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
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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
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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
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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
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February 22, 2021
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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
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Campus Cupboard. (Photo by Courtney Perry)
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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)
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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
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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.
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“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
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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
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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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 …
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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
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Check out some photos from a recent Augsburg women's
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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)
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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
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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.
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Not all educational institutions have an epidemiologist on sta , but
Augsburg is fortunate. One of the task force’s principal leaders is Alicia
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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
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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.
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NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW:
COME AND SEE!
by Paul C. Pribbenow
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February 22, 2021
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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
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4:13 PM · Jun 30, 2020
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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
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AUGSBURG BOARD OF REGENTS WELCOMES
NEW AND REELECTED MEMBERS
by John Weirick
February 22, 2021
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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.
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Finally, Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson and Bishop Ann Svennungsen were appointed to serve
three-year terms as ex o cio members of the board.
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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
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AUGSBURG’S RECENT AWARDS, RANKINGS,
AND RECOGNITION
by Briana Alamilla '17
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February 22, 2021
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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
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2020 Best Colleges For Financial Aid by LendEDU
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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)
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PLAYWRIGHTS’ CENTER PARTNERS WITH
AUGSBURG TO OFFER COURSES WITH
LEADING PLAYWRIGHTS
by John Weirick
February 22, 2021
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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.
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Top image: An Augsburg student tours the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. (Photo by Stephen Ge re)
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30th NSF grant, continues space weather study
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PROFESSOR EMERITUS MARK
ENGEBRETSON RECEIVES 30TH NSF GRANT,
CONTINUES SPACE WEATHER STUDY
by John Weirick
February 22, 2021
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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.
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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
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MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES AND LYNX,
STAR TRIBUNE, AND MINNESOTA URBAN
DEBATE LEAGUE COSPONSOR JUSTICE
REFORM ESSAY CONTEST
by John Weirick
February 22, 2021
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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.
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Augsburg awarded $10,000 Minneapolis
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30th NSF grant, continues space weather study
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AUGSBURG AWARDED $10,000
MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION GRANT
by John Weirick
February 22, 2021
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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)
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Faculty members William Green and Timothy
Pippert assume new professorships
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AUGSBURG LAUNCHES THE CENTER FOR
INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
by Kate Norlander
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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
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cooperative projects between student teams and local companies
support for students who are building organizations that impact social causes through innovation
and entrepreneurship
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support for student entrepreneurs
the creation of student teams drawn from the science and business departments to solve problems
for new startups
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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)
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FACULTY MEMBERS WILLIAM GREEN AND
TIMOTHY PIPPERT ASSUME NEW
PROFESSORSHIPS
by John Weirick
February 22, 2021
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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”
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Professor of Sociology Timothy Pippert was named the inaugural holder
of the Joel Torstenson Endowed Professorship, e ective September 1,
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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)
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NSF GRANTS AUGSBURG $3 MILLION FOR
STEM STUDENTS
by Kate Norlander
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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
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funded scholarships for 111 STEM students, 100% of whom graduated and went on to pursue careers or
continue their education in STEM elds.
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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)
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AUGSBURG HOSTS BOLD NEW SPEAKER
SERIES
by Stephen Jendraszak
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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
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5:15 PM · Oct 5, 2020
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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)
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Doctor of Nursing Practice
Master of Arts in Nursing
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FORUM ON WORKPLACE INCLUSION TO
HOST FIRST VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
by Stephen Jendraszak
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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
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Learn more and register to attend at forumworkplaceinclusion.org.
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AUGSBURG HOMECOMING (AT A DISTANCE)
by Briana Alamilla '17
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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)
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Cedar-Riverside supply drives support
neighborhood
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CEDAR-RIVERSIDE SUPPLY DRIVES SUPPORT
NEIGHBORHOOD
by Briana Alamilla '17
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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.”
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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
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9:51 PM · Jun 1, 2020
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Top image: Auggies collected donations for the Twin Cities community in Summer 2020. (Photo by Joe Mann)
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Scholarship recipients
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AUGSBURG NAMES GEORGE FLOYD
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
by Briana Alamilla '17
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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.
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Kaltun Hassan ’22 is majoring in computer science.
Nadirah McGill ’21 is majoring in music business.
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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
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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
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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
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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,
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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
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Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Illinois, Iowa, Texas, and
California.
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AUGSBURG TRIO/STUDENT SUPPORT
SERVICES EARNS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GRANT
by Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA
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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
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higher education to achieve their academic goals,” said Aly Olson, director of
Augsburg TRIO/SSS.
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“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)
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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)
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AUGSBURG RECEIVES GRANTS FOR EQUITY
IN EDUCATION AND REMOTE LEARNING
by Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA
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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.
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Top image: A redistribution of federal CARES Act funds provided support for Augsburg students’ online
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learning. (Photo by Courtney Perry)
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IN MEMORIAM, WINTER 2020–21
Remembering and honoring Auggies
by Amanda Symes '09, '15 MFA
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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.
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Thelma I. (Erickson) Mckenzie ’44, Hollandale, Wisconsin, age 96, on July 1.
Helen V. (Odden) Pederson ’45, Spooner, Wisconsin, age 96, on May 5.
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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.
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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.
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Augsburg receives $50,000 grant for Travelers
EDGE®
Augsburg receives grants for equity in education
and remote learning
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AUGSBURG RECEIVES $50,000 GRANT FOR
TRAVELERS EDGE®
by John Weirick
February 18, 2021
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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
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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
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Top image: Samantha Lopez ’22 is one of several Travelers EDGE scholars at Augsburg. (Photos by
Courtney Perry)
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In memoriam, Winter 2020–21
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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
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January 26, 2021
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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)
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21
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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
SEND US YOUR NEWS Most of the recent news about alumni you read is contributed by alumni themselves. Let us know about your job changes, promotions or other achievements. Send us news of marriages, births or deaths. Photos are welcome. Send your news items, photos or change of address by mail to:... Show moreSEND US YOUR NEWS Most of the recent news about alumni you read is contributed by alumni themselves. Let us know about your job changes, promotions or other achievements. Send us news of marriages, births or deaths. Photos are welcome. Send your news items, photos or change of address by mail to: Augsburg Now, Campus Box 145. 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minnpolis, MN 55454, or by e-mail to . Your Full Name “ "' Name Graduation Year or Last Year Attended Address City State Zip Is this a new address? [3 Yes D No Home Telephone (_) " r' , Position Work Phone ls spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? El Yes D No Spouse Name " "' Name Spouse Graduation Year Class Notes Info- SEND US YOUR NEW ADDRESS Begin the Christmas season with a majestic service of music and liturgy The 20th Annual Augsburg College Advent Vespers Friday, December 3, 1999 Saturday, December 4, 1999 6:00 pm. and 9:00 pm. 5:00 pm. and 8:00 pm. Central Lutheran Church 333 South 12th St., Minneapolis For seating information: (612) 330-1265 Aucsaunc Now NonvProiil Org, UGSBURG COLLEGE U.S‘ Postage 2211 Riverside Avenue 53:23am“; MN Minneapolis, MN 55454 perm" No, 2031 Show less
Norma (Sateren) Alumni Honors Norma Anderson has composed and published anthems for children's choirs, including 0 top-fise bestseller on Choristers Guild's I997 list. Name: Norma E. (Sateren) Anderson. BA. Eiinsh LITCS in Bloomington. Minn. Occupation: Retired choral music teacher: church... Show moreNorma (Sateren) Alumni Honors Norma Anderson has composed and published anthems for children's choirs, including 0 top-fise bestseller on Choristers Guild's I997 list. Name: Norma E. (Sateren) Anderson. BA. Eiinsh LITCS in Bloomington. Minn. Occupation: Retired choral music teacher: church musician Family: Married to Ray C. Anderson ('49). Sons: Keith and deceased son Reed (died in 1982 at age 29). Daughter: Beth. Five grandchildren. Honors/ Awards: Composed and published approximately 20 anthems for children's choirs. One of these, "The Road to Calvary." sold our 10,000 copies and was No. 5 on Cl'loristcrs Anderson Guild's I997 list of best-selling anthems for children's choirs. ' I , Continuity/Volunteer Activities: Directed PTA musicals: lay 77" “mg”; '1 '" youth adviser at Christ the King Lutheran Church most proud 0 r: in mg Wm, bundndjif What I appreciated the most about Augsburg is: The close, It a“ and n small-college atmosphere where professors and students made FOP '11 ,yo“ ‘5 lifelong friendships and where the motto "education for Eff; ifirlelm‘ service" was exemplified. [9" muff“, ." Favorite Augsburg memory: The opportunity to sing in a five- college choir. The biggest challenge I've had to face is: Balancing a career with family life, including a physically handicapped son. I learned the most about my personal life From: My parents. the Rev. and Mrs. LB. Sateren. life experiences and my husband. Ray To nominate a graduate 01 achievement for Alumni Honors, contact the Augsburg Alumni Office at 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454. Tel. (6I2) 330-1173 or (800) 260-6590. I 9 1 ' the Hinckley Public Schools in Art Scheunemann, Bellevue, Wash., is the president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County, Wash., a private non» profit business development consortium. He was recently recognized by business leaders, the governor and the Port of Seattle Commission for leading the effort to develop a comprehensive economic development vision and strategy for King County. I912 Jacqueline (Henry) Taylor, Englewood, Colo., is a commercial real estate administrator at Duffy Realty, Inc., in Denver. I914 Karen (Hayes) Brophy, Dallas, Texas, is a city attorney for the City of Carrollton. In June she presented a professional ethics paper entitled "Reconciling Personal Values and Professional Duties" to the Texas City Attorneys’ Association annual meeting. She also received the Tejas Award from the local Girl Scout Council for her volunteer service to girls and other adults in the Northwest Dallas area. She is married to Charles Brophy, a ‘73 graduate of Purdue University. George French, Crookston, Minn., was promoted to associate professor in May at the University of Minnesota Crookston, where he is also the director of music and theater. He joined the UMC faculty in 1980 and was promoted to the rank of assistant professor and granted tenure in 1986. Kathleen E. Tinseth, Edina, Minn., taught vocal and instrumental music for Minnesota; after 18 years, she resigned after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She writes: “I am doing okay with MS. I teach private music lessons, and I'm judging a music contest for the State High School League." In 1994, she established an annual scholarship for Augsburg seniors majoring in music education. LarryWalker ’74, New Hope, Minn., who writes under the name “Lars Walker,” has signed a three-book contract with Baen Books of Riverdale, N.Y., who published Walker's first novel, Erling’s Ward. Wolf Time, a fantasy novel set in a small Lutheran college in Minnesota in the let century, was published in June and is the first release under the new contract. Walker works in the home missions department of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations in Plymouth. I915 Barbara (Shirley) Steinhauser, Boulder, C010,, is pursuing an MFA in writing for children through Vermont College. Her husband, Jack, is president of a liquid pump manufacturing company. They have three children, ages 7, l0 and 12. I916 The Rev. David Halaas, River Falls, Wis., was recently promoted to manager of event sales at Augsburg Fortress in Minneapolis, and is responsible for events in the ELCA‘s 65 synods and at all church-wide events. Formerly, he served 13 years in parish ministry. Linda (Bergseth) Jarvis, Eden Prairie, Minn., is a part-time vocal music teacher for Hopkins Public Schools. In June she became full time music director at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church. an ELCA church in Plymouth. where she was previously a part-time organist] accompanist. ALUM NOTES 0 13 I911 Ruth (Underdahl) Peirce, Columbus, lnd., moved from Junction City. Kan, to Columbus in lune, where her husband. Richard, became head of staff/minister at First Presbyterian Church. She had been employed by the school district in Gcary County, and hosted AFS exchange students from Brazil and Germany and a teacher from China. She will travel to China to participate in the AFS China EducatorsNolunteers Program in Beijing, to study the country's educational system, culture and people. She and her husband have two children. I918 Steven J.Wehrenberg. St, Paul, has rejoined ad agency Campbell Mithun Esty as senior vice president of strategic development. I919 Dale Paschlte, Raleigh, NC, is a marketing communications manager at John Deere Company; his wife, Vicky (Bergh) ’79, is a leisure travel consultant at Cardinal Travel. Sharon Christensen, Billings, Mont.. recently resigned from IMPP after 17 years as a health educator/registered nurse and is enjoying time with her son Andy, age 6, and her daughter Molly, age 9. Sue (Lyback) Dahl, Wahkon, Minn., is the owner of Susi’s Norskehus, a Scandinavian gift shop, which will move to an historic depot building and be renamed The Nordic Station. She will also open a Nordic cultural center and serve as its executive director. She still keeps up her social work licensure and contracts part-time with local schools as a grant-writer. She is married to Roger and their family includes “four unique cats and one big baby of a German Shepherd named Hans." Marianne (Lundberg) Kulka, Bloomington, Minn., is vice president at Rada Advertising Inc., a national recruitment advertising agency, and is responsible for new business development and account services management for offices in Minneapolis Chicago and Phoenix. The Rev. Erling Jon Midthun, Rochester, Minn., is a chaplain at the Federal Medical Center. .\ medical referral center for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He has been involved in prison ministry since he graduated from Luther Seminary in 1987. Jim Rongstad, Woodbury. Minn., is a budget and accounting analyst for Ramsey County in St. Paul. He mm elected secretary of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota at the party's state convention in April. He and his wife. Theresa, have two children. daughter Lexi, 12, and son Matt. 9. Mary Beamish, La Crosse, Wis, is a copy editor for the la Crosse Tribune newspaper. [eslie (Quigley) Cornils. Plymouth. Minn., recently accepted a position with the institutional relations group at Lutheran Brotherhood in downtown Minneapolis, where she will work to establish and enhance LB‘s relationship with Lutheran institutions across the United States. She is married to Stephen, who serves at Mt. Olivet Lutheran in Minneapolis. Peter Stenshoel, Los Angelcs, Calif. was named resident sound designer for the award-winning Fountain Theatre in Hollywood. Rosanne (Hagen) Weirnan, Edina. Minn., is the vice president in production and development at Color Express in Minneapolis. She is "finally settled in Minnesota” after living on the East Coast for three years and has three children: Eric. 7; Samantha. 5: and Ben, 1. I983 Janet Paone, Moundsview. Minn., is an actress and currently a regular cast member of the long-running Hey City Theatre production, Tony and Tina’s Wedding. Two brothers, two awards from the Minnesota Environmental Initiative Augsburg alumni and brothers, Allan '75 and Lyndon Torstenson '78, each received an award in April at the Minnesota Environmental lnitiativc’s sixth annual award ceremonies for projects recognized as statewide environmental models. Out of the five awards presented, the Torstenson brothers received two: Allan in the category of Land Use and Community Development and Lyndon in Environmental Education. The Phalen Village Redevelopment Project. which resulted from Allan's work as a planner for the City of St. Paul, was selected as a winner because it "demonstrates efficient and well- planned land use, accounting for economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and community well being." The project has transformed an uninviting, automobile-oriented area into an attractive, pedestrian-friendly, ecologically minded urban village. The initiative also recognized a coalition called the WaterShed Partners, which is convened and facilitated by Lyndon, an education specialist for the National Park Service. In an effort to educate the public about how everyday behaviors on land affect water quality, the coalition has produced exhibits and undertaken Brothers Lyndon (left) and Allan (right) Torstenson share enjoyable moments at the ceremony where both received awards for their environmental projects. media and educational campaigns that together have reached over one million people. For the Torstcnson brothers. the roots of ecological consciousness run deep. “Stewardship is something we learned at home," says Lyndon. "But it also has roots in our Norwegian heritage, our Lutheran heritage and our Augsburg community." FALL 1999 AUGSBURG NOW Show less
Irv. (Above) President William Frame (left) welcomed The Reverend Craig Lewrs (right), senior minister at Central Lutheran Church In Minneapolis, to Augsburg to give the invocation at the Commencement Ceremony. (Right) The spring ‘-‘.’lFldS blew as the more than 300 graduates marched lrorn Foss... Show moreIrv. (Above) President William Frame (left) welcomed The Reverend Craig Lewrs (right), senior minister at Central Lutheran Church In Minneapolis, to Augsburg to give the invocation at the Commencement Ceremony. (Right) The spring ‘-‘.’lFldS blew as the more than 300 graduates marched lrorn Foss Center to the ceremony at Melby Hall. Photos by Linda Cullen Trena Bolden is the first recipient of the Linda Alberg Leadership Award Augsburg senior Trena Bolden, a theatre arts and mass communication major from Crystal, Minn., is the first recipient of the Linda Schrempp Alberg Leadership Award. Bolden is co-chair of the Pan-Afrikan Student Union and was named this year’s Ms. Pan~Afrikan, for which she will represent the Pan—Afrikan Student Leadership Conference held annually in Mankato. She is an active member of the United Deliverance Temple where she sings in the choir and teaches Sunday School for ages 9-11. She has also performed with the Penumbra Theatre, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater and in three Augsburg productions: Antigone, The Ties That Bind and In Vino Veritas. Her future plans are to act in feature films and TV sitcoms. The award was established by the family. colleagues, alumni and friends of Linda Alberg in recognition of her outstanding commitment and exemplary leadership in the field of student affairs. Alberg served the College for 19 years, beginning as director of residence life and becoming associate dean of student affairs. She Trena Bolden died in June 1996 at the age of 44. The endowed leadership Award is given annually to an undergraduate student who reflects the qualities of leadership and commitment to the enhancement of college life that distinguished Alberg's professional career. Candidates for the award are nominated by Augsburg students, faculty and staff, and are selected by a student affairs leadership team. COMMENCEMENT 7999 0 9 it- ‘I) tam“ mm .21! run. Lira".r k i -. ‘.‘» iilJl‘M . tidal .rxir‘t ’rrr rrr .r rims li'l lll< ir l‘l.i . ir i‘ 'lit in: t v m I'rr.‘ I“lil l ".n r “it iris i‘lk‘llklill Iron! Hawaii in, lm lamilt Seniors choose honored faculty and staff The 1999 graduating class chose the following faculty and staff members (one from each division) to honor and represent them at the Commencement ceremony: Ronald L. Fedie, assistant professor of chemistry, Division of Natural Science and Mathematics. Peter A. Hendrickson ‘76, assistant professor of music. director of choral activities. Division of Professional Studies. Nancy K. Steblay, professor of psychology. Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Mark D. Tranvik, assistant professor of religion, Division of Humanities. Peggy Cerrito, assistant director, Academic Skills Center and Stchl’ Program. The honored faculty and staff are chosen for academic excellence and skill in teaching, for guidance and assistance to students in personal advancement outside the classroom environment and for being an ambassador for and contributor to the values and ideals of Augsburg. Pan-Asian students receive awards The Pan-Asian Student Services program recognized nearly 50 Pan-Asian students for academic excellence and achievement at the College's first Pan-Asian Student Services Recognition Awards Banquet last spring. Twenty—three Pan-Asian students with grade point averages of 3.50 and higher received the Academic Excellence award and 25 students with grade point averages between 3.00 and 3.49 received the Academic Achievement award. Three special awards were also given: the Community Service Achievement Award, to Jun Iian; the Leadership Award to Tanya Frieler and Chiho Okuizumi; and the Special Distinction Award to Mary Xiaojia Li. FALL 1999 AUGSBURG NOW Show less
6 0 DEVELOPMENT NEWS Kraus-Anderson endows American Indian Scholarship Kraus-Anderson Construction Company has pledged $100,000 to help endow an American Indian Scholarship. In August, Bill laeger, president emeritus of Kraus-Anderson Construction Company and Bruce Engelsma, chairman of Kraus... Show more6 0 DEVELOPMENT NEWS Kraus-Anderson endows American Indian Scholarship Kraus-Anderson Construction Company has pledged $100,000 to help endow an American Indian Scholarship. In August, Bill laeger, president emeritus of Kraus-Anderson Construction Company and Bruce Engelsma, chairman of Kraus-Anderson Companies, Inc., visited campus to meet with President Frame and Cindy Peterson. director of the American Indian Student Services Program. Kraus-Anderson‘s gift. one of the founding gifts for the scholarship. brings the total amount of endowed scholarship money for American Indian students at Augsburg to approximately $600,000. The American Indian Scholarship is awarded annually to American Indian students of any class or major, based upon academic performance and financial need. This fall, over 40 American Indian students are enrolled at Augsburg. Last spring and summer, 15 American Indian students graduated, including three from master’s degree programs and one in the physician assistant program. Kraus-Anderson pledges $100,000 for American Indian Scholarships at a meeting on campus. (L to R) Bill Iaeger, Kraus« Anderson Construction president emeritus; Bruce Engelsma, Kraus- Anderson Companies, Inc. chairman,- President Frame; and Cindy Peterson, director ol the American Indian Student Services Program. Looking back to the 1937 Alumni Bulletin... Supporting Augsburg — words of advice, 60 years later The first issue of the Augsburg Alumni Bulletin (this publication's predecessor) was published in the beginning of the 1937-38 academic year. It announced a new Eight-Point Program to build recognition. establish a plan for recruiting students and assist in raising funds for Sverdrup-Ofiedal Memorial Hall, the new men's dormitory. Abner Batalden '35 was named part- time executive secretary to promote the A thank-you reception for donors Regent Ruth Johnson ’74 (left) and Anne Frame (right) enjoy a beautiful summer evening at Augsburg House. Nearly 250 donors to the College were thanked by President Frame and Allen Housh, chair of Eight-Point Program and help the Memorial Hall project. In that issue, Alumni Association president Rev. Clarence I. Carlsen wrote to all alumni: “Of course, our executive secretary hopes to contact personally as many of our alumni as possible. When he does so, accept his visit and receive him joyfully. After all, this is an opportunity for rendering a common service. He is our representative. 1997 graduates mark their time at Augsburg Augsburg has a new clock “tower,” thanks to gifts from the Class of I997. At the beginning of September, a clock was installed on the information kiosk in the Quad, just in front of Christensen Center. The copper roof over the clock was designed and constructed by Phil Thompson, professor emeritus of art. The structure housing the clock was built and installed by Augsburg‘s carpenter, Dave Mcly. The class of I997 reinitiated the tradition of senior giving after a hiatus of several years. “Help him to say as he leaves your home or your office: ‘Thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul.’ He will need such strength, as the building of a $125,000 building in these days will be no small task. It will require real effort on our part. It will lift us to higher levels of sacrifice and spirituality. but will also return to us a greater measure of the joy of accomplishment that we have known for some time." Honoring the legacy of Einar Johnson the regents’ development committee, for their support to Augsburg. An ice cream social at Augsburg House in September celebrated the life and legacy of Einar 0. Iohnson, professor emeritus of education, who died in May (see obituary on p. 15). An endowed scholarship has been established to honor his memory. (L to R) Johnson’s widow, Mimi, professor emerita of modern languages, chats with Margaret Anderson, professor emerita and former librarian, and Distinguished Alumna Bessye Hughes ‘71. REACHING THE GOAL. AUGSBURG 2000 Coal: $20 million by Dec. 2000 $10 Mnnos AUGSBURG FUND‘ 52,000,000 51,750,000 31.500000 $1,250,000 $1,000,000 $750,000 $500,000 $250,000 97ml 'ineluded in the Augsburg 2000 teal pm. Is 1mm Augsburg 2000 current totals Augsburg Pride in Place and Purpose has reached a total of 37.6 million as of September 15. The fundralslng prolect is working to raise $20 million to secure financial support that will insure a quality education for thousands of thoughtful and dedicated students. If you would like Information about the Augsburg 2000 project, call the Office of Institutional Advancement at (612) 330-1613 or (800) 273-0617. Visit the Supporting Augsburg Web page at . Over $ 13,000 received in matching gifts In the second quarter of 1999, the College received $10,600 from Lutheran Brotherhood's IMPACT program, which matched 135 gifts from LB members. A total of $2,730 was also received for the same time period from the Member Gift-Matching Program of Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL). Both organizations match annual gifts of $25 to $100 from their members to Lutheran colleges and universities. For information or matching gift forms, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement, (612) 330-1613 or (800) 273-0617. AUGSBURG NOW MINNEAPOLIS, MN Show less
14 0 ALUM NOTES I984 Diane (Reule) Brandsrud, Huron, S.D., a medical/surgical staff nurse at Huron Regional Medical Center, graduated last spring from Huron University with an ASN and is pursuing a BSN degree. Her husband, Steven '83, is senior pastor at American Lutheran Church. Valerie ... Show more14 0 ALUM NOTES I984 Diane (Reule) Brandsrud, Huron, S.D., a medical/surgical staff nurse at Huron Regional Medical Center, graduated last spring from Huron University with an ASN and is pursuing a BSN degree. Her husband, Steven '83, is senior pastor at American Lutheran Church. Valerie (Erlanson) Lovsness, Cottonwood, Minn., married Kirk Lovsness in 1993. She is a homemaker and Kirk is owner of Insurance Service Agency in Cottonwood. They have two children, Andrew, 4, and Molly, 2. Robert Olson was transferred to the American Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he is the information management officer. Joanna (Niemi) Regnier, Duluth, Minn., was recently appointed the new head of Summit School. Her family also recently moved into a new home. Tom Terpening, Minneapolis. works for Winslow Printing, where he plans, organizes and sells printing for national clients such as P.E.T.A., the Sierra Club, the Human Rights Campaign and more. Paul Thompson, North St. Paul, is a partner in the Minneapolis law firm Kalina, Woods 8r Thompson. I986 Jon S. Thorson, N.Y., is a medical research doctor and heads the biosynthetic chemistry lab at Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center in New York City. He leads a seven»member research team, which is currently exploring a possible cancer treatment related to calicheamicin, an antitumor drug naturally produced by a bacterium found in caliche (a chalky substance found in desert soils in the Southwest). 1981 Jim Genia, Onamia. Minn., is an associate at Lockridge Grindal Nauen, a Minneapolis law firm. He was previously solicitor general for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians. Doug Baretz, Franklin, Wis., and his wife, Amy (Hyland) ’87, own six Dominos Pizza stores. Doug was recently named franchisee of the year in Wisconsin for the second consecutive year. They have two children, Lance, 6, and Nicole, 3. Troy A. Amundsen, a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, recently completed a six— month deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian oceans and the Arabian Gulf. where he participated in two high-profile operations, Operation Southern Watch and Operation Desert Fox. Tommi-Riva Numbala, Khomasdal, Namibia, has returned to her home country, Namibia, where she is married and has three children and one grandchild. She is working as a personal advisor to the CEO of Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater). Sue (Gehrke) Jasenovsky, Menominee,. Wis., recently relocated back to Menominee to take over the family business, the local Manpower, Inc., Office. Robert Manning, Apple Valley, Minn., is an aircrew training instructor for Northwest Airlines. Adam Olson, Minneapolis, married Christy Schreck of Sommerville, N.J., in February; they moved into a new house in July. He also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last August. Nan (Reese) Rivers, Minneapolis, completed her doctorate in clinical psychology in July; she is a full time clinical psychologist at Anoka Regional Treatment Center and will teach a psychology course at Augsburg in February. She and her husband, Bruce ’91, have a son, Michael, age 2. Ronda Steller, Minneapolis, bought a house last June and is enrolled in Augsburg’s PA Program. Heidi Anderson, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, earned her Ph.D. in electrical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and moved to Cleveland to design light bulbs at General Electric. Stacey Christopherson, LaCrosse, Wis., is a buyer assistant at Fleming Companies, 3 distribution company. Michael Haukaas, Minneapolis, is a full time graduate research assistant for the chemistry department at the University of Minnesota and is nearing completion of his Ph.D. His work was recently published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry. Susan Lettmann, Edina, Minn., is a therapist for the Storefront Youth Action. I994 Kari (Schroeder) Prescott, Farmington Hills, Mich., graduated from medical school in June and started her residency at Botsford General Hospital in July. Noya J. Woodrich, Minneapolis, is associate executive director of the Division of Indian Work. She was recently awarded a one-year Leadership Initiatives in Neighborhoods grant from the St. Paul Companies. She will use her grant to research her heritage in Alaska and to travel to interview women leaders and explore the tradition of female leadership in American Indian and other indigenous communities. Alumni Honors Reuben Ness spent 42 years in education as a devoted teacher, principal and superintendent. Reuben Ness “17:: arromplisbmmt I’m mos! proud of is 1/7: quality if ll): stqfi‘ a! ll): srbooLs I :rrvtd (and my boll-in-ont in golf—9." The biggest challenge I've had to face is: Providing adequate funds and qualified teachers during the war years. I learned the most about my professional life from: Theodore Hinderaket (superintendant of schools in Hendricks, I learned the most about my personal life from: My father To nominate a graduate of achievement tor Alumni Honors, contact the Augsburg Alumni Office at 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454. Tel. (612) 330-1178 or (800) 260-6590. Name: Reuben Ness, B.S., chemistry ('31). Lives in Bloomington. Minn. Occupation: Retired; spent 42 years in education as a teacher, principal and superintendent Family: Married to Lenore; they have three daughters Honors/ Awards: Honorary plaques from the Lions Club, Board of Education, County Historical Society and the Bicentennial Committee. Community /Volunteer Activities: County Planning Commission, County Welfare Board, chairman of district and regional high school leagues: Boy Scout Master; church board, Sunday School and church choir. Favorite Augsburg memory: Athletics — state champions in football, basketball and hockey What I appreciated most about Augsburg is: Dedicated professors and quality friends Daniel C. Hill, Apple Valley, Minn., has been working as a Y2K project leader for almost two years on the systems at GE Capital Fleet Services for North America as well as helping with efforts in Europe and Japan. Lisa Dietz, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., celebrated the July release of her book, What Every Business Needs to Know About SAP, published by Prima-Tech, a division of Prima Publishing in Indianapolis. David J. Drolson, Forest Lake, Minn., is a finanical advisor for American Express Financial Advisors. His basketball team, the Corporate Raiders, participated in the Class C Men's State Tournament, and included former Auggies Bob Dayton ’90 and Tac Coplin ’91. Mark Cadham, Brooklyn Park, Minn., graduated in May from the Hamline University School of Law Kristine Kayser, Backus, Minn., is a social worker at Whispering Pines. Deborah (Reading) Hicks, Plymouth, Minn., is a hospice community representative for Healthspan Hospice in Roseville. Luke Malloy, Plymouth, Minn., is a global compensation specialist for Anderson Consulting and recently received a Master of Arts in human resources and industrial relations from the University of Minnesota. Timothy Neil, Ridgefield, Conn., joined Revlon last year as a database manager. He moved back east a couple years ago for the “longer winters and more chance to spend summer days on Block Island." Jenny Ose, Evans, Ga., is a product specialist at the John Deere Company. She was recently transferred to Augusta and will be working on the 4000 series tractors. Gordon Flanders, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., is a product development manager at Imation in Oakdale. He received his MBA in April from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota. Jason M. Hanson, Blaine, Minn., is a photojournalist for KSTP-TV in Minneapolis and was the second-place runner-up in the National Press Photographers Association’s regional photographer of the year competition last year. He placed third in the feature news category at the NPPA international workshop and conference in March. He married Janine Barrett last September. Elizabeth M. (Jones) Newton, Durham, N.C., is a family care manager for Healthy Families Durham. She married Adam F. Newton July, 1997. Theodore (Ted) C. Shogren, Minneapolis, is the owner of Roma Coffeehouse in Robbinsdale, which he opened last April. He still works part- time with the American Intercultural Student Exchange as a counselor for high school students. Katie B. (Gerwing) Stokes, St. Michael, Minn., married Lonnie Stokes in May. She works in the human resources department of Universal International in New Hope and is studying corporate/employment law at William Mitchell College of Law. I991 Stacy (Maxwell) Cremers, Maple Grove, Minn., a media coordinator/analyst for Select Comfort, Inc., was married last November. Aaron Jacob Cross, St. Cloud, Minn., is a professional public speaker and owner of his own company, Motivation on Wheels Professional Public Speaking. He is also trying out for the 2000 Paralympic Games to be held in Sydney, Australia. Jennifer (Polis) Debe, Minneapolis, was married last August. She is a high school health and physical education teacher in Forest Lake. Lars Dyrud and Mocha Holrngren ’97, Allston, Mass., were married in June. They both attend graduate school in Boston, where Lars is obtaining his Ph.D. in space and astro physics and Mocha is obtaining her Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Elizabeth Judge, Des Moines, Iowa, is in the physician's assistant program at the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines. Natasha Hamann, St. Paul, was accepted into the University of Minnesota’s School of Medicine and began her studies this falL Wendy N. Hoekstra, Spicer, Minn., is a Title 1 teacher at Lake Ripley Elementary in Litchfield. Erik K. Johnson landed a role in a major motion picture produced by FOX called Here on Earth, which began filming in Minnesota this summer and is scheduled for release early next summer. AUGSBURG NOW MINNEAPOLIS, MN Show less
Augsburg Events CALENDAR 0 7 for Alumni and Friends — Fall 1999 Theatre Oct. 23 my lehr, director/actress 11:45 am.—1:3O p.m.— Tjornhom-Nelson Theatre For information: FineArts Hotline at (612) 330-1448 Nov. 5 Opening night of Summer and Smoke by Tennessee Williams Performances: Nov. 56, 11-13 at... Show moreAugsburg Events CALENDAR 0 7 for Alumni and Friends — Fall 1999 Theatre Oct. 23 my lehr, director/actress 11:45 am.—1:3O p.m.— Tjornhom-Nelson Theatre For information: FineArts Hotline at (612) 330-1448 Nov. 5 Opening night of Summer and Smoke by Tennessee Williams Performances: Nov. 56, 11-13 at 7pm Nov. 7" and 14 at 2 pm. Tjomhom-Nelson Theatre Foss Center. Tickets: 56 general public; 55 ACT C faculty, staff and students; Augsburg students free. Contact Theatre Box Office. (612) 330-1257. " A special reception for alumni and parents will be hosted by the speech/communication and theatre arts faculty and the Alumni Assoointian. Contact (612) 330-1 178 for details. Nov. 9 Artistic Concepts, Summer and Smoke Julie Bolton, director; Michael Burden, set designer; and Sandra Schulte, costume designer 9:30—1 1:15 a.m.——Tjornhom-Nelson Theatre Contact: Fine Arts Hotline, (612) 330-1448 Nov. 1 1 Asian American Theatre Rick Shiomi, artistic director. Theater Mu 1:30—3 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson Theatre Contact: Fine Ans Hotline, (612) 330—1448 Nov. 17 Discussion, issues of Casting Twin Cities theatre professionals 5:30—7 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson Theatre Contact: Fine Arts Hotline, (612) 330-1448 For more information on any of these events, call (612) 330-1265. Nov. 7 Masterworks Chorale of Augsburg College "All«American” concert 7 p.m.— Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center Tickets: $10 general. 58 students/seniors, Augsburg community free. Nov. 14 Gospel Praise 8 and 10:15 am.—St. John Lutheran Church, Belle Plaine, Minn. Nov. 16 Augsburg College Concert Band 7 p.m.—Central Lutheran Church, 333 South 12th St.. Minneapolis Nov. 23 Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Music 7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center Doc. 3 and 4 Augsburg College 201h Annual Advent Vespers, 'Prepore the Way” Fri.. 6 8r 9 pro—Central Lutheran Church Sat, 5 8r 8 p.m.—Central Lutheran Church 333 S. 12th Street. Minneapolis Tickets (seating envelopes) are required and a free will offering collected. For seating envelopes, call (612) 33-1265. Dec.5 Faculty Recital—Angela Wyatt, saxophone, and Susan Garrelts, piano 4 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium. Music Hall Wyatt and Garrelts will present a world premiere sonata for saxophone and piano by American composer Gunther Schuller. Dec. 10 and II Concert—Marty Haugen, benefitforiheCenterfor Global Education 7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel. Foss Center Tickets: $15 in advance: $17.50 at the door: 550 for patron seating Contact: Center for Global Education. (612) 330-1159 A silent auction will offer a selection of unique holiday gifts. Exhibits Nov. 5-Dec. 16 Three Minnesota Printmakers An exhibit of various printmaking styles by Jodi Reeb-Myers, Faye Passow and Jeff Rathermel Alumni Gallery, Christensen Center Opening reception, Nov. 5, 6—9 pm. Nov. 5-Dec. 16 Postcards—An Exhibition of Sketchings, James Boyd-Brent Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library Opening reception, Nov. 5, 6—9 p.m. Seminars, lectures and Films 0:1.29 “Reclaiming the Soul of Medicine—A practical approach to spirituality and patient care” 8:15 am.—4:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center Cost for luncheon: $25; for reservations, (612) 330-1628; to register for entire day, contact Dennice Gooley, (612) 330- 1406. This conference will motivate health care professionals to look within and beyond today’s focus on cost-containment and drug fonnularies to find vitality, spiritual depth and meaning in their worlc Keynote speakers are Eric Cassell, MD, a retired clinical professor of public health at Cornell University Medical College; Kenneth Bakken, D.0., Dr. RH., a nationally- known and respected physician, theologian. international public health scientist and health care consultant; and Paul Mueller ’84, MD, instructor of medicine. Mayo Medical School. Theatre season to feature Drawing on the magic of “summer” and “night,” the 1999-2000 theatre arts season offers a feast for audiences as well as a variety of learning and performance experiences for Augsburg College students. Plays chosen for the season represent three well- loved genres and playwrights: the American realism of Tennessee Williams, Elizabethan England of Shakespeare and an American musical by Stephen Sondheim. in the fall, the theatre arts program presents Tennessee VWlliams’ Summer and Smoke, the story of a woman, a man and the struggle to balance their spiritual and sexual natures. in the winter, one of Shakespeare‘s most well- loved plays, the romantic comedy A Midsummer Nov. 9 'Building a Balanced life Portfolio' John Busacker. director of business development. The lnventure Group 3:30 tapas and conversation: 6:15 p.m.. presentation. Q&.\: 7:30 p.m.. dessert and coffee Minneapolis Room. Christensen Center Contact: Annette Roth. (612) 350-1178 or ($00) 260-6500. See article. p. 11 Nov. 10 Mini~convocotion Professors Bob Stacke and loan Griffin discuss their lunr "11‘ to lreland and share thoughts about the upcoming Peace i‘nrc Forum at St. Olaf College on February 18- 1 °. 1000 10:15—11 a.m.——H0\'erstcn Chapel. Foss Center Contact: Deb Huttcrct. (oil) 3304037 Dec. 2 Putling It All Together: An Interactive Discussion John Busackcr, director of business development. The lnventure Group Philip Styrlund '79. Vice President—Sales. ADC Telecommunications 5:30 p.m.. tapas and conversation: 6:15 pm. presentation. Q&A; 7:30 p.m.. dessert and coffee Minneapolis Room. Christensen Center Contact: Annette Roth. (612) 330-1178 or (800) 260-6590. See article. p. 11. Other Events Nov. 6 Pan-Afrikan dinner, fashion show and dance 6 p.m.—East Commons, Christensen Center. Nov. 8 Parents Night Banquet TBA—East Commons, Christensen Center Contact: Alumni/Parent Relations Office. (612) 330-1178 or (800) 260-6590 Nov. 13 Honors Discovery Contact: Office of Undergraduate Admissions, (612) 3304001 or (800) 788-5678 Dec. 3 Velkommen Jul 11 a.m.—3 p.m.—Christensen Center . The Augsburg Associates welcome the Christmas season with traditional Scandinavian foods. costumes, music and hand- crafted goods for sale in Christensen Center. Preceded by Christmas Chapel at 10:20 aim. in Hoversten Chapel. Foss Center. three well-known plays Night’s Dream captures the imagination of the audience with its world of moonlit woods, fairy enchantment and amusing human folly. Performance dates are Feb. 4—13. The final play of the season, A Little Night Music, Is set in turn-of-the-century Sweden. Strongly influenced by Ingmar Bergman’s Smiles ofa Summer Night, this sweetly sad and humorous musical follows the desires of several couples, centering around Frederick Egerman and his 18- year-old bride, his former mistress and various rivals. Performance dates are Apr. 28-May 7. All performances take place in the Tlomhom- Nelson Theatre, Foss Center. For information, call the Fine Arts Hotline at (612) 330-1448. FALL 1999 AUGSBURG NOW Show less
12 0 ALUM NOTES I940 Margaret (Chrislock) Gilseth, St. Charles, Minn., wrote a book entitled Home on Kilimanjaro, which was published last October. I942 The Rev. Merton Strommen, Minneapolis, had two books published: The Innovative Church: Seven Steps to Positiye Change in Your Congregation ... Show more12 0 ALUM NOTES I940 Margaret (Chrislock) Gilseth, St. Charles, Minn., wrote a book entitled Home on Kilimanjaro, which was published last October. I942 The Rev. Merton Strommen, Minneapolis, had two books published: The Innovative Church: Seven Steps to Positiye Change in Your Congregation (Augsburg Fortress, 1998); and It’s About Faith: Through a Youth and Family Ministry (co-authored with Dick Hardel, St. Mary’s Press, 1999). I945 Doris (Dorrie Larson) K. Walen, Alamo, ND. and her husband, David, are still farming in North Dakota. The Rev. John W. Steen, Maple Grove, Minn., is a retired Lutheran pastor. He recently attended a special 50th ordination anniversary celebration for his class of six from Augsburg Seminary. The other five students in his class included Merle Erickson and Kenneth Rusdahl (both deceased), Amos Dyrud, Waldemar Framstad and Emil Martinson. I947 Charles P. Foley, Minneapolis, is a tax and small business accountant and works from his home office. He has several grandchildren: his twin grandsons attend Champlin Park High School; one of his granddaughters is in the Marine Corps; his other three granddaughters are in school or graduated; and his youngest grandson attends the new Whittier school. I949 Helen Haukeness, New York, N.Y., received a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts in Creative Nonfiction for the book she is writing about her recent experiences in the Arctic — mostly in the Norwegian Arctic, but also in Russia and Canada. She has also published travel essays in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune and other publications. She is married to Dr. James Ranck. Andy Balerud, Visalia, Calif, is a financial development consultant for the foundations at Visalia School, St. Agnes Hospital and Tulare County Library. He and his wife, Barbara (Kolden) ’50, celebrated their SOth wedding anniversary in June. They travel four months of every year in their trailer. Richard L Braun, Bloomington, Minn., retired after almost 12 years as a fire marshal for the State of Minnesota and 28 years as a fire marshal for the City of Bloomington. He has been married 51 years and is the proud grandfather of 14 grandchildren. The Rev. Quentin G. Quanbeck, Sioux Falls, S.D., is enjoying his retirement with his wife, Lucille. He was an ELCA Lutheran pastor. I952 x. (L to R)Elmer ’52 and Beverly (Hanson ’52) Hanson, Elk Mound, Wis.; Len '52 and Anabelle (Hanson ’51) Dalberg, Buellton, Calif; and Herbert ’51 and Joyce (Tallman ’52) Hanson, New Richmond, Wis. I953 Alice Jacobsen, Sun City, Ariz., is retired and loving it! The Rev. Duane Westfield, Salem, Mass., is a professor of religion and philosophy at Endicott College, where he recently delivered a paper at the college’s “Philosophy in Sport” symposium. A chaplain and retired military colonel, he co-chaired the first-ever reunion of Finnish and Finnish-American war veterans at Finnfest ’98. He is recovering from successful surgery for prostate cancer. The Rev. Hans G. Dumpys, Oak Park, 111., was re—elected for a third four-year term as bishop in the Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church at the Synod Assembly in May. Last July he participated in the international seminar on ecumenical spirituality at the Lutheran World Federation Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg, France. Robert Gjengdahl, Minnetonka, Minn., formed Valu Rite Real Estate Services LLC in January, a company located in Hopkins. Bob Lockwood, Minnetonka, Minn., and his wife, Mary (Erickson), celebrated their dual retirements from teaching this spring by traveling to Hawaii, Arizona and Texas. Bob was a math teacher and coach for the Hopkins School District no. 270, and Mary was a second-grade teacher for the Minneapolis School District no. 1. Stanley Ludviksen, La Grande, Ore., is retired. On Easter Sunday he and his wife, Gailya, celebrated the baptism of granddaughter, Hannah (daughter of their son Peter and his wife Sara), at the United Methodist Church in Marion, Mich. Mark Thorpe, Ballwin, Mo., is retired from McDonnell Douglas/Boeing, where he was a chief design engineer. I957 Gil Graus, St. Petersburg, Fla., and his wife, Shirley (Mulen) ’56, are both retired. They have six children and four grandchildren and enjoy serving Christ and visiting their friends and family in Minnesota, Colorado, Alaska, Washington and Arizona. Steve Hellerud, Owatonna, Minn., is a senior programmer analyst at Federated Insurance and has been married to his wife, Teresa, for almost two years. Alumni Honors Che Dev. Alton and Margretta Knutson have dedicated more than 33 years to missionary work in Japan, Kenya and Mexico. Sue Rev. Alton and Margretta Knutson "The biggest thallmgc we‘ve had (afar: is living overseas in japan (1951—84) and Kmya (1989-90); and opening a Christian church in Yaizu City, japan, when there bad mu been a {hurt}: More." other To nominate a graduate of achlevement for Alumni Honors, contact the Augsburg Alumni Office at 2211 Riverside Ave.. Minneapolis, MN 55454. Tel. (612) 330-1178 or (800) 2606590. Names: The Reverend Alton T. Knutson, B.A.. ('48) and Margretta A. (Ramaley) Knutson, ('49). They live in Forest Lake, Minn. Occupations: Alton is a retired ELCA pastor; Margretta is a retired nurse Family: Four children: Judith. Stephen, Ann and Betty Community/Volunteer Activities: Missionary work in Kenya and Mexico through the World Mission Prayer League; peer counselors for Washington County, Minn; and members of their church Mission Awarenss Committee. Alton was a chaplain for two China-Burma- India vererans' associau'ons and is president of the local branch of the Aid Association for Lutherans. Favorite Augsburg memories: Abori- "Living in the converted Army barracks on 2325 Riverside." Magma: "Greek class English class living in student housing." The accomplishmenm we’re most proud of is: Alton- "That I was privileged to spend 33 years in Japan as a pastor of the gospel of Jesus Chitst and 15 years post- retirement in similar wad: — mostly volunteer. " Margret“; “Persevering our wonderful children promoting mission concern in our churd't." IleamedtbemoscaboutmypersonallifefionuEach The Rev. Len Dalberg, Buellton, Calif, is a retired ELCA pastor. He was recently elected president of the Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Club, and he and his wife, Anabelle (Hanson) ’5], attended the Rotary International Convention in Singapore in June. The Rev. Hubert (Hub) J. Nelson, Minneapolis, is senior pastor at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Hopkins, Minn. He received a M.T.h. in homiletics in 1998 from the Princeton Theological Seminary. Dwight W. Sorheirn, Howard, S.D., is retired and is involved in the Bahai faith. I960 The Rev. Dr. Ralph A. Kempski, Indianapolis, Ind., recently retired as ELCA bishop of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod and became a regional representative for the ELCA's Board of Pensions. He and his wife, Mary, have three children and seven grandchildren. Jim DeMars, Columbia Heights, Minn., works for Farmers Insurance and is contemplating retirement. He and his wife, Susan, celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary in August. They have three children: Julie, 36, graduate of Concordia College-Moorhead; Jon, 32, graduate of Hamline University; and Jason, 21, current student at Bethel College. I962 Elaine (Pedersen) Gunderson, Calmar, Iowa, is an adjunct professor at Northeast Iowa Community College and earned an Ed.D. from the University of Minnesota last May. Her husband, Paul ’62, serves the Calmar-Springfield Lutheran parish. The Rev. Dean E. Larson, Williston, ND, became a pastor at First Lutheran Church in May. He formerly served the First Lutheran Church in Morris, Minn. His wife, Barbara (Beglinger) ’63, is completing 11 years as a vocal music instructor at the University of Minnesota-Morris. I964 Sharon (Swanson) Knutson, Ada, Minn., is an extension educator for the Norman County Extension Service and participates on the University of Minnesota Extension Service development team, which created “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate? The Transfer of Personal Property." The curriculum is used nationally and has received recognition from both the National Extension Assn. of Family Consumer Science and Epsilon Sigma Phi. They have also received several Minnesota awards for program and team work. The Rev. Dr. John K. Luorna, Stow, Ohio, serves the congregation of St. Stephen Lutheran Church and was recently elected to serve on the board of directors of Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus. Robert Tyson, Murphysboro, 111., recently retired from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. He is active in community theater and also performs barbershop, jazz and gospel music throughout southern Illinois with the Robins Quartet. Patricia (Buckman) Erickson, Bloomington, 111., is a tutor and counselor for the Department of Special Education and works from her home. She has two children and two grandchildren. Her husband, Joel, is a doctor of ministry at Resurrection Lutheran Church. Lars A. Sandven, Boise, Idaho, is working at Meridian Middle School in Meridian. This is his 23rd year working in education, 12 of which have been employed as a counselor. He just completed a half-hour Scandinavian Society promo for public access TV; this summer his family enjoyed a coastal cruise in Norway. Lawrence (Larry) Turner, Keller, Texas, is a senior systems engineer for Burlington Northern Sante Fe and manages the mainframe system software. He recently moved to Fort Worth as a result of the merger between Burlington Northern and Sante Fe railroads. AUGSBURG NOW MINNEAPOLIS, MN Show less
8 0 CAMPUS NEWS Keeping Augsburg Beautiful, continued from page 1 Commons eating lunch with them, and they were over- looking the Quad, remarking how absolutely beautiful everything was,” she says. Each season at Augsburg brings its own unique challenges for Rowe and his crew. “Spring is by far... Show more8 0 CAMPUS NEWS Keeping Augsburg Beautiful, continued from page 1 Commons eating lunch with them, and they were over- looking the Quad, remarking how absolutely beautiful everything was,” she says. Each season at Augsburg brings its own unique challenges for Rowe and his crew. “Spring is by far the most stressful and biggest time of the year,” says Rowe. Spring means Commencement, and with it his annual weekend planting marathon. “It‘s not uncommon for Bruce to work an 18-hour day, even though overtime is not mandatory," says Rob Curtis, Augsburg‘s facilities and grounds manager. “For example, every spring he gets all the flowerbeds planted in one weekend. which amounts to an 80-to is B R U c E ‘lvoii‘hour work [ R ow E] TA K E s ‘ A PERSONAL Andmdle Winter,hesaguy INTEREST IN whoiucomein HIS WORK. IT‘S attwoorthree NOT JUST A m‘hemmnmg andstayuntil JOB OR ABOUT Moordueethe MONEY —" nextmorningto AUGSBURG Is finishsnow H's YARD» removal,” Curtis destined to follow his father’s path into landscaping. “Students are marvelous," says Rowe. “They are the most wonderful people to work with, they‘re so enthusiastic and inspiring. If I can get them in their first year [at Augsburg], they usually end up working for me all four years." Born and raised in Vadnais Heights, Minn., Rowe began his landscaping career at a tree farm, where he worked from age 13 straight through to his high school graduation. When he came to Augsburg 16 years ago after gaining additional experience at other landscaping jobs, he worked hard to use his creative skills and imagination to improve the campus. His wife, Cyndy, is also on the Augsburg staff as a residence life assistant. Commencem (Above) Flowers and balloons added to the celebration after the Commencement Ceremony. says. “If you can ROB CURTIS, make your way FACILITIES AND through town to GROUNDS MANAGER campus, you can relax once you get here, because the snow and ice is gone." “All you need to do is just look around and Bruce’s credentials are right there,” says Curtis. “He adds new [elements] every year, for example the “A” was his idea as well as the year spelled out in flowers next to Si Melby.“ (Above left) Charity Thunder, an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, represented the Master of Arts in Leadership students with remarks during the Commencement Ceremony. (Left) Judge Iohn Tunheim and his wife, Kathy, chair of Augsburg’s Board of Regents, spoke to the graduating class about lives and careers of Rowe sometimes gets ideas by checking R ' ‘ t h uldn’t owe 15 quk to say ma e wo be out other campuses and talkin' g to their able to do his job without the assistance of his student crew. During the summer. his crew averages nine students; during the academic year it increases to 12. His son Cameron, a 20—year-old computer science major at Augsburg, is a current crew member. His other son, 19-year-old Dustin, is a former worker now employed at Minnehaha Falls Nursery who seems groundskeepers. “My biggest wish for the campus is [the construction of] a beautiful main entrance to Augsburg — one that says, without a doubt, that you are now at Augsburg College.” “Bruce takes a personal interest in his work,“ says Curtis. “it’s not just a job or about money — Augsburg is HIS yard.” Grooming a career at Augsburg By Lynn Mena Augsburg alum Tracy Tomforde '92 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health, but it was her four years on groundskeeper Bruce Rowe's student crew that seems to have influenced her career path. "Working for Bruce was great, he’s a very kind and generous person,” Tomforde says. Now the store manager of Minnehaha Falls Nursery and Garden Store in Minneapolis, Tomforde keeps in contact with her former boss by helping him with his nursery order, as well as through her occasional visits to campus for brainstorming "walk-arounds” with Rowe. "She was the best, she was completely responsible and self-directed,” says Rowe. "If I had an opportunity to hire her as an assistant, I would in a heartbeat.” Tomforde was always encouraged to be a teacher, although teaching never Interested her. When she mentioned an interest to study horticulture after high school, “everybody laughed.” So she decided to study physical education. "But now I'm doing something for myself; I’m going to graduate school to study horticulture," she says. Eventually she would like to be a grower and supply plants to nurseries. Her love of gardening carries Into her personal time as well. ”I have my own garden and I’m always In my yard," she says. "When I bought my house the yard was less than beautiful. But now it’s a little bit of a gem in the neighborhood.” Sarah Ginkel receives Marina Christensen Justice Award Sarah Ginkel of New Ulm, Minn., daughter of Iohn and Nancy Ginkel, received the 1999 Marina Christensen lustice Award at Commencement. The award is presented each year to the graduating senior who best exemplifies Augsburg’s motto, “Education for Service." Ginkel served an internship with Hennepin County Human Services and the Minneapolis Police Department, doing research on block clubs and crime prevention as well as a community revitalization initiative. Ginkel also volunteered at People Serving People, a shelter for homeless families in Minneapolis; worked with kindergarten students at the Cedar Riverside Community School and was involved in a reading program for young children at the Benjamin Banneker School. A sociology major and psychology minor, Ginkel was a President’s Scholar, Honors Program participant, active member in Campus Ministry and Augsburg’s 1998 Homecoming queen. The Marina Christensen Justice Award was established in 1989 in honor of Marina Christensen Justice, daughter of former Augsburg president Bernhard service in the community. President William Frame presents the Marina Christensen lustice award to graduating senior Sarah Ginkel at Commencement. Christensen and Lilly Gracia Christensen. After Marina’s tragic death, a fund was established to honor and further her vision of social justice. The annual recipient of the award must have demonstrated a dedication to the kind of community service involvement that characterized the personal and professional life of Christensen, who courageously and effectively reached out to bring equality and harmony to disadvantaged people and communities. AUGSBURG NOW MINNEAPOLIS, MN Show less
FACULTY PERSPECTIVE Nancy Steblay — psychology chair and science shepherd Graduating seniors last May chose psychology Professor Nancy Steblay as the honored faculty person fiom the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Steblay says that students appreciate her enthusiasm and love for her... Show moreFACULTY PERSPECTIVE Nancy Steblay — psychology chair and science shepherd Graduating seniors last May chose psychology Professor Nancy Steblay as the honored faculty person fiom the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Steblay says that students appreciate her enthusiasm and love for her discipline. Marissa Hutterer, a 1999 psydrology graduate, concurred. "Dr. Steblay's constant smile and words of encouragement have been an inspiration to her students. Her vast amount of knowledge in the discipline at first intimidated me, but also led me to a greater appreciation and love of psychology" Steblay, a social psychologist, has focused her own research on the application of psychology to law — examining how human behavior can inform the legal assumptions that build the base of law. [NANCY] STEBLAY IS A RESPECTED FACULTY MEMBER WHO CAN EFFECTIVELY HELP THE COLLEGE SHAPE A COMPREHENSIVE AND INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM, MAKING THE SCIENCES ACCESSIBLE TO ALL STUDENTS, NOT JUST THE SCIENCE MAJORS One example is research she published concerning police line-up procedures. Through both behavioral experimentation and meta-analysis (the study of results across a wide body of research literature), Steblay and student researchers were able to demonstrate effects of eyewitness behavior from different kinds of instruction. Her findings contributed to a set of recommendations for court and police policy. Steblay has effectively shaped research that student projects can build on from year to year. This year she published a study that was carried out and co- authored by 1997 graduates Iasmina Besirevic and Belia Iimenez-Lorente. Their findings supported the legal assumptions that pre-trial publicity has negative effects on how jurors judge a defendant, but it also showed that the legal remedies prescribed (for instance, jury selection) do not neutralize the negative effects. This past year, Steblay encouraged senior Hmther Klempp to build on the Besirevic and Iimenez-Lorente project by testing the cognitive processes of mock jurors prior to and during a trial. “I'm just astounded how the students take it and run with it,” said Steblay, adding that it's all part of the department's focus to expose students to the widest options in psychology. Besirevic and Iimenez-Lorente were both sociology majors working with Steblay. Their work contributed to the development of a concentration in social psychology, an interdisciplinary effort between the two departments that begins this fall. In [998, academic Dean Marie McNefi’ asked Steblay to serve as the “shepher " for a new science building ~ the person who coordinates the Visioning process, leads planning and articulates the process to the campus and community. McNefl' explained that Steblay is a respected faculty member who can effectively help the College shape a comprehensive and inclusive curriculum, making the sciences accessible to all students, not just the science majors. Steblay describes the vision as a comprehensive science complex that will house the physical and behavioral sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, math and psychology), and also provide facilities to support general education science courses, K through 12 science teacher training and many research endeavors of the social sciences and professional studies. For psychology, she hopes for several much-needed laboratories: biopsychology, for biological experiments; social psychology, for observation of group processes; memory and learning, for computer lab simulations; and developmental psychology. to study children’s behaviors. Steblay especially anticipates a new building with “a very inviting look, that will attract community people for events and activities, as well as research.” The new science building is an integral part of the strategic planning process and Augsburg’s Vision 2004. CAMPUS NEWS 0 5 Psychology — preparing for careers in research and servrce Augsburg insures that its psychology majors are prepared to explore all options in their field. Students must learn both the foundations for research as well a preparation for eyentual work in psychology. “We make sure we are preparing students not only for the world of work, but also for the possibility of graduate school," explained Nancy Steblay, professor and department chair. Required of all majors are both a research project and an internship, both of which must integrate their classroom learning and career goals. “I AM QUITE PROUD — I BELIEVE WE ARE ALL QUITE WELL PREPARED WHEN WE LEAVE AUGSBURG" ERIN Doom, 1999 GRADUATE Underpinning this curriculum is a strong emphasis on learning the principles of scientific methodology and acquiring the critical thinking skills to help make informed decisions — for example, how to discern good evidence from bad in a court of law, or determining what therapy may be best for a client. lntemrhips — integrating work and study experiences The 110 hours of internship required is aimed “to accomplish meaningful goals and connect to what [students] think is their career choice," said Emily Hause, assistant professor and internship coordinator. “The internship allows them to explore which area in psychology they want to pursue." Students must define their academic. personal and skill goals —— how they want to be different at the end of the internship. During the semester, they keep a journal and write several application papers that are combined into a showcase portfolio. The internships are quite varied. Augsburg students have worked at Courage Center as peer counselors and occupational therapists. One student worked in a domestic abuse program; another stayed on campus and studied industrial safety training in food services. Learning hands-on research Research begins with PSY 230. basic statistics and methods. By the end of the John Mitchell and John Engman: teachers and poets By Lynn Mena semester, students must prepare a research proposal, and then actually carry out the investigation the following semester. including subiect conducting the research, writing up results and analyn'ng it. Emily House considers this unique for an undergraduate program. “I was handed data to run. but didn‘t actually design and conduct the experiments," she recalled of her own eduartion. Students can either design .in original project or link with faculty research in progress. Erin Dooley. a 1999 graduate. approached professor Grace Dyrud and asked if she could work with her. Dyrud was studying gambling habits and how “near wins" (for instance, getting two of the three fruit in a slot machine) affect behavior. This led to a two-year collaboration and lots of experience for Dooley. Dooley began with a questionnaire measuring gambling habits of Augsburg students, which she and Dyrud presented together at the Faculty/Student Research Fair. She then went on to recruit subjects for a study on “perception of chance." In her advanced methods course. she was required to present and defend these findings to fellow students. Dooley also presented at two statewide undergraduate psychology conferences. Last year, Dyrud and Dooley received a faculty/student collaboration grant that paid for travel to attend a national conference on gambling and gaming. Among the few academics in a group of mostly counselors and case workers. Dyrud and Dooley's session proved popular, and they reported presenting to a packed room. Dooley is grateful for the opportunity at Augsburg to “collaborate on a professional level" with faculty members. She told of older cousins studying psychology at other institutions who questioned why she was already doing such “advanced” research. Experiean at professional contercnccs, learning about applying for grants, and carrying our original research are all aspects of Augsburg's program that she believes makes it distinctive. “i am quite proud — I believe we are all quite well prepared when we leave Augsburg." she said. Next year she plans to enter graduate school. Augsburg English Professor lohn Mitchell doesn’t remember the first time he meets many people, but he clearly remembers the day he met T E M P o R A R y Mlnneapolls poet and alum lohn H E L P Engman '71. They met at Augsburg In the autumn of 1968; Mitchell was beginning hls first year of E teachlng at the College, and ‘ Engman was an undergrad. ‘ "Somehow we became friends," says Mitchell. "We shared a ___ mutual Interest In poetry, and In POEMS BY JOHN “9’99" some crazy way we shared the same view of the world. He had a presence that I noticed, and now of course, I notice hls absence.” congenital cerebral aneurysm. "He was 47," says Mltchell, who Is executor of Engman's literary estate. "It was very shocking, as most deaths are — but his especially." In addltlon, Mitchell left on sabbatical for the 1998—99 academic year to begin gathering a manuscript of Engman's collected works as well as to concentrate on his own writlng. Devastated by the unexpected loss of hls close friend, Mitchell felt obllgated to find a publlsher for a manuscript Engman had left behind. Eventually, the manuscript became Temporary Help, a collection of poetry published last year by Holy Cowl Press In Duluth, Minn, and nominated for a 1998 Minnesota Book Award. "I have been the most productive of my life," says Mitchell. "I want to be a better poet because of my friendship with John Engman. Once upon a time I was his teacher, but he became my teacher. He was a temporary angel with cardboard wings and Earth shoes, humorously mlnlsterlng to the hysterical, the "The manuscript was conslderably Intact, so that “manner and the toflom' made the lob easy," says Mitchell. "What was painful was typing up the manuscript and feeling all the poems ln sequence. One of the welrd thlngs about John's poetry Is the way he predlcted his own fate. Hls powers of lntultlon and the nature of his metaphors gave him a knowledge that would not have been accesslble to a reasonable, logIcal person." (Mitchell seeks stories, Information or memories about lohn Engman from Augsburg alumnl. Send e-mall to or mall to: lohn Mitchell, Augrburg College, C8 48, 2211 Riverside Ave, Mlnneapolls, MN, 55454.) Writ the Augsburg Now Onllne Iar poems by lohn Engman died In hls Mlnneapolls apartment In EngmaH ,aug‘bwg'edu/mw) December 1996, from complications related to a FALL 1999 AUGSBURG NOW Show less
2 0 CAMPUS NEWS Around the Quad Augsburg receives $760,000 for McNair Achievement Program Augsburg has received a four-year grant of $760,000 from the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program of the us. Department of Education. It will fund a program for academically- qualified... Show more2 0 CAMPUS NEWS Around the Quad Augsburg receives $760,000 for McNair Achievement Program Augsburg has received a four-year grant of $760,000 from the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program of the us. Department of Education. It will fund a program for academically- qualified students who are first in their family to graduate from college, are from families with low incomes or who are underrepresented in doctoral programs. Vicki Littlefield, assistant professor of psychology, has been named director of Augsburg’s McNair grant program. The College will provide research experience with mentor faculty, teaching mentorships and assistance in applying for admission and financial aid for doctoral programs. Augsburg is one of three institutions in Minnesota to receive a McNair Program grant. Augsburg in top tier of us. News rankings Augsburg ls rated 215t in the top tier of liberal arts colleges in the Midwest in the latest us. News 8 World Report rankings. Augsburg received the third highest mark for "academic reputation,” in a survey of top administration officers at peer colleges who were asked to rate Augsburg’s programs. 1400 hours of community service given by freshmen As part of City Service Projects day, 350 first-year students, faculty and staff contributed over 1,400 hours of volunteer time at 17 agencies and organizations In the Cedar- Riverside neighborhood and Minneapolis. Honors Review on the Web Read the Augsburg Honors Review 1999 undergraduate journal posted on the Honors Page at . The Review contains student writing and artistic expression written, selected and edited by Augsburg Honors Program students. Faculty promotions and tenure As of September 1, 1999 Promoted to associate professor: lohn Schmlt, English Faculty tenured: Victoria Littlefield, psychology Philip Quanbeck Ii, religion John Schmlt, English Augsburg - Fall 1999 Total Students 3053 Day Program 1632 Weekend College 1130 Grad program 178 Other 113 Faculty members retire from active teaching By Lynn Mena Five long-time faculty members retired from active teaching at the end of the last academic year. All were granted emeritus/emerita status by the Board of Regents at its May meeting. Philip I. Thompson Students from five decades — the 505 through the 905 — can remember the art classes of Professor Phil Thompson. who came to Augsburg in 1959 as an instructor. His calligraphy has graced cards, certificates and posters, and his most recent contribution is the copper roof he crafted for the new clock structure on the Quad (see photo. p. 6). In 1961 Thompson was promoted to assistant professor, tenured in 1964, promoted to associate professor in 1966 and promoted to full professor in 1974. He will teach a calligraphy class during Interim in an adjunct capacity. His paintings and prints were recently on exhibit in the Alumni Gallery. “I’ll be around, kind of like an artist-in- residence,” says Thompson. “I’ll also keep working as a professional artist and follow opportunities.” Duane E. Iohnson Duane Iohnson came to Augsburg in . 1968 during the first decade of the psychology department. He was tenured in 1971 and served over 30 years as professor and department chair, contributing special expertise in developmental psychology. “in his honor, a departmental scholarship has been established in his name toward which faculty and alumni are welcome to contribute," says Grace Dyrud, professor of psychology. Iohnson says his future plans include time to “continue to observe with great interest and curiosity what I will be when I grow up.” Catherine C. NichoII Catherine Nicholl. professor of English. taught as a part«time instructor from 1957—1960 and was hired as assistant professor in 1973. She was tenured in 1980, and became full professor in 1988. For many years she held a joint appointment with her husband, Dr. Grier Nicholl. who died in 1983. Nicholl will perform volunteer work as a guardian with Guardian Ad Litem, an advocacy group for children. Her future plans also include travel. “Augsburg has been an absolutely wonderful place to teach, it’s a hard place to leave,” says Nicholl. “1’11 especially miss the students and all the connections I’ve made.” Maria L. Brown Maria Brown. associate professor of social work, began teaching at Augsburg in 1980. She was tenured in 1987 and Augsburg communication senior Natalie Lund was chosen as Miss Minnesota, and went on to compete for the Miss America title in Atlantic City in September. She is pictured here with friends (L to R) Becky Rose, Augsburg senior lodi Christian, Carrie Blau, and Becky Soeller, also an Augsburg seniori Rosemary Link (left), social work, hosted a 10-day course, Exploring Human Services in the USA, for 10 students from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. \Mth their faculty leader Lea Bohinc (pictured at right), students visited social service agencies in the area. promoted to associate professor in 1993. “Maria has been a disciplined, attentive, supportive and creative teacher; a trustworfliy and informed adviser; and an energetic mentor and role model to students, graduates and colleagues alike,” wrote Tony Bibus, associate professor, in Brown’s retirement certificate. “I plan on taking some time off and reflecting, resting, gardening, reading and writing," says Brown. Eventually she plans to return to a position in professional practice after her many years in teaching. Rita R. Weisbrod Rita Weisbrod, associate professor of sociology, was hired in 1991, and was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor in 1997. “Rita's contribution to the department brought a lot in terms of a focus on the family in a sociological perspective," says Diane Pike, professor and department chair. “She also has a good sense of humor and a wonderful laugh — you always know she’s around when you hear that laugh.” “I appreciate the personal contact with students and their lives,” says Weisbrod She plans to return to the writing of her family book and is in the process of building a house on San Iuan island in Washington. AUGSBURG Now Fall 1999 0 Vol. 62, No. 1 Augsburg Now is published by Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. Betsey Norgard Editor, Director of Publications Lynn Mena Staff Writer, Alumni Notes Editor 1m Guth Graphic Designer Dan Benson News Service/Media Relations Director Don Stoner Sports Information Coordinator William V. Frame President of Augsburg College Barbara Nagle Director of Public Relations and Communication Donna McLean Director of Alumni/ Parent Relations and Augsburg Fund Rummel, Dubs 8t Hill Design and Production Assistance Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now (ISSN 1058- 1545) do not necessarily reflect official college policy Send correspondence, name changes and address corrections to: Augsburg Now, Office of Public Relations and Communication, Campus Box 145, Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454. Telephone: (612) 330 1180. E-mail: . Augsburg Now is not copyrighted. Unless otherwise noted, articles may be reprinted without permission as long as appropriate credit is given to the writer and to Augsburg College. Postmaster: If undeliverable as addressed, please send address changes to: Augsburg Now, Office of Public Relations and Communication, Campus Box 145, Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave.. Minneapolis, MN 55454.A college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg is an equal education! employment institution. www.3ugsburg.edu AUGSBURG NOW MINNEAPOLIS, MN Show less
10 0 SPORTS Four seniors named Augsburg Honor Athletes Four Augsburg College student-athletes who have excelled in both the classroom and on the athletic fields were named Honor Athletes by the Augsburg men’s and women's athletic departments. The award, voted by coaches, is the highest honor the... Show more10 0 SPORTS Four seniors named Augsburg Honor Athletes Four Augsburg College student-athletes who have excelled in both the classroom and on the athletic fields were named Honor Athletes by the Augsburg men’s and women's athletic departments. The award, voted by coaches, is the highest honor the school gives to its athletes. Scott Hvistendahl (Cannon Falls, Minn/Randolph HS) and Jim Peterson (Eyota, Minn./Dover—Eyota HS) were named Men's Honor Athletes, and Tasha Hamann (Perham, Minn.) and Jodie West (Menagha, Minn.) were named Women's Honor Athletes. In addition. the men‘s athletic department honored Devean George (Minneapolis, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret HS) as the recipient of the department's first Male Athlete of the Year award for his achievements for the Auggie men's basketball team. A story on George‘s accomplishments is on page 1. Here is information on each of Augsburg ’5 Honor Athletes: Scott Hvistendahl, a wide receiver for the Augsburg football team, set NCAA records for career receiving yardage (4,696 yards) at both the Division III and all-divisions level, the latter breaking a 14-year—old mark previously held by Jerry Rice. Hvistendahl was named the recipient of the 1998 Gagliardi Trophy, l t given to the Division III football national player of the year, in addition to being named the most valuable player in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Hvistendahl also was a three-year starting centerfielder for the Auggie baseball team. A marketing] management information systems major, Hvistendahl earned GTE Academic All- America honors twice in his career. Jim Peterson earned three All—America honors for the Augsburg wrestling team, including the NCAA Division III national title at 167 pounds in 1998. Peterson also finished second in 1999 and seventh in 1997. Peterson finished his career with a record of 129-36, the 10th—most wins in school history. Teams Peterson wrestled on never finished lower than second in the NCAA Division Ill national championships. In addition, Peterson was also a fullback for the Auggie football team. A management information system major, Peterson earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America honors three times and GTE Academic All- America honors once. Tasha Hamann, a four-year starting setter and two«year captain for the Auggie volleyball team, rewrote the school’s record book for assists, setting both the single-season (1,193 in 1997) and career (3,926) school marks, the career mark among the top 20 all-time in the history of NCAA Division III volleyball. Named an All—MIAC setter three times, she also had 1,071 digs, 375 kills, 168 service aces and 114 blocks in her career. She also played women’s golf her first two years at Augsburg. A biology major, she graduated magna cum laude from Augsburg. She received MIAC Academic All-Conference honors three times in her career and GTE Academic All-District honors once. Jodie West, a four-year starter at second base and team captain in 1999 for the Augsburg softball team, ended her career on the top-10 career record list in numerous statistical categories, including stolen bases (44, third-best), base hits (137, third-best), batting average (.362, fifth-best). She earned All- MIAC honors three times in her career and National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Midwest Region honors three times. A biology major, West graduated cum laude from Augsburg. A dean’s list and multiple honor society member, she was named MIAC Academic All—Conference this season, in addition to earning NFCA Scholar All- America honors in 1998 and GTE Academic All-District honors this year. Devean George, continued from page 1 early June with a sprained ankle, he still was able to work out for more than a dozen teams and receive strong interest from at least 20 teams. George will join a Lakers club coached for the first time by legendary coach Phil Jackson, and he was Jackson's first pick as head coach. George worked out for the Lakers the day before the draft. “I got a good vibe from the workout. After doing some of the drills and running through the triangle offense with Phil, he had me do some things over and over again because I think he believed I was lucky the first time I did it," he joked. George said that draft night, at his apartment before the draft party, was a bit tense, especially when teams who seemed impressed with him —— Utah, Atlanta and Houston — passed on him. “It’s been a long process, starting since my last game, to try to get where I am today,” George said. “Being at Augsburg, it means a lot. I’m happy for what I did for the school, putting the school on the map and getting it some national attention.” 75th athletic anniversary continued from page 1 For information on the 75th anniversary events, contact the athletic department at (612) 330-1249, or visit the 75th anniversary Web site, . The Web site will feature special stories about each sport’s history, along with interviews with some of the key figures in Augsburg’s athletic history. Each of the three seasonal sports yearbooks (fall, winter, spring) will feature a special section covering the history of Augsburg athletics. They are available for sale at Scott Hvistendahl lim Peterson Tasha Hamann Iodie West SPORTS NOTES — SUMMER 1999 New volleyball, soccer coaches named at Augsburg The fall athletics season features new coaches at Augsburg College, as the volleyball and men’s/ women's soccer teams each have new leaders. Former assistant coach Thanh Pham (pronounced TANG FAHM) takes over the reigns of the Auggie volleyball team this fall, and Michael Navarre is the new men’s and women’s soccer head coach. Pham replaces women’s athletic director Marilyn Pearson Florian, who announced in May that she was resigning her coaching duties. Florian will remain as the women’s athletic director at Augsburg, a position she has held since 1988. An assistant professor of physical education, Florian will also assume duties as the chair of the health and physical education department beginning in the 1999-2000 school year. Pham, a math teacher at Wayzata, Minn., Central Middle School, was an assistant coach at Augsburg from 1994-96, and was planning to return as an assistant this season before Florian announced her coaching resignation. Pham graduated from Augsburg in 1997 with a degree in secondary education/mathematics. He has extensive volleyball playing and coaching experience in the Twin Cities. Prior to coming to Augsburg, Navarre served as a graduate assistant coach with the women’s soccer program at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, arguably the most consistently successful program in the history of NCAA athletics. The Tar Heels, under legendary coach Anson Dorrance, has won 14 of the 17 NCAA Division 1 women’s soccer national championships, while producing some of the top players in the world. While serving as a graduate assistant at North Carolina, Navarre was a part of an NCAA national championship team in 1997 and an NCAA national runner-up team in 1998. In addition to coaching both men’s and women’s soccer, Navarre will be an assistant manager for operations and programs in Augsburg’s athletic facilities department. Hvistendahl wins Midwest Sports Channel award Augsburg’s Scott Hvistendahl (Cannon Falls, Minn/Randolph HS) was named the winner of the Mike Augustin/Division 111 Male Athlete of the Year award June 24 at the seventh annual Midwest Sports Channel (MSC) Sports Salute, held at the University of Minnesota Sports Pavillion. This is the third time in the seven years of the MSC Sports Salute (and second year in a row) that an Augsburg athlete has won the Division 111 Male Athlete of the Year award, and the third year in a row that an Augsburg athlete was a finalist. Last year, Auggie wrestler Henry Gerten, who won back- to-back national individual titles, won the award, and in 1997, Auggie wrestler Dan Lewandowski, who also won two individual national championships, was a finalist. Auggie wrestler Gary Kroells won the inaugural award in 1993. Hvistendahl, who played football for four years and baseball for three at Augsburg, broke Jerry Rice's NCAA all-divisions (and set a new Division III) record for football career receiving yardage in 1998, with 4,696 yards on 285 receptions. He caught 112 passes for 1,860 yards in 1998, each mark the second-best in Division III history. Devean George home sporting events. Kingsley attends NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference Augsburg student-athlete Jaime Kingsley (Harmony, Minn/Fillmore Central HS) attended the 1999 NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference May 31-June 4 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Kingsley was one of 300 student-athletes selected to attend the conference from a field of nominees from NCAA member institutions that participate in the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program, and one of just three from Minnesota colleges. The conference, with a theme of “Today’s Student-Athletes, Tomorrow‘s Leaders,” was held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports and Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, a suburb of Orlando, Fla. The NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference, in its third year, prepares a diverse group of student- athletes to take an active leadership role on their campuses and in their communities through challenging and thought-provoking dialogue and activities. The conference provides NCAA student- athletes with the opportunity to discuss and explore critical issues facing their peers; to enhance their leadership skills; and to promote better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities. Kingsley is the third Augsburg College student- athlete to attend the NCAA Foundation leadership Conference. Kingsley is a three-sport athlete at Augsburg, participating in the school's cross country, women’s basketball and track and field programs. Majoring in biochemistry. Kingsley carries a 3.9 grade-point average. She has been a Dean’s List recipient each semester of her collegiate career, and is an Augsburg Presidental Scholar and Honors Scholarship recipient. AUGSBURG NOW MINNEAPOLIS, MN Show less
4 0 CAMPUS NEWS Keeping track of faculty, staff, StUdentS, continued VICKI LI‘ITLEFIELD and EMILY HAUSE, psychology, presented "Continuous Improvement of General Education Skills Courses” at the AAHE Assessment Conference, Denver, In June. ANN LUTI'ERMAN-AGUILAR, Center for Global Education,... Show more4 0 CAMPUS NEWS Keeping track of faculty, staff, StUdentS, continued VICKI LI‘ITLEFIELD and EMILY HAUSE, psychology, presented "Continuous Improvement of General Education Skills Courses” at the AAHE Assessment Conference, Denver, In June. ANN LUTI'ERMAN-AGUILAR, Center for Global Education, Mexico, presented a workshop, "Experiential Pedagogles: Peace, Justice and Culture In Two—Thirds World Countries," at the annual meeting of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Denver. Several sociology faculty members attended the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association In August. GARRY HESSER presented, and DIANE PIKE led a workshop. MIKE O’NEAL and JAMES VELA- MCCONNELL presented at the adjunct meetings of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Honors/Awards Regent BEVERLY HATLEN has been named a Distinguished Alumna of Pacific Lutheran University In 1999. She Is recognized for her "years of preparation, experience, dedication, exemplary diaracter and service leading to distinction In a profession or vocation.” DON STONER, sports information coordinator, received one third- place and two first-place awards at the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSlDA) national convention in Orlando, Fla., in July for Augsburg's 1998-99 wrestling media guide. Newsnotes LUCIE FERRELL, nursing, was re- elected to a second term as chair of the community health services advisory committee for the St. Paul- Ramsey County Public Health Department. DENNICE COOLEY, continuing studies, completed training at the Learn Educational Resource Network institute (LERN) for program management/planning. Official recognition will be made at the international convention in Washington, D.C., in December. JOAN GRIFFIN, English, and BOB STACKE, music, traveled to Northern Ireland with faculty from five colleges in preparation for the Peace Prize Forum to be held at St. Olaf College in February 2000. Read about Augsburg news and events online at www. augsburg.edu Jennifer Palmer’s mathematics major adds up to more than just numbers Augsburg senior was among 80 students chosen to present research By Betsey Norgard While many seniors were putting finishing touches on term papers and polishing résumés, Iennifer Palmer, a senior in applied mathematics, was practicing her presentation to Minnesota legislators in Washington. Palmer was one of 80 students selected nationwide by the Council on Undergraduate Research to participate in their Posters on the Hill program. In April, she and her faculty mentor, Associate Professor Rebekah Valdivia, traveled to Washington where they presented their collaborative research at a poster session and met with Minnesota legislators. From that group, Palmer was also selected as one of 10 to attend a two- day conference at the National Science Foundation. Their research focuses on establishing mathematical models to predict cellular behavior of the HIV virus within HIV and AIDS patients. For Palmer, the trip to Washington culminated a four»year math major that took her far beyond just the numbers to include a great deal of experiential learning — application of math to community service projects, an internship with a renowned AIDS researcher, workshops with leading academicians, original research in both academic and clinical settings and presentations at professional meetings. In fall 1997, Palmer took the Mathematics Practicum, a course in which students spend a semester or more working on real problems solicited from non-profit organizations. She and .IEN PALMER’S APPLIED MATHEMATICS STUDIES BROUGHT TOGETHER LEARNING AND SERVICE THROUGH RESEARCH, MENTORING AND INTERNSHIPS Senior Jenniler Palmer (center) presents her research with Rebekah Valdivia (left), associate professor of mathematics, at the Posters on the Hill session in Washington, D.C. in April. Augsburg alumna Ellen (Paulson '64) Keiter from Eastern Illinois University also participated in the session and was happy to meet fellow Auggies. two other students worked for the Minnesota AIDS Project (MAP) to develop mathematical models that would help project future needs for services. In order to do the math, students first had to talk with staff, read personal accounts of AIDS patients and understand the impact of AIDS in the community. The students’ final report was presented both to Augsburg’s mathematics faculty and the MAP staff. Palmer wanted to continue investigating the role that mathematical modeling might play in research on AIDS and searched for a research question to investigate. A volunteer internship at Regions Hospital, where an AIDS clinic headed by a leading researcher was carrying out trials of a new vaccine, provided die topic. Valdivia reports that “one day [Palmer] came running into my office and said, ‘I have the question’!” In an independent study course with Valdivia, Palmer Administrative changes Marie McNeff and Earl Alton to retire at end of year Marie McNeff, vice president for academic and learning services and dean of the College, and Earl Alton, associate dean for faculty affairs, both announced decisions to retire at the end of the 1999-2000 academic year — each having served over 30 years at Augsburg. A national search for a new academic clean will be initiated shortly. Both have accepted challenging positions, however, for their final year. McNeff was appointed by President Frame as the academic master planner, to lead implementation of the academic initiatives in the strategic plan. Alton has assumed McNeff’s duties as interim Vice~president for academic and learning services. Larry Crockett, director of the Honors Program and professor of computer science, was named interim associate dean for faculty affairs. In other administrative changes, Rick Thoni, vice-president for institutional research and program development, has moved to Rochester to direct the new WEC and graduate program there on a part-time basis. His title is assistant to the president and director. Rick Smith, who came to Augsburg last November, was named vice—president of admissions and enrollment services. His responsibilities include admissions, the Enrollment and Financial Services Center, the strategic planning process and a new International Student Services program, built around the Center for Global Education. Dick Adamson, former Augsburg controller, has been named vice president for finance and administration. In addition to the College’s finances, he is responsible for all physical master planning and construction planning for new buildings. developed a mathematical model to chart the impact of the AIDS vaccine at the cellular level — combining math with her pre-med courses in an emerging field of mathematical biology. To avoid becoming detached from the reality of AIDS, she began keeping a journal, recording her reflections from the patients and staff at the clinic. Valdivia, whose doctoral dissertation is in mathematical biology, began meeting weekly with Palmer as their research and collaboration evolved. They kept in constant contact via e-mail. “Augsburg is a place where you can call on the faculty,” Palmer emphasizes. Valdivia was always “extremely open to all of my questions." A week-long workshop of the Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications at the University of Minnesota, that focused precisely on the mathematical modeling of AIDS, also gave them both a chance to meet and confer with leaders in the field. By January 1999, Palmer was able to present a draft of her research to faculty and students at a Mathematics Colloquium. Valdivia secured a faculty/staff collaboration grant that provided stipends to continue their research and funding for Palmer to work with Mathematica, a computer algebra system. In February, notice came of acceptance to the Posters on the Hill program. Valdivia couldn’t have been more pleased. “When your students have success, it’s the best success for you as well,” she said. What is remarkable about Jen Palmer’s educational portfolio is the way that she brought learning and service together in her studies. The close collaboration with Valdivia launched Palmer into research unusual at the undergraduate level and into emerging, interdisciplinary fields of science that enhanced her academic as well as career growth. She also had to learn how to present and interpret her research to distinct audiences — faculty and students, community organizations and fellow researchers in her field. And all along, her work with MAP and then at the clinic kept her grounded in the reality that faces HIV patients daily. Palmer, a President’s Scholar in the Honors Program, graduated magna cum laude in May. Her goal is to enter medical school in a combined M.D.lPh.D. program and to become a medical researcher. This year she continues working in the AIDS clinic, and polishing her research with Valdivia for publication. AUGSBURG NOW MINNEAPOLIS, MN Show less
flu sbu rg A publication for Augsburg College alumni and friends Fall 1999 I Vol. 62 - No. i Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN Devean George makes NBA history for Augsburg By Don Stoner For most basketball players at Division III-level institutions like Augsburg, hopes of someday playing in the... Show moreflu sbu rg A publication for Augsburg College alumni and friends Fall 1999 I Vol. 62 - No. i Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN Devean George makes NBA history for Augsburg By Don Stoner For most basketball players at Division III-level institutions like Augsburg, hopes of someday playing in the NBA are just dreams. But for 1999 graduate Devean George, the dream became real, and he may some day play alongside Michael Jordan and others with household names in basketball. On June 30, George made NBA history when he became the first-ever NCAA Division III basketball player selected in the first round of the NBA draft. The Los Angeles Lakers made the Auggie forward the 23rd overall. No Division III player has been selected in the draft since 1991, and George is only the fourth in history. Two other Augsburg players, Dan Anderson '65 and Greg Boone '81, were drafted by the NBA teams in later rounds. Anderson played for the ABA’s New Jersey Nets; Boone never played in the NBA. “It hasn’t sunk in yet,” George said, during a press conference on the night of the draft at his agent’s office in Minneapolis. “I “IT WAS GOING AGAINST ALL ODDS, REALLY, BEING FROM A DIVISION III SCHOOL AND BEING SELECTED IN THE FIRST me yet. I feel proud and proud of myself for how hard I worked through this whole process.” George, a two-time All-American and two-time Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year. was considered one of the top players in Division III basketball during his career at Augsburg, where he blossomed from a 5-foot-10 high school senior to a 6-8 college senior. He ended his career with the second-most career points (2,258) and rebounds (868) in school history. while his career scoring average (23.5 ppg) was best in school history. Auggie teams were 71-25 in games he played during his career, including a 46-8 mark (37-3 in MIAC games) during the past two seasons, when the Auggies won two MIAC regular-season titles and qualified each year for the NCAA Division III national playoffs. “It means more for Devean, obviously, than it means for anyone else," said Augsburg men’s basketball coach Brian Ammann ’85, the school’s all-time leading scorer. “It’s a big don’trealizewhatl ROUND. I FEEL PROUD coup forum“ fitnigélfwfsau AND PROUD OF MYSELF coachingstaff ains odds’mny’being FOR How HARD I WORKED :sngglgissburs from a Division III school and being selected in the first round. It hasn’t hit PROCESS” DEVEAN GEORGE THROUGH THIS WHOLE “I know it’s a dream come true for Devean. We Forward Devean George (number 40) compiled the best career scoring average in school history and led his team to a conference title and Division III playoffs. He was a first-round draft selection by the LA Lakers in June. talked about it a lot. how the dream wasn’t there four years ago. We were just talking about him getting a degree. But then the dream started coming back. He took advantage of that and everybody's proud of him." George’s pro prospects grew after his collegiate career ended, when he was the last player of 64 selected to the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational in April. At the first pre—draft camp, George was named to the All-Toumament Team. He also played for the Harlem Globetrotters in a series of three games against a college all-star team. Despite missing the Chicago pre-draft camp in Continued on page it) It’s his job keeping Augsburg beautiful By Lynn Mena Amid January’s snowy tantrums, Augsburg’s head groundskeeper, Bruce Rowe, is already outlining the spring design plans. His nursery order includes hundreds, if not thousands, of flowerbeds — the “A” by the Quad requires over 200 plants alone. Until Cullen Rowe’s design blueprint is often aided by his personal collection of photographs. “Every year I take pictures of everything,” he says. “They help me to decide what to use and what not to include the following » year. Head groundskeepet Bruce Rowe On middle, with hat) and his student crew work to keep Augsburg's 'yard” beautiful and its buildings and grounds free of snow and ice. This time of year, his main concern is getting ready to inflate the air structure over the football field and making sure his winter removal equipment is in working order. Grooming the campus is something Rowe finds both personally and professionally satisfying, but it is also a responsibility the 16-year Augsburg veteran recognizes as serious business. The College’s appearance is a key component of its over-all image; it is a source of pride for the current College community as well as an important recruiting tool for prospective students, faculty and staff. “Bruce and his work crew always take the time to make the admissions grounds look terrific," says Sally Daniels, Augsburg’s director of undergraduate admissions. “He tries to make sure that even in the winter we have some bit of color around the office." Admissions counselor Bethany Bierman remembers a recent “spur-of—the— moment" visit by a brother and sister. “I remember sitting near the window in the Continued on page 8 \33 o it]! via“ ‘ 3" 313 s 0., ‘q ,. s‘ 91 ‘ Ammo Ammm - )0 Ha yi‘flu "I" I/ -.—‘ y. 9 c \‘\A c \ [(PR'DE ot'l\‘““h Celebratin 75 years 0 Auggie athletics Augsburg alumni are invited to help the College celebrate the 75th anniversary of Intercollegiate athletics with a series of special events throughout the year. Athletic alumni will be recognized during special 75th anniversary programs each sport will host at a home event. Following are the dates for the remaining sports' individual alumni events: 0 Women’s hockey—Sat, Oct. 30, 12:15 p.m. (alumni game) I Women's basketball-Sat, Nov. 6, 2 p.m. (alumni game) 0 Men's basketball—Sat, Dec. 11, 3 p.m. (vs. Bethel) ' Wrestling-Sum, Ian. 9, 2 p.m. (vs. Wartburg) 0 Men’s and women's golf- Mon., Ian. 17, 7:30 p.m. (during men's basketball game vs. Carleton) 0 Men‘s hockey—Fri., Feb. 2, 7 p.m. (vs. Hamllne) . Baseball—Sat, April 15, i p.m. (vs. St. Thomas) - Softball—Sum, April 16, 1 p.m. (alumni game) Also, a springtime wrap-up event will be held during the Days In May celebration. Continued on page 10 What’s Inside Campus news page 2 Development news page 6 Calendar page 7 Commencement 1999 page 9 Sports page 10 Alumni news page II On the Cover May graduate and NBA draftee Devean George is pictured at Commencement with his parents, Carol and Edd/e George, and in action on Augsburg’s court (photos by Unda Cullen and Charles Walbn'dge). FALL 1999 AUGSBURG NOW Show less