking lots have been preferred drop-o locations for food and supply drives. In June and again in late September, Augsburg Women Engaged supported weeklong drives to support the Campus Cupboard and ShareShop, which provides students with free or for-rent bedding, games, clothing, kitchenware, appliances, and other home goods. The group collected 400 pounds of food and household supplies, plus $5,405 for the Campus Kitchen. On June 1, Steve Peacock, community relations director at the Sabo Center, and a cadre of masked volunteers lined up in a parking lot near the edge of campus. The group collected donations from an estimated 550 cars that drove through during a two-hour drive to collect a number of items, mostly personal hygiene products and diapers, for the Brian Coyle Neighborhood Center nearby. “We were absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and donations,” Peacock said. “While we were out there, collecting items, we saw athletic teams lined up to collect supplies on the other side of the athletics complex. It’s a testament to the innovative, communityfocused, and generous spirit of Augsburg.” “Our mission to support students and be an anchor for the community seems relevant and central to our lives now more than ever.”—Steve Peacock Augsburg has also encouraged donations to the Student Emergency Fund, which was established last March to support students with nancial hardships and provide relief for basic needs, including food, rent, transportation, and medication. Auggies gather donations for the Twin Cities community outside Augsburg’s Kennedy Center. (Courtesy photo) In the wake of George Floyd’s death in May, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis has distributed food to hundreds of neighbors each week. This summer, Augsburg Pastor Justin Lind-Ayres showed up with more than 25 Auggie students, sta , and faculty, most of whom didn’t know each other, to serve food. “This was just one microcosm of the work Auggies have and continue to do across the Twin Cities,” Lind-Ayres said. “The student body inspires and teaches me what it means to be ‘informed citizens.’” ‘Auggies are resilient’ Lind-Ayres and the Campus Ministry team have worked to provide moments of hope and belonging throughout the year. They shared prayers on their blog once a day from March to May and now post prayers weekly as a way for Auggies to lift up concerns and hopes for people and situations. On Fridays, the team has hosted 8 minutes and 46 seconds in chapel and on Zoom for “Silence, Prayer, and Pastoral Presence” to remember George Floyd and others and to focus on the call for racial justice. The Muslim Student Association, under the direction of Fardosa Hassan ’12, has provided opportunities for safe, socially distanced Friday prayer. In addition to leading reduced-capacity in-person worship in Hoversten Chapel, recorded worship, and virtual discussions, Lind-Ayres and University Pastor Babette Chatman ’06 serve on the COVID-19 Response Team. This diverse group of sta members gathers up to ve times each week to review COVID19 cases on campus, engage in contact tracing, provide support for students in quarantine or isolation, and gure out ways to keep the community safe. “We spend a lot of time on the phone or texting with students o ering words of encouragement, answering questions, and troubleshooting issues together as we manage the realities of COVID-19 on campus,” said Lind-Ayres. Assistant Athletic Director Melissa Lee ’04 serves on the COVID-19 Task Force. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Melissa Lee ’04, assistant athletic director and softball head coach, serves on the COVID-19 Task Force. Lee is one of several sta members responding to the helpline set up for Auggies to access the latest information and resources. In the spring, she and others were answering helpline phone calls and emails in shifts seven days a week. As tra c has decreased, phone calls go directly to voicemail. Team members respond to messages and emails as soon as possible. To parents, students, faculty, and sta , Lee said, “Continue to be gritty. Continue to be safe. We can and will all get through this together. Auggies are resilient.” Augsburg stories on COVID-19: What it takes to ght a pandemic, part 2: Research and health care Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist guides Auggies through the COVID-19 pandemic Top Image: Auggies gather and distribute food and donations through programs like Campus Kitchen and Campus Cupboard. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook athletics mutual aid Twitter Class of 2004 Pinterest Class of 2022 LinkedIn Email Community Engagement COVID-19 Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST What it takes to ght a pandemic: Research and health care (Part 2) YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE What it takes to ght a Confronting the Minnesota Stay the course: O -and-on pandemic: Research and paradox sports seasons prove health care (Part 2) - on February 22, 2021 Auggie student-athletes’ resilience - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE WHAT IT TAKES TO FIGHT A PANDEMIC: RESEARCH AND HEALTH CARE (PART 2) From parking lots and phone calls to hospitals and research labs, Auggies use a multifaceted approach to confront the global crisis of a lifetime by Kate H. Elliott Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Featured Stories Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP sees resilience every day as executive director of Augsburg’s Health Commons, which are drop-in health centers led by the nursing program with a model focused on caring for those in the community who are marginalized. Guests are not required to show identi cation, and medical professionals don’t wear scrubs or stethoscopes in order to increase relatability and public trust in health care workers. Sign up for Email Newsletter Her focus at the Augsburg Central Health Commons is with individuals who are experiencing homelessness or who are marginally housed in Minneapolis, and the Health Commons in the Submit Your Alumni News Cedar-Riverside neighborhood provides care for residents, many of whom are East African immigrants. As an assistant professor of nursing, Clark teaches primarily in the graduate nursing program Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP (Courtesy photo) through courses that emphasize social justice, health disparities, and civic engagement. CONNECT WITH US The Augsburg nursing program, Clark said, is unique because faculty and students are embedded in the community. Other schools often see that work as “extra service” and send students to nonpro ts, but Augsburg considers place-based work as central to the educational experience. Hospitality and healing “We help students serve and explore the world we live in, and we’re with them when they do it,” Clark said. “They get uncomfortable and lean into the biases they may have and really get involved in a community to understand the issues from the people who experience them.” “You can’t come up with answers if you don’t know the problems.”—Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP When COVID-19 hit, the Health Commons at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis was one of the Augsburg’s Health Commons received donations from the community, including 27,200 bottles of water from UP Co ee Roasters and a grassroots fundraising campaign organized by Bethany Johnson ’19, ’23 DNP, whose family owns the business. Johnson (left) delivered water to the Health Commons with husband, David Chall (middle), and daughter, Olivia Chall, in April 2020. (Courtesy photo) only drop-in health centers that continued to stay open. At the height of the pandemic, Clark said staying open meant standing outside, passing out hygiene kits, and bringing meals and supplies to encampments of unhoused people. “Many of our students are adult learners seeking bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. Some of them have dealt with furloughs or are at the bedsides of patients, holding up the [touchscreen] tablet for family members to say goodbye, and adapting to constant changes in health care environments. Then they have school in addition to their own stressors at home, like juggling kids or responding to family members who say, ‘COVID isn’t real.’ These students want to get involved and tackle the issues in their communities, and they are doing it! I get chills talking about it.” Ellen Kearney ’23 DNP is one of Clark’s students in the Doctor of Nursing Practice: Family Nurse Practitioner program and also a registered nurse at a Twin Cities intensive care unit. Kearney admitted that despite extensive safety measures, it was scary to be indoors at the Health Commons with patients early in the pandemic. But the work—her passion—is critical, she added. Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP (left) and President Paul Pribbenow at an Augsburg Bold event in the fall. (Courtesy photo) “Before COVID-19 we were able to serve between 50 and 100 people each Monday and Thursday,” said Kearney. “Now we can only see 12 people each day we are open. But because our hours have not changed, it has been nice to have a longer period alone with each guest if they chose to stay and talk. I’ve been able to learn about one guest’s upcoming trip to her home country in Africa and her worries about traveling, and I have been able to follow up with one older man while I do his foot care. It has been hard to not open the doors fully, especially now that the weather is colder and knowing there are so few public spaces open, though it is clear that we need to stay capped for everyone’s safety. While the scale of the Commons is small, the impact is large.” When Augsburg temporarily restricted students from working at the Commons, volunteers and Augsburg alumni, like Emily Pierskalla ’20 DNP, stepped in to keep doors open. The most challenging aspect of working as a registered nurse is ricocheting through stages of grief, which Pierskalla said is emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. She avoids news about COVID-19 and social media because it can trigger haunting memories. “I have ashbacks of the faces of patients I’ve seen die while their loved ones cry watching through an iPad or seeing my own co-workers struggling to breathe after getting sick,” said Pierskalla, who has worked for eight years at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. “It has taken a lot of therapy, self-care, and e ort to keep the burnout from causing me to become bitter and angry, or worse, apathetic to the world and society.” She has also worked as a nurse practitioner at CVS MinuteClinics, administering COVID-19 tests and helping people understand their test results and quarantine recommendations—e orts that have immediate practical e ects. “When I’m at the Commons or out in the camps, I actually feel like I’m helping to create the world I want to live in.”—Emily Pierskalla ’20 DNP Ray Yip ’72 has extensive global health experience, including work in Qinghai, a sparsely populated Chinese province. (Courtesy photo) Advocates for change Auggies are working across the globe to create policies and medical solutions to realize that better world. Dr. Ray Yip ’72 is a global health specialist serving as special advisor to the Gates Venture on China Partnership Development. For the past 22 years, he has assisted the Chinese government in improving its public health system, with a focus on disease control and response capacity. When COVID-19 began spreading in January, Yip was in Beijing. “I was impressed with how aggressive the outbreak was in Wuhan, and I predicted that China would be able to get it under control by April. To my pleasant surprise, China achieved that seemingly impossible task by mid-March.” In February, he returned to his home in upstate New York, from Ray Yip ’72 (Courtesy photo) which he has advised several organizations about COVID-19-related issues and provided a range of companies with updates about the progress of vaccine development worldwide. “This pandemic, which we knew would happen sooner or later, requires strong government leadership as well as commitment and partnership with the private sectors for the solutions.”—Ray Yip ’72 “More than 23 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told me the United States had the know-how and capacity to contain this epidemic. After all, I was sent to China to help them to build such capacity. My prediction was so o , I hate to admit it. We all su er dearly from the dire consequence of horrible mismanagement, which largely has to do with leadership failure. It was particularly painful to watch the CDC get sidelined, and public health measures became politicized.” The heroes of the pandemic, Yip said: health care workers. “Most people do not realize the risk and danger of those health care workers taking care of the COVID patients, especially in the early phase when protective gear was in short supply. A disproportionate number of them got infected and died. If I were my younger version, I would not hesitate to join them in on the front lines. I am grateful for their service and sacri ce.” Interview with Dr. Ray Yip '72 · Augsburg University Alumni Association was Live Follow Share Dr. Paul Mueller ’84, regional vice president for Mayo Clinic Health System’s Southwest Wisconsin region, oversees thousands of such workers attending to patients in two hospitals and eight clinics. He manages COVID-19 response through policy decisions and exploring new treatments while treating the disease in his own patient panel. “It is weighty from a psychological standpoint, as you try to be a leader in such an ever-changing, high-stakes environment, knowing the lives you impact,” said Mueller, who has served as an Augsburg regent and as the campaign chair of Great Returns: Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Campaign. “But every day I walk the halls of our hospitals and clinics and see the resilience and ingenuity of our sta who have delivered on the promise of medicine. Nurses greet me with a smile behind personal protective equipment. They are busy Paul Mueller ’84 (Courtesy photo) but feel called and up to this work. With a can-do attitude, we are caring for patients in the darkest of times, administering novel treatments, and preparing to safely roll out vaccines. “We’re still in the thick of it. If you think of it like a marathon, we are at mile marker 19. But if we can maintain resilience and hope, we will nish the race and be better for it.”—Paul Mueller ’84 “This pandemic has shown us that we all breathe the same air, and it is the one thing that is unifying our entire planet. While the virus rages on killing people, we continue to see the brilliance of the human spirit—beacons of hope and optimism, compassion and resilience, integrity and ingenuity.” Caring for patients, fueling research Brittany Kimball ’13 is a third-year resident at the University of Minnesota in internal medicine and pediatrics. The pandemic has taken its toll on her and other residents, as expectations are in ux and workloads are stressful and exhausting. Virtual visits are di cult because of a lack of internet and personal connectivity, Kimball said. Loneliness has infected the hospitals. Last week, Kimball watched a nurse gently care for a patient isolated from visitors, playing his favorite music as he died. “The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly compounded patients’ conditions. Children are missing well visits and Brittany Kimball ’13: “Getting my rst COVID-19 vaccine at Masonic Children’s Hospital—which I encourage everyone to do as soon as it becomes available to them!” (Courtesy photo) immunizations. Cancer patients require COVID-19 tests prior to chemotherapy, sometimes missing a treatment because they have the virus. Many of my primary care patients with diabetes are wary of clinic visits, thus making it harder to [measure doses of] their medications,” said Kimball, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Augsburg. “Most troublesome, the pandemic has compounded inequities for already marginalized people. Some of my patients don’t have internet, while others don’t have access to a regular phone. For some patients, limited English pro ciency can make getting set up on a virtual platform more di cult. Brittany Kimball ’13 (left) and her co-resident work at the Minneapolis Veterans A airs Health Care System. (Courtesy photo) “Patients dealing with addiction and trying to maintain sobriety have told me that their usual coping mechanisms—like getting together with other people who are sober or participating in a faith community—have become inaccessible. For patients living in poverty, balancing virtual school and frontline jobs has been incredibly stressful and sometimes impossible. It’s often people living in poverty that are doing frontline work that makes them more likely to be exposed to the virus, like working in a restaurant, public transit, or in a store.” “We need to gure out how to make telemedicine more equitable.”—Brittany Kimball ’13 Her dream has long been to be a doctor, so despite the challenges, she pushes on—driven to pursue a fellowship in hematology-oncology. As a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, Kimball is particularly interested in caring for adolescents and young adults with cancer and blood diseases. “As an 18-yearold in my rst semester at Augsburg, I was guring out dating while bald, chemo after classes, and trying to study when my brain felt foggy and my body felt sick,” she added. “Sometimes I needed a bit more guidance and support than a typical adult patient, but not in the same way that a much younger child might. Teens and young adults don’t t neatly in the pediatric or adult-centered models of care, and I hope I can make that better.” Hamdi Adam ’18 is similarly driven to make a di erence. As a doctoral student of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, Adam followed his bachelor’s in biology from Augsburg with a master’s degree in public health at the University of Minnesota. Adam studies cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurocognitive disorders. He is focused on investigating the impact of COVID-19 on chronic conditions, which can lead to higher risk of mortality, especially among people with existing risk factors, like high blood pressure and diabetes. “At some point down the road, I’ll probably get the chance to utilize COVID-19 data to assess the relationship between COVID status and various chronic disease conditions in population-based research studies and hopefully add valuable and timely information to the Hamdi Adam ’18 (Courtesy photo) base of existing literature,” said Adam, who—as a rst-generation Oromo American—is interested in applying his research to address health disparities a ecting people of color. “It feels good to know that your studies and work are for the betterment of people. With research, sometimes you feel like your work is so detached from the true health problems you are attempting to address, but I like to think that epidemiologic research provides the basis for informing more direct actions, such as health policy development and e ective community-based interventions.” Another researcher, Will Matchett ’13, earned a doctorate in virology and gene therapy from the Mayo Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He works as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota, where he will spend up to ve years acquiring training that will allow him to run his own lab. Between April and August, his research focused exclusively on developing a SARS-CoV-2 test to measure the speci c antibodies that block the virus from entering cells. Since September, his focus has shifted to testing a COVID-19 vaccine being developed at the University of Minnesota. Will Matchett ’13 used a plaque assay to quantify the amount of SARS-CoV-2 virus in a sample at the University of Minnesota biosafety lab in August 2020. (Courtesy photo) Increasing and diversifying COVID-19 testing Does all the medical terminology sound like a foreign language? That’s how Elaine Eschenbacher ’18 MAL described her rst few weeks as the higher education operations lead for Minnesota’s COVID-19 Testing Work Group. Since 2009, she has worked at Augsburg, the last six of those years as director for the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship. But since June, the Sabo Center has put her “on loan” to Minnesota’s State Emergency Operations Center to work with a team of experts to launch Minnesota’s testing plan in collaboration with colleges and universities. Subgroups are assigned to areas such as long-term care, child care and schools, community testing, hotspots, case investigation and contact tracing, research, data, purchasing, and contracts. Elaine Eschenbacher ’18 MAL (Photo by Courtney Perry) “My work at Augsburg prepared me for this role in a variety of ways. The role is necessarily collaborative and involves recognizing that di erent people have di erent roles to play and respecting those di erent perspectives and sets of expertise.”—Elaine Eschenbacher ’18 MAL “Civic engagement work is like that, too. I’ve also been thinking a lot about the Master of Arts in Leadership program, which I completed in 2018. This work is like having a master class in leadership and public health every day.” In April, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced a “moonshot goal” of 20,000 tests per day in the state, at a time when only about 2,000 tests were being performed daily, Eschenbacher said. The testing work group increased capacity and made that moonshot goal by the end of June. “Since then, we’ve been continuing to increase and diversify COVID testing, and make sure that the people who most need it have access to it. During the week of Thanksgiving, our daily average for testing across the state was more than 57,000,” she added. “Testing is an important tool in controlling the spread of COVID-19, and making testing accessible regardless of income or location is an important equity issue.” Eschenbacher has spent her days planning and data-modeling as it relates to higher education, consulting with speci c institutions in the wake of outbreaks, guiding higher education testing, and organizing partnerships for case investigation and contact-tracing. She facilitates webinars and other information pieces about saliva testing, serves as state incident commander for community testing events, and helped coordinate mass testing of 18- to 35-year-olds prior to Thanksgiving. More recently, she has served as incident commander for a community vaccination site. “It feels like a cliché to say this, but it is an absolute honor to do this work. We talk a lot about vocation at Augsburg, and I guess I would say that vocation can sneak up on you. I never would have dreamed of doing the work I’ve done since June, but it feels like purpose.” These are only a handful of the Auggies who are living out their passionate purpose to bring an end to this crushing pandemic and, in the meantime, to soften the blow. Augsburg stories on COVID-19: What it takes to ght a pandemic, part 1: Community collaboration and mutual aid Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist guides Auggies through the COVID-19 pandemic Top Image: Augsburg’s coronavirus guidelines, including face coverings and physical distancing in classrooms and public places, helped protect Auggies from COVID-19. Professor and Chemistry Department Chair Joan Kunz instructs in the Hagfors Center. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email biology Class of 1972 Class of 1984 Class of 2010 Class of 2018 Class of 2020 Class of 2023 Community Engagement Doctor of Nursing Practice mutual aid research health care Class of 2013 Master of Arts in Leadership Class of 2014 COVID-19 Master of Arts in Nursing Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Confronting the Minnesota paradox What it takes to ght a pandemic: Community collaboration and mutual aid (Part 1) YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE What it takes to ght a Confronting the Minnesota Stay the course: O -and-on pandemic: Community paradox sports seasons prove collaboration and mutual - on February 22, 2021 Auggie student-athletes’ aid (Part 1) resilience - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE CONFRONTING THE MINNESOTA PARADOX Signi cant racial disparities exist in a state with a liberal reputation, but some are seeking ways to close the gaps by Gita Sitaramiah Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Featured Stories Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Robert Harper ’16 remembers the rst time he was called the nword. His family had moved to Minnesota from the South Side of Chicago, seeking a better life. Since then, he’s achieved that better life, earning an undergraduate degree from Augsburg University and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public A airs. He is now a supplier diversity director for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Sign up for Email Newsletter “I think I’ve had a unique experience escaping poverty on the South Side of Chicago and North Minneapolis, only to be confronted with the daily decisions made by white people that only re-create those Submit Your Alumni News circumstances of oppression,” Harper said. Robert Harper ’16 (Courtesy photo) While he’s now a working professional in a state that prides itself on being “Minnesota nice,” Harper never gets too comfortable, recalling that painful moment when he was walking to middle school and a passing driver shouted the racial epithet at him. More recently, on CONNECT WITH US a trip to northern Minnesota, Harper was told while visiting Gull Lake, ‘You don’t belong here,’ by a white man. “It’s moments like that when you’re trying to do better, ‘pull yourselves up by your bootstraps,’ that society reminds you that there’s a glass ceiling for some,” Harper said. “Some people constantly remind you that they decide how far you go, what rooms you enter, and in the case of George Floyd, whether or not you live.”—Robert Harper ’16 Exposing the paradox George Floyd’s murder three miles from Augsburg University put an international spotlight on not only the experiences of Black people at the hands of the criminal justice system but also the reality of the disturbing “Minnesota paradox.” That’s how University of Minnesota Professor Samuel Myers describes how Minnesota has such a high quality of life and a history of progressive politicians but is one of the worst places to live for Black people. “Measured by racial gaps in unemployment rates, wage and salary incomes, incarceration rates, arrest rates, home ownership rates, mortgage lending rates, test scores, reported child maltreatment rates, school disciplinary and suspension rates, and even drowning rates, African Americans are worse o in Minnesota than they are in virtually every other state in the nation,” Myers said. The numbers illustrate the bleak story: Samuel Myers (Courtesy photo) Only 25.3% of Black households in Minnesota own homes versus 76.9% of white households, according to census data, a stark divide given that home ownership is considered the leading contributor to household wealth. The median household income for Black households in the state is the lowest of any group at $41,570, about half of what Asian and white households earn. In the Twin Cities, African Americans represent 9% of the overall population, but are incarcerated at 11 times the rate of whites who represent 76% of the population, the NAACP reported last year. Only 21.7% of Black people hold bachelor’s degrees or higher versus nearly 40% overall. Meanwhile, between 2010 and 2018, the fastest growing racial group in Minnesota was the Black population, which grew by 36%, adding more than 96,500 people. Many are immigrants but face the same backdrop of a state that hasn’t historically acknowledged that discrimination plays a role in the Black story here, Myers said. “When it comes to race in the Twin Cities, in Minnesota, there was this instinctive belief that we already know what the problem is, that it’s not really a problem, and since it’s not a problem, we don’t need to nd answers,” Myers said. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded the inequities. The unemployment rate for Black Minnesotans in the aftermath of pandemic shutdowns rose to 15.3% last July, up 9 percentage points from a year earlier, versus 6.3% for white workers, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reported. According to a Pew Research report published in December: “Among Black Americans, 71% know someone who has been hospitalized or died because of COVID-19.” Kevin Ehrman-Solberg ’15 (center right) and the Mapping Prejudice Project team found inequities in housing documents throughout Minneapolis’ history. (Courtesy photo, 2017) The path to today’s Minneapolis High pro le police killings of Black men in this region—including George Floyd, Philando Castile, and Jamar Clark—have heightened the protests and urgency for change. The viral video of Floyd’s murder with his neck under the knee of a Minneapolis police o cer seemed to dawn a new era in the ght for justice. Protesters took to the streets for weeks around the globe. Gra ti images of Floyd sprang up worldwide, even on a West Bank barrier in the Middle East. CEOs of Fortune 500 corporations in Minnesota wrote an open letter of outrage. Athletes of all races took the knee before matches to show their support for racial equity. In the city of Minneapolis, at the center of the controversy, there was swift action against the o cers, something unprecedented. “Despite decades of police incidents that resulted in the deaths of people of color, today’s actions by the mayor represent the rst time in modern history that Minneapolis police o cers were red within 24 hours for unjustly murdering a citizen,” said Michael Lansing, associate professor and chair of Augsburg’s history department, in a May 26 series of tweets about the Minneapolis Police Department. (Lansing’s comments on the history of uprisings and Minneapolis police were also carried by The Washington Post and Mother Jones.) Now, many are acknowledging the systems that are behind today’s Minneapolis. Even the South Minneapolis street where George Floyd was killed is in a historically Black working-class and middle-class neighborhood created by housing segregation, Lansing said in his tweet series. Indeed, Mapping Prejudice Project, a team of community members, Associate Professor Michael Lansing (Photo by Stephen Ge re) geographers, and historians based at the University of Minnesota, have unearthed thousands of racial covenants in Minneapolis that reserved land for the exclusive use of white people. Those restrictions served as powerful obstacles for people of color seeking safe and a ordable housing. Racial covenants, dovetailed with redlining and predatory lending practices, depressed homeownership rates for Black residents. They also limited access to community resources like schools and parks. While contemporary white residents of Minneapolis like to think their city never had formal segregation, those racial covenants did the work of Jim Crow in the Twin Cities, said Kevin EhrmanSolberg ’15, a co-founder of Mapping Prejudice. “The reputation of Minneapolis is that it’s a liberal bastion, yet there’s a racist reality that people live in.”—Kevin Ehrman-Solberg ’15 Professor William Green (Photo by Courtney Perry) Looking forward with a pragmatic lens While the period following George Floyd’s murder looked like a change moment, Augsburg University’s M. Anita Gay Hawthorne Professor of Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies William Green worries that the momentum started to diminish as the summer progressed. “The challenge that we face is to do the hard work to de ne what change means, and second, how to get at the root of the problems that lead to disparities in society.” Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce President Jonathan Weinhagen looks ahead to the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder and to the question of how much progress has been made in raising awareness about and working to eliminate the disparities experienced by people of color. “[Closing the racial divide] is not going to be resolved in a year. It’s going to take more time, but it’s going to have to be far more rapid than anything we’ve done to date.”—Jonathan Weinhagen The implications of these disparities are wide-reaching, with government o cials and the business community concerned that a growing population that isn’t able to fully participate in or bene t from the economy will threaten the vitality of the state as a whole. Jonathan Weinhagen (Courtesy photo) “To have a large and growing part of our economy be marginalized is a huge disadvantage to all of us because it takes a huge part of the population out,” said Susan Brower, Minnesota’s demographer. The NAACP’s 48-page Twin Cities Economic Inclusion Plan issued in 2019 calls for a comprehensive, multi-pronged policy agenda anchored by ve basic principles: economic sustainability, education, health, public safety and criminal justice, and voter rights and political representation. The role of education Many are looking to young people to be the lasting change. The nonpro t Generation Next in Minneapolis has emerged to support children from “cradle to career,” envisioning a future in which “every child has the academic, social, and emotional skills to thrive in a globally uent world.” Alan Page, retired Minnesota Supreme Court justice, and Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, proposed in 2020 amending Minnesota’s constitution to give every child a civil right to a quality public education. They de ne the current approach as a system that works well for children from well-to-do families but fails children from low-income families. “A quality education is without question the most powerful tool we have to break the cycle of poverty and create a society in which everyone can fully participate,” Kashkari and Page wrote in the Star Tribune. “It doesn’t just change one child’s life. It has the potential to improve the future for generations to come and lead to a more productive, vibrant society for all of us.” Meanwhile, Augsburg University is positioned to be a statewide leader in the turnaround, with years of intentional work on diversity, equity, and inclusion. “I certainly feel that higher education is the clearest path to a middle-class life or better,” Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow said. Augsburg University's Hagfors Center. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Augsburg’s e orts to address disparities and work toward equity After the murder of George Floyd only a few miles from campus, Augsburg University introduced in June the Justice for George Floyd Initiatives to focus on working to heal the community, creating leadership and structures that make tangible change, and ensuring accountability for the work of undoing racist systems. New e orts were introduced to combat systemic racism, including a critical race and ethnicity studies department; diversity, equity, and inclusion training; and a requirement that all faculty and sta complete antiracism training. Augsburg also canceled classes and suspended operations June 4 and 5 so students, faculty, and sta could have an opportunity to grieve. “We acknowledge the pain, fear, and trauma faced by the Augsburg community—especially our students, faculty, and sta of color—remain a lived reality every day,” Pribbenow said. “This work by Augsburg will be persistent, resolute, courageous, and integrated into everything the university does.” This ongoing work includes several components: Augsburg named William Green, professor of history, the inaugural holder of the M. Anita Gay Hawthorne professorship of critical race and ethnic studies. The university is employing new accountability for inclusive, antiracist leadership across the institution and reviewing Augsburg’s major academic and administrative policies and practices with a special focus on undoing bias and discrimination and enhancing student success. Augsburg created a scholarship in memory of George Floyd and established a fund that matched donations from students, faculty, and sta for organizations doing important work, especially for Black-owned businesses and nonpro t organizations. Augsburg appointed the rst Chief Diversity O cer, Joanne K. Reeck, in 2016 and became home in 2019 to The Forum on Workplace Inclusion, the nation’s largest workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion conference. These moves are an important continuation of Augsburg’s e orts to build and maintain an equitable and inclusive campus that became a strategic focus in 2006, resulting in Augsburg welcoming its most diverse incoming rst-year class ever in 2017. Students of color are now in the majority of traditional undergraduates, making Augsburg one of the most diverse private colleges in the Midwest. As Augsburg is learning in its own community, Minnesota’s multifaceted disparities require a multifaceted approach that summons individual and collective willpower to align impact with intent. Despite Harper’s success after graduating from Augsburg, he views the disparate outcomes as a call to action, even forming his own economic development consulting rm, R.D.T.H Consulting, focused on social impact in addition to his day job. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” Top Image: Minneapolis is a city with a liberal reputation, but racial disparities persist. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Class of 2015 Twitter Class of 2016 Pinterest LinkedIn Diversity and Inclusion Email economics Faculty Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Stay the course: O -and-on sports seasons prove Auggie student-athletes’ resilience What it takes to ght a pandemic: Research and health care (Part 2) YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE What it takes to ght a What it takes to ght a Stay the course: O -and-on pandemic: Community pandemic: Research and sports seasons prove collaboration and mutual health care (Part 2) Auggie student-athletes’ aid (Part 1) - on February 22, 2021 resilience - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE STAY THE COURSE: OFF-AND-ON SPORTS SEASONS PROVE AUGGIE STUDENTATHLETES’ RESILIENCE After a pause on competitions due to COVID-19, Auggies are ready to get back in the game by Kate Norlander Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Athletics, Featured Stories Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The COVID-19 pandemic put a major pause on 2020’s athletic competitions. The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postponed the fall sports season. In January the league announced plans for a modi ed winter season for basketball, hockey, indoor track and eld, and swimming and diving (though it’s not o cially part of the MIAC, wrestling will follow the same guidelines). Auggies can’t wait to get back in the game. Many student-athletes have been practicing their sports since elementary school. During the past year, the pandemic disrupted participation in activities that have been important to their lives. But Augsburg’s Athletics sta and student-athletes have met this challenge with a commitment to the health and safety of the community. This willingness to put safety rst means that student-athletes Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News are now able to compete. In order for student-athletes to participate in sports this year, the NCAA created rules designed to promote safety. Augsburg Athletics also made sure that strong safety measures were in place, which CONNECT WITH US has helped students feel a bit more at ease during an anxious time. Devon Hannah ’21, a guard on the men’s basketball team, said, “We have the freedom to decide whether or not we feel comfortable with an activity. The Athletics Department is handling this well, keeping us safe physically and mentally, too.” Coaches play an important role in student-athletes’ lives, which means they are often among the rst people to learn when a student receives a positive COVID-19 test result. This means that they are not only helping students develop skills in their sport; they are also watching out for the safety of their team. Devon Hannah ’21 (Courtesy photo) Corrina Evans ’21, a middle blocker on the women’s volleyball team, said, “The coaches and trainers are sharing campus resources like the Center for Wellness and Counseling. They have check-in times when we can talk about anything, and they will call or text us: doing contact tracing, helping us understand how to quarantine correctly if we have to do that, and making sure we have everything we need.” Changes to practice and competition Corrina Evans ’21 (Courtesy photo) Even with precautionary measures in place, there are times when teams have to pause their practice, whether a teammate tested positive for COVID-19 or a rising number of cases in Minnesota required universities to temporarily close workout and sports facilities, which occurred in the fall and early winter. Read more about Auggies ghting the pandemic.  When they’re able to practice, Augsburg’s student-athletes gather in pods that have gradually increased in size as they were safely able to do so. While the smallest pods have allowed students to practice their sports safely and to control the spread of the virus, they’ve also presented a challenge. “It’s di cult to get to know each other and to gel as a team,” Hannah said. “Practices are very di erent,” said Evans. “You can’t see people’s faces because of the masks. But we’ve been able to move up into bigger pods, which gives us a more normal team chemistry and allows us to have a full team practice and do some scrimmaging. The challenges are more mental than physical.” In early January, the MIAC gave teams the go-ahead to compete again, although competitions are limited and spectators are not allowed. (Augsburg has o ered free livestream viewing for all home events and some road events.) Students in sports that present a higher risk for COVID-19 transmission must get tested three times each week in order to practice and compete—measures well worth it for eager players and coaches. “It’s exciting to be able to get back to playing and feel in the groove again,” said Colleen Enrico ’14, assistant athletic director, volleyball assistant coach, and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee advisor. Melissa Lee ’04 (left), assistant athletic director and softball head coach, leads softball practice in Augsburg’s dome in February 2021. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Prioritizing mental health Augsburg Athletics had already begun addressing the mental health of student-athletes before the pandemic. In the summer of 2019, all coaches and sta took an eight-hour course in mental health rst aid, which can provide support for student-athletes and coaches until they can speak with mental health professionals. Mark Wick, men’s hockey assistant coach, has recently taken on new, temporary duties at Augsburg as he sets up a mental health advocacy program for Augsburg Athletics. “We need to know how to deal with what is happening now, but in ve to 10 years, people still will be dealing with losing jobs or loved ones,” Wick said. “Hopefully it won’t be as bad as it is now, but how we use this time can help prepare us for growth.” Augsburg University @AugsburgU September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and @AugsburgU Assistant Hockey Coach @coachwick23 will hold a golf tournament to raise awareness, as this subject is very personal to him. “It’s OK to reach out and ask for help,” Wick told @WCCO. Augsburg Assistant Hockey Coach Mark Wick's Push For Suicide Awa… September is Suicide Awareness Month. And on Tuesday, Augsburg University assistant hockey coach Mark Wick will hold a golf … minnesota.cbslocal.com 7:30 PM · Sep 29, 2020 18 5 Copy link to Tweet Fostering the Auggie Experience Enrico reported that in past years, student-athletes met with the entire team sta on a weekly basis, but this year they are meeting with a di erent coach each week. This allows them to be more open and build better relationships with their coaches. As in past years, coaches touch base with students about their lives outside of their sport so that, for instance, if they are struggling with classes, the coach can suggest resources for help. This year coaches are also making a point of paying attention to upcoming events so that they can suggest activities that might help student-athletes better connect with their fellow students. It’s been a tough year for everyone, and that has been particularly true for rst-year students who were unable to participate in many traditional activities at the end of their senior year in high school and now have begun their college experience under di cult conditions. For that reason, Enrico said, coaches have made a point of connecting third- and fourth-year students with rst-year and other new students. Augsburg Athletics @AugsburgAuggies Check out some photos from a recent Augsburg women's basketball practice! ﬂickr.com/photos/1463682… #d3hoops #AuggiePride 7:43 PM · Jan 14, 2021 7 3 Copy link to Tweet Di erent teams have di erent approaches to these connections. In volleyball, coaches have suggested podcasts that each student can discuss with a di erent teammate each week. “We want them to get outside of volleyball, so the podcasts might be on topics such as banking or racial diversity,” Enrico said. Fostering these connections—between teammates, between each student-athlete and coach, and between student-athletes and the wider Augsburg community—is, perhaps, one of the most important things coaches can do for their student-athletes this year. All of them help these students feel a sense of community. In Enrico’s words, “the Auggie experience is community.” Top image: The COVID-19 pandemic has required temporary closures and reopenings of workout spaces, including Augsburg’s weight room, with students’ health in mind. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook athletics Twitter college sports Pinterest COVID-19 LinkedIn mental health Email sports Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist guides Auggies through the COVID-19 pandemic Confronting the Minnesota paradox YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE What it takes to ght a What it takes to ght a Confronting the Minnesota pandemic: Community pandemic: Research and paradox collaboration and mutual health care (Part 2) - on February 22, 2021 aid (Part 1) - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG’S IN-HOUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIST GUIDES AUGGIES THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC On the Spot Q&A with Associate Professor Alicia Quella by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Remember those days of uncertainty in March 2020, when we had more questions than answers, and before most of us used terms like “coronavirus” and “social distancing”? The United States saw an increase in COVID-19 infections, and some states—including Minnesota—applied stay-at-home orders to mitigate the spread. Weeks before that in ection point, Augsburg University administrators, faculty, and sta convened a COVID-19 task force. Sign up for Email Newsletter Not all educational institutions have an epidemiologist on sta , but Augsburg is fortunate. One of the task force’s principal leaders is Alicia Submit Your Alumni News Quella, associate professor and director of Augsburg’s physician assistant program. As an educator with a PhD in epidemiology and experience in public health settings around the world, her expertise CONNECT WITH US has proved invaluable for the university’s grasp of the evolving global crisis and Augsburg’s response to maintain the health and safety of community members. Associate Professor Alicia Quella (Photo by Courtney Perry) Between elding student questions about the coronavirus, volunteering at COVID-19 testing sites, and ensuring the Augsburg community can trace contacts and reduce transmission on campus, Quella shared some perspectives on her work and where we go from here. Q: How have you been involved in Augsburg’s outbreak planning and COVID-19 response? A: I serve on the pandemic task force, a university-wide team of people that assembled after it was apparent that COVID-19 would signi cantly a ect institutions of higher education across the United States. We collaborate regularly with epidemiologists from the Minnesota Department of Health to implement public health guidelines for campuses. We started to meet daily to coordinate issues involving classrooms and labs, athletics, residence halls, dining services, facilities, and global education. We started a COVID-19 Response Team, which comprises sta and faculty across campus who implement health protocols and support students and personnel who have illness, have COVID-19, or have been exposed to it. R.John @raccajohn Neither rain nor SNOW can keep @AugsburgU's Dr. Alicia Quella from working the walk-up/drive-up COVID-19 testing location @PeoplesCenter Cedar Riverside Clinic 1:50 AM · Oct 21, 2020 3 See the latest COVID-19 information on Twitter Q: What were your rst thoughts when you heard about COVID19 and considered its implications for the Augsburg community? A: When news of a novel coronavirus was circulating in China, I was immediately concerned because I had studied the epidemiology of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) during my doctoral work through the University of Iowa Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases. In 2003, SARS quickly spread to 29 countries, so I knew that this would be a major issue in the United States. Q: At this stage in the COVID-19 pandemic, what are the most important things for the public to understand and do? A: To reach herd immunity [when a signi cant portion of a community is immune to a disease and thereby makes spread unlikely] we all need to continue to ‘bubble’ and limit the number of close contacts, wear face masks, socially distance, and get vaccinated. I also encourage the students and my patients to be creative and nd ways to keep active and engaged— start a new hobby, do something outdoors, and reach out to relatives and friends who may be isolated right now. Q: What do you see in the post-COVID-19 world? A: Colleges and universities have seen a rapid di usion of innovation in how they are using technology to deliver curriculum, participate in athletics, and maintain operations. This energy and innovation will have to continue to promote widespread vaccine uptake. Vaccine hesitancy is an issue, especially in communities of color that have been disproportionately a ected by COVID-19 because of structural racism. Augsburg will need to make this a top priority moving forward. Q: What’s a memorable moment of the past year that made an impact on you? A: As an epidemiologist and a physician assistant, I’ve had the opportunity to continue to see patients and work with Augsburg students, sta , and faculty. I recently received the COVID-19 vaccine and have felt humbled and honored to now be able to continue to work more safely in the community. Top image: Associate Professor Alicia Quella’s experience as an epidemiologist has helped maintain the health and safety of the Augsburg community. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Read more Augsburg stories on COVID-19. Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Academic Departments Physician Assistant Studies Pinterest Community Engagement LinkedIn COVID-19 Email Faculty Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Notes from President Pribbenow: Come and see! Stay the course: O -and-on sports seasons prove Auggie student-athletes’ resilience YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents Augsburg’s recent awards, Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and rankings, and recognition - on February 22, 2021 reelected members - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW: COME AND SEE! by Paul C. Pribbenow Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook Go  Around the Quad, President's Letter Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email In the Christian church, the liturgical season before Lent is called Epiphany, a time when we re ect on the good news that God has broken into human history and that we are called to share that good news with all of creation. There is a wonderful invitational character to Epiphany, in which we ask each other and our neighbors to “Come and see” all that God is doing in our midst. In that spirit, this issue of Augsburg Now invites all of us to come and see what the Augsburg community is doing in its 151st academic year, in the midst of a global pandemic, to live out our mission. In these pandemic times, Augsburg students, faculty, and sta have brought great imagination, resilience, and courage to our work together. I am so proud of what they have accomplished, and I invite you to come and see … Come and see the gift of the surprises we found in how we teach and learn, how we keep our community and neighborhood safe and President Paul Pribbenow (Photo by Courtney Perry) healthy, how we live out our most deeply held commitments and values, and how we are open to new and innovative ways of living and working. Paul Pribbenow @paulpribbenow I’m out and about, delivering yard signs to the @AugsburgU Class of 2024! Here’s Vanessa - a proud new Auggie. #augsburgbold #auggiepride Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US 4:13 PM · Jun 30, 2020 95 5 Copy link to Tweet Come and see how we answered the call to serve our neighbors even when we must navigate the challenges of a virus, economic disruption, and racial reckoning. Our focus on supporting local businesses, meeting the needs of those experiencing homelessness, ensuring that all of our students have the resources they need to be successful, and nding ways to feed the hungry—all these illustrate how our community embraces its commitments to our neighbors. Come and see the promise of abundance in a time and world too often characterized by scarcity. We believe deeply in what the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone proclaimed: “We all do better when we all do better.” Our abiding commitments to equity and inclusion—and our aspiration to be an anti-racist university—lead us to robust engagement with each other and with the wider community so that all will do better. Augsburg University is a distinctive community, de ning in its life and work a vision for higher education in the 21st century. I am deeply grateful for the support of alumni and friends, whose generosity and engagement help us live into our vision to educate Auggies as stewards of an inclusive democracy. Come and see. Faithfully yours, Paul C. Pribbenow, President Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Community Engagement Pinterest Diversity and Inclusion LinkedIn Faith Email President Paul C. Pribbenow Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg Board of Regents welcomes new and reelected members Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist guides Auggies through the COVID-19 pandemic YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Augsburg Board of Regents Augsburg’s recent awards, epidemiologist guides welcomes new and rankings, and recognition Auggies through the reelected members - on February 22, 2021 COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG BOARD OF REGENTS WELCOMES NEW AND REELECTED MEMBERS by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The Augsburg University Board of Regents meeting in October 2020 included celebration of the election of new and continuing regents. James Hereford and Veena Iyer were elected to their rst four-year terms. Nick Gangestad ’86, Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, Jill Nelson Thomas, and Noya Woodrich ’92, ’94 MSW were elected to second four-year terms. Pam Moksnes ’79 was elected to a third four-year term. Sign up for Email Newsletter Finally, Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson and Bishop Ann Svennungsen were appointed to serve three-year terms as ex o cio members of the board. Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US Nick Gangestad ’86 James Hereford Veena Iyer Pam Moksnes ’79 Jill Nelson Thomas Laurie Skow-Anderson Ann Svennungsen Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo Noya Woodrich ’92, ’94 MSW Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Alumni News And Updates Class of 1992 Pinterest LinkedIn Board of Regents Master of Social Work Class of 1979 Email Class of 1986 Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg’s recent awards, rankings, and recognition Notes from President Pribbenow: Come and see! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg’s recent awards, epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! rankings, and recognition Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG’S RECENT AWARDS, RANKINGS, AND RECOGNITION by Briana Alamilla '17 Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Each year, Augsburg University is recognized for its academic excellence, student-centered community, and commitment to educating students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. Augsburg’s recent awards and rankings include: 2020 Best Colleges by Money Most Transformative Colleges 2020–21 Military Friendly® School by Military Friendly® 2020 Best of the Best LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges and Universities, Midwest region by Campus Pride Top 30 in the Country Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News 2020 Best Colleges For Financial Aid by LendEDU CONNECT WITH US 79th in the United States 2nd in Minnesota 2020 Best Value Colleges and Universities in Minnesota by BestValueSchools.com 2021 Best Universities, Midwest region by U.S. News & World Report 3rd in Most Innovative Schools 4th in Campus Ethnic Diversity 7th in Undergraduate Teaching 14th in Best Colleges for Veterans 15th in Best Value Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs Augsburg University’s Department of Business Administration was recently accredited for the undergraduate and Master of Business Administration programs. View more of Augsburg’s awards and rankings. Top image: Augsburg’s Hagfors Center. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Augsburg In The News Pinterest LinkedIn Awards and Recognition Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Playwrights’ Center partners with Augsburg to o er courses with leading playwrights Augsburg Board of Regents welcomes new and reelected members YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE PLAYWRIGHTS’ CENTER PARTNERS WITH AUGSBURG TO OFFER COURSES WITH LEADING PLAYWRIGHTS by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The Playwrights’ Center and Augsburg University announced a new partnership to o er accredited courses taught by the nation’s leading playwrights. Through online courses, students connect with peers and faculty members from across the United States. The courses, o ered through Augsburg’s Center for Global Education and Experience, are guided by Augsburg’s Theater Department in conjunction with the Playwrights’ Center. “With these courses, students will learn with and from writers at the top of their eld, seeing what it takes to have pieces published and performed,” said Patrick Mulvihill, Augsburg’s assistant provost for global education and experience, in an interview with Broadway World. Sign up for Email Newsletter Top image: An Augsburg student tours the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. (Photo by Stephen Ge re) Submit Your Alumni News Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Academic Departments Pinterest Experiential Education LinkedIn Email Fine And Performing Arts Theater CONNECT WITH US Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Professor Emeritus Mark Engebretson receives 30th NSF grant, continues space weather study Augsburg’s recent awards, rankings, and recognition YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT CONTACT US PROFESSOR EMERITUS MARK ENGEBRETSON RECEIVES 30TH NSF GRANT, CONTINUES SPACE WEATHER STUDY by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook Go CURRENT ISSUE  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Mark Engebretson, Augsburg University professor emeritus of physics, received a ve-year grant totaling $805,744 from the National Science Foundation (Award Number 2013648). This grant supports the continued operation and data analysis of the Magnetometer Array for Cusp and Cleft Studies, which is used to study near-Earth space weather, such as solar winds that may disrupt communication and navigation systems. It represents the 30th research study on which Engebretson has served as the principal investigator through NSF funding. Engebretson has led several research projects—including some with Augsburg student-researchers—studying ionospheric and space physics in collaboration with European and NASA satellite programs. Nearly 100 Augsburg students have gained paid research experience working on these research projects. Professor Emeritus Mark Engebretson (Photo by Stephen Ge re) Engebretson has authored or coauthored more than 300 scholarly research articles on topics related to space weather. View more grants news. Share this: Tags: Facebook Faculty Grants Twitter Pinterest The Sciences LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21 Sign up for Email Newsletter  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Star Tribune, and Minnesota Urban Debate League cosponsor justice reform essay contest Playwrights’ Center partners with Augsburg to o er courses with leading playwrights Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES AND LYNX, STAR TRIBUNE, AND MINNESOTA URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE COSPONSOR JUSTICE REFORM ESSAY CONTEST by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email In Fall 2020, Augsburg University’s Minnesota Urban Debate League joined the Star Tribune news company and the Minnesota Lynx and Minnesota Timberwolves professional basketball teams in cosponsoring a youth essay contest focused on criminal justice reform. Minnesota students ages 10 to 18 were invited to submit a written essay, video, or audio recording that described local or national changes that could reduce racial injustice and inequities in the criminal justice system. MNUDL determined the top 10 entries, which were judged by a panel of coaches from the Timberwolves and Lynx and representatives from local organizations, including MN Rise and The Minneapolis Foundation. Editor’s note: Winning submissions were announced February 27 in the Star Tribune. Share this: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News Email CONNECT WITH US Tags: Augsburg In The News Minnesota Urban Debate League Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg awarded $10,000 Minneapolis Foundation grant Professor Emeritus Mark Engebretson receives 30th NSF grant, continues space weather study YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG AWARDED $10,000 MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION GRANT by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email In September 2020, the Minneapolis Foundation announced that it would award more than $500,000 in grants to 40 organizations in the Twin Cities. Following the increased public dialogue about public safety after the killing of George Floyd, the grants aim to reduce violence, address systemic inequities, and provide community support. The Minneapolis Foundation’s Fund for Safe Communities awarded $10,000 to Augsburg University to elevate the voices of middle- and high-school students through debate on the topic of criminal justice reform. Other grant recipients are organizations working to support art projects, mediation, mental health services, civil rights education, and community healing while addressing police violence and public safety. Top image: Demonstrators in Summer 2020 marched with a banner that was created as a part of Augsburg’s One Day in May art campaign. (Photo by Leon Wang) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Community Engagement Pinterest LinkedIn Diversity and Inclusion Grants Submit Your Alumni News Email CONNECT WITH US Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST Sign up for Email Newsletter NEXT POST  Faculty members William Green and Timothy Pippert assume new professorships Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Star Tribune, and Minnesota Urban Debate League cosponsor justice reform essay contest YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG LAUNCHES THE CENTER FOR INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP by Kate Norlander Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email This fall, Augsburg University launched the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which advances education and support for Augsburg students and alumni in the disciplines of innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The center’s focus is on the practice and psychology of innovation and entrepreneurship. Cory Erickson, an instructor in Augsburg’s Master of Business Administration program, leads the center. The center provides practical educational material for Augsburg students and alumni through a variety of events and activities. These opportunities include: a speaker series Sign up for Email Newsletter cooperative projects between student teams and local companies support for students who are building organizations that impact social causes through innovation and entrepreneurship Submit Your Alumni News support for student entrepreneurs the creation of student teams drawn from the science and business departments to solve problems for new startups CONNECT WITH US student contests o ering awards and potential funding for new ventures research and scholarship through a think tank the promotion of internships for students in the for-pro t, nonpro t, and government sectors. Top image: Instructor Cory Erickson leads the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Academic Departments Pinterest LinkedIn Business Administration Email Experiential Education MBA Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  NSF grants Augsburg $3 million for STEM students Faculty members William Green and Timothy Pippert assume new professorships YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE FACULTY MEMBERS WILLIAM GREEN AND TIMOTHY PIPPERT ASSUME NEW PROFESSORSHIPS by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Professor of History William Green was named the inaugural M. Anita Gay Hawthorne Professor of Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies, e ective September 1, 2020. The position was created on the recommendation of a working group of students, faculty, and sta who developed a vision for a new academic department in critical race and ethnicity studies at Augsburg University. Related: Professor William Green comments on “Confronting the Minnesota paradox” Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News Professor of Sociology Timothy Pippert was named the inaugural holder of the Joel Torstenson Endowed Professorship, e ective September 1, CONNECT WITH US 2020. This professorship is made possible through the generosity of Mark Johnson ’75, who also supports the university’s Torstenson Scholars program. Top image: Professor Timothy Pippert teaches a sociology class in Hagfors Center. (Photos by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Academic Departments Diversity and Inclusion Pinterest Class of 1975 Faculty LinkedIn Email Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies Hawthorne History Sociology Torstenson Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg launches the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Augsburg awarded $10,000 Minneapolis Foundation grant YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NSF GRANTS AUGSBURG $3 MILLION FOR STEM STUDENTS by Kate Norlander Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Augsburg University will receive $3,075,000 of a $5 million grant award from the National Science Foundation to support the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (often referred to as STEM). The project will provide scholarships, internships, and research experiences for nearly 200 students over a ve-year period beginning in the 2020–21 academic year at Augsburg, Century College, Minneapolis College, and Normandale Community College. These institutions will work together to provide seamless pathways for students to transfer from two-year to four-year STEM programs. Scholarships of $7,500 to $10,000 will be awarded to students pursuing majors in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, food science, mathematics, and physics. These students will be connected to internships and research experiences through partner organizations SciTech, UpTurnships, and MnDRIVE, as well as through Augsburg’s undergraduate research programs. This is the third phase of a program initiated by Augsburg and funded by the NSF. Grants in the prior phases Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News funded scholarships for 111 STEM students, 100% of whom graduated and went on to pursue careers or continue their education in STEM elds. CONNECT WITH US The project will be led by Rebekah Dupont, Augsburg’s director of STEM programs and associate professor of mathematics, working in collaboration with principal investigators from the other participating institutions. Top image: Associate Professor Rebekah Dupont is director of STEM programs at Augsburg. (Courtesy photo) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Experiential Education Grants Pinterest LinkedIn The Sciences Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg hosts bold new speaker series Augsburg launches the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG HOSTS BOLD NEW SPEAKER SERIES by Stephen Jendraszak Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Augsburg Bold is a series of initiatives designed to help Augsburg University students continue to thrive during the pandemic and to enjoy the distinctive experience o ered at Augsburg. As part of that work, during Fall 2020, the university quad was set up as a physically distanced outdoor seminar room, enabling up to 60 attendees to take part in a series of remarkable presentations. All presentations were also livestreamed via Zoom. R.John @raccajohn Thank you, @GovTimWalz and @GwenWalz for sharing your thoughts on servant leadership with @AugsburgU today. #AugsburgBold Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US 5:15 PM · Oct 5, 2020 7 Copy link to Tweet 3 Students had the opportunity to hear from several speakers: Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP spoke about her work building relationships with those in our community who are experiencing homelessness and helping to ensure that their basic needs for food, shelter, and health care are met. Olivia House ’20 discussed the summer of resistance by Black youth. Jodi Harpstead, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, spoke about what she’s learned through her work during the pandemic. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Gwen Walz discussed their experience in education and leadership. Watch recordings of selected speakers at augsburg.edu/bold. ‹ › Augsburg Bold speakers included Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP, and Gov. Tim Walz and Gwen Walz. Students, sta , and faculty attended the socially distanced events on Augsburg’s campus or watched the livestream online. (Photos by Rebecca Slater) Top image: Augsburg’s quad was decorated for the Augsburg Bold speaker series. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Class of 2020 Twitter Pinterest Doctor of Nursing Practice Master of Arts in Nursing On Campus LinkedIn Events Email Experiential Education Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Forum on Workplace Inclusion to host rst virtual conference NSF grants Augsburg $3 million for STEM students YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE FORUM ON WORKPLACE INCLUSION TO HOST FIRST VIRTUAL CONFERENCE by Stephen Jendraszak Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The Forum on Workplace Inclusion, based at Augsburg University, will host its 33rd annual conference as a virtual event March 8–12, 2021. Workplaces have struggled during the past year to navigate a digital, distanced work environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, social protests centered around racism and the unjust deaths of Black people at the hands of police have also brought greater attention to overwhelming disparities in economics, education, health care, housing, and public safety. This year, the forum asks: What will it take to start a workplace revolution that moves us from talk to Sign up for Email Newsletter action? Submit Your Alumni News Learn more and register to attend at forumworkplaceinclusion.org. Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Community Engagement Forum on Workplace Inclusion Pinterest Diversity and Inclusion LinkedIn Events CONNECT WITH US Email Experiential Education Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg Homecoming (at a distance) Augsburg hosts bold new speaker series YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG HOMECOMING (AT A DISTANCE) by Briana Alamilla '17 Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Homecoming 2020 celebrations looked a little di erent than previous years. Though social gatherings were restricted, the Augsburg Student Activities Council found creative ways to celebrate with a series of events during the week of September 21—some virtual and some physically distanced: Cider and canvas: Spread out in the quad, students created paintings in the style of artist Bob Ross. Create your own PopSocket: Participants made their own Augsburg-branded phone grip accessories. Drag and lip sync battle: Students competed by submitting videos of themselves lip-syncing to a song. Movie night: The lm “Queen & Slim” was screened in the quad. Homecoming royalty coronation ceremony: Homecoming court members were announced and royalty were crowned. Top image: Students participate in an outdoor event sponsored by the Augsburg Student Activities Council. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email CONNECT WITH US Tags: Events Homecoming On Campus Student Activities And Achievements Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Cedar-Riverside supply drives support neighborhood Forum on Workplace Inclusion to host rst virtual conference YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE CEDAR-RIVERSIDE SUPPLY DRIVES SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD by Briana Alamilla '17 Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the damage some businesses experienced following the murder of George Floyd, put a strain on Augsburg’s Twin Cities community as many local stores temporarily closed and access to public transportation was reduced. In June and August, Augsburg University organized supply drives in partnership with the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Drivers in more than 550 cars participated in the supply drives, and their donations were delivered to the Brian Coyle Center through several dozen trips. “This is our community; this is our neighborhood,” one volunteer said. “So when our neighbors are hurting, we step forward and do what we can to help.” Read more about Auggies’ e orts to support the community: “What it takes to ght a pandemic.” Sign up for Email Newsletter Augsburg University @AugsburgU Submit Your Alumni News Augsburg’s supply drive was a success! Thank you to all who donated and volunteered to help out our so loved Cedar-Riverside community. It is in times like these where we must all come together as the thoughtful stewards that we are. #AuggiePride CONNECT WITH US 9:51 PM · Jun 1, 2020 91 15 Copy link to Tweet Top image: Auggies collected donations for the Twin Cities community in Summer 2020. (Photo by Joe Mann) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Community Engagement Pinterest Diversity and Inclusion LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg names George Floyd Memorial Scholarship recipients Augsburg Homecoming (at a distance) YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG NAMES GEORGE FLOYD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS by Briana Alamilla '17 Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Augsburg University created the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship, which is designed to support outstanding third- and fourth-year students who have a strong understanding of Black experiences and U.S. history while showing leadership in advancing racial justice e orts. Each selected student received a $5,000 scholarship. Augsburg named the ve inaugural scholarship recipients: Aisha Abdi ’21 is majoring in management information systems and marketing. Quran Al-Hameed ’21 is majoring in psychology. Mallory Ferguson ’21 is majoring in communication studies. Sign up for Email Newsletter Kaltun Hassan ’22 is majoring in computer science. Nadirah McGill ’21 is majoring in music business. Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US Aisha Abdi ’21, management information systems and marketing Quran Al-Hameed ’21, psychology Kaltun Hassan ’22, computer science Nadirah McGill ’21, music business (Courtesy photo) Mallory Ferguson ’21, communication studies Read more about Augsburg’s Equity and Inclusion Initiatives. Share this: Tags: Facebook Class of 2021 Twitter Class of 2022 Pinterest LinkedIn Diversity and Inclusion Email Scholarship Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Prospective students and their families engage with virtual campus tour Cedar-Riverside supply drives support neighborhood YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ENGAGE WITH VIRTUAL CAMPUS TOUR Multimedia platform o ers a glimpse of Augsburg from afar by Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA Share this: Facebook February 22, 2021 Twitter  Around the Quad Pinterest LinkedIn Email For the past year, Augsburg University’s virtual tour has showcased the Minneapolis campus’ facilities and resources as it has been challenging to conduct in-person visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a multimedia interactive map with photos and videos, the virtual tour simulates an on-the-ground campus experience. The virtual tour o ers a look at Augsburg’s residence halls and athletic facilities, details about academic buildings and green spaces, and a peek inside performance Sign up for Email Newsletter venues and practice rooms. The virtual tour launched in March 2020 to help out-of-state and international populations visualize the campus. From its launch in March, Submit Your Alumni News 2020, through February 1, Check out the virtual tour at augsburg.university-tour.com. 2021, the virtual tour has had 32,421 visitors. The top states visitors are from are CONNECT WITH US Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, and California. Share this: Tags: Facebook On Campus Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg TRIO/Student Support Services earns fth consecutive U.S. Department of Education grant Augsburg names George Floyd Memorial Scholarship recipients YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG TRIO/STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES EARNS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GRANT by Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA Share this: Facebook February 22, 2021 Twitter  Around the Quad Pinterest LinkedIn Email The U.S. Department of Education announced that Augsburg University was awarded a federal Student Support Services ve-year grant of nearly $300,000 annually to help more students succeed in and graduate from college. This is the fth TRIO/SSS grant awarded to Augsburg, which has hosted the project since 2001. Each year, Augsburg TRIO/SSS serves about 160 undergraduate students. The TRIO/SSS program is designed for students who are the rst in their families to attend post-secondary education, students who are low income, or students with disabilities. The grant funds an array of services including academic skill development, academic advising, tutoring, nancial aid advice, and nancial literacy. “Augsburg TRIO/SSS has established a reputation for helping students navigate Sign up for Email Newsletter higher education to achieve their academic goals,” said Aly Olson, director of Augsburg TRIO/SSS. Submit Your Alumni News “Students know their TRIO advisor is looking out for their best interests and helps them through the tough decisions of college life. We are thrilled to be able to continue this important work at Augsburg.” —Aly Olson Aly Olson (Photo by Courtney Perry) CONNECT WITH US The federal government contributes about 70% of the funds needed to support Augsburg’s TRIO/SSS project. The university contributes the remaining program funds. Top image: Brooklyn Jones ’22, clinical psychology major and sociology minor, attends a Summer Bridge class in 2019. (Photo by Bob Stack ’71) Share this: Tags: Facebook Grants Twitter TRIO SSS Pinterest LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg receives grants for equity in education and remote learning Prospective students and their families engage with virtual campus tour YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG RECEIVES GRANTS FOR EQUITY IN EDUCATION AND REMOTE LEARNING by Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA Share this: Facebook February 22, 2021 Twitter  Around the Quad Pinterest LinkedIn Email This fall, Augsburg University received $250,000 in grant funding from the State of Minnesota to address equity in education and remote learning needs among students of color, Indigenous students, and those who are disabled or low-income. The funds came through two awards under the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief grant. One award provided direct aid to teacher candidates who needed to pay unexpected costs posed by the pandemic during their student teaching semester and coursework. The second award was geared toward making hardware and software available to more students to support them in their switch to online learning. This support included additional laptops for checkout, noise-cancelling headphones, digital tablets for art and math courses, training resources for successful online learning, new digital video resources in the library, and captioning of instructional videos to increase accessibility. The GEER grant program was a redistribution of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds. Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News View more grants news. Top image: A redistribution of federal CARES Act funds provided support for Augsburg students’ online CONNECT WITH US learning. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Grants Twitter Remote Learning Pinterest LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  In memoriam, Winter 2020–21 Augsburg TRIO/Student Support Services earns fth consecutive U.S. Department of Education grant YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE IN MEMORIAM, WINTER 2020–21 Remembering and honoring Auggies by Amanda Symes '09, '15 MFA Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook Twitter  Auggies Connect, In Memoriam Pinterest LinkedIn Email Below we recognize the alumni and friends whose noti cations of death were received between March 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021. 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | Faculty 1940s Fern L. (Hanson) Gudmestad ’41, Minneapolis, age 101, on June 3. Wayne E. Peterson ’43, Palm City, Florida, age 99, on November 14. Sign up for Email Newsletter Thelma I. (Erickson) Mckenzie ’44, Hollandale, Wisconsin, age 96, on July 1. Helen V. (Odden) Pederson ’45, Spooner, Wisconsin, age 96, on May 5. Submit Your Alumni News Doris K. (Larson) Walen ’45, Alamo, North Dakota, age 97, on October 3. Martha E. Fosse Palmquist ’46, Lakeville, Minnesota, age 96, on November 22. CONNECT WITH US Lowell O. Larson ’47, Claremont, California, age 95, on May 10. Arnold J. Oie ’47, Glencoe, Minnesota, age 96, on August 1. Margery A. (Manger) Torgerson ’47, Circle Pines, Minnesota, age 94, on March 30. Esther P. (Bakken) Crosby ’48, Moorhead, Minnesota, age 95, on June 19. John E. Hanson ’48, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 93, on October 1. Jean A. (Tibke) Vane ’48, Visalia, California, age 93, on October 20. John F. Anderson ’49, Minneapolis, age 96, on December 22. June (Carlson) Gustafson ’49, Lincoln, Nebraska, age 92, on September 28. 1950s Louis L. Ennen ’50, Dublin, Ohio, age 94, on July 7. Lilian J. (Johnson) Ingersoll ’50, Lexington, South Carolina, age 96, on June 5. Phillip A. Quanbeck ’50, Maple Grove, Minnesota, age 93, on December 1. Mary L. (Johnson) Froiland ’50, Iron River, Wisconsin, age 91, on October 22. Orville E. Meland ’51, River Falls, Wisconsin, age 93, on October 27. Caroline J. (Borsheim) Melhus’ 51, Minneapolis, age 90, on May 31. Arvid D. Dixen ’52, Minneapolis, age 89, on May 20. Harold J. Hansen ’52, Normandy Park, Washington, age 90, on April 17. Luther J. Larson ’52, Sparta, Wisconsin, age 89, on July 6. Mildred A. Nelson ’52, Minneapolis, age 91, December 5. Alvin H. Nygard ’52, Fargo, North Dakota, age 96, on July 31. Yvonne M. (Bagley) Olson ’52, Burnsville, Minnesota, age 88, on March 16. Orville L. Olson ’52, Burnsville, Minnesota, age 89, on June 6. Ronald A. Berge ’53, West Fargo, North Dakota, age 88, on March 15. Robert O. Bruder ’53, Minneapolis, age 91, on August 9. Donald V. Dillon ’53, Minneapolis, age 89, on July 17. Kent B. Quanbeck ’53, McVille, North Dakota, age 90, on April 6. Gloria M. (Halverson) Boyum ’54, Kenyon, Minnesota, age 88, on December 19. George W. Fisher ’54, Lexington, South Carolina, age 88, on May 11. Wallace L. Hafstad ’54, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 88, on March 30. Janis R. (Larson) Hanson ’54, Canby, Minnesota, age 92, on October 2. Vivian (Waisanen) Ryden ’54, Northglenn, Colorado, age 87, on May 4. Richard M. Hagestuen ’55, Bismarck, North Dakota, age 87, on October 28. Robert M. Herman ’55, Minneapolis, age 86, on June 8. Vicent Peterson ’55, Hutchinson, Minnesota, age 87, on November 11. Richard H. Stensrud ’55, Mesa, Arizona, age 87, on August 25. LeRoy E. Nevin ’56, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, age 86, on June 7. R. Luther Olson ’56, Tucson, Arizona, age 84, on August 27. Bruce W. Rorvig ’56, Kalispell, Montana, age 85, on August 18. Duane J. Solem ’56, Edina, Minnesota, age 91, on May 2. Elizabeth A. (Mortensen) Swanson ’56, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 86, on November 6. Robert Jeska ’57, East Grand Forks, Minnesota, age 85, May 21. Erwin J. Moe ’57, Plymouth, Minnesota, age 88, on April 28. Robert C. Oslund ’57, Silver Bay, Minnesota, age 89, on December 4. Ronald B. Welde ’57, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, age 86, on September 4. Ardis H. (Lee) Zunich ’57, Miles City, Montana, age 82, on July 18. Robert L. Bagley ’58, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, age 84, on November 23. Bonnie (Sandvig) Erickson ’58, Canton, South Dakota, age 83, on May 9. Alice M. (Lindell) Lindgren ’58, Bemidji, Minnesota, age 83, on September 11. Marlene (Hegg) Ridens ’58, Montevideo, Minnesota, age 85, August 19. Donald J. Hagestuen ’59, Aitkin, Minnesota, age 83, on October 29. Arlene B. (Selander) Hill ’59, Allegan, Michigan, age 82, on September 11. Rhoda M. (Monseth) Huglen ’59, Roseau, Minnesota, age 83, on August 19. Heinrich Kopka ’59, Staples, Minnesota, age 85, on November 28. Walter W. Lundeen ’59, Minneapolis, age 89, on December 20. Richard G. Sletten ’59, North Oaks, Minnesota, age 82, on August 13. Peggy K. (O’Neil) Swensen ’59, Fargo, North Dakota, age 82, on April 11. Sharon K. (Grodt) West ’59, Chisago City, Minnesota, age 83, on March 16. 1960s Gordon Grinely ’60, Eau Galle Township, Wisconsin, age 82, on June 25. Marcia S. (Refsal) Sanders ’60, Chandler, Arizona, age 81, on October 13. Kermit L. Valleen ’60, Cambridge, Minnesota, age 83, November 16. Paula J. Bjorkley Carlson ’62, Madras, Oregon, age 80, on December 5. Allan P. Tveite ’62, Lakeville, Minnesota, age 80, on November 18. E. Nelvin Botten ’63, Stanwood, Washington, age 91, on September 16. Bernard E. Debar ’63, Minneapolis, age 89, on May 11. Helen A. (Anderson) Gildseth ’63, Duluth, Minnesota, age 78, on March 17. Lois J. (Bailey) Parson ’63, Braham, Minnesota, age 80, August 19. Clarice A. Sta ’63, Minneapolis, age 84, on April 9. Patrick J. Sullivan ’63, Miltona, Minnesota, age 79, on June 26. Lannette Y. (Haire) Reshetar ’64, Andover, Minnesota, age 77, on April 8. Lesley K. (Schwarten) Schmid ’64, Blaine, Minnesota, age 78, on June 12. Joyce M. (Nelson) Schrader ’64, Friendswood, Texas, age 77, on June 28. Susan L. Kyllo ’65, Spring Park, Minnesota, age 78, on December 16. Sharon (Tofte) Taeger ’65, Camrose, Canada, age 77, on April 4. Sharon L. (Wagner) Johnson ’66, Atikokan, Canada, age 76, on November 29. Sandra (Johnson) Kotval ’66, Spring Valley, Wisconsin, age 76, on October 15. Irene (Seltvedt) Yost ’66, Dickinson, North Dakota, age 77, on July 21. David E. Sylvester ’67, Cloquet, Minnesota, age 81, on October 29. Ruthe M. (Tollefson) Enstad ’68, Prior Lake, Minnesota, age 75, on October 15. Marvin J. Haara ’68, Hutchinson, Minnesota, age 76, on August 26. Ellen M. (Larson) Johnston ’68, Mankato, Minnesota, age 73, on August 16. Merrill D. Ronning ’68, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 75, on August 18. John P. Weinard ’68, Bloomington, Minnesota, age 81, on December 12. Douglas S. Anderson ’69, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 72, on April 10. Mervin F. Larson ’69, Excelsior, Minnesota, age 73, on August 30. 1970s Gloria J. (Wohlers Livingston) Hutchinson ’70, Falcon Heights, Minnesota, age 71, on July 1. Kathy J. (Kropelin) Cracraft ’71, Minneapolis, age 70, on July 13. Michael J. Hostetler ’71, Andover, Minnesota, age 71, on August 7. Joann S. Bell ’72, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 70, on August 9. Vicki C. (Linder) Lind ’72, Rosemount, Minnesota, age 70, on November 4. Je rey P. Ross ’72, Sheburn, Minnesota, age 64, on April 26. Jean L. (Bridges) Wachs ’73, Minneapolis, age 68, on June 4. David W. Finson ’75, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 67, on June 17. Douglas A. Fish ’75, Hastings, Minnesota, age 68, on November 24. Lois B. Wattman ’76, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 66, on September 28. Gregory J. Bannon ’77, Albertville, Minnesota, age 66, on August 15. 1980s Sandra J. Holm-Cyr ’82, Rich eld, Minnesota, age 72, on April 15. Arlene D. Hiles ’86, Stillwater, Minnesota, age 87, on September 11. 1990s Richard A. Gillitzer ’91, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, age 53, on May 24. Judith A. Francis ’92, Mound, Minnesota, age 80, on October 12. John S. Austin ’93, Minneapolis, age 70, on December 1. Debra J. Clark-Corley ’93, Gary, Indiana, age 65, on April 6. Nancy C. Sallman ’93, Minneapolis, age 65, on September 14. Violet E. (Schmitz) Rocek ’94, Minneapolis, age 85, on December 6. Eileen J. (Bridgeman) Biernat ’98, New Brighton, Minnesota, age 74, on September 4. 2000s Dylan E. Cook ’00, Christchurch, New Zealand, age 44, on September 7. Kelly A. (Duncan) Norden ’00, Minneapolis, age 42, on October 3. Philip R. Johnson ’04, Nisswa, Minnesota, age 56, on April 11. Michael R. Kuhlmann ’04, Minneapolis, age 39, on August 11. Christopher R. Hunnicutt ’08, Green Bay, Wisconsin, age 35, on March 27. Barton M. Lund ’08, Stuart, Florida, age 56, on December 12. 2010s Quinten P. Bissonette ’12, Spring Valley, Minnesota, age 43, on May 5. Shane M. Potter ’15, Garrison, Minnesota, age 31, on December 13. J. Parker Foley ’16, Duxbury, Massachusetts, age 27, on October 21. Maricio M. Mata-Thelen ’17, Minneapolis, age 26, on October 31. Kevin J. Baxter ’19, Burnsville, Minnesota, age 29, on November 2. 2020s Abdirizak A. Abdullahi ’21, Minneapolis, age 21, on April 26. Faculty Augsburg University’s Center for Global Education and Experience Guatemala Site Director Fidel Xinico Tum, San Lucas Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, age 60, on September 12. Submit address changes and nominations for remembrances to alumniupdate@augsburg.edu. Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Alumni News And Updates Pinterest LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg receives $50,000 grant for Travelers EDGE® Augsburg receives grants for equity in education and remote learning YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Give to the Max Day recap and sustaining Augsburg’s future - on January 26, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG RECEIVES $50,000 GRANT FOR TRAVELERS EDGE® by John Weirick February 18, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The Travelers Companies, Inc. gave a $50,000 grant to Augsburg University in September 2020 to support Travelers EDGE. The program—which stands for Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment—provides scholarships, internships, job shadowing, professional development opportunities, and career advice. More than 100 Augsburg students have participated in the program since 2007. “There is much more to be gained from Travelers EDGE than solely professional development,” said Ann A. Ulring, program manager at Augsburg’s Strommen Center for Meaningful Work. “By the time scholars graduate, they are con dent, career-focused, and empowered to share who they are and what they have to o er.” EDGE scholar Samantha Lopez ’22, who completed a summer internship at Travelers, said, “Travelers has opened so many doors for me. It was amazing to learn rsthand what goes on inside a corporation and nd out I can do the work. Travelers provided me with the support, skills, and con dence I need to pursue a business career.” 2020–21 Recipients Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US Aaron Davis ’24, Business Management Yer Her ’23, Marketing Pa Houa Lee ’23, Marketing Hamza Jamari ’22, Marketing Duaa Katabay ’23, Business Management Curtis Love ’23, Marketing Samantha Lopez ’22, Communication Studies PangDao Xiong ’24, Marketing View more grants news. Top image: Samantha Lopez ’22 is one of several Travelers EDGE scholars at Augsburg. (Photos by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Class of 2022 Twitter Grants Pinterest Strommen Center LinkedIn Email Supporting Augsburg Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Give to the Max Day recap and sustaining Augsburg’s future In memoriam, Winter 2020–21 YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE GIVE TO THE MAX DAY RECAP AND SUSTAINING AUGSBURG’S FUTURE Thank you for supporting Augsburg during Give to the Max Day! by Amanda Symes '09, '15 MFA Share this: January 26, 2021 Facebook Twitter  Auggies Connect Pinterest LinkedIn Email Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US This November, Augsburg had a record-breaking Give to the Max Day in terms of donor participation and dollars raised. Here are the highlights: • $531,704 was raised across 41 projects, setting a new record. • 1,898 total donors gave, the most we’ve ever seen. • Gifts came from 41 states. • 56% of our 41 projects (23 projects) were fully funded, and many others were very close to fully funded. • One couple gave to 17 projects. This day continues to energize our students, faculty, and sta every year, and we can’t wait to see what we can accomplish next year. Watch this video from our students who would like to say a quick thank you. Make a di erence all year round Each year, 20% of the annual gifts to the Augsburg Fund come during Give to the Max Day. But giving to the Augsburg Fund matters all year round: We use these dollars to make a di erence for Auggies right away through scholarships, instruction and academic support, student programs, and other areas of the largest funding needs at Augsburg. Gifts to the Augsburg Fund touch the life of every student, faculty member, and sta member. More than 1,000 donors contribute to the fund each year, and you can join them. Make a di erence today. Give to the Augsburg Fund. Giving creates a ripple e ect for the future of Augsburg When a water droplet hits the surface of a pond, it causes a ripple much larger than the original drop. This is how your gift a ects Augsburg. Glass water droplet sculptures, created by Rhode Island artists, represent the expanding e ect that donors provide for the Augsburg community. Learn more about these water droplets and how endowed scholarships propel Augsburg’s work into the future. Lisa Smith and Dave Smith Sharon Mortrud ’64 (Courtesy Dennis Meyer ’78 and Bev ’78 (Courtesy photo) photo) Meyer (Courtesy photo) Share this: Tags: Facebook Augsburg Support Twitter Pinterest Give To The Max Day LinkedIn Scholarship Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  How to Build a Women’s Wrestling Program from Scratch Augsburg receives $50,000 grant for Travelers EDGE® YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE In memoriam, Winter 2020– 21 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 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Title: Augsburg Now Spring-Summer 2020
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW As we concludeour yearlongcelebration of Augsburg's150th anniversary, in the midst of thesehistorictimes, I havebeenreflectingon someof the mottosand slogansAugsburghasusedthroughoutits history.Fromour foundingscripturalmotto-"And the Word becamefleshand live...
Show more NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW As we concludeour yearlongcelebration of Augsburg's150th anniversary, in the midst of thesehistorictimes, I havebeenreflectingon someof the mottosand slogansAugsburghasusedthroughoutits history.Fromour foundingscripturalmotto-"And the Word becamefleshand livedamongus" (John1: 14)-to the familiar "Educationfor service,"to the morerecent"We believewe arecalledto serveour neighbor,"to the iconic phrasefirst usedas part of Augsburg's100th anniversary and nowfeaturedon our universityseal,"Throughtruth to freedom,"eachphrasepointsto abidingvaluesthat are at the heartof the educationAugsburgoffersto its students. I am particularlystruck by the claim madein that centennialmotto,and I wonderwhat it might mean to explorehow"Throughtruth to freedom"shapesour teachingand learningcommunityin the midst of these pandemictimes. In a recentpresentation,Professorof ReligionMary Lowe offereda provocativechallengewhensheaskedus what it might meanto educateour studentsfor freedom. Whata counterculturalnotion! Educatedfor freedomfrom ignorance,from oppression,from divisionand hatredand violence.Educatedfor freedomto makethe worldmorefair and just and healthy,to be goodneighbors,to take careof creation.Educatedfor freedomfor the sakeof the world,for the goodof others,for the promiseof wonderand creativity. At Augsburg,the possibilityof this educationfor freedom is groundedin claimsof truth. Aboveall, a theological claim of the truth of the gospelof JesusChrist-stated so powerfullyin that foundingscripturalmottofrom the first chapterof John'sgospel-a truth that makesall things possiblein our livesandwork in the world.At the same time, it's the truth wefind in our commitmentto a liberal arts education-to the belief in scientificknowledge,in socialanalysis,in artistic expression,in culturalwisdom. Andfinally, it's the truth we find in the livedexperiences of our studentsand the communitiesfrom whichthey come, truths that residein rituals andtraditionsand practicesthat invite us into worldsrich in knowledgeand wonder. "Throughtruth to freedom"strikesme as a compelling responseto this momentwhenwe find ourselvesliving at the intersectionof three pandemics.TheCOVID-19 pandemichasdisruptedall aspectsof howwe live and work,and it haspointedlyi11ustratedthe tensionbetween public healthand economicwell-being.Followingin the wakeof that pandemic,an economicpandemicthreatens our socialfabric with massiveunemployment and business closuresworldwide.And, mostrecently,the racial inequities exacerbated by the senselessmurderof GeorgeFloydby Minneapolispoliceofficers-along with countlessBlack, Indigenous,and otherpeopleof colorwho'veexperienced similar racismandviolence-havecreateda third pandemic that threatensto tear our countryapart.Surelythis unchartedintersectionof crisespresentsuniquechallenges for all of us as citizens,tryingto imaginehowwe will navigateto someas yet unknownfuture. The questionwe will ask at Augsburg-a questionat the heartof our academicmissionand our commitment to socialjustice-is, "Whereis the truth in the midst of thesepandemics?" Whatis the truth aboutkeepingeachotherhealthy in the face of a novelcoronavirus? Whatis the truth in an economythat, moreand more,deepensremarkable inequities?Whatis the truth in centuriesof systemic racismand oppression? Andthe truths we will find, always evolvingand emergingand transforming,will free us for the workwe are calledto do as "informedcitizens,thoughtful stewards,critical thinkers,and responsibleleaders"Augsburg'smission! Let us go forwardtogetherinto the next 150 yearsof Augsburg'slife recommittedto educationguidedby the beliefthat throughtruth there is indeedfreedom.I can only wonderwhatsucha counterculturalbeliefwill meanfor storiesyet to be told. Staystrong,safe,andwelI. Faithfullyyours, PAUL C.PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT AUGSBURG NOW Spring-Summer 2020 VicePresident and Chief Operating Officer Rebecca John'13MBA Associate VicePresident and Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Jendraszak Director ofMarketing Laura Swanson Lindahl '15MBA Director ofPublic Relations andInternal Communications GitaSitaramiah Assistant Director of Marketing, Creative Denielle Stepka '11 Marketing Copywriter John Weirick Communication and Social Media Specialist Briana Alamilla '17 EDITOR'S NOTE Whenwe beganmakingthis magazinein early2020, the worldwas markedlydifferent than the onewe inhabit today.AugsburgNowstaff delayedthe magazine'stimeline due to the impactof the COVID-19 pandemicon the university'soperations. Mostof the storiesand eventsdescribedhereinoccurredbeforeit becamenecessary to shift to manyworkingfrom home,online gatherings,and other modifiedoperations to slowthe spreadof the virus. Becausewe wantedto sharetheseremarkablestoriesand Auggieaccomplishments as soonas possible,our team decidedto releasethis issuein digital-onlyformat, a first in the magazine'shistory. -John Weirick,editor Project Manager JuliKramer Communications and Social Media Consultant KateNorlander Advancement Communications Specialist KaiaChambers Senior Communications Specialist forPrincipal Gifts Amanda Symes '09,'15MFA WebManager JoeMann Contributing Writer KateH.Elliott Augsburg Nowis published by Augsburg University 2211Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN55454 Opinions expressed inAugsburg Now donotnecessarily reflect official university policy. ISSN 1058-1545 02 AROUND THE QUAD AWOMEN'S WRESTLING 10 HOWTOBUILD PROGRAM FROM SCRATCH 18 MISTAKEN IDENTITY 24 HONORING AUGGIES 25 AUGGIES CONNECT 28 CLASS NOTES 32 INMEMORIAM Onthecover: Augsburg commemorates aneventin itshistory andreflects onits significance fortoday. See page2 andpage8. Allphotos byCourtney Perry unless otherwise indicated Send address corrections to alumniupdate@augsburg.edu. Send comments to now@augsburg.edu. COMMENCEMENT 2020 On Friday, May 29, and Sunday, May 31, Augsburg University celebrated commencement virtually. Taking precautions to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, Augsburg was among numerous institutions nationally that hosted virtual celebrations to recognize graduating students. The streamed online event opened with speeches from Provost KarenKaivolaand President PaulPribbenow. Personalized slides for graduates included photos and messages that the students submitted. Friends and family posted comments to the video stream as they watched the event. Students took to social media to share their graduation posts using the hashtag #AuggieGrad. Once it's again safe to host large gatherings, Augsburg wi 11 plan an in-person ceremony for the Class of 2020 that will include many more familiar commencement traditions. ONE DAY INMAY This year's commencement celebration featured a central theme, chosen in April, that connected defining moments in Augsburg's history with its contemporary reality. Uplifting the university's longstanding commitments to equity and inclusion, the theme "68/20: One Day in May" called the university community to explore the actions and outcomes of events in 1968 to consider their relevance for 2020. Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Augsburg canceled classes on May 15, 1968, and hosted a series of workshops and lectures. Augsburg faculty and local Black community members led conversations focused on racism, politics, power, education, and violence-significant tensions in American life in 1968. This year, Augsburg presented honorary degrees during the virtual commencement, recognizing two leaders of the historic One Day in May in 1968: the Hon. LaJune ThomasLange'75 and MahmoudEl-Kati. Augsburg owes a debt of gratitude to the leaders of One Day in May, an event that continues to inform and inspire the university community to engage in efforts for equity and justice. Their contributions to our society and to Augsburg resonated strongly in the virtual commencement ceremonies, which took place just days after George Floyd's murder by Minneapolis police. Blackartists,alongwith Indigenous andotherstudentsandcommunity members of color,ledanart campaign to upliftOneDayin Mayduring Augsburg 's sesquicentennial celebration. e Hearaudiorecordings fromtheeventin 1968,andseemoreOne I Dayin Mayart, includinga bannerthat appeared in TheNew Yorker, at augsburg.edu/now. rt at u s ur Fac ulty, vvorkS 1 prese nt g.StgJl SERIES SPEAKERS THE ART OFAUGSBURGCONVOCATION The Augsburg University Convocation Series is an annual As part of the university's yearlong celebration of its 150th speaker series that includes long-standing endowed and anniversary, KristinAnderson, professor of art history and special programs. Recent presenters included: archivist, curated an exhibition of works by Augsburg art faculty dating back to the origin of the department in the 1950s. The exhibit included works by early department members, such as HansBergand IvanDoseff,former longtime faculty members, including NormHolenand PhilThompson, and current faculty members Stephen Geffre,ChrisHoultberg, DanIbarra,roberttom, LyzWendland,and others. 1. DeAnna Cummings, chief executive officer of Juxtaposition Arts, who shared a presentation at the Horbal Lecture in November called "Putting Creativity to Work 2025: Stronger Communities Through Local Art and Design" 2. John S. Wright, professor emeritus of English and African American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota, who delivered "Where Do ,,1.··.f ,. .. > • " -~ We Go From Here: Chaos or Community" at the 32nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation in January 3. Kwame Anthony Appiah, professor of philosophy and law at New York University, who presented "Ethics, Identity, and Cosmopolitanism" at the Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics in March Thefacultyartexhibitwasdisplayed intheChristensen Center ArtGallery. 4 AUGSBURG NOW AROUND THEQUAD Hearst Foundation awards Augsburg I Lto R:President PaulPribbenow, PeterHeegaard, andMikeChristensen $75,000 FOR LEAD FELLOWS PROGRAM URBAN INVESTORS FINDSNEWHOME ATAUGSBURG Last November,Augsburg University's Sabo Center for Democracyand Citizenship and the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work welcomed a new campus partner: Urban Investors. Formerly known as Urban Adventure, this program helps bankers understand the challenges and opportunities within cities through experiential learning opportunities. The program also facilitates partnerships between public, private, and LEAD Fellows, a program of Augsburg University's Sabo Center for Democracyand Citizenship, this winter received $75,000 from the Hearst Foundation, Inc. to support students as they pursue in-depth, long-term, community-based work at paid internships. The program name stands for Leaders for Equity, Action, and Democracy. nonprofit groups and promotes investment and community development Students spend that move families out of poverty, revitalize neighborhoods, improve two to four years engaged schools, and build economic opportunity. in public work projects that address social /i: THE AUGSBURG ~iPODCAST:SEASON3 issues such Augsburg 's LEAD Fellows program is affiliatedwiththe far-reaching Bonner Program that aimsto transform students, communities, andcampuses throughservice. as education, homelessness, racial justice, and poverty while also The first two seasonsof the participating in a peer learning cohort. The LEAD Fellows program is unique in Augsburg Podcastfeatured that it offers students a pathway to generate faculty and staff sharing stories income while also making a difference and growing as leaders. The program is cohort- of their work with students. The third season, launched in March, based with a strong support framework that takes a new approach and invites helps students to develop connections with students and a recent graduate peers and mentors, build their sense of MIDCO to discuss their experiences with internships and the ways belonging, and hone their leadership skills. The Hearst Foundation award will fund in which Augsburg has helped the pay students receive for their internships support their personal and educational goals. and will enhance cohort activities, including semiannual retreats and biweekly gatherings. Listentothenewseason at • I augsburg.edu/podcast or inyourpodcast app. Barclay Bates'18 SPRING SUMMfR ?020 5 AROUND THEQUAD HONORING RetiringFaculty Several faculty members are entering retirement following years of dedicated service to Augsburg University. Augsburg is grateful for their commitment to advancing the university's mission and supporting TheDoctor ofPsychology inClinical Psychology degree launches to meetgrowing demand This past November, the university introduced its second doctoral program: a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology. Augsburg's first, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, began in 2010. Augsburg worked with former Minnesota School of Professional Psychology faculty and staff to provide continuity for students who were student learning within and beyond the classroom. JOHN CERRITO AssistantProfessor , Department of Business-joined Augsburgin 1983 MARGARET FINDERS Professor , Department of Education-joinedAugsburg previously enrol led in the program housed at Argosy University. After in 2014 the closure of Argosy in March 2019, Augsburg earned accreditation to become Minnesota's only MARK FUEHRER university offering an in-person PsyD program in A 9' clinical psychology. Augsburg is now accepting applications. augsbu rg.edu/psyd Professor , Department of Philosophy-joined Augsburgin 1971 Employment of Iicensed psychologists and related occupations is projected to grow 13. 7% from 2016 to 2026 in DAWN KADERABEK '18 DNP the United States. "We are pleased to offer this PsyD program as a way to meet the in 2015 growing demand for mental health services statewide," said Monica VIRGINIA MCCARTHY Devers,Augsburg University dean of professional studies. Associate Professor , Department of Nursing-joined Augsburgin 2011 Instructor , Department of Nursing-joinedAugsburg NANCY RODENBORG Augsburg winsCampus Compact ImpactAward Professor , Department of SocialWork-joined Augsburgin 2000 Campus Compact, a network of universities across the United States MICHAEL SCHOCK that are committed to public engagement in higher education, honored Associate Professor , Department of SocialWork- Augsburg University as an inaugural joinedAugsburgin 1993 recipient of the Richard Guarasci Award for Institutional Transformation. NANCY STEBLAY Augsburg was selected for its work Professor , Department of Psychology-joined Augsburg in developing partnerships with the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on page18.) in 1988(Readaboutherresearch MARTHA STORTZ and advancing environmental BernhardM. Christensen Professor of Vocation and Religion-joinedAugsburgin 2010 sustainability, interfaith leadership, and equity and racial justice . 6 AUGSBURG NOW • Watchthevideousedto introduce Augsburg at theawardceremony at augsburg.edu/now. MARK TRANVIK Professor , Department of Religion-joinedAugsburg in 1995 At a specialchapelservice duringtheJanuary2020 AugsburgUniversity Board of Regentsmeeting,Bishop AnnSvennungsen of the Minneapolis AreaSynodof the Evangelical LutheranChurch in Americaofficiallyinstalled BabetteChatman '06, left, as andJustinLind-Ayres Augsburg's universitypastors. Augsburg community launches on-campus lending shop to reduce wasteandpromote reuse Augsburg's Environmental Stewardship Committee and Campus Cupboard food pantry collaborated in Fall 2019 to pilot a President PaulPribbenow shares Augsburg's storyat ~ the ~r~~~::~i•i:~:::~~: ~~~:i~~~® the O new resource: the Share Shop, which offers a wide variety of items for free, short- Augsburg story during a session called, "Hospitality is Not term checkout. The Share Shop currently Enough: An Institutional Journey From Diversity to Inclusion and Equity" at The Forum on Workplace Inclusion conference. features board games, small appliances, office supplies, sewing kits, sports equipment, tools, and much more. Augsburg, home of The Forum on Workplace Inclusion since last summer, is "proud to partner with the forum to help expand The Share Shop follows the same hours of operation as Augsburg's Campus diversity, equity, and inclusion skills, so our students can fully participate and succeed in the workforce," Pribbenow said. Cupboard and is located in the lowest level of Science Hal I, adjacent to the university's longstanding "free table," where Auggies place items they no longer need and wish to offer to new owners. For Fall 2020, the Campus Cupboard will relocate to the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship in the lower level of Anderson Residence Hall to accommodate new operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Share Shop will remain in Science Hall, and the two student-run The 32nd annual, three-day conference attracted more than 1,500 people from around the world and across sectors. TheStarTribunerecentlypublishedan article featuringSteveHumerickhouse , executivedirectorof the forum, in which he explainedthe importanceof creating safe placesfor diffic uIt conversations . A VI Visit augsburg.edu/now to readthe article: "Howthe TwinCities becameoneof the largesthubsfor workplacediversityand inclusion." initiatives wi 11 continue to work together. • Visit augsburg.edu/green/shareshop and inside.augsburg.edu/foodshelf to learnmore. SPRINGSUMMrn 20?0 7 ONTHESPOT How One Day in May in 1968 forced Augsburg to reevaluate its posture and practices regarding racism and education HanaDinkuserved as director of Augsburg University's Pan-Afri kan Center from March 2019 to July 2020. Her most recent project at Augsburg, "One Day in May," was featured on WCCO-TV this spring, prior to Augsburg's virtual commencement (see page 2). Between her work leading programs and supporting students, she out Ii ned the importance of Augsburg's history and present moment. Q. Whywas OneDayin May sucha pivotalmoment • for the Augsburg community in 1968? the story and understood the significance of One Day in May, it took on a life of its own. Directors A. of International Student Services, LGBTQIA+ mission and values. In the wake of Dr. Martin and the administration to build and promote a Luther King Jr.'s assassination, higher education sesquicentennial campaign about One Day in May. One Day in May forced Augsburg to recognize • all the ways it had failed to live up to its Student Services, and Multicultural Student Services worked with faculty member LeonWang institutions across the country saw a wave of protests and a demand for structural change. One Day in May was Augsburg's response to the moment. The community speakers, Augsburg students, staff, and faculty who participated shed light on systemic white supremacy in the Augsburg community and the nation. This public acknowledgment created a What is onecomponent of OneDayin Maythat ; is especiallyrelevantfor ourcurrentsocialand politicalenvironment? Q A. All aspects are relevant, but if I had to identify • one particular component, it would be the level of transparency and accountability that helped demand to decolonize the curriculum at Augsburg. move Augsburg in the right direction. The Eurocentric core of the education system is Q. the clearest example of how our institutions are Howdidthe reintroduction of OneDayin May • ariseand becomethe themeof this year's commencement ceremony? A When I started my job at Augsburg, one of my ; mentors, community elder MahmoudEl-Kati, embedded in white supremacist ideology. This is why we gathered this year to begin the creation of a Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies department. Q. Whatdo youhopeis accomplished throughthe • reintroduction of OneDayin May? told me the real history of Black folks at Augsburg. Elder Mahmoud was one of the community speakers at One Day in May and spent years working closely with the Pan-Afrikan Center. Very few people on A My goal for this campaign was to help Black ; students understand and appreciate the battles fought by those who came before them. I want Black campus knew about One Day in May and the students and other marginalized students to know contributions of Black students, staff, and faculty. that we are a part of Augsburg history; we are not After learning that Augsburg's sesquicentennial guests at this institution. When the whole Augsburg book, "Hold Fast to What is Good," didn't mention community understands this, we will see the kind it, I worked with other Augsburg leaders to make of institutional changes that marginalized students, One Day in May the theme for the university's staff, and faculty have demanded for years. 2020 M LK Day celebration. As more people heard AROUND THEQUAD newest trip: RickStevespartners withAugsburg'sParticipateinCGEE's Centerfor GlobalEducation andExperience Hunger andHopeinGuatemala non-essential travelresumes, travelers Planaheadfortravelto Guatemala When will getan insideglimpseof Guatemala and When well-known travel author, activist, and media personality Rick Steves went to Central America to film segments for his new public television special, "Hunger and Hope: Lessons from Ethiopia and Guatemala," he called on Augsburg staff to provide expert guidance and introductions to community leaders and regional organizations committed to ending hunger and extreme poverty. That's because Augsburg's Center for Global Education and Experience has a vast network in Guatemala and has offered educational programming in the country since 1985. visit manyof the sameplacesdepictedon "RickStevesHungerandHope:Lessons from EthiopiaandGuatemala." Fromthe charmingcolonialcityof Antigua, to LakeAtitlanandits surrounding volcanoes, to the colorfultapestryof Mayanhistory,there is an abundance of thingsto do,see,andlearn. One of the key people Steves spoke with during the production of his television special was FidelXinico,director of Augsburg's CGEE Guatemala programming. Xinico set up Steves' trip logistics from Guatemala and served as a cultural guide and language translator. He is a trilingual Guatemalan citizen of the Kaqchikel Maya ethnic group. SusanPeacock,a CGEE program coordinator based out of Registration openfor: Tripl: April 11-18,2021 Trip2: June13-20,2021 Trip3: August8-15, 2021 Minneapolis, connected Steves and Xinico and helped shape the direction of the television show. Augsburg is now planning a travel program for the general public that will take participants to inspiring destinations in Guatemala. Augsburgsenior scholar published in A V 1 Visitgo.augsburg.edu/hope to learnmoreandregister. HarryBoyte,senior scholar of public work philosophy at Augsburg's Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, co-wrote an article that was published in Time magazine. Boyte's piece offered an analysis of the 2020 United States presidential race and suggested that a compelling campaign TIME MAGAZINE would appeal to Americans as engaged citizens rather than disgruntled consumers: "Emphasize a citizenship A W Finda link to the article at augsburg.edu/now. message for government to be a partner, not a savior." SPRING-SUMMER 2020 9 A WOMEN'S WRESTLING PROGRAM FROM SCRATCH BYKATE H.ELLIOTT Augsburg Athletics continues trailblazing trendwithMinnesota's onlycollegiate women's wrestling team "I already feel bad for my future children," joked Bel Snyder'23. "They are going to have to hear the story of Minnesota's only collegiate women's wrestling team over and over again." Snyder is one of 10 women wrestlers who made history at Augsburg during the 2019-20 year-a academic quarter century after the university founded the NCAA's first women's hockey team in the Midwest, followed by Minnesota's first varsity women's lacrosse team in 2014 . That pioneering spirit drew Snyder to Augsburg, which received a Breaking Barriers Award in February at Minnesota's National Girls and Women in Sports Day event at the Minnesota History Center. "I have never felt such close bonds or such support," added Snyder, who's an elementary education transfer student. "I am going to bleed maroon and gray for the rest of my Iife." SPRING-SUMMER 2020 11 GREEN BUT GREAT It's a youngteamwith sevenfirst-yearand three transferstudentswho had neverwrestledfor an alIwomanteam until now.Therosterincludessomeof the nation'stop competitors,includingEmilyShilson '23, who'sconsideredthe top womanrecruit in the country by somewrestIing newsoutlets.The 19-year-oldfinance studentqualifiedto wrestlefor a spot in the 2020 TokyoOlympicGames(whichhavebeenrescheduledfor 2021 becauseof the COVID-19 pandemic). Howdid a buddingteamrecruitsuchchampions? MeetWomen'sWrestlingHeadCoachMaxMejia,a formerHarvardwrestlerwhobecamea women'sand skills coachfor Arizona'sSunkistKidsWrestlingClub, whichproduced55 Olympicmedalistsin both men'sand women'swrestling. "In wrestling,youcancontrolyourdestinymorethan othersports.It's not aboutheightor speed.Champions havementaltoughness,diIigencefor detaiI, anda hungerto win," he said. "My goalis to producethe best womenleadersin the world.Whentheygraduate,I want themto understandhowthesetraits convertto success in the realworld.And I wantthe employersto gobble them up becausethey recognizewhatcomesfrom that levelof leadership,dedication,andgrit," he said. Mejiafocuseson process,knowingresultswill follow. Heseeksto understandeachathletes'hopesand motivationsso he can helpthem playto their strengths for bothathleticsand careersuccess. Mejiaempowers eachwrestlerto set herowngoals:"I knowI havethe disciplineto do anythingI put my mind to, and I'll havea greatmindsetwhiledoingit," said kinesiology majorSavannah Vold'22. "He doesn'tseeus as weare but as we couldbe," saidVayle-rae Baker'23, whoranksat the top of her weightclass."Thenhe pushesus throughself-doubtor whateveris holdingus back.I take morerisks,and I'm seeingthe rewards." Thosestrengthsareshowing.Withan overallrecordof 4-2, AuggieWomen's Wrestlingrankedamongthe top 10 programs in the NCAAasthe teamheadedintothe inauguralCliff KeenNationalCollegiate Women's Wrestling Championships in earlyMarch.Augsburg finishedin ninth placeasa team,whileShiIsonclaimedthe nationaltitle to closeout herinauguralcollegiateseason. "My goalistoproduce t ebest women leaders inthewofd." 12 AUGSBURG NOW NCAA NAMES WOMEN'S WRESTLING AN'EMERGING' SPORT In January,NCAADivision11 and Division111 votedto addwomen's wrestlingto its list of Emerging Sports for Women;in June,DivisionI voted in agreement. Thenextmilestone for the wrestlingcommunitywill be to reachat least40 NCAA-affiliated varsitywomen'swrestIingteams, which is requiredto achieveofficial NCAA Championship status.At present , about 35 NCAAschoolssupportwomen's wrestlingteams. Augsburg AthleticDirectorJeff Swenson '79 is optimistic."Wehaveno doubtwomen 's wrestlingwill buildon our reputationas a 'wrestlingschool,' with our men'steamhavingsecuredits 13th nationaltitle in 2019. "In 1995, Augsburgmadehistory with the region'sfirst women'sice hockeyteam,and nowyou're uniqueif youdon't offerwomen'shockey.Then in 2014, Augsburg startedthe NCAA's first varsitywomen'slacrosseteamin Minnesota, and now,herewearewith women'swrestling,"hesaid."Augsburg continuesto be a pioneerfor women's athletics,andwe'reinvestedin the successof women'swrestling." Men'sWrestlingCo-Head CoachJim Moulsoff is thriIledthat Augsburgis creatingopportunities for womento wrestleat the collegiatelevel.Girls' wrestlingis the fastestgrowinghigh schoolsport,accordingto the U.S. WrestlingFoundation, yet Minnesota andWisconsin areamongthe 30 states that haven'tmadegirls' wrestlingan officialsport." "Forthe past18 years,I havehelped out at juniorfreestylesummertrainings, and it's beenamazingto seethe growth of women'swrestlingfromnogirls in attendance to hundredseachyear,"said Moulsoff,the 2015 and2019 National Wrestling Coaches Association Division111 NationalCoachof the Year. TEAM OF'FIRSTS' MENTORS YOUNG GIRLS Members of the women'swrestling teamalsoaredrivento sharetheir knowledge andpavethe wayfor the nextgenerationof womenwrestlers. Everyoneof the student-athletes has liveda first-the first girl on a high school'swrestlingteam,the first match a competitorforfeitedbecausehe "didn't wantto wrestlea girl," the first time shesawwomen'swrestlingat the Olympics(in 2004). Theyembracethe strengthgainedfromthosemoments, but it is ti mefor morewomento have opportunities to wrestle. Nineyearsago,MinnesotaUSA WrestIing beganhostingopengymsat AugsburgeverySunday,andfourgirls attendedthe first session.Earlierthis year,about60 girls showedup every week,evenwith weekendtournaments pullingsomeaway.Bakersaidsheand herteammates consistentlyvolunteered to coachand mentorthe girls,who rangedfrom6 to 18 yearsold. "I startedwrestlingwhenI was9, and I wasthe onlygirl on that team andthe onlygirl on my middleand highschoolteams,"Bakersaid. "I SPRING SUMVER 7020 13 look forward to coaching and connecting with the girls each week. My teammates and I want to show them they can do this, and show them there will be teams for them when they go to college." ChadShilson'93, women's wrestling director and coach for Minnesota USA Wrestling, said lifelong friendships seem to emerge at every practice, as girls experience wrestling with those who are similar in strength, weight, flexibility, size, and goals. "They get to be the iron that sharpens other iron," he said. The result: some of the top women wrestlers in the country, if not the world, have come out of the open gyms-"hungry for the sport and everything it has to offer," added Shi Ison, the father of top-ranked Augsburg wrestler, Emily Shi Ison. Coach Mejia hopes to collaborate with USA Wrestling and other organizations to offer even more camps and open gyms (when it's safe and appropriate for public health regarding the coronavirus) for the estimated 300 girls who are wrestling at some level in the state. When they graduate from high school, Mejia said, "I want them to have no doubt that Augsburg is the place to be." ~i ti,\ 'WEKEEP PLAYING. WEPERSIST' Word has gotten out. Alumni and friends of the university AR "'1S fjJ DEFENSE SOAP Augsburgplacedseventhin the NCAA women'sdivisionat the Multi-Division NationalDualMe are tweeting their praises and sharing news coverage of the historic team. Children's book author and public speaker, ShellyBoyum-Breen '97, said the university's investment in women's wrestling is also an investment in girls and women in general. "I was fortunate to be at Augsburg when women's hockey started, and I saw lives changing before my eyes. I know firsthand the impact that continues to make on those women's lives," said BoyumBreen, who taught physical education and coached women's basketball at Augsburg. "When we invest in women and our diverse communities, we invest in what's possible. We have to show it in action through media coverage. Kids need to hear these stories-boys and girls. "Look at the decision-makers, the percentages of coaches, the funding gaps, and the near media blackout of women's professional and collegiate sports. And yet, we keep playing. And people keep watching. Because of the support that exists, we persist," said Boyum-Breen, also established grants to pay sports "When weinvestin females who fees and equipment costs that functioned andourdiverse communities,as barriers to participation for some Minnesota girls. weinvestin what's possible." Augsburg women's hockey coaches 14 AUGSBURG NOW know better than most the kind of investment and persistent leadership required to create and sustain a vibrant women's athletics program. "To be a leader-it's scary," said founding Women's 2020 USMARINE CORPS/NWCA MUL Tl DIVISION IATIONAL DUAL MEET 7'ff PLlfC=. WOMENNCAA et in Louisville,Kentucky,in January. Hockey Head Coach Jill Pohtilla. "I've seen Augsburg, time and time again, make bold moves based on what makes sense and what is right," said Pohtilla, who was inducted into the Women's Hockey Association of Minnesota Hall of Fame in 2006. The women's wrestling program has made an immediate impact in the Athletics Department and has increased expectations for success, said Michelle McAteer,Augsburg's women's hockey head coach. "Coach Mejia was able to bring in a large and talented class for the inaugural season, and it's clear how skilled, determined, and committed these women are," she said. "They are representing Augsburg and our Athletics Department with great pride, and growing the profile of their sport at the same time. "They are making history, living history," McAteer added. "It's a special team doing very special things." ■ Seepage16 for a brief historyof women'sathleticsat Augsburg. ABRIEF HISTORY OF WOMEN'S ATHL 16 AUGSBURG NOW TICS ATAIJGSBIJRG SPRINGSUMMER 2020 17 REAL PEOPLE IN REAL CASES computers with a software program Eyewitness identification of criminal perpetrators is a staple form of evidence San Diego; and Tucson, Arizona. in courts of law. developed specifically for the field "Think of eyewitness memory like audio transcripts to examine the 855 I ineups in four cities: Austin, Texas; association between witness comments Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and lineup selection, finding that an North Carolina; cities provided lineup photos and eyewitness identification decisions, instant identification by an eyewitness was less likely to produce an error than when the witness was deliberative. NatalieJohnson '18, who's pursuing a residue, or other physical evidence," investigator reports, and audiotapes of master's degree in counseling psychology Steblay said. "You don't want to the verbal exchange between the I ineup at the University of St. Thomas in St. contaminate it." administrator and eyewitness during Paul, Minnesota, was one of the students each lineup procedure. A startling who listened to police audiotapes and the top national experts in eyewitness discovery emerged from a pattern of coded them based on whether the identification. cases when lineup administrators, who decision-making process was immediate social psychologist who has conducted were also the case detectives, knew who or deliberative. research on eyewitness memory, pol ice the suspects were and behaved in a procedures, and eyewitness evidence leading fashion with the eyewitnesses. Steblay, along with Wells, is among As an experimental for 30 years, she is often cal led upon by defense attorneys to testify when they believe a suspect is being wrongly accused based on faulty identification. Her abi I ity to speak with authority on the subject has been reinforced She and other students were startled to realize that the police push for a conviction could, in some cases, influence LEARNING E'ROM LINEUPS Augsburg student researchers by her research findings. Assisted by collected data and assessed 190 Augsburg student researchers, Steblay real lineups for fairness or bias. "It's and Wells led studies that, for the first powerfu I to bring students into research how criminal cases are pursued. "Doing the work on police lineups made me realize how flawed our system can be," she said. "It made me realize our criminal justice has a long way to go." SeanAdams'17, who is currently a legal assistant, said he was shocked by time, sought to understand and predict by saying, 'Here's the problem of how poorly some of the lineups were eyewitness identification errors using wrongfu I convictions, and let's figure out constructed. actual I ineups. how to solve them,"' Steblay said. Before these studies, scientific Psychology majors made up the The tests were designed to include fake witnesses, and these mock psychology's understanding of research team at Augsburg, adding witnesses in Augsburg's laboratory eyewitness identification accuracy was laboratory skills to what they learned in studies represented the worst possible based almost exclusively on controlled the classroom. Steblay and 27 student scenario: a witness with no memory of the offender. Mock witnesses shou Id laboratory researchers studies that conducted not be able to pick the pol ice suspect the first and from a lineup at a rate higher than second studies chance. "The worst lineup I saw had across multiple such a leading description that the simulate eyewitness experiences. Steblay and Wells were awarded a "It's powerful to bring students into research by saying, 'Here's the problem of wrongful convictions, and let's figure out how to solve them."' National Science 20 The Augsburg students coded 102 experiment. Data was collected from The field data collected in these trace evidence, such as blood, gunshot existed unti I th is study. semesters. [laboratory] witnesses picked the pol ice Verbal suspect 80% of the time," Adams said. exchanges "That shou Id have statistically less than 20% of the time." been Lineups Foundation grant to pursue a four-phase between pol ice lineup administrators and eyewitnesses should be constructed so that the study from 2014 to 2018. The research to crimes were audio-recorded. There suspect and the fillers (innocent people followed up on their prior work, in which police lineups were presented to real had never been an analysis of recorded added to the lineup) match the suspect verbal comments from actual witnesses description. eyewitnesses by detectives using laptop because such recordings had never AUGSBURG NOW RELEVANT RESEARCH Along with stunning insights into eyewitness identification, these studies brought to light more questions worth exploring. The research resulted in 12 conference poster presentations involving 23 students, and it fostered two student honors projects and spinoff projects that are ongoing. "It was time-consuming, important. but it was I think the student researchers had a sense of the importance," Steblay said. "It was really fun to work with them. Their work enabled me to complete the project." Augsburg student researchers saw the subject material's importance for effective law enforcement practices as well as its resonance with people beyond their research group. When AustinConery'17 began researching how to predict eyewitness identification errors, he discovered that his Augsburg University research project was a hot topic with friends and family. "Every party or every family event, someone would ask what was going on at school, and I could talk about the research for hours because it was so relevant," Conery said. Besides a view into a major criminal justice system issue, students said the research opportunity gave them practical experience. Conery said the research gave him the confidence to read, understand, and apply studies in his current job as a site director at a children's mental health provider, PrairieCare. "It was a great way to implement the things I was learning in class," he said. "It gave me the place to think critically in a control led environment." As Adams considers his future work, he's looking back to his time at Augsburg. "I've been thinking of what I enjoyed in college, and a lot of it was the work I did with Nancy," he said. TURNING RESEARCHrlNDINGS INTO PRACTICALPOLICIES Steblay'sinfluencemaynot makeher a householdname,but her researchfindings are beingput to practicaluse in a varietyof ways. Minnesotajudgesviewa webinarmoduleshecreated,"EyewitnessScience: Protectionand Evaluationof EyewitnessIdentificationEvidence,"as part of their judicial e-learning program.Steblayalso pubIisheda chapterin the 2019 book, "PsychologicalScienceand the Law." Thefindingsof the researchby Steblay,Wells,and Augsburgstudent researchers are leadingto majorreformsnationally.The best practices includecritical stipulations:that lineupsmust be double-blind,meaning the administratingofficerdoesn'tknowwhothe suspectis, and that the non-suspectfillers in the lineup must resemblethe suspectand match the descriptionof the offenderthat wasprovidedby the eyewitness. "Thereare hundredsof thousandsof policeofficerswho are using theseeyewitnessidentificationprotocolsthat we didn't use20 years ago,and they don't knowNancySteblay'sname,"said William Brooks, a policechief in Norwood,Massachusetts. Brookstravelsthe countrytraining policeon what he regardsas groundbreaking science-backed best practicesfor lineups."I don't think there'sbeenas wide of an impact in otherareasof investigation as in howwe dealwith eyewitnessmemory,"he said. In mid-May,MinnesotaGov.Tim Walzsignedbipartisanlegislation that requiresuniformscience-backed eyewitnessidentificationpractices for all law enforcement,which goesinto effect in early2021. Sti11, the eyewitnessidentificationbest practicesface resistance."Some of it is individualpolicejurisdictionsjust not wantingto be told howto do things," Steblaysaid in an interviewwith YahooNews."Sometimespolice or prosecutorssaythey don't want rulesto be so rigid, becausethen if we just violateoneof the rules,then that ruins our prosecutionor we can't catch the bad guysor whatever.Sothey feel like it's underminingtheir ability to do the goodjob that they shoulddo. "I don't seeit that way," Steblaysaid. "I just think theseare not difficult changes."Steblayviewsthe recommendedlineup reformsas a meansto strengthen eyewitnessevidenceand reducethe likelihoodof a mistakenidentification. The InnocenceProject,a nonprofitfoundedin 1992 to exoneratethe wrongly convictedthroughDNAtesting, hasworkedto passlawsthroughoutthe countrythat embracethe scientificallysupportedbest practicesadvancedby Steblayand Wells. "Whenwe beganour work,a handfulof stateshadembracedbest practices. Todaymorethan half of the statesin the countryhaveadoptedkeyeyewitness identificationreforms,"said RebeccaBrown,the nonprofit's policydirector. Steblayhopesmorepolice departmentswi11 enactthesereforms."Wehave at leastpart of the answerto howpolicecan reducemistakenidentificationand wrongfulconvictions."■ 22 AUGSBURG NOW States where c:ore eyewitness reforms have been implemented through legislation, c:ourt action, or substantial voluntary c:omplianc:e: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, NewJersey, NewMexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah,Vermont, West Virginia andWisconsin viaInnocence Project SPRING-SUMMER 2020 23 The Gage tam i ly is part of a legacy Skip and Barbara have supported many campus projects that has supported valuable throughout the years, including Anderson Plaza, the Gage Center student services that are crucial to for Student Success, the Gage Family Art Gallery, the James G. Augsburg University's identity and community. Lindell Library, and the Scandinavian Center, which cultivated knowledge and interest in Scandinavian culture on campus for Edwin"Skip"Gagepassed away Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Skip and his wife, Barbara CarlsonGage,have been integral to the Augsburg community Piper LaBelle Award for their consistent support of young people for many years. Al I four of their children attended Augsburg, In his professional life, Skip built what came to be known as 15 years. In 2016, the Gage family was honored with the Toby in recovery. including alumni GeoffGage'89 and Rick Gage'96. Barbara the Carlson Marketing Group. He served as chair and then chair served on the Board of Regents, including four years as emeritus of the lnnerCity Tennis Foundation and worked with chair of the board and as co-chair of Augsburg's Access to Barbara in many community efforts with the Banyan Community, Excellence campaign. Northside Achievement Zone, and Urban Ventures. Skip and Barbara initiated the Center for Learning and Skip's vision aligned with Augsburg's institutional calling and Accessible Student Services and contributed substantial time reinforced the university's commitments to global perspectives, and gifts to the StepUP ® Program. Skip believed the values living faith, active citizenship, and meaningful work. Skip and taught as part of the fabric of Augsburg's community have been Barbara's gifts and leadership over the years have sustained as important as the educational experience and the culture of Augsburg's commitment to serve its students and neighbors. family and service that is imparted to all of Augsburg's students. Through the Gage family's leadership, CLASS was established. "The Gage family has and continues to have a significant impact on the Augsburg community," said DonnaMclean, former In 1989, Skip and Barbara commissioned the first study that Augsburg director of leadership gifts. "Thanks to the generosity evaluated learning disability programs at the college level. They of the Gage family, the lives of so many students have been partnered with Augsburg faculty to build a learning disability meaningfully enhanced through CLASS and other campus endowment program, and Skip led the drive to raise $500,000 programs that provide impactful learning experiences." ■ in addition to $500,000 24 AUGSBURG NOW his family pledged. THE STAGE Sesquicentennial project shares story through song The Augsburg University Department of Music had a unique opportunity to produce Other sesquicentennial projects and perform "Tienda," a new chamber opera by Augsburg Assistant Professor of Music To commemorate Augsburg's 150th ReinaldoMoyaand opera lyricist Caitlin Vincent, which premiered February 21 and 22. anniversary, the university invited faculty This production, presented as a part of Augsburg's sesquicentennial celebration, was performed in Foss Center's Hoversten Chapel and included a cast of student singers, and staff to apply for funding to support unique projects that aligned with their the Augsburg Choir, and the Augsburg Orchestra. The opera tells the story of Luis interests and expertise while uplifting Garzon, a Mexican musician who immigrated to Minneapolis in 1886 and opened a Augsburg's mission, academic excellence, small Mexican grocery store, or tienda, in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the 1920s. Garz6n's and traditions. These projects showcased store served as a community hub for new arrivals from Mexico, many of whom had the university's history, its distinction in fled the Mexican Revolution and found work toiling on the sugar beet farms of rural the arts, and its high-quality scholarship. Minnesota. "Tienda" explored the immigrant experience: what must be left behind- Learn more about sesquicentennial and what cannot be forgotten-on . projects at augsburg.edu/150 the journey to a new home. STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND A Student Emergency Fund was established in March to support Augsburg students with financial relief as we al I grapple with the challenges of COVID-19. In these disruptive times, many students are experiencing the loss of income and jobs as segments of the economy shut down, struggles to provide for their families, obstacles in returning home to out-of-state residences, and uncertainty about their ability to finance their Augsburg education. With this fund, students are able to request emergency funding for basic needs, including food, rent, transportation, funding for academic materials-such Giveto the StudentEmergency Fundat augsburg.edu/giving . and wireless internet-to and medication. They may also request as books, supplies, laptop computer rentals, ensure their education is not impacted by a lack of attainable resources. SPRINGSUMMfR 2020 25 AUGGIES CONNECT AUGGIES IN NATION'S CAPITAL BEGIN SERIES OFALUMNI GATHERINGS Last October, a group of Augsburg alumni gathered in Arlington, Virginia, for a dinner and reception hosted by JeffPeterson'63. At the end of the gathering, JessicaSpanswick'10 suggested the group should spend more time together. AUGGIES whatprogram doyouwanttolift upforGiveto theMaxDay2020? Spanswick coordinated the group's next gathering for a social hour and trivia in Washington, D.C., the following month. That's how the informal OMV-area (the district, Maryland, and Virginia) Augsburg alumni group was born. With help from Augsburg's Institutional Advancement team, they were able to invite even more Auggies in the area to attend social hours, networking events, and dinners. In February, Augsburg staff met with Give to the Max Day 2019 was a huge success for programs across campus! $421,000 RAISED 1,656 DONORS the group to discuss how to increase alumni involvement across the country Auggie passion is the fuel that drives and support the university through Give strong donations on Give to the Max to the Max Day 2020. Day, and that's why it's Augsburg's Want to plan an alumni gathering in your biggest fundraising area when pandemic health precautions allow? Email alumni@augsburg.edu to receive help reaching out to fellow Auggies. day of the year. It's exciting and inspiring to hear your personal stories about Augsburg and Auggiesmeetin the Washington,D.C.,area. why you're passionate about supporting a particular project. What do you want to I ift up at Augsburg? Send in a 45- to 90-second video of yourself sharing what you were most passionate about at Augsburg, and you might be featured in the next Give to the Max Day campaign. 0 Sendin a video,volunteer,or hel~ lead a projectin Novemberby contacting ChrisBogen'09,campaigncoordinator,at bogen@augsburg.edu by September1, 2020. Lto R: ChrisBogen'09, RobynHiestand '98, KariArfstrom '89,Jonathan Chrastek '10,Jessica Spanswick '10,KatiePendo'10, KaiaChambers 26 AUGSBURG NOW AUGGIES CONNEC LIFELONGAUGGIE FRIENDSHIPS Connections that flourishedat Augsburgspanacrossyearsand miles [L to R]: DerekFrancis'08, BryanLudwig '08, Greg Hildebrandt '08,andSamaSandy'08 broughttheir families togetherfor an eveningof fun earlierthis year.Thegroup members tout themselvesas the "1107Family,"namedfor the numberof the roomtheysharedin Mortensen Residence Hall. TheFacebook postfromtheir meetupshowshowa friendship betweenfourAuggiesbecamea close-knitgroupof 17. A groupof Auggieswhocelebratelife milestones togethergatheredfor the 70th birthdayof SueGibbons Casey'71 [front,center].She'ssurrounded by[clockwise]Pam(Hermstad) Santerre(attendedAugsburg1968-69), Ginny(Dahlen)Baali'72, Kris(Parbst)Rohde'72, KathyQuick'72, Nancy '72. (Olson)Hrdlicka'72,and Linda(Engstrom) Akenson TheseAugsburgalumniand "5th FloorGirls"of UrnessTowerinitially reunitedafter their graduationat mini-reunionsand holidays.In recentyears,theytooktrips to destinationslike Boston;MyrtleBeach,SouthCarolina;andStillwater,Minnesota. Picturedare[front, L to R]:Stacy(Waterman) Newton'01, SaraThedinga '01, Merry-Ellen (Krcil)Bryers'01, andAnn(Peterson) Fisher'01. [Back,L to R]:Amy Carlson'01, LauraWaldon'01, Emily(Brinkman) Waldon'01,JaimeKingsley Loso'01,and EricaHuls'01. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • SPRING-SUMMER 2020 27 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES The MinnesotaIntercollegiate AthleticConferencefeatured EdorNelson'38 in the LegendaryLeaders seriesreleasedon its websiteand social media. Nelson, who passedawayin 2014, wasan instructorfor the healthand physical educationdepartmentfor 32 years, coached Augsburg'sbaseballteam from 1946 to 1979, and led the programto sevenMIACtitles. He alsowasAugsburgfootball'sheadcoach, and he helpedstartthe men'swrestlingprogram and relaunchmen's hockey. 1938 LelandFairbanks '53, MD, was selectedas the Commissioned OfficersAssociationRetireeof the Yearby the United StatesPublic HealthService. The award, which recognizesexcellence in serviceand volunteeractivities, was presentedduring a virtual meetingin June. Fairbanks'career has includedwork focused on family health, holisticcare, smoke-free communities, and training other health professiona Is. 1953 of Fame in 1988 and created an athletic lettering programfor female student-athletes in 1989. & Augsburg AthleticDirector JeffSwenson '79 ,;;, shares hisoptimism aboutAugsburg's new women's wrestling program. Seestoryonpage10. & ChadShilson '93comments onAugsburg's ,;;, women's wrestling program, inwhichhis Emily ShiIson'23,competes. Seestoryon daughter, page10. & ShellyBoyum-Breen '97connects thelaunch ,;;, ofAugsburg's women's wrestling withtheneed totell moresportsstories thatinclude females and diverse communities. Seestoryonpage10. CanisiusCollegein Buffalo, New York, hired MartinHlinka'99 as an assistantcoachfor its men's hockey program. After his work as an assistant coach with the SalzburgRed Bulls junior program, Hlinka servedas a lead on-ice skills instructorwith SynergyHockeyin St. Louis. The MinnesotaIntercollegiate Hlinka scored 125 points in 85 gamesfrom Athletic Conferencefeatured MarilynPearsonFlorian'76 in the Legendary 1995 to 1999 while on Augsburg'shockey team, and he also playedfootball, earning Leadersseries. PearsonFloriancoached All-Americanstatusas a kicker. Hlinka women's basketballand volleyballat playedprofessionalhockeyfor 15 years in Augsburgand also was the women'sathletic director. During her tenure, Augsburgadded the American HockeyLeague, United Hockey League, and Germany. four MIACwomen'ssports, including cross country, golf, ice hockey, and swimming and diving. She also initiated the induction NickRathmann '03 completed of women into Augsburg'sAthletic Hall his final term on the Augsburg 1999 1976 2003 Alumni Boardof Directors. He has been on the boardfor the past sevenyears, serving in executiveleadershiprolesfor four years, including a two-yearterm as board president. Rathmannnow continuesvolunteeringhis time by servingon the A-Club board. JasonEdwards '04 has been teaching sixth grade science and readingat DiscoveryMiddleSchoolin Fargo, North Dakota, for 11 years. He also coachesgirls crosscountryand track and field at FargoDaviesHigh School.The USA Trackand FieldAssociationchose him as the Coachof the Yearfor Girls CrossCountry, and he is the North Dakotarepresentative for the "40 under 40" coachingawardfrom Coachand Athletic Directormagazine. While at Augsburg, he competedin crosscountry and track and field, earningschool recordsin the indoor600 meterdash and indoor4x400 meter relayteam. 2004 Andr~a(Ladda)Brown'05 receivedan awardfor her accomplishmentswith the City of Minneapolis'PoliceConductOversight Commissionregardingthe body-worncamera policy, which led to the discoveryof ketamine abuse by paramedicsand policeofficers. Her work also led to the creationof the MPD dashboard, where race disparitiesstatistics and officer misconducthave been made public and searchable, and the co-responder model-mental health professionals accompanyingpolice officersrespondingto 2005 AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS 28 AUGSBURG NOW ALUMNI CLASS NOTES calls-which startedas a pilot programin Minneapolisand is now used in NewYork, Texas, and Utah. [Editor'snote:Theseevents occurred prior to the murder of GeorgeFloyd by Minneapolispolice.] Artist AlisonPrice'08 was featured in the Minnesota Women'sPressregardingher new series of art, "WitnessingWaves." Price, a child of two immigrantparents, talked about a stump alongthe MississippiRiverand howthe river'swatersaided migrationto the region.This pieceof nature influenced Price'scollection, which startedduring her time at Augsburg. "The seriesis imbuedwith symbolism. DNAstrandsweavealongthe riverbanksand through the rootsand ground, reminding us of our interconnectedness with all, reinforcingthe ideathat we are fundamentallytied to each other and the planet," Pricesaid. 2008 TannerWiseman '15 and friends from Lakeville, Minnesota, filmed the series"DestinationFear," which aired on the TravelChannellast fall. The showfollows the group'scross-countryroad trip where they stayedovernightin 10 haunted places. The group beganmakingvideostogetherfor YouTubein middle schooland high school, and this show indulgestheir passionfor exploringabandonedplaces. 2015 ~ Legalassistant SeanAdams '17researched ~ eyewitness identification procedures withan Augsburg facultymember. Seestoryonpage18. McCleave , who outlinedthe organization's effortsto highlightthe historyof Native boardingschoolsand the impact they had on Nativecommunities. ~ Austin Conery '17researched thereliability ~ ofeyewitness testimonies andnowuseshis experience to understand andapplystudiesin hisrole at a mentalhealthprovider. Seestoryonpage18. 2018 ChungEangLip'18 wrote about his career path in the public healthfield for ColumbiaUniversity's MailmanSchoolof Public Healthstudent voiceswebpage.He focused on the importanceof kindnessand storytellingon his journeyto becominga public health professiona I. DianaPierce'16 MALnarratedand produced a documentary, "CountryMusic: Made in Minnesota," which aired on PioneerPBS last September. The half-hourdocumentary toucheson storiesabout artistsfrom the Minnesotacommunitiesof Alexandriaand Dovray; as well as the WE Festin Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and the FlameBar in Minneapolis.The programfeaturesinterviews with artistsfrom DetroitLakes, Minneapolis, and Pipestone, Minnesota, plus otherfigures who contributedto the developmentand popularityof country music in the state. ~ Natalie Johnson '18contributed to National ~ Science Foundation-funded research that evaluated thereliability of eyewitness identification. Seestoryonpage18. GRADUATE PROGRAMS Christine DiindiisiMcCleave '13 MALis the executivedirector of the NationalNative American BoardingSchool HealingCoalition, formed in 2012 , which seeksjustice and healingfor NativeAmericanchildren and their descendants. The organizationrecently receiveda $10 million grant from the KendedaFundthat will support a new 10year plan focused on education, advocacy, and healing.MPR NewsinterviewedDiindiisi ~ SUBMIT A ~ CLASS NOTE Tellusaboutthenewsinyourlifeyournewjob,move, marriage, and milestones. Visitaugsburg.edu/now to submityourannouncements. & W EricArlein'12 and Theresa(Bulger) Arlien'14 welcomeda daughter, Cora, last July. Jenessa (Payano) Stark'07 graduated from YaleUniversitywith her Masterof • Sciencein Nursingwith specialtiesas a certified nurse midwifeand women'shealth nurse practitioner. Tofulfill the health professionalshortagearea serviceobligation of her NationalHealthServiceCorps scholarship, she is movingto NavajoNation to work as a full-scope midwifeat a tribally run Indian HealthServicehospitalin Arizona.She will be accompaniedby her husbandand children, includinga son, Zaiel, whom the family welcomedin January. Kristin(Daniels) Overton '09 and husband, Jesse, welcomedthe birth of • twin boys, Mattisand Henry, lastSeptember. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin '03 • delivereda convocationaddressat CarletonCollegein Northfield, Minnesota, last October. He is a founding memberof the NationalFairTradeFederation, startedthe fair-tradePeaceCoffeeCompany, and is presidentand CEOof Regenerative AgricultureAlliance, a Minnesota-based nonprofitorganizationthat worksto develop regenerativefood supply chains and to advocateagainstextractiveagriculture. Haslett-Marroquinis alsothe author of "In the Shadowof GreenMan," in which he tells storiesfrom his upbringingin Guatemala and shareshis visionfor regenerative farming practices. A SylviaBull'10 (pictured on the right) • was ordainedas an Evangelical LutheranChurch in America pastor in 2017 and has servedas associatepastor of Faith LutheranChurch in Bismarck, North Dakota, for three years. SPRING SUMMER 2020 29 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES Augsburg University Men's Wrestling hosted an alumni night in February, celebrating the national championship anniversariesof the teams from 1970, 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2010 before a wrestling match against Concordia College-Moorhead . Photo by Caleb Williams. ChrisStedman'08 wrote a new book that will be published in October. The book, "IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belongingin Our Digital Lives," explores being human in our increasingly digital world and is availablefor pre-order. AugsburgUniversityMen's Basketballhostedan alumni reunion in Januarythat included a pick-up game, lunch, watching the men'steam take on Concordia College-Moorhead, and a social hour. Auggiesfrom several generationsjoined in the festivities. Auggiealumni leadthe men's basketballprogramsat both Augsburgand Concordia. Assistant CoachCharlieScott'07, '15 MAL and the Auggiesdefeatedthe Cobbers, who were led by Head CoachGrantHemmingsen '07. Adrienne KucklerEldridge '02 joined the staff of Augsburg's ChristensenCenterfor Vocation. She coordinatesthe theologyand public leadershipundergraduate program, is the program director for the AugsburgYouth Theology Institute, and is the director of the Public Church Scholars program, an accelerateddegree pathway that allows students to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in theologyand public leadership and a Master of Divinity in five years.The program is a partnership betweenAugsburg and LutheranSchool of Theology at Chicagofor students who are called to ministry and public leadershipas an ordained pastor. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS JoeSeehusen '00 married Kathryn Tighe on a ranch in Grand Lake, Colorado, in September. The couple resides in the Denverarea, where they work in real estate. Seehusenencourages his Auggie friends to reach out the next time they're in Colorado. 30 AUGSBURG NOW ToriBahr'09, a medical doctor at the complex care clinic of Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, was presentedwith Augsburg University's2019 First DecadeAlumni Award in January. Bahr previouslyworked at the Universityof MinnesotaMedical Center's InternaI Medicine-Pediatrics Program, where she becamechief resident. Bahr's new position at Gillette Children's Hospital includes treating patientswith medically complex diseases, using advanced technology, and championing transition care. BrentStolle'03 and Bethany (Schneck)Stolle'05 welcomed their second son, Isaac, in February 2019. Isaacjoined his three-year-old brother, Weston. Bethany is the design research lead for Blackboard, an education technology company. Brent works for Nvidia as a software engineering manager. The family lives in Kirkland, Washington. DerrinLamker'97 was named Augsburg Universit Footballhead coach in December. Lamker played baseball, basketball, and football as an Auggie student-athlete. During his football career, he wa< the MinnesotaIntercollegiateAthletic Conference MVPand led the Auggiesto a MIACtitle in 1997, the same year he received KodakAll-American Honors. Lamkerwas named the Northwest Suburban ConferenceCoach of the Year in 2007, 2013, and 2014 during his tenure as head coach of OsseoHigh School, where he coached for 11 years and won a class 6A state championship. Beforetaking the head coach position at Augsburg, Lamkeralso servedas offensive coordinatorand head coach at Edina High School. Augsburg University Footballhosted an alumni gathering in Januaryto hear from Lamker and to meet the incoming coaching staff, which includes GregClough'86, defensivecoordinator, and JackOsberg'62, volunteer coach. Alumni who graduated between 1971 and 2019 attended y I The City Pagespublication featured the work of Jose LuisVillasenor'99 and the nonprofit organizationhe founded, Tamalesy Bicicletas, which existsto empower youth, develop healthy Latinx and immigrant communities, promote sustainable transportation, increase accessto healthyfoods, and improvethe environment. The organization'scommunity garden in south Minneapolis providesspace to teach urban farming and lay the groundwork for sustainablelocal food. / In September, City Pages featured DuaSaleh'18 for their work in poetry, rapping, and singing. Saleh released"N0r" in 2019, and "ROSETTA" in 2020, EPsproduced by Psymun, the St. Paul, Minnesota, producer whose connectionswith mainstreamhip-hop provide broader exposure for Twin Cities performers. As the recipient of the Cedar Commissions emerging musicians program, Saleh performed "Strings and Heart Beats," a project described as "an immersiveAfrodiasporic experience." AlissaNollan'09 marriedJames Nystromin St. Anthony, Minnesota, lastJuly.The wedding party includedJennifer Nollan'89, Whitney (Holman) Mead'10, and KatiePendo'10. MarkMuhich'89 was hired as managing attorneyto supervise public defender services in Minnesota'sCarlton and St. Louis counties. Muhich is a Hibbing, Minnesota, nativewho has been a part-time public defender at the St. LouisCounty Courthousein Virginia, Minnesota. Muhich previouslytaught politicaI science and criminal justice at Mesabi Range Collegeand taught in the law enforcement program at VermilionCommunity College. MikePolis'10 welcomed a second child, Sophia June, in January.His first child, LydiaMae, lovesbeing an older sibling. Polis is in his secondyear of real estateand is excitedfor anotheryear of selling and buying homes. KelseyCrockett'06 and wife, Stacey, welcomed a child, MasonAvery Crockett, into their family in January. Kelseycontinued his software management work when the family moved from Nashvilleto Dallasfor Staceyto begin a doctoral programat the Universityof Texas-Southwestern. In December, Michelle Basham '00 was elected as the new presidentand CEOof YWCAMinneapolis. Bashampreviouslywas the executivedirector at The Bridgefor Youth, servedas CEOof YWCADelaware, and held leadershippositionsat CommonBondCommunities, FamilyWise , and the MinnesotaDepartmentof Human Services.She also co-foundedthe Nonprofit EmergingLeadersAcademy. P.C. Hillstrom'07, director of educationaI equity at OsseoArea Schools, received two statewide honors this year: the Outstanding Administrator of the Year award from the Minnesota Indian Education Association and the Ron McKinley "All My Relations" award from the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership. Hillstrom has worked for Osseo Area Schools since 2015. BrothersDaveKerkvliet'95 and TimKerkvliet '01 were featured on the EducationMinnesotawebsite when they introducedfour band studentsof Sebeka, Minnesota-where Daveteaches-to the rock band 311 at a performanceat The Armory in Minneapolis. Davehastaught band for 24 yearsand is a lifelong musicianand fan of rock bands. He connected those passionsand organizedthis meetingbetween his studentsand lead singerand guitarist Nick Hexumand drummer ChadSextonprior to 31 l's performance. SPRING SUMMER 2020 31 ClarenceT. Hoversten '41 , HerbertW. Chilstrom '54, Green Valley, Arizona, age 88, on January 19. M. KennethGjerde'61 , MarilynJ. Gisselquist '73, Fairfield, Montana, age 83, on December 22. Minneapolis, age 90, on February 21. DonaldJ. Dill '54, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, age 86, on December 15. Ruth(Stenson)Kalpin'61, Falls, South Dakota, age 95, on January 27. Alexandria, Minnesota, age 80, on November 10. Zee AnneA. (Zimmerman) Reishus'73, Wood Lake, DorothyC. (Quanbeck) Johnson '48, BeverlyM. (Jorgensen) Olander'55, DonaldN. Myhres'61, Lee, North Branch, Minnesota, age 92, on February 18. Rochester, Minnesota, age 86, on November 18. Illinois, age 95, on November 13. HenryW. Roufs'49, San Diego, WandaE. (Warnes)Olson'56, RobertJ. llstrup'62, Minneapolis, age 82, on September 25. age 97, on October 10. Lewiston, Minnesota, age 84, on November 14. EllenA. (Paulson)Keiter'64, Minnesota, age 91, on January 29. GlennC. Thorpe'56, Mendota Charleston, Illinois, age 77, on December 10. RusselM. Smith'50, Heights, Minnesota, age 85, on February 8. JeanneS. (Wanner)Morreim'66, Lakeville, Minnesota, age 91, on November 21. RobertG.Jamieson '57, Edina, Cloquet, Minnesota, age 76, on January 26. Hendricks, Minnesota, age 101, on November 6. EileenM. Quanbeck '46, Sioux KermitF.Hoversten '50, Austin, PhyllisG. (Knudson) Seim'58, MarjorieK. (Danielson) Johnson '53, Stillwater, Minnesota, age 83, on January 24. St. Paul, Minnesota, age 88, on December 4. JosephP. Nystuen'59, Cold WilmerJ. Oudal'53, Eagle River, Spring, Minnesota, age 82, on November 10. Alaska, age 88, on February 2. MargaretA. (Lundahl)Ruesch'59, 32 AUGSBURG NOW WalterJ. Bradley'78, Davenport, KatharineE. Skibbe'79, Minneapolis, age 62, on October 7. IreneW. (Waslien)Stemmer'88, Wayzata, Minnesota, age 93, on November 8. JaniceK. (Thompson) Crockett'68, age 91, on December 29. Rochester, Minnesota, age 88, on December 17. DianeL.Loeffler'75, Minneapolis, age 66, on November 16. Iowa, age 63, on February 9. Minnesota, age 86, on January 16. Raymond P.Strot'51, Minneapolis, LeroyM. Petterson'53, Minnesota, age 68, on January 24. Worthington, Minnesota, age 83, on December 30. Shakopee, Minnesota, age 73, on January 15. BruceA. Vassar'93, Edina, age 57, on December 6. ThomasL. Docken'69, Stacy, LouJean J. (Gulbransen) Reid'94, Minnesota, age 73, on December 9. Austin, Minnesota, age 73, on January 20. VirginiaK. (Golberg)Baynes'70, Lee(Gilbert)Schotzko'04, Afton, Portland, Oregon, age 71, on September 14. Minnesota, age 49, on October 1. BenjaminM. Blair'14, Decorah, Iowa, age 31, on January 26. The "In memoriam" listings in this publication include notifications received before March 1. AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY ® DIGITAL-ONL ISSUE 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 Pieces ofhistory After the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and protests calling for justice in Minneapolis and around the nation, MollyMontana'23 went to Lake Street to capture the work of local artists that emerged on walls and plywood boards covering the windows of numerous businesses. "I wanted to tell the story of the pain and rage that people of color have felt," she said about the images she captured for a photography class project. "I wanted to capture something meaningful, and these displays were just that. They are a piece of history." augsburg.edu/now
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Title: Augsburg Now Fall-Winter 2019:
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: 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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