Search results

(1 - 6 of 6)

Title: Augsburg Now Winter 2023
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW: ON 'LEANING IN' by Paul C. Pribbenow March 15, 2023 Share this: [ f • Around the Quad. President's Letter Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] ...
Show more Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW: ON 'LEANING IN' by Paul C. Pribbenow March 15, 2023 Share this: [ f • Around the Quad. President's Letter Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i GREAT RETURNS AD Email ] One of the great misperceptions of American higher ed ucation is that colleges and universities are detached from the · real world," ivory towers not concerned about the communities and neighborhoods t hat surround t heir campuses. I am not here to defend all of higher education- though there is p lenty of evidence to rebut that misperception. Instead, I want to declare that for Augsburg University, there has never been a question of our commitment to what we ca ll "leaning in" to the pressing and complex issues of our neighborhood, our country, and indeed the world. It's a commitment articulated in our Augsburg1 SO strategic vision. which states: "As a new k ind of urban, student-centered DF university. w e are educating Auggies as stewards of an inclusive democracy, engaged in their commun ities and uniquely equ ipped to navigate the complex issues of our time." Leaning in so that our students are educated and equipped for the world that so needs their intellects, their passions, and their skills. Sur ely this issue of Augsburg Now powerfu lly demonst rates an array of ways in which this commitment to "leaning in" is lived President Paul Pribbenow (Photo by Courtney Perry) Sign up for Email Newsletter out by our student s. faculty. staff, alumni. and allies. From Associate Professor Katie Cla rk '10 MAN, '14 DNP and alumna Emily Bastia n '07 MSW, and t heir groundbrea king w or k serving those exger iencing homelessness; to our new data science major with its strong focus on equity and Submit Your Alumni News social j ustice; to the contr ibutions of our colleague, Minnesota First Lady Gwen Wa lz, helping us to prepare more teachers of color for our public schools; to t he resea rch of Assistant Professo r Kao Nou Moua, shedding light on t he CONNECT WITH US experiences of Hmong entrepreneurs. And t he list could go on and on with the da ily ways in which the Augsburg community- in its curriculum. community engagement and public advocacy- is working to be good neighbors, to uncover and address systemic injustices. and to support a more robust democracy. El I] In 2019, as part of Augsburg's 150th anniversary celebrations, Auggie alumnus and poet ext raordina ire Donte Collins '18 penned a powerfu l ode to their alma mater, entitled ·we Are Auggies," which concludes with these lines: "When shored, when sharpened. Guided. Here o system of roots. Strong. Striving. A system of roots weaving o new world. Auggie, you ore called into the world. Into your wonder. Your why. To wrestle with reason. To spot the problem. And propose new ports. To walk toward your fears. To find the heart. We ore Called. We ore Auggies." May we all continue to lean in, to make our world more j ust fair. and compassionate, to find the heart. I know we will. because we are called Auggies! Faithfu lly yours, Paul C. Pribbenow, PhD Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] Winter 2022-23 < PREVIOUS POST Au~ burg alumna lands tOP. role at MPR News YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsbu rg alum na lands toll Uncovering t h e exJler ien ces of McNair Scholars Pr ogram w ins r ole at M PR News Hmong ent r eJlr en eu rs comJlet itive r en ewa l grant - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accreditation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri ht © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea lis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University webs~e uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our site with cookies enabled, you are agreei Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG ALUMNA LANDS TOP ROLE AT MPR NEWS by CharlK Hal ey Share this: [ f March 15, 2023 • Around the Quad Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln GREAT RETURNS AD ] [ i.'!i Email ] Jane Helmke '83 was named executive edit or of Minnesota Public Radio News in November 2022. "I'm so honored to be a part of the inspiring team of exceptional journalist s at MPR News at this point in my career," Helmke said . "Every day, we are wor king to include and inform all of our audiences across Minnesota, including today's Auggies! I'm excited to learn how w e can connect w ith and serve these thriving young adult s w ith the news they want and need each day: Prior to taking on this lead role at MPR, Helmke wor ked at NBC affiliate KARE 11 New s for 35 years. She st art ed t here as an int ern during her senior y ear at Augsburg. and she left as the TV st ation's news direct or. With her move t o MPR, Helmke jo ined two other Auggies in key roles at one of Minnesot a's largest media organizations. Jane Helmke '83, executive editor at Jean Taylor '85 was named the CEO of Amer ican Public Med ia Group, the parent company of MPR. in 2021. Before her work w ith MPR. Taylor was t he board chair Minnesota Public Radio News (Courtesy photo) of Star Tribune Media. an executive consu lt ant for the Platinum Group, and the CEO of Taylor Corporation. Sign up for Email Newsletter Andre Griffin '20 is t he commun ity engagement specialist for Carbon Sound, a new music stream from MPR t hat launched in June 2022 in partnership w ith KMOJ radio. Carbon Sound, which also includes a website and app. is ded icated t o celebrating the w ide-ranging influence of Black musical expression. Submit Your Alumni News For Helmke, jo ining MPR feels like "a wonderful, full-circle moment." CONNECT WITH US "Every day now," she sa id, "I carry w ith me the Auggie pride of serving the great er good in our community. MPR News is a place that allows me t o live this important value: El I] Top image: Minnesota Public Radio News building. d o wntown St. Paul (Photo by Minnesota Public Radio) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Uncovering the ex~riences of Hmong entreP.reneurs Notes from President Pribbenow: On 'leaning in' YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President Uncovering the exJleriences of McNair Scholars Program wins Pribbenow: On 'leaning in' Hmong entreJlreneu rs comJletitive renewal grant • on Morch 15, 2023 • on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE UNCOVERING THE EXPERIENCES OF HMONG ENTREPRENEURS On the Spot Q&A with Assistant Professor Kao Nou Moua by CharlK Holey March 15, 2023 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ 'P Pinterest GREAT RETURNS AD ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i:11 Email ] For Kao Nou Moua, research is about storytell ing. The Augsburg assistant professor of social w ork spent a yea r gathering stor ies from Hmong business owners and entrepreneurs to find trends in their experiences and to help public and fi nancial agencies better serve the Hmong business community. After present ing this research at t he first-ever nationa l HMong Econo mic Advancement, Research. and Equ ity (HERE) Conference late last year. Moua reflects on what she's learned and what she's plann ing to study next. Q : Tell us about your latest research, the HMong Economic Advancement and Capacity Building Research Project. Augsburg Asstscant Professo r of Social Work Kao Nou Moua (Photo by Courtney Perry) A: For that pa rticular project, I wor ked with a national organization based in Eau Claire. Wisconsin, called HMong America n Leadership and Economic Develo pment (HALED). While w orking at a d ifferent institution. I had started to build relationships wit h people in Eau Claire. pa rticularly in the Hmong community there. They w ere really interested in looking at economic development among Hmo ng Americans and t rying to und erstand the barriers to becoming a business owner based on the different organizations. agencies, and fina ncial institutio ns that w ere supporting entrepreneurs. Sign up for Email Newsletter We had all of these anecdotal stories about Hmo ng business owners not being able to access services. but there w asn't really any research. Being in the w orld Submit Your Alumni News that w e are in. in terms of needing research or data to support these stories. w e w anted to be really mindful of being able to go to lawmakers and policymakers and say, "These are the barriers that people are exper iencing, and these are the CONNECT WITH US actual numbers of people who are experiencing these things: And so. that's what we did . My research partners and I secured a grant from the state of Wisconsin to do this economic project. By that time, I had transitioned to El I] Augsburg. so I hired a social work student to w ork with me, to mentor them in the social w ork research pro cess. I was w orking with students at t he University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire as w ell. We interviewed about 20 Hmong entrepreneurs in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We did focus groups with Hmong farmers, w omen entrepreneurs, and young people who were interested in ent repreneurship. It w as a wide range. And t he thing is. I'm not a businessperson. I'm a social wo rker. So. it w as really kind of a leap for me to put my mind in th is world of economic d evelopment. But my particu lar Kao Nou Moua teaches her social wor k class. (Photo by Court ney Perry) lens as a social w orker w as: 'What are the barriers in o rganizations?" It's always been my w ork to think about how w e can build culturally grounded services-in this case. w orking with banks and state agencies and orga nizations. Q : What were the results of this research? A: The year lo ng project of data collectio n culminated in the HERE Conference in Eau Claire last September. It w as a nationa l conference, the fi rst of its kind. to bring together Hmo ng entrepreneurs, lawmakers. other business owners. and fi nancial institutions to really think about and look at the data. There w ere a co uple of importa nt findings. One w as that Hmong women entrepreneurs have a v ery different exper ience than what w e think of when w e think about ent repreneursh ip. Even within the Hmong community. there are cultural barriers t hat exist for Hmong w omen entrepreneurs. That's something w e want to explore a little bit more. Another important find ing was that it wasn't so much about having translated materials or th ings like that; it really w as a need for a sense of belonging in those institut ions so people could feel like they w ere w elcomed. Some of the most heartbrea king stories that w e heard w ere people sharing about how they've been denied mult iple t imes (for loa ns) fro m fi nancial institutions. but o nce they w ere able to have a wh ite colleague come and vouch for them. then people at the bank w ere like. "Okay. I can trust t his person because they had a white person vouch for them." Those w er e so me of the really hard stories. Kao Nou Moua presents her research findings at the 2022 HERE Conference in Eau Clair e, Wisconsin. {Photo by HALED) Q : While you were conducting this research, was there anything that surprised you? A: One t hing that did surprise me. especially when w e did the focus group with young people. was that they all talked about the id ea of financial literacy. In high schoo l. they learn how to balance a checkbook. but t hey're like 15- they don't have a checkbook. But now. here they are as college students, and t hey're like. "I would li ke to lea rn that now." And w e had older adults who w ould say, "I want to lea rn more about inv est ments or the stock market." So. w e learned that fi nancial literacy is something that needs to happen multigenerationally or intergener ationally. It is something that needs to happen ov er time. That was really important learning for the orga nizatio n that I w as w orking wit h. HALED w as able to shift their prog ramming to be multigenerational. And the g reat thing was that also aligned with Hmong cultura l values. A lot of the commun ity celebrations are also multigeneratio nal. So, this programming became culturally grounded all of a sudden because we centered Hmong values in terms of learn ing about economic development. Q: What comes next? A: We got a really great response fro m the HERE Conference. Many lawmakers or policymakers w ere super interested in us coming into their individua l agencies to present o ur data. The next phase is to continue to get mo re funding so t hat w e can do more. Al ways in research, there's more research to be done, and part of t hat is to continue to really focus on some of our key findings and really expand on them. The other pa rt of it. for me as a social w ork professor, is to always t hink about opportunities to mentor student resea rchers. Kao Nou Moua speaks with city of Eau Claire policymakers at the 2022 HERE Conference. (Pho,o by HALED) And then, we did ta lk quite a bit about this idea t hat Hmong have a v ery entrepreneurial spirit. Because of their experience of being persecuted and having to move fro m country to co untry and having to adapt. Hmong people have learned how to be entrepreneurs and business owners. You ca n go to China and find Hmong people, you can go to Laos and Thailand and Vietna m, and you can go here in St. Paul. Hmong have always figured out ways to be entrepreneurs. So. I think that's the other line of resea rch that w e w ant to explore-what does a history of tr auma and w ar do to a people? How do they adapt in new spaces? Entrepreneurship is o ne of those w ays that they've learned how to make sense of their lives. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Top image: Kao Nou Moua sp eaks wit h students during her socio/ work class. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twin er ] [ 'P Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i:11 Email ] Winter 20 22-23 < PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST> Augsburg alumna lands tOP. rol e at MPR News W hat's Y.Our favorite SP.Ot on camll!ls? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from Pr esident Augsburg alumna lands tOP- McNair Scholars Program w ins Pribbenow: On 'leaning in' role at MPR New s co mP-etitive r enewal grant · on March 15, 2023 • on Morch 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE 7 WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS? by CharlK Haley March 15, 2023 • Auggies Connect Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] GREAT RETURNS AD "One of my f avorit e places to be w as at the benches in front of Hagfors." -Wyatt Vessey '22 v ia email "Basem ent of t he Lindell Library! Best place t o study!" -Stephanie Quick Espinoza '01, '20 MBA v ia Faceboo k Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US El I] ~ -"My favorit e place at Augsburg? The penalt y box at Ed Saugestad Rink. especially an hour before an Auggie men's or w omen's hockey game. It 's quiet and peaceful (and. admittedly. cold!). Definit ely d ifferent than during the exciting actio n of a ga me." -Don Stoner, Augsburg sports information director. via Tw itter "Tw o of my favorite spots (are in Murphy Squa re). Taken at the beginning of f all sem est er '22." -Luke Schoper '23 v ia Tw itter "The quad" -Emily (O'Connell) Mireault '18 v ia Twitter "Augsburg Men's Hockey l ocker Room. Second favorit e: Smiley's working for Don St oner late nights during w eb 1.0. Th ird: Commons between Urness and Mort. Fourth: Missy Strauch's training r oom. Fifth: John Cerrit o. Milo Sch ield, Nora Brau n. and others' offices. Need I continue?" -Paul Putt '99, '15 MAE via Tw itter "Easily the Hagfors Cent er hands down!" -Ethan Croll '23 v ia lnstagra m Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ M cNair Scholars Program wins coml:!!lti tive renewal grant Uncover ing the exl:!!lriences of Hmong entreP.reneurs YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Alu mn i Class Notes, W inter In Memoriam, Winter 2022- 23 2022-23 • on March 15, 2023 • on Morch 15, 2023 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accredit ation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri ht © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea !is MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University webs~e uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our site with cookies enabled, you are agreei Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM WINS COMPETITIVE RENEWAL GRANT by Farrisr March 15, 2023 Share this: [ f ~ Around the Quad Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln GREAT RETURNS AD ] [ i.'!i Email ] Augsburg's TRIO McNair Scholars Program r ecently secured a S1 .3 mill ion, five-year federal gra nt to support operat io ns through 2027. Named for Ronald E. McNair, an astronaut and physicist who w as among the fi rst Africa n Amer ica ns in the U.S. space program, McNair Scholars is one of eight feder al TRIO programs fund ed by the U.S. Department of Education to increase access to higher ed ucation for economically disadvantaged students. McNair Scholars specifically aims to increase g raduate degree awards fo r first-generation college students w ith financial need and/or members of traditionally underrepresented groups in graduate education, as defined by federal gu idelines. With the s1.3 million grant, Augsburg will continue to support a cohort of 26 McNair Scholars each y ear. Students apply d uring their sophomore year to participate in the progra m as j uniors and seniors. The hallmark of Augsburg's program is MCN 301: Research in the Disciplines, taught by Associate Professor Amanda Case and McNair Assistant Dir ector Cruz Rodriguez. In this 2-credit course, students complete a research proposal under the guidance of a faculty mentor. They spend 400 hours collecting data. analyzing findings, and pr eparing a forma l presentation Sign up for Email Newsletter fo r a natio nal McNair r esearch confer ence in July. The students also underta ke sign ificant preparation fo r Submit Your Alumni News graduate school outside of resea rch, from GRE study to an intensive •boot camp" to develo p their applicatio n statements. Amanda Case teaches her class. (Photo by Courtney Perry) CONNECT WITH US "McNair is a r igorous comm itment • said "Tina" Maria Tavera, program director. •Each TRIO McNair progra m is designed for a particular population. We are fortunate our programming is designed specifically for Augsburg students. Our numbers prove that our program at Augsburg w orks." El I] In a highly competitive funding landscape, Augsburg's program has received continuous federal support since 2007. Many of Augsburg's McNair alumn i have successfully gone on to graduate school. Twenty-one have completed or are enro lled in a PhD program, 58 have completed o r are enrolled in a master's degree program, and 12 have completed or are enrolled in other advanced degree programs (includ ing MD, MBA, Pha rmD. and PsyD). Top image: 2022 Fall McNair Scholars: front row (left to right): Hafsa Hassan; Edward Stockard; Cynthia Faber; Logan Br adley; back row (left to right): lfrah Edow; Jose Orozco Islas; Theo Wayo; Natnae/ Mu/u; Leeroy Doe; Alex Hernandez Olivera; Drew Gross (Courtesy photo) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Au~burg awards King Harald V of Norwav. honorarv. degree What's Y.Qur favorite SP-Qt on camQus? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from Pr esid ent Augsburg alu mn a lan d s to12 Uncovering t h e ex12eriences o f Prib benow: On 'lean ing in' role at MPR New s Hmong entr e12ren eurs - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accredit ation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri nt © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea lis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University webs~e uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. By browsing our site with cookies enabled, you are agreei 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG AWARDS KING HARALD V OF NORWAY HONORARY DEGREE by Sten.henjendraszak March 15, 2023 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln GREAT RETURNS AD ] [ i.'!i Email ] l ate last y ear in Oslo, Augsburg Presid ent Pau l Pribbenow conferred upon King Harald V of Norway the degr ee of Doct or of Humane l etters. hono ris causa . "We are d eeply g rateful for Your Majesty's abid ing support of Augsburg University and our sist er Norwegian-American colleges and universities throughout t he more than t hree decades of your reign," Pr ibbenow sa id in his ceremonial remarks. ·we share bot h a common heritage and profound commitments t o peacemaking and global citizenship." His Maj esty King Harald V of Norway acceded to the throne January 17. 1991 . The king and his w ife. Queen Sonj a. visit ed Augsburg in 2011. This recogn itio noriginally scheduled for 2020 but delayed by t he pandem ic-w as part of Augsburg's sesq uicentennial anniversary celebration. Top image: An Augsburg student porticipoting in the Nor way_ Hub wears o Norwegian King Harald V of Norway (left) and flog while walking through campu s. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Augsburg's p, esident, Paul Pribbenow, meet in Oslo. (Photo by Queen Sonja) Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Alumni Class Notes, Winter 2022-23 CONNECT WITH US M cNair Scholars Program wins com11etitive renewal grant El I] YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President Augsburg alum na lands to12 Uncovering t he ex12eriences of Pribbenow: On 'leaning in' role at MPR News Hmong entre12reneurs · on March 15, 2023 · on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE ALUMNI CLASS NOTES, WINTER2022-23 by !Johnson March 15, 2023 • Auggies Connect. Class Notes (f',lumni/ Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] GREAT RETURNS AD 1960s 1962 On Nov ember 23. 2022. WCCO-TV ran a story on Augsburg football coach Jack Osberg '62. "Augsburg football legend Jack Osberg.Qgens ug about life wit h wife's Alzheimer's disease." Osberg w as featured in the Winter 2021-22 issue of Augsburg Now. 1980s 1984 Paul Mueller '84. regional vice president for Mayo Clinic Healt h System in Sout hwest Wisconsin. Augsburg regent emeritus. and current chair of Augsburg's Great Returns campa ign. participated as a pa nelist in a virtual community forum. "A Tale of Two Viruses." hosted by Mayo Clinic in September 2022. The d iscussion focused on the contrast between monkeypox and COVID-19. 1989 "Sister Novelists: The Trailblazing Porter Sisters. Who Paved t he Way fo r Austen and the Brontes," by Devoney Looser '89. was published in October 2022. The book w as on Apple's list of t he "Most Ant icipated Fall Books" in nonfictio n. and it received a starred r eview from Kirkus. Looser was featured in the Fall 2018 issu e of Augsburg Now. Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News 1990s 1991 CONNECT WITH US Carla Steen '91 was resident d ramaturg for Guthrie Theater's w orld premiere of "Sally & Tom." 1999 Real estate dev eloper Devean George '99 plans to build a modular-housing plant in Minneapolis' North Loop. The plant. which will manufact ure mod ular units for multifamily housing. will create hundreds of jo bs from 2023 to 2025 paying S30 or more per hour. Cheri Johnson ·99 is autho r of "Ann ika Rose: a novel manuscript that wo n the 2021-22 Wo men's Prose Prize from Red Hen Press in Pasadena. California. In 2022. she also published "The Girl in Dulut h." a literary mystery. under the pen name Sig rid Brown. Publishers Weekly selected the book for review. ca lling it an "affecting debut." 2000s 2000 Ross Murray ·oo. ·09 MBA. vice president of GLAAD Media Institute. led a training tour in Australia. Offerings included a master class o n LGBTQ advocacy and support for leaders looking to make t heir o rganizatio ns more LGBTQ-w elcoming and inclusive. Murray also met with the Aust ralian Film Television and Radio School to spea k with faculty about teach ing students the impact of LGBTQ inclusivity in media representation. 2004 Mary Taris '04. founder and CEO of Strive Publishing and Str iv e Bookstore. w as one of the business owners featured in a KARE 11 story about a 2022 holiday pop-up ma rket in downtown Minneapo lis. 2005 Eddie Frizell 'OS MAL w as confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2022 as the U.S. marshal for Minnesota. The first Black U.S. marshal in Minnesota history. he leads the U.S. Ma rshals Service for the state. 2006 Wendi Wheeler '06, '13 MAL. spoke with a reporter about how a man holding a "You Ar e Loved" sign in Moorhead. Minnesota. gav e her hope when she w as contemplating suicide. The sto ry. "A college stud ent ho ld ing a sign on a Moorhead st reet corner saved her life." appeared in several Minnesota newspapers. 2009 Marette Hahn '09. directo r of academic and career excellence at Grand Ca nyon University. was nominated for the Athena Valley of the Sun Founder's Aw ard. Rachel Stud ier '09. ·12 MBA. chief operations officer of Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union. was na med a Top Wo man in Finance by Finance & Commerce. wh ich cov ers business news in Minnesota. 2010s 2013 For the past three years. Kacie Butcher '13 has been director of the Public History Project at the University of Wisconsin-Mad ison. a multiyea r effort to uncover and give voice to histories of discriminatio n and resistance at the university. The project has resu lted in a physical exhibitio n. a digital exhibitio n w ebsite. curricu lar materials. an event and lecture ser ies. and a final report. The proj ect is the fi rst of its kind in the nation in regards to scope and its focus on public engagement. 2014and 2019 Sisters Fa iso Abdu lle '14. '20 DNP and lkraan Abdu lle '19 DNP are two of four nurses who founded Our Place Residential Services. The business provides integrated support services to clients. including medical care. stable housing. and the supportiv e ad ministrative and coach ing services needed to stabilize d isabled and ho meless patients. The nurses and their business w er e featured in the August 28. 2022. Star Tribune story. "Four firstgeneration Somali American nurses started business to care for i;iatients in need." 2015 Alisha Esselstein '15 joined The Manely Firm. P.C.. as an associate attorney. 2018 Chung Lip '18 recently published "Hers." a memoir which reflects on his child hood experience growing up in Cambod ia. Lip wrote the memoir to share his personal experiences growing up as an orphan. to inspire others. and to promote resiliency among young people around the w orld . 2020s 2022 Tucker Robinson '22 is program coordinator for Change the Outcome. Robinson's story is part of a September 23. 2022. story in the Star Tribune. "After the loss of her son to the oi;iioid egidemic, a Minnesota mother seeks to cha nge the outcome for others." Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Health Commons receives $SOK ~ui!Y.,grant Augsburg awards King Harald V of Norwav. honora!Y. degree YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE What's Y.OUr f avorite SJlOt on In Memoriam. Wint er 2022-23 cam P.us? - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 El I] Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE HEALTH COMMONS RECEIVES $SOK EQUITY GRANT by CharlK Hal ey March 15, 2023 • Aroun d the Quad Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln GREAT RETURNS AD ] [ i.'!i Email ] Augsburg Hea lt h Commons has received a $50,000 grant to continue its work in advancing health equity thro ugh nursing. The Health Equ ity Innovation Fund grant, awarded in early January, came from AARP and the Center to Cha mpio n Nursing in America, a j oint initiat ive of AARP Foundat io n, AARP, and t he Robert Wood Johnson Foundatio n. Augsburg Hea lt h Commons will use this funding to deepen its w ork of providing free services to marginalized com mu nities. The grant also allows Health Commons to consider expansio n, including a possible new locat io n in North Minneapolis. Executive Directo, Katie Clark (middle) and other Augsburg faculty members pass out supplies co Health Commons visitors. (Photo by Courtney Perry) ·we are moved beyond wo rds to be selected fo r this opportunity," said Katie Clark '10 MAN, '14 DNP, associate professo r of nursing and executive director of Health Commons. "These funds will not only help relieve some of the suffering people are forced to endure in the immediate term, but will also help cult ivate ideas and solut io ns for the lo ng term in ca ring for people who experience ma rginalization." The first Augsburg Hea lth Commo ns drop-in center opened at Central Luthera n Sign up for Email Newsletter Ch urch in downtown Minneapolis in 1992. Most people seeking ca re there are unhoused o r ma rgina lly ho used. In 201 1, a second location opened in Ceda rRiverside in response to a need for accessible health care services identified by Submit Your Alumni News members of the East African immigra nt commu nity. Both locations center commu nity vo ices and are o perated by Augsburg nursing CONNECT WITH US faculty, nursing and physician assistant volunteer s, students, and community members. Everyone is w elcome, and all services are free. El I] With this gra nt Health Commons will continue provid ing services at both locat io ns as w ell as at local homeless encampments. Faculty will explore new partnerships at other locations including in North Minneapolis in collaboration with Augsburg's physician assistant program. The grant will also support the educational m issio n of Health Commo ns by providing paid research and pract ice internships fo r graduate nursing students. Augsburg Physician Assistant Program Director Vanessa Bester checks a visitor's blood pressure at Health Commons. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Augsburg H ea It h Commons is one of 16 organizations nat io nally to receive a Health Eq uit y Innovatio ns Fund award for 2022. Find out more about the grant or visit the Augsburg Health Commons w ebsit e. Read more about the wor k at Augsburg Health Commons in this issue of Augsburg Now. Top image: An Augsburg nursing faculty member sorts t hrough donated supp lies at Health Commons. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twin e, ] [ Renovated athletics facilities dedicated to beloved Augg]fil Alumni Class Notes, Winter 2022-23 YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President Augsburg alum na lands tOP- Uncovering the exP-eriences of Pribbenow: On 'leaning in' role at MPR News Hmong entreP-reneurs - on Morch 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AT 25, STEPUP LOOKS TO THE FUTURE by Farrisr March 15, 2023 Share this: [ f • Around the Quad Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] GREAT RETURNS AD StepUP® at Augsburg Univ ersity is one of the origina l handfu l of collegiate recovery programs in the United States. At its 25th anniversary, it's also one of the largest and most comprehensive. Several factors account fo r the program's success over time, including the residential facility in Oren Gateway Center, on-staff chemica l dependency counselo rs, and strong connections to Minnesota's recovery netw orks. But ask students, staff, and supporters what makes StepUP more t han the sum of its parts, and o ne answ er comes up ev ery time. Interior lobby of Oren Gateway Ce mer (Photo by Courtney Perry) The magic is in t he community. The number of U.S. collegiate recovery progra ms has grown to nearly 150 in the years since Augsburg jo ined Rutgers, Texas Tech, and Brown University in starting its own program. But it's still unusual for an institution of Augsburg's size to operate a program o n t he scale of StepUP. Rarer still is the level of fi nancial support donors have provided to ensure the program's sustainability. Early on, StepUP leadership set an ambitious goal to ra ise a $1 O million endowment to provide funds fo r staff salaries and programming costs into the future. Augsburg reached this Sign up for Email Newsletter fund raising milestone in 2022 thanks to the generosity of supporters and alumni. Now, staff are focused on expand ing Submit Your Alumni News philanthro pic suppo rt for critical student needs, includ ing tuition and housing. "For young people in r ecovery, living in a residential commun ity CONNECT WITH US like StepUP ca n make all the difference, but it's a big financial commitment," said Martha Truax '16 MAL, director of StepUP students give Oren Gateway Center dorm tours leadership gifts fo r StepUP. "Going forward, w e w ant to be able during their holiday party, December 2022. (Photo by Courtney Perry) to provide mo re tuition support and housing stipends so that El I] students don't have to face a choice between paying fo r college and staying sober." Director Ericka Otterson '1S MSW returned to Augsburg to lead StepUP in Janua ry, having previously w orked as a StepUP administrato r and chemical dependency counselor from 2007 to 2014. Under her leadership, the program will also explo re new pa rtnerships with local colleges and universities-including the University of Minnesota-to reach mo re students. "Despite increasing need, not every school can afford to bu ild its own collegiate recovery program fro m scratch," Otterson said. "For institutions in the metro area, StepUP ca n help." A recently fi nalized agreement wit h t he Univer sity of St. Thomas allow s students to live in Oren Gateway Center and participate in StepUP programming while still attending classes at their home instit utio n. With a ca ring support netw ork on Augsburg's campus and mo re tha n 800 program alumni, t hey'll be in good compa ny. StepUP alumnus Chris Allen '02 live paints a charity piece at the StepUP Gala in 2021. (Photo by Rebecca Slater) "A lot has changed in 25 y ears," sa id Nell Hurley, recruitment and outreach manager. "But StepUP is stil l doing what w e set out to do: To create a community of students who are in this together and supporting each other . That's what makes it wo rk." StepUP will hold its 25th anniversary ga la w ith emcee Don Shelby on May 13 at t he Radisson Blu hotel in Bloomington. For tickets and more information, visit the StelJUP w ebsite. Top image: StepUP students pose in Murphy Squore. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Pribbenow named to national hig!ler ed eng~gement adviSO!'.'£grou11 Renovated athletics facilities dedicated to beloved Auggies YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from Pr esid ent Augsburg alu mna lan d s to12 Uncovering t h e ex12eriences o f Prib benow: On 'lean ing in' role at MPR New s Hmong entr e12ren eurs - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accredit ation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri ht © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea lis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University webs~e uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our site with cookies enabled, you are agreei Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE PRIBBENOW NAMED TO NATIONAL HIGHER ED ENGAGEMENT ADVISORY GROUP by Sten.henjendraszak March 15, 2023 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln GREAT RETURNS AD ] [ i.'!i Email ] In the fall, the U.S. Depa rtment of Ho using and Urban Development and Campus Compact announced the HUD + Higher Ed Engagement Network, a new collaboration to strengthen higher ed ucation community action. Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow was one of three college presidents named to a 30member think tank of strategic leaders that will gu ide net work activities. "Augsburg has long been engaged in vital placemaking w ork with our neighbors, our students, and o ur employees," said Pribbenow, who also chairs the Central Corridor Anchor Part nershiP- in Minneai;iolis. "It's an honor to be able to sha re what we've learned about mutually sustaining partnerships in an urban setting wher e w e have deep institutiona l roots." The think tank will collaborate with HUD leaders to dev elop and disseminate strategies for campuses to engage with HUD field offices and initiatives nationwide. Member institutions wil l put these plans into action at the local level, with the goal of build ing inclusive. sustainable. and thriving communities Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow through increased civic and community engagement. Focus areas will include (Photo by Courtney Perry) w orker empowerment materna l and infa nt health, evictio n prevention, landlord out reach, housing security and access, broadband access and d igital literacy, and cultural competency. "We are thrilled to partner with Campus Compact o n th is initiative," sa id Michele Perez. HUD's assistant deputy Sign up for Email Newsletter secretary for field policy and management, in announcing t he program. "Th is pa rtnership will bolster HUD's and the members of the Higher Ed Engagement Netw ork's ability to serve our most vulnerable populations through the higher education space. Together, w e will leverage our strong connections in our respect ive industries to enable a Submit Your Alumni News j ust equitable, and sustainable future: CONNECT WITH US Top image: Downtown Minneapolis as seen f rom Augsburg's camp us (Photo by Mark Chomberloin) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ W omen's hockev. travels to Euro11e for games and growth At 25, SteP.UP looks to the future YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President Augsburg alum na lands tog Uncovering t he exi;ieriences of Pribbenow: On 'leaning in' role at MPR News Hmong entrei;ireneurs - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 ~ CJ Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE WOMEN'S HOCKEY TRAVELS TO EUROPE FOR GAMES AND GROWTH by Douachee Lee March 15, 2023 • Around the Quad Share t his: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ GREAT RETURNS AD i.'!i Email ] We'll sing the Auggie War Song, We'll shout the battle cry, We'll fight the Auggie battles, Auggies ever, do or die! Augsburg's school song could be heard overseas t his past Decem ber as the w omen's hockey t eam t raveled fro m Helsinki, Finland, t o St ockholm, Sw eden, t o play t hree exhibit ion gam es against int ernat ional t eam s. "We are grat eful and excit ed t o cont inue t he t rad it ion of an int ernat iona l t rip; said head coach M ichelle McAteer. "Players often say it 's one of t heir best experiences to t ravel and com pet e overseas. It is t he ult im at e road t rip!" Th is w as t he fifth int er national t r ip for Augsburg w om en's hockey. The t eam t rav eled w it h a group of m ore t han 70 people including coaches, st aff, and fam ily mem bers. The Auggi es played ga mes against HIFK and Hollola from Helsinki and Hammarby fro m Stockho lm. Winn ing two of t he t hree gam es w as great , but t he r eal highlight of t he t rip was int eract ing w it h players and coaches fro m other count ries. After ev ery ga me, t he Auggies jo ined t he host t eams Sign up for Email Newsletter w it h a shared m eal t o connect about hockey and life. Add it ionally, they to ured t he cit ies, visit ing local and fa mous Submit Your Alumni News sit es like t he Nobel Prize M useum and St ockholm City Hall. At t he Vasa M useum, t hey saw a preserved w arship from 1628 and learned about its history. The Augsburg women's hockey team at a ski jump at ISKU arena in Lahti, Finland (Coun:esy photo) CONNECT WITH US "Int er nat io nal t ravel broadens our perspective as w e navigat e differ ent cultures, languages, and experiences. Doing it t ogether creat es lifelo ng m em ori es and strengt hens our bond as a team," McAt eer said. El I] Top image: The Augsburg women's hockey team at Stockholm City Holl, Sweden (Courtesy photo) Share t his: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ An educator and catal~t for changg Pribbenow named to national higher ed eng~gement adviso(Y_grouQ YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President Augsburg alumna lands tOP- Uncovering t he exP-eriences of Pribbenow: On 'leaning in' role at MPR News Hmong entreP-reneurs • on March 15, 2023 • on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 AuGSBURG - U N IV ER SIT Y - PREV IOUS ISSU ES HOM E ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AN EDUCATOR AND CATALYST FOR CHANGE Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz focuses on equity and civic engagement in he r partnership with Augsburg. by Kate H. El/iorr Sh a r e t h is : [ f Morch 15, 2023 • Featured Stories Facebook ] [ '!I Twi« e, ] [ 'P GREAT RETURNS AD Pintere sr ] [ in Li nk ed ln ] [ D Ema il ] In 2019. Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz j oined Augsbu rg University as special assist3nt to the pres ident for strategic partnerships and 35 a fe llow in th e Sabo Cen ter f or Dem ocracy and Cit ize nsh ip. But Walts co nn ection to ca mpus bega n long before she was born . whe n her mother steppe d out of ru ra l life in ce nt, 31Minnesota and onto a bus destined for Augsburg. Li n nea (Wack er) Whi ppl e '60 was t he f irst person in her fa m ily t o graduate from high schoo l. Why stop there? ·one of the most signifi cant indic;at ors of chil dren's future educational atta inment is th e e du cat iona l ;attainm ent of their mothers." Walz said . "My mom st;a rted co untry school at four yea rs of ;age because her brother wouldn't go to school wit hout her, ;and she gra du;ate d fro m high schoo l at 17. I am gratefu l s he ha d the d rive to lea ve her fa mily life and that Augsb urg- t hro ugh its fa ith a nd alumni conn ections- fo und my mother in he, small town of 600." Minnesma Fi,sc La dy Gwen Walz (Photo oy Courmey Pe.ry) And Augsbu rg didn't let Whipp le go . Wa lz sa id college advisors checke d in on he, mother, who worked m;any hours to pay for sc hool. Professors encour;aged Whipple. whose early educ;ation was in a one-room schoo lho use. to app ly for a postg,;ad u;at e teac hing position in Hawaii. "Th ey sa w her potential, a nd t hey didn't li mit my mother at ;a time when women had lots of limits." Wa lz a dd ed . "I grew up he;a ring about that level of persona l support and Augsbu rg's drive to deve lop inform ed cit izens. th oughtful steward s, critica l th inkers, ;and respo nsible le;ade, s. " Whipple's tenure in Hawaii ended abruptly wh en her brother died in a fa rm accident. Deeply invested in family. Whipple return ed to Minnesota. where she cont inued to teac h. met he, hu sba nd- also an e du ca tor- and r;a ise d four da ughters. Equity work with Pribbenow 'changed everything' Li ke her parents. W;a lz became an educator ;an d marrie d an educator. Tim Walz. Prior to being elected Minnesota's 41st governor, Tim served from 2007 to 2019 as the U.S. House represe ntative for the state's 1st cong, essional dist, ia. which includ es the Ma nkato schoo l district wh ere the W;a lzes taught. Tim and Gwen Walz spea k rn scudems as a part of the Augsbu,g B~ld Spea ker Series, Occober 20 20. (Phom by Rebecca Slace,) "As educ;ators, ;and with Tim's role in governme nt. we were brought into conversations about diversity and equity in the K12 system ," Walz sa id. ·we wanted someo ne to facilitate disc uss ions in a way t h;at would honor a ll voices. and without t hink ing twice , we reache d out to Augsburg President Pa ul Pribbe now . We had see n and he;a rd that he is a m;an of the mo ment wh o gets things done and achieves meaningful outcomes." The W;a lzes aske d Pribbe now to join a t;ask force to ;ad dress issues relate d t o diversity, equ ity. and incl usion in Rochester schools. This experie nce. Walz sa id. "cha nged everything. " It's why she overlooked ot her job offers to accept Pribbenow's invit;at ion to work for Augsb urg in 2019. ·we spe;a k t he sa me l;anguage," W;a lz sa id . "President Pribbenow is focused on t he right priorities. and he approaches work with integrity and ;a coll;aborative, empowering spirit He's not afraid to take crea tive risks. and he embodies wha t makes Augsb urg so inc,e dibly special."' When Pribbenow as ked Walz to consider working for Augsb urg, he hadn't settled on a job title. He told her: 'There is nothing you ca n't do. but you will figure it o ut wh en you get here. I ha ve some ide;as, but I ;am confident you will see and do the work in front of you: "His behef in me re minded me ofthe belief Augsburg had in my moth er. and I w;as sold."Walz said. "He and I both knew we had ;a lot to work out. but he kn ew I ha d so mething to offer the un iversity, ;a nd I was eager to continu e t o serve and work as ;an educ;ator. "My mom always used t o sa y. 'Do the work t h;at is in front of you.' ;and as a ch ild. I th ought s he me;ant the dis hes." Walz laughed . "H ere. I have ;an opport un ity to do tha t work ;a longside le;ade, s wh o aren't afraid to take on diffi cu lt conversations ;and opportun it ies ." The Augsburg commun ity. Walz said. is ma de up of administra tors. faculty. st;aff, a nd stud ents wh o s;ay. '"We are not go ing to just ta lk about th e work. we a, e going to do the work, ;and not on ly do the work but lea d t he work.' The un iversity e mpowers stude nts and rem inds us there is not always one way to do things." Gwen Walz (ba ck row, second f<om right), Paul Pribbenow (back rnw, center). Abigai l Pribbenow (back row, second from leIT), and o,her members of the Augsourg community gachere:l a, che MNU DL Mayors Challenge 10ch Anniversa ry Fund.a iser in September 20 22 . (Photo by Cou.1:ney Per,y) A 'confident disruptor' Walz said he, work- both ;at Augsburg and ;as first lady of Minnesota- is not about power; it's about respo nsibil ity. "My fi rst question to myse lf ;and ot hers is ;a lways. 'Wh om do we serve?' The ;answer ca n change. but in my work at Augsburg, it's mostly focused on students. My ro le ;afford s me t he ability to m;a ke connea ions for people and to cut t hrough re d t;ape." Wa lz sa id. She w;as integral in implementing th e Auggie Pass. an a ll-you-can ride transit pass for e ligible Augsbu rg stude nts to access the city's buses a nd light -r;a il tr;a ins. even during breaks. She has ;a lso helped build co nnections between campus progra ms and st;ate age ncies t o offer internships and experie ntia l lea rning opportun ities . ·one effort I a m particularly excited about is my work with t he provost to encourage voting among ou, stud ents and t o educate the m about t he safety of our voting systems.'' Walz said. "The Higher Educa tion Act of 1965 requires un iversities to ha nd out vot er registr;ation card s, but there is no fund ing o, enforceme nt mechanism. We are looking t o weave these and other civic engagement a nd education efforts into th e Augsburg experie nce: As d irector of the Sa bo Center, Elaine Esche nbacher works directly with W;a lz to integ, ate civic and community e ng;ageme nt. experiential education. and democ,;acy bu ilding into th e Augsburg experie nce. "I appreci;at e and ;ad mire Gwen's capac ity a nd interest in going deep on a topic. She is ;a le;a rn er who a ims to kn ow more tha n s urface-leve l information." Esc henbacher sa id. "She encourages us to be "confident disruptors' of systems t hat d on't serve peop le. particularly the most vulnerable. I wrote tha t term on a note and ha d it on my des k for a long time : Esc henbacher adde d t h;at W;a lz inc, eases th e university's access to peop le ;and syste ms. "People answer her phone calls." Eschenbac her sa id . "But more importa ntly. Gwen brings deep knowledge of education that empowers students to fu lly realize the ir potential. She brings rich experience in navigating and c,e;at ing cha nge. and she brings a deep co mm itm ent and clear vision for equ ity in educa tion ." Elaine Eschenba cher, dioec:or of ,he Sa bo Cemer (Photo b'/ Coun:ney Perry) Equity in the classroom Walz's work ;a lso focuses on teac her educa tion . One of her first meetings at Augsburg was wit h Audrey Le nsmire. an assoc iate professor of education a nd t he founding director of the form er East Afric;an Student to Teacher Program {EAsn. now kn own as th e Th rive Progr;a m. W;a lz w;anted to le;a rn m ore about the program's work to e mpower E;ast Africa ns and other BIPOC stude nts to become lice nsed teachers. More t h;an 100 stud ents have be nefitted from the progra m since 2013. Lensmire refl ected on that first meeting: 'Wh en I wa lked into her a/flee. I was shak ing a bit. I didn't know wha t to call her. It see med so weird to call someone 'first l;ady.' but s he told me t o ca ll her Gwen . She as ked great qu estions. liste ned carefully. a nd t ook lots of notes. and I quickly re;a lize d how lucky Augsbu rg is to have her.... I introduced her t o scholars a nd teachers beca use she wanted to hear their stories a nd needs. We bega n t o sha re ou r own histo ries and expe rie nces. and we beca me friends." The two d eve loped a gra duate course ca lled Connecting Policy. P, aa ice. and Advocacy for Ed uca tiona l Equ ity . It combines th eir shared loves of writ ing, te;acher empowerm ent. a nd po licy ch;ange. In 2020. Le nsmi, e and W;a lz bega n co-teaching the course. wh ich has become ;a core class in the Maste r of Edu cation program . Lensmire s;a id Wa lz has taught her a lot about resea rch. a dvocacy. and complications wit hin government systems. Walz is honest and thoughtful. Lensmire sa id. and has even given her daughter. a second-year Augg ie. lot s of ;advice and green Jolly R;a nchers. 'A remarkable advocate' Pribbenow sa id it s impress ive how Wa lz gracefully ba lances her dual roles at the un iversity. while ;a lso investing and connecting personally with students in the classroo m. He benefits from he, "keen eye" in na viga ting complex politic;a l circumstances to adv;ance the un iversity"s vis ion. "Gwen h;as proven to be a remark;ab le advoc;ate for our students and ou, miss ion.'' he sa id. "Her work on co mm un ity engage ment projeas is always insightful and focuse d on moving work forward . Her partnership with ou r education department to prepare te;achers of co lor fo r ou, pub lic schools brings both he, educational experience and he, advocacy skills to bear on this c,itica l effort." Gwen Wal, with members of <h e ~.ugsbu,g community aITer hosting an on-campus e-ve m, A Conversation with Fi,sc La:ly Gwen Walz and Gay Righcs Advocate Randy Florke, in Ma.en 20 19 . (Fhoto oy Courmey Pe, ry) He r prese nce. Pribbenow sa id. is a m ode l for the Augsbu rg comm un ity . Walz is un like any ot her first lady in state history, with an offi ce in the C;ap ito l and ;a robust policy portfolio focused on e duc;at ion. Yet she keeps he, faith in foc us, ;and she's maintained a "Minn esota nice· that often emerges from the oven. "Fou r d;ays before the election. we took a bus around to various stops to thank peop le wh o worked on the campa ign . I didn't have ;a spe;a king role ;at these stops. but I wanted to convey my perso n;a l thanks ;and hono r their time and ha rd work," Walz said. "I rolled up my sleeves and c;a lled all my volleyba ll moms ;a nd friends over to t he reside nce. and we baked 1.400 gingersnaps fro m my g, a ndm othet s recipe and packaged the m with a note fro m me . Sma ll gestures matte,. and I love sharing a bit of myse lf with ot hers." Walz said she hopes her persona l ;app roach to leadership shows students they c;an ac hieve profess ion;a l success while also prioritizing fam;ly and fa ith. Those priorities brought her to Augsburg, ;and th ey will continu e to drive her work for the university . "I c;an fa ll into the trap of always wis hing I could do more. give more. or be better. But I w;a ke up each morn ing with devotions to center myse lf and ack nowledge that I ;a m doing wh;at I can. with what I h;ave. to the best of my ;ab ility.'' Walz said. "It's a privilege to be here now. working with Augsbu rg to he lp e du ca te students to ach ieve their potential and- together - make a difference in this worl d. " That is work worth doing, she s;a id. and it's right in front ofus. Top image: Gwen Walz to /ks with the Augsburg comm unity. January 2013 (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: I Tags: f Facebook 11 '!# Twirre, 11 'P Pinteresr 11 in Li nk edln 11 i:i Ema il I Winter 2022-23 < PREVIOU S POST NEXT POST> Women's hock~ lra\lels to Euro~ for game,s and growth Creatinll con nections YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Renovate d athletics f;a c il it ies Crea t ing con nectio ns Meet ing the needs de di ca ted to be loved Auggies - on March 15, 2023 - onMarch/ 5, 2013 - on Morch 15, 1023 Sign up for Emai l Newslette r Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US El IJI ,~, Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE r;z T ~ CREATING CONNECTIONS New data science major gives students an opportunity to make sense out of copious amounts of complicated information. by Lisa Renze-Rhodes March 15. 2023 .. Featured Stodes Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ GREAT RETURNS AD in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] Driv ing d irections o n a cell phone. coupons for 25 cent s off pret zels at the grocery store. and w eather alert s w ar ning of pot entially ser ious st or ms sha re one common thread: dat a. From where people d rive. to what t hey buy. to w here they live. nea rly ev eryth ing in lif e is connected to the evercollect ed. extremely valuable info rmation that is gathered and int erpret ed t hrough data science. But beyond giving businesses clues about when a f amily is r eady to replace a refrigerato r or t ake a tr ip t o the Grand Canyon. dat a science ca n also be used in ways that bring equity and justice t o underserved and marginalized communities. It's w ithin that fram ew ork that faculty at Augsburg University began piecing t ogether w hat is now a full-blow n dat a science majo r. John Zobitz. professor of mathematics and data science. said the new majo r- officially a Bachelor of Science in dat a science launched in f all 2022- is a response to requests by alumni and students for m ore oppo rtunities t o expa nd o n w hat they w ere already lea rning in m ath and comput er science classes. Student s can now minor in dat a science. t oo. Sign up for Email Newsletter "When we designed this m ajor. we tried to m ake it as flat as John Zobitz, professor of m athem atics and data scien ce possible. relative to prer equisit es." Zob it z said . "Student s ca n (Photo by Courtney Perry) st art the m ajor w ith either an introduction t o dat a science Submit Your Alumni News course. a comput er science course. or a mat hematics course. That m akes it o pen t o first -year students and has r eally helped attract m ore students." The m ajo r also draws students w ith a w id e range of int erests. Zobitz said. While data science can help consum ers get free shipping on their dog's mo nthly food delivery. it ca n also be used to identify societ al challenges and inequities. And mo re importantly. it can help find solutions t o specific pro blems. Making a difference There are m any w ays that dat a science m akes a concr ete differ ence in people"s lives. such as gather ing and disseminating info rmation about pot ent ially da ngerous w eather. The Federal Em ergency Management Agency estimat es that since 1997. dat a collect ed by aircraft w ith special storm predicting t echno logy and eq uipm ent have improved predict io ns about hurr icane st o rm and landfall patt erns by 20%. Those life-saving ear ly warnings give mo re people more t im e t o t ake necessary st eps to evacuat e o r prepare befo re a st o rm h it s. And in issues of social justice. dat a ca n com e r ight alo ngside community organizers and other change agents. prov iding real numbers t o bolst er t heir rationa le. "A focus on equity. inclusion. and j ustice is built t hroughout the major.• Zobitz said. "How data influences how you see the w orld- w hether it"s algorithm ic bias. why som e families get picked f or a loan and others don"t, o r in a pa ndemic. how one"s pre-existing conditions ma ke them more susceptible t o ill ness." Data t ells great st ories fo r people pay ing attention. he said. John Zobitz talks with his data scien ce students. (Ph oto by Courtney Perry) In a class that introduces the id ea of dat a science as a tool f or social j ustice. Zobitz has st udents consid er transport ation availability in the Twin Cities. Suddenly. hist orical patterns of racism and inj ustice leap int o st ark moder n-day relief. Redli ning-the discriminat ory pract ice of w it hhold ing fund ing t o purchase homes in so-ca lled "at risk" neighbor hoods that began in the U.S. in the 1930s and d isproportionat ely impacted Black f am ilies-continues t o affect people. The practice ensured that f amilies of color. m any of who m w ere mov ing int o new areas as part of the country"s Great Migration. w ere relegat ed t o less desirable neighbo rhoods. As a result. ma ny had t o liv e f ar aw ay from w ork. decreasing their quality of life because of the sheer amount of tim e it t ook t o get t o and fro m t heir j obs. Despit e a 1977 f ederal law that w as int ended to quell the practice of r edlining. the harm ful effects linger t oday. "Student s st art t o translat e what they"re learning into w hat they're living: Zobitz said. "You st art t o hear st o ries like. ' My m om has t o take five buses t o get her w ork do ne.' They talk about their exper iences. and they st art having conv ersat io ns w ith each other about w hat inform ation is needed t o ma ke educat ed recommendations fo r change." Student stories The int ersection of that inf or mat io n is what lured Dij one Mehmeti "24 to the maj or. "What drew m e into data science w as the connect io n betw een dat a and social life." she said. "Applying those t wo t ogether really made me int er est ed in it - that connection that you see something. and it helps you d ig int o i t ev en more. "Learn ing about redlining. crim e. t hen yo u dig into mo re reasons why that happens ... t hat's w hy it"s so pow erful." M ehmeti said . "The infor matio n could be considered hidden. but it's not. It's int erconnected in so many d ifferent ways: John Zobitz sp eaks with a stu dent during data science class. (Ph oto by Court n ey Perry) Students also lear n about the import ance of ethics in dat a collectio n. In that v ein. Ly Xiong '24 hopes t o o ne day focus her w ork not necessarily o n what the dat a rev eals. but where it"s coming from. "For m e. t he most important part is t he dat a itself - who is collect ing the dat a." Xio ng said. "The results w ould be different if I'm collecting data in my community; they w ill trust me. But if I'm collecting dat a in another community. they m ay not trust m e. So. it goes back t o: how are w e collecting the data?" A lack of trust can y ield incomplet e dat a. Xio ng sa id. Her long-t er m goal is t o educate people about how t o creat e dat a sets that better represent an issue and communities affect ed by it . Those real-world applications are specifically driv ing Ridwan Abdi '24. "l"m Som ali." Abdi said . "I w ant to use data science t o do st orytelli ng. The problems w e hav e in our community are that so many young adults and t eens are st ruggling w ith drugs. So. maybe I can use dat a t o educat e and partner w ith universities. t o creat e someth ing that could help people t ake action." All three it erations of the majo r are. in m any ways. exactly what Zob it z ho ped fo r. Stu d ents listen to Pro fessor John Zobitz's lect1.1re. {Pho to by Courtney Perry) "I like t o say that if you put your whole self in there. and br ing your ow n experiences t o it. when you creat e a visualizatio n and see the power dat a has. people pick up on that. I think it eliminates some of t hat ·1do n't believe you· that "s bound t o come from data." he said . · connecting it t o people gives it pow er. instigat es change: Alumni success Alumni are responding t o the new major w ith excit em ent- and a little e nvy. Nhu Putnam '12 graduated w ith ho nors in her double-m ajo r of fi nance and m athematics w ith an em phasis in proba bility and applied mathem atics. She spends her days in data. doing r isk ana lysis and data analytics fo r WTW. an insurance advisory firm headquart er ed in Lo ndo n. "It's good f or Augsburg t o launch these programs. I really liked the d epartment of m athematics. and t his is the right direction fo r Augsburg t o go," Putnam said. "Math is good. but applied math is w ay m ore pow erful. And dat a science is one of the m ost pow erful w ays w e ca n use math in an applied way: She sa id one gr eat example. fro m a corporat e perspect ive. is t hat data science can prov ide the evidence that persuades a company t o invest in a particular social mov em ent. "How can you use data science t o help a community? It's about : here's a t opic. what ever might be im portant t o your community. and here"s what we've lea rned. What ca n you do w ith those r esult s? Can you get companies t o invest in your project? Dat a science will be the future. If you"re good at it. and passionat e about it. you w ill be able t o effect real change." Putna m said . Bjorn Melin "20 agreed. Like Put nam. he double-majored. sp litting his tim e at Augsburg pretty evenly in the mathematics and comput er science departm ents. Today. he"s a data engineer w ith 3M. "I t ook the dat a v isualization class. and a big f ocus of it was on the ethics behind it. It's someth ing rve t alked about w ith all my t eammat es in every prof essional setting I've had.... If som eone doesn"t understand t he ethical implications behind this. ther e can be serio us repercussions. That's another reason t o support the m ajor. getting people out t here w ho can com e in w ith a solid baseline of know ing how t o be safe and ethica l." he said. "I was so excit ed w hen I f ound out they got this m ajo r launched." M elin said. "'I'm hopeful for them t o be able t o t each the curriculum they've w ant ed t o. and what I'm really excit ed fo r is the •official" m erger bet ween comput er science and t he m ath departm ent. It's exact ly w hat I w ish I could have taken back w hen I was ther e." To lea rn m ore about Augsburg"s dat a science major. visit augsburg.edu/mscs. Top image:John Zobitz teaches his data science class. (Phot o by Courtney Perry) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twiner ] [ In Memoriam, Winter 2022- 23 An educator and catal~t for changg YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Renovated athletics f acil it ies An educator and cata lY.St for Meeting the n eeds d edi cated to beloved Auggies c ha ng~ - on March 15, 2023 - on Morch 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 CONNECT WITH US El I] Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE IN MEMORIAM, WINTER 2022-23 by/Johnson March 15, 2023 • Auggies Connect. In Memoriam Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] GREAT RETURNS AD 1940s Raymond C. Anderson '49, Minneapolis, age 96. on Sept em ber 18. 2022. 1950s Garfield Q. Hoversten 'SO, Ed ina, Minnesota, age 96. on January 22. 2023. Vincent W. Hoversten 'SO. San Rafael. Calif ornia, age 94. on Novem ber 23, 2022. Ellen M. (Stenberg) Erickson '51 , Blaine, Minnesota, age 94, on July 28, 2022. Robert D. Oudal '51 , Oro noco. Minnesota, age 93, on October 13. 2022. Eleanor M. (Baker) Dahle '53, Cathlam et, Washington, age 91 , in December 2022. Norman F.Johnson '53, Bloomington. Minnesota, age 91. on Oct ober 11, 2022. Leland E. Evenson '54, M onticello, Minnesota, on December 2, 2022. Sign up for Email Newsletter Alan Mathiason '54, St. Pa ul, Minnesota, age 92. on July 16, 2022. Arvin H. Halvorson '55, St. Paul. Minnesot a, age 91, on July 24, 2022. Submit Your Alumni News Norman E. Anderson '56, M aple Grove, Minnesot a. age 89, on October 8, 2022. Robert D. Norby '56, Naples, Flo rida, age 90, o n Sept ember 5, 2022. CONNECT WITH US Philip W. Heide '58, Rosemount. Minnesota, age 86, on October 30, 2022. El I] June A. (Aaskov) Griffin '59, Falmouth, Maine. age 87, o n August 4, 2022. Delores M. Grupp Christianson '59. Mahom et, Il linois. age 86, on October 30. 2022. Luther E. Romo '59. Braham, Minnesota, age 85, on October 1, 2022. 1960s Donald A. Anderson '60, Nisswa, Minnesota, age 88. on August 12, 2022. Jon R. Ellefson '60. Rosemount, Minnesota, age 87. on November 18. 2022. Marjorie A. (Moland) Flom '60, age 84, o n November 22, 2022. Lawrence E. Gallagher '61 , Crystal, Minnesot a. age 82, o n November 6, 2022. Leroy C. Holmes '61 . Forest Lake, Minnesot a, age 88, o n November 5, 2022. Paul R. Grover '62. Belvidere, Illino is, age 83, on December 14, 2022. William O. Cowan '63, Dassel, Minnesot a. age 84, on June 6. 2022. Charlotte A. (Gerdeen) Fruehauf '64, Maple Grove, Minnesota, age 80. on Sept ember 4, 2022. William F. Strom '64, Hast ings. Minnesot a. age 82, on July 19. 2022. Paul E. Larson '65, Bloomington, Minnesot a, age 79, o n October 3, 2022. Sylvia M. (Johnson) Strand '65, Sta nchfield, Minnesota, age 79. on Oct ober 22, 2022. Gary Viken '65, Mound, Minnesota, o n August 17. 2022. Russell H. Johns '66, M elbourne, Florida, age 84, on December 22, 2022 Martha E. (Weimer) Keaton '66. La Cr osse, Wisconsin, age 78, on July 21 , 2022. John K. Meland '66, age 78, o n December 13, 2022. Myrtis M. Ska rich '68, St. Paul, Minnesot a. age 76, o n July 24, 2022. Patricia Piepenburg '69, Grov e City. Minnesota, age 75, on February 9, 2023. 1970s Kenneth G. Casperson 70, Buffalo. Minnesota, age 78, on December 16, 2022. Rosalee D. (Lyng) Vind '71 , age 73. on Oct ober 13, 2022. Alice M. Johnson '72, Minneapolis, age 72, o n Sept ember 7, 2022. Lee S. Lind '72, Rosemo unt. Minnesota, age 72, on Nov ember 28, 2022. Julianne M. (Carlson) Pederson '73, age 71, Stillwat er, Minnesota, on Janua ry 3, 2023. Laura H. Sutton '77, Hudson, Wisconsin, age 79. on July 10, 2022. Mary K. (Hill) Walker 77, Northfield. Minnesot a. age 67, on July 16. 2022. 1980s Gayle J. (Taylor) Stiller '81 , Longmont, Colorado, age 64, o n July 24, 2022. Dawn C. (Jared) Robinson '85, Rockford, Minnesota, age 60. on Oct ober 19, 2022. Nicole F. Hertzberg '86, St. Paul. Minnesota, age 61, on October 11, 2022. Mark P. Limburg '89, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 59, o n November 15. 2022. 1990s Peter T. Vedell '90. Rochest er, Minnesota, age 54. on November 25, 2022. Kerry V. Owen '91 , Waldpo rt. Oregon, age 54. on December 24. 2022. Terence J. Acers '92, Stillwat er, Minnesot a. age 53, on Nov ember 14, 2022. Beryl J. Deskin '95 MA, Minneapolis, age 76, o n November 7, 2022. Harry W. Lockrem '97, Roseville, Minnesot a, age 73, o n December 3, 2022. 2000s James R. Erickson '00, Andover. Minnesota, age 55, on November 9. 2022. Glen D. Meyer ·os, Byron, Minnesota, age 67, o n December 8, 2022. Thomas M. Driscoll '07 MBA. Rosemount, Minnesota, age 50, o n Sept em ber 22. 2022. 2010s Linda K. (Simmons) Berglund '22. Shoreview, Minnesot a, age 68, o n January 1, 2023. 2020s Alexander C. Baker'26, Lakeville, Minnesot a. age 18, o n January 14, 2023. Donors, Faculty, Staff, and Board of Regents Sylvia A. Sabo, Minneapolis, age 85, o n October 26, 2022. Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Meeting the needs Creating connections YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE W hat's Y.OUr favorite SJlOt on Alu m ni Class Notes, Winte r camP. us? 2022-23 • on March 15, 2023 · on March 15, 2023 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accredit ation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri ht © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea lis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University webs~e uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our site with cookies enabled, you are agreei Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE MEETING THE NEEDS Auggies work to serve Twin Cit ies residents wit hout homes by CharlK Hol ey March 15, 2023 • Featured Stories Share this: [ f GREAT RETURNS AD Facebook ] [ "JI Twiner ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ a Email ] In separate efforts to help unhoused people in Minneapolis, two members of the Augsburg community take a similar approach. They ask a simple questio n: "What do you need?" Then, they w ork to provide services based o n people's self-id ent ified necessities. "It's about meeting people where they're at." said Katie Clark '10 MAN. '14 DNP, associate professor of nursing and execut ive d irector of Augsburg Health Commons. which provid es free supplies and nurse consultations to anyone in need. Many peop le who access these Katie Clark, associate professor of nursing and executive d ir ector services are unhoused o r exper iencing housing insecurity. "Oftentimes. health ca re providers are not trusted by people living on the st reet who feel like they mig ht be st ereotyped or j udged when they enter a facility." Clark sa id . ·w e need to ask people what their experiences are, what they deem necessary, and why t hey aren't able to of Augsburg Health Commons (Photo by Courtney Perry! get what they need: Emily Bastian '07 MSW w orks wit h a similar philosophy- she led the creation of an entire homeless shelter based on asking people about their specific needs. Aviva Village, wh ich opened in December 2020, has received widespr ead attention because of its unique concept. Sign up for Email Newsletter Bastian. who is t he nonprofit Aviva's vice president of ending homelessness. said she and her Submit Your Alumni News tea m w ent to an encampment in a Minneapolis par k. "We asked them. what would it take for them to come indoors? And many of the things that they sa id are things t hat w e are able to put into practice at Avivo Village." CONNECT WITH US Emi ly Bastian '07 MSW (Courtesy photo! Creating a shelter Unlike most traditional ho meless shelt ers, Avivo Village lets residents come and go as t hey please. Resid ents are not separated by gender; they ca n have pets. and they can drink legally. All these th ings are allow ed in response to Bastian's conversatio ns with people living outdoors. ·we want people to know that we care about them and that we're not shaming them for the choices that they're maki ng. because t hey are t he ones living their life, not us: Bastian said . Avivo Village is made up of 100 tiny homes meant to be The Avivo Village team (Courtesy photo) tempora ry housing as residents w ork to find a mor e permanent place to live. So fa r, mo re than 11 O people have successfully moved on from Avivo Village into perma nent housing. In additio n to temporary shelter. Aviva provides tho rough case ma nagement to help people find housing. This includes services aimed at addressing some of t he root causes of homelessness. Avivo offers transitional recovery housing, which houses people who are enrolled in the organization's chemical dependency treatment program . Avivo also provides mental health services. ·case management supports people through all the bumps in the road as t hey're lea rning to be a rent er o r as they're ......-.,,.~-- exper iencing some other trauma or barriers," Bastian said, "because we truly, truly. truly believ e that everyone deserves Avivo workers visit an encampm ent. (Courtesy photo) housing and everyone is housable: A range of services While Hea lt h Commons does not provide housing. it offers ma ny services to support unhoused people. Like Bastian. Clark wor ks to create a place wher e people feel accepted and safe wh ile asking for help. Sometimes. people simply ha ng out at the Hea lth Commo ns locatio n in downtown Minnea polis' Cent ral Lutheran Church. "If you're experiencing ho melessness. oftentimes you can't go places and hang out without showing proof of why you need to be ther e or without being harassed," Clark said. •so. sometimes peop le need a place where they can j ust sit down. take their shoes off. and be part of what's happening."[/vc_column_text ][/vc_column][/vc_row) a saf e space to Graduate nursing student Claudia Heal:h Commo ns is Heal t h Commons v i sitors pick up Rubio-Mendoz.a d istributes d iapers at m eet and sp end t im e wi t h frien ds . donated item s . {Photo by Courtney H eal th Commons. (Photo by Courtney (Photo by Cou rtney Perry) Perry) Perry) The free supplies offered at Hea lth Commo ns include socks, hygiene products. and d iapers. Visito rs can meet with Augsburg nursing students for basic healt h services such as having their blood pressure checked o r asking questio ns about medical condit io ns. "We're not providing clinical care or d iagnosing. but more just bridging t he gap bet ween meeting peop le where they are and connecting them with services if they d eem it necessa ry." Clar k said . A place to learn Health Commo ns is not o nly a place where people ca n go to learn about health ca re-it's also a place where any Augsburg student can learn about serving a wide range of needs. including the needs of unhoused people. More t han 1.600 students have volunteered at Health Com mons in the 30 y ears that it's been o pen. "Health care providers often begin to have biases o r might act ually stereotype people who are unhoused. So, Healt h Commons is r eally a first step for nursing. physician assistant, or other students to unpack those moments and cha llenge biases: Clark said . "The complexities of peoples' circumst ances are better understood as students bu ild relationships with people living on the st reet s," she said. "And it's facult y-led. Students say having those real-life experiences has been v ery meaningful, especially when t hey see faculty model it as well." Amy Nelson, assistan t pr ofessor of nursing, helps a Healt h Commons visitor with a hand inj ury. {Photo by Clark encourages students to pract ice compassio n in all their interactions with people who visit Health Commons. She has ev en talked with some Courtney Perry! student vo lunteers who have experienced ho melessness t hemselves. "They often share t hat they fi nd value in the approaches here, that shared community." she said . As a former Augsburg student. Bastian sa id her educatio n in the university's social w ork program informs the w or k that she does today. "(One) thing that Augsburg really d rilled into my head, and the master's of social w ork program very much so. is the conversation around privilege, t he willingness to do that to ugh w ork personally to recognize what my own privileges are, how that impacts how I see the world and how the w orld sees me, and in tur n my responsibil ity based on that." she sa id . Katherine Martin, assistan t professor of nursing (left), and Ph ysician's Assistan t Program Director Vanessa Bester {m iddle) help visitors with foot care at Healt h Commons. {Photo by Courtney Perry) Getting involved Both Clar k and Bastian shared w ays that people ca n get involved in serving t he Twin Cities' unhoused population. Anyone is w elcome to volunteer at the Health Commons Cent ral Lut heran Church locatio n. but prio rit y is given to Augsburg students. Vo lunteers can sign up o n the Health Commons w ebsite. Health Commo ns also takes mo neta ry d onations on line. To do nate supplies. contact Clark at clarkk@fillgsburg.edu. Information about volunteering wit h o r donating to Avivo ca n be found on the organization's w ebsite. "If people don't feel comfortable or don't know what to do, donating is a good w ay to st art " Bast ian said. •1 w ould also say that volunteer ing somewhere you can have interact ions that feel at a safe level for what yo u're ready for is also a great w ay to get involved and to help." Top image: Katie Clark and graduate nursing student Claudio Rubio-Mendoza help Health Commons visitors p ick out free items that th ey need. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Au~burg leads with direct admissions In Memoriam, Winter 2022- 23 YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Re novated ath letics f acil ities An educat or an d catalY.St for Creat ing co nnect io n s d ed ica ted to be loved Auggies c ha ng~ - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 - on Morch 15, 2023 El I] Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG LEADS WITH DIRECT ADMISSIONS by Farrisr March 15, 2023 Share this: [ f • Around the Quad Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] GREAT RETURNS AD Augsburg's w ork at the forefront of a movement to tr ansfo rm college admissions has ga rnered national media attention . l ast fall, the un iversity moved to a "direct admissions" approach fo r undergraduate enrollment. In this mod el, known as Augsburg Applies to You, students who meet a certain GPA thresho ld are automatica lly offered admission. Most students can complete the streamlined application fo rm in less than 10 minutes. Ninety-nine percent of students offer ed d irect admissio n w ould The admissions office at Augsburg University {Photo by have been admitted under Augsburg's previous criteria. Now, Courtney Perry) they ca n move through t he process faster and take advantage of d eeper pre-enrollment connectio ns. Why flip the scr ipt? A simpler process benefits both st udents and staff. Under d irect admissions, the traditiona l roles of applicant and gatekeeper are intentionally reversed to change the power dynamics in enrollment ma nagement. In an interview with Inside Higher Ed, Robert Gould, vice presid ent for st rategic enro llment management sa id t hat direct ad missions is "a d ream come t rue• for admissions staff, whose attention has shifted from reviewing paperwork to connecting with students about Augsburg and what they hope to accomplish. "Those are the discussio ns that motivated many of them to become admissions counselors'' in the first place, he said . Sign up for Email Newsletter Drawn by its promise to reduce barriers and promote equit y, many colleges and universities are beginning to explo re direct ad missions through pilot programs. Augsburg is participating in tw o such pilots through the Commo n Submit Your Alumni News Application and the state of Minnesota. But as reported by Inside Higher Ed, Augsburg's own streamlined application shows that the university "isn't w aiting" on pilot progra ms to fully embrace the new model. In Nov ember, the Wall Street Journal noted t hat Augsburg's mov e CONNECT WITH US toward a radically simpler process contrasts with ot her inst itutions whose more complex applications may undercut El I] the goal of d irect admissions. Augsburg's enrollment management divisio n has been wo rking to reduce barriers for sev era l y ears. Recent changes to simplify the applicat io n- including test-free admissio ns, sho rt-answ er essays, and o ptional letters of recommendation- hav e accompanied Augsburg's largest and most d iver se fi rst-year classes in history. Top image: Augsburg students on campus (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twin er ] [ Au~burg named top_P.roducer of Fulbright Scholars Meeting the needs YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President Augsburg alumna lands t OP- Uncovering t he exP-eriences of Pribbenow: On 'leaning in' role at MPR News Hmong entreP-reneurs - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG NAMED TOP PRODUCER OF FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS by CharlK Hal ey March 15, 2023 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln GREAT RETURNS AD ] [ i.'!i Email ] Augsburg University has aga in been named a Fulbright Top-Producing Inst itution fo r U.S. Scholars. This designation w as announced by the U.S. Department of St at e's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs o n February 10. It recognizes the colleges and universities that had the hig hest number of applica nt s select ed for the 2022-23 Fu lbright U.S. Scholar Program. Each y ear, this elit e program select s approximat ely 900 facult y members or administrat ors fro m across the country t o lecture. conduct research, or pursu e short - o r long-t erm professio nal proj ects abroad. In the 2022- 23 academic year. Augsburg faculty members George Oierberger, Thomas '72 and Karen How e endow ed professor for ent repreneurship, and Joseph Erickson, professor of education, w ere named Fu lbright Scho lars. Dierberger's Fulbright took h im t o Letterkenny, Ireland, while Erickson is spend ing the spring in Lj ubljana. Slovenia. "The fact that w e hav e so many Augsburg professors w ho hav e been select ed t o participat e in t he program speaks t o the q uality of our faculty and the support of the ad minist ration," said Dier berger, who serves as one of Augsburg's faculty liaisons for Fulbright Scholars. Augsburg has also been named a toR,.i;iroducer of Fulbright students am ong U.S master's institut ions, w ith three student s receiving scholarships t o t each English abroad in 2021-22. Sign up for Email Newsletter "It is such a great achievement bot h faculty and student Fulbright awards, and it should be celebrat ed," sa id John Zobitz, professor of mathematics and dat a science. Zobit z serves as Augsburg's other faculty liaison for Fu lbright Scholars and w as a Fu lbright Scho lar him self in 2021. Submit Your Alumni News The Fulbright Program has been a cornerstone of int ernational education and cultural exchange for the Unit ed St at es since 1946. The purpose of the program is t o inspire, innovat e. and contribut e to fi nding solutions for commun it ies CONNECT WITH US and the w orld . El I] Top image: The Quad at Augsburg's campus (photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twin e, ] [ Augsburg leads wi th direct admissions YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from Pr esid ent Augsb u rg alu mna lan d s to12 Uncovering t h e ex12erien ces o f Pribbe now: On 'lean ing in' role at M PR New s Hmon g entr e12ren eurs - on Morch 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 - on March 15, 2023 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accreditation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri ht© 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea lis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University webs~e uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our site with cookies enabled, you are agreei Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP
Show less

Title: Augsburg Now Spring-Summer 2022
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW-MULTIPLY YOUR MIND BY GIVING IT AWAY: SHARING THE GIFT OF VOCATION by Paul C. Pribbenow Se12tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad. President's Letter Share this: [ f Faceb...
Show more Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW-MULTIPLY YOUR MIND BY GIVING IT AWAY: SHARING THE GIFT OF VOCATION by Paul C. Pribbenow Se12tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad. President's Letter Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ a Email ] A few years back. I happened upo n the w ork of Mark Fed erma n. a Canad ian scho lar whose writings o n innovation include th is provocative suggestion: "Multiply your mind by giving it away: And Fed erman mea ns exactly what he says: be genero us. be charitable. give instead of always taking. Because when you are generous with your mind- with your knowledge and educatio n and other gifts-you help to create organizations. neighbo rhoods. agencies. churches. and schools t hat are marked not by the scarcity of t he w orld. but by the abundance of what is possible. I w as thinking about Federman's challenge while serving on a pa nel about how Lutheran colleges and universities might apply •-~ lessons lea rned about vocation fro m w ork with o ur D T 1 r ~~!~~~o-:.J undergraduate students to other impo rtant constituencies. The following three themes emerged fro m o ur conversatio n: v_., On our campuses, beyond undergraduates GREAT RETURNS AD ' ST . 186 9 - - - """"--- President Paul Pribbenow (Photo by Courtney Perry) Many coll eges and universities hav e g raduate progr ams in professio nal disciplines like nursing. ed ucatio n. and social w ork. wher e the concept of vocatio n can play an important role in shaping a professio nal career and life. At Augsburg. w e created V-Portfolio. an online vocat io n portfolio for undergrad uate and graduate students to share artifacts from their personal. academic. and professional j ourneys. V-Portfolio has prov ed a helpful tool for students to narrate the many facets of a vocationa l journey. In addition to academ ic w ork. students share experiences as parents. as citizens. as neighbo rs. and as professionals-creating that many-layered story of a life. Across the vocational lifespan Other important constituencies for our ca mpuses include prospective students and alumni. For exa mple. Augsburg has hosted an annual Youth Theology Institute for high school students. Over the summer. these student learning communities explo re pressing issues in the wo rld through a theological lens. Alumni are another importa nt audience for our vocation lessons. At Augsburg. w e organized the Center ed life Series. led by Jack Fortin. whose book. "The Centered life." has inspired many of us in our own vocatio nal w ork. Fortin curates a series of sessio ns each semester (in person before the COVID-19 pandemic. but even mo re well-attended online during the pandemic) that address a particular vocational theme. For example. o ne ser ies focused on the Sign up for Email Newsletter vocation of caregiving fo r a spouse with memory loss; another shared the concept of interrogat ing our institutiona l saga. the w ork of appreciation and accountability for what German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer ca lled our histo rical legacy. Accompanying our faith communities Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US We also have shared our vocat io n lessons with faith commun ities. in some w ays coming full circle to the traditions that hav e given us the gift of vocat io n. Many of those fa ith communities are now seeking new ways to support the vocational j ourneys of their members. El I] The w ork of t he Riverside Innovation Hub. an initiative of Augsburg's Christensen Center for Vocation. comes alo ngside local congregatio ns seeking to become public churches. A public church is committ ed to place-based vocational discernment in the public square for the common good. In other w ords. the partner churches are pursuing God's call for them to be in relationship with their neighborhoods in w ays that bring flourish ing and life. The Riverside Innovation Hub explo res how the many resources of a college or university ca n be brought to bear in helping faith communities be more responsive to the vocatio nal pursuits of their members. For example. leaders found that many young people ca re deeply about environmental issues and don·t feel that their faith communities offer them resources to pursue those commitments. The innovation hub brings scientists and artists and writers and theologians fro m t he Augsburg faculty into conv ersat io n with fait h communities to help expand their understanding of how they might accompany those young people in their passions for God's creation. Alumni living out their vocations Multiply your mind by giving it away. In this issue of Augsburg Now. you'll find stories of Augsburg graduates do ing j ust that. Keenan Jones '13 is d riv en to emgow er and educate Black boys, who fall beh ind in every category the United States uses to determine academic success and w ellness. After 13 years in the classroom. he started a nonprofit for Black boys in grades 5-12 that focuses on literacy. empow erment. social justice. and social/emotional healt h. Other Auggies' t ime and talents are focused on environm enta l justice: M aria Belen Power ·07 is an advocate and o rganizer for Green Roots. an o rganization in her Boston-a rea suburb of Chelsea. Massachusetts. and w as recently named to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Elan Quezada Hoffman '22 pursues his calli ng thro ugh w ork as an environmental inspector for the City of Minneapolis. We're fi nding new ways to share the gift of vocation and those lessons w e have learned with our undergraduate students with others at all stages of life. We all are enriched by the joy of lives fa ithfully led. Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ CamP.uS Welcomes Executive Director of Interfaith. Celebrates the Life of Fuad EI-Hibri YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Cam P.US Welcomes Executive Great Returns: We're All In Sankofa Circle Fellowshi P. Director of Inter faith,. - on September 14, 2022 JlreJlares to exP.a nd in second Celebrates t h e Life of Fuad EI- .Y.ear Hib ri - on September 14, 2022 · on September 14. 2022 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accreditation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Copyright © 2023 Augsburg University I Minneapolis. MN I 612-330-1000 Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE CAMPUS WELCOMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INTERFAITH, CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF FUAD ELHIBRI by Farrisr Sef.1tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f GREAT RETURNS AD Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] Najeeba Syeed joined Augsburg as the inaugural EI-Hibr i endow ed cha ir and executive d irect or of Int erfaith at Augsburg in ea rly August . Syeed is an aw ard-w inning educator and expert practi tio ner in the fields of confl ict resolutio n, mediation, and int erfaith studies. Previously, she held faculty positions at Claremont School of Theology, St arr King School for the Ministry. and Chicago Theological Seminary, as w ell as execut iv e leadership roles at the West ern Justice Center Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Disput e Resolution Center. In this new position. Sy eed will serve as a nationa l ambassador for the int erfaith movement and w ill partner w ith ca mpus leaders as a change agent for int er religious lear ning and living. Her appointment fuels one of the goals of the Augsburg150 strat egic plan: t o advance the public purposes of an Augsburg ed ucatio n by enhancing int erfaith leadership o n campus and nationa lly. Interfaith at Augsburg: An Institute to Promot e Interfaith Lear ning and Leadership was est ablished in 201 9 t o Sign up for Email Newsletter further the belief that r eligious diversity can be a constr uctive force for the common good . El·Hibri endowed chair and executive director of lnterfarth at Augsburg, Najeeba Syeed. {Courtesy photo) Submit Your Alumni News In 2021, a significant gift from Fuad and Nan~ El•Hibri allowed for the creation of the EI-Hibri endow ed chair and executive CONNECT WITH US directorship for the institute. Fuad EI-Hibri d ied in Agr il 2022 after a battle w it h pancreatic cancer. A longtime friend of the universit y. he made a tremendous mark o n Augsburg during the past two decades. El I] The EI-Hibris lea rned of Augsburg in t he ea rly 2000s, when their son. Boa rd of Regents member Karim El•Hibri '06, participat ed in the St egUP® Co llegiat e 12rogram. They served as t he inaugural co-chairs of Augsburg's Presid ent's Council and, Fuad and Nancy EI-Hibri. {Courtesy photo) among other generous gifts t o the university, annually sponsored lftar d inners for the campus during Ramadan. President Paul Pribbenow r eflect ed o n the family's scope and sign ificance: "Fuad and h is family have been generous w ith their time, w isdom, and gifts to support me and our community as we advance Augsburg's deep commit ment s to collegiat e recovery. interfaith dialogue. and student success. Fuad was a role model for our student s as he combined his faith, his business acumen. and his love for his family in all that he pursued. I will miss h im and know that his legacy w ill live on at Augsburg and beyo nd ." A business leader and ph ilanthropist Fuad w as the founder and executiv e chair man of Emergent BioSolutions Corporatio n. chairman of East West Resources, and chairman of Aptevo Therapeutics. He also served as the founding chairman of the EI-Hibri Foundat io n. which the family founded in 2001 to hono r Fuad's father . Faud said he w as inspired by the univ ersal values of Islam and supported the foundation in its visio n of build ing an inclusiv e society w her e everyone ca n t hrive in a diverse and inclusiv e world. He is survived by his w ife. Nancy; son. Kar im; daught ers. Yusra and Faiza; and three grandch ildren. Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Alumni Class Notes, Summer 2022 Notes from President Pribbenow- MultipJv. Your Mind b.v. Giving It Awav.; Sharing the Gift of Vocation YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President Great Retu rns: We're All In Sankofa Circle Fellowshi g Prib benow- MultiP-]Y. Your - on September 14, 2022 Jlr eJla res to exP.a nd in second Mind bY. Giving It AWaY.: Sharing Y.ea r t h e Gift o f Vocation - on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accredit ation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosures Employment Administrator log in Contact Augsburg Co ri nt © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea olis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full sit e experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our sit e with cookies enabled, y use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP AuGSBURG - UNIVERSITY - PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOM E ABOUT CO NTACT US CURRENT ISSUE ALUMNI CLASS NOTES, SUMMER 2022 by Qohnson Se12remb r 14. 2022 0 Sh a r e th is : [ f • Auggi s Conn °ct Class No tes /Alumni) 0 Facebook ] [ '!fl Twirre, ] [ 'P Pintere S< ] [ in Li nk ed ln ] [ i:i Ema il ] GREAT RETURNS AD 1960-69 1965 Marcia Schne ider '65 m et w it h Prof essor Emerit3 Kathryn Swanson and her hus band . Jack, wh il e they were in Arizona . M3rci3 was a part of a trip to Tha il3nd and Ca mbod ia that the Swansons led in 2017. 1966 David Johnson '66, wh o received a doctorate in the histo,y of religion from the Un iversity of low3, retu rn ed from te3ching as 3 vi sit ing prof ess or in Ch ina. His books include "West ern Thought for Asian Rea ders" and " Ind ian Thought Bet wee n Tr3dit ion and Marcia Schneider '65, Prolessor Cmerica Kathryn Swanson, and her husband, Jack, in .¼izona. (Co un:esy photo) the Cultur e of Technology." 1967 Denn is M iller '67, prof esso r em erit us of food science and nutrit ion at Co rn ell Un iversity. i s one of th e part icipant s in a r ese;arch proj ect t o t ransform nut r it i on and w;ate r use i n the poultry indu st ry t o improve its environmental impact and enh;ance hum;an he;a lth . Th e U.S . Depa rtm en t of Ag,i cult ure fund ed t he resear ch through a $9 .95 m i llion gran t, one of the largest grants ever award ed by t he USDA. Thad Dan iel son '67 h;as r et ired from his boat shop and now te;aches a t wo-week cl;ass, The Fundam enta ls of Sign up for Emai l Newslette r Submit Your Alumni News Boat bu ildi ng, at t he Woo den Boat Schoo l i n Brookli n. Mai ne. He also wrote t he book, "An Int rodu ction t o Wood en Boat Building: Alw ays M ore t o Le;arn." CONNECT WITH US 1969 Janis Mathison '69 was indu ct ed int o the At hlet ic H;a ll of Fam e at Shaw;a no Commun ity High School in Shaw;a no, Wisc onsin . The honor rec ognizes her w ork as a coach and pioneer of w om en's ;at hl et ics at th e sc hool. 1970-79 1972 After 26 year s, Robert Engelson '72 has reti red from his r ole as a professor in th e Col lege of Arts and Sci ences at th e Univer sity of Arizona Global Campus. 1973 She ldon Anderson 73 published a m emoi r, "Jum p Shooti ng to a Higher Deg, ee." whi ch chronicles his basketbal l car eer in Mi nnea polis. West Ge rm any. and Poland, wh ere he did r esea rch fo r hi s doctorate. 1979 With more th;an 500 w ins in hi s prep coac hing ca ree r, Dougl as Greseth '79 h;as been nam ed boys basketbal l he;ad coach ;at Bisho p M cL;a ugh lin Ca th olic High School in Spring Hil l, Fl or ida. 1980-89 1983 In November 2021, Luverne Seifert '83 directed a m elod,am;a, "The L;ast Tr;a in t o Wi nn ipeg." fo r t he Lyric Center for the Arts in Vi rginia. Minnesota. The Arrowhead Regional Arts Co un cil supported t he pl ay w it h Rur;a l ;a nd Commun ity Art Pr oj ect gr;ant fund ing . Brian Hoffman '83 . associat e professor of anthrop ology at H;a m line University in St. Paul, M inn es ota, w as f eat ured in an M PR st ory about th e exca v;ati ons he leads on ca m pus- m ost recent ly. th e r em ai ns of ;a St P;au l home nea r th e corn er of Hew itt Avenu e and P;asca l St reet . 1984 Anne Mari e Erickson '84 has cr eat ed ;a website wit h ex ce, gts from essay.a she's written abou t livi ng wit h her husband's 17 yea rs of dem entia. 1985 Jean Tay lor '85 w as na m ed t he CEO of Afll eric;a n Public M ed ia Group. th e paren t company of M inn esot a Publi c Rad io, in 2021. 1988 Da llas M ill er '88 was indu ct ed into the At hlet ic Hall of Fam e for playing hockey ;at Kenn edy High Sch ool in Bl oomi ngt on, Mi nn esot;a . Mi ller was indu ct ed int o Augsburg Univer sity's H;a ll of Fam e for his awar d-winn ing hockey car eef. 1990-99 1994 M ichelle Steever '94 rece ived th e Outst and ing Librar ian Award from t he Rh ode Island Library Associ;at ion in 202 1. She is t he school library m ed ia spec ialist for t he J;a m est own Sc hool Distr ict in Rh ode Island . Jude II Anderson '94 ret ir ed after l eadi ng the Al liance of Auto Service Pr oviders-MN for near ly 26 yea rs. 1998 Rollo,s. a lawn ga m e by Matthew Butler '98, was fe;at ured i n th e Rol ling St on e article "Fro m Grill s t o Boombox Speakers, These Are t he Pr odu cts We'r e Using L;abo r D;ay Weekend" (Se pte m ber 2, 202 1). 1999 Ka le Henry '99 was nam ed th e he;ad coac h of t he Forest Lake High School basebal l program. He is a previous wi nn er of t he Mi nn esot;a St at e High School Base ball Coaches Assoc iat ion's Rob Forn;asiere Assista nt Co;ach oft he Ye;ar Award . 2000-09 2000 The Christ ian Cent ury i nte rvi ew ed Ross Murray '00, '09 MBA about his found ing of th e Nam ing Project . an ELCAbased camp for LGBTQ youth. Murray wrote t he book "M ade, Kn own, Loved: Devel opi ng LGBT-lnclu sive Yout h M inist ry," and he is th e di rect or of news and fa it h i nit iat ives fo r t he Gay & Lesbian Al liance Ag;a inst Defa m;ati on (GlADD). Nathan Budde '00 completed the Iron m an Wisconsi n in 202 1. He f inished 77th out of r oughly 1,8 00 compet it ors ;and seventh amon g t he 180 peo pl e in his age bracket . 2003 Kar i Luci n '03 has ret urned to The Globe newspaper in Wort hingto n. Minnesota. as commun ity ed it or. She w as previously t he Globe's educ;at ion reporter and online content coo rd inat or. Keneesh i a Williams '03 , MD , g;ave a TEDx t alk. "The Pro sperit y of Invest m en t A Journ ey From Murder Wit ness t o T, aum;a Surgeon ." th;at uses he, life ex perience ;and m edi ca l expertise t o offer non-divi sive, proven solutions t o gun vi ol ence in Am eri ca . Wil liam s is an assist an t professor of surgery ;at Emory Un iversit y in Atl;anta and d irect o, of m ed ic;a l student ed ucat ion at Grady Memorial Hospital. 2005 Eddie Frizell 'OS MA L w as nom inated by Pres ident Joe Biden ;and con f irmed by t he U.S. Senat e ;as U.S. Mar sh;a l for the District of M inn esot a. He pr evi ously served ;as chief of police for t he M et ro Tr;ansit Police Departm ent in M inneapolis and St. Paul. Christe Singleton '07 MBA was nam ed vice pres ident of Mi nn esot;a Gas at Center Point Energy. Minnesota's l;a rgest natura l gas ut i lity . 2007 Travis Paul '07 MBA is t he regi on;a l ch;a ir of adm inist rat ion for Mayo Clinic He;a lth System i n Southw est M innesot a. P;au l h;as 26 yea rs of prog, essive hea lt h c;are exper ience at M ayo Cli nic, includ ing 18 year s i n le;ade, ship rol es and numerous ye;ars as ;a front-line nu rse. Emily Bast ian '07 MSW, Aviva's vi ce presi dent of en ding homelessness, w as in terviewed by the Sta , T, ibune about A vivo Vi llage in Mi nn ea polis. an indoor group ing of t iny houses offering s;af ety. com fo rt. and dignit y to 100 r esi dents. 2008 Anthony V ici no ' 08 is a found ing partner of lnvictus Ca pit al and co-;a uthor of "Passive Investing M;ade Simp le." Nicholas Zeimet ' 08 MSW i s an assi st;ant professor of soci;a l work at Bethel Universit y in Arden Hills. Minnesota . He has served ;as t he Mi nn esot;a Chapt er Pres ident of Syrian Am eri ca n Medical Society and h;as l ed a m en t al healt h m iss ion t o Leba non and Jordan. He hol ds a volunt ee r posit ion w ith Mt. Sinai's Human Righ t s Pr ogram as a remot e m ental hea lt h eval u;ator for th ose seeking ;asylu m o, ot her immigrat ion m att er s. M ichael Henr ichsen '08 is l ead vocalist and rhythm gu itar pl;ayer for '80s cove r band Nile Wave, wh ich w as recently f e;atured i n an ;article in 425 Magaz ine. The band has produ ce d a live album and h;as perform ed wit h Bil ly Idol three t im es . Katherine La Grave '08, digital fe;at ures ed it or fo r AFAR M ed ia, was named Lowell Thom;as Travel Journalist of t he Year by th e Society of Americ;an Travel Writ ers in 2021. Nicol e Richards '08, a certified pub lic account ant. w;as prom oted t o principal at Boeckerm ann , Graf strom & Mayer in Bl oomi ngt on, Mi nn esot;a . Dianna Rob inson '08 w;as promot ed t o m arket pres ident and director of private banki ng, communit y m ar kets at Assoc iat ed Bank in Rochest ef. Minn es ota. M ichael Graber '08 MBA has been ;appo inted pres ident and CEO of Toyo Ti re U.S.A. Corp. 2010-11 2011 Kyle Potswa l d ' 11 w as pro m ote d to vi ce president of commerci;a l l end ing ;at the Cit izens Ba nk Minn es ota L;akevi lle branch . Ell e Thoni '11 wrote t he mu si c;a l, " Queen B: A New Work of Hon eyb ee Fut ur ism." which t oured Mi nnesota farms ;and green spaces in August 202 1. 2012 Emily Nicho ls '1 2 i s ge neral m anager of th e Ki m pt on Alt on Hotel in Sa n Franci sco's iconic Fisherman's Wh;ati neighborh ood. 2013 As execu t ive di rect or ;and founder of M N Renewabl e Now, Kr istel Porter '1 3 i s working toward th e inst;a llati on of solar syst ems in North M inn ea polis, among other envi ron m ental just ice projects. 2013 and 2019 Da ley Knochar Farr '13 ;and Maxim illian Bray '19 m arri ed Jun e 11. 2021, in New Or lean s. Connor Krenik '1 3, Kacie Lucchin i Butcher ' 13. Kevi n Butcher '13, Morgan Thompson '09, and Gabr ielle M ill er '09 wer e i n attenda nce. 2016 Rayna Lindsey '16 ;ap pears in season 9 of "Bel ow Deck" on Br;avo. Li sa Archer ' 16 MAN has been named ch ief nursing a/fleer fo r Da ley Knochar Farr '1 3 and Max Bray '19 on t heir we:lding day. (Courtesy pho:o) M;ayo Clini c Hea lt h Syst em in Southwest Wi sconsin. 2019 Jeffrey Bol dt '19 MFA published hi s debut novel, " Blue L;ake." i n M;arch 2022 . Bol dt drew from his l egal and environment al backg,ound t o writ e t he Wisconsi n-b ased thrill er. 2020s 2020 Ali son Uselman '20 w on the Wi sconsin Academy of Sci ence, Arts & Letters' 2021 Wisconsi n Peop le & lde;as Fiction Contest for he, short st ory. "Honor Cord ." 2021 Isaa c Tade '21 st arted dem;a l scho ol at t he Univer sity of M inn esot a, wh er e he received t he Xhonga Scholar sh ip and a N;at ion;a l Hea lth Service Corps Schol;arshi p. Shar e th is: I f Facebook 11 '!I Twi«e, 11 'P Pinteres, 11 in Li nk edln 11 Cl-cs fo 1988 Tags: Class of 1965 D Ema il Cla-, of 1966 Clacsof 197 2 Class of 1973 Cl·sc of 1976 Clacsof1 979 Cla·s of 1983 Claes of 198 5 Class of 1994 Cl~sc of 1999 Claes of 20 00 Cla·s of 2003 Claes of 2007 Class of 2008 Cl~sc of 2011 Claesof 2012 Sum m 0 , I Clacsof 1969 2022 < PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST> In Memoriam Summer2022 Cam~us Welcomes Execut ive Di rector of Interfa ith, Celebrates t he Life of Fuad EI-H'bri YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE I n Memoriam, Su mme r 2022 A uggi e Podcast s M us icia n and 11oet Dua Saleh - on Scp,ember 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 ' 17 br eaks bo un daries w it h ro l e o n N etfli x's ·sex Ed uca t i o n' - on February 22, 2022 El IJI ,~, Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE BETHE CHANGE Environ mental act ivism takes many forms for Auggie advocates by Lisa Renze-Rhodes Share this: [ f Se12tember 14. 2022 • Featured Stodes Facebook ] [ "JI Twin er ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ 1:1 GREAT RETURNS AD Email ] Wildfi res raging across hundreds of t housands of acres cause devastating environmental and property damage. No matter if someone is watching from the next town or fro m thousands of miles away. the destructio n is unmist akable, unden iable, and gut-wrenching. Floods. fires, oil spills. and extreme heat grab head lines and attention- it's easy to see the damage, to see the victims, to rally neighbo rs and st rangers ali ke for help. But what happens when the threat isn't as o bvious? When there aren't ma ny, if any, headlines? When strangers don't understand, let alo ne lend support for the cause? For Auggies w orking in environmental activism fields, the challenges and w ork take o n many forms. M aria Belen Power '07 is an advocate and orga nizer for Green Roots, an enviro nmental j ust ice o rganization in her Boston-a rea suburb of Chelsea, Massachusetts. Belen Pow er's days are fi lled with educating fellow commun ity members. That includes helping them questio n and hold accountable elected leaders and other officials. "It's very much a story w e see playing out all ov er the country; Sign up for Email Newsletter said Belen Power. "Enviro nmental justice is about protecting the most vulnerable resid ents ... it's crucial to protect the Submit Your Alumni News communities where Black and brown and low -income residents live. "There's a direct correlatio n betw een access to g reen space and Maria Beien Power '07 associate executive d irector at blue space (sky), and hea lth care and q uality of life.• Green Roois. (Ph oto courtesy o f Jesse Burke) A member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Belen Pow er said climate and environmental injustices hav e been occurring in the United States · ever since Europeans arriv ed on this land ." But as a modern CONNECT WITH US El I] movement, environmental justice has been present and recognized in some communities much longer than in ot hers. The Environmental Prot ect ion Agency notes that one of t he first moder n actio ns of the movement began in Memphis, Tennessee. with t he Memphis Sa nitation Strike in 1968. Calls fo r fair pay and better w orking cond it io ns for the city's w aste w orkers, most of whom were Black, marked o ne of the first times people of colo r fo rmally o rganized to oppose w orkplace inequalities. But the issue extends w ell beyo nd the w orkplace. Redlining. which is the discriminato ry. government-sa nctio ned practice of refusing mortgages or insura nce to home buyers in or near African-Amer ican neighborhoods, occurred across the country from the m id -1930s until it w as outlaw ed with the 1968 Fair Ho using Act . Despite t he cha nge in the law, the damage w as already done and remains an issue today, Belen Pow er said. One of the more infamous examples of a public health emergency was the water crisis in Flint Michiga n. There, starting over the pasc 20 years, GreenRoots has restored more in 2014 and stretching more than five y ears, Flint residents- than two acres of urban salt marsh; created new parks; and advocated for and overseen the development of w aterfron t w alkways, educational signage, and p ub lic access co th e w ater's ed ge. (Courtesy p ho to) nearly 60 percent of whom were Black- couldn't care for their pets. bathe. drink. or cook with the w ater flowing from faucets. It w as contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria. "The fact that there w as intentional misma nagement of public w ater resources and that it had to do w ith certa in companies saving money, and people living in communities drinking w ater that w as completely polluted, makes it o ne of the most prominent environmental j ust ice issues: she said. Problems facing t he Chelsea, Massachusetts. area wher e Belen Pow er and her neighbors wo rk and live include things like the fight she and her o rganization have been invo lved in for six y ears and counting about where an electr ical substation will be located. Other work includes continuing the organization's response to COVID-19, creating urban ga rdens. and other long-term legislative issues like fighting fo r the right to secure energy from more economical sources. These and other environmental j ustice issues are not unique to Chelsea; they are the unsung bat tles being w aged across the nat ion. Belen Power cred its her undergrad exper iences. and living in the Twin Cit ies. for how she landed at GreenRoots. "The education that I got at Augsburg r eally shaped who I am and what I do," Belen Power said. "My political awareness was f™tR ~~ shaped by my professors and the community- Augsburg has a special place in my heart: \(\ CPP1 . The w ork is ha rd, and success looks different to t hose who are "" in the midd le of changing how entire cultures and generations consid er long-held beliefs. 5 • - .orn Gordon! GreenRoois actively organizes protests of power plants "There are some really crappy days. r ea lly crappy weeks. but you think about the victories." Belen Pow er said . "You j ust stay that are detrim ental to their neighborhoods in M assach usetts. Th ey successfully th w arted th e pr op osal of a diesel power p lan t on the banks o f th e Chelsea Creek in 2006. (Courtesy photo) focused every day, build ing up power and event ually sh ifting that pow er. "Justice is not really w on; ev ery generation has to fight for it . We ca n have victories, and yet t hose victories hav e to be re-w on with every generation," Belen Pow er said. "My kids are an amazing inspiratio n for me. I hope we are w ork ing toward a society they can build on and make better." Consider the why An ey e toward future generatio ns motivates Elan Quezada Hoffman '22, an environmental inspector for t he City of Minneapolis. Even though Hoffman is one of t he y oungest and new est in the climate crisis fight, h is focus is on who and what is to come. "The beginnings of the call to urgency for the climate w as something I started learning about in high school. The urgency Etan Quezada l-loffman '22 (back row, second from r ight) and Augsburg's Environm ental Stewardship Committee. w as communicated to me clearly, and I thought there's no point (Courtesy photo) in doing anything else: Hoffman said. "If someone doesn't take responsibilit y for this and do the w ork that has to be done, w e're all going to be lost ." To improve the urban landscape, Hoffman sa id he and his colleagues respond to any pollution or sim ilar issues that might arise- anything fro m no ise pollution, to water qua lit y testing, to erosion control. His agency also helps protect the environment with tree distributio n and pollinator pro motion efforts. But he said much of what he focuses o n is education. at his day job and through the volunteer w ork he continues to do with groups like Augsburg's Enviro nmental Stewardship Committee. "Climate educat io n is a massiv e part of addressing the climate crisis," Hoffma n said . "If you have a population of people who don't care. noth ing will change." How t hat education is offer ed, Hoffman said. is an importa nt piece to sustainable action. Members of Augsburg's Environmental Stewardship Committee in their community garden plot outside the Hagfors Cen ter. (Photo by Rebecca Stacer ) "When you hav e a one-on-one conversation wit h someone. you're creating a relatio nship," he said . "Dialogue is happening and t he message hits home. As environmentalists, w e need to do a better jo b of getting into communities- not just preaching (through pamphlets and PSAs)- but having an actua l conv ersat io n with someone." The Environmental Stew ardship Committee at Augsburg is an effo rt nea r to Hoffman's heart . Like many t hings, COVID-19 affected the team's ability to move some initiatives forward. But Hoffma n, who began working with the group as an undergrad. is ho peful t he committee's outr each ca n begin again, especially on a long-range solar and carbon neutra lity plan. "It's o ur responsibility as students. faculty. and staff to say, 'We need to do better.'" Hoffman said. "It req uires a shift in how w e th ink about w ellness, our economy, and society." Encircling all of those issues is t he environment. "It comes down to awareness. then actio n. All of us working together." Read more: Sowing seeds fo r tomo rrow Student-led efforts to reduce, reuse. and r ecycle Top image: GreenRoots is a comm unity-based organization dedicated t o improving and enhancing the ur ban envir onm ent and public health in Chelsea and surrounding com munit ies. It does so through deep comm unity engagement and empowerment youth leadership, and implementation of innovative proj ects and campaigns. (Courtesy photo) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Sowing seeds for tomorrow In Memoriam, Summer 2022 YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Sowing seed s fo r t omorrow All-female Hall of Fame class Lit eracY. is freedom : How o n e - on Septem ber 14, 2022 marks 50 Y.ears since Rassag~ Augsburg alu mnu s is wor k ing of Ti tle IX to emRower a nd ed ucat e Black - on September 14, 2022 bOY.S - on September 14, 2022 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Abou1 Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accreditation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri ht © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea olis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our site with cookies enabled, y use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE SOWING SEEDS FOR TOMORROW by Lisa Renze-Rhodes Share this: [ f Se12tember 14. 2022 • Featured Stories Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] Many alumn i focused on environmental j ustice credit their d epth of understanding to opportunities they receiv ed at GREAT RETURNS AD Augsburg. Monica McDaniel, Augsburg's sustaina bility officer. said the university community uses a multi-faceted approach to intersectional environmentalism. which challenges advocates to protect people as w ell as the planet. The un iversity does this w ork through committees. including the student-led Environmental Action Committee and t he Environmental Stew ardship Committee. which includes st udents. faculty. and staff. How that plays out at Augsburg. McDa niel said. is through holist ic programs o n campus and in surround ing neighbo rhoods t hat consider not only what is needed now. but how needs and protections can be ca rried out in the future. Origina lly dev eloped by Bemidji State Universit y. the university's ·wellness model" derives from ancient Oj ibw e teachings that the environment is the foundation that holds w ell ness. social health. and economic health in place. Think of it like a solar syst em. with the environment being the sun around which w ell ness. Sign up for Email Newsletter social health. and econo mic health orbit. Augsburg's sustainability officer, Monica McDaniel. (Photo by Rebecca Slater) McDaniel sa id Augsburg's focus is on three areas: food Submit Your Alumni News sov ereignty (mak ing sure people have un impeded access to healt hy nutr itio n). a mutua l aid circular economy. and renew able energy. Augsburg supports more tha n 1OD commun ity garden plots and an indigenous med icina l garden. These gardens CONNECT WITH US reflect the commun ities they serve. and every aspect is intentional- from the types of items planted. such as rue. a El I] common herb used in East African cooking and medicine. to the ways each ga rden is tended. "It's o ne w ay that w e've been trying to move beyo nd j ust planting food and eating it." McDa niel said. ·we w ant a space wher e people can see themselves represented. too." On campus. the ShareShop supports the circular econo my component. Made by students for students. the shop is a place wher e small kitchen and other househo ld items ca n be borrowed. swapped. or taken for use. Each semest er. McDaniel sa id. the ShareSho p saves at least a Augsburg's Environmental Stewardship Committee shows the vegetables harvested from che communrty garden. dumpster"s worth of items fro m being t hrown out . The lasting effect. tho ugh. is about changing behavio rs. (Photo by Rebecca Slater) Some of that lasting impact is in the interest new students have fo r a living and learning committee that focuses o n sust ainability. More t han SO students applied for 14 spots in t he fall. McDaniel said. "That demonstrates to me that this gener ation genu inely cares about these issues," she said . Work continues on renewable energy efforts underway at the university. From replacing less-effective light bulbs wit h LED lighting and upgraded HVAC systems. to maj or initiativ es like studying the possibility of o n-campus solar. the renewable energy conversations invo lve all members of the Augsburg community. Across all fronts. McDa niel said. she t ries to keep one ey e on the present and the other on what"s coming. "Programm ing helps because it giv es us an immed iate win." she said. "The challenge is looking at the systemic change w e're Monica McDaniel and Environmental Stewardship Committee students organize ShareShop donations. (Photo by Rebecca Slater) trying to implement." Top image: Monica McDaniel ond students i n Augsburg's Environm ental Stewardship Com mittee discuss the plants in th e comm unity garden plots outside t he Hagfors Center. (Photo by Rebecca Slater) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twin er ] [ Great Returns: We're All In Be the changg YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Be the c han g~ All -female Hall of Fame class literacY. is freedom : How o n e - on September 14. 2022 marks 50 Y.ears s ince Rassag~ Augsburg alumnus is wor k ing of Ti tle IX to emRower a nd ed ucate Black - on September 14, 2022 bOY.S - on September 14, 2022 Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE GREAT RETURNS: WE'RE ALL IN Public phase of comprehensive fundraising campaign a success by Norland SeJ2tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ 'P Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ 1:1 GREAT RETURNS AD Email ] On May 6, Augsburg University held an event to launch the public phase of its comprehensive fundraising ca mpaign. Great Returns: We're All In. At t hat t ime. t he campaign had received mo re than 40,000 gifts from nearly 1 5.000 donors to r each approximately $105 mill ion of its $125 million goal. Today, the total raised has exceeded $112 million. • ... r' GREAT REl M"'llfAttJNi Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News Great Returns Campaign Chair Or. Paul Mueller '84 speaks at the public launch of the Great Recums: We're All In campaign on May 6. (Pho,o by Courtney Perry) As a comprehensive campaign. Gr eat Returns: We're All In st rengthens Augsburg and supports current and future students in numerous w ays. So far. do no rs have contr ibuted more than $26 mil lion toward creating or strengthening 139 endow ed scholarship funds and establishing five endowed professorships. Mor e than S10 million has been raised for t he StepU P® Collegiate program Growth Endowment which provid es ongoing support for Augsburg's recovery program. Benefacto rs have also contributed more than $16 million to the Augsburg Fund, which allocates unrestr icted. discretionary dollars to improve t he student experience through academ ic programs. technologies, student aid, and more. "These have been a tough couple yea rs for all of us," said Pr esid ent Paul Pribbenow. • s ut t he hardships of these years o nly remind us that t he core of Augsburg to educate students as st ew ards of an inclusive democracy is all the more important and all the more critica l." Great Returns: We're All In campaign public launch event Endow ed funds can support specific scholarships, (Photo by Courtney Perry) professorships, o r specific programs. The univ ersity d raw s from these inv estments every year. currently at a rate of 4.5%, which ensures a steady str eam of funding that allows Augsburg to build programs and make mult i-y ear commitments. A university with generous endowments is able to offer fi nancial aid and lear ning opportunities that better prepare students to pursue their callings. These are just a few of the w ays Augsburg's alumni and friends have d emonstrated that they are "all in" to ensure a vibrant future fo r Augsburg University. Campaig n gifts can enhance the student experience by providing funds for hands-on resea rch opportunities, st udy abroad experiences, or improvements to the facilities wher e Auggies study, research, live, eat, relax. and train. After celebrating Augsburg's sesquicentenn ial in 2019 and 20 20, Augsburg's community- "faculty, staff. students, alumni. parents, friends, all who ca re d eeply about this place"-a re setting the univ ersity up to thrive for another 1 50 years, said Pr ibbenow. Great Returns: We're All In is also the theme of the All-School Reun ion to be held during Ho mecoming o n Friday. October 6Sunday. Octo ber 8. Co-chaired by Jeff Nodland '77 and Becky Bjella-Nodland 79, t he celebratio n will include a gathering of Auggie affinity groups and an award ceremo ny fo r the Dist inguished Alumni Awards in the Hagfors Center. The w eekend will also include the traditional Taste of Augsburg. a ho me football ga me against St. John's University. a celebration of 50 }'ears of Augsburg women's intercollegiate athletics and All-School Reunion co-chairs Jeff Nodland 77 and Becky Bjella-Nodland '79. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Title IX, and the dedicatio ns of t he renovated Si Melbywomen's locker room (funded by a donatio n fro m Patricia Piepenburg '69), and the updated Si Melby w eight room. d edicated to Donny Wichmann '89. l ea rn more about Great Returns: We're All In and do nate to Augsburg's futur e. Top image: Great Returns: We're All In wot erdrop. The water drop sculptures were given t o the first 150 benefactors who chose to invest in on endowed scholarship during the Great Returns campaign. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ 'P Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ 1:1 Email ] Summer 2022 < PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST > Sowing seeds for tomorrow Sankofa Circle Fellowshi12,P.reP-,!res to exP.and in second v.ear YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from Pr esident CamJluS Welcomes Executive Sankofa Cir cle Fellowshi P- Pribbenow- Mult iP-]Y. Your Director of Interfaith,. Jlr eJla res to exP.a nd in second Mind bY. Giving It AWaY.: Sh aring Celebr ates t h e life of Fuad EI- Y.ea r t h e Gift o f Vocation Hibri - on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 CONNECT WITH US El I] Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE SAN KOFA CIRCLE FELLOWSHIP PREPARES TO EXPAND IN SECOND YEAR by Norland Se12tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Share t his: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i GREAT RETURNS AD Email ] In summer 2021. Augsburg University launched t he Sankofa Circle FellowshiP- f or junior and sen io r st udent l eaders. The f ellow ship is inspired by four Adinkra symbols that originat ed in Ghana. These symbols stand f or concept s such as greatness. cha risma, and leadership; end urance and resourcefulness; unity and responsibility; and hope. Through t he fellow ship, student s grow t heir networks. connect w it h BIPOC ment ors, strengthen t heir leadership skills. and benefit from a supportive. mot ivating cohort. Fellows receive up to $5,000 f or t u it io n and $500 for books each yea r and participate in a nat ional conf er ence about raci al and social j ust ice. In 2021- 22. 1 O Augsburg juniors participated in the f ellow ship. Eight of those st udents w ill continue to participate as seniors. The tw o open slots, one of w hich w as vacated by a student w ho Fellows and mentors share a meat during a Sankofa Circle Fellowship dinner in October 2021. (Courtesy photo) graduated early, w ill be filled by seniors o n a wait ing list for t he init ial cohort. Ten new j uniors w ill also join t he program. Four Augsburg staff m embers support the f ellow s: Joanne Reeck, vice president f or equity and inclusion; Chris Dixon. athletic diversity and inclusion d irect or; Kate Gray, career Sign up for Email Newsletter services and alumni connections m anager f or t he St rommen Center fo r M ea ningful Wo rk; and Kezia Burrows, Pan-Afrikan Student Services program manager. Submit Your Alumni News Students formed meaningful connectio ns w it h the m entors and each other over t he course of t he program's first year . By the CONNECT WITH US end of the year. student f ellows described their relat ionships w it h o ne another as familial. The init ial cohort's mentors included the vice president of a bank, a nurse practit ioner, an assistant principa l, a retired judge who f ounded a nonprofit. and Kate Gray, center, and Joanne Reeck, left, help students sign in at the Sankofa Circle Fellowship Kick-Off event in September 2021. (Courtesy photo) Augsburg's university past or. Alumn i and communit y members w ho are interested in m entoring can em ail inclusion@augsburg.ed u. To apply f or a f ellowship fo r t he 2023- 24 school year or learn more, visit t he Sa nkofa Circle FellowshiP- w eb page or em ail inclusion@augsburg.edu. Top image: Sonkofo fellows visited the YMCA Equity Innovation Center i n Morch 2022. (Courtesy photo) Share t his: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Student-led efforts to reduce, reuse, and re~cle Great Returns: We're All In YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President CamJlUS Welcomes Executive Great Returns: We'r e All In Pribbenow- MultiP-!Y. Your Director of Interfaith,. - on September 14, 2022 Mind bY. Giving It AWaY.: Sharing Celebr ates the Life of Fuad EI- the Gift of Vocation Hibri - on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 El I] Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE STUDENT-LED EFFORTS TO REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE by Briana Alamilla '17 Se12tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln GREAT RETURNS AD ] [ i.'!i Email ] Campus program s like Campus Cupboard and ShareSho p reflect the university's environment al st ew ardship and social consciousness. Campus Cupboard is Augsburg's food shelf, wh ich provides student s and recent alumni w ith access t o free food and other essentials like t oilet paper and shampoo. The cupboard is open fo r in-person sho pping in the basement of Anderson Residence Hall, but the staff also make cont actless curbside and offcampus deliveries. Augsburg students help gather donations for Campus Cupboard during Athletics Day, 2018. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Serving students since 2013, Campus Cupboard is an essential part of Campus Kitchen, wh ich ma nages more than 80 community ga rden plot s and delivers meals-made from d ining services' surplus-to area youth programs, seniors, and community cent ers. Ca mpus Kitchen also hosts food demos, shares recipes, and d istribut es excess produce fro m area farmers. Learn more about t he Ca mpus Cupboard and w ays to donat e to this and other Ca mpus Kitchen initiativ es o n t he Ca mgus Kitchen w ebgagg. Students creat ed the ShareShop in 2019 t o help the Augsburg community sav e mo ney and reduce consumptio n of mat er ial goods, wh ile provid ing a space that fost ers community and informal learning about sustainable practices. Locat ed in the basement of the Science Building, t he shop features free clothes and household goods such as kitchen Sign up for Email Newsletter appliances, furniture, sheet sets, and more. Some items are free wh ile others are available to check out . The shop, which is open year round, expanded in 2021 t o offer a Submit Your Alumni News pop-up location in the Strommen Cent er for Meaningful Work. Partner ing w it h Campus Cupboard, the satellit e location offers nonperishable food, school supplies, clothes, and professio nal CONNECT WITH US attire. In spring 2022, t he shop held the inaugural M oveOut effo rt in partnership w ith Residence Life. The partnership made it easy El I] fo r students moving out of t he dorms to donat e small appliances, furniture, fans, ki tchenware, clothes, and mo re t o Items set out in ShareShop, which are free for all students to keep and borrow. (Photo by Courtney Perry) the ShareSho p rather than tossing unwanted it ems into dumpsters. Donat e item s and lea rn more about Shar eShog. Top image: Augsburg students help sort item s d onated to Sha reShop. (Photo by Rebecca Slot er) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Global Harmon.v. Choir takes notes from musicians around the world Sankofa Circle Fellowshi11.P.reP.ares to exP.and in second Y.ear YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President CamJluS Welcomes Executive Great Returns: We're All In Prib benow- MultiP-]Y. Your Director of Interfai th,. - on September 14, 2022 Mind bY. Giving It AWaY.: Sh aring Celebrates the Life of Fuad EI- the Gift o f Vocation Hibri - on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accredit ation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri ht © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea olis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full sit e experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our sit e with cookies enabled, y use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSUES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGGIE PODCASTS by Briana Alamilla '17 Share this: [ f Se12tember 14, 2022 .. Auggies Connect Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] GREAT RETURNS AD "Reth inking Manhood" by Destyn Land '1 9 "Rethinking Ma nhood" brings men t ogether to unlearn patriarchal masculinity and int entionally makes space for men t o heal. grow. and learn in community. "Stream of Life" co-hosted by Cassie Dong '18 "Str ea m of life" tells insp irational stories and offers insights about peace. conflict, and social j ustice. Hear from leaders, advocates. and scho lars w ho hav e worked around the w orld t o build sust ainable, positiv e peace. "Beyond Friends" co-hosted by Mai Xee Vang '18, Pang Xiong '17. and Sunny Thao '19 A group of Augsburg friends started "Be)'ond Friends" to t ell their st ories. rooted in their refugee and immigrant backgrounds. and reflect on how t hese identities are currently helping them navigate ad ulthood. Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Welcoming ProvostO'Laughlin; Board Grants Emeriti Status to Retiring Facul~ and Staff Global Harmo!!Y. Choir takes notes from musicians around the world YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Alumni Class Notes, Summer In Memoriam, Summer 2022 2022 - on September 14, 2022 • on September 14, 2022 CONNECT WITH US El I] Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE WELCOMING PROVOSTO'LAUGHLIN; BOARD GRANTS EMERITI STATUS TO RETIRING FACULTY AND STAFF by Farrisr Sef.1tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ GREAT RETURNS AD in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] In early July, Augsburg welcomed Paula O'Lough li n as the universit y's provost and sen io r vice president following the ret irement of Karen Kaivola. O'Loughlin previously served as provost and dean of t he faculty at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and in leadersh ip roles at Gustavus Adolphus College and the University of Minnesota-Morris. As the university's secondranking officer after President Paul Pribbenow, O'Loughlin holds a critical leadership position, with responsibility for the institution's largest divisions, academic affairs and student experience and success. Provost Paula O'Loughlin. {Courtesy photo) "When we ensure access to higher education, we support social mobility in t he aggregate and the opportunity to write one's own story for the ind ivid ual," O'Loughlin sa id . "Augsburg's well-known intentional pursuit of t hese values calls me to jo in this community. The university is doing amazing work, and I'm excited to become a part of it." Although she had yet to formally j oin the university, O'Lough lin attended the May meeting of Augsburg's Board of Regents. During the meeting, the board approved faculty emeritus status for : Sign up for Email Newsletter • Carol Enke, instructor of health. physical education, and exercise science; • W illiam Green, M. Anita Gay Hawthorne professor of critical race and ethnicity studies and professor of Submit Your Alumni News history; • Tom Morgan, professor of business administration and leadership stud ies; • Diane Pike, professor of sociology; and • Ph il Quanbeck II, associate professor of religion. CONNECT WITH US Sarah Griesse, who retired as d ean of students earlier th is year, was granted staff emerita status. The board also recognized four outgoing regents and thanked them for their d istinguished service: the Honorable Lajune Lange '75, Toby LaBelle '96, Rev. Dr. David Tiede. and Steven Larson '71 . President Poul Pribbenow and Provost Paulo O'Loughlin at Augsburg's 2022 opening convocation. (Photo by Rebecca Slater) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twin er ] [ Facul!Y. Members AP.P.Qinted to Named Professorshi~; New Sateren Chair of Music Auggie Podcasts YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President CamJlUS Welcomes Executive Great Returns: We're All In Prib benow- MultiP-!Y. Your Director of Interfaith,. - on September 14, 2022 Mind by Giving It Away: Sharing Celebrates the Life of Fuad EI- the Gift of Vocation Hibri - on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 El I] Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE FACULTY MEMBERS APPOINTED TO NAMED PROFESSORSHIPS; NEWSATEREN CHAIR OF MUSIC by Farrisr Sef.1tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f GREAT RETURNS AD Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] Jeremy Myers, associate professor of r eligion and executive director of the Christensen Cent er for Vocation, was appoint ed the Ber nhard M. Christensen professor of religion and vocation in July. He succeeds Professor Emerit a Martha Stortz, who retired in 2020. A d istinguished scholar in vocation and congr egational ministry, Myers joi ned Augsburg in 2006 and has facilitated t he Theology and Public Leadership d egree program, the Youth Studies m inor, and the Augsburg Youth Theology Institut e. The Christensen Chair was est ablished in 2005 t o honor the legacy of Bernhard M. Christensen, w ho served as president of what was then known as Augsburg College and Seminary from 1938-1962. The chair provides public leadership Jeremy Myers, Bernhard M. Christensen professor of religion and vocation. {Photo by Courtney Perry) in int erpr eting and advancing Augsburg's educat ional m ission, pursues scholarship and teaches in the religion d epartment and serves as counsel t o the president and Board of Regents. Andy Aoki, professor of politica l science, was na med the M. An ita Gay Hawthorne professor of crit ical race and ethnicity Sign up for Email Newsletter studies in June. He succeeds Professor Emeritus William Green, who retired ea rlier this year. Aoki, w ho joined t he Augsburg faculty in 1988, is a prolific writer and speaker about Asian Submit Your Alumni News American id entities and racial politics. During his t enure, Aoki has served as chair of the depa rtment of political science, senior fellow in the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, Faculty Senate president and, most recently, cha ir of the department of CONNECT WITH US critica l race and ethnicity studies. The Hawthorn professorship honors the legacy of Margaret Anita GaY. Hawthorne, w ho drew upon the concept of Pan-Afrikanism t o create a progra m Andy Aoki, M. Anita Gay Hawthorne professor of critical race and ethnicity studies. (Courtesy photo) at Augsburg un ique t o any college in the country. El I] Mary Elise Lowe, professor of religion, w as named the Bata ld en faculty scholar in applied ethics in Spring 2022. A member of Augsburg's faculty since 2003, Low e's w ork focuses on new understandings of the human person w ith special attention t o the doctrine of sin, the image of God, and human sexuality. Her focus as Batald en Scholar w ill be on "embod ied ethics•- an expa nsive cat egory that includes t raditional sexua l ethics as w ell as questions of em bod iment that are often excluded from traditional Christian eth ics. She w ill also focus on int ersectional t opics, including d isability/ability, race, body image, and human relationships. Funded by an endowment established by Abner Batalden '36 and supported by his fa mily, the Batalden Faculty Mary Elise Lowe, Batalden faculty scholar in applied ethics. {Photo by Courtney Perry) Scholar Progr am in Appl ied Ethics is designed to str engthen the infusion of ethics and valu es on campus, so that ethical d iscourse and practice is enhanced as a hall mark of Augsburg's student s, faculty, staff, and alumni. A t ransformational gift from Board of Regent s member John Schwartz '67 w ill creat e the Leland B. Sat eren '35 professor and chair of music, a new endow ed professorship t o be held by t he chair of the music department. An alumnus of the Augsburg Choir barit one section and a steadfast supporter of Augsburg student s. Schw artz has maintained a passion for choral music throughout four decades as a healthca re executive and into retirement. With 12revious gifts, he est ablished an endowed choral professorship. a fund for chora l music, and an endow ed scholarship. This latest gift w ill help advance the music department w ith inclusion. access. equity, and belonging and Board of Regents membe<, John Schwart z '67. {Photo by advance t he department's work locally, regionally. and Rebecca Stacer) nationa lly among diverse const ituent s. It w ill also bring expertise in music from beyond the Euro-Classical canon and/or in ethnomusicology. The endow ed chair honors renow ned Augsburg chora l conductor and composer Leland Sateren '35, who d ied in 2007 at age 94. Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ The Urchins of HagfQrs Welcoming Provost O'Laughlin; Board Grants Emeriti St atus to Retiring Facultv. and Staff YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from Presid ent CamJlUSWe lcomes Executive Great Ret urns: We'r e All In Pr ib benow- MultiP-]Y. Your Director of Interfaith ,. - on September 14, 2022 Min d bY. Giving It AWaY.: Sh aring Celebr at es t he Life of Fuad EI- t h e Gift o f Vocation Hibri - on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accredit ation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri nt © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea olis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full sit e experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our sit e with cookies enabled, y use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE THE URCHINS OF HAGFORS by Farrisr Sef.1tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] GREAT RETURNS AD Blue tuxedo sea urchins glist en w ith brill iant red spines that alt ernat e w ith iridescent blue bands. Their stunning appeara nce and habit of grazing on algae m ake them highly sought -after for coral reef aquariums, where they are harmless to delicat e corals-"perfect herbivores," says Bill Cap man, associat e prof essor of biology. Unfortunat ely. w ild ocean collection typically involves a mort ality r at e of upw ards of 75% for t hese delicat e invertebrat es. Ent er Augsburg's marine fish and invertebrat e breeding lab. Bill Capman in Augsburg's marine fish and invertebrate breeding lab. (Photo by Bill Capman) Ov er t he past four summers, Ca pman and his undergraduat e student researchers, including Kayla Cross ·21, Andrew Grace '24. and Grace Adams '23, have develo ped a precisely calibrat ed m ethod fo r breeding urchins in captivity, from initiating spawning via mild heat shock t o using round, black vort ex tubs t o simulat e t he w ay urchin larvae d rift in the o pen ocean. The students ba lance indiv idual research projects w ith lab t asks, caring for d iver se marine life and grow ing phytoplankton on sit e f or the urchin larvae t o eat. Tucked away in a custom space on the second floor of the Hagfors Cent er, Capm an and his t eam have becom e a m ajo r source of captive-bred urchins f or the aquarium trade. l ast yea r the lab held an exclusive supplier contract w ith one of the w orld's largest m arine fish breeders. shipping hundreds of urchins at a time via a collaboration w it h local m arine fish breeder Chad Vossen. Vossen Aquatics has been marketing. selling, and Sign up for Email Newsletter shipping m ost of the animals produced in Augsburg's marine breeding lab for several years. The m oney from the sales supplem ents grant funding t o support lab o perations. including pumps, fish food. light s- and always Submit Your Alumni News m ore salt mix. CONNECT WITH US El I] 300 p lus third generation urch ins sent Red spine blue tuxedo u rchin April Red sp ine b lu e tuxed o urchins June to Biota, June 2022. (photo by Sill Capman) 201 9. {photo by Bill Capman} 2020, day 108. (photo by Bill Capman) Th is y ear's urchins are the great-great -great -grandchild ren of the initial bat ch shipped fro m Bali in 201 8. The operat ion's success has attract ed significant int erest in t he w orld of marine breeding. and has environm ent al ramifications as w ell. The mortality rat e am ong the thousands of urchins shipped from the lab has been nearly zero, a subst antial conservation benefit compared to w ild harvest. But for Capm an, it all comes back t o t eaching science and biodiversity. •our goa l w ith the breed ing lab is for students t o have experience do ing research, from hypot heses, t o experim ent al design, t o dat a collectio n and analysis. to presenting t heir find ings. And w ith o ur coral reef t anks, student s and visit ors observe a w id e diversity of species and int eresting behav iors t hey would nev er otherwise encounter in Minnesot a." Top image: Bill Copmon tends to Augsburg's sea urchin raising tubs. (Photo by Bill Capman) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ Congratulations, Class of 2022 Facultv. Members ~llQinted to Named Professorshi~; New Sateren Chair of Music YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President CamJlUS Welcomes Executive Great Returns: We're All In Pribbenow- MultiP-!Y. Your Director of Interfaith,. - on September 14, 2022 Mind bY. Giving It AWaY.: Sharing Celebrates the Life of Fuad EI- the Gift of Vocation Hibri - on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 Ill AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2022 by Briana Alamilla '17 Share t his: [ f Se12tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ i.'!i Email ] Augsburg University celebrat ed t he Class of 2022 in a com m encem ent ceremony at U.S. Bank St adium in GREAT RETURNS AD downtown M inneapolis-hom e t o t he Minnesot a Vikings. The ceremony recogn ized 382 undergraduat e st udent s and 229 adult undergraduat e, mast er's, and doct oral st udents. Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US Top image: Graduates outside U.S. Bonk Stadium ofter comm encement (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share t his: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ The Urchins of Hagf ors On the SP.Qt: Ellie Olson YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from Presid ent CamJlu SWelcomes Executive Great Ret urns: We're All In Pr ib benow- MultiP-]Y. Your Director of Interfaith,. • on September 14, 2022 Mind bY. Giving It AWaY.: Sh aring Celebrat es t he Life of Fuad EI- t h e Gift o f Vocation Hibri • on September 14, 2022 • on September 14, 2022 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accredit ation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri ht © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea olis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full sit e experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our sit e with cookies enabled, y use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE ON THE SPOT: ELLIE OLSON The director of Augsburg's Center for Wellness and Counseling stresses that meaning and motivation matter now more than ever by Farrisr Sef.1tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Share this: [ f GREAT RETURNS AD Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ a Email ] Ellie Olson w as making an impo rtant point when an off-screen request demanded her attention. "One mo ment," she said, briefly d isappearing from Zoom to deal with what turned o ut to be a d ead bug emergency. like so many people in the summer of 2022, Olson's family was ho me under COVID-19 restrictions, requiring her to j uggle remote wor k and child care. "What w ere w e saying about the effects on focus and concentration?" she laughed. retracing her train of thought. "It feels like w e really need to be having t his conv ersat io n right now: Olson directs the Center for Wellness and Counseling, which pr ovides counseli ng to Augsburg students and promotes well-being across campus. She and her tea m have witnessed firstha nd the mental and emotiona l effects of the last two y ears. Those experiences. Olson said, shape her recommendations for meeting our current moment with g race-ongoing d isruptions, new variants. and all. Q: As a mental health professional, how would you describe this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic? How are people responding to it? Ellie Olson, director of Augsburg's Cen ter for Wellness and Counseling. (Pho to by Rebecca Slater) Sign up for Email Newsletter A: One of the th ings I r eally think is important to acknowledge is the level of energy that has been drained from us as a result of the trauma of COVID. As w e move out of that trauma stage and what some researchers and the media have call ed the "langu ishing'' phase, I always remind people t hat energy d rain is not j ust about the physical. It's Submit Your Alumni News emotional, it's cognitiv e, it's spiritual, it's social. And there's been so much drain. All the energy that's gone into reth inking how we live our lives has had a huge impact o n where w e are now. It's still impacting how much energy w e have to give to our lives and our responsibilities. CONNECT WITH US I frequently present on this topic, and when I name this lack of energy and suggest that w e need to do less. I get a sense of relief from a lot of people. We're not in th is fight-or-flight trauma like w e w ere during t he first mo nths of the pa ndemic. but many of us don't feel a lot of energy o r engagement. and I think that's no rmal right now given what El I] w e've been thro ugh. We need to giv e space to honor how hard people have been w orking, and to acknowledge that the wo rk w e put in while st ruggling is meaningful, even apart fro m productivity and outcomes. Q: How does this play out in your work with students and campus partners? A: One t hing that has consistently become more present is the impo rtance of meaning. Being forced out of "normal" over the past two y ears has really given people an opportun ity to tune in to what is and is not meaningfu l. If w e're going to give our limited sources of energy to someth ing, it needs to have value; people w ant to engage, but t he "budget request" has to eit her be high in meaning or low in energy. Here's an exa mple: We have a counselor who facilitates a group about understand ing and w orking wit h emotions that has been very w ell-receiv ed in years past. But this year, students just weren't engaging with it in the same way. Instead of continuing to offer an experience that was kind of like a class. w e started a w alking group instead. We j ust said, hey, come over to t he ewe, and w e're going to go fo r an hour-long walk in the neighborhood to explore and connect, and then w e're going to come back and have dinner together. Maybe students don't have the mental headspace to engage in ext ra lear ning after class, but they ca n go for a walk. This was a better fit fo r our students' energy; it was better attended and a mo re connecting experience. How else can w e adj ust t he things that w e're offering, so that they don't require as much energy or risk-taking as some of what w e w ere doing in the past? We see mental hea lth and w ellness as not j ust the business of the ewe. It's the business of everyone on ca mpus, and how w e st ep into that business differs by role. Q: As we head into the fall, what are some strategies or techniques that can help people thrive right now? The first thing I wou ld offer is not to go into this phase of life with the goal of retur ning to "no rmal," or t hat the people around you will behav e like they did before COVID. I think w e hav e to go into this phase thinking about what our lives are like now, and how w e can best create a structure t hat takes into account where w e've been as opposed to what things used to be. This is not going to feel good to the perfectionists in the w orldand I'm one of t hem-but part of this is lowering expectations of yourself and the people around you. When we don't set realistic expectatio ns that take into account where w e are now, then w e j ust create more burnout, more stress, mo re self-cr iticism, and less motivation. People are motivated when they feel like they can meet o r exceed expectatio ns. It's important for us to remember that in low ering expectations now, we're creating a groundwork for people to be more productive in the future. It's also important to acknow ledge that motivation is sometimes created; it doesn't j ust arriv e. This is where setting low er expectatio ns is really important. because some of us w ait to feel like w e w ant to do a th ing instead of trying to create motivation The Center for Wellness and Counseling hosts a var iety of events, like Auggie Ooggie Days, which gives studen ts the opportunrty to meet, pet, and des-cress with therapy dogs. (Pho to by Courtney Perry) by taking small actions. I tell students to set a really small goal. and if you can't meet t hat goal, cool: that's data that w e need to set a smaller o ne. As we start to do that w e create motivatio n rather than w aiting for mot ivation to find us. l astly, have grace wit h yourself and others r ight now. Honest ly, grace is always important, so this is a trait t hat w e could stand to utilize now and forever. Just to recognize that people are juggling a lot, that w e all have limited capacity-and while w e may regain some capacity, we are still limited at th is point. To own that and give yo urself some grace, and to give grace to t he people aro und you. Having grace and compassion for all that w e have been through and are st ill going through can go a lo ng w ay in t his moment. Top Image: Ellie Olson, director of Augsburg's Center for Wellness and Counseling. (Photo by Rebecca Slater) Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twiner ] [ Global Education Site in Northern Ireland to O~n in Si;iring 2023 Congratulations, Class of 2022 YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from Pr esident CamJlUS Welcomes Executive Great Returns: We're A ll In Prib benow- Mult iP-]Y. Your Director of Interfaith,. - on September 14, 2022 Mind bY. Giving It AWaY.: Sh aring Celebrates t he Life o f Fuad EI- t h e Gift o f Vocation Hibri - on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Abou1 Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accreditation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosures Employment Administrator Log in Contact Augsburg Co ri nt © 2023 Au sbur Universi Minnea olis MN 612-330-1000 The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on your web browser. By browsing our site with cookies enabled, y use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. 0 BACK TO TOP Ill AuGSBURG U N IV ER S IT Y PREVIOUS ISSU ES HOME ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE GLOBAL EDUCATION SITE IN NORTHERN IRELAND TO OPEN IN SPRING 2023 by Farrisr Sef.1tember 14, 2022 • Around the Quad Share t his: [ f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ <p Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ GREAT RETURNS AD i.'!i Email ] M any schools and organizat ions have been f orced to scale back or eliminate st udy abroad opt io ns si nce t he COVID19 pandem ic. But w ith a commitm en t to int ernat ional educat io n t hat is un ique amo ng M idwest universit ies, Augsburg's Center for Globa l Educatio n and Exper ience didn't just preserve existing offer ings- it's set t o expand t hem. Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News Students meet with and learn from people involved with the conflict and peace process in Northern Ireland. (Courtesy photo) CONNECT WITH US In Spring 2023, CG EE w i ll welcom e its first coho rt of st udent s t o El I] a new semest er-long program in Northern Ireland . Based at Ulst er University in t he vibrant city of Derry- Lo ndonderry, t he Conflict. Peace, and Transit ion i;irogram w ill crit ically exam ine t he wo rk of j usti ce, reconciliat ion, and repair in relat ion t o the hist ory and legacy of violen t conflict in the regio n. Coursew ork w i ll focus on underst andi ng t he polit ics of t he Northern Ireland conflict and t he t ra nsit io n to a sust ainable dem ocracy. St udents w i ll also part icipat e in int ernshi ps at local peacebui ld ing organizat ions and engage i n field visit s t o Belfast. the A nt r im Coast. and t he border count ies of Fer managh, Tyro ne, and A rmagh. The Northern Ireland sit e adds a Europea n locat ion t o CGEE's portf olio of glo bal program s in Mexico, Cent ral Am erica. and Southern Afr ica . Each program offers a un ique model of handson lear ning rooted i n social j ustice and focused on d irect Students pose at Ulster University's Magee campus, where they will be IWing and spending a lot of their social time. (Courtesy photo) community engagem ent. Top image: Students enj oy t he landscap e during on extended trip to rural ar eas in Northern Ireland. (Courtesy phot o) Share t his: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ "JI Twitter ] [ All-female Hall of Fame class marks 50 v.ears since P.assagg On t he SP.Ot: Ellie O lson of Title IX YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President CamJluSWelcomes Executive Great Ret urns: We're All In Pribbenow- MultiP-!Y. Your Director of Interfaith,. - on September 14, 2022 Mind bY. Giving It AWaY.: Sharing Celebrat es t he Life of Fuad EI- t he Gift of Vocation Hibri • on September 14, 2022 - on September 14, 2022
Show less

Title: Augsburg Now Winter 2021-22
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: 1111 Au GSBURG UNIVERSITY . 1 HOM E PREVIOUS IISSU ES A BOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW: ON A LEGACY OF HOSPITALITY AND LEADERSHIP tty.Paul C. Prib/::t.enow Share thi s: [ f FebruaN22. 2022 Facebook ] [ ,. Around the Quad. Presidenr's Letter W' Twit...
Show more 1111 Au GSBURG UNIVERSITY . 1 HOM E PREVIOUS IISSU ES A BOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW: ON A LEGACY OF HOSPITALITY AND LEADERSHIP tty.Paul C. Prib/::t.enow Share thi s: [ f FebruaN22. 2022 Facebook ] [ ,. Around the Quad. Presidenr's Letter W' Twitter] [ 'P Pinterest ] [ in Li nkedl n ] [ i:i Ema.ii ] My wlfe, A biga il, and I lrst m et Anne Frame and Bill Frame, Augsburg's ni nth president, so me 18 years ago wh en w e were chosen t o be p art of a new program, sponsored by t he Council ofJ ndependent Colleges and designed by Bill, that helped college presidents and t helr pa rtners to explore t he links betw"ee n th eir ca llings or vocatj ons and the missio n,; of the instit uti on s t hey served . At t hat point, I w as pn:'sjdent of Rockford Coll ege in Ill ino is, and o f course, Bill and An ne were at Augsburg. It was a ren1arkab le exp erien ce for all of us involved, and we remain friends and colleagues with many of those who shared th e program w ith us. It w as during t hls ti me that we first witn essed t he delightfu l partnership that Ann e an d Bill had created- in their m arriage, in t hei r lead ershl p of the progr am, and in th eir wo rk at Augsburg. Tho see of us in th e program came t o count on Bi ll for th oughtful and weighty treati:ses (0 11e of us o nce exclaimed , · Give me a th esau rus!" w hen BHl"s vocabulary got to be a bit m uch), whi le Anne's gr aciou s and cai rn presen ce brought u.s back to th e joy of Pres;dent Paul Pribbenow (P oto by Courtney Pe rry] rhe work a1 hand. Little did w e know that just a few m ont hs after the progr am con cluded , Abigail an d I would be elected as An ne and Bill's successor s at Augsburg. It was during t he leadership transition an d over t he past 15 years t hat I have co me to know t he many w ay s in wh[ch Anne's presence an d engagem ent wit h , he Augsburg commun [ty during Bill's pres idency have made a lasting impact Anne Fr am e passe d away t his past summer, but her legacy lfves o n in th e many ways her lffe an d wor k have graced i:h e Augsburg co mmunity. I wouJd highllghtju st a few : Ann e an d Bi[I m ade t'he case for and ,h en crea ted a place of w onderful hospitality and fe l[owshlp at Augsburg House, the resfd ence for Augsb urg's president and f ami ly, but more importantly a place at wh ich t o gather st udents, fa cu lty, staff. alu mni, and friends to ce lebrate a11 d build community. In fact, Anne and Bi ll set im porta nt trad it io ns at t he house that we still ce lebrat e, incl udin g a fe.stive holiday party for n eighbors who are often inconvet1i em:ed by al l t he ca rs pas ked alo ng West River Par kway f or our ga therings! Ann e loved to engage wit h stud errts, participat ing in activit fes li ke Late Night Breakfasts at the end of each semester and City Engagem ent Days at th e beginni ng of ea ch academic year. It was deeply m eani ngful to :students to see the president and f amlly involved in t he lffe oft'he ca m pus., Ann e also served as a boa rd m ember for the Augsbu rg i\ssoclates, a group o f committed vo lu nteers wh o organized furrdraising events to support student scholarshi ps. The annua l Vel kommen Yul celebr ations remain a highl ight of tn e acad emic yea r, liftl11g up our Norwegian her it age. Sign up for Emai l Newsletter Fin ally, Ann e accompanied Bi ll on m any intern a1iona l tri ps-to Augsburg's sites in South Africa and Nami bl,a, 10 Norway as fXirt of our re[atio11shi p with t he Norwegian No bel Instit ute, and p erhaps most m em or ably to China with a Submit Your Alumni News group of M innesota prlvate col lege presi dents and part ners to e xplore a relationshlp wit h a n ewly f ormed liberal arts college on t he mainl an d, now know n as United Inte rnatio nal Co.liege. After Bill and Anne reti red from Augsbu rg in 200 6, they co ntinued t o be engaged in t h e Augsburg comm untty, CONN ECT W ITH US atte nding events, visit ing donors, cheeri ng us o n in our variou s efforts to m ake Augsbu rg t he remarkably diver ,;e inst[tution it is t o day. At th e s,a m e t ime, it w as a joy for me to see t he mean in g that .t...n ne found in r et urnin g t o her chose n prof ession- her calli11 g- as an accou11ti nt for vari ous orga rii zation s in th e Tacoma, Vllashington, area . In ,.hat way, Arm e corrt inued to model fo r all of us w hat it m ea ns to follow t he divine ca!I, wh erever it leads us- even w hen II m~ the cal l l s surprising and un expected. We celebra te t he w ays in which preslden1ial leadership over 150 yea rs-sha red in part ne rshi p with r emarkabl e spouses-sets a foun dation fo r the work we do today! Faithfu lly you rs, Pau l C. Pri bbenow, President Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ 'II' Twirrer Commuriiry: f ng~gement ] [ 'P Pinterest ] [ in Li nked In ] :Presid e ni: Pau l C. Pribbenm\l [ i:i Email ] Winrer 202 1-22 <PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST > Provost !Ka ivo la to ret~re; Boardi ofi Regents BP..P.:roves emeriU status fo r reUring Augg ies Augsburg introduces .American Indian Recognition Full Tuition Program Augsburg int ro dllces Amer1ican Pr ovost Ka ivola to r etire; Board Student-created salads are lrndian Recogn it ion Full Tu it ion of Regents aP.:Qroves emeriti: he!FJ:ing Augsburg !build a mor,e Program st.at us for ret irin g Augg ies sustainab /le local economY. - on February 22, 2022 - on February 22, 2022 - on Februory 22, 2022 0 BACK,;o ,OP II Au GSBlIRG UN I VERS I TY . 1 HOM E PREVIOUS ISSU ES A BOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG INTRODUCES AMERICAN INDIAN RECOGNITION FULL TUITION PROGRAM by Kate Norlander f Shar e this: [ Februarv22. 2022 ,_ Around the Quad Facebook ] 't# Twirrer ] 'P Piru.ere,r ] [ in Linked In ] a fmail Au,gsburg University is la unching one of the nation's first comprehensive fu ll-tuition program5 at a private institLJtion to support and recogn ize the imp ortance of American Ind ian s within higher education. In this context. Augsburg defin es "American Indi an" a.s an enrolled member of a federally recogfl ized American Indian tribe, Alaskan Native Village, or Canadian First Nation; a di rect descendant of a parent or grandparent wh o is an enrolled member of the above; or a direct desce11dant of a tribally verified m ember of the above. Unlike programs in many public institutions, Augsburgs program doe5 not li mit el igibility to Am•erican Indian students who live in th e 5tate. In addition , t he Augsburg American lndian Reo::ogn ition Full Tuition Program provides access for both full-tim e undergraduate students as well as adult learners in any of the university's degree completron bachelor·s programs. This new program wi ll begin ln the Fall 2022 semester for both new and contlnu [ng eligible students. "O ne of our commitments at Augsburg is to bri11g an equity lens to affordability." said Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow. "This orogram is one step toward recogn izing the profound cont ributions American Indian stuclet1ts and ,he ir commun [ties make to t he univers ity and w ithin higher edtJcatton more broadJy." Sign up for Email Newsletter Regent Eric JollY. described th e program as "groundbreaking am ong pr ivate unrversities nationwide.n He added, "At the sa me t i111e, it is abs-olut-ely in liTie wfth A.ugsburgs long-sta nding commitments to intentiona l diversity and incl usrve excellence. J hope t his is just the first of m any i nstitut ion s designi ng creative and equitable paths to Submit Your Alumni News education f or native an d First Nati ons people." Students who apply for t he program do not need to be enrolled as an American lndia11 trib al member, establ ish CONN ECT WllH US residence on trust land, or be Min nesota residents. Through th is program, Augsburg seeks to support and promote American Indians with in t he Augsburg i::on1n1u11 ity. "My mom and dad told me my whol e life, you're going t o co llege. It was a 'where' and not an 'if.' What I needed from a II [ll Ii school- the main thing t hat was going to make or break it-was if I cou [d afford it" said Reuben .K itto Stately'22. a student from both t he Red Lake Nation and Santee Sioux Nation. "But the cu lture of the ca mpu s, the way t he Native students support each other. was also a big se lli ng paint. Th is part af th e .south s[de of Minneapol is Is t he most conce ntr ated urban Native population in the whole country." "The system ic injustices that have limited access to higher ed ucation for many American In dian students need 5tru ctural solut ions; .said Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Joanne Reeck. "This program is one step that we as a n institution can ta ke." Lear n m are about the Am erican Indian Recogn ition Full Tt.1 ttlon Pr ogram. Top image: Reuben Kitto Stately '22 is an Augsburg student from both the Red Lake Nation and Santee Sioux Nation. (Photo by Courtney Perry) f Share this: [ lags: Fa~ebook ] Admissions "!ti Twiner ] Am e ric a n Indian 'P Pimeresr ] [ in Li nked In ] [ i:I Email Boa rcl of Regem s Class of 2022 Dive rsity ,,ncl Incl usion \'Vi nrer 202.1-.22 NEXT POST> ( PREVIOUS POST How a Minnesota greenhouse aci;iu ired a diverse olant co llection from around the globe~and how it .all thrives under orie roof Notes from 'P;res ident Prlbbenow: Orn a leg:il£{. of hospitality and leadersh ip YOU Ml G,HT ALSO LIKE 1 Notes from Preside tit Pr ovost Ka ivo la to re t ire; Board St udent-c reated sa liads are Pribbenow: oin a legacy of of Regenits aJ:):groves emerit f he lQing Augsburg b uild a more hosgita litY. and leadershiR status for retir.ing Auggies sustainable loca l economy - an February 22, 2022 - on February 22, 2022 - on February 22. 2 02 2 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg I nsi-dle Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accreditation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosures Employment Contact Augsburg Co • l'i ht©2O22Au sbur Universi Minnea lis MN 612-330-1000 0 BACK TOl'OI' ~GSBU~ UNIVERS1I TY . HOM E • PREV lOUS liSSU. ES ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE PROVOST KAIVOLA TO RETIRE; BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVES EMERJT1 STATUS FQ,R RETIRING AUGGI.ES by 5te1J_hen lendraszak 5 are this: [ f February 22. 202l 'Ii- Around rhe Quad Fac.ebook] [ - Twitter] [ 'P Pinterest ] [ in Linkedln ] [ 1i1S Email ] Karen Kaivo la. Augsburg's provost and senior v ice presi-den of acad emic and student affairs, will reti re at the end of 2021-22 acade m ic year. Si ri ce Kaivo la joined Augsburg in 2013, her leadership of the facu lty has consistently reflected unw av eri ng comm itme nts to teaching and [earn i11,g. In late 2019, Kaivola stepped into an expanded role overseeiI g bot academic affairs ,;md student affairs-, seeking new alignments and center ing both on a holistic view of student learning and development ,I!., committee chaired by Timi Pieeert, Joel Torstenson endowed pro essor of sociology, is in the midst o r a nationa l search to i dentify her successo r . At its October meeting. th e Augsburg University Board of Regents approved acuity emeritus status for Milo Sch ield , prof essor of busi ness admin istration; regent em ertta status for Ann Ashton-Piper, who r etired ··.-on t e board .a ter 12 years of servi ce; and staff emerit i stat s or [ong-serving employees Nancy Prnvo:st Kat'len Kaivo la (Ar Giuilbeault, James Trelstad-Porter. and M ary Laurel True. ive p, oto) Sign up for Emai l Newsletter At its February meeting, th e board approved faculty em eri ta status for Laura Boisen, professor of social w ork; and staff emer[t [ statu s for Dianne Detloft Ann Garvey, and Mark Lester. Share this: [ f Fac.ebook ] [ - Twitter ] [ 'P Pinterest ] [ in Linked I Submit Your Alumni News ] [ m Em ail ] CONN ECT WITH US Tags: Board of Regents Faculty Wi ter 202 1-2:2 ( PREVIOUS POST N EXT POST> Stucle nt-,c reat ed salads are rieiP-ing Augsburg bu ild a more sustainab le loca l eco11omJ1_ Notes from Presi dent Pribbenow: On a !egag.' of hosgitalit]I. and le·adershiP- YOU M .I GHT ALSO LIKE Augsb urg introduces America n Notes f r om President. Student-created saiads are Indian Recogn'itiori Full Tui:t ion Prib benow: On a legm of he lP-ing Augsb urg bui ld a more Progr am hosRltal ity and leadershiP-. susta inable local economy - on February 22, 2022 - on Februa-1)' 22, 2022 - on February 22, 2022 ■ m Iii II AuGS,JBURG UN I VERSITY . HOM E PREVIOUS ISSU ES ABOUT CO NTACT IUS CURRENT ISSUE STUDENT-CREATED SALADS ARE HELPING A UGSBURG BU ILD A MORE SUSTAINABLE LO·CAL ECONO,MY 1 by8ri11n11AJ11mil/11 '17 f 5hare ·th is~[ February22, 2022 ,.Around rhe Quad Facebook] [ W Twiner ] [ 'P Pinterest ] [ in Li nkedln ] [ ill Em ail ] In Fall 2020, the 5,;Jbo Cent er for Democracy and Cit ize nsh ig launched Augsburg loca l, an ef fort t o leverage Augsburg Un iversity's purchasing power to support local bu sinesses. Through a partnership with Augsburg's dining services, students and staff involved wrth Augsburg Local began conversations about reimagining sustainabi lity, representation. cultur al competence, and bein g a good neighbor by servin g healthy dishes featuri ng foods sourced fron1 environmentally susta inable loca l vend ors. A salad creation team was born in an effort to support this tran sition. The Sabo Center's sa lad creation tean1 includes staff and students from the Environmental St eward ship Comm ittee, Cam1;1 us Kitchen, and Augs.burg Local. The team has drawn on the work of young peopl.e from community partners. including Stu de cs crea1ed salads wi,11 seasoriar, lllcal~J s.ourced ingred ienss. [Courtes y Pills.bury Unjted Commun ities· Waite House photo) Sign up for Emai l Newsletter (in the Philli ps neighborhood in South Minneapolis) and th e local nonprofi t Roots for the Home Team. which focuses on mentoring teens t hrough community gardening and hands-on learning wi th Submit Your Alumni News chefs. Augsburg's sa lad creation team r esearched CON'NECT WITH US ,:i nd developed signature sa lads that were Students partnered witn Ioca1 organizations rn source and creaire fi rst sold in The Comn1on s last fa ll. The salads. (Courtesy pnom) development of seasonal . locally sourced II IJI Iii salads occurred through a seri es of w orkshops during Summer 2Cl21 w ith participation from students, staff, faculty. and community members with experti se from loca l vendors, farmers. and dining services staff. Tri al in gredients came from The Good Acre (a Twirr Cities food hub), the 5eward Commun ity Co-op, and other loca l vendors and far.mers to support and develop their capacity to supply Augsburg dining services in the long term . Tllis co-cr eated sa lad projed serves as a stepping stone toward a gr eater commitment to local and susta inable food procurement at Augsburg. A shift toward loca l food purchilsing at Augsburg will help build a more sustalnab le local Staff se ive suden,-<:reatecl sa lads in The Commons for on-::-cmpus di ners . economy. (Court esy pnoto) FoJlow @sustainable augsburg!d and ~gsburgloca l on lnstagram to see t he proj ect in action. Lea rn more about Augsburg l oca l. Tap image: Student-created salads were offered in The Com mons for on-campus diner;. (Courtesy photo) f Share this: [ Tags: Facebook ] [ "# Twiner] [ A~ !Jurg Local ·Cam f! U.S Kitt hen 'P Pintere.st ] [ in Li nkedln ] EnVironmemal Stew a rdsh ip [ ill Em ail ] On Cam pus Sustai nability \!Vi m,er 2021-.22 < PREVIOUS POST NEXf POST> Aug5bu rg's Int erfaith lnsti tu t,e adds new r10:sition end ow ed b]' the EI-Hibiri f ami IY. Provost Kaivola t o r etire; Boar d of Regent s aggroves em er it i status f or r etir ing Auggies YO U M lGHT A.LSO LI KE 1 Provost Kaivola to r etire; Board Augsb urg intr odiuces American Notes ifrom Piresident Ind ian Recognit iormFu ll Tu'it ioni Pri bbenow: on Pr ogra1T1 hospjtral ity and leade rship_ sta t us fo r retiring Auggies - on February 22, 2022 - on February 22, 2022 - on February 22, 2022 a leg.ac)' of and Programs of Reg ents a1n11roves emer iti About Augshurg inside Augsburg Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Direclory Graduate Aclmissions Accre<frtation News and Media Make a Git Campus Tmu Consumer DisdosL1res Employment Contact Augshurg U ndergraduale Admissions Majors Adult Undergraduate Admissions co ri ht©2022A1.1 sbur Universi Minnea lis MN 612-330--1000 0 BACK TO TOP ~GSBU~ UNIVERSITY. •- PREVIOUS .ISSUES HOM E CO~TACTUS A BOUT CURRENT ISSUE A UG.SBURG'S INTERFAITH INSTITUTE ADDS NEW POSITION ENDOWED BY THE EL-HIBRI FAM ILY 1 by Kate- Norlander Share th~s: [ f Februarv22. 2022 fl. Around the Quad Facebook ) [ !II Tw· e r ] [ 'P PintereSI In 2021 . Fuad and Nancy EL-Hibri gave a significant gi ] [ in Li kedl n ] [ Email ] to Augsburg Unrversity to create the El-Hibri Endowed Chair and Executive Directorship for the Interfaith Institute. lnte aitll .at Augsburg: An Instit ute to Promote fnt erre[iglous Leadershi P-. WilS established in 2019 as part of Augsburg's commitment to interfaith learning arid l eadership. The newfy endowed pos.ition will al low the university to hrre a strategic lead er and distinguished schofar to provide directio or the institute and serve as a member of the acuity. The El-Hibr i chair wi ll seNe as a national ambassador ·or the intetia ith movement and wi ll partner w ith campus leaders as a ch;:;nge agent for interreligiouo; learning and living. The EI -Hibris' gift will help to f1Jlfi ll one o· tile go.:1ls of Augsburg1 50, the univer5ity's sesquicentennial strategic plan, to advance the publ ic purp,os:es of an Augsburg education by enhancing interfaith leadersnip on campus and ,hroughout the nation. ~we live in a world that i5 religiouo;ly diverse, and allowi11g religions to thrive is a step in the right direction." said f1u ad EI-Hibri "But it is not enough. Interfaith dia logue, l ea rning from one another, and engaging together in meaningful work is what it's tru ly all about. The timing now is critical , and we hope thrs i5 just the beginning." ~we ave a unique oppoitunity to burld an interfaith learning comm1Jnity that wi ll be a mode[ for all of igher Srgn up for Email Newsletter education," Silid President Pa ul Pribbenow, ''The combination of Augsburg's interreHgi ous student body, with Fuad and Na, cys support and coLmsel, wi ll create 1: e so of academic and comm unit,; l eadersh ip the world needs today." Submit Your Alumni News Top i.mage: [L to RJ filancy and Fuad EI-Hibri (Courtesy photo) CONN ECT W ITH US f Facebook ] [ Fa.cuh:y lr.-e.-faith Share this: [ Tags: '# Tw irrer] [ 'P Srraregi.£.P-:lan Pinterest ] [ in Li nke dl ] [ a Email ] \>\linter 2021-22 NEXT POST ) < PREVlOUS POST 2021 St e•pUP Gala raises more than $425,0-00 for oncamQUS recovery_P- rogram Student-created sa lads are hel P-iing Augsburg bu rid a more susta in ab le local economy: YOU M l·G HT ALSO LIKE Augsburg introduces Amer ican Notes from President Provost Ka ivola to retire; Board Indian Recognition Fu!! Tuit ion lflrib benow: On a legac)! of of Regents arui roves emerlti Program hos?-it:ality an d leadersh iQ status for retiring Auggies - on February 22, 2022 - on February 22, 1022 - on Februal"J 22, 2022 AuGSBURG - UN I VERSITY . HOME - PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE 2021 STEPUP GALA RAISES MORE THAN $425,000 FOR ON-CAMPUS RECOVERY PROGRAM by l:me Nor/an deer Sha r-e this: [ f Februarv21 2012 -. Around tiie Quali fgceb oo k ] [ V TwITTer] [ 'P ?intere,r] [ in Linked ln] [ D Em ail I On Novembtei 1 3. a bout 300 In-p erson and 11ir.ual at;:en d ees ra ised more rha n 542.5,000 at Augsbur g"s annua l Stee1UP® Psc,gram Gala. This year"s til e me, Now More Than Ever. emphasi;:ed t h e im portance of ,h-= su pp or>: Step UP has provided for stud ents in recovery during a time when ma ny people h ave been isolat,ed an d In dang<=r oi r<'lapse. Th e eve 11t was hosi-ed at Quincy Hall in Northea:.c Mirrn,;,apolis. Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONN ECT W ITH US II ul Retired journalise De•1e N'mm e r se rved as the g,,le"s e mcee. IPh o 0 b)" R~b~cca Slace,) 0 James Augre '72 {left) and Bre nda Gauvin-Ch , dwO:I< l nN prese nt) received the 201 1 Toby Pipe r LaBelle Award for the s gnificant 1r:1pact triey have mcele ""rhe reY:.ove ry communr:y. To~y LaBelle "96 1, ,gr,,1 ;>"=<ented me ,ware!. [Ph~,o by Res0e~,~ Staterl Augsburgs Seep UP Program ha,s coo.JCh ed many Iii-es s mce It began 111 7 gg; !Phom oy ~e~~cce 513ter) Th: live «rttion olor,o roi ,od :a 15,500 fo r 5i,pUP. {Pt,o, o by Ro~«ca Slorer) Ent icing Entmainme~, prnV<ded a fiery conclusion to rhe =m. (Ph~rn by Rebecca s ia,er) Renee Mo st, dkecwr of cfle SeepU P Pru.gr<am, pos,es w"th Tu.e ke, Robinson 'l2. ,r,e gala's s:ud em: speaker. {Photo oy R~becca Slater) Chris Al len '02 creacecl a worl< of an a, the es·em for the second wnsecm"" year_ Ttlis year's artwort was included in ch, aucrior,, an □ Bo~rd of R•genc< m•m ~•• Cyru, B8th,j8 '09, '11 MBA'"~ B•cky Bsth•j• wc,n ,,,, 8rcwork, ,r,~nl;cs ro, ~•neM•Js dnna<lon {l'hoco t,y Rebecca Slater) Share this; [ Tags: f Facebook ] [ 'JI Twin er ] [ Class of 19/2 Cl~;.sof 1 996 'P Pinteres[ ] [ in Link ed ln [ lass of 1002 j [ D Em a il ] Ciao; of 2011 Cla-, of 2022 Win,e-r ?021-22 < PREVIOUS POST N EXT POST} Au~l:rn rg's recent a ward s and rank i ngs-Winler 2021 22 Augsbu rg's Interfa it h Institute adds new 11osit ion endowed by t he EI-Hib ri furn ii)( YOU M IGHT ALSO LIKE Augsbllrg Introduces American Notes from President Provost Ka lvola to retire: B<lard Indi an Recognition Ful I Tuition Prib benow: On a legacy of of Regents annroves eme r iti Prog@ill hos1J:ilality and lec1dershi1,. stat us fo r retir ing Auggies - on Februory 11, 1012 - on frbruary 12, 2011 - on Ft:br1J<1ry 21, 1012 ,~, AuGSBUR:G • UNIVERSITY . HOME ABOUT PREVIOUS I SSUI I'S CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBLJR,G'S RECENT AWARDS AND RANKI .N GSWINTER 2021!-2.2 by Briana Alamilla '17 f Share t his: [ Febr:tIDry22. 2022 "' Around tin, Quad F.acebook ] [ W Twirrer ] [ 'P Pimeresi: ] [ in Li nked In ] a Email ] This year, Augsbu rg is horiored to receive a var iety of awards and rarikings, includi ng new accolades for prod ucing even 1nore Gi lman Scholars and for being .a religious universlty living up to LGBTQIA+ incl usive values. Augsburg's r-ecent aw ards and r anki ngs in clude: 20-Year Top :P roducer of Gilman Scholars Augs burg University was recogni zed by t he U.S. Departm ent of State's Bure aLr of Education al and Cu ltural Affa ir s for having produced th e most Gilm an recipients over th e past 20 y ear s in t h€ sm all institu tions category. Si nce 2001, 77 Augsburg students. h ave been offered t he Be rijamin A. Gilman International Scholarsh ip, w hich enables stu den ts to st udy abroad . 2021 Top 10 Re]igious Colleges Living Up to LG,BTQlnclusive Values by Camipus Pride NBC News rer:io rted t hat Augsburg was one of only t hree rel igiously affiliat ed univers iti es th at received the highest score of 5 on th e Lndex of si:hools r e,::ogn ized by Ca mpus Pride fo r be in g rel igi □ Lfi unjver sities t hc1t are LGBTQ-- Sign up for Emai l Newsletter fr iendly. Top 40 LGBTQ Friendly College·s and Univers.iti,es Submit Your Alumni News Augsburg w as agai n nam ed to CamQU S Pnde's list of the top 40 LGBTQ~riendly co lleges and universities in 2021. Can1pus Pride is t he !ea ding national organization fo r creating safer, m ore LGBTQ-fri end ly co!leges and universities, 2021 Best in the Midwest by The Princeton Review Augsburg w as again nan1ed to The Prin[eton Review's list of t he best colleges c1nd un iversities in the Midwest base d CO NN ECT WITH US II ul Ii 0 11 academic excel lence. 2021 Best Regional Universities b,y U.S. News & Worlld Report • 4th in Best Undergradua t e Teaching • 24th in Regional Univ er sities- Midwest • 38th in Suppo rt fo r Vet erans Vi ew m ore of Augiburg'.s c1w ards and ranking~. f Share t his: [ Tags: F.acebo<Jk ] [ Augsburg In lhe News '!# Twitter] [ 'P Pimerest ] [ in Unkedln Awards aTi d R-ecogniti<J n ] [ 115 Ema'il ] Wint er 2021-22 < PREVfOUS POST N EXT POST> Musician and r;ioet D11.1a Saliehi '17 breaks boundaries with ro le on Netflix.'s ·sex Edu cation' 2021 .Ster;iUP Galla ra ises more tha n ~425,000 for oncamt;iu s recovery grogram YO U Mll GHl ALS O l l KE 1 1 Allgsburg intr oduces Amerkan Notes from President Provost Ka ivola to retire; Boaird Indian Recogn it ion Fu l l Tu it ion Pri bbenow: On a legac:y of of Regents a1uiroves emeriti Program hosr-itality an d leaders!:riP- status for retiringAuggies - on February 22, 2022 - on Februa0, 22, 2022 - on February 22, 2022 UndeJ9raduate Admissions Majors and Programs About Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Directory Graduate Admissions Accre<litation News and Media Make a Gift Campus Tour Consumer Disdosmes Employment Contact Augsburg Co ri ht© 2022Au sbu Universi Mtnnea lis MN 612-330--1000 0 BACK TO TOP AuGSBLlRG • UNIVERSITY . HO.M E PREV lOUS ISSU ES A BOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE MUSICIAN AND POET DUA SALEH '17 BREAKS BOUNDARIES WlTH ROLE ON NETFLIX'S 'SEX EDUCATION' oy Briana AJamiffa '17 February 22, 2022 Share this: [ f Facebook] [ · Auggies Connc:a. Gass Notes (Afumnl] '!JI Twitter ] [ <j) ?interest ] [ in Linkedlr. ] [ a Email ] Dua Saleh '17 plays t he new character Cal Bowman in the third season o the awa rd-winn i11g Netflix show"Sex Education," a British teen comedy-d ram.a series. 5a leh's character is a11 American student from Minne.;ipofis whose parents moved them to the United Kingdom. Like Ca l, the fi rst nonbinary character on the show·, Saleh is nonbrflal)' and uses they/t hem pronouns. Saleh a d a non bin ary cons:u ttanr assisted Neftlix with t he scri pt. The Sudanese-American musician, poet and actrvi5t began writing poetry their second year at Augsburg and performed .at open mic events. Seeing people's positive responses encouraged Saleh to write songs and make music, which led to the eventual release of two EPs. Previously, Saleh perforn1e<l in an underground theater in Minneapol is. The Netflix show is their first pro essio11al acting role. "I want people to eel v;;il idated," sareh told Netflix . "Cal ls a nonbinary, Black character, and I want people to th in , 'O , my gosh, I can befi eve I've seen n1ys,elf on t is seri.es. I can believe I've seen myseff represented [n mainstream media.'That's what I wan the most." Read more alumni news, arid submit vour own l ife UR dates. Sign up for EmaH Newsletter Top image: Netflix subscrib ers con stream u5ex Education." a British teen comedy-drama. (Courtesy photo) Share this: [ f Facebook] [ -, Tw· er] [ <j) Pirttere.st ] [ in Li nke.di n] [ Submit Your Alumni News Email ] CONN ECT W ITH US Tags: Alumni News And IJP-dares Class of 201 7 Wirt er 2021-22 NEXT POST} <PREVI.OUS POST Re,c ord -breaking number of.Augsburg donors rai,s e nea rly $420,000 during Give to the Max Da)i'. 202 1 Aufil!burg'.s recent awarcls and rankings- Winter 2021-22 YOU M IGHT ALS,Q LIKE Record-breaking number of A lumni Class Notes,...S,Qring:: In Memoriarn,..SP-ring-Sumrner Augsburg donors r aise nearly Summer2021 2,()21 $420,000 during Give to the - on A[Jgust 20, 2021 - on August 20, 2021 Max Day 2021 - on Februor; 22, 2022 ■ mIi Ill AuGSBURG UN I VERSITY . PREV IOUS IISSIJ ES HO.M E A BOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE RECORD-BREAKING, NUMBER OF AUGSBURG DONORS RAISE NEARLY $420,000 DURING GIVE TO TH .E MAX DAV 2021 1 byCarajohnson Share this: [ f f.ebruar:y2Z. 2022 ~Auggies Connea Facebook] 'P Pir:rtere.st] W Twiner ] [ in Li nked ln ] a Email ] • s N.EW RECORD In November, Augsburg University p;irticipated [n a not er successful Give to the Max Day. The Auggie community showed strong support for the university's .efforts to provide mean ingful and practica l hands-on education for students today and into the future. The campaign concluded at the end of the ca lendar year. Sign up for Email Newsletter Give to the Max Day 2021 campaign highlights • $419,248 was raised across 45 different projects • A recor·d-breaking 2,040 donors from .11 different states and eight CONN ECT W ITH US countrie-s made gifts • Submit Your Alumni News 40% of projects were fully funded, while others came very close to II reach ing their goa l At .Augsburg, we continue to focus on our students and make sure they have [ll Ii the resources and tools to pursue their ca l lings of service and leadership. Thank you to everyone who helps to provide a solrd found.,tion of support for our students and make a difference for their learni ng and career paths. Di •d you know? You can give to the Augsburg fund all year round. Each gift makes an impact and goes dir•ectly toward supporting our students. Learn more about how \l OU can make an impact today through t he Augsbu,g Fund. 40: Top image: An student stands in A ugsburg's quad, (Photo by Courtney Perry} Share this: [ Tags: f Facebook] [ .,, Twitter ] [ Augsi:i urg Su i;mon 'P Pimere-st ] Give T o The Max Day [ in Li nke dln ] [ mi Email ] Win ter 2021 -22 < PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST> Can a smartri hone api;i de-escal ate traffic :stop Musician an d rioet Dua Saleh '17 breaks boundaries with ro le on NetfliX's 'Sex Educat ion' encou nters bet ween d river·s and pol:ice? YO·U M IGHT ALSO LIKE Mus idar11 and P-,o,et Dua Sa leh Give to the Max DaY. reean and '17 breaks boundaries with role susta ining Augsburg'.s future on, NetfHx's ·sex Education· - onjanuory 26, 2021 - on February 22, 2022 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Abmrt Augsburg Inside Augsburg Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Campus Map A-Z Direcltory Graduate Admissions Accreditation News and Media Make a Gnt Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures Employment Contact Augsburg Co Ii ht©2022Au sbu Universi Minnea olis, MN 612-330-1000 0 BACKlOTOP
Show less

Title: Augsburg Now Spring-Summer 2021
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: AUGSBURG NOW Augsburg Associates’ roots and decades of service A smartphone app aims to de-escalate traffic stops INSIDE Photos: Augsburg then and now SPRING–SUMMER 2021 | VOL. 83, NO. 2 Student-athletes advocate for causes beyond the sports arena Vice President, Operations Rebecca Jo...
Show more AUGSBURG NOW Augsburg Associates’ roots and decades of service A smartphone app aims to de-escalate traffic stops INSIDE Photos: Augsburg then and now SPRING–SUMMER 2021 | VOL. 83, NO. 2 Student-athletes advocate for causes beyond the sports arena Vice President, Operations Rebecca John ’13 MBA AUGSBURG NOW Associate Vice President, Marketing and Communication Stephen Jendraszak Spring–Summer 2021 Director of Marketing Laura Swanson Lindahl ’15 MBA NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW On the “new normal” Director of Public Relations and Internal Communications Gita Sitaramiah Assistant Director of Marketing Creative Denielle Stepka ’11 Creative Associate Hayley Selinski As we enter a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and plan for our return to campus for our 152nd academic year at Augsburg, I am often asked what we have learned during the past 16 months that will be part of a “new normal” for our community. Certainly there is much that we have learned about the use of technology for teaching and learning, and for doing our administrative work—technology that will be an abiding and effective tool for the ways we work into the future. We also have learned important lessons about public health and not taking for granted our individual and common well-being. And then there are lessons about the fragility of our economic lives and the need to be laser-focused on our mission as we make decisions about revenue and expenses. But perhaps the most important and striking lesson we learned during the pandemic is that all of the work we have done the past few years to chart a strategic path for Augsburg—work that culminated in the creation in Fall 2019 of Augsburg150: The Sesquicentennial Plan—provided us with a framework for both navigating through these unprecedented times and for pursuing a sustainable future for our university. In other words, our planning deliberations, grounded in Augsburg’s mission to educate students to be “informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders,” got it right as we named our highest aspirations and our strategic priorities. In particular, I am proud of the vision we cast for our future, which says that “As a new kind of urban, student-centered university, we are educating Auggies as stewards of an inclusive democracy, engaged in their communities and uniquely equipped to navigate the complex issues of our time.” Consider the claims we make in this vision statement: to embrace our urban setting, to keep students at the center of our lives, to pursue democratic engagement, and to equip our students to take on the most complex problems we all face. And we honored those claims as we lived through the pandemic: responding to the many needs of our students and neighbors as we kept each other safe and healthy; focusing on the flexibility our students required as they pursued their education primarily online; working together as a community of faculty, staff, and students to navigate an uncharted path; and leaning into the incredibly complex issues raised by the pandemic so that we might all learn from them. As I begin my 16th year as Augsburg’s 10th president, I am so proud of our community and excited about the future we will create together. It may not be normal, but it will be grounded as always in our mission and vision. Enjoy this issue of Augsburg Now with its engaging stories that make my case for Augsburg’s future. Senior Marketing Copywriter and Editorial Coordinator John Weirick Communication and Social Media Specialist Briana Alamilla ’17 Communications and Social Media Consultant Kate Norlander Project Manager Juli Kramer Web Manager Nick Huseby Web and Email Coordinator Jennifer Thiel Advancement Communications Specialist Cara Johnson Contributors Kate H. Elliott Lisa Renze-Rhodes Stewart Van Cleve PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT Augsburg Now is published by Augsburg University 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official university policy. augsburg.edu/now Around the quad The Auggies who refuse to ‘keep politics off the field’ How Augsburg’s student-athletes use their training and platform to advocate for causes beyond the sports arena 12 Senior Communications Specialist for Principal Gifts Amanda Symes ’09, ’15 MFA ISSN 1058-1545 Faithfully yours, 02 06 The Scandinavian work ethic that inspired the Augsburg Associates’ decades of service Though the Augsburg Associates group has ended, the impact of volunteer work over 37 years resonates 16 Can a smartphone app de-escalate traffic stop encounters between drivers and police? Auggie-created TurnSignl app provides an attorney on demand so everyone gets home safely 20 Augsburg then and now 26 28 31 Auggies connect A photo essay Alumni class notes In memoriam Augsburg MBA alumni created an app to make traffic stops safer. See the story on page 16. On the cover: Augsburg University celebrated graduates with an in-person commencement ceremony Tuesday, June 8, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Read more on page 2. All photos are by Courtney Perry unless otherwise indicated. Send address corrections to alumniupdate@augsburg.edu. Send comments to now@augsburg.edu. URBAN ARBORETUM VISIT AUGSBURG’S GRANT-FUNDED PROJECTS BENEFIT AUGSBURG AND THE ENVIRONMENT Grants help shape Augsburg’s teaching and learning community In late 2020, the Council of Independent Colleges’ NetVUE program awarded a two-year, $40,000 grant to Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow. The grant will help the university explore whether and how the academic, faith, and moral commitments that have shaped its identity inform and reflect its aspiration to be anti-racist and inclusive. The project will engage 12 members of the community— students, faculty, and staff—who will write a collection of essays that will be a blueprint for AUGSBURG CELEBRATES GRADUATES with virtual and in-person commencement ceremonies On Monday, May 3, Augsburg University celebrated commencement virtually with the release of a prerecorded video ceremony. The event included remarks from several presenters and personalized slides for graduates displaying photos and messages that the students submitted. The viewers posted comments to the videostream as they watched the event, and students took to social media to share their graduation posts using the hashtag #AuggieGrad. On Tuesday, June 8, Augsburg held an in-person commencement for the classes of 2020 and 2021 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Because the 2020 commencement ceremony was virtual in alignment with public health guidelines designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, many graduates from the Class of 2020 opted to participate in the 2021 in-person ceremony, where attendees were asked to wear face masks and stay physically distanced from guests of different households. Visit YouTube.com/AugsburgU to find video recordings of Augsburg’s virtual and in-person events. 2 AUGSBURG NOW DID YOU KNOW? The traditional undergraduate Class of 2021 is Augsburg’s most diverse graduating class with 45.6% Indigenous students and students of color, an increase of more than 20% over the past three years. moving forward in these efforts. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Toxicity Reduction program awarded Michael Wentzel, associate professor of chemistry, a grant of nearly $15,000. The grant will be used in a two-year project to develop green chemistry as a unifying theme throughout Augsburg’s chemistry curriculum. While a number of green chemistry principles are woven into the curriculum, this work will coalesce these principles into a clear message across multiple courses, including courses taken by non-majors. Chemistry majors will end their studies with a new capstone course on green chemistry and toxicology. In addition, David Hanson, assistant professor of chemistry, is now in his third year of a four-year project funded by a $384,080 grant from the National Science Foundation (Award Number 1761638). Hanson is studying the formation and growth of new particles in the atmosphere. The results of his experiments are expected to lead to improved accuracy in predicting the influence of new particle formation on climate, health, and visibility. A GREEN OASIS IN THE CITY See the Augsburg University campus transition from summer to fall With the widespread availability of vaccines and effective public health measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, many students, faculty members, and staff are returning to on-campus activities with modified operations. Augsburg invites you to visit our beautiful Minneapolis campus to experience the diverse array of trees on a self-guided tour, complete with a map and descriptive signs, or a guided tour. The urban arboretum was made possible by generous donors and continues to provide environmental benefits, educational opportunities, and aesthetic appeal for Augsburg and the surrounding community. • Find a list of trees and a self-guided walking tour map, covering Augsburg’s campus and Murphy Square, at augsburg.edu/arboretum. • Want an in-person walking or golf cart tour of the urban arboretum, Hagfors Center, or other campus features? Contact Interim Vice President for Advancement Amy Alkire at alkirea@augsburg.edu. Board of Regents approves PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW’S CONTRACT through 2027 In its March meeting, the Augsburg University Board of Regents’ executive committee unanimously approved a multiyear contract renewal for President Paul Pribbenow, who joined the university in 2006 as its 10th president. “In an era when five- or six-year presidencies are common in higher education, President Pribbenow’s long-term leadership of the university has enabled Augsburg to achieve remarkable things,” said Matt Entenza, chair of Augsburg’s Board of Regents. “The university has become one of the most diverse private institutions in the Midwest during his tenure and has welcomed record-breaking first-year classes in the past two years. The university is fortunate to continue to have Paul’s transformational leadership through 2027.” Pribbenow is recognized as a leading Learn more about Pribbenow’s figure among the nation’s higher education work and presidency at augsburg.edu/president. private institutions and is an engaging teacher on ethics, philanthropy, and American public life. SPRING–SUMMER 2021 3 $ BUY $ $ $ $ $ Q: SELL Meme stocks, Robinhood, and what to know about the stock market today In early 2021, stocks of the companies AMC, BlackBerry, and GameStop made headlines—but not just for performing well. In a matter of days, some of these stock values increased by up to 30 times their previous price before a smartphone app called Robinhood restricted trading, angering some investors and propelling the situation into greater media attention. What happened, and what could that mean for people interested or invested in the stock market? Augsburg University’s Associate Professor of Business Marc McIntosh brings his financial expertise to help us understand some of these rapid changes and see the big picture of today’s stock market. COURTESY PHOTO funds. There has been a democratization in stock market investing. The bad news is that there are now lots of ways to lose money in the stock market if you or your financial advisor don’t have a fundamental knowledge of accounting and finance. Finally, the ugly part is that not only are gains magnified in a short period of time but losses are as well. If used wisely, Robinhood can be a tremendous way to build wealth through stock market investing. What are reliable principles or tactics for people just beginning to get involved in the stock market? A: Many famous investors such as Warren Buffett and John Bogle have argued convincingly that it’s very difficult to pick stocks that will outperform the overall market. In fact, there are several academic studies that prove that it’s almost impossible for the average mutual fund manager to “beat” the overall market. So, the sensible strategy is to put long-term savings into a broad-based market index fund. Many retirement plans have fund options indexed to the S&P 500 or the total stock market. Q: Q: A: What are “meme stocks,” and why have they become notable lately? A meme stock is any stock that’s seen its price skyrocket due to excessive trading volume from retail investors, mostly fueled by people on social media (primarily Reddit, TikTok, and Twitter). There are a lot of reasons why meme stocks have been so popular. It’s partly pandemicrelated, since some people had more time to gamble and speculate and may have extra money on hand due to government stimulus payments. Also, social media forums have made it a lot easier to follow trends. In the case of GameStop, the price had a tremendous run almost solely due to Reddit posts. 4 AUGSBURG NOW Q: What can we learn from what happened with AMC, BlackBerry, and GameStop stocks? What does that tell us about the stock market and how people are interacting with it? A: It’s important to distinguish between gambling and investing. The vast majority of people buying these stocks are gambling that their price will go up based on rumors and social media posts, which can be very dangerous. It’s really the equivalent of going to the racetrack and betting on horses or going to Las Vegas to play the slot machines. Investors, however, do much more research based on the fundamental financials of the company and assess the potential of the company based on either their analysis or input from What should Augsburg Now readers keep in mind about the stock market today and in the near future? a trusted, professional financial advisor. In other words, it’s OK to invest in a meme stock, but make sure you’ve done your due diligence on the company’s growth prospects. For example, does GameStop really have cutting edge technology, or is its business model antiquated? Q: Are tools like the investing app Robinhood (which offers no-fee stock trading) just a trend or an indication of a new direction for the world of investing? A: Robinhood is here to stay. The good news is that the app is extremely userfriendly, and the average investor can now make money in the stock market in ways that, until recently, were only available to institutions like pension funds and mutual A: First: On average, investing in the S&P has delivered returns higher than 10% since 1929. This dwarfs the returns you get by putting money in a savings account or investing in high-quality bonds. For the long haul, it’s important to have this return to retire comfortably. Second: The time people spend in retirement is getting longer as life spans have expanded due to health care improvements, so people need a huge nest egg to live comfortably—possibly into their 90s. Third: Due to the magic of compounding and starting earlier in one’s life, achieving this nest egg can be relatively simple. If average 25-year-olds invest $2,000 in the stock market a year (such as in an index fund that achieves 10% average returns), they could have more than $1 million when they retire at age 65. Wow! AROUND THE QUAD AUGSBURG STUDENTS EARN FULBRIGHT AWARDS This year, three Augsburg students earned Fulbright awards, and one has been named a Fulbright alternate candidate. Citlaly Escobar ’21 and Ciashia Shiongyaj ’21 both won Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships to Taiwan. Shamsa Ahmed ’21 won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to South Korea. Terrence Shambley ’21, an alternate Fulbright English Teaching Assistant candidate, will teach English in Laos if additional funding becomes available. The Fulbright Program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the program. Augsburg to launch CRITICAL RACE AND ETHNICITY STUDIES department, major Augsburg University is developing a new Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies Department. The new department aligns with Augsburg’s mission and responds to a proposal developed by a group of students, faculty, and staff that was presented to the administration and approved by the faculty this year. A group of students, led by Black women, made similar (as-yet unrealized) demands after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. The department aims to meet the needs of today’s students with culturally relevant courses and pedagogy that both centers and equips them to think critically about their experience in the world. It will advance the university’s public mission through connections with the community. This year, the plan is to hire three new faculty in Pan-African, Latinx, and Asian American studies. Once they’re hired, Augsburg will review next steps, as well as how other departments can connect their own courses and faculty to the new department. SPRING–SUMMER 2021 5 PHOTO BY WARREN RYAN THE AUGGIES WHO REFUSE TO ‘KEEP POLITICS OFF THE FIELD’ How Augsburg’s student-athletes use their platform to advocate for causes beyond the sports arena BY KATE H. ELLIOTT 6 AUGSBURG NOW SPRING–SUMMER 2021 7 PHOTO BY WARREN RYAN Forward/midfielder Olivia House ’20 IN 2016, FIRST-YEAR STUDENT Olivia House ’20 kneeled during the national anthem before one of her first Auggie soccer matches. She was alone—the only Black person on the team, and the only person kneeling on either side of the field. For four years, House continued to kneel as a respectful gesture to highlight pervasive racial injustice. Fans and opposing players ridiculed her, she was the first on the bus after away games, and teammates unintentionally bruised her with microaggressions: “You’d look so pretty if you straightened your hair.” “So-and-so acts way Blacker than you.” “I always forget you’re Black.” “Even though I was vocal and open about what I stood for, my teammates didn’t see even half of who I was. I left so much of my identity at the door because there would be too many questions, too many things I’d have to explain about my identity and community,” said House, a designer and art director for a creative agency in Chicago. “Having to code switch from diverse classrooms and social advocacy groups to being the lone Black person on the team was exhausting.” Augsburg is among the most diverse private colleges in the Midwest—with students of color making up the majority of the last four incoming undergraduate first-year classes. On campus, House said she found her vocation: “to demonstrate the power of design to communicate stories and create a platform for voices who haven’t been heard.” And yet, her experience demonstrated more work is needed, even at the most equity-minded of institutions, and particularly in athletics, where 71% of student-athletes are white, according to a 2020 Augsburg internal survey. “Me simply stepping onto a soccer field as the only Black player is political in and of itself, without me saying a single word,” she said. “Had I ‘just played the game’ and ‘kept politics off the field,’ I would have perpetuated the myth that athletes’ sole purpose is to entertain. You can’t ask us to put all of our lives on display except for our thoughts and opinions. It doesn’t work like that.” Since House’s first year, the women’s soccer team has welcomed other student-athletes of color, and multiple soccer players and coaches have begun kneeling during the national anthem as matters of diversity and justice have remained prominent in conversations both on campus and across the United States. Augsburg Women’s Soccer Head Coach Michael Navarre watched House address a crowd on the quad in September 2020 as a speaker at Augsburg Bold, a series of presentations for students to hear about important topics for the broader community. After House detailed a summer of racial justice protests and rubber bullets, of murals and oral history projects, Navarre commended House as the spark that ignited the team and inspired other student-athletes to take a stand. “At the time, we felt as though we were supporting Olivia and our other players of color, but it wasn’t until the killing of George Floyd—just a few miles from Augsburg—that we truly began the difficult work that needed to be done,” said Navarre, who has led the women’s soccer team for 23 seasons. “That self-reflection and education illuminated how much more we could have been for Olivia and others, and how much more we are now because of her. Our team is driven to be leaders for social justice advocacy and action.” ‘An age of athletic activism’ Days after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, Navarre asked the women’s soccer players to connect virtually each week to discuss topics and resources shared on what has become an 11-page document of articles, podcasts, self-assessments, and videos to spur awareness, community engagement, and education. Midfielder Jenn Bobaric ’22 designed a Black Lives Matter patch, and the team collaborated to design a warm-up shirt that read “Auggies against injustice.” The team supported several fundraisers and donation drives in honor of Floyd and Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old biracial Black man who was fatally shot by police during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Molly Conners ’22 led a collection of personal items and clothing for neighbors who frequent Augsburg’s Health Commons locations, which are nursing-led drop-in centers that offer resources and support. Taylor Greathouse, women’s soccer volunteer assistant coach and human resources assistant, said the team took to social media as a way to educate and advocate for others. “Instagram, in particular, was a way for our players and our program to demonstrate our alliance to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Greathouse said. “For example, we have studentathletes personally impacted by the unrest in Myanmar and Colombia, and we wanted our shirts, statements, and discussions to address issues of injustice around the globe. “I have learned more in the last two years about my own privilege than I have in my lifetime. It’s not enough for individuals to view diversity merely as racial diversity. We are doing ourselves and our students a disservice if we do not first educate ourselves about intersectionality,” Greathouse said, referring to the study of intersecting identities and dimensions of social relationships. Across the Athletics Department, teams created T-shirts, facilitated discussions, visited memorials, and engaged in community activism. Augsburg Athletics partnered with Augsburg Day Student Government to hold a town hall featuring the voices of student-athletes of color and other members of the Augsburg community. Chris Dixon, the university’s first director of athletic diversity and inclusion, facilitated this and other discussions and opportunities for community engagement. “When I arrived in 2019, I knew my position was an important one, but little did I know just how vital it would be to help our student-athletes, coaches, and staff process, learn, grow, and begin to heal—together,” said Dixon, who also serves as assistant coach for the men’s and women’s track and field teams. “We are in an age of athletic activism, and Augsburg is invested in this work to bring awareness and take a stand. We empower our students, coaches, and staff to have difficult conversations and use their status as leaders to advance causes that matter.” ‘We can’t wait for the tide to shift’ To focus the department’s efforts and conversations, Augsburg Athletics formed a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force in Fall 2020. The group of coaches and staff works closely with university administration and student-athlete advisory groups. Major initiatives include rewording of the national anthem introduction, offering training sessions, and developing a self-reported race survey of Augsburg student-athletes that revealed 71% of student-athletes are white, 12% are Black, 8% are Latinx, 5% are multiracial, and 4% are Asian. Results from a similar survey of coaches and staff are pending. “We didn’t need surveys to point out that we lack diversity in athletics, but we wanted to get a self-reported baseline to assess how our students perceive themselves and the department,” Dixon said. “This work is personal to me as a Black father the same age as George Floyd when he died. Athletics has always been a battleground for people to advance causes. We reach audiences who might not be exposed to these issues otherwise, both in the locker room and in the stands.” Dixon said that, although it’s difficult to turn inward and recognize gaps, Auggies are eager to learn and adopt best practices in recruiting and building inclusive team cultures. “We celebrate diversity efforts at the national and international levels of these sports, but we can’t wait for the tide to shift. We are striving to be more present in diverse neighborhoods and partner with programs that introduce these sports to people with a range of backgrounds.” In Fall 2020, the women’s hockey team gathered at George Floyd Square, where 38th Street and Chicago Avenue intersect in Minneapolis. The 24 student-athletes, coaches, and staff walked around in silence as they took in the flowers, pictures, and artwork that Michelle McAteer, women’s hockey head coach, described as “a mix of pain, sorrow, and inspiration.” “Our players were shocked at the long lists of African Americans killed by police, going back 20 years. We huddled and listened to each other, and the athletes’ perspectives were so powerful,” McAteer said. The team also gathered on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January. Alongside McAteer, Assistant Coach Ashley Holmes shared information she learned during a diversity, equity, and inclusion training. “We recognized we are two white women, and it was not easy or comfortable, but that is the reason why we should be doing this,” McAteer said. “We need to make these types of discussions more natural and ongoing. Avoiding talk and action because it’s not natural or easy is a big part of the problem. We’re not trying to lecture or convince but share information we’ve learned in a meaningful way.” McAteer said players have begun kneeling for the national anthem, sharing information on social media, and educating family members and friends. The team routinely partners with the DinoMights, an organization that mentors Minneapolis youth through hockey. Women’s hockey forward Lilia Scheid ’22 said this year changed her. “I’ve learned that I need to make my voice heard in the community because making change takes every single one of us,” she added. “I’ve learned what it means to be ‘not racist’ versus ‘anti-racist.’ Staying silent only hurts marginalized groups even more, so it’s important to have these tough conversations and speak out against 10 AUGSBURG NOW racial injustice.” Women’s lacrosse has been equally engaged. Teammates wore rainbow jerseys in support of a transgender player, who helped lead a discussion about transgender issues and terms. Augsburg Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Kathryn Knippenberg said the team is working to be more than performative allies. “If one of my athletes feels called to protest but doesn’t have a ride, I will pick them up or find them a ride. If they want to kneel or don’t want to kneel, they know they have my support,” she said. “Yes, we are here to win, but we are also here to equip student-athletes with valuable life skills, to prepare them for conversations and experiences they are facing and will continue to face,” she said. “We want them to live out Augsburg’s mission to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders who are engaged in meaningful, transformative work.” Allowing vs. actively supporting All Augsburg teams agreed to adopt new wording to introduce the national anthem before each contest: “Augsburg University Athletics would like to recognize that the American experience has not been the same for everyone under the flag. As we continue the fight for equality and justice for all, we now invite you to respectfully express yourself for the playing of our national anthem.” “It’s not easy getting an entire department and body of student-athletes to agree on wording, but it was an important initiative of our Diversity and Inclusion Task Force,” Dixon said. “By having these words in front of the national anthem, we are acknowledging that we—as a university—actively support people in how they want to express themselves. There’s a difference between this statement and simply ‘allowing’ people to kneel or whatever.” Coaches and staff are expected to complete the Augsburg Diversity and Inclusion certificate program, which requires 18 credits of specified training and encourages additional training for advanced standing each year. In 2020, coaches and staff completed the NCAA Division III’s LGBTQ OneTeam Program, which stresses the importance of LGBTQ inclusion in college athletics and provides an overview of common LGBTQ terms, definitions, and concepts. The peer-driven educational program, which Dixon facilitated, also shares best practices to ensure all individuals may participate in an athletics climate of respect and inclusion, regardless of gender expression, gender identity, or sexual orientation. “Social justice issues are incredibly important to us in the Athletics Department, and when our student-athletes are actively engaged in educating themselves about the current and historical context of what is happening and they are attempting to use their platform as student-athletes to create awareness and positive change, I feel incredibly proud of them,” said Kelly Anderson Diercks, who served as associate athletic director and director of compliance until July 2021. “Our student-athletes bring many identities and intersectionalities to Augsburg and their respective teams. To be the best we can be, we need to be able to show up fully as our true selves. This means we need to have spaces to talk about all those identities and intersectionalities and how the events facing our world play out differently for us all.” Recognition of these different identities and experiences led to Dixon’s position; Augsburg hired him as part of a 2019 NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant, which the university also received in 2012. In 2014 and 2021, the department received the NCAA Strategic Alliance Matching Grant, which also supports the hiring and mentorship of ethnic minorities and women in athletic leadership positions. Alicia Schuelke ’20 MAE, former assistant coach for men’s track and field, said students are thrilled with Dixon’s enthusiasm and vision for the role. “In a world where, many times, the odds are stacked against us, leaders of color provide hope and strength,” said Schuelke, a physical education teacher at Columbia Academy Middle School in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. “I came to Augsburg for the MAE program, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how diverse the campus is, and it is my absolute favorite part of my learning experience. “If we can move the needle toward a more diverse group of leaders that better represent our country’s demographics, then students of color will begin to understand that the sky’s the limit in terms of their own hopes, dreams, and aspirations.” House said she is encouraged by the department’s work to advance equity and inclusion. She appreciates the university’s willingness to be vulnerable and invite her and other people of color to share their experiences during this raw, unsettling time. But, as any athlete knows, one must dedicate lots of hours and effort to see results. Augsburg Athletics is putting in the work. “Yes, we are here to win, but we are also here to equip student-athletes with valuable life skills, to prepare them for conversations and experiences they are facing and will continue to face.” —Kathryn Knippenberg Kathryn Knippenberg (right) has served as head coach of Augsburg University Women’s Lacrosse since 2014. SPRING–SUMMER 2021 11 ARCHIVE PHOTOS PROJECTS FUNDED OR SUPPORTED BY AUGSBURG ASSOCIATES • Trash and Treasure Sales • Welcome party for the 2011 visit of Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway • Velkommen Jul buffets and boutique sales • Norwegian coffee at Taste of Augsburg Homecoming events • Christensen Center’s welcome desk construction • Foss Center’s Green Room renovation • Christensen Center’s Augsburg Room and Marshall Room renovations • Lindell Library’s special collections room creation • Hoversten Chapel’s Dobson pipe organ purchase • Christensen Scholars program funding • Various scholarships Augsburg Associates fostered community connections and raised funds to support the university’s work. THESCANDINAVIAN WORK ETHIC that inspired the Augsburg Associates’ decades of service Though the Augsburg Associates group has ended, the impact of volunteer work over 37 years resonates Community volunteerism is so much a part of the fabric of Norwegian life that they have a special name for it: dugnad. Pronounced doog-nahd, it’s the tradition of neighbors gathering for all kinds of communal pursuits—planting and tending to a community garden, spending time chatting with elders at a senior center, or painting a school building. Dugnads are something everyone not only plans for, but looks forward to. 12 AUGSBURG NOW By Lisa Renze-Rhodes Since the mid-1980s, Augsburg University has been home to a team of women who drew on their Norwegian or broader Scandinavian heritage to create their own dugnad. The group became known as the Augsburg Associates and helped to raise significant funds for their community. Now, after 37 productive years of service, the Augsburg Associates are disbanding. But their legacy will live on for decades to come. THE SOUNDS OF SERVICE “The intent, when it started, was to help out on campus where they needed help,” said Eunice Dietrich ’65. “The original Associates were spouses of faculty members and other women who had an ear to what was going on.” Dietrich, a former Associates board chair who earned a degree in home economics at Augsburg, said assistance was needed across all facets of campus life. From stuffing envelopes for alumni and donor mailings to setting up a “nice meeting space” for the university’s Board of Regents when they gathered, the Associates saw needs and then filled those voids. But it didn’t take long for the work to morph from occasional events to addressing a situation requiring a sound solution. “The Associates came out of the Lutheran tradition of ‘We’ll do anything for service,’” said Jerelyn Cobb ’63. So in the 1980s, when an idea began to circulate about bringing an organ to campus, the Associates orchestrated a plan. “In those days, people still didn’t have a lot of money, but they could give us donations of goods,” Cobb said. That’s how Trash and Treasure Sales began. Dishes, linens, and other household items were packed into boxes and readied for sale. Sporting goods and games were brought in. And furs, jewelry, and even gowns from the Dayton’s department store’s prestigious Oval Room were SPRING–SUMMER 2021 13 President Paul Pribbenow (center) talks with King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway during their visit to campus in 2011. But before Their Majesties graced the campus, the Associates had already begun making sure the heritage of the school’s founders was celebrated and remembered. Velkommen Jul, an annual celebration welcoming the seasons of Advent and Christmas, took hold with attendees donning thick, gorgeous Norwegian sweaters and sampling delicious traditional foods including krumkake cookies. The celebration has become a loved tradition in the Augsburg community, even among students who don’t necessarily have Scandinavian heritage. Money raised at Velkommen Jul and through estate sales and other efforts ultimately went to fund scholarships as well as the Christensen Scholars, a cohort of students who explore theology, faith, and vocation while engaging in communitybased learning experiences. That, said Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow, is a lasting legacy for the organization: “Over many years, the Augsburg Associates have been faithful and generous supporters of Augsburg. Through their tireless efforts, the Associates have raised scholarship funds and have helped countless students pursue an Augsburg education. “The annual Velkommen Jul celebrations, graciously hosted by the Associates, highlighted our Norwegian roots, cleaned, pressed, and readied for a chance at a new life. The items were enough to fill a semitrailer, then eventually two. “Every Wednesday night, I’d have people come over, and we’d sort everything,” Cobb said. “All the dishes in one box, all the clothes in another, the sporting goods in another corner.” Then when the date of the sale neared, items were transferred from the trucks to the site of the sale. “The football team would come, and for two blocks we would line up next to each other and pass boxes into the gymnasium.” The first sale raised $600, Cobb recalled. The next year: $4,000. Then $10,000, $15,000, and $28,000. When everything was done and counted, the Trash and Treasure Sales netted a quarter of a million dollars. And Augsburg got its organ. WELCOME KING, QUEEN, AND CHRISTMAS Norwegian words echoed off the walls of classrooms and hallways when Augsburg was founded, so there was little surprise, though great delight, when King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway visited campus in 2011. The Associates were there to mark the day with special care— while wearing traditional Norwegian bunads, the proud folk outfits worn by men, women, and children on such occasions of cultural significance. ARCHIVE PHOTOS Augsburg Associates oversee food and drinks at Velkommen Jul in 1992. DID YOU KNOW? • The Augsburg Associates have raised about $400,000 through their group initiatives. • Members of the Augsburg Associates and their spouses have given more than $50 million to the university as a whole. • Within their 600-person membership, there were 38 households that were members of the Sven Oftedal Society, a group of some of Augsburg’s most generous donors. even as they welcomed new generations of diverse students, faculty, and staff. Personally, I am deeply grateful for the members of the Associates who have supported me and my family over the past 15 years as we worked together to advance Augsburg’s mission,” Pribbenow said. Though the time of the Associates’ dugnad has come to a close, some of the group’s members are continuing their volunteerism with another group: Augsburg Women Engaged. Since it was formed by a group of Auggie women in 2009, AWE has strengthened connections in the Augsburg community and encouraged philanthropy to keep the university’s hands-on education accessible to a broad range of students. These overlapping commitments shared by AWE and the Augsburg Associates demonstrate the deep-seated commitment to service that is so emblematic of Auggies of all stripes. For the women doing the work, the Associates were more than a service organization—they were family. “You give and you get, you feel good about what you’ve done. You don’t start out for that reason, but oftentimes when you’re volunteering, you get more out of it than what you give,” Dietrich said. “These women were so dedicated and did this work with such joy.” Anne Frame (left), the late spouse of Augsburg’s ninth president, Bill Frame, was also a member of the Augsburg Associates. Read more about Anne’s life and work on page 32. Augsburg Associates roll lefse, a traditional Norwegian potato flatbread, for Velkommen Jul in 2011. 14 AUGSBURG NOW SPRING–SUMMER 2021 15 Can a smartphone app DE-ESCALATE TRAFFIC STOP ENCOUNTERS between drivers and police? BY GITA SITARAMIAH Auggie-created TurnSignl app provides an attorney on demand so everyone gets home safely Childhood friends and Augsburg University Master of Business Administration alumni Andre Creighton ’19 MBA and Mychal Frelix ’19 MBA understand the fear of driving while Black and being stopped by police. They both grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and knew the family of Philando Castile, a Black man who was fatally shot by an officer during a 2016 traffic stop in nearby Falcon Heights. “The interest in creating change started with Philando Castile. That was the initial gut punch,” Creighton said. “Flash forward to George Floyd in 2020, and it was like ripping off a Band-Aid to a wound that hasn’t healed. We decided we had to do something.” Creighton, an accountant, and Frelix, who was in sales for Sony Electronics, left their stable day jobs in 2020. They teamed up with attorney Jazz Hampton, who is also an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and the three Black men launched a new company providing a technology-based solution to de-escalate traffic stops by police. Andre Creighton ’19 MBA (left) and Mychal Frelix ’19 MBA to leave 18were motivated AUGSBURG NOWtheir stable jobs in 2020 to focus on launching the TurnSignl app. SPRING–SUMMER 2021 17 Timely launch The motto says it all: “Drive with an attorney by your side.” TurnSignl provides real-time, on-demand legal guidance from attorneys to drivers, all while drivers’ smartphone cameras record the interaction. The mission is to protect drivers’ civil rights, de-escalate roadside interactions with police, and ensure both civilians and officers return home safely at the end of the day. As is true of many startups, the three co-founders wear multiple hats. Hampton serves as CEO and general counsel. Creighton is the chief financial officer and chief operating officer while Frelix is the chief revenue officer and chief technology officer. When Daunte Wright was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, in April, that only accelerated their pace to bring the app to market. “This has been an issue plaguing Black and brown communities,” Frelix said. “We’re thankful to have the ability and skill sets to get this off the ground.” They introduced the TurnSignl app in May after they were able to leverage the public awareness of police stops ending tragically to raise more than $1 million to bring the app to market. How TurnSignl works Users open the app and immediately get connected to an attorney vetted by TurnSignl to guide them in order to de-escalate the encounter. Service launched in Minnesota and will be expanding to 10 states by the end of 2021. The founders also have created a foundation to provide service for those unable to pay for the app, which is available on the Apple and Google app stores. They expect the foundation to support 25% of the app’s user base. While the app is intended for anyone, there is increasing attention to how Black drivers are treated by police. Twin Cities NBC affiliate KARE 11 reported in May that new data shows that the majority of drivers pulled over this year by Minneapolis police for minor equipment violations are Black: Black drivers accounted for more than half of those stops despite making up only about 20% of the city’s residents, according to city data. In St. Paul, Black drivers were almost four times more likely to be pulled over by police than white drivers, according to a Pioneer Press analysis of data from 2016 to 2020. Asian, Latino, and Native American drivers were stopped at roughly the same rate as white drivers, the Pioneer Press reported. The TurnSignl founders say their product is more than just an app. It’s a signal for change. “There’s no better opportunity to impact change than this moment, now,” Creighton said. Defense attorney Taylor J. Rahm is one of the lawyers who has joined TurnSignl to be on call for motorists. “Anything we can do to make sure these situations are safe and that no one gets harmed is something I hope any lawyer would want to get involved with,” he said. Sometimes, a motorist making sudden movements is interpreted as cause for alarm and can be construed by an officer as the driver going for a weapon or drugs, leading to potential conflict. “With TurnSignl, you have a lawyer on the phone to help individuals know their rights but also importantly know how to handle the situation so nothing goes wrong,” Rahm said. “The benefit is that the officer knows that there’s an attorney on the phone telling the person, ‘This is what you should do during the stop.’” The TurnSignl app has the potential to make traffic stops safer for police as well as motorists, said Mylan Masson, retired director of the Hennepin Technical College law enforcement program and a former Minneapolis Park Police officer. “Every traffic stop can be dangerous for police officers,” said the police training expert. The TurnSignal app “could give someone a calming sense that, ‘I’m not here alone.’” Business owner Phil Steger offers the app as an employee benefit for TurnSignl co-founders [L to R] Mychal Frelix ’19 MBA, attorney Jazz Hampton, and Andre Creighton ’19 MBA plan to expand the app’s services from Minnesota to 10 more states by the end of 2021. his 14-person Brother Justus Whiskey Company in Minneapolis, believing TurnSignl’s attorneys can act as mediators to keep a traffic stop from escalating into danger. “If you think you’ve been stopped unlawfully, most people don’t know that they still have to cooperate,” said Steger, who was previously an attorney for law firm Dorsey & Whitney. “You can still be taken to jail.” A TurnSignl attorney can advise in real time: “Every defendant has the right, if they think they have been stopped unlawfully, to challenge the case in court later,” he said. Business project for ‘the times we’re in’ As the TurnSignl founders prepared to launch the company, they turned to Augsburg’s MBA program to assist them in developing the business plan. “A key part of the Augsburg MBA experience is that we want students to have practical experience and apply critical thinking,” said George Dierberger, associate business professor and director of the MBA program. Students in the MBA program grapple with real-world challenges faced by local businesses via a management consulting project, which supported TurnSignl’s launch. This is just one of the many MBA program experiences in which students collaborate on projects, case studies, presentations, and simulations. The TurnSignl project represents Augsburg’s goals to be socially conscious, said Mike Heifner ’21 MBA, who worked on the pricing strategy of the TurnSignl business plan. “This was a good example of how capitalism could bring social value to society,” he said. Augsburg graduate student Stephanie Oliver ’21 MBA hopes the TurnSignl app will open new conversations and foster a different way of thinking about how police and civilians interact during traffic stops. “This project was my first choice because of the times we’re in,” she said. Oliver’s role in the MBA group was to analyze the research and data about traffic stops nationally by race. What she found was a system with inconsistent reporting about race and traffic stops across states. What was clear was that even after accounting for those inconsistencies, the disparities were apparent in stops involving people of color. One of the studies she reviewed was the Stanford Open Policing Project, which analyzed data from nearly 100 million traffic stops and found significant racial disparities in policing and, in some cases, evidence that bias also played a role. This didn’t surprise Oliver. Her husband is Black and was frequently pulled over when they first moved to their Twin Cities suburb years ago. Once, the police even questioned her then 5-year-old daughter about whether he was actually her father. “I ask why I’m being pulled over when officers approach my vehicle, and they get angry at me,” Oliver said. “But I have a right to know why I’m pulled over.” She worries about her two young Black sons but is optimistic that the TurnSignl app can start to change the dynamics during a police stop. “I know when my daughter goes to Augsburg this fall, I’m going to get this app for her.” The TurnSignl app is available on the Apple and Google app stores. Data on drivers and police traffic stops Key findings from the national data research Stephanie Oliver ’21 MBA gathered for the TurnSignl business plan: • On average, legal intervention death rates for Black men were 4.7 times higher than those of white men from 1979 to 1988, and 3.2 times higher from 1988 to 1997. (2002 American Journal of Public Health study) • Black men are 3 times more likely than other races to die from the use of police force. Oliver said this was particularly alarming as Black males make up only about 6% of the total U.S. population. (2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Vital Statistics Data 2010–14) • When driver race/ethnicity was visible, Black drivers were nearly 20% more likely to be the subject of a discretionary traffic stop than were white drivers. (2014 San Diego State University research) • Among males aged 10 years or older who were killed by police use of force, the mortality rate among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic individuals was 2.8 and 1.7 times higher, respectively, than that among white individuals. (Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Use of Lethal Force by U.S. Police 2010–14) • Search rates for whites are significantly lower, at around 18% of the traffic stops, while search rates for Blacks and Hispanics total about 82%. (Compiled from Stanford Open Policing Project data for Connecticut; Illinois; North Carolina; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Texas; Washington; and Wisconsin; and municipal police departments in Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans; Philadelphia; Plano, Texas; San Diego; and San Francisco) SPRING–SUMMER 2021 19 ARCHIVE PHOTO ThenNOW & AUGSBURG A photo essay ARCHIVE PHOTO BY JOHN WEIRICK AND STEWART VAN CLEVE, DIGITAL ARCHIVES AND RESEARCH SERVICES LIBRARIAN Augsburg women’s basketball plays against the College of Saint Benedict in Si Melby Hall, 2018. or 152 years, Augsburg has both changed and remained the same. Though the Augsburg community looks much different outwardly—campus layout and buildings, student body demographics and style of clothing, technology and teaching methods—the Auggie spirit continues to inspire faculty and staff to cultivate a vibrant learning environment in which students can engage in meaningful hands-on experiences. Enjoy these glimpses into the Augsburg of the past and the university of today. An image of Augsburg’s campus and the Minneapolis skyline in 1967, stitched together from three frames of an aerial camera shot in a promotional film. Part of Augsburg’s campus—including Old Main, two residence halls, and the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion—in 2018. ARCHIVE PHOTO PHOTO BY TOM ROSTER Auggies shoot hoops in Old Main gymnasium, circa 1945. F The Augsburg community poses in front of Old Main in 1931. 20 AUGSBURG NOW The Class of 2023 gathers in front of Old Main in 2019. This fall, group photos are planned for the Class of 2024 and the Class of 2025. SPRING–SUMMER 2021 21 COURTESY PHOTO ARCHIVE PHOTO COURTESY PHOTO ARCHIVE PHOTO The camera club in 1957 included [L to R] Jerry Matison ’59, Stan Quanbeck ’59, and James Nichols ’58. ARCHIVE PHOTO An Auggie wears virtual reality goggles in a new media class in 2019. ARCHIVE PHOTO Students work in a television studio, possibly in the basement of Memorial Hall (above, 1976), and at a video shoot in Foss Center (right, 2019). Georg Sverdrup and Sven Oftedal, who each served as Augsburg’s president, speak at a gathering of students in the first Old Main building (which was demolished to build Science Hall and Sverdrup Hall), 1897. ARCHIVE PHOTO PHOTO BY DON STONER A procession in a chapel service January 24, 2020. Students attend a Pan-Afrikan Student Union cookout in Murphy Square (left, 1998) and an event in the park to welcome students back to campus (below, 2019). Augsburg women’s track and field student-athletes prepare for a race (left, 1985) and hit the track (right, 2021). 22 AUGSBURG NOW SPRING–SUMMER 2021 23 AUGGIES CONNECT AUGGIES CONNECT ALUMNI BOARD FRENCH HOUSE The Augsburg University Alumni Board is an opportunity for alumni from all programs and class years to build relationships with each other and the university today. Members connect with institutional leaders, faculty, students, and staff to better understand and support Augsburg’s mission. We are excited to welcome the newest members to the board! Dave Stevens ’90 Navid Amini ’19 MBA Willie Giller ’19 Arianna Antone-Ramirez ’20 Berlynn Bitengo ’21 Learn more about the alumni board. augsburg.edu/alumni In 1966, seven women moved into French House, a Minneapolis building adjacent to Augsburg’s campus that housed the remaining incoming first-year women who could not be accommodated in the residential housing on campus. They called themselves “the leftovers” and became fast friends who still get together at least once a year. The French House Friends traveled twice to Washington, where Linda Larson ’70 lives, and Larson has traveled annually to Minnesota, where the other six women live. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the group has gathered monthly via Zoom videoconferencing, and they are eager to gather in Minnesota this fall. “Augsburg fostered quality friendships that have remained with me today,” said Mary (Loken) Veiseth ’70. $ WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY $ In 2020, Augsburg University’s Institutional Advancement staff sponsored a series of virtual financial conversations hosted by Augsburg alumni with expertise in constructing a will and financial planning. The virtual events—called Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way—had such positive engagement from alumni that the events were hosted again this summer. ON THE HORIZON VIRTUAL EVENTS STRENGTHEN AUGSBURG COMMUNITY Last year, On the Horizon virtual events with President Paul Pribbenow engaged more than 500 Auggies and raised generous support for the Student Emergency Fund, the President’s Strategic Fund, student scholarships, and other key university efforts. This virtual event series was created to keep the Augsburg community up to date with the university’s ongoing work and adjustments during the pandemic. Five more On the Horizon events in the series were hosted during Spring 2021 with specific groups, such as retired faculty, former regents and regents emeriti, and current and former alumni board members. Find video recordings of the events at YouTube.com/AugsburgU. COURTESY PHOTO 100 Pictured in 2018 [front, L to R]: Diane Lempke ’69, Mary (Loken) Veiseth ’70, Linda (Radtke) Karkhoff ’70, Paulette (Olson) Odegaard ’70. [Back, L to R]: Susan (Olson) Williams ’70, Mary Ellen Buss ’70, Linda Larson ’70. Want to learn more about making a will and financial plans? Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog and search for “Where There’s a Will.” 24 AUGSBURG NOW NEW ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR AUGSBURG STUDENTS As part of Augsburg’s ongoing Great Returns fundraising campaign, the university set an ambitious goal of establishing 150 new endowed scholarships. As of Spring 2021, the university had received 100 new endowed scholarships! Augsburg is presenting water droplet sculptures to the first 150 donors who establish new endowed scholarships. These handmade sculptures represent the impact that donors make in the Augsburg community. When a water droplet hits the surface of a pond, the droplet causes a ripple that continues to expand. COURTESY PHOTO $ COURTESY PHOTOS Pictured top to bottom: • • • • • A private Facebook group FRIENDS WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS JUST FOR AUGGIES Be a part of live virtual events, and interact with alumni, faculty, staff, students, and university leaders. 1. Log on to Facebook. 2. Search for “Auggie Connections.” 3. Select “Join group.” 4. Answer membership questions so we know it’s you. 5. Create a post to introduce yourself. Join the Auggie Connections private Facebook group. facebook.com/groups/auggieconnections To learn more about establishing a scholarship, contact: Amy Alkire Interim Vice President for Advancement 612-330-1188 | alkirea@augsburg.edu SPRING–SUMMER 2021 25 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES ANNA COX ’22 Augsburg Now staff asked the university’s Instagram followers for the resource they most appreciated as a student. Here are a few of their responses, edited for length and clarity. Student government! I learned how to advocate for myself and others. TRIO/SSS and Multicultural Student Services. BRITTANY KIMBALL ’13 The CLASS office helped me to be successful while [I was] undergoing cancer treatment. DESTYN LAND ’19 MARGARET ALBERS ’21 The openness and willingness of professors to help students along the way. Residence Life. Shoutout to the best supervisors ever, Eric, Ryan, and Seth. EVE TAFT ’18 Center for Wellness and Counseling. I’d probably never have gotten mental health treatment otherwise. Follow @augsburguniversity on Instagram. ARCHIVE PHOTO ARIANNA ANTONE-RAMIREZ ’20 NIKKI DARST ’15 The wonderful librarians! The 1947 and 1948 MIAC championship baseball teams were recognized at a Hall of Fame banquet in 1985. Pictured are [front, L to R]: Charles “Chuck” Bard ’50, Ken Walsh ’48, Art Marben ’47, Roger Leak ’50, Marvin Johnson ’49, Jennings Thompson ’51, Jeroy Carlson ’48. [Back, L to R]: Edor Nelson ’38 (coach), Ralph Pearson ’49, Duane Lindgren ’48, Arnold Henjum ’49, Robert Howells ’50, Bobb Miller ’48. 1974 SAVE THE DATE: ALL-SCHOOL REUNION Mark your calendar to join us for the All-School Reunion in Fall 2022. Read more Class Notes online and submit your alumni news. 26 AUGSBURG NOW augsburg.edu/alumni Charles “Chuck” Bard ’50 has always been a sports enthusiast. At Augsburg, Bard played football and baseball, notably serving as the second baseman on Augsburg’s 1947 and 1948 MIAC championship teams. However, the sport that Bard loved most—and the sport that brought him the most notoriety— was one he never played: hockey. Hockey wasn’t played widely when Bard was in school. By the time he started college, Augsburg had a hockey team. However, Bard already played football and baseball, and student-athletes were limited to participating in only two sports. Bard attended as many Auggie hockey games as he could and enjoyed watching the players out on the ice. After graduating in 1950 with a degree in physical education and a minor in journalism, Bard continued his passion for sports by co-founding the Decathlon Athletic Club in the late 1960s. Located in Bloomington, Minnesota, it was the first private athletic club in Minnesota outside of downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul. By 1978, Bard was still an avid hockey fan and a proud owner of Minnesota North Stars hockey season tickets. But he noticed that hockey didn’t have an award to honor the best collegiate players in the nation like other sports, so he decided his athletic club would start a nationally recognized hockey award. After consulting with the Los Angeles athletic club that started the John Wooden Award for outstanding collegiate basketball players, Bard established the Hobey Baker Award, named after a hockey legend. In 1981, the first Hobey Baker Award was given to Neal Broten. Broten played center for the University of Minnesota and the “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic hockey team, which took gold at Lake Placid, New York, in 1980. Since that first award, the Hobey has honored 40 hockey players from around the United States. The award is given to a player who best demonstrates “teamwork, dedication, integrity, exceptional play, humility, and above all, character.” In 2007, Bard visited Augsburg’s campus to recognize longtime men’s hockey coach, Ed Saugestad ’59, who was a Hobey Baker Legends of Hockey honoree. COURTESY PHOTO 1950 You chimed in: Auggie launches national hockey award Augsburg alumna and former regent joins University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents COURTESY PHOTO AUGGIES CONNECT Ruth Johnson ’74, MD, was elected to the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents 1st Congressional District seat. Johnson studied chemistry and biology at Augsburg, where she earned a bachelor’s degree with summa cum laude honors; graduated from what is now Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine; and completed her residency at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. She served 16 years on Augsburg’s Board of Regents, was the chair of academic and student affairs, co-chair of the campaign cabinet, co-founder of the science advisory board, and vice chair of the regent’s committee. In 1996, Johnson was named a distinguished alumna of Augsburg. Read the full story on the aumni news blog: augsburg.edu/alumni/blog. SPRING–SUMMER 2021 27 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES COURTESY PHOTO 1986 Tamra (Pederson) Pyrtle ’86 and her horse, Bravo. 28 AUGSBURG NOW ALUMNI CLASS NOTES ‘Underestimate me; that will be fun’ Tammera Diehm ’93 ranked as a leading attorney Tamra (Pederson) Pyrtle ’86 excelled in school and in her career, yet she always made time for the playfulness of science and math. At Augsburg, Tamra pursued a chemistry degree. This was a significant challenge, particularly for a student with a double minor in mathematics and German. But Tamra’s persistent nature helped her earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, graduating with honors in 1986. “Obviously she was not afraid of a challenge. There is a saying of which she was particularly fond: ‘Go ahead, underestimate me; that will be fun,’” said Brett Pyrtle, Tamra’s husband. Tamra’s exceptional knowledge wasn’t always reserved for schoolwork. One night in 1983, she and her friends convinced members of the Augsburg football team to carry a Volkswagen Beetle into the student center. Tamra was able to direct the crew so they could do this without taking the doors off the entry. The geometry of this feat was lost on the maintenance staff, who had to remove the entrance doors to get the vehicle back out. In her first professional job, Tamra was hired as a lab supervisor for BuckbeeMears St. Paul. She was the first college graduate to hold the position, and she learned quickly how to balance her academic knowledge with practical skills required to meet the fast-paced demands of metal-etching production. She also learned how to stand up for herself in a plant where she was the only woman in technical management. After a few other positions handling instrumentation in a consulting lab, supervising etched metal operations, providing quality assurance analysis, and teaching advanced placement chemistry, Tamra joined Medtronic’s neuromodulation division as a senior quality engineer. She was quickly promoted to principal quality engineer and developed a reputation as the go-to resource for tough quality engineering and analytical challenges. Despite her technical jobs, Tamra continued to pursue fun applications of science, and she particularly loved how science and nature intersected. It was no surprise to her family when she sold her collector car to buy a thoroughbred horse named Bravo. Tamra learned as much as she could about veterinary care and medicine so that she could regularly administer Bravo’s shots herself. The communication between Bravo and Tamra was something special, said her parents, Wayne and Lynette Pederson. Bravo perked up when he saw Tamra coming and even recognized her vehicle. They had conversations and seemed to know what the other was saying. On December 13, 2018, Tamra passed away at the age of 55 after battling cancer for more than two years. She left behind her husband of 24 years, Brett; her parents, Wayne and Lynette; her brother, Carey Pederson ’88; and her sister, Kristin (Pederson) Merkel ’91. “All three of our children are Augsburg graduates, and our family ties to Augsburg run deep,” said Wayne. “Augsburg was a significant contributor to Tami’s success. We wish for other students to have the opportunities Tami had, and what better place to provide some assistance than at Tami’s alma mater.” Wayne and Lynette, along with Brett, established the Tamra Lynn Pederson Pyrtle Endowed Scholarship at Augsburg. This scholarship will be used to support students interested in pursuing a major in chemistry and who maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. Tammera Diehm ’93 was recognized as a distinguished leader in her field by Chambers USA, one of the world’s leading guides to the legal profession. Diehm’s work encompasses numerous aspects of real estate transactions, including buying, selling, leasing, development, and financing. She helps local and national clients of varying sizes navigate the complexities that come with owning and occupying real estate, such as zoning, land use, government approvals, and regulatory compliance. Like a true Auggie, Diehm aims to unlock the full potential of her team through motivational coaching and support. “I want to give our firm members the ability to build their own careers, offering flexibility and support while maintaining our firm’s core values and commitment to client service,” Diehm said. Accounting roles add up for Paula Diaz ’03, Northview Bank CEO Paula Diaz ’03 has been named president and CEO of Northview Bank, which has branches across Minnesota. After graduating from Augsburg with a degree in accounting, Diaz has enjoyed a robust career in finance. Starting out as a public accountant, she went on to become the finance director of Cummins NPower. She has been at Northview Bank since 2014, where she was the CFO prior to stepping into her new role. “Paula is prepared to be the new leader for Northview Bank. Her experience, knowledge, and people skills make her the logical choice,” said Ron Carlson, former president of Northview Bank. Trailblazing Auggie Abdulkadir Sharif ’20 continues geopolitical studies at Georgetown Abdulkadir Sharif ’20 studied political science and international relations at Augsburg and became Augsburg’s first student to win the Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. He also received a Fulbright Scholarship, a Boren Scholarship to study Swahili in Tanzania (which he accepted instead of a Critical Language Scholarship, which he also won), and a Gilman Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State to study in Namibia and South Africa. Sharif also participated in Princeton University’s Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship. He planned to teach English in Malaysia through the Fulbright program before travel plans were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and he was reassigned to the Netherlands. He is pursuing a master’s degree in global politics and security with a full scholarship to Georgetown University. 1993 2003 2020 Read more Class Notes online and submit your alumni news. augsburg.edu/alumni SPRING–SUMMER 2021 29 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES IN MEMORIAM Recently published Auggies Augsburg alumni, faculty, and students have published literature and earned the public’s attention during the past year. • Lowell “A.L. Shane” Ziemann ’60—“Alex, Hank & Hawk: Cowboys, Gunmen & Road Agents: A Novel of the American West” • David Nash ’06—“The Man in the Pines,” a novel and soundtrack • Joshua Phillip Johnson ’17 MFA—“The Forever Sea,” a novel • Robby Steltz ’18 MFA—“Nellie,” a short play that earned second place in the Virginia State One Acts competition • Khadijo “JoJo” Abdi ’19 MFA—One of the main authors that participated in the first Somali Community Book Fair in Burnsville, Minnesota Remembering and honoring Auggies 1950s Below we recognize the individuals whose notifications of death Augsburg received between January 1 and July 14, 2021. Alfred M. Sannerud ’50, Ham Lake, Minnesota, age 97, on June 28. 1940s • Tracy Ross ’19 MFA—“James Dean and the Beautiful Machine,” a book of poetry Hazel (Soiseth) Durfee ’41, Tampa, Florida, age 102, on March 10. • Kristine Joseph ’20 MFA—“Simply Because We Are Human,” a memoir Ebba A. (Johnson) Brooks ’42, Duluth, Minnesota, age 101, on January 12. • • Cole W. Williams ’22 MFA—Poems published in “Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine” and “Sh!t Men Say to Me: A Poetry Anthology in Response to Toxic Masculinity” Faculty member Anika Fajardo—“What if a Fish,” a novel that won the Minnesota Book Award for Middle Grade Literature • “Murphy Square 1975–2020: A Sesquicentennial Sampler of Literature by Augsburg Students”—Professor Emeritus Doug Green said, “More than 40 recent students from 2016 through 2019 served as co-editors, haggling over selections drawn from the entire digital archive of Murphy Square [Augsburg’s student-created literary and visual arts journal]. Megan Johnson ’19 designed the volume.” Evelyn H. (Sonnack) Halverson ’43, Edina, Minnesota, age 100, on February 14. Helen D. (Arnseth) Torvik ’44, Moorhead, Minnesota, age 98, on April 29. Marilyn L. (Rykken) Michaelson ’47, Coralville, Iowa, age 94, on June 10. Mildred A. (Thorsgard) Strand ’47, Remer, Minnesota, age 95, on March 28. Marian J. (Halverson) Tilleson ’48, Orfordville, Wisconsin, age 94, on March 6. Gloria V. (Swanson) Duoos ’49, Cambridge, Minnesota, age 94, on January 19. Read more Class Notes online and submit your alumni news. Robert S. Duoos ’49, Cambridge, Minnesota, age 97, on January 11. Emmet T. Oein ’50, Alexandria, Minnesota, age 93, on May 14. Dorothy E. Twiton ’50, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, age 92, on April 27. Robert L. Boxrud ’51, Hettinger, North Dakota, age 92, on March 18. Valborg Huglen ’53, Newfolden, Minnesota, age 96, on January 15. Harland P. Danielson ’58, Cadott, Wisconsin, age 89, on June 6. John R. Lingen ’53, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, age 90, on April 28. Richard L. Feig ’58, Minneapolis, age 84, on February 1. Vernon S. Stenoien ’53, Woodstock, Illinois, age 89, on March 4. Bonita M. (Griep) Ram ’58, Timberon, New Mexico, age 84, on February 20. Maryan A. (Knutson) Froland ’54, Granite Falls, Minnesota, age 88, on April 26. Curtis M. Lake ’59, Waldport, Oregon, age 90, on March 10. Edward O. Nyhus ’54, Minneapolis, age 88, on April 30. Allard J. Christenson ’51, Mahnomen, Minnesota, age 92, on February 25. Merton C. Phillips ’54, Salem, Oregon, age 88, on January 28. Merlin A. Johnson ’51, Grantsburg, Wisconsin, age 90, on February 2. Louis P. Rolf ’54, Faribault, Minnesota, age 91, on March 22. LaWayne N. Morseth ’51, Minneapolis, age 93, on January 10. Jerome C. Trelstad ’54, Santa Maria, California, age 89, on April 24. Donald C. Thorson ’51, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, age 92, on January 9. Norma J. (Sorenson) Fretheim ’55, Federal Way, Washington, age 87, on April 30. Marjorie A. (Haley) Eliason ’52, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 90, on January 29. James A. Johnson ’55, Sun City, Arizona, age 88, on June 21. Astrid (Braaten) Ongstad ’52, Devils Lake, North Dakota, age 91, on April 10. James S. Hamre ’53, South Pasadena, Florida, age 89, on January 3. Harriet R. (Bruder) Holtmeier ’53, Waconia, Minnesota, age 91, on May 29. Rodney O.J. Erickson ’56, Moorhead, Minnesota, age 86, on March 16. James W. Wennerlind ’59, Minneapolis, age 89, on March 12. 1960s Marlene L. Studlien ’60, New Hope, Minnesota, age 82, on June 17. Darrell G. Wiese ’60, Northfield, Minnesota, age 84, on January 9. Dennis J. Johnson ’61, Minneapolis, age 81, on March 26. Bruce W. Abrahamson ’62, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 80, on April 28. Donald E. Brynildson ’62, Garrison, Missouri, age 85, on May 6. Ingolf B. Kronstad ’62, Kirkland, Washington, age 80, on February 10. Lucile M. (Kunkel) Matison ’56, Glenwood, Minnesota, age 88, on April 1. Bonnie E. (Lassila) Curtin ’63, Minneapolis, age 79, on January 3. Thomas M. Warme ’57, Moneta, Virginia, age 85, on March 17. Gloria J. (Odegaard) Schlechter ’63, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, age 79, on January 13. Elyce E. (Lundquist) Arvidson ’58, Minneapolis, age 84, on April 1. Robert F. Soli ’63, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, age 83, on January 10. augsburg.edu/alumni 30 AUGSBURG NOW SPRING–SUMMER 2021 31 IN MEMORIAM Charles M. Piper ’64, Northfield, Minnesota, age 85, on March 27. Charlotte M. (Nordmark) Sween ’71, Plymouth, Minnesota, age 81, on May 2. Carolyn I. (Raymond) Vickers ’85, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 79, on January 21. William K. Ogren ’73, Minneapolis, age 70, on March 10. Stanley L. Hjermstad ’88, Sanford, Florida, age 88, on January 23. Dennis B. Reiman ’66, Farmington, Minnesota, age 78, on April 19. Derrell C. Wistrom ’74, Austin, Texas, age 74, on February 22. 1990s Steven L. Erickson ’67, Stanchfield, Minnesota, age 76, on June 28. Kathlyn H. (Faber) Norum ’75, Alexandria, Minnesota, age 80, on June 26. Tamera K. (Fillips) Shreve ’90, Chanhassen, Minnesota, age 54, on June 21. Richard G. Johnson ’76, Minneapolis, age 72, on April 23. Brenda K. Quade ’91, Rockford, Illinois, age 53, on February 4. 1980s Dawn C. Van Tassel ’95, Minneapolis, age 46, on April 7. Carol R. (Strand) Pattee ’66, Silverton, Oregon, age 78, on February 8. Duane M. Ilstrup ’68, Rochester, Minnesota, age 74, on February 9. Suzann B. (Johnson) Nelson ’68, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, age 74, on March 14. Judi E. (Romerein) Tsudo ’68, Minneapolis, age 74, on March 18. Erland J. Nord ’69, Elbow, Canada, age 91, on January 5. 1970s Ross L. Jacobson ’70, Janesville, Wisconsin, age 72, on June 7. Bonnie K. (Rosvold) Risius ’70, Bricelyn, Minnesota, age 72, on March 3. Vivian M. (Shannon) Holman ’80, Minneapolis, age 78, on February 15. Maureen T. (Conroy) Kurtz ’80, Shell Lake, Wisconsin, age 63, on July 6. James M. Ruud ’80, Minneapolis, age 78, on June 26. Lorraine G. (Herman) Bergquist ’82, Minneapolis, age 87, on March 4. Darrell C. Wistrom ’99, Austin, Texas, age 74, on February 22. 2000s Christian H. Anderson ’01, Shakopee, Minnesota, age 47, on April 11. Whitney J. Anderson ’09, Minneapolis, age 34, on June 17. 2010s Kevin P. Ehrman-Solberg ’15, Minneapolis, age 33, on June 12. Elizabeth (Quackenbush) Harper ’15, New Orleans, age 39, on March 3. Cole A. Linnell ’15, Rogers, Minnesota, age 29, on March 14. Faculty, staff, and friends Department of Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies Adjunct Instructor James Frankki, Minneapolis, age 59, on March 21. Professor Emerita of Nursing Beverly J. (Swenson) Nilsson, Minnetonka, Minnesota, age 89, on November 10. Center for Global Education and Experience Mexico Site Staff Member Moisés Rios Bello, Cuernavaca, Mexico, age 50, on February 23. Center for Global Education and Experience Mexico Site Staff Member Maria “Isabel” Sanchez Hernandez, Cuernavaca, Mexico, age 48, on February 21. LONG-TERM STABILITY FOR LIFE-CHANGING EDUCATION SUSTAIN AUGSBURG’S MISSION THROUGH A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY What is a charitable gift annuity? A charitable gift annuity is a “split gift.” Part of your gift is used by Augsburg immediately to support our mission of educating students, and part of the gift is set aside to be invested to support future fixed payments to you. ARCHIVE PHOTO Benefits of a charitable gift annuity: Anne Frame, 84, passed away July 13, in Red Wing, Minnesota. She was the spouse of Bill Frame, Augsburg’s ninth president who served from 1997 to 2006. They were a part of Augsburg’s Sven Oftedal Society, a group of generous donors who have arranged a deferred gift to the university to provide student scholarships. Anne was involved in many parts of the Augsburg community, including as a member of the Augsburg Associates (see story on page 12). She welcomed students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends to Augsburg House. She sang a folk song with Bill during a 2004 Auggie Variety Show, engaged with students at Augsburg’s Late Night Breakfast during finals week, and participated in a trip to China with Bill and other Minnesota private college presidents to increase the number of undergraduate student exchanges between the United States and China. Anne will be remembered for her Auggie spirit of dedication, generosity, and service. Submit address changes and nominations for remembrances to alumniupdate@augsburg.edu. • • Added source of income—You will receive fixed annual payments for your lifetime. Long-term support to Augsburg—Unlike an immediate income annuity, the remaining value of your annuity will go to Augsburg instead of an insurance company after you pass away. “ • • Highly appreciated asset value—By donating assets in-kind, you preserve the full fair market value of the assets, rather than reduce it by selling it and paying capital gains taxes. Tax deductions—If you itemize deductions on your tax return, savings from the federal income tax charitable deduction of the gift portion reduce your gift’s net cost. Ron and Linda Ott ’85 chose to give a charitable gift annuity to Augsburg. I was always grateful for my time at Augsburg. A charitable gift annuity is a way for us to do something now that ensures Augsburg has funding. It also provides tax advantages and a little income back to us each year. Augsburg made the whole process very easy, even splitting our gift between a few different programs we want to support. We want to work with you to create a gift that best fits your circumstances. Contact us to learn more about supporting Augsburg students through a charitable gift annuity. 32 AUGSBURG NOW ” —Linda Ott ’85 Amy Alkire, Interim Vice President for Advancement | 612-330-1188 | alkirea@augsburg.edu Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 New mural welcomes Auggies back to campus A group of students from an Augsburg graphic systems class created a mural, “Divine Unity,” in the tunnel between Old Main and Science Hall. The mural represents unity existing among differences and unique individuals creating a space of community and happiness. Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 2031
Show less

Title: Augsburg Now Winter 2020-21
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: What it takes to fight a pandemic Confronting the Minnesota paradox Student-athletes’ off-and-on sports seasons Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist WINTER 2020–21 | VOL. 83, NO. 1 INSIDE AUGSBURG NOW Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE WHAT I...
Show more What it takes to fight a pandemic Confronting the Minnesota paradox Student-athletes’ off-and-on sports seasons Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist WINTER 2020–21 | VOL. 83, NO. 1 INSIDE AUGSBURG NOW Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE WHAT IT TAKES TO FIGHT A PANDEMIC: COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND MUTUAL AID (PART 1) From parking lots and phone calls to hospitals and research labs, Auggies use a multifaceted approach to confront the global crisis of a lifetime by Kate H. Elliott Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Featured Stories Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email One November afternoon, Natalie Jacobson, coordinator of Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen, opened an email from someone she didn’t recognize. It was short and to the point: First-year Auggie Sam Kristensen ’24 explained that he had collected 17 bags of canned and nonperishable food items from those who dared to enter Sign up for Email Newsletter his Halloween yard maze through a fog-lit skeleton shack and animatronic troll swamp. The business major said he was glad his ghoulish creativity could feed dozens of Submit Your Alumni News Augsburg students and residents in surrounding Minneapolis neighborhoods. “The email made my week,” Jacobson said. “We’ve been CONNECT WITH US consumed with coordinated relief e orts; Sam’s email was a great reminder that everyone and anyone can Natalie Jacobson joins Nick Keener ’20, Campus Kitchen student leadership team member. (Courtesy photo) make a di erence.” Kristensen is one of hundreds in the Augsburg community who have come together in both planned and unplanned ways to support those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, which to date has infected an estimated 28 million and killed more than 500,000 Americans. From sta and students sewing and donating face masks to medical personnel advancing policies and caring for patients, members of the Augsburg community are making a lasting impact on the front lines of disease prevention and support. These are a few of the many stories of Auggies combating the virus and its e ects with compassion, faith, and ingenuity. Serving up hope Jacobson manages donations like Kristensen’s o ering while working with a team of students and volunteers to facilitate integrated food access programs to address hunger on and near campus. According to the National Association of Student A airs Administrators in Higher Education, more than 38% of students at four-year institutions are food insecure, and 15% are homeless. Before the pandemic, Augsburg students accessed free food at the Campus Cupboard in the basement of Science Hall. Students could stop in ve days a week to select a bag of fresh and non-perishable items, no questions asked. The Campus Kitchen also made outreach e orts to support community gardens and meals, rescue unsold produce at farmers markets, and educate the public about food as wellness. Yamile Hernandez ’22 works in the Campus Cupboard. (Photo by Courtney Perry) When the pandemic hit, Campus Kitchen turned up the heat. The team moved its refrigerators, freezers, and shelves of food to a large conference room in Augsburg’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship. Campus Cupboard transitioned to an online order form, with student workers, like nance major Yamile Hernandez ’22, delivering orders on campus or making contactless deliveries to students living in the Twin Cities. The cupboard serves between 25 and 75 students each week. “It’s rewarding to know we’re helping others, especially in such hard times, and we’re using up food that would have gone to waste.”—Yamile Hernandez ’22 “Many people have found themselves without a job or having less work, which makes it di cult to keep up with expenses,” said Hernandez. “Having access to healthy, free food helps alleviate a bit of that stress.” Campus Kitchen intensi ed e orts to address health and wellness disparities in neighborhoods surrounding Augsburg. Because so many organizations and community centers were already in partnership with Augsburg, Jacobson said, they were quick to respond to increased needs during the pandemic. “We heard about an opportunity to apply for CARES Act grant funding on a Tuesday, and the application was due that Thursday. Campus Kitchen rallied together with the Health Commons, West Bank Community Development Corporation, and the People’s Center to pull an application together, and we received $22,000, which we spent in a week on nonperishable food items, personal and household cleaning products, as well as food storage equipment, including refrigerators and freezers. The Campus Kitchen volunteers [L to R]: Hank Hietala, Ellen Finn, and LaToya Taris-James (Courtesy photo) grant will enable us to provide students and neighbors with access to healthy foods on a regular basis and at an increased capacity.” In March, the Sabo Center launched the Neighborhood Food Initiative in partnership with M Health Fairview. The initiative brings together a variety of community partners to support collaborative approaches that increase access to healthy food in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. “Since the summer, we have distributed food weekly to the West Bank CDC and People’s Center,” Jacobson said. “Many households in Cedar-Riverside now see this service as a key piece of meeting their basic food needs.” Drives of support Augsburg parking lots have been preferred drop-o locations for food and supply drives. In June and again in late September, Augsburg Women Engaged supported weeklong drives to support the Campus Cupboard and ShareShop, which provides students with free or for-rent bedding, games, clothing, kitchenware, appliances, and other home goods. The group collected 400 pounds of food and household supplies, plus $5,405 for the Campus Kitchen. On June 1, Steve Peacock, community relations director at the Sabo Center, and a cadre of masked volunteers lined up in a parking lot near the edge of campus. The group collected donations from an estimated 550 cars that drove through during a two-hour drive to collect a number of items, mostly personal hygiene products and diapers, for the Brian Coyle Neighborhood Center nearby. “We were absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and donations,” Peacock said. “While we were out there, collecting items, we saw athletic teams lined up to collect supplies on the other side of the athletics complex. It’s a testament to the innovative, communityfocused, and generous spirit of Augsburg.” “Our mission to support students and be an anchor for the community seems relevant and central to our lives now more than ever.”—Steve Peacock Augsburg has also encouraged donations to the Student Emergency Fund, which was established last March to support students with nancial hardships and provide relief for basic needs, including food, rent, transportation, and medication. Auggies gather donations for the Twin Cities community outside Augsburg’s Kennedy Center. (Courtesy photo) In the wake of George Floyd’s death in May, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis has distributed food to hundreds of neighbors each week. This summer, Augsburg Pastor Justin Lind-Ayres showed up with more than 25 Auggie students, sta , and faculty, most of whom didn’t know each other, to serve food. “This was just one microcosm of the work Auggies have and continue to do across the Twin Cities,” Lind-Ayres said. “The student body inspires and teaches me what it means to be ‘informed citizens.’” ‘Auggies are resilient’ Lind-Ayres and the Campus Ministry team have worked to provide moments of hope and belonging throughout the year. They shared prayers on their blog once a day from March to May and now post prayers weekly as a way for Auggies to lift up concerns and hopes for people and situations. On Fridays, the team has hosted 8 minutes and 46 seconds in chapel and on Zoom for “Silence, Prayer, and Pastoral Presence” to remember George Floyd and others and to focus on the call for racial justice. The Muslim Student Association, under the direction of Fardosa Hassan ’12, has provided opportunities for safe, socially distanced Friday prayer. In addition to leading reduced-capacity in-person worship in Hoversten Chapel, recorded worship, and virtual discussions, Lind-Ayres and University Pastor Babette Chatman ’06 serve on the COVID-19 Response Team. This diverse group of sta members gathers up to ve times each week to review COVID19 cases on campus, engage in contact tracing, provide support for students in quarantine or isolation, and gure out ways to keep the community safe. “We spend a lot of time on the phone or texting with students o ering words of encouragement, answering questions, and troubleshooting issues together as we manage the realities of COVID-19 on campus,” said Lind-Ayres. Assistant Athletic Director Melissa Lee ’04 serves on the COVID-19 Task Force. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Melissa Lee ’04, assistant athletic director and softball head coach, serves on the COVID-19 Task Force. Lee is one of several sta members responding to the helpline set up for Auggies to access the latest information and resources. In the spring, she and others were answering helpline phone calls and emails in shifts seven days a week. As tra c has decreased, phone calls go directly to voicemail. Team members respond to messages and emails as soon as possible. To parents, students, faculty, and sta , Lee said, “Continue to be gritty. Continue to be safe. We can and will all get through this together. Auggies are resilient.” Augsburg stories on COVID-19: What it takes to ght a pandemic, part 2: Research and health care Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist guides Auggies through the COVID-19 pandemic Top Image: Auggies gather and distribute food and donations through programs like Campus Kitchen and Campus Cupboard. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook athletics mutual aid Twitter Class of 2004 Pinterest Class of 2022 LinkedIn Email Community Engagement COVID-19 Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST What it takes to ght a pandemic: Research and health care (Part 2) YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE What it takes to ght a Confronting the Minnesota Stay the course: O -and-on pandemic: Research and paradox sports seasons prove health care (Part 2) - on February 22, 2021 Auggie student-athletes’ resilience - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE WHAT IT TAKES TO FIGHT A PANDEMIC: RESEARCH AND HEALTH CARE (PART 2) From parking lots and phone calls to hospitals and research labs, Auggies use a multifaceted approach to confront the global crisis of a lifetime by Kate H. Elliott Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Featured Stories Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP sees resilience every day as executive director of Augsburg’s Health Commons, which are drop-in health centers led by the nursing program with a model focused on caring for those in the community who are marginalized. Guests are not required to show identi cation, and medical professionals don’t wear scrubs or stethoscopes in order to increase relatability and public trust in health care workers. Sign up for Email Newsletter Her focus at the Augsburg Central Health Commons is with individuals who are experiencing homelessness or who are marginally housed in Minneapolis, and the Health Commons in the Submit Your Alumni News Cedar-Riverside neighborhood provides care for residents, many of whom are East African immigrants. As an assistant professor of nursing, Clark teaches primarily in the graduate nursing program Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP (Courtesy photo) through courses that emphasize social justice, health disparities, and civic engagement. CONNECT WITH US The Augsburg nursing program, Clark said, is unique because faculty and students are embedded in the community. Other schools often see that work as “extra service” and send students to nonpro ts, but Augsburg considers place-based work as central to the educational experience. Hospitality and healing “We help students serve and explore the world we live in, and we’re with them when they do it,” Clark said. “They get uncomfortable and lean into the biases they may have and really get involved in a community to understand the issues from the people who experience them.” “You can’t come up with answers if you don’t know the problems.”—Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP When COVID-19 hit, the Health Commons at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis was one of the Augsburg’s Health Commons received donations from the community, including 27,200 bottles of water from UP Co ee Roasters and a grassroots fundraising campaign organized by Bethany Johnson ’19, ’23 DNP, whose family owns the business. Johnson (left) delivered water to the Health Commons with husband, David Chall (middle), and daughter, Olivia Chall, in April 2020. (Courtesy photo) only drop-in health centers that continued to stay open. At the height of the pandemic, Clark said staying open meant standing outside, passing out hygiene kits, and bringing meals and supplies to encampments of unhoused people. “Many of our students are adult learners seeking bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. Some of them have dealt with furloughs or are at the bedsides of patients, holding up the [touchscreen] tablet for family members to say goodbye, and adapting to constant changes in health care environments. Then they have school in addition to their own stressors at home, like juggling kids or responding to family members who say, ‘COVID isn’t real.’ These students want to get involved and tackle the issues in their communities, and they are doing it! I get chills talking about it.” Ellen Kearney ’23 DNP is one of Clark’s students in the Doctor of Nursing Practice: Family Nurse Practitioner program and also a registered nurse at a Twin Cities intensive care unit. Kearney admitted that despite extensive safety measures, it was scary to be indoors at the Health Commons with patients early in the pandemic. But the work—her passion—is critical, she added. Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP (left) and President Paul Pribbenow at an Augsburg Bold event in the fall. (Courtesy photo) “Before COVID-19 we were able to serve between 50 and 100 people each Monday and Thursday,” said Kearney. “Now we can only see 12 people each day we are open. But because our hours have not changed, it has been nice to have a longer period alone with each guest if they chose to stay and talk. I’ve been able to learn about one guest’s upcoming trip to her home country in Africa and her worries about traveling, and I have been able to follow up with one older man while I do his foot care. It has been hard to not open the doors fully, especially now that the weather is colder and knowing there are so few public spaces open, though it is clear that we need to stay capped for everyone’s safety. While the scale of the Commons is small, the impact is large.” When Augsburg temporarily restricted students from working at the Commons, volunteers and Augsburg alumni, like Emily Pierskalla ’20 DNP, stepped in to keep doors open. The most challenging aspect of working as a registered nurse is ricocheting through stages of grief, which Pierskalla said is emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. She avoids news about COVID-19 and social media because it can trigger haunting memories. “I have ashbacks of the faces of patients I’ve seen die while their loved ones cry watching through an iPad or seeing my own co-workers struggling to breathe after getting sick,” said Pierskalla, who has worked for eight years at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. “It has taken a lot of therapy, self-care, and e ort to keep the burnout from causing me to become bitter and angry, or worse, apathetic to the world and society.” She has also worked as a nurse practitioner at CVS MinuteClinics, administering COVID-19 tests and helping people understand their test results and quarantine recommendations—e orts that have immediate practical e ects. “When I’m at the Commons or out in the camps, I actually feel like I’m helping to create the world I want to live in.”—Emily Pierskalla ’20 DNP Ray Yip ’72 has extensive global health experience, including work in Qinghai, a sparsely populated Chinese province. (Courtesy photo) Advocates for change Auggies are working across the globe to create policies and medical solutions to realize that better world. Dr. Ray Yip ’72 is a global health specialist serving as special advisor to the Gates Venture on China Partnership Development. For the past 22 years, he has assisted the Chinese government in improving its public health system, with a focus on disease control and response capacity. When COVID-19 began spreading in January, Yip was in Beijing. “I was impressed with how aggressive the outbreak was in Wuhan, and I predicted that China would be able to get it under control by April. To my pleasant surprise, China achieved that seemingly impossible task by mid-March.” In February, he returned to his home in upstate New York, from Ray Yip ’72 (Courtesy photo) which he has advised several organizations about COVID-19-related issues and provided a range of companies with updates about the progress of vaccine development worldwide. “This pandemic, which we knew would happen sooner or later, requires strong government leadership as well as commitment and partnership with the private sectors for the solutions.”—Ray Yip ’72 “More than 23 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told me the United States had the know-how and capacity to contain this epidemic. After all, I was sent to China to help them to build such capacity. My prediction was so o , I hate to admit it. We all su er dearly from the dire consequence of horrible mismanagement, which largely has to do with leadership failure. It was particularly painful to watch the CDC get sidelined, and public health measures became politicized.” The heroes of the pandemic, Yip said: health care workers. “Most people do not realize the risk and danger of those health care workers taking care of the COVID patients, especially in the early phase when protective gear was in short supply. A disproportionate number of them got infected and died. If I were my younger version, I would not hesitate to join them in on the front lines. I am grateful for their service and sacri ce.” Interview with Dr. Ray Yip '72 · Augsburg University Alumni Association was Live Follow Share Dr. Paul Mueller ’84, regional vice president for Mayo Clinic Health System’s Southwest Wisconsin region, oversees thousands of such workers attending to patients in two hospitals and eight clinics. He manages COVID-19 response through policy decisions and exploring new treatments while treating the disease in his own patient panel. “It is weighty from a psychological standpoint, as you try to be a leader in such an ever-changing, high-stakes environment, knowing the lives you impact,” said Mueller, who has served as an Augsburg regent and as the campaign chair of Great Returns: Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Campaign. “But every day I walk the halls of our hospitals and clinics and see the resilience and ingenuity of our sta who have delivered on the promise of medicine. Nurses greet me with a smile behind personal protective equipment. They are busy Paul Mueller ’84 (Courtesy photo) but feel called and up to this work. With a can-do attitude, we are caring for patients in the darkest of times, administering novel treatments, and preparing to safely roll out vaccines. “We’re still in the thick of it. If you think of it like a marathon, we are at mile marker 19. But if we can maintain resilience and hope, we will nish the race and be better for it.”—Paul Mueller ’84 “This pandemic has shown us that we all breathe the same air, and it is the one thing that is unifying our entire planet. While the virus rages on killing people, we continue to see the brilliance of the human spirit—beacons of hope and optimism, compassion and resilience, integrity and ingenuity.” Caring for patients, fueling research Brittany Kimball ’13 is a third-year resident at the University of Minnesota in internal medicine and pediatrics. The pandemic has taken its toll on her and other residents, as expectations are in ux and workloads are stressful and exhausting. Virtual visits are di cult because of a lack of internet and personal connectivity, Kimball said. Loneliness has infected the hospitals. Last week, Kimball watched a nurse gently care for a patient isolated from visitors, playing his favorite music as he died. “The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly compounded patients’ conditions. Children are missing well visits and Brittany Kimball ’13: “Getting my rst COVID-19 vaccine at Masonic Children’s Hospital—which I encourage everyone to do as soon as it becomes available to them!” (Courtesy photo) immunizations. Cancer patients require COVID-19 tests prior to chemotherapy, sometimes missing a treatment because they have the virus. Many of my primary care patients with diabetes are wary of clinic visits, thus making it harder to [measure doses of] their medications,” said Kimball, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Augsburg. “Most troublesome, the pandemic has compounded inequities for already marginalized people. Some of my patients don’t have internet, while others don’t have access to a regular phone. For some patients, limited English pro ciency can make getting set up on a virtual platform more di cult. Brittany Kimball ’13 (left) and her co-resident work at the Minneapolis Veterans A airs Health Care System. (Courtesy photo) “Patients dealing with addiction and trying to maintain sobriety have told me that their usual coping mechanisms—like getting together with other people who are sober or participating in a faith community—have become inaccessible. For patients living in poverty, balancing virtual school and frontline jobs has been incredibly stressful and sometimes impossible. It’s often people living in poverty that are doing frontline work that makes them more likely to be exposed to the virus, like working in a restaurant, public transit, or in a store.” “We need to gure out how to make telemedicine more equitable.”—Brittany Kimball ’13 Her dream has long been to be a doctor, so despite the challenges, she pushes on—driven to pursue a fellowship in hematology-oncology. As a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, Kimball is particularly interested in caring for adolescents and young adults with cancer and blood diseases. “As an 18-yearold in my rst semester at Augsburg, I was guring out dating while bald, chemo after classes, and trying to study when my brain felt foggy and my body felt sick,” she added. “Sometimes I needed a bit more guidance and support than a typical adult patient, but not in the same way that a much younger child might. Teens and young adults don’t t neatly in the pediatric or adult-centered models of care, and I hope I can make that better.” Hamdi Adam ’18 is similarly driven to make a di erence. As a doctoral student of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, Adam followed his bachelor’s in biology from Augsburg with a master’s degree in public health at the University of Minnesota. Adam studies cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurocognitive disorders. He is focused on investigating the impact of COVID-19 on chronic conditions, which can lead to higher risk of mortality, especially among people with existing risk factors, like high blood pressure and diabetes. “At some point down the road, I’ll probably get the chance to utilize COVID-19 data to assess the relationship between COVID status and various chronic disease conditions in population-based research studies and hopefully add valuable and timely information to the Hamdi Adam ’18 (Courtesy photo) base of existing literature,” said Adam, who—as a rst-generation Oromo American—is interested in applying his research to address health disparities a ecting people of color. “It feels good to know that your studies and work are for the betterment of people. With research, sometimes you feel like your work is so detached from the true health problems you are attempting to address, but I like to think that epidemiologic research provides the basis for informing more direct actions, such as health policy development and e ective community-based interventions.” Another researcher, Will Matchett ’13, earned a doctorate in virology and gene therapy from the Mayo Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He works as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota, where he will spend up to ve years acquiring training that will allow him to run his own lab. Between April and August, his research focused exclusively on developing a SARS-CoV-2 test to measure the speci c antibodies that block the virus from entering cells. Since September, his focus has shifted to testing a COVID-19 vaccine being developed at the University of Minnesota. Will Matchett ’13 used a plaque assay to quantify the amount of SARS-CoV-2 virus in a sample at the University of Minnesota biosafety lab in August 2020. (Courtesy photo) Increasing and diversifying COVID-19 testing Does all the medical terminology sound like a foreign language? That’s how Elaine Eschenbacher ’18 MAL described her rst few weeks as the higher education operations lead for Minnesota’s COVID-19 Testing Work Group. Since 2009, she has worked at Augsburg, the last six of those years as director for the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship. But since June, the Sabo Center has put her “on loan” to Minnesota’s State Emergency Operations Center to work with a team of experts to launch Minnesota’s testing plan in collaboration with colleges and universities. Subgroups are assigned to areas such as long-term care, child care and schools, community testing, hotspots, case investigation and contact tracing, research, data, purchasing, and contracts. Elaine Eschenbacher ’18 MAL (Photo by Courtney Perry) “My work at Augsburg prepared me for this role in a variety of ways. The role is necessarily collaborative and involves recognizing that di erent people have di erent roles to play and respecting those di erent perspectives and sets of expertise.”—Elaine Eschenbacher ’18 MAL “Civic engagement work is like that, too. I’ve also been thinking a lot about the Master of Arts in Leadership program, which I completed in 2018. This work is like having a master class in leadership and public health every day.” In April, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced a “moonshot goal” of 20,000 tests per day in the state, at a time when only about 2,000 tests were being performed daily, Eschenbacher said. The testing work group increased capacity and made that moonshot goal by the end of June. “Since then, we’ve been continuing to increase and diversify COVID testing, and make sure that the people who most need it have access to it. During the week of Thanksgiving, our daily average for testing across the state was more than 57,000,” she added. “Testing is an important tool in controlling the spread of COVID-19, and making testing accessible regardless of income or location is an important equity issue.” Eschenbacher has spent her days planning and data-modeling as it relates to higher education, consulting with speci c institutions in the wake of outbreaks, guiding higher education testing, and organizing partnerships for case investigation and contact-tracing. She facilitates webinars and other information pieces about saliva testing, serves as state incident commander for community testing events, and helped coordinate mass testing of 18- to 35-year-olds prior to Thanksgiving. More recently, she has served as incident commander for a community vaccination site. “It feels like a cliché to say this, but it is an absolute honor to do this work. We talk a lot about vocation at Augsburg, and I guess I would say that vocation can sneak up on you. I never would have dreamed of doing the work I’ve done since June, but it feels like purpose.” These are only a handful of the Auggies who are living out their passionate purpose to bring an end to this crushing pandemic and, in the meantime, to soften the blow. Augsburg stories on COVID-19: What it takes to ght a pandemic, part 1: Community collaboration and mutual aid Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist guides Auggies through the COVID-19 pandemic Top Image: Augsburg’s coronavirus guidelines, including face coverings and physical distancing in classrooms and public places, helped protect Auggies from COVID-19. Professor and Chemistry Department Chair Joan Kunz instructs in the Hagfors Center. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email biology Class of 1972 Class of 1984 Class of 2010 Class of 2018 Class of 2020 Class of 2023 Community Engagement Doctor of Nursing Practice mutual aid research health care Class of 2013 Master of Arts in Leadership Class of 2014 COVID-19 Master of Arts in Nursing Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Confronting the Minnesota paradox What it takes to ght a pandemic: Community collaboration and mutual aid (Part 1) YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE What it takes to ght a Confronting the Minnesota Stay the course: O -and-on pandemic: Community paradox sports seasons prove collaboration and mutual - on February 22, 2021 Auggie student-athletes’ aid (Part 1) resilience - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE CONFRONTING THE MINNESOTA PARADOX Signi cant racial disparities exist in a state with a liberal reputation, but some are seeking ways to close the gaps by Gita Sitaramiah Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Featured Stories Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Robert Harper ’16 remembers the rst time he was called the nword. His family had moved to Minnesota from the South Side of Chicago, seeking a better life. Since then, he’s achieved that better life, earning an undergraduate degree from Augsburg University and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public A airs. He is now a supplier diversity director for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Sign up for Email Newsletter “I think I’ve had a unique experience escaping poverty on the South Side of Chicago and North Minneapolis, only to be confronted with the daily decisions made by white people that only re-create those Submit Your Alumni News circumstances of oppression,” Harper said. Robert Harper ’16 (Courtesy photo) While he’s now a working professional in a state that prides itself on being “Minnesota nice,” Harper never gets too comfortable, recalling that painful moment when he was walking to middle school and a passing driver shouted the racial epithet at him. More recently, on CONNECT WITH US a trip to northern Minnesota, Harper was told while visiting Gull Lake, ‘You don’t belong here,’ by a white man. “It’s moments like that when you’re trying to do better, ‘pull yourselves up by your bootstraps,’ that society reminds you that there’s a glass ceiling for some,” Harper said. “Some people constantly remind you that they decide how far you go, what rooms you enter, and in the case of George Floyd, whether or not you live.”—Robert Harper ’16 Exposing the paradox George Floyd’s murder three miles from Augsburg University put an international spotlight on not only the experiences of Black people at the hands of the criminal justice system but also the reality of the disturbing “Minnesota paradox.” That’s how University of Minnesota Professor Samuel Myers describes how Minnesota has such a high quality of life and a history of progressive politicians but is one of the worst places to live for Black people. “Measured by racial gaps in unemployment rates, wage and salary incomes, incarceration rates, arrest rates, home ownership rates, mortgage lending rates, test scores, reported child maltreatment rates, school disciplinary and suspension rates, and even drowning rates, African Americans are worse o in Minnesota than they are in virtually every other state in the nation,” Myers said. The numbers illustrate the bleak story: Samuel Myers (Courtesy photo) Only 25.3% of Black households in Minnesota own homes versus 76.9% of white households, according to census data, a stark divide given that home ownership is considered the leading contributor to household wealth. The median household income for Black households in the state is the lowest of any group at $41,570, about half of what Asian and white households earn. In the Twin Cities, African Americans represent 9% of the overall population, but are incarcerated at 11 times the rate of whites who represent 76% of the population, the NAACP reported last year. Only 21.7% of Black people hold bachelor’s degrees or higher versus nearly 40% overall. Meanwhile, between 2010 and 2018, the fastest growing racial group in Minnesota was the Black population, which grew by 36%, adding more than 96,500 people. Many are immigrants but face the same backdrop of a state that hasn’t historically acknowledged that discrimination plays a role in the Black story here, Myers said. “When it comes to race in the Twin Cities, in Minnesota, there was this instinctive belief that we already know what the problem is, that it’s not really a problem, and since it’s not a problem, we don’t need to nd answers,” Myers said. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded the inequities. The unemployment rate for Black Minnesotans in the aftermath of pandemic shutdowns rose to 15.3% last July, up 9 percentage points from a year earlier, versus 6.3% for white workers, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reported. According to a Pew Research report published in December: “Among Black Americans, 71% know someone who has been hospitalized or died because of COVID-19.” Kevin Ehrman-Solberg ’15 (center right) and the Mapping Prejudice Project team found inequities in housing documents throughout Minneapolis’ history. (Courtesy photo, 2017) The path to today’s Minneapolis High pro le police killings of Black men in this region—including George Floyd, Philando Castile, and Jamar Clark—have heightened the protests and urgency for change. The viral video of Floyd’s murder with his neck under the knee of a Minneapolis police o cer seemed to dawn a new era in the ght for justice. Protesters took to the streets for weeks around the globe. Gra ti images of Floyd sprang up worldwide, even on a West Bank barrier in the Middle East. CEOs of Fortune 500 corporations in Minnesota wrote an open letter of outrage. Athletes of all races took the knee before matches to show their support for racial equity. In the city of Minneapolis, at the center of the controversy, there was swift action against the o cers, something unprecedented. “Despite decades of police incidents that resulted in the deaths of people of color, today’s actions by the mayor represent the rst time in modern history that Minneapolis police o cers were red within 24 hours for unjustly murdering a citizen,” said Michael Lansing, associate professor and chair of Augsburg’s history department, in a May 26 series of tweets about the Minneapolis Police Department. (Lansing’s comments on the history of uprisings and Minneapolis police were also carried by The Washington Post and Mother Jones.) Now, many are acknowledging the systems that are behind today’s Minneapolis. Even the South Minneapolis street where George Floyd was killed is in a historically Black working-class and middle-class neighborhood created by housing segregation, Lansing said in his tweet series. Indeed, Mapping Prejudice Project, a team of community members, Associate Professor Michael Lansing (Photo by Stephen Ge re) geographers, and historians based at the University of Minnesota, have unearthed thousands of racial covenants in Minneapolis that reserved land for the exclusive use of white people. Those restrictions served as powerful obstacles for people of color seeking safe and a ordable housing. Racial covenants, dovetailed with redlining and predatory lending practices, depressed homeownership rates for Black residents. They also limited access to community resources like schools and parks. While contemporary white residents of Minneapolis like to think their city never had formal segregation, those racial covenants did the work of Jim Crow in the Twin Cities, said Kevin EhrmanSolberg ’15, a co-founder of Mapping Prejudice. “The reputation of Minneapolis is that it’s a liberal bastion, yet there’s a racist reality that people live in.”—Kevin Ehrman-Solberg ’15 Professor William Green (Photo by Courtney Perry) Looking forward with a pragmatic lens While the period following George Floyd’s murder looked like a change moment, Augsburg University’s M. Anita Gay Hawthorne Professor of Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies William Green worries that the momentum started to diminish as the summer progressed. “The challenge that we face is to do the hard work to de ne what change means, and second, how to get at the root of the problems that lead to disparities in society.” Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce President Jonathan Weinhagen looks ahead to the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder and to the question of how much progress has been made in raising awareness about and working to eliminate the disparities experienced by people of color. “[Closing the racial divide] is not going to be resolved in a year. It’s going to take more time, but it’s going to have to be far more rapid than anything we’ve done to date.”—Jonathan Weinhagen The implications of these disparities are wide-reaching, with government o cials and the business community concerned that a growing population that isn’t able to fully participate in or bene t from the economy will threaten the vitality of the state as a whole. Jonathan Weinhagen (Courtesy photo) “To have a large and growing part of our economy be marginalized is a huge disadvantage to all of us because it takes a huge part of the population out,” said Susan Brower, Minnesota’s demographer. The NAACP’s 48-page Twin Cities Economic Inclusion Plan issued in 2019 calls for a comprehensive, multi-pronged policy agenda anchored by ve basic principles: economic sustainability, education, health, public safety and criminal justice, and voter rights and political representation. The role of education Many are looking to young people to be the lasting change. The nonpro t Generation Next in Minneapolis has emerged to support children from “cradle to career,” envisioning a future in which “every child has the academic, social, and emotional skills to thrive in a globally uent world.” Alan Page, retired Minnesota Supreme Court justice, and Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, proposed in 2020 amending Minnesota’s constitution to give every child a civil right to a quality public education. They de ne the current approach as a system that works well for children from well-to-do families but fails children from low-income families. “A quality education is without question the most powerful tool we have to break the cycle of poverty and create a society in which everyone can fully participate,” Kashkari and Page wrote in the Star Tribune. “It doesn’t just change one child’s life. It has the potential to improve the future for generations to come and lead to a more productive, vibrant society for all of us.” Meanwhile, Augsburg University is positioned to be a statewide leader in the turnaround, with years of intentional work on diversity, equity, and inclusion. “I certainly feel that higher education is the clearest path to a middle-class life or better,” Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow said. Augsburg University's Hagfors Center. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Augsburg’s e orts to address disparities and work toward equity After the murder of George Floyd only a few miles from campus, Augsburg University introduced in June the Justice for George Floyd Initiatives to focus on working to heal the community, creating leadership and structures that make tangible change, and ensuring accountability for the work of undoing racist systems. New e orts were introduced to combat systemic racism, including a critical race and ethnicity studies department; diversity, equity, and inclusion training; and a requirement that all faculty and sta complete antiracism training. Augsburg also canceled classes and suspended operations June 4 and 5 so students, faculty, and sta could have an opportunity to grieve. “We acknowledge the pain, fear, and trauma faced by the Augsburg community—especially our students, faculty, and sta of color—remain a lived reality every day,” Pribbenow said. “This work by Augsburg will be persistent, resolute, courageous, and integrated into everything the university does.” This ongoing work includes several components: Augsburg named William Green, professor of history, the inaugural holder of the M. Anita Gay Hawthorne professorship of critical race and ethnic studies. The university is employing new accountability for inclusive, antiracist leadership across the institution and reviewing Augsburg’s major academic and administrative policies and practices with a special focus on undoing bias and discrimination and enhancing student success. Augsburg created a scholarship in memory of George Floyd and established a fund that matched donations from students, faculty, and sta for organizations doing important work, especially for Black-owned businesses and nonpro t organizations. Augsburg appointed the rst Chief Diversity O cer, Joanne K. Reeck, in 2016 and became home in 2019 to The Forum on Workplace Inclusion, the nation’s largest workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion conference. These moves are an important continuation of Augsburg’s e orts to build and maintain an equitable and inclusive campus that became a strategic focus in 2006, resulting in Augsburg welcoming its most diverse incoming rst-year class ever in 2017. Students of color are now in the majority of traditional undergraduates, making Augsburg one of the most diverse private colleges in the Midwest. As Augsburg is learning in its own community, Minnesota’s multifaceted disparities require a multifaceted approach that summons individual and collective willpower to align impact with intent. Despite Harper’s success after graduating from Augsburg, he views the disparate outcomes as a call to action, even forming his own economic development consulting rm, R.D.T.H Consulting, focused on social impact in addition to his day job. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” Top Image: Minneapolis is a city with a liberal reputation, but racial disparities persist. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Class of 2015 Twitter Class of 2016 Pinterest LinkedIn Diversity and Inclusion Email economics Faculty Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Stay the course: O -and-on sports seasons prove Auggie student-athletes’ resilience What it takes to ght a pandemic: Research and health care (Part 2) YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE What it takes to ght a What it takes to ght a Stay the course: O -and-on pandemic: Community pandemic: Research and sports seasons prove collaboration and mutual health care (Part 2) Auggie student-athletes’ aid (Part 1) - on February 22, 2021 resilience - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE STAY THE COURSE: OFF-AND-ON SPORTS SEASONS PROVE AUGGIE STUDENTATHLETES’ RESILIENCE After a pause on competitions due to COVID-19, Auggies are ready to get back in the game by Kate Norlander Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Athletics, Featured Stories Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The COVID-19 pandemic put a major pause on 2020’s athletic competitions. The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postponed the fall sports season. In January the league announced plans for a modi ed winter season for basketball, hockey, indoor track and eld, and swimming and diving (though it’s not o cially part of the MIAC, wrestling will follow the same guidelines). Auggies can’t wait to get back in the game. Many student-athletes have been practicing their sports since elementary school. During the past year, the pandemic disrupted participation in activities that have been important to their lives. But Augsburg’s Athletics sta and student-athletes have met this challenge with a commitment to the health and safety of the community. This willingness to put safety rst means that student-athletes Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News are now able to compete. In order for student-athletes to participate in sports this year, the NCAA created rules designed to promote safety. Augsburg Athletics also made sure that strong safety measures were in place, which CONNECT WITH US has helped students feel a bit more at ease during an anxious time. Devon Hannah ’21, a guard on the men’s basketball team, said, “We have the freedom to decide whether or not we feel comfortable with an activity. The Athletics Department is handling this well, keeping us safe physically and mentally, too.” Coaches play an important role in student-athletes’ lives, which means they are often among the rst people to learn when a student receives a positive COVID-19 test result. This means that they are not only helping students develop skills in their sport; they are also watching out for the safety of their team. Devon Hannah ’21 (Courtesy photo) Corrina Evans ’21, a middle blocker on the women’s volleyball team, said, “The coaches and trainers are sharing campus resources like the Center for Wellness and Counseling. They have check-in times when we can talk about anything, and they will call or text us: doing contact tracing, helping us understand how to quarantine correctly if we have to do that, and making sure we have everything we need.” Changes to practice and competition Corrina Evans ’21 (Courtesy photo) Even with precautionary measures in place, there are times when teams have to pause their practice, whether a teammate tested positive for COVID-19 or a rising number of cases in Minnesota required universities to temporarily close workout and sports facilities, which occurred in the fall and early winter. Read more about Auggies ghting the pandemic.  When they’re able to practice, Augsburg’s student-athletes gather in pods that have gradually increased in size as they were safely able to do so. While the smallest pods have allowed students to practice their sports safely and to control the spread of the virus, they’ve also presented a challenge. “It’s di cult to get to know each other and to gel as a team,” Hannah said. “Practices are very di erent,” said Evans. “You can’t see people’s faces because of the masks. But we’ve been able to move up into bigger pods, which gives us a more normal team chemistry and allows us to have a full team practice and do some scrimmaging. The challenges are more mental than physical.” In early January, the MIAC gave teams the go-ahead to compete again, although competitions are limited and spectators are not allowed. (Augsburg has o ered free livestream viewing for all home events and some road events.) Students in sports that present a higher risk for COVID-19 transmission must get tested three times each week in order to practice and compete—measures well worth it for eager players and coaches. “It’s exciting to be able to get back to playing and feel in the groove again,” said Colleen Enrico ’14, assistant athletic director, volleyball assistant coach, and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee advisor. Melissa Lee ’04 (left), assistant athletic director and softball head coach, leads softball practice in Augsburg’s dome in February 2021. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Prioritizing mental health Augsburg Athletics had already begun addressing the mental health of student-athletes before the pandemic. In the summer of 2019, all coaches and sta took an eight-hour course in mental health rst aid, which can provide support for student-athletes and coaches until they can speak with mental health professionals. Mark Wick, men’s hockey assistant coach, has recently taken on new, temporary duties at Augsburg as he sets up a mental health advocacy program for Augsburg Athletics. “We need to know how to deal with what is happening now, but in ve to 10 years, people still will be dealing with losing jobs or loved ones,” Wick said. “Hopefully it won’t be as bad as it is now, but how we use this time can help prepare us for growth.” Augsburg University @AugsburgU September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and @AugsburgU Assistant Hockey Coach @coachwick23 will hold a golf tournament to raise awareness, as this subject is very personal to him. “It’s OK to reach out and ask for help,” Wick told @WCCO. Augsburg Assistant Hockey Coach Mark Wick's Push For Suicide Awa… September is Suicide Awareness Month. And on Tuesday, Augsburg University assistant hockey coach Mark Wick will hold a golf … minnesota.cbslocal.com 7:30 PM · Sep 29, 2020 18 5 Copy link to Tweet Fostering the Auggie Experience Enrico reported that in past years, student-athletes met with the entire team sta on a weekly basis, but this year they are meeting with a di erent coach each week. This allows them to be more open and build better relationships with their coaches. As in past years, coaches touch base with students about their lives outside of their sport so that, for instance, if they are struggling with classes, the coach can suggest resources for help. This year coaches are also making a point of paying attention to upcoming events so that they can suggest activities that might help student-athletes better connect with their fellow students. It’s been a tough year for everyone, and that has been particularly true for rst-year students who were unable to participate in many traditional activities at the end of their senior year in high school and now have begun their college experience under di cult conditions. For that reason, Enrico said, coaches have made a point of connecting third- and fourth-year students with rst-year and other new students. Augsburg Athletics @AugsburgAuggies Check out some photos from a recent Augsburg women's basketball practice! ﬂickr.com/photos/1463682… #d3hoops #AuggiePride 7:43 PM · Jan 14, 2021 7 3 Copy link to Tweet Di erent teams have di erent approaches to these connections. In volleyball, coaches have suggested podcasts that each student can discuss with a di erent teammate each week. “We want them to get outside of volleyball, so the podcasts might be on topics such as banking or racial diversity,” Enrico said. Fostering these connections—between teammates, between each student-athlete and coach, and between student-athletes and the wider Augsburg community—is, perhaps, one of the most important things coaches can do for their student-athletes this year. All of them help these students feel a sense of community. In Enrico’s words, “the Auggie experience is community.” Top image: The COVID-19 pandemic has required temporary closures and reopenings of workout spaces, including Augsburg’s weight room, with students’ health in mind. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook athletics Twitter college sports Pinterest COVID-19 LinkedIn mental health Email sports Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist guides Auggies through the COVID-19 pandemic Confronting the Minnesota paradox YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE What it takes to ght a What it takes to ght a Confronting the Minnesota pandemic: Community pandemic: Research and paradox collaboration and mutual health care (Part 2) - on February 22, 2021 aid (Part 1) - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG’S IN-HOUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIST GUIDES AUGGIES THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC On the Spot Q&A with Associate Professor Alicia Quella by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Remember those days of uncertainty in March 2020, when we had more questions than answers, and before most of us used terms like “coronavirus” and “social distancing”? The United States saw an increase in COVID-19 infections, and some states—including Minnesota—applied stay-at-home orders to mitigate the spread. Weeks before that in ection point, Augsburg University administrators, faculty, and sta convened a COVID-19 task force. Sign up for Email Newsletter Not all educational institutions have an epidemiologist on sta , but Augsburg is fortunate. One of the task force’s principal leaders is Alicia Submit Your Alumni News Quella, associate professor and director of Augsburg’s physician assistant program. As an educator with a PhD in epidemiology and experience in public health settings around the world, her expertise CONNECT WITH US has proved invaluable for the university’s grasp of the evolving global crisis and Augsburg’s response to maintain the health and safety of community members. Associate Professor Alicia Quella (Photo by Courtney Perry) Between elding student questions about the coronavirus, volunteering at COVID-19 testing sites, and ensuring the Augsburg community can trace contacts and reduce transmission on campus, Quella shared some perspectives on her work and where we go from here. Q: How have you been involved in Augsburg’s outbreak planning and COVID-19 response? A: I serve on the pandemic task force, a university-wide team of people that assembled after it was apparent that COVID-19 would signi cantly a ect institutions of higher education across the United States. We collaborate regularly with epidemiologists from the Minnesota Department of Health to implement public health guidelines for campuses. We started to meet daily to coordinate issues involving classrooms and labs, athletics, residence halls, dining services, facilities, and global education. We started a COVID-19 Response Team, which comprises sta and faculty across campus who implement health protocols and support students and personnel who have illness, have COVID-19, or have been exposed to it. R.John @raccajohn Neither rain nor SNOW can keep @AugsburgU's Dr. Alicia Quella from working the walk-up/drive-up COVID-19 testing location @PeoplesCenter Cedar Riverside Clinic 1:50 AM · Oct 21, 2020 3 See the latest COVID-19 information on Twitter Q: What were your rst thoughts when you heard about COVID19 and considered its implications for the Augsburg community? A: When news of a novel coronavirus was circulating in China, I was immediately concerned because I had studied the epidemiology of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) during my doctoral work through the University of Iowa Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases. In 2003, SARS quickly spread to 29 countries, so I knew that this would be a major issue in the United States. Q: At this stage in the COVID-19 pandemic, what are the most important things for the public to understand and do? A: To reach herd immunity [when a signi cant portion of a community is immune to a disease and thereby makes spread unlikely] we all need to continue to ‘bubble’ and limit the number of close contacts, wear face masks, socially distance, and get vaccinated. I also encourage the students and my patients to be creative and nd ways to keep active and engaged— start a new hobby, do something outdoors, and reach out to relatives and friends who may be isolated right now. Q: What do you see in the post-COVID-19 world? A: Colleges and universities have seen a rapid di usion of innovation in how they are using technology to deliver curriculum, participate in athletics, and maintain operations. This energy and innovation will have to continue to promote widespread vaccine uptake. Vaccine hesitancy is an issue, especially in communities of color that have been disproportionately a ected by COVID-19 because of structural racism. Augsburg will need to make this a top priority moving forward. Q: What’s a memorable moment of the past year that made an impact on you? A: As an epidemiologist and a physician assistant, I’ve had the opportunity to continue to see patients and work with Augsburg students, sta , and faculty. I recently received the COVID-19 vaccine and have felt humbled and honored to now be able to continue to work more safely in the community. Top image: Associate Professor Alicia Quella’s experience as an epidemiologist has helped maintain the health and safety of the Augsburg community. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Read more Augsburg stories on COVID-19. Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Academic Departments Physician Assistant Studies Pinterest Community Engagement LinkedIn COVID-19 Email Faculty Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Notes from President Pribbenow: Come and see! Stay the course: O -and-on sports seasons prove Auggie student-athletes’ resilience YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents Augsburg’s recent awards, Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and rankings, and recognition - on February 22, 2021 reelected members - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW: COME AND SEE! by Paul C. Pribbenow Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook Go  Around the Quad, President's Letter Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email In the Christian church, the liturgical season before Lent is called Epiphany, a time when we re ect on the good news that God has broken into human history and that we are called to share that good news with all of creation. There is a wonderful invitational character to Epiphany, in which we ask each other and our neighbors to “Come and see” all that God is doing in our midst. In that spirit, this issue of Augsburg Now invites all of us to come and see what the Augsburg community is doing in its 151st academic year, in the midst of a global pandemic, to live out our mission. In these pandemic times, Augsburg students, faculty, and sta have brought great imagination, resilience, and courage to our work together. I am so proud of what they have accomplished, and I invite you to come and see … Come and see the gift of the surprises we found in how we teach and learn, how we keep our community and neighborhood safe and President Paul Pribbenow (Photo by Courtney Perry) healthy, how we live out our most deeply held commitments and values, and how we are open to new and innovative ways of living and working. Paul Pribbenow @paulpribbenow I’m out and about, delivering yard signs to the @AugsburgU Class of 2024! Here’s Vanessa - a proud new Auggie. #augsburgbold #auggiepride Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US 4:13 PM · Jun 30, 2020 95 5 Copy link to Tweet Come and see how we answered the call to serve our neighbors even when we must navigate the challenges of a virus, economic disruption, and racial reckoning. Our focus on supporting local businesses, meeting the needs of those experiencing homelessness, ensuring that all of our students have the resources they need to be successful, and nding ways to feed the hungry—all these illustrate how our community embraces its commitments to our neighbors. Come and see the promise of abundance in a time and world too often characterized by scarcity. We believe deeply in what the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone proclaimed: “We all do better when we all do better.” Our abiding commitments to equity and inclusion—and our aspiration to be an anti-racist university—lead us to robust engagement with each other and with the wider community so that all will do better. Augsburg University is a distinctive community, de ning in its life and work a vision for higher education in the 21st century. I am deeply grateful for the support of alumni and friends, whose generosity and engagement help us live into our vision to educate Auggies as stewards of an inclusive democracy. Come and see. Faithfully yours, Paul C. Pribbenow, President Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Community Engagement Pinterest Diversity and Inclusion LinkedIn Faith Email President Paul C. Pribbenow Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg Board of Regents welcomes new and reelected members Augsburg’s in-house epidemiologist guides Auggies through the COVID-19 pandemic YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Augsburg Board of Regents Augsburg’s recent awards, epidemiologist guides welcomes new and rankings, and recognition Auggies through the reelected members - on February 22, 2021 COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG BOARD OF REGENTS WELCOMES NEW AND REELECTED MEMBERS by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The Augsburg University Board of Regents meeting in October 2020 included celebration of the election of new and continuing regents. James Hereford and Veena Iyer were elected to their rst four-year terms. Nick Gangestad ’86, Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, Jill Nelson Thomas, and Noya Woodrich ’92, ’94 MSW were elected to second four-year terms. Pam Moksnes ’79 was elected to a third four-year term. Sign up for Email Newsletter Finally, Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson and Bishop Ann Svennungsen were appointed to serve three-year terms as ex o cio members of the board. Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US Nick Gangestad ’86 James Hereford Veena Iyer Pam Moksnes ’79 Jill Nelson Thomas Laurie Skow-Anderson Ann Svennungsen Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo Noya Woodrich ’92, ’94 MSW Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Alumni News And Updates Class of 1992 Pinterest LinkedIn Board of Regents Master of Social Work Class of 1979 Email Class of 1986 Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg’s recent awards, rankings, and recognition Notes from President Pribbenow: Come and see! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg’s recent awards, epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! rankings, and recognition Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG’S RECENT AWARDS, RANKINGS, AND RECOGNITION by Briana Alamilla '17 Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Each year, Augsburg University is recognized for its academic excellence, student-centered community, and commitment to educating students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. Augsburg’s recent awards and rankings include: 2020 Best Colleges by Money Most Transformative Colleges 2020–21 Military Friendly® School by Military Friendly® 2020 Best of the Best LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges and Universities, Midwest region by Campus Pride Top 30 in the Country Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News 2020 Best Colleges For Financial Aid by LendEDU CONNECT WITH US 79th in the United States 2nd in Minnesota 2020 Best Value Colleges and Universities in Minnesota by BestValueSchools.com 2021 Best Universities, Midwest region by U.S. News & World Report 3rd in Most Innovative Schools 4th in Campus Ethnic Diversity 7th in Undergraduate Teaching 14th in Best Colleges for Veterans 15th in Best Value Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs Augsburg University’s Department of Business Administration was recently accredited for the undergraduate and Master of Business Administration programs. View more of Augsburg’s awards and rankings. Top image: Augsburg’s Hagfors Center. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Augsburg In The News Pinterest LinkedIn Awards and Recognition Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Playwrights’ Center partners with Augsburg to o er courses with leading playwrights Augsburg Board of Regents welcomes new and reelected members YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE PLAYWRIGHTS’ CENTER PARTNERS WITH AUGSBURG TO OFFER COURSES WITH LEADING PLAYWRIGHTS by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The Playwrights’ Center and Augsburg University announced a new partnership to o er accredited courses taught by the nation’s leading playwrights. Through online courses, students connect with peers and faculty members from across the United States. The courses, o ered through Augsburg’s Center for Global Education and Experience, are guided by Augsburg’s Theater Department in conjunction with the Playwrights’ Center. “With these courses, students will learn with and from writers at the top of their eld, seeing what it takes to have pieces published and performed,” said Patrick Mulvihill, Augsburg’s assistant provost for global education and experience, in an interview with Broadway World. Sign up for Email Newsletter Top image: An Augsburg student tours the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. (Photo by Stephen Ge re) Submit Your Alumni News Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Academic Departments Pinterest Experiential Education LinkedIn Email Fine And Performing Arts Theater CONNECT WITH US Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Professor Emeritus Mark Engebretson receives 30th NSF grant, continues space weather study Augsburg’s recent awards, rankings, and recognition YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT CONTACT US PROFESSOR EMERITUS MARK ENGEBRETSON RECEIVES 30TH NSF GRANT, CONTINUES SPACE WEATHER STUDY by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook Go CURRENT ISSUE  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Mark Engebretson, Augsburg University professor emeritus of physics, received a ve-year grant totaling $805,744 from the National Science Foundation (Award Number 2013648). This grant supports the continued operation and data analysis of the Magnetometer Array for Cusp and Cleft Studies, which is used to study near-Earth space weather, such as solar winds that may disrupt communication and navigation systems. It represents the 30th research study on which Engebretson has served as the principal investigator through NSF funding. Engebretson has led several research projects—including some with Augsburg student-researchers—studying ionospheric and space physics in collaboration with European and NASA satellite programs. Nearly 100 Augsburg students have gained paid research experience working on these research projects. Professor Emeritus Mark Engebretson (Photo by Stephen Ge re) Engebretson has authored or coauthored more than 300 scholarly research articles on topics related to space weather. View more grants news. Share this: Tags: Facebook Faculty Grants Twitter Pinterest The Sciences LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21 Sign up for Email Newsletter  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Star Tribune, and Minnesota Urban Debate League cosponsor justice reform essay contest Playwrights’ Center partners with Augsburg to o er courses with leading playwrights Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES AND LYNX, STAR TRIBUNE, AND MINNESOTA URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE COSPONSOR JUSTICE REFORM ESSAY CONTEST by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email In Fall 2020, Augsburg University’s Minnesota Urban Debate League joined the Star Tribune news company and the Minnesota Lynx and Minnesota Timberwolves professional basketball teams in cosponsoring a youth essay contest focused on criminal justice reform. Minnesota students ages 10 to 18 were invited to submit a written essay, video, or audio recording that described local or national changes that could reduce racial injustice and inequities in the criminal justice system. MNUDL determined the top 10 entries, which were judged by a panel of coaches from the Timberwolves and Lynx and representatives from local organizations, including MN Rise and The Minneapolis Foundation. Editor’s note: Winning submissions were announced February 27 in the Star Tribune. Share this: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News Email CONNECT WITH US Tags: Augsburg In The News Minnesota Urban Debate League Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg awarded $10,000 Minneapolis Foundation grant Professor Emeritus Mark Engebretson receives 30th NSF grant, continues space weather study YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG AWARDED $10,000 MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION GRANT by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email In September 2020, the Minneapolis Foundation announced that it would award more than $500,000 in grants to 40 organizations in the Twin Cities. Following the increased public dialogue about public safety after the killing of George Floyd, the grants aim to reduce violence, address systemic inequities, and provide community support. The Minneapolis Foundation’s Fund for Safe Communities awarded $10,000 to Augsburg University to elevate the voices of middle- and high-school students through debate on the topic of criminal justice reform. Other grant recipients are organizations working to support art projects, mediation, mental health services, civil rights education, and community healing while addressing police violence and public safety. Top image: Demonstrators in Summer 2020 marched with a banner that was created as a part of Augsburg’s One Day in May art campaign. (Photo by Leon Wang) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Community Engagement Pinterest LinkedIn Diversity and Inclusion Grants Submit Your Alumni News Email CONNECT WITH US Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST Sign up for Email Newsletter NEXT POST  Faculty members William Green and Timothy Pippert assume new professorships Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Star Tribune, and Minnesota Urban Debate League cosponsor justice reform essay contest YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG LAUNCHES THE CENTER FOR INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP by Kate Norlander Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email This fall, Augsburg University launched the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which advances education and support for Augsburg students and alumni in the disciplines of innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The center’s focus is on the practice and psychology of innovation and entrepreneurship. Cory Erickson, an instructor in Augsburg’s Master of Business Administration program, leads the center. The center provides practical educational material for Augsburg students and alumni through a variety of events and activities. These opportunities include: a speaker series Sign up for Email Newsletter cooperative projects between student teams and local companies support for students who are building organizations that impact social causes through innovation and entrepreneurship Submit Your Alumni News support for student entrepreneurs the creation of student teams drawn from the science and business departments to solve problems for new startups CONNECT WITH US student contests o ering awards and potential funding for new ventures research and scholarship through a think tank the promotion of internships for students in the for-pro t, nonpro t, and government sectors. Top image: Instructor Cory Erickson leads the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Academic Departments Pinterest LinkedIn Business Administration Email Experiential Education MBA Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  NSF grants Augsburg $3 million for STEM students Faculty members William Green and Timothy Pippert assume new professorships YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE FACULTY MEMBERS WILLIAM GREEN AND TIMOTHY PIPPERT ASSUME NEW PROFESSORSHIPS by John Weirick February 22, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Professor of History William Green was named the inaugural M. Anita Gay Hawthorne Professor of Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies, e ective September 1, 2020. The position was created on the recommendation of a working group of students, faculty, and sta who developed a vision for a new academic department in critical race and ethnicity studies at Augsburg University. Related: Professor William Green comments on “Confronting the Minnesota paradox” Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News Professor of Sociology Timothy Pippert was named the inaugural holder of the Joel Torstenson Endowed Professorship, e ective September 1, CONNECT WITH US 2020. This professorship is made possible through the generosity of Mark Johnson ’75, who also supports the university’s Torstenson Scholars program. Top image: Professor Timothy Pippert teaches a sociology class in Hagfors Center. (Photos by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Academic Departments Diversity and Inclusion Pinterest Class of 1975 Faculty LinkedIn Email Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies Hawthorne History Sociology Torstenson Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg launches the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Augsburg awarded $10,000 Minneapolis Foundation grant YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE NSF GRANTS AUGSBURG $3 MILLION FOR STEM STUDENTS by Kate Norlander Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Augsburg University will receive $3,075,000 of a $5 million grant award from the National Science Foundation to support the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (often referred to as STEM). The project will provide scholarships, internships, and research experiences for nearly 200 students over a ve-year period beginning in the 2020–21 academic year at Augsburg, Century College, Minneapolis College, and Normandale Community College. These institutions will work together to provide seamless pathways for students to transfer from two-year to four-year STEM programs. Scholarships of $7,500 to $10,000 will be awarded to students pursuing majors in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, food science, mathematics, and physics. These students will be connected to internships and research experiences through partner organizations SciTech, UpTurnships, and MnDRIVE, as well as through Augsburg’s undergraduate research programs. This is the third phase of a program initiated by Augsburg and funded by the NSF. Grants in the prior phases Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News funded scholarships for 111 STEM students, 100% of whom graduated and went on to pursue careers or continue their education in STEM elds. CONNECT WITH US The project will be led by Rebekah Dupont, Augsburg’s director of STEM programs and associate professor of mathematics, working in collaboration with principal investigators from the other participating institutions. Top image: Associate Professor Rebekah Dupont is director of STEM programs at Augsburg. (Courtesy photo) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Experiential Education Grants Pinterest LinkedIn The Sciences Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg hosts bold new speaker series Augsburg launches the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG HOSTS BOLD NEW SPEAKER SERIES by Stephen Jendraszak Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Augsburg Bold is a series of initiatives designed to help Augsburg University students continue to thrive during the pandemic and to enjoy the distinctive experience o ered at Augsburg. As part of that work, during Fall 2020, the university quad was set up as a physically distanced outdoor seminar room, enabling up to 60 attendees to take part in a series of remarkable presentations. All presentations were also livestreamed via Zoom. R.John @raccajohn Thank you, @GovTimWalz and @GwenWalz for sharing your thoughts on servant leadership with @AugsburgU today. #AugsburgBold Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US 5:15 PM · Oct 5, 2020 7 Copy link to Tweet 3 Students had the opportunity to hear from several speakers: Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP spoke about her work building relationships with those in our community who are experiencing homelessness and helping to ensure that their basic needs for food, shelter, and health care are met. Olivia House ’20 discussed the summer of resistance by Black youth. Jodi Harpstead, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, spoke about what she’s learned through her work during the pandemic. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Gwen Walz discussed their experience in education and leadership. Watch recordings of selected speakers at augsburg.edu/bold. ‹ › Augsburg Bold speakers included Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP, and Gov. Tim Walz and Gwen Walz. Students, sta , and faculty attended the socially distanced events on Augsburg’s campus or watched the livestream online. (Photos by Rebecca Slater) Top image: Augsburg’s quad was decorated for the Augsburg Bold speaker series. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Class of 2020 Twitter Pinterest Doctor of Nursing Practice Master of Arts in Nursing On Campus LinkedIn Events Email Experiential Education Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Forum on Workplace Inclusion to host rst virtual conference NSF grants Augsburg $3 million for STEM students YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE FORUM ON WORKPLACE INCLUSION TO HOST FIRST VIRTUAL CONFERENCE by Stephen Jendraszak Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The Forum on Workplace Inclusion, based at Augsburg University, will host its 33rd annual conference as a virtual event March 8–12, 2021. Workplaces have struggled during the past year to navigate a digital, distanced work environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, social protests centered around racism and the unjust deaths of Black people at the hands of police have also brought greater attention to overwhelming disparities in economics, education, health care, housing, and public safety. This year, the forum asks: What will it take to start a workplace revolution that moves us from talk to Sign up for Email Newsletter action? Submit Your Alumni News Learn more and register to attend at forumworkplaceinclusion.org. Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Community Engagement Forum on Workplace Inclusion Pinterest Diversity and Inclusion LinkedIn Events CONNECT WITH US Email Experiential Education Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg Homecoming (at a distance) Augsburg hosts bold new speaker series YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG HOMECOMING (AT A DISTANCE) by Briana Alamilla '17 Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Homecoming 2020 celebrations looked a little di erent than previous years. Though social gatherings were restricted, the Augsburg Student Activities Council found creative ways to celebrate with a series of events during the week of September 21—some virtual and some physically distanced: Cider and canvas: Spread out in the quad, students created paintings in the style of artist Bob Ross. Create your own PopSocket: Participants made their own Augsburg-branded phone grip accessories. Drag and lip sync battle: Students competed by submitting videos of themselves lip-syncing to a song. Movie night: The lm “Queen & Slim” was screened in the quad. Homecoming royalty coronation ceremony: Homecoming court members were announced and royalty were crowned. Top image: Students participate in an outdoor event sponsored by the Augsburg Student Activities Council. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email CONNECT WITH US Tags: Events Homecoming On Campus Student Activities And Achievements Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Cedar-Riverside supply drives support neighborhood Forum on Workplace Inclusion to host rst virtual conference YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE CEDAR-RIVERSIDE SUPPLY DRIVES SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD by Briana Alamilla '17 Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the damage some businesses experienced following the murder of George Floyd, put a strain on Augsburg’s Twin Cities community as many local stores temporarily closed and access to public transportation was reduced. In June and August, Augsburg University organized supply drives in partnership with the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Drivers in more than 550 cars participated in the supply drives, and their donations were delivered to the Brian Coyle Center through several dozen trips. “This is our community; this is our neighborhood,” one volunteer said. “So when our neighbors are hurting, we step forward and do what we can to help.” Read more about Auggies’ e orts to support the community: “What it takes to ght a pandemic.” Sign up for Email Newsletter Augsburg University @AugsburgU Submit Your Alumni News Augsburg’s supply drive was a success! Thank you to all who donated and volunteered to help out our so loved Cedar-Riverside community. It is in times like these where we must all come together as the thoughtful stewards that we are. #AuggiePride CONNECT WITH US 9:51 PM · Jun 1, 2020 91 15 Copy link to Tweet Top image: Auggies collected donations for the Twin Cities community in Summer 2020. (Photo by Joe Mann) Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Community Engagement Pinterest Diversity and Inclusion LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg names George Floyd Memorial Scholarship recipients Augsburg Homecoming (at a distance) YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG NAMES GEORGE FLOYD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS by Briana Alamilla '17 Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Augsburg University created the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship, which is designed to support outstanding third- and fourth-year students who have a strong understanding of Black experiences and U.S. history while showing leadership in advancing racial justice e orts. Each selected student received a $5,000 scholarship. Augsburg named the ve inaugural scholarship recipients: Aisha Abdi ’21 is majoring in management information systems and marketing. Quran Al-Hameed ’21 is majoring in psychology. Mallory Ferguson ’21 is majoring in communication studies. Sign up for Email Newsletter Kaltun Hassan ’22 is majoring in computer science. Nadirah McGill ’21 is majoring in music business. Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US Aisha Abdi ’21, management information systems and marketing Quran Al-Hameed ’21, psychology Kaltun Hassan ’22, computer science Nadirah McGill ’21, music business (Courtesy photo) Mallory Ferguson ’21, communication studies Read more about Augsburg’s Equity and Inclusion Initiatives. Share this: Tags: Facebook Class of 2021 Twitter Class of 2022 Pinterest LinkedIn Diversity and Inclusion Email Scholarship Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Prospective students and their families engage with virtual campus tour Cedar-Riverside supply drives support neighborhood YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ENGAGE WITH VIRTUAL CAMPUS TOUR Multimedia platform o ers a glimpse of Augsburg from afar by Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA Share this: Facebook February 22, 2021 Twitter  Around the Quad Pinterest LinkedIn Email For the past year, Augsburg University’s virtual tour has showcased the Minneapolis campus’ facilities and resources as it has been challenging to conduct in-person visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a multimedia interactive map with photos and videos, the virtual tour simulates an on-the-ground campus experience. The virtual tour o ers a look at Augsburg’s residence halls and athletic facilities, details about academic buildings and green spaces, and a peek inside performance Sign up for Email Newsletter venues and practice rooms. The virtual tour launched in March 2020 to help out-of-state and international populations visualize the campus. From its launch in March, Submit Your Alumni News 2020, through February 1, Check out the virtual tour at augsburg.university-tour.com. 2021, the virtual tour has had 32,421 visitors. The top states visitors are from are CONNECT WITH US Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, and California. Share this: Tags: Facebook On Campus Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg TRIO/Student Support Services earns fth consecutive U.S. Department of Education grant Augsburg names George Floyd Memorial Scholarship recipients YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG TRIO/STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES EARNS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GRANT by Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA Share this: Facebook February 22, 2021 Twitter  Around the Quad Pinterest LinkedIn Email The U.S. Department of Education announced that Augsburg University was awarded a federal Student Support Services ve-year grant of nearly $300,000 annually to help more students succeed in and graduate from college. This is the fth TRIO/SSS grant awarded to Augsburg, which has hosted the project since 2001. Each year, Augsburg TRIO/SSS serves about 160 undergraduate students. The TRIO/SSS program is designed for students who are the rst in their families to attend post-secondary education, students who are low income, or students with disabilities. The grant funds an array of services including academic skill development, academic advising, tutoring, nancial aid advice, and nancial literacy. “Augsburg TRIO/SSS has established a reputation for helping students navigate Sign up for Email Newsletter higher education to achieve their academic goals,” said Aly Olson, director of Augsburg TRIO/SSS. Submit Your Alumni News “Students know their TRIO advisor is looking out for their best interests and helps them through the tough decisions of college life. We are thrilled to be able to continue this important work at Augsburg.” —Aly Olson Aly Olson (Photo by Courtney Perry) CONNECT WITH US The federal government contributes about 70% of the funds needed to support Augsburg’s TRIO/SSS project. The university contributes the remaining program funds. Top image: Brooklyn Jones ’22, clinical psychology major and sociology minor, attends a Summer Bridge class in 2019. (Photo by Bob Stack ’71) Share this: Tags: Facebook Grants Twitter TRIO SSS Pinterest LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg receives grants for equity in education and remote learning Prospective students and their families engage with virtual campus tour YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG RECEIVES GRANTS FOR EQUITY IN EDUCATION AND REMOTE LEARNING by Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA Share this: Facebook February 22, 2021 Twitter  Around the Quad Pinterest LinkedIn Email This fall, Augsburg University received $250,000 in grant funding from the State of Minnesota to address equity in education and remote learning needs among students of color, Indigenous students, and those who are disabled or low-income. The funds came through two awards under the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief grant. One award provided direct aid to teacher candidates who needed to pay unexpected costs posed by the pandemic during their student teaching semester and coursework. The second award was geared toward making hardware and software available to more students to support them in their switch to online learning. This support included additional laptops for checkout, noise-cancelling headphones, digital tablets for art and math courses, training resources for successful online learning, new digital video resources in the library, and captioning of instructional videos to increase accessibility. The GEER grant program was a redistribution of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds. Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News View more grants news. Top image: A redistribution of federal CARES Act funds provided support for Augsburg students’ online CONNECT WITH US learning. (Photo by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Grants Twitter Remote Learning Pinterest LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  In memoriam, Winter 2020–21 Augsburg TRIO/Student Support Services earns fth consecutive U.S. Department of Education grant YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE IN MEMORIAM, WINTER 2020–21 Remembering and honoring Auggies by Amanda Symes '09, '15 MFA Share this: February 22, 2021 Facebook Twitter  Auggies Connect, In Memoriam Pinterest LinkedIn Email Below we recognize the alumni and friends whose noti cations of death were received between March 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021. 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | Faculty 1940s Fern L. (Hanson) Gudmestad ’41, Minneapolis, age 101, on June 3. Wayne E. Peterson ’43, Palm City, Florida, age 99, on November 14. Sign up for Email Newsletter Thelma I. (Erickson) Mckenzie ’44, Hollandale, Wisconsin, age 96, on July 1. Helen V. (Odden) Pederson ’45, Spooner, Wisconsin, age 96, on May 5. Submit Your Alumni News Doris K. (Larson) Walen ’45, Alamo, North Dakota, age 97, on October 3. Martha E. Fosse Palmquist ’46, Lakeville, Minnesota, age 96, on November 22. CONNECT WITH US Lowell O. Larson ’47, Claremont, California, age 95, on May 10. Arnold J. Oie ’47, Glencoe, Minnesota, age 96, on August 1. Margery A. (Manger) Torgerson ’47, Circle Pines, Minnesota, age 94, on March 30. Esther P. (Bakken) Crosby ’48, Moorhead, Minnesota, age 95, on June 19. John E. Hanson ’48, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 93, on October 1. Jean A. (Tibke) Vane ’48, Visalia, California, age 93, on October 20. John F. Anderson ’49, Minneapolis, age 96, on December 22. June (Carlson) Gustafson ’49, Lincoln, Nebraska, age 92, on September 28. 1950s Louis L. Ennen ’50, Dublin, Ohio, age 94, on July 7. Lilian J. (Johnson) Ingersoll ’50, Lexington, South Carolina, age 96, on June 5. Phillip A. Quanbeck ’50, Maple Grove, Minnesota, age 93, on December 1. Mary L. (Johnson) Froiland ’50, Iron River, Wisconsin, age 91, on October 22. Orville E. Meland ’51, River Falls, Wisconsin, age 93, on October 27. Caroline J. (Borsheim) Melhus’ 51, Minneapolis, age 90, on May 31. Arvid D. Dixen ’52, Minneapolis, age 89, on May 20. Harold J. Hansen ’52, Normandy Park, Washington, age 90, on April 17. Luther J. Larson ’52, Sparta, Wisconsin, age 89, on July 6. Mildred A. Nelson ’52, Minneapolis, age 91, December 5. Alvin H. Nygard ’52, Fargo, North Dakota, age 96, on July 31. Yvonne M. (Bagley) Olson ’52, Burnsville, Minnesota, age 88, on March 16. Orville L. Olson ’52, Burnsville, Minnesota, age 89, on June 6. Ronald A. Berge ’53, West Fargo, North Dakota, age 88, on March 15. Robert O. Bruder ’53, Minneapolis, age 91, on August 9. Donald V. Dillon ’53, Minneapolis, age 89, on July 17. Kent B. Quanbeck ’53, McVille, North Dakota, age 90, on April 6. Gloria M. (Halverson) Boyum ’54, Kenyon, Minnesota, age 88, on December 19. George W. Fisher ’54, Lexington, South Carolina, age 88, on May 11. Wallace L. Hafstad ’54, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 88, on March 30. Janis R. (Larson) Hanson ’54, Canby, Minnesota, age 92, on October 2. Vivian (Waisanen) Ryden ’54, Northglenn, Colorado, age 87, on May 4. Richard M. Hagestuen ’55, Bismarck, North Dakota, age 87, on October 28. Robert M. Herman ’55, Minneapolis, age 86, on June 8. Vicent Peterson ’55, Hutchinson, Minnesota, age 87, on November 11. Richard H. Stensrud ’55, Mesa, Arizona, age 87, on August 25. LeRoy E. Nevin ’56, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, age 86, on June 7. R. Luther Olson ’56, Tucson, Arizona, age 84, on August 27. Bruce W. Rorvig ’56, Kalispell, Montana, age 85, on August 18. Duane J. Solem ’56, Edina, Minnesota, age 91, on May 2. Elizabeth A. (Mortensen) Swanson ’56, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 86, on November 6. Robert Jeska ’57, East Grand Forks, Minnesota, age 85, May 21. Erwin J. Moe ’57, Plymouth, Minnesota, age 88, on April 28. Robert C. Oslund ’57, Silver Bay, Minnesota, age 89, on December 4. Ronald B. Welde ’57, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, age 86, on September 4. Ardis H. (Lee) Zunich ’57, Miles City, Montana, age 82, on July 18. Robert L. Bagley ’58, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, age 84, on November 23. Bonnie (Sandvig) Erickson ’58, Canton, South Dakota, age 83, on May 9. Alice M. (Lindell) Lindgren ’58, Bemidji, Minnesota, age 83, on September 11. Marlene (Hegg) Ridens ’58, Montevideo, Minnesota, age 85, August 19. Donald J. Hagestuen ’59, Aitkin, Minnesota, age 83, on October 29. Arlene B. (Selander) Hill ’59, Allegan, Michigan, age 82, on September 11. Rhoda M. (Monseth) Huglen ’59, Roseau, Minnesota, age 83, on August 19. Heinrich Kopka ’59, Staples, Minnesota, age 85, on November 28. Walter W. Lundeen ’59, Minneapolis, age 89, on December 20. Richard G. Sletten ’59, North Oaks, Minnesota, age 82, on August 13. Peggy K. (O’Neil) Swensen ’59, Fargo, North Dakota, age 82, on April 11. Sharon K. (Grodt) West ’59, Chisago City, Minnesota, age 83, on March 16. 1960s Gordon Grinely ’60, Eau Galle Township, Wisconsin, age 82, on June 25. Marcia S. (Refsal) Sanders ’60, Chandler, Arizona, age 81, on October 13. Kermit L. Valleen ’60, Cambridge, Minnesota, age 83, November 16. Paula J. Bjorkley Carlson ’62, Madras, Oregon, age 80, on December 5. Allan P. Tveite ’62, Lakeville, Minnesota, age 80, on November 18. E. Nelvin Botten ’63, Stanwood, Washington, age 91, on September 16. Bernard E. Debar ’63, Minneapolis, age 89, on May 11. Helen A. (Anderson) Gildseth ’63, Duluth, Minnesota, age 78, on March 17. Lois J. (Bailey) Parson ’63, Braham, Minnesota, age 80, August 19. Clarice A. Sta ’63, Minneapolis, age 84, on April 9. Patrick J. Sullivan ’63, Miltona, Minnesota, age 79, on June 26. Lannette Y. (Haire) Reshetar ’64, Andover, Minnesota, age 77, on April 8. Lesley K. (Schwarten) Schmid ’64, Blaine, Minnesota, age 78, on June 12. Joyce M. (Nelson) Schrader ’64, Friendswood, Texas, age 77, on June 28. Susan L. Kyllo ’65, Spring Park, Minnesota, age 78, on December 16. Sharon (Tofte) Taeger ’65, Camrose, Canada, age 77, on April 4. Sharon L. (Wagner) Johnson ’66, Atikokan, Canada, age 76, on November 29. Sandra (Johnson) Kotval ’66, Spring Valley, Wisconsin, age 76, on October 15. Irene (Seltvedt) Yost ’66, Dickinson, North Dakota, age 77, on July 21. David E. Sylvester ’67, Cloquet, Minnesota, age 81, on October 29. Ruthe M. (Tollefson) Enstad ’68, Prior Lake, Minnesota, age 75, on October 15. Marvin J. Haara ’68, Hutchinson, Minnesota, age 76, on August 26. Ellen M. (Larson) Johnston ’68, Mankato, Minnesota, age 73, on August 16. Merrill D. Ronning ’68, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 75, on August 18. John P. Weinard ’68, Bloomington, Minnesota, age 81, on December 12. Douglas S. Anderson ’69, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 72, on April 10. Mervin F. Larson ’69, Excelsior, Minnesota, age 73, on August 30. 1970s Gloria J. (Wohlers Livingston) Hutchinson ’70, Falcon Heights, Minnesota, age 71, on July 1. Kathy J. (Kropelin) Cracraft ’71, Minneapolis, age 70, on July 13. Michael J. Hostetler ’71, Andover, Minnesota, age 71, on August 7. Joann S. Bell ’72, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 70, on August 9. Vicki C. (Linder) Lind ’72, Rosemount, Minnesota, age 70, on November 4. Je rey P. Ross ’72, Sheburn, Minnesota, age 64, on April 26. Jean L. (Bridges) Wachs ’73, Minneapolis, age 68, on June 4. David W. Finson ’75, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 67, on June 17. Douglas A. Fish ’75, Hastings, Minnesota, age 68, on November 24. Lois B. Wattman ’76, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 66, on September 28. Gregory J. Bannon ’77, Albertville, Minnesota, age 66, on August 15. 1980s Sandra J. Holm-Cyr ’82, Rich eld, Minnesota, age 72, on April 15. Arlene D. Hiles ’86, Stillwater, Minnesota, age 87, on September 11. 1990s Richard A. Gillitzer ’91, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, age 53, on May 24. Judith A. Francis ’92, Mound, Minnesota, age 80, on October 12. John S. Austin ’93, Minneapolis, age 70, on December 1. Debra J. Clark-Corley ’93, Gary, Indiana, age 65, on April 6. Nancy C. Sallman ’93, Minneapolis, age 65, on September 14. Violet E. (Schmitz) Rocek ’94, Minneapolis, age 85, on December 6. Eileen J. (Bridgeman) Biernat ’98, New Brighton, Minnesota, age 74, on September 4. 2000s Dylan E. Cook ’00, Christchurch, New Zealand, age 44, on September 7. Kelly A. (Duncan) Norden ’00, Minneapolis, age 42, on October 3. Philip R. Johnson ’04, Nisswa, Minnesota, age 56, on April 11. Michael R. Kuhlmann ’04, Minneapolis, age 39, on August 11. Christopher R. Hunnicutt ’08, Green Bay, Wisconsin, age 35, on March 27. Barton M. Lund ’08, Stuart, Florida, age 56, on December 12. 2010s Quinten P. Bissonette ’12, Spring Valley, Minnesota, age 43, on May 5. Shane M. Potter ’15, Garrison, Minnesota, age 31, on December 13. J. Parker Foley ’16, Duxbury, Massachusetts, age 27, on October 21. Maricio M. Mata-Thelen ’17, Minneapolis, age 26, on October 31. Kevin J. Baxter ’19, Burnsville, Minnesota, age 29, on November 2. 2020s Abdirizak A. Abdullahi ’21, Minneapolis, age 21, on April 26. Faculty Augsburg University’s Center for Global Education and Experience Guatemala Site Director Fidel Xinico Tum, San Lucas Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, age 60, on September 12. Submit address changes and nominations for remembrances to alumniupdate@augsburg.edu. Share this: Tags: Facebook Twitter Alumni News And Updates Pinterest LinkedIn Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Augsburg receives $50,000 grant for Travelers EDGE® Augsburg receives grants for equity in education and remote learning YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Give to the Max Day recap and sustaining Augsburg’s future - on January 26, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE AUGSBURG RECEIVES $50,000 GRANT FOR TRAVELERS EDGE® by John Weirick February 18, 2021 Share this: Facebook  Around the Quad Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email The Travelers Companies, Inc. gave a $50,000 grant to Augsburg University in September 2020 to support Travelers EDGE. The program—which stands for Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment—provides scholarships, internships, job shadowing, professional development opportunities, and career advice. More than 100 Augsburg students have participated in the program since 2007. “There is much more to be gained from Travelers EDGE than solely professional development,” said Ann A. Ulring, program manager at Augsburg’s Strommen Center for Meaningful Work. “By the time scholars graduate, they are con dent, career-focused, and empowered to share who they are and what they have to o er.” EDGE scholar Samantha Lopez ’22, who completed a summer internship at Travelers, said, “Travelers has opened so many doors for me. It was amazing to learn rsthand what goes on inside a corporation and nd out I can do the work. Travelers provided me with the support, skills, and con dence I need to pursue a business career.” 2020–21 Recipients Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US Aaron Davis ’24, Business Management Yer Her ’23, Marketing Pa Houa Lee ’23, Marketing Hamza Jamari ’22, Marketing Duaa Katabay ’23, Business Management Curtis Love ’23, Marketing Samantha Lopez ’22, Communication Studies PangDao Xiong ’24, Marketing View more grants news. Top image: Samantha Lopez ’22 is one of several Travelers EDGE scholars at Augsburg. (Photos by Courtney Perry) Share this: Tags: Facebook Class of 2022 Twitter Grants Pinterest Strommen Center LinkedIn Email Supporting Augsburg Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  Give to the Max Day recap and sustaining Augsburg’s future In memoriam, Winter 2020–21 YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Augsburg’s in-house Notes from President Augsburg Board of Regents epidemiologist guides Pribbenow: Come and see! welcomes new and Auggies through the - on February 22, 2021 reelected members COVID-19 pandemic - on February 22, 2021 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift Search Augsburg.edu HOME PREVIOUS ISSUES ABOUT Go CONTACT US CURRENT ISSUE GIVE TO THE MAX DAY RECAP AND SUSTAINING AUGSBURG’S FUTURE Thank you for supporting Augsburg during Give to the Max Day! by Amanda Symes '09, '15 MFA Share this: January 26, 2021 Facebook Twitter  Auggies Connect Pinterest LinkedIn Email Sign up for Email Newsletter Submit Your Alumni News CONNECT WITH US This November, Augsburg had a record-breaking Give to the Max Day in terms of donor participation and dollars raised. Here are the highlights: • $531,704 was raised across 41 projects, setting a new record. • 1,898 total donors gave, the most we’ve ever seen. • Gifts came from 41 states. • 56% of our 41 projects (23 projects) were fully funded, and many others were very close to fully funded. • One couple gave to 17 projects. This day continues to energize our students, faculty, and sta every year, and we can’t wait to see what we can accomplish next year. Watch this video from our students who would like to say a quick thank you. Make a di erence all year round Each year, 20% of the annual gifts to the Augsburg Fund come during Give to the Max Day. But giving to the Augsburg Fund matters all year round: We use these dollars to make a di erence for Auggies right away through scholarships, instruction and academic support, student programs, and other areas of the largest funding needs at Augsburg. Gifts to the Augsburg Fund touch the life of every student, faculty member, and sta member. More than 1,000 donors contribute to the fund each year, and you can join them. Make a di erence today. Give to the Augsburg Fund. Giving creates a ripple e ect for the future of Augsburg When a water droplet hits the surface of a pond, it causes a ripple much larger than the original drop. This is how your gift a ects Augsburg. Glass water droplet sculptures, created by Rhode Island artists, represent the expanding e ect that donors provide for the Augsburg community. Learn more about these water droplets and how endowed scholarships propel Augsburg’s work into the future. Lisa Smith and Dave Smith Sharon Mortrud ’64 (Courtesy Dennis Meyer ’78 and Bev ’78 (Courtesy photo) photo) Meyer (Courtesy photo) Share this: Tags: Facebook Augsburg Support Twitter Pinterest Give To The Max Day LinkedIn Scholarship Email Winter 2020–21  PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST  How to Build a Women’s Wrestling Program from Scratch Augsburg receives $50,000 grant for Travelers EDGE® YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE In memoriam, Winter 2020– 21 - on February 22, 2021 Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Programs Adult Undergraduate Admissions Course Catalog Graduate Admissions Accreditation Campus Tour Consumer Disclosures About Augsburg Inside Augsburg The Augsburg University website uses cookies to make your browsing experience as useful as possible. In order to have the full site experience, keep cookies enabled on Campus Map our site with cookies enabled, you are agreeing A-ZtoDirectory your web browser. By browsing their use. Review Augsburg's privacy policy for more details. News and Media Ok Make a Gift
Show less

Title: Augsburg Now Spring-Summer 2020
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW As we concludeour yearlongcelebration of Augsburg's150th anniversary, in the midst of thesehistorictimes, I havebeenreflectingon someof the mottosand slogansAugsburghasusedthroughoutits history.Fromour foundingscripturalmotto-"And the Word becamefleshand live...
Show more NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW As we concludeour yearlongcelebration of Augsburg's150th anniversary, in the midst of thesehistorictimes, I havebeenreflectingon someof the mottosand slogansAugsburghasusedthroughoutits history.Fromour foundingscripturalmotto-"And the Word becamefleshand livedamongus" (John1: 14)-to the familiar "Educationfor service,"to the morerecent"We believewe arecalledto serveour neighbor,"to the iconic phrasefirst usedas part of Augsburg's100th anniversary and nowfeaturedon our universityseal,"Throughtruth to freedom,"eachphrasepointsto abidingvaluesthat are at the heartof the educationAugsburgoffersto its students. I am particularlystruck by the claim madein that centennialmotto,and I wonderwhat it might mean to explorehow"Throughtruth to freedom"shapesour teachingand learningcommunityin the midst of these pandemictimes. In a recentpresentation,Professorof ReligionMary Lowe offereda provocativechallengewhensheaskedus what it might meanto educateour studentsfor freedom. Whata counterculturalnotion! Educatedfor freedomfrom ignorance,from oppression,from divisionand hatredand violence.Educatedfor freedomto makethe worldmorefair and just and healthy,to be goodneighbors,to take careof creation.Educatedfor freedomfor the sakeof the world,for the goodof others,for the promiseof wonderand creativity. At Augsburg,the possibilityof this educationfor freedom is groundedin claimsof truth. Aboveall, a theological claim of the truth of the gospelof JesusChrist-stated so powerfullyin that foundingscripturalmottofrom the first chapterof John'sgospel-a truth that makesall things possiblein our livesandwork in the world.At the same time, it's the truth wefind in our commitmentto a liberal arts education-to the belief in scientificknowledge,in socialanalysis,in artistic expression,in culturalwisdom. Andfinally, it's the truth we find in the livedexperiences of our studentsand the communitiesfrom whichthey come, truths that residein rituals andtraditionsand practicesthat invite us into worldsrich in knowledgeand wonder. "Throughtruth to freedom"strikesme as a compelling responseto this momentwhenwe find ourselvesliving at the intersectionof three pandemics.TheCOVID-19 pandemichasdisruptedall aspectsof howwe live and work,and it haspointedlyi11ustratedthe tensionbetween public healthand economicwell-being.Followingin the wakeof that pandemic,an economicpandemicthreatens our socialfabric with massiveunemployment and business closuresworldwide.And, mostrecently,the racial inequities exacerbated by the senselessmurderof GeorgeFloydby Minneapolispoliceofficers-along with countlessBlack, Indigenous,and otherpeopleof colorwho'veexperienced similar racismandviolence-havecreateda third pandemic that threatensto tear our countryapart.Surelythis unchartedintersectionof crisespresentsuniquechallenges for all of us as citizens,tryingto imaginehowwe will navigateto someas yet unknownfuture. The questionwe will ask at Augsburg-a questionat the heartof our academicmissionand our commitment to socialjustice-is, "Whereis the truth in the midst of thesepandemics?" Whatis the truth aboutkeepingeachotherhealthy in the face of a novelcoronavirus? Whatis the truth in an economythat, moreand more,deepensremarkable inequities?Whatis the truth in centuriesof systemic racismand oppression? Andthe truths we will find, always evolvingand emergingand transforming,will free us for the workwe are calledto do as "informedcitizens,thoughtful stewards,critical thinkers,and responsibleleaders"Augsburg'smission! Let us go forwardtogetherinto the next 150 yearsof Augsburg'slife recommittedto educationguidedby the beliefthat throughtruth there is indeedfreedom.I can only wonderwhatsucha counterculturalbeliefwill meanfor storiesyet to be told. Staystrong,safe,andwelI. Faithfullyyours, PAUL C.PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT AUGSBURG NOW Spring-Summer 2020 VicePresident and Chief Operating Officer Rebecca John'13MBA Associate VicePresident and Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Jendraszak Director ofMarketing Laura Swanson Lindahl '15MBA Director ofPublic Relations andInternal Communications GitaSitaramiah Assistant Director of Marketing, Creative Denielle Stepka '11 Marketing Copywriter John Weirick Communication and Social Media Specialist Briana Alamilla '17 EDITOR'S NOTE Whenwe beganmakingthis magazinein early2020, the worldwas markedlydifferent than the onewe inhabit today.AugsburgNowstaff delayedthe magazine'stimeline due to the impactof the COVID-19 pandemicon the university'soperations. Mostof the storiesand eventsdescribedhereinoccurredbeforeit becamenecessary to shift to manyworkingfrom home,online gatherings,and other modifiedoperations to slowthe spreadof the virus. Becausewe wantedto sharetheseremarkablestoriesand Auggieaccomplishments as soonas possible,our team decidedto releasethis issuein digital-onlyformat, a first in the magazine'shistory. -John Weirick,editor Project Manager JuliKramer Communications and Social Media Consultant KateNorlander Advancement Communications Specialist KaiaChambers Senior Communications Specialist forPrincipal Gifts Amanda Symes '09,'15MFA WebManager JoeMann Contributing Writer KateH.Elliott Augsburg Nowis published by Augsburg University 2211Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN55454 Opinions expressed inAugsburg Now donotnecessarily reflect official university policy. ISSN 1058-1545 02 AROUND THE QUAD AWOMEN'S WRESTLING 10 HOWTOBUILD PROGRAM FROM SCRATCH 18 MISTAKEN IDENTITY 24 HONORING AUGGIES 25 AUGGIES CONNECT 28 CLASS NOTES 32 INMEMORIAM Onthecover: Augsburg commemorates aneventin itshistory andreflects onits significance fortoday. See page2 andpage8. Allphotos byCourtney Perry unless otherwise indicated Send address corrections to alumniupdate@augsburg.edu. Send comments to now@augsburg.edu. COMMENCEMENT 2020 On Friday, May 29, and Sunday, May 31, Augsburg University celebrated commencement virtually. Taking precautions to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, Augsburg was among numerous institutions nationally that hosted virtual celebrations to recognize graduating students. The streamed online event opened with speeches from Provost KarenKaivolaand President PaulPribbenow. Personalized slides for graduates included photos and messages that the students submitted. Friends and family posted comments to the video stream as they watched the event. Students took to social media to share their graduation posts using the hashtag #AuggieGrad. Once it's again safe to host large gatherings, Augsburg wi 11 plan an in-person ceremony for the Class of 2020 that will include many more familiar commencement traditions. ONE DAY INMAY This year's commencement celebration featured a central theme, chosen in April, that connected defining moments in Augsburg's history with its contemporary reality. Uplifting the university's longstanding commitments to equity and inclusion, the theme "68/20: One Day in May" called the university community to explore the actions and outcomes of events in 1968 to consider their relevance for 2020. Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Augsburg canceled classes on May 15, 1968, and hosted a series of workshops and lectures. Augsburg faculty and local Black community members led conversations focused on racism, politics, power, education, and violence-significant tensions in American life in 1968. This year, Augsburg presented honorary degrees during the virtual commencement, recognizing two leaders of the historic One Day in May in 1968: the Hon. LaJune ThomasLange'75 and MahmoudEl-Kati. Augsburg owes a debt of gratitude to the leaders of One Day in May, an event that continues to inform and inspire the university community to engage in efforts for equity and justice. Their contributions to our society and to Augsburg resonated strongly in the virtual commencement ceremonies, which took place just days after George Floyd's murder by Minneapolis police. Blackartists,alongwith Indigenous andotherstudentsandcommunity members of color,ledanart campaign to upliftOneDayin Mayduring Augsburg 's sesquicentennial celebration. e Hearaudiorecordings fromtheeventin 1968,andseemoreOne I Dayin Mayart, includinga bannerthat appeared in TheNew Yorker, at augsburg.edu/now. rt at u s ur Fac ulty, vvorkS 1 prese nt g.StgJl SERIES SPEAKERS THE ART OFAUGSBURGCONVOCATION The Augsburg University Convocation Series is an annual As part of the university's yearlong celebration of its 150th speaker series that includes long-standing endowed and anniversary, KristinAnderson, professor of art history and special programs. Recent presenters included: archivist, curated an exhibition of works by Augsburg art faculty dating back to the origin of the department in the 1950s. The exhibit included works by early department members, such as HansBergand IvanDoseff,former longtime faculty members, including NormHolenand PhilThompson, and current faculty members Stephen Geffre,ChrisHoultberg, DanIbarra,roberttom, LyzWendland,and others. 1. DeAnna Cummings, chief executive officer of Juxtaposition Arts, who shared a presentation at the Horbal Lecture in November called "Putting Creativity to Work 2025: Stronger Communities Through Local Art and Design" 2. John S. Wright, professor emeritus of English and African American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota, who delivered "Where Do ,,1.··.f ,. .. > • " -~ We Go From Here: Chaos or Community" at the 32nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation in January 3. Kwame Anthony Appiah, professor of philosophy and law at New York University, who presented "Ethics, Identity, and Cosmopolitanism" at the Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics in March Thefacultyartexhibitwasdisplayed intheChristensen Center ArtGallery. 4 AUGSBURG NOW AROUND THEQUAD Hearst Foundation awards Augsburg I Lto R:President PaulPribbenow, PeterHeegaard, andMikeChristensen $75,000 FOR LEAD FELLOWS PROGRAM URBAN INVESTORS FINDSNEWHOME ATAUGSBURG Last November,Augsburg University's Sabo Center for Democracyand Citizenship and the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work welcomed a new campus partner: Urban Investors. Formerly known as Urban Adventure, this program helps bankers understand the challenges and opportunities within cities through experiential learning opportunities. The program also facilitates partnerships between public, private, and LEAD Fellows, a program of Augsburg University's Sabo Center for Democracyand Citizenship, this winter received $75,000 from the Hearst Foundation, Inc. to support students as they pursue in-depth, long-term, community-based work at paid internships. The program name stands for Leaders for Equity, Action, and Democracy. nonprofit groups and promotes investment and community development Students spend that move families out of poverty, revitalize neighborhoods, improve two to four years engaged schools, and build economic opportunity. in public work projects that address social /i: THE AUGSBURG ~iPODCAST:SEASON3 issues such Augsburg 's LEAD Fellows program is affiliatedwiththe far-reaching Bonner Program that aimsto transform students, communities, andcampuses throughservice. as education, homelessness, racial justice, and poverty while also The first two seasonsof the participating in a peer learning cohort. The LEAD Fellows program is unique in Augsburg Podcastfeatured that it offers students a pathway to generate faculty and staff sharing stories income while also making a difference and growing as leaders. The program is cohort- of their work with students. The third season, launched in March, based with a strong support framework that takes a new approach and invites helps students to develop connections with students and a recent graduate peers and mentors, build their sense of MIDCO to discuss their experiences with internships and the ways belonging, and hone their leadership skills. The Hearst Foundation award will fund in which Augsburg has helped the pay students receive for their internships support their personal and educational goals. and will enhance cohort activities, including semiannual retreats and biweekly gatherings. Listentothenewseason at • I augsburg.edu/podcast or inyourpodcast app. Barclay Bates'18 SPRING SUMMfR ?020 5 AROUND THEQUAD HONORING RetiringFaculty Several faculty members are entering retirement following years of dedicated service to Augsburg University. Augsburg is grateful for their commitment to advancing the university's mission and supporting TheDoctor ofPsychology inClinical Psychology degree launches to meetgrowing demand This past November, the university introduced its second doctoral program: a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology. Augsburg's first, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, began in 2010. Augsburg worked with former Minnesota School of Professional Psychology faculty and staff to provide continuity for students who were student learning within and beyond the classroom. JOHN CERRITO AssistantProfessor , Department of Business-joined Augsburgin 1983 MARGARET FINDERS Professor , Department of Education-joinedAugsburg previously enrol led in the program housed at Argosy University. After in 2014 the closure of Argosy in March 2019, Augsburg earned accreditation to become Minnesota's only MARK FUEHRER university offering an in-person PsyD program in A 9' clinical psychology. Augsburg is now accepting applications. augsbu rg.edu/psyd Professor , Department of Philosophy-joined Augsburgin 1971 Employment of Iicensed psychologists and related occupations is projected to grow 13. 7% from 2016 to 2026 in DAWN KADERABEK '18 DNP the United States. "We are pleased to offer this PsyD program as a way to meet the in 2015 growing demand for mental health services statewide," said Monica VIRGINIA MCCARTHY Devers,Augsburg University dean of professional studies. Associate Professor , Department of Nursing-joined Augsburgin 2011 Instructor , Department of Nursing-joinedAugsburg NANCY RODENBORG Augsburg winsCampus Compact ImpactAward Professor , Department of SocialWork-joined Augsburgin 2000 Campus Compact, a network of universities across the United States MICHAEL SCHOCK that are committed to public engagement in higher education, honored Associate Professor , Department of SocialWork- Augsburg University as an inaugural joinedAugsburgin 1993 recipient of the Richard Guarasci Award for Institutional Transformation. NANCY STEBLAY Augsburg was selected for its work Professor , Department of Psychology-joined Augsburg in developing partnerships with the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on page18.) in 1988(Readaboutherresearch MARTHA STORTZ and advancing environmental BernhardM. Christensen Professor of Vocation and Religion-joinedAugsburgin 2010 sustainability, interfaith leadership, and equity and racial justice . 6 AUGSBURG NOW • Watchthevideousedto introduce Augsburg at theawardceremony at augsburg.edu/now. MARK TRANVIK Professor , Department of Religion-joinedAugsburg in 1995 At a specialchapelservice duringtheJanuary2020 AugsburgUniversity Board of Regentsmeeting,Bishop AnnSvennungsen of the Minneapolis AreaSynodof the Evangelical LutheranChurch in Americaofficiallyinstalled BabetteChatman '06, left, as andJustinLind-Ayres Augsburg's universitypastors. Augsburg community launches on-campus lending shop to reduce wasteandpromote reuse Augsburg's Environmental Stewardship Committee and Campus Cupboard food pantry collaborated in Fall 2019 to pilot a President PaulPribbenow shares Augsburg's storyat ~ the ~r~~~::~i•i:~:::~~: ~~~:i~~~® the O new resource: the Share Shop, which offers a wide variety of items for free, short- Augsburg story during a session called, "Hospitality is Not term checkout. The Share Shop currently Enough: An Institutional Journey From Diversity to Inclusion and Equity" at The Forum on Workplace Inclusion conference. features board games, small appliances, office supplies, sewing kits, sports equipment, tools, and much more. Augsburg, home of The Forum on Workplace Inclusion since last summer, is "proud to partner with the forum to help expand The Share Shop follows the same hours of operation as Augsburg's Campus diversity, equity, and inclusion skills, so our students can fully participate and succeed in the workforce," Pribbenow said. Cupboard and is located in the lowest level of Science Hal I, adjacent to the university's longstanding "free table," where Auggies place items they no longer need and wish to offer to new owners. For Fall 2020, the Campus Cupboard will relocate to the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship in the lower level of Anderson Residence Hall to accommodate new operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Share Shop will remain in Science Hall, and the two student-run The 32nd annual, three-day conference attracted more than 1,500 people from around the world and across sectors. TheStarTribunerecentlypublishedan article featuringSteveHumerickhouse , executivedirectorof the forum, in which he explainedthe importanceof creating safe placesfor diffic uIt conversations . A VI Visit augsburg.edu/now to readthe article: "Howthe TwinCities becameoneof the largesthubsfor workplacediversityand inclusion." initiatives wi 11 continue to work together. • Visit augsburg.edu/green/shareshop and inside.augsburg.edu/foodshelf to learnmore. SPRINGSUMMrn 20?0 7 ONTHESPOT How One Day in May in 1968 forced Augsburg to reevaluate its posture and practices regarding racism and education HanaDinkuserved as director of Augsburg University's Pan-Afri kan Center from March 2019 to July 2020. Her most recent project at Augsburg, "One Day in May," was featured on WCCO-TV this spring, prior to Augsburg's virtual commencement (see page 2). Between her work leading programs and supporting students, she out Ii ned the importance of Augsburg's history and present moment. Q. Whywas OneDayin May sucha pivotalmoment • for the Augsburg community in 1968? the story and understood the significance of One Day in May, it took on a life of its own. Directors A. of International Student Services, LGBTQIA+ mission and values. In the wake of Dr. Martin and the administration to build and promote a Luther King Jr.'s assassination, higher education sesquicentennial campaign about One Day in May. One Day in May forced Augsburg to recognize • all the ways it had failed to live up to its Student Services, and Multicultural Student Services worked with faculty member LeonWang institutions across the country saw a wave of protests and a demand for structural change. One Day in May was Augsburg's response to the moment. The community speakers, Augsburg students, staff, and faculty who participated shed light on systemic white supremacy in the Augsburg community and the nation. This public acknowledgment created a What is onecomponent of OneDayin Maythat ; is especiallyrelevantfor ourcurrentsocialand politicalenvironment? Q A. All aspects are relevant, but if I had to identify • one particular component, it would be the level of transparency and accountability that helped demand to decolonize the curriculum at Augsburg. move Augsburg in the right direction. The Eurocentric core of the education system is Q. the clearest example of how our institutions are Howdidthe reintroduction of OneDayin May • ariseand becomethe themeof this year's commencement ceremony? A When I started my job at Augsburg, one of my ; mentors, community elder MahmoudEl-Kati, embedded in white supremacist ideology. This is why we gathered this year to begin the creation of a Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies department. Q. Whatdo youhopeis accomplished throughthe • reintroduction of OneDayin May? told me the real history of Black folks at Augsburg. Elder Mahmoud was one of the community speakers at One Day in May and spent years working closely with the Pan-Afrikan Center. Very few people on A My goal for this campaign was to help Black ; students understand and appreciate the battles fought by those who came before them. I want Black campus knew about One Day in May and the students and other marginalized students to know contributions of Black students, staff, and faculty. that we are a part of Augsburg history; we are not After learning that Augsburg's sesquicentennial guests at this institution. When the whole Augsburg book, "Hold Fast to What is Good," didn't mention community understands this, we will see the kind it, I worked with other Augsburg leaders to make of institutional changes that marginalized students, One Day in May the theme for the university's staff, and faculty have demanded for years. 2020 M LK Day celebration. As more people heard AROUND THEQUAD newest trip: RickStevespartners withAugsburg'sParticipateinCGEE's Centerfor GlobalEducation andExperience Hunger andHopeinGuatemala non-essential travelresumes, travelers Planaheadfortravelto Guatemala When will getan insideglimpseof Guatemala and When well-known travel author, activist, and media personality Rick Steves went to Central America to film segments for his new public television special, "Hunger and Hope: Lessons from Ethiopia and Guatemala," he called on Augsburg staff to provide expert guidance and introductions to community leaders and regional organizations committed to ending hunger and extreme poverty. That's because Augsburg's Center for Global Education and Experience has a vast network in Guatemala and has offered educational programming in the country since 1985. visit manyof the sameplacesdepictedon "RickStevesHungerandHope:Lessons from EthiopiaandGuatemala." Fromthe charmingcolonialcityof Antigua, to LakeAtitlanandits surrounding volcanoes, to the colorfultapestryof Mayanhistory,there is an abundance of thingsto do,see,andlearn. One of the key people Steves spoke with during the production of his television special was FidelXinico,director of Augsburg's CGEE Guatemala programming. Xinico set up Steves' trip logistics from Guatemala and served as a cultural guide and language translator. He is a trilingual Guatemalan citizen of the Kaqchikel Maya ethnic group. SusanPeacock,a CGEE program coordinator based out of Registration openfor: Tripl: April 11-18,2021 Trip2: June13-20,2021 Trip3: August8-15, 2021 Minneapolis, connected Steves and Xinico and helped shape the direction of the television show. Augsburg is now planning a travel program for the general public that will take participants to inspiring destinations in Guatemala. Augsburgsenior scholar published in A V 1 Visitgo.augsburg.edu/hope to learnmoreandregister. HarryBoyte,senior scholar of public work philosophy at Augsburg's Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, co-wrote an article that was published in Time magazine. Boyte's piece offered an analysis of the 2020 United States presidential race and suggested that a compelling campaign TIME MAGAZINE would appeal to Americans as engaged citizens rather than disgruntled consumers: "Emphasize a citizenship A W Finda link to the article at augsburg.edu/now. message for government to be a partner, not a savior." SPRING-SUMMER 2020 9 A WOMEN'S WRESTLING PROGRAM FROM SCRATCH BYKATE H.ELLIOTT Augsburg Athletics continues trailblazing trendwithMinnesota's onlycollegiate women's wrestling team "I already feel bad for my future children," joked Bel Snyder'23. "They are going to have to hear the story of Minnesota's only collegiate women's wrestling team over and over again." Snyder is one of 10 women wrestlers who made history at Augsburg during the 2019-20 year-a academic quarter century after the university founded the NCAA's first women's hockey team in the Midwest, followed by Minnesota's first varsity women's lacrosse team in 2014 . That pioneering spirit drew Snyder to Augsburg, which received a Breaking Barriers Award in February at Minnesota's National Girls and Women in Sports Day event at the Minnesota History Center. "I have never felt such close bonds or such support," added Snyder, who's an elementary education transfer student. "I am going to bleed maroon and gray for the rest of my Iife." SPRING-SUMMER 2020 11 GREEN BUT GREAT It's a youngteamwith sevenfirst-yearand three transferstudentswho had neverwrestledfor an alIwomanteam until now.Therosterincludessomeof the nation'stop competitors,includingEmilyShilson '23, who'sconsideredthe top womanrecruit in the country by somewrestIing newsoutlets.The 19-year-oldfinance studentqualifiedto wrestlefor a spot in the 2020 TokyoOlympicGames(whichhavebeenrescheduledfor 2021 becauseof the COVID-19 pandemic). Howdid a buddingteamrecruitsuchchampions? MeetWomen'sWrestlingHeadCoachMaxMejia,a formerHarvardwrestlerwhobecamea women'sand skills coachfor Arizona'sSunkistKidsWrestlingClub, whichproduced55 Olympicmedalistsin both men'sand women'swrestling. "In wrestling,youcancontrolyourdestinymorethan othersports.It's not aboutheightor speed.Champions havementaltoughness,diIigencefor detaiI, anda hungerto win," he said. "My goalis to producethe best womenleadersin the world.Whentheygraduate,I want themto understandhowthesetraits convertto success in the realworld.And I wantthe employersto gobble them up becausethey recognizewhatcomesfrom that levelof leadership,dedication,andgrit," he said. Mejiafocuseson process,knowingresultswill follow. Heseeksto understandeachathletes'hopesand motivationsso he can helpthem playto their strengths for bothathleticsand careersuccess. Mejiaempowers eachwrestlerto set herowngoals:"I knowI havethe disciplineto do anythingI put my mind to, and I'll havea greatmindsetwhiledoingit," said kinesiology majorSavannah Vold'22. "He doesn'tseeus as weare but as we couldbe," saidVayle-rae Baker'23, whoranksat the top of her weightclass."Thenhe pushesus throughself-doubtor whateveris holdingus back.I take morerisks,and I'm seeingthe rewards." Thosestrengthsareshowing.Withan overallrecordof 4-2, AuggieWomen's Wrestlingrankedamongthe top 10 programs in the NCAAasthe teamheadedintothe inauguralCliff KeenNationalCollegiate Women's Wrestling Championships in earlyMarch.Augsburg finishedin ninth placeasa team,whileShiIsonclaimedthe nationaltitle to closeout herinauguralcollegiateseason. "My goalistoproduce t ebest women leaders inthewofd." 12 AUGSBURG NOW NCAA NAMES WOMEN'S WRESTLING AN'EMERGING' SPORT In January,NCAADivision11 and Division111 votedto addwomen's wrestlingto its list of Emerging Sports for Women;in June,DivisionI voted in agreement. Thenextmilestone for the wrestlingcommunitywill be to reachat least40 NCAA-affiliated varsitywomen'swrestIingteams, which is requiredto achieveofficial NCAA Championship status.At present , about 35 NCAAschoolssupportwomen's wrestlingteams. Augsburg AthleticDirectorJeff Swenson '79 is optimistic."Wehaveno doubtwomen 's wrestlingwill buildon our reputationas a 'wrestlingschool,' with our men'steamhavingsecuredits 13th nationaltitle in 2019. "In 1995, Augsburgmadehistory with the region'sfirst women'sice hockeyteam,and nowyou're uniqueif youdon't offerwomen'shockey.Then in 2014, Augsburg startedthe NCAA's first varsitywomen'slacrosseteamin Minnesota, and now,herewearewith women'swrestling,"hesaid."Augsburg continuesto be a pioneerfor women's athletics,andwe'reinvestedin the successof women'swrestling." Men'sWrestlingCo-Head CoachJim Moulsoff is thriIledthat Augsburgis creatingopportunities for womento wrestleat the collegiatelevel.Girls' wrestlingis the fastestgrowinghigh schoolsport,accordingto the U.S. WrestlingFoundation, yet Minnesota andWisconsin areamongthe 30 states that haven'tmadegirls' wrestlingan officialsport." "Forthe past18 years,I havehelped out at juniorfreestylesummertrainings, and it's beenamazingto seethe growth of women'swrestlingfromnogirls in attendance to hundredseachyear,"said Moulsoff,the 2015 and2019 National Wrestling Coaches Association Division111 NationalCoachof the Year. TEAM OF'FIRSTS' MENTORS YOUNG GIRLS Members of the women'swrestling teamalsoaredrivento sharetheir knowledge andpavethe wayfor the nextgenerationof womenwrestlers. Everyoneof the student-athletes has liveda first-the first girl on a high school'swrestlingteam,the first match a competitorforfeitedbecausehe "didn't wantto wrestlea girl," the first time shesawwomen'swrestlingat the Olympics(in 2004). Theyembracethe strengthgainedfromthosemoments, but it is ti mefor morewomento have opportunities to wrestle. Nineyearsago,MinnesotaUSA WrestIing beganhostingopengymsat AugsburgeverySunday,andfourgirls attendedthe first session.Earlierthis year,about60 girls showedup every week,evenwith weekendtournaments pullingsomeaway.Bakersaidsheand herteammates consistentlyvolunteered to coachand mentorthe girls,who rangedfrom6 to 18 yearsold. "I startedwrestlingwhenI was9, and I wasthe onlygirl on that team andthe onlygirl on my middleand highschoolteams,"Bakersaid. "I SPRING SUMVER 7020 13 look forward to coaching and connecting with the girls each week. My teammates and I want to show them they can do this, and show them there will be teams for them when they go to college." ChadShilson'93, women's wrestling director and coach for Minnesota USA Wrestling, said lifelong friendships seem to emerge at every practice, as girls experience wrestling with those who are similar in strength, weight, flexibility, size, and goals. "They get to be the iron that sharpens other iron," he said. The result: some of the top women wrestlers in the country, if not the world, have come out of the open gyms-"hungry for the sport and everything it has to offer," added Shi Ison, the father of top-ranked Augsburg wrestler, Emily Shi Ison. Coach Mejia hopes to collaborate with USA Wrestling and other organizations to offer even more camps and open gyms (when it's safe and appropriate for public health regarding the coronavirus) for the estimated 300 girls who are wrestling at some level in the state. When they graduate from high school, Mejia said, "I want them to have no doubt that Augsburg is the place to be." ~i ti,\ 'WEKEEP PLAYING. WEPERSIST' Word has gotten out. Alumni and friends of the university AR "'1S fjJ DEFENSE SOAP Augsburgplacedseventhin the NCAA women'sdivisionat the Multi-Division NationalDualMe are tweeting their praises and sharing news coverage of the historic team. Children's book author and public speaker, ShellyBoyum-Breen '97, said the university's investment in women's wrestling is also an investment in girls and women in general. "I was fortunate to be at Augsburg when women's hockey started, and I saw lives changing before my eyes. I know firsthand the impact that continues to make on those women's lives," said BoyumBreen, who taught physical education and coached women's basketball at Augsburg. "When we invest in women and our diverse communities, we invest in what's possible. We have to show it in action through media coverage. Kids need to hear these stories-boys and girls. "Look at the decision-makers, the percentages of coaches, the funding gaps, and the near media blackout of women's professional and collegiate sports. And yet, we keep playing. And people keep watching. Because of the support that exists, we persist," said Boyum-Breen, also established grants to pay sports "When weinvestin females who fees and equipment costs that functioned andourdiverse communities,as barriers to participation for some Minnesota girls. weinvestin what's possible." Augsburg women's hockey coaches 14 AUGSBURG NOW know better than most the kind of investment and persistent leadership required to create and sustain a vibrant women's athletics program. "To be a leader-it's scary," said founding Women's 2020 USMARINE CORPS/NWCA MUL Tl DIVISION IATIONAL DUAL MEET 7'ff PLlfC=. WOMENNCAA et in Louisville,Kentucky,in January. Hockey Head Coach Jill Pohtilla. "I've seen Augsburg, time and time again, make bold moves based on what makes sense and what is right," said Pohtilla, who was inducted into the Women's Hockey Association of Minnesota Hall of Fame in 2006. The women's wrestling program has made an immediate impact in the Athletics Department and has increased expectations for success, said Michelle McAteer,Augsburg's women's hockey head coach. "Coach Mejia was able to bring in a large and talented class for the inaugural season, and it's clear how skilled, determined, and committed these women are," she said. "They are representing Augsburg and our Athletics Department with great pride, and growing the profile of their sport at the same time. "They are making history, living history," McAteer added. "It's a special team doing very special things." ■ Seepage16 for a brief historyof women'sathleticsat Augsburg. ABRIEF HISTORY OF WOMEN'S ATHL 16 AUGSBURG NOW TICS ATAIJGSBIJRG SPRINGSUMMER 2020 17 REAL PEOPLE IN REAL CASES computers with a software program Eyewitness identification of criminal perpetrators is a staple form of evidence San Diego; and Tucson, Arizona. in courts of law. developed specifically for the field "Think of eyewitness memory like audio transcripts to examine the 855 I ineups in four cities: Austin, Texas; association between witness comments Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and lineup selection, finding that an North Carolina; cities provided lineup photos and eyewitness identification decisions, instant identification by an eyewitness was less likely to produce an error than when the witness was deliberative. NatalieJohnson '18, who's pursuing a residue, or other physical evidence," investigator reports, and audiotapes of master's degree in counseling psychology Steblay said. "You don't want to the verbal exchange between the I ineup at the University of St. Thomas in St. contaminate it." administrator and eyewitness during Paul, Minnesota, was one of the students each lineup procedure. A startling who listened to police audiotapes and the top national experts in eyewitness discovery emerged from a pattern of coded them based on whether the identification. cases when lineup administrators, who decision-making process was immediate social psychologist who has conducted were also the case detectives, knew who or deliberative. research on eyewitness memory, pol ice the suspects were and behaved in a procedures, and eyewitness evidence leading fashion with the eyewitnesses. Steblay, along with Wells, is among As an experimental for 30 years, she is often cal led upon by defense attorneys to testify when they believe a suspect is being wrongly accused based on faulty identification. Her abi I ity to speak with authority on the subject has been reinforced She and other students were startled to realize that the police push for a conviction could, in some cases, influence LEARNING E'ROM LINEUPS Augsburg student researchers by her research findings. Assisted by collected data and assessed 190 Augsburg student researchers, Steblay real lineups for fairness or bias. "It's and Wells led studies that, for the first powerfu I to bring students into research how criminal cases are pursued. "Doing the work on police lineups made me realize how flawed our system can be," she said. "It made me realize our criminal justice has a long way to go." SeanAdams'17, who is currently a legal assistant, said he was shocked by time, sought to understand and predict by saying, 'Here's the problem of how poorly some of the lineups were eyewitness identification errors using wrongfu I convictions, and let's figure out constructed. actual I ineups. how to solve them,"' Steblay said. Before these studies, scientific Psychology majors made up the The tests were designed to include fake witnesses, and these mock psychology's understanding of research team at Augsburg, adding witnesses in Augsburg's laboratory eyewitness identification accuracy was laboratory skills to what they learned in studies represented the worst possible based almost exclusively on controlled the classroom. Steblay and 27 student scenario: a witness with no memory of the offender. Mock witnesses shou Id laboratory researchers studies that conducted not be able to pick the pol ice suspect the first and from a lineup at a rate higher than second studies chance. "The worst lineup I saw had across multiple such a leading description that the simulate eyewitness experiences. Steblay and Wells were awarded a "It's powerful to bring students into research by saying, 'Here's the problem of wrongful convictions, and let's figure out how to solve them."' National Science 20 The Augsburg students coded 102 experiment. Data was collected from The field data collected in these trace evidence, such as blood, gunshot existed unti I th is study. semesters. [laboratory] witnesses picked the pol ice Verbal suspect 80% of the time," Adams said. exchanges "That shou Id have statistically less than 20% of the time." been Lineups Foundation grant to pursue a four-phase between pol ice lineup administrators and eyewitnesses should be constructed so that the study from 2014 to 2018. The research to crimes were audio-recorded. There suspect and the fillers (innocent people followed up on their prior work, in which police lineups were presented to real had never been an analysis of recorded added to the lineup) match the suspect verbal comments from actual witnesses description. eyewitnesses by detectives using laptop because such recordings had never AUGSBURG NOW RELEVANT RESEARCH Along with stunning insights into eyewitness identification, these studies brought to light more questions worth exploring. The research resulted in 12 conference poster presentations involving 23 students, and it fostered two student honors projects and spinoff projects that are ongoing. "It was time-consuming, important. but it was I think the student researchers had a sense of the importance," Steblay said. "It was really fun to work with them. Their work enabled me to complete the project." Augsburg student researchers saw the subject material's importance for effective law enforcement practices as well as its resonance with people beyond their research group. When AustinConery'17 began researching how to predict eyewitness identification errors, he discovered that his Augsburg University research project was a hot topic with friends and family. "Every party or every family event, someone would ask what was going on at school, and I could talk about the research for hours because it was so relevant," Conery said. Besides a view into a major criminal justice system issue, students said the research opportunity gave them practical experience. Conery said the research gave him the confidence to read, understand, and apply studies in his current job as a site director at a children's mental health provider, PrairieCare. "It was a great way to implement the things I was learning in class," he said. "It gave me the place to think critically in a control led environment." As Adams considers his future work, he's looking back to his time at Augsburg. "I've been thinking of what I enjoyed in college, and a lot of it was the work I did with Nancy," he said. TURNING RESEARCHrlNDINGS INTO PRACTICALPOLICIES Steblay'sinfluencemaynot makeher a householdname,but her researchfindings are beingput to practicaluse in a varietyof ways. Minnesotajudgesviewa webinarmoduleshecreated,"EyewitnessScience: Protectionand Evaluationof EyewitnessIdentificationEvidence,"as part of their judicial e-learning program.Steblayalso pubIisheda chapterin the 2019 book, "PsychologicalScienceand the Law." Thefindingsof the researchby Steblay,Wells,and Augsburgstudent researchers are leadingto majorreformsnationally.The best practices includecritical stipulations:that lineupsmust be double-blind,meaning the administratingofficerdoesn'tknowwhothe suspectis, and that the non-suspectfillers in the lineup must resemblethe suspectand match the descriptionof the offenderthat wasprovidedby the eyewitness. "Thereare hundredsof thousandsof policeofficerswho are using theseeyewitnessidentificationprotocolsthat we didn't use20 years ago,and they don't knowNancySteblay'sname,"said William Brooks, a policechief in Norwood,Massachusetts. Brookstravelsthe countrytraining policeon what he regardsas groundbreaking science-backed best practicesfor lineups."I don't think there'sbeenas wide of an impact in otherareasof investigation as in howwe dealwith eyewitnessmemory,"he said. In mid-May,MinnesotaGov.Tim Walzsignedbipartisanlegislation that requiresuniformscience-backed eyewitnessidentificationpractices for all law enforcement,which goesinto effect in early2021. Sti11, the eyewitnessidentificationbest practicesface resistance."Some of it is individualpolicejurisdictionsjust not wantingto be told howto do things," Steblaysaid in an interviewwith YahooNews."Sometimespolice or prosecutorssaythey don't want rulesto be so rigid, becausethen if we just violateoneof the rules,then that ruins our prosecutionor we can't catch the bad guysor whatever.Sothey feel like it's underminingtheir ability to do the goodjob that they shoulddo. "I don't seeit that way," Steblaysaid. "I just think theseare not difficult changes."Steblayviewsthe recommendedlineup reformsas a meansto strengthen eyewitnessevidenceand reducethe likelihoodof a mistakenidentification. The InnocenceProject,a nonprofitfoundedin 1992 to exoneratethe wrongly convictedthroughDNAtesting, hasworkedto passlawsthroughoutthe countrythat embracethe scientificallysupportedbest practicesadvancedby Steblayand Wells. "Whenwe beganour work,a handfulof stateshadembracedbest practices. Todaymorethan half of the statesin the countryhaveadoptedkeyeyewitness identificationreforms,"said RebeccaBrown,the nonprofit's policydirector. Steblayhopesmorepolice departmentswi11 enactthesereforms."Wehave at leastpart of the answerto howpolicecan reducemistakenidentificationand wrongfulconvictions."■ 22 AUGSBURG NOW States where c:ore eyewitness reforms have been implemented through legislation, c:ourt action, or substantial voluntary c:omplianc:e: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, NewJersey, NewMexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah,Vermont, West Virginia andWisconsin viaInnocence Project SPRING-SUMMER 2020 23 The Gage tam i ly is part of a legacy Skip and Barbara have supported many campus projects that has supported valuable throughout the years, including Anderson Plaza, the Gage Center student services that are crucial to for Student Success, the Gage Family Art Gallery, the James G. Augsburg University's identity and community. Lindell Library, and the Scandinavian Center, which cultivated knowledge and interest in Scandinavian culture on campus for Edwin"Skip"Gagepassed away Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Skip and his wife, Barbara CarlsonGage,have been integral to the Augsburg community Piper LaBelle Award for their consistent support of young people for many years. Al I four of their children attended Augsburg, In his professional life, Skip built what came to be known as 15 years. In 2016, the Gage family was honored with the Toby in recovery. including alumni GeoffGage'89 and Rick Gage'96. Barbara the Carlson Marketing Group. He served as chair and then chair served on the Board of Regents, including four years as emeritus of the lnnerCity Tennis Foundation and worked with chair of the board and as co-chair of Augsburg's Access to Barbara in many community efforts with the Banyan Community, Excellence campaign. Northside Achievement Zone, and Urban Ventures. Skip and Barbara initiated the Center for Learning and Skip's vision aligned with Augsburg's institutional calling and Accessible Student Services and contributed substantial time reinforced the university's commitments to global perspectives, and gifts to the StepUP ® Program. Skip believed the values living faith, active citizenship, and meaningful work. Skip and taught as part of the fabric of Augsburg's community have been Barbara's gifts and leadership over the years have sustained as important as the educational experience and the culture of Augsburg's commitment to serve its students and neighbors. family and service that is imparted to all of Augsburg's students. Through the Gage family's leadership, CLASS was established. "The Gage family has and continues to have a significant impact on the Augsburg community," said DonnaMclean, former In 1989, Skip and Barbara commissioned the first study that Augsburg director of leadership gifts. "Thanks to the generosity evaluated learning disability programs at the college level. They of the Gage family, the lives of so many students have been partnered with Augsburg faculty to build a learning disability meaningfully enhanced through CLASS and other campus endowment program, and Skip led the drive to raise $500,000 programs that provide impactful learning experiences." ■ in addition to $500,000 24 AUGSBURG NOW his family pledged. THE STAGE Sesquicentennial project shares story through song The Augsburg University Department of Music had a unique opportunity to produce Other sesquicentennial projects and perform "Tienda," a new chamber opera by Augsburg Assistant Professor of Music To commemorate Augsburg's 150th ReinaldoMoyaand opera lyricist Caitlin Vincent, which premiered February 21 and 22. anniversary, the university invited faculty This production, presented as a part of Augsburg's sesquicentennial celebration, was performed in Foss Center's Hoversten Chapel and included a cast of student singers, and staff to apply for funding to support unique projects that aligned with their the Augsburg Choir, and the Augsburg Orchestra. The opera tells the story of Luis interests and expertise while uplifting Garzon, a Mexican musician who immigrated to Minneapolis in 1886 and opened a Augsburg's mission, academic excellence, small Mexican grocery store, or tienda, in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the 1920s. Garz6n's and traditions. These projects showcased store served as a community hub for new arrivals from Mexico, many of whom had the university's history, its distinction in fled the Mexican Revolution and found work toiling on the sugar beet farms of rural the arts, and its high-quality scholarship. Minnesota. "Tienda" explored the immigrant experience: what must be left behind- Learn more about sesquicentennial and what cannot be forgotten-on . projects at augsburg.edu/150 the journey to a new home. STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND A Student Emergency Fund was established in March to support Augsburg students with financial relief as we al I grapple with the challenges of COVID-19. In these disruptive times, many students are experiencing the loss of income and jobs as segments of the economy shut down, struggles to provide for their families, obstacles in returning home to out-of-state residences, and uncertainty about their ability to finance their Augsburg education. With this fund, students are able to request emergency funding for basic needs, including food, rent, transportation, funding for academic materials-such Giveto the StudentEmergency Fundat augsburg.edu/giving . and wireless internet-to and medication. They may also request as books, supplies, laptop computer rentals, ensure their education is not impacted by a lack of attainable resources. SPRINGSUMMfR 2020 25 AUGGIES CONNECT AUGGIES IN NATION'S CAPITAL BEGIN SERIES OFALUMNI GATHERINGS Last October, a group of Augsburg alumni gathered in Arlington, Virginia, for a dinner and reception hosted by JeffPeterson'63. At the end of the gathering, JessicaSpanswick'10 suggested the group should spend more time together. AUGGIES whatprogram doyouwanttolift upforGiveto theMaxDay2020? Spanswick coordinated the group's next gathering for a social hour and trivia in Washington, D.C., the following month. That's how the informal OMV-area (the district, Maryland, and Virginia) Augsburg alumni group was born. With help from Augsburg's Institutional Advancement team, they were able to invite even more Auggies in the area to attend social hours, networking events, and dinners. In February, Augsburg staff met with Give to the Max Day 2019 was a huge success for programs across campus! $421,000 RAISED 1,656 DONORS the group to discuss how to increase alumni involvement across the country Auggie passion is the fuel that drives and support the university through Give strong donations on Give to the Max to the Max Day 2020. Day, and that's why it's Augsburg's Want to plan an alumni gathering in your biggest fundraising area when pandemic health precautions allow? Email alumni@augsburg.edu to receive help reaching out to fellow Auggies. day of the year. It's exciting and inspiring to hear your personal stories about Augsburg and Auggiesmeetin the Washington,D.C.,area. why you're passionate about supporting a particular project. What do you want to I ift up at Augsburg? Send in a 45- to 90-second video of yourself sharing what you were most passionate about at Augsburg, and you might be featured in the next Give to the Max Day campaign. 0 Sendin a video,volunteer,or hel~ lead a projectin Novemberby contacting ChrisBogen'09,campaigncoordinator,at bogen@augsburg.edu by September1, 2020. Lto R: ChrisBogen'09, RobynHiestand '98, KariArfstrom '89,Jonathan Chrastek '10,Jessica Spanswick '10,KatiePendo'10, KaiaChambers 26 AUGSBURG NOW AUGGIES CONNEC LIFELONGAUGGIE FRIENDSHIPS Connections that flourishedat Augsburgspanacrossyearsand miles [L to R]: DerekFrancis'08, BryanLudwig '08, Greg Hildebrandt '08,andSamaSandy'08 broughttheir families togetherfor an eveningof fun earlierthis year.Thegroup members tout themselvesas the "1107Family,"namedfor the numberof the roomtheysharedin Mortensen Residence Hall. TheFacebook postfromtheir meetupshowshowa friendship betweenfourAuggiesbecamea close-knitgroupof 17. A groupof Auggieswhocelebratelife milestones togethergatheredfor the 70th birthdayof SueGibbons Casey'71 [front,center].She'ssurrounded by[clockwise]Pam(Hermstad) Santerre(attendedAugsburg1968-69), Ginny(Dahlen)Baali'72, Kris(Parbst)Rohde'72, KathyQuick'72, Nancy '72. (Olson)Hrdlicka'72,and Linda(Engstrom) Akenson TheseAugsburgalumniand "5th FloorGirls"of UrnessTowerinitially reunitedafter their graduationat mini-reunionsand holidays.In recentyears,theytooktrips to destinationslike Boston;MyrtleBeach,SouthCarolina;andStillwater,Minnesota. Picturedare[front, L to R]:Stacy(Waterman) Newton'01, SaraThedinga '01, Merry-Ellen (Krcil)Bryers'01, andAnn(Peterson) Fisher'01. [Back,L to R]:Amy Carlson'01, LauraWaldon'01, Emily(Brinkman) Waldon'01,JaimeKingsley Loso'01,and EricaHuls'01. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • SPRING-SUMMER 2020 27 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES The MinnesotaIntercollegiate AthleticConferencefeatured EdorNelson'38 in the LegendaryLeaders seriesreleasedon its websiteand social media. Nelson, who passedawayin 2014, wasan instructorfor the healthand physical educationdepartmentfor 32 years, coached Augsburg'sbaseballteam from 1946 to 1979, and led the programto sevenMIACtitles. He alsowasAugsburgfootball'sheadcoach, and he helpedstartthe men'swrestlingprogram and relaunchmen's hockey. 1938 LelandFairbanks '53, MD, was selectedas the Commissioned OfficersAssociationRetireeof the Yearby the United StatesPublic HealthService. The award, which recognizesexcellence in serviceand volunteeractivities, was presentedduring a virtual meetingin June. Fairbanks'career has includedwork focused on family health, holisticcare, smoke-free communities, and training other health professiona Is. 1953 of Fame in 1988 and created an athletic lettering programfor female student-athletes in 1989. & Augsburg AthleticDirector JeffSwenson '79 ,;;, shares hisoptimism aboutAugsburg's new women's wrestling program. Seestoryonpage10. & ChadShilson '93comments onAugsburg's ,;;, women's wrestling program, inwhichhis Emily ShiIson'23,competes. Seestoryon daughter, page10. & ShellyBoyum-Breen '97connects thelaunch ,;;, ofAugsburg's women's wrestling withtheneed totell moresportsstories thatinclude females and diverse communities. Seestoryonpage10. CanisiusCollegein Buffalo, New York, hired MartinHlinka'99 as an assistantcoachfor its men's hockey program. After his work as an assistant coach with the SalzburgRed Bulls junior program, Hlinka servedas a lead on-ice skills instructorwith SynergyHockeyin St. Louis. The MinnesotaIntercollegiate Hlinka scored 125 points in 85 gamesfrom Athletic Conferencefeatured MarilynPearsonFlorian'76 in the Legendary 1995 to 1999 while on Augsburg'shockey team, and he also playedfootball, earning Leadersseries. PearsonFloriancoached All-Americanstatusas a kicker. Hlinka women's basketballand volleyballat playedprofessionalhockeyfor 15 years in Augsburgand also was the women'sathletic director. During her tenure, Augsburgadded the American HockeyLeague, United Hockey League, and Germany. four MIACwomen'ssports, including cross country, golf, ice hockey, and swimming and diving. She also initiated the induction NickRathmann '03 completed of women into Augsburg'sAthletic Hall his final term on the Augsburg 1999 1976 2003 Alumni Boardof Directors. He has been on the boardfor the past sevenyears, serving in executiveleadershiprolesfor four years, including a two-yearterm as board president. Rathmannnow continuesvolunteeringhis time by servingon the A-Club board. JasonEdwards '04 has been teaching sixth grade science and readingat DiscoveryMiddleSchoolin Fargo, North Dakota, for 11 years. He also coachesgirls crosscountryand track and field at FargoDaviesHigh School.The USA Trackand FieldAssociationchose him as the Coachof the Yearfor Girls CrossCountry, and he is the North Dakotarepresentative for the "40 under 40" coachingawardfrom Coachand Athletic Directormagazine. While at Augsburg, he competedin crosscountry and track and field, earningschool recordsin the indoor600 meterdash and indoor4x400 meter relayteam. 2004 Andr~a(Ladda)Brown'05 receivedan awardfor her accomplishmentswith the City of Minneapolis'PoliceConductOversight Commissionregardingthe body-worncamera policy, which led to the discoveryof ketamine abuse by paramedicsand policeofficers. Her work also led to the creationof the MPD dashboard, where race disparitiesstatistics and officer misconducthave been made public and searchable, and the co-responder model-mental health professionals accompanyingpolice officersrespondingto 2005 AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS 28 AUGSBURG NOW ALUMNI CLASS NOTES calls-which startedas a pilot programin Minneapolisand is now used in NewYork, Texas, and Utah. [Editor'snote:Theseevents occurred prior to the murder of GeorgeFloyd by Minneapolispolice.] Artist AlisonPrice'08 was featured in the Minnesota Women'sPressregardingher new series of art, "WitnessingWaves." Price, a child of two immigrantparents, talked about a stump alongthe MississippiRiverand howthe river'swatersaided migrationto the region.This pieceof nature influenced Price'scollection, which startedduring her time at Augsburg. "The seriesis imbuedwith symbolism. DNAstrandsweavealongthe riverbanksand through the rootsand ground, reminding us of our interconnectedness with all, reinforcingthe ideathat we are fundamentallytied to each other and the planet," Pricesaid. 2008 TannerWiseman '15 and friends from Lakeville, Minnesota, filmed the series"DestinationFear," which aired on the TravelChannellast fall. The showfollows the group'scross-countryroad trip where they stayedovernightin 10 haunted places. The group beganmakingvideostogetherfor YouTubein middle schooland high school, and this show indulgestheir passionfor exploringabandonedplaces. 2015 ~ Legalassistant SeanAdams '17researched ~ eyewitness identification procedures withan Augsburg facultymember. Seestoryonpage18. McCleave , who outlinedthe organization's effortsto highlightthe historyof Native boardingschoolsand the impact they had on Nativecommunities. ~ Austin Conery '17researched thereliability ~ ofeyewitness testimonies andnowuseshis experience to understand andapplystudiesin hisrole at a mentalhealthprovider. Seestoryonpage18. 2018 ChungEangLip'18 wrote about his career path in the public healthfield for ColumbiaUniversity's MailmanSchoolof Public Healthstudent voiceswebpage.He focused on the importanceof kindnessand storytellingon his journeyto becominga public health professiona I. DianaPierce'16 MALnarratedand produced a documentary, "CountryMusic: Made in Minnesota," which aired on PioneerPBS last September. The half-hourdocumentary toucheson storiesabout artistsfrom the Minnesotacommunitiesof Alexandriaand Dovray; as well as the WE Festin Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and the FlameBar in Minneapolis.The programfeaturesinterviews with artistsfrom DetroitLakes, Minneapolis, and Pipestone, Minnesota, plus otherfigures who contributedto the developmentand popularityof country music in the state. ~ Natalie Johnson '18contributed to National ~ Science Foundation-funded research that evaluated thereliability of eyewitness identification. Seestoryonpage18. GRADUATE PROGRAMS Christine DiindiisiMcCleave '13 MALis the executivedirector of the NationalNative American BoardingSchool HealingCoalition, formed in 2012 , which seeksjustice and healingfor NativeAmericanchildren and their descendants. The organizationrecently receiveda $10 million grant from the KendedaFundthat will support a new 10year plan focused on education, advocacy, and healing.MPR NewsinterviewedDiindiisi ~ SUBMIT A ~ CLASS NOTE Tellusaboutthenewsinyourlifeyournewjob,move, marriage, and milestones. Visitaugsburg.edu/now to submityourannouncements. & W EricArlein'12 and Theresa(Bulger) Arlien'14 welcomeda daughter, Cora, last July. Jenessa (Payano) Stark'07 graduated from YaleUniversitywith her Masterof • Sciencein Nursingwith specialtiesas a certified nurse midwifeand women'shealth nurse practitioner. Tofulfill the health professionalshortagearea serviceobligation of her NationalHealthServiceCorps scholarship, she is movingto NavajoNation to work as a full-scope midwifeat a tribally run Indian HealthServicehospitalin Arizona.She will be accompaniedby her husbandand children, includinga son, Zaiel, whom the family welcomedin January. Kristin(Daniels) Overton '09 and husband, Jesse, welcomedthe birth of • twin boys, Mattisand Henry, lastSeptember. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin '03 • delivereda convocationaddressat CarletonCollegein Northfield, Minnesota, last October. He is a founding memberof the NationalFairTradeFederation, startedthe fair-tradePeaceCoffeeCompany, and is presidentand CEOof Regenerative AgricultureAlliance, a Minnesota-based nonprofitorganizationthat worksto develop regenerativefood supply chains and to advocateagainstextractiveagriculture. Haslett-Marroquinis alsothe author of "In the Shadowof GreenMan," in which he tells storiesfrom his upbringingin Guatemala and shareshis visionfor regenerative farming practices. A SylviaBull'10 (pictured on the right) • was ordainedas an Evangelical LutheranChurch in America pastor in 2017 and has servedas associatepastor of Faith LutheranChurch in Bismarck, North Dakota, for three years. SPRING SUMMER 2020 29 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES Augsburg University Men's Wrestling hosted an alumni night in February, celebrating the national championship anniversariesof the teams from 1970, 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2010 before a wrestling match against Concordia College-Moorhead . Photo by Caleb Williams. ChrisStedman'08 wrote a new book that will be published in October. The book, "IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belongingin Our Digital Lives," explores being human in our increasingly digital world and is availablefor pre-order. AugsburgUniversityMen's Basketballhostedan alumni reunion in Januarythat included a pick-up game, lunch, watching the men'steam take on Concordia College-Moorhead, and a social hour. Auggiesfrom several generationsjoined in the festivities. Auggiealumni leadthe men's basketballprogramsat both Augsburgand Concordia. Assistant CoachCharlieScott'07, '15 MAL and the Auggiesdefeatedthe Cobbers, who were led by Head CoachGrantHemmingsen '07. Adrienne KucklerEldridge '02 joined the staff of Augsburg's ChristensenCenterfor Vocation. She coordinatesthe theologyand public leadershipundergraduate program, is the program director for the AugsburgYouth Theology Institute, and is the director of the Public Church Scholars program, an accelerateddegree pathway that allows students to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in theologyand public leadership and a Master of Divinity in five years.The program is a partnership betweenAugsburg and LutheranSchool of Theology at Chicagofor students who are called to ministry and public leadershipas an ordained pastor. AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS JoeSeehusen '00 married Kathryn Tighe on a ranch in Grand Lake, Colorado, in September. The couple resides in the Denverarea, where they work in real estate. Seehusenencourages his Auggie friends to reach out the next time they're in Colorado. 30 AUGSBURG NOW ToriBahr'09, a medical doctor at the complex care clinic of Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, was presentedwith Augsburg University's2019 First DecadeAlumni Award in January. Bahr previouslyworked at the Universityof MinnesotaMedical Center's InternaI Medicine-Pediatrics Program, where she becamechief resident. Bahr's new position at Gillette Children's Hospital includes treating patientswith medically complex diseases, using advanced technology, and championing transition care. BrentStolle'03 and Bethany (Schneck)Stolle'05 welcomed their second son, Isaac, in February 2019. Isaacjoined his three-year-old brother, Weston. Bethany is the design research lead for Blackboard, an education technology company. Brent works for Nvidia as a software engineering manager. The family lives in Kirkland, Washington. DerrinLamker'97 was named Augsburg Universit Footballhead coach in December. Lamker played baseball, basketball, and football as an Auggie student-athlete. During his football career, he wa< the MinnesotaIntercollegiateAthletic Conference MVPand led the Auggiesto a MIACtitle in 1997, the same year he received KodakAll-American Honors. Lamkerwas named the Northwest Suburban ConferenceCoach of the Year in 2007, 2013, and 2014 during his tenure as head coach of OsseoHigh School, where he coached for 11 years and won a class 6A state championship. Beforetaking the head coach position at Augsburg, Lamkeralso servedas offensive coordinatorand head coach at Edina High School. Augsburg University Footballhosted an alumni gathering in Januaryto hear from Lamker and to meet the incoming coaching staff, which includes GregClough'86, defensivecoordinator, and JackOsberg'62, volunteer coach. Alumni who graduated between 1971 and 2019 attended y I The City Pagespublication featured the work of Jose LuisVillasenor'99 and the nonprofit organizationhe founded, Tamalesy Bicicletas, which existsto empower youth, develop healthy Latinx and immigrant communities, promote sustainable transportation, increase accessto healthyfoods, and improvethe environment. The organization'scommunity garden in south Minneapolis providesspace to teach urban farming and lay the groundwork for sustainablelocal food. / In September, City Pages featured DuaSaleh'18 for their work in poetry, rapping, and singing. Saleh released"N0r" in 2019, and "ROSETTA" in 2020, EPsproduced by Psymun, the St. Paul, Minnesota, producer whose connectionswith mainstreamhip-hop provide broader exposure for Twin Cities performers. As the recipient of the Cedar Commissions emerging musicians program, Saleh performed "Strings and Heart Beats," a project described as "an immersiveAfrodiasporic experience." AlissaNollan'09 marriedJames Nystromin St. Anthony, Minnesota, lastJuly.The wedding party includedJennifer Nollan'89, Whitney (Holman) Mead'10, and KatiePendo'10. MarkMuhich'89 was hired as managing attorneyto supervise public defender services in Minnesota'sCarlton and St. Louis counties. Muhich is a Hibbing, Minnesota, nativewho has been a part-time public defender at the St. LouisCounty Courthousein Virginia, Minnesota. Muhich previouslytaught politicaI science and criminal justice at Mesabi Range Collegeand taught in the law enforcement program at VermilionCommunity College. MikePolis'10 welcomed a second child, Sophia June, in January.His first child, LydiaMae, lovesbeing an older sibling. Polis is in his secondyear of real estateand is excitedfor anotheryear of selling and buying homes. KelseyCrockett'06 and wife, Stacey, welcomed a child, MasonAvery Crockett, into their family in January. Kelseycontinued his software management work when the family moved from Nashvilleto Dallasfor Staceyto begin a doctoral programat the Universityof Texas-Southwestern. In December, Michelle Basham '00 was elected as the new presidentand CEOof YWCAMinneapolis. Bashampreviouslywas the executivedirector at The Bridgefor Youth, servedas CEOof YWCADelaware, and held leadershippositionsat CommonBondCommunities, FamilyWise , and the MinnesotaDepartmentof Human Services.She also co-foundedthe Nonprofit EmergingLeadersAcademy. P.C. Hillstrom'07, director of educationaI equity at OsseoArea Schools, received two statewide honors this year: the Outstanding Administrator of the Year award from the Minnesota Indian Education Association and the Ron McKinley "All My Relations" award from the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership. Hillstrom has worked for Osseo Area Schools since 2015. BrothersDaveKerkvliet'95 and TimKerkvliet '01 were featured on the EducationMinnesotawebsite when they introducedfour band studentsof Sebeka, Minnesota-where Daveteaches-to the rock band 311 at a performanceat The Armory in Minneapolis. Davehastaught band for 24 yearsand is a lifelong musicianand fan of rock bands. He connected those passionsand organizedthis meetingbetween his studentsand lead singerand guitarist Nick Hexumand drummer ChadSextonprior to 31 l's performance. SPRING SUMMER 2020 31 ClarenceT. Hoversten '41 , HerbertW. Chilstrom '54, Green Valley, Arizona, age 88, on January 19. M. KennethGjerde'61 , MarilynJ. Gisselquist '73, Fairfield, Montana, age 83, on December 22. Minneapolis, age 90, on February 21. DonaldJ. Dill '54, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, age 86, on December 15. Ruth(Stenson)Kalpin'61, Falls, South Dakota, age 95, on January 27. Alexandria, Minnesota, age 80, on November 10. Zee AnneA. (Zimmerman) Reishus'73, Wood Lake, DorothyC. (Quanbeck) Johnson '48, BeverlyM. (Jorgensen) Olander'55, DonaldN. Myhres'61, Lee, North Branch, Minnesota, age 92, on February 18. Rochester, Minnesota, age 86, on November 18. Illinois, age 95, on November 13. HenryW. Roufs'49, San Diego, WandaE. (Warnes)Olson'56, RobertJ. llstrup'62, Minneapolis, age 82, on September 25. age 97, on October 10. Lewiston, Minnesota, age 84, on November 14. EllenA. (Paulson)Keiter'64, Minnesota, age 91, on January 29. GlennC. Thorpe'56, Mendota Charleston, Illinois, age 77, on December 10. RusselM. Smith'50, Heights, Minnesota, age 85, on February 8. JeanneS. (Wanner)Morreim'66, Lakeville, Minnesota, age 91, on November 21. RobertG.Jamieson '57, Edina, Cloquet, Minnesota, age 76, on January 26. Hendricks, Minnesota, age 101, on November 6. EileenM. Quanbeck '46, Sioux KermitF.Hoversten '50, Austin, PhyllisG. (Knudson) Seim'58, MarjorieK. (Danielson) Johnson '53, Stillwater, Minnesota, age 83, on January 24. St. Paul, Minnesota, age 88, on December 4. JosephP. Nystuen'59, Cold WilmerJ. Oudal'53, Eagle River, Spring, Minnesota, age 82, on November 10. Alaska, age 88, on February 2. MargaretA. (Lundahl)Ruesch'59, 32 AUGSBURG NOW WalterJ. Bradley'78, Davenport, KatharineE. Skibbe'79, Minneapolis, age 62, on October 7. IreneW. (Waslien)Stemmer'88, Wayzata, Minnesota, age 93, on November 8. JaniceK. (Thompson) Crockett'68, age 91, on December 29. Rochester, Minnesota, age 88, on December 17. DianeL.Loeffler'75, Minneapolis, age 66, on November 16. Iowa, age 63, on February 9. Minnesota, age 86, on January 16. Raymond P.Strot'51, Minneapolis, LeroyM. Petterson'53, Minnesota, age 68, on January 24. Worthington, Minnesota, age 83, on December 30. Shakopee, Minnesota, age 73, on January 15. BruceA. Vassar'93, Edina, age 57, on December 6. ThomasL. Docken'69, Stacy, LouJean J. (Gulbransen) Reid'94, Minnesota, age 73, on December 9. Austin, Minnesota, age 73, on January 20. VirginiaK. (Golberg)Baynes'70, Lee(Gilbert)Schotzko'04, Afton, Portland, Oregon, age 71, on September 14. Minnesota, age 49, on October 1. BenjaminM. Blair'14, Decorah, Iowa, age 31, on January 26. The "In memoriam" listings in this publication include notifications received before March 1. AuGSBURG UNIVERSITY ® DIGITAL-ONL ISSUE 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 Pieces ofhistory After the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and protests calling for justice in Minneapolis and around the nation, MollyMontana'23 went to Lake Street to capture the work of local artists that emerged on walls and plywood boards covering the windows of numerous businesses. "I wanted to tell the story of the pain and rage that people of color have felt," she said about the images she captured for a photography class project. "I wanted to capture something meaningful, and these displays were just that. They are a piece of history." augsburg.edu/now
Show less