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Title: Augsburg Now Spring 2015: Auggies Are Peace Builders
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: SPRING 2015 | VOL. 77, NO. 2 Everyday work advice for Auggies Magazine survey results A tale of two Auggies Nobel Peace Prize Forum AUGSBURG COLLEGE RECEIVES $10 MILLION CASH GIFT to name Center for Science, Business, and Religion This winter, Augsburg College was honored with a $10 mil...
Show more SPRING 2015 | VOL. 77, NO. 2 Everyday work advice for Auggies Magazine survey results A tale of two Auggies Nobel Peace Prize Forum AUGSBURG COLLEGE RECEIVES $10 MILLION CASH GIFT to name Center for Science, Business, and Religion This winter, Augsburg College was honored with a $10 million philanthropic gift that will support a new signature academic building housing the College’s science, business, and religion programs. Visit augsburg.edu/csbr to learn about the celebration to announce the building’s name and the capital campaign’s progress toward its IN THIS ISSUE $50 million fundraising goal. Features On the cover 2 Magazine survey results | COMPILED BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA 10 Everyday work advice for Auggies | BY STEPHANIE WEISS 16 A tale of two Auggies | BY STEPHANIE WEISS 24 Nobel Peace Prize Forum | BY STEPHEN GEFFRE AND LAURA SWANSON Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter addressed middle school and high school students during a Youth Forum event in Augsburg’s Si Melby Hall as part of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Forum, held March 6-8 in Departments Minneapolis. Carter spoke in front of 4 Around the Quad | 13 It takes an Auggie exhibition about past Nobel Peace Prize Augsburg student artwork created for an 14 My Auggie experience | 20 Auggie voices winners that opened at the American 22 Auggies on the court | 27 Alumni news Swedish Institute in February. Learn more 31 Alumni class notes | 36 In memoriam All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated. on pages 8 and 24. Vice President of Marketing and Communication Rebecca John ’13 MBA rjohn@augsburg.edu Director of News and Media Services NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW Abundance at Augsburg 2015 is off to a remarkable start at Augsburg! The announcement on the facing page about the $10 million gift to name the Center for Science, Business, and Religion certainly ranks as our most exciting news. The momentum to break ground on this signature academic building is now palpable on campus and beyond as we imagine its transformational impact on our community for generations to come. And this issue of Augsburg Now is full of many other examples of the good news of this academic year. News of national recognition for community engagement and interfaith initiatives. News of special events featuring Bill Nye the Science Guy (a fellow bow tie lover!) and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates U.S. President Jimmy Carter and The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. News of more than 100 Augsburg students and faculty from five academic departments collaborating to create an interactive exhibit to engage people in the topic of peace. News of student and faculty achievements on and off campus. News of generous alumni and friends supporting the mission-based work of the Augsburg community—including more than 1,300 donors who, for the second year in a row, helped Augsburg surpass every other Minnesota college or university in fundraising on Give to the Max Day. And much, much more to celebrate. For me, all of this good news points to a core value at the heart of Augsburg’s identity and character—we are a community of abundance in a world of scarcity. What do I mean by abundance? It is a way of life that calls our community to live and work together with a focus on our common wisdom, experience, and aspirations. It is an ethic that challenges us to believe that we can do more and Stephanie Weiss weisss@augsburg.edu Communication Copywriter and Editorial Coordinator Laura Swanson swansonl@augsburg.edu better together than on our own. It is a vision that says we are small to our students and big for the world. As I near the end of my ninth year as Augsburg’s 10th president, I am more and more struck by the abundance of our lives together, the many ways in which the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of our community aspire to embody a way of life that links faith, learning, and service to the neighbor. I also am struck by the abundance of our place, the remarkable work of Augsburg as an institution and community in this neighborhood, city, and world, and our firm resolve to send our students out into the world as educated and faithful citizens, to be good stewards of our environment, and to embrace hospitality and generosity for our fellow humans. Finally, I am struck by the abundance of the promise we make each and every day to each other as we dedicate ourselves to collaboration, to doing things differently, and to working together to meet the needs of students and neighbors. Where others say there is not enough, we say there is more than plenty if we believe and bring resolve, courage, and imagination to our efforts to educate, to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor, and to meet the needs of strangers. What a deep privilege it is to be a partner in this work of abundance at Augsburg College. Thanks to all of you for your abiding support and passion for this good and faithful work. Creative Associate Denielle Johnson ’11 johnsod@augsburg.edu Marketing Copywriter Christina Haller haller@augsburg.edu Photographer Stephen Geffre geffre@augsburg.edu Production Manager Mark Chamberlain chamberm@augsburg.edu Advancement Communication Specialist Jen Lowman Day dayj@augsburg.edu augsburg.edu Augsburg Now is published by Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058-1545 Yours in Augsburg, Send address corrections to: Advancement Services CB 142 Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 langemo@augsburg.edu PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT Email: now@augsburg.edu 600 Took the survey TURNING A NEW PAGE 35-49 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RESULTS: 34 & under Who took the survey COMPILED BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA More than 600 people responded to the Augsburg survey, with 541 completing the entire questionnaire. Augsburg Now magazine survey: What you told us NATIONAL This past summer, Augsburg College participated in a national higher education magazine survey developed by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. This survey has been used by more than 350 college and university magazines across the United States, allowing Augsburg to compare its results with national benchmarks. AUGSBURG 30 percent of the Augsburg Now survey respondents were 65 years of age or older, nearly 10 percentage points above the national response rate. Top ways the magazine helps keep Auggies connected* Augsburg’s results National results Auggies are connected 87% 80% 53% As a reminder of your college experience 46% 46% Keeping you in touch with your graduating class 39% Encouraging financial support for the College and current students Survey respondents confirmed that Augsburg Now strengthens their connection with the College. In fact, 80 percent of respondents older than age 35 agreed with this notion, and 70 percent of respondents under age 35 agreed as well. SO, WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN? Readership, connection, and format Topics of interest The magazine will build on its strengths in order to maintain high readership levels and the strong connection that the magazine helps Auggies feel with the College. Augsburg will continue publishing the magazine in both print and online versions, but those who prefer a digital format are encouraged to let us know their preference for receiving notifications instead of printed editions. The topics of greatest interest across all age groups align well with the College’s Augsburg2019 strategic vision, which states that, in 2019, Augsburg will be a new kind of student-centered, urban university that is small to our students and big for the world. Stories about student achievements, alumni in their professions, and campus facilities and growth illustrate our commitment to educating for lives of purpose, being “at the table” with our partners and neighbors, and building a vital and sustainable institution. In addition to those topics, the magazine will continue to include events, speakers, obituaries, and class notes given that these topics garnered strong response rates, especially among readers over 35 years of age. See augsburg.edu/Augsburg2019 for information about the strategic plan. Go to augsburg.edu/now for more information about changing your Augsburg Now delivery format. 2 Augsburg Now ended event ade a nation 64% h These categories were ranked substantially higher than the national averages. prefer print Agreement with these statements among people age 35 years or older was 10 or more percentage points higher than for respondents under age 35. * 12% prefer online Magazine readership 23% Ages represented: 65+ 50 to 64 35 to 49 34 and under 11 percent of Augsburg’s respondents were under age 35, which is only half of the percentage in that age category nationally. Attended an event Recommended Top actions taken as a Augsburg Recommended result of reading Augsburg Now Augsburg Augsburg’s results National results Made a donation Recommended Augsburg Most respondents indicated that Augsburg Now was the No. 1 way they get information about the College, and 82 percent said they read all orprefer mostboth of each issue. Most respondents said they prefer to read the printed version of Augsburg Now, although some favor digital formats. It is exciting to learn that 1/3 of respondents indicated that the magazine Made a donation prompted them to recommend Augsburg to others. One of the primary objectives of the magazine is to equip Auggies to act as advocates of the College, so this result was of particular significance in measuring the impact of the magazine. Renaming the magazine Although the name of the magazine was not specifically addressed in the survey questions, the time has come to rethink the name of the publication. “Augsburg Now” served well for decades, but in an age of digital communication, a publication that comes out three times per year cannot reasonably include information about what’s happening at the moment. As a result, the plan is to announce a new name for the magazine in the summer 2015 issue and officially change the masthead in the fall. Look in the summer issue for more information about these future plans for the Augsburg College magazine! 82% read all or most of 64% prefer print 13% prefer online 23% prefer both Topics of interest When asked what topics readers preferred to see in the magazine, the following categories rose to the top. 1. Cultural events and performances 68.1% * 2. Alumni in their professions 67.5% 3. Class notes 67.4% * h 4. Institutional history and traditions 66.5% * h 5. Obituaries 65.8% * h 6. Campus facilities and growth 62.5% 7. Student achievements 61.2% h 8. Visiting speakers 60.3% * h Subscribe to NOW@Augsburg For the past few years, Augsburg’s alumni relations staff has published a monthly email newsletter and blog called “NOW@Augsburg,” which features stories about Augsburg alumni, upcoming events, fundraising milestones, and College accolades. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog for past newsletter content, or email langemo@augsburg.edu to sign up for the monthly email newsletter if you are not already receiving it. Spring 2015 3 Jamar Esaw ’05 directs members of Triad:4Christ, a gospel choral ensemble, during the 2015 Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation. MANY VOICES, BOLD VISIONS 2014-15 Convocation Series sparks critical thinking, meaningful conversation The Augsburg College Convocation Series each year offers the community a chance to hear from outstanding leaders and visionaries who ignite important conversations and contribute to making the world a safer place for future generations. The first event held during the spring semester was the Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation in January, featuring collaboration among on-campus student groups and ARTS-Us, a St. Paul-based arts education organization; Dare 2 Be Real, a Twin Cities-based interracial student leadership program; and Triad:4Christ, a renowned gospel choir led by Jamar Esaw ’05. The Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics in February welcomed Rami Nashashibi, executive director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network and a visiting professor at the Chicago Theological Seminary. Nashashibi spoke on “The Sociology of Seerah: Reclaiming Prophetic Tradition for Our Time and Place.” The Koryne Horbal Lecture in March featured Janell Hobson, associate professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University at Albany. Hobson’s presentation was titled “Historical Consciousness and Black Feminist Imagination.” 4 Augsburg Now AROUND THE QUAD FROM SCREEN TO SCRIPT: Auggies win big at film festival Augsburg students were recognized for their excellent work at the fourth annual Student Film Festival hosted by the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities. Delegates from Wells Fargo’s Diversity Council Leadership Team visit with Augsburg student leaders, faculty, and staff. WELLS FARGO MAKES $100,000 GIFT to the Center for Science, Business, and Religion In recognition of Augsburg College’s leadership in closing the higher education disparity gap for students of color in Minnesota, Wells Fargo made a $100,000 gift to the campaign to build the Center for Science, Business, and Religion. Wells Fargo joined several other corporations—including 3M and General Mills— in supporting the CSBR. Dave Kvamme, CEO of Wells Fargo Minnesota, in a statement expressed admiration for Augsburg’s commitment to partnering with college access programs Wells Fargo also supports a to help recruit, support, and retain first-generation and scholarship program through low-income students. the Minnesota Private College “We support Augsburg College’s commitment to Fund. The fund, started in 1976, provide opportunities for a college education for those provides scholarships at each of students who may face life challenges to attain it,” the 17 Minnesota Private Colleges, Kvamme said. “We know our donation will help Augsburg including Augsburg. be successful in developing Minnesota’s future business and community leaders.” DID YOU KNOW? U.S. BANK SUPPORTS STUDENT VETERANS and Center for Science, Business, and Religion with $125,000 gift Augsburg College and U.S. Bank celebrated the opening of the new U.S. Bank Veterans’ Lounge on campus with a dedication ceremony this fall. U.S. Bank recently pledged $125,000 toward the building of the Center for Science, Business, and Religion at Augsburg, and the College recognized the contribution to the campaign by granting naming rights to the Veterans’ Lounge. The renovated space, located in Oren Gateway Center, honors the contributions student veterans have made to their country. U.S. Bank and Augsburg College are nationally recognized as top supporters of veterans and military families. Augsburg was named a 2015 Military Friendly® School for its ongoing efforts to provide transitioning veterans the best possible experience in higher education. • Thomas VandenDolder ’15 won Best Experimental Film for “Oblivious.” • Rebecca Schroeder ’18 won the Best Music Video award for “We Are The Art.” This year’s ACTC festival included a new screenplay contest. Students who have participated in courses in the Augsburg Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program took home top awards in all three categories. • Michelle Herrin ’15 MFA won the Overall Excellence award for “Side Effects.” • Amanda Symes ’15 MFA received an Honorable Mention, FeatureLength Narrative for “Celia.” • Mark Woodley ’14 received the Best Short Screenplay award for “Missing.” The festival included work submitted by students from Augsburg College, Hamline University, and the University of St. Thomas. More than 100 people attended the film festival screenings this year, and all films were created during the 2013-14 academic year. Spring 2015 5 Augsburg earns dual national COMMUNITY SERVICE HONORS Augsburg was the only Minnesota college or university named a finalist on the Corporation for National and Community Service’s 2014 Interfaith Community Service Honor Roll as well as on the Corporation’s General Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. Augsburg is one of only four colleges out of hundreds of applicants nationwide to be named a finalist in the interfaith category, an honor recognizing institutions that support exemplary community service programs, promote greater interfaith cooperation, and raise the visibility of effective practices in campus-community partnerships. Augsburg receives Carnegie Foundation’s Community ENGAGEMENT CLASSIFICATION Augsburg College has earned its second Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Institutions are recognized based on evidence of their collaboration with the larger community, which: • enriches scholarship, research, and creative activity; • enhances curriculum, teaching, and learning; • prepares educated, engaged citizens; • strengthens democratic values and civic responsibility; • addresses critical societal issues; and • contributes to the public good. Augsburg was one of only eight Minnesota colleges or universities recognized in 2015. The College previously received the Community Engagement Classification in 2008. 6 Augsburg Now Bush Foundation grant supports DIVERSITY IN TEACHING Augsburg College’s Department of Education was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Bush Foundation through its Teacher Effectiveness Initiative. The award will be used to fund a project that builds the College’s capacity to recruit and support students of color as they work toward a degree in teaching. Augsburg was one of only five higher education institutions selected to receive this one-time award. Augsburg’s Department of Education Chair and Associate Professor Margaret Finders will lead the project in partnership with Minneapolis Public Schools, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, and St. Paul Public Schools. This team will create a coordinated, sustainable infrastructure that will recruit high-quality teacher candidates and reduce attrition. This infrastructure will help the partner institutions engage in proactive recruitment of teacher candidates of color from multiple entry points, improve experiences for teacher candidates of color, and foster smooth transitions into teaching. AROUND THE QUAD This winter, AUGSBURG COLLEGE PRESIDENT PAUL C. PRIBBENOW joined other private college leaders in testifying before the Minnesota State Senate Higher Education Committee. Pribbenow thanked senators for their support and discussed the ways in which Augsburg works to best educate the state’s future leaders. DAY AT THE CAPITOL During the 2013-14 academic year, more than 34 percent of all Augsburg undergraduates—1,054 students—received Minnesota State Grants totaling more than $3.4 million. This February, Augsburg College students and members of the larger Twin Cities community met at the Capitol with their respective representatives and advocated for the Minnesota State Grant program. Augsburg’s StepUP® program, the EAST (East African Student to Teacher) program, Student Financial Services, Multicultural Students Services, and Athletics partnered to recruit and train students before the event. The students’ agenda included a policy and lobbying briefing with comments from House and Senate members representing Augsburg and a breakfast with alumni legislators followed by a meeting with representatives. Spring 2015 7 AROUND THE QUAD 128 AUGGIES exhibit at the American Swedish Institute Led by Assistant Professor of Art Christopher Houltberg, 128 students and six Augsburg faculty members contributed to a collaborative exhibition, Shaping Peace, at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. The project is a collaboration involving the disciplines of art and design, English, music, political science, and religion. Shaping Peace, a visual exploration of the past 128 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, is on display from February 28 through May 24 and aims to broaden the awareness of the Nobel Peace Prize. The interactive installation encourages viewers to actively participate in exploring the history of the prize by contributing their own ideas surrounding the concept of peace. AUGSBURG YEARBOOKS AVAILABLE ONLINE SOON The Augsburg College student yearbook, the Augsburgian, is being digitized for online viewing. Issues are being scanned from newest to oldest, and all editions dating back to the early 1900s will be available online soon. Check for your yearbook at augsburg.edu/now. 8 Augsburg Now Archival Photo PRESIDENTIAL SCULPTURES undergo restoration public monuments, sculpted busts of Augsburg College Presidents Sven Oftedal and Georg Sverdrup. For many years, the sculptures were housed in the College’s original Main building and Old Main before being relocated to the Marshall Room in Christensen Center. As time passed, the sculptures had become dirty, scratched, and damaged. In fact, the bust of Sven Oftedal had even fallen off its pedestal, which resulted in a broken nose. In 2014, the sculptures were properly restored for the first time in 125 years. They are now on display in all their glory in Lindell Library. All of this work has been supported by the Nydahl Family fund, which was created in 2006 to celebrate the history of Augsburg and the Lutheran Free Church on campus. THE CENTER FOR COUNSELING AND HEALTH PROMOTION gets new name and location The Center for Counseling and Health Promotion recently became the Center for Wellness and Counseling to better capture the mission of the department, which is to support students to “stay healthy in body, mind, and relationships.” The services of the center— to offer free counseling, low-cost medical services at a neighborhood clinic, and selfhelp information—will remain the same. The name change comes at the same time the center moves from a house on the corner of 7th Street and 21st Avenue, to a remodeled first floor of Augsburg’s Anderson Residence Hall. The new location will allow students easier access as well as add a dedicated relaxation space. The house that the center staff once occupied will be razed this spring as part of the preparation of the area where the new Center for Science, Business, and Religion will be built. explores reputation management During spring semester, Augsburg College invited leaders with experience in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors of the Twin Cities business community to share their expertise as part of the annual Clair and Gladys Strommen Executive Speaker Series. In February, Lynn Casey, CEO at PadillaCRT, spoke on building and protecting reputations in real time. Casey also discussed her work at the Minneapolis-based headquarters of PadillaCRT—the largest employeeowned agency in the United States. Courtesy Photo FROM 1888 TO 1890, Jacob Fjelde, a Norwegian portraitist and creator of SPEAKER SERIES The College welcomes MayKao Hang, president and CEO of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, in April. Hang leads the foundation as it works to live out its mission to promote the social welfare of persons resident or located in the greater St. Paul metropolitan area. Courtesy Photo ABOVE: Augsburg’s historic presidents sculptures were first housed in the College’s original Main building. RIGHT: The sculptures are transported to a professional restorer. Courtesy Photo STROMMEN EXECUTIVE “When we’re talking about building and protecting reputations, high standards, good character, and good operating principles up-and-down [an organization] are really essential ingredients.” –Lynn Casey Spring 2015 9 Meet Dave Conrad Dave Conrad has honed his knowledge through decades of work as an independent business consultant, his experience in sales and marketing for public and private companies in a range of industries, and his positions in higher education. He’s author of “Ask Dave,” a column for the Rochester Post-Bulletin. His first book, which shares the same name as his column, is available for purchase at the Augsburg College bookstore. Ask Dave EVERYDAY WORK ADVICE FOR E I G G U A Y R E V E Business professor Dave Conrad shares workplace guidance with 100,000 readers through weekly newspaper column BY STEPHANIE WEISS T he majority of American workers report being unhappy in their jobs. One of the biggest factors for this dissatisfaction is poor workplace communication, according to The Conference Board’s annual survey of 5,000 U.S. households. Other top factors that contribute to workplace dissatisfaction include issues related to compensation, recognition, and career development. None of this is surprising to Dave Conrad, assistant director of the Augsburg College Master of Business Administration program at Rochester and associate professor in Rochester and Minneapolis. Each week for the past eight years, Conrad has shared straightforward business and workplace guidance with 100,000 readers of his column, “Dear Dave,” published in the Rochester Post-Bulletin since 2006. Conrad said that while he fields plenty of questions on workplace communication issues, he also responds to queries on everything from conflicts among coworkers to issues of company culture, managing change, and problem solving. There’s probably no question that has been left unasked of Conrad. And his advice is so popular that he published a book based upon his column and has another one in the works. Conrad dispenses usable guidance that blends management processes with leadership thinking so that readers can gain insight into the worlds of their coworkers. “My readers tend to be everyday, hard-working staff employees or mid-level managers who need everyday advice,” he said. Spring 2015 11 Clear counseling cleans up clumsy communication Conrad doesn’t really need to be told by a national survey that communication problems vex employees at all levels. He knows it because, time and again, he receives questions from readers struggling to give voice to their opinions or to share information about the direction an organization is heading. “People are bursting at the seams with ideas, input, and feedback, but there often is no one listening,” he said. When one reader in 2013 asked Conrad why it seems that managers don’t interact with employees—not even to ask how the employees are coping—Conrad delivered his trademark guidance, mixing simple steps with insight: “Organizations thrive on communication and dialogue. It is crucial that managers simply interact with employees ... and ask if they can help the employees in any way,” Conrad wrote. “Managers should pass along information about the company that will help employees understand the mission, vision, goals, and objectives pertaining to where the company is heading.” Conrad said that the reason this type of communication is critical is because it creates what he calls “we-ness,” a shared purpose among employees that can inspire everyone to work toward shared goals. Conrad also offers practical guidance for how managers should communicate with employees: share honestly, strive to promote dialogue, ensure every voice is heard, and welcome ideas and input without chastising the messenger. When a manager asked Conrad how to more effectively guide change after learning that her employees felt she didn’t connect well with those employees who most needed information, Conrad first shared insight on the organizational need to develop 12 Augsburg Now “Keep things fresh, engaging, and constructive—dare I say ‘positive.’” Read Dave Conrad’s weekly column in the local business section found at postbulletin.com. a change-management communication plan. The creation of such a plan is an important step in ensuring that the manager delivers the right information to the right people at the right time. He followed up with the types of information to include in the plan so all his readers could understand steps toward shaping and managing change. “Communication gaps and weaknesses must be discovered, and a systematic means of providing instructions, information, and feedback must be created and implemented,” he responded via the 2014 column. “To get and keep people on board: Explain the ‘why’ of the change. Clearly communicate the vision, mission, and the objectives of the change management initiative. Have and articulate ideal outcomes. Get people interacting and sharing ideas and perspectives.” Insight for Auggies Conrad’s approach was no different when we asked him what insight he has for Augsburg College alumni just starting out in the work world and those who want to grow their careers. Conrad said that it’s likely Auggies who are beginning their careers will need to perform unglamorous — and possibly, humbling — work for a while. But that’s normal. “I love the saying: If you do what you love, you will never work a day the rest of your life,” Conrad said. “The problem is, when you’re just out of college, it’s easy to get confused about what you can do in the workplace, or even what you want to do.” Just as Auggies are sorting through what they might want to do, employers will be watching. Conrad encourages Auggies to stay positive, maintain enthusiasm, and take on tasks they never thought they would have to perform. Early in their careers, he said, Auggies should show off their work ethic no matter the task assigned. Conrad’s tips for young employees include taking on the assignments nobody wants, asking managers for feedback on their work, and seeking guidance for how to earn promotions. “Not only is this a way to demonstrate drive and ethic, but it also offers a way to practice the communication skills that make a workplace more rewarding,” he said. For Auggies further along in their career, Conrad offers similarly upbeat advice. “Keep things fresh, engaging, and constructive—dare I say ‘positive,’” he said. “Volunteer for small and big projects, mentor budding managers, be there for people in need, learn new things, and do anything that shows care about the productivity and wellbeing of the organization, others, and especially yourself.” Employers are attracted to employees who understand the importance of their work on their team, department, and organization. Through the reflective practices and hands-on learning built into an Augsburg College education, Auggies leave campus knowing how their work makes a difference in the world, and they are ready to lead in organizations ranging from nonprofits to Fortune 500 businesses. And, they are ready to do it well. IT TAKES AN AUGGIE IMPACT Augsburg’s day of record-breaking fundraising supports new opportunities More than 1,300 donors gave Augsburg College more than $430,000 on Give to the Max Day 2014. For the second year in a row, Augsburg surpassed every other Minnesota college or university in this annual online fundraising event. The achievement reflects the work of alumni, faculty, and staff who championed nearly three dozen unique projects. A new drone copter for student filmmakers. IN THE CLASSROOM $1,605 was raised to help students purchase essential — but sometimes pricey — textbooks for class. The College launched its first student-run publishing organization, Howling Bird, which is part of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. The Communication Studies Department purchased a drone camera that takes student filmmakers’ work to new heights. (above right) ON-CAMPUS RESEARCH Biology students will benefit from the opportunity to fund additional DNA sequencing critical to their research. Faculty in the Department of History will further their research on topics ranging from the deathbed conversions of medieval knights to Minnesota after the Civil War to women’s medicine in the Victorian era. LEARN ABOUT THE OTHER PROJECTS AUGGIES ON THE MOVE The Augsburg College women’s hockey team traveled to four European countries, playing games against international opponents, and touring historic and cultural sites. Gifts from Give to the Max Day helped to fund student learning and success through 34 projects. Find the full list at augsburg.edu/now. Spring 2015 13 AUGGIES HAVE AND FOOD COOKING DOWN TO A SCIENCE Unique course makes science approachable for all students Ceviche is a South and Central American favorite that’s also been popularized in the United States. It’s a bright and flavorful seafood dish that’s not raw, but it’s not exactly cooked either. In fact, it’s never exposed to heat. Although it’s not cooked in the traditional sense, the raw fish in ceviche goes through a chemical process that rearranges or “denatures” its proteins, much like what happens when meat or other protein is cooked with heat. The acid in citrus juice cures the raw fish, which makes it safer to eat. This is just one of the fascinating processes students learn in one of Augsburg College’s popular physics courses: The Science of Food and Cooking, taught by Associate Professor Ben Stottrup. Among other concepts, students in the course learn the fundamental physics and chemistry of materials science through hands-on preparation, like the phase change that occurs when spinning cotton candy and the Maillard reaction caused by searing a steak. They are taught the mechanical properties of ricotta cheese and the states of matter in a root beer float. And the students love experimenting with various cuisine. SPECIAL THANKS to chefs Erick * Harcey of Victory 44, Landon Schoenefeld of Haute Dish, and Karyn Tomlinson of Borough for lending their expertise to the course. 14 Augsburg Now “My biggest takeaway from this class is that science is, in fact, present in everything in our daily lives,” said Cynthia Del Villar ’15, business administration and economics major. “Even eating is a daily reminder that food undergoes its own scientific transformation through cooking or even combining certain ingredients, like oil and vinegar.” Del Villar took much away from the class—from learning how to prevent freezer burn to emulsifying a mayonnaise to gaining an understanding of heat transfer through a molten chocolate cake. But she also made a personal contribution to the course— her Mexican family’s traditional shrimp ceviche recipe for experimentation in the lab. (See recipe on the next page.) Restaurant reviews, cook-offs, and potlucks But it’s not just the food that gets students engaged—Stottrup also introduces competition and community involvement. For example, while baking cupcakes, some groups are allowed the use of measuring devices while others are not. Or some use measurements based upon volume versus weight. This, of course, determines the outcome of each recipe. At the end of each lab, guest judges from “ This is a traditional family recipe from my parents’ home state of Nayarit, on Mexico’s west coast. - Cynthia Del Villar ’15 MY AUGGIE EXPERIENCE SHRIMP CEVICHE FOR A CROWD Serves 20 INGREDIENTS: • 4 pounds headless shrimp • 10 medium limes • 10 medium tomatoes • 4 large cucumbers • 1 purple onion • 8 small green serrano chili peppers • 2 tablespoons salt • Tortilla chips PREPARATION: 1. Cleanse shrimp in water, peel completely, and chop into half-inch pieces. Place in large bowl and set aside. 2. In a blender, combine lime juice and serrano chili peppers and blend until smooth. Pour over shrimp. 3. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to mixture and stir. various departments on campus decide whose dish was most successful. The competition and participation of the wider campus community “creates an educational, memorable, and interactive experience,” Stottrup said. Members of the greater Twin Cities restaurant scene also play an important role in the class. One requirement of the course is that students dine at one of three well-known Minneapolis restaurants and then write a restaurant review describing the materials science on their plate. Afterward, one chef from each restaurant comes to campus to participate in a panel discussion on the creativity and lifestyle of being a chef.* Community members participate in these panel discussions each term, which range from local cooks revealing the process of handcrafting the perfect scoop of natural, organic ice cream to urban planners explaining 4. Cut onion into thin slices and add to shrimp. Allow mixture to sit for 20 minutes. 5. In the meantime, dice tomatoes and cucumbers into small cubes and add to shrimp. 6. Mix all ingredients well and salt to taste. 7. Serve with chips or tostadas. sustainable food systems to entrepreneurs from the craft beer industry talking about the chemistry of brewing. To wrap up the semester, the class participates in a “Minnesota potluck,” where each student makes a dish to share and describes the science behind it to their peers. These engaging, communal activities make science “fun and accessible to all students, not just science majors,” Stottrup said. He hopes the class helps students gain a new appreciation for science, as well as “for growing, preparing, cooking, and simply enjoying food.” BY CHRISTINA HALLER Spring 2015 15 A TALE OF TWO AUGGIES ST. PAUL COLLEGE EXPERIENCES SHAPE WORK BY ALUMNI IN THE MINNESOTA CAPITAL AND ON THE NORTH SHORE BY STEPHANIE WEISS As a young man growing up on Minnesota’s far western prairies during the 1960s, Allan Torstenson ’75 felt the lure of big cities tugging at him when he was deciding where to go to college. He considered leaving his hometown of Dawson, Minn., for campuses on the coasts in Berkeley, Calif., or New York City, but it was the beehive of activity in Minneapolis and near the Augsburg College campus that drew him in. 16 Augsburg Now “I was watching the anti-war movement unfold on television. People in a counter culture were fighting construction of HUD-planned communities, including Cedar Square West,” he said. “It was all happening on the West Bank of Minneapolis. I wanted to be there to watch it.” At the same time that Torstenson was responding to the pull of Augsburg and all that its location in the heart of Minneapolis offered students, Mark Johnson ’75 found himself similarly drawn to Augsburg from his hometown of Two Harbors, Minn., on the scenic north shores of Lake Superior. When the two young men arrived at Augsburg, they began to explore life in the city. They were among the first to enroll in what was a brand new interdisciplinary major, metro urban studies. Allan Torstenson ’75 St. Paul city planner Mark Johnson ’75 Two Harbors city planner, retired Courtesy Photos TWO HARBORS This new program would prove to build a solid foundation for the careers of both men, equipping them to navigate constantly changing landscapes in their careers. Torstenson’s Augsburg College education provided the skills and knowledge to begin work as an intern in 1981 for the City of St. Paul— where he continues to work today as principal city planner with responsibility for planning and zoning. Johnson’s education allowed him to successfully return to Two Harbors where he took a detour from city planning for more than 20 years to run the family business before becoming the city planner from 1999 until his retirement in 2001. Industry changes reshape Minnesota cities Two Harbors is the birthplace of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) and was long shaped by the railroad and an ore shipping port. St. Paul is the state capital and has been home to breweries such as Hamm’s and Schmidt’s, manufacturing such as Whirlpool and the Ford Assembly Plant, and more. When the dominant industries in the cities served by Torstenson and Johnson inevitably shifted over time, the two planners needed to interpret what those changes meant for their communities. Spring 2015 17 Courtesy Photo In Two Harbors, the changes meant an opportunity to reclaim what once were private railroad beds and begin converting rails to trails. It also meant the opportunity to create greater public access to the waterfront. In St. Paul, Torstenson was faced with answering questions about how to respond to a changing economy that has resulted in the shuttering of multiple large businesses. “Our big building and manufacturing companies—Ford in Highland Park, Whirlpool on the East Side, [and] the breweries are all gone,” Torstenson said. “Our challenge was to begin to address the economic, structural, and job training issues left in the wake of these closings.” One of the problems faced by Torstenson is that the underpinnings of earlier city planning—as it was practiced in the United States after World War II—wasn’t flexible or resilient, two concepts now at the forefront of civic design. From the 1950s through the early 1980s, city planning primarily relied upon a single-use approach that identified different areas—or zones—for different uses. Single-family housing was clustered in one area, and apartments and condominiums in another area. Businesses were situated somewhere else, and industrial areas were planned in yet another spot. This type of planning, possible largely because of the automobile, created what we now understand to be an expensive form of spread-out development often called “sprawl.” This type of segregated development can make responding to changing markets and demands difficult. “Cities need to think about the social and market needs of the people who live there,” Torstenson said. “Cities also need to be resilient in their design so that they can be sustainable while evolving to meet changing needs.” The more compact, high-density design used in Oslo, Norway, after World War II (and studied by both Torstenson and Johnson during their undergraduate study-abroad trip to Scandinavia in 1973) now is shaping the work Torstenson does for St. Paul. Multi-use design allows buildings to be placed closer together and to be used in multiple ways all at 18 Augsburg Now once. Business and light industry can be placed at street level with housing above. It means residents of a building have a greater likelihood of being able to walk to work and shop close to home. In addition, these environments typically include sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit—whether in the form of light rail, trains, or streetcars. “Many people want to live and work in a close, compact area,” Torstenson said. “Mixed-use and shared-use planning can create ways for us to change to meet the demands of a new and creative, diverse, and collaborative economy.” Today, Torstenson continues to work to shape a city code that will guide “The question always has been: higher-density development and How can we manage change for redevelopment the good of all?” –Mark Johnson that also fosters efficient, flexible, and mixed-form uses with multi-modal transportation corridors—all things that are sought-after by the Millennial Generation as well as today’s teenagers who are putting off learning to drive in favor of public transit. While Torstenson was working in St. Paul, Johnson was grappling in Two Harbors with a community that at first didn’t have a history of proactive engagement, which meant that change had the potential to be seen as negative and foster greater outcry. “The question always has been: How can we manage change for the good of all?” Johnson said. “There are always unintended consequences of change. At the core, we have to respect the values of the community we work with, and we have to reflect those qualities in the work.” Community-classroom connection MAKES REAL-WORLD IMPACT Shawn Thompson Photography Two Harbors railroad depot near Lake Superior For instance, when Two Harbors in the 1990s began the work of creating greater public access to the waterfront by converting old railroad beds to trails, the community wasn’t happy. “It seems that, in a smaller community, there can be a lot of pushback on any type of change,” Johnson said. “North Shore people are tough, independent. It’s just innate. We’ve spent our lives battling Lake Superior.” But civic engagement is one tool that local governments such as cities and counties, no matter their location, can use to help learn about and understand the desires of a community. “Community involvement is important,” Johnson said. “My job was a chance to encourage people to reach out beyond themselves and to seek ways to be a bridge builder of relationships.” Although Johnson retired from city work more than a decade ago, he remains involved in Two Harbors through a community fund that he helped establish and that is used to support new projects in response to emerging and changing needs. Johnson said that his days as an Augsburg student continue to influence him today and have played a role in creating a rewarding path for someone who has been driven to serve. “I never saw my work at the family business or as city planner as separate paths,” he said. “My work as an employer, as a city planner, and as someone with an interest in community service gave me ways to make Two Harbors a better place.” Community engagement is an essential part of city planning, but how that takes shape beyond town hall meetings and open forums varies. City planners meet with community members, government entities, and local and federal agencies to gather perspective, priorities, and input from groups before projects are undertaken. But getting community participation that represents the diversity of viewpoints and priorities of any community is challenging. The Friendly Streets Initiative in St. Paul is an emerging model of community engagement that aims to identify the shared needs and wants of people directly impacted by proposed change. It’s a model being forged by Lars Christiansen, lead organizer of FSI and associate professor of Augsburg’s interdisciplinary metro-urban studies program. Christiansen, who also is chair of the Augsburg College Sociology Department, is known DARIUS GRAY ’15 for his teaching and scholarship focused on urban resilience and sustainability, and public engagement. Because of this community-classroom connection, metro-urban studies majors such as Darius Gray ’15 have augmented classroom experiences with hands-on learning. “We engage [people] to give input on how they want their street to be designed,” said Gray, who has worked as an FSI intern for the past three years. “Basically we throw block parties and ask questions like: What if this was on your street? How would you feel?” FSI staff facilitates community organizing, gathers and examines information, and helps citizens understand how local government operates. “The model of engagement used by the Friendly Streets Initiative invites in those who feel left out of planning processes or who believe their input is sought for projects that are already a fait accompli,” Christiansen said in his article, “The Friendly Streets Initiative: Bringing Community Voices into the Planning Process.” Christiansen writes that this groundbreaking work has unearthed lessons for successful community engagement, including bringing multiple voices into the mix before formal planning is underway; creating community engagement events that are fun, family-friendly, and easy to access; helping neighbors navigate formal city processes; and using multiple methods to garner input. Through their work in the classroom and out in the community, a new generation of Augsburg College students is prepared to leave its mark on American cities and to steward the world’s resources well into the future. Learn more about the Friendly Streets Initiative and model used at friendlystreetsinitiative.org. Spring 2015 19 USING MUSIC’S POWER TO SOOTHE AND INSPIRE COMPILED BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA In addition to regularly composing music for Twin Cities companies including Theater Latté Da, Stages Theater Company, and Wonderlust, Aaron Gabriel ’99 serves as resident composer for Interact Theater. Interact is a radically inclusive theater company that creates new musical theater for performers with and without disabilities, and Gabriel is committed to ensuring that each production is shaped by and for the performers. This winter, he took his expertise on the road—spending a month in Chiang Mai collaborating with Interact Thailand and the children it serves. “We’ve created many new scenes and many new songs for The Love Show—a show about all the different ways we find love in life … We decided to write The Love Show because one of our performances falls on Valentine’s Day (a very popular holiday in Thailand). The songs and stories will all deal with different kinds of love: romantic love, love of friends and family, love of singing, love of disabilities, love of food.” Thematically, the show resonates with nearly all audiences, but the cast and crew greatly anticipate one special attendee. In July, the children will perform an excerpt of the show for Her Majesty the Princess of Thailand, who will be visiting the hospital that houses Interact Thailand for its grand opening, “so it’s important,” Gabriel said, “that the songs and scenes really showcase the stories and talents of these unique performers.” Comments are from Gabriel’s blog chronicling his work with the Rajanagarindra Institute of Child Development in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the hospital that houses Interact Thailand. aarongabrielcomposer.com 20 Augsburg Now Photo courtesy of amyandersonphotography.com AUGGIE VOICES #MLKConvocation @AugsburgCollege. Lovely! Thank you @JamarEsaw for fillin’ my spirit. And … wow, #AmaniWard is only 15! Lordy. -Tweeted by community member Noreen Bulmann after the Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation MUSIC MOVES US. It makes us smile, dance, cry, remember. Like Augsburg alumnus Jamar Esaw ’05, whose choral ensemble, Triad:4Christ, performed at the College this past Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Auggies are sharing their musical gifts with their communities and the world. Conie Borchardt ’98 founded Grace Notes hospice choir, a group that sings to people in hospice care at Twin Cities nursing homes, and co-created the Arts Responding to Foreclosure (ARF) project, which, she says, creates a community for people experiencing foreclosure—turning an isolating experience into a supportive one. Music, Borchardt says, transforms us and changes us from the inside out. She has witnessed music’s power to unite and soothe—both performers and audiences—during times of financial challenge and even in a person’s final hours. “We have been blessed with so many meaningful moments … We sang for a gentleman who seemed at peace, though his breathing was labored. We sang to him about journeys. Later we would find out that he completed his earthly journey about 24-hours later. “And then there are the stories we could tell you about other second-hand listeners! … Some non-hospice residents spontaneously decide to join our band of singers on rounds to the amusement of the nursing staff. Oh, and the staff smiles we see. Some are coy and some are gratefully enlightened for the service we provide. It is like watching the sunrise change your mood!” “There are times in life when I am absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that music, singing, movement, and dancing are how we heal ourselves,” said Nicole Warner ’01, an Augsburg College alumna whose major in music performance prepared her for life as an independent artist and professional ensemble singer. In 2011, Warner had the opportunity to sing the Mozart Requiem in a United We Stand concert marking the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Opportunities like this one remind Warner why the joy she feels while singing is only a small part of the performance’s real impact. It’s the audience, she says, who are truly benefiting. “Most of the time, I think of the beauty of the people sitting in front of me, and I wonder at their ability to take in the music, to restore their souls, to be filled by and to fill up with the music,” she explained. “Time gets lost, and we all get lost in the music together.” Comments are from the 2011 “To Sing is to Heal” blog post regarding Warner’s participation in the 2011 United We Stand concert. nicolewarner.com/blog Photo courtesy of Karen Nichols Photography, knicholsphoto.com Quotations are from the Points of Light Music blog written by Borchardt. pointsoflightmusic.blogspot.com Photo courtesy of Intermedia Arts To learn more about Auggies at the intersection of career and composition, go to augsburg.edu/now. Spring 2015 21 PA S S I N G O N A Augsburg College volleyball finds success on 40th anniversary of historic season This fall, the Augsburg College women’s volleyball team qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the second straight year, an achievement that marked its reemergence as a regional powerhouse. Recent team successes—which include back-to-back co-conference championship seasons and several All-American honors—hearken back to the achievements of Augsburg’s earliest volleyball teams. THE FIRST FEW YEARS Archival Photos Augsburg launched its varsity volleyball program in 1972 when students Nancy Soli Mollner ’75, Marilyn Pearson Florian ’76, and Cindy Schendel ’76 walked into the office of Athletic Director Joyce Anderson Pfaff ’65 to ask about joining Augsburg’s volleyball team. Anderson Pfaff didn’t have the heart to tell The Augsburg College women’s volleyball team during the 1974-75 season. 22 Augsburg Now Photos b y John N icholso n AUGGIES ON THE COURT The Augsburg College women’s volleyball team earned Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season co-champion honors during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. the passionate students that there was no team at the time, so she created one on the spot. Augsburg’s first volleyball players proved their sport was to become a staple in Auggie athletics, and in 1973 the College hired star coach Mary Timm. The next year, the volleyball team earned a perfect 8-0 record at home. While there were 14 women on the roster during the 1974 season, six Auggies played nearly every minute of the regular season and did, in fact, play every minute of the postseason. The Auggies completed the regular season with a 15-4 record, which earned them a spot in the Minnesota Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women State Tournament, where teams competed against one another regardless of their schools’ sizes or types. After beating Concordia-St. Paul, Bemidji State, and the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the Auggies faced the No. 1 seeded University of Minnesota in the finals. Soli—a setter and team captain—dislocated her thumb in the first game, but adrenaline allowed her to continue to play, ensuring that the Auggies could maintain the offensive strategy they had in place all season. Augsburg didn’t win the tournament, but its secondplace finish secured a bid to participate in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Region 6 Tournament at the University of Nebraska. However, there was one more obstacle to overcome: the team was ineligible to participate because of an issue with its AIAW membership. Anderson Pfaff was determined to remedy the issue, so she and Soli filed a complaint with the District of Minnesota fourth court. After the Auggies successfully argued their case, United States District Judge Miles Lord allowed Augsburg to participate in the regional tournament, but his ruling was made just one day before the tournament was set to begin. When they got the news, the Auggie crew jumped in vans and drove all night, arriving in Lincoln, Neb., at 3 a.m. only to find that there was no place to stay due to a Nebraska-Oklahoma football game that weekend. At the regional competition, the underdog Auggies ended up playing 10 matches in only three days and earned a fourth-place finish—the best finish for an Auggie volleyball team until its NCAA tournament appearances in 1982, 2013, and 2014. TODAY’S PLAYERS Augsburg College volleyball alumnae from across the past four decades continue to support the talented students who take to the court in Si Melby gymnasium each fall. Alumnae involvement ranges from cheering in the stands to encouraging the young women as they venture out into their careers and callings after college. Current Head Coach Jane Becker, a two-time MIAC and Region Coach of the Year, sees firsthand the ways that those from the College’s past help uplift its future. “Being a part of rebuilding the Auggie volleyball program has truly been a remarkable experience,” Becker said. “I am so blessed to work with such a talented group of studentathletes and to be so supported by an amazing group of Auggie alumnae.” BY KELLY ANDERSON DIERCKS Spring 2015 23 U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, spoke to a sold-out crowd at the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Forum. He discussed the need to protect the rights of women and girls, setting the stage for further discussion on the last day of the Forum, which was International Women’s Day. NOBEL PURSUITS BY STEPHEN GEFFRE AND LAURA SWANSON 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Forum This spring, the 27th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum embraced a new, interactive approach in fulfilling its charge to inspire peacemaking. Even before opening its doors to audiences from March 6-8 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Minneapolis, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum encouraged Augsburg College community members— and citizens across the globe—to share the ways they promote peace in their daily lives. In 1989, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum was founded by five Norwegian-American colleges under the auspices of the Norwegian Nobel Institute to inspire peacemaking by exploring the work of Nobel Laureates and international peace builders. According to Gina Torry, executive director of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, the event also has the power to change the dialogue around peace by uplifting the important roles all people play in fostering a more just, amiable, and nonviolent world. Using a common theme, #peaceitforward, individuals spanning generations and continents shared in social media how their actions positively shape the present and the future. The “#peaceitforward [campaign] was not just about the prevention of conflict but the promulgation of good,” Torry said. The campaign uplifted “the idea that you can be an ordinary person and still do something extraordinary, which is a powerful message that the Laureates send.” This year’s Forum concentrated on the work of 2013 Nobel Laureate The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and also featured former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the 2002 Nobel Laureate who presented, “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power.” The Forum welcomed more than 1,000 attendees, known as delegates, during its three days and invited these individuals to join in the important work of peacemaking—a task that aligns with Augsburg’s own identity and role in educating students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. View #peaceitforward images, read comments, see additional event photos, watch featured presentations, or learn more about the Forum at augsburg.edu/now. 24 Augsburg Now INSPIRING PEACE 1 Former Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland [at left] stops to chat with Nobel Peace Prize Forum delegates after her speech on human rights and democracy. 1 2 Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü [at right], a representative of the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, speaks with Minnesota Public Radio host Tom Crann about demilitarization and the destruction of chemical weapons. 4 3 An ensemble of Native American women sings on International Women’s Day to honor and raise awareness of those Native American women who are victims of violence. 4 The closing presenter at the Forum, Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, co-founder of the International Civil Society Action Network, calls for greater participation by women in global conflict management and peace building. 2 Arvol Looking Horse, who is the 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe and a spiritual leader of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota nations, offers closing comments on the second day of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Rev. Mark Hanson ’68, Imam Muhammad Ashafa, and Pastor James Movel Wuye [L to R] share a laugh during their panel discussion at the Forum. Ashafa and Wuye are featured in a 2006 film, “The Imam and the Pastor,” which is a story about forgiveness and grass roots peace initiatives. Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow [at right] participates in the dearworld.me portrait project by having words of peace written on his arms. Robert X. Fogarty, founder of dearworld.me, brought his internationally renowned project to the Forum to help participants share their messages of hope and peace. HOST SPONSOR LEAD ACADEMIC PARTNERS DIALOGUE SPONSORS PEACE BUILDERS DELEGATE SPONSORS THANK YOU SPONSORS ALUMNI NEWS FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT Dear alumni and friends, I was connected to Augsburg as a student working in the admissions office, as a resident assistant, and even after college. But there’s something that comes with age, time, and distance that really makes me appreciate the Augsburg that I continue to be involved with today. When I began to connect with fellow Auggies and eventually the Alumni Board, my connections to the College were enriched, and they continue to grow. Augsburg has grown, too. It’s exciting to see the ways in which the College has become larger—not only with new buildings and faculty, but through an energetic and engaged commitment to the city and the community—in both programs and leadership. Augsburg is thriving, and this growth makes me so proud to call myself an Auggie. In honor of Augsburg’s sesquicentennial in 2019, the College is embracing a vision for its future that is both bold and rooted in values that are uniquely Augsburg. Focusing on where the College wants to be in 2019, the Augsburg Board of Regents and President Paul C. Pribbenow engaged the College community in creating a strategic vision statement that includes three aspirational dimensions: the College will educate for lives of purpose, be at the table with our neighbors and partners, and be built for the future. I believe my education at Augsburg prepared me for the future. When I see what’s happening at Augsburg today— and what’s planned—I know the College’s future is bright. Augsburg today is a place that calls many to the table to participate in the life of the College. The time I first heard about the Center for Science, Business, and Religion, I may have wondered how all these disciplines would work together in the same space. I have come to know that this building represents the future, and its interdisciplinary emphasis is deeply Augsburg. It is a demonstration of the College’s vision to work with its community, to embrace the world, and to prepare its students for the future. Today’s students know Augsburg as a place where faith, service, and learning intersect. It is a College we can be proud of, and I know I want to help build an Augsburg that continues to generate pride and equip graduates for the world in which we live. The outstanding scholarship and research being done by our faculty and students deserve to take place in a facility whose quality and capability match their exceptional work. I want to be a part of preparing for that future. The interdisciplinary emphasis of the CSBR will match the world that today’s graduates enter and will truly demonstrate Augsburg is a sustainable and vital force for educating future generations. As you’ll see on the inside of the back cover of this magazine, we can all be part of building that future for Augsburg by buying a brick that will be a part of this important new building. Won’t you join me in helping Augsburg build for the future? Sincerely, CHRIS HALLIN ’88, ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT HOMECOMING 2015 MARK YOUR CALENDARS OCTOBER 5–10 augsburg.edu/homecoming OCTOBER Spring 2015 27 ALUMNI NEWS IN FEBRUARY, Augsburg wrestling alumni celebrated the championship teams from 1975, 1985, 1995, and 2005 in the College’s Kennedy Center with a Reunion of the 5s. Teams from these class years exhibited exemplary accomplishments both on and off the mat, and their successes represent four of Augsburg wrestling’s record 32 MIAC Championship teams and two of the College’s record 11 NCAA DIII National Championship teams. Former teammates and wrestling alumni from all classes gathered to hear coaches and managers Jim Moulsoff and Tony Valek ’12, and Athletic Director Jeff Swenson ’79 share memories and laughs about the incredible talents from these four wrestling classes. The crowd of wrestling legends, families, friends, and current Auggies cheered at the Battle of the ’Burgs competition as Augsburg took on longstanding rival, Wartburg College, on the elevated stage. Despite a packed house of enthusiastic supporters, Wartburg took the victory. The two teams battled for the newly created Swens-Millboy Championship Belt. The belt is named in honor of Augsburg’s Jeff Swenson (nickname: Swens) and Wartburg’s Jim Miller Mike Fuenffinger ’15 opened this year’s Battle of the ’Burgs match. 28 Augsburg Now (nickname: Millboy), the head coaches who led these teams to power. Both men won 10 national team championships as head coaches and now, retired from coaching, are active in supporting their winning wrestling programs. The belt will travel with the previous year’s winner to the duel each year and will be engraved with the score and the winning team. Scores from previous years were engraved to mark the historic nature of this rivalry. As Auggies, we are proud to celebrate the history, legacy, stories, and success of four generations of Augsburg College wrestling. Future Auggies can become a part of the action with our 29th year of summer wrestling camps. Augsburg wrestling coaching staff and athletes supervise these camps, which serve a variety of ages. Learn more at augsburgwrestling.com. ALUMNI NEWS TORSTENSON LEGACY lives on through gifts Augsburg alumni shaped and inspired by Professor Emeritus Joel Torstenson, known as the College’s “father of sociology,” have contributed more than $180,000 to the Center for Science, Business, and Religion to honor the legacy of the man who greatly influenced their Auggie experience. Torstenson, who died in 2007 at age 94, was well known for his advocacy for civil rights and social services. His decades-long legacy is being extended and honored through generous gifts to name a hall for him in the new CSBR. One alumnus central to the effort to honor Torstenson is the Rev. Herb Chilstrom ’54, the ELCA’s first presiding bishop. Chilstrom, who grew up in Litchfield, Minn., said being a student in Torstenson’s class opened his eyes to justice issues and pulled him from his comfort zone. Then, as today, the College’s location in the city was an asset to its faculty and students. Torstenson’s impassioned teaching and perspective on civil rights inspired Chilstrom years later to fight for the rights of gay and lesbian people. “Dr. Torstenson impacted me not only during my student years but throughout the rest of my life,” Chilstrom said. “He taught that if you are a Christian, you need to face the problems of the world and be out on the front lines, even if it makes you unpopular.” Torstenson challenged students to confront the world’s problems by engaging directly with individuals. It seems only fitting, then, that Augsburg’s proposed CSBR pay tribute to Torstenson’s influence on generations of people, including the Chilstroms and another family with deep roots in the College: U.S. Rep. Martin Olav ’59 and Sylvia Sabo. “Clearly, people like Joel have an impact on what you think and who you are,” said Rep. Sabo, who spent 46 years serving his state and country as an elected official. Rep. Sabo’s Augsburg connection never waned. He served on the Board of Regents from 1973 to 1984, and daughters—Julie ’90, a former state senator, and Karin ’86— are also Auggies. The Sabos share enthusiasm that the CSBR will be a great addition to campus. “The facilities need to keep up with the quality of the faculty,” Rep. Sabo said. Combining three disciplines in one facility, the Sabos believe, is a unique and positive step for the College, which has long embraced interdisciplinary and experiential education. The Sabos also marvel at the lifelong friendships that evolved from Martin’s undergraduate experience, and the couple remains close to Torstenson’s widow, Fran. “I’m always amazed at Augsburg,” Sylvia Sabo said. “I think so much good comes out of it, and Martin had such a great four years there. I think its size and location give it a specialness that a lot of colleges don’t have.” CENTER FOR SCIENCE, BUSINESS, AND RELIGION JOEL AND FRANCES TORSTENSON CORRIDOR This space will be provided through the generosity of Norman ’59 and Delores Berg Richard ’78 and Linda Bonlender Herbert W. ’54 and E. Corinne Chilstrom Joel ’61 and Yvonne “Bonnie” ’62 Egertson Harold Hansen ’52 Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans Lowell O. Larson ’47 Steven ’64 and Rebecca ’65 Nielsen Martin ’59 and Sylvia Lee Sabo Allan Torstenson ’75 and Frances Homans Beth Torstenson ’66 Gale ’59 and Barbara Torstenson Linnea Torstenson Lyndon Torstenson ’78 Robert ’65 and Sylvia ’66 Torstenson Herb and Corinne Chilstrom pledged $30,000 to kick off the Torstenson corridor initiative. “Giving is a lot of fun,” Rev. Chilstrom said. “We have been blessed, and we like to share our blessings. Giving to the CSBR means I can say ‘thank you’ to Dr. Torstenson for the major impact he had on my life, and maybe, by example, we can encourage others to do likewise.” If you are interested in donating to the CSBR or honoring Torstenson with a gift, contact Doug Scott at 612-330-1575 or scottd@augsburg.edu. Spring 2015 29 ALUMNI NEWS AUGGIES CONNECT on campus and throughout their careers Building connections, facilitating networking opportunities, and supporting students and graduates keeps the Alumni Board and Alumni Relations engaged with inspiring Auggies year-round. Thanks to those who attended the annual Alumni Board-sponsored Auggie Networking Event, a reception that welcomed nearly 150 alumni and more than 100 current students for an evening of networking, conversation, career pointers, and speakers who shared their stories of finding success after graduation. Among the speakers were Tina Nguyen ’08, small business project analyst for U.S. Bank, and Greg Schnagl ’91, former educator and founder, TeacherCentricity. The event was a partnership with the Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work, which assists students in discovering their vocation; offers career and internship tips; and helps students with interviewing skills, resume building, and networking. The Strommen Center also seeks to help companies recruit more Auggies. One company with a strong connection to Augsburg alumni is 3M. In January, Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow joined more than 100 Augsburg graduates now working at 3M for an alumni event coordinated by Alumni Board member Holly Knutson ’03, ’07 MBA. In addition to celebrating the amazing presence of Auggies in the Maplewood, Minn.-based company, the event honored Nicholas Gangestad ’86, who last summer was appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer at 3M. 3M also is a major donor to the Center for Science, Business, and Religion and a strong recruiting partner, hosting internships for Augsburg students and hiring Augsburg graduates. If you are interested in hosting an alumni gathering at your workplace, contact Sara Schlipp-Riedel ’06, director of Alumni Relations, at 612-330-1178 or schlipp@augsburg.edu. More than 200 Augsburg College students and alumni attended the 2015 Auggie Networking Event. New Volunteer and Alumni Engagement Manager Katie Radford ’12 joined the Augsburg Alumni and Family Relations team in January as the new volunteer and alumni engagement manager. In this role, she hopes to continue to provide meaningful opportunities for students, alumni, and friends to connect, give back, and thrive together as Auggies. Radford previously worked at Greater Twin Cities United Way, helping plan and execute corporate United Way campaigns dedicated to community outreach, volunteerism, and community giving. She is excited to be back at Augsburg to continue those initiatives in the College’s community. If you are interested in volunteering, mentoring, or serving in a volunteer leadership role, email her at radford@augsburg.edu. SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE All over campus and in corporate communities, Auggies are connecting and sharing their insight and expertise. There are many ways to support current students and recent graduates as they move between classroom and career. No matter your position—whether you’re navigating a career change or looking to bring more Auggies into your workplace—Augsburg programs can help. As alumni, you are invited to share your career expertise, interests, and life experience with Augsburg students. One way to do this is through the mentorship program Augsburg Builds Connections. Learn how to get started in this program by contacting Katie Radford, volunteer and alumni engagement manager, at volunteer@augsburg.edu. To learn more about helping Auggies succeed or to take advantage of career planning services and graduate school information, contact the Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work at 612-330-1148 or careers@augsburg.edu. ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1951 John Garland lives in St. Paul and has fond memories of his time as sports editor for the Echo, including the rare time he covered a meeting of the Augsburg Women’s Club. He recently shared a couple of his columns with Augsburg Now. In his final column, he handed the reins to Richie Howells ’52 and paid tribute to fellow writers. 1953 Edmund Youngquist first remembers being drawn to Augsburg in 1945. Augsburg’s choir put on a concert at Calvary Lutheran Church in Mora, Minn., and soloist Evelyn (Amundson) Sonnack Halverson ’43 became a never-to-beforgotten memory. “At Augsburg,” he writes, “I roomed in Memorial Hall with Jerry Elness ’54 and Wally Hanson ’54. An occasional visit to our suite was from blond, blue-eyed Herb Chilstrom ’54.” After graduation, Youngquist graduated from Luther Seminary in St. Paul and was ordained in 1958. His daughter, Margaret “Grit” Youngquist ’79, went on to become a president of the American Lutheran Church Luther League. His cousin, Beverly Gustafson, is married to Professor Emeritus of History Donald “Gus” Gustafson. 1956 Richard Thorud, who lives in Bloomington, Minn., with his wife, Darlene, was recently named Toro’s most prolific inventor for its first 100 years. He has 80 Toro patents and worked for Toro for 34 years before retiring in 2000 as a senior principal research engineer. He was inducted into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame in 2011 and was named a Distinguished Alumnus at Augsburg in 2009. 1957 of the Ashford University Faculty Senate, the governing body for 250+ full-time instructors and more than 2,000 adjunct faculty. 1974 Kenneth D. Holmen was named president and CEO for CentraCare Health. Holmen, who is a medical doctor and has served as vice president of physician strategies and business development for HealthPartners, took leadership of CentraCare in January. Stanley Baker was recognized as the Counselor Educator of the Year by the North Carolina School Counselor Association at its annual conference in November. He is employed as a professor of counselor education at North Carolina State University. In the summer of 2014, Stan Nelson ’43 won a gold medal at the Minnesota Senior Olympics, shooting a 47 in the golf competition. In July 2015, he will compete in the 95-99 age group at the National Senior State Games held in Bloomington, Minn. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. 1967 Dennis Miller and his wife, Christine, spent the fall semester on sabbatical at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. They are faculty members at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. 1972 Rob Engelson is completing 34 years of full-time college/university teaching and department chairing, including the past 20 years at Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa. He recently rose to become chair Jerry Gerasimo used to take us karate guys to at the Cedar Theatre on the weekends. It was lots of fun marching around inside and outside the Student Center, playing my bagpipes during Augsburg College Day. I just want to say,” he added, “that Boyd Koehler was the very best boss a guy could ever have. He was an uncle, big brother, therapist, and encourager to me, and [he] had a wonderful dry sense of humor. God bless you, Boyd.” Mark S. Johnson ’75 and Allan Torstenson ’75 shape cities and build communities. See page 16. 1977 David Charles Friedman has fond memories of his stays in Urness and Mortensen towers and the delightful people he met during that time. He writes that he fondly remembers “the samurai movies that anthropology instructor and fellow karate-ka Neil Pauluk was a U.S. Infantry Army officer and later used the GI Bill to become a trial lawyer. He legally changed the spelling of his last name in 1978 to Paulson, for the convenience of others, and still goes by either last name. He set up a scholarship in his parents’ name at Augsburg and started a nonprofit organization, HelpTheVets.org. He writes that his Augsburg education paid off. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS 1967 Sue Nelson was given the title of Community Hero for her 10+ years of service to the John Deere Classic. She has worked tirelessly to support other organizations, including the National Education Association, Missouri Valley – U.S. Tennis Association, and Special Olympics. She also has gone to Yale University and the University of North Carolina as Team Iowa tennis coach for the World Games. 1970 The newly released book, “Waters Like the Sky,” is a short adventure tale of a young voyageur and is authored by the late Agnes Peloquin Rajala and her daughter, Nikki Rajala (pictured), who are direct descendants of voyageurs, explorers, and fur traders. After Agnes passed away in October 2013, Nikki carried the legacy of the book forward, determined to share this historical adventure with readers. The story is steeped in the history of the French-Canadian voyageur journeys in the early 1800s in North America. To learn more about the book, visit nikkirajala.com. Nikki is available for interviews and presentations at schools, meetings, and other events. Spring 2015 31 Pauluk runs into Ron Robinson, also in Orlando, Fla., from time to time. “God has blessed me more than I can imagine. Good friends, good family, and good times. I ran marathons in each of the 50 states in 2010 to 2012. I am director of the Orlando Marathon each year. Look me up if you come to Orlando, The City Beautiful!” 1978 Arvella E. Edwards had a children’s book, “Town of Never Never,” published in May by Xlibris, ISBN #978-1-4931-1486-3. She is so excited and proud. Paula (Winchester) Palermo has moved to St. Charles Parish, La., and continues her work with the St. Charles Parish School System. Donadee (Melby) Peterson and husband, Tim ’76, will celebrate 20 years in business in 2015. Donadee is the president of their family company, SDG Computing, Inc. Tim, a graduate of Luther Seminary and an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, served two parishes full time until 1995 when he turned bi-vocational and started the 1979 Karla (Wiese) Miller was honored with the 2014 Minnesota Choral Director of the Year award. She is in her 21st year as fulltime music instructor/director of choral activities at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, Minn. At Augsburg, she received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance with a vocal music (K-12) certification. 1980 John Edwin Carlson is a lead chaplain at Redeemer Health and Rehabilitation Center in Minneapolis, which provides senior housing and health care in the spirit of Christ’s love. 1981 Carla (Isachsen) Kukkonen is working at Allina hospice as a medical social worker. 1989 Steven Torgerud is an assistant professor of life sciences at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, where he teaches neuroanatomy and biomechanics courses. His students have selected him “Teacher of the Year” three of the past four years. Justin Grammens ’96 presented “The Science of My Life and Career After Augsburg” in an AugSTEM seminar. He provided insight into current technology trends and advice on what employers are seeking from graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Grammens is a software architect and has been a business owner for the majority of his career. He is an engineering co-founder at Code42 Software where he is protecting the world’s data with high-performance hardware and easy-to-use software solutions. He enjoys family movie nights with his wife and two children. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. family business. He has since served as a part-time and fill-in pastor as well as chaplain in the Minnesota National Guard. He retired from the National Guard in 2012 after 28 years of service. Tim and Donadee have spent one or two months each year for the last three years in Drammen, Norway, where Tim has worked as a computer consultant for Conexus, a company that reports on all aspects of the Norwegian educational system. Their son, Nathan, also works for the business from Concord, Calif. 32 Augsburg Now Courtesy of Kelly Browne ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1990 Peter Morlock began serving a new call as pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church and Lost Island Lutheran Church in western Iowa in February 2014. 1991 In September, Bill Koschak was appointed a vice president of the global internal audit division at General Mills. In this role, he will provide leadership and guidance to the global internal audit team and support the audit committee in executing its charter. 1981 Bev Benson was elected to the judgeship for the 4th Judicial District of Hennepin County, Minn., in November. Augsburg alumni supporting her campaign included former roommate Leeann Rock ’81, Brian Anderson ’81, Kristine Johnson ’81, Kristin Lehmann ’08, Peggy Larkin ’09, and Benson’s son, first-year student Robb Benson-Ernst ’18 (pictured), as well as Gaynelle (Webb) Buckland ’81, Fred Buckland ’81, Molly (Olson) Blomgren ’81, and Jim Blomgren ’81. Benson thanks her Auggie supporters, including Martin O. ’59 and Sylvia Sabo and professors Milda Hedblom, Norma Noonan, and Janelle Bussert. 1993 Heidi Staloch is now vice president and senior corporate counsel, managing U.S. Bank’s legal channel for default accounts nationwide. Heidi is an active alumni volunteer, serving as a member of AWE–Augsburg Women Engaged. 2010 John Ideen has been named executive chef at Covenant Village of Golden Valley, a continuing care retirement community in Golden Valley, Minn. In his new position, Ideen will manage dayto-day food operations for the 344-resident community, including casual and formal dining in the residential and assisted living, memory support, and health care settings. He is responsible for managing and training a kitchen staff of 65; creating innovative, healthful menus; and managing the community’s catering services. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1992 Terri Burnor is interning at the Minnesota Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. 2005 Charles “Rusty” Brace graduated from Luther Seminary in May 2014. He is looking for a call somewhere in the Twin Cities area. Conie Borchardt ’98 transforms lives with song. See page 20. Bryan Ludwig ’08 is a head coach and general counsel for the PHD Baseball Club, LLC, which was created in 2009 by another Auggie, Brian Bambenek ’07, and two of his friends. The idea behind PHD—which stands for pitching, hitting, and defense—is for the coaches to share the love of baseball with and return value to participating athletes, training young men and giving them the tools they need to succeed on and off the field. Learn more at phdbaseball.us. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. Aaron Gabriel ’99 creates new musical theater for performers with disabilities. See page 20. 2000 In May 2014, Ann Staton received a master’s of English in technical communication from Minnesota State University Mankato. She accepted a oneyear visiting instructor appointment to teach technical communication during the 201415 academic year at Montana Tech of the University of Montana in Butte. Debbie Heard, a tax managing director for KPMG’s San Francisco office, was honored with Silicon Valley’s 40 Under 40 award. 2001 Sarah Grans is a new director of confirmation and youth ministry at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Shoreview, Minn. Michael Reed has taken a new position with Robbinsdale (Minn.) Area Schools as a district behavior coordinator and focuses on reducing racial disproportionality in suspension rates. Nicole Warner ’01 gets lost in the music. See page 20. 2002 Christy Blake completed a master’s of urban planning from Virginia Tech’s Alexandria campus in 2007. She has been working in local government and economic development. She resides in Winchester, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley. Mark and Jessica (Bjurquist) ’06 Matzek announce the birth of their daughter, Natalie Violet, who arrived February 9, 2014. Dan Vogel started a new position as an inside sales/marketing specialist at the technical and outdoor apparel company, Storm Creek, based in Hastings, Minn. He’s excited to pair his passion for the outdoors and an active lifestyle with a new, exciting professional career at this up-and-coming organization. Jamar Esaw ’05 inspires members of Triad:4Christ. See page 4. 2006 Tyra (Jensen) Taylor is completing her graduate-level internship. She is working with elementary students needing mental health services. She plans to graduate in May 2015. 2007 Brett Cease began a doctoral program in public policy and political economy with an emphasis in sustainable development at the University of Texas-Dallas. Andrew L. Johnson is a manager of franchise recruiting and engagement at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., in Cleveland. Molly Shortall recently became engaged to Brian Kaszuba of Brooklyn, N.Y. She is a senior annual giving officer at Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center and also serves as one of the primary musicians for the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens. 2009 Amber Davis is working as a moderator at the Zürich International Film Festival. Stephanie (Holman) Hubbard works as a music therapist for St. Paul Public Schools. She is attending St. Mary of the Woods College for a master’s in music therapy. 2010 Sylvia Bull is studying at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, N.J., for Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian education degrees. Her anticipated graduation date is May 2015. She is a candidate for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gabriella Hamerlinck is a doctoral candidate in ecology at the University of Iowa. She is an alumna of Augsburg’s biology and mathematics departments, as well as the McNair Scholars and North Star STEM programs. In addition to Hamerlinck’s academic successes at Augsburg, she was a two-sport athlete who participated in soccer and track. Sara Kaiser ’08, a social worker for Rice County, Minn., has seen first-hand the need for daily support for single moms. In addition to helping families, she convinced the mayor of Northfield, Minn., to designate a month for “Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness,” and she has worked in collaboration to create a young moms’ support group. She interned at the Northfield Women’s Center and worked at the Crisis Pregnancy Center. She has found her life’s calling and is pursuing a master’s of social work from the University of Southern California. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. Spring 2014 2015 Fall 2014 17 33 37 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES Michael Hamm has accepted a position with the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota. He has been an officer with the Department of Public Safety at Augsburg for the past several years, and he will move to oncall status with DPS. Grant Rostad is employed with Best Buy for Business as an account manager. He also is a licensed certified public accountant. 2011 Kate Edelen is a legislative associate on climate and conflict for the Friends Committee on National Legislation in Washington, D.C. Edelen submitted a letter on climate change to the editor of The New York Times, which was published in October. 2012 Joseph Fahnhorst was promoted to vice president of a payments application at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Fed, with one branch in Helena, Mont., serves six states in the Ninth Federal Reserve District: Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota, 26 counties in northwestern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 2013 Since graduating, Alex Bennett has gotten married and had a beautiful baby, Layla. He graduated with a degree in music business and has accepted a position at Mystic Lake Casino in the entertainment department. Kayla Johnson is in medical school at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Rachel Rixen graduated from the American University of Paris with a master’s in cultural translation. 2014 Janelle Holte has a new job as a marketing and communications coordinator at the University of Minnesota. After a summer internship with Dart Transit, which is owned and operated by Don ’53 and Bev ’55 Oren, Mike Schumacher landed a position as a fleet leader with Transit America. Anne Skriba is happy to share the news that she is employed at Bemidji State University as an assistant women’s basketball coach. Lani (Langanki) Hollenbeck ’77, ’11 MAN is a staff nurse in an infant care center at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in St. Paul. She was named 2014 Nurse of the Year by March of Dimes Minnesota, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics, and Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine. “We do not get to rock babies all day long,” she said of her care team. “We’re very like-minded in focusing on the developmental needs of infants.” From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. Katia Iverson celebrated two years at Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services in February 2015. She recently was promoted to a case manager position. Kim (Saukkola) Simmonds is an executive director at the MonDak Heritage Center in Sidney, Mont., and is completing a master’s degree in public and nonprofit administration at Metropolitan State University. 34 Augsburg Now Through bridge program funding for research and extra assistance, Enrico Barrozo is preparing for a doctoral program at the University of Georgia. Maya Sutton has accepted a special education teaching position for the 2014-15 school year at Fraser Academy, a charter school in Minneapolis. GRADUATE PROGRAMS Rebecca (Johnson) Koelln ’76, ’91 MAL has been named director of leadership development and senior consultant for Learning Sciences International. LSI is a learning and performance management company focused on continuous improvement at all levels of the system. Tom Driscoll ’07 MBA was featured in the Minneapolis Star Tribune as one of the construction industry’s “Movers and Shakers” due to his work as partner and vice president of business development at the Minneapolis office of Big-D Construction. Chris Wolf ’09 MAN recently became a nurse manager for Ask Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Physician Assistant Kelly Kleven ’10 MPA joined the hospitalist department at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, Minn. Kleven is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Lori (Langager) Higgins ’94, ’12 MAL was appointed to the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission by Gov. Mark Dayton. Since 2010, she has been the president of the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce, which is the fourthlargest chamber in the Twin Cities metro area. She lives in Blaine, Minn., with her husband and two children. In September, Carmen (Crockett) Williams ’12 MBA accepted a position as director of business development at Mediaspace Solutions in Hopkins, Minn. Carmen and her husband, John (who works in mortgages and finance), recently purchased a home in Burnsville, Minn. Christine Dawson ’13 MSW was featured on the cover of the Regions Hospital Foundation newsletter for her outstanding work with the HeroCare Program for veterans at Regions Hospital. Dawson, who is herself a veteran, coordinates services and advocates for patients in Regions Hospital’s mental health programs. ARE YOU AN AUGGIE IN PUBLIC SERVICE? Whether you are serving as an elected, appointed, or volunteer official, we would love to hear from you! Submit a Class Note, and we’ll enter you into a raffle to win an Augsburg College swag bag to display your Auggie pride at work. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS 1998 Kaydee Kirk and Peter Spuit welcomed Paul Johann Spuit, who was born May 27, 2014, and joins 3-year-old sister, Miriam. 2005 Ellen (Kvitek) Saj and her husband, Nathan, welcomed their second child, Hazel Christine, at home on April 26, 2014. Send us your news and photos Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos! (Digital photos must be at least 300 ppi or a 1 MB file.) For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g., an obituary, funeral notice, or program from a memorial service. Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to: Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454, or email alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news at augsburg.edu/alumni/connect. ______________________________________________________ Full name ______________________________________________________ Maiden name ______________________________________________________ Class year or last year attended ______________________________________________________ Street address ______________________________________________________ City, State, ZIP code Is this a new address? q Yes q No ______________________________________________________ Home telephone ______________________________________________________ Email 2011 Korri (Yule) Corrigan married Joshua Corrigan on December 13 in Hoversten Chapel at Augsburg College. Okay to publish your email address? q Yes q No ______________________________________________________ Employer ______________________________________________________ Position ______________________________________________________ Work telephone Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No If yes, class year___________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Spouse’s name (include maiden name, if applicable) 2011 Jessica (Hilk) Kociemba and Joel Kociemba celebrated their marriage with Auggies Amy Opsal ’12, Katie (Christensen) Beadell ’11, Laura (Harms) Faruq ’09, Katelyn Berens ’14, Amanda Rueb ’09, Jamila Lee ’13, Korri (Yule) Corrigan ’11, Colleen Ourada ’14, Julie Jenkins ’09, Denielle Johnson ’11, Amanda Unze, and Morgan Baumgarten ’14. Your news: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg. Spring 2014 Spring 2015 17 35 In memoriam Nellie I. (Thorud) Blake ’38, Barron, Wis., age 98, on October 16. Edward M. Alberg ’50, Minnetonka, Minn., age 87, on September 22. Albert S. Olson ’40, Amery, Wis., age 97, on November 7. Delphine J. (Jensen) Bakke ’50, Hendricks, Minn., age 85, on November 30. Maynard Bahre ’41, San Francisco, Calif., age 97, on January 14, 2014. Mark C. Thorpe ’56, Kirkwood, Mo., age 80, on October 30. Birgit E. Birkeland ’58, Minneapolis, age 87, on October 23. Elizabeth V. Koenig ’72, Minneapolis, age 91, on December 2. Julia C. Blixrud ’76, Lawrence, Kan., age 59, on October 29. Sylvia A. (Moe) Overlund ’59, Portland, Ore., age 90, on October 26. Dennis C. Callahan ’82, Grand Rapids, Minn., age 55, on December 22. Louise A. (Heydenreich) Swenson ’60, Princeton, Minn., age 89, on October 7. Wendy J. (Miller) Johnson ’90, Sanford, N.C., age 58, on August 22. Gail W. Castor ’61, Redwood Falls, Minn., age 83, on September 16. Eric H. Peterson ’91, Minneapolis, age 45, on November 19. George O. Johnson ’61, Pequot Lakes, Minn., age 77, on December 4. Kathleen M. (McCullough) Zander ’91, ’04 MAN, Minneapolis, age 54, on October 2. Robert M. Sletta ’51, Dayton, N.J., age 86, on September 27. Richard “Dick” “Pork Chops” M. Thompson ’61, Long Lake, Minn., age 74, on September 11. Sarah (Christiansen) Schuck ’95, Hager City, Wis., age 64, on November 29. Dayel M. Olson ’44, Storden, Minn., age 87, on October 11. Warren C. Nelson ’52, Buffalo, Minn., age 86, on July 7. Richard L. Strand ’66, Mayville, N.D., age 70, on December 1. Peter A. Lokkesmoe ’47, Elgin, Ill., age 90, on March 20. Elwood Nestvold ’52, Houston, Texas, age 81, on January 11, 2014. Dale L. Strom ’66, Venice, Fla., age 71, on October 24. Sandra “Sandy” S. (Hawley) Hamann ’00, Fredericksburg, Iowa, age 58, on October 23. Mildred I. (Krinke) Sandel ’42, North Mankato, Minn., age 94, on September 9. John R. Bergeron ’43, Detroit Lakes, Minn., age 93, on October 12. Floyd J. G. Rodmyre ’43, Eden Prairie, Minn., age 92, on September 17. Verona A. (Woyke) Blasing ’44, Mankato, Minn., age 89, on October 7. Christine M. (Westman) Behrend ’48, Manistique, Mich., age 88, on October 29. Rona B. (Quanbeck) Emerson ’48, Kenyon, Minn., age 90, on November 1. Anna M. (Strand) Olson ’49, Amery, Wis., age 88, on September 10. 36 Augsburg Now LaVerne “Lu” A. (Gothe) Engelstad ’50, Moorhead, Minn., age 86, on October 16. Sylvia R. (Kleven) Hanson ’50, Big Lake, Minn., age 86, on November 7. Ann B. (Spencer) Zaudtke ’50, Meadows Place, Texas, age 86, on October 5. Luella (Neumann) Hanson ’51, Phoenix, Ariz., age 90, on August 15. Orville B. Walters ’52, Minnetonka, Minn., age 89, on November 29. Marlys P. (Stock) Giese ’53, Morris, Minn., age 83, on September 15. Wayne G. Steinbrecker ’55, Princeton, Minn., age 82, on November 2. Paul W. Frank ’69, Brooklyn Park, Minn., age 66, on September 18. Jeffrey T. Kosse ’70, Minneapolis, age 67, on September 16. Arnold “Bud” M. Rader ’71, Minneapolis, age 69, on December 23. Nancy J. Mohs ’08, Lakeville, Minn., age 46, on October 30. Professor Emeritus Henry Follingstad, Arden Hills, Minn., age 92, on October 1. The “In memoriam” listings in this publication include notifications received before January 10. THE CENTER FOR SCIENCE, BUSINESS, AND RELIGION HELP BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE AUGGIES Read about the $10 million gift to name the new building on the inside front cover. Briana Alamilla ’17 Marketing major Buy a Brick. Build a Legacy. A ugsburg College invites you to join your fellow alumni and participate in the Buy a Brick, Build a Legacy program. When you buy a brick, you are doing your part to help make Augsburg’s newest academic building, the Center for Science, Business, and Religion, a reality. The CSBR will replace the existing 60-year-old Science Hall and bring together academic disciplines that reflect our commitment to interdisciplinary education and academic excellence. WITH YOUR DONATION: • Augsburg will inscribe a brick with your name or the name of someone you’d like to honor. • Each brick will be incorporated into the building of the CSBR, creating a lasting legacy for the future of Augsburg. • You will receive official recognition of your participation. Foundation Brick (40 characters, 3 lines) = $250 Legacy Brick (80 characters, 6 lines) = $500 Your support will help educate and inspire students for generations to come. START BUILDING TODAY augsburg.edu/csbr For more information, call 612-330-1085. Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 2031 Bill Nye wows audience at Augsburg College Bill Nye “The Science Guy” captivated 1,800 guests at a sold-out, on-campus presentation during Augsburg’s Scholarship Weekend, a time when high school seniors visit the College to vie for highly competitive scholarships. During his address, “How Science Can Save the World,” Nye spoke about planetary science, climate change, environmental awareness, and more. Nye took a “selfie” with the delighted crowd, which included 650 high school students from 12 states.
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Title: Augsburg Now Summer 2015: Building For The Future
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: BUILDING INSIDE Faculty-student research duo Auggie brews up a business The changing face of Auggies Commencement memories FOR THE FUTURE SUMMER 2015 | VOL. 77, NO. 3 AUGSBURG NOW Vice President of Marketing and Communication Rebecca John ’13 MBA rjohn@augsburg.edu Director of News an...
Show more BUILDING INSIDE Faculty-student research duo Auggie brews up a business The changing face of Auggies Commencement memories FOR THE FUTURE SUMMER 2015 | VOL. 77, NO. 3 AUGSBURG NOW Vice President of Marketing and Communication Rebecca John ’13 MBA rjohn@augsburg.edu Director of News and Media Services Stephanie Weiss weisss@augsburg.edu NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW A college that is student ready The 2014-15 academic year—the 146th in Augsburg’s history—was a very good year for the College. National honors for students. Awards for faculty teaching, research, and advising. The successful completion of the $50 million campaign for the Center for Science, Business, and Religion, and the early preparation work on the construction site. Important conversations on and off campus about interfaith living, race relations, demographic trends, and diversity. Remarkable outreach programs like the Minnesota Urban Debate League and Campus Kitchen receiving major support for their important work. A national wrestling championship! And so much, much more. Reflecting on these accomplishments, I am so grateful for all our faculty and staff do for this special college and its students. But I also realize that these achievements are made possible by an increasingly clear vision of our future that says we will be “a new kind of student-centered urban university, small to our students and big for the world.” And the fruit of our labors is made possible by our common efforts to live into this vision and our shared commitment to an Augsburg education that equips our students for lives of meaning, purpose, and significance in and for the world. That is what truly excites me about Augsburg’s future—a persuasive vision that proclaims our desire to be a college that is student-ready! What do I mean by student-ready? I mean that we are turning 21st century higher education on its head by not focusing on whether students are “college-ready.” You’ve probably read and heard that phrase many times. Demanding that students are college-ready allows lots of smart people to claim that the responsibility belongs elsewhere when it comes to ensuring that students show up on our campuses prepared by someone else for what we think a higher education should look like. If students aren’t able to read or speak English as well as we would like, if their math skills are lacking, if they don’t participate in class like we once did, if they demand more of us because of difficult personal circumstances or diverse learning and leading styles, then they are not ready for college. In other words, if they don’t learn and behave like us, they are not college-ready. So here comes Augsburg offering a different— even countercultural—vision of what higher education is all about today. And it is a vision grounded in our faith and academic heritage. It is a vision that claims we are called to be ready for students with the diverse gifts and experiences they bring to our campus, gifts and experiences that demand changes in how we engage them, teach them, and learn from them. It doesn’t mean that we lower our standards—that is the too-easy retort to our vision. It means that we define and claim even higher standards of academic excellence and achievement, of teaching and learning, of civic engagement and community life—standards shaped not by measures imposed from without, but by a collaborative and democratic measure borne of our shared experience and engagement. And, come to find out, when you take the path of being student-ready, when you quit measuring by someone else’s standards, you begin to witness to a way of being in the world as educated people that others want to embrace. And students and faculty win major recognition, your campaigns are successful, and you are positioned to lead in the 21st century. Wow, that is exciting and inspiring. I give thanks every day for a community that embraces this vision of a college that is student-ready and student-centered. A college that is faithful and relevant. Our college—Augsburg College! PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT Director of Marketing Communication Stephen Jendraszak jendra@augsburg.edu Communication Copywriter and Editorial Coordinator Laura Swanson ’15 MBA swansonl@augsburg.edu Creative Associate Denielle Johnson ’11 johnsod@augsburg.edu Marketing Copywriter Christina Haller haller@augsburg.edu Production Manager/Now Online Mark Chamberlain chamberm@augsburg.edu Photographer Stephen Geffre geffre@augsburg.edu Advancement Communication Specialist Jen Lowman Day dayj@augsburg.edu augsburg.edu Augsburg Now is published by Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 now@augsburg.edu Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058-1545 Send address corrections to: Advancement Services CB 142 Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 langemo@augsburg.edu summer 2015 AUGSBURG NOW Features 02 08 11 18 22 Ahead of the curve BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA Commencement memories BY LAURA SWANSON ’15 MBA Making their mark BY STEPHANIE WEISS Departments inside front cover Notes from President Pribbenow 02 Around the Quad 08 Celebrating student success 14 18 14 Auggie voices 20 It takes an Auggie 26 My Auggie experience 28 Alumni news 34 Alumni class notes 38 In memoriam 22 26 On the cover A photo illustration depicts what the future Center for Science, Business, and Religion will look like from Urness Tower; see pages 20-21. Photo illustration by Mark Chamberlain. All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated. Correction: In the Spring 2015 issue of Augsburg Now, the names of donors Richard Bonlender ’78 and Mary Ahern were listed incorrectly in the article “Torstenson legacy lives on through gifts,” which described an initiative to name a gathering space for Faculty Emeritus of Sociology Joel Torstenson in the new Center for Science, Business, and Religion. AROUND THE QUAD PUTTING MINNEAPOLIS IN THE SPOTLIGHT This spring, hundreds of prospective Augsburg College students and their families visited campus as part of “Destination: Augsburg,” an event designed to offer a glimpse into on-campus life. The event also included guided excursions to well-known attractions in the heart of Minneapolis including Target Field, Nicollet Mall, and the State Theatre [above]. MINNESOTA URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE adds first-ever Somali Debate Initiative The Minnesota Urban Debate League—a program of Augsburg College—sponsored the first debate in the state among Somali youth. The Somali Debate Initiative serves middle- and high-school students from Minneapolis and St. Paul. A community forum featuring U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison followed the debate. MNUDL also hosted four Spanish tournaments throughout the Twin Cities, which helps make debate more accessible to Spanish-speaking communities. In May, MNUDL hosted its third Mayor’s Challenge fundraiser. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman; Donald Lewis, co-founder and shareholder of Nilan Johnson Lewis in Minneapolis; and Barb Schmitt, senior director at Microsoft, served as judges. The event raised $18,500 plus $3,000 in matching grants from the Pohlad Foundation. 2 Augsburg Now Keynote speaker and debate judge Ilhan Omar encourages Somali Debate Initiative guests to pursue college degrees. AROUND THE QUAD A TEACHER’S INFLUENCE NEVER ENDS Each year, the Augsburg College faculty recognizes select colleagues with Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning awards—acknowledging those who have demonstrated outstanding support for students through teaching, advising, and mentoring. EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING Joan Kunz, professor of chemistry Soup for You! Café Chef Judah Nataf seasons one of his signature recipes. SOUP FOR THE HEART and soul of Augsburg’s neighbors Alumnus launches community meal program Kunz is recognized for her commitment to Augsburg’s students, embodying the College’s mission to educate students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. Since 1987, Kunz has worked toward creating and sustaining a vibrant learning community in the sciences. EXCELLENCE IN ADVISING AND MENTORING oto Courtesy Ph Susan O’Connor and Donna Patterson, assistant Five days a week, Minneapolis community members convene at Bethany professors of education Lutheran Church to dine on gourmet fare prepared as part of the Soup for You! Café—a program the Star Tribune O’Connor and Patterson are recognized recognized for its ability to redefine for their work to incorporate Public “Our model is mutuality, and community outreach. Achievement into the special education what better way is there to Augsburg College alumnus, Chaplain teacher training program in the College’s show mutuality than to gather Department of Education. The Public to Student Athletes, and Linebacker Coach the Rev. Mike Matson ’06 is the pastor at at the same table together?” Achievement model changes lives for Bethany Lutheran and the driver behind this students in special education by giving —The Rev. Mike Matson ’06 community meal. Supported by volunteers Star Tribune, April 5 them a voice to act as citizens in a and one talented chef, Soup for You! Café is democratic society. a chance for people of all backgrounds to come together in an environment that focuses on dignity. In the Star Tribune article “Church program offers hot soup, warm welcome,” Matson underscored that the program is designed to bring together people from the many faiths and cultures of the Seward neighborhood. Augsburg College students, faculty, and staff find varied—and valuable—ways to lend their time and talents to support the Soup for You! Café. Auggie Jens Pinther ’15 contributed an article about the program to the June edition of The Lutheran magazine. The story, available at thelutheran.org, included photos by Augsburg photographer Stephen Geffre. The 2015 Distinguished Contributions recipients [L to R]: Donna Patterson, Susan O’Connor, and Joan Kunz. Summer 2015 3 (RE)NAME THE MAGAZINE? From Augsburg’s CAMPUS KITCHEN to the community table Unique program expands its reach The Campus Kitchen program at Augsburg College works to make healthy food accessible to all people living in and near the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis. The program also provides opportunities for service learning, leadership development, and genuine engagement between the College and the community. Based in the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, Campus Kitchen is a student-driven organization that addresses hunger locally and globally. Corporate partners support Campus Kitchen’s efforts, providing a solid foundation for Auggies’ stellar work. 2014-15 academic year highlights: 7 Augsburg student leaders took home a “Going Beyond The Meal” award from the 2015 Food Waste and Hunger Summit in Athens, Georgia. The honor recognized Campus Kitchen’s exceptional education and outreach efforts. 34 13,036 What do you think? Last summer, Augsburg College participated in a national higher education magazine survey developed by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. This survey allowed more than 600 people to share feedback on the ways Augsburg’s magazine helps them stay connected with the College. Based on the survey results, we worked to develop a clearer picture of the roles the magazine plays and found that the Augsburg College magazine serves to: • Foster inspiration and pride. • Provide intellectual stimulation and ongoing education. • Bridge the Augsburg of today with people’s past experiences. • Define and illustrate what it means to be an “Auggie.” • Help the Augsburg community learn how to talk about itself and equip individuals to advocate for the College. Given the importance of these commitments, there was a desire to have the magazine name align with and support the publication’s purpose. After an exploration of dozens of name options, Augsburg Spirit and Augsburg Experience stood out. It also was evident that the name Augsburg Now remains appropriate. To determine which of these three names is best, you’re invited to share your opinion on the name of the magazine by voting online for Augsburg Now, Augsburg Experience, or Augsburg Spirit. Go to augsburg.edu/now to share your input to help guide our naming decision. student volunteers engaged in Campus Kitchen activities per month on average. pounds of unserved, edible food were recovered from A’viands campus dining and the Mill City Farmers Market and thereby diverted from the waste stream. 11,210 total meals prepared using recovered, gleaned, and homemade food served to youths, adults, and seniors in need in the Cedar-Riverside, Seward, and Phillips neighborhoods. KEY CORPORATE PARTNERS’ YEARS OF GRANT SUPPORT LAND O’LAKES TARGET A’VIANDS GENERAL MILLS AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL =1 year Plus, a new grant from The Campus Kitchens Project and AARP has enabled Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen program to provide a weekly lunch for more than a dozen additional seniors living near campus. augsburg.edu/campuskitchen KNOW? DID YOU General Mills has invested more than $125,000 in the Augsburg College Campus Kitchen program. Renovations are underway on a number of spaces on the Augsburg campus in Minneapolis, including the Sateren Auditorium in the Anderson Music Hall. The space will return to service this fall. ACCLAIMED ARTIST CREATES painting for Hoversten Chapel This spring, Augsburg’s Campus Ministry welcomed the Rev. Paul Oman—a professional watercolorist whose artistic work draws inspiration from his experiences, travels, and Lutheran faith—to take part in a three-day worship event on campus. Oman created a large-scale painting of Jesus during Daily Chapel services as on-campus worshipers took part in music, prayer, spoken word, and Scripture. Oman’s visual ministry, known as “Drawn to the Word,” offered the Augsburg community the opportunity to engage in conversation and reflection on race, radical hospitality, reformation, faith, and the Lutheran tradition that continues to shape the College’s identity. The painting is on display in the Hoversten Chapel in Foss Center. The Rev. Paul Oman paints “Jesus Withdraws to Pray” during Daily Chapel time. Summer 2015 5 Photo by Mark Chamberlain AROUND THE QUAD AROUND THE QUAD While traveling to or from campus, some Auggies have near-perfect views of the construction underway on the new Minnesota Vikings football stadium. This vantage point is near the intersection of Cedar and Riverside avenues in Minneapolis. ON THE SPOT Kristin Anderson In the discipline of art history it’s common to discuss the visual representation of saints and sinners, kings and queens, and maybe even a Viking or two. At Augsburg College, Kristin Anderson teaches courses on the history of art and architecture, and she’s prepared to talk about works ranging from the Mona Lisa to the Metrodome—may it rest in peace. Anderson’s current writing and research are focused on sports architecture, and she is co-authoring a book on the history of athletic facilities in the Twin Cities. As the St. Paul Saints baseball club settles into its new CHS Field in Lowertown and the Minnesota Vikings football team awaits the completion of a new stadium in Augsburg’s own backyard, here is Anderson’s take on the region’s shifting sports scene. 6 Augsburg Now Q: During the past decade new sports venues including TCF Bank Stadium, Target Field, and CHS Field have opened their doors in Minneapolis and St. Paul. What factors have spurred so much change in such a brief period of time? A: Quite simply, we have moved out of an era of multipurpose stadiums. They were popular in the 1960s and 1970s, and we got one of the last ones— the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome— in 1982. Sport-specific facilities like baseball parks and football stadiums have become the standard, and that drives all kinds of new construction. And, of course, when one team gets a new space, everyone else gets in line. ... MAKING SPACE FOR A AROUND THE QUAD NEW ACADEMIC BUILDING On May 1, the campaign for the Center for Science, Business, and Religion surpassed its $50 million fundraising goal. To make room for the construction of this new academic building, the College razed two existing houses on campus. One of the structures was occupied by the Admissions Office from 1970-2003 before that department moved to a more student-accessible location in Christensen Center. The house also was home for a time to the Center for Counseling and Health Promotion (now called the Center for Wellness and Counseling), which has relocated to the first floor of Anderson Residence Hall. A second house, formerly called Delta House, was first used for student housing. It was later home to various Admissions staff, then the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, which has moved to the Oren Gateway Center. Before these two buildings were removed, an event was held to honor the work and experiences of staff and residents who once occupied the spaces. There were 30 people in attendance, some even traveling from as far as North Dakota and New York. A house on 21st Avenue South is razed. Former and current staff members reminisce over a collage of names written within one of Augsburg’s former houses. Learn more about the next steps for the CSBR on page 20. Q: Q: Q: A: A: A: Today’s sports venues offer amenities that extend far beyond a wooden bleacher seat and a bag of popcorn sold at the concession stand. What does this mean for stadium architecture and game attendees? Every new sports facility offers more than its predecessor, and fans seem to expect this improvement. The rising expectations are not new: fan amenities have been part of the discussion since the 1860s. Like us, people from that time period talked about food selection, legroom, and comfort at the games. Attending to the fan experience can add cost to a project, but it is an investment worth making. Just think about the many amazing differences between the Metrodome experience and the Target Field experience. What effect does an indoor stadium (like the new Vikings stadium) versus an outdoor stadium (like TCF) have on attendance, especially in Minnesota’s climate? We have an amazing range of weather, from glorious to horrible—and we don’t always agree on which is which. This raises the stakes on decisions about stadium design. Rather than choosing “indoor” or “outdoor,” many contemporary facilities combine aspects of each. The new Vikings stadium will have a glass roof and enormous windows, bridging the indoors and outdoors in space, light, air, and views. Target Field is an outdoor ballpark, but it is designed with sheltered areas, heat lamps, and other climate-mitigating features. Baseball is said to be America’s pastime. How does new stadium architecture show that the sport can remain relevant—and sustainable—into the future? While most contemporary ballparks pay homage to the history and tradition of baseball, they also employ an amazing array of cutting-edge technologies. One of the most exciting recent developments is the emphasis on environmental sustainability. Target Field has two LEED Silver certifications, and other sports facilities like the Xcel Energy Center and CHS Field have also engaged in significant sustainability efforts, including rainwater recycling systems and sophisticated trash-sorting and recycling programs. Kristin Anderson is a professor of art history and the Augsburg College archivist. Summer 2015 7 CELEBRATING STUDENT SUCCESS $7,500 GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Fikre Beyene ’16 and Lyle Nyberg ’16 15 STEM researchers 80+ off-campus Auggies presented at Zyzzogeton Research Festival on campus Taylor Kuramoto ’15 FULBRIGHT TEACHING ASSISTANT in South Korea 3 ROSSING PHYSICS SCHOLARS One of 104 to present at Fikre Beyene ’16, Andris Bibelnieks ’16*, and Cain Valtierrez ’16 *Also Goldwater Honorable Mention NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP Honorable Mention, Alex Sorum ’13 2015 WINCHELL UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM Aisha Mohamed ’16 Awale Osman ’15 2 2015 NEWMAN CIVIC FELLOW KEMPER SCHOLARS Mitchell Ross ’18 and Rebecca Schroeder ’18 BENJAMIN A. GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP David Gersten ’16 and Amal Warsame ’16 8 Augsburg Now EDDIE PHILLIPS SCHOLARSHIP FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN Malick Ceesay ’17 For more information about these awards and recipients, go to augsburg.edu/now. Summer 2015 9 12 HONORING retiring faculty “ I love the accessibility Augsburg students have to faculty and staff, especially when we meet students in passing in the quad or elsewhere when conversations become more candid, genuine, and authentic.” — Gregory Krueger, Assistant Professor of Education PAULINE ABRAHAM Assistant Professor and Director of BSN Program, Nursing, Rochester Joined the College — 2005 KATHRYN SCHWALBE Faculty Emerita Professor of Business Administration Joined the College — 1991 FRANKIE SHACKELFORD Faculty Emerita, Professor of Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies Joined the College — 1990 MARTHA JOHNSON Faculty Emerita Professor of Theater Arts Joined the College — 1997 BEVERLY STRATTON Faculty Emerita Professor of Religion Joined the College — 1986 AMIN KADER Associate Professor of Business Administration Joined the College — 1974 ELIZABETH ANKENY Faculty Emerita Associate Professor of Education Joined the College — 2008 GREGORY KRUEGER Assistant Professor of Education Joined the College — 2000 STEVEN LAFAVE GRACE DYRUD Faculty Emerita Professor of Psychology Joined the College — 1962 Faculty Emeritus Professor of Business Administration Joined the College — 1991 DAVID VENNE Assistant Professor of Physics Joined the College — 1990 STEVEN NERHEIM Medical Director Instructor of Physician Assistant Studies Program Joined the College — 2005 10 Augsburg Now To read about what these faculty members love about Augsburg and teaching, go to augsburg.edu/now. AHEAD of the curve Augsburg leads in shaping higher education for Minnesota’s increasingly diverse population BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA F or more than five years, Augsburg College has undertaken “Employers are going to have a much greater interest important efforts to intentionally diversify the traditional in bringing populations who previously may have been undergraduate student profile. This work is not only a marginalized into productive work,” Brower said. “We don’t prudent move in terms of growing enrollment, but it is also have the capacity, going forward, to leave anyone behind.” proving to be an important factor in sustaining the region’s For Augsburg, this demographic reality is significant economic health. because about 25 percent of college-bound Minnesota high This spring, more than 200 Augsburg College faculty school graduates express interest in Augsburg by applying, and staff met with Minnesota State inquiring, or visiting campus. In order Demographer Susan Brower to to successfully enroll and retain these “We don’t have the discuss the “shape and scale” of the students, Augsburg needs to be intentional capacity, going forward, demographic trends in the state that about meeting the educational needs of will influence its vitality in the coming this diversifying population. to leave anyone behind.” decades. Two significant trends detailed Augsburg already has an important —Susan Brower by Brower were the increasing diversity advantage in this area because, with Minnesota State Demographer and aging of the state’s population – nearly 33 percent students of color in trends that heighten the importance of the traditional undergraduate program, education now and into the future. the College is one of the most diverse higher education Education will grow in importance because the relative institutions in the state. This is attractive to students of both size of our workforce affects economic production and the minority and majority populations because it offers them the strength of our region. As older adults retire in the next 20 opportunity to learn and work with many different types of years and the workforce shrinks in proportion to the overall people, which is increasingly important given that the pace of population, Minnesota will need the skills and talents of the demographic change will accelerate dramatically in the next entire working-age population. 15 years. Summer 2015 11 1 Demographic Trend #1: Growing diversity. If you went to college or lived in the Twin Cities before the 1990s, your experience with the diversity of the area’s population was different from today’s scenario. 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 Total Twin Cities population 2,000,000 The Twin Cities experienced accelerated growth among populations of color from 1990 to 2010. During that time, people of color represented more than 80 percent of the overall population growth. 1,500,000 Before 1980, fewer than 6 percent of the Twin Cities population were people of color, numbering only 25,000 to 115,000 people in the total population of 1.5 million to 2 million. 1,000,000 500,000 10% 5% 2 15% 0 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 What’s driving the growth in diversity? • Younger populations are more diverse. Approximately 25 percent of Minnesota residents younger than age 35 are people of color, whereas populations older than 65 years are predominantly white. So, as the entire population ages, overall diversity grows. **Sources: 2, 3 2 • The number of foreign-born residents in Minnesota is growing. Minnesota, today, is home to nearly 400,000 foreign-born residents—a level not seen since the 1930s. By contrast, from 1960 through the 1990s, just more than 100,000 foreign-born people lived in the state. **Source: 4 Demographic Trend #2: Our aging population. • Minnesota’s foreign-born population is increasingly diverse. In 1950, 80 percent of the foreign-born population in Minnesota was from Europe. Today, most foreign-born residents are from Mexico, Somalia, India, and Laos. **Source: 4 335 Minnesota—and other regions of the United States—are experiencing an unprecedented aging of our populations. 285 How dramatic is the change? Change in Minnesota population age 65+ (in thousands) Minnesota will add more than 620,000 older adults (age 65+) between 2010 and 2030. By contrast, during the 60 years from 1950 to 2010, the population of older adults grew by just 416,000. **Source: 1 12 85 55 1950s Augsburg Now 1960s 71 1970s 97 91 67 1980s 47 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s 66 56 2040s 2050s A commitment to diversity and inclusion Today, the Twin Cities population is estimated at 3 million residents, with nearly 800,000—about 26 percent—people of color. This number is expected to reach 30 percent in the next 10 years.* 30% 25% 20% 2010 2020 2030 *Other areas of the United States are experiencing similar diversity growth. The U.S. population in 2010 was 36 percent people of color. **Sources: 2, 3 The size of the labor force is expected to stagnate in the coming decades while the 65+ population will double. As a result, the ratio of adults ages 18 to 64 relative to adults 65 and older will go from nearly 5 to 1 in 2010 to less than 2.5 to 1 in the next 25 years. That means there will be fewer working-age people in the population as a whole. That’s an important consideration because payroll taxes are critical for funding programs like Social Security and Medicare that the growing population of retired and elderly adults will increasingly draw upon. **Sources: 2, 3 To learn more about the range of programs Augsburg offers to support diversity and inclusion, go to augsburg.edu/now. 2010 2040 One million adults age 65+ In 2015, Augsburg graduated its most diverse traditional undergraduate class in history, with more than 30 percent of graduates from underrepresented populations. In fact, every incoming first-year class since 2009 has included 30 to 40 percent students of color. Augsburg also has identified faculty and staff diversity as a priority initiative in its Augsburg2019 strategic plan. As a first step, the College highlighted its commitment to intercultural competence, diversity, and inclusion in all job postings this past spring. An early result is that six of the College’s 10 new tenure-track faculty are from non-majority populations. Augsburg also has named Joanne Reeck, director of Campus Activities and Orientation, as chief diversity officer. Reeck launched an intercultural competence program that involved more than 100 members of the campus community this spring and will expand to include a certificate program in the fall. These programs complement the diversity and inclusion workshops offered each May by the College’s Center for Teaching and Learning. Augsburg’s work in intentional diversity has garnered attention from corporations and community organizations alike. For example, Wells Fargo recently donated $100,000 to Augsburg’s Center for Science, Business, and Religion specifically because of Augsburg’s proven work in educating underrepresented populations. Augsburg also recognizes that diversity extends well beyond ethnicity and provides award-winning programs for students who represent a diversity of ages, national origins, faith traditions, gender identities, and learning and physical differences. “Of course, there is still much more we need to do,” Reeck said. “But we are committed to diversity and inclusion because it creates a richer educational environment and prepares our students to lead, innovate, and serve in a diverse and globally connected world.” This work not only supports future graduates’ individual success, it creates a diverse and well-educated generation that’s critical to our collective future prosperity. One million adults age 18-64 **Sources: 1. Minnesota State Demographic Center and U.S. Census Bureau. 2. Minnesota State Demographic Center and U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census and Population. 3. Estimates as presented by Minnesota Compass, mncompass.org. 4. IPUMS version of U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010-2012 American Community Survey. Tabulated by the Minnesota State Demographic Center. Summer 2015 13 Auggie Matt McGinn ’13 finds innovative ways to serve an old favorite BY CHRISTINA HALLER Matt McGinn ’13 has accomplished more in his 27 years than most. He overcame alcohol dependence to graduate from Augsburg College and its StepUP ® program and then went on to become a successful entrepreneur in the coffee industry. And when it comes to coffee, he does it all. McGinn roasts his own beans. He uses recovery working to earn his bachelor’s degree in social work. “Augsburg helped me to become a leader,” McGinn said. “I showed people you can go from not being capable of holding a job and passing out in class, to working two internships, being a resident assistant, and succeeding in five classes.” Though he later decided not to pursue a career in social work, he practices skills gained while at Augsburg to help himself succeed every day—including business savvy, budgeting, dedication, confidence, detail orientation, leadership, and follow-through. them to cold brew coffee. He bottles it. Tapping an underserved market Distributes it. And, he co-owns and runs a McGinn has been working in the coffee industry since he was a barista in high school. Once he got to Augsburg, he climbed his way up to manager at a struggling coffee shop and was able to revive it by crafting new drink recipes, learning a range of brewing techniques, improving food and drink menus, training staff, and creating more efficient labor schedules. coffee shop where he serves his cold brewed coffee on tap—an innovation that very few shops offer, especially in the Twin Cities. A transfer student from the University of Massachusetts, McGinn applied to Augsburg and StepUP early on in his sobriety. He went from drinking hard liquor every day for six years, to a student in 14 Augsburg Now “People were complimenting my work, and the owner gave me free reign to do what I wanted,” McGinn said. “I thought— I’m really good at this. What are my ideas? What do I want to do? Well, I make really good cold brew. People love my cold brew. And I was like, ‘Why am I not doing this for myself?’” So he did. McGinn now co-owns and runs artisan coffee shop Quixotic Coffee in St. Paul. His branded coffee, Blackeye Roasting Co., comes in three varieties on tap—a signature blend called “Blackeye Brew;” a nitro blend called “Left Hook;” and currently under production, a nitro Guinness, which is similar in texture and flavor to a creamy stout. Currently, you can find Blackeye Brew bottled and sold at select local retailers, but soon it’ll be distributed nationally. Blackeye Brew coffee is also kegged and served in many area restaurants, on college campuses, and even in Twin Cities workplaces. AUGGIE VOICES Summer 2015 15 AUGGIE VOICES Watch McGinn discover his passion for coffee at augsburg.edu/now. 16 Augsburg Now Wake up and smell the coffee. Q: You serve a nitro blend at Quixotic. What is that? A: Nitro cold brew is coffee infused with pure nitrogen. It’s stored in a keg and served on draft for a cascading, foamy, and velvety ice-cold drink. Q: What’s the difference between iced coffee and cold brewed? A: Iced coffee is just hot coffee that’s been brewed with twice as much ground coffee, then poured over ice. Cold brewed coffee is ground coffee that’s been steeped in cold water overnight. Q: So does cold brew have a different taste? A: Yes. When you brew coffee hot you get a lot of acidity due to the chemical reaction. When you brew it cold, you don’t get the acidity. In fact, there’s 67-93 percent less acidity in cold brewed coffee—and two times the caffeine. Q: So you roast your own beans. Is the origin of coffee beans important? A: Absolutely. Most of our coffee beans are from Africa and Central America. The coffees we select from Africa are bright and floral and have more character. The coffees we get from Central America have chocolaty notes. We blend the two for a perfect balance, so they’re not too tangy or fruity. StepUP® at a glance StepUP at Augsburg College is a residential collegiate recovery program focusing on helping students sustain their recovery, achieve academic success, and thrive in a community of accountability and support. • More than 700 students served since 1997 • 93 percent average abstinence rate • 100 students served annually • 3.2 average GPA Learn more at augsburg.edu/stepup Summer 2015 17 Augsburg College held back-to-back Commencement ceremonies May 2-3. The College welcomed nearly 4,000 people to campus who celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2015, gathered as family and friends, and participated in Augsburg’s unique approach to the centuries-old tradition of graduation. COMMENCEMENT MEMORIES BY LAURA SWANSON ’15 MBA A s one of life’s “big days” alongside events like a wedding or the birth of a child, it’s common for a commencement to be a memorable experience that people can recall for years—and even decades—afterward. Yet, of the thousands of attendees at this year’s ceremonies, it is unlikely that any two people will retain exactly the same event details in the same way. Why is that? Naturally, it’s due to the fact that each person’s process of making and recalling memories is complex. Augsburg College professor and cognitive psychologist Bridget Robinson-Riegler helped illuminate how and why people remember the standout days in their lives in accurate—and inaccurate—ways. Bridget Robinson-Riegler Augsburg professor and cognitive psychologist What makes a commencement day memorable? Uniqueness. Emotion. Cognitive psychologists have found that the most distinctive life events also are the most likely to be remembered. For many people, participating in a commencement ceremony is the type of occasion that only happens a few times over the course of their lives, such as when they complete high school, college, a graduate program, or attend a graduation event for a child or loved one. The event as a whole is unique and so are particular elements of the day. For instance, contemporary Augsburg graduates process to the commencement ceremonies by walking down 7 ½ Street, which is lined with faculty members applauding the graduates’ achievements. This type of event is so unique that the experience likely will form a memory that persists over time, according to Robinson-Riegler. Just as distinctive events are more likely to be remembered, occasions that are laden with emotion also make their mark. The two parts of the brain that serve in memory-making include the amygdala, which is responsible for the emotion of a memory, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for creating the coherent story of a memory. People are likely to remember many of the feelings they experienced on a commencement day because it’s a time of high emotion and maybe even some stress. While graduation is not stressful in a traumatic sense, there’s a lot of excitement associated with the event, which accentuates the activation of the amygdala. Then, because the amygdala is functioning at a relatively high level, a person remembers much of the emotion of a commencement. 18 Augsburg Now “Ten or 20 years into the future, you remember some of the day’s details— some of the big things about it—but it may be easier to remember how you felt,” Robinson-Riegler said. Timing. When an event occurs also affects a person’s ability to remember it. For many traditional undergraduates, graduation falls at a time in life known as the “reminiscence bump,” the period that spans approximately from age 10 to age 30 when things are most remembered. “As we age, things become more routine, so what stands out are things that are distinctive in your life,” Robinson-Riegler said. “The things that you talked about, that you spent a lot of time rehearsing or explaining—the events like graduations and weddings—those are things that are better remembered.” What affects the accuracy of memory? Despite the memorability of unique and emotional moments, the accuracy of our memories is not always reliable. One of the reasons memories change over time is that people come into contact with new situations that shape their recollection of the past. “None of us really should trust our memories as much as most of us do; the gist of our memories is often accurate, but the details of exactly what happened are often inaccurate,” Robinson-Riegler said. Graduation is an interesting event to recall because there’s not a lot of “cross-contamination” of memory from the event happening repeatedly, but there are disturbances in memory caused by outside influences. For instance, people have what’s known as “schematic knowledge” about what graduations entail. Due to popular culture, a person who has never attended a graduation may be able to explain what happens at the celebration because the event typically follows a formulaic structure that includes listening to speeches, watching graduates walk across a stage, and so on. In addition, people’s memories about past events can become skewed by the individuals they interact with later and the discussions that follow. Graduations might spur conversations with friends and family that help a person “fill in the gaps” where their own memories have faded, according to Robinson-Riegler. “Think about how easy it would be for someone to infuse a memory from what someone else said about graduation, and suddenly it becomes your memory so you have no idea what the reality is,” she said. In addition to pulling outside comments into your memory pool, commencement recollections can be influenced by the photos and other artifacts from the day that a person comes across later. “If you see pictures of the graduation ceremony, those things get into your head, so to speak, as you reconstruct your memory based on several different components,” Robinson-Riegler said. Ultimately, when Auggies of all ages think back on their commencement experiences, those memories are shaped by myriad factors, but it’s the outcome of the education that persists over time and can be counted upon for the remainder of their lives. And, while college memories may fade and change over time, they still serve several purposes—one of the best being to make us smile. Summer 2015 19 Augsburg College hits $50 million campaign goal for new, signature academic building Augsburg College has successfully surpassed the $50 million mark in its capital campaign for a unique, interdisciplinary academic building that brings together science, business, and religion. The campaign—the largest in the College’s history— met its goal a year in advance of the original schedule. With the campaign fundraising milestone achieved, the Augsburg College Board of Regents approved moving forward with the next stage of architectural and construction design for what will be the College’s state-of-the-art, signature academic building. Once that design work is completed, the Board will set a timeline for groundbreaking and construction. The College already has begun the planning and preparation necessary to make the new building a reality. Examples of this collaborative effort include the following: • A Board-designated project leadership team is selecting an architect who will work with the College to verify that the building meets the needs of academic programs in order to create detailed interior and exterior drawings. • Augsburg readied the future site of the building by razing two existing houses on 21st Avenue South. (See page 7.) • Faculty members are using grant funds to design new, interdisciplinary courses and to revise existing classes to better integrate the science, business, and religion subject areas. Anderson Residence Hall Urness Tower Luther Hall N Mortensen Hall Old Main Christensen Center Sverdrup Hall Memorial Hall Lindell Library 20 Augsburg Now Find campaign news and building updates at augsburg.edu/CSBR. IT TAKES AN AUGGIE Graphics by Mark Chamberlain Summer 2015 21 “Individuals matter in stopping the spread of disease because disease has no boundaries ... I have made it a personal goal to advocate for the development of generic medications for infectious diseases that unfairly affect the developing world.” —Anika Clark ’14 22 Augsburg Now Unique research experience draws faculty-student duo to East Africa and Capitol Hill BY STEPHANIE WEISS ho gets pooped on by chimpanzees, zig-zags through a mountainous forest to elude elephants, and has been recognized by members of the U.S. Congress for her impressive research? The first undergraduate student from the United States ever invited to study the world’s largest known community of chimpanzees and to gather research data to build a foundation for understanding how human diseases—including Ebola—can be transmitted to and move through the animals. By gathering data to model how disease spreads through the nearly 200 chimps in the Ngogo community in Kibale National Park in Uganda, Anika Clark ’14 may be able to help identify and develop vaccination plans to protect this and other groups of chimpanzees from being devastated by transmissible human diseases for which the chimps have no resistance. Clark, a biology major, spent four weeks in Africa doing field research under the direction of Kevin Potts, a biology instructor at Augsburg and one of the nation’s leading primatology experts. His studies on chimpanzee conservation, food, habitat, and foraging behaviors are featured in some of the world’s most prestigious primatology journals. Potts earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Yale University and studied under the Yale faculty who founded the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project in Kibale National Park. It’s through his decades-long study of chimpanzees, in which he’s watched some members of the animal group go from juveniles to adult leaders, and his deep professional and personal relationships with the project’s founders that he was able to invite Clark to conduct research on this unique group of chimpanzees. Summer 2015 23 Undergraduate research—an opportunity for hands-on practice of skills helpful to science majors and necessary to succeed in graduate school—is an important part of an Augsburg College education and is evidence of how the College lives out its vision of educating for lives of purpose. Clark was among nearly 100 Augsburg students who conducted summer research in 2014, spending many hours in the lab and in the field to solve complex problems. Fieldwork is grueling. “You have to be physically and mentally alert at all times,” Clark said of the work she did in Uganda. “Elephants can be in the forest. You have to move away from them quickly … once I zig-zagged down a mountain ravine to get away.” The work also can be very, very dirty. Even gross. “Once, a chimpanzee in the canopy pooped on me and my field notebook,” Clark said. But she wasn’t deterred. Potts acknowledged the physical demands of fieldwork. He said it’s not uncommon for researchers—including graduate-level researchers—to burn out after a few weeks, especially in places as rugged as Ngogo. Clark was up and in the field by 7 a.m., walking for miles and as many as 10 hours per day in the forest to find where chimps were feeding so she could gather her data. Clark’s research is unique because she is creating a baseline for understanding how infectious diseases spread in the largest group of chimpanzees on Earth. While some other researchers are trying to understand dispersal of illness among chimpanzee troupes of about 65 individual animals, nobody else is seeking to explain how disease moves through Ngogo’s population of nearly 200 individuals. “Chimpanzees are strange among mammal species,” Potts said. “Unlike most other mammals, chimps that make up one social group rarely are together all at the same time. Instead, on a day-to-day basis, small foraging parties go out to look for food, and members of groups can change daily.” This means that unlocking how an infectious disease spreads is complex because chimps don’t interact consistently with the same community members day after day. Unraveling this mystery may allow people to protect chimps from transmissible human diseases for which the animals have no immunity. An Ebola vaccine for chimpanzees is in development and could feasibly be used on wild chimps in the near future. But vaccinating all the chimps would be prohibitively expensive and logistically impossible. 24 Augsburg Now “If we can identify a few individuals who are disproportionately gregarious and, therefore, more likely to spread a disease to others, we can target them for vaccines and stop an outbreak,” Potts said. Uganda’s forests may depend upon this understanding, too, since chimps are prolific distributors of seeds from the tree fruits that they eat and thereby ensure reforestation and new growth. Clark’s grit in the field and outstanding achievements in the classroom have garnered attention in the nation’s capital. Last spring, she was selected to present at Posters on the Hill in Washington, D.C. This annual event highlights outstanding undergraduate research and was a chance for 60 selected students from more than 800 applicants to meet with policymakers and lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Keith Ellison of Minnesota. “Anika’s work stood up exceptionally well against top-tier student researchers from across the nation, and I hope she sees how talented she is,” Potts said. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present scientific results directly to those who implement policy based upon science.” Clark is applying her resolve to working as a medical scribe at three different hospitals. At one of the hospitals, Clark serves as lead scribe, a leadership role that includes responsibility for recruiting other top pre-health students to work as scribes. Clark’s determination to excel is further readying her for the challenge of applying to medical schools, her next step toward fulfilling her goal of one day working for Doctors Without Borders. Through Doctors Without Borders, an internationally renowned humanitarian organization that provides assistance to countries overwhelmed by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, and malnutrition, Clark will have the opportunity to use her talents and gifts to alleviate some of the world’s greatest global health problems. The organization also is recognized for its dedication to serving people who experience neglect and discrimination from local health systems. “Individuals matter in stopping the spread of disease because disease has no boundaries. The world is connected through trade, aviation, and immigration,” Clark said. “I have made it a personal goal to advocate for the development of generic medications for infectious diseases that unfairly affect the developing world. An infectious disease in one part of the world must be considered a global threat.” As Clark turns her sights toward medical school and a future serving as an international doctor of medicine, other Auggies will head into the lab and field with faculty to unravel problems and seek solutions to better our shared world. While Auggies have worked to protect chimpanzees from infectious diseases in Uganda’s Kibale National Park, these animals also face constant threats from poaching. Visit augsburg.edu/now to learn more about chimps and how you can help in their conservation. The field journal of Anika Clark ’14 carries the mark of a chimpanzee encounter. Clark trekked many miles through sometimes muddy forests in these shoes. A solar sun shower was the closest to a hot shower Clark got while in Uganda. Biology instructor Kevin Potts uses his own codes and shorthand to track information on chimpanzees. Summer 2015 25 BY CHRISTINA HALLER Augsburg student travels 900 miles in search of answers The last thing studio arts major Indra Ramassamy ’17 thought she’d get out of her course, Women and Art, was a life-changing trip and lasting friendship with an established artist. But it just so happened that Augsburg’s commitment to experiential education fostered a memorable experience for Ramassamy and cultivated skills that will prove useful throughout her life. Ramassamy, an international student from Paris, was assigned to choose an object from Augsburg’s permanent collection of art and complete a research project resulting in a final paper, a speech, an installation, and a curatorial file. Ramassamy was drawn “Augsburg expects us to discover to a print by Nilda Getty things. We are encouraged to make called “Psychic,” one work deep connections with people, to find in a five-piece series titled, new ways to problem-solve, to make a “Life Series.” difference.” “What drew me to this —Indra Ramassamy ’17 print was a sort of ‘motion’ around a white circular shape—to me, it represented the moon,” Ramassamy said. “We can see six female figures around the shape, but there is a possibility that these female figures might actually be one person at different moments.” A little persistence goes a long way In researching the piece, Ramassamy found that biographical information about the artist was limited. She was, however, able to locate and contact an art gallery where Getty had once exhibited. The art gallery contacted Getty about Ramassamy’s inquiry, and within a week, they were speaking regularly on the phone for Ramassamy’s project. A few weeks later, Getty and her son, Leslie, contacted Ramassamy and invited her to Colorado, offering to fly her out so she could complete her assignment. Ramassamy gladly accepted. “It was about a lot more than the paper,” she said. “Through phone conversations and an exchange of emails, I had already made a connection with Nilda and was beyond excited to meet her.” Leaving a lasting legacy A few weeks later, Ramassamy was on a flight from Minneapolis to Fort Collins, Colorado, for a 48-hour stay. While there, Ramassamy toured Getty’s studio, met Getty’s family, learned how to use metalsmithing tools, and studied Getty’s artwork—from silk prints to photographs, metalwork to jewelry. She also visited Colorado State University where Getty taught metalsmithing in the Art Department. When Ramassamy asked Getty about “Psychic,” Getty said the white circle represented both the world and the universe. But the artist also explained that it doesn’t matter what she thinks of the piece. What is important to Getty is the viewer’s experience with the art and the relationship formed with it. Ramassamy was inspired by Getty’s work, by her outlook on art and life, and by her warmth and spirit. “One of the sweetest things was when Nilda told me her ‘greatest works of art are her children’—and she also asked me a lot about my own mom,” Ramassamy said. “I believe Nilda’s legacy will be what her children go out into the world and achieve.” An Augsburg education is shaped by its global settings Ramassamy is grateful to Augsburg for the whole experience. “There’s a culture at Augsburg to go the full extent—do as much as you can,” she said. “Augsburg expects us to discover things. We are encouraged to make deep connections with people, to find new ways to problem-solve, to make a difference.” And that’s exactly what Ramassamy did. 26 Augsburg Now MY AUGGIE EXPERIENCE FUN FACTS ABOUT AUGSBURG’S PERMANENT COLLECTION OF ART MOST FAMOUS? Andy Warhol’s “Liz” LARGEST? Henry Lande’s minimalist sculpture, 24 Elements, stands outside between Urness Tower and Christensen Center at 33 feet tall. BEST-TRAVELED? A photograph of Gerda Mortensen vanished from Mortensen Hall (more than once) and reappeared at St. Olaf College. MOST GENEROUS DONORS? Don and Dagny Padilla, avid art collectors, who gave dozens of pieces to Augsburg’s permanent collection of art, including Nilda Getty’s “Psychic.” AVAILABLE IN TWO SIZES? Jakob Fjelde’s life-size marble bust of Augsburg’s third president, Sven Oftedal, and Fjelde’s small-scale plaster copy, a recent gift from Melinda and Jim Kohrt. Summer 2015 27 ALUMNI NEWS INTRODUCING NEW ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS Six Auggies―successful in business, mentorship, leadership, and advocacy for the College recently were elected to threeyear terms on the Augsburg College Alumni Board. New members: Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’10 MBA Mary Prevost ’12 MBA National corporate director, UnitedHealth Group Owner, MJP Strategic Communications Hannah Dietrich ’05 Howie Smith ’80 Principal planning analyst, Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation Manager, talent development, Ameriprise Financial Services Jay Howard ’03 Take a moment to read a few of the reasons why these new representatives are excited to be part of the Alumni Board. Go to augsburg.edu/now for more information. Director of global sales, Innovative Computer Software Chau “Tina” Nguyen ’08 Project analyst, U.S. Bank 28 Augsburg Now ALUMNI BOARD Back Row [L to R]: Adrienne (Kuchler) Eldridge ’02, Sarah Grans ’01, Howie Smith ’80, Jay Howard ’03, Rick Bonlender ’78, Greg Schnagl ’91, Nick Swanson ’09, Patricia Jesperson ’95 Front Row [L to R]: Marie (Eddy) Odenbrett ’01, Hannah Dietrich ’05, Jill Watson ’10 MBA, Meg (Schmidt) Sawyer ’00, Melissa (Daudt) Hoepner ’92, Chris Hallin ’88, Adriana Matzke ’13, Rachel (Olson) Engebretson ’98, Chau “Tina” Nguyen ’08, Mary Prevost ’12 MBA Not Pictured: Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’10 MBA; Sharon Mercill ’09; Jordan Moore ’12 MBA; Brent Peroutka ’02; Nick Rathmann ’03; Tracy (Anderson) Severson ’95 If you have ideas for alumni involvement, email the Alumni Board at alumni@augsburg.edu. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8 ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME RECEPTION AND CEREMONY 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Honor the 2015 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. HOMECOMING 2015 OCTOBER 8-10 REUNION CLASSES Silver Auggies and 60th Reunion—1955 50th Reunion—1965 40th Reunion—1975 25th Reunion—1990 10th Reunion—2005 For Homecoming this year, let’s come together and revel in our Augsburg connections with great events all weekend long. Alumni, families, and friends are all invited to this celebration of our shared Augsburg experience. Registering for Homecoming is easier than ever with an allaccess pass. One $40 pass admits you to all events. Register to guarantee your spot. The price increases to $50 after September 8. Go to augsburg.edu/homecoming to register. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 HOMECOMING CONVOCATION AND DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS 10 to 11:30 a.m. Recognize the First Decade, Spirit of Augsburg, and Distinguished Alumni award recipients. HOMECOMING AND REUNION CELEBRATION LUNCHEON 12 p.m. Celebrate this year’s distinguished award recipients and the newest inductees into the 50-Year Club from the class of 1965. AUGGIE HOURS 6 to 8:15 p.m. Join the all-class Auggie happy hour. HOMECOMING FIREWORKS 8:30 p.m. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 Join Homecoming co-chairs Jacquie Berglund ’87 and Devean George ’99 for Augsburg alumni’s favorite weekend of the year. “Connecting with folks you haven’t seen in such a long time is just heartwarming.” Jacquie Berglund ’87, 2014 Spirit of Augsburg award recipient HOMECOMING AND REUNION BREAKFAST 8 to 9:20 a.m. HOMECOMING CHAPEL 10 a.m. TASTE OF AUGSBURG 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Family fun takes over Murphy Square park with carnival-style booths, great food, student groups, and games. HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME VS. UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS 1 p.m. AUGGIE BLOCK PARTY 3:30 to 6 p.m. Enjoy live music, s’mores, and a post-game social hour. ALUMNI NEWS THE YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL The mission of the Young Alumni Council is to provide opportunities to engage young alumni through planning and hosting networking, fundraising, and volunteering events and programs. In May, Auggies joined the Rev. Mike Matson ’06 and his congregation during an annual rummage sale at Bethany Lutheran Church in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis. This summer the Young Alumni Council hosted a sold-out gathering at a St. Paul Saints game in June and an evening at Canterbury Park in July, bringing more than 600 Auggies together. If you’ve graduated within the past 10 years and are interested in joining this growing group of active alumni, contact Katie Radford ’12, volunteer and alumni engagement manager, at radford@augsburg.edu. FINAL EVENT OF THE SEASON Summer Series: On Tap Monday, August 10 5:30 to 8 p.m. | Surly Brewery Build your Auggie network and learn how fellow alumni are fulfilling their vocations today. Appetizers and two drink tickets provided. Tickets: $10 To register, call 612-330-1085 or visit augsburg.edu/alumnievents. To learn more about the Young Alumni Council members, go to augsburg.edu/now. Courtesy Photo Buy a brick. Honor a friendship. “We came together to buy a brick in honor of the strong friendships we formed at Augsburg and the memories we continue to make among our families.” –Brittany Jakubiec ’96 There is still time to participate in the campaign for the Center for Science, Business, and Religion! Buy a brick as a tribute to the bonds that helped to create your Augsburg story. 30 • Augsburg will inscribe a brick with your name, the name of someone you’d like to honor, or a special message. • Each brick will be displayed in the CSBR, creating a lasting legacy for the future of the College. • Augsburg alumnae from the class of 1996 support the Center for Science, Business, and Religion. You will receive official recognition of your participation in this program. • Front Row [L to R]: Brittany (Lynch) Jakubiec, Jennifer (Cummings) Ackland, Wendy Laine, Brooke (Manisto) Reseland. Back Row [L to R]: Connie (Arndt) Clausen, Stephanie Harms, Jodi Monson, Natasha (Solberg) Sheeley. The first 500 to buy a brick will receive a VIP invitation to the CSBR dedication. Foundation Brick (40 characters, 3 lines) = $250 Legacy Brick (80 characters, 6 lines) = $500 Augsburg Now augsburg.edu/csbr | 612-330-1085 ALUMNI NEWS A mix of current students, alumni, and former faculty serve as the backup band for one of the Midnimo artists. Somali-British musician Aar Maanta (far right) practices with musicians [L to R]: Kyle Burbey ’15, Steve Herzog ’06, Andy Peterson ’05, and Ben Somers. BEHIND THE MUSIC Auggie backup band’s role helps bridge cultures and generations Augsburg College students, alumni, and faculty have helped bring a cuttingedge musical partnership to life by performing alongside the rising voices of the Somali music scene and even some “super stars.” Midnimo was awarded one of six $200,000 grants from the highly competitive Building Bridges: Campus Community Engagement program by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. Midnimo, the Somali word for “unity,” is a two-year partnership between Augsburg and the Cedar Cultural Center to bring Somali artists to Minnesota for educational residencies and concerts. This unique opportunity is supported by a prestigious $200,000 grant award and a number of Auggies—including Faculty Emeritus Bob Stacke ’71—whose crosscultural relationship building and love for performance set the stage for a truly intergenerational, intercultural musical immersion. At concerts held through Midnimo, artists ranging from the pop collective North American Super Stars to SomaliBritish singer-songwriter Aar Maanta played alongside backup ensembles comprised of a mix of Auggie students, alumni, and former faculty whose own musical gifts and talents helped make Midnimo a critically acclaimed program. For many of the Auggies, participating in Midnimo has offered the opportunity to join a partnership that’s the first of its kind in the nation and to do what they love best: play. Bob Stacke ’71, retired associate professor of music, is known and respected for his crosscultural percussion performances. Stacke’s deep musical connections were critical in forging the partnership between the College, the Cedar Cultural Center, and visiting artists. Steve Herzog ’06 [pictured, right] was selected by Bob Stacke ’71 to write and arrange the music for Midnimo visiting artists. Herzog often has needed to transcribe and arrange music in less than a week. Through this work, Herzog has been inspired to develop a program for engaging Somali youth in the advancement of Somali music. He’s also pursuing a master’s degree in education at Augsburg. See a clip of the band performing with Aar Maanta at augsburg.edu/now. Summer 2015 31 ALUMNI NEWS AUGGIES FIND LEADERSHIP IN inneapolis shoppers can find a little Auggie Pride in an unexpected location—a secondhand clothing store that is an active illustration of Augsburg College’s mission, which includes collaborating with others to serve the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood and providing students with hands-on learning opportunities. Sisterhood Boutique (2200 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis) has been a training ground for young, Cedar- the idea of opening a clothing store. Richardson, who in high school founded a secondhand clothing store through Youth Express, an after-school program in St. Paul, used her retail experience and business management training to help the women get started. First, she collaborated with a youth social entrepreneur coordinator, a store founder, and other interested young women to develop a paid internship program for the boutique. The program provides young Augsburg College alumnae Yasameen Sajady ’11 and Stella Richardson ’15 serve the Sisterhood Boutique. Riverside neighborhood women in entrepreneurship, business, community partnerships, and sustainable fashion since its opening in February 2014. Since then, 60 women ages 14 to 23 have participated as staff and interns, and two Auggies—Stella Richardson ’15 and Yasameen Sajady ’11—have played roles on the store’s leadership team. Two years ago, East African women in the Youth Social Entrepreneur Program at the Brian Coyle Center, a neighborhood resource and community center, began envisioning a way to empower young women in the area. The women worked with Richardson, then an intern at Brian Coyle Center, to explore 32 Augsburg Now East African women with professional development, peer-to-peer mentoring, and classroom training, followed by three months of employment in the store. The founders of the boutique also collaborated with Augsburg’s Director of Community Engagement Mary Laurel True, who has been integral to the store’s success. Community engagement for Auggies happens both on and off campus—and when True learned about the vision for a women’s entrepreneurial project in the neighborhood, she ensured that Augsburg joined with other community groups to make the innovative business venture a reality. True serves as the Augsburg liaison to the program, is a mentor for the staff and interns, and has been on the Sisterhood’s Advisory Committee since the beginning. Seizing the opportunity for realworld training, classes on campus got into the act. A group of Augsburg MBA students created a business plan for the store through a management consulting class project. Christopher Houltberg, assistant professor of art, led Sisterhood interns in a branding exercise and assisted with the design of a boutique logo; classes taught by Marc Isaacson, assistant professor of business, provided website recommendations; and, through clothing drives, Residence Life collected thousands of pounds of clothing to donate to the startup. Today, Augsburg alumna Sajady manages the Sisterhood Boutique. Sajady, a business marketing major, was hired last November through Pillsbury United Communities to lead Brian Coyle’s Youth Entrepreneur Program. Under her leadership as the operations coordinator, the Sisterhood Boutique has exceeded its social media and community engagement goals. The program is supported by Fairview Health Services, an institution that, like Augsburg, is committed to its role as a community partner. Fairview donated a vacant retail space to the Brian Coyle Center for workforce development. Additional donors and community partners include the Foundation of Minnesota, Sundance Family Foundation, Marbrook Foundation, and Women Investing in the Next Generation (WINGs) Fund of the Greater Twin Cities United Way. ALUMNI NEWS CULTURAL TRAVEL Courtesy Photos WITH AUGGIES A ugsburg organizes international tours for the College’s alumni, parents, families, and friends. Each customized trip is led by Augsburg faculty members whose distinction and expertise adds to a uniquely Augsburg experience. Celebrating Lutheran heritage in Germany and the Czech Republic Mark Tranvik and Hans Wiersma, Religion Department faculty members, host this journey through Germany and the city of Prague October 27-November 6, 2016, celebrating Lutheran heritage in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Cultural immersion in Thailand and Cambodia English Professor Kathy Swanson, who is fluent in Thai, will lead this exploration through Thailand and Cambodia January 3-15, 2017. This voyage takes travelers to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho (the Reclining Buddha), and floating markets. It continues to Chiang Mai for elephant rides, an authentic cooking class, and volunteer work at a local orphanage. The journey concludes in Siem Reap at Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. If you are interested in traveling with fellow alumni, contact Sally Daniels Herron ’79 at herron@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1525. To learn about Augsburg cultural travel opportunities, go to augsburg.edu/alumni/travel. Summer 2015 33 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1963 After serving as pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Vista, California, since 1969, the Rev. Beryl Droegemueller retired in April. Over the course of his 45 years of shepherding the congregation, membership grew from 125 to more than 1,000. During those four decades, the church opened preschool, elementary school, middle school, and extended daycare programs. Droegemueller trained 37 pastoral interns through the church’s vicarage program and, in the early 1970s, worked with church members to develop a new mission church, Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran in Oceanside, California. He led Faith Lutheran through the construction of the sanctuary, a parish hall, an early childhood center, and offices. Together with members of the congregation, Droegemueller was instrumental in building a multi-level care retirement facility, now Rancho Vista retirement community, which was dedicated in 1981. When he talks about the projects and productivity, he points to his “very dedicated, creative, and hardworking members” and his staff. Along with his doctor of ministry degree, he earned a law degree, which he said was helpful in the many building projects. He assisted area churches with numerous legal challenges and served as circuit counselor and chairman of the Pacific Southwest District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod board of directors. The Minnesota native entered Concordia Lutheran Seminary after a year of working for a bank and following graduation from Augsburg with a double major in history and English. Jean (Bagley) Humphrey married her husband, Roger, one week after graduation. Nancy (Bloomfield) Bottemiller and Ruth (Sather) Sorenson were her bridesmaids. The Humphreys moved to the Boston/Cambridge area where they lived in married student housing at the Massachusetts Institute of As a public relations expert, Kari (Eklund) Logan ’82 assists clients in raising awareness about topics that range from education to urban forestry and from financial services to the arts. At CEL Public Relations, Logan leads a media relations team and couples her talents in writing and networking to serve her clients. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. Technology and had their two children. After five years, they moved to California where Roger’s first job was with Chevron Oil. They lived in California for 38 years. Nine Bagley children attended Augsburg including Robert Bagley ’58, who went on to Luther Seminary, and Yvonne (Bagley) Olson ’52, who lived with Gerda Mortensen and married Orville Olson ’52. 1967 Jerilyn (Bjugstad) Wibbens is the choral director of the NW Nordic Ladies Chorus of Everett, Washington. The group recently performed with other Nordic choruses in a Seattle-area celebration of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. They sang “Finlandia” with the Seattle Symphony. In May, Robert and Sandra (Syverts) ’68 Benson were grand marshals for Trout Days in Preston, Minnesota. The Bensons remain active in this community where Bob served as a county judge. Bob (now retired) is a certified firearms instructor and a retired fireman. Sandra is the founder of the Preston Farmers Market. 1970 Ray Hanson is working for Goldbelt Raven as an assistant program manager for chemical forensics at the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency. His role supports the Chemical and Biological Defense Directorate in Washington, D.C., which is developing forensic methods for detecting signatures for chemical threat agents. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS 1982 Diane (Peterson) Kachel is now a clinical research manager for Metro Urology, the largest urology private practice network in Minnesota. In this newly created position within the organization’s management team, she is responsible for managing all aspects of the research program in addition to developing new research opportunities and scalable research infrastructure across multiple clinical sites and patient conditions. 34 Augsburg Now 2008 Jay Matchett ’08, ’13 MAL was named director of Our Neighbors’ Place, a social service agency, in River Falls, Wisconsin. The social service agency includes a day center, shelter for families, community closet, classes, and a successful backpack program. He cites Tim Pippert, associate professor of sociology, and Andy Aoki, professor of political science, as strong influences during his time at Augsburg. Matchett believes he truly has found his path to vocation. He would like to establish a partnership with Augsburg’s social work program so that Our Neighbors’ Place may serve as an internship site for current students. ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1972 After more than 40 years of regional sales management and marketing for two Fortune 500 companies, James Piepenburg has retired and lives in the Phoenix metro area with his wife, Lucy. He has two great daughters, Krista and Jaime, along with son-in-law, Chris, and 12-year-old grandson, Nicolas. Currently, Piepenburg is doing parttime art consultation with Thomas Kinkade Art Gallery of Arizona. music therapy and has done additional study at Colorado’s Center for Biomedical Research in Music. 1988 Kiel Christianson is associate chair of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign. He is an associate professor of educational psychology, psychology, and linguistics, and he directs the EdPsych Curt Rice ’84 has been chosen to lead Norway’s largest university college, taking charge of Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences as rector on August 1. Rice received his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Augsburg. His wife, Tove Dahl ’84, is a professor at the University of Tromsø, Norway, and is the dean of Concordia Language Villages’ Norwegian camp, Skogfjorden. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. John Sherman, sports editor of Sun Newspapers, has been inducted into the Minnesota State Football Coaches Hall of Fame. Sherman said he was truly honored to join the ranks of Stan Nelson ’43, Dave Nelson, Sid Hartman, Bronko Nagurski, and Ray Christensen in the Hall of Fame. Psycholinguistics Lab at the Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology. In his spare time, he is a senior writer for the Golf Channel websites, where he writes about golf, golf travel, golf courses, and golf equipment. He lives in Mahomet, Illinois, with his wife, Jen, and their two children. 1978 1989 Steve Hoffmeyer is interim general counsel and executive director of the new Minnesota Public Employment Relations Board. He also teaches business law classes at the University of Phoenix campus in Minnesota and arbitrates labor cases outside of the state. 1979 Phil Madsen and wife, Diane, moved into the fitness business, opening their first Anytime Fitness franchise gym in July 2014 in Port Orange, Florida. A second gym will follow in nearby New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Phil says, “This is a wonderful opportunity. The franchise business model is sound, we interact with members in truly personal and lifechanging ways, and we get to improve our own health and fitness like never before.” 1982 Sandra (Walter) Holten, a music therapist who specializes in caring for people with Parkinson’s, was featured on Minnesota Public Radio in March for her work with Struthers Parkinson’s Center in Golden Valley, Minnesota. She has a bachelor’s in Leah (Parker) Maves graduated from Luther Seminary in May 2014 with a master’s in children, youth, and family ministry. She received her first call on December 22 to the Tomorrow River Lutheran Parish in Amherst and Nelsonville, Wisconsin. She was commissioned and installed on February 11 by Bishop Gerald Mansholt. 1991 Stephanie (Grochow) Trump has been elected to serve as the choral vice president of the Minnesota Music Educators’ Association. 1992 Todd Lange was honored with the Albert Lea (Minnesota) Area Schools’ 2015 Teacher of the Year award. He teaches high school English. Sharol (Dascher) Tyra is a professional certified coach and mentor for leadership development at Life Illumination Coaching. Tyra has been a mentor to Augsburg students since 2011. She will serve as president of the Minnesota charter chapter of the International Coach Federation, and she represented ICF Minnesota at four global leadership forums. 1998 Raylene Dale (Navara) Streed has been appointed executive director of the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank at the University of Minnesota. Streed has served in other leadership positions, including as interim executive director and technical director. Streed graduated from Augsburg with a bachelor’s degree in biology. 1999 Scott Hvistendahl manages the event department at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, where he is a member of the football coaching staff. He enjoys being involved with football and having a chance to work with fellow coaches in developing players in a Christian environment as well as helping them to grow as men on and off the field. Hvistendahl and his wife, Alisha, have two children: Macey and Jordan. The couple met through an Augsburg staff member who knew Scott from football and Alisha through athletic training. Jenna (Bracken) Held ’05 is following in the footsteps of her mother, Jane (Catlin) Bracken ’71, by serving as a teacher and pursuing her love of working with children. Last year, after having taught fourth and fifth grade for eight years, Jenna switched to first grade at Lincoln Center in South St. Paul, Minnesota. She enjoys working in the community where she lives. She met her husband, Andrew Held ’05, at Augsburg and started to date him after doing homework together for Calculus II. They welcomed their third child in June. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. Summer Spring 2014 2015 Fall 2014 17 35 37 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES Josh Krob ’08, ’15 MBA was granted a prestigious “Twin Cities Finest” award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in recognition of his extensive community volunteer efforts and professional growth. A believer in the value of lifelong learning, Krob earned his MBA at Augsburg seeking to expand his understanding of how to be an effective leader. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. 2001 Maggie Tatton was among those named “40 Under 40” honorees by The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. This honor includes young business and community leaders from throughout the Twin Cities. Tatton is partner at Lindquist & Vennum, P.L.L.P. 2002 Brent Peroutka was featured in the Faribault (Minnesota) Daily News as a “40 Under 40” honoree for his community achievements and career in finance. A financial advisor at Comprehensive Wealth Solutions. Peroutka holds a business administration/finance degree from Augsburg. The best part of his day is helping his clients achieve their goals, he says. “We can make a difference each and every day, whether it’s at home, at work, or in the community.” with the Minnesota Department of Human Services to help improve the lives of those with disabilities. 2012 Lauren Grafelman is the 2015 Business Administration Scholar Award recipient at Hamline University. This award is given to the university’s top MBA student based on academic performance and leadership within the program. Grafelman was honored with this award at a graduation and recognition reception in May. 2013 Mike Lanski is in a long-term position with U.S. Bank. He also has started his second season with the Minnesota Twins, working as an usher, and he is in his 10th year with the Minnesota Wild in the same capacity. Madalyn Johnson is employed as a promotions assistant at 1500 ESPN Radio at Hubbard Broadcasting. Matt McGinn ’13 talks coffee on page 14. 2014 Janelle Holte was accepted into the U.S. Peace Corps and departed for Jamaica in March to serve as an agriculture extension volunteer. During the first three months of her service, Holte lived with a host family in Jamaica to learn the local language and integrate into the local culture. Holte will work with her community to identify resources and agriculture projects that can be developed and implemented to generate income. She also will facilitate training in farm management and work with schools to enhance and expand environmental education. Anika Clark ’14 discussed the research she conducted in Africa with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. See page 22. 2015 Ben Menzies graduated in May and is about to begin a master’s program at the University of Minnesota in integrated behavioral health. He and Shira Bilinkoff are looking forward to their wedding in fall 2016. 2008 Justin Reese has been named head football coach for Fridley (Minnesota) High School. A native of Houston, Texas, Reese earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education at Augsburg and went on to earn a master’s degree in sports management from the University of Minnesota. His vision for the Fridley football program is to inspire academic and athletic excellence in students by challenging them to achieve the highest level of personal development. 2010 Michael Polis was nominated for the “32 Under 32” awards. This honor was created in partnership with the Advertising Federation to recognize the top young Minnesota marketing and advertising professionals. 2011 Samantha Drost was appointed to the State Quality Council for a twoyear term. The council works in partnership 36 Augsburg Now Meghan (Armstrong) Peyton ’14 MAL is the head men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track coach at Augsburg College. Augsburg, she says, has opened her eyes in many ways. Her time at the College has shown her the joy of serving others and becoming a more thoughtful steward and responsible leader. She wants to continue to make a difference in the lives of future Auggie alumni. Peyton and her high school sweetheart, Cole, were married in 2010 and live in Richfield, Minnesota, with their pets. In 2008, she joined Team USA Minnesota, a post-collegiate distance training center that encourages holistic development. In 2013, she won the U.S. 20K Championship. You can “track” her successes and find her personal best records at meghanpeyton.com. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. GRADUATE PROGRAMS Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL has taken a position with the University of Minnesota as lead of the Creative Services team in University Relations, the central marketing office. She works closely with the university’s brand. Anna Coskran ’09 MBA has been named a principal of NTH, a Twin Cities real estate and project management firm where she has worked since 1998. With more than 15 years of real estate experience, she has worked with a diverse array of clients including The Minneapolis Foundation, the Star Tribune, and Xcel Energy. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS 2001 Hilary English Crook and her husband, Jacob Seljan, welcomed Lovisa Emily Seljan on March 30. Both Lovisa and big brother, Britton, are sporting their Augsburg gear! Chris Wolf ’09 MAN was named chief nursing officer of a medical element of the Minnesota Air National Guard. Jordan Moore ’12 MBA and his wife, Jen, became parents on March 27 with the birth of their daughter, Carla Jo. Jim Miles ’14 MBA recently published “Hero,” a middle grade novel. In addition to writing as a lifelong passion, “Hero” is the result of Miles’ MBA program. He came to Augsburg to learn how to give artistic projects the business legs they needed to walk and thrive. He named one of his supporting characters after Magda Paleczny-Zapp, associate professor of business. Magda Corbett originally was conceived as a minor character, but she quickly became a rather significant part of the story, which Miles considers the result of the influence of the name. For more information on “Hero,” go to coltonsilver.com. Submit a Class Note Please tell us about the news in your life—your new job, move, marriage, and births. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/connect to submit your announcements. 2007 Sarah (Gilbert) Clay and her husband, Ryan, welcomed Oscar Leo Clay on March 19. 2010 Matt and Sarah (Thiry) Solberg celebrated their marriage on August 8, 2014. Auggies in the wedding party included maid of honor Hannah Thiry ’17, Emily Wiles, and Dan Thewis. 2012 Courtney Gamrath and J.P. Perpich were married on August 15, 2014. Summer 2015 37 In memoriam Ingeborg C. Garborg ’38, Grand Marais, Minnesota, age 94, on January 20. Euna G. Nelson ’50, Evansville, Minnesota, age 86, on March 18. James S. Carlson ’55, Richfield, Minnesota, age 88, on October 12. Darwin G. Thorbeck ’60, Charleston, South Carolina, age 76, on January 26. Bernice A. (Westman) Giguere ’39, Columbia Heights, Minnesota, age 97, on April 26. Kerman J. Benson ’51, Victoria, Minnesota, age 85, on January 13. Lyle I. Hunter ’55, Cathedral City, California, age 85, on September 27. James F. Redeske ’61, Golden Valley, Minnesota, age 75, on February 16. Karl I. Krohn ’41, Memphis, Tennessee, age 95, on February 7. John “Al” A. Johnson ’51, Maplewood, Minnesota, age 88, on January 7. Eileen M. (Wirkkunen) Thompson ’55, Astoria, Oregon, age 81, on January 23. Kay L. (Hanenburg) Madson ’62, Minneapolis, age 74, on January 21. Thelma (Sydnes) Monson ’41, San Diego, age 95, on April 27. Raymond V. Trochmann ’51, Ulen, Minnesota, age 93, on March 29. Laurayne R. (Helgerson) Solberg ’56, Stoughton, Wisconsin, age 91, on October 20. Paul R. Engwall ’64, Lakeville, Minnesota, age 75, on May 14. Philip “Phil” W. Rowberg, Sr. ’41, Chico, California, age 95, on March 24. Marion M. (Myrvik) Buska ’46, St. Louis Park, Minnesota, age 90, on January 18. Willard “Bud” W. Glade ’49, Dows, Iowa, age 94, on March 1. Georgette F. (Lanes) Ario ’50, Minneapolis, age 86, on January 17. Irving R. Burling ’50, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, age 87, on April 16. Bernice A. (Larson) Howell ’50, Beltsville, Maryland, age 89, on January 30. 38 Augsburg Now Elmer H. Hanson ’52, Elk Mound, Wisconsin, age 90, on February 24. Karl D. Puterbaugh ’52, Eagan, Minnesota, age 86, on March 22. Dennis H. Erickson ’58, Rochester, Minnesota, age 85, on March 10. Lorents J. Flak ’58, Santa Rosa, California, age 83, on March 8. Berton R. Hushagen ’53, Fergus Falls, Minnesota, age 87, on February 16. Jon W. Matala ’58, Carver, Minnesota, age 78, on March 15. Harold E. Peterson ’53, Bella Vista, Arkansas, age 89, on April 1. Ronald “Ron” J. Stave ’58, Minneapolis, age 83, on March 7. Gloria M. (Parizek) Thorpe ’53, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, age 84, on May 5. Nancy Bauman ’59, Rochester, Minnesota, age 78, on April 10. Lloyd A. Nelson ’54, Willmar, Minnesota, age 91, on January 27. James “Jim” A. Noble ’60, Grand Blanc, Michigan, age 76, on January 25. Wayne E. Myrvik ’64, Fergus Falls, Minnesota, age 72, on February 7. Gary E. Utoft ’64, Owatonna, Minnesota, age 72, on February 23. Kathryn “Kathy” A. (Lundby) Young ’64, Williamsburg, Virginia, age 72, on March 9. Lowell H. Asplund ’65, Butterfield, Minnesota, age 73, on February 6. Anita M. (Gransee) Christopherson ’65, Belle Plaine, Minnesota, age 71, on April 28. Neil C. Sideen ’65, Howard Lake, Minnesota, age 71, on March 6. Send us your news and photos Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos! (Digital photos must be at least 300 ppi or a 1 MB file.) For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g., an obituary, funeral notice, or program from a memorial service. Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to: Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454, or email alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news at augsburg.edu/alumni/connect. ______________________________________________________ Full name ______________________________________________________ Maiden name ______________________________________________________ Class year or last year attended ______________________________________________________ Street address ______________________________________________________ City, State, ZIP code Karen L. (Torkelson) Leverentz ’66, Stillwater, Minnesota, age 70, on February 7. Magdalen A. (Ardolf) Miller ’75, Silver Lake, Minnesota, age 91, on January 20. Richard “Rick” A. Niles ’67, Minnetonka, Minnesota, age 69, on March 6. Robert “Bob” A. Roberge ’77, Rochester, Minnesota, age 60, on March 7. Mary M. (Dolan) Peterson ’67, Parkers Prairie, Minnesota, age 69, on March 25. Eunice C. (Holmes) Johnson ’80, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, age 84, on February 28. Russell E. Ilstrup ’68, Buffalo, Minnesota, age 70, on March 21. Lori L. (Johnson) Rosenkvist ’81, St. Paul, age 55, on March 25. Ronald A. Nilsson ’68, Wheaton, Illinois, age 69, on January 9. Timothy J. Beck ’83, St. Paul, age 53, on March 30. Nancy E. Stevens ’68, Plymouth, Minnesota, age 68, on December 29. Jeffrey T. Miller ’94, Plymouth, Minnesota, age 52, on January 29. Ronald L. Danckwart ’72, Lake City, Minnesota, age 64, on February 25. Alfred “Al” A. Drears ’11, St. Paul, age 51, on March 24. James E. Ericksen ’72, Edina, Minnesota, age 68, on January 27. Max D. Bassinson ’17, Minneapolis, age 23, on March 7. Alan C. Kelsey ’73, St. Paul, age 63, on January 19. Professor Emeritus Jerry Gerasimo, Menomonie, Wisconsin, age 84, on April 4. Ronald “Ron” A. Hart ’75, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, age 62, on March 9. Longtime staff member Irene Steenson, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, age 102, on April 18. Is this a new address? q Yes q No ______________________________________________________ Home telephone ______________________________________________________ Email Okay to publish your email address? q Yes q No ______________________________________________________ Employer ______________________________________________________ Position ______________________________________________________ Work telephone Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No If yes, class year___________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Spouse’s name (include maiden name, if applicable) Your news: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg. The “In memoriam” listings in this publication include notifications received before May 20. Summer 2015 39 In memoriam Courtesy Photo JAMES E. ERICKSEN ’72 James E. Ericksen ’72, whose life was marked by his commitment to faith and passion for the arts, passed away in January at age 68, leaving Augsburg an unexpected and extraordinary bequest of more than $5 million. To honor his legacy, the majority of Ericksen’s gift will be designated to the Center for Science, Business, and Religion. Part of this gift will honor Ericksen’s faith and be directed to Christ Auditorium, the 80-seat classroom at the heart of the new building. In tribute to his love of music, a renovation to Sateren Auditorium and its lobby also will be named for Ericksen. His gift was one of the largest estate gifts in Augsburg’s history. “We wish so much that we could have thanked him during his lifetime,” said Heather Riddle, vice president of Institutional Advancement. Ericksen graduated from Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis in 1964 and enrolled at Augsburg College that fall. While still a student, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany. Ericksen returned to Augsburg College after his service, finished his business administration degree with an emphasis in accounting, and graduated with the 139-member class of 1972. A history minor, Ericksen later told Augsburg staff that Carl Chrislock, remembered as one of Minnesota’s preeminent U.S. historians and a professor emeritus of history at the College, was one of Ericksen’s favorites. He returned to Augsburg College several times over the years to attend concerts, particularly those for which his piano instructors served as accompanists. A loyal public servant The entrance to the Sateren Auditorium lobby. 40 Augsburg Now After starting his career at Polaris, Ericksen worked as an auditor for the State of Minnesota Department of Revenue for 31 years before retiring in 2009. Along the way, he invested wisely and lived carefully. “Nobody knew much about him, including his family,” said his cousin, Robert Quick. But they knew he loved history, travel, and classical music—especially symphonies. In mid-life, Ericksen began piano lessons at MacPhail Center for Music, where he studied with Victoria and Dan Sabo for many years. Friend and piano instructor Janet Holdorf described Ericksen as “so sincere and ardent in his appreciation of music making.” He didn’t consider himself much of a musician, but he enjoyed learning and playing. His home was equipped with a large sound system and filled with carefully cared-for albums, many of them the symphonies he loved so much. Ericksen traveled often, venturing to France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere. He took long driving trips, eventually visiting nearly all 50 of the United States and taking time to explore each destination’s history. When he was at home in the Twin Cities, he attended Bible study at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. In his will, Ericksen remembered many family members, friends, and organizations dear to him. Doctor of Nursing Practice Master of Arts in Nursing Master of Arts in Education Master of Arts in Leadership Master of Business Administration (MBA) Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Master of Music Therapy Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Master of Social Work TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW ALUMNI AND FAMILY DISCOUNTS FOR GRADUATE DEGREES augsburg.edu/grad/discount GRADUATE PROGRAM TUITION DISCOUNT FOR ALUMNI Many of Augsburg’s current graduate students are alumni who earned their first degree at Augsburg and returned to pursue further education. Become a part of this growing group and take advantage of our Alumni Tuition Discount—a savings of $80 per credit! Auggie graduates who’ve earned a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from Augsburg qualify for this alumni discount. Additionally, parents or spouses of alumni and current students are eligible to receive the Family Grant of $80 per credit on graduate programs. gradinfo@augsburg.edu | 612-330-1101 * This alumni discount also applies to Augsburg graduates who are currently Summer 2015Fall 2015. 25 enrolled in a graduate program at Augsburg effective Photo illustration by Stephen Geffre. Photos courtesy of D3sports.com and NCAA. 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 2031 Auggies win 12th national wrestling title The Augsburg College wrestling team claimed its record 12th NCAA Division III national championship, winning two individual national crowns and earning six All-Americans in the finals of the national tournament. Heavyweight Donny Longendyke ’17 [pictured, left] joined 125-pound back-to-back national champion Mike Fuenffinger ’15 [pictured, right] in earning top individual honors. Augsburg also swept the awards presented by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Visit augsburg.edu/now to learn more about the College’s national tournament win.
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Title: Augsburg Now Fall 2015: Scholarship In Action
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: Sideline support Beyond fjords and freeways Boom or bust Homecoming 2015 SCHOLARSHIP IN ACTION FALL 2015 | VOL. 78, NO. 1 INSIDE AUGSBURG NOW Vice President of Marketing and Communication Rebecca John ’13 MBA rjohn@augsburg.edu Director of News and Media Services Stephanie Weiss weis...
Show more Sideline support Beyond fjords and freeways Boom or bust Homecoming 2015 SCHOLARSHIP IN ACTION FALL 2015 | VOL. 78, NO. 1 INSIDE AUGSBURG NOW Vice President of Marketing and Communication Rebecca John ’13 MBA rjohn@augsburg.edu Director of News and Media Services Stephanie Weiss weisss@augsburg.edu NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW On being faculty-guided In recent issues of Augsburg Now (apparently still the name of this fine publication—see page 7!), I’ve written about our Augsburg2019 vision to be “a new kind of student-centered urban university, small to our students and big for the world.” I’ve also turned cultural myths on their heads, arguing that colleges should be student-ready and not the other way around. As compelling as our vision is, the studentcentered and student-ready Augsburg still has at its heart a distinguished and dedicated faculty whose commitment to our students and their education is as it always has been—unparalleled, hard-working, and full of imagination and resolve. In other words, as we aspire to be studentcentered, we will always be faculty-guided. In all of my travels to visit alumni on behalf of Augsburg, the conversation inevitably turns to the faculty member who asked the right question, introduced a new way of thinking, became a mentor, stayed in touch, changed my life. The values and commitments of the legends of Augsburg’s faculty—Christensen, Chrislock, Torstenson, Quanbeck, Peterson, Nelson, Colacci, Sateren, Mitchell, Hesser, Shackelford, Gus, Gabe—are now alive in the Augsburg faculty of the 21st century. And some of their stories are in the pages that follow. Stories of creative and groundbreaking teaching, such as the work of Associate Professor of Political Science Joe Underhill, whose 15-year dream to spend a semester with students on the Mississippi River is now a reality with this fall’s “River Semester.” Imagine a dozen students, two faculty members, and a river guide or two traveling almost 1,800 miles from St. Paul to New Orleans in canoes, engaging the biology and politics of the Mississippi River over three and a half months. Makes you want to go back to college! Stories of relevant and timely research, such as the project undertaken by Associate Professor of Sociology Tim Pippert to explore the impact of the oil boom in North Dakota, seeking to understand the various social implications for the communities at the center of the dramatic change. It’s the Gold Rush all over again, but with 21st century challenges to the well-being of individuals and communities. Stories of faithful service, which has been recognized by President Obama in naming Augsburg one of five finalists (for the second year in a row) for the President’s Award for Interfaith Dialogue and Service. Our robust interfaith work with students and our neighbors is led by faculty members Martha Stortz and Matt Maruggi from the Religion Department, along with College Pastor Sonja Hagander and Distinguished Fellow Mark Hanson ’68. And don’t miss the fun interview with Nancy Fischer, associate professor of sociology and urban studies, who ties her research about secondhand clothes to serving the needs of our neighbors. For almost 150 years, it has been Augsburg’s faculty who have guided our work as a college and whose wisdom and experience have equipped our students to change the world. May it always be so. Faithfully yours, Director of Marketing Communication Stephen Jendraszak jendra@augsburg.edu Communication Copywriter and Editorial Coordinator Laura Swanson ’15 MBA swansonl@augsburg.edu Creative Associate Denielle Johnson ’11 johnsod@augsburg.edu Marketing Copywriter Christina Haller haller@augsburg.edu Production Manager Mark Chamberlain chamberm@augsburg.edu Photographer Stephen Geffre geffre@augsburg.edu Advancement Communication Specialist Jen Lowman Day dayj@augsburg.edu Contributor Kate H. Elliott augsburg.edu Augsburg Now is published by Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058-1545 PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT Send address corrections to: langemo@augsburg.edu. Email: now@augsburg.edu AUGSBURG NOW Fall 2015 02 Around the quad 08 Annual report to donors 10 Uncorking the mysteries of wine 13 Sideline support 18 Beyond fjords and freeways 20 Boom or bust 26 Homecoming 2015 28 Auggies connect 32 Class notes 40 In memoriam 26 Andrew Held ’05 celebrates his 10-year class reunion and totes his daughter, Mabel, through the Taste of Augsburg at Homecoming 2015. Learn more about Homecoming events and honorees on pages 26 and 32. On the cover: A pump jack extracts oil from the Bakken shale formation that lies miles below a field of grain outside Williston, North Dakota. Learn about the state’s new oil landscape: pages 20-25. Correction: In the Summer 2015 issue of Augsburg Now, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota mistakenly was identified as a U.S. senator in the article “Making their mark,” which described a research experience that drew a student-faculty duo to East Africa and Capitol Hill. All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated. A scene from the River Semester launch event held September 1. AUGGIES MAKE A SPLASH WITH HANDS-ON LEARNING The first-ever Augsburg College River Semester—a three-and-a-half month program in which a dozen students as well as faculty members will travel almost 2,000 miles of the 2,350-mile Mississippi River from St. Paul to New Orleans while studying the arts, humanities, and sciences—departed from St. Paul’s Harriet Island on September 1. As part of the kickoff, the River Semester class, created and led by Associate Professor of Political Science Joe Underhill, was joined by a group of nearly “This is my ideal form of higher education. 100 community members It’s experiential, engaged with the community, who paddled in canoes interdisciplinary, physical, and mental.” from St. Paul to South St. —Joe Underhill, lead River Semester professor Paul. Many media outlets Winona Daily News, September 15 covered the launch, and Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton proclaimed September 1 Follow the crew on their journey at augsburg.edu/river/blog. “Augsburg College River Semester Day.” 2 Augsburg Now AUGGIE PLAN OFFERS PATHWAY to four-year degree This past spring, officials from Augsburg College and Minneapolis Community and Technical College launched the Auggie Plan, an efficient and affordable track to a four-year degree for students whose academic achievement at MCTC prepares them for upper-level coursework at Augsburg. This partnership was a natural fit for the colleges as both are located in the heart of Minneapolis, provide student support services, value intentional diversity, and are committed to developing future leaders. COLLEGE AWARDS 2015 Augsburg College is nationally recognized for its commitment to intentional diversity in its life and work. This year’s accolades include: • The 2015 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the College’s commitment to intentional diversity and student engagement and activism. Augsburg College physician assistant students gather outside their new classrooms in Northwestern Hall at Luther Seminary. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM relocates to Luther Seminary campus Augsburg College’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program recently relocated to a leased space on the Luther Seminary campus in St. Paul. The new location provides improved educational and office space for the program and makes room on Augsburg’s main campus for other groups whose current space doesn’t fully support their needs. The agreement with Luther Seminary models the type of collaborative partnership that Augsburg, as a new kind of urban university, seeks. Augsburg’s signature PA program will have effective space to remain competitive, and Luther Seminary will be able to better optimize the use of its own facilities. In addition, since Luther Seminary primarily serves graduate-level students, the Augsburg PA program aligns with the campus’s commitment to graduate academic achievement and contributes to its vibrant higher education experience. • Placing No. 6 on the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute’s 2015 Rankings of the Best Christian Colleges and Universities published based on academic reputation, financial aid offerings, overall cost, and success of graduates in the job market. • The American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s Winds of Change magazine’s Top 200 Schools for Native Americans—the second time since 2013 Augsburg earned this recognition for its American Indian support community and graduation rates. • Ranking No. 5 on College Magazine’s Most Transgender-Friendly College list for working to make campus welcoming for transgender students and offering comfort, safety, and freedom to all students. • Recognition as one of five U.S. finalists for the 2015 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction in interfaith and community service—the only institution named a finalist in both 2014 and 2015. • Being named a 2016 Military Friendly® School for extraordinary work in providing transitioning veterans the best possible experience in higher education. GRANT OF NEARLY $450,000 FUNDS INTERNSHIPS FOR 200 AUGGIES An Augsburg College education plays an integral role in preparing our world’s future leaders to make meaningful contributions to their communities, businesses, governments, and families. At the same time, Augsburg offers opportunities for students to gain on-the-job and internship experience so that they can focus on their vocational exploration. The College’s efforts in these areas garnered a boost when the nonprofit Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation extended for an additional three years the Career Ready Internship grant first awarded to Augsburg in 2014-15. In all, the College will receive nearly $450,000 through the new grant, which will be used to create 200 paid internships for low-income and first-generation students interested in the opportunities available at for-profit corporations and nonprofit organizations. Moreover, this grant supports the College’s Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work—a highly visible anchor of the College’s commitment to students’ experiential education and vocational discernment. Fall 2015 3 BOARD OF REGENTS At its annual meeting in September, the Augsburg Corporation elected a new member to the Board of Regents and reelected several board members. Vicki Turnquist [pictured] was elected to her first, four-year term. She has more than 30 years of banking experience and serves on the Board of Directors of Citizens Independent Bank in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Turnquist was the founder and CEO of Private Bank Minnesota, which sold in June 2014. Unhealthy trees are safely removed from campus. EMBRACING GREEN HORIZONS In late summer, two of the three remaining elm trees in Augsburg’s quad— an alumni gift from more than 50 years ago—were removed because of Dutch Elm disease. While it was sad to lose the trees, the College reserved some of the wood to be transformed into pieces of art, partnering with Tom Peter, a local certified arborist and woodturning artist. The elms created wonderful character of space in the quad for decades and have helped inspire a longer-term vision of the central campus as a larger green space that, over time, will become an even more significant component of campus life. The design for an expanded quad is one of the principal ideas resulting from work done in 2011 to develop a campus master plan and has inspired new thinking around a special campaign effort to support the creation of an “urban arboretum”—a multi-functional green space that deepens the student, faculty, staff, and community experience through hands-on education, research, and recreation. Courtesy Photo welcomes new member Regents elected to a second, four-year term include: • Karen (Miller) Durant ’81, vice president and controller of Tennant Company; • Matthew Entenza, an attorney in private practice at the Entenza Law Firm; and • Jeffrey Nodland ’77, president and CEO of KIK Custom Products. Those elected to third, four-year terms include: • Andra Adolfson, business development director for Adolfson & Peterson Construction; and • Rolf Jacobson, pastor, writer, speaker, and professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary. LEADING FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS SUPPORT CAPITAL CAMPAIGN A recent $1 million grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation has helped the campaign to build the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion to surpass its goal. During the fundraising campaign, several large philanthropic foundations and corporations joined forces in support 4 Augsburg Now of the Hagfors Center, including the Bush Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation. The campaign also received support from 3M, Ameriprise Financial, General Mills, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo. “We are honored that the College’s work to promote interdisciplinary studies through the Hagfors Center received generous funding from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation,” said Heather Riddle, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “The Hagfors Center will support Augsburg in expanding research opportunities and will help shape student learning for 21st century realities.” AROUND THE QUAD This fall, the Student Lounge in the Christensen Center reopened following a renovation designed to offer improved spaces for student organization meetings, community events, study sessions, and—of course—fun. Courtesy Photos CONVOCATION SERIES 2015-16 Now in its 25th year, the Convocation Series offers the Augsburg community an opportunity to share in enlightening conversation with outstanding leaders and visionaries. In September, the series kicked off with the joint Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium and Fine Arts and Humanities Convocation featuring renowned author, Pulitzer Prize nominee, and PBS NewsHour contributor Richard Rodriguez and his presentation “Living Religion.” Rodriguez is recognized for writing about provocative topics such as education, race, politics, the AIDS epidemic, and religious violence. In November, the Center for Wellness and Counseling Convocation welcomed Antony Stately, director of the Behavioral Health Program for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, and his presentation, “Running into the Storm: Renewal of the Spirit.” SAVE THE DATE Join us on Monday, January 18, for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, and on Tuesday, February 16, for the Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics featuring Donald Warne, a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe and director of the Master of Public Health Program at North Dakota State University. All events are free, public, and held in the Foss Center. For detailed information, go to augsburg.edu/convo. Fall 2015 5 ON THE SPOT Nancy Fischer discusses “The Social Life of Secondhand Clothes” Photos taken at Succotash 781 Raymond Ave., St. Paul REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. For decades this adage has prescribed an approach for improving individuals’ personal impact on the environment, and today the once underrated middle “R” is among the chicest ways to go green. Augsburg College Associate Professor Nancy Fischer teaches courses in sociology; environmental studies; urban studies; and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies. Her current project, “The Social Life of Secondhand Clothes,” is a sociological analysis of the secondhand and vintage clothing industry. Fischer is exploring the emergence of secondhand clothing as a trend in pop culture, the places and urban spaces that sell these clothes, and the many reasons people buy them. Here is a glimpse into an area of the fashion world where some looks are truly timeless. Q: What factors have contributed to the emergence of vintage clothing as a popular fashion trend? A: Wearing old, out-of-style clothing was first a subcultural fashion statement— think beatniks, hippies, and punks. It was 6 Augsburg Now a rebellion against post-war consumerism, an appreciation of craftsmanship, and ecoconsciousness (as a political statement against a wasteful society). In the late 1960s—first in London, then in New York City—fashionable youth started visiting thrift stores, purchasing Edwardian coats and Victorian petticoats, and vintage dressing began to move into the mainstream. The emergence of the vintage trend accompanied a global expansion and standardization of the international garment industry. People who buy vintage usually buy new clothing as well, but vintage shopping provides a different experience; you never know what you might find. Q: A: How is purchasing secondhand clothing advantageous for society? Buying secondhand clothing generally is a form of reuse and keeps clothing out of landfills. Ideally, clothing should never go into landfills. Torn and dirty clothing can be reused as insulation and as paper. But that doesn’t mean we should buy clothes with abandon and then donate them. Most secondhand clothing winds up being shipped to developing countries where in some cases it has undermined traditional garment-making industries. Vintage clothing—as a subset of secondhand—is advantageous because it tends to retain its value. Vintage clothes also reveal our own industrial history. We see those “Made in the USA” labels, and sometimes more specifically “Made in Minneapolis.” There’s value in that historical glimpse at the past. Q: A: What’s your favorite vintage piece to wear? I have a favorite for every season. For winter in Minnesota, my favorite is a 1950s plaid swing coat. It was made in Dallas(!) from boiled wool, which is thick and super warm. It’s custom-made, and I always picture the Texan coat-maker taking on this garment as a rare challenge. Go to augsburg.edu/now to learn more about the social life of secondhand clothing. Nancy Fischer is collaborating with other secondhand clothing lovers on a new book. If you wear vintage and are interested in discussing your role as a consumer as part of her research, email fischern@augsburg.edu. AROUND THE QUAD AUGSBURG HOSTS FIRST-EVER CAREER EXPLORATION SERIES More than 25 companies and organizations participated in an on-campus career and internship fair. Augsburg College this autumn hosted an on-campus career and internship fair along with its first five-week career exploration series. The students who attended the fair met with organizations seeking individuals trained in disciplines including accounting, biology, chemistry, communications, computer science, marketing, religion, and more. The major and career exploration series, organized by staff of the Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work and Institutional Advancement, provided nearly 175 students opportunities to explore majors and careers by disciplines. The series included programming on professional studies, fine arts and humanities, natural and social sciences, pre-health sciences, and the needs of students still exploring several degree programs. This series was made successful in part due to nearly two dozen Augsburg College alumni who served as panelists and who shared details about their career paths since graduation. SIGNS OF CHANGE Excitement for the future Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion grew on campus after its construction site was marked. This multidisciplinary building will house, among other departments, many of the programs currently residing in Science Hall—a building that had its own site marker as pictured [below on right] during the 1947-48 academic year. Archive Photo AUGSBURG NOW to remain name of College magazine This summer, members of the Augsburg College community were invited to consider whether the College’s magazine name, Augsburg Now, aligned with and supported the publication’s purpose and key roles. A survey allowed people to share feedback on the magazine’s existing name and to consider whether two options, Augsburg Experience and Augsburg Spirit, would be better. The results from the survey point us toward retaining the name Augsburg Now. There clearly is an established resonance with the current name, which uplifts the publication’s ability to: • • Foster inspiration and pride. • Bridge the Augsburg of today with people’s past experiences. • Define and illustrate what it means to be an “Auggie.” • Help the Augsburg community learn how to talk about itself and equip individuals to advocate for the College. Provide intellectual stimulation and ongoing education. We appreciate the opportunity for conversation on the magazine name and are grateful to all those who took time to participate in this process. Fall 2015 7 2014-2015 AUGSBURG COLLEGE ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS G enerous donors have come together to make this the most successful fundraising year in Augsburg College history. Driven largely by contributions to the campaign for the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion, alumni and friends gave $35,404,222 during fiscal year 2014-15. This is the fourth year in a row in which donors have contributed more than $10 million to the College and more than doubled last year’s total of $14.6 million. In addition Aybike Bakan ’11, ’15 MPA Dahlberg and Peterson Family Scholarship Hometown: Istanbul Studying: Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Favorite thing about Augsburg: “I appreciate its focus on community service and social justice. It also allowed me to grow as an open-minded individual and encouraged me to seek meaning in the work that I want to do in the future.” Joseph David “J.D.” Mechelke ’16 David Huglen Strommen Endowment, the Glen and Marilyn Person Scholarship, and the Joel and Mary Ann Elftmann Scholarship Hometown: Stillwater, Minnesota Studying: Youth and Family Ministry Augsburg College’s influence: “I have become vocation-centered, concerned with social justice, and I am learning to connect faith to social issues.” 8 Augsburg Now to providing crucial funding for the transformative Hagfors Center, the philanthropy of more than 5,600 donors this year helps Augsburg attract talented students and the dedicated faculty and staff who teach and guide them. The gifts provide financial aid, building maintenance and support, and instructional and other resources that allow Augsburg to educate informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. REVENUE BY SOURCE 67% Tuition 11% Room and board 11% Private gifts and grants 4% Government grants 7% Other sources EXPENSES BY CATEGORY 43% Salary and benefits 28% Financial aid 19% Operating expenses* 3% Debt service 3% Utilities and insurance 2% Capital improvements 2% Student salaries *Expenses in this category include: facility repairs and maintenance, information technology expenditures, marketing expenditures, membership dues and fees, outside consultants, supplies, and travel and business meetings. ENDOWMENT MARKET VALUE May 31, 2015—$40,463,556 $38.3 $34.6 $33.3 $32.4 $31.5 $28.2 $27.2 $27.8 $40.5 $29.8 $24.5 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (IN MILLIONS) Aisha Mohamed ’16 General Memorial Scholarship Hometown: Minneapolis Studying: Biology Proudest academic achievement: “Being able to say I’m a biology major and feeling at home in a lab.” As of May 31, 2015, Augsburg had annual realized and unrealized gains of 10.7 percent on the Augsburg College endowment. The five-year average annual return on the endowment is 7.12 percent, and the 10-year average annual return is 4.47 percent. The College is committed to maintaining the value of the principal in order to provide support to the College in perpetuity. Fall 2015 9 BY CHRISTINA HALLER Jennifer Chou ’99 has never been afraid to ask deep and probing questions—a quality that helped her to make the most of her time at Augsburg, where students are encouraged to explore their talents and learn through hands-on experiences in order to find their callings. Her thirst for inquiry, as well as her ambition, helped get her to where she is today—a successful entrepreneur who made a career out of her great interest in and passion for vino. Craving knowledge Chou’s curiosity sparked her fascination with wine. During her childhood, she noticed her grandmother would always serve wine at holidays. What does wine taste like? Why is wine only for grownups? Why is wine enjoyed on special occasions? Chou’s enthusiasm grew into a passion. While an Augsburg College student, she further explored her interest by joining a monthly wine club where she attended tasting events to learn more—from how to identify main flavor and scent components to the basic characteristics of all the varietal grapes to the histories of the world’s best wine-producing regions. Seizing key opportunities As a communication studies major and business minor, Chou found work as a financial advisor shortly after graduation. While attending job-training courses in Dallas, she made friends with a man in the hotel gym who recommended a very specific wine to her. She bluntly told him that she’d never heard of it, and asked if he was a 10 Augsburg Now “sales guy” for the company. Once again her inquisitiveness pulled through for her. It just so happened that he, in fact, was the winemaker and CEO of Napa Wine Company. Their friendship blossomed, and his knowledge helped hers to grow. “So I always joke that I got into the wine business by working out,” said Chou. Soon after that serendipitous encounter, Children’s Home Society, for whom Chou volunteered, asked if she would request wine donations from distributors for their annual winemakers dinner. “I said, ‘Yeah, I’m fearless, I’m not afraid to ask!’” Chou recalled. “So I went and asked four different distributors for wine donations, and they said, ‘Wow, you really know quite a bit about wine and seem to enjoy it. Have you ever thought about selling it?’” So Chou took a job selling wines for a distributor, traveling to California, Oregon, France, Italy, and South Africa to gain a deeper understanding of each supplier’s wine so she could better sell it. Learning over a glass of wine Because of her extensive wine savvy, friends started asking her for wine etiquette advice. “I would get asked questions like, ‘How am I supposed to hold a glass of wine, under the bowl or the stem? Are you supposed to swirl the glass? In a restaurant, why does the server present the bottle?’’’ said Chou. “This was stuff my friends realized they needed to know in order to stay relevant in the business world—hosting clients at a restaurant or thanking someone with a bottle of wine.” As a way to share her knowledge and enlighten others, she founded The Savvy Grape, a business dedicated to educating people about wine through fun, hands-on experiences. To be an authority on the subject, Chou became a Certified Wine Specialist. This certification required rigorous examinations by the Society of Wine Educators, testing Chou’s expertise and mastery of viticulture and wine production. Chou quickly found a niche with professional organizations and was able to start out by connecting with fellow Auggies who were also business owners. “Being an Augsburg alumna helped because one thing I always find is that Auggies like to help other Auggies!” said Chou. For employers, such as finance and law firms, Chou educates people about wine etiquette while providing a fun and entertaining wine-tasting activity at events such as member drives, holiday parties, employee development conferences, and client appreciation events. At these events, Chou teaches people “how to taste wine like a professional,” offers tips on food and wine pairings, and answers attendees’ questions about wine. Fighting for what you believe in In order for Chou to legally pour wine in a corporate event space, she had to work hard lobbying to change the law, making it legal for a licensed wine educator like herself to hold wine education events in commercial spaces. With determination and grit, Chou hit the pavement, reaching out to her local senators and representatives to see who would be willing to assist. She found Minnesota Sen. Dan Hall ’74 who helped her to navigate the system at the Capitol and get the Wine Educator License signed into law by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2012. Making a living out of wine Chou’s unquenchable curiosity for the world, unstoppable work ethic, liberal arts education, and strong Auggie connections helped to make her dream of making a living out of wine a reality. Chou has authored Wine Savvy, a chapter in the book, “Socially Smart & Savvy.” Below are some of her favorite tips featured in the book. Tips for the wine lover Put red wines in the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before serving, and take white wines out of the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before serving. This will help your red wines be less acidic and allow you to taste more flavor in your whites. Don’t know what to give as a hostess gift? When in doubt, choose a sparkling wine, or “bubbly,” as Chou likes to call it. You can spend as little or as much as your budget allows, and it’s festive for most occasions. Not sure which wine to order in a restaurant? Ask the server for a sample to see if you like it. A restaurant would prefer that you like a wine and order more rather than not like it and order water. This works especially well if you are trying to order a bottle for the table. 12 Augsburg Now Student Sports Medicine Assistant Kayla Fuechtmann ’16 Augsburg athletic trainers collaborate across campus and within the community to achieve a holistic approach to the safety and wellness of student-athletes BY KATE H. ELLIOTT T he score was tied at 2-2 in the fourth inning as a University of Wisconsin-Stout slugger knocked a foul ball down the right field line. Auggie outfielder Brian Bambenek ’07 sailed through the air—glove extended. The ball landed in the pocket, then popped out as his body slammed into an unprotected portion of fence at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. After minutes of darkness, the then-senior’s eyes blinked opened to see Augsburg College’s Head Athletic Trainer Missy Strauch hovering over him. She monitored numbness in his fingers and toes, held his hand in the ambulance, and called his parents, Nancy and Mike, to report that their son had injured three disks in his neck. During the days and weeks that followed, Strauch went well beyond her job description to get Bambenek back in action. “I am forever in debt to Missy for all she did for me,” said Bambenek, who today is co-owner of the Great Lakes Baseball Academy in Woodbury, Minnesota. “She is an incredible trainer who truly loves Augsburg College, and we still find time to catch up a few times a year. And her cutting-edge research in arm care continues to influence my work with athletes.” These types of bonds with athletic training staff are the norm at Augsburg. During her 18-year tenure, Strauch has built an expert, dynamic team of professional trainers and student assistants who collaborate across campus and within the community to achieve a holistic approach to the safety and wellness of Augsburg’s more than 500 student-athletes. It’s fast-paced, passionate work. Strauch and her staff know players’ names. They generate daily injury reports Fall 2015 13 Student Sports Medicine Assistants Jack Duffy ’16 (left) and Alison Ranum ’17 (right) aid Auggie running back Michael Busch ’16. and conduct pre- and post-season screenings, and a member of the medical staff travels with every team to most away contests. Strauch demands best practices and has championed increased data collection and the adoption of many advancements, including the computerized concussion evaluation system, IMPACT. She and her staff connect with professors to formulate accommodations for injured student-athletes. “At its core, our role is about relationships—building trust with coaches and student-athletes and developing supportive partnerships throughout campus and with professionals in the community. We work to become part of the team. Assistant Mitch Deets, for instance, camped for a week in northern Minnesota for a cross country team training trip. Assistant Athletic Trainer Kassi Nordmeyer will be traveling to Boston with volleyball this fall and then wrestling and softball throughout the year,” said Strauch, who works specifically with football, men’s and women’s hockey, and baseball. “We don’t have all the bells and whistles of Division I schools, but I 14 Augsburg Now would stack our program’s continuity of care against any of them. And you won’t find stronger bonds. I should show you our stack of Christmas cards and wedding invitations from former studentathletes. Those personal connections make all the difference.” Baseball head coach Keith Bateman agrees. “First-year and transfer studentathletes are often a little hesitant to disclose an injury because they are afraid of not playing. And coaches like being in charge, so I would say many athletic trainers run into walls with team leadership. But not here, not with Missy. She won’t let them or us get away with that,” said Bateman, who is in his 13th year at Augsburg. “She and her staff become such a part of our teams that they know when players are having a bad day by the way they carry themselves. They want student-athletes to play, to be tough, but not to be stupid.” A thoughtful evolution Former head football coach Jack Osberg ’62 worked closely with Strauch for more than 10 years, watching the sports medicine program grow from a part-time enterprise to a comprehensive team that features four certified athletic trainers, one athletic training intern, one physician assistant fellow, 11 student sports medicine assistants, two physicians, one chiropractor, and two physical therapists. “As students at Augsburg in the late ’50s and early ’60s, we didn’t have athletic trainers. Coaches took care of taping, injury rehab, and other training situations. The technology, knowledge, equipment, facilities, communication, and pre-season conditioning available to coaches and student-athletes now is remarkable,” said Osberg, who served as head coach for 14 years and as an assistant coach from 2007-10. “I respect Missy and her staff having observed their mentoring of student assistants, poise when handling serious injuries, and focus on the latest training techniques.” Women’s hockey player Claire Cripps ’16 is one such student who can testify to the program’s expert attention and nurturing approach. Days before midterms last year, the forward sustained a concussion on the ice, leaving her with headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light, and an inability to focus for almost two weeks. “Missy sent an email to the dean and each of my professors explaining what happened, which led to postponing my exams until I had the ability to study and focus again,” said the exercise science major who plans to pursue a doctorate of physical therapy. “There were no issues with any of my professors, and they all wished me well, which made me really feel that sense of community that convinced me to come to Augsburg after my first visit to campus.” Advancements in prevention Although the most common injuries are routine sprains and bruises, concussions and other serious traumas are a growing area of concern as student-athletes’ speed, size, and strength has increased. But, Strauch says, the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation also have improved. In collaboration with Twin Cities Orthopedics, Augsburg’s implementation of IMPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) establishes a baseline for each student-athlete so that health care professionals can quickly and accurately measure changes and potential damage in the aftermath of a concussion. The team’s cuttingedge equipment and data collection, paired with the College’s longstanding relationships with area doctors, ensure that concussions are addressed promptly and thoroughly. Dr. B.J. Anderson, who serves as Augsburg’s director of general medicine, said the College’s sports medicine program offers a “gold standard” of care, particularly when it comes to addressing serious injuries. “I’ve worked with athletic trainers across the globe, and Augsburg’s team is second to none,” said Anderson, who is a primary care provider for the University of Minnesota Boynton Health Service. “The College’s neurocognitive testing is state of the art, and the staff’s relationship with me and other doctors results in continuity of care. We get them in early, address the problem, and get them back in action.” It’s collaboration and conversation among Augsburg faculty and staff that make all the difference in ensuring student-athletes perform their best in competition and in the classroom. When Carol Enke, instructor for Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science, noticed that a typically advanced student turned in puzzlingly poor work, she reached out to her colleagues. “Earlier in the semester, I had used the student-athlete’s work as an example of excellence in class, so when she turned in a below-average lab assignment, I called Missy right away,” said Enke, who served as Augsburg’s head softball coach for 21 seasons. “I knew the student had experienced a concussion weeks prior because Missy called me after the incident. [When] we realized that the injury affected the student-athlete’s ability to analyze ... the entire campus community came together in support. That’s what we do at Augsburg.” And, while Augsburg Athletics employs progressive protocols to safely assess and treat injuries, the College is equally focused on prevention. In June, Ryan Rasmussen came on board as Augsburg’s head strength and conditioning coach and has since worked closely with athletic trainers to keep student-athletes in optimum condition. He is the first collegiate strength and conditioning coach certified in a novel restorative movement approach called RESET. Rasmussen says the system pinpoints and eliminates compensation patterns, empowering Augsburg student-athletes to return to play faster and achieve better performance through optimal movement. “To reap the full benefits of physical activity, we need flawless posture and movement, and this restorative approach helps us achieve just that,” Rasmussen said. “Having a team of people who are concerned with the health of our athletes is hugely important. We recently collaborated on rehab for a hockey player with a torn ACL. She is returning to play this year and was the top performing woman among the five teams reviewed during our conditioning test.” Inspiring mindful studentathletes Mental health and nutrition also are pillars of wellness that the Athletics staff is committed to addressing in a collective, proactive manner. Sports medicine professionals advise studentathletes about the latest in nutrition and collaborate regularly with Augsburg’s Center for Wellness and Counseling to ensure student-athletes are aware of the center’s resources and community support. Center Director Nancy Guilbeault said anxiety and stress are increasingly present in student-athletes lives, but Augsburg is committed to helping all students have healthy, happy college days. Head Athletic Trainer Missy Strauch assists offensive lineman Andrew Konieczny ’15 during Augsburg’s Homecoming football game. “This fall, we worked with Athletics to develop four sessions for incoming student-athletes to address alcohol consumption, mindfulness, body image, and healthy relationships. Athletics, more than many, knows the importance of working as a team to confront the challenges our students face, so they are wonderful partners,” said Guilbeault, who has worked at Augsburg for 36 years. “Coaches and athletic training staff are often the first to notice when a student-athlete might need to talk with us, and they stick with them throughout the process—often walking them over to the Center or attending a session with them.” Guilbeault says mental health is often tied with injuries, as student-athletes feel stress associated with “letting the team down” or experience mental health issues because of certain physical traumas. Her team of counselors and the Center’s collaboration with a psychiatrist and community resources ensure students receive optimum care. “Our students receive up to 10 counseling sessions each academic year, and if they need additional support beyond that, we refer them to one of our community partners and keep up with their care,” Guilbeault said. “Mindfulness meditation techniques are particularly important for student-athletes because the approach encourages student-athletes to be aware of their bodies and present moments, becoming more resilient to stress.” 13 12 Building on a strong foundation Like any strong foundation, the sports medicine team’s roster of professionals and holistic, collaborative approach took years to build; but behind the staff hires, the new technology, and personal bonds is Strauch— driving herself and her staff to become more than just “trainers who wrap ankles.” They are a passionate team of professionals who will do whatever it takes—from stirring the Crock-Pot at potlucks to calling professors— to ensure student-athletes have the tools and support they need to succeed and achieve their life goals. “Our profession has changed dramatically in the past decade. Many of my mentors were focused solely on the injury, and we now take a much broader view, a much more involved role,” Strauch said. “And the best part about it is that we will continue to grow and continue to adapt to the demands of the future. “Augsburg is a community dedicated to finding new and better ways to support our students in every aspect of their lives. And Athletics is a family of student-athletes, parents, coaches, and trainers—all striving to do better, work harder, and represent the best of Augsburg. I love this school. Go Auggies!” 16 Augsburg Now TRAINING CENTER BUSTLES WITH ENERGY In this photo illustration, the Augsburg College training center is a hive of activity. Student-athletes buzz in and out to get care before and after practices and games while athletic training staff assess injuries. After professional staff determine the appropriate care for a student-athlete, the College’s student sports medicine assistants implement treatment and get hands-on practice in their field of study. The training center always is humming with action and support meant to help Auggies do their best in competition and in the classroom. 2 1 4 6 5 3 7 8 14 11 10 9 Assistant Athletic Director and Assistant Softball Coach Melissa Lee ’04 and Assistant Athletic Trainer Mitchell Deets work at the electronic record check-in station. 1 Assistant Athletic Trainer Kassi Nordmeyer administers a pre-practice ultrasound on Jessica Lillquist ’16, a member of the volleyball and basketball teams. 2 Courtney Lemke ’17, volleyball, is treated with hot packs and electric stimulation. 3 Head Athletic Trainer Missy Strauch completes a knee evaluation on soccer player Mohamed Sankoh ’16. 4 Jerrome Martin ’17 is treated 5 with a cold compress before football practice. Carter Denison ’17, Marta Anderson ’17, and Ashley Waalen ’17. 8 Jorden Gannon ’18 gets postfootball practice hydrotherapy. 9 R.J. Cervenka ’16, a football player, ices his shoulder after practice. Kayla Fuechtmann ’16, a sports medicine assistant and hockey player, hauls a hydration cooler back from practice. Sports Medicine Assistant Beth Zook ’17 tapes the ankle of soccer player Ngochinyan Ollor ’15. Soccer players receive hydrotherapy. The players are, from left, sports medicine assistant Student Medicine Assistant Aden Lehman ’17 tapes the ankle of football player Mac Kittelson ’16. 6 7 10 Logan Hortop ’17, a sports medicine assistant, tapes the ankle of Sean Adams ’17, a member of the cross country and track teams. 12 Sports Medicine Assistant Kristopher Woods ’17 delivers wound care to football player Tyler Sis ’16. 13 Silvia Cha ’19, member of the cross country team, does ankle rehabilitation. 14 11 Fall 2015 17 Caitlin Crowley ’16, left, and Associate Professor Phil Adamo peruse documents in the archive area of Lindell Library. Professors team with students to research and share College history BY STEPHEN JENDRASZAK I f you’re interested in the history of Augsburg College, you’re probably familiar with “From Fjord to Freeway,” a book published by long-time professor of history Carl Chrislock ’37 in 1969. The publication, which tells the story of the first 100 years of the College, is receiving renewed interest and attention as we approach the institution’s sesquicentennial in 2019. But no history is complete. Phil Adamo, associate professor of history and director of the honors program, is authoring a new book with students to bring further aspects of the impact and personality of the College to life. 18 Augsburg Now The new book, to be published during 2019, will include previously untold stories from the early years of the College. For example, the story of Augsburg’s first president, August Weenaas, and the sacrifices he made to found Augsburg is told in “From Fjord to Freeway.” But largely unremarked upon is the story of Valborg Weenaas, his wife, who followed him from Norway to Marshall, Wisconsin. She eventually housed 10-20 students in their home, moved to Minneapolis when Augsburg did the same, and passed away in the Twin Cities at only 37. Of course, the book also will address the events of the 50 years that have elapsed since the earlier work’s publication, such as Augsburg’s response to the 2007 collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis and its aftermath. The College offered its campus facilities to and worked closely with the Red Cross, Minneapolis’ Emergency Preparedness Team, and the Minneapolis Police Department to set up the Family Assistance Center, a place where family members of missing victims gathered to receive news updates, talk with grief counselors, and more. Perhaps most importantly, this new look at Augsburg’s past will strive to address the history of ideas that have shaped and been shaped by the community. “What I’m interested in, which is not done very often, is a history of ideas,” Adamo said. “Those ideas are wide-ranging—from theological issues early on to evolution, which was a controversial subject in religious circles. This was new stuff when the College was founded.” The book is a deeply collaborative effort, giving students opportunities to hone their skills in research and writing while producing a work for publication and being credited as contributors. Students this past summer worked in the College archives with Adamo every weekday morning, and donated a portion of their hours to cataloging documents for the College archives. Caitlin Crowley ’16, a transfer student and history major, documented letters from Augsburg’s fifth president, Bernhard Christensen ’22, to Auggies serving in World War II. “He was the president of the College; he must’ve had a million things to do,” Crowley said. “And yet, there are just folders and folders of personal letters he wrote. [Soldiers] would respond; he would write back. He would tell them what was happening at the College. It made me really like the guy.” Crowley’s own family history, in fact, is entwined with Augsburg’s. Her mother, Deborah (Frederickson) Crowley ’76, married her father on campus in the building that bears Christensen’s name. And her maternal grandfather, Jerrol Frederickson ’43, attended the College for two years before joining the air force just before Pearl Harbor. However, Crowley has yet to find a letter from Christensen to her grandfather. This is the third summer Adamo has worked with a group of student researchers on the project. Students in the first two summers each wrote a single, extensive chapter, but this summer’s group focused on a series of shorter vignettes. Students explored leaders including former College presidents George Sverdrup, class of 1898, and Oscar Anderson ’38; Dean of Women Gerda Mortensen; coaches and athletes like Edor Nelson ’38 and Devean George ’99; and events such as the admission of women in the 1920s. “It almost felt like being a journalist,” Crowley said. “We were given two topics a week. We also had to write about what was happening outside the College during the same time. It was a great way to learn about this variety of topics that I previously didn’t know anything about.” Each Friday, the students and Adamo met to read their sections aloud and critique one another’s work. “Phil could be kind of brutal, which was good,” Crowley said. “Even after just a few weeks, all of us were getting to be much better writers.” In addition to Adamo and the students working on the book, another group of historians is making use of tools Chrislock could only have imagined in 1969—smartphone apps and the Internet—to share the broader history of Augsburg’s Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Jacqui deVries, professor of history and director of general education, and Kirsten Delegard, scholar in residence in the history department and creator of the Historyapolis Project (historyapolis.com)—an endeavor to share the first narrative history of Minneapolis in more than 40 years—are working with Anduin Wilhide, a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota, to develop a digital history tour of the area. The project will provide both a website and apps for iPhones and Android devices. The team is now seeking funding to complete the digital upload process and to engage students in the researching and writing of additional tours. The project initially was intended to introduce new students to the neighborhood and its rich history, though, as it grew, it became clear that it will now serve a broader audience. The goal is to have the app available as the incoming class arrives in fall 2016, offering a window into the past just as new students join the Augsburg community, ready to shape its future. President Christensen writes to WWII soldiers BY CAITLIN CROWLEY ’16 During World War II, Augsburg College President Bernhard Christensen ’22 diligently wrote to students and faculty stationed around the world to keep them up-to-date on happenings at home and on campus. Today in the College library’s basement, hundreds of letters between Christensen and these Auggies are archived in boxes. The correspondence tells the story of the school during the war. There are Christmas cards from Army bases and training camps, tales of life during war and life back home, well wishes and letters of recommendation for military positions and promotions, and sympathy notes to families grieving the loss of their loved ones. Christensen was deeply invested in corresponding with all the men involved in the war, a job that must have taken countless hours of dictation and typing. He included his personal thoughts in most all of these letters. In a letter to Arthur Molvik ’40, a student who later died in the war, Christensen wrote, “We can only hope that the clouds of war will not hang over us too long and that when peace does return it will be built upon a more secure basis than formerly. Only in a faith of this kind, I believe, can we have courage to carry on.” Fall 2015 19 AUGSBURG COLLEGE SOCIOLOGIST EXAMINES NORTH DAKOTA’S NEW OIL LANDSCAPE 20 Augsburg Now BY LAURA SWANSON ’15 MBA I n the summer of 2012, Tim Pippert lifted a couple of duffel bags into the back of his car and headed northwest on Interstate 94, beginning an almost 700-mile journey that drew him out of Minneapolis—beyond the steel and glass towers, the hectic grid of side streets and signs, and the flurry of Fortune 500 companies and all those who inhabit their cubicles and corner offices. Soon, the fields of western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota lined Pippert’s roadside. He rolled past patches of flax and sunflowers, wheat, alfalfa, and canola to a place where tilled acreage melted into an even more expansive landscape of ranches and natural prairie grasses. For decades—make that centuries—any description of western North Dakota seemed amiss without mentioning this place’s sheer vastness of space, the way gently rolling hills and rugged badlands disappear into broad horizons hugging big, bluish-gray skies. BUT NOW THE STORY WAS DIFFERENT. THIS AREA WAS IN THE MIDST OF A TRANSFORMATION. Fall 2015 21 Pippert was headed to Williston— the North Dakota city viewed as the epicenter of the latest North American oil boom. This isolated community was among a handful of towns and small cities dotting the map in four counties that together emitted a nearly magnetic pull for job seekers of all kinds. It’s likely that the route Pippert followed to Williston began in a similar fashion as the path truck drivers, frack hands, pipe fitters, hair stylists, and people working within numerous other industries took to North Dakota. That’s because Pippert’s curiosity with Williston was piqued by news stories describing the remarkable growth happening in this once stagnant community. What was unique about Pippert’s desire to work in the Roughrider State, though, was that he didn’t plan to fill a position in the oil industry or to hold a job supporting its employees at all. Instead, he sought to study the societal change underway in Williston and its surrounding areas along with individuals’ perceptions of it. Thus, he became one of the first scholars to explore what local residents perceive to be the costs and benefits of the boom. A NEW RESEARCH PHASE As an associate professor in the Augsburg College Department of Sociology, Pippert blends teaching, scholarship, and mentorship into his work each year, with an emphasis on each aspect varying in accordance with the academic calendar cycle. His interest in North Dakota’s changing cultural and physical 22 Augsburg Now landscape stemmed from in-class discussions with his students. Pippert asked his Introduction to Sociology class to bring in newspaper clippings related to current events as an assignment so that, together, the students could practice analyzing information using a sociological perspective. One article on North Dakota oil came in, then another. “That’s when things were in the very early stages of the boom, and there were sensational stories about folks making money hand over fist and people moving out there with nowhere to live,” Pippert said. “I’m from Nebraska, and there was only one stoplight in my entire county. I’m used to seeing all of these tiny towns decline in population or be relatively stable, certainly not growing. As a sociologist, I was just fascinated by what happens when a small town explodes in population overnight.” For years, North Dakotans were concerned about their state’s population decline, but the oil boom in the late 2000s dramatically changed the socioeconomic landscape in the region. In 2013, journalist Chip Brown wrote a New York Times Magazine article that said, “It’s hard to think of what oil hasn’t done to life in small communities of western North Dakota, good and bad. It has minted millionaires, paid off mortgages, created businesses; it has raised rents, stressed roads, vexed planners and overwhelmed schools; it has polluted streams, spoiled fields and boosted crime.” This article is among thousands penned since the start of the boom, but Pippert’s research takes an approach that’s different than the one most popular news media follow. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods over the course of his career, Pippert has examined subject areas such as the family ties of homelessness, the transition to parenthood, and the accuracy of photographic representation of diversity within university recruitment materials. As the next phase of his research, Pippert recognized that there’s certainly a story related to the development in North Dakota, but it’s not one that can—or necessarily should—be summarized in a 500-word, front-page exposé or in a 2-minute piece on the 6 o’clock news. Pippert is working to construct a longer narrative that is grounded in a sociological understanding of rapid population growth, allowing for an analysis of how the perceptions of local residents change over time. Of course history shows that people’s opinions shift as the state of the oil industry fluctuates, which it typically does. NORTH DAKOTA HAS BOOMED BEFORE “North Dakota has had oil booms before but never one so big, never one that rivaled the land rush precipitated more than a century ago by the transcontinental railroads, never one that so radically changed the subtext of the Dakota frontier from the Bitter Past That Was to the Better Future That May Yet Be,” Brown wrote. Since the beginning, the American oil industry’s history in north central states has followed a cyclical narrative of starts and stops, booms and busts. The subterranean shale that contains the much talked-about oil covers western North Dakota and northeastern Montana, and stretches into two Canadian provinces: Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Bakken shale was discovered in the early 1950s and named after Henry Bakken, a farmer who leased his land in North Dakota for an early well. At 14,700 square miles, it is the largest continuous crude oil accumulation in the United States. The shale has been in development since 1953 with periods of significant growth punctuating its more than 50year timeline. For instance, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, activity picked up in the upper Bakken when improved extraction technology married political and economic conditions that left the U.S. thirsty for domestic production. THE LATEST BOOM In the late 2000s, innovative engineering and technological refinements also played key roles in bringing about a new boom. The key to unlocking more of the oftensegregated oil deposits in the Bakken shale is horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, often called “fracking.” North Dakota has been described as a laboratory for coaxing oil from stingy rocks. While petroleum geologists have known for decades that layers of the Bakken contain light, sulfur-free oil, it has been much more puzzling how to extract it economically. Today, the Bakken contains some of the longest horizontal wells in the world. Drillers bore vertical shafts and then lateral shafts that extend out as far as three miles in order to harvest otherwise unreachable oil. However, horizontal drilling alone is often not enough to lure Bakken oil from the tightly clenched grasp that holds it roughly two miles below the earth’s surface. The majority of the shale won’t yield its oil unless pressurized water containing sand and various chemicals is pumped down the well to crack open hairline channels within thin layers of oil-and gasbearing rock. This procedure has been environmentally controversial given that the chemicals used in fracking have been known to be or suspected of being carcinogenic or otherwise poisonous. Geologists and engineers continually fine-tune the assortment of frack fluid recipes required in varying geological conditions, and they fracture wells in stages, sometimes repeating the process dozens of times at a single location. Waste from this process must be carefully handled and monitored to avoid contaminating groundwater, polluting surface areas, or injuring workers. Since petroleum engineers began combining fracking with directional drilling, thousands of new wells have been constructed—primarily in four North Dakota counties bordering the Missouri River: Dunn, McKenzie, Mountrail, and Williams. And, from 2006 to 2013, production from the Bakken formation increased roughly 150-fold, moving North Dakota into second place among domestic suppliers of oil, behind Texas and ahead of Alaska. This substantial growth in industry spurred a need for more of nearly everything—laborers, housing units, highways, railroads, power lines, and even patience. “I’ve never seen a more hardworking place,” Pippert said. “There are always things going on. I’m not sure how exactly to articulate it, but it’s like there’s always construction; there’s always truck traffic; there’s always activity on Sunday afternoons. It just doesn’t stop.” The change in Williston and other boomtowns may not stop, but it does slow. This year, slumping crude oil prices have led to a decline among communities affected by the oil industry. Williston was the fastestgrowing small city in the U.S. from 2011 to 2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Yet, news outlets recently have described harder times. Bakken oil has always been expensive to produce and ship to refineries. So, when oil prices started to decrease in autumn 2014, oil producers tamped down their spending. This meant fewer rigs actively drilling for crude and less work for those who service new wells. In extreme cases, layoffs, reduced hours, and smaller paychecks have led workers into hard times and even out of town. “Lots of things have changed since 2012,” admits Pippert. “Now I have to write a potentially different story.” It’s said that North Dakota’s last oil boom, which occurred roughly 30 years ago, collapsed so quickly when oil prices crashed that people declared, “If you’re the last person in Williston, make sure you turn off the lights.” But what did this flight mean for the people who continued Fall 2015 23 ANALYZING AND WRITING Pippert mets with Deanette Piesik, CEO of TrainND living in that community? For Pippert, it’s important for sociologists to analyze how population shifts and the industrialization of rural areas strain community ties and impact the daily lives of long-term residents. This summer, he took his fifth and likely final trip to North Dakota to see how the recent slowdown has influenced life in Williston, to conduct follow-up interviews, and to hear from additional residents for the first time. Pippert met with Deanette Piesik, CEO of workforce development organization TrainND, to discuss whether she had witnessed any signs of an oil industry downturn. TrainND serves as a link between private industry and Williston State College by facilitating safety trainings and offering worker certification programs. After the conversation, Piesik said she appreciated the way Pippert used open-ended questions such as, “How’d that impact you?” and “What do you see?” rather than asking questions that would induce a negative response. “I guess I worry about how some of the things I say will get cut short or be portrayed the wrong way,” said Piesik, whose concern applies to news coverage ranging from national broadcasts to the local press. “Now, I could have been the type of person who was totally negative and that’s what you would have gotten … but I have faith that [Pippert is] writing a good piece about this oil boom and how it has changed this community. I think that’s a positive piece to do.” 24 Augsburg Now Over the course of three years, Pippert conducted 87 interviews to gather data, and he is entering the writing phase of his research—a time when he will synthesize all of this information. Naturally, analyzing more than seven-dozen conversations will be a challenging endeavor. “There comes a point, probably before that 87 number, where you don’t learn anything new,” he said with a laugh, “but it’s so interesting I just wanted to keep going.” Augsburg College sociology students helped to spur Pippert’s interest in the North Dakota oil boom, and they continue to play a role as this project develops. Students serve as research assistants by transcribing interviews and coding the information they contain so that Pippert can examine themes from year to year and from discussion to discussion. He plans to work with a research assistant supported by the 2015 Torstenson Community Scholars program, and he has supervised Ashley Johnson ’16 as she worked on an independent project on sex trafficking in North Dakota as part of her participation in the McNair Scholars Program. Overall, Pippert is positioned to assess the dramatic and immediate strain on infrastructure that North Dakota communities endured during the period of rapid growth occurring during the boom’s first few years. He also will look at longtime residents’ perceptions of oil workers and of crime. “There are certainly more crimes taking place, but whether they are proportional to the population increase is difficult to tell,” Pippert said. It is also complex to articulate how residents felt about an influx of new people in their communities. “As a sociologist, I’m interested in ‘insider’ versus ‘outsider’ framing,” Pippert added. “There seems to be a pretty strong sentiment among locals that they were frustrated with oil field workers. The saying was, ‘Go back home—unless you plan on staying.’” This phrase, Pippert noticed, articulates that longtime residents grew tired of people simply entering their communities for work and then leaving or sending their income to families and homes in other areas of the country. The locals would have preferred for the newcomers to contribute to and make a life in their communities well into the future. THE YEARS AHEAD As time unfolds, the challenges and opportunities presented in Williston may begin to surface in other communities that are in the midst of their own dramatic population growth, and Pippert’s research could serve as a study for navigating complex situations. The oil extraction technology pioneered in North Dakota is expected to have implications around the world, but it’s not only communities near oil deposits that may benefit from this scholar’s perspective. Ultimately, Pippert said, his story is about how the identity of a small town changes when significant industrial development causes a population shift. It’s about massive industry suddenly entering an area—any area—to utilize its resources. And when other communities follow down a similar path as Williston, it’s important for them to learn from the road that North Dakota already has traveled. “It really is about a boom,” Pippert said. “But the source of its spark doesn’t really matter.” A DARK SIDE TO A BOOM scholarship in action A s one of the first sociologists to study the effects of the most recent oil boom in North Dakota, Tim Pippert has been sought out by organizations looking to add context to their coverage of the changes occurring in the city of Williston and its surrounding communities. Pippert contributed to the Forum News Service’s reporting series on human trafficking and female exploitation, and he appeared in the documentary “BOOM,” which depicted human and sex trafficking issues haunting communities. The film tells the story of a recent college graduate who moves to North Dakota to get a job in the oil fields as a trucker and who becomes aware of criminal activity present in his new surroundings. The nonprofit iEmpathize created the documentary to raise awareness about child exploitation and to help industries ranging from oil and gas to trucking and hospitality better train employees to recognize and respond to trafficking. The film was screened in November 2014 at North Dakota’s first statewide summit on human trafficking, which Pippert attended as a featured panelist. He discussed his research in front of the U.S. attorney for North Dakota, the state’s attorney general, local and federal law enforcement agencies, victims’ advocates, social service providers, tribal officials, and others who—he said—came together to ask, “How big of a problem is this?” and “What are we going to do about it?” For Pippert, seeing his scholarship have a life outside of an academic setting has been personally rewarding and publically valuable. Brad Riley, founder and president of iEmpathize, visited Augsburg College in March with Anthony Baldassari, the film’s protagonist and an engagement ambassador for the organization’s Boom Campaign, which assists communities across the United States. The two men joined Pippert in screening the film and leading an on-campus discussion on the issues it portrayed. Baldassari, Pippert, and Riley also served as presenters at Visit iEmpathize.org to learn how this organization works to educate boom communities to recognize and respond to human trafficking issues. the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Forum, of which Augsburg College is a host sponsor. Pippert’s role in the film helped to “give a real, authentic, and clear unpacking of what’s happening, why it’s happening, and where it’s happening,” Riley said. The film was designed to be a catalyst for conversation in communities where human trafficking already had a foothold or within groups that have an ability to help curtail the offense. In addition, “BOOM” is a teaching tool for the curricula iEmpathize distributes to law enforcement, schools, health care institutions, and other organizations located in areas that are at risk of encountering their own human trafficking issues. “If we can predict where boom towns might be in the future, we can come in and help set up a little bit of infrastructure on the front end,” Baldassari said, which helps to give people the opportunity to intervene in a safe and practical way. Fall 2015 25 26 Augsburg Now BURSTING WITH AUGGIE PRIDE A fireworks display over Murphy Square lights up the night during Homecoming weekend. Nearly 600 Auggies representing more than six decades and from as far away as Norway attended the 2015 Augsburg College Homecoming celebration. The class with the most attendees? Alumni from 1965, marking their 50th reunion! If you’ve never had the chance to see the campus canopied in fireworks, you should plan to attend Homecoming in 2016. The 2015 Homecoming Alumni Award recipients and Athletic Hall of Fame inductees are featured in Class Notes: pages 32-39. To view videos recognizing the award recipients, go to augsburg.edu/now. Fall 2015 27 FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT Dear alumni and friends, W elcome to the 2015-16 academic year! Thank you to Chris Hallin ’88 for serving as alumni board president last year. I’m excited to become board president at a time when our group continues to evolve and increase its engagement with alumni in the life of the College. As the campus community looks forward to the sesquicentennial of Augsburg in 2019, we all have the opportunity to participate in the strategic vision set forth by the Augsburg Board of Regents, which states: “In 2019, Augsburg College will be a new kind of student-centered, urban university, small to our students and big for the world.” There is much work that we as alumni have done and can do to support this vision. Mark your calendars for the next Student and Alumni Networking Event on February 9, which gives students access to one-on-one discussions with alumni professionals on campus. Alumni can also partner with the Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work, as we did this September for the first-ever Fall Career and Internship Fair, to provide alumni and students with meaningful connections. We also work to make annual traditions, such as Homecoming and Advent Vespers, special for alumni of all generations. Throughout the coming year, your alumni board will hear from Augsburg guest speakers about internships, research, study abroad, and service work and learning that shape an Augsburg education. As we listen, we will consider how alumni can support the important work of the College. There are three dimensions in the Augsburg2019 strategic plan (found at augsburg.edu/augsburg2019) that are relevant to our work: • Dimension 1: Educating for lives of purpose—across the disciplines, beyond the classroom, and around the world. As alumni, we can help students outside the classroom and in a manner that equips them to succeed through mentoring, internships, and more. • Dimension 2: At the table with our neighbors and institutional partners, shaping education to address the world’s needs. As alumni, our workplaces and Auggie-owned businesses can work with Augsburg to expand internship opportunities that allow students to build their skills, discern their vocations, and open doors to careers. • Dimension 3: Built for the future—a vital and sustainable institution. Alumni can strengthen collaboration and financial sustainability through our consistent financial support and by sharing the good news about the College among our professional and faith communities, and with our friends and families. As alumni, we have a direct impact on our College in small and large ways. Our participation is key to the future viability and sustainability of our college and of Auggies. I hope you will join us. JILL WATSON ’10 MBA ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT UNIQUELY AUGSBURG TRAVEL Augsburg College alumni, parents, families, and friends are invited to join international tours led by faculty members whose distinction and expertise add to one-of-a-kind travel experiences. If you are UPCOMING TOURS: interested in participating in Germany and the Czech Republic travel opportunities or attending Thailand and Cambodia an information session, contact Sally Daniels Herron ’79 at To learn more, go to augsburg.edu/alumni/travel. herron@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1525. 28 Augsburg Now NOVEMBER 12, 2015 Thanks for Giving to the Max! Thank you to all those who supported Augsburg College on Give to the Max Day. Your gifts enable great opportunities for students in academics, athletics, and campus programs. See the wide variety of projects supported by this annual day of philanthropy at augsburg.edu/now. AUGGIES CONNECT FROM RIVERSIDE AVE. TO RIVERSIDE, CA A demand for Auggies Augsburg is closing the distance between Riverside Avenue in Minneapolis and Riverside, California, through the successful partnership of Augsburg faculty, alumni, college programs—and, of course—talented students. The collaboration is proving so effective that faculty mentors at the University of California-Riverside are calling for more Auggies. When Dixie Shafer, director of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO), visited doctoral candidate Tom Lopez ’11, she heard in no uncertain terms from Lopez’s mentor and department of mechanical engineering faculty member Lorenzo Mangolini: “I want more of your students. I want more Augsburg students. Your students know what they’re doing in the lab from day one.” Over the past six years, several Augsburg graduates have landed at UC-Riverside with full funding to attend doctoral programs. The students have a team of Auggie advocates supporting them all the way. The team includes staff from TRIO/McNair Scholars; URGO; STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Programs; and alumni who have walked a similar path. The Riverside pipeline Augsburg sociology alumni Matthew Dunn ’08, Jenna Mead ’09, and Zach Sommer ’10 were among the first Auggies to blaze a trail to UC-Riverside. They were later joined by Lopez and doctoral candidate Justin Gyllen ’11, a computer scientist and physicist working on an educational technology project to help first-year engineering students improve their note-taking. Now those Auggies have been joined by two more alumni from the physics and math departments: Gottlieb Uahengo ’13 and Amir Rose ’14. Rose, one of five Augsburg McNair Scholars to attend UC-Riverside, credits that program’s role in his success. The McNair program is a two-year opportunity that helps prepare low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students for graduate school. Rose, whose current research is focused on breeding sterile mosquitoes to eradicate populations of disease-spreading mosquitoes, also credits Augsburg physics professor David Murr ’92 for teaching him research skills and independent thinking. Even current Augsburg students gain research experience at UC-Riverside. Last summer, chemistry student Oscar Martinez ’16 worked with Lopez and also traveled to Scripps Research Institute in Florida. Circle of Support Now that these Auggies are studying and researching in Riverside, Dr. Steve Larson ’72 says it’s his turn to help. Larson, a member of the Augsburg Board of Regents, has been in California since 1980. Three years ago, Larson, chief executive officer and board chair for Riverside Medical Clinic and a generous supporter of the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion, found out that there was not just one, but a group of Auggies in Riverside, and he invited them to dinner at his home. He has had them back every year, and has been joined by Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow and Shafer. “We all have something in common,” Larson said of his dinners with the Augsburg alumni and students. “Everyone appreciates what happens at Augsburg College.” There’s a circle of involvement with the College, Larson explained, that begins as a student, continues as alumni go out into the world, and finally turns back to support student success and the future of the College. “This is my turn,” he said. He is excited for how the Hagfors Center will continue to inspire high-caliber students and faculty to take their work to the next level. “Keep those Auggies coming,” Larson said. [Top to bottom]: Augsburg College Regent Steve Larson ’72 supports students like Gottlieb Uahengo ’13 and Oscar Martinez ’16—two of the Auggies whose academic pursuits have led to the University of California-Riverside. Fall 2015 29 AUGGIES CONNECT THOUGHTFUL GIVING Less effort. More impact. “Mr. Augsburg” has spent 44 years of his life—so far—inspiring Auggies to invest in the life of the College. Whether in his role as a student, parent, grandparent, or as alumni director and fundraiser for Augsburg, Jeroy Carlson ’48 has inspired Auggies through the decades to remain connected to their alma mater. The work, connections, and inspiration fostered and forged by Carlson led an anonymous donor to make a generous $165,000 lead gift to name a gathering space in the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion in honor of Carlson and his wife, Lorraine. Augsburg College Regent Dennis Meyer ’78 and Beverly (Ranum) Meyer ’78 also were inspired by Carlson’s leadership and dedication to the College and decided to make a second gift. The couple’s most recent contribution of $25,000 will go to support the space named in honor of the Carlsons. During his long tenure with Augsburg, Carlson helped countless students get their careers off the ground. “He never hesitated to pick up the phone to make a connection,” said Dennis. One of Carlson’s introductions helped Bev make an important professional connection to launch her teaching career. “There were many 30 Augsburg Now faculty and staff members at Augsburg who provided career guidance and direction, but Jeroy stands out for us,” she said. “I admire the connections Jeroy developed with alumni and his ability to make things happen,” Dennis said, noting that Carlson raised millions for the College. “When he called and asked for something, people gave because they had great respect for Jeroy, his love of Augsburg, and the people who contributed to its success.” Donors are invited to make a gift to the Jeroy and Lorraine Carlson Atrium Lounge—a designated space in the Hagfors Center where the Augsburg community will gather, foster relationships, and build community. Great progress already has been made for this $250,000 initiative, which will end on December 31. There is just $60,000 left to raise to name the space. Please join fellow Auggies touched by the Carlsons’ spirit of generosity and belief in Augsburg. Send your gift, marked “Jeroy Carlson Initiative,” to: Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Avenue, CB 142, Minneapolis, MN 55454. For more information, contact Kim Stone at stonek@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1173. Courtesy Photo Courtesy Photo Jeroy and Lorraine Carlson Atrium Lounge Make a difference at Augsburg—this and every month—with Thoughtful Giving. A Thoughtful Gift is a monthly sustaining contribution, paid automatically with a deduction from your checking account, credit card, or debit card. Your monthly gifts help provide a steady, reliable income stream, allowing Augsburg to focus more resources on financial aid and student services. Think about it—monthly donations make it easy to budget—and it feels great to know you are making a difference every month of the year. Visit augsburg.edu/giving to start your monthly giving today. If you have questions or want to become a Thoughtful Giver through the mail or by telephone, contact Margo Abramson at abramson@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1557. Thank you for keeping Augsburg strong and thriving with your financial support. I believe in Thoughtful Giving. Sue and Larry Turner ’69 have made an automatic monthly gift since 2013. AUGGIES CONNECT Buy a brick. Honor a legacy. What started out as a group of first-year Auggies from Washburn High School in Minneapolis commuting to campus for classes led to friendships that have transcended job relocations, marriages, losses of parents, and births of grandchildren. Now those Auggies—dear friends for nearly a half-century—are celebrating their life-long relationships and Augsburg’s role in bringing them together by buying a brick to support the College’s new Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion. In the late 1960s, after spending a year commuting to college, the friends decided to live on campus. Although they put their names in the housing lottery, they came up empty. The group learned from facilities staff that there was a house on campus that needed some fixing up and that, if the group was willing to do the work, they could move in. The group cleaned, painted, and got the house ready to live in. John Hjelmeland ’70 and Paul Mikelson ’70 moved into the house in the fall of 1967. By winter break, more Auggies moved into the house: John Harden ’69 and Phil Walen ’70 from Washburn High and Terry Nygaard ’70 from Columbia Heights. The five roommates spent the remainder of their time at Augsburg in the house located where the Charles S. Anderson Music Hall now stands. While the friends all pursued different fields of study, their friendship remained as strong then as it does now. After graduation, Mikelson married and left for a U.S. Army position in Germany, and Hjelmeland and Walen moved out of state. During that time, the group started to circulate a handwritten chain letter as a way to stay in touch. Each of the friends lived in a different city, and the group kept the letter in circulation for 10 years. Eventually, all five Auggies returned to the Twin Cities and began to meet for monthly lunches. This past September, Walen passed away, but the remaining four friends continue to meet regularly. “Augsburg was the place where we cemented our friendship and kept it going all these years,” Mikelson said. While Walen was still alive, the five former roommates together bought a brick to commemorate their camaraderie and Augsburg’s place in it. The brick, which will be displayed as part of the new Hagfors Center, will be inscribed, simply, “2207 S. 7th St.” Courtesy Photo 45 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP INSPIRES A BRICK Top: Augsburg College alumni on their graduation day [L to R]: Phil Walen ’70, Paul Mikelson ’70, John Hjelmeland ’70, John Harden ’69, and Terry Nygaard ’70. Bottom: Four of the men continue to meet monthly for lunch. THERE IS STILL TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE HAGFORS CENTER! Buy a brick to honor a family member, a teacher, a friendship, or a relationship that defines Augsburg for you. Augsburg will inscribe a brick with your name or the name of someone you’d like to honor. Each brick will be incorporated into the building of the Hagfors Center, creating a lasting legacy for the future of Augsburg. Foundation Brick (40 characters, 3 lines) = $250 Legacy Brick (80 characters, 6 lines) = $500 augsburg.edu/csbr | 612-330-1085 Fall 2015 31 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1951 Einar Unseth ’51 marked his 90th birthday on June 29. After farming with his father, Unseth served in the occupation army in Japan. He then attended Augsburg College and Luther Seminary. He served as a missionary to Japan with the American Lutheran Church (now ELCA), and later pastored Lutheran churches in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Unseth and his wife, Luella, recently moved to Lester Prairie, Minnesota. They have six sons, 22 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. 1952 Dave Christensen ’52 and his brother Duane Christensen ’53 meet every morning to grab some coffee, buy copies of the Bemidji Pioneer and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and catch up on the latest news. This tradition began in 1990 when Dave moved to Bemidji to retire. Dave taught school in Atwater, Minnesota, for four years and served in the U.S. Army before enrolling in Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Before retirement, he was a Lutheran minister at Adams, North Dakota; Warren, Minnesota; and Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. After Duane graduated from Augsburg, he served in the U.S. Army and then began a career in education as a band and choir teacher in Danube, Minnesota. He earned his master’s and specialist degrees at the University of Minnesota, and then worked as a school principal in several Minnesota districts. Duane moved to Bemidji, Minnesota, in 1969 and started the Bemidji Regional Interdistrict Council, an agency that provided special education services to 18 area school districts. He headed the council for 18 years before retiring. In 1990, the brothers built Maple Ridge Golf Course south of Bemidji. Harvey Peterson ’52, a former member of the Augsburg College Board of Regents and a member of the Athletics Hall of Fame, received a Distinguished Alumni Award at Homecoming 2015. He was recognized for his distinct level of dedication, leadership, and achievement over the span of his career. He and his wife, Joanne (Varner) Peterson ’52, are longtime, faithful supporters of the College. He was the CEO of CATCO, a truck parts supply company founded in 1949 by his father, Art Peterson. He has given unselfishly to his business and industry peers and associates, mentoring and advising many along the way. 1957 Grace (Forss) Herr ’57 was recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award at Augsburg’s Homecoming in October, which also hosted a reunion for majors in home economics. Her award cited her entrepreneurial spirit, great generosity in establishing numerous scholarships, and longstanding commitment to Habitat for Humanity and the Guadalupe Center in Florida, where she lives with her husband, Doug. This past spring, the couple received the Spirit of Marco Island Award from a Rotary Club, which honored them for embodying the spirit of community through service. 1961 Karen (Erickson) McCullough ’61 walked Hadrian’s Wall Path, a nearly 80-mile trek, across northern England from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway. 1964 Mike Walgren ’64 was recognized with a Spirit of Augsburg Award at Homecoming in October. He has been manager of the Augsburg Centennial Singers since 2001. With his wife, Carla (Quanbeck) Walgren ’64, he lives out his vocation of being called to service. In his work with the Centennial Singers, professionally, and with his church, he puts his gifts and talents in service of the greater good—doing the difficult work with full engagement and without hesitation. He was recognized in 2001 with an Outstanding Professional Fundraiser of the Year award by the Minnesota chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He is an active member of Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where he sings in the choir. REUNION 1965 Augsburg College Regent Emeritus Dan Anderson ’65 was recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award at Augsburg’s Homecoming in October, which also honored the 1965 men’s basketball championship team on which he played. Anderson in 1977 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments on the court, including leading the basketball team to three conference championships, setting records for career points (2,052 points), and being named conference player of the year three times. Anderson is chairman of AdvisorNet Financial in Minneapolis. He has served on the board AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS 1952 Glenn Thorpe ’60 hosted a celebration for his brother Gordon Thorpe ’52, ’55 to honor the 60th anniversary of Gordon’s graduation from Augsburg Seminary and ordination at Trinity Lutheran Church, which was on June 12, 1955. Gordon served in parishes for 41 years. At the celebration, Gordon was joined by his classmates David Rokke ’52, Carl Vaagenes ’50, ’55, and Bill Halverson ’51. Also joining them to celebrate were Augsburg seminarians Philip Quanbeck ’50, Allan Sortland ’53, Morris Vaagenes ’54, Jim Almquist ’61, Paul Almquist ’62, and Thomas Moen ’62. 32 Augsburg Now ALUMNI CLASS NOTES of directors for charitable organizations, has worked locally for Habitat for Humanity, and is active in his church community. Marilyn (Nielsen) Anderson ’65 treasures her memories of Augsburg band trips to the West Coast and the Augsburg Cantorians’ trips. She taught K-12 choir, band, music, and orchestra for 17 years and has written and published 25 children’s books. She taught writing courses for the Institute of Children’s Literature for 20 years. Anderson also has trained and showed dressage horses at international levels. If she could thank anyone at Augsburg, it would be James Johnson, her piano teacher, and Anne Pederson, who taught English. MaryAnn (Holland) Berg ’65 has had a life filled with music. She taught elementary music and piano for 20 years, and directed a championship barbershop chorus in Fargo, North Dakota, that took her to international competitions in London, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Seattle, and St. Louis. She currently sings with the Fargo Moorhead Choral Artists, a group she’s been with for 28 years. Her fondest memories of Augsburg include choir tours (especially the Norway tour in 1965) and serving as a student secretary for Leland Sateren ’35. She and husband, Arvid Berg ’65, cherish the memory of the Augsburg Choir singing at their wedding on November 21, 1964. Arvid has no doubt that Sateren inspired him to become a choral director and to strive for the highest performance standards he could achieve. Arvid’s fondest Augsburg memories are of Augsburg band and choir tours, including a five-week tour with the choir to Norway, Denmark, and Germany. Arvid spent 30 years as head of the music department at Oak Grove Lutheran High School in Fargo. He also had a 25-year military career, the last 19 years with the 188th Army Band of Fargo. His current interests include fishing, hunting, traveling, music, and his church. If she could, Adrienne (Strand) Buboltz ’65 would thank the Rev. Waldemar Anderson ’37 for encouraging her and three of her classmates from North Dakota’s Portland High School to attend Augsburg. She fondly remembers serving on the freshman social committee, decorating Christmas trees, watching high school classmate Dan Anderson ’65 play basketball, and meeting her future husband, Larry Buboltz ’65, at Augsburg. She especially enjoyed being instructed by Chemistry Professor Courtland Agre and Leif Hansen, her German teacher. Adrienne graduated from Moorhead State University in 1974 and became a Certified Public Accountant. She worked in public accounting, was a corporate controller, and taught at a vocational school. She opened an insurance brokerage in 1991 after receiving her insurance and brokerage licenses, and she retired in 2005. Larry keeps busy as chair of Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center in Minnesota. He serves on a committee to bring a bike trail to the community. He became a city councilman in 1976, and served until he was elected mayor from 1988 to 2008. He likes to Sharon (Kunze) Erickson ’65 says she took an interest in a certain physics lab assistant and eventually married him—Ken Erickson ’62, now retired from the Augsburg physics department. The couple lives in Cambridge, Minnesota, where Sharon taught first grade for 29 years. Sharon volunteers at their church and at the Cambridge Hospital when she isn’t spending time with family and friends. Helen (Friederichs) Griller ’65 has lived in and enjoyed Arizona for the past 28 years, but she has so many special memories of George Johnson ’65 spent more than three years in Pakistan teaching science students who ranged from the undergraduate to the doctoral levels. He and his wife, Leslye, both hold doctorate degrees in biochemistry, and, with support from the Bradley Hills Presbyterian congregation in Bethesda, Maryland, worked with Forman Christian College University in Lahore, Pakistan. The Johnsons view this school as an oasis of tolerance, and they served people who are Muslim and Christian, rich and poor, male and female. The Johnsons’ time in Pakistan convinced them how valuable it is for students and alumni to visit other countries to experience life and cultures. Before this teaching opportunity, George had a robust career in research science, often working in drug discovery and development. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. exercise, travel, play bridge, attend school sporting activities, and is active in Kiwanis. At Augsburg, Larry participated in the debate team and later coached debate at Detroit Lakes High School. He also taught history there until 1968. He joined Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. and became chairman in 2005. His high school band instructor, David Skaar ’55, initially encouraged him to attend Augsburg. One of the fondest memories Keith Dyrud ’65, holds from his time at Augsburg is his work publishing the campus newspaper, The Voice. Faculty who most influenced Keith were Carl Chrislock ’37 and Khin Khin Jensen, faculty in the history and political science department, and William Halverson ’51 and Paul Sonnack ’42, faculty in the religion department. Today, Keith enjoys writing history, construction, Norwegian studies, and outdoor activities. He lives with wife, Grace, in Lauderdale, Minnesota. They have six children and nine grandchildren. growing up in Minnesota that she still thinks of it as home. Treasured memories from her Augsburg experience include good friends, the International Associated Women Students trip to Oklahoma, sporting activities, Sno Days, and Freshman Days. Her current interests and activities include four grandchildren, book clubs, reading, traveling, the Scottsdale Garden Club, and activities at her church. Carmen Herrick ’65 passed the Certified Public Accountant exam in 1989 and then worked in public accounting. In addition to obtaining a bachelor’s from Western State College of Colorado, she attended the University of Oslo and Elverum Folkehøgskule in Norway, which afforded her the opportunity to travel throughout Scandinavia. Among her favorite Augsburg memories are living with 11 other girls in Kappa House, and her wonderful business education teacher. Current interests include learning Norwegian, playing bridge, lap swimming, and Silver Sneakers exercise classes. She has six grandchildren. Fall 2015 33 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES REUNION 1965 Don Hoseth ’65 returned to Augsburg in 1971 to earn his elementary teaching degree and taught for 32 years in the Robbinsdale, Minnesota, School District. He has been retired for the past 12 years and keeps busy with his 12 grandchildren. He is grateful for the influence of numerous professors as well as longtime coaches Edor Nelson ’38 and Ed Saugestad ’59. Jan (Mattson) Johnson ’65 and husband, Tom, live in Alexandria, Minnesota, and enjoy seeing their five grandchildren when they visit the Twin Cities. The Johnsons lived in the Philippines for one year and in Maine for another while Tom was in the U.S. Air Force. As a student, Jan worked in Augsburg’s Admissions office for Donovan Lundeen, who had visited her home prior to her decision to attend Augsburg. She relishes memories of singing under the direction of Leland Sateren ’35 in the Augsburg Choir, and feels privileged to have traveled to Norway, Denmark, and Germany with the choir for five weeks after graduating. Jan’s current interests include choir, golfing, quilting, reading, and travel. For Charles McCaughan ’65, Professor Emeritus of History Donald Gustafson was the faculty member who most influenced him as a student. McCaughan lives in Bagley, Minnesota. Dennis Morreim ’65 transferred to Augsburg after three years at the University of Minnesota. He remembers his advisor working to have all of his credits accepted, and he went from being a sophomore to a junior in one day. Morreim met his wife, Jeanne (Wanner) Morreim ’66, during orientation week. She was working in The Grill. The couple has been married 50 years. Dennis earned his master’s degree in divinity and a doctorate of ministry degree. He served churches in Manitoba and Minnesota for 38 years. During his time serving in Cloquet, Minnesota, he went to Honduras 17 times and helped to build eight schools in the Central American country. He spends his time now as a part-time chaplain at a local hospital and nursing home in Cloquet. He also is chaplain of the Minnesota State Senate. Dwight Olson ’65 can still make a mean grilled Spam sandwich and great Swedish pancakes, but can’t lower his golf handicap. Olson lives in San Diego with his wife of 50 years, Lois (Monson) Olson ’68. He founded Data Securities International and is listed in Wikipedia as the “father of technology escrow.” He started Gamma Phi Omega at Augsburg and says that Phil Quanbeck, Sr. ’50, professor emeritus of religion, was his most influential faculty member. Dwight and Lois have two sons and four grandchildren. He says that Lois agreed to marry him the day before graduation so that his family could afford to attend both events. The Rev. Gary Olson ’65 and wife, Jean (Pfeifer) Olson ’64, reside in Maplewood, Minnesota. Gary spends his time in creative writing. He and Jean attend many school events for their three grandchildren. On occasion, he still preaches. Gary’s memories from his time at Augsburg include the day when he was walking to class and walked past a sleeping male student whose dorm mates put his bed, dresser, lamp, and chair on the Quad lawn. Gary says that Esther Olson, a theater and speech professor, influenced him most as a student. Pat (Steenson) Roback ’65 and her husband, Jim Roback ’62, feel blessed to have chosen Augsburg to get their teaching degrees and to have been surrounded by students and staff who got to know them and helped shape them as they chose their future paths. The faculty member who most influenced Pat was Martha Mattson, an elementary education faculty member. Pat recalls that, “She was an icon! What a wealth of information she was, and [she] knew so much about the world because she traveled and lived in many faraway places. She even had a few of us over to her apartment once to teach us tatting. She was very good at it, and we were not.” Pat thanks all of the 1965 reunion committee members for their dedication, ideas, time, and hard work to make plans for Homecoming. Larry Scholla ’65 and Muriel (Berg) Scholla ’67 live in Willmar, Minnesota, and winter in Naples, Florida, where they enjoy the beaches of Marco and Naples, as well as several biking trails. They have five grandchildren. Larry volunteers at Kandiyohi County Historical Society in Willmar, and enjoys doing carpentry and general maintenance. He treasures the memory of being part of the football and baseball teams, and is grateful for the influence of Ed Saugestad ’59, who taught a kinesiology class. Augsburg College alumni and a current student jumped aboard “The Hoopla Train with Yard Master Yip and his Polkastra” at multiple stops of the show’s Minnesota-based summer tour, which included performances in communities ranging from St. Cloud to New Ulm. The Auggies sang, danced, and acted in a Vaudeville-style production, using techniques honed on the stages of Augsburg College. Described as “Lawrence Welk meets Hee Haw,” the production was produced by Sod House Theater and spearheaded by actor and director Darcey Engen ’88, chair of Augsburg’s Theater Arts Department, and Luverne Seifert ’83, actor and senior teaching specialist at the University of Minnesota. The original show featured “acts performed by a touring cast with appearances by several Augsburg alumni friends along the way,” according to Engen. 34 Augsburg Now “We were thrilled to be performing with Auggies in historic ballrooms and other venues across Minnesota where live music and dancing originated and many of our parents fell in love.” Engen and Seifert secured four Augsburg theater alumni and one current student to perform, including Lisa (Pestka) Anderson ’86, David Deblieck ’88, Kari (Eklund) Logan ’82, Deb Pearson ’83, and Riley Parham ’18. Another Augsburg alumnus, Justin Caron ’13, assisted with costumes. For the alumni, participating in “The Hoopla Train” offered an opportunity to reconnect with longtime friends and to recall past Augsburg theater experiences. “Some of my happiest memories were made on the stage at Augsburg,” said Logan. “It was wonderful to be back together with some of the people who played a role in making them.” Photo credit: John Grones Augsburg alumni collaborate on touring theater production Darcey Engen ’88 and Luverne Seifert ’83 perform as Aunt Woo and Uncle Yahoo. ALUMNI CLASS NOTES The Rev. Clayton Skurdahl ’65 spent 40 years in ministry, primarily in Colorado and Nebraska. His current interests include jogging/walking, gardening, traveling, and serving as a visitation pastor. He treasures his memories of Augsburg chapel times and says he was most influenced by Mario Colacci, a faculty member in the Department of New Testament Greek and Latin. Skurdahl also would like to thank Joel Torstenson, professor emeritus of sociology. After David Swenson ’65 completed a master’s degree in physics at the University of Minnesota, he was hired by Honeywell Aerospace where he went on to meet his wife, Bonny. He spent seven years building and operating a space simulation chamber for testing radiometers that flew on satellites. In 1974, he left engineering and moved to Colorado where he partnered with Bonny’s father to run a bicycle store, which they owned for decades. Among his favorite memories at Augsburg are influential professors, Concert Band, the Basin Streeters Dixieland band, basketball, tennis, physics experiments, and times spent with good friends. He and Bonny live in Longmont, Colorado, and David still works part time in the bicycle shop he once owned. In his spare time, he enjoys bicycling, hiking, travel, and music. Loren Wiger ’65 is in his fifth decade of teaching science. Most of his years were at Marshall Middle School in Marshall, Minnesota. He currently teaches at Southwest Minnesota State University, where he works with teacher candidates and teaches science methods courses. He has many treasured memories from his time at Augsburg including dorm life, where Dan “Big Dan” Anderson ’65 was the model student-athlete. Wiger says he used the phone quite often to visit with his future wife, Ruth, who was becoming a registered nurse at Deaconess Hospital. 1968 The Rev. Mark Hanson ’68 this fall served as Augsburg College’s Special Assistant to the President for Mission and Identity, helping facilitate on-campus conversations regarding the ways in which the College’s Lutheran Christian heritage and identity remain relevant to its academic mission and activities. This spring, Hanson will become the executive director of the College’s Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation, working to ensure that the center fully embraces its commitment to the theological concept of vocation. 1972 Luther Bakken ’72 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a thrower on the men’s track and field team. His 50’ 9” outdoor shot put throw from 1972 remains a school record. Bakken also played football while at Augsburg. 1974 Accomplished high school wrestling coach Scot Davis ’74 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame this year in recognition of his collegiate wrestling career. He earned AllAmerican honors in 1973 for his sixth-place finish at the NAIA National Championships, among other accolades. Family ties to Augsburg’s history abound for Deborah (Fredrickson) Crawley ’76. See page 18. 1978 Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Paul Meissner ’78 is one of the top players in the history of Augsburg men’s basketball. He is one of only 18 players to score more than 1,000 career points and remains a top 5 rebounder with more than 725 career rebounds. He also holds the school record for games played, with 114. Bonnie (Lamon) Moren ’78, wife of Jonathan Moren ’78, retired in June after 37 years of teaching developmental adapted physical education to students with special needs in Bloomington, Minnesota, Public Schools. David Raether ’78 recently gave a TED Talk at TEDxAmherst on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Raether’s talk was based on his experience of homelessness after a successful career as an award-winning television comedy writer. The talk was derived from a widely praised essay he wrote called “What It’s Like to Fail” that was awarded Best Nonfiction of 2013 by Longform.org and cited as one of the best pieces of journalism in 2013 by The Atlantic magazine. The essay also was featured in the Times of London Sunday magazine. Raether lives and works in Berkeley, California. 1982 As of July 1, Scott Ludford ’82 is the senior pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Shawano, Wisconsin. 1987 Augsburg women’s basketball star Barb Blomberg ’87 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. She holds the fifth-highest career points total in program history with 1,023 points. Blomberg served as team captain in both basketball and volleyball. Paul Rensted ’87 was appointed Charles County, Maryland’s director of human resources in August. Rensted has experience in all aspects of human resources management and conflict resolution and previously served as the director of human resources for the city of Annapolis. Rensted is certified with the International Personnel Management Association for Human Resources. His other professional affiliations include the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights State Advisory Committee; County Conflict Resolution Center Board of Directors; Baltimore Community Center Board of Directors; Public Interest Organization Governing Board; and Advocates for Herring Bay. He received his undergraduate degree in international relations and East Asian studies, and a master’s degree in political science from the University of British Columbia. 1988 Brad Anderson ’88 received Augsburg’s Excellence in Coaching Award in recognition of his impressive career as a high school football coach. He won three Minnesota State 5A Championships and has been selected as class 5A “Coach of the Year” multiple times. He has coached several players who have gone on to NFL careers. After serving for four years as the assistant principal of Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Minnesota, Brenda (Bauerly) Damiani ’88 joined Cambridge-Isanti Fall 2015 35 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES High School in Cambridge, Minnesota, as its new principal. She obtained a special education emotional behavioral disability license from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and multicultural education from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Damiani continued her education, earning a K-12 administrative license from Hamline University in St. Paul. She is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership from Bethel University in St. Paul. After 24 years in the Pacific Northwest, Dan Wright ’88 has moved back to Minneapolis with his wife, Kristen Haglund, and their sons Johan and Bjorn. Wright works from home as senior applications engineer at Nike. 1992 In April 2015, Terri Burnor ’92 received her master’s degree in divinity with a concentration in women’s studies from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. In September, she began a 10-month ministerial internship at First Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland, Oregon. Mike Pfeffer ’92 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding career as a lightweight wrestler. In 1992, he earned both MIAC Champion and AllAmerican honors and was selected as Augsburg’s Men’s Honor Athlete. He also was the captain of the 1992 team. Sharol (Dascher) Tyra ’92, a professional certified in Life Illumination Coaching and the 2015 President of the ICF Minnesota Charter Chapter of the International Coach Federation, was a semi-finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year by the TwinWest (Plymouth, Minnesota) Chamber of Commerce 2015 Small Business Awards. Candidates were selected on the basis of a number of factors, including their business vision, community service, drive, and risk-taking. 1995 David Boie ’95 has been named athletic director at Richfield High School in Richfield, Minnesota. Boie spent 18 years teaching physics and chemistry at the school and 13 seasons as its head baseball coach. Jeff Kaeppe ’95 received recognition for his Augsburg football career with an induction into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. Kaeppe was a twotime team MVP and holds the school record for the longest reception, a 90yard catch against St. Olaf College in 1992. Former men’s hockey player Peter Rutili ’95 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. Rutili earned MIAC All-Conference honors in 1994 and 1995. He also was selected twice as the team MVP and received a Rookie of the Year honor. 1998 Kerri Kangas ’98 had an outstanding pitching career on the Auggie softball team, an accomplishment that earned her induction into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. She holds career records for both games and innings pitched. She remains in the top 5 for career wins, strikeouts, shutouts, and fewest walks. Retired alumna Terry Marquardt ’98 worked as a temp in the Alumni, Family and Constituent Relations department leading up to Homecoming 2015. She retired from 3M in 2008 after 34 years of service. She and her husband, Gary Donahue, divide their time between homes in Minnesota and Arizona. Jennifer Chou ’99 shares her love of wine on page 10. 2000 Christopher McLeod ’00 has joined Connexions Loyalty Travel Solutions in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, as a technology director. The Rev. Sara Quigley Brown ’00 was ordained in 2008 and has switched denominational affiliation from the ELCA to Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, where she is serving as ordained and open to a call. She resides with her husband, Russell Brown, in Anchorage, Alaska. She works as a chaplain with the Alaska Police and Fire Ministries. Interim Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, City Manager Michael Sable ’00 is returning to Hennepin County to work as the director of facility services. Sable worked in the northern Twin Cities suburb for six years and spent most of his tenure as assistant city manager. In addition to the 24-story Government Center downtown, the facilities director oversees personnel matters and operations at numerous facilities countywide. Sable received an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. He and his wife live in Minneapolis with their children. 2004 “Babylon the Great has Fallen,” a book by Franchel Patton ’04, was published in March 2014. In the story, President Obama and newly elected President Hillary Clinton meet God face-to-face in this fast-paced, present-day depiction of Revelations and current events. Wubitu Ayana Sima ’89, ’15 MBA is the owner of Lady Elegant’s Tea Shoppe, a British tea room and store in St. Paul’s St. Anthony Park neighborhood. Raised in western Ethiopia, Ayana Sima came to the United States to study in the mid-1980s, along with her two young sons. Since graduating, Ayana Sima has worked with the United Nations in Congo, Malawi, Switzerland, and Zimbabwe, and for the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. Back in the U.S. again, something was missing in her life without school, and she enrolled in Augsburg’s MBA program. Her husband, Admasu Simeso, helps her manage the tea room. From the NOW@Augsburg blog. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more. 36 Augsburg Now REUNION 2005 Since graduating from Augsburg, Andrea (Ladda) Brown ’05 attended law school at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul and graduated in 2009. She works as an assistant public defender in Ramsey County and offices out of the Second Judicial District. She was most influenced by James Vela-McConnell, professor of sociology, and his course titled Race, Class, and Gender. She says she uses many of the basic principles from this class in her daily arguments to the court. She would also like to thank Garry Hesser, professor emeritus of sociology, Diane Pike, professor of sociology, and Tim Pippert, associate professor of sociology. Denise Fossen ’05 remembers singing in Masterworks Chorale and performing at Advent Vespers as two cherished memories from her time at Augsburg. She is most proud of receiving a master’s degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul and becoming a grandmother for the first time. She would like to thank David Lapakko, associate professor of communication studies, and Peter Hendrickson ’76, associate professor of music, for their influences on her during her time at Augsburg. She’s also grateful for her classmates’ participation in discussions before, during, and after class. Since September 22, she has served as pastor at Christ Lutheran in Hendricks, Minnesota. Keme Hawkins ’05 was recognized with a First Decade Award at Augsburg’s Homecoming in October. She is a freelance writer, independent scholar, and yogi living in Atlanta. She received her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her doctorate in English at Emory University in Atlanta. Studying and practicing various forms of divination and energy work continues to be a lifelong mission for her. Hawkins has completed her first screenplay, based on the lives of her parents; she is pitching the writing to producers. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS 2001 Erica Huls ’01 visited Minneapolis-St. Paul for a few days in July and had a mini-reunion with some of her closest friends and former classmates who live in Minnesota. Auggies included: Huls, Amy Carlson ’02, Merry-Ellen (Krcil) Bryers ’01, Ann (Peterson) Fisher ’01, Jason Bryan-Wegner ’01, Erica Bryan-Wegner ’01, and Katie Koch ’01. 2003 Kristen Opalinski ’03 traveled to Turkey this summer on behalf of the Philadelphia-based Peace Islands Institute, a peacebuilding think tank founded in the Turkish Islamic tradition of Hizmet or “service.” Opalinski provided media support while conducting research on Sufism and feminism in relation to the 21st century Muslim world. After serving the ELCA in South Africa for 4 1/2 years, she’s now in her final year of studies at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. She hopes to return to international peacemaking or social justice work. Ishmael Israel ’05 is focused on community development. Israel left his position as executive director of the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council in April, and he now leads the Umoja Community Development Corporation. Those who influenced Sarah Lahr ’05 most at Augsburg were Curt Paulsen, professor emeritus of social work; her advisor Nancy Rodenborg, associate professor of social work; and Michael Schock, associate professor of social work. She also fondly remembers Merilee Klemp, associate professor of music, and Registrar’s Office staff members Wayne Kallestad and Linda and Toshimi Smith, who offered a positive work-study experience. She would most like to thank Paulsen for encouraging her to continue with a difficult internship because she still uses that experience to push herself through difficult tasks to promote growth. Lahr works full time at 2005 In August, five Auggies were among a team of 12 who ran 200 miles in less than 30 hours as part of the Ragnar Relay Series from Winona, Minnesota, to Minneapolis. Auggies included: Dan Vogel ’05, Clint Agar ’05, Paul Sanft ’05, Riley Conway ’05, and Andrea (Carlson) Conway ’05. Spring Fall 2015 2014 2014 37 17 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES the Wilder Foundation Caregiver Services Program as a care coordinator and part time as a social worker at United Hospital. Lucas Olson-Patterson ’05 helped to establish the Minneapolis Future Academic Ballers program in 2009 through the Neighborhood Youth Academy, a nonprofit organization that focuses on fostering achievement parity for underserved youth. The program combines academics and athletics through unique strategies to arm student athletes with the tools needed to succeed beyond the basketball court. After an outstanding career at Robbinsdale Cooper High School in New Hope, Minnesota, Olson-Patterson went on to average 22 points per game at Augsburg from 2003-05 and was one of the top Division III players in the country. Faith (Durham) Perry ’05 says her most treasured memories from her Augsburg days are all the girls on seventh floor in Urness and trips to the bogs on Saturday mornings with Bill Capman, associate professor of biology. She was most influenced by faculty members Joan Kunz, associate professor of chemistry, and Dale Pederson ’70, associate professor of biology. Perry received a master’s degree in agricultural education and a certificate in sustainable community development. She works at General Mills as a sustainability analyst. She is married with two boys: Henry, 5, and Elliot, 3. Anna (Ferguson) Rendell ’05 is most proud of having her children, becoming a contributing author at incourage.me, being a mainstage speaker at the 2014 ELCA Extravaganza, and writing her first book titled, “A moment of Christmas: Daily devotions for the timestrapped mom.” Her treasured memories of Augsburg include being a resident assistant in Urness Hall her senior year, late nights with housemates in Anderson, FCA leadership 38 Augsburg Now meetings, the Norway band tour, working in the President’s Office for several years, and performing with the dance team at football games held in the Metrodome. Faculty members who influenced Rendell most were Bob Stacke ’71, professor emeritus of music, who she said always had faith in her and believed in her abilities and gifts, and Mark Tranvik, professor of religion, who poured himself into his students, making sure they were prepared for their real life vocations. Anna Warnes ’05 is a nurse practitioner at Crete Area Medical Center in Crete, Nebraska. Her fondest memories from her time at Augsburg include Advent Vespers, working in Admissions, and—of course—her lifelong friendships. The faculty member who was most influential to Warnes was Kathy Swanson, professor of English. She would like to thank Bob Cowgill, associate professor of English, for encouraging her to be passionate in her work and life. Warnes and husband, Nathan Erickson, have two children: Gustav, 5, and Knut, 2. 2006 Laya Theberge ’06 and her husband, Shomari O’Connor, welcomed a daughter, Nefertiti, in August. She joins sister Hatshepsut, 4, at home. 2011 The National Institute of Health recently published research conducted by Amanda (Symmes) Mofsen ’11, a former participant in Augsburg’s McNair Scholars Program. Mofsen joined the McNair program in 2010 and conducted research under the mentorship of Ken Winters, a psychiatry faculty member at the University of Minnesota. Mofsen’s work examined the association between Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and nicotine use among adolescents and young adults. Tom Wescott ’11 and his wife, Emily (Nelson) Wescott ’12, recently moved to Devils Lake, North Dakota, where Tom was called to serve Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Additionally, Tom and Nate Luong ’11 wrote an article for Word and World Theological Journal titled, “Coaching as a Model for Pastoral Leadership.” 2014 A research paper by Augsburg College Assistant Professor of Biology Matt Beckman and alumni Enrico Barrozo ’14 and David Fowler ’14 has been accepted for publication in Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. The paper is titled “Exposure to D2-like Dopamine Receptor Agonists Inhibits Swimming in Daphnia Magna.” The paper captured findings from the research team’s work during summer sessions and academic year terms, which was supported by Augsburg’s McNair Scholars Program and Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity. This is the first study that definitively identified a neurotransmitter receptor signaling pathway involved in Daphnia swimming and will help to establish Daphnia as a model organism in which to study movement disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease. Today, Barrozo is studying genetics in a doctoral program at the University of Florida, and Fowler works as a medical scribe in the Twin Cities while applying for medical school admission. Nakisha Davis ’14 has accepted a position with UCare as a transportation specialist. She hopes to attend graduate school in the next few years. Chad Johnson ’14, a two-time NCAA Division III national champion wrestler during his Augsburg career, placed second in the 125-kilogram (275.5-pound) weight class in the freestyle division at the USA Wrestling 2015 ASICS UWW University Nationals, held in June at the University of Akron. Johnson competed for the Minnesota Storm wrestling club. As a collegiate wrestler for the Auggies, Johnson was a four-time All-American, winning national titles in 2012 and 2013 at heavyweight, while finishing third in 2014 and seventh in 2011. Johnson completed his first year as an Augsburg assistant coach in 2014-15, helping to guide the Auggies to their record-12th NCAA Division III team national championship. Lauren Windhorst ’14 is working as a life enrichment assistant at an assisted living facility in Eagan, Minnesota. 2015 David Langemo ’15 would like to thank Frankie Shackelford, professor emerita of languages and crosscultural studies, for teaching him to speak Norwegian and Kevin Healy, former director of advancement services and prospect management, for allowing him to take the class. Langemo is very proud of this accomplishment. He works as an advancement systems specialist in the Institutional Advancement office at Augsburg. He and husband, Drew Schmidt, enjoy their pets Archie, Mali, Reggie, Stuart, and Trudy. GRADUATE PROGRAMS Tracy Keizer ’07 MPA is a physician assistant at an inpatient psychiatric intensive care unit at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. She also teaches Augsburg PA students as a guest lecturer during their didactic phase and as a preceptor during their clinical phases. Having emerged as a leader in the PA profession in Minnesota, she has testified at the State Capitol on a bill to increase access to outpatient mental health services. She was honored with the Presidential Award given by the Minnesota Academy of Physician Assistants. 2005 In 1998, Doris Acton ’10 MAN moved to Minnesota after completing a parish nurse training program through Concordia University. As a parish nurse, also known as a faith community nurse, she works at the 750-member Normandale Hylands Methodist Church in Bloomington, Minnesota. She has been a camp nurse on mission trips, and her mission work in 2004 took her to Sierra Leone, where she later helped start a clinic in collaboration with the Africa Uplifted organization. Casey Morris ’10 MPA is a board certified physician assistant in an urgent care center at Fairview Range Medical Center in Hibbing, Minnesota. Growing up in Ely, another city in Minnesota’s Iron Range, Morris developed a lifelong passion for the outdoors, particularly wilderness and remote medicine. She is a wilderness first responder and is certified by Advanced Wilderness Life Support. She is excited to now live closer to her hometown. Michael Grewe ’12 MSW, Augsburg’s director of LGBTQIA Support Services and assistant director of Campus Activities and Orientation, delivered a presentation titled, “Supporting Transgender Communities,” at a National Association of Social Workers Minnesota Chapter conference. System-Northland in Barron, Wisconsin, as a physician assistant. Homann previously worked as a nuclear medicine technologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Terrence Keller ’15 MPA joined Lake Region Healthcare in its urology department. Keller has a bachelor’s degree in athletic training and exercise science from Minnesota State UniversityMoorhead. He previously worked for Lake Region Healthcare as an athletic trainer and held athletic trainer positions at Augsburg College, Twin Cities Orthopedics, and Sanford Health. Graduate student editors Ashley Cardona ’15 MFA; Kevin Matuseski ’16 MFA; and Amanda Symes ’09, ’16 MFA helped publish the first book by Augsburg College’s Howling Bird Press. The press, housed in Augsburg’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, chose Marci Vogel’s manuscript, “At the Border of Wilshire & Nobody,” as the winner of the 2015 Howling Bird Press poetry prize. AUGGIES HONORED Dr. Amit Ghosh ’13 MBA, a Mayo Clinic physician, submitted a research study paper for publication with Augsburg College co-authors and faculty members Dave Conrad, associate professor of business, and Marc Isaacson, assistant professor of business. The paper, “Employee Motivation Factors: A Comparative Study of the Perceptions between Physicians and Physician Leaders,” was accepted for publication in the International Journal of Leadership in Public Services. Professor Emeritus of Physics Mark Engebretson was honored with a Spirit of Augsburg Award at Homecoming, recognizing his years as an active teacher-scholar, innovative courses, pioneering research on Earth’s space environment, and mentorship of nearly 100 undergraduate research students. Meghan Peyton ’14 MAL, who served as interim head coach for the Augsburg College men’s and women’s cross-country teams in 2014, has assumed head coaching duties on a permanent basis. Peyton has been a part of the Augsburg cross-country and track and field coaching staffs since 2010, and she will continue serving as an assistant coach for the track and field teams. Tom Witschen was recognized with a Distinguished Athletic Service Award at this year’s Homecoming for his nearly 20 years serving as the “Voice of the Auggies,” broadcasting Augsburg baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and volleyball over the air and online. Karlie Homann ’15 MPA joined the family medicine team at Mayo Clinic Health Maureen (Parker) Marradino ’05 fondly remembers participating in the Augsburg Choir, attending chapel services, being a resident assistant, singing at a few Auggies’ weddings, touring Seattle with the orchestra, performing at her voice recital and the recitals of many close friends, and celebrating graduation day. She would like to thank the students and professors who walked through all the tough courses with her. “We did this together, and it was a pleasure getting to know all of you and building four years of personal development with you. Your talents, passions, and spirits filled me and helped me grow as an individual and ultimately a working professional. Thank you!” Marradino said. “Auggies: Don’t forget where you’ve come from. Allow your past experiences (including your Augsburg degree) to shape your future. God bless you all.” 2010 Congratulations to Molly (Ehling) Conover ’10 and Ted Conover ’11 on their July wedding. [L to R]: Hannah Ehling ’15, Becky Ehling, Ted, Molly, Tim Ehling, and Abbey Ehling ’12. 2015 Taylor Kuramoto ’15 has been selected to serve as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in South Korea for the 2015-16 academic year. Fulbright receives thousands of applications each year, and Kuramoto was selected by both U.S. and South Korean committees. In her time outside of the classroom, Kuramoto plans to create English talking circles like those she participated in at the local Jane Addams School for Democracy as an Augsburg College Bonner Leader. She also hopes to use her experience as an Auggie soccer player to connect with students and peers who also enjoy the sport. Spring Fall 2015 2014 2014 39 17 37 In memoriam Alice M. (Norby) Digre ’40, St. Paul, age 98, on July 5. Florence L. (Borstad) Hiepler ’42, Camarillo, California, age 94, on August 21. LaVonne P. (Peterson) Volz ’44, Blue Earth, Minnesota, age 93, on August 14. Clara L. (Gudim) Jacobson ’45, Fairbury, Nebraska, age 92, on August 12. Marvin B. Johnson ’49, North Branch, Minnesota, age 88, on June 8. Maynard H. Kragthorpe ’49, Quilcene, Washington, age 92, on April 26. Donna M. (Tjornhom) Tverberg ’49, Ottertail, Minnesota, age 88, on July 20. George Capetz ’50, Minneapolis, age 91, on May 30. Stephen L. Engelstad ’51, St. Ansgar, Iowa, age 95, on July 23. Arden G. Wahlberg ’58, Mounds View, Minnesota, age 80, on June 18. Ann L. (Holmberg) Wilson ’80, Bronx, New York, age 57, on August 4. Daniel W. Pearson ’51, Minneapolis, age 86, on August 19. Kermit L. Kvamme ’60, Fergus Falls, Minnesota, age 77, on August 16. John C. Nichols ’82, Minneapolis, age 55, on April 28. Morris “Moe” M. Johnson ’52, St. Paul, age 86, on June 2. Larry F. Torgerson ’60, O’Fallon, Missouri, age 76, on June 2 Joyce K. Cleland ’86, Livingston, Montana, age 65, on July 19. Kenneth A. Kotval ’52, Morgan, Minnesota, age 85, on August 4. Russell A. Dudero ’61, Oakdale, Minnesota, age 77, on December 24, 2014. Tammy L. Schmitt ’92, Minneapolis, age 45, June 2. Roger M. Nelson ’52, Albert Lea, Minnesota, age 84, on May 29. LaVon F. (Moderow) Belanger ’53, Elk River, Minnesota, age 84, on May 22. Donald J. Bennethum ’53, Columbia Heights, Minnesota, age 87, on May 22. Robert W. Jakobitz ’53, Stewart, Minnesota, age 83, on August 7. Donald L. Hoplin ’50, Glenwood, Minnesota, age 93, on August 4. Corinne L. (Rethwill) Tiegs ’53, Ortonville, Minnesota, age 83, on June 6. Roger “Bud” K. Leak ’50, Excelsior, Minnesota, age 88, on August 1. Thomas “Tom” I. Benson ’56, Bella Vista, Arkansas, age 81, on May 16. Gordon J. Oberg ’50, Bemidji, Minnesota, age 89, on June 2. J. Sherman Boraas ’56, Waconia, Minnesota, age 86, on May 14. Marion R. Roe ’50, Plymouth, Minnesota, age 91, on July 13. Joanne M. (Luttmann) Gulla ’57, Portland, Oregon, age 79, on June 19. Helen E. (Green) Seline ’50, Appleton, Wisconsin, age 87, on August 28. L. Dwayne Thorson ’50, Smethport, Pennsylvania, age 91, on May 17. 40 Augsburg Now Sara “Sally” A. Duhrkopf ’61, Waterloo, Iowa, age 77, on June 28. Jeanette C. (Steiger) Nichols ’61, Roscoe, Illinois, age 76, on June 30. Ronald G. Moritz ’63, Estherville, Iowa, age 78, on August 23. Diane E. (Foshaug) Krogen ’65, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, age 73, on May 10. Lois M. Kalmoe ’70, Minneapolis, age 85, on May 30. Robert “Bob” E. Kanne ’71, Lake Elmo, Minnesota, age 67, on October 4, 2014. Carla M. (Beyer) Viseth ’71, Fargo, North Dakota, age 64, on June 9. John S. Ryden ’57, Hopkins, Minnesota, age 85, on August 1. JoAnn (Berg) Bablitch ’73, Minneapolis, age 65, on May 25. Janice Y. (Johnson) Joul ’58, Jackson, Minnesota, age 79, on June 29. Geri (Mills) Bjork ’77, St. Paul, age 60, on July 17. Jennine “Jeni” O. (Hugo) Heid ’93, Elk River, Minnesota, age 49, on July 5. Estellene A. (St. John) Zephier ’93, Wagner, South Dakota, age 56, on May 21. Mary L. (Oliva) Asche ’95, Circle Pines, Minnesota, age 61, on August 3. Linda “Lin” J. Faddler ’96, Oakdale, Minnesota, age 65, on July 18. Nicholas “Nick” L. White ’09, Stillwater, Minnesota, age 33, on June 8. Gregory A. Chubb ’10, Hopkins, Minnesota, age 35, on June 30. Louis C. Branca ’15 MFA, Minneapolis, age 81, on August 30. Abdulkadir Farah ’16 MAE, Minneapolis, age 58, on June 4. The “In memoriam” listings in this publication include notifications received before September 8. Connie, Michelle ’15, Lauren ’12, and Lyle Grafelman at Commencement 2015. One More Reason to PASS DOWN THE AUGGIE TRADITION Discounted Tuition with the Augsburg Legacy Scholarship The Augsburg Legacy Scholarship recognizes traditional undergraduate students who are children or spouses of Augsburg graduates, siblings of current Augsburg students, and children or spouses of current Lutheran pastors. Legacy students enrolling for the fall 2016 term receive a minimum award of $13,000 per year upon admission to the College. augsburg.edu/firstyear/scholarships 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 2031 An extraordinary welcome for an unprecedented incoming class Following tradition, the 2015-16 academic year kicked off with an Opening Convocation celebration where the Augsburg College community greeted incoming students and introduced them to facets of their new Auggie identity. A record 478 first-year, traditional undergraduate students arrived on campus this fall, and a talk by Associate Professor of Chemistry Joan Kunz highlighted “The five essential elements of an Augsburg education” with both flair and flare. Kunz is the most recent recipient of the College’s Excellence in Teaching award.
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