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The Magazine of Augsburg College
English 111 Bishop Marl< Hanson
Annual report Velkommen Jul sweets
Homecoming 2009 Professor Lisa Jacl<
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Betsey Norgard
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Kathy Rumpza '05 MAL
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T V
.a
The Magazine of Augsburg College
English 111 Bishop Marl< Hanson
Annual report Velkommen Jul sweets
Homecoming 2009 Professor Lisa Jacl<
'J
!.,
þ
Ir
possrible
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norga rd@a ugsbu rg.ed
u
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza '05 MAL
ru mpza@augsburg.edu
from President Pribbenow
Creative Associate-Editorial
Wendi Wheeler'06
wheelerw@a ugsbu rg.ed u
Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski'08
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geff re@a ugsburg.edu
.
few years ago my good friend and predecessor as Augsburg's president, Bill Frame,
introduced me to Burton Clark's work on the
concept of saga as it relates to the distinctive character and identity of colleges and universities. A saga, according to Clark, is more than
story-all of us
a
have stories. A saga is more of a
mythology-a sense of history and purpose and
direction that is told in vocabulary and narrative that
accounts for a college's DNA, its essence even-and
it abides in the people, programs, and values that
define an institution.
Clark contends that not every institution has a
saga. Sometimes this is a function of not being true
to founding values. At other times it can be occasioned by a change of location or core mission. Still
other institutions have not found a way to link theìr
pasts, presents, and futures in a coherent narrative.
I believe firmly that Augsburg does have a saga,
and it runs deep in the culture and meaning of our
work here together. My exploration of Augsburg's rich
history has surfaced several themes that are central
to our saga. I think you will recognize them:
founders who believed that education should be for
all, no matter their circumstances, and that the
quality of that education should be of the highest
order because that is what God expects of those
faithful servants who have been given the gift to
teach. This is our distinctive gift for the world, an
educational experience like no other available to
those who might otherwise not have the opportunity.
This is our distinctive gift for students from many
different backgrounds and experiences. This is our
distinctive gift to have a community in which access
to education is celebrated and encouraged and, yes,
even demanded. We dare not keep back any of the
educational opportunity with which we have been
entrusted because it is our distinctive gift from our
You
will read in the following
rent students and alumni who have been welcomed
at Augsburg and offered a demanding and relevant
education that serves them for a lifetime. ln these
stories I trust that you will find-as I have come to
know in my experience here-that our saga, our
DNA, our values, and character lead us to pursue
the pursuit of freedom through a liberal arts
approach to learning, by serving our neighbor and
the world, and by the centrality of faith to our vision
Augsburg experience available to all who will be
formed by our college's rare and distinctive vision of
education for lives of meaningful work and faithful
of education.
service. lt's a saga worth retelling and celebrating!
Another central theme in our saga is powerfully
illustrated in the articles in this issue of the
Augsburg's high-quality education accessible to all
learning, and service. Our commitment to an accessible education is a remarkable legacy from our
Jeff Shelman
shelman@a ugsbu rg.edu
Sports lnformation Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.ed
u
l)irector of Alumni and
Constituent Relations
Kim Stone
stonek@a ugsbu rg.ed
u
wwwaugsburg.edu
I
I
Augsburg Nowis published by
Augsburg College
f
I
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
I
i
221 1 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
0pinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
lr
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tssN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to
Advancement Services
cB t42
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
hea lyk@a ugsb
We believe deeply in making
those who seek to learn at the intersections of faith,
Director of l{ews and
Media Services
pages about cur-
ever more avidly a commitment to making an
/Vor.,r¡.
barnesb@a ugsburg.ed u
ancestors and our gracious and loving God.
Augsburg is shaped by an immigrant sensibility, by
Augsburg
Webmaster//far 0nline
Bryan Barnes
u
rg.ed u
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1 181
Fax:612-330-1780
fall 2009
Features
English 111
compiled by Wendi Wheeler '06
Velkommen Jul's sweet traditions
compiled by Betsey Norgard
Finding perspective
by
Jeff Shel
man
Iliscovering joy in the challenges of leadership
by
Jeff Shelman
Making Augsburg possible
by Wendi Wheeler '06
Annual report to donors, 2008-09
ct)
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Depa rtments
4
Around the Ouad
6
Spotlight-Trip to Egypt
I
Auggies on the field
g
It takes an Auggie
12
Auggie voices
't3
Homecoming 2009
47
Alumni news
52
Class notes
56
My Auggie experience
0n the cover
Juventino Meza Rodriguez arrived in St. Paul from Mexico at age 15
Through determination, hard work, and a lot of support, he's one of
the many students helped into college by Admission Possible.
6 ffi
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All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
6
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First-year day students began their semester with
City Service Day, spending an afternoon working on
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Augsburg keeps going green
Sustainability Awareness Month
September on campus not only included the beginning of fall
classes, but a month-long series of events and activities
designed to raise awareness and change habits related to
sustai nabi I ity.
Sustainability Awareness Month (SAM) was the brainchild of
Augsburg students, several of whom participated in faculty-led
study abroad programs, including Sustainable Cities in North
America with Professors Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer in
the summer of 2008.
After students in the course worked with A'viands to create a
composting program in Augsburg's dining facilities last year,
their next step toward a more environmentally friendly and sus-
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Augsburg was the afternoon location of the West Bank Farmers Market each week, bringing
fresh, locally-grown vegetables to the Augsburg community.
tainable campus was a month of events.
"We want this to bring the campus together," said senior
Kjerstin Hagen, a leader on the project. "lt takes all of us to
e
make this happen."
Each week was centered around a different theme, with
tabling, information, activities, and speakers, including nationally known author and activist, Bill McKibben. The themes for
SAM were waste reduction and management, alternative trans-
portation, alternative energy and consumption, and connecting
communitìes through food.
Community Garden and Farmers Market
Augsburg's community garden increased this summer as an additional area was turned into garden plots. A total of 40 plots grew
produce and flowers for the Augsburg community and neighborhood residents and organizations.
didn't grow their own vegetables in the commugarden,
nity
fresh produce was available each week on campus
at the West Bank Farmers Market, a project of the Brian Coyle
Augsburg students joined 5,000 groups around the world that marked the lnternati0nal
Day of Climate Action sponsored by 350.0rg. The number signifies the highest safe level of
carbon emissions in parts per million.
For those who
Center and Augsburg Campus Kitchen. Three farm families sold
their locally-grown and eco-friendly vegetables and herbs during
the summer and into the early cold fall at Brian Coyle Center in
bring about action to reduce atmospheric carbon emissions to 350
ppm, deemed the highest safe level by NASA scientists.
Auggie students led bikers to the State Capitol for a rally on the
Capitol lawn, sponsored by the Will Steger Foundation, Oxfam, 1Sky,
and Augsburg in support of global climate change action. Rep. Betty
the morning and at Augsburg by Foss Center in the afternoon.
McOollum and Rep. Keith Ellison, among other legislators, told
those gathered to "keep your voices loud."
350 lnternational l)ay of Climate Action
Augsburg students planned a full day on October 24 as part of
the lnternational Day of Climate Action, the project of Bill
The bikers arrived back on campus in time to join a crowd at halftime on the footballfield for a photo that was posted online at
McKibben and 350.0rg. Activities around the world aimed to
and Day Student Body Government.
4
www.350.org. The halftime event was sponsored by Campus Ministry
Augsburg Now
I
7-
Mayor meets with students
After returning from New Zealand last summer,
Richmond Appleton '09 was so enthusiastic that he
wrote a letter t0 Minneapolis mayor
R.T. Rybak.
Applelon was in l{ew Zealand lor five weeks
with 25 students led by biology professor Brian
Corner and political science professor loe
Underhill to study Biodiversity and Environmental
Politics. "tveryone is aware of the environment,
of sustainability, of food production, and energy
use. From the north island to the south island,
everything is consistent."
Appleton, a senior environmental studies maior,
Ever Cat Fuels in lsanti, Minn., opened its plant t0 produce biodiesel from the Mcgyan process, which has
student, faculty, and alumni r00ts at Augsburg.
Ever Cat Fuels opens in lsanti
Minneapolis. He contacted Rybak, a strong sup-
What began as a student research project in a Science Hall laboratory made
another step toward changing how fuel will be produced in the future when Ever
porter of sustainability efforts, who welcomed
Cat Fuels held a grand opening for its biodiesel plant in late September.
wanted to bring ideas from l{ew Zealand back to
such a meeting.
Kjerstin Hagen'10, an American lndian studies
major who studied urban sustainability last summer in Portland, 0re., and Vancouver, 8.C., joined
The plant, located about 40 miles north of campus in lsanti, Minn., is expected to
produce about 3 million gallons of biodiesel per year when fully operational. lt represents the first large-scale application of the Mcgyan process of making biodiesel.
The Mcgyan process came out of research by Augsburg undergraduate and
Appleton at the meeting. She was one of the stu-
Rhodes scholar Brian Krohn'08 and creates biodiesel from waste oils. The process
dents involved in implementing Augsburg's com-
doesn't require food stock to work and doesn't create any waste products.
The Mcgyan process-named for Ever Cat Fuels founder and Augsburg alumnus
posting program and planning Sustainability
Awareness Month.
Ihe students shared their travel experiences
with Rybak and told him about ongoing sustainability efforts at Augsburg, many of which were initiated by students. "Augsburg is doing exactly what
I believe in," Rybak said.
The three agreed that informing and educating
the community is an important factor in promoting
urban sustainability. Rybak encouraged Appleton
Clayton McNeff '91, Augsburg chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg, and Ever Cat scientist Ben Yan-has certainly attracted a lot of attention.
"When I see something like this, it's everythingthat we talk about in
Washington," said U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who spoke at the grand opening.
McNeff said Ever Cat Fuels is already planning to expand its facility in lsanti. ln
addition, the company is licensing the Mcgyan process, and it is expected that
other biodiesel facilities will be built across the country and the world.
McNeff also said that a donation to Augsburg's planned Center for Science,
Business, and Religion will be made for each gallon of biodiesel sold.
and Hagen to sign up for one of the city's committees so that they could continue lheir work outside
of Augsburg.
22nd Annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum
Striving for Peace: A Question 0f Will
March 5-6, 2010 at Augsburg College
Honoring 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Martti Ahtisaari
lnternational peace negotialor
and former president of Finland
www.peaceprizeforum.org
Sponsored by Augsburg College, Augustana College (Sioux Falls), Concordia College
(Moorhead), luther College, and St. 0laf College
Fall
2009
5
around the
Augsburg's first travel to Egypt
As a child, I spent most of my summers in Egypt. When I became
language and culture. After learning about the history of Nubia and
director of the Pan-Afrikan Center, I proposed taking students to
Egypt so they could study in a country with both a rich history and
current events of interest. After a year-and-a-half of planning and
its relationship to Egypt, the students spent the day with a Nubian
community located in Aswan.
We later ventured to Hurghada, a city on the Red Sea located in
the Eastern Desert. We drove over an hour to visit a Bedouin community with only 30 members. Due to the harsh nature of the
desert, all of their water comes from a local well, and they raise
the animals needed to survive. We shared a meal with this community, which allowed the students to experience the vast expanse
and isolation of the desert. lt was eye-opening to see what it takes
to survive there.
0ur trip to Egypt evoked a lot of thoughts and feelings within
our students. They had to interact with people who speak different
languages, practice different religions, and come from a very differ-
collaborating with Professor Phil Adamo, who teaches ancient history at Augsburg, we arrived last May in Cairo wilh 22 students. We
began our journey in Africa's largest city, a 1,OOO-year-old metropolis that is home to more than 20 million people. Beyond Cairo,
our three-week excursion took us through Alexandria, Luxor,
Aswan, and Hurghada.
0ur two courses covered Ethnicity and ldentity in Ancient and
Modern Egypt, focusing on Egypt's ancient past and exploring its
modern identity, including a discussion of religion. Although Egypt
has an overwhelming Muslim majority there is also a significant
Orthodox Christian community. As such, students visited some of
the oldest lslamic mosques and Christian churches and monasteries in the world. 0ne stop was Al-Azhar University and mosque,
which is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the
world. We later went to the Hanging Church, one of the sites said
to have been visited by Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Outside of Cairo,
we visited St. Makarios Monastery, another monastery on the Holy
Family's travels through Egypt.
ln discussing Egypt's place in the ancient world, we acknowledged that ancìent Egyptian
society is often over-romanti-
cized, Ieading to a diff iculty in
reconciling the past with the
current state of affairs. To give
context and help students
understand the many changes
Egypt has undergone, we
explored Egypt's relations with
its neighbors, both past and
present. Our f irst stop, Abu
Simbel, is an ancient temple
built by the Egyptians, in an
area then known as Nubia, to
show Egypt's dominance in the
region. Although Nubia is no
longer a separate kingdom, the
Nubian people have a distinct
6
Augsburg Now
È
ent worldview. We challenged stereotypes, explored history, and
dug deep into what it means to be an American traveling overseas.
cities, resorts, mountains, and deserts on our
quest to learn more about Egypt. lt was a wonderful experience to
take students to the place where my family originated, and I look
forward to possibly going back.
We traveled through
MOHAMED SALLAM
Director of the Pan-Afrikan Center and instructor in the Departments of Sociology and History
a7-
Two new regents elected to board
The Augsburg Corporation,
at its annual meeting in
September, elected two new
members to the Board of
NEW
Bt00MlNGIf)l{ CEI{TER-Augsburg students
can now study toward an MBA or a Master of Arts in
Leadership degree in Bloomingon at St. Stephen
Regents and re-elected six
lutheran Church, conveniently located near l-494
others.
and France Ave. For graduates of nearby
Elected to a four-year
term on the Augsburg Board
of Regents:
Ann Ashton-Piper (above
left)
Ann Ashton-Piper is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and has worked
extensively in the information technology field and is president of The Bridgie
Group, a small lT consulting firm. She is active in her church, Peace Lutheran
Church in Bloomington, where she recently chaired the Call Committee. She
and her husband, Ken, who is an architect, are also active in theìr community,
supporting local nonprofit and charitable organizations such as Lake Country
School, Groves Academy, and the Children's Theater Company. They have five
children and live in Bloomington.
Normandale Community Gollege, a bachelor's
degree completion program (AA to BA)
i¡
communi-
cation studies or business administration is
planned at the new Bloomington Center.
NEW S()ClAl- W0R|íMBA DUAL DEGREE-A new
MSWMBA dual degree is specifically designed
for
MSW alumni who completed the Program I)evelop-
ment, Policy, and Administration (PDPA) c0ncentra-
tion; it will offer the knowledge, experience, and
values necessary for success in both business and
human services systems.
Lisa Novotny'80 (above right)
URBAII DEBATE IEAûUE AT AUûSBURG-llow part
Lisa Novotny'80 is vice president, Human Resources at General Mills, and
Augsburg's Sabo Genter for Citizenship and Learn-
has responsibility for human resource strategy and leadership across the sup-
ing, the Minnesota Urban Debate league (MNUI)L)
ply chain and iechnology organization. Prior to General Mills, she held similar
positions for Dain Bosworth and First Bank System. Novotny received her
sponsors six high school programs and three junior
Bachelor of Science degree in social work and Spanish from Augsburg College
St. Paul, serving several hundred students, teach-
ol
high school debate programs in Minneapolis and
in 1980 and a Master of Arts in industrial relations from the University of Min-
ers, and coaches. lt is one ol the college-readiness
nesota. She and her husband, Rev. lVìark Flaten, are members of Edina Community Lutheran Church. They have two daughters; one of them is a current
partnerships Augsburg supp0rts t0 provide access
to underserved and low-income high school stu-
Augsburg sophomore.
dents in the Twin Cities.
Elected to a second, six-year term was:
'65, chairman, Swenson Anderson Financial Group
"LlVE l-lFE
. Dan Anderson
AT THE STRETï
LEVEI"-Day student
body president Sam Smith welcomed first-year
Elected to second, four-year terms were:
Hagfors, founder and president (retired), Norsen, lnc.
. Jodi Harpstead, chief operating officer, Lutheran Social Service of lVìinnesota
. Dean Kennedy'75, president, TFI Securities
. Marie McNeff, academic dean (retired) and professor emerita of education,
. Norman
.
Augsburg College
Paul Mueller'84, physician and chair of internal medìcine, Mayo Clinic
students at the opening convocation with a mes-
sa!e: "At Augsburg my life and my learning have
been enriched by the constant reminder thal the
city and the community are the largest classrooms
you can find.
... Where I currently live,
on the
l3th floor of Mortensen Hall, the view of downtown
Minneapolis is both beautiful and intimidating. Up
that high, it's impossible to make out faces or
street signs. At street level, though, life in the
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Cedar-Riverside and Seward neighborhoods
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doesn'l seem as complicated, foreign, or hectic
as it appears from the bedroom. My hope [is that
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youJ will evenlually learn to live life in the city at
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slreet level."
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2009
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Campus Kitchen wins youth philanthropy award
{ugsburg's Campus Kitchen program was honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals with the Outstanding Youth Award
for 2009 at National Philanthropy Day in Minneapolis in November. Augsburg students were recognized for the program they
largely plan and run that serves more than 1,700 meals each
month to low-income and homeless persons, and communities in
need in the Cedar-Riverside and Phillips neighborhoods.
The student leadership team of 8-12 Augsburg student volunteers provides the essential component for the program-people
power. Under direction of the staff coordinator and two student
interns, the team coordinates other volunteers for three cooking
shifts and six food deliveries each week. Meals are prepared, stored
overnight, and delivered the following day. The students also gìve
of their heart, providing conversation and offering companionship
to the individuals they serve.
The Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College was established in
October 2003 and is one of only 15 Campus Kitchen organizations
around the country. The program brings together the college dining
service, local community groups, and individuals to plan, prepare,
The Campus K¡tchen at Augsburg received the y0uth philanthr0py award, recognizing
lhe work ol the students and volunteers who serve 1,700 meals per month in the
neighborhoods around Augsburg.
deliver, and serve meals.
ln the past two years, Campus Kitchen has expanded its activities:
.
A'viands food service-From their arrival at Augsburg ìn June
2008, A'viands, a local food service provider, has embraced
Campus Kitchen and provides access to food that would otherwise be thrown away. Donations also come from community food-
.
. Summer Garden
and Nutrition Education Project-Augsburg students teach neighborhood youth from the Brian Coyle Community
Center and Somali Confederation about health, nutrition, garden-
banks and other institutions.
.
Communìty Supported Agriculture (CSA)-Campus Kitchen is the
site coordinator for all Augsburg CSA shares and receìves six
shares through Ploughshare Farm's Food for Folk Project.
Community garden-Over three years, Augsburg's community garden has provided space for neighborhood residents, Augsburg
employees, and community organizations to grow their own food.
ing skills, and cooking nutritious meals.
.
West Bank Farmers Market-ln partnership with the Coyle
Center, local farmers selltheir produce once a week during the
summer in the morning at Coyle Center and in the afternoon at
Augsburg-and often donate unsold food to Campus Kitchen.
. Service-learning-Augsburg
history students get hands-on learning about how resources are collected, distrìbuted, and controlled
in the "living text" of Augsburg's Campus Kitchen.
ln its six years, Campus Kitchen has been the recipient of three
awards recognizing the program's outstanding service and
achievements: Student Organization of the Year, given by
Augsburg College; Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award, given by
World Hunger Year in 2OO4; and the Great ldea Award, given by
America's Promise. Read more about Campus Kitchen at
www.
a
ugsbu rg. ed u/cam puskitchen.
BTTSEY NORGARD
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View more photos and learn more about why Campus Kitchen was nominated
for the youth philanthropy award at www.augsburg.edu/now
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age 77, Herb Chilstrom '54 got an offer he couldn't refuse. The retired ELCA
presiding bishop was invited to serve as interim director of the Linnaeus Arboretum
at Gustavus Adolphus College while its director is overseas for ayear. The transition
from Chilstrom's 50-plus years as pastor and bishop to administrative gardener, he
AI
tells his friends, was easy: "l'm going from tending flocks to tending phlox."
Chilstrom gained an appreciation and love for gardening from his mother, a gardener ahead of her time who, along with her husband, pul organically grown food
on their table. He pursued that interest in retirement when he studied to become a
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master gardener.
"lt turned out to
be one of the most enjoyable educational experiences l've ever
had," he says.
When the Chilstroms moved to a townhome in St. Peter, Minn., Herb volunteered
his services to the arboretum. For seven years he nurtured flowerbeds back to
blooming beauty and created a vegetable garden behind the restored settlers'
cabin-which was a necessity for every settler, as well as his own family, During this
time the arboretum began to restore more than 80 acres back to its native prairie.
Now as interim director, he has enjoyed launching "The Linnaeus Order of
Nasturtiums," a cadre of volunteers who tend the arboretum's flora. lVlostly retirees,
the order has "taken off like gangbusters," Chilstrom says. Despite the initiation,
that is, which requires each volunteer to eat a nasturtium blossom laced with
cream cheese.
"People are almost begging to get into the order," says Chilstrom. He has
recruited 20 volunteers in two months, and all have passed the initiation.
For Chilstrom, this second "calling" also has theological roots. He says that
while Lutherans consider Christ's life, death, and resurrection in the Second Article
of the Creed as the heart of Christian faith, "we may have emphasized it to the
point where we don't appreciate as much as we should the First Article, about creation as the gift of God."
"Being involved in a place like the arboretum," Chilstrom continues, "gives me a
chance to create some balance, to be committed to making this place as beautiful
as it can be in a world that is quite broken, where we don't appreciate the gifts of
nature, and where there's so much desecration of the environment."
It's also a chance for some historical reflection. Chilstrom recounts how so many
settlers, including his great-grandparents, arrived in lVìinnesota penniless and
began breaking up the prairie, with disregard for Native peoples and their land.
"Now when we recapture part of that into native prairie, we are helping people
step back and think about what it was like for Native Americans to live here, how
they survived in that setting, and the beauty of the prairie," he says.
ln sum, Chilstrom says, "lfeel that in my retirement I've been uniquely blessed
to be located in a place like this where I can think about some of these good ihings
that are important to us."
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HfIMECOMING 2OO9
September 28-0ctober 4
Despite the rains and chilly weather, spirits were high at the 2009
Auggie Adventure, as hundreds of alumni, students, faculty/staff,
and friends celebrated Homecoming. 0ueen Jamie Krumenauer
and King Kevin Khottavongsa presided at the football game halftime festivities and cheered the Auggies despite their loss to
Hamline, 38-28. Alums sampled classes from Augsburg professors, met fellow alumni authors, enjoyed their reunions, and
ended the weekend with a bang at the fireworks display.
Fall
2009
13
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i
1
2009
Augg¡e Adventure
14
Augsburg Now
DISTINGUISHEIl ALUMNI
FIRST ]lECA]lE AWARIl
Tove Dahl'84 and Curt Rice'84
Tove Dah
l-Associate
Professor,
Psychology, University of Tromsø, Norway
Curt Rice-Director, Center for Advanced
Study in Theoretical Linguistics, University
Brenda Talarico, '99 PA
Assistant Professor, Physician
Assistant Program, Augsburg Col lege
of TromsØ, Norway
SPIRIT fIF AUGSBURG
AWARD
Phebe Hanson '50
Poet, teacher, founding member of
The Loft Literary Center
James E. Haglund, Augsburg Regent
Emeritus and Parent
President and Owner, Central
Contai ner Corporation ; Co-owner of
Spectrum Screen Printing
Joyce (Anderson) Pfaff '65
Professor Emerita of Health and
Physical Education, Augsburg College
2flO9 ATHLETIC HALL flF FAME
Bob Arvold '82, Wrestlìng
Joel Engel '87, lvlen's Basketball
Matt Farley'88, Baseball
Dallas Miller'88, lvìen's Hockey
Ruth 0lson '60, Women's Basketball
Sonja Slack Payne '91, Softbatt, Tennis
Drew Privette '89, Football, Men's Hockey
Richard Thorud '56
Daniel Roff '82, Football
Retired engineer, Toro Company
Stefanie Lodermeier Strusz '98, women's Basketball
@
For more aboul Homecoming and the alumni award winners, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall
2009
15
THE DESTINATION IS THE SAME: EARNING A COLLEGE DEGREE. BUT THE PATHS
TO THAT CAN BE AS DIFFERENT AS DAY AND WEEKEND/EVENING.
For many, Augsburg College is a traditional liberal arts college with 18- to 22-year-olds
ENGLISH
living on or near campus. lt's the place where they went just a few months after graduating from high school and spent the next four years.
There is another side to Augsburg as well. lt's one where classes are held on Fridays,
Saturdays, Sundays, and some evenings. ln this evening and weekend program, students
are older, they are more likely to have a full-time job, and they often juggle more family
responsibilities than traditional day students. They study in both Rochester and
lVinneapolis, at four locations.
While the two groups are demographically different, the education they receive is as
close to the same as possible. For example, business majors in the day program take the
same courses as business majors in the evening and weekend program at all locations.
Where the education differs has more to do with the life experiences students bring to
the classroom.
As one way to see this, we talked to students and faculty members in a day and
weekend section of English 111. This class, Effective Writing, is one that nearly every
Augsburg student takes. As seen in their favorite books and authors, the younger day
students tend toward escape fantasy and horror fiction, exploring the dark and the
macabre. The older weekend/evening students show more interest in philosophy, psychology, and spìrituality-perhaps seekìng more understanding, meaning, and comfort
their lives. Enjoy "meeting" these Augsburg students.
COMPILED BY WENDI WHEELER
16
Augsburg Now
in
by the numbers
EVENINû/WËEKENI)
UNI|ERGRADUATE
PR0GRAM (Minneapolis Campus)
DAY UNDERGRAI)UATE PR()GRAM
Total students enrolled: 809
Total students enrolled: 2,01 3
Average age: 35
Average age:
Male/female rat¡o: 37/63
21
Male/female ratio: 50/50
Students of color: l5%
Students of color (total): 25%
Students of color (first-year class): 42%
Fall
2009
17
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{Ulli lli E}l
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sweet trad¡t¡ons
Velkommen Jul is one of Augsburg's most popular traditions, a Scandinavìan
welcome to the holiday season. Augsburg alumni and friends look forward each
year to the splendid banquet of sweets and treats provided by the Augsburg
Associates.
Enjoy these cookie recipes that come from the hands and hearts of the
Associates. Some recipes date back generations to family members who
attended Augsburg Seminary in the late 1800s.
JOIN US AT VELKOMIVìEN JUL ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4,
BEGINNING WITH CHAPEL AT 10:15 A.M.
COMPILED BY BETSEY NORGARD
Fall
2009
19
{
{
Grandma Rand's Krumkake
1 pt. whipping cream
1 c. sugar
l tsp. vanilla
2 c. f|our
Pinch of salt
1 c. milk
Whip cream until stiff . Add sugar gradually. Mix vanilla and
add flour and salt, which have been sifted together. Add milk
slowly, beating constantly. Bake in krumkake iron, a teaspoon-
ful at a time (no more). Remove from iron and roll immediately.
Makes about 10 dozen.
Fattigmann
Berliner Kranser
Þ
6
6
6
2
6
egg yolks, 3 egg whites
Tbl. sugar
Tbl. cream
Tbl. melted butter
2 hard cooked egg yolks
Il2 c. sugar
2 raw egg yolks
1 c. butter
f
2-712 c. flour (use less)
fat for frying
cardamom seeds
lour
salt
van
Beat egg yolks and whites together until
illa
thick and lemon colored. Add sugar and
Mash cooked egg yolks with fork. Add sugar and
continue beating; add cream and beat
again; blend in butter. Crush cardamom
seeds to powder and add with enough
flour to make a dough f irm enough to roll
work into a wet and pasty mixture. Add raw egg
yolks and mix well. Add butter and mix. Add flour,
salt, and vanilla. Take dough about the size of a
walnut and roll into pencil shape about seven
inches long. Form a ring, overlap ends (like a pret-
Roll thin as paper, cut into diamond
shapes about 5 x
sprinkle with powdered sugar.
*
Augsburg Now
inches. Deep-fry
brown. Drain on absorbent paper and
e,
20
2-Il2
in hot fat 2-3 minutes or until golden
zel). Dip in raw egg white, then into crushed loaf
sugar. Bake a|325 degrees until light brown.
Mom's Rosettes
4,t
I
1
1
I
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbl. sugar
3/4 c. milk (can use whole or skim)
.#
dü
Il4 c. waler
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. f lour
canola or vegetable oil for deep frying
Heat oil in a deepfryer to 375 degrees. (Be sure to
have a thermometer in the oil as you fry the
rosettes and maintain an average of 375.) Put the
rosette iron in the oil as it heats-a hot iron and
oil temperature are most important for crisp
rosettes.
Jule Spritz
{
1 c. butter
1 tsp. almond extract
2-tl2 c. flour
Batter: ln a deep bowl, lightly whip the eggs, salt,
and sugar with a fork, just to mix. Don't overbeat
it. Combine the milk, water, and vanilla. Alternately add 1/3 of the liquid and 1/3 of the flour to
the egg mixture and repeat until all are mixed. lf
the batter isn't smooth, put through a sieve to
remove the lumps.
4 small egg yolks (or 3 large)
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Cream sugar and butter, add almond extract
and egg yolks and beat well. Add flour and
salt. Put cookie dough in cookie press and
press out cookies on cookie sheet. Decorate
Lay out paper toweling on cookie sheets to cool the
rosettes after frying. Have a bowl of sugar for dipping the hot rosette into after it comes off the iron.
with red and green sugar. Bake about 12
minutes at 400 degrees.
A couple of forks will be useful to remove the
rosette from the iron.
With hot oil and hot iron a|375 degrees, and
absorbent cloth or several paper towels ready,
quickly remove the rosette iron from the oil,
quickly shake off any excess oil over the deepfryer,
dab the iron on the paper towel, and quickly
immerse the iron into the rosette batter-not going
over the top edge of the rosette iron-and quickly
return the iron to the deepfryer. After about 15-20
seconds in the oil for a light brown color, gently
remove the rosette from the iron using a fork. Be
sure to keep the iron in the oil heating as the
rosette continues to brown; turn it with the forks to
get uniform browning; and remove from the oil
with the forks and place on paper toweling with
the hollow side down to drain off any excess oil
While warm, dip in sugar. Cool completely and
store in large cookie tin in a cool place. Makes
approximately 36 rosettes.
Fall
2009
21
Ð
perspective
BY JEFF SHTLMAN
I
22
Augsb
s'
Lisa Jack
It was a summer of mood swings
and wide-ranging emotions.
ln May, Lisa Jack found herself on the
cover of the los Angeles Times'Calendar
section. The Augsburg psychology professor had a camera around her neck as
is talk of a Paris showing of the photos
"The majority of students, they enjoy
being engaged and challenged," Jack
said. "l love challenging them and to be
that until two years ago were housed in a
chal lenged. "
basement box, Jack is far less interested
than she was even this summer.
That's because real life suddenly
While Jack's photos have been seen
across the globe and she has been inter-
While the 36 photos of 0bama are
now on display at Occidental, and there
reappeared.
0n July 25, doctors told Jack's
viewed by outlets ranging from The New
York Times to the television show Exfra,
Jack has never heard a word from
mother that she has ovarian cancer. ln
examining her family history, Jack and
Obama or anyone at the White House.
her sister were then told that they are
ings with Obama in recent years, is all
right with that. She understands the job
he has to do and that the photos are
from a long time ago. And she also has
display at a hip West Hollywood art
genetically predisposed for the disease.
And because there isn't a way to screen
for ovarian cancer, the only way for Jack
to protect herself would be to have sur-
gallery.
gery herself.
she sat cross-legged and dressed in
black in the California sun. Her 1980
photographs of now-President Barack
Obama-which were originally published
in
Time magazine-were about to go on
She had become the photographer
she wanted to be at the time she took
those photos when they were both under-
graduates at Occidental College. There
was now enough buzz about her work for
singer-songwriter Seal to check out the
photos. Her photographs captured what
she has described as Obama's youth and
playfulness. And she knew she wanted
some sort of platform."
With Jack needing to help provide
care for her mother in New York and
planning for a significant medical
procedure of her own, Jack was
pictures.
forced to adjust her teaching load
at the last minute. Jack was not
years.
New camera in tow, she spent part of
her summer in North Dakota shooting
photos of professional rodeo cowboys
and the livestock they ride. She began
conversations about some photography
projects. She was excited about rediscovering what she had once thought
would be a career.
"Once I purchased the camera, I went
to practice at the IUniversity of
able to teach an AugSem first-year
seminar and is llmited to one psychology internship course for
upperclass students.
"l was adamant that I teach
this semester," she said. "l have
to have a life. I can't be all cancer all the time. And I love to
teach. I have a class of seniors
and I know them all. lt'll be
fun."
Because while Jack's love
of photography was rekindled
Minnesota'sl Raptor Center," Jack said.
"When I put everything in my computer,
I said, '0h my God.' I didn't lose any
when she unearthed the
nearly 3O-year-old photos of
vision. "
Obama, she still wants to
All was great, right?
Not so fast. Because that part of the
summer seems so long ago.
some new-fou nd perspective.
"lt's an ugly, horrible, heinous disease," Jack said. "They call it the
silent killer. I've done a U-turn into a
cancer activist. But maybe it was the
point in finding those photos, to have
to continue telling stories through
That's why Jack began taking photographs again for the first time in many
Jack, who has had two chance meet-
teach. With an extremely outgoing personality and non-stop
professor
energy, Jack loves the classroom setting.
Fall
2009
23
Mafk
HanSOn calls it a "kicking and
screaming" calling. The son of a parìsh
pastor, Hanson had no interest in follow-
difficult times, ELCA presiding bishop Mark Hanson '68 finds
great joy in his calling and seeks to stay focused 0n Ggd's w3rk in the world.
Even through
ing his father into mìnistrY.
Sure, Hanson went to Union Theologi-
cal Seminary after graduating in 1968
from Augsburg with his wife, lone
(Agrimson) '68, but ihat was onlY
because he received a scholarship to try
it for a year. Even when he f inished up
at Union, Hanson went as far as to stand
in line to regìster to begin graduate
school classes in psychology before he
realized that wasn't what he wanted to
do with his life.
"l ended up going to therapy for six
months to f igure out what was going on
ìn my lìfe," Hanson says. "And it was
only after sìx months of therapy that
realized I was f ighting, for all the wrong
I
reasons, the call to ministrY."
Now, nearly 40 years later, Hanson
f
inds himself as the presìding bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America at one of the most challenging
times since the Lutheran Church in
America, the American Lutheran Church,
and the Association of Evangelical
Lutheran Churches merged to form the
ELCA in the late 1980s.
The nation's financial instability has
led to a downturn in contributions to the
church. The nation's changing demographics have left the ELCA as a graying
organization with ìts strength in parts of
the natìon that aren't growing. And, in
the wake of votes taken at August's
Churchwide Assembly on topics of
human sexuality and homosexual clergy
in committed relationships, there are
many individuals and congregations
pondering whether the ELCA is the place
for them.
And despite the current challenges
"I think that ìn anxious times that
have dimensions of conf lict in them, the
temptation ìs to go into enclaves of likeminded people to both reinforce the convictions one holds with those likeminded people, and often to articulate
that those whom you are not in agreement with are so wrong," Hanson says.
"l have worked to be very connected
relationally.
"ln a culture that is so polarized,
facing the ELCA, Hanson loves his job.
"l f ind great joy in what I do,"
especially around issues of personal
Hanson says, while sitting in his 11th-
morality, and tends to be increasingly
f
loor off ice that overlooks Chicago's
0'Hare lnternational Airport. "I use joy
very intentionally. Joy, for me, has its
source in my faith. I literally f ind great
joy in this call. I told a group of pastors
that I have the best call in the church
and what was fun was that a bunch of
them lìned up to argue with me about
why theirs is better. I liked that."
But Hanson acknowledges that these
times are challenging. And that's why
Hanson has spent-and will be spend-
ing-a
signif icant amount of time engag-
fractious, contentìous, and too often
mean-spirited, can we exemplify in our
witness another way to live-together
and honoring our dìfferences, but in the
context of our unity?"
J
im Arends, a I97 4 Augsburg gradu-
ate and current bishop of the LaCrosse
lWisc.l Area Synod,
saYS one
of Han-
son's biggest strengths as presiding
bishop is his ability to communicate in
general and to listen in particular.
"lt
is going to help, it can't but help,"
Arends says. "He respects you. I don't
ing in conversation, even if the actions
think I've ever seen anything even close
at the Minneapolis Convention Center
to disrespectful. With his authority and
height, he's still able to make people be
make things a little awkward and
u
ncomf ortable.
comfortable and relax around hìm.
That's tough with the height of his collar
and the big cross he needs to wear."
How does he do it? Hanson saYS some
of it is because of what he learned at
Augsburg. Because while there are challenges within the church, there are far
Discovering
in the
Challenges
of leadership
BY JEFF SHELMAN
Fall
't
2009
25
1l
more sign
if
icant issues-poverty, dis-
ease in third-world countries, and health
concerns among them-that the ELCA is
trying to tackle.
"The call for us as Christians is not to
be turned inward in conf lict with each
schools of higher education. We have
great colleges and universities in the
church, but I think Augsburg has really
positioned itself where I would want to
see a college of this church to be."
for work about 80% of the time.
"There are some days when I've gone to
the airport where I've given the United
desk my driver's license and said,
'l forgot
to look, where am I going again?"' Hanson
other and miss this moment to be
engaged in God's work in the world;
And as Hanson progressed from
parish pastor to bishop of the Saint Paul
Area Synod to, now, presiding bishop,
Augsburg gave me that perspective," he
Hanson sees a thread that goes back to
says. "Augsburg always reminded me
that whatever is going on with you,
Augsburg.
will have a lot to do with continuing com-
"My whole life has been shaped by
the intersection of intellectual curiosity,
faith, and how faith and intellect shape
one for a life in leadership," Hanson
says. "The phrase I use for what I got
from Augsburg and Union is an
unquenchable curiosity of faith and life.
I've never stopped being curious. I think
Augsburg fostered that. I'm going to be
free to ask questions and to serve my
neighbor, particularly the one who is
struggling with issues of justice and
munications, building relationships, and
leading a church that has members asking
serious questions about the future. While
the conversations and e-mails aren't
always positive from individuals concerned
about the ELCA's actions, Hanson remains
within your family, within the church,
there is a world that calls you."
That was true in the mid-to-late
1960s when Hanson studied sociology,
and it is true now as Hanson also
watches Augsburg as a parent. Four of
his six children have or currently are
attending Augsburg. His daughter
Alyssa, an alumna of the College, is also
teaching math in the Weekend College
program.
"When lone and I were at Augsburg,
we were invited, encouraged, challenged
to immerse ourselves in the city, CedarRiverside, North Minneapolis, and that
has not stopped," he says. "0ur daughter who is a senior there now has been to
Central America twice. The immersion
and context have grown from the immediate Cedar-Riverside neighborhood to
now the world.
"l'm all
26
over the world looking at
Augsburg Now
says with a laugh. "That's pretty bad. I'm
prepared for where I'm going, but there's a
lot of travel."
That travel, in the upcoming months,
upbeat.
"l
am proud to serve in leadership right
"l lead 70 million Luther-
now," he says.
ans in the world and lead the largest
Lutheran Church in the United States;
around Lake Harriet for Chicago's Edge-
that's just an amazing thing that I am
called into that sort of leadership. lf the
criticism begins to take a personal toll,
then I can no longer be an effective leader.
I think that the gospel is too good news for
me to get so discouraged that I can't, with
brook neighborhood, he's rarely there.
It's tough to be at home when you travel
great passion, proclaim the good news of
Jesus. "
poverty."
And Hanson has plenty of opportunities to be curious as presiding bishop.
While he and lone have traded the area
"We have great colleges and universities in the church, but I think Augsburg has
really pos¡t¡gned itself where I would want t0 see a college of this church t0 be."
rl
I
ï
H
ffi
\t'/ith more than 4,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs,
Augsburg College strives to create an intentionally diverse and vibrant community by welcoming students of varied backgrounds and experiences.
For many of the students who come to Augsburg, being an Auggie is a
dream come true because at one time in their lives, the idea of going to college was nearly impossible to imagine.
That's where Admission Possible comes in. This program, which was
founded in Minnesota in 1999 to help low-income high school students get
into college, has brought more than 100 students to Augsburg since its found-
H
ing. Ihis fall, 63 Admission Possible alumni joined the Augsburg community as
first-year students-more than any other private college in the country.
E
tr
Admission Possible made Augsburg possible for these students. Not only
has this program enriched the lives of students and their families,
it has also
benefited the Augsburg community.
Finding Admission Possible
Juventino "Juve" Meza Rodriguez'11 came to the U.S. from
Mexico when he was 15 years old. Unlike his parents or siblings,
Meza Rodriguez had been fortunate to attend school beyond the
sixth grade and, though he did not speak English, he was excited
m
H
m
about continuing his education in a Minnesota high school.
"l come from a low-income working family; my parents and
their parents didn't go to school. My mom made a big push for
education for her children because she wanted us to do something she wasn't able to do," he says.
Meza Rodriguez tested into the ninth grade and began classes
at Arlington High School in St. Paul. ln his neighborhood and in
his family, no one had gone to college. "As kids we always said
we want to be this or that," he says, "but realistically I wasn't
thinking that college would be a possibility for me. And my parents of course didn't think it was an option either."
ln his sophomore year, he dropped out of school, following his
friends who had started working and were making money. "l was
out of school for one week, and I did not enjoy life," he says. He
asked his parents to help him get back into school, and after
that week he appreciated his education more than he had before
"l knew I wanted something more, but I wasn't sure what that
was and I didn't have people around me who had done it either."
With a renewed enthusiasm for high school, Meza Rodriguez
asked a guidance counselor about college. "She told me
I
couldn't go," he says, but she eventually found a program for him
and suggested he apply. That program was Admission Possible.
From the moment he was accepted into the program, Meza
Rodriguez was on his way to college, but he was in unfamiliar
28
Augsburg Now
q F
n
Ð
territory. "When I told my parents that I wanted to go to college,
theyasked how I wasgoingtodo it. I said,'l have no idea."'
Because his parents were unable to support him f inancially
and because they had no experience with higher education, lVleza
Rodriguez says they left many of the decisions about school up to
him. "They would always say, 'Tu sabes lo que haces,'(You know
what you're doing). But I didn't know what I was doing."
Getting to Augsburg
l-lis Admission Possible coach did know what to do to navigate
the complicated and sometimes intimidating landscape of college application. Twice weekly in his junìor and senior years,
lVIeza Rodriguez met with his coach and other students. He prepared for the ACT and learned how to select a college that
matched his interests, complete the admissions applications,
and apply for financìal aid including scholarships.
Admission Possible also encouraged lVeza Rodriguez to make
connections at schools by going on campus visits and attending
education fairs. At one such fair for Latino students, he met Carrìe Carroll, Augsburg's assistant vice president of admissions.
"When I got to Carrie's booth, I told her I had heard about
Augsburg and she started asking me questions. We talked for two
hours," he recalls. "She was very welcoming and showed an
interest in me that other schools didn't bother to show." After
their meeting, Carroll e-mailed lVleza Rodriguez and encouraged
him to apply to Augsburg.
"I applied, and Carrie called my AP coach within six days and
said I had been admitted. I was the flrst student in my AP class
to apply and the first to get accepted."
il
I
I
Carroll says Admission Possible students are attracted to
Augsburg because of the f inancial aid that helps make college
possible for more than 90% of traditional day college students.
Two programs-Augsburg College Access Program (ACAP) and
the Augsburg Promise are aimed at assisting f irst-generation
and low-income students.
ACAP provides a four-year grant for students who have participaled in a college readiness program. The grant covers the cost of
luition not met with federal or state grants for students who are
Minnesota residents, have an ACT score of 20 or belter, and have
cunrulative grade point average of at least 3.25.
lVlore
a
importantly, Carroll says studenls come because ALrgsburg
has made an institutional commitrnent
to providing access for nrany
different types of studenls, to creating an intenlionally diverse cam
pus, and to engaging students in service to the conrmunity. All of
these commitments connect closely to Admission Possible values.
"At Augsburg, we are aware of the obstacles some students
have faced and will continue to face. We value our students." As
Fall
2009
in
29
Meza Rodriguez's case, Carroll says often a student will make
the choice to come to Augsburg, even though they have been
accepted elsewhere, simply because the Augsburg staff takes the
time to get to know them personally.
accessible to anyone, regardless of his or her background or
circumstances.
Beyond admission
onto their campuses." lt has also helped colleges and universities
address much of the stigma that is attached to low-income stu_
Meza Rodriguez says that Admission possible has also changed
campus atmospheres by introducing students who might not have
considered college in the past. ',Ap helps colleges get out of their
comfort zone," he says, "by welcoming more and more diversity
Once students are accepted and begin their college studies, they
still encounter
d
many challenges that can make staying jn school
iffic u lt.
dents, challenging the notion that they are low-achieving or unpre_
pared. ln fact, while the fall 2009 first-year class includes 40%
ln the past, a team of Admission posstble staffers did some
tracking and outreach to their alumni after they had started
college. Most of their assistance had been reactionary, however,
and they were often brought in when a student was in the midst
students of color, the average ACT score and class rank have
of a crisis.
pared for success and dedicated to making the most of their college
This year, Admission Possible has developed a structured col_
remained consistent among Augsburg's incoming classes over the
past four years.
Carroll agrees, adding that Admission possible students are pre_
on their individual campuses.
experience. "These are smart, capable students who work very hard
to succeed. They just need to be taught how to do this.',
Meza Rodriguez is just one example of the motivated and tal_
Ben Pierson is the college coach at Augsburg this year. Having
an office on campus is important because for Admissjon possible
ented students who find a fit at Augsburg through coilege readiness
programs. He received a president,s Scholarship, which recognizes
alumni, "AP" means "help." Students know they will find a caring adult in Pierson as well as a reliable source of information
academic achievement and leadership potential, and he is an
Honors program student. ln his three years at the College, he has
and support.
also been a senator in student government, helped found a Latino
lege program with coaches who work one-on-one with students
Pierson works with Augsburg's director of retention, the
Enrollment and Financial Services staff, admission counselors,
and with the other student support programs. His objective is to
maintain contact with students and help them find the resources
they need before they want or need to drop out.
student organization, and conducted summer research with
President Pribbenow as his mentor and adviser.
This fall Meza Rodriguez is studying poverty, inequality, and
social change in the Metro Urban Studies Term (MUST) through
HECUA, the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs, and
is doing an internship with the Citizens League in St. paul. He
Making dreams poss¡ble
has also organized a group at Augsburgto help connect the more
than 100 Admission Possible alumni who are now enrolled at the
College readiness programs like Admission possible are just one of
College.
When he participates in Commencement, Meza Rodriguez knows
the many ways students find Augsburg and realize their dreams.
But this program benefits more than the students who enroll and
graduate.
Meza Rodriguez and the other Admission possible alumni fea_
tured here set examples for their peers, siblings, and their commu_
nities. Their experiences demonstrate that a college education is
@
30
will be an inspiration not only to members of his community but
to his younger siblings, ages 4 and g, whom he hopes will one
day follow in his footsteps. "My siblings can see that college is pos_
sible. So many people around me can now see that it is possible.,,
he
also
Learn about Adm ission possi ble at www.adm ission possi ble.org.
Read more about the other
Augsburg Admission possible
students pictured here at
wwuaugsburg.edu/now
Augsburg Now
lucky Dirie'13
Houa
lor '13
Farrington Starnes'12
È!
b¡
Fall
2009
31
DEAR FRIEI{tlS,
As I write to report to you on the successful completion to a most extraordinary year of economic challenges, I remain filled
with gratitude for your steadfast support to Augsburg College.
While each week last fall brought more bitter news than the previous regarding our financial institutions, we maintained a
watchful and cautious eye over our students, our revenues, and our gifts. I was so pleased and humbled that through these
difficult months our enrollments remained high, our programs strong, and your giving constant.
During this difficult year, your gifts made an Augsburg education possible for many students who would not have otherwise been able to continue theìr studies. At Augsburg, we are committed to providing the access for these students of differing faiths, cultures, and ethnicities to thrive and to become the
next leaders in creating safe and sustainable communities.
Together, we continue to learn how "We are called to serve our
neìghbor. "
Durìng this past year, as a teaching and learning community,
WE ARE CALLEI}
TO SERVE (lUR NEIGHB(lR
we also explored in many ways what it means to live more sustainably in the city. I was so proud of our students, who pushed the College for changes that made us better stewards of our
gifts and of God's creation. Augsburg is now a leader among educational institutions in the use of renewable energy, in support of alternative transportation practices, and in the adoption of a food composting program.
As we move forward, I ask for your abiding and increased participation and support in the next years as we continue to
work together for a stronger and more vibrant future for our college, and for our students.
S
incere ly,
*
L-
?
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW
PRTSIDENT
32
Augsburg Now
\
Your annual fund gift helps to
1
.., retain talented faculty, like chemistry professor
maintain Augsburg's low
2
...
l4:l
Vivien Feng, and
4
...
keep Augsburg affordable by providing a portion of the academic
scholarships and financial aid received by 90% of day students.
studenUfaculty rati0.
make it possible for curious and talented students to stay on campus
5
during the summer to engage in full{ime research with a faculty mentor.
3
...
provide up{o-date computers and technology services critical to
...
fund student programs and co-curricular activities, like campus
ministry, athletics, internships, and ethnic student services.
6
...
provide the special equipment, safety equipment, and supplies for
our science laboratories.
teaching and learning.
È1.
r,' ,ç $¡
"$,ft..,
t{Ol\¡b^
GIVING IN ACTI(¡NWhat Students and Alumni Say
Nate Johnson '11
Rossing Physics Scholar, StepUP program
Ali Rapp '11
Honors student, "Homemade" blogger
ln Augsburg's unique Honors program, Ali and her fellow students participate in deep discussions about controversial questions. "There's a degree of openness in Honors that you don't
find in other classes," she says. Another way Ali expresses
her-
self is through her blog on Homemade, the site that gives current and future Auggies a sense of what life is really like for
students at Augsburg. "We really get to the heart of issues, and
I'm glad we have that kind of freedom to be ourselves and to be
Junior Nate Johnson has an interest in how things work and
was drawn to the problem-solving part of physics. This year he
was named one of four Rossing Physics Scholars in the nation
by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Johnson grew
up in St. Croix Falls before entering substance abuse treatment
in high school. At Augsburg, Johnson is in the StepUp pro,
gram, a program that is much of the reason why he chose the
College and where he f inds community, support, faith, and discipline. "When I was looking at colleges, every time I went to
genuine."
Augsburg, I felt excited about it," Johnson says, "... other college settings felt daunting."
Your giving supp0rts personal growth in Augsburg's
Your giving supp0rts paths to healthy lives in Augsburg's
Honors program
StepUP program
re
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Shonna Fulford'09
Myles Stenshoel Scholarship
The Augsburg faculty did more
than just teach Shonna Fulford,
a 2OO9 graduate from Perham,
Minn. "They are truly there to
teach you what they know, to let
you discover things you may never
Annika Gunderson '11
have otherwise, and to help you
President's Scholar, world traveler
ln her three years as an Auggie, Annika Gunderson '1 t
succeed in everything you want to do," she says. As the recipient of the endowed scholarship for students pursuing careers in
political science, she also had the opportunity to get to know
has
almost spent more time away from Augsburg than on campus.
This international relations and Spanish major from Winona,
Minn., has studied abroad three times, spending five weeks in
is named. This student orientation leader and Homecoming
queen hopes to return to Augsburg some day, perhaps as a
Cuernavaca, Mexico; a semester in Central America; and
member of the administration.
another semester in Brazil. Gunderson suggests that all students take advantage of the many study abroad opportunities
Your giving supp0rts scholarships endowed to honor
Professor Emeritus Myles Stenshoel, for whom the scholarship
available to Augsburg students. "lt's important to be able to
challenge yourself to go beyond, to experience something unfa-
faculty careers and commitment
miliar."
Your giving supports life-changing experiences thr0ugh
Augsburg's Genter for Global Education
Michele Roulet '10
WEC Student Senate
Michele Roulet found Augsburg at the State Fair. Returning to college
after a two-year degree and full-time work, she enjoys working at her own
pace for "a chance to figure out who I am." The studio art major has
studied abroad in Central America and Europe. She has also found a
niche in the Weekend Student Senate and has served as its president,
making sure that Augsburg's weekend and graduate student voices are
represented on campus.
Your giving supports leadership in Student Government
Fall
2009
35
GIVING IN ACTIflNSupporting Augsburg Chemistry Students:
John and Marvel Yager
John Yager '7 4 was not a typical Augsburg f reshman. Although
born in Minnesota, he grew up traveling in a military family. He
picked Augsburg because his parents were expected to retire in the
Twin Cities; his uncle, Dr. 0. Lewis Zahrendt, was an Augsburg
graduate; and Augsburg's admissions materials were the most
appeal i ng.
It was a good choice. Yager says he considers Augsburg "one of
the most fortunate events of my life as far as my education was
concerned." His goal was medical school and he majored in chemistry and biology.
Yager credits his academic success to what he believes are still
the hallmarks of Augsburg's chemistry department-high levels of
integrity, dedication, and a commitment to achievement-as well
as the dedication of the chemistry faculty-Courtland Agre, John
Holum, Earl Alton, and Arlin Gyberg. Yager also credits his classmates, the "phenomenal group of very bright and hard-working students, who helped me work all the harder."
But even more crucial to his college success was the support
Yager received when his older brother, with whom he was living,
was tragically killed in an accident. ln coping with grief and trying
to decide whether to stay at Augsburg, Yager contacted Rick Thoni,
the director of student advisers, who arranged for housing options
that Yager needed to stay in school and supported him through the
While his first job involved hands-on chemistry, his subsequent
work has taken him into related fields and aspects of immuno-
chemìstry-q ual ity assurance, regu latory affairs, cl in ical trials, and
literature research and publications. He is a patent-holder on a
medical device used in endoscopy.
"l've had great opportunity to really apply chemistry," Yager
says, "to apply the discipline of what I've learned over the years to
a career that has been extremely rewarding personally." He notes
that while he didn't pursue a medical career, his work has contìnually helped people through development of better medical
products.
Yager currently'works for a new company,
Acist Medical
Systems, which manufactures products that help physicians
ing them reach out to me was something l've never forgotten,"
administer the contrast agent used in angiography.
Yager has continually remained connected to the Chemistry
Department and Augsburg. He has lectured in senior seminars,
Yager says.
served as a mentor to chemistry students, and coached students
After graduation Yager took additional chemistry courses and
worked as a pathology assistant at St. Mary's Hospital. While medical school did not become part of his future, in the pathology lab
through the hurdles of f inding their first jobs. He enjoys maintain-
crisis.
"Feeling that connection and that bond to the College, and feel-
he met Marvel, who also worked in the lab and later became his
wife.
Yager turned
to industry and took a position with an immunodi-
agnostics company, researching and manufacturing products that
improve medical diagnostic testing. Thirty-f ive years later he has
worked at all of the major immunochemistry companies in the Twin
Cities and has been on the cutting edge of medical research in
number of start-up companies.
36
Augsburg Now
a
ing this connection and being on campus once in a while.
"l just
feel at home," he says.
John and Marvel Yager value education and have supported
Augsburg chemistry students through the Augsburg College Chemistry Alumni Scholarship. At times, Yager has also been able to
provide an employer match to their funds.
"As my career has advanced and we've looked at our values as a
family," Yager says, "the idea of giving back has been fundamental."
Yager says that for them Augsburg is the natural place to give,
and with the scholarship endowment, the gift keeps giving.
T
2OO8.2OO9 FINAI{CIAt H¡ûHLIGHTS
Where the Money Comes From
Where the Money Goes
7o/o
3o/"
Government grants
3o/o
Equipment
and capital
improvement
2o/"
Other sources
Student salary
5%
\
3o/o
Debt service
\
Private gifts and grants
.3o/o
/utititi"t
t2/"
Room and board
ffi
m
ffi
$34.5
$33.7
$30.5
$26.6
$26.2
$24.8
2009 Endowment Market Value
$23.2
Ï22.7
$23.3
May 31, 2009
$20.0
$26,211,136
As
$r 6.4
of May 31, 2009, we have
annual realized and unrealized
losses of 2I.7% on our endowment.
$r 4.2
$11.5
Our five-year average annual return
on the endowment is .18%, and the
lO-year average annual return is
I.42%.
We are committed to maintaining the value of the principal
gifts and to provide support to the
College in perpetuity.
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
2ît7
2008
2009
Endowment Assets
(in millions)
June
l,
1
995
-
May 31, 2009
Fall
2009
31
llEAR FRIEI{llS,
It is my distinct pleasure to share with you news about the many gifts and contributions made to Augsburg College between June 1, 2008, and May 31,
2009. I am filled with gratitude at the generosity of our thousands of alumni,
parents, and friends who wholeheariedly supported the College during this past
year
of unprecedented economic challenges and uncertainty.
Together, for the benefit of our students and community, we were able to witness many successes and end our year with an operating surplus.
I'd like to
highlight just a few examples.
.
We increased the number of donors who made gifts during the year to a total
4,75L This support went to The Augsburg Fund, student scholarships,
capital projects, and fine arts, athletics, signature programs, and other
important i n itiatives.
of
¡
Perhaps most exciting, especially in a challenging economy, was the success of The Augsburg Fund, our fund for unrestricted gifts for
the College. For the second year in a row, it reached its $1 million goal, surpassing last year's mark for a total of $1,003,210 from
3,400 donors.
¡
Also for the second year in a row, I am proud to tell you
that we received 100% participation in The Augsburg
Fund from the Augsburg Board of Regents, the Alumni
Board of Directors, the President's Cabinet, and-for the
first time-the staff of the lnstitutional Advancement
Division. This was a gratifying sign of commitment from
WE Lfl(lK BACK WITH GRATITUDE
ANIl F(lRWARD WITH EXPECTATION
F()R A YEAR OF CflNTINUED
SUPPflRT FflR flUR STUDENTS
these key groups of leaders.
.
Augsburg also received 619 gifts totaling $387,000 to new or existing scholarship funds. Scholarships are a primary source of financial aid for many students at Augsburg, and we are again grateful for the 334 generous individuals who chose to establish or con-
tribute to these funds,
this new academic year with the largest enrollment and greatest diversity of any incoming first-year class, we look back with
gratitude and forward with expectation for a year of continued support for our students. I thank you for your continued, unfailing support.
As we enter
Sincerely,
JIRTMY R. WELLS
VICT PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
38
Augsburg Now
t¡FEÏIME ûIVI}IG
The following
list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given a minimum 0f $100,000, including
planned gifts, over a lifetime. We are immensely grateful for their examples of loyalty and commitment to the College.
'68 and Tamra Nelson
Ernest+ and Helen Alne
Phillip+'55 and Lynne Gronseth
George
Donald '60 and Violet Anderson
Carolyn and Franklin Groves
Barbara Tjornhom
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Norman and Evangeline Hagfors
Robert'51+ and Carolyn Odegard
R. Luther Olson '56
'54 Nelson and Richard
Nelson
Brian Anderson '82 and Leeann Rock'81
James and Kathleen Haglund
Charles and Catherine Anderson
Hearst Foundation
Beverly Halling '55 0ren and Donald '53 Oren
Earl and Doris Bakken
Loren Henderson
John and Norma Paulson
Loren and Mary Quanbeck'77 Barber
Elizabeth '82 and Warren Bartz
Donald Hennings
Grace Forss
Robert '50 and Ruth Paulson
Glen Person '47
Paul '63 and LaVonne Olson
'63 Batalden
'57 Herr and Douglas Herr
Donald '39 and Phyllis Holm
Harvey
Sidney '57 and Lola Lidstrom '50 Berg
Allen and Jean Housh
Addison and Cynthia Piper
Barbara and Tane Birky
Garfield Hoversten '50
David Piper
Roy'50 and Ardis Bogen
Huss Foundation
Harry and lVlary Piper
John+ and Joyce Boss
Sandra and Richard Jacobson
Philip '50 and Dora Frojen'49 Quanbeck
Donald Bottemiller and Shellie Reed
Kinney Johnson '65
Mark'53 and Jean Raabe
Rodney and Barbara Burwell
James Johnson and Maxine lsaacs
Alan
Bush Foundation
Dean '75 and Terry Kennedy
Curtis and lVlarian Sampson
Carlson Companies
Bruce and Maren Kleven
Ward C. Schendel
The Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation
David and Barbara Kleven
Ruth Schmidt '52
Richard '74 and Nancy Colvin
E. Milton Kleven '46
James and Eva Seed
David and lVìary Brandt '79 Croft
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Rodney
Theodore and Pamala Deikel
Kraus-Anderson Construction Company
John and Martha Singleton
Corporation Foundation
Darrell '55 and Helga Egertson
Rhonda
Tracy L. Elftmann '81
Diane and Philip Larson
Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri
George
Leland and Louise Sundet
Philip and Laverne Fandrei
Winifred Helland '37 Formo+ and Jerome
Formo'37+
James Lindell '46
Dean '81 and Amy Sundquist
Gary'80 and Deanna Tangwall
Jeny and Jean Foss
Jennifer and Richard Martin
P. Dawn Heil
William and Anne Frame
Barbara and Edwin Gage
General Mills Foundatìon
Marie and Larry McNeff
Teagle Foundation
Gerard and Anne lVeistrell
Hoyt '39+ and Lucille lVlesserer
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Robert '63 and Marie Tufford
Michael '71 and Ann Good
Robert '70 and Sue lVidness
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
'84 and Jean Taylor '85
H. Theodore '76 and lVlichele Grindal
Raymond '57 and Janice Grinde
Paul '84 and Nancy Mackey '85 Mueller
Robert Wagner '02
William and Stephanie Naegele
Ronald '68 and lvlary Kay Nelson
Scott Weber '79
Del uxe
Roger Griffith
Spitzer'85 Kwiecien and Paul Kwiecien '86
ice
'74
and Catherine L. B. Schendel
Sill '82
Glen and Anna Skovholt
Gladys Boxrud Strommen '46 and Clair
David Lankinen'88
Strommen'46+
'61 and lVary Larson
Harris '57 and Maryon Lee
Arne '49 and Jean Swanson
R
'52 and Joanne Varner '52 Peterson
'52
lVarkland
Glen A. Taylor Foundation
laylor'78
Robert Wick '81
Every effort has been made t0 ensure that all nanes are included and spelled correctly.
lfyou notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
39
PRESItlENT'S CIRCTE
GIFTS RECEIVTD JUNE 1, 2OO8 TO MAY 31, 2OO9
The following
list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously made leadership gifts to the College 0f $1,000 or more in
the 2008-09 fiscal year.
Ruth Aaskov'53
Margaret Clyde
Andra Adolfson
Joseph Cook'89
William '51 and Marolyn Sortland '51 Halverson
Elling and Barbara Halvorson
Peter '70 and lVìary Agre
Walter and Janet Cooper
Jill Hanau
Lois Richter '60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson
Brent Crego '84
Clarence Hansen'53
Edward '50 and Margaret Alberg
George
Craig Alexander and Roberta Kagin
Sally Hough Daniels '79
'72 and Janet Dahlman
Mark '68 and lone Agrimson
'68
Hanson
Jodi and Stanley Harpstead
Bartley Davidson '76
Hunt and Diane Harris
Julie Edstrom'90
Richard and Dail Hartnack
Leif Anderson
Judy Thompson Eiler '65
Christopher Haug'79 and Karl Starr
Deloris Anderson '56
Dantel'77 and Patricia Eitrheim
David '67 and Karen Jacobson
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Richard '72 and Tamara Ekstrand
Helen Haukeness'49 and James Ranck
Robert'77 and Katherine Anderson
Brian Anderson '82 and Leeann Rock '81
Fuad and Nancy EI-Hibri
Lisa Svac Hawks '85
Avis Ellingrod
Mark Hebert '74
Catherine and Charles Anderson
Rona Quanbeck'48 Emerson and Victor Emerson
Philip'42 and Ruth Helland
Scott'76 and Lisa Anderson
Ronald Engebretsen
Leo Henkemeyer
Steven and Stephanie Anderson
Susan Engeleiter
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
Frank'50 and Georgette Lanes'50 Ario
Christine Pieri '88 Arnold and James Arnold '88
Stephen '68 and lVìarilyn lVcKnight '67 Erickson
Donald '39 and Phyllis Holm
Dean '68 and Diana Olson '69 Ersfeld
L. Craig'79 and Theresa Serbus '79 Estrem
Linda Baìley '74 Holmen and Kenneth Holmen '74
Paul Holmquist '79
Richard '87 and Carla Bahr
lVlark and Margie Eustis
Joeì and Alice Houlton
Dorothy Bailey
John '82 and Joan Moline'83 Evans
Kermit '50 and Ruth Hoversten
Robert Barber'56
Allison Everett'78 and Kenneth Svendsen '78
Clarence '41 and lVarguerite Hoversten
Elizabeth '82 and Warren Bartz
Paul '63 and LaVonne Olson '63 Batalden
Barbara Farley
Jane and Patrick Fischer
Allen '64 and Lenice Hoversten
Philip '71 and Patricia Hoversten
Duncan Flann '55
Jerelyn Hovland '63 and Clyde Cobb
Paul '59 and Pearl Almquist
.James
'58 and Beverly Almquist
Jean Hemstreet'68 Bachman and Harold Bachman
Vera Thorson Benzel
'45
'67
Haugen
Dawn Formo
fom'72
Jerome Formo'37+
Joseph Hsieh'61 and E. Mei Shen Hsieh
Birgit Birkeland '58
William and Anne Frame
Andrew Fried '93
Glenda and Richard Huston
Nancy Paulson '70 Bjornson and
JoAnne Digree '68 Fritz and Barry Fritz
Brandon Hutchinson'99
J. Ragnar Bjornson
Buffie Blesi '90 and John Burns
David '68 and Lynn Boe
Leola Dyrud Furman '61
Barbara and Richard Hutson
Karon Garen
Duane'68 and Diane llstrup
John '47 and lrene Jensen
Sidney'57 and Lola Lidstrom '50 Berg
Norman '59 and Delores Berg
John Berg'59
Ann Garvey
and Karen Howe
lVlichael and Barbara Hubbard
Anthony'85 and Traci Genia
Glen'52 and lrvyn Gilbertson
Carol Oversvee Johnson '61
Bruce Brekke
Orval and Cleta Gingerich
Michael Brock
Andrew and Carolyn Goddard
Ruth E. Johnson '74 and Philip Quanbeck ll
lVerton '59 and Jo An Bjornson '58 Johnson
Adam Buhr'98 and Laura Pejsa '98
Alexander '90 and Simone Gonzalez
Danìel Johnson'75
Robert and Brenda Bukowski
lVichael '71 and Ann Good
Gary'74 and lVelody Johnson
Carolyn Burfield '60
Shirley Larson '51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud
Thomas Gormley and Mary Lesch-Gormìey
Craig Jones
Marilyn Saure '61 Breckenridge and
Tom Breckenridge
Charles Bush
Bruce '68 and Lois Hallcock '68 Johnson
Eric Jolly
Paul and Judy Grauer
Cynthia Landowski '81 Jones and Rick Jones
Carrìe and Peter Carroll
Charles and Barbara Green
H. Theodore '76 and lVichele Grindal
Jennifer Abeln
John and Peggy Cenito
lVabeth Saure '58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom
Janet L. Karvonen-Montgomery and Alan
Keith '65 and Lynn Chilgren
Herbert'54 and E Corrine Chilstrom
David and Kathy Haaland
Norman and Evangeline Hagfors
Patricia and Paul Kaufman
C. Lee Clarke
James and Kathleen Haglund
Dean '75 and Terry Kennedy
Marion Buska '46
Christine Coury '91 Campbell and Craig Campbell
40
Augsburg Now
Carol Jones
'78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow
lVontgomery
lVichael Kivley '89
Jellrey'77 and Becky Bjella '79 Nodland
Charles and Ritchie Markoe Scribner
Linda Klas '92
Norma Noonan
James and Eva Seed
E. lVlilton Kleven '46
Roselyn Nordaune'77
Adam '01 and Allison Seed
Elsie Ronholm Koivula '49
Lisa Novotny '80 and lVark Flaten
Phyllis '58 and Harold Seim
Joanne Stiles '58 Laird and David Laird
Richard '70 and Linda Seime
Kalhryn'72 Lange and Dennis Sonifer
Teny'7O and Vicki Nygaard
Leroy Nyhus '52
Ruth Ringstad '53 Larson and lVarvin Larson
Robert Odegard '51+
Frankie and Jole Shackelford
Earl '68 and Lisbeth Jorgensen '70 Sethre
Norman '85 and Kim Asleson '84 Okerstrom
Stephen and Kay Sheppard
Harris '57 and Maryon Lee
Sandra Larson '69 Olmsted and Richard Olmsted '69
Chad '93 and lVìargaret Shilson
Thomas and Gratra Lee
R, Luther 0lson '56
David Soli '81
Andre Lewis '73 and Kathleen McCartin
Orville '52 and Yvonne Bagley '52 0lson
Earle '69 and Kathleen Kupka '69 Solomonson
Debora and John Liddell
William and Mary 0'lVìeara
Donald '53 and Beverly Halling '55 Oren
Allan '53 and Eunice Nystuen '50 Sortland
Alice Lindell '58 and Gordon '59 Lindgren
Mary Sue Zelle Lindsay and Hugh Lindsay
Beverly Ottum
Arne and Ellen Sovik
Patricia and John Parker
Carolyn Johnson
Dana Lonn
John and Norma Paulson
Robert and Joyce Engstrom '70 Spector
Kathy Lowrie
Robert'50 and Ruth Paulson
Richard '74 and Karen Pearson
Alan Petersen '58+
Harvey '52 and Joanne Varner '52 Peterson
Todd '89 and Amy Steenson
Karin Peterson
Gladys Boxrud Strommen '46
Eugene'59 and Paula Peterson
Corwin and Doris Peterson
Philip '79 and Julia Davis '79 Styrlund
Arne'49 and Jean Swanson '52 Markland
Ron '69 and Jane Petrich
Terry Marquardt'98 and Gary Donahue
Carol Pfleiderer
Jennifer and Richard lVartin
Sandra Phaup'64
Dean '81 and Amy Sundquist
Jeffrey'79 and Melissa Swenson
Nicole Swords '01 and April Leger '02
Jo Anne Sylvester '68 and Larry Dieckman
Gary '80 and Deanna Tangwall
Jean Taylor '85 and Roger Griff ith '84
Paul '60 and Nancy Thompsen
Dick '61 and Jane Thompson
lVlartin Larson
'80
James Lindell '46
Wenona '55 and Norman Lund
Thomas'68 and Carol Batalden '68 Luukkonen
Pamela and Robert lVlacDonald
Philip '79 and Diane Madsen
Kay Malchow'82 and Stephen Cook
Lyle '68 and Susanne Starn
'68
Robert '71 and Cheryl Lindroos
lVìalotky
'72 Marlin
Paul C. Pribbenow and Abigail Crampton Pribbenow
Donald '66 and Margaret fVattison
Karl D. Puterbaugh'52
Donna McLean
Philip '50 and Dora Frojen '49 Quanbeck
lVlark'53 and Jean Raabe
Tara Cesaretti
'97 lVcleod
and
Chrìstopher McLeod '00
Lori Lassi '80 Rathje and Tim Rathje'86
IVarie and Larry lVìcNeff
Clayton '91 and Denise Sideen
Beverly Ranum
'78
'94 McNeff
Meyer and Dennis Meyer'78
John
'62 and Ruth Sather '63 Sorenson
'80 Spargo and Lawrence Spargo
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz
lVìyles
and Eunice Stenshoel
Beverly and Thomas Stratton
Ralph and Grace Kemmer '58 Sulerud
Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach
Harold and Maureen Thompson
Eunìce Kyllo '62 Roberts and Warren Roberts
Gordon '52 and Gloria Parizek'53 Thorpe
E. Palmer Rockswold
David and Martha Tiede
Deidre Durand 'BB and Bruce lViddleton
John '68 and Linda Roebke
Frances Torstenson
Robert '70 and Sue Midness
Laura and Martin Roller
Lawrence '69 and Susan Turner
Frances Roller
Peter Turner
Timothy '74 and Deborah Anderson '73 Miller
John'77 and Gail Ronning
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
Joyce Schroepfer lVliller '02
Philip Rowberg'41
Gerald '48 and Judith
Betty and Paul Tveite
Julie Lien '82 and Steve Vanderboom
Paul '70 and Barbara Durkee
Gay Johnson
'71
lVikelson
'66 Minear and Spencer
lVlinear '66
Ryan
'59 and Sylvia Sabo
Robert Minicucci
Thomas'59 and Ruth Carlsen '60 Moen
Mark'79 and Pamela Hanson '79 Moksnes
Curtis and lVìarian Sampson
'70 and Dennis Veiseth
Norman '76 and Kathryn Anderson '76 Wahl
Judith and William Scheide
David and Sarah Warch
Thelma lVlonson '41
Carolyn Hanson '68 Schildgen and
Loìs
Thomas and Lorraine Morgan
William Schildgen
Ruth Schmidt '52
Jeremy and Tracy Wells
LaWayne
'51 and D. LaRhea Johnson '51
IVlorseth
lVlartin
Alne'65 Schroeder and William Schroeder
lVìary
'76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw
John '49 and Arnhild Werket
Wheelock Whitney and Kathleen Blatz
James lVloulsoff
lVlarilee
Paul '84 and Nancy Mackey '85 Mueller
Suzanne Ziemann Schulz '87
Robert Wick '81
Donald Murphy '43+ Ruth lVurphy
John Schwartz'67
Diane Pike and Stephen Willett
Ronald '68 and lvlary Kay Nelson
lnez'59 and Lyall Schwarzkopf
David and Catherine Woìd
Mildred Nelson '52
Erik and Leigh Schwarzkopf
Todd Yeiter
Beverly Omdahl Nelson '55
Douglas Scott and Grace Schroeder Scott
Estate of E. lrene Lasseson Neseth '38+
Michael
'08
'71and Bonnie Scott
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
lf you notice an errot please clntact Kev¡n Healy at l-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
41
flRGANIZATIflNS
GIFTS RECTIVED JUNE 1, 2OOB TO MAY 31, 2OO9
The following
list recognizes organizations that provided generous gifts to Augsburg College 0f $1000 0r more in the 2008-2009 fiscal year
Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Carl & Eloise Pohlad Family Foundatjon
3M Foundation
Halleland Lewis Nilan Sipkins & Johnson PA.
Accenture Foundation
Hazelden Foundation
Al Franken for Senate
Charles and Ellora Alliss Educational Foundation
Hennepin County
Charles N. and Florence S. Hensel Education Fund
American Lutheran Church
Huss Foundation
Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi L.L.P Foundation
Ameriprise Financial
IBM Corporation
The Summit Group
Ameriprise Financial Employee Gift Matching
lnstitute of American Physics
TCF Foundation
Kresge Foundation
A'viands
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans Foundatìon
Bassford Remele
lVìacalester College
UBS Foundation
Beckman Coulter, Inc.
lVarble Lutheran Church
Bonner Foundation
lVat Bandits Wrestling Club
US Bancorp Foundation
Vista De La Montaña United Methodist Church
Campus Kitchens Project, lnc.
The McGee Group
Wabash College
Collegiate lVìarketing
IVlDTA
Data Recogn ition Corporation
Merck Partnership For Giving
Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program
Wells Fargo Foundation Community Support
Deloitte Foundatron
Minneapol is Public Schools
Winthrop & Weinstine, PA.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
M
Program
FPL Group Foundation, Inc.
nnesota Legislative Society
Minnesota Private College Foundation
i
The New York Academy
Gethsemane Professional & Benevolent Fund
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust
GI\4AC.RFC
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation
E
N 0 FTE D At
The following
Research Corporation
National Trust For Historical Preservation
0f Medicine
Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation
General Mills Foundation
SV
Presser Foundation
S0G
IETY,
SupportingAugsburg's mission intothefuture
list recognizes those members wh0 have documented planned gifts to Augsburg College during 2008-09, becoming charter members of
the Sven Oftedal Society.
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Anna J. Hanson
L. Beth Buesing Opgrand '45
E. William Anderson'56
Rodney E. and Arlene B. (Selander) Hill
John Peterson+
Keith and Beverly Anderson
Lorna Hoversten
Elìzabeth Anne and Warren Bartz
Sherry Jennings-King
Quentin '50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck
Nancy M. (Joubert) Raymond
Oliver Dahl '45
Clair Johannsen '62
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Gladys Boxrud Strommen
Sally Hough Danìels '79
Laura Kompelien Delavie '92
Paul Kwiecien and Rhonda Kwiecien
Robert '65 and Kay Tyson
Avis Ellìngrod
David W. Lankinen '88
fVìary Loken Veiseth
Duane M. Esterly
Luther and Janice Larson
Beverly Gryth
Al
lVlarvin and Ruth Larson
ice Evenson
Allison M. Everett and Kenneth
Svendsen
H
I
'52 Villwock+ and H.
Robert Villwock
Julie (Gudmestad) and Joe Laudicina
Robert Wagner '02
Rev. John and Grace (Nydahl) Luoma
Dr. Scott J.M. Weber '79
Rev. Terry Frovik
Lyle and Susanne lVìalotky
Ann Garvey
Orval and Bernell Moren
James and Corrìne Hamre
Roger lVì. Nelson
42
Gary Tangwal
Augsburg Now
,-t
c0r{sEcuTtvE ûtvtNG
The following
list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given for 10 or more consecutive fiscal years.
lVlarcellus '54 and Thelma Johnson
Rachel Hendrickson '71 Julian and Bruce Julian
George'46 and Jean Christenson '49 Sverdrup
Jennings '51 and lVìary Schindler '48 Thompson
Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander
Allan Tonn '75
Sharon Dittbenner'65 Klabunde and
Sheldon '49 and Margery Manger'47 Torgerson
Consecutive Giving, 25 !€âts 0r nì0t0:
Ruth Aaskov'53
Harold'47 and Lors Black '47 Ahlbom
Kenneth '61 and lVìarilyn Ellingson '62 Akerman
Charles and Ellora Alliss Educational Foundation
Raymond and lVlargaret Anderson
Jerome Kleven '58
Frances Torstenson
Catherine and Charles Anderson
Lowell '54 and Janice Kleven
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Elsre Ronholm Koivula '49
Margaret Sateren Trautwein '37
Rebecca Helgesen '67 Von Fischer and
Kristin Anderson
Joan Johnson
l. Shelby Gimse Andress '56
Frank'50 and Georgette Lanes'50 Ario
Stanley'57 and Mary Esther Baker
Archie Lalim '5O
George '61 and lVary Larson
Linda Larson '70 and C. jerry Sells
Harris '57 and lVìaryon Lee
lrene Ppedahl Lovaas'45
Roger'57 and Fern lVlackey
lVlarie and Larry McNeff
Paul'70 and Barbara Durkee '71 Mikelson
Spencer'66 and Gay Johnson '66 Minear
Andrew'50 and Barbara Kolden '50 Balerud
Paul '63 and LaVonne Olson '63 Batalden
John Benson'55
Vera Thorson Benzei '45
Jack'49 and LeVerne Berry
Doris Frojen Bretheim '51
Beth Torstenson '66
Richard Klabunde
'53 Kuder and Calvin Kuder
'60
Thomas Von Fischer
Thomas '63 and Gloria Joyce Wadsworth
David and Catherine Wold
20 -24 year s consecutive
Lois Richter '60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson
Charles'63 and Lois Luthard '65 Anderson
Julie Teigland '69 Anderson and Gary Anderson
Ray Anderson '49
Hamar'34 and Wanda Severson '40 Benson
Theodore '51+ and Carolyn Berkland
James'49 and Barbara Ekse'48 Carlson
Jeroy'48 and Lorraine Carlson
Thomas '59 and Ruth Carlsen
Thomas and Lonaine Morgan
Birgit Birkeland '58
Linda Carlstedt '63
Mildred Nelson '52
Mary Twiton
Gloria Burntvedt Nelson '43
John and Carolyn Cain
Carl '59 and Kathleen Aaker'62 Casperson
Paige Nelson '74
David '72 and lVlichelle Karkhoff '72 Christianson
Roselyn Nordaune'77
Wayne '69 and Pamela Bjorklund '69 Carlson
Addell Halverson Dahlen '43
Richard '74 and Nancy Colvin
Laverne lVoe '48 Olson and Paul 0lson
Orville '52 and Yvonne Bagley '52 Olson
Joyce Catlin
'73 Casey and Paul Casey
Lester Dahlen '39
Moen
'59 Bosben and Robert
LeVon Paulson
Bosben
Dinter'52
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
lVlarsha
Fred '60 and Janet Engelmann
Roger
Reynold '41 and lVarian Erickson
Ruth Ann Gjerde Fitzke '67
'68 and Dean 0lson-Strommen
'56 and Janet Ose
Patricia Strecker'64 Pederson and Dean Pederson
John '82 and Joan Moline'83 Evans
Marilyn Pearson '76 Florian and Kenneth Florian
Glen Person '47
Edward Evenson'41
Jerome Formo '37+
Robert'68 and Alice Draheim '68 Peters
Harvey '52 and Joanne Varner '52 Peterson
Rachel Rohde '76 Gilchrist and Chris Gilchrist
Leonard '52 and Anabelle Hanson '51 Dalberg
James Ericksen '69
Alan'67 and lVarilyn Albaugh '67 Gierke
Shirley Larson '51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud
Janet Evenson
Paul and Judy Grauer
David Proctor'63
Raymond '57 and Janice Grinde
Philip '50 and Dora Frojen '49 Quanbeck
James'61 and BettyAnn Redeske
James '68 and Linda Gilbertson '71 Romslo
Olive Ronholm '47
'63 Potratz and Edward
Potratz
Leland '53 and Eunice Fairbanks
Paul '62 and Susan Grover
Sonia Overmoen'62 Gullicks and lVlilton Gullicks
Kenneth '58 and Aldemar Johnson
'57
Hagen
Evelyn Amundson Sonnack '43
Arvin '55 and Twila Halvorson
Herbert '51 and M. Joyce Tallman '52 Hanson
Philip '42 and Ruth Helland
Thomas'57 and Arlene Hofflander
Norman and llene Holen
Allen '64 and Lenice Hoversten
Florence Retrum Hovland'40
Ruth E. Johnson'74 and Philip Quanbeck ll
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz
Wayne Johnson
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
lVyles and Eunice Stenshoel
Duane and Ruth Johnson
Howard'51 and Nouaneta Hjelm
Gladys Boxrud Strommen '46
James '61 and Caroline Holden
Merton '42 and lrene Huglen '42 Strommen
Marvin'49 and Dorothy Quanbeck '48 Johnson
Daniel '70 and lngrid Kloster þ9 Koch
Bradley '63 and Linda Holt
Luther'39 and Helen Strommen
James Kottom '52
Gloria Johnson'51
Grace Kemmer '58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud
Joanne
lVìarlys Ringdahl
'53 Gunderson and
Charles Gunderson
Arlin Gyberg
lVabeth Saure '58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom
Edward+ and Shirley Hansen
Sylvia Kleven Hanson '50
Betty Johnson '58 Haas and Charles Hass
Marjorie Wilberg Hauge '50
Marilyn Peterson
'63
Haus and George Haus
lVartín '59 and Sylvia Sabo
Ruth Schmidt '52
James'54 and Ethel Nordstrom '55 Shiell
Arnold '48 and Carol Skaar
'58
Stiles'58 Laird and David Laird
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correcily.
lf you notice an enot please clntact Kevin Healy at 1-800-2/3-06J7 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
43
l\4artin Larson '80
Robert '56 and lVary Erickson
'58
Lockwood
David '53 and Janice Anderson '54 Rykken
Scott Daniels '82 and lVlarcia Pape-Daniels
Ann Erkkila Dudero '86
Audrey Nagel '51 Sander
'68 and Janice Bell '70 Schmidt
Brent Lofgren'88
Dann Forsberg'80
Gary
Susan Lageson '77 Lundholm and lVlark Lundholm
Joann Koelln Frankena'72
Kevin '78 and Catherine Rosik '00 Shea
Lynn '50 and lVliriam Hoplín
'50 Lundin
'66 Luoma
Ronald '56 and Christine Munson '56 IVlain
Kristin Settergren '86 l\4cGinness and
Gary and Barbara Glasscock
Glen and Anna Skovholt
John '65 and Gracia Nydahl
Alexander'90 and Simone Gonzalez
Allan '53 and Eunice Nystuen '50 Sortland
Robert and Nancy Granrud
Paulette Nelson '67 Speed and John Speed
Lloyd Grinde'56
David '63 and Karen Henry'64 Steenson
Tito Guerrero
Steve McGinness
Donna lVlcLean
Bonnie Johnson
'67 Nelson and Bryce
Nelson
lll
Beverly and Thomas Stratton
Suzanne Overholt'67 Hampe and John Hampe
Dorothy Joy Swanson '51
Jacquelyn Bagley'51 Hanson and Kenneth Hanson
Jelfrey'79 and Melissa Swenson
Karla lVorken '81 Thompson and
Shirley Christensen '75 Nickel and Daniel Nickel
Christopher Haug'79 and Karl Starr
lVìargaret Nelson Foss Nokleberg '48
Carolyn Hawkins
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust
Rodney'62 and Jane Helgeson
Robert '55 and Karin Herman
Rodney'59 and Arlene Selander'59 Hill
Robert Nordin '64
Jonathan Nye
Thomas Thompson
Kenneth
'83 Ogdie and Al Ogdie
Norman '85 and Kim Asleson '84 Okerstrom
W. Donald '34 and Glenda Olsen
Edith Hovey
Glenda and Richard Huston
Rosemary Jacobson '69
IVìary
0lson
Lawrence'69 and Susan Turner
Jeanne lvl Kyllo '69 Wendschuh and
'74 and Linda Bailey '74 Holmen
Leroy Nyhus'52
lVìaren Lecy
Mark'79 and Janelle Tonsager
Ronald Wendschuh
Donald '89 and Melinda Mattox '91 Wichmann
Janet Cooke '59 Tilzewilz and Donald Zilzewilz
Robyn Arnold Zollner
'80
Kinney Johnson '65
James'64 and Rose Parks
Janet Batalden'61 Johnson and
10-14 years consecutive
Eugene'59 and Paula Peterson
Eileen Quanbeck '46
Dennìs'61 Johnson
Morris '52 and Marjorie Danielson '52 Johnson
Ordelle Aaker '46
Norman '59 and Ardelle Skovholt '54 Quanbeck
Luther'68 and Joanne Kendrick
The American Foundation
Paul '59 and Pearl Almquist
Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach
E. fVilton Kleven '46
Scott'76 and Lisa Anderson
Stephen '76 and Karen Reinarz
Carrie Kosek'85 Knott and Gerald Knott
Dean'74 and Janet Nelson '76 Anderson
Judith Sandeen'72
Janet Griffith '83 Sandford and David Sandford
Joyce Opseth Schwartz'45
Ronnie'62 and Karen Scott
Kari Beckman '81 Sorenson and Neil Sorensen
La Vone Studlien '58
lVlillard '52 and Dorothy Knudson
Leif Anderson
Duane and lVìary Alyce Krohnke
Scott Anderson '96
Lois Knutson '62 Larsen and Paul Larsen
lVargaret Anderson
Elizabeth Mortensen '56 Swanson and
Annette and Col. Henry C. Lucksinger, Jr.
LeRoy'52 and Carole Anenson
Bill and Anne McSweeney
Daniel '65 and Mary Tildahl '65 Meyers
Charles '63 and IVlary Jo Arndt
Robert '70 and Sue Midness
Mary Arneson and Dale Hammerschmidt
James '88 and Christine Pieri '88 Arnold
Viclor'42 and Rhoda Miller
Susan Hanson '82 Asmus and Kevin Asmus
Ruth Weltzin '45 Swanson and Edwin Swanson
Andrew Moen '87
Dorothy Bai ley
Norman H. Tallakson Charitable Trust
Alan Montgomery and
Lawrence'52 and Jayne Balzer
James Swanson
Jacqueline'80 and John Teísberg
Janis Thoreson '78
Dennis'58 and Doris Barnaal
Janet Karvonen-lVontgomery
Lawayne
'5i
and D. LaRhea .Johnson
'51
lvìorseth
Arlin Becker '88
'73 Becker and Charles Becker
'50 Berg
Adrian Tinderholt '38
Karl Nestvold'54
Catherine Berglund
Wells Fargo Educational IVatching Gift Program
Norma Noonan
Sidney '57 and Lola Lidstrom
Gunnar+ and Mary Wick
Betsey and Alan Norgard
Robert Wick '81
Robert Odegard '51+
Gertrude Ness Berg'51
Andrew '64 and Jean Amland
Pamela Zagaria
Ruth Pousi Ollila'54
Carolyn Berkland
Gary
'65 and Jean Pfeifer '64 0lson
'65
Berg
Anthony and Kathy Bibus
'65 and Jean Blosberg
15-19 years consecut¡ve
Brian Anderson '82 and Leeann Rock'81
Robert'77 and Katherine Anderson
R. Luther 0lson '56
Jack'62 and Nìna Osberg
John '79 and Rebecca Lundeen '79 Aune
-iohn and Norma Paulson
Dennes'57 and Florence Helland '54 Borman
Richard and Nancy Borstad
Willard Botko
Rosemarie Pace
Gary
Ronald and Anna Marie Austin
Daniel '51 and Lois Pearson
Bruce '64 and Nancy Braaten
The Batalden Advised Fund
Donald Peterson'49
Daniel and lrene Brink
Christine Wacker'87 Bjork and Steven Bjork
Rebecca
'63 and lVavis Bjurlin
Davìd '68 and Lynn Boe
Elizabeth Pushing'93
Quentin '50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck
l\4ichael Burden '85
Barbara Hanson
David Christensen'52
Joyce and Walker Romano
lVlorris
44
Augsburg Now
'88 Pfabe and lVìaurice Higgins
'68 Raymond and David Raymond
Roxanne Raunschnot'82 Buchanan and
Jim Buchanan
Eìnar Cannelin
'38
William Capman
Gregory Carlson '74
'65 MacNally and Thomas MacNally
John and Peggy Cerrito
lrene Shelstad Henjum '52
Marie Haf ie
Herbert'54 and E Corrine Chilstrom
Gregory'61 and Kay Hanenburg'62 Madson
Judith Christensen
Jeff Christenson '82
Rand'82 and Kay Kennedy'82 Henjum
Peter'92 and Becky Hespen
Kristen Hirsch '91 Montag and Paul Montag
Janet Niederloh '58 Christeson and
Sylvia Hjelmeland
Carlos Mariani Rosa
John '70 and Lynn Benson '69 Hjelmeland
Julie Magnuson '61 Marineau and Richard
John Christeson
Raymond lVlakeever
Patrick'72 and Nancy lvlarcy
C. Lee Clarke
iohn'81 and Karen Hofflander
Joseph '53 and Connre Cleary
Dean '57 and Jane Holmes
Donald '60 and Ruth Thorsgard '59 Homme
John '59 and De Anne lVartinsen
James'59 and Joanne Horn
Jon '58 and Judith lVlatala
Elizabeth Horton
Phillip '62 and Karen Tangen '63 lVattison
Lillian and Vernon Maunu
Dana Holmes '81 lVclntyre and Vernon Mclntyre '79
Tara Cesaretti '97 lVlcLeod and Christopher'00
Judith Norman '66 Coppersmith and
Norman Coppersmith
Cheryl Solomonson '89 Crockett and
Marineau
Donald '65 and Delores Hoseth
Larry Crockett
0liver Dahl '45
Kermit '50 and Ruth Hoversten
Tom'72 and Karen Howe
Sally Hough Daniels '79
Rhoda lVonseth
Lois Mackey Davis '58
Mark '88 and lVìarya lVlattson
Laura Bower '91 Cunliffe and Wayne Cunliffe
'59 Huglen and Erling Huglen
'83 Hultgren
Suzanne Doree
Bruce and Jean lnglis
Julie Edstrom '90
Darrell '55 and Helga Egertson
Judy Thompson Eiler '65
Carolyn Ross
Robert '71 and Cheryl Lindroos
'72 Mar|in
lVlcLeod
Meca Sportswear lnc.
Robert '59 and Mary Lundquist '60 Meffert
'89 lsaak and James
lsaak
Joan and Richard lVleierotto
Jeffrey '80 and Jacqui Jarnes
David '68 and Elaine Melby
Thomas '86 and Susan Miller
David '79 and Amy Eitrheim
'63 Johnson and Charles Johnson
Laurel Jones '69 Johnson and Larry Johnson
Bruce '68 and Lois Hallcock '68 Johnson
Daniel'77 and Patricia Eitrheim
Carolyn Johnson '63
Mark 'BB and Tamie lVlorken
Avis Ellingrod
Douglas'66 and Kathryn Wall '66 Johnson
Kari Elsila and lVlichael Buescher
Glen and Marlys Johnson
Rona Quanbeck'48 Emerson and Victor Emerson
Margaret Johnson
Paul '84 and Nancy Mackey '85 lVìueller
Scott '81 and Debra Musselman
Michael Navane
and Lynette Engebretson
Ellen Stenberg Erickson '51
Joan '94 and Mark Johnson
Doris Wilkins
Curtis '84 and Jody Eischens
Dean '68 and Diana Olson
'69 Ersfeld
Martha Johnson
Theodore '68 and lVlichelle Johnson
Duane Esterly'75
L. Cratg'79 and Theresa Serbus
'79
Estrem
'78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow
Jennifer Abeln
'78
Moren
Edor'38 and Dorathy Nelson
Lany '65 and lVarilyn Nelson
Ronald '68 and Mary Kay Nelson
David '64+ and Johnson
lVlark
Ronald '59 and Elizabeth Miskowiec
Jonathan '78 and Bonnie Lamon
E. lrene Lasseson Neseth '38+
Steven '64 and Rebecca '64 Nielsen
John '68 and Martha Fahlberg
Suzanne Kelley'69
Robert '73 and Linda Nilsen
Karen Faulkner
Benjamin and Christine Kent
James '57 and Shirley Norman
William and Anne Frame
James Kerr
Donald '65 and Carolyn Francis
Richard '69 and Cheryl Nelson
lerry'67 and Pauline
North Dakota Community Foundation
'70 King
Linda King '78
Terry'7O and Vicki Nygaard
Edward '54 and Winifred Nystuen '54 Nyhus
Ann Garvey
Marie Gjenvick Knaphus '45+
Richard '69 and Sandra Larson '69 Olmsted
Barbara Gilbert'81
LaRhae Grindal Knatterud '70
Howard and Bettye Olson
Lorraine Vash '67 Gosewisch and David Gosewisch
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Cedric '61 and Marlys Olson
John '66 and Mary Jo Greenfield
Carmela Brown
Cindy Greenwood '05
Joan Kunz
Beverly Halling '55 Oren and Donald '53 Oren
ith '84 and Jean Taylor '85
H. Theodore '76 and Michele Grindal
Steven '81 and Kathy Grinde
Julia Ose'62 Grose and Christopher Grose
Jean Venske '87 Guenther and Stephen Guenther
Richard '72 and Carol Habstritt
Robert'80 and Lori LaFleur
George '50 and Vivian Lanes
Steven 0'Tool '74
Andrea Langeland
Ervin '56 and Sylvia Moe '59 Overlund
Marvin and Ruth Ringstad'53 Larson
Patricia Solum Park'02
Julie Gudmestad '65 and Joseph Laudicina
John '52 and lvlary Peterson '54 Leak
Roger'50 and Donna Wang'52 Leak
Jacqueline Kniefel Lind'69
Patricia and John Parker
James'67 and Laurie Lindell
Dwight '60 and Marion Pederson
Rosemary and Andrew Link
Dale Pederson'70
Arlene and Gene Lopas
Linda Christensen'68 Phillips and Gerald Phillips
Frovik
Roger Griff
Lucille and Roger Hackbart
Shirley and Hansen
John '69 and Barbara Harden
Robert'83 and Lynne Harris
Burton '72 and Rollie Haugen
Lisa Svac Hawks '85
Dawn Hendricks '80
Gerald '59 and lVaxine Hendricks
Olivia Gordon
'84 Kranz and David
Kranz
'62 Lorents and Alden Lorents
Vicki and Daniel 0lson
Russell '63 and Ruth Osterberg
Robert'50 and Ruth Paulson
Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Howard '53 and Vicki Skor'59 Pearson
Leanne Phinney'71 and Mark Schultz
Jack'53 and Darlene Lundberg
James Plumedahl '57
lVlarissa Hutterer Machado '99
Jill Pohtilla
Every effort has been made to ensure that all nanes are included and spelled correctly.
lfyou notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
45
lnez Olson '59 Schwarzkopf and Lyall Schwarzkopf
Richard '70 and Linda Seime
Drew'87 and lVìolly Privette
Jerry '83 and Susan Warnes 'BB Quam
lVlark '53 and Jean Raabe
Dick '61 and Jane Thompson
Sue Thompson
'85
Nicolyn Rajala '70 and Bill Vossler
John Rask '71
Frankie and Jole Shackelford
Gordon '52 and Gloria Parizek '53 Thorpe
lVarlys Holm '57 Thorsgaard and Arlen Thorsgaard
Charles Sheaffer
Richard '56 and Darlene Thorud
Paul Rensted'87
John '50 and Norma Shelstad
lVlìchael
James'75 and Jude Ring
David '59 and Arline Ringstad
James'63 and Patricia Steenson '65 Roback
Donavon '52 and Ardis Roberts
Stella Kyllo Rosenquist '64
Chad '93 and lVargaret Shilson
l\4ark and Ann Tranvik
Eugene and Margaret Skibbe
Gordon '57 and Karen Egesdal '61 Trelstad
'72 and Nancy Becker '72 Soli
Joyce Engstrom '70 and Robert Spector
Heidi Wisner '93 Staloch and l\4ark Staloch
Ronald '58 and Naomi Stave
lVìerry Tucker
Earl '68 and Lisbeth Jorgensen '70 Sethre
Alan
Philip Rowberg'41
'85 and Rhonda Riesberg '84 Tjaden
Betty and Paul Tveite
Robert'50 and Dee Ulsaker
Joan Swenson Van Wirt '78
Joan Volz
Richard Sandeen '69
Roger'54 and Bonnie Stockmo
Calvìn '51+ and Bonnie lVlartinson '59 Storley
Mary Mether'69 Sabatke and Bruce Sabatke
'68
Sharon and Stephen Wade
Pauline Sateren
Steven '65 and Chynne Strommen
Rebecca and Michael Waggoner
Carol Watson Saunders'68
Philip '79 and Julia Davis '79 Styrlund
Norman '76 and Kathryn Anderson '76 Wahl
Jan Pedersen '68 Schiff and Tom Schiff
John '69 and Stephanie Johnson '71 Sulzbach
Michael '64 and Carla Quanbeck '64 Walgren
Rodney and Elizabeth Schmidt
Kenneth Svendsen '78 and Allison Everett'78
l\4ichael and Leslie Schock
Stephen '76 and Antoinette Laux'77 Sveom
Lois '76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw
John '49 and Arnhild Werket
Larry '65 and Muriel Berg '67 Scholla
Brian Swedeen '92 and Teni Burnor'92
Heidi Norman '88 Wise and John Wise
Arvid '63 and Lillian Schroeder
Diana Talcott
Edmund '53 and Rose Youngquist
Roger'62 and Jean Schwartz
Barbara and Eugene Thompson
ALUMNI GIVING BY CTASS YEAR
The following
list indicates the percentage of alumni from the traditional day program in each class year who made a gift during 2008-09
Total participation for all class years, 21%.
7934
1935
1936
r937
1938
1939
1940
T94T
40.007"
50.00%
50.00%
62.50y"
64.7'I"/"
25.00%
52.94%
L949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
37.36"/.
1970
24.37"/.
45.83"/"
24.307"
7994
t7.49y"
1981
7982
L8.97"/.
17.44%
1995
1996
7997
1998
1999
70.73%
13.92%
4.23%
9.72%
10a?
18.4I"/"
17.73"/.
17.42y"
13.46"/.
14.34%
15.69%
2004
2005
5.247"
9.45"/.
Lr.48%
7.58%
43.657"
47.75%
46.O9"/"
I97 4
26.42%
38.31%
36.88%
37.97%
40.76%
7975
24.68%
I976
23.5a%
1991
8.70%
2006
4.78%
I977
24.65%
23.92%
t992
70.o7%
993
ro.7t%
2007
2008
5.56y"
3.05%
48.t5%
1961
45.83%
L962
42.86%
1963
Augsburg Now
29.90ï.
46.4O"/o
19.09%
1958
1959
1960
1947
1948
46
37.447"
30.70y.
4L85"/.
34.357"
1979
1980
I957
t946
1944
34.75%
r
r972
r973
1945
1943
35.
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1984
1985
1986
7987
1988
1989
1990
40.63%
48.44%
38.10%
45.65%
48.72%
L942
i0%
L964
47.27%
33.52%
44.53%
50.86%
197
1978
26.IO"/.
25.,ry"
1
1132%
19.I2"/.
t2.20%
2000
2007
8.37%
2002
2003
8.74%
5A3%
alumni news
,fi,
,ì.
Dear valued alumni ancl friends,
s I write this article, we are passing
;! into autumn, and every year this
', brings a palpable sense of nostalgia and ref lection. This year I have been
considering some of the principles and
ideals I learned while a student and at
Augsburg.
As alumni we are all aware of the
another in our closely def ined lives. We belong to chatting commu_
nities, Facebook, MySpace, and thousands of other digital groups,
which could be argued constitute a community.
We cannot deny that technology has grven us the ability to stay
in contact and have more access to informatlon than ever before,
but the question we need to consider is, are we truly following our
duty and responsibllities of our fellowship in humankind?
Each of us will have a different answer to this question, but none
of us can deny that we are living in a time that needs all of us to
themes of vocation, caritas flove), and the duty to be an active part
of our community. These themes were the foundation of the educa_
actively be involved in the world we live. My call to dutyto each of
you, as alumni, is to take some time to rediscover the communities
tion we received from Augsburg and are stillthe foundation for stu-
in which you belong and consider how you can participate and
make a difference. A great place to start is by examining one
community in which you belong: Augsburg College. As a member of
the Augsburg community, a great first step would be to visit the
dents today.
However, my question is, what does each of these tenets mean
to us today, as alumni? Vocation and caritas are def ined without
much difficulty in our lives. We know that through our education
we are able to work in our various fields and through love have last_
ing and def inable relationships with our fellow human beings. But
in our hectic lives, how do we def ine our community?
The notion of community has gone through some interesting
changes over the years. We used to define community by main fac_
tors of geography and/or common goals and ideals. However, this
has evolved over the years with the advancement of digital capabil_
ities and how we communicate. Today we use Twitter, write brief emails, and compose quick text messages to communicate with one
Augsburg Col lege al umn i relations page, www.augsburg.edu/alum
and go to Get lnvolved. There are many opportunities to get
n i,
involved and volunteers are always needed.
I wish you all happy ref lections in this autumn season.
ù'* &*uDANITL HICKLE '95
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Alumni Board
Augsburg Associates
Campus lfitchen at Augsburg
Alumni mentors
Advent Vespers volunteers
GET INVÍ}NE.D
There's a place for youl
Learn more at www.augsburg.edu/alumni
Fall
2009
4l
.:
alumnl news
0ur 'Uniquely Augsburg' faculty add a special touch to alumni events
Have you ever wondered if those
Þ
costumes at the Renaissance Festival are really accurate? Did you
have any idea how the government's
€
stimulus billwould affect you? Ever
considered what it would be like to
see the ltalian countryside through
the eyes of an art historian?
These and many more are the
opportunities you have when
Augsburg faculty join you in the
Uniquely Augsburg alumni events
and programs. While not everyone is able to come to Augsburg's
campus, a number of professors are bringing the Augsburg experience to areas around the Twin Cities, sharing their expertise and
passions, answering questions, and helping interpret policies and
issues into news you can use.
Michael Lansing, assistant professor of history and director of
environmental studies, talked about the value of hands-on learning
in Augsburg's new environmental studies program. He led the Lake
Minnetonka eco-tour cruise in June, describing environmental
issues of the large lake and answering questions about its ecology.
Phillip Adamo (pictured left), associate professor and chair of
the History Department and director of medieval studies, hosted
lunch in Augsburg's tent at the Renaissance Festival and answered
questions about what's real and what's not. He also led a tour
around the grounds, stopping at a 16th-century lrish cottage
replica to give a glimpse of what life was like then.
When Auggies gathered in August for "Auggie Night at the
Races" in Shakopee, accounting professor Stu Stoller kicked off
the night with a presentation on "The Odds of Winning."
The quarterly Eye-Opener Breakfast Series provides alumni professionals an opportunity to start the day with networking and a
talk by an Augsburg academic. ln April, Economics Department
chair Jeanne Boeh spoke about the stimulus package, how it
affected the economy, and what it meant for most people.
The Uniquely Augsburg concept also extends to travel opportunities. The November tour to ltaly was led by art professor Kristin
Anderson, whose passions include the art, archìtecture, history,
and culture of this region.
Uniquely Augsburg alumni events have succeeded in engaging
alumni in great ways to experience an Augsburg education without
coming to campus. Watch for upcoming events in your area; the
next one may be just around the corner.
Keep up on all alúmnì events at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Journey to the Emerald lsle of lreland
à
Join friends from lhe Augsburg College community for an in-depth journey through lreland. Explore centuries of heroic history, visiting
archaeological sites dating lo S,000 BC. Experience the intense rugged
beauty of land carved from the sea, contrasling with the meticulous
gardens of stately castles. D¡scover the spirit of Celtic Christianity at
ancient monaslic communities where Christianity flourished during the
Dark Ages. Celebrate contemp0rary lrish culture with passion-filled
music and food at local pubs.
The tour departs in early 0ctober 2010 and will be hosted by
Augsburg faculty. A detailed tour brochure will be available in December. To receive the brochure, contact Alumni Relations, 6l 2-330-1
1
73
or alumni@augsburg.edu.
Kylemore Abbey, in County ûalway, the oldest ol the lrish Benedictine abbeys,
is one of the sites on the alumni itinerary in 0ctober 2010.
48
Augsburg Now
The Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings
Continuing the Augsburg Choir's
75th anniversary celebration,
Augsburg is proud to announce that
the Augsburg Choir
recordings from 1949-1979 will
CD versions of
Box 3: Sateren Finale
I972-73: An Ascription of Praise; includes Sateren's composition
by the same name
I974-7ú
Day of Pentecosf; includes Sateren's composition by the
same name
soon be available. These re-mastered historical treasures will be
I975-76: And Death Shall Have No Dominion; visiting director
released as The Augsburg Choir
1977-78: Here Comes Our Kingi includes Sateren's composition
legacy Recordings.
by the same name
ldar Karevold
I978-79: Gloria; includes the title piece by
leland
Lars Edlund
B. Sateren '35
Three boxed sets, each containing five CDs, will be produced:
Box 1: From Opseth to Sateren
1949-50: Augsburg Choir, with Henry P. Opseth conducting.
lncludes Jeg er saa glad, Praise to the Lord, and Song of Mary
I95I-52: includes Sateren's Cycle for Christmas and his arrange-
The Augsburg Cho¡r Legacy Recordings
will add to the richness of
the choral tradition of the past, present, and future. Dr. Bill
Halverson '51 has written a monograph about Leland B. Sateren's
life and career that will be included with the recordings. These
ment of The Sun Has Gone Down
1954-55: includes Sateren's Christmas Canticle
1956-57: includes Knut Nystedt's Cry Out and Shout
recordings will also confirm the historical and continued significance of Augsburg College as a place of preparation for service in
community and church.
The Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings will be available early
next year through the Augsburg College Bookstore. For information
196I-62: includes Sateren's His Compassions Fail
on ordering the CDs, go to the Music Department website,
Not
www.augsbu rg.ed u/m usic.
Box 2: Sateren lntermezzo
1964-65: includes music from the European tour, spanning 400
years of music from Corsi and Bach to Jean Berger
1967-68: Praise to God; includes Sateren's Seek
Not
Cost: $49 per boxed set; $135 for all three boxed sets, plus shipping and handling.
Afar for
Beauty
1969-7O: Thy Truth Within; includes Sateren's composition by the
same name
I970-7I: Make a Joyful Noise; includes Sateren's The Poor
and Needy
I97I-72:
The Redeemef includes Sateren's A Choral Cycle
The Redeemer
co8
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Fall
úrr
2009
49
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alumni news
Experience the beauty and culture of Norway
e
JC
\
Join Augsburg's Center
for Leadership Studies
e
for an educatìonal and
cultural tour to Norway,
The tour includes:
r
Five days in Oslo-located on a fjord, surrounded by hills, and
full of the excitement of a large, cosmopolitan city
.
A journey westward by motor coach through Kongsberg, the his-
June 5-15,2010. This
toric Numedal Valley, and Hardangervidda (the mountain
special ly-designed tour
plateau home of large reindeer herds) to stay in a charming traditional hotel in Geilo
includes visits to Oslo,
Kongsberg, Geilo,
o
A famously scenic train ride to the fjord village of Flåm and a
.
Two nights in picturesque and historic Bergen on Norway's
.
west coast
A journey south by motor coach and ferry to Stavanger, designated "European Capital of Culture" for 2008. Stavanger was the
Bergen, and Stavanger.
While in Oslo, the group
will be hosted
Diakon
cruise on the Aurlands and Naeroy Fjords
by
hjemmet
U n
iver-'
sity College, an Augsburg partner school that
maìn departure point for Norwegian immigrants to Amerìca. After
offers a master's degree
ExperiencethespectacularbeautyofNorway's invalue-based leaderfiordswiththeCenterforLeadershipStudies ship.Accommodations
nextlune'
wiil be on or near campus. Faculty from Diakonhjemmet will lead three morning sessions
to complement the travel, providing an inside perspective and an
opportunity to reflect on what is seen and learned.
an overnight stay, the tour departs for home from Stavanger.
Cost: $3799 (includes airfare, accommodations, in-country travel,
entrance fees during group excursions, tour guides, workshops at
Diakonhjemmet, and 15 meals). Space is limited to 26.
For information about the tour and a PowerPoint preview, con-
tact Patty Park at 612-330-1150 or parkp@augsburg.edu.
Welcome home, 0ld Main bell
augsburg
Augsburg's first 0ld Main building opened in 1 8i4, and until it was razed to build
Sverdrup Hall, its bell called the campus communityto meals and events.
This bell has recently come back to Augsburg, and will find a new place and pur-
pose 0n campus. We're planning a story about the bell in the spring issue of Augsburg
I'low,about its history, its travels, and its return home. Scouring our archives, we haven't
been able to learn much about it, or find it pictured in archive photos.
I)o you rememberthis ()ld Main bell? Please help us learn more about
how and when did
it-where
was it located,
it ring? What do you remember about it?
After the bell served its duty in ()ld Main,
il became part of Augsburg student traditions-participating
in sports and other student activities. What do you
remember-tell
us, even anonymously, if you wish!
E-mail information and stories to now@augsburg.edu or call 612-330-1 181. We invite you to become
part of the "rest of the story" about the 0ld Main bell.
50
Augsburg Now
)
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5g-Y[:Aft: ftliüNîoil|-$LAlifi
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ß59,
lyngdal, Walter Lundeen
HflMECOMING 2OOg
{g-YF,Aftj ftlîUNï01,f-$LA$$ ûF 1gõg
Front row (L t0 R): Arlene Uejima, Karl Sneider; Row 2 ([ to R): l{ancy (Rolfe) Rolfe-Bailey, Lynn
(Benson) Hlelmeland, Janice (Hawkins) Halvorson, Kristi Holden; Rows 3,4 combined (L to R):
Roberta (Halseth) clausen, J0an (Halverson) Holt, Diana (0lson) Ersfeld, Ardell (Th0rpe) Bengtson,
Ron Holden; Row 5 (L to R): Greg Clausen, Eunice Helgeson, Judy (Johnson Kangas) Lies, pam
(Fredrickson) Gunderson; Row ô ([ to R): Diane (Helgeson) carter, lois (peterson) Bollman, Julie
(Kreie) Eidsvoog, sue (Halvorson) Bjerkestrand; Row 7 (L to R): sharon (Mielke) Eian, shirley (Swee)
Seutter, Alvina (Strand) Skogen, Linda (Stewart) Miller, larry Turner; Rows B, I combined (l to R):
Jacqueline (Kniefel) [ind, Joel Branes, Daryl Miller, wayne carlson, pamela (Bjorklund) carlson,
25- I FA ft, ftElf$l,i0l,f
gLAf,-: 0f rue+
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laurie (Ofstedal) Frattallone, [aurie ([indell) Miles, Sonja Thompson,
Carmela (Brown) Kranz, Kim (0lsen) Melotte, lisa (Rykken) Kasfler
(L to R)
Richard Fenton; Rows 1 0, 1 1 combined ([ to R): ûlen Peterson, larry Matthews, Bruce Mestemacheç
Mike Essen, Bob Bliss, Gary Boen
Fall
2009
51
ass nOtes
c
FlSheldon
Johnson beean in Sepas interim sJperintend
ent at lVleadow Creek (Minn.)
Christian School. He retired in 2000
after 33 years as superintendent of
the lVlonticello School District, and
has since served four prior stints as
an interim superintendent.
Ult.ro.r.
Richard E. Lund, MD, is a retired
radiologist, living in Edmonds, Wash
He and his wife, Ann, have been
married for 43 years and have five
grandchildren. rlxrad@aol.com
tltSusan
Nelson has been teachlne elementary special education for 23 years in ihe Davenport
(lowa) Community Schools. She
coached lhe 1995 and 1999 World
Games Special Olympics lowa tennis
teams and the 2006 National
Games lowa tennis team.
Uf
l!fllon
Uü.r
Hageseth retired in Sepo.itro m his 27 -year
tenure as co-founder and director of
the Counseling and Testing Center at
the University of Wisconsin-La
Crosse. He plans to pursue photography and woodworking, as well as
play tennis and golf, and volunteer
in the community.
Kathy 0lson entered the contest in
September for an at-large seat on
the Waverly (lowa) City Council. She
retired last year as CUNA Mutual
human resources director and
serves on two non-profit boards in
her community.
FSii;:
i'iåi,' H tilì:t
åi^
David Ctoss works at U N IVAC/
UNISYS Cadence Design Systems.
Robert Strandquist has taught high
school English around the world. He
has been a twolime Fulbright
exchange teacher, a scholar at
Oxford and in lreland, and has run
15 marathons. Now he's "tiredno, re-tired."
[arry Turner has raised a family,
retired from the Burlington Northern
Santa l-e Railway, served22 years in
the Naval Reserve, and now enjoys
opportunities to travel and expand
his photography hobby.
]
!
(Johnson) Sullivan
llSharon Ann
lJreceived the "Excellence in
Jacqueline (Kniefel) l¡nd'94 MAt
works at the Airport Foundation
MSP to recruit, train, and recognize
300 volunteers for Travelers Assistance. She completed her Master of
Arts in Leadership degree at Augsburg and has served as Augsburg's
Alumni Board president.
52
Jill (Beck) Burch works at Accenture
Kay (Peterson) Sauck is president
and CEO of Sauck Media Group, a
publishing company that she
founded in 2009 in Fairmont, lVlinn
She launched Womeninc magaÀne
in 2004. ln 2008, after a series of
personal tragedies, she started
Midwest Caregìver, which has now
become Caregiving in Ameñca.
Coming in spring 2010 is a third
publication called MN Rivers.
Bank.
at Best Buy.
Shari Kay (Hackbarth) Hunter completed an MBA at the Unìversity of
St. Thomas and works at Provincial
Karen Jensen works for the State of
Minnesota. After graduation she
look an Oulward Bound course,
found a passion for outdoor adventure, and has paddled around the
world. Five years ago, she lost her
husband, Jim Rada, when he died
while paddling a whitewater river.
Teaching Award" from the California
Council for Adult Education. She is a
kay@sauckmed ia.com
metropolitan ad ult education
¡nstructor at Hope Services, San
Jose, Calif., where she teaches life
skills to over 150 adults who are
developmentally disabled.
O,4ì Mary
Saturday evening lazz
show, Corner Jazz, on KBEM Radio,
after working for 12 years at Minnesota Public Radio.
't
f
(}rjworkshop in music therapy,
lJane (Catlin) Bracken, a firstlgraOe teacher at Cannon Falls
(Minn.) Elementary School, was
selected by her peers as the elementary Teacher of the Year in
Ann Sullivan began host-
Ctl,tnea
Q 2Xt]l
luedtke-Smith organized
a
"lVlusical Play: Learning through
Music," at the Fraser School last
February.
T flJanice Nelson is a new memt l,nu, of the board of directors ot
Southwest lnitiative Foundation in
Hutchinson, Minn. She is an attorney with the law firm of Nelson Oyen
Torvik in lVlontevideo, IVlinn., and
works with real estate, estate planning, elder law, and probate.
Lisa (Rykken) Kastler is program
executive at Youth Encounter and
oversees national and international
traveling ministry teams and weekend events. She has enjoyed opportunities to use her theatre studies in
youth minislry.
Kim Marie 0lsen taught elementary
and middle school and served as
a youth minister. Her husband
retired from active duty in the U.S.
Navy, and they are now settled in
Wisconsin.
Ja nuary.
@'/f-Wanda (Hemphill) Borman has
O¡Þworked, traveled to Europe
and Asia, and ¡s an instructor in the
Eagan Art House and manager of
the Eagan Ad Festival.
Liz (Peterson) Sheahan has worked
at Ministry Home Care, Inc., where
she has created Telly-award-winning
videos on home healLh and hospice
care used in fundraising.
(Strommen) Johnson is
J9'ùco-chairing
f,Andrea
Paul
St.
Children's
Hospital Association's CHAnging
Lives 60th Annual Ball. Proceeds
from the November 21 benefit go to
Children's Hospitals and Clinics of
M in
Kristi (Sanford) Goetsch enjoyed a
wonderful 30-year career in the
Seattle Public Schools from 19691999. Since then she has been
doing volunteer work with the elcierly
and teaching Sunday School.
management consulting firm,
Drakulic & Associates, which currently contracts in the operations
and development areas w¡th Hope
Chest for Breast Cancer.
t
f
nesota.
ÊRev. David Halaas was called
Uìo ,.ru.
as senior pastor at
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Williston, N.D.
Church of Christ and Nerstrand
(Minn.) United lVlethodist Church
A group of Auggies from the late 1970s found an occasion to get
together for dinner in Minneapolis last April.
Front row, L to R: Laura (Berg) Nelson '79, Steve Nelson'78, Steve
Wehrenberg'78, Sue (Johnson) Wehrenberg'79, Pam (Hanson) Moksnes
last summer.
'79, Lynn Schmidtke'79; Back row, Llo R: Steve Pheneger, LuAnn
(Johnson) Drakulic spent
$Sue
{22years working at Honeywell, and then left to run her own
Pheneger, Mark Moksnes'79, Tim Gordon'80, Ga¡l (Wagner) Gordon'80,
Karin (Larson) Monson, Greg Monson'79 (in back), Susan Streed
McNaughton, Bill Voedisch. Laurie (Carlson) Voedisch, Chris Geason '78,
Julie (Edson) Geason'79
7 8::'3f,:iii:i:l j;i1Ï,ïñ:;
J
I
Augsburg Now
)
rr
.þ
è
þ
q
Adrienne (Kuchler) Eldridge
Jason, welcomed a son, Hudson lsaiah, on
June 12. She is the program and
lff,¡
V-3.and her husband,
ø
organizational manager at the First
Lutheran Church and Bay Lake
q
Camp. aeke@hotmail.com
Q.flSven
9l.his
OEllir¡am Zien Edgar and Scott Edgar were married on July 5 in St. Louis
U UPark, Minn. Auggies in the wedding party included Molly Rivets'06,
Erlandson has published
fourlh book, Badass
Alia Sheirman'08, Laya Theberge'06, Dayle Vanderleest'04, Peter lindemann
'04, and Karley Kielty'07. Music professors Robert Stacke'71 and Ned Kantor played in the klezmer/jazz band. Miriam is orchestra director at J.F.
Kennedy High School in Bloomrngton, and Scott is completing his master's
degree in counseling and psychological services at St. Mary's University of
Jesus: The Serious Athlete and a
Life of Noble Purpose. Written for
"the most ¡ntense, focused, and
fiercest athletes," the book is rooted
in "Jesus' First and Greatest Commandment and his personal ethos
of radical other-centered love."
Minnesota.
Natasha Hamann is a family medicine physician at Allina Medical
Clinic in Buffalo, lVinn.
flfi.Sarah Huerta'06 MBA and
her
U Uhusband, C¡aig'09, wel-
comed theìr second child, Connor
Brian, on April 24. He joins big
brofher Brady,2-112.
(l
ÇAllison
(Cornell) and Matt
llUBroughton'06 were married
in
a small ceremony on June 27 . f he
couple lives in Hanover, N.H.,
where Malt is a graduate student in
physics at Dartmouth College and
Allison works for the Dartmouth
Medical School Development Offìce.
The photo was taken by Ryan
Bethke'09,
fì
Roper-Batker is the presiÚÚoent uÅo cro of the women's
Foundation of lVinnesota, which she
has served since 2001. She received
a diploma from the Higher Trade
Union College in lVloscow, where she
studied trade union movements.
flLee
Bethany Buchanan married
Micheal Scott, a high
school special education teacher, in
June 2008. A year later they started
Grace Homes-Williston House, a
residential care home for seniors in
lVlinnetonka. After working as a
O.tì
rll.Charles
social worker, Bethany graduated
from nursing school in 2001, and
worked at Fairview University Medical Center and Methodist Hospital
as a medical-surgical nurse prior to
opening the care home. ln 2003,
2004, and 2005 she did month-long
medical mission tours in Nigeria.
Tracy (Glumich) Hovland and her
husband, Erik, have a six-month-old
daughter, Ava.
June (Kirk) Nelson returned to West
Africa 15 months ago, where she
works at the Hopital Protestante in
Ngaoundere, Cameroon, a mission
hospital that trains Christian African
physicians to become surgeons.
Megan Renze has been in Florida for
10 years. She completed her Juris
Doctor degree at the University of
Miami Law School.
O OAaron
Shatol Tyra received a Star Award
2008 from the lVlinnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing (N/l0LN)
in recognition of her commitment to
volunteering and dedication to influencing health care by advancing
professional nursrng leadership, particularly with the Metro Alliance Education and Service Collaborative for
Expanded Enrollment of Baccalaureate Nurses.
Petrasek married David
Alan Hurley on Oct. 28, 2008,
in Van Nuys, Calif. Paul works at
FedEx and David Alan works at the
VA Medical Center. They traveled to
Disneyland for a honeymoon and
Gabriel directed the
lJ
lJregional premiere of How Can
You Run with a Shell on Your Back
at the Stages Theatre in Hopkins,
lVlinn., in lVlarch. The musical won a
regional Tony award following its premiere in Chicago last year.
Chiho Okuizumi is program coordina-
tor at VH1 Save the lVlusic Foundation in New York City, which provides
access to instrumental music education to children in more than 1,600
public schools across the U.S.
OTPaul
r'l I
live in Avon, Calif.
Q$toucin da
(0lson) Bjorklund
rJ.rJ-works at Vascular Solutions,
I
nc.
employed at the time of her wedding
at Appleton Cardiology Associates in
Appleton, Wis., as a physician assistant. Kevin is a high school math
teacher and head track coach at
Clintonville High School.
Marcy received his MBA
the Carlson School of
Management, University of Minnesota, in 2008 and accepted a promotion to senior internal auditor at
Valspar in Minneapolis. He travels
fl
2Max
U úfrom
widely doing internal audits, including the U.S., Europe, and China. ln
2OO4 he married his wife, Jessica, in
a Celtic mass held in Syracuse, N.Y.
They live in lVinneapolis with their
Persian cat, Eleanor Rigby.
fddam Nugent and Carolina
U T(Chiesa) are living in College
fi
Station, Texas. Adam is studying for
a lVlaster of Landscape Architecture
degree at Texas A&M, and Carolina
is teaching at South Knoll Elementary School.
Bourn works as a promanager with youth
service agencies and the Minneapolis Public Schools on the North Side.
He has run for the Minneapolis Park
and Recreation Board to keep parks
on the North Side safe and pro-
O FBrad
tlilgram
and has moved to Los Angeles.
grammed. He has received the Presidential Service Award for his work
with youth.
(l{¡
(l'fleremy
fl lEm¡ly Nugent'07 MA[, '09 MBA
lJ lis engaged to Nick Loiacano
Jennifer Langman married
Reese in Cameron, Wis.,
on August 9, 2008. Jennifer earned
a master's degree in health science
from Duke University and was
U-LKevin
Anderson adapted one
of his poems into a l0-minute
play, "Jones'n," which was produced
as part of the Bedlam Theatre's TenMinute Play Festival in May.
Uf
Fall
2009
53
prof ile
A Colombian Auggie in
Europe-
Paola Murcia '99
s
,1
È
How did a Latin American Auggie from Colombia end up in
Belgium via Minneapolis and Costa Rica?
Paola lVurcìa has lived in Antwerp, Belgium, for three years
now, working for Dole Fresh Fruit as the banana allocation
assistant for Europe. ln this role, she is the contact person
between the European market for Dole bananas and the production in Latin America.
This journey began in the mid-1990s when another Auggie
from Colombia introduced Paola to Eloisa Echavez, then the
director of Augsburg's Hispanic/Latino Student Services.
Echavez met with Paola's parents when she traveled in
Colombia, and they agreed to Paola's going to Augsburg.
She studied international relations, political science, and
Apart from her work, Paola Murcia '99 enjoys traveling in Europe and had a great view
ol the Thames in London from the london Eye ferris wheel.
French, and graduated in 1999. A year later, she took a posi-
tion in San José, Costa Rica, with Dole, and over the next six
years she was continually promoted and grew in the company
about those subjects," Paola says, "and it's important when
you live abroad that you try to blend in as much as possible.
toward the appointment in Dole's European division.
Also, to be open-minded!"
Shortly after arriving in Belgium, Paola ref lected on how she
felt Augsburg had provided a foundation for this new
When Paola arrived in Europe, for the first time she found
herself in a place where she didn't understand anything at all.
experience.
ln Antwerp, although most people speak English, the language
is Dutch (Flemish). But, since Belgium's off icial languages are
Dutch, German, and French, she could use her French from
Augsburg and fully appreciated the efforts of professor Pary
Pezechkian, who pushed her to master it.
As of now, Paola plans to stay in Europe, working in the
international f ield. She has studied Dutch and is striving to
"l have used what was learned in political
science and international relations to be the professional and the person I have
become," Paola wrote. "As Professor Norma Noonan puts it
better than I could, [she wrote to me,] 'You are living international relations, which is even better than merely studying ìt!
You are living the multicultural experiences that you have had
in all the countries through which you have passed."'
Paola would encourage current students to pay a lot of
attention to history and geography, as well as language.
"There is still an ìmage that Americans don't know much
perfect her French and German. She is also now accustomed to
the continental European winter, and she credits her years in
Minnesota for preparing her for this, as well.
BEÏSTY NORGARD
Shannon Olson works as a marketing
associate within a new type of teaming structure at Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans, called Professional
Office Practìces (POP).
0uincy Osborn joined the athletic
staf f at Ohio University as an assislanI coach in wrestling, after serving
in the same position for Augsburg's
wrestling team.
at an outdoor ceremony along the
Mississìppi River and drove to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon.
Daniel Manley is a police officer in
Glen Ridge, N.J. and saved the life
of a choking baby on the second day
on his job after having recently completed police academy training.
Alia Scheirman began her service in
the Peace Corps in Ukraine al the
fl QTasha Christensen married
l, [tNikolaus Browne on June l3
54
Augsburg Now
end of September.
fi
$Abigail Ferjak, with a major in
U üyoulh and
family ministry, is
beglnning study at Yale Divinity
Graduate College and wants to
explore the possibility of teaching in
a college setting.
Matthew Tonsager has joined the
Elm Creek Associates of Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans as a financial
associate with the organization's
Central l\4innesola Regional [inancial Office.
Of;ATUATI PfiO$f;AMIì
Jeff Falkingham '95 MAL received
favorable reviews from the Sherlock
Holmes Society of London for his
second novel, Sherlock Holmes: In
Search of the Source, released on
January 6, the 155th birthday of
Holmes, The historical f¡ction ¡s set
in l896 in Sl. P¿ul. Read Lhe review
at www.sherlockhol mes.org. u k/pdf/
DM290.pdf.
Send us your news and photos
Please
tell
us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don't forget to send photosl
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary, funeral notice,
0f program from a memorral service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to: Augsburg
llow
Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 14È,2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55454, or e-mail alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news at
www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
ln Memoriam
[arson, Gertrude (Amundson)'35,
Denver, Colo., age 100, on Aug. 3.
Dahl, Jeffrey'74, Cottonwood,
Minn., age 56, on Sept.30.
Street address
Pautz, Richard'37, Minneapolis,
age 96, on July 4. Former athletic
director, director of public rela-
Treichel, Scott G.'76, Webster, Wis.,
age 55, on July 31.
City, State, Zip
tions, Augsburg regent emeritus,
and 7972 Distinguished Alumnus.
Ahlberg, Ruth C. '¿14, Chesterton,
Ind., age BB, on Aug. 25.
Johnson, Edwin 0. '44, Minneapolis,
age BB, on Aug. 16.
larsen, Marguerite (Greguson)'45,
Carlton, Minn., age 86, on July 4.
Strand, Carl '46, Owatonna, Minn.,
age 87 , on Aug. 12.
Wessman, Rev. Willis'48, Topeka,
Kan., age BB, on July 26.
ls this a new address?
O Yes D
No
Olsen, Daniel ,1. '78, Apple Valley,
IVinn., age 53, on May 4.
Mason, WilmaÆom-Ba-Equay (Windy
Woman) '81, Bemidji, Minn., age
61, on Sept.10.
Home telephone
E-mail
Ballot, Sarah (Carlson) '98, Minneapolis, age 33, in early July, in
an auto acc¡dent.
Okayto publishyoure-mail address?
Allegrezza, Genevieve'04, Anchorage, Alaska, age28, on Aug.3.
Employer
Johnston, Hannah (Bratzel)'07, St.
Paul Park, lVinn., age 27, on June
25, of cancer.
Position
OYes trNo
Work telephone
Garstenbrock, Walter '49, Austin,
Minn., age 86, on July 7.
Brown, Orpha (Grimsrud) '50,
Wick, Cheryl '11 PA, Rochester,
IVìinn., age 25, on July 25, of cardiac arrhythmia.
Phoenix, Ariz., and Portland, Ore.,
Druck, Rachel
age 80, on July 27.
Oct.17.
'12, age 23,
[alim, Archie'50, lVladison, Conn.,
age 80, on Aug. 9. 1990 Distin-
Sulzen, Zoya'12, Minneapolis, at
the end of July.
ls spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? O Yes
tr
No
lf yes, class year
on
Spouse's name
guished Alumnus.
Berkland, Rev. Theodore'51,'54
Sem, Grantsburg, Wis., age 80, on
June 20 of multiple myeloma.
Sortland, Rev. Howard'51, Plymouth, Minn., age 86, on Aug. 3.
Balerud, Paul'54, North Platte,
Neb., age 79, on Aug. 5.
Nelson, Judith (0lson) '65, Shell
Knob, lVlo., age 66, on Aug. 29.
Jones-Hermerding, Ertwin'69, Otter
Anderson, Margaret (Klinner), Edina,
Minn., age 86, on June 19, She
lVlaiden name
Your news:
taught home economics at Augsburg and was the widow of Ernie
Anderson'37.
Pedersen, Myrtle Edith, Hudson,
Wis., age 100, on Aug. 12.
Wrightsman, Rev. Bruce, Garnavillo,
lowa, age 75, on Oct. 4, of heart
failure and amyloidosis. He taught
in the Department of Religion and
Philosophy,1960-63.
O
I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
Tail, Minn., age62, on Aug. 11, in
a motorcycle accident. 2003 Distinguished Alumnus.
Fall
2009
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To see
other photos of Auggie Eagle around
campus during the week of Homecoming,
go to www.augsburg.edu/now
What will Auggie do next?
As part of the Homecoming celebration, Auggie (or a paper
cutout of Auggie from the Homecoming brochure) wandered
around campus and had his photo taken for the online photo
of the week. Here Auggie is studying sociology in the library.
Show less
AUGSBURG NOW
SPRING 2009
VOL. 71, NO. 2
inside
auggies
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Photo
Years
of Life-Changing
contest winners Augsburg Choir, 75 years
Twin sisters, twin dreams Core to compost
Travel
How green is Augsburg? Studying sustainability
page
20 the neig... Show more
AUGSBURG NOW
SPRING 2009
VOL. 71, NO. 2
inside
auggies
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Photo
Years
of Life-Changing
contest winners Augsburg Choir, 75 years
Twin sisters, twin dreams Core to compost
Travel
How green is Augsburg? Studying sustainability
page
20 the neighborhood youth Green planning
Feeding
go
green
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
notes
from President Pribbenow
Generosity and Sustainability
t
his issue of the Augsburg Now offers many
inspiring stories of ways in which our community is learning about and practicing what
it means to live sustainable lives in the city.
I’ve been thinking a good bit lately about why the
Augsburg community has made such great progress
in living out its commitment to urban sustainability,
and I’ve found myself exploring the meaning of the
original motto for Augsburg Theological Seminary
and College, the bold claim found in John 1:14:
“And the Word became flesh.” I’m struck by how
this scriptural promise is both a statement of generosity and of sustainability. Augsburg College practices generosity most authentically when it lives as
the Word made flesh—sustainable, present, rooted,
of service, and faithful.
My teacher, Martin Marty, taught me that colleges
are indigenous communities—that is, they are native
to a particular place, a particular environment, a particular set of values, and practices that define the
institution—and that means something for the way
they live their lives.
What does it mean to think about Augsburg
College as an indigenous community? What does it
mean that the Word has become flesh and lived
among us here?
I lift up for our attention three simple aspects of
Augsburg’s identity—ways in which the Word becomes flesh here and the values we seek to sustain:
• The central focus of our identity is that wherever
Augsburg College is found—here in this neighborhood, in the city, in Rochester, or around the
world—our most authentic work is learning and
teaching. And the wonder of learning is that it involves acts of generosity and sustainability in its
every detail—from teachers who teach what they
love; to students who seek to learn out of curiosity
and passion; to texts that bear the wisdom of the
ages for our reflection; to conversations that help
us pay attention to the Word, to each other, and to
the world; to practices and commitments that help
sustain our environment.
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Editorial
Wendi Wheeler ’06
wheelerw@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski ’08
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Webmaster/Now Online
Bryan Barnes
barnesb@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
• A second aspect of our identity is the way in
which this city, a particular place—much different
now than in 1869—is still a place that demands our
attention and respect and concern. Democracy still
is practiced in this place with our neighbors. Education still happens in this place with learners and
teachers all around us. Engagement and service still
are at the center of our lives with each other in this
place. Sustaining this urban place, this urban environment, is an act of generosity—for our diverse
neighbors, for our diverse selves, for the whole of
creation, now and into the future.
Jeff Shelman
shelman@augsburg.edu
• The final aspect of our identity is our firm grounding in the Christian faith—a confident faith that
frees us to learn, to live, to practice hospitality with
all of our neighbors, to be a force for good in the
world, to affirm our calling as people of faith and a
college of the church, to be God’s people in this
place, and to know that grace and truth abound
where the Word becomes flesh.
www.augsburg.edu
I celebrate the generosity that is Augsburg’s faithful
work in the world—the Word made flesh here, each
and every day. I celebrate the sustainability of our indigenous character, our indigenous work, and our indigenous place. And I recall the concluding words of
John 1:14 that remind us that the Word made flesh
is “full of grace and truth.” Oh, how the world needs
a Word of grace and truth. And here it is!
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President of
Marketing and Communication
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni and
Constituent Relations
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
CB 142
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
spring 2009
Features
6
10
12
Augsburg Choir - celebrating 75 years
by Betsey Norgard
16
30
Twin sisters, twin dreams
by Jean Spielman Housh
International Programs Photo Contest
14
20
23
auggies
go green
16 Toward a more sustainable Augsburg
by Betsey Norgard
contents
19 How green is Augsburg?
26
augsburg now
20 Environmental connections: Green starts here
by Jeff Shelman
23 Studying sustainability
by Wendi Wheeler ’06
26 Green Planning
28 Core to compost
Photos and text by Stephen Geffre
30 Feeding the neighborhood youth
by Wendi Wheeler ’06
32 How green is our magazine?
Departments
2
4
5
8
33
36
40
Around the Quad
Auggies on the ice
Auggie voices
It takes an Auggie
Alumni news
Class notes
My Auggie experience
On the cover
We celebrate in this issue all the commitments, changes, and
progress that Augsburg has embraced in learning how to be a
more sustainable college in the city.
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
around the
quad
Augsburg receives Carnegie classification
Augsburg was recently selected by the Carnegie Foundation as
one of 119 colleges and universities in the nation to receive the
classification for Community Engagement. This affirms that the
school has institutionalized community engagement in its identity, culture, and commitments. It also affirms that the practices
of community engagement are aligned with the institution’s identity and form an integral component of the institutional culture.
The classification has three categories—curricular engagement, outreach and partnerships, and a category for both engagement and outreach—and Augsburg received the latter,
comprehensive classification.
In a letter to Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow, Jim
Scheibel, executive director of the Minnesota Campus Compact,
congratulated the College on this recognition. Scheibel wrote, “As
a country that faces an economic crisis, and as a community that
witnesses division and strife across the globe, we need students,
faculty, and campuses that are fully engaged. This recognition
says you are doing your part and acknowledges that you are serious about fulfilling the mission of the College.”
Augsburg has included “student engagement” as one of nine
specific academic goals for the institution. The Augsburg Experience signature curriculum requirement encourages direct involvement with people and organizations external to the College,
All first-year students spend an afternoon during September Auggie Days working on
community projects—painting, gardening, cleaning up, or whatever needs doing in the
neighborhood with Augsburg’s community partners.
first-hand discovery and application of knowledge, self-awareness
through reflective and critical thinking, and exploration of what
one is called to do in the world.
Augsburg is a committed partner to particular nonprofit and
educational groups within the nearby urban neighborhoods, including Cedar-Riverside, Seward, and Phillips.
In addition, the College has instituted programs and policies
that support community engagement for the campus community.
All staff members receive two days of paid leave time for community service.
A note to the editor
“I found the ‘Lights, camera, and action’ feature in the fall 2008 Augsburg
Now very interesting. This photograph was taken in the Augsburg Art Studio in the early 1970s during a session of a hands-on class teaching 16mm
filmmaking with synchronized sound. As a student from 1965-1970, I had a
work-study job showing films and doing photography working for Robert
Zeller, who at that time was director of instructional services. He is the
first person whom I recall to have taught a course in film studies at
Augsburg. Warren Hanson, John Mitchell, and Larry Glenn (left to right in
the photo) were all students in the course taught by local filmmaker Paul
Rusten. Warren was a registered student. As John was a faculty member
and I was director of the audio-visual center, we were invited to participate in the class without receiving credit.”
LARRY GLENN ’70
2
Augsburg Now
Brian Krohn—Augsburg’s first Rhodes Scholar
Brian Krohn ’08 arrived at Augsburg with plans of being a film major and eventually became a chemistry
student. In November he was selected as a Rhodes Scholar—Augsburg’s first.
Krohn, a native of Cloquet, Minn., was one of 769 initial U.S. applicants from 207 colleges and universities for this year’s Rhodes Scholars. After making it through an interview process and being selected,
Krohn became one of 32 Americans who will study at Oxford University beginning in fall 2009. There, Krohn
will focus on environmental change and management in order to combine public policy expertise with the
scientific knowledge he has gained at Augsburg.
In the summer of 2006, Krohn began research into new ways to produce biodiesel fuel. He acknowledges that he didn’t really expect to break any new ground, but he wanted to give it a shot.
The combination of Krohn’s research, the teaching of chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg, and
Augsburg alum Clayton McNeff led to the discovery of the Mcgyan Process to produce
biodiesel in a cleaner and more environmentally friendly way.
“For me, Brian’s work on the biodiesel project is a great liberal arts story,”
President Paul C. Pribbenow said. “There’s a connection between a student with a
question, a faculty member, and an alum. They work on a problem and come out with
a response that, in this case, is pretty groundbreaking.
“Brian stands for the well-rounded education that we provide for all of our
students. We’re proud of him and proud that his Augsburg education prepared
him,” Pribbenow continued.
In addition to his work with biodiesel, Krohn is a Goldwater Scholar who was
a founder of the Honors Review, a new journal for student scholarship at
Augsburg. He organized the inaugural Agre Challenge, an event in which teams
were challenged to build a catapult to fling a 20-pound sandbag various distances.
Diane Pike receives the Stewart Bellman Award
Diane Pike, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and professor of
sociology, is the 2008 recipient of the Stewart Bellman Award for Exemplary Leadership from The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning.
She was honored in November at The Collaboration’s annual conference.
For more than 25 years at Augsburg, Pike has been recognized for her excellence
as a classroom teacher and as a role model for other faculty members, in large part
due to her ongoing leadership in faculty development workshops, consulting, and summer institutes, and her avid attention to the research literature on the scholarship of
teaching and learning.
Pike’s accomplishments at Augsburg have included re-envisioning the work of the
Committee on Faculty Development, integrating activities for faculty and professional
staff members, and creating dedicated space for student learning and CTL in Lindell
Library. Most notably, however, has been her leadership in the creation of the new
AugCore general education program—guiding the design team work and faculty collaboratives on specific issues, as well as securing a Bush Foundation grant for implementation and work on the course evaluation project. She is the incoming president of the
Midwest Sociological Society.
Spring 2009
3
Auggies on the ice
Tiffany Magnuson—
a star on ice and on the field
If it weren’t for finding cheap hockey skates at a tent sale,
Tiffany Magnuson’s athletic career might have been quite
different than it is today.
“My dad didn’t want me playing hockey. They bought me
figure skates, because my dad didn’t want me messed up
with the hockey guys,” said Magnuson, whose father is a
hockey coach in their hometown of Green Bay, Wis. “They
bought the figure skates for me, and I couldn’t skate in them
because of the toe pick. But my dad always said that I had a
natural hockey stride, and I kept telling him that I wanted
black skates.”
So Magnuson’s mom found her a pair of black skates—
hockey skates.
“My mom always said, ‘Wal-Mart started your career,’
because they had a tent sale at Wal-Mart on hockey skates,”
Magnuson said.
A senior, Magnuson has excelled at two sports during her
Auggie career—hockey and softball—and will leave Augsburg
as one of the top all-around female athletes in school history.
Magnuson finished her hockey career as the school’s second
leading goal-scorer and No. 3 point-producer. She was a
four-time All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
selection.
In softball, Magnuson played three positions—second
base, first base, and pitcher—during last season’s run to the
MIAC playoffs for the first time in program history. A threetime All-MIAC selection, she enters this season with a .379
career batting average as the Auggies leadoff hitter.
Magnuson, a finance major and accounting minor, was recruited to play hockey at Augsburg and she said she chose
Augsburg because it was a small school in a large city. Being
active in back-to-back sports has helped her learn to manage
her time.
“Sports have taught me about leadership, being committed and competitive, about interacting with others, and having to all come together for a goal,” said Magnuson, who
wants to work on the business side of a sports team. “It’s a
family [atmosphere], and for me being away from my family,
it helps me with my life. That’s what I like about Augsburg,
the close-knit atmosphere.”
DON STONER
4
Augsburg Now
auggie voices
Engaging in the big questions
The Lilly Scholars seminar is a place where students can feel
comfortable talking about the big questions in life. Questions
like, Is Christianity the only true religion? What does it mean to
forgive someone? What is God calling me to do?
For Mark Tranvik, associate professor of religion and director of
the Lilly grant program, the seminar is the heart of the year-long
program designed for juniors and seniors who are considering
seminary or graduate study in theology or sacred arts. Once a
month they meet to discuss assigned texts, engage with guest
speakers, and reflect on biblical passages or issues in the
Christian tradition.
Each year, 10 or 11 Lilly Scholars, who receive a $2,100
scholarship, are selected from more than twice that number.
Among the current scholars, the average GPA is 3.75. In addition
to the seminar, Lilly Scholars visit Luther Seminary and can take
courses there.
“There is an ongoing hunger in the intellectual community for
genuine theological conversation among students that the Lilly
Scholar program honors,” says Tranvik, who is also an ordained
minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Creating
a comfortable place for these critical conversations is his goal.
And, he adds, “doubters are welcomed.”
Jenni Pickford, a philosophy and religion major, finds the seminar most valuable for “the openmindedness I’ve gained from
hearing about views that differ from my own.” What she appreciates is that “there are other students out there who are interested
in more than just a grade and do this for the love of learning.”
“The greatest impact for me is the group friendship and discussions that carry throughout other classes,” says religion major
Denise Shuck, a Weekend College senior who is planning to enter
Luther Seminary. “I have a great appreciation for the diversity of
opinions about the topics we’ve discussed.”
Abby Ferjak, a senior, finds it easy to integrate what she does
in the Lilly Scholars program to her youth and family ministry
classes. “It’s important for youth to understand that vocation is
not simply what one might do as a career; but rather, that everyone has many vocations, and [that] they don’t have to wait to fulfill their vocation.”
And that’s exactly what the Lilly Endowment hopes to hear.
Their goal for funding programs in church-related, liberal arts colleges that explore vocation is to nurture a new generation of voca-
In their monthly seminar, Professor Mark Tranvik (above, in blue shirt) seeks to
create a comfortable atmosphere for the Lilly Scholars to discuss and explore
vocation. (L to R) Denise Shuck, Leah Jarvi, Tranvik, Cody Oaks, Allison Streed,
Alexander Garver, Abigail Ferjak, Natalie Sasseville, and Ashley Weston.
tionally-guided leaders—both pastoral and lay—for church congregations. Lilly Scholars are one part of Augsburg’s $2 million
grant program, Exploring Our Gifts, that began in 2002 and is
directed by Tranvik.
Over its six years, Lilly Scholars have included a mix of
younger and older students and have cut across disciplines, for
example, among science and social work majors seeking ways to
combine faith life with their fields.
Last year four Lilly Scholars continued to Luther Seminary (all
with full scholarships), two chose law school, one entered the
Lutheran Volunteer Corps, one is in congregational youth ministry,
and one began graduate study in social work. About half of all
Lilly Scholars have entered seminary.
During their year as Lilly Scholars, the students serve as role
models within the larger community. They develop a portfolio, reflecting on vocation and what they carry with them from the year.
Cody Oaks, a current Lilly Scholar, finds inspiration in
Tranvik’s ability to merge the pastoral with the academic. “He
provides the model of a pastor-scholar I would like to embody in
my own work and call to teach,” Oaks says. He will enter
Princeton Theological Seminary this summer and begin to seek
ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Kyle Zvejnicks, a 2006-07 Lilly Scholar, reflected on community. “The seminar has reminded me of the importance of community in vocation, namely that we need each other. … Just as
much, we don’t come with the same vocation for everyone, but
each with their own, and not for themselves but for others.”
To learn more about Exploring Our Gifts, go to
www.augsburg.edu/lilly.
BETSEY NORGARD
Spring
Fall 2008
2009
5
The Augsburg Choir—
celebrating 75 years
This academic year, the Augsburg Choir celebrates 75 years—a
choral tradition of distinction and excellence.
The Augsburg Choir was founded in 1933, when the Men’s
Glee Club and the Ladies’ Choral Society, who had sung together
on various occasions, voted to unite, under the direction of music
department chair Henry P. Opseth. The first student president of
the choir was a third-year music major and future choir conductor
Leland B. Sateren.
The new choir lost no time in preparing for tours and performances. In 1935, their tour through the Midwest took them more
than 2,000 miles for 20 concerts, including a coast-to-coast broadcast in Chicago with the National Broadcasting System. On their return, they sang a home concert at Central Lutheran Church.
Choir business manager Orville C. Hognander ’36 planned the
tour, plus arranged for a series of 18 Sunday evening radio broadcasts on WCCO radio, the “Hour Melodious.” This program also
was accessible over open channel across the country and brought
visibility to Augsburg, reconnecting many alumni to the College.
In 1946, Leland B. Sateren ’35 returned to Augsburg to join
the music faculty. Following Opseth’s death in 1950, Sateren
was named conductor of the Augsburg Choir.
For the next 29 years, the Augsburg Choir developed its own
distinctive tone quality, musicality, and professionalism under
Sateren. While the choir continued to share the Gospel through
church music, Sateren evolved a more contemporary classical
sound, especially in his own compositions. His passion for
1933
Scandinavian music brought attention to music and composers
relatively unknown in the U.S.
In 1975, the Augsburg Choir’s 40th anniversary tour took
them to Scandinavia. They traveled by boat down the Norwegian
coast, from above the Arctic Circle to Oslo, and sang in the
Trondheim Cathedral.
Leland Sateren retired in 1979, and the direction of the choir
passed to Larry L. Fleming, a noted choral conductor and composer. In his first year, the choir was chosen as the official representative from the U.S. to sing in Augsburg, Germany, at the
450th commemoration of the Augsburg Confession.
Fleming also established Advent Vespers, the College’s annual
1975
Augsburg Choir
is founded
40th anniversary
choir tour
Leland B. Sateren ’35—choir director
Peter Hendrickson ’76—student choir president
and future choir director
Henry P. Opseth—choir director
Leland B. Sateren ’35—student choir
president and future choir director
6
Augsburg Now
The majestic Advent Vespers service each year at
Central Lutheran Church presents Augsburg’s four
choirs, with part of the service sung as a massed choir
of over 200 voices.
holiday program, as a service of music and liturgy, which now attracts up to 8,000 people at its four services and will celebrate
its 30th anniversary in 2009.
Fleming left Augsburg in 1986, and for the next several years
the Augsburg Choir was under the direction of Thomas Rossin.
In 1994, after serving a short time as interim director, Peter
Hendrickson ’76 was appointed the choir’s new conductor. Over
the past decade and a half, he has realized his vision for
Augsburg’s choral program—one that offers distinct choral experiences for all students, including the extended Augsburg family,
with different repertoires:
• Augsburg Choir—a cappella touring choir
• Riverside Singers—women’s chorus
• Cedar Singers—men’s chorus
• Masterworks Chorale—symphonic chorus
All four choirs, as well as an orchestra and liturgical party, participate annually in Advent Vespers. In 2004, for the 25th anniversary,
Twin Cities Public Television recorded the service and won a
Regional Emmy award for the production. The program has been
shown on public television during the holiday season since then.
One of Hendrickson’s passions is language, and to date, his
choirs have sung in more than 15 languages. “We owe it to our
students in the choral program to educate them not only in
Augsburg’s commitment to the Lutheran choral tradition, but also
in creating, through music and language, a better understanding
of other cultures and our responsibility to be world citizens,”
Hendrickson says.
The Augsburg Choir’s March tour this year took them south,
traveling from Nebraska to Texas, and locations in between. Currently the choir is planning next year’s tour, a trip that will take
them to China in 2010.
2009
The Masterworks Chorale marks 15 years
Hendrickson founded the Masterworks Chorale in 1994 as a symphonic chorus of approximately 100 voices, made up of students,
faculty and staff, alumni, and others connected to the Augsburg
community. Unique to a college campus, Masterworks Chorale
presents programs of great choral works and explores new
masterworks.
In 1996, the chorale performed for the first time the entire
Visions from Hildegaard by Minnesota composer Stephen Paulus.
In 1997, it presented the English-language premiere of
Norwegian composer Egil Hovland’s opera, Captive and Free, and
in 2001, the English-language version of Finnish composer and
conductor Kari Tikka’s opera, Luther.
The Masterworks Chorale performs three times per year—at
fall and spring concerts, and for Advent Vespers. A number of
chorale members are Augsburg alumni who sang as students in
Leland Sateren’s choirs.
“The Sateren choir alumni in Masterworks keep the legacy and
spirit of the Sateren era alive,” Hendrickson says. “It’s a wonderful connection for our current students, a passing of the torch, so
to speak, from then to now.”
BETSEY NORGARD
75th anniversary year
For a longer story about choir history with
additional photos, go to www.augsburg.edu/now.
Peter Hendrickson ’76—choir director
7
it takes an
Auggie
A legacy for promising students
President’s Scholarships recognize students with exceptional academic ability and leadership potential and can provide financial
support up to full tuition for four years. Donors who choose to
endow a President’s Scholarship make special connections with
these students, and those that follow them, one after another, as
they see an Augsburg education made possible.
E. Milton Kleven ’46 taught school in Minneapolis for 33 years
and knows what this means to students from low-income families. He and his family have endowed three President’s Scholarships and enjoy being part of the lives of the students who
receive them, helping them begin their work and careers free
from college debt.
Milt Kleven’s Augsburg story began in a home two blocks from
the College, where his Norwegian immigrant mother and father
raised nine children. Since Augsburg was the college in the
neighborhood, six of the Kleven children attended, with three
completing their degrees.
In 1940, Milt followed his sister Agathe, who had just graduated from Augsburg. Like most students then, Milt’s studies were
interrupted by World
War II, and in 1946
he returned and
finished. Their
brother Luther
graduated in
1950.
Milt graduated with a
major in
mathematics
and a minor in physical education. His strongest
and longest friendships he formed in the Augsburg
A-Club, even though his student job downtown at
the Minneapolis Club kept him too busy to participate in most sports, except for lettering in golf.
Kleven’s Augsburg story has a romantic twist on
a broken leg. In late 1943 he left Augsburg to
enter Navy pilot training. When he suffered a broken leg, he decided to spend the eight-week recovery period back at Augsburg, completing his
math major with Professor George Soberg.
8
One evening in Augsburg’s library, in the basement of Old
Main, he met Dorothy Lijsing, the daughter of a Swedish immigrant father and mother, and she became his wife and partner for
53 years. Dorothy transferred to Gustavus Adolphus College and
graduated there. They were married in 1947.
Soon after graduating, Kleven began teaching mathematics in
the Minneapolis Public Schools. In addition to teaching, he also
served as the teacher representative with Great West Financial on
a voluntary investment fund created following a strike in 1970.
From that experience, he learned a great deal about investments
and wise financial planning that has served him well.
In the 1950s, the Klevens were approached by Sig Hjelmeland
’41, Augsburg’s development director, and asked for the first
time to consider giving back to Augsburg.
“My parents always set aside their tithe,” Kleven says, “and
taught us that giving is a part of our responsibility.”
In 1958, he and Dorothy established a scholarship in honor of
his parents, Magnus and Kristofa Kleven. In its 50 years, more
than 200 Augsburg students have benefited from the financial
support of this scholarship.
During the 1960s, the Klevens continued their philanthropic
support to Augsburg, and for many years worked closely with development officer Jeroy Carlson ’48.
In 2001, when Dorothy passed away, Kleven established a
scholarship in her name. With college costs skyrocketing, he
knew from his large family what a difference a full tuition scholarship could make for students from low-income families, like
those he had taught in Minneapolis.
“That’s the main thing,” Kleven says. “I want to help kids who
have a need, and I want it to be a full scholarship.”
So, the Dorothy Lijsing Kleven Scholarship became the first
endowed President’s Scholarship, and provides a full scholarship
to a student interested in choral music, as Dorothy had been
throughout her life. This endowment was created by Milt and
their four children and families—Bruce and Maren Kleven, David
and Barbara Kleven, Barbara and Zane Birky, and Diane and
Philip Larson.
In 2007, the family created two additional endowed
President’s Scholarships. They added Dorothy’s parents, David
and Florence Lijsing, to the original scholarship for Milt’s parents
and raised it to the level of a full President’s Scholarship.
The third was created in Milt’s name—the E. Milton Kleven
Scholarship for public service, so he can enjoy supporting students with a real financial need who plan to enter public service.
Kleven helped to facilitate two other scholarships. The
Margaret Andrews Scholarship was established by Kleven and his
fellow Trade and Industry coordinators in the Minneapolis public
school system to honor their supervisor, Margaret Andrews. The
Donald C. Carlson Scholarship, through the Normandale Lutheran
Church Foundation, is named for founding pastor Donald Carlson
’42 to support a Normandale member attending Augsburg.
The Kleven legacy also includes major support to capital projects. In 1995-96, the family worked with President Charles
Anderson and gave $1 million toward the construction of
Lindell Library.
Milt founded Kleven Flooring Service, which installed hardwood flooring in houses in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. Over
the years, he provided hardwood floors throughout the Augsburg
campus, including the Augsburg Room in
Christensen Center and Augsburg House.
His most recent gift celebrates his over
60-year tie to Augsburg A-Club and close
friendships with Glen Person ’47 and Dick
“Pork Chop” Thompson ’61. Together, as part
of the construction of the new press box on
Edor Nelson Field, the three provided the
funding to name the Jeroy C. Carlson
Hospitality Room in Kennedy Center in honor
of their longtime friend and colleague.
For more information about endowing a
President’s Scholarship honoring Augsburg’s
most promising students, contact Doug Scott,
assistant vice president for development, at
612-330-1575 or 1-800-273-0617.
BETSEY NORGARD
Becky Shaheen ’11
Becky Shaheen is a sophomore from Elk River, Minn., majoring in
vocal music performance and composition, with a pre-engineering
minor. She sings in the Augsburg Choir, Gospel Praise Jazz Ensemble,
and other ensembles. This is her second year as the recipient of the
Dorothy Lijsing Kleven President’s Scholarship in choral music, and
she keeps in touch with the Kleven family.
“Music is my life, and this semester I’ve been able to dedicate
more time than ever before to music. I am finally realizing that being
a musician is possible …
“This scholarship has opened so many doors for me. I don’t have
to worry so much about the financial issues, and it has provided me
with confidence and such an ‘I can do anything!’ attitude.
“When I first met the family, it was like meeting a huge part of my
extended family that I didn’t know about. … A picture of the family
and me taken at the scholarship brunch hangs by my desk, a reminder of the people who are making this journey possible. “
twin sisters
Twin sisters
Twin dreams
“Our Augsburg professors were supportive
and encouraged us to pursue our dream ...”
BETTY BOWERS, MD
Barbara and Betty Bowers knew they wanted to grow up to be
doctors when they were six years old. The twin sisters were born
in Mora, Minn., and graduated from Augsburg in 1972. They attended medical school at the University of Minnesota and graduated in 1976.
“Our family doctor, Dr. Harry Berge, encouraged and supported us in our dream,” says Barbara Bowers, MD, “although
we’d never even seen a woman doctor.”
The Bowers twins were two of George and Opal Bowers’ four
daughters. The family lived in Brook Park, Minn., when the twins
were young. “Our parents raised us to believe that if we worked
hard we could achieve anything.”
Betty and Barbara studied diligently through grade school and
graduated from Forest Lake High School.
“We never took a test without thinking about our goal,”
Barbara explains. “We would not be dissuaded by naysayers.”
Today, Barbara Bowers is medical director of Fairview Southdale Breast Center and Fairview Southdale Hospital Medical
Oncology Clinic.
Betty Bowers, MD, is medical director and an anesthesiologist
with the McGee Eye Surgery Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
10
Augsburg Now
How did two young women from small-town Minnesota make it
through college in the big city?
“We received incredible personal attention and felt cared for
at Augsburg,” Barbara says. The twin sisters found the small
class sizes and nurturing environment a perfect place to study
the sciences.
“Our Augsburg professors were supportive and encouraged us
to pursue our dream,” Betty explains. Although, there was one
science professor who did not give them full credit for their class
work. “He had a special curve for us,” Barbara says. “His attitude
really was indicative of society at the time. It was the late 1960s,
and few women were pursuing careers in science, let alone medicine. But we didn’t lose heart.”
At Augsburg, the Bowers sisters were exposed to different cultures and religions. “Our professors knew us as people, not just
students in the classroom,” Barbara explains. “Rabbi Schwartz
took us to his synagogue and invited us to his home for Seder.”
While it took a lot of hard work to get through medical school,
“We were encouraged by those who meant the most to us,” Betty
says. “Sometimes naive belief serves you well.”
Claus Pierach, MD, a professor at the University of Minnesota
twin dreams
Medical School, recognized right away that the Bowers sisters
were unique. “Not only were they identical twins—they were
equally enterprising.”
Pierach serves on the admission committee for the University of
Minnesota Medical School. “I see and study many applicants, but
I see few students as determined as Betty and Barbara Bowers.”
After completing medical school, Barbara Bowers did her residency at what was then Northwestern Hospital. Pierach worked
closely with Barbara in her internal medicine rotation. “It was no
surprise that she earned the title of chief resident.” It was during
her internal medicine residency at Northwestern Hospital that
Barbara became intrigued by the cancer patients she treated.
“They were strong people, and it really sparked my interest in
medical oncology,” she explains.
Barbara decided to specialize in medical oncology. “At that
time, I thought I’d work in cancer treatment and work myself out
of a job in about 10 years.”
While cancer has not been cured, Barbara has seen significant
advances in cancer treatment and prevention. “We are seeing
more cancer patients live longer. There has been progress in preventing certain cancers through increased patient understanding
of the role diet and exercise play in our lives.”
“As a physician, my role is to partner with patients. To do that,
we need to educate patients, give them the information they need
to make decisions regarding their care, and communicate on the
same wave length—making sure that they know they are the most
important person on our care team.”
For Barbara, caring for cancer patients is where medical science and compassion meet. “I’m a scientist,” she explains. “I
love studying the periodic table. Everything in the universe is up
there except one thing—the heart, the human element.”
Barbara is married to a physician and has two daughters and
a son.
While in medical school, Betty thought she’d become a surgeon. She was the first female surgery resident at Hennepin
County Medical Center. In the fourth year of her general surgery
rotation, Claude Hitchcock, MD, approached her about taking a
six-month anesthesia rotation at the Mayo Clinic. “It’s been a
good fit for me. I’ve been practicing anesthesiology since 1981.”
She’s been with the McGee Eye Surgery Center since 2005.
Betty is married to a physician and has two daughters.
Looking back, Barbara and Betty remember many good times
amid the grueling schedule of medical school. “But we got through
it all by tucking our chins in and working hard,” Betty says.
Both physicians say they have enjoyed tremendous job satisfaction from their careers in medicine. “I would encourage anyone
dedicated to helping people to choose a career in medicine,”
Barbara says. “The medical field is constantly changing and offers
academic challenges, but most of all it is personally rewarding.”
JEAN SPIELMAN HOUSH
Housh is married to Allen Housh, a former Augsburg regent. She came to know
Dr. Barbara Bowers when she was treated for breast cancer in 2004.
Photos submitted by the families and Fairview Southdale Hospital.
“As a physician, my role is to partner with
patients. To do that, we need to ... make
sure that they know they are the most
important person on our care team.”
BARBARA BOWERS, MD
Betty Bowers, MD
Barbara Bowers, MD
Spring 2009
11
International Programs
3
Photo
Contest
Portraits
1st place: Bethany Thompson
“Doi Suthep Girls”
Chiang Mai, Thailand
2nd place: Katie MacAulay
“Llamas and the Lost City of
the Incas”
Peru
3rd place: Sara Black
“Another Walk of Life”
Ibarra, Ecuador
Landscape/cityscape
1st place and Best of Show:
Emily Hanson
“Holocaust Memorial”
Berlin, Germany
2
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2nd place: Katie Woolever
“Looking Through Mada’s
Dwelling”
Northern Namibia
3rd place: Kayla Skarbakka
“Boireann”
County Clare, Ireland
2
Photojournalism
1st place: Emily Hanson
“GDR Shopkeep”
Wittenburg, Germany
2nd place: Tyla Pream
“Festival of San Giovanni–Boy
with Flag”
Florence, Italy
Augsburg Now
3
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Augsburg Now
3
3rd place: Christine Tresselt
“Coffee in the Cloud Forest”
Miraflor, Nicaragua
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sustain. respond. recycle.
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Augsburg Now
“The Augsburg College community is deeply committed to
what it means to build a sustainable urban environment.”
—President Paul C. Pribbenow
clean. reduce. build. Save.
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BY BETSEY NORGARD
Living sustainably is no longer merely an
option. As a vast majority of the world’s
people struggle for resources to sustain
even simple lives, a small minority consume at rates that will quickly deplete
Earth’s resources and imperil future
generations.
Environmental concerns are now front
and center on our national agenda. But
beyond these, the broader considerations
of sustainable living—economic and social policies that determine how resources
are shared—remain difficult to tackle.
Augsburg’s history, mission, and vision
call for the College to engage in these
broad discussions of sustainability. The
two vision documents of 1997 and 2005
spell out an institutional vocation for the
College rooted in a blending of Lutheran
heritage, immigrant history, and urban location that demands a caring stewardship
of God’s creation.
As the College explores how it lives out
its institutional vision—We are called to
serve our neighbor—it must look beyond
the changes brought about by green practices and invite the deeper conversations
in community that probe the meaning of
living sustainably in the city.
The greening of Augsburg
The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC), made up of faculty, staff, and
students, leads the environmental initiatives of the College. Created in 1990 as a
task force, it was revitalized by President
William Frame in 1999 and given both
purpose and strength.
Tom Ruffaner, longtime committee
chair and custodial supervisor, believes
that the comprehensive “Waste Wise”
audit carried out in 1999 became the
“driving force behind ‘greening’ at
Augsburg.” The audit “not only identified
areas of waste and inefficiencies across
campus but also offered resources to
make improvements.”
The ESC Vision Statement in 2004
summarized its goals: “The stewardship of
the urban and global environment can only
be pursued if we take these steps toward
using less, living more simply, and acting
with the care and awareness of the impact
of actions on the people and ecosystem
within which we live and on which we all
depend.”
In 2006, Augsburg’s new president,
Paul C. Pribbenow, quickly embraced the
growing urgency to address issues of sustainability and gave voice to a deeper understanding of sustainability within
Augsburg’s mission and vision.
The changes across campus in the past
three years have been significant. Sustainability is infused through Augsburg’s curriculum and grounded in its daily
practices—on campus, in the community,
and around the world.
Augsburg participates in two important institutional collaborations:
• Presidents Climate Commitment—President Pribbenow joined more than 600
American college and university presidents to sign an agreement to “neutralize greenhouse gas emissions and to
accelerate the research and educational
efforts of higher education to equip
society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.”
One person’s difference
if
mr. green
16
Augsburg Now
Augsburg had a “Mr. Green” contest,
TOM RUFFANER ’98 might well be the best
candidate. Over the past decade, he has
led Augsburg toward greater commitments in
sustainable living.
Ruffaner has pushed Augsburg to bring about environmental improvements in energy use, safer
cleaning products, and recycling and waste reduction
(starting with a comprehensive Waste Wise audit). He
also helped the College study its transportation
habits and commuting alternatives. And, he has
chaired the Environmental Stewardship Committee
and supported community efforts.
In fall 2007, Ruffaner received an Individual
Achievement Commuter Choice Award, given by Metro
Transit, that recognizes organizations and individuals
for their creative solutions in promoting alternatives
to driving alone. He also served on the advisory committee that helped design the light rail station nearest
Augsburg.
A 1998 graduate in metro-urban studies, Ruffaner
is the custodial supervisor at Augsburg.
A report has just been completed that
measures the College’s carbon footprint.
• Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities
(ACTC)—Five colleges (Augsburg,
Hamline, St. Thomas, St. Catherine,
Macalester) are exploring ways to create
a stronger academic identity that clearly
expresses their shared identity as an
urban institution and centers on the
theme of sustainable urban development. Ideas may include curricular development, community outreach,
research, service-learning, internships,
study abroad, and faculty development.
Students step forward
green vehicles, and become engaged in the political
process.
Augsburg’s chapter of the Minnesota Public Interest
Research Group (MPIRG) began the initial efforts to recycle in the 1970s. Recently, its Environmental Task
Force, along with student groups, has led projects on
campus, including:
• Focus the Nation teach-in—Augsburg joined organizations across the country in setting aside a day to engage the entire campus in conversations on
sustainability.
“MY DAD TELLS ME, ‘DREAMS ARE FREE.
DREAM BIG, IT WON’T COST MONEY.’”
Some of the most exciting projects for sustainability have come from student-led initiatives. Students have researched
alternative fuels, organized teach-ins,
gained student backing to support wind
energy, pushed the College to purchase
—Alex Hoselton ’08
Focus leads to wind energy
My dad tells me, “Dreams are free. Dream big, it won’t
cost money.” I listened and dreamt and acted big by forming an ad hoc organization and, with other students,
started organizing for the Focus the Nation teach-in in
January 2008. The teach-in provided rich liberal arts perspectives to more than 500 attendees and launched momentum towards switching Augsburg’s energy
consumption from fossil fuel to wind energy.
The organizing students petitioned Day Student
Government for a referendum to impose a fee of $14.75
per semester to purchase wind energy. The referendum
passed, with 68% of the vote, and day students now contribute more than $54,000 annually. Contributions from
Weekend College Government and the administration enable us to purchase enough wind power to make
Augsburg’s Minneapolis campus 100% free of fossil fuel
electricity. We have reduced the equivalent in carbon
emissions of taking 26,000 cars off the road or planting
69 square miles of trees each year.
17
The case for a green vehicle
• Wind energy purchase—Both day and
weekend student governments held referendums in which students voted to add a
new student fee to contribute to wind energy purchase. It enables Augsburg to
offset 100% of its fossil-fuel electricity
costs on the Minneapolis campus, making the College one of the largest purchasers of wind power in the state.
• Hybrid security vehicle—When a security
vehicle was due for replacement, a student group pushed for the College to buy
a hybrid fuel vehicle.
• Food services changes—Students initiated the practice of composting food,
saving three-quarters of a ton of trash.
• Environmental history of Augsburg—
The 2007 Environmental Connections
class researched and wrote “From Rural
to Urban: The Environmental History of
Augsburg College 1872-2005,” studying
its relationship to nature, technology,
and humans.
• Trash audit—In order to call attention to
lackadaisical attitudes toward recycling,
a group of students went through twodays’ worth of garbage and showed how
nearly 70% of it was either compostable
or recyclable.
Much work remains before Augsburg can
be satisfied it is consuming only what
Earth can renew. But now, that work is increasingly carried out with greater consciousness of the impact made by personal
choices and practices, both on the self and
on an interconnected and interdependent
global community.
18
Augsburg Now
The green vehicle initiative developed from
the inspiration of Brian Krohn’s biofuel discoveries and my resources as a member of
Augsburg Day Student Government in fall
2008. Almost immediately Reid Larson and
Steve Eichten also committed themselves
fully to the project. Collectively, the four of
us found that our goal was to ensure that our
next Department of Public Safety vehicle was
both a fiscally and environmentally sound investment. After hearing estimates that the
department puts nearly 150 miles daily on
their vehicle, we realized that having either a
biodiesel or hybrid would surely be cost effective. It turned out that a Ford Escape
Hybrid would save the college $30,000 annually by our low-end estimates.
Initially finding little support in the
purchase of a hybrid, the group prepared for
a meeting with President Paul Pribbenow. We
presented him with graphs on two- and fouryear savings, a list of ways that he would be
supporting the Presidents Climate Commitment he had signed earlier in the year, and a
list of colleges, universities, and police departments that all had successfully integrated
hybrid vehicles into their programs. By meeting’s end the president had given us an oral
commitment to the Ford Escape, and said that
John Pack, director of public safety, had also
expressed his support earlier in the day. By
September 2008 the College’s new hybrid vehicle was in use on campus. The Green Vehicle Coalition, as it has developed into, sees
this particular project only as a first step toward many long-term goals.
“THE GREEN VEHICLE INITIATIVE DEVELOPED FROM THE
INSPIRATION OF BRIAN KROHN’S BIOFUEL DISCOVERIES.”
—Jake Quarstad ’10
How GREEN is Augsburg?
how
College initiatives
• American College and University Presidents
Climate Commitment—completed the Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Inventory for 2001-08
• Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities will
collaborate on studying urban sustainability
• HourCar hub on campus
• Discounted transit passes
• Reserved carpool parking
• Fair trade items sold in bookstore
• Purchasing enough wind energy to offset electricity
Student-led initiatives
• Led Focus the Nation teach-in—Jan. 2008
• Proposed and passed extra student fees for
purchase of wind energy
• Friends of the Mississippi River stewardship
• Pushed for green vehicle initiative to
purchase hybrid security vehicle
• Environmental studies major and minor
• Presented at Campus Compact conference
• Fall 2009—Fate of the World i-term class
• Created bike-share program
• Campus Kitchen program and community garden
• Launched composting in dining area
green is
Food service
• Composting program
?
• Gradual move toward trayless dining, starting with Trayless Tuesdays
• Take-out materials—all corn-based and compostable
• Purchase all produce from a five-state region
• Fair trade coffee available in campus eateries
Internal practices
• Double-sided printing on all campus copiers
• All copy paper on campus—30% post-consumer waste
• Ongoing re-use center
• Recycling of cans, glass bottles, plastic, paper, cardboard, and yard waste
• Recycling for appliances, carpets, furniture, batteries, electronics, ink
• Compostable paper towels in all public restrooms
• Changed all faucets and showers on campus to water-saving fixtures
• Energy-efficient fluorescent lamps in public areas, increasing use of CFL bulbs
augsburg
• Moving toward 100% “Green Seal” cleaning chemicals
• Display board and fairs to facilitate public transportation
Environmental studies program
• Paddled the Mississippi River to study environmental and river politics
• Built rain gardens to capture runoff
• Researched and wrote an environmental history of
Augsburg College
• Studied, prepared, and served a healthy, local,
sustainable lunch
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GREEN STARTS HERE
The topic of conversation on this early December afternoon was pumpkin ice
cream, a dessert that summed up many of the conflicts that go along with making environmental change.
In Environmental Connections, the gateway course for Augsburg’s new environmental studies major, history professor Michael Lansing and political science
professor Joe Underhill take an issue and break it down over a semester. In fall
2007, the topic was water. This past fall, a dozen Augsburg students looked at
food and just how it ends up on our plates.
At the end of the semester, the Environmental Connections students had to take
what they learned and plan a menu for a lunch that was served in the
Christensen Center Commons. Nutrition and taste were important to the students.
But so were environmentally friendly practices, the use of vegetables grown in the
Augsburg greenhouse, and supporting local farmers and companies.
And that led to the lengthy discussion about whether they should serve
pumpkin ice cream from Kemps or buy it from Izzy’s, a St. Paul ice cream
shop. The students knew they wanted the Izzy’s because the
ice cream is made with organic products and the
shop uses solar power. But there was the issue with
price. Kemps wasn’t as environmentally friendly,
but the students could get more ice cream at a
lower price.
Because while it’s easy for people to say that they
want to take environmental concerns into consideration when making decisions, the tone sometimes changes when being green is more expensive. In the
end, the class reached a compromise and would get ice cream from both.
“That discussion was everything the class was about,” says Kathy DeKrey, a
first-year student from Bemidji, Minn. “I thought we should have put up the cost
and got just the Izzy’s ice cream.
“A lot of people aren’t willing to put forth the initial costs to make good decisions and that is too bad.”
It was the kind of broad, big-picture thinking that the professors hope comes
out of this interdisciplinary class. Because things like food, water, and energy—
a potential topic for next year—impact so many parts of society, Underhill and
Lansing bring in guest lecturers from departments across campus.
“WHATEVER YOU DO, IT IMPACTS SOMETHING.”
—Peter Klink ’12
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Augsburg Now
BY JEFF SHELMAN
Studying the urban
environment
Here’s what you won’t find in Augsburg’s
new environmental studies major: a windmill suddenly being constructed in the
middle of Cedar-Riverside, repeated trips
to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and
anything that could be considered rural.
“That’s not what we want,” Lansing
says. “That’s not who we are.”
The term “environmental” is often
equated with rural, with wetlands, and
with ecosystems. But Lansing and Underhill are much more interested in making
an impact on and around campus. After
all, the Mississippi River is only a few
blocks away. There is a Superfund site in
Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood because of high amounts of pesticides and
herbicides previously produced there. The
local Sierra Club office is just across
Interstate 94 in the Seward neighborhood.
Students in both the water and the food
classes took the light rail to downtown
Minneapolis to learn about the impact of
St. Anthony Falls. For the initial class, the
falls demonstrated the importance of water
in relation to the creation of energy. Last
semester, the falls taught about the milling
process and the history of Minneapolis.
In addition to being a vehicle for teaching, studying environmental issues in an
urban environment creates opportunity.
“If you’re interested in the wilderness
and studying ecosystem dynamics, this
probably isn’t the right program,”
Underhill says. “But if you want to do
something on human impact, you have to
be where the people are. Humans are having a huge impact so we have to spend
time where the most people are.”
In the water class, the students constructed rain gardens on the Augsburg
campus. The gardens are positioned to
collect water runoff from campus buildings. In addition to adding plant life to
campus, the rain gardens keep runoff
water from eventually reaching the
Mississippi River.
“We are uniquely situated in a city neighborhood and are privileged to have
a variety of opportunities to explore the interconnectedness of urban life
with both human and natural forces.”
—President Paul C. Pribbenow
21
Getting students out of the classroom and getting their hands,
quite literally, dirty very much fits into the experiential teaching
Augsburg is known for.
“We want students to be aware of their immediate surroundings,”
Lansing says. “We don’t want to put them in a sealed classroom and
learn about grand theories while ignoring what’s going on around them.”
Changing attitudes
Peter Klink is in his first year at Augsburg after taking classes a year
ago at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. He always had
an interest in the outdoors, but he didn’t really know just how complex food is.
“Most cows are fed corn hay because it gets them fat quicker, but
it’s not as good for people,” Klink says. “But if you stop feeding them
corn hay and feed them grass, the corn industry is hurt. Whatever you
do, it impacts something.”
Klink, who grew up in Stillwater, Minn., found his habits as a consumer changing as the semester progressed. His biggest change—the
result of learning about the environmental cost of transporting food
across country—has been to make a greater effort to buy locallygrown food.
“I want to know where it comes from,” Klink says. “Also, it’s a way
to support local businesses. The way the economy is, I’m all about
supporting local businesses rather than some big corporation.”
Because the Environmental Connections class is a gateway course
and largely for first-year students and sophomores, the students enter
at different points.
“Clearly the most satisfying thing is when they start with no clue
and as the semester goes on, the light bulb starts to come on,” Underhill says.
The environmental studies major—which will feature classes from
a variety of departments on campus—is very much in its infancy at
Augsburg. While the curriculum has been approved and the requirements laid out, simply offering a major doesn’t guarantee student interest.
In addition to providing a base of knowledge, the gateway course
also shows students with interest in the environment some of the
possibilities that are out there, that an environmental studies major
isn’t limited to a job in nature or working as some sort of scientist.
“There’s a lot of green stuff that’s going to be used in the future,”
says Klink, who is going to major in business and at least minor in
environmental studies. “I think there is going to be a lot of opportunities for jobs in that area. There’s wind energy, solar energy, green architecture. To have a background where you
understand that is a key thing.”
And getting students on the path toward
understanding is what the Environmental
Connections class is all about.
22
Augsburg Now
studying
y
t
i
l
i
b
a
sustain
BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
If you want to study sustainability, you need to go where it’s done best.
Students in the Sustainable Cities in North America summer course spent
three weeks in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., learning about the successes and challenges of two of North America’s most sustainable cities.
What they discovered, amidst green buildings and miles of bike trails, is
that being sustainable requires attention to many interconnected aspects of
life. This interconnectedness, they learned, means that what is beneficial
for some may be detrimental to others, so working together to build strong
communities is crucial to the success of sustainability measures.
In the end, the students not only learned more about their world; they
were also empowered to bring their creativity and enthusiasm back to
Minneapolis to implement a plan that would help Augsburg become a
greener, more sustainable campus.
“EDUCATION IS KEY. IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHY
YOU ARE DOING IT OR WHY IT’S IMPORTANT,
YOU WON’T CONTINUE.”
—Kjerstin Hagen ’10
Studying sustainability
Sustainability is a measure of the quality of life for citizens in an area. It involves water and air quality, access to transportation, ability to find work and
make a living, local food systems, energy use, the creation and maintenance
of green buildings, housing availability and affordability, land use, and waste
management—for starters.
To be ranked high on the sustainability scale, a city
must do more than pave bike trails and purchase hybrid buses. Citizens must be educated about greenhouse gas emissions produced by their cars and
about the effect of those emissions on the environment. The city must provide resources that
citizens and businesses need to start and continue environmentally friendly efforts, such as
incentives to use public transportation, access
to buses or light rail, and routes that bring
people easily from their homes to the places of
work and back again.
To be truly sustainable, these efforts must
be culturally appropriate and make the best use
of the resources available in the area. And finally, the practices of sustainability must not only
continue over time, they must improve as the city
changes and grows.
The Sustainable Cities course was a short-term
Augsburg Abroad program led by sociology and metro-urban
studies professors Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer. The professors wanted not only to study sustainability in an urban context
23
While in Portland and Vancouver,
the students and instructors:
but also to travel sustainably and to minimize the impact of their program on the
cities they visited. Rather than rent a van
or bus, Christiansen and half of the class
traveled by bicycle while Fischer and the
remaining students used train, street car,
and their own two feet to get around in
each city.
“You really get to learn a city when you’re
‘behind bars,’” says Jon Peterson ’10, a sociology major from Excelsior, Minn. “When I
went to Portland with my family, we rented
a car. I didn’t learn nearly as much about
the city and didn’t have the appreciation.”
Traveling by bicycle helped the class reduce
its greenhouse gas emissions and also gave
the students an opportunity to experience
the cities more fully.
• Stayed in Epler Hall at Portland State University, a green
dormitory and Portland’s first LEED-certified building
• Explored neighborhoods using the five-minute walk exercise
• Met with city government officials and policymakers to
learn about urban planning, waste management and recycling, and transportation
• Met with community organizers to learn about grassroots movements and civic engagement
• Visited several professors to learn about sustainable development research and sustainability
efforts on university campuses
• Toured farmers markets and community gardens and talked with the people who sell and grow
in these spaces
• Participated in Portland’s Night Ride and a Critical Mass bike ride in downtown Vancouver
For a video interview with Christiansen and Fischer to learn
more about what they and their students did, saw, and
learned in the Sustainable Cities in North America class
go to www.augsburg.edu/now.
Sustainability is complicated
As they studied and explored Portland and
Vancouver, the students began to gain an
appreciation for the complexity of creating
and maintaining a sustainable city. “A lot
of our experiences brought up the idea of
equity,” says Ricky Oudekerk ’09, an international relations and peace and global
studies major from St. Paul. “What might
be a sustainable idea for the wealthy or
for the government might not work for
everyone.”
The class went to Vancouver’s East
Hastings neighborhood—a site of controversy centered on an effort to clean up an
The students cool off in Jamison Square.
24
Augsburg Now
area nestled between popular tourist destinations as the city prepares to host the
2010 Winter Olympics. There, many students said they witnessed poverty and desperation unlike anything they had ever
seen.
“Basically they’ve quarantined the
homeless and addicts into a four-block
area,” explains Oudekerk. “While it’s sad,
the support resources for those people
could be centralized. And they have activists from their community. That was the
first time I’ve ever seen homeless and addict activists.”
Though both cities offer a robust transit
system, the students learned that if citizens don’t have access or aren’t able to afford the fares, the system is not truly
sustainable. “The transit system in
Vancouver severely marginalizes lower income people,” Peterson says.
Bus fare in Vancouver ranges from
$2.50 to $5, and the fare covers only 90
minutes. In a city with a median income of
$62,600 (CDN) where the average home
price is more than $410,000, many
people have been pushed out of the city
and away from their places of work. “We
discovered that fare didn’t last very long
once you are trying to get out to the suburbs, where many people have moved
who are seeking cheaper residences,”
Fischer says.
“Before this course, I thought sustainable cities would be utopias where nothing bad ever happens,” says Meagen
Swartzer ’08, a media writing major and
urban studies minor. “With every good
comes something bad. Once you reach
perfection, not everybody can afford it.”
Sustainability at Augsburg
Once students learned about the many
dimensions of urban sustainability and
began to understand its intricacy,
Christiansen and Fischer challenged
them to turn their knowledge into action.
The professors knew that in order for the
class’ project to succeed, it had to be
driven by the students so that they
would educate and motivate each other.
The class visited City Farmer, an organization that promotes sustainable urban farming in Vancouver.
Through their site visits and conversations,
the students had learned that their project
had to be right for Augsburg. “The recipe for
sustainability is different and unique in every
place,” says Oudekerk. “The mix of what
you’ve got to work with, including the people
and the culture, needs to be taken into account in order to build a sustainable city.”
In Portland, the class saw many of the
one-block parks for which the city is known.
As he explored the city, Peterson thought
about the park in the center of Augsburg’s
campus. “We saw a lot of urban spaces the
size of Murphy Park where they had done
great things,” Peterson says. “I thought we
could really pay tribute to our heritage by rethinking and reforming that park and creating
a more usable public space.”
Several members of the class also discussed creating a mural with other community groups on the wall bordering I-94 at the
southern edge of campus. “We wanted to
transform that space and bring people together,” says Kjerstin Hagen ’10, an
American Indian studies major.
One idea that has been successfully implemented is a composting program in campus dining facilities.
Working with Augsburg’s foodservice
provider, a group of students formulated a
plan to collect organics and compostable
paper products and to reduce the amount of
waste in the Commons cafeteria. Composting
bins and signage were added to the cafeteria
in the fall. Students from the class helped
diners place their compostable items and
trash into the appropriate containers and an-
Leann Vice-Reshel ’10 (and Jon Peterson ’10 background)
navigated the cities on bicycles.
swered questions about the program. “Education is key,” says Hagen. “If you don’t
know why you are doing it or why it’s important, you won’t continue.”
According to Jay Cross, Augsburg Dining
Services manager, the effort has resulted in
a significant reduction of waste. “Now we
have only one bag of garbage per day,” compared to 12 to 15 six-gallon bags that were
collected daily prior to the implementation
of the program. Currently, Swartzer and
Hagen are working on a grant to purchase
more composting bins for the campus’ retail
foodservice operations and for offices and
residence halls.
Sustainable lessons
For many of the students in Sustainable
Cities in North America, studying in Portland
and Vancouver gave them much more than a
comfortable acquaintance with the two
cities. They learned lessons that changed
their habits, their choices, and their lives.
Michael Wethington, with other Augsburg
students, is organizing a bicycling tour back
to Portland from Minneapolis. The group
plans to contact policymakers and examine
current legislative standing on alternative
transportation with a focus on cycling in
both Minneapolis/St. Paul and Portland.
They’ll perform a cross analysis of the cities:
future directions and applications from one
city, that may work effectively in the other.
Others who already had an interest in sustainability developed a deeper understanding of the issue. “This class trip really
helped to broaden my view of the multi-
Street musicians played at a Portland farmers market.
faceted nature of sustainability,” Peterson
says, “and helped to strengthen my personal values for all the dimensions of sustainability.”
The experiential nature of the program
helped Oudekerk make connections to past
classes and his personal interests. “This
class made it easy for me to connect the
dots between what I have read and what I
was doing in the cities.”
Oudekerk, who plans to work in the area
of sustainable urban development in the future, came to understand that change happens when people work together. “This
class influenced my understanding of the
importance of community. Things that bring
people together create sustainable relationships and healthy community. There are
profound and significant benefits when this
happens.”
Fischer and Christiansen have received a
grant from the Canadian Studies Faculty
Enrichment Program and plan to return to
Portland and Vancouver with another
group of students in 2010.
The photos from Portland and Vancouver were
taken by students in the Sustainable Cities in
North America class.
25
n
e
e
r
G
planning
The Center for Science, Business, and Religion (CSBR) is Augsburg’s first new academic
building in 60 years and will replace the 60-year-old, inefficient Science Hall. CSBR will
have a story to tell—of excellence in the sciences, of intersections and connections among
disciplines, of transforming city hardscape to more welcoming green space, of sustainability on display. Students like Andrew Nguyen and Reid Larson will benefit from the learning
opportunities this state-of-the-art building will offer.
The CSBR will be a LEED-certified building, created in collaboration with a prestigious,
experienced, innovative team of consultants:
Holabird & Root Architects have won awards for sustainability
and design for college science centers they’ve created. Their
design is based on Augsburg’s concept of intersections, offering a physical and intellectual framework for bringing disciplines into dialogue with each other.
McGough Construction’s “Bright Green” pre-construction and
planning consultation helps CSBR to take advantage of the
most innovative green building techniques and goals.
oslund.and.associates approaches landscape design
as art, as simplicity, and, at Augsburg, as a laboratory
for sustainable environmental practices in dialogue
with themes of intersections.
Key concepts of the CSBR
The building—organized around a “necklace” of public spaces that encourages the community at large to
cross paths
Linking circle—serving as a gateway to the neighborhood and
city, with connections to Lindell Library and Sverdrup Hall
Expanded quadrangle—a landscape laboratory, creating green
commons on campus from west to east, articulating with
Murphy Square, the city’s first public park
“THE NEW BUILDING WILL BE A FRAMEWORK
FOR HIGH EXPECTATIONS, AND WILL EXEMPLIFY
THE EXCELLENCE AND HIGH ACHIEVEMENTS AT
AUGSBURG COLLEGE.”
—Andrew Nguyen ’10
26
Augsburg Now
Environmental task force
What’s green about CSBR
Specific planning for LEED certification carried out at the
preplanning stage among architects, contractors, and landscape designers
Sharing of interdepartmental resources in efficient academic
“neighborhoods” throughout the building
Building siting and design encouraging pedestrian traffic,
moving auto traffic away from commons area, plus welcoming green space replacing city hardscape
Rainwater cisterns collecting water to irrigate greenhouses
and flush toilets
Landscape laboratory—on-site stormwater containment, integrating native species, and interpreting features of urban
sustainability
Highly efficient HVAC and heat recovery systems, with optimal siting for solar exposure and for harvesting daylight deep
into the building
Air quality systems recycling gases and fumes
Innovative, sustainable materials, preferably locally-sourced
and expressing themes of intersections in panels, forms,
surfaces
Transportation hub—center for bicycle storage
and conveniences; site for shuttle
transfer to light rail
MPIRG (the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group) is a student group at
Augsburg that has been hard at work on environmental sustainability issues
on campus. I’m the leader of the Environmental Task Force within MPIRG …
[that] has been involved in many environmental sustainability projects over
the past few semesters, including working with the current and past food
services companies on introducing compostable cups to the dining locations, composting food wastes, and introducing another day of trayless dining in the cafeteria. We have also been an integral part of converting the
College to buying 100% wind energy, made possible largely by the Focus the
Nation event last year. In addition, the task force works on environmental
education and awareness, one example being the Detox Forum.
Most of our work last semester was centered around putting together a
survey on the commuting habits of Augsburg’s students, faculty, and staff. This
survey looked at the distance people commute from their homes to Augsburg
and how they get here, the results of which were put into the larger Greenhouse Gas Inventory of the entire College for the Presidents Climate Commitment. As a student, I have been central in the discussions around the science
building, especially around the “green” or sustainable features of the new
building. I have done a lot of work, some of it through MPIRG, ensuring that the
science building has a green roof.
I hope to continue my work in environmental sustainability as I graduate
from Augsburg and go on to graduate school in mechanical engineering, and
then ultimately find a career in the renewable energy field.
“AS A STUDENT, I HAVE BEEN
CENTRAL IN THE DISCUSSIONS
AROUND THE SCIENCE BUILDING,
ESPECIALLY AROUND THE ‘GREEN’
OR SUSTAINABLE FEATURES.”
—Reid Larson ’09
CSBR by the numbers
134,000 square feet, LEED certified, an addition to Sverdrup Hall, 75,000 square
feet for eight academic departments (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics,
computer science, psychology, business, and religion)
•
•
•
•
•
•
8 classrooms
21 teaching labs
6,000 square feet of student-faculty research space
2,000 square feet of greenhouse space on the roof of the building
Informal gathering spaces for learning and conversation
Skyway linking circle to Lindell Library
core TO
t
s
o
p
m
co
BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
THE JOURNEY OF AN APPLE
A year ago, all food waste from Augsburg’s dining center was hauled away and dumped
in a landfill with the trash of thousands of other Twin Cities businesses, homes, and
schools.
Last fall, however, the fate of Augsburg’s garbage changed when students from the
Sustainable Cities in North America course (see story on p. 23) worked with A’viands,
the College’s food services provider, to launch a campus composting program.
Photojournalist and staff photographer Stephen Geffre followed an apple as it traveled more than 60 miles—from a Wisconsin nursery through Augsburg’s kitchen and
dining center to a composting facility in Chaska, Minn., where it once again will travel
to nurture spring plantings.
In the autumn, workers at Nesbitt’s Nursery, near Prescott, Wis., harvested the
apple and shipped it more than 60 miles to the Augsburg kitchen where it was served
to diners. The remains of the apple were tossed into the composting bin with napkins,
chicken bones, jello, pizza crusts, etc.
The apple remnants and its compostable companions were transported to Chaska, in
the regular twice-a-week pick-ups. There, the apple core was mixed with other
biodegradable materials like tree clippings and yard waste. Over the course of 90 days
the mixture was turned, separated, mixed again, and heated until it’s ready to emerge
as compost.
This nutrient-rich material will be sold this spring to landscapers, community gardeners, and to the nearby Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to provide nourishment,
perhaps, to an apple seedling there.
“We strive to use up no more clean air, water,
energy, and raw materials in a year than the
earth can provide for it.”
—President Paul C. Pribbenow
28
Augsburg Now
“ALL YOU NEED IS A BUCKET,
AND EVERY LITTLE THING HELPS.”
—Meagen Swartzer ’09
29
Feeding
The Campus Kitchen program at Augsburg College not only
feeds people’s bodies—it also feeds the minds of students.
Last spring, the program moved a part of its operation from
the kitchen to the garden, opening an outdoor classroom to
children from the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
The idea for Augsburg’s community garden blossomed last
spring when students and staff prepared 40 plots on the west
side of campus. The plots are available to Augsburg faculty,
staff, and students as well as neighbors from Cedar-Riverside
and Seward. Brian Noy, coordinator of the Campus Kitchen
program, says, “The garden provides a beautiful entrance to
our campus and a way to welcome the community. It’s a
common space for people to work together to do something
meaningful.”
Through an internship program developed with the Center
for Service, Work, and Learning, the garden has also become
an extension of Campus Kitchen. Last summer, two Augsburg
30
Augsburg Now
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
youth
BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
students worked with youth from day programs at the Brian Coyle
Center and the Confederation of Somali Community. The interns
worked in the garden and in the kitchen, teaching students how food
is grown and how to prepare healthy meals. “This is a whole new program that feeds youth in a fuller way,” Noy says.
Augsburg junior Ruth Senum was the “garden intern” last summer.
She and approximately 50 elementary school children planted seeds,
“I THOUGHT OF THE WATERING, WEEDING, AND
HARVESTING AS OUR CLASSROOM CHORES.”
—Ruth Senum ’10
tended plants, and harvested much of the produce from four
garden plots.
Senum says the children were surprised to learn where food
comes from and that it can look different in the garden than in the
grocery store or on their plates.
“When I showed them the broccoli plant, they thought it was
huge,” she says. “They only see it all chopped up.” She says students also were interested in the fact that some plants have flowers before they produce fruit or vegetables. “Just seeing the whole
process from seed to produce was a very new experience for
them,” she says.
The children were disappointed about the limitations of a
Minnesota growing season. “They asked where the banana tree
was, and it was interesting for them to understand why we can’t
grow a lot of fruit here.”
The internship taught Senum, an education major, techniques
for her future classroom. “I thought of the watering, weeding, and
harvesting as our classroom chores,” she says, but she discovered
the students liked being in the garden more than they liked doing
garden chores. “You need to find a good system to keep them
working,” she says.
Senum also learned that students liked interactive learning activities much more than sit-down learning. “They wanted to talk to
each other, run around, do arts and crafts,” she says. “Getting
them out of their desks and walking around is important.”
The garden also serves as a learning environment for Augsburg
students, but Noy says opportunities were limited because the
bulk of the work is needed when most students are away from
campus. As a solution, a simple greenhouse was added to the garden area, extending the growing season by one month in the
spring and in the fall. “It makes a huge impact because we can
engage actual students and classes outside the garden and allow
them to get involved with the growing space,” Noy says.
The students in Environmental Connections, the introductory
course in Augsburg’s environmental studies major, used the greenhouse in the fall to grow vegetables and herbs for their final project. The class studied how food fits into socio-economic and
ecological systems and prepared and
served a meal in the campus dining
center (see story on page 20).
31
?
HOW GREEN IS
our magazine
How green is our printing?
The paper used in the printing of this magazine is certified to the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody standard and contains 10 percent
post-consumer waste.
What does this mean?
In the process of writing and designing a
“green” issue of the Augsburg Now, we asked
ourselves what we could do to make the magazine itself more environmentally friendly. Using recycled paper and safe inks is an easy way to accomplish
this, but we wanted to do more.
So, instead of adding more pages we’re utilizing one
of the most valuable resources available to communicators and marketers—the World Wide Web.
This issue of the Augsburg Now is the second in
which we’ve added “Web Extras” at www.augsburg.
edu/now. These online features allow us to add material to tell richer, more creative stories than we can
using print alone.
In this issue, we have added a story on sustainable
study abroad, a growing trend in education. The story
connects our readers to tools they can use to minimize
their impact on the environment while traveling.
We also have a video interview with the professors
and some of the students involved in the Sustainable
Cities in North America course (see page 23). On camera, they share their enthusiasm about the work they
are doing to create a more sustainable Augsburg.
In the future, we will continue to use the Internet to
improve our communication with alumni and friends of
Augsburg College. As we continue to expand Now online, we invite our readers to share ideas and feedback
with us at now@augsburg.edu.
32
Augsburg Now
FSC is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. Through its certification
program, foresters, paper manufacturers and distributors, and printers all agree to
abide by strict standards. These standards are designed to ensure social, economic,
and ecological needs are met for current and future generations. This Chain of Custody ensures responsible handling of the paper product from forest to printed piece.
The percentage of post-consumer content indicates that at least 10 percent of the
paper in the magazine has been reclaimed from what would have otherwise ended up
in a land fill.
FSC Chain of Custody can trace a printed piece back through the production process to
identify where the wood pulp came from. Find out where this magazine had its roots and
how our corporate partners are committed to being green at www.augsburg.edu/now.
Please recycle this magazine after you’re done reading.
10%
PLEASE RECYCLE
E
R
A
s
e
i
augMgENTALLY FRIENDLY
ENVIRON
We know many readers love to open their mailboxes to a new magazine, but we also
know many are concerned about the use of our natural resources. Please let us know
if you wish to read Augsburg Now online instead of receiving a copy by mail. E-mail
now@augsburg.edu with the subject line “Read Now online.” Include your full name
and current mailing address so we can identify and adjust your record. You’ll receive
an e-mail message when the Now is posted online.
auggie
alumni news
From the Alumni Board president …
February 2009
Greetings, alumni and friends,
d
uring these interesting and turbulent
times, I am certain that most of you are
feeling the effects of this economic climate in your personal lives. As members of the
Augsburg community, we are called to be fundamentally concerned about our neighbor, which means to be concerned and care about the household of all people. We are to work
toward full inclusion of all of our neighbors assuring that everyone
has access to the resources necessary for life, and that everyone is
allowed to fully participate in the life of the community.
This emphasis on community may come in direct conflict with
our modern lives. We often live for ourselves and focus on our own
family needs. But as members of a community, we are called to invest time and effort in responding to the needs of others. As a
member of the Augsburg alumni community, we are reminded that
we no longer live in a world of fixed boundaries. We need to maintain a sense of commitment to our neighbors around the globe.
Keeping alumni who live in the city, state, and around the world
engaged with the Augsburg community is important to the life of
the College. The Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations has developed the following activities encouraging alumni engagement:
• Project IGNITE (Involving Graduates Now In Thoughtful Engagement) is a new program to build stronger relationships with
College alumni, many of whom are not currently connected to
Augsburg. Read more about Project IGNITE on p. 34.
• A corporate alumni plan will engage young professionals, midcareer professionals, and sole practitioners through networking
events, continued education opportunities, and an alumni benefit that will help promote their businesses to other Augsburg
graduates. Alumni will host receptions at their places of business for President Pribbenow to connect with alumni and update them about the College.
• A program for recent graduates will focus on engaging alumni
who have graduated within the past 10 years. An advisory
board of recent grads will assist in planning events for their fellow alumni.
• Outreach events will engage alumni who reside in the outer
metro area and in Rochester; Duluth; Washington, D.C.; and
Norway. Interesting events that infuse an Augsburg connection
include a Lake Minnetonka eco-cruise tour led by an Augsburg
faculty member, an alumni-directed theatre production in
Anoka, and a “Down by the Riverside” event in Rochester.
Being an Auggie is a gift and staying engaged is priceless.
NOW@augsburg, a new monthly e-newsletter, has been initiated to
update you on current happenings and events, continuing education
opportunities, and Augsburg news. So, do your part by keeping connected and staying engaged with the Augsburg community.
Sincerely,
JOYCE P. MILLER ’02 (BSN-ROCHESTER), ’05 MAN
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Spring 2009
33
auggie
alumni news
Project IGNITE set to launch
Many Augsburg graduates stay connected with the College through
the years. They come to events or games on campus, they volunteer, and they donate to The Augsburg Fund. But there are others
who just don’t stay connected.
That's something the College—thanks to a nearly $230,000
grant from the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation—
hopes to change over the next three years.
Project IGNITE (which stands for Involving Graduates Now In
Thoughtful Engagement) will work very directly and personally with
alumni. Over the next year, Augsburg students will conduct face-toface visits with more than 500 alumni to ask them about their
views on Augsburg and their interest in volunteer opportunities with
the College. The hope is that more than 1,600 alumni will receive
visits in the next three years, mostly those alumni living in and
around the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
“For a college, our alumni are a strategic advantage and if you
don’t use that, you’re missing an opportunity,” President Paul C.
Pribbenow said. “This gives us an opportunity to link current students and recent grads with alumni of all ages. Your current students and recent graduates are often your best spokespeople for
what’s really happening.”
Student representatives have been hired and trained by the
Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations, and visits to alumni
are already underway.
Alex Gonzalez ’90, a senior financial adviser for Thrivent Finan-
(L to R) Denise Aasen, Manager of Lutheran Relationships for Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans; Alex Gonzales ’90, Senior Financial Advisor, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans,
and Augsburg regent; President Pribbenow; Megan Benrud ’10, Student Body President;
and Kim Stone, Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations.
cial for Lutherans and an Augsburg regent, said the grant is part of
the mission for the not-for-profit organization.
“Our goal is to help grow Lutheran communities and Lutheran
institutions,” Gonzalez said. “It’s not just the money, these dollars
will help grow engagement. It will help get alumni engaged into
giving to the school.”
The grant is part of the foundation’s Lutheran Grant Program,
designed to help Lutheran institutions and organizations take advantage of unique growth and service opportunities. It also supports the interests and needs of the Lutheran community. In
2007, the program distributed approximately $5 million through
100 separate grants.
Project IGNITE is designed to become a model program for
alumni programs in other ELCA colleges. For additional information, contact Kim Stone in the Office of Alumni and Constituent
Relations at 612-330-1173 or stonek@augsburg.edu.
Discover Italy with fellow Auggies
“WAS IT IN SHORT, EVER TO BE ELSEWHERE WHEN ONE COULD BE IN ITALY” —EDITH WHARTON
You are invited to join the fellowship of other Augsburg alumni and friends on a journey of discovery to Italy in early November.
Travel among the medieval hill towns of Tuscany, discovering history along with the beauty of the surrounding vineyards and olive
groves. In Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, learn and understand how art pulled Europe out of the Dark Ages. In
Umbria, where art is prayer, visit the town of Assisi that stands out for its inspiration and reflection. Find an education in history and a tapestry of art, architecture, and culture woven over thousands of years in the Eternal City of Rome, one of the
founding cities of Western civilization and a significant place in the story of Christianity. All along the way enjoy the delights of the Italian people and cuisine.
The details of this custom-created travel experience are being finalized. Contact the Office of Alumni and
Constituent Relations at 612-330-1085 or alumni@augsburg.edu to learn more about this unique travel opportunity.
34
Augsburg Now
Called to Lead
Professionals Moving from Success to Significance
Augsburg College admits a diverse group of established alumni and friends each
year for the Called to Lead program. Six weekly seminars give you an opportunity
to examine your life and work. The seminar is co-sponsored by the Center for
Faith and Learning, and the Center for Leadership Studies at Augsburg.
Called to Lead is designed to expand the skills and knowledge of individuals who have demonstrated leadership within their profession and the community. Through collaborative and interactive experiences, participants engage
with each other and their facilitators as they explore their own call to lead.
Augsburg College accepts applications and nominations for the Called to
Lead program from a diverse group of alumni and friends, including business
leaders, professionals and academics, directors and staff of community service organizations and civic associations, managers from government agencies
and community activists. For more information contact Norma Noonan in the
Center for Leadership Studies, at 612-330-1198 or noonan@augsburg.edu.
@
w
o
n AUGSBURG
More ways to keep in touch
Do you receive NOW@augsburg? It’s the new Alumni
and Constituent Relations e-newsletter that goes
out the first week of each month to alumni and parents. Get quick updates on College and alumni
news, and check the calendar for alumni events
during the month. To receive NOW@augsburg,
e-mail alumni@augsburg.edu.
Thrivent rewards your volunteer time
Your volunteer hours for Augsburg can count even more through the GivingPlus program at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent will give Augsburg
$25 for your volunteered hours for Augsburg (25 or more per year) working on
projects or activities, or participating on committees, boards, and task groups.
Report your volunteer hours on the Thrivent matching form and make your
time even more valuable. To find out about volunteer opportunities, e-mail
volunteer@augsburg.edu.
Have you “friended” Auggie Eagle on Facebook?
Go to his profile and check out what Auggie is up to.
Join your classmates
to celebrate!
50th Reunion —1959
40th Reunion—1968, 1969, 1970
25th Reunion—1983, 1984, 1985
10th Reunion—1998, 1999, 2000
Recent Grad Reunion —2004-2009
Homecoming football game
vs. Hamline University
’09
E
T
A
D
E
H
4
SAVE T
October 1-
lege
l
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C
g
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b
s
Aug
9
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0
2
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i
Homecom
ing
u/homecom
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www.au
Spring 2009
35
alumni class notes
52Pines, Minn., was selected for
Rev. Arvid “Bud” Dixon, Circle
a 2008 Honorary Award of the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation for
Peace and Justice, given for long
and significant contribution to the
causes of peace and social justice.
68professor of biology and direc-
Ted Johnson, Northfield, Minn.,
tor of biomedical studies at St. Olaf
College, gave an address, “Students,
New Science Building, and the Liberal Arts,” at St. Olaf’s Opening Convocation, on Sept. 4.
69
Rev. Peter Strommen,
Shakopee, Minn., accepted a
call to Shepherd of the Lake
Lutheran Church in Prior Lake,
Minn., that began on Sept. 1. He
has just completed a long tenure as
the bishop of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA.
tary children and conversational
English with adults at the Bible
School.
Larry Turner and Robert Storeygard
’76, along with David Tiede, Bernhard Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation, attended the
10th anniversary of the Bible School
(Center for Christian Education) in
Martin, Slovakia, a Lutheran school
that educates adult students for
serving in congregations and communities. The “Decade of Miracles”
celebration, July 4-6, included performances from the St. Andrew’s
Lutheran Church choir, Mahtomedi,
Minn., who also performed elsewhere in Slovakia. Participants from
18 U.S. congregations taught Vacation Bible School with 330 elemen-
Peter Agre, Baltimore, Md.,
was awarded the Annual Prize
for Outstanding Contribution to Lung
Research on Dec. 11 at the annual
meeting for the Will Rogers Motion
Picture Pioneers Foundation
(WRMPPF), for his groundbreaking
work in aquaporins and potential
benefits to lung research. He is director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria
Research Institute in the Bloomberg
School of Public Health.
70
77Wash., began as director of
Rev. Arne Bergland, Puyallup,
church relations for California
Lutheran University in September,
acting as a liaison between the university and the church community.
Rod Skoe, Clearbrook, Minn., was
honored in November as a recipient
of a 2008 Torch and Shield, the
highest award presented by the University of Minnesota-Crookston. He
represents District 2, northwestern
Minnesota, in the Minnesota Senate
and has been involved in farming in
Clearbrook, Minn., since 1985.
78Lake, Minn., has been named
Steven Hoffmeyer, White Bear
commissioner of the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. He
served as deputy commissioner and
has been with the bureau since
2002.
In October, Augsburg religion professor Phil Quanbeck II and his wife, Augsburg regent Ruth Johnson ’74, led “An Aegean Odyssey to Turkey and Greece,”
with a group of 23, including seven other Auggies. For 10 days, they traveled and studied the world of the Apostle Paul, Byzantium, and modern-day Greece
and Turkey.
(Back row, men, L to R): Jerry Kleven ’57, Art Rimmereid ’53, Paul Anderson, Jim Weninger ’92 MAL, Phil Quanbeck, Mike Bailey, Tom Stertz, Kirk Gill,
Jim Martenson, David Larson, Larry Turner. (Middle row, women, L to R): Sylvia Hanson ’50, Char Rimmereid ’52, Karen Freeman, Liz Weninger ’92, Julie
Larson, Carmen Clementson, Cindy Martenson, Nancy Anderson, Sally Tonsager. (Front row, women, L to R): Jennie Wilson, Ruth Johnson ’74, Kathy Bailey,
Lynn Stertz, Sue Turner, Alice Peterson, Denise Shuck ’09.
To read about their tour and see photos from
their travels, go to www.augsburg.edu/now.
36
Augsburg Now
79Ill., serves as the practice
Brian Carlsen, Buffalo Grove,
87
77
Neil Paulson ran in the Orlando
(Fla.) Utilities Commission race
in December. His photo appeared on
the cover of Runner magazine because he runs without a shirt in all
weather there, which is always tropical compared to Minnesota.
Scott L. Anderson and his
wife, Susan, Minneapolis,
welcomed the birth of John Scott on
Jan. 30, 2007. Scott is an insurance and financial service agent for
Farmers Financial Solutions LLC.
ScottLAnderson38@msn.com
leader of organizational learning at
St. Aubin, Haggerty & Associates, a
strategic HR consulting firm. He recently co-authored a book on business and workforce leadership,
Attract, Engage & Retain Top Talent,
from Author House books.
Leslie (Morland) and Jonathan Carlson moved from Bozeman, Mont.,
back to St. Paul where Leslie has
taken a nurse practitioner job at
HealthEast Clinics.
80St. Paul, Minn., has been apJulie (Petterson) Leslie, West
pointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty
as a parent member to a three-year
term on the State Advisory Council
on Early Childhood Education and
Care. She is a licensed educator
and the director of Augustana Preschool.
82began teaching 11th- and
Karl Spring joined Fox 21 in Duluth,
Minn., in September as chief meteorologist and travels to schools
throughout northern Minnesota to
teach students about meteorology.
Previously, he was chief meteorologist at KBJR-TV in Duluth.
94Sarya, Charlevoix, Mich., reGwendolyn (Christiansen)
ceived her Master of Arts degree in
music education in December from
the University of St. Thomas, with a
concentration in Orff-Schulwerk. She
and her husband, Dave, have a fiveyear-old son, Luke. She teaches K-4
music and movement and fifth-grade
band at Concord Academy in Boyne,
Mich. gwensarya@yahoo.com
Sara Trumm, Chicago, began in October as program coordinator for the
Center for Christian-Muslim Relations for Peace and Justice at the
Lutheran School of Theology. She
had just spent two years in India.
Rick Bennett, Morgan, Minn.,
91tag were married in Hoversten
Kristen (Hirsch) and Paul Mon-
89
Sue Hakes began a two-year
term as mayor of Grand
Marais, Minn., to which she was
elected in November.
Chapel on Oct. 18, with Auggies in
attendance: Velda (Stohr) Gabrielson
’90, Betty Christiansen ’91, Laura
(Ferry) Lee ’92, Brenda Lunde Gilsrud
’91, Liz Pushing ’93, Jennifer Tome
’99, and Aaron Pelaccia ’07. Kristen
is a marketing communication manager at Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, and Paul is in sales and
marketing. They live in St. Paul.
92
Sharol (Dascher) Tyra, received a Star Award 2008
from the Minnesota Organization of
Leaders in Nursing (MOLN) in
recognition of her commitment to
volunteering and dedication to influencing health care by advancing
professional nursing leadership,
particularly with the Metro Alliance
Education and Service Collaborative
for Expanded Enrollment of Baccalaureate Nurses.
12th-grade students in chemistry
and human anatomy in Cannon
Falls, Minn.
Wendy (Shields) and Bradley
Falls, Minn., with big brother, Jackson, announce the birth of Lachlan
Bradley, on March 9, 2008. Brad is
a physician assistant at SMDC
Health System-International Falls,
and Wendy is a stay-at-home mom.
wreiners@frontiernet.net
Rachel Brist is a physician as-
of Bigfork Valley Hospital clinics in
Coleraine and Marcell, Minn.
84in Tromsø, Norway. Tove was
02artistic director for SOS Play-
named a Knight of the First Class of
the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit,
by King Harald V, for the advancement of Norwegian language and
culture in the United States. She is a
peace studies educator at the University of Tromsø and has served for
26 years as dean of Skogfjorden,
Concordia College Norwegian Language Village. Curt began on Jan. 1
as vice president for research and
development at the University of
Tromsø—the world’s northernmost
university vice president. This is a
new position resulting from the
merger of the University of Tromsø
and Tromsø College.
ers, two troupes of pre-teen actors
who perform for elementary and
middle-school audiences, helping
them cope with life. He often writes
scripts based on requests from educators to deal with particular topics.
86Minn., joined UCare health
Heather Schwartz joined the consumer marketing practice of Weber
Shandwick in Minneapolis-St. Paul
as an account supervisor. Previously
she had been a brand public relations director.
Tove Dahl and Curtis Rice live
Frank Gilbertson, Maplewood,
98Reiners ’99, International
01sistant and has joined the staff
plan in November as provider network management director. Previously, he spent 11 years at Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota,
most recently as senior director,
provider relations planning.
Andrew Bernstrom, St. Paul, is
Katie Lindelfelser’s research as a
master’s degree student at the University of Melbourne (Australia) was
published in a co-authored article,
“Bereaved Parents' Experiences of
Music Therapy with Their Terminally
Ill Child,” in the Journal of Music
Therapy, fall 2008. She is teaching
a music therapy course at Augsburg
this spring semester.
Spring 2009
37
alumni class notes
Rev. Rachel (Oldfather) Stout,
Wadena, Minn., was installed as associate pastor of Immanuel Lutheran
Church in September in Wadena.
Her husband, Ryan, is the new pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in
New York Mills. They have a son,
Soren.
04
Amanda Engesether is working
with the current city planning
director in Kinston, N.C., and will
take over that position in July when
he retires. Previous to this, she
worked as a planner in Johnston and
Onslow Counties in North Carolina
and completed an internship at the
Urban Design Center in Raleigh, N.C.
Chris Stewart, Lakeville, Minn., became vice president of operations
for BOR-SON Construction in Minneapolis. He will manage all general
construction operations for the company. Previously he was head of Target’s national field operations team.
05
Andrea (Carlson) and Riley
Conway are living in Hershey,
Pa. Andrea is a third-year medical
student at Penn State, and Riley
works at Border Books and is a student in the distance master’s degree
program at Hamline University. They
were married in 2005.
06Marrandino were married on
Maureen Parker and Martin
Oct. 25. Maureen is a board certified music therapist at KSB Hospital
in Dixon, Ill., where Martin is also
employed. He also is a student at
Sauk Valley Community College.
Kasey Yoder, Duluth, Minn., is coowner of Two Guys Pizza in Duluth,
and working 80-hour weeks, doing
everything from menu planning to
becoming a master of the pizza oven.
00Burnsville, Minn., and her
Missy (Carlson) Bakeberg,
husband, Randy, welcomed the
birth of their twins, Cooper Joshua
and Ava Morgan on Oct. 11. Cooper
weighed 7 lbs., 5 oz., and Ava
weighed 5 lbs., 13 oz.
00
Denitza (Batanova) Stevens,
Chandler, Ariz., and her husband, Joel, welcomed their son,
Roman David, on April 26 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
08Sept. 2008-Feb. 2009 in
Jenni Olson volunteered from
Iringa, Tanzania, teaching communications at Iringa College/Tumaini
University.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Anita Raymond ’94 MSW is a 2008
recipient of the fourth annual Shelley Joseph-Kordell Award from Volunteers of America-Minnesota for
service to older adults. She is a social worker for Volunteers of America-Minnesota’s Protective Services
and Geriatric Care Management and
Consultation Services.
05Robertson were married on
Britni Morgan and Jeremy
05Stephen Belde were married
Melynda Kleewein and
on Aug. 1 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Melynda works at New York Life in
Anchorage and coaches hockey for
the Alaska Firebirds. Stephen is a
teacher with the Anchorage school
district and also coaches hockey for
the Alaska Firebirds and the South
High School boys’ hockey team.
Oct. 4 in Crystal, Minn. Auggies in
the wedding party included Kyle
Howard ’04, Jillian Janicki ’04, Jim
Lindell ’04, Nick Collins ’04, and
Tom Delisle ’06. In March they are
moving to Brainerd, Minn., to start a
lawn/cabin care company, Bear
Paw Cabin Care.
95his second book published,
Jeff Falkingham MAL, has had
Sherlock Holmes: in Search of the
Source, a work of historical fiction set
in St. Paul in December 1896. A sequel to an earlier work, Sherlock
Holmes and the County Courthouse
Caper, it’s set in Jeff's hometown of
Browns Valley, Minn., in November
1886. Originally released in June
2007 as a fundraiser for victims of the
March 2007 flood in Browns Valley, it
has raised over $6,500 for flood relief.
Excerpts from both books can be
found at www.cccaper.com. Falkingham now lives in Eden Prairie, Minn.,
and works in advertising for Northern
Tool + Equipment of Burnsville.
38
Augsburg Now
08UST Tommie, Tony Nagorski,
Jen Janda married her favorite
07Henning on Oct. 4 in Red-
Megan Schiller married Brent
wood Falls, Minn. Auggies in the
wedding party included Marrissa
Henry-Mashuga, Maria Belen Power
’07, and Miesha Martin-Freeman
’08. Megan is an administrative assistant in the Automated Clearing
House (ACH) Operations at Wells
Fargo in Minneapolis, and Brent is
an inside sales representative for
Braas Company in Eden Prairie.
They live in Waverly, Minn.
on Aug. 2 in Eagan, Minn. An Auggie, Megan Carlson ’08, was in the
wedding party. Jen works in the
Marketing and Communication Office at Augsburg and Tony attends
the St. Thomas School of Law. They
live in downtown Minneapolis.
augsburg
then
Send us your news and photos
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary, funeral notice,
or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to: Augsburg Now
Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55454, or e-mail to alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the
Augsburg Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
____________________________________________________________
Full name
____________________________________________________________
Maiden name
____________________________________________________________
Class year or last year attended
____________________________________________________________
Street address
____________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip
When today’s Old Main was conceived late in the 1870s, the College
planned for many of the new utilities and comforts of the day—plumbing
with running water and restrooms, steam heat, and built-in electric fixtures. This marked a shift from a campus that was ecologically independent (with a barn housing a horse, cow, and pig) to one that linked itself to
the growing urban infrastructure for water, waste, and energy.
Taken from “From Rural to Urban: The Environmental History of
Augsburg College, 1872–2005,” written by the students in Environmental
Connections and revised by Alex Hoselton ’08 and Alex Ubbelohde ’08.
Is this a new address? q Yes q No
____________________________________________________________
Home telephone
____________________________________________________________
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? q Yes q No
____________________________________________________________
Employer
____________________________________________________________
Position
____________________________________________________________
Work telephone
In Memoriam
Donald Murphy ’43, Mounds View,
Minn., age 87, on Nov. 24.
Dr. Nancy English ’73, Duluth,
Minn., age 57, on Aug. 8.
Robert W. Johnson ’49, Burnsville,
Minn., age 82, on Aug. 17.
Stacy Sellers ’01, Inman, Neb.,
age 31, on Jan. 2.
Pearson, Wayne ’49, Wildomar,
Calif., age 83, on Dec. 27.
Kerry Affeldt ’05, Wykoff, Minn.,
age 45, on Sept. 21, of injuries
from a motorcycle/auto accident.
Rev. James E. Peterson ’50,
Bloomington, Minn., age 79, on
Sept. 26.
Ronald Lund ’50, Wanamingo,
Minn., age 82, on Aug. 21.
Mary Ann Olsen ’53, Minneapolis,
age 78, on Sept. 18.
Beverly An (Gryth) Villwock ’52,
Charlottesville, Va., age 78, on
Nov. 29.
Mavis (Strand) Hafstad ’54, Eagan,
Minn., age 75, on Aug. 11.
Ahmednur Ali ’10, Minneapolis,
Minn., age 20, on Sept. 22.
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No
If yes, class year ________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Spouse’s name
____________________________________________________________
Maiden name
Your news:
____________________________________________________________
Kathleen (“Katie”) Wiltgen ’10,
Winona, Minn., age 21, on Nov.
29, in an auto accident.
____________________________________________________________
Mathew Ackerman ’10, Dallas,
Texas, age 23, on Dec. 7.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
q I know a high school student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
Spring 2009
39
my
Auggie experience
Richmond Appleton ’09
Environmental Studies
Richmond Appleton is passionate about giving back to his
communities—the Twin Cities and his birthplace of Liberia.
Early in his Augsburg career, he was a biology major and
planned to attend medical school. However, when the environmental studies program began, Appleton knew this was
the path he should take. He became the first student to formally declare the major.
Appleton has overcome a great deal in his life. As a young
boy, he contracted polio and was paralyzed on his left side.
He often had no access to medical care, but his parents took
him to native healers. “There were no social services or hospitals,” he says. “There was nothing to count on in emergencies.” Over time, he recovered the use of his arm and leg.
When civil war broke out in Liberia in the early ’90s, his
family fled to the Ivory Coast. Appleton’s mother was separated from them, and he also lost his father, brother, and sisters for four weeks because he couldn’t run fast enough to
keep up with them. Eventually the family was forced to Ghana
where they stayed in a refugee camp until they immigrated to
the U.S. in 2004.
A desire to make a difference influenced Appleton’s decision to join the environmental studies program where classes
in ecology and biodiversity fuel his interests in social work
and public service. Although he wants to help his country, he
likely won’t return to live permanently. He says Liberia is rebuilding after years of violence and destruction, but that
much remains to be done. “People are sick from the effects
of a polluted environment.”
While at Augsburg, Appleton has been active in the
neighborhood. He chairs the Augsburg Student Activities Council diversity committee and serves as a residence life community adviser. In January, he traveled to Cuernavaca, Mexico,
with students from the Scholastic Connections program to learn
about sustainable agriculture practices in Mexico.
Appleton plans to graduate in December and is researching
graduate programs in environmental studies. “I am interested
in public policy in urban areas, conflict management in war
torn countries, community development, agriculture, sustainability, and bio-agriculture.” Appleton plans to study sustainable food production and how it can minimize the human
impact on the environment.
JENNIFER L. HIPPLE, WEEKEND COLLEGE STUDENT
40
Augsburg Now
an
augsburg legacy
Mr. Augsburg still supporting students
Jeroy and Ainy Carlson
Kirsten Bar ’10
In 1958, when Minnesota celebrated its centennial, Jeroy
Carlson ’48 was one of 1,958 state champions honored by the
state. “Jack Dempsey was at the ceremony,” Carlson said,
“and he told us, ‘The greatest asset America has is its youth.’
That’s still true.”
Carlson and his wife Lorraine “Ainy” support Augsburg students through planned gifts because they believe what
Dempsey said. Carlson, known to many as “Mr. Augsburg,”
spent 44 years as a student-athlete, teacher, coach, and staff
member with the College. “I tried to be of help to anyone I
could,” he said.
With a charitable gift annuity, the Carlsons fund a scholarship that supports students who are studying music or physical
education and who demonstrate a commitment of service
to others.
This year’s recipient of Jeroy and Ainy Carlson’s scholarship is
Kirsten Bar ’10, a music therapy major who has worked
throughout her education with people with Hungtington’s disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
“The students and faculty in the music department have a
special place in our hearts for those who have contributed to
scholarships,” said Bar. “For some students, these scholarships make a huge difference from year to year. We appreciate
the financial support and very much enjoy seeing the donors at
our performances.”
After completing her studies, Bar hopes to return to her
hometown of Billings, Mont., to start the city’s first music therapy practice.
“Investing” with an Augsburg charitable gift annuity rather than with a bank gives the Carlsons a locked rate of
return for their lifetimes, and they will be sure that the remainder will go to the scholarship after their death.
1-800-273-0617
www.augsburg.edu/giving
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
River Politics
Students in Professor Joe Underhill’s Environmental and
River Politics class travel through Lock 1 on the Mississippi
River. During the class, students study current debates
about the extent of environmental problems, and examine
how those problems are manifested on campus and in our
immediate surroundings. Exploring the issues from a canoe
gives them different perspectives.
Show less
AUGSBURG NOW
FALL 2008
VOL. 71, NO. 1
inside
auggies
1
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Nursing
Years
of Life-Changing
at the grassroots level Travel that
transforms Clever student + wise professor +
Travel
expert alum = awesome discovery Ready, action,
page
film20
suc... Show more
AUGSBURG NOW
FALL 2008
VOL. 71, NO. 1
inside
auggies
1
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Nursing
Years
of Life-Changing
at the grassroots level Travel that
transforms Clever student + wise professor +
Travel
expert alum = awesome discovery Ready, action,
page
film20
success! Street pastoring in Wales
get
political
Editor
notes
from President Pribbenow
Our neighbors
o
ne of the most compelling moments in the
Christian scriptures is the question asked
of Jesus by one of his disciples: “And who
is my neighbor?” His answer, of course, is
the parable of the Good Samaritan.
For me, the disciple’s question is at the
heart of the mission and vision of Augsburg College—a question that is at once theological, reflecting our understanding of what God intends
for us to be and do, and also educational and
practical, helping us to link our learning with
service.
So, let’s do some theology! Ask yourself—
who is my neighbor? Is it the Somali woman I
met this morning on Riverside Avenue struggling to carry her groceries home from the bus
stop? Or is it the family in the ravines of Cuernavaca, Mexico, who will offer me both refreshments and life lessons when I meet them on a
Center for Global Education trip? Or is it my
classmate, who is struggling with balancing
school with life at work and home, and who
needs my time and comfort? Once the question
is asked, we are compelled, as was Jesus himself,
to answer with stories and parables—stories of
how being educated at Augsburg prepares us to
serve our neighbors no matter when or where
we encounter them. In that way, the question
leads us to think about the links between learning and service.
A central aspect of an Augsburg education is
to nurture and sustain the work of civic engagement—the practices of citizenship, negotiating
our lives together, navigating what political
philosopher and Roman Catholic theologian John
Courtney Murray once called the “intersection of
conspiracies,” his definition of democracy.
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Editorial
Wendi Wheeler
wheelerw@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Here at Augsburg, we believe we are called
to serve our neighbor. I am so proud of our
Augsburg community for its abiding commitment to civic engagement, to meeting the needs
of our neighbors—there are abundant examples
of ways in which students, staff, faculty, regents,
parents, and alumni are modeling for all of us
and the rest of the community what it means to
be reflective, productive, and responsible citizens of our campus, our neighborhood, and our
world.
At the same time, I want to challenge all of
us to think at an even deeper level about the
work of civic engagement, to see it not simply as
acts of service and compassion, but also as the
abiding and messy business—the lifelong business—of being educated, of building communities of trust and accountability, and of helping to
create a more just and humane world.
The stories in this issue of Augsburg Now
about the Center for Global Education (CGE)
offer fine examples of how the Augsburg community has answered the question of “Who is
my neighbor?” time and again in parts of the
world where our neighbors are partners in the
work of teaching and learning. We celebrate
CGE’s remarkable legacy and promise in Augsburg’s continuing and common work to serve
our neighbors.
Yours,
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President of
Marketing and Communication
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni and
Constituent Relations
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
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Augsburg College
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Minneapolis, MN 55454
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E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
a
fall 2008
Features
14
Lights, camera, and action
by Bethany Bierman
A new film major has come of age and now attracts
students from around the world.
augsburg now
19
Get Political!
by Wendi Wheeler ’06
Augsburg students got up front and backstage as interns for The
Washington Center at the Republican National Convention.
24
Travel that transforms
by Betsey Norgard
contents
Augsburg’s Center for Global Education reached the quarter
decade mark last year and continues to transform the way
students and participants view global issues and challenges.
29
Annual report to donors, 2007-08
Departments
2
4
6
13
45
56
Around the Quad
It takes an Auggie
Auggies on the Field
Augsburg Voices
Alumni News and Class Notes
My Auggie Experience
On the cover
(L to R) Erik Franzen, Mai Lee, and Ben Krouse-Gagne—three of Augsburg’s interns for The Washington Center at the Republican National Convention—each found unexpected discoveries in the experience.
Editor’s note:
Welcome to Augsburg Now’s new look! If you visited us at the State Fair last
summer or at our Web site lately, you’ve noticed more vibrancy and energy—
with just a touch of edginess. We’re in the city and we’re all about learning
by doing—whether it’s in the classroom, on the playing field, around the
world, or on the floor of the Republican National Convention. Please let us
know what you think, or what you’d like to see in the Now. Auggies are everywhere, and we want to connect with you. E-mail us at now@augsburg.edu or
call 612-330-1181. — Betsey Norgard, editor
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
around the
quad
Regents elected and honored
Five new members were elected to four-year terms on the
Augsburg Board of Regents at the annual meeting of the Augsburg Corporation Governing Board in September. In addition,
Anthony L. Genia Jr., MD ’85, was re-elected to a second fouryear term.
Mark A. Eustis, president and CEO of Fairview
Health Services.
At the board’s fall meeting, outgoing regents were honored for
their commitment, loyalty, and service. Those leaving the board
after serving several years are Michael Freeman and Beverly
(Halling) Oren ’55. Regents who retired after two six-year terms
are Rev. Gary Benson ’70, Ron Nelson ’68, and former board chair
Ted Grindal ’76. In addition, two ELCA bishops completed ex officio terms: Rev. Harold Usgaard, Southeastern Minnesota Synod,
and Rev. Peter Rogness, Saint Paul Area Synod.
Three retirees worked closely with students
Darrell Wiese ’59 has always had a knack
Alexander J. Gonzalez ’90, senior financial advisor
at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Eric J. Jolly, president of the Science
Museum of Minnesota
Gloria C. Lewis, president and CEO of Big Brothers
Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities
Marshall S. Stanton, MD, vice president
for clinical research and general manager
of the cardiac rhythm disease
management business of Medtronic, Inc.
Appointed to three-year terms on the
board, ex officio, are Bishop Craig E.
Johnson, Minneapolis Area Synod of the
ELCA, and Bishop Duane C. Pederson,
Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA.
To read more, go to
www.augsburg.edu/regents
for finding “diamonds in the rough,” baseball and football players who may not have
put up the big numbers in high school, but
had the potential to shine.
It’s estimated that Wiese, a 1959 Augsburg alumnus, helped to bring literally
hundreds of students to Augsburg over the last several decades
as a recruiter and assistant coach. For his lifetime of service to
Auggie athletics, Wiese was honored with the Distinguished
Athletic Service Award this fall.
“I always had a genuine concern for youth and athletics,
and something always kept drawing me back to Augsburg over
the years,” Wiese said. “I would talk about Augsburg and say it
was a great school with friendly people; they’ll give you a
chance to succeed and get your degree.”
After Wiese had been scouting for talent as a volunteer for
more than 20 years while still owning and operating his family
farm in rural Northfield, Minn., he spent more than a decade as
an assistant coach for both the football and baseball teams.
Several of his football recruits provided the backbone of
the Auggies’ 1997 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title team, the school’s first since 1928. Many of his players were key members of the 2005 MIAC baseball playoff team.
“One of the things that strikes me so much about Darrell is
his ability to identify potential talent,” said former football
coach Jack Osberg, now a football coach and A-Club advancement manager. … “When he recruits, he doesn’t just recruit the
athlete, he recruits the family and gets great connections with
the families and siblings of the athletes he recruits.”
Wiese officially retired from coaching after the 2008 baseball season. A baseball team trophy has been named in his
honor—the Darrell Wiese Most Respected Player Award.
DON STONER
2
Augsburg Now
Retiring faculty and staff, continued
Karen Sutherland, professor of computer science, came to Augsburg in
1999 and retired at the end of the
academic year in May. Often her students would find her in the small lab
in Sverdrup surrounded by computer robots roaming the floor—
AIBO dog robots used for their ease
in teaching basic programming, and
search and rescue robots designed to
stay in communication with each other during emergency situations. They were all part of National Science Foundation
grant research in which Sutherland collaborated.
These projects were at the core of Sutherland’s passion for
improving how computer science is taught to non-traditional
students, including weekend students, immigrants, women,
and first-generation college students. “These students didn’t
relate well to computer science and how we were teaching it,”
Sutherland said. With the grant funding she could do a better
job of both attracting and retaining non-traditional students.
The National Science Foundation CSEMS (Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarship) program
enabled her to offer scholarships to non-traditional students.
She had upper-class students serve as peer mentors to CSEMS
students, encouraging them toward career possibilities in
computer science.
“A number of our young people want to do something to
make this world better,” Sutherland says. “They don’t see how
computer science is going to help that. You have to show
them ways it can, and they have to see how they could make a
difference, a mark.”
Via e-mail, she keeps in touch with many former students, some who have accepted jobs in industry directly after
graduation and others going on to graduate programs.
There is no shortage of plans for her retirement, which
center around gardening and travel. Even her gardening will
keep her near a computer, as she serves as the webmaster for
the Garden Club of Ramsey County. At her lake home, she
serves as a board member of the lake association, working to
promote shoreline conservation and sustainability.
Kenneth N. Erickson ’62, in his
nearly 40-year tenure teaching
physics, allowed students to see just
how vast the world is and just what
is possible.
After one year at Augsburg in
the 1960s, Erickson returned in
1970 and never left. For much of
that time, he held a shared professorship between Augsburg and the
University of Minnesota, cooperating with the University’s
physics and astronomy faculty in grant-funded research.
“As part of the shared appointment at the “U,” I was able
to do a lot of research,” he said. In 1970, Erickson started an
active undergrad research program at Augsburg. In 1991, he
started the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium, part of a
NASA-funded program that provides research and program
development grants to students and faculty.
“His satellite studies and rocket experiments in Alaska,
often involving other scientists from around the globe, gave
his students a window to a much wider and very exciting
world,” said Mark Engebretsen, an Augsburg colleague. “He
helped many of his students catch the excitement of trying to
find out new things about our world.”
The soft-spoken Erickson is reluctant to discuss his
achievements, but colleagues and many former students appreciated Erickson’s teaching and mentoring. Stu Anderson
’78, a current member of Augsburg’s physics faculty and a former student, said, “He displayed the art of an excellent
teacher—to invite students into the voyage of discovery, to
develop an appetite and tolerance for mathematical complexity, and to give students like me the courage to be persistent.”
Matt Broughton ’06, a physics and English major who
was awarded a Fullbright grant called Erickson—who has a
scholarship established in his name—“the best instructor he
had in college.”
Now Erickson is staying busy by growing corn and soybeans and raising cattle on his farm near Cambridge, Minn.
“I haven’t done much physics lately,” he joked.
WENDI WHEELER
BETSEY NORGARD
Fall 2008
3
it takes an
Auggie
New President’s Circle recognizes annual giving
During Homecoming Week, President Pribbenow announced
the creation of the President’s Circle, a new giving society that
recognizes annual gifts of $1,000 or more, at several levels of
support. By recognizing all current gifts, the President’s Circle
shares the Augsburg story among greater numbers of alumni
and donors and builds stronger connections with the College
today.
Within the President’s Circle, one of the top funding priorities of the College is the Augsburg Fund, which provides
support across a range of critical needs of the College. Most
important is the financial support made possible through the
Augsburg Fund that helps the College fulfill its promise to a
richly diverse student body. Financial support makes an Augsburg education possible for more than 85% of its students.
The Augsburg Fund also provides needed support for
current technology to improve teaching and learning, faculty
recruitment and retention, facilities maintenance and renovation, and opportunities for community events and services.
“There’s no other way to give to so many priorities—to
touch the lives of so many students in so many different
ways—than through the Augsburg Fund,” says Jeremy Wells,
vice president for institutional advancement. “It’s giving that
moves Augsburg forward just as it also honors its past.”
The President’s Circle Challenge, through the generosity
of an anonymous donor, will match all increases in gifts to the
Augsburg Fund up to $1,000 for those who become charter
members of the President’s Circle.
President’s Circle members will receive a special pin and a
new, members’ e-newsletter plus invitations to special events
and other benefits offered for support at higher levels.
Sven Oftedal Society honors Augsburg’s legacy
Augsburg’s Heritage Society, which
recognizes donors who have made
a future gift commitment to the
College, has a new name and identity—the Sven Oftedal Society,
named for the second person appointed to Augsburg’s faculty, who
became the College’s third president and chaired the Board of Regents for over three decades.
During the 1870s, vast numThe recognition of donors who
make future gifts to the College
bers of immigrants flocked to
has been named the Sven Oftedal
western and northwestern MinSociety, in honor of Augsburg’s
third president, who saved the Col- nesota. Augsburg’s move to Minlege from bankruptcy, ensuring an neapolis in 1872 placed it closer to
Augsburg education for
the center of Norwegian-American
future generations.
settlement, but by 1877, the College faced a financial crisis that threatened its very existence.
Augsburg was heavily in debt; the region was in an economic
depression.
Sven Oftedal stepped forward to lead a heroic fundraising
effort that saved Augsburg. Oftedal rallied and inspired farmers, merchants, businesses, and churches throughout the
4
Augsburg Now
region to support Augsburg’s mission, an effort securing gifts
from over 30,000 individuals. Augsburg was no longer a
school of a select few—Augsburg truly became a school of the
people.
Exemplifying Augsburg’s commitment to civic involvement, Oftedal established a community newspaper, was
elected to the Minneapolis Board of Education, appointed to
the Minneapolis Library Board, and served as the president of
Augsburg’s board for 36 years. His legacy of service is honored
by Augsburg through the founding of the Oftedal Society to
recognize the loyalty and vision of those who make a commitment of future support to the College.
“By renaming the planned giving recognition society in
honor of Sven Oftedal, we have a wonderful opportunity to
reflect upon the nature of Augsburg’s foundation—its roots,”
noted Jeremy Wells, vice president for institutional advancement, “and to reaffirm that those ideals continue to be the
core of the College and its mission.
To learn more about the Sven Oftedal Society or making a
gift of future support, contact the Office of Planned Giving at
1-800-273-0617 or via e-mail to development@augsburg.edu.
Another million-dollar year!
• The Augsburg Fund, the College’s annual fund, reached its
goal of $1 million—for the third time and the first time
outside of a campaign year—ending the fiscal year at
$1,001,979.
• Important to achieving this goal was the President’s Challenge of $100,000, which resulted in additional giving of
nearly $69,000 in new or increased gifts, triggering a total
of $158,000 in challenge gifts. This was made possible by
Don ’53 and Bev (Halling) Oren ’55 and anonymous
donors.
• During this last fiscal year, a 100% participation rate was
reached with gifts to the annual fund from all members of
the Augsburg Board of Regents, the Alumni Board of
Directors, and the President’s Cabinet.
It’s Augsburg Calling … Mai Yer Vang ’11
Mai Yer Vang was born in Thailand and moved with her family to the U.S. in 1994. When she was in high school, Vang
was introduced to Augsburg on a tour with the Upward
Bound program. “We had a really good tour guide who
showed us everything on campus,” she said.
Vang liked Augsburg’s small campus atmosphere and was
intrigued by a presentation given by Richard Webb, a counselor for Augsburg’s TRiO program, a U.S. Department of Education program that helps first-generation college students
overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to completing
their education.
“My family is on welfare,” Vang said, “but Richard talked
about financial aid and told us that we could go to Augsburg
if we wanted to. He helped us understand that a college education was possible.” In fact, Vang became the first in her
family of eight children to attend college.
She came to Augsburg in the summer, before many of her
classmates, for TRiO’s Summer Bridge program, a five-week
residential program that introduces students to the college experience with classes, academic support seminars, workshops,
and social activities.
As a TRiO scholar, Vang must not only maintain a 3.0
GPA each term, she also meets regularly with her TRiO counselor to discuss her academic progress and financial issues.
TRiO students complete all of their financial aid application
paperwork on their own, an often-daunting procedure many
of her peers delegate to parents. Vang is grateful for this experience because she is now helping one of her older sisters
complete college and financial aid applications.
For two years, Vang has worked as a caller for the Augsburg Fund in Augsburg’s Office of Institutional Advancement.
Through her conversations with alumni, Vang has received
career advice and has learned more about Augsburg traditions
and history. “I learned that Homecoming used to be huge
here,” she said, “and there were a lot more dances and royalty
and parades during the year than we have now.”
To date, Vang and the student caller team have helped
raise more than $114,000 for the Augsburg Fund. To learn
more about the Augsburg Fund and other ways to support
students like Mai Yer Vang, go to www.augsburg.edu/giving.
WENDI WHEELER ‘06
Mai Yer Vang ’11 is one of the
student callers of Phonathon
and enjoys learning about
Augsburg in past years from
the alumni she calls.
Fall 2008
5
Auggies on the field
Jordan Berg: Football, physics, and far more
Division III athletics is more than simply the games. It’s just as much about academics, family friends, and hobbies. Augsburg senior quarterback Jordan Berg understands the importance of balancing.
On the field, the Gaylord, Minn., native is already the most accomplished passer in
Augsburg history, owning single-season and career records for passing touchdowns,
completions, and yardage. Despite starting his college career at Division II MinnesotaDuluth, Berg is on pace to break the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference career passing record of 7,290 yards.
But Berg is more than just a quarterback. He’s also a physics major
with a 3.8 GPA. In his time at Augsburg, Berg has taken classes ranging from chemistry to American Sign Language, and Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning.
“One of the reasons that Jordan is so successful is his preparedness,” says offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Drew
Privette. “He is prepared on the field, in the classroom, and in his
social life. If we have a quarterback’s meeting and Jordan also has a
big test in one of his classes, he’ll find a way to reschedule the
meeting, so he can take care of his first priority, his academics.”
Berg, a self-described “motor head,” has a variety of other
interests. He restored his own Harley-Davidson motorcycle,
complete with a custom paint job. He designed t-shirts for the
football team. And Berg designed two tattoos for himself and a
few others for his teammates.
“Jordan is a unique blend of character, artist, and student-athlete. He is gifted in each of those areas and it is a joy to work with
such a colorful and outstanding individual,” said football head coach
Frank Haege.
KELLY ANDERSON DIERCKS
6
Augsburg Now
For the full story, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
homecoming
’08
2008 Alumni Awards
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
LaRhae (Grindal) Knatterud
’70, specialist on aging,
Minnesota Department
of Human Resources
Dennis Kalpin ’61, retired
mathematics teacher and
coach, Alexandria, Minn.
FIRST DECADE AWARDS
Zach Curtis ’98, actor,
artistic director, and
theatre manager
Jeffery Cameron ’96,
intellectual property
attorney, E.J. Brooks
and Associates, PLLC
Save the date for Homecoming 2009—September 28-October 3
For more about Homecoming
and the alumni awards, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall 2008
7
Grassroots health care
the CENTER CLINIC
Augsburg nursing student Eileen Johnson
confronts poverty and patient needs at the
small, volunteer-run Center Clinic in
Dodge Center, Minnesota.
arty Alemán has a
passion for public
health. She is one
of Augsburg’s Rochester
Campus nursing faculty,
and she believes that
“greater community and social awareness make a better
citizen and a better nurse,
no matter where they
work.”
Thus, it seemed fitting
that she, along with the
Augsburg nursing program,
was chosen by the Center Clinic in Dodge Center, Minnesota, a
small, rural, volunteer-staffed clinic, to receive their Social
Awareness award at their annual appreciation event.
From her office at Olmsted County Public Health, Alemán
coordinates a number of the county’s public health nursing positions. As the Community Health II nursing instructor at the
Augsburg Rochester Campus, she integrates her knowledge of
public health and connections to community health agencies
with the course content to be a catalyst for transformation in the
lives of most of the Rochester Bachelor of Science in nursing
M
8
Augsburg Now
(BSN) students. She loves it. She loves introducing her students
to a side of health care that few of them have ever seen.
Community Health II is Augsburg’s only BSN course with
significant clinical hours outside of the classroom; all 48 hours
must be spent in community health settings. Alemán notes that
about 90% of Rochester BSN students are hospital nurses. “Some
students have only worked in surgery where they see a very limited view of patient care. Community health nursing is not such
a controlled environment,” she says. It stretches and challenges
the students.
Alemán helps students to navigate the challenges of a different healthcare culture and to connect the dots of relevance between their work in a large hospital to social justice in the
community. To that end, she raises questions within the context
of diversity about the uninsured, about poverty and patient
needs upon dismissal from the hospital, and about the community resources to meet those needs. She also encourages students
to consider health issues in public schools such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual activity, bullying, and obesity.
Clinical hours bring the questions of the classroom into the
realm of experiential knowledge. Students integrate these experiences, comparing them to their currently held beliefs, and seeing things first hand rather than in text. They return to class and
talk about the experiences and how their current belief systems
are being challenged.
For their clinical hours, students may choose from a number
of cultural immersion options or community health settings in
Olmsted County or in the county where they reside. Alemán is
fluent in Spanish, having spent four years early in her nursing
career living and working in Ecuador, and has coordinated and
led immersion trips and home stays for students in Nicaragua
and Guatemala.
It’s obvious that Alemán has a special place in her heart for
arranging student placements in county community health settings. She encourages them to divide their time among a variety
of agencies and clinics. Her students can be found at the Good
Samaritan Medical Clinic, Migrant Health Clinic, Christ United
Methodist Church Health Fair, the county jail, and working with
church parish nurses.
The Center Clinic, directed by Jan Lueth, who is also a public health colleague of Alemán, is a favorite placement for
Alemán and her students. Lueth welcomes the students and describes the clinic as “a small non-profit agency staffed by volunteer nurses, nurse practitioners, and Mayo doctors and residents
that provides family planning and limited healthcare services to
the uninsured and underinsured, many of whom are Latino.”
Some of the BSN students have chosen to continue volunteering at the clinic. One student returned for six months as a
paid staff member. Since the clinic relies heavily on volunteer
hours to stretch their limited revenue, Lueth says their services
are invaluable.
“Social awareness is an important part of our mission at the
Center Clinic,” says Lueth. “We believe that awareness is the
first step toward social change.” Part of the clinic’s motivation
for giving Alemán and the nursing program the Social Awareness
award was that “always their questions and comments challenge
us to clarify what we believe and strengthen our determination
to continue our mission,” Lueth says.
When asked about Alemán’s passion for social awareness,
Lueth says, “only a professional like Marty, who truly empathizes and appreciates the complicated world in which our
clients reside, and the positive effect that nursing students could
experience by exposure to this, would have considered the Center Clinic as a possible clinical site for her students.”
She continues, saying the clinic is “a world where, like a
messy closet, you can make the conscious choice to close the
door, so you don’t have to look at it. But, you still know the mess
is there. … Marty puts her foot in the door, so you have to look,
have to experience the ‘mess’ at least for a moment.”
LIBBY HENSLIN ’06
OPERATIONS AND ADMISSIONS COORDINATOR, ROCHESTER CAMPUS
“Social awareness is an
important part of our
mission at the Center Clinic.
Pictured, right: In her community health
nursing course, Augsburg student Eileen
Johnson (left) is learning from Center
Clinic staff person Ramona González
(center) about difficulties faced by clinic
patients, many of whom are Latinos.
We believe that awareness
is the first step toward
social change.”
Fall 2008
9
awesome
DISCOVERY
clever student + wise professor+ experienced alum =
BY WENDI WHEELER AND BETSEY NORGARD
Brian Krohn (second from right) poses
with the scientists who named the
process (“Mcgyan”—from their own
names) that they hope will revolutionize
the biofuel industry: (L to R) Chemistry
professor Arlin Gyberg, SarTec vice
president Clayton McNeff ’91, Krohn, and
SarTec chief scientist Ben Yan.
A student’s passion for research
Brian Krohn originally came to Augsburg to study film, but
after only one semester without any science classes, this lifelong scientist felt “so deprived” that he officially changed his
major to chemistry.
Even so, he was unsure where the degree would lead
him. “I thought with a degree in chemistry, I
could only be a teacher or a pharmacist,” he said.
Then in the summer of 2006, Krohn received
a grant from Augsburg’s Undergraduate Research
and Graduate Opportunity (URGO) program. It
was support to conduct research, one of his passions. He and his adviser, chemistry professor
Arlin Gyberg, were both interested in biodiesel, so
Krohn set out to find a more efficient way to produce the fuel.
Krohn describes the research process as difficult but exciting. “You have to really dig into the
whole process and read all the literature to join
into the conversation about your topic before you
can figure out what you can contribute,” he said. Whereas
most undergraduate researchers “do what they are told, like
calibrate a machine all day,” according to Krohn, he had more
freedom to explore and experiment.
Eventually his work led to the discovery of a process that
converts animal feedstock to biodiesel. Gyberg advised Krohn
to contact alumnus Clayton McNeff ’91, a chemist and vice
president of SarTec, a company specializing in yucca-based
products and CEO of ZirChrom Separations, a chromatography company. McNeff, his chief scientist at
SarTec Ben Yan, and Gyberg took Krohn’s idea and
created the “Mcgyan” Process (from their three
names), an efficient and environmentally friendly
method that will allow McNeff’s new start-up company, Ever Cat Fuels, to produce more than three
million gallons of fuel per year at a first-of-its-kind
biodiesel plant in Isanti, Minn.
Krohn says it was his research and connections
through Augsburg, not the discovery itself, that
opened doors for him. In fact, he said this opportunity might never have been available if not for
McNeff’s ties to the College.
“It’s almost unheard of that the vice president of research
would sit down with an undergraduate student and his old professor,” he said.
clever student
10
Augsburg Now
wise professor
A professor’s connections to industry
It’s an event, says chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg, that
probably wouldn’t have happened anywhere else in the
world.
He’s referring to senior Brian Krohn’s research, his
relationship with Clayton McNeff ’91, and the partnership
that ultimately yielded the invention of the Mcgyan
Process. Gyberg, who is beginning his 42nd year teaching
at Augsburg, has supervised many student research projects over the years beginning with Richard Olmsted ’69,
the husband of current Augsburg chemistry professor Sandra Olmsted ’69, in the summer following their junior
year.
Krohn began his research by poring over hundreds of
abstracts of research on biodiesel. Eventually he found two
examples of projects that had been somewhat successful,
which had suggested that solid-state strong acids might be
effective catalysts for conversion of plant oils to biodiesel.
Gyberg knew that this material was used as a bonded solid
stationary phase in chromatography, so they attempted a
conversion using a batch process that had been used since
World War II. Gyberg summed up the results: “It didn’t
work.”
Then Gyberg recalled a seminar given four years earlier by McNeff on zirconia-based stationary phases used
for liquid chromatography and the ease with which it
could be bonded with various substances. Gyberg contacted McNeff, and Krohn and Gyberg went to present
their research to McNeff at SarTec Corporation. They
asked for some bonded strong acid zirconia and again
tried a batch process experiment with no success.
“Here is where the confluence of events occurred that
would not likely have happened anywhere else,” said Gyberg. McNeff’s ZirChrom Corporation is a world leader on
zirconia and its properties. McNeff and fellow scientist Ben Yan had
been working on oven-heated zirconia-based high temperature liquid
chromatography. It occurred to McNeff that pressurized, heated, continuous column catalysis using solid-state acidified zirconia might
work—and it did, the very first time. The Mcgyan Process was born.
“It would appear that this is only the beginning,” Gyberg said.
Research continues, with SarTec and Augsburg investigating algae
growth as a feedstock source for biodiesel as well as other reactions
that are possible for new types of biofuels that have not been possible
to synthesize before.
Gyberg is also working on a project with a University of St.
Thomas engineering professor who believes that in three years all
biodiesel will be made using the Mcgyan Process. They are developing a “pickup bed biodiesel plant” that the individual farmer could
use to make his own biodiesel fuel. This would also benefit Third
World countries where jatropha, a weedy bush that grows on noncropland and needs only about eight inches of rain or so a year, is
readily available. Jatropha can produce about five times more plant
oil a year for biodiesel than soybeans, and the Mcgyan reactor is the
only one that can completely convert the oil efficiently and cleanly to
biodiesel with virtually no waste and no pollutants.
Rather than spend his summers on the golf course or on the
lake, Gyberg supervises research because, he says, “It keeps things
interesting and exciting, keeps one up with current science, and
keeps the mind sharp.” He adds, “One of the great pleasures over the
years is using my background and experience to work with students,
some of whom are smarter than I am.” Gyberg says students are fortunate to be able to do research at Augsburg, since faculty there can
spend more time working with students than at large research
institutions.
Above, left: Senior Brian Krohn and chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg explain the Mcgyan
Process, a new, improved method of making biodiesel, at a press conference in March.
Fall 2008
11
awe
som
e
SarTec vice president Clayton McNeff ’91, whose team discovered
the Mcgyan Process, shares the discovery with alumni and friends
during Homecoming in September.
“It can be cost effective and
environmentally friendly—
experienced alum
and it’s portable.”
A chemist on the cutting edge
In March 2008 at a press conference at Augsburg College,
Clayton McNeff became somewhat of a media sensation in
the biodiesel world. He is vice president of SarTec Corporation, and together with his chief scientist Ben Yan, his former
professor Arlin Gyberg, and Augsburg student Brian Krohn,
McNeff announced a discovery they said would revolutionize
biodiesel production and lessen or eliminate the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
This was the first public announcement of the Mcgyan
Process and the biodiesel fuel it can produce more efficiently,
less costly, and without harmful byproducts than existing
processes. He went on to announce that the group was already successfully producing 50,000 gallons per year at a
pilot plant, and even powering the plant with it. Through a
new company, Ever Cat Fuels, a new large-scale production
plant is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2009 that
will yield three million gallons per year, using non-food
grade corn oil from ethanol plants and free fatty acid waste
products from the current conventional biodiesel industry.
In July the Star Tribune described the Mcgyan production
process as immensely appealing to countries and companies
around the world because “it can be cost effective and environmentally friendly—and it’s portable.” The goal is for farmers to be able to produce the biodiesel they need to run their
farms completely on site. More than 35 countries have contacted SarTec inquiring about the technology.
Algae is a large part of McNeff’s vision. He refers to it as
the “holy grail” of biodiesel production because it can be
grown utilizing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from
12
Augsburg Now
bioethanol and coal-burning power plants, and it can potentially yield enough oil for biodiesel to replace all U.S. petroleum
needs without competing for food crops or cropland. SarTec, in
partnership with Augsburg and Triangle Energy, is pursuing this
research with grants from Great River Energy and Xcel Energy.
McNeff is a 1991 Augsburg chemistry graduate, who pursued his PhD in analytical chemistry at the University of Minnesota. He joined SarTec, the company founded by his parents
where he first worked as a high school student, fostering his
love for science.
In 1995, as he became known for his expertise with zirconia, McNeff co-founded ZirChrom Separations, Inc., along with
Steven Rupp and University of Minnesota professor Peter W.
Carr. Carr has won numerous awards in the field of analytical
chemistry and has been announced as the recipient of the 2009
American Chemical Society Award in Analytical Chemistry.
In 2002 McNeff was awarded the Tibbetts Award from the
Small Business Adminstration’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This award was given in recognition of
McNeff’s achievement in innovation, research, and business
that contributed to the commercial success of ZirChrom Separations.
McNeff considers the success of the experimentation leading to the Mcgyan Process as “serendipity,” but it’s a success
that can extend far beyond their projected goal of three million
gallons per year and be licensed worldwide to companies seeking more efficient and sustainable fuels.
For more information, go to
www.augsburg.edu/chemistry
DIS
COV
ERY
V
Courtesy Glendine Soiseth
auggie voices
Street pastors bring care and
hope to the streets
Glendine Soiseth graduated from Augsburg and Luther Seminary in 2004 with a dual degree—Master of Social Work and
Master of Arts in Theology. She was ready for the challenge of
an international experience and is the supervisor of therapy
services for a fostering agency in Flintshire, Wales. She lives
in nearby Chester, England.
In 2006 Soiseth heard about the three-year-old Street Pastors program and trained as a street pastor leader in Wrexham, Wales. She led her team on patrol once or twice a
month, from around 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Recently, with her
move to Chester, she also serves as a Chester lead street pastor and will alternate patrols and voluntary time between the
two locations.
In September she wrote about street pastor work for a
community ministry blog in Chester. With permission, we’ve
reprinted excerpts from it.
Call
Historically, I have consistently been involved in faith, community, and political organizations, either working with
people, programmes, or the community in developing a
voice and making a difference.
When the St. Margaret’s vicar in Wrexham started talking about Street Pastors during a service, I immediately experienced a ‘call.’ Not a lightning bolt, but it was made very
clear that this (street pastoring) was something I needed to
do. I realized I was being asked to take a leap of faith despite not knowing how the new initiative would take me.
After training and graduation, I was out on the streets
in my street pastor uniform talking and explaining to people, door staff, vendors, police, and emergency personnel
what a street pastor is and does.
Community
When I mentioned to people at the time that I lived in
Wrexham, the response was universal, ‘nothing good comes
out of Wrexham … .’ I knew it would take more than a marketer or one person to make a difference. It would take the
‘Urban Trinity’—police, civic partners, and church—coming
together in agreement on community initiatives and protocols, as a means for it to work.
Glendine Soiseth ’04 MSW/MA Theology dual degree graduate (left), is a social
worker in North Wales and volunteers as a street pastor in an interdenominational church/community initiative with Rev. Trevor Beckett (right).
Street pastors are now recognized, respected, and welcomed in the community by pub/club goers, police, emergency personnel, door staff, street vendors, CCTV, and
visitors. They have witnessed and experienced our commitment, tenacity, unconditional positive regard, and passion
for what we do.
We’ve been accepted as part of their community for not
only sticking it out when it is raining, cold, and miserable,
but, more importantly, for listening, being authentic, and
providing practical assistance—not preaching ‘heaven and
hell,’ but getting back to basics of what it means to be a ‘caring’ community and how diversity can bring together unity.
Hope
I can’t begin to tell you all the stories I have heard on the
street in my role as street pastor. … about the drug dealer,
or the rugby player, or the person we picked up off the road
just before a car came round the corner, or the person who
had been involved in a cult, or the alcoholic, or the soldier.
But they are just stories about people you don’t know. What
I do know is that Street Pastors makes a difference in our
community. I make a difference. We make a difference.
From a human perspective, getting back to basics with
the above is a step in not only providing a community with
hope, but also it can be a difference between life and death
for that person we talk to on the street. … A good deal of
our work is ‘working in the moment where that person
seems to be at that time.’ Street pastoring works. I truly feel
blessed and privileged every time I go out into the street.”
Street Pastors is an inter-denominational church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the
streets to care, listen, and dialogue. For information, go to
www.streetpastors.org.uk.
BETSEY NORGARD
Fall 2008
13
LIGHTS,
CAMERA,
AND
ACTION
BY BETHANY BIERMAN
Augsburg’s film program, based in liberal arts and
giving students knowledge in production, performance,
and theory, attracts students from around the world.
14
Augsburg Now
ugsburg film comes of age
The coffee shop in Christensen is nearly
full, so we grab two empty stools by the
computers in the back. Wes Ellenwood
sits poised on the stool, looking relaxed
in his blue jeans and vintage New York
baseball cap, balancing his coffee between his hands.
“What makes our department
unique is its three tracks,” he explains.
The former NYU professor specializes
in documentary and 16mm film and
was just last year given full-time status,
making him the only full-time film faculty member.
He breezes through the description
as if he’s told it many times before.
There’s the production track (creating
films and videos), the performance
track (acting for the camera), and the
theory and culture track (the analytical
track). “And our faculty are not just faculty—they are professionals and experts
in film.”
Picture, bottom left: For more than a decade, communication
studies professor Deb Redmond has worked with alumni to nurture
the film courses that have grown Augsburg’s film program.
Pictured, below: Auggie Mike Bodnarczuk ’85 built a career in music
video production and has helped other Auggies get a start in LA.
Just then communication professor
and director of the program Deb Redmond approaches with a young man.
“I’m sorry, but may I interrupt?” she
asks. “Matt, this is Wes Ellenwood, who
teaches our production courses. Wes,
Matt is looking at transferring to Augsburg to study film.”
The professors exchange knowing
glances. This is not the first time such
an introduction has been made. In fact,
the film department averages two visitors per week. For a program that officially finished its fourth year, numbers
are exploding. While Augsburg has a
strong history of graduating students
who have excelled in film, it was only
in 2004 that the major was added. It
jumped from one graduate in 2006 to
now nearly 40 students. Five new film
majors transferred in this past semester.
“We’re different from most of the
metro college campuses,” Ellenwood
tells Matt and me, “because there is actual film being shot on this campus.”
He goes on to explain that because
Augsburg students develop an understanding of film, video, television, and
digital media, in addition to being
grounded in the liberal arts, these graduates are better prepared than most to
truly succeed in the industry.
A seed is planted
It was the early ’80s, and every Friday
English professor John Mitchell showed
movies in his class. One student recalls
nearly leaping out of his seat with excitement.
“He really opened up the gateway
for me,” says Michael Bodnarczuk, the
son of Ukrainian immigrants and a St.
Paul Johnson High School graduate. He
Nick Vlchek
A
LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION
had come to Augsburg to study prelaw and to play
soccer. “I got very
involved with politics with my lifelong friend John
Evans … and
Franklin Tawha,
but then started
spending a lot of time with film.”
Bodnarczuk took a 16mm film
course taught by a friend of Mitchell’s
during January term. “After that, I was
completely hooked, and then it became
an addiction.” He took Julie Bolton’s television class and Stan Turner’s class in
newswriting at St. Thomas. Jeroy Carlson found him an internship at KARE11, which turned into a job editing
stories for the sunrise show.
But Bodnarczuk’s passion was
music videos, and how they told a story
in four minutes. Augsburg didn’t have
cable at the time, however, so with the
rise of the MTV boom, he persuaded the
College to invest in a satellite dish for
the top of Christensen Center. He’d
record videos and host a showing on
Sunday nights during dinner, until they
got too risqué and the administration
shut him down.
Beyond the classroom, he made
connections with several people, including Jimmy Jam, Steve Rifkin (editor of
the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy) and
Darrell Brand (cameraman). During college, he directed videos for Twin Cities
music sensation The Jets and spent a
couple days as a production assistant on
Purple Rain.
Following graduation, he worked at
a law firm for a while but just wasn’t
satisfied. He drove to Hollywood in a
Fall 2008
15
Augsburg’s first “official” film grad, Trevor
Tweeten ’06 has won awards for his films
and is now living and working in New York.
yellow Dodge Charger, with about a
thousand dollars in his pocket, moved
in with a friend, and volunteered on an
American Film Institute film. Through
persistence and personal connections,
he eventually started to get work. His
first breakthroughs were as a production assistant on Lionel Ritchie’s “Say
You, Say Me” video and the film La
Bamba, which led to work on Stand and
Deliver.
“It snowballed from there.” Within
two years he was producing his own
videos and commercials such as
Michael Jordan’s Gatorade ads, and
within a decade was running the commercial/music video department of A
Band Apart with co-founders Quentin
Tarantino and Lawrence Bender. While
his Hollywood connections blossomed
and his résumé grew, his Augsburg connections never died.
16
Augsburg Now
Breaking new ground
“Michael [Bodnarczuk] wanted the film
major here desperately,” recalls Redmond. “He contacted us.” Redmond and
theatre professor Martha Johnson traveled to LA to spend time meeting with
him about the idea. This became the impetus for the program.
Courses in film continued to find
their way into the catalog, and when confirmation came from the dean’s office, a
film minor was established.
As more and more Augsburg graduates entered the world of film, momentum for the program continued to grow.
President William Frame visited Hollywood to raise money for the film program, and Bodnarczuk donated
equipment and money for it.
Students like Adam Schindler ’00
and Hanne Anderson ’99 came to Augsburg before the major was established,
but knowing that film was their passion.
Schindler took creative writing
classes, looking to hone his storytelling
ability, and ended up with a communication major and minors in English and
film. “As I continued churning out
scripts, taking broadcast production
courses, film-related J-term courses, I was
approached by a few students about the
possibility of forming a film group.” They
applied for a grant through Student Senate, and, with the help of Redmond, put
together the Augsburg Association of Student Filmmakers (AASF).
“We were pleasantly surprised when
we had 30 or so students show up for our
inaugural meeting,” Schindler remembers.
“It was a very collaborative effort
with all the members chipping in film
ideas, cameras, and loads of time,” says
Anderson.
While he was still a student,
Schindler had a chance to meet Bodnarczuk through a contact in Augsburg’s
Alumni Office. Bodnarczuk extended
Schindler an invitation to intern if he ever
decided to move to LA. Needless to say,
Bodnarczuk was the first person Schindler
called when he made the decision to go
west.
“I hired a lot of Auggies,” Bodnarczuk recalls. “I helped open doors for
them because I knew how hard it was for
me. I think every single one of them has
gone on to greatness. I am very happy for
and very proud of them.”
A distinctive major emerges
“It took years to put [the major] together
because we really wanted it to be interdisciplinary, and truly based in the liberal
arts,” says Redmond.
The application for approval of the
major was submitted during the 2002-03
school year and was approved for fall of
2004. In the past year, Ellenwood has
begun teaching full time, and additional
courses have been added.
Today, first-year film students are not
allowed to take production courses, but
instead start with still photography and
core academic courses. From there, they
take courses in the history of cinema, criticism, and issues in contemporary cinema, which lead into documentary and
acting courses. Students have the opportunity to take electives in areas such as
graphic design, journalism, and art, and
for their lab science requirement they may
take Physics for the Fine Arts.
Robert Cowgill, who spent years as a
dramaturg at the Guthrie and is past performer, owner, and manager of the Oak
Street Cinema, teaches courses in analysis.
Elise Marubbio, an award-winning author
on the representation of Native Americans
in film, teaches courses that cross-list between the American Indian studies and
film programs.
“Our focus is on training students to
recognize within a system like Hollywood
that there are very particular narratives
around groups of people,” Marubbio says.
“Our hope is that film students begin to
realize that when they create a film and an
image of someone, they need to be aware
of the cultural implications.”
Marubbio coordinates Augsburg’s Native American Film Festival. “The combination of things that we’re doing is unique
to Augsburg.”
The program’s first student to officially major in film was Trevor Tweeten
’06. “The whole theory side at Augsburg
was fantastic, between [John] Mitchell
and [Robert] Cowgill,” he says. “There’s a
practical side of it with Deb [Redmond]
and Wes [Ellenwood], but also the heavy
side of theory and history. I think there’s a
good balance … I feel really lucky to have
gone to a liberal arts school and have a
broader understanding of politics and life
and literature and all that stuff.”
Augsburg also brings in adjunct faculty who are experts in their field, such as
Christina Lazaridi, a New York-based
screenwriter whose first screenplay was
nominated for an Emmy. She teaches
screenwriting in the summer.
Beyond the classroom, the program
encourages study abroad and internships.
It is often past graduates who provide the
internships for current students.
“We are growing our own,” says Redmond. “When people come to Augsburg
to study film, they are not committing
themselves to four years, but for life …
We’re growing our own faculty, in
essence.”
“The thing that fits with the mission
of the College is we’re looking for people
with a commitment to a message, particularly using the language of film to tell
their stories,” Redmond states.
One such example is a film by senior film major David Siegfried, who
used still photographs with voiceover to
tell the story of the teaching career of
his grandfather, Augsburg anatomy and
biology professor Erwin Mickelberg. In
his film are photos of Siegfried’s mother
riding her bicycle in Murphy Park as a
young child. (http://davidsiegfried.com/
mycampusfinal.html)
The current crop
“We’re grounded now,” says Ellenwood,
pointing to the fact that there is now a
common place for film students to hang
out, a space shared by communication,
film, and theatre students. Just through
the hallway of faculty offices are the editing suites, then the film studio, and
the “closet” they hope will soon become
the screening room. “Loitering is happening on a regular basis. That’s a good
thing.”
Ellenwood attributes the increased
interest in Augsburg’s film program to
the fact that it is deeper and broader
than most programs. “Without any marketing, students are finding us. Word is
getting out,” he says. Students have
come from as far as Argentina, and now
India. “We need more faculty, space,
and equipment to allow for the increasing number of students.”
“Our hope is to grow donors,” Redmond says. “It can start with supply
items, like an extension cord, then volunteering to take interns, then, if
they’re in the position to hire, to look at
our graduates. Eventually, they can donate larger sums of money.”
At the end of each semester, there is
a screening of student work. The event
is not broadcast across campus, and yet
last semester’s screening filled the TV
studio, with over 100 in attendance.
“That’s an astounding number for us,”
says Ellenwood.
Starting in fall 2007, film students
Film professor Wes Ellenwood, who specializes in documentary and 16mm film,
connects students with film pros in the
Twin Cities for hands-on experience.
Fall 2008
17
were included in the Fine Arts Scholarship program, which awards $3,000 per
year to selected students who have
demonstrated excellence in film. Four
students were awarded the scholarship
in its inaugural year.
This fall Augsburg is launching a
partnership with the highly-regarded
film studies program at Minneapolis
Community and Technical College.
MCTC students will be able to complete
a four-year degree in film studies at
Augsburg, and Augsburg film students
will be able to take courses in the film
program there.
A rich harvest
Students who recently graduated have
enjoyed rubbing shoulders with professionals in the business, just as those in
the early days.
w
Ben Katz ’08, Steven Jacobson ’08,
Trevor Tweeten ’06, and Joe Lueben ’07
all worked on a film accepted into the
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film
Festival last year. Matt Goldman, who
has written for Disney and for Seinfeld,
directed the film. “Working with Matt
opened up a lot of doors,” says Lueben.
“It was the first time we’ve taken somebody else’s story, and not our own.”
The four also created a feature film
called “Bits” with a group of Augsburg
alumni, which has been featured on
www.mnfilmtv.org and was screened at
the Uptown Theater in August.
He has freelanced for such organizations as 3M and the University of Minnesota, and worked on a Kid Dakota
music video, on a short film with the lead
singer of Motion City Soundtrack, and
made a 50-minute compilation of clips of
Minnesota-made films.
For his senior project, Katz worked
ho’s who in film alums
with Ellenwood to research the documentation needed for an independent
film. With a 90-page script, he created a
production book with scene breakdown,
shooting schedule, budget, and business
plan, which he then presented to the
writer in LA.
“I love that the program’s grown
with me,” says Katz. “When I started out
[at Augsburg], everyone was excited
about the film program, but the department was not very structured. It’s gotten
better. Once Wes was hired full time, it
changed. It’s a real program now.”
“It’s this current wave of graduates
who will probably be the best ones,” Wes
says of the dozen or so who graduated
this last spring. “They are positioning
themselves to be out in the industry, in
the field; not pumping gas.”
Bethany Bierman formerly worked in the
Office of Marketing and Communication
and lives in Minneapolis.
To learn more about Augsburg’s film program,
go to www.augsburg.edu/film
Michael Bodnarczuk ’85
Owner of Battle Creek Productions. Past president and co-founder (along
with Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender) of A Band Apart, which produced videos for such megastars as U2, Metallica, and Bon Jovi (and in
1999 alone was up for 21 of the MTV Awards).
Adam Schindler ’00
Past assistant to producer Lawrence Bender. Assistant to the executive
producer of Desperate Housewives; current assistant for director Marty
Calner. Semi-finalist in the Academy of Motion Picture’s Nicholl Screenwriting Contest; horror script, “Sundown.”
Garret Williams ’89
Attended graduate school at the American Film Institute; directed Spark,
which received a Best Director Award; selected as one of nine filmmakers for
Fast Track in 2005 on his work on Lost Dog. IFP Blockbuster/McKnight Film
Fund winner.
JoLynn Garnes ’02
Editor of The Fearless Freaks, featuring the Flaming Lips documentary,
winner of the Mojo Vision Award. Has edited videos for artists such as Liz
Phair, Hilary Duff, and Prince, as well as Target commercials, the feature
documentary Summercamp!, and video visuals for Beyoncé’s 2007 world
tour.
Bryce Fridrik Olson ’97
Director of feature films The Caretaker (2008) with Jennifer Tilly and Judd
Nelson, and Be My Baby . Co-produced instructional DVD “OT for Children
with Autism, Special Needs & Typical.”
Hanne Anderson ’99
Emmy nominee for camera editing for her work on Guiding Light; editor for
digital group at Spike TV, and, as a sideline business, co-owns Riveting Productions, a DVD authoring company that works primarily with Comedy Central Records.
Jenny Hanson ’05
Completing graduate work in Austria in a trans-arts program; owns
Sprouted Wolf Productions; teaches film at North Hennepin Community
College and Normandale Community College.
Trevor Tweeten ’06
The first official film major. Won first place at the Oak Street Cinema’s 24hour film festival; recently moved to New York City to freelance; currently
shooting for TLC’s What Not to Wear.
THE PIONEERS
18
Augsburg Now
auggies
In the first days of September, while Gulf Coast residents battled
Hurricane Gustav, more than 45,000 Republican delegates, party
officials, volunteers, and members of the media converged on the
Xcel Center in downtown St. Paul for the 2008 Republican National Convention.
An event as significant as the RNC was not contained, however, to a single site. Across the Mississippi on Augsburg’s campus, students and faculty from 48 colleges and universities met
for a two-week program of the The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. Because of its commitment to civic
engagement and service-learning, Augsburg was chosen to host
the seminar in conjunction with the convention.
Twenty-three Augsburg students participated in internships
through the program, each working in the preparation and planning stages to learn about the behind-the-scenes efforts involved
with a national convention. Augsburg communication studies professors Robert Groven and Kristen Chamberlain served on the faculty of The Washington Center Seminar.
Three Augsburg students shared their convention experiences—a young Hmong woman who changed her major from premed to political science, a graduate student who entered a state
legislative race, and a politically liberal political science major
who learned that Republicans and Democrats are more similar
than he thought.
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BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
The Washington Center at the RNC
Fall 2008
19
’11
Ben Krouse-Gagne
Getting active in politics
The Washington Center at the RNC
20
Augsburg Now
Though he says he has been involved in politics for a short time—just
two-and-a-half years—Ben Krouse-Gagne has done more than some of
us will do in our lifetimes. He worked on Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer’s Senate campaign, did a summer internship with the Anti-War Committee,
served as a delegate to the 2008 Democratic state convention in
Rochester, Minn., and spends weekends door-knocking for state congressional candidates.
Krouse-Gagne, a second-year political science major who grew up
in Minneapolis’ progressive Seward neighborhood, said he was really always involved in politics because his family, neighbors, and church
community were politically active. Then in high school, he traveled to
the School of the Americas in Georgia, a military combat training school
and the site of frequent anti-war protests. “It really hit me when they
read the names of those killed in the war,” he said, “and one of the names
was ‘one-month-old baby.’”
That experience fueled Krouse-Gagne’s desire to become active and led
him eventually to a summer job at TakeAction Minnesota, where he worked
to educate voters about political issues. “People don’t understand how state
politics affects them,” he said. “A lot of people don’t even know who their state
representatives are.”
His RNC field placement was with the Bloomberg News Service. On the
first day of the convention, he covered the protests outside Xcel Center. “I
knew a lot of the people and organizations protesting,” he said, which gave
him an opportunity to get close to the action. Protestors told him their goal
was to slow down the convention. “Inside, they didn’t even know what was
happening out there,” he said. “It didn’t slow down the convention at all.”
Through conversations with delegates, Krouse-Gagne learned that he had
more in common with Republicans than he thought. “Republicans are just
the same as us,” he said. “They want what we want, just in a different way.”
Krouse-Gagne also became friends with Eric Franzen, another intern
who is currently the president of the Augsburg College Republicans. The
two are working with the Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning, with
the help of Augsburg Sabo Professor Garry Hesser, to bring speakers to
campus to further the “Get Political” civic engagement events.
Their goal is to ensure that the Augsburg community is exposed
to multiple perspectives on political issues.
Being at the RNC made Krouse-Gagne want to be a delegate
to the 2012 Democratic National Convention and to become
even more involved in politics. A lot can happen in four years.
’11
Mai Lee
Changing courses
In the Hmong culture, young people often follow the path chosen
for them by their parents. For Mai Lee, a second-year student from
Minneapolis, this meant a career in medicine. Though she had always wanted to study political science, she pushed the idea away
and filled her fall semester schedule with science courses. “I was all
set to take biology and chemistry and 99% sure about majoring in
pre-med,” Lee said. Then she attended the 2008 Republican National
Convention, and that experience changed her course.
Days before the fall semester began, Lee changed her major from premed to political science. “At the convention, I met many people who
gave me good advice about a career in politics,” she said. Lee thought
her family would disapprove of her decision, but she knew she needed
to trust her instincts. “My dad wasn’t too happy,” she added, “but I said
I just knew pre-med wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
Lee said she had always considered herself politically conservative,
but the convention gave her an “up-close look at the Republican Party”
and persuaded her to consider a career in public or government administration. She wants to change the immigrant mindset that government
is “bad” or against them. “I want to help people,” she said, “and show
people that government can be good.”
As a Hmong American woman, Lee acknowledges that she would be
a minority in the public administration world. “There are not many
Hmong women in politics,” she said. “I could change that and make a
little difference if I get involved.”
During the convention, Lee was placed with Fox News as a “runner.”
She ran errands, picked up politicians or celebrities, brought coffee to producers, and did whatever else was needed. “At one point, I had to pass out these
ridiculous Fox News hats to convention delegates,” she said. “If they didn’t
want it, I was told just to put it in their faces.”
Her convention experience not only influenced Lee’s future, it also encouraged her to become a more active citizen. She’s joined the Augsburg College Republicans and says she is watching the news and reading the paper more. “I’m
doing what voters should do,” she said.
While she plans to support John McCain, Lee says she will still not be discouraged from pursuing a career in public service if the presidency goes to the Democrats. “If McCain doesn’t win the election, it won’t be over for me.”
The Washington Center at the RNC
Fall 2008
21
’10
MAE
Eric Franzen
Because I can
Even at the RNC, Eric Franzen felt like he was in the minority. He was
certain that he and another intern from St. Louis, Mo., were the only
Republicans placed with Talk Radio News Service.
As a student in Augsburg’s Master of Arts in Education program,
Franzen is not required to complete an internship. He applied to The
Washington Center program because he said he recently became intrigued by the “reality” of politics. “Politics is real people doing real
things with real consequences,” he said. “It’s democracy in action.” He
felt the convention would provide an opportunity to become part of the
political reality.
For his internship, Franzen covered convention events with a video
camera and then posted interviews and stories on the Talk Radio News website. His most rewarding experience, however, happened after the convention
because he said he finally felt free to have open conversations about politics
with other students at Augsburg. “This campus is very politically liberal,”
Franzen said. “Some of us get a little nervous.”
Franzen is grateful to Augsburg for hosting The Washington Center program because he said it created opportunities for dialogue and has allowed
him to engage with others, including his politically liberal friend and fellow intern, Ben Krouse-Gagne. “I want to push for political diversity and inclusivity
at Augsburg,” he said, “but certain opinions aren’t always included in the discussion.”
In the future, Franzen aspires to hold a public office. He even added his
name to the ballot in the Republican slot for the District 60A state representative
seat. His opponent? Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the 10-year incumbent and current speaker of the House.
Why would a young graduate student put his name on the ballot against an
incumbent in an overwhelmingly liberal district? Franzen answered. “Because I can.”
“No one was running, and I didn’t want to see the office go unopposed,” he
said. “My goal was for voters to have a choice, so I’m doing what I can to give them
that choice.” Though he’s not likely to unseat Kelliher, he’s has been campaigning,
calling voters, and attending events to promote his candidacy. “It’s a lot of work.”
22
Augsburg Now
Paul Nixdorf
In the production of Fiddler on the Roof, Janet
Paone ’83 met John Vaughn, who became her
kidney donor. Here, as Golde and Tevye, they
once again ask, “Do You Love Me?”
The Kidney Kabaret for Janet Paone
BY BETSEY NORGARD
In a summer 2007 community theatre
production of Fiddler on the Roof, Janet
Paone ’83 played Golde. Golde’s husband, Tevye, was played by John
Vaughn, a Northwest Airlines pilot.
Four months later, she underwent
transplant surgery and received a kidney
that was given to her by Vaughn. Paone
remains amazed at how this whole series of events evolved.
Since September 2005, Paone had
appeared in the cast of Church Basement
Ladies, playing Mrs. Vivian Snustad, in
the comedy based on the book Growing
Up Lutheran, by Janet Letnes Martin ’68
and Suzann (Johnson) Nelson ’68.
While Paone had lived with reduced
kidney functioning since birth, it worsened into renal failure, and her doctors
put her on the transplant list.
Paone turned down out-of-town
gigs, and a friend told her about the Fiddler production, a show she had done as
an Augsburg student and loved. When
she got to know Vaughn, he asked about
her illness.
“Oh, I need a kidney,” Paone said
offhandedly.
“Well, you can have mine,” Vaughn
replied.
Paone took this as purely a casual
remark, but Vaughn persisted. He told
her he would contact the clinic. Prelimi-
nary tests showed him to be a potential
match, to be confirmed with a battery of
testing. They became close friends.
Four months later, Paone’s regular
check-up indicated she had reached a
crisis point and would have to start dialysis until a transplant became available.
After Fiddler, she and Vaughn had gone
their own ways, and she thought he
might have reconsidered. She set a date
for dialysis.
But the very next day, Vaughn contacted her with news that he had finally
been able to schedule the battery of
tests. He asked how she’d been. She told
him honestly, and added, “Is that kidney
still available?
“I just started crying,” Paone says.
“The timing was crazy.”
Vaughn was a good match, and on
November 27, after several heart-toheart talks with him, Paone received the
kidney he donated. She says he told her
that the true gift she could give him in
return was her good health.
Paone’s recovery went remarkably
well, and she was back on stage in the
winter, continuing her role as Mrs.
Snustad in Church Basement Ladies 2: A
Second Helping. She and Vaughn have
remained in close touch since.
What Paone now faces are thousands of dollars in medical bills, with
few resources to cover them. A month
after surgery, several friends in the theatre
community began talking about a
fundraiser, and a planning “posse”
formed, including several Augsburg classmates. Katie Koch ’06, assistant to the director at the Guthrie Theater, knows
Paone well and served as coordinator.
The “Kidney Kabaret” played at
Augsburg on April 21, with many actors
and musicians stepping forward to donate
services, time, and talents, which also included technical support for sound and
lighting, and event decorations.
A silent auction offered more than
125 items from theaters, restaurants,
churches, sports teams, and radio stations.
The program acts were all friends,
co-actors, and colleagues of Paone from
past theater productions. WCCO’s
Frank Vascellaro and Dale Connelly,
from Minnesota Public Radio, co-hosted
the evening.
Special guest Dr. Mark Odland,
Paone’s transplant surgeon, was introduced, along with staff from HCMC’s
kidney transplant program. Vaughn was
recognized and lauded for his gift of life
to Paone.
More than $15,000 was donated,
and the Janet Paone Transplant Fund
was set up at U.S. Bank with the help of
Auggie classmate David Young ’82.
Sponsors for the event were Curt Wollan and TroupeAmerica, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and Augsburg.
For more information, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall 2008
23
Travel
that
transforms
BY BETSEY NORGARD
The Center for Global Education
Amazing. Life-changing. Transforming. Participants are not shy about describing their experiences on trips organized by the Center for Global Education. They seek out opportunities to talk about what they learned, and they want to return. The difference is that they
have not been on casual, sightseeing trips, but reflective travel; and CGE has built a reputation as a national leader in international experiential education.
24
Augsburg Now
Courtesy CGE-Namibia
Courtsey CGE
Social work students from eight colleges spend a
semester learning about social work issues and meeting
social work students in Mexico City and Cuernavaca—
and here, posing next to papayas in rural Morelos.
While the first student seminar in Mexico
took place in 1979, it wasn’t until 1982
when Joel Mugge led a group that officially established the Center for Global
Service and Education. He did this in response to a request from the Lutheran
Church for programs to raise awareness
of international issues.
Mugge developed a new form of international education, basing the curriculum on the educational principles of
Brazilian educator and theologian Paulo
Freire. In this, students learn in a cycle of
three phases. Initially they have direct experience in the local community, listening
to the voices of people not usually heard
in mainstream media, telling their own
stories and stories of their communities.
Then, informed by readings, students reflect on what they saw and heard. Lastly,
as a group, students share their reactions,
discuss issues, and formulate actions to
carry with them. It becomes a continual
process of “learning how to learn.”
CGE’s programs include study and
travel abroad for students, faculty development in global education, and customized
group travel around specific issues or targeted for specific groups. As a result of
these programs, CGE has served as a catalyst in the Lutheran Church for a new understanding of global mission, putting
people from the U.S. face-to-face with
people in local communities around the
world to learn from each other and build
partnerships across faiths. CGE programs
tailored for small businesses have helped
their employees understand complexities
in social, economic, and political issues,
and the development of more responsible
global citizenship.
“The goal is not to simply educate
persons, but to encourage them to pursue
a life of involvement that will ultimately
lead to wisdom,” says Larry Hufford, a political science professor at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas, who has led
numerous study seminars with CGE’s as-
sistance and who finds them spiritually renewing.
During the 1980s and 1990s, CGE
planned travel seminars literally around
the world. Study centers with resident
Augsburg faculty and staff were then established in three locations—Cuernavaca,
Mexico; Managua, Nicaragua; and Windhoek, Namibia. Offices and staff are also
located in El Salvador and Guatemala.
CGE became known for the quality
of learning their travel provided; in 1988
they were hired by the American Society
of Newspaper Editors to organize a seminar for journalists to Central America and
Mexico. CGE has also received Fulbright
grants to organize several group projects.
In 2003, the program was named the National Society for Experiential Education’s
Program of the Year.
In 2001, the position of CGE director
was expanded to include the associate
dean of international programs. The Office of International Programs (OIP) was
created, which, in addition to CGE, includes Augsburg Abroad, the study
abroad office; International Partners, including European institutions in Germany,
Norway, and Finland that have reciprocal
agreements for study with Augsburg; and
International Student Advising, providing
advising and advocacy for international
students at Augsburg.
Students say…
Comments from the “Religion and
Christian Faith” travel seminar to
El Salvador, January 2007
NATALIE SASSEVILLE ’09
“Going on the trip to El Salvador was like getting
stuck in an earthquake—it shook me and all of
my values to the core…Never before have I felt
so inspired or impassioned…”
JOE SKOGMO ’08
“This trip gave me knowledge that cannot be
learned in any textbook, but it is knowledge that
one cannot do without in order to understand the
magnitude of human responsibility, vocation, and
global citizenship. Studying in El Salvador is
simply the greatest practical application for understanding why our vocations matter.”
MICHELE ROULET ’09
“The people of [El Salvador] are our textbook,
and their stories are frightening and funny and
inspiring. To say that everyone comes back
changed is to make light of the experience. People come back enriched, enlightened, and energized.”
OLEE AMATA ’11
“The concept of affecting another human being
by decisions I make made me see the world differently. … As a business major, I want to learn
how I can help be a global citizen when globalization is the enemy to developing countries.”
Fall 2008
25
Courtsey Donna DeGracia
Students training to become physician assistants visited
clinics in Guatemala, learning about healthcare practices
there and presenting health clinics—such as teaching
children about oral hygiene.
INTERNATIONALIZING AUGSBURG
EDUCATION
Shortly after the arrival of new Augsburg
president Paul Pribbenow in 2006, the
College began to focus on internationalizing Augsburg education. OIP launched efforts to integrate study abroad experiences
into the curriculum of all majors on campus, seeking to create a culture shift toward
a more internationalized campus and college experience for students. The goal is a
more seamless relationship between campus curriculum and study abroad. Students
may choose from the semesters abroad offered by CGE or participate in other study
abroad programs approved by the Augsburg Abroad office.
In addition to infusing study abroad
into all majors, CGE has made it possible
for all students—undergraduate and graduate—to have a cross-cultural experience.
For weekend students it means only a oneor two-week course, a shorter time away
from family and work than the semester
program. For graduate students, it means a
short-term seminar that directly links to
their program work or research. For all students, the direct, personal experience in
another culture is carried back into their
lives and work at home.
A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS
Following are examples of programs that
have been designed for specific disciplines or target audiences:
26
Augsburg Now
Social work in a Latin American
context
This semester-long program in Mexico for
social work undergraduate students was
developed within a unique consortium of
eight colleges and universities in South
Dakota and Minnesota—both public and
private. It provides a common experience
for students at schools lacking the resources to create a program of their own.
This experience gives future social work
professionals better preparation to serve
the needs of Spanish-speaking clients in
their home areas.
The social work students live at
Augsburg’s center in Cuernavaca. They
take classes in culture with Augsburg’s
adjunct faculty there, and classes in social
work theory and practice with a visiting
professor from one of the consortium institutions.
In 2006, the consortium was
awarded the Council on Social Work Education’s Partners in Education award for
“advancing education for international
social work.”
Exploring health care in Guatemala
In July the physician assistant studies master’s program became the third graduate
program to offer a study abroad course tailored for its students. Twelve students traveled to Guatemala for two weeks to learn
about indigenous culture, and specifically
to explore health practices and spirituality
in Mayan cultures.
While there, the students visited clinics, learned about deep social and cultural
disparities, and presented programs on
healthcare topics, such as hypertension and
diabetes. They learned and saw how
healthcare practices can be developed with
vastly fewer resources—something which
may serve them well as they seek physician
assistant positions in areas with underserved populations.
Before traveling, the PA students raised
money to buy supplies and materials to
give to the clinics, such as over-the-counter
vitamins and pain relievers, stethoscopes,
blood pressure cuffs, etc.
Lilly vocation seminars
As part of “Exploring Our Gifts,” Augsburg’s grant from the Lilly Endowment for
exploration of vocation, a total of nine
travel seminars have been designed with a
focus on vocation.
Religion professor Bev Stratton has
twice led a vocation-themed seminar—Religion and the Christian Faith (REL 480)—
to El Salvador, where students have studied
how powerfully the faith of the Salvadoran
people has impacted their struggles for social justice. These courses fulfill the students’ keystone requirement—a seminar
generally taken in their last year that pulls
together their total Augsburg experience,
combining the liberal arts foundation with
their in-depth major, while revisiting the
Courtsey Jennifer Hipple
As part of the Hoversten Peace Seminar, an Augsburg faculty, staff, and student group stopped for a photo while
touring the fields of a coffee cooperative in Guatemala.
critical conversations about vocation.
The El Salvador group visited massacre sites, met with survivors, and heard
from leaders such as Bishop Medardo
Gomez of the Salvadoran Lutheran
Church, who spoke about how he sees his
vocation at work in El Salvador. The group
also became immersed in the work and
legacy of Archbishop Óscar Romero, killed
in the civil war in 1980.
The Lilly seminars have given students
both a cross-cultural experience and a
framework to understand how Christian
vocation is part of daily life. Other Lilly
seminars have taken students to Namibia,
Mexico, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.
Hoversten Peace Seminar
Supported by the Hoversten Peace Endowment, this biennial travel seminar for
Augsburg faculty, staff, and students aims
to develop a strong learning community
among participants. Pre-departure orientation introduces the group to each other,
and living and learning together abroad
strengthens their bonds. Upon return, the
group continues to build community
around their common experience by
sharing it with the larger Augsburg community.
In August, 10 faculty, staff, and students—coincidentally, all women—par-
Courtsey Rachel Olson
“I learned how to learn”
Hannah Glusenkamp ’09
Students in the 2005 study seminar to El Salvador studied
the legacy of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was killed
while championing the struggle of the Salvadoran people
during their long civil war.
ticipated in the 10-day “Peace and Reconciliation after Conflict: A Guatemalan Perspective.” The women learned about the
history of civil war and the peace accords, heard from leaders with differing
perspectives, and confronted the realities
of the local communities.
The efforts to internationalize the
Augsburg campus are showing results. In
2007-08, a record number of 221 Augsburg students studied abroad.
As their first quarter-century came to
a close, CGE director and associate dean
Orval Gingerich noted in their anniversary publication that “the work of CGE is
unfinished, and is perhaps more important than ever in bringing tools for critical analysis and action and ultimately
hope to a new generation of students,
professors, and global citizens.”
Stay tuned for the next 25 years.
Hannah Glusenkamp is a senior majoring in
women’s studies, with minors in Spanish and religion. At the 2008 Peace Prize Forum at Concordia College in Moorhead, she was selected as
one of Augsburg’s two Peace Scholars, a new
program that strives to develop students leaders
aspiring to careers in world peace issues.
Glusenkamp studied on two CGE programs—“Sustainable Development and Social
Change” in Central America, and “Gender, Sexuality, Politics, and the Arts” in Mexico.
“Both of these experiences challenged,
shook up, and reshaped my values, beliefs, and
world view,” she wrote. “From the first day of
the trip we, the students, were encouraged to reflect on our multi-dimensional selves and to approach education from a holistic standpoint, a
standpoint that incorporates all aspects of our
lives into the learning process.”
At the Council on International Educational
Exchange conference last fall, Glusenkamp and
nine other student panelists were asked to share
the most important thing they learned while
studying abroad. “I thought about the question
for a moment and then realized that my answer
had to be, ‘I learned how to learn,’” she said.
“I learned to become an active participant
in my education. … I learned to be curious and
to ask questions. I can no longer travel to a city
or country without wondering what the healthcare system is and if it benefits the people in
that community, or how the public transportation runs, or how subsidies in the United States
might affect the agricultural practices of the indigenous peoples in that community. … I
learned to question whose voice I am hearing
and whose voice is being left out.
“My experiences and time with the Center
for Global Education … showed me that I am
not just a student of Augsburg College for four
years, but rather that we are all students of life,
with the rights and responsibilities to engage in
the dynamic, liberating, and transformative ongoing process of experiential education.”
Fall 2008
27
TRAVEL SEMINARS
850
sponsored groups CGE has
worked with
25
Celebrating
years of
educating for transformation
by Kathleen McBride, regional co-director for Central America
and adjunct professor, Center for Global Education
Crossing borders and challenging boundaries is a
powerful metaphor for our journey of the last 25
years. It is the title of the first Center for Global
Education publication that documented the collective memory of our first years of work. The
Center’s initial experiences in 1979 included
crossing the Mexican border with students for
short-term educational experiences. Since that
time, thousands of participants have joined the
Center’s travel seminars to Mexico, Central America, the Philippines, the Middle East, Southern
Africa, and [locations in the U.S.].
As educators, we see our role as one that
engages students and participants in the world,
facilitating critical analysis and reflection that
leads to action. We believe that intercultural dialogue and collaboration with decision makers
and historically disadvantaged urban and rural
communities are a way of developing greater
understanding of the power relations in the
world and planting seeds towards more just relations and fair practices. These assumptions
are at the root our pedagogical model.
An expanded pedagogical framework
While the pedagogy of Paulo Freire continues to
be the foundation of our educational process (experience—reflection—action), in recent years
other kindred approaches, including feminist and
indigenous pedagogies, have influenced our
practice and strengthened our analysis. All of
28
Augsburg Now
the numbers
12,000+ travel seminar participants
Center for
Global
Education
SEMESTERS ABROAD
300
colleges, whose study semesters are arranged by CGE,
including institutions in the U.S., Germany,
Canada, and Norway
1,900
semester program participants
COUNTRIES VISITED
40+
in Mexico, Central America, South
America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, the Middle
East, India, Southeast Asia, China, and Hong Kong,
and the U.S.
CGE FACULTY AND STAFF LOCATIONS
9
Minneapolis
16
Mexico
9
Nicaragua
1
El Salvador
2
Guatemala
8
Namibia
And, millions of stories shared, hearts touched, and
perceptions changed over 25 years across the globe.
these pedagogies place significant emphasis on
learning in community. For Freire, learning in
community is one of the foundations of liberating
education. Historically, learning in community has
been a fundamental characteristic of indigenous
teaching and learning, though underrepresented
in traditional educational systems. Similarly, feminist pedagogy upholds learning in community as
central to educational processes that gives voice
to all people, particularly women, whose experience and voice have oftentimes been silenced.
Concepts of autonomy and empowerment that are
key to feminist and indigenous scholarship have
informed our methodologies and expanded our understanding of the world and of the educational
process. Our efforts to foster ongoing critical
analysis of power relations in the world are
grounded in a practice of intercultural dialogue
and experiences that continue to break open new
understandings of the world, leading us to a
deeper analysis that continually informs our
teaching.
Ongoing challenges
While our role has become clearer with regard to
our niche in the field of transformative education,
we still face significant challenges. As we facilitate
participants’ reflections on educational experi-
ences and encourage the exploration and implementation of action steps, we are confronted with an institutional challenge if we are in fact going to
continue to practice what we teach. To fully engage
the circle of praxis with the goal of transforming society, follow-up to participants’ experience as they
return to their home communities is essential. How
do we, as an institution, provide a space for participants and students to fully engage the circle of
praxis upon their return? How can we facilitate the
exploration of actions steps in participants’ home
communities? …
The Center for Global Education’s work today
continues to be the fruit of dialogue and reflections
with staff and resource people from over a dozen
countries and hundreds of students and participants
from the United States who have inspired our work,
shaped our analysis, challenged our language, and
informed our worldview. We are excited to be engaged in an educational process that will continue
to be refined and changed in the coming years by
new generations of staff and participants engaged in
transformative education.
Excerpted from Global News & Notes, Summer
2007; 25th Anniversary Issue: “Building a Just
and Sustainable World: Educating for
Transformation”
AUGSBURG COLLEGE
ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS
2007-2008
Fall 2008
29
DEAR FRIENDS,
I write with a deep sense of humility and gratitude for your remarkable support of Augsburg College.
When I received the call to serve as the 10th president of Augsburg College, I enthusiastically accepted,
filled with a sense that God intended my life’s work to intersect with Augsburg’s mission and vision. I give
thanks every day for the opportunity to serve this special college. I am impressed by the deep commitment so
many individuals show toward Augsburg and its important work in the world. This annual report is a reminder to all of us of the importance philanthropy plays in the life of our college, and in the lives of our students. On their behalf, thank you for your generosity.
Our common work here at Augsburg calls us to be good stewards of the many gifts and resources we’ve
been given. Each year, thousands of alumni, parents, and friends make gifts not to the College, but through
the College, directly benefiting the many students we
serve. These students either embark on, or continue,
their vocational journeys here at Augsburg, and the
WE BELIEVE WE ARE CALL
many gifts we receive on an annual basis directly imTO SERVE OUR NEIGHBOR
pact their experience—in the classroom, on campus,
and in our neighborhood.
We have a new and bold way of stating the vision
of Augsburg College. It is this: We believe we are called to serve our neighbor. It is a vision statement that resonates deeply with the legacy and promise, the commitments and values, and the aspirations and reality of
our college. It is a statement that confirms our strong conviction that faith, learning, and service are at the
very heart of our identity as a college. I am especially grateful for the faculty and staff of the College who live
out this vision in educating our students.
To continue to live out this vision in a very real and meaningful way, Augsburg College needs your abiding and increased participation and support. I ask each of you to join me as we work together to secure a
strong and vibrant future for our college, and for our students.
Sincerely,
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW
PRESIDENT
30
Augsburg Now
ED
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2007-08
Six new regents
elected to board
Six new members were elected to fouryear terms on the Augsburg College
Board of Regents at the annual meeting
of the Augsburg Corporation in October
2007. In addition, Michael Good and
Jennifer Martin were re-elected to second
six-year terms. New members: Andra
Adolfson, business development director
of Adolfson & Peterson Construction,
Inc; Rolf Jacobson, writer, educator, and
associate professor of Old Testament at
Luther Seminary; Ruth E. Johnson, MD ’74,
consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo
Medical School. She was recognized as a
Distinguished Alumna of Augsburg in
1996; Stephen Sheppard, former CEO of
Foldcraft Co; Joan Volz ’68, private practice attorney specializing in mediation;
Bonnie Wallace, scholarship director,
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa.
Garry Hesser appointed new
Sabo Professor
President Pribbenow announced the appointment of Garry Hesser, professor of
sociology and director of the MetroUrban Studies program, as the College’s
first Sabo Professor of Citizenship and
Learning. His work in this new role lays
the groundwork for the establishment of
an endowed Martin Olav Sabo Center
and chair.
As the Sabo Professor, Hesser’s activities include collaboration with the
Center for Service, Work, and Learning
concerning student engagement and
leadership, and development of events,
Students from the organic chemistry and analytical chemistry class labs paused to thank Augsburg donors John ’74
(chemistry) and Marvel Yager for their gifts that support scholarships for chemistry majors. Their $10,000 annual gift is
fully matched by John’s employer, Beckman Coulter, and has provided $80,000 over the past four years to support chemistry students.
programs, and lecture series that promote civic engagement and build community outreach.
Hesser has taught at Augsburg since
1977 and is recognized as a pioneer in
experiential education. In 1997 he received the Thomas Ehrlich Award for
leadership in service-learning, and in
2004 was named the Minnesota Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for Advancement
and Support of Education.
The Sabo Center in Citizenship and
Learning is the culmination of nearly 20
years of fundraising and advocacy by the
friends and colleagues of Martin Sabo ’59
that celebrates the College’s commitment
to education for democracy.
Metro-urban studies director and professor Garry Hesser
(right) was appointed Sabo Professor of Citizenship and
Learning, honoring the legacy of retired Congressman
Martin Sabo ’59 (left).
Fall 2008
31
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2007-08
Two Augsburg giants
are mourned
Within one month of each other last
year, Augsburg lost two of its most wellknown and longstanding faculty.
Joel Torstenson ’38,
professor emeritus of sociology,
died on October
18, 2007, at the
age of 94.
So much of
Augsburg’s identity today as a college of the city stems from Torstenson’s
work at Augsburg. He founded the sociology and social work departments, and
the metro-urban studies program. He
developed urban programs in Minneapolis that launched HECUA (the
Higher Education Consortium for
Urban Affairs) and that led to the work
of our Center for Service, Work, and
Learning, including Engaging Minneapolis, which requires all students to
connect with the city in their studies.
Torstenson graduated from Augsburg in 1938. He went on for his master’s and doctoral degrees at the
University of Minnesota in history and
sociology. In 1947, Augsburg president
Bernhard Christensen invited him back
to Augsburg, even while still completing
his PhD, to develop programs in sociology and social work.
Torstenson’s deep commitment to
social issues led him to explore and
work in farmers’ cooperative movements, rural community life, churchlabor relations, racial justice and human
rights, and urban studies, especially
studying the question of the role of a
32
Augsburg Now
liberal arts college in a metropolis.
Torstenson’s memoir, Takk for Alt: A Life
Story, opens a window into his life’s
work and thought.
Leland Sateren ’35,
professor emeritus of music, died
on Nov. 10, 2007,
at the age of 94.
Sateren graduated from Augsburg in 1935, and
for the next 10
years attended graduate school at the
University of Minnesota, where he was
music director at the KUOM radio station. After public service during World
War II he returned to Augsburg, and
four years later he became chair of the
Music Department and director of the
Augsburg Choir. He retired in 1979.
His work includes more than 400
choral pieces he composed, and he was
passionate about Scandinavian choral
music. Sateren introduced the work of
many Scandinavian composers to American choral directors.
Among Sateren’s many notable accomplishments are premieres of works
with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra and a commissioned piece at the
United Nations to commemorate the
20th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Sateren was the first recipient of the
F. Melius Christiansen Memorial Award
for choral directors. In 2002 he was
awarded the Weston Noble Choral Directors Award. He was also honored
Home economics graduates from 1950 to 1970 honored the memory of their mentor, teacher, and friend Ruth Segolson,
who served as chair of the Home Economics Department. Following her death in 1980, a fund was established to provide a
special gift in her memory. In November, on behalf of all former home economics majors, Jerilyn Hovland Cobb ’63 presented a tea service to the College, pictured here as it was first used at the Augsburg House reception honoring convocation speaker Jane Fonda. (L to R) President Pribbenow, Abigail Pribbenow, Dora (Frojen) Quanbeck ’49, and Philip
Quanbeck Sr. ’50.
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2007-08
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton held a campaign rally at Augsburg on
February 3, just prior to the “Super Tuesday” primaries. With one day’s notice, Augsburg
staff, along with her campaign team, readied Melby Hall for the lively Sunday afternoon
event that drew nearly 5,000 people, plus local and national media.
with the St. Olaf Medal, presented by
King Olav V of Norway, and received
two honorary doctorates.
Sateren’s impact on the many hundreds of Augsburg students who sang in
his choir was remarkable. Peter Hendrickson ’76, director of choral activities
and current conductor of the Augsburg
Choir, studied with Sateren. A number
of other Sateren choir alumni currently
sing in the Masterworks Chorale at
Augsburg, directed by Hendrickson.
$100,000 Class of 1957
Endowment Fund
Congratulations to the Class of 1957
alumni and their spouses for establishing the Class of 1957 Endowment Fund
in celebration of their 50th class reunion. Their commitment and loyalty
help ensure that Augsburg can meet the
needs of its future students, especially
Jane Fonda presented the 2007 Koryne Horbal Lecture in November, sharing her
thoughts on the importance of beginning the “third act” of her life as she celebrated
her 60th birthday.
in areas of financial aid, program support, enhanced technology, and student
support services.
The endowment was jumpstarted
through the generosity of a class member who provided matches for all gifts
up to $50,000, challenging fellow classmates to participate at all levels.
Augsburg is grateful to the Class of
1957 for creating this important legacy
during their milestone year to honor
their Augsburg education. The foundation provides for today’s and tomorrow’s
students. It keeps them connected to
the traditions and heritage of the College as they craft their own legacies and
ties with students who come after them.
Spirit of Augsburg Award
Beverly Nilsson, professor emerita of nursing, taught at Augsburg from 1977 to
2001, serving as department chair from
1978 until her retirement.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Dr. Bruce Amundson ’60, a leader in the
Peace Corps, Job Corps, and in rural
community health programs; presently
works to advance the integration of
medical care and mental health care in
Washington State.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Jim Pederson ’56 former legislator in the
Minnesota House of Representatives
and Dept. of Public Safety.
2007 Homecoming Awards
The First Decade Award
Jasmina Besirevic-Regan ’97 dean of Trumbull College, one of Yale’s undergraduate residential colleges.
To read more about the 2007 Alumni
Awards, go to www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall 2008
33
2007-2008 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Where the Money Comes From
Where the Money Goes
3%
5%
3%
Government grants
Other sources
3%
Debt service
Equipment
and capital
improvement
2%
Student salary
6%
4%
Private gifts and grants
Utilities
12%
Room and board
20%
47%
Salary and benefits
Financial aid
74%
Tuition
21%
Other
$34.5
$33.7
$30.5
2008 Endowment Market Value
May 31, 2008
$33,692,461
As of May 31, 2008, we have annual realized and unrealized losses
of 3.4% on our endowment. However, last year’s annualized return
was over 16%. Our five-year average annual return on the endowment is 6.21%, and the ten-year
average annual return is 5.39%. We
are committed to maintaining the
value of the principal gifts and to
provide support to the college in
perpetuity.
$26.6
$24.8
$23.2
$25.4
$22.7 $23.3
$20.0
$16.4
$14.2
$11.5
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Endowment Assets
(in millions)
June 1, 1995 – May 31, 2008
34
Augsburg Now
$26.7
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
DEAR FRIENDS,
As we begin our 140th academic year, it is truly my pleasure to share with you the many gifts and contributions made to Augsburg College between June 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008. Even more important than the thousands of gifts received, however, are
the thousands of generous alumni, parents, and friends who made these gifts.
This past year, my first at Augsburg, was an exciting one. Following on the heels of the successful Access to Excellence campaign, a great deal was accomplished for the benefit of our many students. With deep gratitude, I would like to highlight much of
the success we accomplished together.
• We were blessed to receive over 9,000 gifts last year from more than 4,600
donors. The support and generosity of these individuals make a direct and
positive impact on the lives of our students in many ways. These gifts went to
support the Augsburg Fund, student scholarships, capital projects, the fine
arts, athletics, signature programs, and many other important initiatives.
• One exciting highlight from this past fiscal year was that the Augsburg
Fund, our fund for unrestricted gifts to the College, topped the $1 million
mark for only the third time ever and the first time outside of a campaign
year. Our result of $1,001,978.91 was a 10% increase over the prior fiscal year.
We received 5,143 gifts from 2,763 donors to reach this goal.
• Several key groups also came together last year in support of Augsburg College through their philanthropy. I am so proud to inform you that we received
100% participation to the Augsburg Fund from the Board of Regents, the
Alumni Board of Directors, and the President’s Cabinet. This type of support
from these three groups of individuals demonstrates the type of commitment
to this institution by its various groups of leaders.
• Augsburg also received 853 gifts totaling $756,094 to new or existing
scholarship funds, including the establishment of 12 new endowed
scholarships. Two additional scholarships were also funded at the
presidential level, bringing our total of President’s Scholarships to
three. Scholarships are a primary source of financial aid for many deserving students at Augsburg, and we are again grateful that hundreds
of generous individuals have chosen to establish or contribute to these
funds, directly benefiting our student learners.
YOUR SUPPORT AND
GENEROSITY MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE
LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS
• The College also completed its first year of residency in the new Oren Gateway Center and its first fully-operational year in the
new Kennedy Center. These two new facilities, direct results of the generosity shown in the last capital campaign, have made a
positive permanent impact on the life of this institution. Students now directly benefit from new residence halls, state-of-theart classrooms, athletic and wellness facilities, and important gathering and meeting spaces.
As we enter yet another year with great anticipation of what the future will hold for our college, and our students, we look back
with tremendous gratitude for the many blessings we have been given. We are most grateful for each and every gift we receive
and I thank you most sincerely.
Sincerely,
JEREMY R. WELLS
VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Fall 2008
35
LIFETIME GIVING
The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given a minimum of $100,000 (since 1980),
including planned gifts, over a lifetime. We are immensely grateful for their examples of loyalty and commitment to the College.
Ernest+ and Helen Alne
Charles and Ellora Alliss Education Foundation
Oscar+ ’38 and Leola+ Anderson
Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81
Charles and Catherine Anderson
Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson
Donald ’60 and Violet Anderson
Earl and Doris Bakken
Loren and Mary Quanbeck ’77 Barber
Elizabeth ’82 and Warren Bartz
Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden
Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg
Barbara and Zane Birky
Roy ’50 and Ardis Bogen
John+ and Joyce Boss
Donald Bottemiller
Rodney and Barbara Burwell
Bush Foundation
Carlson Companies
The Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation
Shirley Cherkasky
Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin
David and Mary Brandt ’79 Croft
Theodore and Pamala Deikel
Deluxe Corporation Foundation
Darrell ’55 and Helga Egertson
Tracy L. Elftmann ’81
Philip and Laverne Fandrei
Jerry and Jean Foss
William and Anne Frame
Barbara and Edwin Gage
General Mills Foundation
Michael ’71 and Ann Good
Roger Griffith ’84 and Jean Taylor ’85
H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal
Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde
Phillip+ ’55 and Lynne Gronseth
Carolyn and Franklin Groves
Stephen ’70 and Margaret Gundale
James and Kathleen Haglund
Hearst Foundation
Loren Henderson
Donald Hennings
Grace Forss ’57 Herr and Douglas Herr
Donald ’39 and Phyllis Holm
Allen and Jean Housh
Garfield Hoversten ’50
Robert Hoversten
Huss Foundation
Sandra and Richard Jacobson
James Johnson and Maxine Isaacs
Kinney Johnson ’65
Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy
Bruce and Maren Kleven
David and Barbara Kleven
E. Milton Kleven ’46
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Kraus-Anderson Construction Company
David Lankinen ’88
Diane and Philip Larson
George ’61 and Mary Larson
Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee
James Lindell ’46
Arne ’49 and Jean Swanson ’52 Markland
Marie and Larry McNeff
Gerard and Anne Meistrell
Hoyt+ ’39 and Lucille Messerer
Robert ’70 and Sue Midness
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
If you notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
+ Deceased
36
Augsburg Now
Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller
William and Stephanie Naegele
Barbara Tjornhom ’54 Nelson and Richard Nelson
George ’68 and Tamra Nelson
Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson
Robert Odegard ’51+
R. Luther Olson ’56
Beverly Halling ’55 Oren and Donald ’53 Oren
John and Norma Paulson
Robert ’50 and Ruth Paulson
Glen Person ’47
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson
Addison and Cynthia Piper
David Piper
Harry and Mary Piper
Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe
Alan Rice
Curtis and Marian Sampson
Ward ’74 and Catherine Schendel
Ruth Schmidt ’52
James and Eva Seed
Rodney Sill ’82
John and Martha Singleton
Glen and Anna Skovholt
Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46
Leland and Louise Sundet
Dean ’81 and Amy Sundquist
Glen A. Taylor Foundation
P. Dawn Heil Taylor ’78
Teagle Foundation
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Robert ’63 and Marie Tufford
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
Scott Weber ’79
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
ANNUAL GIVING
GIFTS RECEIVED JUNE 1, 2007 TO MAY 31, 2008
The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who generously gave a minimum of $1,000 in the 2007-08 fiscal year.
3M Foundation
Ruth Aaskov ’53
Accenture
Kate Addo
Andra Adolfson
Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Aegon Transamerica Foundation
Peter ’70 and Mary Agre
Lois Richter ’60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson
Edward ’50 and Margaret Alberg
Charles and Ellora Alliss Education Foundation
Paul ’59 and Pearl Almquist
The American Foundation
Ameriprise Financial
Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81
Charles and Catherine Anderson
Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson
Deloris Anderson ’56
Donald ’60 and Violet Anderson
Kim ’73 and Nancy Kerber ’74 Anderson
Leif Anderson
Robert ’77 and Katherine Anderson
Scott ’76 and Lisa Anderson
Steven and Stephanie Anderson
William ’86 and Kelly Anderson
I. Shelby Gimse Andress ’56
James ’88 and Christine Pieri ’88 Arnold
Carla Asleson ’91
Al Assad
The Aston Group, Inc.
Avaya Communication
B R Direct Marketing, Inc.
Dorothy Bailey
Stanley ’57 and Mary Esther Baker
Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden
Stephen ’67 and Sandra Batalden
Estate of Abner B Batalden
Tracy and Janel Beckman
Vera Thorson Benzel ’45
Norman ’59 and Delores Berg
Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg
Samuel ’97 and Melissa Wieland ’97 Bergstrom
Daryl and Marylee Bible
Birgit Birkeland ’58
Robert and Lynda Bisanz
Nancy Paulson ’70 Bjornson and J. Ragnar
Bjornson
Stephen ’74 and Janet Blake
Buffie Blesi ’90 and John Burns
David ’68 and Lynn Boe
Boeing Company
Kevin Bonderud ’79
Amy Bowar ’97
Thomas ’78 and Julie Bramwell
Marilyn Saure ’61 Breckenridge and Tom
Breckenridge
Heidi Breen
Bruce Brekke
Kyle Brown ’88
Adam Buhr ’98 and Laura Pejsa ’98
Carolyn Burfield ’60
Marion Buska ’46
BWBR Architects
Cargill Foundation
Laurie Carlson ’79 and William Voedisch
Wayne ’69 and Pamela Bjorklund ’69 Carlson
Carolyn Foundation
James and Kimberly Cassens
John and Peggy Cerrito
Shirley Cherkasky
Keith ’65 and Lynn Chilgren
Rev. Dr. Herbert ’54 and Rev. E Corrine Chilstrom
David ’72 and Michelle Karkhoff ’72 Christianson
Harlan ’57 Christianson
C. Lee Clarke
Jerelyn Hovland ’63 and Clyde Cobb
Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin
Joseph Cook ’89
Walter and Janet Cooper
The Cotswold Foundation Trust
Brent Crego ’84
George ’72 and Janet Dahlman
Sally Hough Daniels ’79
Bartley Davidson ’76
Dow Corning Corporation Matching Gifts
Downey McGrath Group, Inc.
Karen ’81 and Charles Durant
Beverly Durkee
E.A. Sween Company
Julie Edstrom ’90
Darrell ’55 and Helga Egertson
Judy Thompson Eiler ’65
Daniel ’77 and Patricia Eitrheim
ELCA
Tracy L. Elftmann ’81
Elftmann Family Foundation
Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri
Avis Ellingrod
Rona Quanbeck ’48 Emerson and Victor Emerson
The Eppley Foundation For Research, Inc.
Edna Kastner ’42 Ericksen
Dennis ’64 and Mary Lou Ervin ’64 Erickson
L. Craig ’79 and Theresa Serbus ’79 Estrem
Alice C. Evans
Barbara A. Farley
Jane and Patrick Fischer
Dawn Formo
Jerome Formo ’37
Jamie Fragola
William and Anne Frame
Andrew Fried ’93
Laurie ’80 Fyksen-Beise and William Beise
Estate of Charles T. Gabrielson
Barbara and Edwin Gage
General Mills Foundation
Anthony ’85 and Traci Genia
Glen ’52 and Irvyn Gilbertson
Hugh ’58 and Kay Lemmerman ’60 Gilmore
Orval and Cleta Gingerich
Estate of Richard Irving Gisselquist
Gerald and Susan ’76 Glaser
Global Impact
GMAC-RFC
Andrew and Carolyn Goddard
Goldman, Sachs & Co
Michael ’71 and Ann Good
Gopher Wrestling Club
Shirley Larson ’51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud
Roger ’61 and Barbara Milne ’60 Gordon
Thomas Gormley and Mary Lesch-Gormley
Paul and Margot Grangaard
Robert and Nancy Granrud
Fall 2008
37
Paul and Judy Grauer
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Charles and Barbara Green
William and Judith Green
Roger Griffith ’84 and Jean Taylor ’85
H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal
Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde
Stephen ’70 and Margaret Gundale
Margaret and Gunderson
Mabeth Saure ’58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom
Patrick ’78 and Debra Haar
Mark ’77 and Naomi Hall
Halleland Lewis Nilan Sipkins & Johnson P.A.
William ’51 and Marolyn Sortland ’51 Halverson
Clarence Hansen ’53
Anna Hovland ’58 Hanson
Skylar ’01 and Jennifer Hanson
Estate of Russell I. Hanson and Viola M. Hanson
Jodi and Stanley Harpstead
Robert ’83 and Lynne Harris
John H. Harris III Memorial Foundation
Richard and Dail Hartnack
Christopher Haug ’79 and Karl Starr
David ’67 and Karen Jacobson ’67 Haugen
Dorothy Haugen
Helen ’49 and James Haukeness
Lee Hawks ’84
Lisa Svac Hawks ’85
Philip ’42 and Ruth Helland
Raymond Henjum ’55
Leo Henkemeyer
Hennepin County
Grace Forss ’57 Herr and Douglas Herr
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
Bruce ’90 Holcomb and Caroline Vernon
Kenneth ’74 and Linda Bailey ’74 Holmen
Dean ’57 and Jane Holmes
Homeland Foundation
Elizabeth Horton
Joel and Alice Houlton
Allen ’64 and Lenice Hoversten
Clarence ’41 and Marguerite Hoversten
Kermit ’50 and Ruth Hoversten
Philip ’71 and Patricia Hoversten
Joseph ’61 and Mei Shen Hsieh
Michael and Barbara Hubbard
Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation
Joseph and Linnea Daigle Hudson
Alvin John and Ruth Huss
Huss Foundation
Mohamed Hussein ’03
Glenda and Richard Huston
38
Augsburg Now
Brandon Hutchinson ’99
Barbara and Richard Hutson
IBM Corporation
Duane ’68 and Diane Ilstrup
Imation Corporation
Mary and Tony Jacobson
Sandra and Richard Jacobson
Bruce ’68 and Lois Hallcock ’68 Johnson
Carol Oversvee Johnson ’61
Ruth E. Johnson ’74 and Philip Quanbeck II
Estate of Louisa Johnson
Kinney Johnson ’65
Merton ’59 and Jo An D. Bjornson ’58 Johnson
Craig Jones
Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander
Jennifer Abeln ’78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow
Cheri Hofstad ’85 Kamp and Thomas Kamp
Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy
Mary Ann Kinney ’04
Cody Kirkham
Michael Kivley ’89
Linda Klas ’92
E. Milton Kleven ’46
Jason Koch ’93 and Heather Johnston ’92
Elsie Ronholm Koivula ’49
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Kopp Family Foundation
Joanne Stiles ’58 Laird and David Laird
Martin Larson ’80
Marvin and Ruth Ringstad ’53 Larson
Julie Gudmestad ’65 and Joseph Laudicina
Bernadine and Sidney Lee
Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee
Andre Lewis ’73 and Kathleen McCartin
James Lindell ’46
Gaye and Stephen Lindfors
Mary Sue and Hugh Lindsay
Dana Lonn
Stanley ’56 and Gailya Ludviksen
Wenona ’55 and Norman Lund
John ’65 and Gracia Nydahl ’66 Luoma
Pamela and Robert MacDonald
Janet Mackenzie ’90
Roger ’57 and Fern Mackey
Philip ’79 and Diane Madsen
Kay Malchow ’82 and Stephen Cook
Lyle ’68 and Susanne Starn ’68 Malotky
Terry Marquardt ’98 and Gary Donahue
Jennifer and Richard Martin
Norman ’57 and Gayle Engedal ’57 Matson
Donald ’66 and Margaret Mattison
Donna Demler McLean
Christopher ’00 and Tara Cesaretti ’97 McLeod
Marie and Larry McNeff
Merck Partnership For Giving
Merrill Lynch
Daniel ’65 and Mary Tildahl ’65 Meyers
Deidre Durand ’88 and Bruce Middleton
Robert ’70 and Sue Midness
Paul ’70 and Barbara Durkee ’71 Mikelson
Dennis ’67 and Christine Miller
Gerald ’57 and Frida Mindrum
Spencer ’66 and Gay Johnson ’66 Minear
Minnesota Hockey Coaches Assoc.
Minnesota Private College Foundation
Jeanette Mitchell
Thomas ’59 and Ruth Carlsen ’60 Moen
Thelma Monson ’41
Alan Montgomery and Janet KarvonenMontgomery
Thomas and Lorraine Morgan
LaWayne ’51 and D. LaRhea Johnson ’51 Morseth
Sharon Mortrud
Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller
Dylan ’97 and Wendy ’96 Nau
Gordon Nelson
Mildred Nelson ’52
Robert ’44 Nelson and Helen Johnson-Nelson
Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson
Steven ’64 and Rebecca ’64 Nielsen
Norma Noonan
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust
Roselyn Nordaune ’77
Jane Huseby ’65 Norman
Shirley and James ’57 Norman
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation
Terry ’70 and Vicki Nygaard
Leroy ’52 and Betty Munson ’53+ Nyhus
Oak Grove Lutheran Church
Robert Odegard ’51+
Richard ’69 and Sandra Larson ’69 Olmsted
Donald Olsen ’60
Bruce L. Olson ’71
Dean Olson ’00
R. Luther Olson ’56
Beverly Halling ’55 Oren and Donald ’53 Oren
Beverly Ottum
Patricia and John Parker
Subhashchandra ’75 and Annette Hanson ’74 Patel
John and Norma Paulson
Robert ’50 and Ruth Paulson
Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Richard ’74 and Karen Pearson
Glen Person ’47
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
Corwin and Doris Peterson
Eugene ’59 and Paula Peterson
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson
Karin Peterson
Ron ’69 and Jane Petrich
Sandra Phaup ’64
Jay Phinney ’79
Presser Foundation
President Paul C. Pribbenow and Abigail
Crampton Pribbenow
Project Consulting Group
Karl D. Puterbaugh ’52
Linda Hanwick ’64 and John Putnam
Lois Quam and Matthew Entenza
Philip ’50 and Dora Frojen ’49 Quanbeck
Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe
Lloyd ’63 and Linnea Raymond
RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation
Donald F. and Mary Sue Zelle Reed Fund
Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach
Stephen Rivard and Christine Jett-Rivard
Eunice Kyllo ’62 Roberts and Warren Roberts
Frances Roller
Olive Ronholm ’47
Philip Jr. and Margaret Rowberg
Philip Rowberg ’41
Gerald ’48 and Judith Ryan
Martin ’59 and Sylvia Sabo
Curtis and Marian Sampson
Audrey Nagel ’51 Sander
Judith and William Scheide
Ruth Schmidt ’52
Inez Olson ’59 Schwarzkopf and Lyall Schwarzkopf
Douglas Scott and Grace Schroeder Scott
Michael ’71 and Bonnie Scott
Charles and Ritchie Markoe Scribner
Milan ’48 and Marian Sedio
James and Eva Seed
Phyllis ’58 and Harold Seim
Richard ’70 and Linda Seime
Frankie and Jole Shackelford
Shepherd of the Glades Lutheran Church
Stephen and Kay Sheppard
Chad ’93 and Margaret Shilson
Michael and Pamela Sime
Russel ’50 and Virginia Thompson ’50 Smith
Neal ’57 and Judy Fosse ’61 Snider
Steven and Pamela Snyder
David Soli ’81
Earle ’69 and Kathleen Kupka ’69 Solomonson
John ’62 and Ruth Sather ’63 Sorenson
Allan ’53 and Eunice Nystuen ’50 Sortland
Arne and Ellen Sovik
Joyce Engstrom ’70 Spector and Robert Spector
Gary ’68 and Jeanette Stangland
David ’63 and Karen Henry ’64 Steenson
Todd ’89 and Amy Steenson
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz
Myles and Eunice Stenshoel
Jeffrey ’82 and Peggy Stoks
Beverly and Thomas Stratton
Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46
Philip ’79 and Julia Davis ’79 Styrlund
Grace Kemmer ’58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud
Kenneth Svendsen ’78 and Allison Everett ’78
Brian Swedeen ’92 and Terri Burnor ’92
M. Douglas + and Solveig Swendseid
Jeffrey ’79 and Melissa Swenson
Gary ’80 and Deanna Tangwall
Elizabeth and Kenneth Tankel
P. Dawn Heil Taylor ’78
Glen A. Taylor Foundation
TCF Foundation
Jacqueline ’80 and John Teisberg
Paul ’60 and Nancy Thompsen
Harold and Maureen Thompson
Jennings ’51 and Mary Schindler ’48 Thompson
Richard ’61 and Jane Thompson
Gordon ’52 and Gloria Parizek ’53 Thorpe
Marlys Holm ’57 Thorsgaard and Arlen Thorsgaard
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans
David and Martha Tiede
Christine Toretti
The Toro Company
Allan ’75 Torstenson and Frances Homans
Frances and Joel ’38+ Torstenson
Todd Tourand ’99
Gordon ’57 and Karen Egesdal ’61 Trelstad
Lawrence ’69 and Susan Turner
Peter Turner
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
Betty and Paul Tveite
F. Clayton ’72 Tyler and Jackie Parker ’76
Cherryhomes
UBS Foundation
Morris ’42 and Grace Ulring
US Bancorp Foundation
Ruth Usem
Catherine Van Der Schans
Julie Lien ’82 and Steve Vanderboom
Mary ’70 and Dennis Veiseth
Peter and Linda Vogt
Frank ’69 and Wendy Wagner
Robert Wagner ’02
Norman ’76 and Kathryn Anderson ’76 Wahl
Martha and Steven Ward
Colleen Watson ’91 and Mary McDougal
Lois ’76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw
Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program
Wells Fargo Foundation Community Support
John ’49 and Arnhild Werket
Wheelock Whitney and Kathleen Blatz
The Whitney Foundation
Mary and Gunnar Wick
Robert Wick ’81
David and Catherine Wold
John ’74 and Marvel Yager
Ziemann Insurance Services, Inc.
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
If you notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
Fall 2008
39
CONSECUTIVE GIVING
The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given for 10 or more consecutive fiscal years,
as indicated by the number in parentheses. (Gifts received since 1980)
3M Foundation (25)
Ordelle Aaker ’46 (11)
Ruth Aaskov ’53 (29)
Lois Richter ’60 Agrimson and Russell
Agrimson (16)
Harold ’47 and Lois Black ’47 Ahlbom (29)
Edward ’50 and Margaret Alberg (11)
Paul ’59 and Pearl Almquist (10)
Charles and Catherine Anderson (28)
Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson (29)
Deloris Anderson ’56 (17)
Elizabeth Manger ’53 Anderson and Delbert
Anderson (10)
Kristin Anderson (10)
Leif Anderson (10)
Margaret and Raymond Anderson (11)
Margaret Anderson (10)
Ray Anderson ’49 (21)
Robert ’77 and Katherine Anderson (16)
Scott ’76 and Lisa Anderson (10)
Theodore ’48 Anderson and Eliazbeth
Hibbeler-Anderson (10)
William ’86 and Kelly Anderson (12)
LeRoy ’52 and Carole Anenson (11)
Frank ’50 and Georgette Lanes ’50 Ario (28)
Elyce Lundquist ’58 Arvidson and Marvin
Arvidson (22)
John ’79 and Rebecca Lundeen ’79 Aune (17)
Dorothy Bailey (14)
Stanley ’57 and Mary Esther Baker (29)
Elizabeth ’82 and Warren Bartz (10)
Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden (15)
Gerald ’56 and Nancy Baxter (10)
Hamar ’34 and Wanda Severson ’40 Benson (12)
John Benson ’55 (29)
Vera Thorson Benzel ’45 (25)
Gertrude Ness Berg ’51 (15)
John Berg ’59 (17)
Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg (10)
Jack ’49 and LeVerne Berry (27)
Anthony and Kathy Bibus (10)
Birgit Birkeland ’58 (22)
Gary ’65 and Jean Blosberg (11)
David ’79 and Peggy Boots (12)
Bruce ’64 and Nancy Braaten (12)
40
Augsburg Now
Heidi Breen (15)
Daniel and Irene Brink (13)
Michael Burden ’85 (14)
Carolyn Burfield ’60 (10)
Marion Buska ’46 (19)
Daniel ’61 and Faith Carlson (11)
Jeroy ’48 and Lorraine Carlson (29)
Laurie Carlson ’79 and William Voedisch (11)
Roger ’54 and Dorothy Carlson (10)
Wayne ’69 and Pamela Bjorklund ’69 Carlson (19)
Wendell ’63 and Grace Carlson (10)
Linda Carlstedt ’63 (29)
Joyce Catlin ’73 Casey and Paul Casey (27)
Carl ’59 and Kathleen Aaker ’62 Casperson (11)
Peggy and John Cerrito (10)
Rev. Dr. Herbert ’54 and Rev. E
Corrine Chilstrom (12)
Judith Christensen (10)
Paul ’59 and Gloria Christensen (11)
Jeff Christenson ’82 (10)
Janet Niederloh ’58 Christeson and John
Christeson (11)
David ’72 and Michelle Karkhoff ’72
Christianson (20)
Joseph ’53 and Connie Cleary (11)
Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin (28)
Donald and Janice Conrad (18)
Laura Bower ’91 Cunliffe and Wayne Cunliffe (10)
Oliver Dahl ’45 (11)
Addell Halverson Dahlen ’43 (18)
Lester Dahlen ’39 (29)
Leonard ’52 and Anabelle Hanson ’51 Dalberg (28)
Sally Hough Daniels ’79 (10)
Lois Mackey Davis ’58 (10)
LeVon Paulson Dinter ’52 (22)
Hans ’56 and Donna Dumpys (21)
Linda Lundeen ’74 Dunn and Douglas Dunn (14)
Julie Edstrom ’90 (12)
Ruben ’45 and Thelma Egeberg (10)
Judy Thompson Eiler ’65 (10)
Curtis ’84 and Jody Eischens (10)
Daniel ’77 and Patricia Eitrheim (10)
ELCA (21)
Elftmann Family Foundation (14)
Avis Ellingrod (13)
Valborg Kyllo ’54 Ellingson and Phillip
Ellingson (15)
Rona Quanbeck ’48 Emerson and Victor
Emerson (15)
Mark and Lynette Engebretson (10)
Fred ’60 and Janet Engelmann (20)
James Ericksen ’69 (27)
Reynold ’41 and Marian Erickson (19)
Dean ’68 and Diana Olson ’69 Ersfeld (15)
Alice C. Evans (10)
John ’82 and Joan Moline ’83 Evans (22)
Leland ’53 and Eunice Fairbanks (22)
Marilyn Pearson ’76 Florian and Kenneth
Florian (26)
Jerome Formo ’37 (27)
William and Anne Frame (12)
Esther Oleson ’54 Freund and Norman
Freund (11)
R. Mark Frey (10)
Andrew Fried ’93 (11)
Marilyn Elness ’53 Froiland and Philip
Froiland (17)
Terry ’67 and Pauline Frovik (10)
Ann Garvey (10)
Alan ’67 and Marilyn Albaugh ’67 Gierke (29)
Donald ’60 and Nancy Gilberg (14)
Rachel Rohde ’76 Gilchrist and Chris Gilchrist (19)
Borghild Gisselquist (10)
Gary and Barbara Glasscock (11)
Alexander ’90 and Simone Gonzalez (18)
Shirley Larson ’51 Goplerud and Dean
Goplerud (28)
Lorraine Vash ’67 Gosewisch and David
Gosewisch (10)
Paul and Judy Grauer (27)
Douglas Green and Becky Boling (10)
Cindy Greenwood 2005 (10)
H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal (22)
Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde (29)
Steven ’81 and Kathy Grinde (11)
Paul ’62 and Susan Grover (27)
John and Laurie Grygelko (12)
Fern Hanson Gudmestad ’41 (26)
Sonia Overmoen ’62 Gullicks and Milton
Gullicks (22)
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
Marlys Ringdahl ’53 Gunderson and Charles
Gunderson (21)
Arlin Gyberg (29)
Mabeth Saure ’58 Gyllstrom and Richard
Gyllstrom (27)
Mark ’77 and Naomi Hall (20)
William ’51 and Marolyn Sortland ’51
Halverson (10)
Arvin ’55 and Twila Halvorson (28)
Edward and Shirley Hansen (24)
Sylvia Kleven Hanson ’50 (12)
John ’69 and Barbara Harden (11)
Evelyn Green ’49 Harris and Edward Harris (12)
Betty Johnson ’58 Haas and Charles Hass (28)
Christopher Haug ’79 and Karl Starr (13)
Marjorie Wilberg Hauge ’50 (25)
Burton ’72 and Rollie Haugen (14)
Marilyn Peterson1963 Haus and George Haus (27)
Philip ’42 and Ruth Helland (21)
Gerald ’59 and Maxine Hendricks (10)
Robert ’55 and Karin Herman (10)
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans (29)
Jean Magnuson ’57 Hicks and David Hicks (10)
Rodney ’59 and Arlene Selander ’59 Hill (12)
Helen Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41 (12)
Sylvia Hjelmeland (11)
Thomas ’57 and Arlene Hofflander (20)
James ’61 and Caroline Holden (21)
Norman and Ilene Holen (20)
Dean ’57 and Jane Holmes (10)
Bradley ’63 and Linda Holt (28)
James ’59 and Joanne Horn (10)
Donald ’65 and Delores Hoseth (10)
Robert ’67 and Jane Hosman (23)
Allen ’64 and Lenice Hoversten (29)
Kermit ’50 and Ruth Hoversten (11)
Edith Hovey (15)
Florence Retrum Hovland ’40 (21)
Joseph ’61 and Mei Shen Hsieh (19)
Glenda and Richard Huston (17)
Bruce and Jean Inglis (12)
Rosemary Jacobson ’69 (14)
Jeffrey ’80 and Jacqui Jarnes (11)
Bruce ’68 and Lois Hallcock ’68 Johnson (11)
David ’64 and Karen Johnson (10)
Doris Wilkins ’63 Johnson and Charles
Johnson (12)
Duane and Ruth Johnson (21)
Glen and Marlys Johnson (10)
Gloria Johnson ’51 (20)
Janet Batalden ’61 Johnson and Dennis ’61
Johnson (13)
Joan ’94 and Mark Johnson (14)
Kinney Johnson ’65 (18)
Laurel Jones ’69 Johnson and Larry Johnson (13)
Marcellus ’54 and Thelma Johnson (10)
Martha Johnson (10)
Ruth E. Johnson ’74 and Philip Quanbeck II (21)
Kenneth & Lillian Ysteboe ’51 Ose
Ervin ’56 & Sylvia Overlund
Theodore ’68 and Michelle Johnson (12)
Wayne Johnson ’58 (26)
Helen Johnson-Nelson and Robert ’44 Nelson (13)
Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander (28)
Jennifer Abeln ’78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow (11)
Cheri Hofstad ’85 Kamp and Thomas Kamp (11)
Richard ’69 and Cheryl Nelson ’70 King (11)
Cody Kirkham (11)
Sharon Dittbenner ’65 Klabunde and Richard
Klabunde (22)
E. Milton Kleven ’46 (11)
Jerome Kleven ’58 (12)
Lowell ’54 and Janice Kleven (24)
Leo Klohr and Judy Occhetti-Klohr (12)
LaRhae Grindal Knatterud ’70 (12)
Millard ’52 and Dorothy Knudson (13)
Daniel ’70 and Ingrid Kloster ’69 Koch (11)
Elsie Ronholm Koivula ’49 (28)
James Kottom ’52 (23)
Joan Johnson1953 Kuder and Calvin Kuder (26)
Joan Kunz (10)
William ’52 and Edith Kuross (11)
Sigrunn Kvamme ’53 (18)
Robert ’80 and Lori LaFleur (16)
Joanne Stiles ’58 Laird and David Laird (26)
Archie Lalim ’50 (28)
George ’50 and Vivian Lanes (14)
Linda Larson ’70 and C. Jerry Sells (23)
John ’52 and Mary Peterson ’54 Leak (13)
Roger ’50 and Donna Wang ’52 Leak (12)
Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee (25)
James ’67 and Laurie Lindell (10)
James Lindell ’46 (27)
Rosemary and Andrew Link (10)
Robert ’56 and Mary Erickson ’58 Lockwood (16)
Brent Lofgren ’88 (17)
Irene Ppedahl Lovaas ’45 (15)
Jack ’53 and Darlene Lundberg (11)
Susan Lageson ’77 Lundholm and Mark
Lundholm (19)
Roger ’57 and Fern Mackey (24)
Marie Hafie ’65 MacNally and Thomas
MacNally (12)
Margreta Magelssen ’72 and David Hallan (23)
Richard ’55 and Mary Mahre (10)
Ronald ’56 and Christine Munson ’56 Main (10)
Raymond Makeever (10)
Michael ’65 and Lynne Marcy (10)
Carlos Mariani Rosa (10)
Julie Magnuson ’61 Marineau and Richard
Marineau (10)
John ’59 and De Anne Martinsen (12)
Michael McCully (12)
Kristin Settergren ’86 McGinness and Steve
McGinness (19)
Donna McLean (22)
Tara Cesaretti ’97 McLeod and Christopher
2000 McLeod (10)
Marie and Larry McNeff (28)
Meca Sportswear Inc (11)
Joan and Richard Meierotto (11)
Daniel ’65 and Mary Tildahl ’65 Meyers (17)
Erwin ’54 and Carolyn Ryan ’56 Mickelberg (10)
Robert ’70 and Sue Midness (19)
Paul ’70 and Barbara Durkee ’71 Mikelson (28)
Victor ’42 and Rhoda Miller (12)
Thomas ’59 and Ruth Carlsen ’60 Moen (10)
James Mondo (10)
Alan Montgomery and Janet
Karvonen-Montgomery (10)
Thomas and Lorraine Morgan (26)
LaWayne ’51 and D. LaRhea Johnson ’51
Morseth (20)
Mildred and Van Mueller (24)
Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller (12)
David Narr ’94 (11)
Bonnie Johnson ’67 Nelson and Bryce Nelson (25)
Edor ’38 and Dorathy Nelson (12)
Gloria Burntvedt Nelson ’43 (26)
Larry ’65 and Marilyn Nelson (13)
Mildred Nelson ’52 (29)
Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson (12)
Steven ’64 and Rebecca ’64 Nielsen (10)
Erika Staub ’51 Niemi and Wayne Niemi (17)
Timothy ’82 and Jane Nohr (10)
Margaret Nelson Foss Nokleberg ’48 (21)
Norma Noonan (14)
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust (20)
Roselyn Nordaune ’77 (28)
Betsey and Alan Norgard (14)
James ’57 and Shirley Norman (11)
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation (19)
Jonathan Nye ’72 and Wendy Worner (17)
Terry ’70 and Vicki Nygaard (10)
Leroy ’52 and Betty Munson ’53 Nyhus (16)
Steven O’Tool ’74 (10)
Fall 2008
41
Maren Lecy ’83 Ogdie and Al Ogdie (19)
Norman ’85 and Kim Asleson ’84 Okerstrom (18)
Sandra Larson ’69 Olmsted and Richard ’69
Olmsted (12)
W. Donald ’34 and Glenda Olsen (20)
Bettye and Howard Olson (16)
Laverne Moe ’48 Olson and Paul Olson (22)
Orville ’52 and Yvonne Bagley ’52 Olson (28)
R. Luther Olson ’56 (11)
Vicki and Daniel Olson (10)
Kristen Olsrud ’80 (11)
Laurie Nelson ’79 Orlow and Steven Orlow (19)
Jack ’62 and Nina Osberg (18)
Jim ’64 and Rose Parks (20)
Arnold ’52 and Betty Paulson (12)
John and Norma Paulson (11)
Daniel ’51 and Lois Pearson (22)
Dale Pederson (10)
Glen Person ’47 (23)
Eugene ’59 and Paula Peterson (21)
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson (29)
Rebecca Arvold ’88 Pfabe and Maurice Higgins (14)
Jay Phinney ’79 (29)
Leanne Phinney ’71 and Mark Schultz (11)
Jill Pohtilla (10)
Presser Foundation (12)
David Proctor ’63 (22)
Elizabeth Pushing ’93 (14)
Jerry ’83 and Susan Warnes ’88 Quam (10)
Dagmar Dahl Quanbeck ’36 (29)
Eileen Quanbeck ’46 (15)
Philip ’50 and Dora Frojen ’49 Quanbeck (12)
Quentin ’50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck (15)
Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe (12)
Larry and Beverly Ragland (16)
James ’61 and BettyAnn Redeske (12)
Donald ’53 and Donna Erickson ’54 Reimer (10)
Robert and Gail Rice (17)
Pamela Birdsall ’75 Richard and Jerry Richard (10)
Donavon ’52 and Ardis Roberts (12)
Eunice Kyllo ’62 Roberts and Warren Roberts (17)
Leeann Rock ’81 and Brian Anderson ’82 (10)
Marion Roe ’50 (12)
Frances Roller (11)
Joyce and Walker Romano (11)
Olive Ronholm ’47 (29)
Stella Kyllo Rosenquist ’64 (10)
Philip Rowberg ’41 (10)
Martin ’59 and Sylvia Sabo (29)
Audrey Nagel ’51 Sander (16)
Pauline and Leland ’35+ Sateren (11)
Maryls Harkman ’54 Schmidt and Leonard
Schmidt (11)
Ruth Schmidt ’52 (29)
Michael and Leslie Schock (10)
Joyce Opseth Schwartz ’45 (26)
Roger ’62 and Jean Schwartz (13)
Inez ’59 and Lyall Schwarzkopf (29)
Ronnie ’62 and Karen Scott (20)
Richard ’70 and Linda Seime (12)
Charles Sheaffer (10)
John ’50 and Norma Shelstad (17)
James ’54 and Ethel Nordstrom ’55 Shiell (28)
Chad ’93 and Margaret Shilson (11)
Nora Anderson ’83 Sillerud and Jon Sillerud (16)
Patricia ’67 and Elmer Sitkin (10)
Arnold ’48 and Carol Skaar (29)
Glen and Anna Skovholt (14)
Evelyn Amundson Sonnack ’43 (27)
Angeline Rolland Sorenson ’50 (25)
Susan Lindberg ’70 Sorenson and Earl
Sorenson (11)
Allan ’53 and Eunice Nystuen ’50 Sortland (16)
Naomi Christensen ’81 Staruch and Steven
Staruch (26)
Ronald ’58 and Naomi Stave (12)
Ruth Framstad Steen ’43 (10)
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz (29)
Myles and Eunice Stenshoel (10)
Hannah Mehus Stensvaag ’38 (29)
Roger ’54 and Bonnie Stockmo (11)
Calvin ’51 and Bonnie Martinson ’59 Storley (10)
Beverly and Thomas Stratton (14)
Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46 (13)
John ’81 and Heidi Strommen (13)
Luther ’39 and Helen Strommen (26)
Merton ’42 and Irene Huglen ’42 Strommen (29)
Steven ’65 and Chynne Strommen (10)
La Vone Studlien ’58 (20)
Grace Kemmer ’58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud (29)
George ’46 and Jean Christenson ’49 Sverdrup (27)
Dorothy Joy Swanson ’51 (18)
Elizabeth Mortensen ’56 Swanson and
James Swanson (19)
Brian Swedeen ’92 and Terri Burnor ’92 (13)
Jeffrey ’79 and Melissa Swenson (16)
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
If you notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
42
Augsburg Now
Jennings ’51 and Mary Schindler ’48
Thompson (29)
Karla Morken ’81 Thompson and Thomas
Thompson (13)
Richard ’61 and Jane Thompson (10)
Sue Thompson ’85 (10)
Gordon ’52 and Gloria Parizek ’53 Thorpe (13)
Marlys Holm ’57 Thorsgaard and Arlen
Thorsgaard (11)
Richard ’56 and Darlene Thorud (10)
Adrian Tinderholt ’38 (28)
Michael ’85 and Rhonda Riesberg ’84 Tjaden (10)
Allan Tonn ’75 (28)
Mark ’79 and Janelle Tonsager (19)
Sheldon ’49 and Margery Manger ’47
Torgerson (23)
Beth Torstenson ’66 (28)
Frances and Joel ’38+ Torstenson (15)
Mark and Ann Tranvik (11)
Margaret Sateren Trautwein ’37 (23)
Gordon ’57 and Karen Egesdal ’61 Trelstad (16)
Trinity Lutheran Congregation (10)
Lawrence ’69 and Susan Turner (10)
Betty and Paul Tveite (12)
Beverly Gryth ’52 Villwock and H. Robert
Villwock (21)
Rebecca Helgesen ’67 Von Fischer and Thomas
Von Fischer (12)
Norman ’76 and Kathryn Anderson ’76 Wahl (10)
Michael ’64 and Carla Quanbeck ’64 Walgren (14)
Lois ’76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw (11)
Scott Weber ’79 (12)
Charleen and Donald Weidenbach (27)
Donald ’89 and Melinda Mattox ’91
Wichmann (16)
Mary and Gunnar Wick (16)
Robert Wick ’81 (22)
David and Catherine Wold (12)
E. Lorraine Yokie (22)
Edmund ’53 and Rose Youngquist (10)
Janet Cooke ’59 Zitzewitz and Donald
Zitzewitz (11)
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
ALUMNI GIVING BY CLASS YEAR
The following list indicates the percentage of alumni in each class year who made a gift to Augsburg College in 2007-2008
(day program, undergraduate alumni).
Total particiaption for all class years, 22%
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
40.00%
50.00%
50.00%
62.50%
64.71%
25.00%
52.94%
40.63%
48.84%
38.10%
45.65%
48.72%
48.15%
45.83%
42.86%
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
47.27%
33.52%
44.53%
50.86%
46.40%
37.88%
37.36%
45.83%
43.65%
47.75%
46.09%
38.31%
36.88%
37.97%
40.76%
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
35.10%
34.75%
30.70%
41.85%
34.35%
29.90%
24.37%
24.30%
26.10%
25.51%
26.42%
24.68%
23.58%
24.65%
23.92%
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
19.09%
17.89%
18.97%
17.44%
18.41%
17.73%
17.82%
13.46%
11.32%
19.12%
14.34%
15.69%
8.70%
10.07%
10.71%
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
10.73%
13.92%
4.23%
9.72%
11.48%
7.58%
12.20%
8.37%
5.43%
8.14%
5.28%
9.45%
4.78%
5.56%
Fall 2008
43
THE 2007-2008 AUGSBURG COLLEGE
ANNUAL REPORT
AUGSBURG COLLEGE
BOARD OF REGENTS
2007-2008
Andra Adolfson
Dan W. Anderson, Class of 1965
Rev. Gary E. Benson, Class of 1970
Jackie Cherryhomes, Class of 1976
AUGSBURG ALUMNI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2007-2008
Michael O. Freeman
Dr. Anthony Genia, Class of 1985
Michael R. Good, Class of 1971
H. Theodore Grindal, Class of 1976
Norman R. Hagfors
Lew Beccone, Class of ’98 MAL
Jodi Harpstead
Buffie Blesi, Class of ’90, ’97 MAL, president
Richard C. Hartnack
Chad Darr, Class of ’04
Rolf Jacobson
Dale Hanka, Class of ’60
Dr. Ruth E. Johnson, Class of 1974
Calvin Hanson, Class of ’98
Dean Kennedy
Daniel Hickle, Class of ’95
Dean C. Kopperud
James Kline, Class of ’01
André J. Lewis, Class of 1973
Lee Anne Lack, Class of ’67
Jennifer H. Martin
Julia Mensing, Class of ’00
Marie O. McNeff
Joyce Miller, Class of ’02, ’05 MAN
Dr. Paul S. Mueller, Class of 1984
Jamie E. Smith, Class of ’04 WEC
Ronald G. Nelson, Class of 1968
Carolyn Spargo, Class of ’80
Beverly Oren, Class of 1955
Jacqueline Teisberg, Class of ’80
Paul C. Pribbenow
Jennifer Tome, Class of ’99
Rev. Peter Rogness, ex-officio
Barry M. Vornbrock, Class of ’96 MAL
Stephen Sheppard
Philip Styrlund, Class of 1979
Emily Anne Tuttle
Rev. Harold Usgaard, ex-officio
Joan Volz, Class of 1968
Rev. Norman W. Wahl, Class of 1976
Bonnie Wallace
FEW COLLEGES ARE AS WELL POSITIONED
A S A U G S B U R G T O S AY, T H I S I S O U R W O R K —
WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS.
—DAVID TIEDE, BERNHARD CHRISTENSEN PROFESSOR OF RELIGION
AND VOCATION, AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF LUTHER SEMINARY
www.augsburg.edu/giving
1-800-273-0617
44
Augsburg Now
auggie
alumni news
From the Alumni Board president …
June 2008
Alumni and friends,
am writing this article on the same day
as commencement for hundreds of graduates of the Augsburg for Adults undergraduate and graduate programs. When I
was an undergraduate, Weekend College
was still in its infancy and the College did not yet offer master’s degrees in any subject area. Look how far we have come
over the last 20 years—Augsburg is now a force in education
for adults in undergraduate programs in Minneapolis and
Rochester and six programs for graduates.
Wow! Who would have thought?
Well, thankfully for all of us, so many brilliant people had
the foresight and perseverance to make it a reality. As alumni,
we benefit from all that the College is and will become. Why?
Because regardless of when we graduated, our degrees gain
value as the College increases its visibility through the accomplishments and success of its programs, professors, and students. If you are like me, you place a great deal of value on
your degree from Augsburg. Take care of it, nurture it, and invest in it through participation and giving. The students of
today will one day bring greater value to it.
With the close of the school year in June, my tenure as
your president also came to an end. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the alumni and have had a tremendous
amount of fun. I turn this column over to a wonderful new
leader, Joyce Miller, who will represent you with vigor and
passion.
i
Good luck to you all and take care,
October 2008
Alumni and friends,
utumn is a season of great beauty. During this time, the Midwest becomes
transformed into a menagerie of colors. This transformation within nature is a
metaphor for the educational experience of
an Augsburg alumnus/a and current student. Liberal arts
courses nurture the growth of human talent and promote a
sense of metanoia, defined as embracing thoughts beyond one’s
present limitations. The menagerie of fall colors can represent
the uniqueness of individuals and the intentionality of embracing diversity within our daily lives.
Augsburg College promises an education like no other.
This promise addresses the following three areas:
a
• To have a special regard for each other—This statement entails having respect for everyone’s unique talents, core values, and cultural traditions.
• To provide an educational experience like no other—Education involves exploring a deeper understanding of faith
and the search for meaning, developing a global perspective, engaging work within the community, and finding
new ways of knowing to promote purposeful living.
• To seek opportunities to develop—This promise promotes
an expanded view of the world, stresses appreciating differences in others, seeks connections, sustains open dialogue,
and prepares to lead in this complex environment.
We can certainly look at these statements and realize how our
education at Augsburg has played a role in the discovery of our
meaningful career paths in the world.
As I begin my presidency of the Alumni Association, I
promise to use my leadership gifts to align the work of the
Alumni Board with the mission, vision, and promise of the College. The Alumni Board members are committed to support the
College’s vision—We believe we are called to serve our neighbor—through involvement in service activities, action projects,
and campus events to enhance the work of the College.
As alumni, stay connected by attending upcoming events
such as Advent Vespers, athletic activities, theatre productions,
or other alumni events. Or just simply keep in communication
with us. Stay connected wherever you are! Looking forward to
a great year.
Sincerely,
BUFFIE BLESI ’90, ’97 MAL
OUTGOING ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
JOYCE P. MILLER ’02 (BSN-ROCHESTER), ’05 MAN
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Fall 2008
45
auggie reunion
Alumni from more than six decades gathered with their classmates.
Class of 1958
Reunion Attendees:
James Almquist, Elyce (Lundquist) Arvidson, Robert
Bagley, Dennis Barnaal, Vernon Berkness, Elaine
(Nelson) Bernards, Birgit Birkeland, Doris (Johnson)
Deml, Dale Evavold, Hugh Gilmore, Byron Golie, Mabeth (Saure) Gyllstrom, Aldemar (Johnson) Hagen,
Kenneth Hagen, Anna (Hovland) Hanson, Betty
(Johnson) Hass, Philip Heide, Carl Hellzen, Ruth
(Thorsgard) Homme, Jerome Kleven, Gwen (Johnson)
Krapf, Joanne (Stiles) Laird, Gary Lange, Gordon Lindgren, Alice (Lindell) Lindgren, Marilyn (Troy) Manley,
Lydia (Dyrlid) Moe, Faye (Brenni) Moen, Wallace
Oien, Roger Olson, Magne Olson, Alfred Reesnes,
Ronald Stave, La Vone Studlien, Grace (Kemmer)
Sulerud
Class of 1968
Reunion Attendees:
Ruth Aaskov, Ann (Larson) Anthonisen, W. Bruce
Benson, Priscilla (Platt) Berg, Joel Bjerkestrand,
David Boe, Donald Britt, Margaret (Engel) Catlett,
Janet (Braaten) DeGaetano, John Eckberg, John
Fahlberg, Douglas Frisk, JoAnne (Digree) Fritz, Mary
(Michaelsen) Garmer, Jane (Eidsvoog) Gisselquist,
James Gisselquist, Kim Gudmestad, Lynn Gunderson,
Pamela (Fredrickson) Gunderson, Ione (Agrimson)
Hanson, Theamarie (Loberg) Harriday, Leif Hartmark,
Claudia (Melvie) Hartmark, David Heidtke, Donald
Horner, James Hoseth, Gerald Jensen, Carole (Braud)
Jensen, Theodore Johnson, Bruce Johnson, Herald
Johnson, Frank Lawatsch, Pamela (Pilcher) Lawatsch,
Janet (Letnes) Martin, Suzann (Johnson) Nelson,
Charles Niles, Perilyn (Brown) Olsen, Kathryn Olson,
Miriam (Cox) Peterson, Richard Quenemoen, John
Roebke, James Romslo, Judith (Anderson)
Schaubach, Jan (Pedersen) Schiff, Carolyn (Hanson)
Schildgen, Gary Schmidt, Kathleen (Nyquist) Schornstein, Clair Severson, Myrna (Jorgenson) Sheie, Jo
Anne Sylvester, Constance (Ackerson) Wanner, Patricia (Korogi) Wehr, Mary (Timm) Zimmerman
46
Augsburg Now
homecoming
AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER
SEPTEMBER 22-27
Class of 1983
’08
Reunion Attendees:
Amanda Barrick, Mary (Thureson) Belden, Mary
(Yurick) Bennett, William Bullock, Kevin Erickson,
Mark Hassenstab, James Haugen, Les Heen, Scott
Henderson, Annette (Walen) Hokanson, Miriam (Gisselquist) Jensen, Karina Karlen, Paul Kuehn, Pamela
(Brakke) Lanning, Susan (Hackbarth) Lundquist,
Daniel Nayman, Stephen Nayman, Karsten Nelson,
Allison (Larges) O’Day, Timothy Olson, Mary (McNevin) Saari, Janet (Griffith) Sandford, Nora (Andersen) Sillerud, John Singh, Diane (Wood) Sponheim,
Christine (Nelson) Swanson
Class of 1998
(Left to right)
August Negele, Erick Agrimson, Adam Buhr, Laura
Pejsa, Angela (Loew) Reichart, Wade Johnson, Andry
Andriambololona-Jercich, Phil Berglin
Fall 2008
47
auggie
alumni news
Meet Kim Stone …
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND CONSTITUENT RELATIONS
At the end of August, Kim
Stone joined the Division of Institutional Advancement as director of alumni and
constituent relations.
Stone came to Augsburg
from the University of Miami,
Coral Gables, Fla., where she
was executive director of
alumni programs and was responsible for the overall management and implementation of
a comprehensive alumni relations program. She served as a liaison to various university offices and departments to further the
mission of the University Alumni Association and to enhance
the relationship between the alumni and their alma mater.
Her experience there includes recruiting and engaging
alumni volunteers to participate in alumni programs and
events, preparing and administering annual budgets for the
alumni programs office, and supervising a team of nine alumni
professionals.
Previously, Stone was at Nova Southeastern University in
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., as director of alumni relations and coordinator of alumni programs. In these roles she managed the strategy of the Alumni Annual Fund and other university
fundraising efforts. Stone organized and coordinated alumni
Homecoming activities, was responsible for all alumni (90,000
worldwide) communications, and oversaw and supported the
Alumni Council Board to enhance growth of the NSU Alumni
Association.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication,
with an emphasis in public relations, at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She also has a master’s degree in international
business administration from Nova Southeastern University.
Stone grew up in St. Paul and is excited to be back in the
Twin Cities serving the members of the Augsburg community.
She looks forward to engaging Augsburg alumni and constituents through strategic programming, effective communication, and volunteer development.
To contact Kim Stone, call 612-330-1173 or
1-800-260-6590, or e-mail stonek@augsburg.edu.
48
Augsburg Now
Augsburg license plates
Display your Augsburg connection! Augsburg license plates
are available through the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs/PlBrochure/CollegiatePlates.htm
Alumni e-mail for life
Sign up for Auggie alumni e-mail for life. Contact Alumni
Relations at alumni@augsburg.edu to request an account.
The service is provided by Google Apps.
Augsburg offers test prep courses
Studying for the LSAT, GRE, or GMAT? Check with Augsburg’s Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity
Office (URGO) for courses offered throughout the year at a
very reasonable cost. Courses are open to current students,
alumni, and others in the Augsburg community.
Go to www.augsburg.edu/urgo and select Test Prep for
the ongoing schedules of classes.
Get Involved. Volunteer!
Would you like to be part of an exciting group of people who
love Augsburg as much as you do? Volunteering is a great
way to stay connected to the College and other alumni, and
there are many ways to get involved.
Join with fellow Auggies and help engage others to be part of
the Augsburg experience. Augsburg Associates, Alumni
Board, Advent Vespers, reunion committees, mentors, and
Campus Kitchen are just some of the available opportunities.
Let us know where your interest lies—call Pat Grans at
612-330-1329 or e-mail gransp@augsburg.edu.
augsburg
then
Trinity Lutheran celebrates 140 years
Augsburg College owes much of the reason for its presence
in Minneapolis to Trinity Lutheran Congregation. In 1871,
when the fledgling Augsburg Seminary was near bankruptcy
in Marshall, Wisconsin, Trinity pastor Ole Paulson led a
committee to secure the land, materials, and funding to establish Augsburg in Minneapolis, as the city was envisioned
as a future center for Scandinavian-American culture.
In 1896 Trinity Lutheran Congregation built a new
church on the edge of Augsburg’s campus, which served as
the venue for many Augsburg events over the years. This
building fell victim to the construction in 1966 for the I-94
freeway.
The altar painting that hung in that church, painted by
Norwegian artist Markus Grønvold, was copied from his
painting in St. John’s Church in Bergen, Norway, and
shipped to Minneapolis. When Trinity’s church was razed,
the painting was placed in storage. It now hangs in Hoversten Chapel, which has been Trinity Lutheran Congregation’s worship home for a number of years.
1963 Augsburgian
In Memoriam
Sateren, Leland B. ’35, Edina,
Minn., age 94, on Nov. 10, 2007.
Samuelson, Mary ’49, Brighton,
Minn., age 81, on July 12.
Aamodt, Bradford O. ’65, Plymouth,
Minn., age 75, on Feb. 13.
Schmidt, David Hans ’85, Phoenix,
Ariz., age 47, in October 2007.
Kruse, Una (Lee) ’38, Sunnyside,
Wash., age 91, on Sept. 25, 2007.
Calderwood, David ’50, Birchwood,
Minn., age 81, on Sept. 18, 2007.
Gruidl, Daniel J. ’93, Trophy Club,
Texas, age 45, on Aug. 3, 2007.
Torstenson, Joel ’38, Minneapolis,
age 94, on Oct. 18, 2007.
Howells, Richard ’52, Bloomington,
Minn., age 78, on April 10.
Longmire, Linda (Nelson) ’67, Kronenwetter, Wis., age 63, on July 29,
of cancer.
Quanbeck, Vardon M. ’40, McVille,
N. Dak., age 86, on Dec. 24.
Lundeen, Donovan T. ’53, Northfield, Minn., age 77, on June 7.
Brooks, Chester L. ’42, Duluth,
Minn., age 89, on March 5.
Skogsbergh, Samuel P. ’53, Hayden,
Idaho, age 77, on Aug. 25, 2007.
Smith, Rev. Louis C. ’42, Riverside,
Calif., age 86, on Sept. 5, 2007.
Rykken, Franklyn “Lindy” ’56,
Roseau, Minn., age 78, on May 2.
Jensen, Rev. Louis F. ’48, Dubuque,
Iowa, age 87, on June 24.
Oliver, Rev. George “Jim” ’60, Baraboo, Wis., age 76, on Feb. 15, following complications from surgery.
Henjum, Arnold E. ’49, Morris,
Minn., age 82, on March 5.
Hoffman, H. Wayne, Bloomington,
Minn., age 82, on July 3.
DeVrieze, Jerry D. ’64, Midland,
Mich., age 66, on June 30, of multiple myeloma.
Baumbach, Cynthia ‘70, Lake City,
Minn., age 60, on July 1.
Orpen, Julie Ann (Hoel) ’76, St.
Peter, Minn., age 53, on June 15, of
breast cancer.
Quanbeck, Beth Marie ’76, West
Des Moines, Iowa, age 53, on Nov.
12, 2007.
Lumbar, Dean ’81, Edina, Minn.,
age 46, on Jan. 7, at home of complications from colon cancer.
Brusletten, Nancy (Raaum) ’84,
Shakopee, Minn., age 45, on Dec.
28, of cancer.
Bedard, Mark T. ’95, Hudson, Wis.,
age 34, on Nov. 9, 2007, of injuries
incurred on police duty.
Feuer, Aaron ’07, unexpectedly in
April.
Eriksen, Rolf, Minneapolis, age 84,
on Nov. 7, 2007, Augsburg’s first
varsity soccer coach in 1970.
Eklof, Edgar, Golden Valley, Minn.,
age 80, on Dec. 1, Music Department faculty during the 1960s.
Hoel, Mathilda, St. Paul, age 95, on
July 13, former registrar’s office and
food service employee.
Fall 2008
49
alumni class notes
50
Phebe Hanson was lauded at
an event in March commemorating International Women’s Day
and her 80th birthday. Readings by
female poets and screenings of a
short documentary about Phebe
were featured, honoring her many
years as a mentor to other writers.
56
Rev. James Parks is serving
until June 30 as an English
teacher in the ELCA’s Global Mission
Department in a Lutheran High
school in Kocise, Slovakia. His wife,
Rose Ann, and their three children
are planning trips to visit him and
travel in Eastern Europe during the
year. Previously he served an interim
ministry in Outing, Minn., for several
months, and traveled, including a
van trip to Alaska.
Lute Olson, head coach of the
University of Arizona basketball team, announced his retirement
after 24 years. His career there includes 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, 11 Pac-10 titles,
four Final Four appearances, and the
1997 national championship.
Judith Reynolds has recently
retired from the Kenosha (Wisconsin) Public Library after 37 years
of employment as a librarian.
57
67
Robert Goodrich has joined
Timber Creek Golf Course in
Watertown, Minn., as a golf pro, with
43 years of teaching experience.
59
Darrell Wiese retired from
Augsburg after a longtime career as assistant coach in baseball
and football.
60
Margaret (Homme) Hiner is retired in Phoenix, Ariz., where
she has been since 1961 working as
a recreation leader, substitute
teacher, 4-H leader, and mother. At
Augsburg, she played on the 195657 Auggiettes basketball team and
has fond memories about how
Coach LaVonne Peterson “let a kid
who loved sports and basketball be
on the team.”
Lowell “Zeke” Ziemann is still working and loves his job as an agency
compliance officer with Park Avenue
Securities in Scottsdale, Ariz.
61nis in the Northland
James Holden has written Ten, a history
of boys’ high school tennis in Minnesota, covering its 75-year history
with chapters about champions,
prominent coaches and families, dynasty teams, and more. To learn
about the book, go to www.jimholden.com.
Dennis Kalpin has stepped down as
head football coach at Alexandria
(Minn.) High School after 17 years
there. His total coaching career, all
at the secondary school level, is 47
years.
50
64
Augsburg Now
65
66
Larry Hoff completed his third long-distance journey across the USA
using no motorized vehicles. Over the summers of 2006 and 2007,
Larry canoed and bike-portaged from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. In
2002-2003 he hiked the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, a “life-changing”
event. In 2004 he bicycled approximately 10,000 miles around the
perimeter of the USA. Before retirement in 2000, Hoff was teacher and assistant principal at Superior High School in Wisconsin.
Carleen (Nordin) Tjader recently retired after teaching
third grade for 23 years in the New
Richmond (Wis.) school district (before and after a “15-year maternity
leave” to raise her children). Each
year her classes have adopted a
manatee in Florida, plus made a
quilt containing squares made by
each student. She looks forward to
traveling with her husband, Mike;
spending time with her grandsons;
volunteering at church; and trying
her hand at writing.
69
Diane (Helgeson) Carter completed a 21-year career teaching seventh-grade English in the
Hudson (Wis.) Middle School and in
retirement plans to use her time for
gardening and travel. She and her
husband, Jim, have two children—
daughter Kirsten, who also is a
teacher, and son, Matthew.
72
Tom Haas continues to work at
Park Nicollet Clinic in Minneapolis, where he recently stepped
down after a decade in department
chair leadership roles. He has now
had more time to spend at the family lake home, continue collecting
jazz and classical LPs, and more seriously resume playing his trumpet.
Jacqueline (Wolhart) Harvestine
completed her first year as a fulltime Master of Divinity student at
Luther Seminary.
Kathy (Seim) Tilderquist, a business
teacher, was selected in January by
her co-workers as “Teacher of the
70
Earlier this year, along with their spouses, five Auggies in the Class of
1970 who lived together in a house on campus celebrated the 40th
anniversary of their becoming roommates. They continue to meet once a
month for lunch as well. (L to R, back row: Lynn [Benson] Hjelmeland ’69,
Terry Nygaard ’70, Phil Walen ’70, John Hjelmeland ’70, Paul Mikelson ’70,
Barbara Harden, and John Harden ’70. Front row: Vicki Nygaard, Teri Walen,
and Barbara [Durkee] Mikelson ’71.
Year” at Cannon Falls (Minn.) High
School. She began as a math
teacher, but has taught in the business department since 1987. She
wrote the curriculum for many
courses and has taught students on
equipment ranging from manual
typewriters to modern computers.
has earned 10 medals and was the
first to earn medals in four different
sports. He is a professor of professional and physical education at Bemidji State University and was the
first person in the U.S. with a visual
impairment to earn a doctoral degree
in physical education.
73
74
Jim Mastro, a pioneer in athletics for the blind, was honored
with the 2008 Medal of Courage
award from the National Wrestling
Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Okla. As a Paralympic athlete, he
Rev. James Arends, pastor at
Prince of Peace Lutheran
Church in LaCrescent, Minn., was
elected June 7 to a six-year term as
bishop of the La Crosse (Wis.) Area
Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran
72
Ronald Johnson, principal at
Hutchinson (Minn.) High
School, was named in February as
the 2008 Minnesota High School
Principal of the Year. He is also a
candidate for the National High
School Principal of the Year, to be
announced at the 2009 National
Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP) convention in
February. He will join other state
honorees at the Principals Institute
in Washington D.C. this fall.
74
Scot Davis was honored as
Wrestling USA magazine’s
2007 Coach of the Year. This year
he won his 800th varsity career
coaching victory, the most career
wins of any wrestling coach in U.S.
history. He has been at Owatonna
High School for 21 years, leading
10 “Top 25” nationally-ranked
Owatonna teams.
ber of the Minnesota Baseball Association.
high school principal at Rugby High
School for the past 11 years.
77
81
Rev. Mark Braaten recently
published his second book,
Prayer as Joy, Prayer as Struggle, by
Liturgical Press. It studies prayer
through biblical and personal stories, and explores prayer as both a
gift and struggle. His first book, in
2006, is Come Lord Jesus: A Study
of Revelation. He is senior pastor at
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in
Tyler, Texas, a bilingual congregation
worshiping in English and Spanish.
Kurts Strelnieks recently joined Associated Commercial Finance, Inc.,
in Eagan, Minn., as their Minnesota
market manager.
78
Dennis J. Meyer was named
the first chief marketing officer at Ellerbe Becket, a global design firm. He will be based in their
Minneapolis office and serve on the
firm’s leadership team to develop
and execute its global marketing
strategy and implement the firm’s
vision.
Naomi Williamson opened a new
restaurant, Sanctuary, on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis.
79
77
Heidi (Leaf) Haagenson has
published a book, The Tenney Quilt, which tells the story of a
quilt with 700 signatures created
in 1928 in Tenney—Minnesota’s
smallest city of six people—as a
fundraiser for the local dance hall.
She is the special projects coordinator at Ridgewater College in
Willmar, and is married to David
Haagenson ’76.
79
Phil Madsen and his wife,
Diane, own and operate a
truck used to transport expedited
freight, traveling the 48 states and
Canada. Read their stories from
the road at www.successfulexpediters.com
Church in America (ELCA). He will
be installed on October 18.
gion Coach of the Year, and the Big
Ten Coach of the Year.
Phil Lundin was named the men’s
cross country and track and field
coach at St. Olaf College. Since
1986 he has coached at the University of Minnesota, including the last
13 years as head men’s track and
field coach. In 2003 Phil was named
U.S. Track Coaches Association
Coach of the Year, the Midwest Re-
Bill Nelson, manager of the Dundas
(Minn.) Dukes amateur baseball
team and part of that team for over
30 years, was inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of
Fame in September 2007. He has
also served as head baseball coach
at Carleton College and has been executive director and a board mem-
Linda Sue Anderson played the
part of Miss Prism in Pendulum Theatre’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest earlier
this year at the Loading Dock Theatre in downtown St. Paul.
David Cherwien directs the National
Lutheran Choir, which dedicated its
May 3 concert to the memory of Leland Sateren ’35 and performed five
of his works.
Debra (Mercier) Peters earned a Certified Management Accountant designation in April 2007. She is a
finance manager/controller for Pella
Windows and Doors and lives in
Bloomington, Minn.
David Zwingel has been named the
2007 North Dakota Secondary Principal of the Year by the North
Dakota Association of Secondary
School Principals, with sponsorship
also from Met Life. He has been the
Rev. Richard Buller was elected
chaplain of the Minnesota
House of Representatives by its
members on March 10. He is pastor
at Valley Community Presbyterian
Church in Golden Valley and a
member of the board of the Greater
Minneapolis Council of Churches.
His son, Peter, is a sophomore at
Augsburg.
Pamela Crowell began on July 1 as
the new vice president for research
at Idaho State University in
Pocatello. Previously she was the associate dean for research and graduate education at Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Science.
Janna (Wallin) Haug and her husband, Rev. Arden Haug, have accepted an assignment to Bratislava,
Slovakia, where he was called as regional representative to Europe for
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America’s Division for Global Mission. Janna accompanies him as the
associate in that position, along with
their two sons, Vitali and Alexei.
Dr. Erik Kanten was named the 2008
Family Physician of the Year by the
Minnesota Academy of Family
Physicians (MAFP). He practices at
the RiverView Clinic in Crookston,
Minn., and at clinics in Fertile and
Red Lake Falls. He also sees students at the University of Minnesota,
Crookston, on campus.
Dana (Holmes) McIntyre traveled to
China in fall 2007 as head coach of
one of two female Special Olympics
basketball teams from the U.S. for
the 2007 World Games in Shanghai.
She has been a recreation therapist
at Minnesota Extended Treatment
Options.
82
Jane Maland Cady joined the
McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis in April as international program director and will oversee
McKnight’s grantmaking in Asia,
Africa, and Latin America.
Fall 2008
51
alumni class notes
87
Deanna Germain published a
memoir, Reaching Past the
Wire, about her 18 months serving
as a nurse in Kuwait and Iraq, which
included time as chief nurse in the
Abu Ghraib prison following the revelations of abuse and violence.
Tammy Johndro-Pressley was named
director of external communications
at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Ill. Previously, she was manager of business development at
Provena Mercy Medical Center in
Aurora, Ill.
Karen Reed received an Award for
Superior Accomplishment in December from the Department of
Mental Health of California. She is a
music therapist at Atascadero State
Hospital and was commended for
her plan to lower restraints, seclusion, and lengths of stay in restraints
for people in the Mentally Disordered Offender program by over 50
percent.
Devoney Looser’s book, Women Writers and Old Age in Great Britain,
1750-1850, was published by Johns
Hopkins University Press in August.
Go to www.press.jhu.edu/books/
title_pages/9473.html. Devoney currently serves as president of the
Midwest Modern Language Association, a non-profit organization of
teachers and scholars of literature,
language, and culture, and will preside at its meeting in Minneapolis,
Nov. 13-16.
Bruce Smith began teaching physical
education to sixth through twelfth
grades and high school Spanish, in
addition to coaching B-squad football, at LeRoy-Ostrander (Minn.)
School in September.
88
Melanie Herrera opened a
franchise in Apple Valley,
Minn., of Butterfly Life Fitness,
which focuses around solutions for
fitness, weight loss, and healthy living for women. Melanie was Augsburg’s first female All-American
athlete.
Anne Panning’s collection of short
stories, Super America, was published in October. The New York
Times Book Review said, “[It] radiates infectious optimism … Her enchanting Norahs and Alices, Tobys
and Theos drag you effortlessly into
their very American lives … ."
89
Rev. La Andriamihaja, pastor
of Jordan New Life Church in
North Minneapolis, helped launch
the “Jordan New Life Hub” to help
residents identify social services.
The project is a partnership sponsored by the ELCA between suburban and urban congregations to
bring volunteers together.
Geoffrey Gage was named in September 2007 to the University of St.
Thomas Board of Trustees. He is
founder and president of the Geoffrey Carlson Gage marketing and advertising firm.
52
Augsburg Now
94
Brad Klein and his wife, Lanica (Lynch) ’95 proudly announce the birth of their identical
twin boys, Noah Addison and
Micah Andrew. They were born on
July 1, 2007, shortly after Brad
and Lanica celebrated their 10th
anniversary on June 21. Brad is a
senior systems analyst at the ELCA
Board of Pension, and Lanica is
public school librarian turned stayat-home mom for the near future.
lanicak@att.net.
94
95
Dan Werner and his wife,
Shayne Hamann, welcomed
the birth of their twin sons, Drake
and Dylan, born on May 10, 2007,
who are on their way to becoming
future Auggie football players, like
their dad.
97
Tracy (Holloway) Drier and
her husband, Thane ’99, announced the birth of their son,
Caden August, on March 15, 2007.
He joins big brother Tristan, 3.
Michelle (Strauss) Ohnstad returned
to work after being a stay-at-home
mom and has two positions—head
librarian at La Jolla Country Day
School and library media specialist
at Pacific Ridge School. She is also
co-editor of the AIM Library & Information Staffing Bulletin Blog.
Rachel (Roth) Erkkila is the registrar
for the Des Moines (Iowa) Area Community College. Previously she was
registrar at Dakota County Technical
College in Rosemount, Minn., and
Walden University in Minneapolis.
Mark Lorenzen and Dawn Van
Tassel ’95, St. Louis Park,
Minn., welcomed their first child,
daughter Julia Grace Lorenzen, on
Aug. 2, 2007.
91
Carla Beaurline, founder, cohost, co-producer, and account
executive of “Around Town” Media,
won the Twin Cities Media Network
Diamond Award for TV Personality of
the Year. In addition, she won TV
Sales Person of the Year. “Around
Town” airs on Metro Cable Network
Channel 6 in Minneapolis.
Tom Ross is the new associate head
coach-defense at Hanover College in
Hanover, Ind.
92
Larry Anderson published a
book, Raptured Alive: Return
of a Prodigal Son, in September
2007 and writes music for his
gospel band.
Gregory Stohr was named vice president of sales at Transtar Autobody
Technologies in Brighton, Mich., a
manufacturer of automotive refinish
and bodyshop repair products.
Sharol Tyra, of Life Illumination presentation and coaching, was elected
to serve a two-year term on the Minnesota Board of Directors of the National Speakers Association.
94
Jennifer (Feine) Hellie ’04 MAL
accepted a position as development coordinator at Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp in
Amery, Wis. Previously she worked
as an admissions counselor and academic adviser at Augsburg.
95
Noelle (Hallblade) Epp was
named as marketing communications specialist in October at
Professional Services Marketing,
Inc. in New Brighton, Minn., and will
focus on copywriting services.
Dave Manka was named assistant
volleyball coach at North Dakota
State University in February.
96
Scott Magelssen and his wife,
Theresa (Hoar) ’95, live in
Bowling Green, Ohio, with their son,
Trygg Magelssen, born in 2005.
Scott teaches in the graduate theatre program at Bowling Green State
University and published a book in
spring 2007 about living history museums. Theresa teaches first grade
at Powell Elementary School in
North Baltimore, Ohio.
98
Aaron Cross and Katrina
Grimsey were married, after
15 years of friendship, first in the
United Kingdom and then in the
U.S. on July 6, 2007. Aaron is a
motivational speaker and received
Augsburg’s First Decade Award in
2005. They live south of London.
aaron.cross@motivationonwheels.com
99
Lisa Nos-Tollefson married
Mark Tollefson in December
2006. Lisa and Mark welcomed
the birth of Taylor Elizabeth on
Nov. 20, 2007.
Dr. Martin Richards was featured in
the Hudson Star Observer in July
about the geothermal heat pump
system he had installed at his home.
He expects to use only one-tenth of
the liquid propane gas that he used
last year without the pump. He is an
emergency room physician at
United Hospital in St. Paul, at the
Baldwin (Wis.) hospital and emergency rooms in Regina and Hastings, Minn.
98
99
Chris and Jaime (Kyle) ’01
Rothe moved last fall to
Rochester, Minn., with Kennedy,
2, and AJ, three months old.
00
Kathleen (Lindquist) Blilie and
her husband, Eric, welcomed the birth of Erin Catherine,
three months early on June 15,
2007, weighing 2 lb., 9 oz. She
joins big brothers Andrew and
Alexander and is loved by her
uncle, Orville Lindquist ’96.
Philip Berglin was named the
2006 Minnesota Businessman of the Year as a top U.S. business leader successfully integrating
business and financial success. In
March 2006 he traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive the award, attend a breakfast with President
Bush, and begin to meet over a
three-month period with Minnesota
legislators. He works at the Rum
River Lumber Company in Coon
Rapids.
Stacie (Ferrazzo) Chiodi and her
husband, Ron, welcomed the birth
of Cyrus Samuel, on February 5,
born in Bennington, Vt.
Tom Ruffaner was presented the Individual Achievement Commuter
Choice Award by MetroTransit
Rideshare in November for promoting commuter benefits and alternate
modes of transportation.
99
00
Jennifer (Crego) and Chad
Carls welcomed their fourth
son on July 10, 2007. Nicholas
Isaac joins brothers Tommy, 5,
A.J., 3, and Brock, 2. Chad is getting his administrative license (in
education) and Jen is home with
the boys.
00
Trena Bolden Fields and
Jerome Fields ’01 announced
the birth of their daughter, Kayla
Lee, born Aug. 18, 2007.
Jill Ruprecht was married to
Joseph Camp on Sept. 2,
2007 in Macomb, Ill. They currently
live in Chicago.
00
MacAdam Gordon and Nicole
Robertson were married on
November 10 in Minneapolis. He
works as an insurance agent at Ray
Smith Insurance in Plymouth, Minn.
01
Hilary English Crook married
Jacob Seljan in Duluth, Minn.,
on September 29, 2007. The wed-
ding party included Emily Crook ’07
as maid of honor, Eilidh Reyelts ’06
as personal attendant, and DJ
Hamm ’08 as usher. Also in attendance were Auggies Nancy English
’73, Ann Bostelmann Webster ’96,
Karin (Sabo) Mantor ’86, Julie Sabo
’90, and Martin Sabo ’59. Norwegian professor Frankie Shackelford
also attended. Hilary is an attorney
working at Thomson West in Legal
Sales, and Jacob is vice president of
the Risk Analytics Department of US
Bancorp. They live in Minnetonka.
Jessica (Norman) Hafemeyer opened
a law firm in Faribault, Minn., on
August 1, 2007, Ibeling Hafemeyer,
Ltd. The practice includes family
law, bankruptcy, and estate/probate
law. www.ibelinghaemeyer.com.
Angie Rieger was named an assistant hockey coach at Hamline University. She has also been chosen to
join the Whitecaps, Minnesota’s first
professional women’s hockey team.
Nicole (Warner) Simml, currently living in Frankfurt, Germany, performed a recital of 20th-century
American music last November at
the American Consul General’s residence in Markkleeberg.
02
Amy Carlson has completed
the surgical technology program at Saint Mary’s University of
Minnesota and has accepted a surgical technician position at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics in
Minneapolis.
Lindsay (Bonner) Pavelka directed
the Galveston Island Children’s Chorus last year from September
through December. In summer
2007, she developed and directed
Summer on Stage, a children’s performing arts camp with the east-end
theatre company in Galveston. She
is an arts educator, voice instructor,
and actress in the Galveston area,
where she lives with her husband,
Matthew.
Zac Schnedler began last fall
03as a school/guidance coun-
selor for grades 7-12 in the Braham
(Minn.) school district.
Fall 2008
53
alumni class notes
Sara Willcut is in her first season on
the Minnesota Swarm Performance
Dance Team as well as teaching
dance, coaching dance teams, and
taking classes. She recently
launched Ascending Star Dance, an
online dance magazine, and helped
form the Ascending Star Dance
team, which performs at semi-professional football games in the MidAmerican Football League. She also
volunteers with her teams for Feed
My Starving Children.
04
Kelly Chapman graduated
magna cum laude from the
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, Calif.
She is the winner of a full scholarship to attend the International Koefia Academy of Haute Couture and
Art of Costume in Italy. She is currently studying Italian in preparation
for her study.
Abbey Payeur is a sixth-grade integrated language arts and social
studies teacher at Oak View Middle
School in Andover, Minn. In May she
was honored as one of the 20 recipients of the Teacher Outstanding Performance (TOP) awards, presented
by the Anoka-Hennepin School District. She was also one of four winners of a $1,000 grant for a project
at her school, plus a cash award.
Laura Simones completed the Ford
Ironman Florida 2007 triathlon last
fall, placing 872 out of the nearly
2600 participants and 18 of 68 in
her division. In addition she completed the Triple By-Pass in Colorado (100+ miles with three climbs
over 10,000 ft.) and then biked
back to Minnesota.
05
Michael Howard is a communications specialist at the Minnesota House of Representatives.
michaelhoward10@gmail.com
Jeremiah Knabe received a Master of
Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary on June 16.
Rebecca Welle ran the New York
Marathon last fall, finishing 4422 in
the field of 40,000 runners. She cut
about six minutes off her previous
personal best, finishing in 3:31:56.
54
Augsburg Now
07
Aaron Dowzak and Emily Hull
were married on Sept. 1,
2007, and moved to Port St. Lucie,
Fla., where Aaron is director of
youth and family junior and senior
high at Immanuel Lutheran Church,
and where they will love happily ever
after.
Christianna Schmit is interning in
music therapy at University Hospitals, Case Medical Campus, in
Cleveland, Ohio. Her supervisor and
their music therapy program were
recently featured in the “Making a
Difference” segment on NBC Nightly
News.
01
Marie and Brent Odenbrett ’02
welcomed the birth of Emma
Louise Marie on Oct. 19, 2007.
02
02
John Goodale married Crystal
Thompson at St. Peter’s
Lutheran Church in Swanville,
Minn., on July 28, 2007. Crystal is
a 2004 graduate of the University
of Minnesota’s Carlson School of
Management and is employed at
Graco, Inc. in NE Mpls as a channel marketing specialist. John is
employed as an account executive
at Novus Print Media in Plymouth.
They live in Maple Grove, Minn.
03
Nicolas Thomley ’06 MBA was featured last fall in Twin Cities Business
and honored in January in their
2007 Small Business Success Stories as the co-founder (at age 19) of
Pinnacle Services, Inc. This company, which has grown rapidly, provides services to people with
disabilities, including help in finding
housing and employment, in-home
care, etc.
She works during the day at the
Center for International Health at
Regions Hospital. Her husband,
Rev. Tchanong Hurh, is pastor at
House of God Trinity Christian
Church in St. Paul.
Frank Huebner and his wife,
Elizabeth, announced the
birth of their son, Andrew, on July
13, 2007. They live in New
Prague, Minn.
Tim Wahl and Lisa Uehling were married on Aug. 18, 2007, in Rochester,
Minn. They live in Minneapolis
where Tim teaches math at Rosemount High School and Lisa works
in the Technology Leadership Program at Target headquarters in Minneapolis.
Katie Winter began in Sept. 2007 as
a reporter for the Pipestone County
Star in Pipestone, Minn.
Graduate Programs
Jeff Falkingham ’95 MAL was a finalist in the Young Adult Fiction category of the Independent Book
Publishing Professionals Group
2008 Next Generation Indie Book
Awards for his book, Sherlock
Holmes and the County Courthouse
Caper. The book was originally published by Beavers Pond Press of
Edina, Minn., in September 2001
and re-released in June 2007, with
all proceeds going to flood victims in
Jeff’s hometown of Browns Valley,
Minn. www.cccaper.com
Jim Addington ’93 MAL was named a
“Facing Race Ambassador” by the
St. Paul Foundation for the work he
has done over many years and
through the Minnesota Collaborative
Anti-Racism Initiative that he and
his late wife, Imani-Nadine Addington, founded in 1995. Jim has
helped more than 20,000 people at
churches, colleges, and public institutions to understand and dismantle
racism.
Heather Reeve ’00 PA has been a
physician assistant at the ELEAH
Medical Center in Elbow Lake, Minn
.
May Mua ’01 PA has partnered with
Dr. Phua Xiong to establish Quik Urgent Care Clinic, the first Asian
American privately-owned and operated urgent care facility in St. Paul.
Danny Storm and Sarah
Schultz ’04 were married in
Hoversten Chapel on Aug. 2.
Danny is an audit/tax accountant
with Denny Hecker Automotive
Group and Sarah is a child protection social worker with Hennepin
county in Minneapolis. They live in
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Alissa Abelson ’06 MSW welcomed a
baby girl, Madilyn Gwen, on July 21,
2007. She lives in New York and is a
social worker at FEGS in downtown
Manhattan.
Gwen Nordahl ’07 PA joined the Battle Lake Clinic in Battle Lake, Minn.,
as a physician assistant in October.
Send us your news and photos
03
Emily Gerard and her husband, Craig Maus, welcomed
their daughter, Caroline Mae, on
Feb. 8.
04
Julie Andert and Jeremy Nelson ’05 were married on Oct.
20 in Pax Christi Catholic Community Church in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Wedding party Auggies included
Kiera Peterson ’04, Rebeca Welle
’05, Joshua Remme ’06, Tyler
Kraft ’06, and Joseph Wessbecker
’04. Julie works in human resources at West Side Community
Health Services, and Jeremy works
for Comcast in Sales and Marketing. They built a home together in
Blaine.
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an
obituary, funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail
to: Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the
Augsburg Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
Street address
05
Jamie Ann Johnson married
Christopher Kerestes in
Grand Teton National Park in
Wyoming. They live in Newark,
Del., where Jamie is pursuing a
Master of Public Administration
degree at the University of
Delaware and an associate degree
in nursing through Delaware Technical and Community College.
Chris is a research assistant and
PhD candidate in electrical engineering working to improve solar
cells for solar energy.
City, State, Zip
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Home telephone
05
Paul Raukar and Chelsea
Haxton welcomed the birth
of their son, Evan Tyler, on May
30, 2007, born in Virginia, Minn.
Paul is a self-employed business
owner. praukar77@hotmail.com
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Employer
Position
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
If yes, class year
Spouse’s name
Maiden name
06
Ryan Adrian-Hendrick Rivard
and Kristin Gulbrandson announce the birth of their daughter
Nora Lucille Rivard, born Dec. 31,
2006. They live in Evanston, Ill.,
where Ryan is a student at
Chicago-Kent College of Law.
riss23@gmail.com
Sara Holman married David
06Nash on July 26 in Wisconsin
Your news:
Dells, Wis. They currently live in
Omaha, Neb., where Sara is a
copywriter for THT Designs and
David is a medical student at
Creighton University.
Fall 2008
55
my
Auggie experience
Patrick Flood ’08
B.S., social work, with a minor in religion
Patrick Flood, a 2008 graduate, reflected on his four years at
Augsburg…
“During opening convocation in 2004, the freshmen marched to
the chapel as professors lined the path, clapping and welcoming
us. They didn’t know us yet but they were there to support us.
After four long years, many of those same professors once again
lined up on Commencement day, clapping and congratulating us
on a job well done. I couldn’t have imagined on that first day
what the impact of this would be.
How I became an Auggie: It was important for me to stay in the
ELCA family, since my mother is a Lutheran pastor. Attending a
small private liberal arts college in an urban setting also appealed to me. (What really sold me, however, were Augsburg’s
skyways and tunnels that make life much more comfortable in
the dead of winter!)
Augsburg highlight: During my junior year I had an opportunity to
study abroad by taking a spring semester course—Social Work in
a Latin American Context—through the Center for Global Education (CGE). The program was centered in Cuernavaca, Mexico
and focused on experiential learning, global perspectives, and
social and economic justice. During the semester I took a Spanish language class, three classes in social work, and completed
an internship at Las Palomas, a local nursing home. … I learned
a lot about the differences between our cultures. In Mexico it’s
much more traditional for the elderly to be cared for by their children; they become part of the nuclear family structure. The number of elderly in nursing homes is much lower than in the U.S.
The Augsburg impact: Conversations with professors and students had a very positive influence on me. My religion class with
Professor Mary Lowe challenged my thoughts and beliefs. Her
enthusiasm rubs off on students and pushes them to think critically and analytically about the Bible and how that can translate
into bigger issues.
Next steps: Although I am a social work major, I was a student
worker in Augsburg’s Institutional Advancement office for four
years. I learned about the importance of giving back to the community through philanthropy and stewardship. Because of those
experiences and one-on-one mentoring, I’m interested in pursuing an entry-level job in development. Wherever life takes me, I
feel well prepared for the journey, thanks to Augsburg.
INTERVIEWED BY JENNIFER L. HIPPLE, WEEKEND COLLEGE STUDENT
56
Augsburg Now
CAROLYN AND DALE ’60 HANKA are firm believers in free enterprise
and entrepreneurship, a fact that’s reflected in their successful careers. Carolyn was a university marketing instructor; Dale was a financial planner and bank president. Together they owned and managed a
title company.
Now retired, the couple is acknowledging the importance of
Augsburg College to their success by establishing an endowed scholarship.
“We thoroughly appreciated our time as students at Augsburg
College. The College gave us so much—small classes, individual attention from professors, and the opportunity to learn teamwork and
leadership.
Today the College is still a very special place. Faculty and staff
challenge students to grow in academic achievement as well as in
personal relationships. The College’s vision that “we are called to
serve our neighbor” is vital to the college community, the community
“The College gave us so much—
small classes, individual attention
from professors, and the opportunity
to learn teamwork and leadership.”
around Augsburg, and the world we live in.
When we decided to acknowledge the importance of Augsburg in
our lives by establishing the Dale and Carolyn Hanka Business Scholarship, Augsburg provided us with the ideas and counsel that made it
easy through a charitable gift annuity. Not only does it establish a
scholarship, but we receive income and tax benefits.
The best benefit? Knowing that scholarships make an Augsburg
education possible for so many students.”
YOU HAVE A VISION FOR AUGSBURG.
P L A N N E D G I V I N G C A N M A K E I T A R E A L I T Y.
Become a member of the Sven Oftedal Society at Augsburg by making a gift through your will, trust, life insurance, or other
planned gift. There are many ways to give a gift that will last a lifetime and make a difference for Augsburg students.
1-800-273-0617
www.augsburg.edu/giving
Watercolor
Taking advantage of the beautiful fall colors along
the Mississippi River, art professor Tara Sweeney
took her beginning watercolor class down along the
St. Paul shoreline.
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
Show less
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Augsburg
Now
COMMENCEMENT 2007
INTERNATIONAL PHOTO
CONTEST
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SUMMER 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 4
Diggin’ Dinos
in Murphy Square
page 6
P. 4
P. 7
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Augsburg
Now
COMMENCEMENT 2007
INTERNATIONAL PHOTO
CONTEST
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SUMMER 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 4
Diggin’ Dinos
in Murphy Square
page 6
P. 4
P. 7
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Page 2
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Design Manager
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Class Notes Designer
Students at the center of our lives
I
t is the end of July as I pen these Notes for the
summer 2007 issue of Augsburg Now, and we
have just concluded our summer orientation
for more than 400 incoming first-year
students, the Class of 2011. I am as energized
as always by the sense of wonder and hope that
comes with an incoming class of college students!
At the other end of the continuum, you will
find in the following pages the stories and images
of our two 2007 Commencement ceremonies—the
first early in May for our day undergraduates and
our physician assistant graduate students; the
second late in June for our weekend
undergraduates and the other five graduate
programs (nursing, social work, education,
leadership, and business administration). All
combined, we graduated more than 900 new
Auggie alums this spring—what grand
celebrations we enjoyed!
I have been thinking a lot about this
continuum of student experiences—and have
enjoyed some rich and important conversations
the past several months with the Augsburg
community about how we might better honor the
centrality of students to our life as a college.
It is, above all, about the promise we make to
our students. Let’s call it the Augsburg Promise. As
students come to us, no matter their prior
experience or background, we regard them as:
Photographer
As they enter the College—as undergraduates or
graduate students—we engage them in missionbased academic and social experiences that
prepare them for meaningful work and service in
the world. In the classroom, on the playing fields,
in the residence halls, on stage, and in the
neighborhood, students enter a teaching and
learning community that prepares them to make a
living and to make a life in the world.
And as they leave us, our students remain at
the center of our lives as graduates whose lives
and work are emblems of this college’s aspirations
and commitments. We expect them to have gained
an informed vision of the world, focused on
discovery and appreciating difference. We prepare
them for intelligent understanding, full of curiosity
and a commitment to dialogue. And we offer them
remarkable opportunities for relevant experience,
learning to apply what they have learned and lead
others.
Students are at the center of our lives. There is
no more energizing and engaging work. And there
are few places that do it as well as Augsburg
College. It is the Augsburg Promise, a promise we
strive to keep each and every day.
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Faithfully yours,
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services,
CB 142,
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
• Gifted—a gift to us and the world, to be cared
for, educated, and nurtured,
• Called—on a vocational path that we will help
them discern and navigate,
• Accountable—persons of responsibility
and integrity.
Signe Peterson
petersos@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President
of Marketing and
Communication
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
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Page 3
Summer 2007
4
Contents
Features
4
2007 International Programs Photo Contest
Selected winners of the seventh annual student photo contest for
international study programs showcase the experiences of students abroad.
6
An “Auggieasaurus” in Murphy Square
by Betsey Norgard
7
Senior Jen Janda created the “Auggieasaurus” as Augsburg’s entry in the
Science Museum of Minnesota’s Diggin’ Dinos project.
7
Commencement 2007—May
Nearly 400 students in undergraduate semester programs
and the Physician Assistant program received their diplomas in May.
10
Commencement 2007—June
In the College’s first Commencement focused on programs in the
trimester schedule, undergraduate and graduate students who studied on
weekends and evenings received their degrees.
Departments
10
On the Cover: “Auggieasaurus” is one of
about 50 dinosaur statues decorated and
displayed by local businesses and organizations
as part of the Science Museum’s 100th-year
anniversary project, Diggin’ Dinos. Studio art
major Jen Janda created Augsburg’s entry.
2
3
13
inside
back
cover
Around the Quad
Supporting Augsburg
Alumni News
Calendar
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
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Page 4
AROUND THE QUAD
NOTEWORTHY
Social Work Student
of the Year
Lisa Luinenburg ’07 was named
Social Work Student of the Year
by the Minnesota Chapter of the
National Association of Social
Workers (NASW) for her
“outstanding scholarship and
service to the community.” She
graduated in May with double
majors in social work and
international relations.
Physician Assistant
program earns
national award
Augsburg’s Physician Assistant
program was recently awarded the
2007 American Academy of
Physician Assistants’ Constituent
Organization Award of
Achievement for a high school
curriculum project developed in
2005. With the help of the
Minnesota Academy of Physician
Assistants (MAPA), the PA faculty
developed a program to educate
high school students about the
role of a PA, increase the diversity
among PA providers, and provide
health education and hands-on
learning.
In May 2006 and 2007,
Augsburg hosted high school
groups on campus who
participated in interactive
educational activities on how
diseases, specifically HIV and
other sexually transmitted
infections, can spread, as well as
how to administer a neurological
exam and take blood pressures.
Current PA students and recent
graduates helped with the
teaching.
2 AUGSBURG NOW
Nou Chang ’09 joins
Minnesota’s Future
Doctors
Junior Nou Chang participated
this summer in Minnesota’s Future
Doctors, a program to explore the
medical profession that is
sponsored by the University of
Minnesota and Mayo Medical
School. Over three summers, it
aims to increase the number of
Minnesota minority, immigrant,
and rural physicians by helping
these students develop academic
skills, an understanding of
medicine, and an appreciation for
serving in an underserved
community.
Chang, a biology and English
major with a religion minor,
immigrated with her family to
Rochester, Minn., from Thailand
in 1988. She also is the recipient
of a Jay and Rose Phillips Family
Foundation Scholarship that
awards potential student leaders
who intend to dedicate a portion
of their lives to community
service. She works with homeless
Hmong refugee children, ages 612, in partnership with the
Southeast Asian Community
Council, and hopes to create a
center where the homeless
children can participate in
culturally-based programs.
Rick Thoni retires as
WEC celebrates
25 years
As Weekend College celebrated 25
years in May, the program’s
founder, Rick Thoni, prepared to
retire from the College in June,
after 35 years of service.
Mia Bothun, WEC student body
president, spoke at the 25th anniversary
celebration on behalf of WEC students,
urging them to become more involved
in building greater community.
Rick Thoni, with his wife, Linda, listened
as President Pribbenow announced the
creation of the Richard J. Thoni Award
for a graduating WEC student that
Thoni joined Augsburg in
1972 as a part-time psychology
professor and counselor in the
Student Affairs Office and went on
to fill such roles as associate dean
of students, acting vice president
of student affairs, vice president
for research and development,
director of Weekend College, and
vice president for enrollment
management.
On May 17, students, faculty,
staff, and alumni of Weekend
College gathered to look back on
a quarter century. President
Pribbenow commented that the
number of stories from faculty and
staff of being asked to help
students get an education clearly
demonstrates the organic nature of
how WEC grew, beginning with
the student at the center.
He also commented on the
commitment of Rick Thoni and
others in WEC who didn’t merely
launch the program, but threw
themselves into the work of
meeting students’ needs.
would honor him “in an abiding way.”
Don Gustafson, professor of
history, applauded WEC students
and described the rewards of
teaching in WEC—meeting
students who bring different
experiences, perspectives, and
commitment to class.
In Thoni’s honor, President
Pribbenow announced the
creation of the Richard J. Thoni
Award, which will be given
annually to a graduating WEC
student whose actions,
commitments, and future
aspirations most profoundly
demonstrate a commitment to
Augsburg’s motto, “Education for
Service.”
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SUPPORTING AUGSBURG
The Kennedy Center—
filled with Auggie spirit
On May 4, the dedication of the Kennedy Center, the three-story
addition to Melby Hall, brought together Augsburg alumni, donors,
regents, faculty, staff, and students in celebration of Augsburg
athletics, fitness, and health and physical education.
Greco-wrestling champion Alan Rice
President Pribbenow expressed gratitude to
was greeted by President Pribbenow
the family of former regent James Haglund
in front of the Alan and Gloria Rice
and his wife, Kathleen, whose gifts provided
Wrestling Center, a state-of-the-art
the spacious, new fitness center bearing their
training facility for Augsburg’s
family name.
championship team and GrecoRoman wrestling.
President Pribbenow (second from left), together with President Emeritus William
Frame (left) and lead donors Dean ‘75 and Terry Kennedy, cut the ribbon to showcase
the new training, fitness, locker, classroom, and hospitality facilities.
The Lute Olson Hall of Champions highlights and celebrates the accomplishments of
The open entryway provided a great gathering place for
the many Auggie student-athletes across 18 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports.
the Augsburg community to celebrate the dedication.
SUMMER 2007 3
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2007 International Programs Photo Contest
FIRST PLACE
“Mysterious Ireland”
Anthony Porter ‘07, Wicklow, Ireland
SECOND PLACE
“Cliffside: Bonsai Overlooking Tea Hills”
Ryan Treptow ‘07, Munnar, Kerala, India
THIRD PLACE
“Beneath African Skies”
Krista Costin ‘08, Ada-Foah, Ghana
LANDSCAPE
4 AUGSBURG NOW
HONORABLE
MENTION
“Eiffel Tower“
Laura Henry ‘07,
Paris, France
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PHOTOJOURNALISM
SECOND PLACE
“Untitled”
Jennifer Oliver ‘07, Chiang Mai, Thailand
FIRST PLACE AND BEST IN SHOW
“Pilgrims and Three Oceans Converge at Sunrise”
Ryan Treptow ‘07, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
THIRD PLACE
PORTRAITS
“The Boat Keeper”
Allison Hutterer ‘07, Rabat, Morocco
SECOND PLACE
“Lumbini Woman”
Ryan Treptow ‘07, Bijapur,
Northern Karnataka, India
FIRST PLACE
“Las Hermanitas” (“The Little Sisters”)
Megan Schiller ‘07,
San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala
SUMMER 2007 5
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ugsburg senior Jen Janda has
been “Diggin’ Dinos” this
summer—not on an
archeological dig in Egypt, but
in downtown St. Paul. It’s part
of the “Diggin’ Dinos” summer celebration
honoring the 100th anniversary of the
Science Museum of Minnesota. Beginning
Memorial Day weekend, 53 dinosaurs were
placed around the streets of St. Paul, mostly
downtown, and seven in the parks of
Minneapolis as part of their 150th
anniversary celebration.
Much like the Snoopy statues a few years
ago, these dinosaurs have been painted by
local artists. Until Labor Day, Janda’s 4.5 feet
tall by 8 feet long, 80 lb. dinosaur will live in
Murphy Square, Minneapolis’s oldest park,
located in the heart of Augsburg’s campus.
When the College joined the project,
Janda was selected as Augsburg’s designer by
the art faculty. In keeping with the overall
theme, she named the dinosaur
“Auggieasaurus.” All the statues were painted
during the Diggin’ Dinos Paint-Off at
RiverCentre in St. Paul, just before Memorial
Day weekend.
“My idea for the Auggieasaurus was to
incorporate Murphy Square’s history
into a ‘map’ of the various
activities that go on in the
Page 8
park each spring and fall because of its
location in Augsburg College’s campus,”
Janda says. Around the base of the statue,
she inscribed:
Murphy Square Celebrating 150 Years,
1857-2007 “From cow pasture to
community center” The Dinosaur
of Minneapolis Parks
The activities she depicts on the
Auggieasaurus are:
• Runners—The Auggie cross-country team
runs around Murphy Square every fall.
• A biker—Minneapolis has many biking
commuters who travel through the park
area every day.
• A picnic scene
• A student reading Murphy Square, the
College’s literary and arts journal
• Kayaks, representing Minnesotans’ love of
the outdoors
The four legs of the Auggieasaurus are
designed to represent the Minneapolis
skyline, Augsburg campus, Seward
neighborhood, and the University of
Minnesota.
On Sept. 9, all the statues will be
auctioned off to benefit the work of the
Science Museum of Minnesota in its next
century.
Janda is a senior in the Honors Program,
with an art studio major. During the summer
she is working on a project to illustrate a
book for children in hospitals to help them
understand medical treatments
and surgery. She also works as
a graphic designer in the
Marketing and
Communication Office.
• A Somali family, representing the rich
cultural diversity of our neighborhood
• Frisbee players
• The Campus Kitchen van that delivers
meals in the neighborhood
A
S
U
R
A
U
E
I
S
an
G
G
AU
lives in murphy square
by Betsey Norgard
and Judy Petree
page design by Jen Janda ’08
A Paint-Off took place in downtown St. Paul
as local artists created dinosaurs to be placed
around the city, all in honor of the Science
6 AUGSBURG NOW
Museum of Minnesota.
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Page 9
traditional day undergraduates and master’s program in physician assistant studies
commencement
Jeanette Clark receives Marina Christensen
Justice Award
Jeanette Clark, a senior graduating with a double major in metrourban studies and youth and family ministry, was selected as the 2007
recipient of the Marina Christensen Justice Award. Each year, this
honor is presented to the graduating senior who best exemplifies
Augsburg’s motto, “Education for Service.”
Clark, a President’s Scholar, participated in the Honors Program as
well as Concert Band. At Augsburg, she held numerous leadership
roles, including serving as a campus ministry commissioner, resident
adviser, and leadership team member for the Campus Kitchen at
Augsburg College.
As a Spanish minor, Clark spent a semester in Cuernavaca,
Mexico, through Augsburg’s Center for Global Education, where she
worked for a pre-school and after-school program.
This past year, Clark created a spring break opportunity for
students staying in Minneapolis, called “Go Away Here.” In order to
show students opportunities in the city, it included service projects,
visits to neighborhood organizations such as the Sierra Club and East
African Women’s Center, and social outings.
The award recipient must have demonstrated a dedication to
community involvement as characterized by the personal and
professional life of Marina Christensen Justice, who reached out to
disadvantaged people and communities.
— Jen Winter ’07
Senior Jeanette Clark was honored with the Marina Christensen Justice award from
President Pribbenow for her work in the community and on campus.
May
2007
SUMMER 2007 7
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Page 10
Eboo Patel, founder of the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth
Core, in his Commencement speech, described the “faith line”
that separates religious pluralists, who seek tolerance and
cooperation, from the religious totalitarians.
excerpts
from the
commencement address
“The Faith Line: On Building the Cathedrals of Pluralism”
Eboo Patel
… In his new book, Peace Be upon You,
Zachary Karabell writes: “If we
emphasize hate, scorn, war, and
conquest, we are unlikely to perceive
that any other path is viable … ”.
Hate, scorn, war, and conquest
sounds like a pretty good summary of
our newscasts; it certainly seems like
the dominant narrative of our times.
And the soundtrack of violence these
days appears to be prayer—in Arabic,
in Hebrew, in Hindi, in various
inflections of English.
There are many who are eager to
divide humanity along a faith line:
Sunnis vs. Shias, Catholics vs.
Protestants, Hindus vs. Buddhists.
I believe there is something else
going on. I believe that the faith line is
indeed the challenge of our century,
but it does not divide people of
different religious backgrounds. The
faith line does not separate Muslims
and Christians or Hindus and Jews.
The faith line separates religious
totalitarians and religious pluralists.
A religious totalitarian is someone
who seeks to suffocate those who are
different. Their weapons range from
suicide bombs to media empires. There
are Christian totalitarians and Hindu
totalitarians and Jewish totalitarians
and Muslim totalitarians. They are on
the same side of the faith line: arm in
arm against the dream of a common
life together.
A pluralist is someone who seeks to
live with people who are different, be
enriched by them, help them thrive.
Pluralists resonate with the Qur’annic
line, “God made us different nations
and tribes that we may come to know
one another.” Pluralists are moved by
the image of the Reverend Martin
Luther King Jr. marching together with
the Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in
Selma. Pluralists love the words of the
poet Gwendolyn Brooks:
We are each other’s business
We are each other’s harvest
We are each other’s magnitude
and bond…
We pluralists far outnumber the
totalitarians. What if we let ourselves
imagine? What if we began building?
What if every city block were a
cathedral of pluralism; every university
campus; every summer camp and day
care. There would not be enough
bombs in the world to destroy all of
our cathedrals.
Read the full Commencement Address at
www.augsburg.edu/commencement/
patel.pdf
President Emeritus Charles S. Anderson (right), who led the
College from 1980-1997 during a period of significant growth,
received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Maria Belen Power is the third in her family to
graduate from Augsburg. She poses here with
sister and brother Ana Gabriela ’05 and Camilo
Jose ’02, and their uncle, Dennis Power, from
White Plains, N.Y. The three grads are from
Managua, Nicaragua, where their mother,
Kathleen McBride, is the Center for Global
Education regional co-director for Central
America and adjunct professor.
8 AUGSBURG NOW
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As the graduates process down the street lined with faculty, hands are shaken, hugs exchanged, and high-fives given.
m”
Theatre arts professors Darcey Engen ’88
Physician Assistant program director Dawn
(second from left) and Martha Johnson (second
Ludwig places the master’s hood on Huong
from right) pose with grads James Lekatz (left)
Timp, one of the 31 newly-graduated PA
and Justin Hooper (right).
students.
President Emeritus William V. Frame, who retired last year from
Augsburg, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
degree, and was lauded for his work in sharpening the mission
of the College.
SUMMER 2007 9
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The flags of the Commencement procession represent the countries of Augsburg’s graduating students.
A
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t
e
t
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s
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i
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t
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a
2007
weekend, evening, and graduate programs
commencement
Faculty line both sides of the street as
graduates march through them on their
way to the ceremony.
June
Nursing Department chair Cheryl Leuning takes a photo of instructor
Pauline Utesch ’05 MAN (right) with graduates in the Bachelor of
Science nursing completion degree program.
Roberta Kagin, associate professor and director of the
music therapy program, shares a graduation moment
with her daughter, Julia (Metzler) Mensing ‘00, who
serves on Augsburg’s Alumni Board and received her
10 AUGSBURG NOW
MBA degree.
a
d
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Angela Brand receives first
Richard J. Thoni Award
In honor of his retirement from Augsburg,
the Richard J. Thoni Award was established
earlier this year. It was awarded for the first
time on June 24 to Angela Brand, a social
work major.
Beyond the required 240 hours of public
service volunteer work Brand completed for
her major, she also provided parenting
instruction and visitation supervision to a
working mother in Chisago County. She
facilitated and organized meetings to ensure
that the transportation needs of clients at
the Chisago County Social Services office
were met.
Additionally, Brand developed an
evaluation of the youth-oriented services
provided by Chisago County Social Services.
The county is currently following up on her
recommendations to ensure that youth are
better prepared for their transition into
adulthood.
During his or her time at Augsburg, the
award recipient must have demonstrated a
dedication to the kind of community
involvement characterized by the personal
and professional life of Richard J. Thoni,
who until his retirement in June 2007,
served as a tireless advocate for higher
education at Augsburg.
— Jen Winter ’07
Social work major Angela Brand is the first recipient of the Richard J. Thoni Award, established in honor of the
retiring Weekend College founder and given to a weekend student committed to service in the community.
Dean Barbara Edwards Farley places a doctoral hood on
Srividya Raman, who received her master’s
Martin Marty, retired University of Chicago professor and
degree in social work, spoke on behalf of the
historian of religion, who was awarded an honorary Doctor
Class of 2007 and told how, after receiving a
of Humane Letters degree. In his Commencement speech,
business degree in India, she realized her
he gave suggestions about learning to live life as a process,
passion was in “doing something different that
not a product, continually questioning and testing.
was closer to [her] heart.”
A future college coed straightens the tassel of her mom’s
mortar board following Commencement.
More than 50 graduating students and their families from Rochester were able to leave the driving to
Augsburg and relax on their way to and from the Commencement ceremony.
SUMMER 2007 11
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Going to college with your mom
With more classes than ever offered in Weekend College, more
students are finding out what it’s like to attend college with their
parents. The Clark and the Spargo families are two who have had
more than one generation attend Augsburg simultaneously. Jeanette
Clark and her mother, Mary Simonson Clark, both graduated in the
spring. The Spargos have three family members graduating from
Augsburg this year and next. According to Clark, “Augsburg’s
graduate programs and Weekend College facilitate adult learning and,
therefore, increase the prevalence of multi-generational students in
families.”
The Clark family went through four commencements this past
spring. There were so many that Mary referred to their graduation
schedule as: “It’s a weekend, who needs a robe?” Jeanette graduated
from Augsburg with a Bachelor of Arts degree in youth and family
ministry and metro-urban studies on May 5. Mary graduated from
Luther Seminary with a Master of Arts in theology on May 27. Mary’s
other daughter, Marie, graduated from the New School of
Architecture and Design in San Diego, Calif., with a Master of
Architecture on June 16, and Mary received the other half of her dual
degree, a Master of Social Work, from Augsburg, on June 24.
Concerning being coeds together, Mary said, “I needed to learn
how to be on the same campus with my daughter without either of
us interfering with each other’s schedules.” Jeanette added, “To be
honest, I had some small anxieties when my mother started college at
Augsburg. It just doesn’t fit the norm to go to college with your
mother.” But both assert that not only did it work, but that the family
grew closer because of it. Jeanette claimed, “I think it was really good
for both of us to have others in our family who were going through
the stress of homework, tests, etc. at the same time. I think this really
promoted understanding.”
Jeanette Clark (left) who graduated in May, shares graduation joy with her mother,
Mary Simonson Clark, who completed dual master’s degrees at Luther Seminary and
Augsburg College. For more on Jeanette, see page 7.
The Spargos had three members attending Augsburg last year, and
all three participated in Advent Vespers. Antonio graduated in May
with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and secondary education.
Carolyn, mother to Annika and Antonio, graduated from Augsburg in
1980 and will complete the Master of Arts in Leadership program
next year. She says, “It’s been fun to have some of the same professors
my kids have.” Annika, who will graduate next year also, with a
Bachelor of Arts in music and education, adds, “Although there are
several of us on campus, we all have our separate programs which
allow us to maintain some individuality.” Continuing, she says, “I
think the neatest thing about being a family of Auggies is that I have
seen and met so many different people from different departments at
the school whom I normally would not know.”
— Jen Winter ’07
the class of 2007—956 graduates
May 5, 2007—semester programs
31 Master of Science, Physician Assistant Studies students
409 Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science
440 Total graduating
June 24, 2007—trimester programs
234 Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
172 Weekend College
52 Rochester
10 United/Unity/Mercy Hospitals
20 Master of Arts, Education
26 Master of Arts, Leadership
15 Master of Arts, Nursing
178 Master of Business Administration
43 Master of Social Work
516 Total graduating
An MBA degree was also awarded posthumously to Shika Addo,
a student in the program, who died in April 2006.
12 AUGSBURG NOW
ALUMNI NEWS
From the
Alumni Board
president …
Greetings fellow
Auggies,
Well, a year has come and gone.
My time as president of the
Alumni Association is at an end.
My hat is off to all the wonderful
folks on the Alumni Board and
to the faculty and staff at
Augsburg. They’re a great group
dedicated to Augsburg and her mission.
As I handed off the president’s role to Buffie Blesi, we had a great
strategic planning retreat in June to define our new objectives.
I’m excited to report to you that our focus areas for 2007 include:
• Augsburg Stewards—Connect with the Augsburg Stewards and
build our Auggie Pride!
• Career Development Program—support Augsburg’s efforts
around Career Development for (soon to be) alumni;
• Gateway—participate in the opening of the Oren Gateway
Center and ongoing activities there
• Vespers—support the annual Advent Vespers programming
• Awards Committee—honor Auggies each year who have done
amazing things in service to the world and Augsburg’s mission
• Augsburg Now Advisory Committee—provide input and advice
to the great group of folks producing the Augsburg Now
• Affinity Groups—build connections with other groups at
Augsburg
• Fundraising—help build Augsburg’s strength through support
of the Annual Fund
Centennial
Singers perform in
the Twin Cities
The Centennial Singers, a male
chorus of Augsburg alumni and
friends, will present a series of
concerts this fall in the greater
Twin Cities area.
The chorus was formed in the
early 1990s of former Augsburg
Quartet members to revive and
continue singing the gospel
quartet tradition. Since then,
they have toured both to Norway
and the Southwest U.S. twice.
Fall Concerts/Appearances:
Fri., Sept. 28, 7 p.m.
Faith Lutheran Church,
Staples, Minn.
Sat., Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
Salem Lutheran Church,
Deerwood, Minn.
Sun., Sept. 30, 4 p.m.
Cambridge Lutheran Church,
Cambridge, Minn.
Sat., Oct. 6, 7 p.m.
Christ the King Lutheran Church,
1900 7th St., New Brighton, Minn.
Sat., Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
Calvary Lutheran Church of
Golden Valley,\
7520 Golden Valley Rd.,
Golden Valley, Minn.
Benefit—Wilderness Canoe Base
Sun., Oct. 21, 4 p.m.
Colonial Church of Edina,
6200 Colonial Way, Edina, Minn.
Sat., Oct. 27, 7 p.m.
Community of the Cross
Lutheran Church,
10701 Bloomington Ferry Rd.,
Bloomington, Minn.
Sun., Oct. 28, 4 p.m.
King of Kings Lutheran Church,
1583 Radio Dr.,
Woodbury, Minn.
Sat., Nov. 3, 7 p.m.
Minnetonka Lutheran Church,
16023 Minnetonka Blvd.,
Minnetonka, Minn.
Sun, Nov. 4, 4 p.m.
St. Michael’s Lutheran Church,
9201 Normandale Blvd.,
Bloomington, Minn.
You are invited and encouraged to participate. Please contact the
Alumni Relations office.
All my best to you and your family as the cycle turns and we
start another year.
Barry M. Vornbrock ’96 MAL
President, Alumni Board, 2006-07
SUMMER 2007 13
CLASS NOTES
1950
1969
Frank Ario, Minneapolis, was
featured on the Minnesota Public
Radio show, Midday on May 18,
in a program, “Two Minnesotans
Touched by WWII; Two
Strikingly Different Stories.”
Royce Helmbrecht, Austin,
Minn., is principal at Lyle
Community School in Lyle,
Minn., a small school of 240
students recently named by
Newsweek in the top five percent
of high schools in the nation.
1952
Robert R. Hage Sr., Hector,
Minn., was entered into the
Minnesota High School Football
Coaches Hall of Fame on April
21. He is the former football
coach at Hector High School.
Rev. Orville Olson and his wife,
Yvonne (Bagley), Excelsior,
Minn., celebrated the 50th
anniversary of his ordination. He
is currently a pastor at Mount
Calvary Lutheran Church in
Excelsior. Gifts will be given to
the Timothy Olson Memorial
Scholarship, honoring their son.
John R. Hubbling, St. Paul,
Minn., received the Max Hecht
Award from ASTM International
Committee D19 on Water. The
committee cited Hubbling for his
outstanding service and
advancing the study of water. He
is laboratory manager for
Metropolitan Council/
Environmental Services in St.
Paul, and also serves on ASTM
International’s international
committees on waste
management, and quality and
standards.
1970
1967
Gerrie Wall (Neff), Rapid City,
S. Dak., retired in May, after a
five-decade teaching career, from
Western Dakota Technical
Institute (WDTI) in Rapid City,
where she has taught in the
general education department for
the last 18 years. At this year’s
commencement ceremony, she
received the Distinguished
Service Award from the school,
and is the first faculty member to
be honored with its highest
award.
Mary (Tweeten) Gladwin,
Pocatello, Idaho, has retired after
21 years in education. She taught
in Cottage Grove, Minn., and
was the media specialist at Grace
Lutheran and Hawthorne Middle
School in Pocatello, Idaho.
physical education and aquatics
in the Glynn County (Ga.)
schools. She was also principal
horn with the Coastal Symphony
of Georgia and played in other
bands and small brass groups. At
Augsburg, she played in a brass
group named Neophonic Brass
with Mike Savold, Bob Stacke,
Johnny English, and others, and
would love to continue playing
brass music.
1982
Les Heen, Maynard, Minn., was
recently appointed president and
general manager of Pioneer
Public Television in Appleton.
He and his wife, Barbara
(Westerlund) ’89, have two
children, Chris, 9, and Erik, 6.
Barbara (Mattison) Lagrue,
Lamberton, Minn., has recently
moved back to the Midwest,
with her husband, Paul. For
many years, she taught adaptive
14 AUGSBURG NOW
John Sheehan, Lakeville, Minn.,
has been named boys varsity
basketball head coach in
Lakeville South High School. For
seven years he was an assistant
coach with the Lakeville North
girls team.
1997
Jasmina Besirevic-Regan,
Hamden, Conn., and her
husband, Matt, welcomed their
second daughter, Lejla, on June
14, 2006.
Rev. Scott M. Ludford, Hayward,
Wis., was installed as senior
pastor of First Lutheran Church
on January 21, after serving at
Concordia Lutheran Church in
Superior, Wis., for eight-and-ahalf years.
1987
Jody Abbott was recently named
senior vice president and chief
operating officer at North Kansas
City (Mo.) Hospital to provide
direction for upper management
in the areas of nursing services,
support services, and facilities.
Previously, she worked at
Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa,
Okla., in a similar position.
1992
1975
1993
Rev. Judith Bangsund, San Jose,
Calif., is pastor, along with her
husband, Rev. James Bangsund,
at Timothy’s Lutheran Church.
She graduated in nursing, served
with her husband in Tanzania for
several years, and became
ordained.
Join the Augsburg
Online Community
• Keep in touch with
classmates
• Find out what’s happening
on campus
• Change/update your address
and e-mail
www.augsburg.edu/alumni
CLASS NOTES
1999
Cheri Johnson, Minneapolis,
received a $25,000 McKnight
Artist Fellowship for Writers,
through the Loft Literary Center,
in creative prose. She has
graduate degrees in English from
Hollins College and the
University of Minnesota and is a
regular participant in the English
Department Homecoming
Reading and Career Night.
2000
Sara M. Quigley, St. Paul, Minn.,
graduated on May 27 from
Luther Seminary with a Master
of Divinity degree. She is the
youth director at St. Stephen
Lutheran Church in White Bear
Lake, Minn., and hopes to
become ordained in the ELCA.
Jennifer Rensenbrink, and her
husband, Adam Miller,
Minneapolis, welcomed twins, a
boy and a girl, at Fairview
Riverside Hospital on June 9.
Rowan Charles weighed 5 lbs., 2
oz.; and Anneke Rensenbrink
weighed 4 lbs., 14 oz.
certified nursing assistant/
environmental aide at Fairview
Southdale Hospital in Edina,
Minn.
2003
Natalia Pretelt, Roseville, Minn.,
was mentioned in the Money
and Business section of the Star
Tribune on April 15 for her role
as a loan specialist with the
Minneapolis Consortium of
Community Developers. She is
involved in microlending and
small loans to help immigrants
and others start businesses.
Jonathan Fahler, has studied
since 2004 in the Master of Arts
in Medical Sciences program at
Loyola University Chicago and
was recently admitted to medical
school at Des Moines University
College of Osteopathic Medicine.
John Tieben, St. Louis Park,
Minn., received his medical
degree from the University of
Minnesota on May 4. Tieben and
his wife, Danielle (Slack) ’04,
will live in Duluth, where he will
serve a three-year family practice
residency in the St. Mary’s/Duluth
Clinic Health System, St. Luke’s
Hospital, and the Duluth Family
Practice Center.
Options, a volunteer mentoring
program that connects with atrisk kids, ages 10-14, in the
Twin Cities through biking and
running. See blog photos at
bolderoptions.org.
2005
Brooke Dornbusch received a
Master of Arts in counseling
degree in May from the
Assemblies of God Theological
Seminary in Springfield, Mo.
Mark Simmonds, placed fourth
in the 120-kilogram GrecoRoman class at the 2007 USA
Wrestling Senior World Team
Trials. He is a damage
controlman third class (DC3) in
the U.S. Navy, operating out of
the Mayport, Fla., Naval Station
and is a member of the Navy’s
wrestling team.
2006
Lauren Falk, Eden Prairie,
Minn., has started her own
portrait/wedding photography
business, Lauren B. Photography,
with on-location photography of
weddings, portraits, and events
in the Twin Cities metro area.
Graduate Programs
Jeff Falkingham ’95 MAL, Eden
Prairie, Minn., donated his
services to author a 2007
commemorative edition of his
earlier book, The County
Courthouse Caper, recounting the
history of his native Browns
Valley, Minn. The publisher,
Beaver’s Pond Press, has donated
1000 copies for the city to sell as
a fundraiser for its Long-Term
Flood Recovery Fund.
Dietrich-Swanson Wedding
2004
2001
Emily Waldon, Salem, Mass.,
recently joined the Harvard
Vanguard Medical Associates at
its Cambridge internal medicine
practice as a physician assistant.
She received a master’s degree
from Northeastern University in
Boston. Formerly she was a
Max Langaard, Oakland, Calif.,
was recently featured in an
article titled, “Teaching
Leadership through Coaching.”
The article is focused on the
Sports-4-Kids program centered
in the Bay area inner city
schools. The program attempts
to help children become not only
healthier but also to learn what it
takes to lead.
Laura Simones, St. Paul, has
biked from Boulder, Colo., to
Minneapolis with Bolder
Hannah Dietrich and Nathan Swanson ’05,, Lincoln, Neb., were
married on June 8, in Luverne, Minn. The wedding included several
Auggie students and staff, including Sadie Dietrich ’09, Lynde
Kuipers ’08, cross-country and track coach Dennis Barker, Marcia
Gunz ’05, Anna (Ferguson) Rendell ’05, Kyla Rice ’05, Tim
Stowe, and Janeece (Adams) Oatmann ’05. Jeremiah Knabe ’05
also served as an officiant at the wedding. Hannah is a doctoral
student at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, and Nathan is
pursuing a job with Lincoln Public Schools.
SUMMER 2007 15
CLASS NOTES
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the Augsburg
Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
Street address
City, State, Zip
In Memoriam
Larsen, Norman ’34,
Morristown, Minn., age 97, on
June 12. He was a member of the
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Woolson, Gladys (Oudal) ’34,
Minneapolis, age 92, on May 9.
Knudsen, Rev. Richard I. ’37
Sem, Minneapolis, age 95, on
July 10.
Gilseth, Margaret (Chrislock)
’40, St. Charles, Minn., age 88,
on June 10. She was a
Distinguished Alumna.
Framstad, Rev. Waldemar ’41,
Marinette, Wis., age 87, on June
14, after a lengthy illness.
Ahlberg, Rev. G. Harold ’42,
Valparaiso, Ind., age 86, on June 4.
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Home telephone
Stolee, Magdalene (Gronseth)
’42, Kenyon, Minn., age 87, on
June 11.
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Employer
Position
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
If yes, class year
Spouse’s name
Maiden name
Your news:
16 AUGSBURG NOW
Estness, Borghild ’43,
Minneapolis, age 92, on July 8.
She served as a recorder in
Augsburg’s Office of the Registrar.
Gronseth, Luther C., Sr., ’43,
Apple Valley, Minn., age 86, on
June 23.
Lindahl, Burton J. ’50, Wayzata,
Minn., age 82, on May 22.
Bakken, Rev. Hardis C. ’52, San
Pablo, Calif., age 97, on May 5.
Thompson, Robert D. ’52,
Bloomington, Minn., age 81, on
June 29.
Pundy, Eileen “Dolly” ’59,
Minneapolis, age 69, on May 4.
Peterson, Rolf ’61, University
Place, Wash., on April 24.
Heimbigner, Marlene (Hanggi)
’65, Olympia, Wash., on Jan. 15.
Timmons, Peter ’74, St. Paul,
age 63, on June 16, from
pancreatic cancer.
Ness, Sheela Jo ’86, Plymouth,
Minn., on July 4, of injuries from
an auto accident.
Galland, John H. ’93, Durango,
Colo., age 56, on May 18, in an
auto accident.
Hope, Jared ’00, West Concord,
Minn., age 28, on May 8 of
injuries from an auto accident.
Neitzel, Daniel Kurt ’06, Eden
Prairie, Minn., age 27, on
June 11.
Ward, Sister Agnes, CSJ, on
April 10. She taught classical
languages at Augsburg in the
1960s.
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CALENDAR
For music information, call 612-330-1265
For theatre ticket information, call 612-330-1257
For art gallery information, call 612-330-1524
SEPTEMBER
September 10
Seventh Annual Scholastic
Connections Gala and Dinner
Celebrating the scholarship/
mentorship program and the four
ethnic services programs
Free and open to the public
6:30–8:30 p.m.—East Commons,
Christensen Center
Info and reservations: 612-359-6480
or scholar@augsburg.edu
September 24-25
2007 Christensen Symposium
Everyday Life in the Light of the
Gospel
Rolf A. Jacobson, associate professor of
Old Testament, Luther Seminary.
Free and open to the public.
September 24, “Why Do You Weep?
Sadness, Grief, and the Gospel”
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
September 25, “How Can I Keep
from Singing? Laughter, Joy, and the
Gospel”
11 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
September 27
Theatre Artist Series
From Augsburg to the Guthrie
Theater
Katie Koch ’06, stage manager and
executive assistant to Joe Dowling,
Guthrie Theater
9:40–11:10 a.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
September 14–October 26
Glass from the American-Swedish
Institute and Its Local Influence
Gage Family Art Gallery, Oren
Gateway Center
Opening reception: Friday, Sept. 14,
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Artist Presentation: To be announced
September 14–October 26
Reweaving a Life
Prints by Alejandro González Aranda
and baskets by women weavers of
Tlamacazapa, Guerrero, Mexico
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Artist Printmaking Demonstration:
Friday, Oct. 12, 8:30–10:10 a.m.
Artist Presentation and Reception:
Friday, Oct. 12, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
September 18
Theatre Artist Series
Technical Direction at the
Guthrie Theater
Craig Pettigrew, assistant
technical director
9:40–11:10 a.m.—
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
September 20
Featured Artist Presentation
A Life in the Theatre
Peter C. Brocius, artistic director,
Children’s Theatre Company
7 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
October 17
Many Voices: Bold Visions
Convocation Series
Peter Bisanz, film director,
documentary One
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
NOVEMBER
November 2–11
Life is a Dream (La vida es sueño)
by Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Directed by Martha Johnson
Nov. 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10 at 7 p.m.
Nov. 4 and 11 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
OCTOBER
October 8
Theatre Artist Series
Working in the Theatre
Buffy Sedlacheck, literary manager,
Jungle Theatre
12:10–1:10 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
October 8–13
Homecoming 2007
See www.augsburg.edu/alumni for
information
October 11
Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
November 14
2007 Koryne Horbal Lecture
Anne Pedersen Women’s
Resource Center
Jane Fonda
“My Life’s Lessons about Sex and
Gender”
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
November 30
Velkommen Jul Celebration
10:15 a.m.—Chapel Service,
Hoversten Chapel
11 a.m.—Scandinavian treats and
gifts, Christensen Center
October 12
1957 50th Anniversary
Celebration
Homecoming Convocation
Homecoming Luncheon
Campaign Completion
Celebration and Oren Gateway
Center Dedication
Dept. of Sociology 60th
Anniversary Celebration
November 30–December 1
That All May Have Light
28th Annual Advent Vespers:
A service of music and liturgy
5 and 8 p.m. each night
Central Lutheran Church,
Minneapolis
For seating envelopes,
612-330-1265
English Alumni/ae Reunion
and Reading
October 13
1967 40-Year Reunion
Picnic in the Park
Football game vs.
University of St. Thomas
Auggie Block Party
SUMMER 2007
703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1
8/22/07
11:05 PM
Page 16
An Augsburg Mural
Augsburg’s history is celebrated in the mural across
the Barnes and Noble Augsburg Bookstore windows
at the new Oren Gateway Center. Artwork by
photographer Stephen Geffre.
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
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Augsburg
Now
KEYSTONE CONNECTIONS
URBAN LEGENDS
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SPRING 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 3
Martin Sabo retires
The ending of an era
page 16
P. 21
A PLACE OF THEIR OWN
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
P. 12
P. 26
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
Being a ... Show more
Augsburg
Now
KEYSTONE CONNECTIONS
URBAN LEGENDS
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SPRING 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 3
Martin Sabo retires
The ending of an era
page 16
P. 21
A PLACE OF THEIR OWN
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
P. 12
P. 26
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
Being a college in the city
B
ut seek the welfare of the city where I have
sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on
its behalf, for in its welfare will you find
your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7, RSV)
One particular afternoon last fall, I was shepherded
through the nearby Cedar-Riverside neighborhood
by our legendary community ambassador Mary
Laurel True. She introduced me to good people
whose lives and work intersect with the College. We
sat in one of the four mosques in the neighborhood
and spoke with the elders about peace and the God
of Abraham, about our lives here together, about our
children, and about the world and how frightening
it can be to live with strangers. In other words, we
spoke as fellow humans living together in the city.
I love the city (despite my rural upbringing) and
my recent experiences in our neighborhood lead me
to revisit some of the historical themes that fascinate
me about city life.
My first thoughts go to the role that neighborhoods play in a strong urban life. Though we are a
city, we live our lives in neighborhoods. It is in the
neighborhood where I come face to face with the
challenges and joys of negotiating my life with others. I think of Jane Addams, who made the west side
Chicago neighborhood near Hull-House the sphere
of action for her efforts in the late 19th and early
20th centuries to build a stronger democracy. There
are many of us who still believe her settlement
house idea has relevance for the 21st century. It is
not a philosophical exercise—it is the daily living
with, abiding with, meeting the needs and sharing
the aspirations of neighbors that defined the work of
Miss Addams and her colleagues, and that needs to
define our lives in cities as well.
A second theme about cities is the ways in
which they reflect our abiding pursuit of civilization.
Sir Peter Hall in Cities in Civilization suggests that
great cities have been at the center of artistic growth,
technological progress, the marriage of culture and
technology, and solutions to evolving social problems. Cities are places “for people who can stand the
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Design Manager
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Class Notes Designer
heat of the kitchen: places where the adrenaline
pumps through the bodies of the people and
through the streets on which they walk; messy
places, sordid places sometimes, but places nevertheless superbly worth living in, long to be remembered and long to be celebrated.”
Finally, I think of the late Jane Jacobs, the legendary urban theorist, whose The Death and Life of
Great American Cities was a clarion call to arms for
all those who loved the diversity and energy of cities
that was being ravaged by trends in architecture and
city planning. One of Jacobs’ main points was that
the well-being of cities is defined primarily by common, ordinary things, like sidewalks, parks, defined
neighborhoods, and a diversity of architecture styles
and buildings of different ages. These common,
ordinary things, when thought about with the needs
and aspirations of citizens in mind, will create
healthy, sustainable, and vital urban centers. It is not
about spending a huge amount of money, but rather
about a reflective practice of city life—the genuine
work of urban planning.
During my short time here at Augsburg, I have
been challenged to think again about the role of colleges and universities in an urban setting. I am committed to the mutual dependency of colleges and the
city. The paradigm for the relationships between
cities and higher education must be less about
extracting benefits from each other, less dependent
on incidental impact, and more focused on the various resources that can be shared in the pursuit of a
more robust, healthy, and meaningful urban life. I
look forward to our efforts at Augsburg to give substance to this new (but not really so new!) paradigm
of urban citizenship.
Yours,
Signe Peterson
petersos@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Interim Assistant
Vice President of Marketing
and Communications
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services,
CB 142,
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
Spring 2007
21
Contents
Features
11
The Kitchen Connection
by Betsey Norgard
Weekend College student Tom Gouras uses his food service experience to feel
more connected on campus and provide service in the community.
12
Fitting the Pieces Together
by Betsey Norgard
In their keystone courses seniors synthesize all their Augsburg experiences in
preparing for the next step.
16
The Ending of an Era
Photos and text by Stephen Geffre
The boxes are packed and farewells said as Martin Olav Sabo retires from a
28-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives.
21
Urban Legends
by Bethany Bierman
Augsburg’s metro-urban studies alumni are making their marks as leaders
in public service and city planning.
16
26
A Place of Their Own
by Betsey Norgard
The East African Women’s Center bustles with activity as mothers, children,
grandmothers, and girls learn skills for living in a new community.
On the Cover: Congressman Martin Olav
Sabo, Class of 1959, retires from a lifelong
career serving his constituents in Minneapolis
and earning high respect from colleagues on
both sides of the aisle.
Departments
2 Around the Quad
6 Supporting Augsburg
8 Sports
29 Alumni News
36 Views
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
AROUND THE QUAD
Brian Krohn awarded
a Goldwater
Scholarship
NOTEWORTHY
A team of Augsburg and University of St. Thomas students received honorable men-
Junior Brian
Krohn, who is
majoring in
chemistry
with a biology
minor, was
awarded a
Barry M.
Goldwater
Scholarship for the 2007-08 academic year. A total of 317 schol-
arships were awarded from the
more than 1,000 nominations
made by college faculty in the
fields of natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Krohn will join a research
group this summer at the Graz
Technical Institute in Austria,
funded by the National Science
Foundation.
Two other Augsburg students
received honorable mentions—
Kent Bodurtha and Reid Larson,
both in physics.
tion at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York in March.
Model UN team
wins award
A team of Augsburg and
University of St. Thomas students
received honorable mention at the
National Model United Nations
Conference in New York in
March—Augsburg’s first award in
nine years of competition.
More than 4,000 students
from the U.S. and 31 countries
participated, with opening and
closing ceremonies held in the
UN General Assembly Great Hall.
The student team represented
the interests of India in the conference and met with the Indian
Mission to the UN during the
week in New York.
Matt Broughton
named a Fulbright
Scholar
Matt
Broughton’06,
who graduated summa
cum laude
with dual
degrees in
English and
2 AUGSBURG NOW
physics, has been named a
Fulbright Scholar to Germany
during 2007-08. He will spend
the year at the Technical
University of Braunschweig,
working in space physics
research.
It was during an internship
with the National Academies’
Space Studies Board that
Broughton began to see how
research he had been doing fits
into the larger context of national and international physics
research, studying the relationship between the sun and earth.
At the Technical University,
he will study ultra-low frequency
(ULF) waves in the magnetosphere, using data gathered from
four satellites in the Cluster mission. He will be able to analyze
the data with use of a wave telescope, a multi-spacecraft analysis
tool, using techniques that scientists there developed. He already
has a working relationship with
the scientists and has received
some training on the wave
telescope.
This summer Broughton will
spend 10 weeks in Washington,
D.C., in an intensive German
language program.
Coach and athletic director
Ernie Anderson dies
Ernie Anderson ’37, who served Augsburg College
as its men’s basketball coach for 23 seasons and as
its athletic director for 34 years, died on March 18
at the age of 90.
Anderson was a part of the Augsburg community for more than 40 years. He attended the
Augsburg Academy as a prep student in the early
1930s. He played basketball and baseball at
Augsburg, graduating from the College with a hisErnie Anderson ’37
tory degree in 1937.
Anderson served as men’s
basketball coach for the
Auggies from 1947-70, and as
the school’s athletic director
from 1947-80. He was inducted into the College’s Athletic
Hall of Fame in 1975.
In 1984, Augsburg named
its outdoor athletic field
Anderson-Nelson Field, in
honor of Anderson and fellow
longtime coach Edor Nelson
’38. In 2001, the center competition court at Melby Hall was
named Ernie Anderson Court
in his honor, while the outdoor
athletic field was rechristened
as Edor Nelson Field.
Men’s basketball coach Ernie Anderson is
lifted in the air as the team celebrates its
conference championship in 1963.
PA students excel on
certifying exam
Physics students
receive award
All 28 of Augsburg physician
assistant 2006 graduates passed
the National Commission on
Certification of Physician
Assistants (NCCPA) exam,
required for physician assistants
to practice in most states.
While the mean score for all
new grads nationally was 506,
Augsburg’s mean score was 581,
which put the program in the
91st percentile in comparison to
other programs.
Augsburg’s chapter of the Society
of Physics Students (SPS) was
selected as an Outstanding
Chapter for 2005-06. This is the
fourth time in the last five years
the chapter has been recognized
among the top 10 percent of
chapters nationally.
Recognition is given for the
breadth of SPS activities in
research, public science outreach, physics tutoring programs, and interaction among its
members. Brian Wood ’08 serves
Students and money—dollar/sense
Sophomore Cody Warren (left) and financial aid counselor Carly Eichhorst (right)
teamed to teach students about financial literacy.
Studies show that more than half
of all college students acquire
their first credit card during
their first year in college. Nearly
half of all college students have
credit card debt, with the average debt over $3,000.
Combine that with the fact
that most parents feel they are
neither prepared to talk to their
kids about personal finances, nor
do they feel they are good role
models concerning financial
planning and decisions. And few
high schools offer courses on
financial matters.
Last year, Augsburg’s
Financial Aid Office decided to
do something about this and
provide resources for students to
as chapter president and
Professor Mark Engebretson is
faculty adviser.
Best Workplace for
Commuters
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the U.S.
Department of Transportation
become more fiscally literate and
learn to make responsible money
choices. “Does Your Money
Matter?” was offered as a series
of formal presentations.
This year, financial aid counselor Carly Eichhorst and sophomore student worker Cody
Warren teamed up to revamp the
program and ratchet up the level
of conversation and participation.
“I knew my peers didn’t have
the [financial] information,”
Warren said, as they planned a
new program they called “dollar/sense.”
Five sessions (three of which
were repeated) were offered on
weekday evenings:
• Embark: Begin the Financial
Journey
• Build: Establish Credit.
Maintain Credit
• Plan: Chart Your Course
• Renew: Financial Aid Springs
Anew
• Share: Time. Talent. Gifts
included Augsburg among the
Best Workplaces for Commuters
in Minneapolis. It was recognized as an employer offering
good benefits to employees for
alternatives to driving alone to
work every day. Augsburg faculty, staff, and students can buy
discounted travel on buses and
light rail, can make teleworking
arrangements, and use carpools.
Augsburg also hosts an
HOURCAR hub in the CedarRiverside community, making a
hybrid-fuel vehicle available for
hourly rent by qualified drivers on
campus and in the community.
Lots of audience response and
visuals in a relaxed atmosphere,
plus some food, brought home
the message to 20 to 40 students
who came to each session of
“dollar/sense.”
Eichhorst was delighted at
the response. “[A student who]
attended last night’s event on
credit scores … came to me this
morning and told me he pulled
his credit report right away last
night and wanted to talk about a
discrepancy,” she said. “[Another
attendee] was a student who
experienced financial problems
last year … and he attended
every single session of
‘dollar/sense’.”
The word reached parents as
well. One mother e-mailed, “It is
really a shame that you don’t get
more students attending those
sessions since they are truly REAL
LIFE and kids so often complain
about learning things they think
they will never use. Thanks to
everyone in the Enrollment
Center who put them on.”
—Betsey Norgard
SPRING 2007 3
AROUND THE QUAD
Japanese artists visit
Augsburg
For two days in late February,
Ayomi Yoshida and Bidou
Yamaguchi engaged the
Augsburg community with their
talents and art.
Yoshida is a printmaker,
installation artist, and designer,
whose work ranges from a colorful gift wrap line designed for
Target to multi-story installation
art. She is a fourth generation
member of the illustrious Yoshida
family of printmakers, which also
included Toshi Yoshida, who
taught at Augsburg during two
summers in the early 1970s.
For an exhibit at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
(MIA) in 2002 featuring her family, she created a large installation
of wood grain panels. The installation was purchased by Target
Corporation and re-installed in
their corporate executive suites
in downtown Minneapolis.
“Reverberation Ad Infinitum”
is made up of four columns and
a wall, each running three stories
high, flanking a stairway. Out of
each red column, Yoshida carved
repeated lines of oval chips with
a scoop chisel. The red chips
were then glued to the white
wall, creating positive and negative polka dots. Over 60,000
chips were carved, with three
people working on it for three
months.
MIA curator Matthew Welch
led a group of Augsburg students
to Target Corporation to view
Yoshida’s installation—an opportunity for the students to see the
artwork in this restricted, nonpublic area. They appreciated the
centuries-old, handcrafted nature
of the installation, says Kerry
Morgan, Augsburg’s coordinator
of galleries, and were captured
by “the physical process, the
amount of work, and the time
and dedication needed for it.”
Morgan recounts that as people walk through the installation,
“fascinating things happen to the
eye, the grid becomes diagonal
and casts shadows.”
Bidou Yamaguchi demonstrates his master skills in carving masks from cypress wood
for Japanese Noh drama.
4 AUGSBURG NOW
Students explore the panels of a multi-story art installation created by Ayomi Yoshida
at Target Corporation headquarters.
Bob Ulrich, chairman and
CEO of Target Corporation,
greeted the group and told them
that Target employees prefer
walking the stairs through the
installation to taking the elevator.
Yoshida also is a designer for
Target. Her gift wrap line, with
polka-dot-and-lined patterns,
has been described as making
packages “too pretty to open.”
Yoshida’s husband, Bidou
Yamaguchi, is a master carver of
masks for Noh drama. He is
trained as a graphic designer, but
became enchanted with the
ancient craft of carving masks
and their long history as part of
an ancient art form.
Carved and smoothed from a
block of cypress wood by knives
and chisels with three layers of
steel, the masks are lacquer coated many times and then stressed
to show age and wear.
Yamaguchi tried his own
hand at carving, and sought out
a master carver with whom he
could apprentice. After five years
of study—only half the normal
time—he was awarded the master carver status. He was also
given his artist’s name, Bidou, a
combination of words meaning
the “god of war” and “a stack of
wood.”
Yamaguchi has lectured and
demonstrated his craft at numerous institutions in Japan and
other countries. His masks are
part of the permanent collections
of Target Corporation (which the
students also were able to view
on the tour) and the MIA.
Bringing Yoshida and
Yamaguchi to campus was a collaborative effort among the art
galleries, Art Department,
Theatre Arts Department, Art
Club, Pan-Asian Student
Services, and professor emeritus
Eugene Skibbe, a friend of the
Yoshida family. The presentations
made by the artists were open to
the public, and scheduled to
involve classes in AsianAmerican theatre, sculpture, art
history, and design.
— Betsey Norgard
Augsburg Stewards:
Preserving history,
keeping traditions
alive
The Augsburg Stewards have
been involved in nearly every
recent Augsburg event, and they
are not much more than a year
old. The 14-member group has
already participated in
Homecoming, orientation, an
event honoring the Augsburg
Associates, the annual
Scholarship Brunch, and other
events with alumni.
Augsburg students can’t help
but notice the Stewards, but
many wonder, “Who are they?”
If you refer to the group’s
official statement, the Augsburg
Stewards’ mission is “to engage
students in the mission of
Augsburg College in order to
cultivate pride in place and
purpose.”
Lead Steward Solveig Mebust
says, “We combine three important aspects of the College: we
look at the history, the present
traditions, and the future of the
College and then try to make it
all something to which students
can relate. We basically provide
the link between the students
and the alumni.
“We make connections with
people whom you might not otherwise have met, and these are
powerful people,” she says. “They
make the difference between having an Oren Gateway Center or
not, having a scholarship to go to
college or not.”
The Stewards don’t just make
connections with alumni, but
also focus on students. In an
interview in spring 2006,
Augsburg Stewards’ founder,
Paul Cumings ’06, said,
“Students are trying to find ways
to connect with Augsburg, to
The Augsburg Stewards seek ways to engage students in the history and traditions of the College and create links with alumni.
(L to R) Rikki Starich ’07, Marie Sager ’09, lead Steward Solveig Mebust ’08, Sarah Valasek ’09, Cody Warren ’09.
create meaning behind the
school.”
“That’s exactly what we try to
do,” Mebust confirms. “We want
students to be invested in this
school, to take pride in our rich
history, be involved in present
traditions, and to help sculpt the
future of the College.”
The Stewards have already
started working toward that goal.
Each Steward receives a copy of
the late professor emeritus Carl
Chrislock’s Fjord to Freeway, a
centennial history of Augsburg
College. They then share the
College’s history with the student
body.
For example, during Auggie
Days, an orientation program for
first-year Augsburg students,
Steward Chris Kuhn presented a
brief history from Chrislock’s
book.
The Stewards began in
December 2005 when Cumings,
the student body president, came
up with the idea. “It’s important
to learn the history of the
College, to open up our past.
That helps us learn why deci-
sions have been made,” he said.
Cumings asked a few students to join, wrote a constitution, and submitted the constitution to student government. In
January 2006 the Augsburg
Stewards became an official student organization.
Currently the organization is
structured into three main committees: the History Committee,
the Present Committee, and the
Future Committee, each led by a
Steward member and focusing
on one of the three main components. However, Mebust plans
changes to the structure to make
it easier for students to participate more fully. Formal recruiting for new Stewards has taken
place during spring semester.
In December the Stewards
hosted an event called “What is
an Auggie, anyway?” With information tables in Christensen
Center, the group focused on
what it means to identify as an
Auggie and provided students
with information, food, presentations, and a documentary about
the College’s history.
“There’s something unique
about Augsburg. It’s always been
the odd child out of the
Lutheran colleges because we’ve
never felt the need to compete,”
says Mebust. “We produce amazing alumni who are leaders of
both the political and religious
realms, and their children are
now attending Augsburg.”
Mebust hopes to learn more
about why Augsburg is so
unique. She assigned the
Stewards a long-term goal of discovering the personal history of
the College. “Fjord [to Freeway] is
a great history based on institutional life, but not [its] personal
life.”
Even while still evolving, the
Augsburg Stewards are working
hard to reach their goals. Mebust
says, “We do our best to be
involved … and to be the best
representation of the College.”
—Kari Aanestad ’08
Kari Aanestad is a junior, with double majors in English/writing and
political science.
SPRING 2007 5
AROUND THE QUAD
SUPPORTING
AUGSBURG
Sabo Scholars …
‘Walking the talk’
One year after he graduated from
Augsburg, 22-year-old Martin
Olav Sabo was elected to the
Minnesota House of
Representatives in 1960 as its
youngest member. In 1978 he
was elected to the first of 14
terms in the U.S. House of
Representatives and served as one
of its most liberal members.
Throughout his entire career, he
has exemplified Augsburg’s motto,
“Education for Service,” and he
leaves a legacy as one of the most
fair-minded and principled legislators.
In 1990, his friends, family,
and alumni established the Martin
Olav and Sylvia A. Sabo
Scholarship in recognition of
Sabo’s distinguished record. The
scholarship is awarded to students who study political science
and/or have engaged in public
service, and aspire to careers in
public policy.
In 1994, fundraising began to
build the Sabo Endowment for
Leadership in Public and
Community Service. In addition
to the Sabo Scholarships, a summer leadership program for high
school students, a lecture series,
and academic support to public
service are envisioned.
Since 1995, nearly 50 students have been named Sabo
Scholars, and some served internships in Sabo’s Washington office.
A number have since chosen
careers in public service.
Garry Hesser, professor of
sociology and director of the
metro-urban studies program,
says, “What we’re trying to lift up
with the Sabo initiative is that
graduates in urban studies walk
the talk … . They stand for elected office and grapple with the
complexities of public issues and
The Sabo Scholarship
The Martin Olav and Sylvia A. Sabo Scholarship, established in 1990
by friends, alumni, and family is awarded to students with demonstrated financial need and academic achievement who study political
science and/or have engaged in public service or have interest in
public policy.
“I hope your college experience has taught you to listen, and that you
will continue to listen. … I hope you will develop your convictions
and your beliefs. I hope that you will pursue your passions. And I
hope you do get involved and choose your causes. But always remember to listen. And remember—you may not be absolutely right.”
— Martin Olav Sabo ’59
Augsburg Commencement address, 1983
6 AUGSBURG NOW
public policies.”
Here are four Sabo Scholars
whose lives are centered around
walking the talk of public service.
For Minneapolis native
Breanne Dalnes ’03, it took a
year at another Lutheran college
to realize she was an urbanite at
heart.
Once at Augsburg, a metrourban studies major became an
instant fit. “I knew as soon as I
discovered there was such a thing
as neighborhood organizations
that I wanted to get involved on
such a grassroots level,” she says.
While at Augsburg, Dalnes
spent one semester with HECUA’s
Metro-Urban Studies Term
(MUST), which she says opened
her eyes to a new way of thinking. She also served as a planning
Junior Kari Aanestad’s internship teaching
a recent immigrant to write has brought
to life issues around community needs
that her classes in political science have
introduced.
intern for the City of St. Paul.
Her last semester, she spent a
week in Washington D.C., where
her group visited various nonprofits and Sabo’s office. “It was
the perfect send-off to graduate
school.”
She received a Master of
Urban/Regional Planning degree
at the University of Minnesota’s
Humphrey Institute in 2005 and
currently serves as an associate
planner for the City of Ramsey.
“I’m putting my passions to
good work and watching out for
people who are too busy making
ends meet to get involved in their
communities or politics.”
Erica Champer ‘04 chose
Augsburg “for its integration into
a world-class city.” She also chose
metro-urban studies because, in
Making a gift to Augsburg
It’s easy to make a donation to Augsburg College.
All donations are tax-deductible.
her words, “it intertwined all of
the areas I was interested in—
history, economics, sociology, and
politics, all with a focus on making the city a better place.”
She now serves as an associate
director of quality and compliance at Heartland Alliance for
Human Needs and Human Rights
in Chicago. Champer climbed the
ladder in a short period of time,
becoming the youngest director
in a company of 800.
“At Augsburg I learned about
public housing in Chicago and
what a disaster it was, and now
I’m here two years later working
on a real solution!” says Champer.
“I am working on issues that are
meaningful to me—affordable
housing, human rights, and
more.”
Kari Aanestad graduates next
year with double majors in political science and English with a
writing concentration. During her
time at Augsburg, she has taken
advantage of many opportunities
to reflect on vocation, community
service, and building democracy.
“I love helping people and
being a servant of the people,”
Aanestad says. Her Honors Junior
Colloquium, taught by President
Pribbenow, focused on humanitarian Jane Addams, and what
Aanestad took away was a deep
appreciation of Addams’ belief
that in serving people she did not
expect to teach them, but to learn
from them.
Aanestad says her four classes
during spring semester all seemed
to synthesize around public serv-
Ana Chilingarishvili’s international
interest in children’s rights stem
from her own experience growing
up in the post-Soviet Union
Republic of Georgia.
Gifts online
Go to www.augsburg.edu/giving to make a secure credit card
donation. You can use the form to make a one-time donation or
to set up recurring gifts.
Gifts by phone
To make a donation by phone, call Kevin Healy, director of
advancement services, at 612-338-6537 or 800-273-0617.
Gifts by mail
You can mail your gift to:
Development Office, CB 142
Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454
For complete information about making a gift,
including the types of giving and giving programs,
go to www.augsburg.edu/giving.
ice. In political science theory, she
studied what it means to be a
civil leader and servant of the
people. A statistics course taught
her how knowledge is used and
how public policy is translated for
the general public. An internship
gave her the chance to work oneon-one with a 46-year-old East
African man, teaching him to
write. She learned how education
is empowerment, and how leaders have a responsibility to
empower their people. Lastly, in
American literature, she studied
what it means to have a voice,
and how in poverty people do
not have any voice.
Her thoughts after graduation
include work with the Lutheran
Volunteer Corps or AmeriCorps,
giving her chances to offer community service and better understand the role of civic associations
in a democracy.
Ana Chilingarishvili graduates this year with a major in
international relations and will
begin law school in the fall. Her
sights are set worldwide, beyond
local and national boundaries. A
native of the Republic of Georgia,
she was 6 years old when the
Soviet Union came to an end and
independence was declared. Her
family endured the civil war that
followed and were fortunate to
receive help from a number of
international organizations.
Chilingarishvili’s interest is in
human rights law, especially children’s rights, so that she can help
others in the same way. She
doesn’t yet know exactly what
that will be, but feels that
Augsburg’s focus on vocation has
helped her prepare for whatever
may develop.
When the Sabo Scholars had
the opportunity to meet Martin
Sabo on campus this spring,
Chilingarishvili was amazed to
hear about the roots of this legislator who has traveled the
world—a tiny North Dakota community and a high school graduating class of three.
— Bethany Bierman and
Betsey Norgard
SPRING 2007 7
AROUND THE QUAD
SPORTS
Auggies win 10th
national title, claim
nine All-Americans
Claiming three individual national
titles and making collegiate
wrestling history for one of its
wrestlers in the process, the
Augsburg wrestling team won its
record-10th NCAA Division III
national championship in the last
17 seasons with a dominating
performance in the tournament,
held in March in Dubuque, Iowa.
With nine All-Americans,
including three titlists and two
runners-up, Augsburg finished
with 135.5 points, 36 points
ahead of second-place Wartburg
(Iowa), the defending national
champion, with 99.5 points.
Wisconsin-La Crosse finished in
third with 92.5 points, Luther
(Iowa) finished fourth with 86.0
points and the College of New
Jersey finished fifth with 46.5
points.
Augsburg head coach Jeff
Swenson ’79 was named National
Coach of the Year by the National
Wrestling Coaches Association,
the sixth time he has earned the
honor in his 25-season career.
After the championships,
Swenson announced his resignation from his coaching position,
in order to focus on his responsibilities as the school’s assistant
dean for athletics and recreation.
Sam Barber, who has served as an
assistant on the Auggie staff for
six seasons, was named the team’s
new head coach.
“We had a lot of ups, mostly,
and a few downs,” said Swenson.
“It’s hard for me when the year
comes to an end because of the
great seniors, but the bottom line
is I’m proud of them as a group.
They really came together in the
last month of the season.”
Augsburg has finished among
the top two teams in national
competition 19 times since 1975,
has finished among the top four
Wrestling head coach Jeff Swenson steps
down after 25 seasons.
Auggie coaches Jeff Swenson (lower) and Sam Barber (upper) watch their team
With a commanding win, Auggie wrestlers captured their 10th national championship in March, with nine All-Americans.
nationally the last 19 seasons in a
row (the only NCAA school in
any division that can make that
claim), and has finished in the
top 20 nationally every season
since 1971 (NCAA from 1983 to
present, NAIA pre-1983).
Augsburg’s Marcus LeVesseur,
a senior from Minneapolis,
became the first Division III
wrestler ever to win four national
titles, and the second college
wrestler ever to finish his career
unbeaten and untied. LeVesseur,
who won Division III national
titles at 157 pounds three times
(2003, 2004, 2005), finished his
senior season at 31-0, and his collegiate career at 155-0, the second-longest winning streak in
college wrestling history. Cael
Sanderson went 159-0 during his
career at Iowa State from 19982002, winning four Division I
national titles.
“It’s unbelievable,” Swenson
said of LeVesseur’s accomplishment, “… no one had ever won
four titles (at the Division III
level), and only two guys have
ever gone through their careers
undefeated. He’s in great company with Cael [Sanderson].”
Junior Quincy Osborn
claimed his first national championship at 141 pounds. Osborn
finished his first season as an
Auggie with a 44-3 record, completing his third national tournament appearance. As a Division I
wrestler at the University of
Minnesota, he competed in
national tournaments in both
2004 and 2005. Osborn is now
104-35 in his college career.
Junior Jeremy Anderson also
earned his first national championship, completing his second
All-American season with a win in
the 157-pound class. Anderson,
who was a national runner-up last
season, finished his junior campaign at 39-2 overall and his 83-5
in his two seasons as an Auggie.
At 133, junior Jafari Vanier
repeated his second-place finish
from a year ago, and sophomore
Seth Flodeen claimed national
runner-up honors in his first
national finals appearance at 125
pounds.
Senior Jared Evans, a threetime All-American, closed out his
career with his second straight
fourth-place finish, and junior
Robbie Gotreau finished his campaign at 41-6 overall. Heavyweight senior Andrew Neumann,
in his second national tournament, finished fifth overall. At
197, junior Wally O’Connor finished eighth.
Augsburg finished with an
11-1 dual-meet record this season. For the third time in the sixyear history of the event,
Augsburg claimed the championship at the National Wrestling
Coaches Association/Cliff Keen
Division III National Duals in
January.
Academically, Augsburg finished 11th among Division III
programs in the NWCA’s academic national rankings, with a 3.283
team gradepoint average. Five
Auggies earned NWCA Scholar
All-American honors—Evans,
Neumann, Paul Bjorkstrand, Josh
Hansen, and Brandon Klukow.
wrestle to a national title.
8 AUGSBURG NOW
—Don Stoner
Jeff Swenson resigns
as wrestling coach
Augsburg wrestling head coach
Jeff Swenson announced in March
that he is resigning his coaching
post in order to focus on his
responsibilities as the school’s
assistant dean for athletics and
recreation.
Swenson, a 1979 Augsburg
graduate, served as head coach of
the Auggies for 25 seasons (198084, 1986-2007), building the
squad into a national small-college
wrestling powerhouse. Under
Swenson’s leadership, Augsburg
won a record-10 NCAA Division
III national championships and
produced a career dual-meet
record of 321-44.
Associate head coach Sam Barber takes
over as head coach.
Sam Barber, who served as an
assistant coach on Swenson’s staff
for six seasons, is taking over head
coaching duties for the Auggies.
Barber has served as associate
head coach for the last two seasons. A 1995 Upper Iowa
University graduate, he served as
head coach for the Peacocks in the
1999-2000 season.
During his Augsburg tenure,
Barber has been a part of three
national championship squads
and two national runner-up
squads, and has coached 46 AllAmericans and 13 individual
Jeff Swenson ’79 retires after 25 seasons, with a national title and Division III Coach
of the Year honors. He shares the moment with his nearly-two-year-old son, Brady.
national champions. He was
named Division III Co-National
Assistant Coach of the Year by the
National Wrestling Coaches
Association in 2006.
In his role as assistant dean for
athletics and recreation as a member of President Pribbenow’s staff,
Swenson supervises the 18-sport
intercollegiate athletics program,
the athletic facilities department,
and the College’s intramural athletic program. Swenson was
named to the position on an interim basis in 2001, and his posting
was made permanent in 2004.
“I look forward to working
with Coach Swenson in the years
ahead,” Pribbenow said, as “we
partner to make Augsburg one of
the finest examples of NCAA
Division III athletics in the country—a college that honors the
connections between academics
and athletics, that celebrates both
sportsmanship and competition,
and that helps our students to
grow as individuals and teammates … I can think of no one
better than Jeff Swenson to lead us
in this vision for intercollegiate
athletics at Augsburg College. His
track record speaks for itself. His
love for the College is unparalleled. And he has the passion,
commitment, and skills to guide
our athletics programs into a
bright future.”
Swenson has been a member
of the Augsburg community for
more than 30 years—as a student,
coach, and administrator. A
national champion wrestler at
Augsburg in his senior year of
1979 with a career record of 10217, Swenson began his coaching
career in his first year out of college, as an assistant coach on John
Grygelko’s Auggie staff. Grygelko
retired in 1980, and Swenson was
named head coach.
Swenson said that two years
ago, he made the decision that he
would step down from his coaching post this year. He said that
focusing on his role in athletic
administration will help him in
his goals to improve every aspect
of Augsburg’s athletic program
among schools in the Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
and NCAA Division III.
“For me, this is a cause for celebration. It’s not a sad day. It’s a
great day. I’m able to listen to my
vocational calling and lead the
entire athletic department without
having the coaching demands,”
Swenson said.
As an administrator, Swenson
has led the Augsburg program
through a period of unprecedented growth and improvement. This
year, construction was completed
on the new Kennedy Center addition to Melby Hall, which
includes expanded classroom,
meeting, and locker room space,
along with a new fitness facility
and a new wrestling training facility. Two years ago, a new
SprinTurf surface was installed at
Edor Nelson Field, and a new
seasonal air-supported dome was
installed for the first time this
year over the field.
“I’ve been around Augsburg
since the fall of 1975, over 30
years,” Swenson said. “Augsburg
has shaped me. Augsburg has
made me who I am, and it’s
allowed me to pursue my passion
to be a coach. Now, I have a
greater passion to lead the entire
athletic department as a full-time
administrator. I’ve learned a lot
about leading and coaching by
being the head wrestling coach
here for 25 years. That’s going to
help me as I lead Augsburg athletics into the future.”
“I am proud to know Jeff
Swenson and to be able to honor
his remarkable career as our head
wrestling coach at Augsburg,”
Pribbenow said. “He has accomplished great things with his
wrestling teams—10 national
championships, countless individual titles, team academic achievements, and so on. But perhaps
more than anything, I am proud
of Jeff’s commitment and passion
for that individual student who
needs the guidance, support, and
challenge to be the best he or she
can be—as an athlete, as a student, as a person. Jeff exemplifies
what makes Augsburg the special
and rare place that it is—putting
students first and helping them to
grow to be successful, responsible,
and good people.
“Jeff Swenson leaves a remarkable legacy as the Augsburg
wrestling coach. He has built a
program that will endure as a
shining example of quality and
achievement. Now he has made
the remarkable decision to bring
his skills and passion to bear on
moving Augsburg’s intercollegiate
athletics programs to the next
level of excellence. Surely there is
no one better than Jeff to lead our
athletics programs—both to the
benefit of our student-athletes and
the reputation of the College.”
—Don Stoner
SPRING 2007 9
Augsburg
men’s hockey
head coach
Chris Brown
was named
Minnesota
Intercollegiate
Athletic
Conference
Chris Brown
Coach of the
Year. In his first year as the
Auggies head coach, Brown led
the Auggies to a 12-10-4 record
and third-place conference finish
(9-3-4), as the Auggies clinched
a berth in the MIAC playoffs for
the first time since the 2002-03
season.
Brown returned to Augsburg
last season as an assistant coach
under Mike Schwartz, a position
in which he also served during
the 1996-97 season. After leaving Augsburg in 1997, he was an
assistant coach at Division I
Alaska-Anchorage for three
years, then served as head coach
at Marian (Wis.) for four seasons
(2000-04) and at Hamline for
one season (2004-05).
Brown was also named as
one of 12 finalists for the
Edward Jeremiah Award as the
NCAA Division III National
Coach of the Year by the
American Hockey Coaches
Association.
Aaron Johnson
named MIAC Player
of the Year
Senior forward Aaron Johnson
was selected by MIAC as the
conference Player of the Year in
men’s hockey. A three-time AllMIAC honoree, he also was
10 AUGSBURG NOW
named for the
second year in
a row as a
first-team
selection on
the AHCA/
RBK Hockey
Division III
All-American
Aaron Johnson ’07
squad.
In April, he was selected as
one of two Division III players to
compete in the NCAA Pontiac
Frozen Four Skills Challenge
during Division I men’s hockey
Frozen Four in St. Louis, Mo. He
was also one of eight finalists for
the Sid Watson Award, given by
the AHCA to the Division III
National Player of the Year.
Ed Saugestad
receives Hobey Baker
Legends of Hockey
Award
Former
Augsburg
men’s hockey
coach Ed
Saugestad ’59
was recognized for his
lengthy and
outstanding
service to college hockey with
the 2007 Hobey Baker Legends
of Hockey Award. The award
was presented by the Hobey
Baker Memorial Award
Foundation on May 3 in St. Paul.
Saugestad coached Augsburg
to a 503-354-21 record in a
career that spanned 37 seasons.
Only two other Division III
coaches have amassed more than
500 career victories.
In his 37 years of coaching,
Saugestad took teams to national
postseason play on 10 occasions
(nine NAIA and one NCAA),
winning NAIA national championships in 1978, 1981, and
1982. He was named NAIA
National Coach of the Year after
each of the national championships. He coached 22 AllAmericans at Augsburg.
Saugestad and his Auggies
won Minnesota Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular-season titles six years in a
row (1976-77 to 1981-82), and
Saugestad was MlAC Coach of
the Year six times. In 1998, the
MIAC’s playoff championship
trophy was christened as the Ed
Saugestad Trophy.
Saugestad began his Auggie
coaching career while still a student at Augsburg, in 1958. He
graduated with a double major
in physical education and biology in 1959 and went on to earn
his master’s degree from the
University of Minnesota in 1964.
In addition to coaching hockey
for parts of five decades, he also
served on the Augsburg football
coaching staff from 1959-84
(head coach in the 1970-71 seasons); men’s athletic director
from 1981-87; and during his
entire Augsburg career served as
an instructor in the Health and
Physical Education Department.
Saugestad was named the
2002 recipient of the John
MacInnes Award from the
American Hockey Coaches
Association for his contributions
to the growth of amateur hockey
in the United States. In 1996,
the state of Minnesota declared
Feb. 17 as Ed Saugestad Day, in
recognition of his career accomplishments.
Archive photo
Chris Brown named
MIAC Men’s Hockey
Coach of the Year
Sophomore Ed Saugestad (back row, second from left) played on the 1956-57 Auggie
hockey team.
Coach Saugestad studies a hockey pro-
Saugestad’s hockey team captured a
gram during the 1961-62 season.
national championship in 1981.
Weekend College student Tom Gouras uses his food service background as a volunteer in Augsburg’s
Campus Kitchen, a great way for him to meet other students and feel more connected to Augsburg.
The kitchen connection
by Betsey Norgard
“I can begin to see
it take shape.”
Tom Gouras, the Monday
night shift leader at Augsburg’s
Campus Kitchen, is looking at
several pans of fried rice and vegetables, surplus food donated by a
local restaurant through the
Emergency Foodshelf Network.
Alongside them sit other pans of
pork riblets, wax beans and carrots, potatoes, and some melons.
From the donations they
receive, the Campus Kitchen volunteer crew transforms the various components into healthy
meals to be heated, delivered, and
served the next day—to the Brian
Coyle Community Center and
Trinity Lutheran’s Safe Place tutoring program in the CedarRiverside neighborhood, and at
the Minnesota Indian Women’s
Resource Center.
“I call this Chinese medley,”
Gouras says, as he combines several pans of rice and vegetables.
It can be a challenge, as the crew
never knows exactly what foods
they’ll find when they arrive for
the cooking shift. Sometimes, he
says, “what goes into the soup is
interesting.”
Since Augsburg students are
on break, Gouras’ crew tonight is
a group of four students from
Fridley High School with their
teacher, a father with his middle
school son who is doing community service, and Augsburg alum
Bill Ogren ’73. All of them have
become regular Monday night volunteers. Tonight, they cook the
potatoes, chop the melons, and
check out all the boxes of food to
make sure everything is still fresh.
Finally, pans are labeled—protein,
starch, vegetable, and fruit—and
everything is cleaned up to finish
the evening shift.
Gouras is a Weekend College
student who has been volunteering at the Campus Kitchen at
Augsburg since January. His 15
years of experience as a cook and
chef are valuable in the kitchen to
lead the crews of students and
community volunteers.
He entered Weekend College
last spring after two years at
Rasmussen College studying criminal justice. A native of St. Paul’s
East Side, Gouras recites a litany
of blue-collar jobs he’s held—furniture delivery, food service
cook/chef, garbage truck driver,
loading dock worker, chemical
dependency technician, greenhouse hand, and, currently, delivery truck driver for the New
French Bakery.
While at Rasmussen, Gouras
realized that in order to advance
much higher than where he is and
has been, he needs a four-year
degree. He hopes his courses in
psychology and sociology will prepare him for probation work with
the county or state. He’s also open
to possibilities that may develop
during his studies. “I’ve been
asked if I know my calling,” he
says, “and I hope I find it. I’m
open to it.”
After two trimesters in WEC,
Gouras began to understand how
much of the college experience
involves social interaction, and he
wasn’t feeling very connected to
Augsburg. Campus Kitchen
appealed to him because he could
use his food service experience,
and he liked the program’s mission of reaching out to others less
fortunate, making sure they have
hot meals.
Gouras is old enough to be
father to most of the student volunteers, but he enjoys their
enthusiasm, as well as sharing
with them some of his “street
smart” wisdom and common
sense.
Rachel Vallens, Campus
Kitchen coordinator, recognizes
what this does for the program.
“Tom’s cooking experience and
maturity really bring an added
dimension to his cooking shifts,”
she says. “The students look up
to him as someone who knows
what he’s doing and has done a
lot in life.”
Recently, Gouras took on an
additional task. Three days a
week, sandwiches and deli items
are donated from the University of
Minnesota, and when no one else
could pick them up on
Thursdays, he volunteered. It’s all
part of giving back, which is why
Gouras says he’s in the kitchen
every week. Ⅵ
For more information about
Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen, go to
www.campuskitchens.org.
SPRING 2007 11
keystone
courses
Fitting the pieces together
by Betsey Norgard
In architecture, a keystone sits at the top
of the arch and provides the shape and
support to the curved pieces rising to it.
In the Augsburg Core
Curriculum, the keystone is the
final piece that integrates what
students have learned in their
required general education
courses and their chosen major
with everything else they have
done at Augsburg—co-curricular experiences, leadership
development, service-learning,
study abroad, and other areas
of their Augsburg experience.
12 AUGSBURG NOW
First-year day students begin
their Augsburg education with
Augsburg Seminar, a semester
that includes orientation to residence life; development of skills
and strategies they need for success in college; introduction to
the themes of an Augsburg education, including vocation, service, community; and learning
about Augsburg’s neighborhood
and the city. It’s all about transition to college, integration into
Augsburg’s learning community,
and reflection on how they
become responsible learners.
Students learn that a hallmark of an Augsburg education
is intentional reflection on vocation, or what they call the “v”
word. All students study two
semesters of “Search for
Meaning,” which includes critical
conversations on understanding
and discovering one’s own gifts.
The senior-year keystone
course becomes the other bookend. Students synthesize all their
in-classroom and out-of-classroom experiences as they focus
on transition from college to the
community, integration of what
they’ve learned, and reflection on
how they will use their gifts and
knowledge—again, transition,
integration, reflection.
What does it mean to be a
professional in their major? What
does it mean to be a biologist,
accountant, social worker, English
teacher, actor, or whatever?
Because conversations about
vocation are revisited during the
keystone, faculty need to feel
comfortable and confident in
discussing issues of faith and
vocation in this context. A grant
from the Wabash Center for
Teaching and Learning in
Theology and Religion,
“Common Vocation, Distinctive
Callings,” provides funding for
keystone faculty to partner with
religion faculty members.
Together they strategize on content and methods for these crucial conversations.
The vocation focus and other
signature elements of the Core
Curriculum—diversity, the city,
service and service-learning—
distinguish Augsburg’s keystone
from other senior “capstone”
courses. Russell Kleckley, associate professor of religion and
coordinator of keystone seminars, explains that Augsburg’s
keystones are “more intentional
about the educational experience
as a whole, to see how the general education experience has
informed the [major] discipline
and vice versa.”
Diane Pike, sociology professor and director of the Center for
Teaching and Learning, says that
keystones “take the time, with
guidance, to help students figure
out how the pieces fit together
for them.” She says, “We’re
equally serious about the transition from college outward as we
are about the transition to college from high school.”
From the College’s point of
view, the keystones measure how
well Augsburg fulfills its promise
to students. Are they satisfied
with their experience, and do
they feel well prepared and confident in what they know and
will take away with them?
keystone
Psychology majors (clockwise from bottom) Rebecca Lewis, Tiah Colacci, Nghi Ngan, and Peter Chea played a version of the Game
of Life in which the cards required players to discuss some of the bigger questions in life.
the keystone
variations
Most students take the keystone
in their senior year, and most
often in connection with their
major. This past academic year
was the first time all students
have had access to a keystone
course. With a fair amount of
flexibility, departments have created or modified existing courses, or collaborated across departments or divisions to create
classes.
psychology:
the game of life
The psychology keystone is a
good example of a department
capstone course that evolved into
a keystone. All psychology
majors have completed capstone
internship semesters that includ-
ed time on the internship site,
plus time in class, plus papers,
portfolios, etc.
This year, the course changed
to be one-half internship and
one-half keystone, with about
one-third of the total time devoted to issues around vocation. As
part of the Wabash grant, Bridget
Robinson-Reigler, associate professor of psychology, was paired
with Mary Lowe, assistant professor of religion. RobinsonReigler says that she and Lowe
had five or six conversations
about vocation, and that Lowe
helped her plan new activities to
engage her students.
“I was pleasantly surprised
how unbelievably well the students have gotten into [the discussion of vocation],” says
Robinson-Reigler. Early in the
seminar, she offered her own
model of vocation, and by opening herself to them, she set a
comfortable tone for class
discussion.
In what became a popular
activity, Robinson-Reigler introduced an adapted version of the
Game of Life, in which a number
of the play cards were rewritten
with questions relating to vocation. Given this context, students
felt comfortable first answering
the questions themselves, then
opening the conversation to
everyone.
In another session, students
were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their required liberal
arts courses. Did they work?
Why did Augsburg want them to
study those courses? Some students responded by saying that
without the keystone they never
would have thought about these
SPRING 2007 13
business and
vocation
John Knight, Center for Faith and Learning, encourages business majors to consider how their skills, beliefs, and values will
influence decisions they make every day in the business world.
questions, and this assignment
helped them figure out what
they had learned.
Robinson-Reigler’s psychology keystone is a mix of day and
weekend students, giving the
class a combination of ages and
experiences. While all students
were in the same situation of finishing college and figuring out
what was next to come, some
interesting conversations were
launched in the multigenerational class. One WEC student
said that these discussions
helped her understand her own
daughter better. Some said it
helped them understand and
appreciate the younger day
school population.
Robinson-Reigler confirms
that students are not getting any
less psychology in the new capstone-keystone with the addition
of the vocation conversation;
14 AUGSBURG NOW
they’re just getting it differently.
“I’ve taught this class before,
but I love teaching it now,” she
says. “I enjoy grading the papers!”
keystone-capable
english courses
In their new curriculum, the
English Department doesn’t have
a separate keystone course, but
rather several advanced courses
designed as “keystone-capable.”
Students are required to take one
of these courses as a keystone, for
which extra work is indicated.
Much of that work is selfreflection, and requires students
to consider, for example, their
function as readers and to think
about what is happening when
they read. The nature and depth
of their commitment to reading,
and what, if any, responsibilities
their reading entails.
This reflection is more seamless in some courses than others.
When Professor Doug Green
teaches Advanced Studies in
Language, Theory, and Method,
he integrates reflection and vocation throughout the course, even
for the non-keystone students.
Last year he taught Criticism
and Theory as a pilot keystone
course. Students read Azar
Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran
and wrote about how they
viewed the place of literature in
their own lives and cultures.
They had to respond to questions like, “How has my understanding of ‘self’ (who I am as a
reader, writer, student, English
major, woman or man, and
human being) evolved as a result
of my experiences at Augsburg?”
John Knight, associate director of
the Center for Faith and Learning,
has taught several sections of the
keystone course for the Business
Administration Department, the
College’s largest department. The
course is a collaboration between
the business and religion departments, and he co-taught the day
section with religion professor
Hans Wiersma.
Titled Vocation and the
Meaning of Success, the keystone
objectives include reflecting upon
the ways students have been
transformed by their college experiences, especially in their business major; reflecting critically on
beliefs and values they use in a
diverse world; and reflecting on
Augsburg’s understanding of vocation and a comparison to their
own vocation.
Knight finds that the feel of
the class depends significantly on
the class makeup—the day or
weekend student mix, the mix of
males and females, etc. Weekend
College students, he says, who
bring wider job skills and life
experience to class, showed a
“deep willingness to engage in the
material … and really wrapped
themselves around the [vocation]
issues by the second class.”
Some students are suspicious of
the keystone as being a religion
class and question its relevance to
their future. Knight asks them to
consider the bigger picture of
meaning and purpose in their lives.
What does it mean to be a business
professional? How does he or she
behave? He believes that somewhere down the road students will
understand why they had to take
this course and see the benefits
from it.
creating a life in
the fine arts
Students in music, visual art, and
theatre share a cross-disciplinary
keystone course, Creating a Life
in the Fine Arts.
The syllabus states that the
course will “synthesize recurring
powerful concepts of vocation
with practical tools and realities.”
Students will balance the “development of entrepreneurial skills
with ‘intrapreneurial’ knowledge
and awareness” while preparing
for professional life in the community.
The idea of shared courses
across the arts is not new—several short-term courses have
taken place over the past few
years. What’s new is the infusion
of the larger issues integrating
liberal arts and vocation.
Merilee Klemp ’75, associate
professor of music, led the conversations among arts faculty
around the new Core
Curriculum.
Anticipating the need to create a keystone course, she sought
a Lilly Endowment grant for the
music faculty to explore topics in
music and vocation with a consultant, Janis Weller.
Extending this conversation
to art and theatre faculty formed
the nucleus for the new keystone. It also promoted the
building of a fine arts community among both faculty and students on campus. Weller taught
the course, along with Klemp
(music), Darcey Engen (theatre),
and Tara Sweeney (art).
Critical conversations about
vocation began and ended the
course. These included visiting
guest artists, who spoke about
their roles in the community and
world.
In conjunction with the
Wabash grant, Sweeney was
paired with Lori Brandt Hale,
assistant professor of religion.
They met frequently, and Sweeney
describes the experience, “What I
am discussing in the service of
teaching the keystone is inseparable from what I am learning about
my own vocation and practice as
an artist at the same time.”
Their discussions included
how their religious upbringing or
belief systems affected what and
how they teach, and how they
could challenge and support students to discover their own
authentic voices.
The keystone seniors across
art, music, and theatre were
encouraged to find common
ground. In one exercise, teams of
students were given ordinary
objects, like a chair, and together
asked to consider it from a number of perspectives—how the
object could move or be used
with their bodies, what the visual
elements of the object were, what
kinds of sounds the object could
make.
Practical sessions about being
an artist were also included.
Students practiced networking
with introductions and business
cards, and they had to prepare
artist’s statements and professional
résumés.
Several break-out sessions separated the students into their
respective departments for discussions specific to their fields.
For the most, students resonated with the cross-disciplinary
focus of the keystone. “I think
working alongside artists in
another genre is a rare gift in the
college setting,” said music performance major Nikki Lemire.
Still, she enjoyed working with
her music classmates, however,
and would have enjoyed more
break-out time within her own
department and less full-group
time.
Theatre major James Lekatz
appreciated the practical elements
of the course. Hearing from guest
speakers—practicing artists,
teachers, grants administrators—
made him aware of their involvement in the community and the
different styles they use. He said
the course helped students deal
with removal of the “safety net of
Augsburg,” and taught them how
to use specific skills, e.g., to get
gallery space, to plan a show, etc.
Over the next couple of
years, the keystone courses will
all be evaluated and revisions
made where needed. But no matter what the form or content the
senior keystone courses take,
they will all continue to help students complete an Augsburg
education as effective, informed,
and ethical citizens. And to
become adaptable and resilient—
elements needed for success on
whatever path they choose.
Studio art major Rachel Nelson (top), theatre arts major James Lekatz (middle), and
music performance major Catherine DeVoe (right) explore the properties and possibilities of a stool.
SPRING 2007 15
Above: Martin Sabo smiles to greet a judge as he stands in the
imposing Capitol Rotunda, 96 feet in diameter.
Left (top): In their suburban Virginia home, Sylvia Sabo, Martin’s wife
and college sweetheart, works on a crossword puzzle; her husband
usually tackles Sudoku. According to Sylvia, playing the puzzles is
part of their morning ritual.
Left (below): Leaving Congress means many farewells, in this case to
Pennsylvania’s 12th District congressman John Murtha, as the doors
close in the Rayburn Building elevator.
Right: The transition in leadership begins to seem more real as Sabo
sits in a nearly barren office watching Rep. Nancy Pelosi read the
results for the new Democratic leadership in the House.
16 AUGSBURG NOW
The
ending of an
era
CONGRESSMAN MARTIN OLAV SABO,
Augsburg College Class of 1959, represented
Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District in the
U.S. House of Representatives for 28 years and
became a fixture in the Democratic party. In
2006 he made the decision to retire from
Congress and return to life as a private citizen.
Augsburg staff photographer Stephen Geffre
tagged along on the day Sabo and his staff
vacated the corner office in the Rayburn
House Office Building he had earned through
seniority. Sabo actually spent the last month
of his term in a basement cubicle in Rayburn
HOB, with room enough for him and only one
staff member.
SPRING 2007 17
18 AUGSBURG NOW
Olav
Martin
Sabo
THE ENDING OF AN ERA
Above: Martin Sabo takes a moment to read through the
mail delivered to his desk.
Left (top): After a rainy day, the sun finally breaks
through to illuminate the dome of the United States
Capitol, a stately presence in the nation’s capital city.
Far left: Bonnie Gottwald, Sabo’s scheduler, packs up her
small portion of the D.C. office. She is one of only two
schedulers Sabo has had throughout his 28-year tenure in
Washington, and she echoes the entire staff in saying that
Sabo was always a joy to have as a boss.
Middle left: Each departing representative receives a
lengthy final checklist, to ensure as smooth a transition
as possible.
Left: Martin Sabo’s staff poses on the Capitol steps for
their last official photo.
SPRING 2007 19
THE ENDING OF AN ERA
Above (top): Sabo chats with Kevin Bonderud, who served as his first communications
director, during the office-closing party. Scattered across Sabo’s desk are mementos of
more than two decades in the House of Representatives, including mock baseball cards
with Sabo’s stats on them, photos, ashtrays, and T-shirts.
Above: Back in his Minneapolis office, Sabo takes a few minutes to go through the mail.
The plaques, hanging outside the door, are just a small sample of the honors and awards
that mark the achievements of a long legislative career.
Right: Each successive file drawer marked “empty” means that staffers are getting closer
to having all files reviewed and sorted.
20 AUGSBURG NOW
Auggies at the forefront
General civil unrest swelled across the nation. Detroit was
rioting, and downtown Minneapolis was starting to empty.
College students demanded social change, and colleges
responded with programs centering on the urban crisis.
And, Augsburg College was at the forefront.
Thirty-five years later, thanks to a visionary professor, an
enterprising faculty, and a supportive administration,
Augsburg’s metro-urban studies program graduates leaders
who are making decisions about current issues and future
needs, and planning for livable and sustainable neighborhoods and cities.
Urban legends
by Bethany Bierman
in city planning
It was the late sixties, and American cities were in crisis.
Joel Torstenson’s vision laid the foundation for an urban studies program. His wife,
Garry Hesser is professor of sociology and chairs the metro-urban studies program.
Fran, joins him here.
A program is born
Joel Torstenson came to Augsburg as a history major from west central Minnesota. After graduating in 1938, he worked in education for
Farmer’s Co-ops, earned a master’s degree in history and sociology,
and began teaching part time at Augsburg.
During the war years he joined the peace movement and community organizing. In 1947, he returned to Augsburg to develop its
social work and sociology programs while completing his PhD in
sociology. These programs provided a natural foundation for urban
studies 20 years later.
Torstenson writes in his memoirs, “The more [Augsburg] became
involved in urban affairs, the more we began to ask the question—
what is the appropriate role of a liberal arts college located at the center of an exploding metropolis?”
In 1966, Torstenson used his sabbatical to explore this question.
He visited urban studies programs at East Coast schools. Upon
returning, he wrote a position paper with the rationale and proposal
for a metro-urban studies program at Augsburg.
In order to set this in motion, courses centering on the city were
needed. Torstenson, Miles Stenshoel of the political science department, Orloue Gisselquist in history, Ed Sabella in economics, Ron
Palosaari in English, and other faculty embraced this concept.
In 1968, when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, the director of
youth programs for the American Lutheran Church, Rev Ewald Bash,
wanted to address the cultural challenges head on. Colleagues
encouraged him to contact Torstenson, who had a reputation for his
pursuit of racial justice and human rights.
“The Crisis Colony” was born from their conversation. Students
lived on the north side of Minneapolis, first in public housing and
later in an abandoned synagogue, while learning from people who
lived and worked in the community. Led by Torstenson, Bash, and
Stenshoel, it grew from an intense summer program, to a semester
program, to the Metro Urban Studies Term, or “MUST,” the first academic program of the Higher Education Consortium for Urban
Affairs (HECUA). Today, MUST is a key element for all urban studies
majors and is one of the premier interdisciplinary experiential education programs in the nation.
Torstenson took his second sabbatical in Scandinavia in order to
explore how to build cities without crisis. Out of this came the
Scandinavian Urban Studies Term, or “SUST,” the second program of
22 AUGSBURG NOW
HECUA. Based at the University of Oslo, students attend seminars,
go on field excursions, and volunteer with various community and
governmental organizations.
“Two unique ingredients contributed to the success of the [metrourban studies] program: commitments from faculty … and the programs offered through HECUA, which became catalysts and capstones for the major,” says Garry Hesser, professor of sociology and
chair of the metro-urban studies program, who was hired in 1977 to
succeed Torstenson.
While the University of Minnesota and other private colleges
established urban studies programs in response to the mid-’60s urban
crisis, most have not survived.
“Augsburg’s is one of the few that has retained faculty and administrative commitment,” Hesser says. “Over the past 35 years there has
been a steady stream of graduates who have become professional
planners, city administrators, elected officials, and citizens serving on
planning commissions, hearkening to the call to public service.”
With monies from the Lilly [Endowment] grant, a spring break
trip to Washington, D.C., has run the past five years, exposing students to vocations in community development and public service. Up
until this year, the group visited Martin Sabo at his office. This year
they met with newly-elected congressman Keith Ellison and his staff.
Many students decide on metro-urban studies majors after the trip.
Here are several stories of careers that have been shaped by the
metro-urban studies program.
Allan Torstenson ’75
Transforming neighborhoods
One of the first graduates of the metro-urban studies program was
Allan Torstenson.
In his first semester at Augsburg, the Dawson, Minn., native took
his Uncle Joel Torstenson’s “Man in Modern Metropolis” course (now
called “Community and the Modern Metropolis”) because it fulfilled a
graduation requirement. “I tried my best not to disappoint him, and
found it to be a fascinating subject,” says Allan.
As a sophomore, he took an Interim course on new towns, which
included meeting with architects and city planners and visiting HUD
officials in Washington, D.C., and Columbia, Maryland. He loved the
trip, but was still unsure of a major. He considered taking a break
Allan Torstenson ’75 speaks to a metro-urban studies class about community
Paula Pentel’s life experiences have informed her work in urban studies at the
development.
University of Minnesota and with her City Council seat.
from school, but when he shared this with his uncle, Joel suggested
the new SUST program, which was being offered for the first time in
1973. That cross-cultural experience was the eye opener he needed
to decide on metro-urban studies.
Today, Allan is a senior planner for the City of St. Paul, where he
has worked since 1980. One of his most challenging and gratifying
projects has been the Phalen Village Plan and redevelopment project.
Through strategic vision, neighborhood involvement, and hard work,
a run-down, auto-oriented area surrounding a failed shopping center
was transformed into a more pedestrian- and neighborhood-oriented
“urban village” with new housing, new jobs, a restructured neighborhood commercial area, a restored wetland, and a new sense of community.
More than just “the guy who wrote the plan,” Allan researched solutions and wrote grants addressing the larger issues. In 1993 he authored
the Phalen Corridor Redevelopment Proposal, leading to the Phalen
Corridor Initiative and affecting much of St. Paul’s East Side.
“The transformation in only a few years has been amazing,”
Torstenson shared with one of Hesser’s classes recently. “A lot of what
I did in this effort was influenced by the urban studies program at
Augsburg. It’s not just about design, but addresses the real problems
neighborhoods deal with to build and sustain socially and economically viable communities.” He also credits the SUST program as a
foundation for many of the project concepts he considered.
Washington Avenue down through the scrap yards … up through
Cedar-Riverside, which in the early ’70s was very vibrant—it was a
fascinating trip through time that I took every day.”
A course she took from Joel Torstensen really resonated with her,
and she abandoned the biology major.
While at Augsburg, Pentel got involved in collective decisionmaking as one of the volunteer coordinators of North Country
Co-op. Pentel also participated in SUST the fall of her junior year.
“What I took back was planning for versus planning with the public.”
Between Augsburg and graduate school in geography at the
University of Minnesota, Pentel interned for the City of Richfield and
became involved in her neighborhood organization. In 1985 she and
her husband moved to Golden Valley, where she continued volunteering in the community, serving 12 years on the Planning
Commission, seven years as chair.
In 2004 there was a vacant seat on the Golden Valley City
Council. Pentel was appointed to fill out the term and was reelected
in 2005. During her tenure, she’s seen considerable improvements in
regard to environmental stewardship, construction of the Luce Line
bike trail, and creation of a vibrant downtown area.
Pentel stays connected to her North Minneapolis roots by serving
as a board member on the West Broadway Area Coalition and being
active at the Hollywood Studio of Dance, a non-profit, parent-managed endeavor.
“To be effective in what I do in my public life, I have to be articulate, informed, accepting, and open. A lot of that I developed at
Augsburg,” she says.
In her professional work, Pentel serves as undergraduate advisor
for the urban studies program at the university. “I help students find
their calling and what interests them.” She is particularly proud of
mentoring Patricia Torres Rey, who became the first Latina woman
elected to the Senate in the State of Minnesota.
Pentel developed and now teaches a course on the urban environment, which examines the urban effects on air, water, and soil. “All
environmental issues have a local component,” Pentel says. “I tell my
students to look at Augsburg’s new low-impact parking lot [on the
east edge of campus]. It’s a great example of a very innovative way to
mitigate pollution from storm water runoff.”
Pentel also continues the Torstenson legacy of hosting an annual
open house for her advisees—about 80 of them. “I tell them, ‘This is
your private college experience.’”
Paula (Brookins) Pentel ’78
Teaching the next generation
It was at Minneapolis North High School that Paula (Brookins) Pentel
’78 began her life-long interest in civic engagement. She witnessed
the unequal distribution of resources while visiting various
Minneapolis high schools with the debate and cheerleading teams,
and also watched “white flight” from her north-side neighborhood. “I
became interested in social justice and wanted to understand and
affect change in how the city works.”
Pentel chose Augsburg because it offered a biology major and
allowed her to commute.
“I rode the bus to and from campus for four years,” she recalls.
“That’s how I really became interested in urban studies—riding down
SPRING 2007 23
Tammera (Ericson) Diehm ’93
Giving citizens a voice
Growing up in Coon Rapids, Minn., Tami Diehm was fascinated by the
“inner city.” Her plan to be a social studies teacher changed when she
took a metro-urban studies class from Andy Aoki her freshman year.
“For me, the program was the perfect way to combine my interests in
people, government, and the urban environment.”
In the spring of her junior and senior years, Diehm interned with
Anoka County, and during her senior year, she examined multicultural
education in Minneapolis public schools for her senior honors project.
Following graduation from Augsburg in 1993, Diehm spent several
years raising three children but kept in touch with her interests through
her appointments to the Columbia Heights Charter and Planning
Commissions. She also kept in touch with Aoki, her adviser.
While discussing her graduate school plans with him over lunch
one day, he asked her if she could do anything, what it would be. Her
answer? Law school, although she thought her three young children
prevented her from pursuing it. Aoki said she owed it to herself to
check it out.
Three years later, in 2003, Diehm graduated summa cum laude
from William Mitchell College of Law, which she attended on full scholarship. She clerked for Justice Russell Anderson of the Minnesota
Supreme Court for one year and currently is an attorney at Winthrop &
Weinstine, P.A. Her practice focuses primarily on land use and real
estate, assisting clients as they seek development approvals from local
government. She also serves as the city attorney for Mendota Heights.
In addition to her legal work, Diehm is serving her second term on
the Columbia Heights City Council, and was elected as council president in 2006. She is also a member of the Economic Development
Authority and the chair of the city’s Housing Redevelopment Authority.
“There was a strong sense that Augsburg students should not only
be an active part of the College community, but also an active part of
the larger community in which the College is located,” says Diehm.
“This desire to ‘give back’ has stayed with me and directly impacted my
decision to run for my position on the City Council. I saw a need in our
community—the need for young families to have a voice in the decision-making process of the city.”
The desire to give back that Tami Diehm ’93 learned at Augsburg has influenced her
decisions to serve in public office.
24 AUGSBURG NOW
“Through my experiences at Augsburg, I realized that I could use
my gifts to serve a need in the world, and thus follow the Christian concept of vocation,” says Diehm. “I have incorporated my ‘call to serve’
into my work—not only by adhering to the highest ethical standard in
the way in which I practice law—but also through a commitment to
providing pro bono legal services to those who would otherwise have
only limited access to legal representation, and by serving my community on the city council.”
These pro bono projects include representing women and children
in domestic abuse cases, volunteering at a legal clinic where she advises
people who are starting new businesses, and assisting with the formation of new non-profit organizations as they work to obtain tax exempt
status from the IRS.
“In both my legal work and my public service I feel I am using my
gifts to serve a need in the world.”
Diehm was named a “Rising Star” by Minnesota Law and Politics in
2007 and one of 15 “Up and Coming Attorneys” in 2006 by Minnesota
Lawyer.
Susan (Horning) Arntz ’94
Managing suburban growth
Susan (Horning) Arntz decided in ninth grade civics that she would run
for president in 2020, with her slogan being “A Clearer Vision.” Her
love of government grew, and she came to Augsburg to major in political science. She learned of the metro-urban studies program in her second year and focused her electives around metro-urban studies courses.
At a rally on campus her sophomore year, Arntz introduced herself
to Hennepin County commissioner Peter McLaughlin, hoping to secure
a summer job. His aide, fellow Auggie Mike Matson ’79, insisted she
begin earlier, and she spent one-and-a-half years working for him.
After graduation, she interned for the City of Shoreview and then
began her professional career in assistant city administrator positions in
Chaska and New Brighton, before becoming the youngest person ever
hired as city administrator in the City of Waconia, where she has
worked since 2001.
“It’s a growing community, so much of what we do requires look-
Susan Arntz ’94 leads the City of Waconia through its growth spurt.
Today’s Students
ing to the future on a daily basis,” says Arntz. “The people having
these conversations may never be here to see these things happen, just
as those before us made decisions that affect us today.”
Arntz says the biggest challenge she deals with is how to manage
the growth of the city, which has increased 25% in six years and
shows no sign of slowing. This requires communication and cooperation with developers, the school board, property owners, and elected
officials.
“I think one of the best things that Augsburg taught me, both from
a faith perspective and also from an educational perspective, was how
to be receptive to all of those ideas and to have a guide for what I
believe to be right.”
As far as running for president, Arntz says, “The longer I serve in
the capacity I am in, the less I’m intrigued by elected office. I can
make an immediate impact on 10,000 people. We can make huge,
positive improvements or small incremental improvements that will
have a greater outcome down the road.”
Arntz earned a master’s degree in public administration from
Hamline University in 1999. In 2004, Augsburg awarded her the First
Decade Award, and she has served on the Alumni Board.
Rebecca Brown ’00
Promoting community development
While her mother, Barbara (Anderson) ’66, is an alumna, it was the
call of the city that lured Rebecca Brown of Appleton, Minn., to
Augsburg.
While at Augsburg, Brown completed five different internships
and off-campus work-study opportunities, from working with a summer youth peace garden for the Seward Neighborhood Group, to
teaching English for the South American arm of the YMCA in Quito,
Ecuador.
After her sophomore year, Brown took a year off to serve with
AmeriCorps in order to truly live in the city. She took the bus every
day from South Minneapolis to her work at an alternative high school
in North Minneapolis.
Brown also participated in HECUA her senior year, teaching
Tomorrow’s Leaders
Sarah Pesola ’07 of Wadena, Minn., chose metro-urban studies because,
“It meant that I could study history, sociology, economics, political science,
and other disciplines as well.”
Pesola participated in SUST and recalls, “My semester in Norway was
amazing. It had a huge impact on me, ultimately changing the way I view
the world.” Pesola will begin to volunteer at a youth homeless shelter in
Berkeley, Calif., through Lutheran Volunteer Corps.
Since a mission trip to Detroit in junior high, Greg Hildebrandt ’08
has felt the pull to work with people living in the inner city. He went on
the D.C. trip with Hesser last year and will participate in the MUST
semester in the fall.
“Students who are in [metro-urban studies] are very passionate about
what they are doing,” Hildebrandt says. “They’ll carry this passion with
them the rest of their lives, whether professionally or through volunteering.”
Plans for the future include using his second major in mathematics to help
with statistics and budgeting within a non-profit as well as tutoring students.
Jeanette Clark ’07 felt a calling into urban ministry even as a student
at Hopkins High School. She chose Augsburg for its metro-urban studies
and youth and family ministry programs.
At Augsburg, Clark served as a campus ministry commissioner and
leadership team member for the Campus Kitchen. In March Clark created a spring-break opportunity, “Go Away Here,” which included service
projects in the local community, visits to neighborhood organizations,
and social outings.
She will begin work at City South Cluster Ministries in South
Minneapolis through Lutheran Volunteer Corps, then plans to begin
Seminary with the hope of serving in an urban congregation.
English and learning about community organizing, agriculture, and
the economy in Ecuador and South America. She spent an additional
seven months in Ecuador on her own, working with rural youth in
agriculture.
“Traveling abroad definitely makes me a better city planner,”
Brown says. “It has opened my mind to varied ways of thinking and
behaving in community. As a city planner, understanding and validating different points of view, opinions, and experiences is critical.”
After graduating from Augsburg, Brown served over three years as
code enforcement and neighborhood coordinator for the City of
Crystal. She earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning
with a specialization in economic development from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2006.
She now serves as project coordinator for the City of Minneapolis’
Department of Community Planning and Economic Development.
She works in neighborhoods to coordinate commercial redevelopment projects that incorporate public assistance.
As for her future, Brown says, “I see myself in a life of public
service, involved in state-level economic and tax policy in 15-20
years and perhaps an elected office.” Ⅵ
For more information about programs mentioned, go to:
www.augsburg.edu/sociology and www.hecua.org
Travel abroad and internships prepared Rebecca Brown ’00 for city planning.
SPRING 2007 25
T
place
A
of
their
own
Doroth Mayer
by Betsey Norgard
East African women spend time at the East African Women’s Center, established two
he East African Women’s Center in Riverside Plaza near
Augsburg’s campus is a busy place on a weekday morning.
In this two-year-old program of the Confederation of
Somali Community in Minnesota (CSCM), several East
African women sit at sewing machines, practicing sewing
seams in bright fabrics. Others are pressing their fabrics or talking with
a center volunteer. In the next room, behind a glass window, six or
seven small children play actively under the watchful eyes of mothers
and the center’s caregiver in the family childcare room.
In the middle of the activity is center coordinator Doroth Mayer,
often juggling a baby on her hip as she goes about her work. Rarely are
there quiet moments for her in this center she co-created with CSCM’s
executive director, Saeed Fahia.
Since 1994 CSCM has served more than 18,000 Somali immigrants who have settled in Minnesota—the largest concentration in the
country. CSCM provides resources and services to assist Somalis in
navigating American systems and making the transition to living life in
a new culture, while still preserving their traditions. CSCM is funded
by county, state, and federal agencies, as well as a number of
Minnesota foundations. The Women’s Center’s funding has come from
the Office of Refugee Resettlement and local foundations including the
Bush Foundation, the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation,
Sheltering Arms Foundation, and Wells Fargo.
Within the East African refugee community, young mothers with
children and elderly women who have arrived in the last few years
remain especially isolated, some rarely leaving their apartments to take
English classes, to meet American women, or to learn how to cook and
prepare American food. When CSCM was offered a 2,000-square-foot
location right in the middle of the Riverside Plaza housing complex, it
secured grant money and opened the Women’s Center in February
2005. From the beginning, a family childcare center was an integral
part of CSCM’s plan so mothers would have a safe place to leave their
children and take English language classes, learn to sew, or simply to
do their laundry and daily tasks.
The Women’s Center currently serves 85-100 women and children
every week. Different levels of sewing classes meet three days, morning
and afternoon, with two teachers and six or seven women in each
class. Fabric is provided, and the women learn the basics of how to
sew and how to use sewing machines to make simple items, like
aprons and bags. Some women’s skills are now advanced enough to
make clothing for themselves and their children.
years ago in Cedar-Riverside, for sewing classes, the family childcare center, and other
activities.
A partnership
grows
Augsburg’s partnership with the East African Women’s Center is relatively new. During President Pribbenow’s inauguration week last fall, a
service group from Augsburg spent a morning painting at the center.
One person in the group that day was Augsburg junior Kristen Hoyles,
a youth and family ministry major. After hearing Mayer talk about renovation of the center and how much painting was still needed, Hoyles
made a commitment not only to paint, but to teach two or three of the
26 AUGSBURG NOW
Doroth Mayer
adolescent girls in Girls’ Group
how to paint, so together they
could get the job done. She’s
there on Friday afternoons and
feels she is living out her theology by using her painting experience to help where it’s needed.
“I’m in awe of how grateful
the center has been for something I feel is no big deal,”
Hoyles says.
Mayer adds, “Kristen has no
clue how much she means to us.
She has finished the painting,
and we’ve negotiated a new job
for her—she is becoming our
‘handy person.’ She is starting by
taking on the task of repairing
the center’s tricycles so the little
kids have trikes to use.”
The group that visited the
center also took great interest in
the textile weavings hanging on
the walls, made by Somali
women from yarn donated to the
center.
The weavings represent the
thousand-year-old tradition of
East African “twine weaving,”
originally using grasses and vines
to make wall coverings, horse
blankets, and bags used in their
nomadic cultures. When
President Pribbenow furnished
his new office at Augsburg, he
sought out Somali art, and now
has samples of these weavings
hanging both in his office and in
his home.
The Somali weavings will
Kristen Hoyles, an Augsburg junior majoring in youth and family ministry, volunteers at the Women’s Center, teaching adolescent Somali girls to paint with her.
also be featured on campus as
the inaugural exhibit in the new
Gage Family Gallery, scheduled
to open in August in the Oren
Gateway Center.
A kitchen shower
Mayer, who has worked for
many years in community-based
activities, would love to see more
opportunities for the East African
women to spend time with
American women—she knows
how much the women want to
develop friendships with
American women, learn from
them how to live within
American culture, and share East
African culture with their new
friends.
Mayer sometimes takes
women from the center with her
when she buys groceries for center activities. The women ask
about things they don’t know or
understand and foods they’ve
never seen before.
“Last week at the supermarket, we saw some asparagus,”
Mayer says. “We brought back
several bunches and steamed it.
It was a big hit. Even some of
the little kids in the family child-
care center tried it—cautiously,
but they tried it!”
When the Women’s Center
space was renovated (with the
support of the Bush and Phillips
Foundations and the apartment
complex managers, Sherman and
Associates) a full kitchen was
added at Mayer’s suggestion—
and it has proven to be popular
and very well used. She learned
that giving the women recipes to
try at home was not useful, since
many of them don’t read or
know how to follow recipes. But
learning by observing and then
trying it themselves was the way
to go.
“Once in a while we make
quick bread to give the kids for
snacks,” Mayer says. “We learned
that women wanted to watch us
make it. Then, after we make it
together they tell us they feel
comfortable trying it themselves
at home.”
The popularity of cooking
led to another project initiated
by Augsburg community services
director Mary Laurel True. For
Professor Bev Stratton’s religion
class, in which students carry
out projects that benefit the
community, True suggested the
idea of a kitchen shower for the
Women’s Center.
With a wish list provided by
the Women’s Center to adequately equip their kitchen, the class
sought donations from faculty,
SPRING 2007 27
Doroth Mayer
The Somali yarn weaving hanging in President Pribbenow’s office
East African women enjoyed opening gifts for their kitchen from Augsburg faculty, students,
symbolizes the partnership between Augsburg and the East African
and staff at a “kitchen shower” initiated by Professor Bev Stratton’s religion class.
staff, students, and friends.
Fifteen women from Augsburg
met nearly 20 East African
women at the center, shared
desserts and Somali tea, and gave
them “presents” to open. In addition, cash gifts and Target and
IKEA gift cards were given, to
involve the East African women
in shopping for their kitchen.
Mayer was delighted and
called it a great event. “Mary
Laurel came up with the most
creative way to bring women
together that I’ve seen yet. She is
giving women an opportunity to
share their cultures in a respectful and joyous way.”
Learning to lead
Mayer recognizes that new leadership must grow from the
women at the center. She is
encouraging them to actively
engage in whatever learning
28 AUGSBURG NOW
opportunities are appropriate to
their personal situations and to
develop their leadership skills so
that some day they have the
capacity to run the center that
they call their “home away from
home. “In addition,” she says,
“we need partners in the community who try to understand
what we’re doing … partners
who really get to know the
women and plan together with
them.”
For Augsburg’s part, this
kind of partnership wouldn’t be
possible without its Center for
Service, Work, and Learning,
which establishes and nurtures a
myriad of connections between
the College and its surrounding
neighbors—for tutoring, health
education and fitness, sports
clinics, music lessons, science
teaching in the school, meals
programs, use of campus facili-
Doroth Mayer
Women’s Center.
ties, college preparation sessions,
and so on.
Augsburg partners with
CSCM for two tutoring programs, one of which brings
Somali high school students
directly to campus twice a week
for homework help from students in Augsburg’s Honors
Program. The other program targets elementary and middle
school students for tutoring and
receives snacks from the Campus
Kitchen at Augsburg College
Monday through Thursday.
Already True has ideas for
new projects, especially between
the Women’s Center and
Augsburg’s Women’s Resource
Center.
“We are so fortunate to have
this new center in our neighborhood,” True says. “There is so
much we can learn from each
other, and so many ways we can
work together to enhance the lives
of women in this community.”
Hoyles confirms this, saying
that during her time at the center
she is gaining a stronger sense of
community, and “understanding
that our world isn’t so big.
“I think students who do not
learn about our community are
really missing out,” she says. Ⅵ
ALUMNI NEWS
From the Alumni Board president …
Greetings fellow Auggies,
As I’m sure you’re experiencing, the circle and cycle of life continues unabated this year. It is
particularly noticeable to me this year because of the differences which reinforce the sameness
(apologies and thanks to Dr. Palosaari—you helped me improve my writing skills tremendously and
ensured that the poet in me remains untrammeled, too!). Let me explain …
I’m both a student of and practitioner in the field of human systems dynamics. One way we model the
world is through containers, differences, and exchanges. A container, like Augsburg College, is
described by its differences which make a difference in the world. Then, as critical friends, we can
exchange thoughts about those differences in our mutual container.
One difference at Augsburg I want to bring to your attention relates to Commencement:
• The school year is ending with graduation again—a common experience we alumni share and a tremendously important difference,
that makes a difference in the lives of our alumni-to-be. Please join me in welcoming them into new stages of life as Auggie alumni by
taking a moment to think warm, welcoming thoughts or remember them in your prayers.
• Augsburg has two Commencement ceremonies for the first time in its history—one on May 5 aligns the cycle of life of
traditional day students and physician assistant students on semesters, and one on June 24 aligns with WEC and graduate program
students on trimesters. Please join me in saluting Augsburg’s leadership for recognizing the differences in the cycle of life for different
parts of the student body and responding to provide a better graduation experience.
Another difference I want to encourage you to check out is our Online Community. Go to www.augsburg.edu and click on the Alumni
and Friends link:
• To see up-to-date information on Alumni Relations
• To check out the benefits available to you as alumni (did you know that as alumni you can use Lindell Library? Check out the Alumni
Benefits link!). Read about it on the next page.
• Log in to the Augsburg Online Community where you can search for fellow Auggies, keep the College up to date on contacting you,
make a donation to support Augsburg, or read about fellow alumni. You can even read the minutes of the Alumni Association and its
committees (log in to the Online Community, then select the Alumni Leadership>Alumni Board path).
And finally, as you make a difference in the world, remember to stay in touch. We want to hear from you and we want to be able to
contact you.
• Let us know how you are and what you are doing through the Alumni Relations Office (alumni@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1181).
• Register and visit our Online Community (www.augsburg.edu, click on Alumni and Friends, then Augsburg Online Community). Then
update your profile and search for your fellow classmates.
Go Auggies!
Barry Vornbrock, ’96 MAL
President, Augsburg Alumni Association
We’re off to the races!
Auggie Night at the Races
Canterbury Park, Shakopee
Thursday, August 2
5:30 p.m., picnic • 7 p.m., first race
Complimentary entrance fee; fun for all ages. Space is limited.
RSVP to rsvp@augsburg.edu by July 26.
Alumni Board meetings
Aug. 21, 5:30 p.m.—location to be confirmed
SPRING 2007 29
ALUMNI NEWS
Take advantage of Auggie alumni benefits
Augsburg Legacy
Award
The Augsburg Legacy Award is
available to full-time day
students working toward their
first bachelor’s degree, who are
children or spouses of Augsburg
graduates; siblings of current
Augsburg students; or children
or spouses of current ELCA
pastors. No scholarship
application is required. Students
who qualify for both the Legacy
Award and Regents’ Scholarship
or Transfer Regents’ Scholarship
will receive only one award,
whichever is higher. Renewal is
based on maintaining a
minimum cumulative grade
point average of 2.0, measured at
the end of spring term.
Amount: Minimum $4,000
per year
Deadline: Accepted for
admission by May 1 for fall
enrollment; or Dec. 1 for spring
enrollment
www.augsburg.edu/day/finaid/
scholarships.html
Discount on tuition
for classes
Alumni are offered up to four
courses—one course per
term—at 50% off the current
part-time tuition rate (day or
weekend programs). This benefit
does not apply to alumni whose
enrollment qualifies them for
full-time comprehensive tuition.
Tuition discount must be applied
for in the same academic year as
the course is taken.
The following courses do not
count for the benefits noted:
directed study, independent
study, internships, Summer
School, graduate programs,
study abroad, continuing
education. The following do
meet the requirements for the
benefits noted: fall, winter, or
spring term courses; student
teaching; and partial courses (.50
and .25 education courses use
one of the four benefits). NOTE:
The tuition discount cannot be
applied until after the 10th day
of classes in the specified term.
Book privileges in
Lindell Library
Free Augsburg library cards with
limited services are available to
alumni. Check with the
circulation or reference desks for
further information on how to
obtain a library card.
Augsburg License
Plate
Join the Augsburg Online Community
It’s designed just for you—
• Keep in touch with classmates
• Find out what’s happening on campus
• Send class notes about what you’re doing
• Change/update your address and e-mail
• Update your profile so others can find you
• Make an online gift to Augsburg
It’s fast and easy. Already, more than 500 alumni have registered.
Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni—have you signed up?
If you have questions, e-mail healyk@augsburg.edu.
30 AUGSBURG NOW
Display your Augsburg
connection! Available through
the Minnesota Department of
Transportation
www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs/
PlBrochure/CollegiatePlates.htm
Athletic facilities
Augsburg’s athletic facilities are
available to alumni when they
are not in use for special events,
classes, or other activities. If you
plan to come, it’s best to check
first with the athletic facilities
office at 612-330-1504,
especially during the summer.
Schedules are posted outside
of ice rinks A and B (neither rink
is available during the summer),
the gym, and the fitness centers.
Note: Use of the fitness centers is
available only to graduates of the
College. Alumni may use the
racquetball court by signing up
on the posted sheets at the court.
Reservations must be made in
person—no phone reservations
are accepted.
Alumni will be asked for
identification when using the
facilities. An Augsburg ID card
(available in the Enrollment
Center) or an A-Club pass will
expedite your admission.
Alumni using the facilities are
allowed one guest each.
CLASS NOTES
1950
1968
Roger “Bud” Leak, Excelsior,
Minn., was named the 2007
recipient of the Cliff Thompson
Award by the Minnesota Hockey
Coaches Association, at its
banquet in March. The award is
given annually for “long-term
outstanding contributions to the
sport of hockey in Minnesota.”
He helped start the Minnetonka
boys’ hockey program in 1952.
Lois (Hallcock) and Bruce
Johnson, Plymouth, Minn., were
featured in a Minneapolis Star
Tribune article in March about
how families finance education.
All three of their children—Leah,
Thomas, and current senior
Aaron—have attended Augsburg.
1964
Dennis J. Erickson, Los Alamos,
N.M., was awarded the
Distinguished Service to Safety
Award, the highest honor
bestowed by the National Safety
Council, in recognition of
outstanding service in the field
of safety. He has worked for 35
years at Los Alamos National
Laboratory and is scientific
advisor in the New Mexico
governor’s office.
1967
Loren Dunham, Fairmont,
Minn., is retiring from public
school teaching in Fairmont after
39 years in the classroom. He
taught economics, psychology,
American history, and
International Baccalaureate
courses, as well as coaching
tennis and Economics Challenge
and Knowledge Bowl. A former
editor of Augsburg Echo, he says
he feels he was “well-prepared
academically for the many and
various teaching assignments” he
received. dunfritz@charter.net
1969
Matty (Janis) Mathison,
Shawano, Wis., was honored
with the Women’s Sports
Advocates of Wisconsin Lifetime
Achievement Award for 2007. In
1998 she retired from 35 years
of teaching and 25 years of
coaching volleyball at Shawano
High School.
1970
Susan Pursch, Philadelphia, Pa.,
received the 2007 Tom Hunstad
Award (known as the “Tommy”)
at the ELCA Youth Ministry
Network Extravaganza. She has
served as a youth minister and
has coordinated and run
programs for at-risk youth.
Currently she is vice president
for church and community
partnerships at Liberty Lutheran
Services in Philadelphia.
Donald Q. Smith, Portland,
Ore., retired as the publisher and
editor of the weekly Monticello
Times. In October he was
honored with the James O. Amos
Award by the National
Newspaper Association, one of
the highest tributes in
community journalism.
1976
James Moen, Carrollton, Texas,
retired last year from 27 years of
serving as band director in the
Carrollton-Farmers Branch
school district. To honor his
legacy the district named the
new fine arts wing at R.L. Turner
High School after him.
In addition to spending
retirement time with his family,
he works with computers, is a
substitute teacher, and
accompanies students in music
competitions. JLJAMS@msn.com
1977
Rev. Dr. Mark Braaten, Bullard,
Texas, is senior pastor of Our
Saviour’s Lutheran Church in
Tyler, Texas. His first book Come,
Lord Jesus: A Study of Revelation,
was published by Liturgical Press
in January. His second book, on
prayer, is scheduled for
publication in fall 2008.
James M. Strommen,
Minnetonka, Minn., was recently
re-elected president of the
Minneapolis law firm of Kennedy
& Graven, a firm of 36 lawyers
located in downtown
Minneapolis and St. Cloud. He
practices in the area of municipal
franchise, construction, and
utility law.
1978
Rev. Guy Redfield was installed
in November as senior pastor at
Chetek Lutheran Church in
Chetek, Wis.
1980
Carol (Kenyon) Dekker,
Sheboygan, Wis., began as an
administrative and operations
assistant in marketing and public
relations roles at BurkartHeisdorf Insurance in
Sheboygan.
Gary Tangwall, Lake Elmo,
Minn., a senior financial
consultant for the Landmark
Group of Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans in Lake Elmo, has
been honored as the second
highest performer in 2006
among the organization’s 2,500
financial representatives. He is
one of 25 Thrivent representatives
invited to attend the Pinnacle
Leadership Retreat in September
in New York.
1985
Jean Taylor, Eagan, Minn., is
president of Taylor Corporation
in North Mankato, Minn., and
has recently assumed additional
responsibilities as chief executive
officer.
Denise (Rolloff) Tewes,
Lincoln, Neb., announces the
release of her first original CD,
Apple of Your Eye, contemporary
Christian music drawing from
the psalms and reflecting on
some of life’s experiences. She is
choral director at Messiah
Lutheran Church.
denise@denisetewes.com
James Rongstad, Pine Island,
Minn., was appointed in January
to a three-year term on the Van
Horn Library Board. This is the
public library serving Pine
Island. In February he was
appointed treasurer of the Board
of Directors of the Girl Scout
Council of River Trails, serving
southeast Minnesota.
SPRING 2007 31
CLASS NOTES
Responsibility as an adjunct
professor at William Mitchell
College of Law.
1987
Scott L. Anderson married
Susie Wilkey of Coon Rapids on
April 8, 2006. He joined Farmers
Insurance Group and Farmers
Financial Solutions in March.
They live in Minneapolis.
ScottLAnderson38@msn.com.
1998
Brandon Reichel and Shannon
Geiger were married Aug. 28,
2004. They welcomed a baby
girl, Finley Vada, on Jan. 17,
who was 8 lbs., 5 oz., and 21.5
inches long.
1992
Stacy (Shiltz) Abraham and her
husband, Chris, in Milwaukee,
Wis., announce the birth of
Elijah James, on Jan. 26. Stacy
is a teacher in the Milwaukee
Public Schools.
mrs.abraham@earthlink.net
1989
Thomas Stutsman, St. Louis
Park, Minn., founded Stutsman
Realty, Inc. in 1992 and is
celebrating 15 years of business
this year.
1991
Mark Keating and his wife,
Amy, of Edina, Minn., announce
the birth of their third son,
Aidan Howard, on March 14,
2006. He joins brothers Owen,
5, and Carson, 3. Mark is an
account executive at Symantec.
Sharol Tyra, of Life
Illuminations Presentations &
Coaching has qualified for
professional membership and
joined the National Speakers
Association.
1993
Kim (Swanson) Meslow and her
husband, Jeff ’92, in White Bear
Township, Minn., announce the
birth of their third daughter, Hanna
Rose, born on July 7. She joins
big sisters Ally (5) and Kayla (3).
kmeslow@swansonyoungdale.com
Michelle Kay (Wincell) Nielsen
and her husband, William,
welcome the arrival of a
daughter, Lena Kay, on Dec. 10.
They were married in September
2005 and live in St. Paul.
32 AUGSBURG NOW
1996
Scott Magelssen, Rock Island,
Ill., saw publication of his book
Living History Museums: Undoing
History through Performance, by
Scarecrow Press in February. It
treats performance practices and
historiography at living museums
in the U.S. and Europe. He and
his wife, Theresa (Hoar) ’95,
and two-year-old son, Trygg, will
move to Ohio where Scott will
teach theatre history at Bowling
Green State University, starting
in August.
Heidi (Geyer) Ostrander is a
physical education teacher at
Valley View Elementary School
in Columbia Heights, Minn.,
where she teaches the Dance,
Dance, Revolution curriculum.
She was featured on the Fox
Morning Show in February.
Brooke (Manisto) and her
husband, Erik Reseland ’98, in
St. Anthony, Minn., welcomed a
daughter, Adeline, born on Feb. 3.
She joins big sister Elsa, 3.
1994
1997
Will Stute has joined the
Minneapolis law firm office of
Faegre & Benson as a partner in
the Business Litigation Group,
focusing on litigation matters,
particularly commercial fraud.
He also teaches Professional
Astrid Larssen, of Oslo,
Norway, is currently living in
Sydney, Australia, where she is in
the process of finishing up a PhD
in computer science. She has
also lived and worked in Norway
and Ghana since leaving the U.S.
Wendy (Shields) and her
husband, Bradley Reiners ’99
PA, in Prairie Farm, Wis.,
welcomed a son, Jackson
Patrick, their first child, on Aug. 10.
Brad works as a physician
assistant at Luther MidelfortPrairie Farm Clinic.
1999
Aaron Smith and Jill (Pintens)
are proud to announce the birth
of Wyatt Douglas, born May 20,
2006. They currently live in
Tucson, Ariz., where Aaron is a
surgery resident and Jill is a
physician assistant.
With an internship at the White
House, Emily Soeder carried out a
dream and has stayed in
Washington to gain the experince
it has to offer for her future
career choices.
Inside the White House
Emily Soeder didn’t realize how
many statements she would be
researching and fact checking, or
how many definitions of
ordinary words she would be
looking up. But she did know
that she had always wanted to
work at the White House, and
that is exactly where she landed
during her last semester, before
graduating summa cum laude
from Augsburg in December.
She had known for some
time about internships available
at the White House, and during
her senior year worked with Lois
Olson in the Center for Service,
Work, and Learning to complete
and submit the online
application. Several months later,
she was living what was for her
an “amazing experience” as one
of about 70 interns selected for
fall 2006, and one of three in the
Office of Presidential Speechwriting.
“One of the most memorable
projects I worked on was
annotating a version of the
speech the president was going
to deliver to the UN,” Soeder
says. It meant going through it
line by line, ensuring the
factuality of every word and
statement.
When asked how the real
West Wing compared to that of
the TV show of the same name,
Soeder notes that in reality the
West Wing is very small—not
the huge area it seems to be on
TV. In fact, nearly all of the
administration’s staff offices are
not located there, but next door
in the Eisenhower Executive
Office Building.
Beyond her specific duties,
Soeder has learned a great deal
from the contacts with executive
branch staff, as the interns
listened to speakers such as Karl
Rove, assistant to the president,
deputy chief of staff and senior
adviser, and Harriet Miers,
counsel to the president. Her
most exciting “Washington
moment,” she says, came in
November when she met
President Bush the day after
election results came in.
Once her internship ended
in December, Soeder was
fortunate to be appointed as a
confidential assistant to the
assistant secretary in the Office
of Legislation and Congressional
Affairs at the U.S. Department of
Education. Here, she works on
projects, scheduling, and briefing
materials.
Outside of work, Soeder
volunteers as a tutor with
Horton’s Kids, a non-profit
agency that provides services to
children from nearby, lowincome Ward 8 in D.C. The kids
are bused to the Department of
Education once a week for oneon-one tutoring by the
employees.
While at Augsburg, Soeder
was involved with College
Republicans, and has now
become active with Young
Republicans in D.C. To be hired
for political or legislative jobs,
she says, candidates generally
need to show loyalty to a party
or candidate. Campaigning at the
grass roots is a great way to start
building that experience, and she
got a taste of it last fall by
traveling to Ohio and Tennessee
to work on local campaigns.
At this point, Soeder doesn’t
see herself staying in
Washington, D.C., for a long
time. She believes her career
decisions will keep coming back
to a basic question students at
Augsburg are asked to
consider—how am I going to
impact the world in what I do?
She appreciates the grounding
she received in her communications
courses, such as Persuasion, and
the analytical skills and
experience from participating on
the Forensics Team.
For now, she’s enjoying all
Washington has to offer—
politics, history, culture, and the
excitement of being at the center
of it all.
SPRING 2007 33
CLASS NOTES
Wendy (Hoekstra) Vogelgesang
and her husband, David, in
Litchfield, Minn., welcomed twin
boys, August and Ewan, born
three months early on Aug. 1.
They spent three months
growing at St. Cloud Hospital
and Fairview Riverside Hospital
neo-natal intensive care units.
Read their journey at
www.caringbridge.com/visit/wen
dyandboys. They are doing well
now, but everyone has gone
through a lot. Wendy went back
to work as a kindergarten
teacher at Litchfield Public
Schools in January, while David
is a stay-at-home dad.
and 21 inches long. Holly
graduates in June with an MBA
from Augsburg.
hknutson04@yahoo.com
2003
2000
Julia Mensing works at Event
Lab, an event-planning company,
which was recognized for the
second year in a row by the
International Special Events
Society (ISES) with a 2007
Minnesota Star Award in the
“Best Event Design and Décor”
category.
2006
2002
Brendan Anderson, Phoenix,
Ariz., was commissioned by the
Concordia Wind Orchestra in
Irvine, Calif., to write a large
concert piece, The Gift and the
Wise Men, around the theme of
Epiphany, for their orchestra and
guest organist. It premiered in
Phoenix while the orchestra was
on tour in January.
Matthew Chappuis and
Jennifer (Lemke), Apple Valley,
Minn., welcomed their first
child, a daughter, Hattie Romae,
on Aug. 18, weighing 8 lbs., 3
oz., and 21 inches long. He is a
middle school physical education
and health teacher in the
Burnsville School District, and
she is an eighth-grade science
teacher in the Inver Grove
Heights School District.
2004
Rick Dzurik was featured in
March on KARE-11 TV news as a
music therapist working with
hospice patients. With his guitar,
he makes house calls or visits
hospice units to sing music
requested by the patients and
families—one of only a few
certified music therapists in the
Twin Cities who do this.
Anna Warnes and Nathan
Erickson ’03 were married in
August and live in Eugene, Ore.
Both are students at the
University of Oregon; Nathan is
pursuing a doctorate in
sociology, and Anna is studying
for a post-baccalaureate degree
in nursing.
2001
Amy (Stier) Eppen and her
husband, Jeff, in Belle Plaine,
Minn., are proud to announce
the birth of their son, Caleb
Todd, born on Nov. 28. He was
welcomed home by big sister
Courtney, 22 mos. Amy is a
therapeutic recreation
coordinator at The Lutheran
Home: Hope Residence.
34 AUGSBURG NOW
Holly (Ebnet) Knutson and her
husband, Jeremy, in Hugo,
Minn., are the proud parents of a
baby girl, Adelei Marie, born
Nov. 28, weighing 8 lbs., 0 oz.,
India, beginning in the fall. She
is currently employed at
Admission Possible, through
AmeriCorps, where she works
with 34 low-income, first
generation students, encouraging
them to stay in school and
helping them apply to college.
Her work with Admission
Possible was featured in a Star
Tribune article.
2005
Carolyn Herman is a Rotary
Ambassador Scholar and will
continue study of literature at
the University of Hyderabad,
Katie Koch began a new
position in April as the executive
assistant to Joe Dowling, artistic
director of the Guthrie Theater
in Minneapolis.
Graduate Programs
Doris Rubenstein ’93 MAL is
the new director for membership
and development at the Resource
Center of the Americas and
draws on her background in
Spanish, Peace Corps experience,
and living in Puerto Rico and
Ecuador. Her thesis focused on
nonprofit organizations serving
Minnesota’s Latin population.
Jill Boike ’03 MSW joined
Family Innovations in 2005. She
has developed a new
employee/intern training
program and is also working as
an outpatient therapist and
clinical supervisor.
jsalome@comcast.net
Nick Thomley ’06 MBA was
featured in the business section
of the Minneapolis Star Tribune
with a profile of the company,
Pinnacle Services, that he
founded while a sophomore in
college. His high school job of
working with disabled residents
in assisted living led him to start
a company that provides
vocational, residential, and
financial management services to
the elderly and people with
disabilities. In seven years, the
company has reached $7.2
million in revenue.
In Memoriam
Ernest (“Ernie”) W. Anderson
’37, Edina, Minn., age 90, on
March 18, unexpectedly. See
story on page 2.
Henry Erickson Chapman ’40,
Coon Rapids, Minn., age 91, in
Dec. 2006. He was a retired
coach and athletic director from
Proctor (Minn.) Public Schools
and a member of Augsburg’s
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Delbert Rhodes ’41, Renville,
Minn., age 89, in Nov. 2006.
Chester L. Brooks ’42, Duluth,
Minn., age 89, on March 5. He
was a Distinguished Alumnus and
husband of Ebba (Johnson)
Brooks ’42.
The Rev. Robert Erickson
Warren ’46, Edina, Minn., age
82, on Feb. 27.
Fabian C. Carlson ’49, Detroit
Lakes, Minn., age 82, on July 21,
2006.
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
The Rev. Oliver S. Solberg ’49,
Appleton, Wis., age 87, on Jan.
10. Husband of Viola (Nelson)
Solberg ’50.
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the Augsburg
Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Rachel M. Stennes ’49,
Minneapolis, age 86, on Feb. 10.
Full name
Arlene Larsen ’49, Tacoma,
Wash., age 75, on Dec. 13. Wife
of Harold Larsen.
Robert Hofflander ’51,
Clitherall, Minn., age 79, on Jan.
29, of myelodysplastic
syndrome. Husband of Dorothy
(Gramling) Hofflander ’50.
Maiden name
John E. Seaver, Sr. ’54,
Edgerton, Wis., age 74, on
Feb. 2, after a long illness.
City, State, Zip
The Rev. James Glasoe Sr. ’57,
Statesboro, Ga., on March 17, of
lung cancer. Husband of Nicole
(Jacobson) Glasoe ’62.
Home telephone
Class year or last year attended
Street address
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Regie S. Huber ’74, Maple
Grove, Minn., on Nov. 1.
Employer
Marlin (“Mike”) Kloster ’53, of
Willmar, Minn., age 77, on
Jan. 20.
Position
Timothy W. Hanson ’88,
Ogilvie, Minn., age 40, on March
18, of injuries from a car
accident.
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Work telephone
If yes, class year
Spouse’s name
Maiden name
Your news:
SPRING 2007 35
VIEWS
Celebrating 20 years of leadership
by Kathy Rumpza, ’05 MAL
On the evening of Sat., January 27, approximately
110 alumni, students, and guests gathered to
celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Master of Arts
in Leadership program at Augsburg College. The
keynote address was given by Ryan LaHurd,
president and executive director of the James S.
Kemper Foundation, and former vice president of
academic affairs at Augsburg. His presence was
appropriate because of the significant role he played
in the MAL Program’s inception.
More than 20 years ago, LaHurd was key in
launching a task force to explore graduate options
at the College. After much research and discussion
with business leaders it became apparent that there
was a need in the market for a different type of
program than was currently being offered—the kind
of program that would provide students with the
crucial broad-based knowledge and skills needed
for success.
Enter the era of an exciting program,
differentiated from others by a liberal arts focus
specifically on leadership. It offers solid content with
academic rigor as opposed to a workshop format. The
Master of Arts in Leadership program, started in
January 1987, marked an important turning point for
Augsburg and its entrance into the graduate market.
During its 20-year history, the program has
gone through transformation. While content,
schedules, and support staff have changed, the
signature “leadership model” that forms the basis for
the program remains steadfast. Feedback from
students and faculty has helped to hone and refine
course offerings, and relevant courses such as
Women and Leadership have been introduced.
Another constant is the faculty. Norma Noonan,
professor and director of the MAL program since
1993, notes that although the program has grown,
she and instructors Diane Pike, Tom Morgan, and
Garry Hesser have been teaching in the program
since its inception. She says such loyalty comes
from a simple idea—“faculty just love teaching in
the program.”
Noonan credits much of the recent program
growth to the addition of professional graduate
recruiters, and the fact that the program caters to
“students who seek personal development and
challenge.” The classes are “exiting and very
stimulating,” she says. “We’ve had pinnacle
36 AUGSBURG NOW
Norma Noonan is professor of political science and
director of the MAL program.
experiences in class … students are almost
electrified by some of the discussions.”
As far as alumni and students go, many have
had life-changing experiences. Students often say
that the program has changed their career paths,
and many experience a personal metamorphosis as
well. “People use it to define a turning point in
their lives,” says Noonan. Individuals have been
inspired to start their own businesses, and have
been promoted to vice president or CEO positions.
While it is true that completing the program
has changed personal and professional lives,
Noonan says that “completion is not the greatest
indicator of success.” She quickly adds, “it
emboldens you to take more risks, and brings a
maturity in judgment.” And that seems to be the
more important point.
Although some aspects of the program have
changed over time, it will remain a quality program
that “tries to live the leadership model,” under the
passionate direction of Norma Noonan. Her only
regret: “That I didn’t have the knowledge—what we
read, what we study—earlier in life.”
For information on the MAL Program,
go to www.augsburg.edu/mal
MAL… by the numbers
203
21
22
56
MAL degrees conferred since 1989
MAL graduating class in 2006—the largest yet!
Current MAL faculty and adjuncts
Number of new MAL students in 2006-07
The Oren Gateway Center is coming
Construction on the Oren Gateway Center is
proceeding extremely well. The building should be
ready for occupancy in the beginning of August,
with departments and programs starting to move
in during the middle of August.
Watch for more updates—and mark your calendars
for a grand celebration on October 12!
SPRING 2007
John 14: 1-3
A group of Augsburg students
traveled by train to New
Orleans to spend their spring
break working for Lutheran
Disaster Relief. Students spent
five days gutting and rebuilding
houses affected by Hurricane
Katrina. Here, workers find a
plaque from the Gospel of John
that fell from the attic of the
house in which they were
working. The verse offered a
great source for reflection by
the students.
— Photo by Rachel Olson ’08
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
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A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
WINTER 2006-07
VOL. 69, NO. 2
A president is inaugurated
page 12
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
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MAKING CONNECTIONS
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A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
WINTER 2006-07
VOL. 69, NO. 2
A president is inaugurated
page 12
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
The richness and wonder of human diversity
S
o God created humankind in God’s image, in
the image of God he created them; male and
female he created them … God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was
very good. (Genesis 1: 27, 31a, NRSV)
I once heard a presentation from a nursing student
who was part of a community health practicum
course in a homeless shelter, who commented that
before she went to her assignment at the shelter, her
general feeling was that homeless people had done
something to “deserve” their fate—she had no sense
of how she could interact with these “people.” She
was frightened. Once she had begun her assignment, however, she recounted how the residents of
the shelter became her fellow citizens, her friends
even. She learned their stories, grieved with them
about bad decisions, unfair circumstances, sad and
distressing experiences. She stood side by side with
them in their struggles to find a home and set a new
course for their lives. And she rejoiced in the role
she could play in listening, empathizing, offering a
word or hand or whatever might help. In her experience in that service-learning course, she learned
about otherness and difference in ways that would
make her a better nurse, a better citizen and neighbor, a better friend.
This story is why I will never give up in our
efforts to make diversity a core value of our academic and common work and why I am so pleased that
this issue of Augsburg Now illustrates some of our
efforts to promote diversity on campus and beyond.
Creating, sustaining, celebrating, and supporting
diversity is an abiding challenge for our college.
Whether it is diversity of perspective, religion, ethnicity, race, social class, and so forth, there are critical voices from all sides pressing us to make the case
for our philosophy, commitment, experience, policies, and practices related to diversity on campus
and beyond. Here at Augsburg, we have the distinct
gift of at least three compelling mission-based
reasons for intentionally engaging the diversity of
our world.
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Design Manager
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Class Notes Designer
Signe Peterson
petersos@augsburg.edu
• Theologically, we believe that God has created
humankind in all its diversity in God’s own image.
• Educationally, we believe that a liberal arts
approach to learning and teaching is fundamentally committed to engaging otherness and difference
so that we might genuinely understand and
embrace the richness of human experience and
creativity throughout the ages.
• Civically, we are persuaded that educating for
democracy is at least in part about preparing our
students for lives in society that will require them
to have the knowledge, skills, and values needed
to negotiate their ways with people of diverse
backgrounds and experiences.
This past summer, I had the privilege of visiting
Augsburg’s study site in Cuernavaca, Mexico, where
I, too, learned to face my fears and stereotypes of
other cultures and life experiences. We all are still
learning to admit our privilege, to embrace the wonder of difference and other experiences, to live as
neighbors here on campus and in our community,
where the world is becoming our neighbor in very
concrete and real ways.
Our work to educate students for democracy
cannot be uncoupled from this commitment to
diversity. This is why diversity on campus, in the
neighborhood and city, in the church, and in the
world is important—it is the heart of a healthy
democracy.
Yours,
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now Intern
Erin Kennedy
kennedy1@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services,
CB 142,
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
22
Winter 2006-07
Contents
Features
11
A Change in Reference—Librarian to Volunteer
by Betsey Norgard
For nearly 15 years in retirement, Margaret Anderson has continued to volunteer
in the library she once headed.
12
Ages of Imagination: The Inauguration of Paul C. Pribbenow
Around themes of abundance, generosity, engagement, and service,
Augsburg inaugurates its 11th president.
18
Making Connections
by Betsey Norgard
After five years, the Scholastic Connections program has proven a winner for
both mentors and mentees.
22
See AIBO Walk … and Sit … and Wiggle Its Ears
by Betsey Norgard
Sophomore Jesse Docken finds both fun and challenge in “training” dog robots.
24
12
On the Cover: At his investiture as
Augsburg’s 11th president, the seal of the
College is placed around the neck of
Paul C. Pribbenow by Board of Regents
chair Ted Grindal ’76.
Global Business
by Bethany Bierman
Augsburg business classes have built-in global experience from a very
international faculty.
Departments
2 Around the Quad
5 2006 Alumni Awards
6 Supporting Augsburg
8 Sports
28 Alumni News
40 Views
Inside back cover Calendar
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
AROUND THE QUAD
NOTEWORTHY
Three new regents elected to board
Three new members were elected to four-year terms on the
Augsburg College Board of Regents at the annual meeting of the
Augsburg Corporation in October.
In addition, Michael O. Freeman and Philip Styrland ’79 were
re-elected to second six-year terms. Freeman is a partner at
Lindquist & Vennum, P.L.L.P., and Styrlund is president of The
Summit Group, an international education and development firm.
Richard C. Hartnack
Since the beginning of his banking career in
1971, Hartnack has held positions in corporate
banking at First Interstate Bank of Oregon, and
in community banking at First Chicago and
Union Bank of California. He currently is vice
chairman and head of consumer banking at
U.S. Bancorp.
Hartnack has a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University. He is a graduate of the Strategic
Marketing Management program at the Harvard Business School.
Congratulations to
Jacki Brickman ’97
Augsburg alumna Jacki Brickman
’97 was one of two teachers in
the Minneapolis and St. Paul
school districts who were awarded a Milken National Educator
Award in October.
This award, from the Milken
Family Foundation, recognizes
teachers and principals across
the country for their effectiveness
in the classroom, accomplishments outside the classroom,
leadership, and ability to inspire
students, teachers, and the community. It carries a cash award of
$25,000.
Brickman, a 10-year teacher,
is a teacher mentor at Hall
International Elementary School
in Minneapolis, working with
other teachers at the school to
test new techniques.
Brickman, who also is an
adjunct instructor in Weekend
College, is the second Augsburg
graduate to receive a Milken
Educator Award. Margaret
Knutson ’91, fifth-grade teacher
at Orono Intermediate School,
received the same award in
2004. Read about both teachers
in the Augsburg Now spring 2006
article, “Teachers who Lead,
Leaders who Teach,” at
www.augsburg.edu/now.
André Lewis ‘73
Since 2002, Lewis has served as director of
marketing and community affairs and president of the RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation.
Previously he held a similar position at
Honeywell. His background in education
includes serving as principal at both Washburn
and South high schools.
Lewis graduated from Augsburg and earned
a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He has been active in
Augsburg’s Corporate Connections program.
Rev. Norman Wahl ‘75
Since 1996, Wahl has been executive pastor of
Bethel Lutheran Church, the site of Augsburg’s
programs in Rochester, Minn., and served on
the task force that led to the formation of the
Rochester campus. He has also been part of the
alumni board, campaign cabinet, and on staff
at the College.
After Augsburg, Wahl graduated from
Luther Seminary and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the
seminary in 1997.
2 AUGSBURG NOW
MBA consulting firm to start
Small businesses and non-profits in Rochester can qualify for probono consulting services from Augsburg’s Rochester MBA students
and graduates.
This new service, Augsburg Alumni Consulting Team (AACT),
extends the MBA field service program, in which all students work
with a client in the community on business issues and applications.
A “full-team” consultation by AACT on critical strategic or management issues will be staffed by four to eight volunteers. A “fast track”
for focused issues will involve one to three volunteers in two or
three client meetings. And, a “board match” program will help nonprofits build their board leadership.
Additional support services—database design, Web design,
research, etc.—may be added by Augsburg undergraduate business
and computer science students.
This College-sponsored consulting service will offer both experience and exposure to the students and alumni, and include a
review process to build case studies.
While beginning in Rochester, AACT hopes to also expand the
program to the Twin Cities.
For information, contact William Aguero at
aguero@augsburg.edu.
The “greening” of
Augsburg
Augsburg imagines environmental stewardship as central to its
mission as a Lutheran college in
the city.
President Paul Pribbenow
says, “The Augsburg College
community is deeply committed
to what it means to build a sustainable urban environment. …
Our relationships with our
diverse neighbors, with the
Mississippi River, and with other
neighborhoods in our vibrant
city are opportunities for learning, for civic engagement, and
for faithful service.”
The institutional committee
that grew out of a learning community seven years ago is now
named the Environmental
Stewardship Committee and provides leadership for the College
in areas addressing sustainability.
The committee’s growing website
offers information and resources
in the following initiatives:
• Recycling/waste
reduction—Recycling bins
have risen to nearly 75% capacity in the last year and new
equipment across campus
reduces water consumption
and energy usage. The College
recycles household items to
community organizations and
established a re-use table. A
number of measures adopted
reduce storm water run-off
from campus, which, perhaps
more than anything else, has
had an impact on water quality
in the Mississippi River.
• Transportation—Two light rail
stations within walking distance and reduced fare bus-rail
passes help the Augsburg com-
munity increase its use of public transit, freeing up parking
spaces. Accessible bike trails
provide alternatives to driving.
• HOURCAR—Augsburg is the
newest neighborhood hub for
HOURCAR—a hybrid vehicle
that can be rented.
• Curriculum—Across the curriculum, courses address sustainability issues, and study
abroad is available in metrourban studies. A new environmental studies program is
scheduled to launch in fall
2007.
• River stewardship—Augsburg
is an official “steward” of a
portion of the Mississippi
River near campus and regularly hosts “clean-ups” to prevent pollution. The
Environmental and River
Politics course explores issues
related to restoration of the
river ecosystem and ways in
which our relationship to the
river reflects the health of our
community.
• Campus Kitchen at Augsburg
College—In its three years,
Campus Kitchen has kept
more than 35,000 pounds of
food out of landfill and turned
it into over 37,000 meals for
the community. In the next
year, Augsburg plans to launch
a community garden to bring
neighbors together and provide food for community
organizations.
• Building a green
campus—The Environmental
Stewardship Committee has a
voice in the ongoing planning
for the new Science Center,
which includes a “green” roof
and maximal use of sustainable architecture and products.
Michael Lansing, assistant professor of history, wrote in the
Augsburg Echo about Christensen
Symposium speaker Douglas
John Hall’s comments on “stewardly vocations.” Hall argued that
everyone must make stewardship
of the environment both a personal and collective priority.
Lansing wrote that stewardly
vocations “push us all toward
recognizing and caring for the
many other forms of life that we
depend on for sustenance and
comfort.”
To learn more about sustainability at Augsburg, go to www.augsburg.edu/green or contact Tom
Ruffaner, chair of the
Environmental Stewardship
Committee, at ruffaner@augsburg.edu.
—Betsey Norgard
Fond farewell to ‘Mr. Augsburg’
On Sept. 30 Jeroy Carlson ’48 officially retired from the
campus and community he first came to more than 60
years ago. During that time, he served Augsburg as a student, volunteer, alumni director, and development officer.
At a packed reception in his honor, Carlson was presented with a baseball jersey bearing his No. 10 and a
“Jeroy Carlson” baseball card. He was also presented
with framed photos of the Augsburg campus, as he knew
it and as it is today.
Known as “Mr. Augsburg” by his classmates and colleagues, Carlson excelled as a student-athlete in baseball,
basketball, and football, and was part of four MIAC
championship teams. He continued to work with the
A-Club and helped establish the Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame.
In 1991, after serving on the alumni board and as
director of alumni relations, the alumni office was dedicated as the Jeroy C. Carlson Alumni Center.
See the winter 2005-06 Augsburg Now for a feature
story on “Mr. Augsburg.”
Vice President Tracy Elftmann ‘81 presents Jeroy
Carlson with a baseball jersey bearing his no. 10.
WINTER 2006-07 3
AROUND THE QUAD
COMMENCEMENT
Two commencements at Augsburg
Beginning this year, Augsburg will offer two commencement ceremonies, in order to recognize the different academic calendars followed. A May 5 ceremony will be held for day students and physician assistant students who are on semesters; a June 24 ceremony
will honor Weekend College, Rochester, United Hospital, and the
other five graduate program students who follow trimesters.
This year’s Commencement speakers are Eboo Patel on May 5, and
Rev. Martin E. Marty on June 24.
With a national fellowship in microbiology and an interest in infectious diseases, senior Richard Birkett is studying the genes encoding streptococcal bacteria.
Senior Richard
Birkett wins research
fellowship
Biology senior Richard Birkett is
one of 43 students across the
country to receive a 2006
Undergraduate Research
Fellowship from the American
Society for Microbiology. Its
stipend funded his summer
research with biology professor
Beverly Smith-Keiling.
The project, applied for jointly by Birkett and Smith-Keiling,
looks at the characteristics of
streptococcal bacteria and the
genes that encode them. They
study a particular streptococcal
protein, discovered by SmithKeiling, that binds a human
immune system protein, and its
role in causing infections, especially in immuno-weak people
4 AUGSBURG NOW
(neo-natal babies, elderly, and
others who are immuno-compromised). The research involves
manipulating the protein’s DNA
in the laboratory to create
mutants for further study.
“We were thrilled to receive
this ASM Fellowship,” says
Smith-Keiling. “It is a prestigious
award and played a significant
role as a feather in our cap as
one of several steps that
Augsburg is taking to secure
external funding, build our
undergraduate research program,
and move toward more scientific
research at our institution.”
Birkett’s interest in infectious
diseases began in summer 2005
when he traveled to Tanzania
with a microbiology study
abroad course through Hamline
University. He visited labs and
small villages, and found the
experience “eye-opening” in
terms of lifestyle and conditions
he encountered.
To gain background in
research, Birkett took a pilot
course at Augsburg, Introduction
to Research, designed to prepare
second-year students for facultyled research. He credits that
course for teaching him the discipline, motivation, and critical
thinking needed for scientific
study. The course was repeated
this past fall, and Birkett served
as a peer mentor.
Birkett has thrived in the
microbiology laboratory, and is
interested in pursuing work in
the health field with infectious
disease, possibly attending medical school. He, along with
Smith-Keiling and other students, will present their research
at the American Society for
Microbiology general meeting in
the spring.
“Richard has been the model
for what we hope to continue, as
students progress from their
early years without research
skills to excelling as independent
researchers, and the fellowship
played a key role,” says SmithKeiling. “It has been a privilege
and joy to work with him.”
Birkett came to Augsburg
from Boston as a student in the
StepUP Program, which supports
students in chemical recovery.
He says that Augsburg has been
great for him. “I came to
Augsburg for StepUP; I’m staying
for science and the people.”
—Betsey Norgard
HOMECOMING 2006
Two honored as
Distinguished Alumni
Augsburg’s Distinguished Alumni
are recognized for their significant achievement in vocation, for
outstanding contribution to
church and community, and for
lives that exemplify the ideals and
mission of Augsburg College.
Glen Person ’47
A native of
Minneapolis,
Glen Person
grew up in
Augsburg’s
neighborhood.
He graduated
with degrees
in mathematics and business, and was one of
the first students in Augsburg’s
new business administration
department. His college studies
were interrupted by World War
II, where he served in the U.S.
Navy.
Person’s vocational career
involved two 20-year employments in the insurance industry.
In 1948 he started as a bookkeeper at Fidelity and Casualty
Co., and left in 1968 as its bond
manager. From 1969 until his
retirement in 1989, he was an
accounting manager and bond
vice president at W.A. Lang
Company.
From 1993 to 2005, Person
served on Augsburg’s Board of
Regents, as a member of the
Finance Committee and as board
treasurer. Over the years, he has
been one of the most active
members of Augsburg’s A-Club,
and a frequent spectator and
loyal Auggie athletic booster. He
serves on the Claire Strommen
Golf Tournament Committee.
Person has also contributed
financial expertise to numerous
boards of directors, and as treasurer of Prairie Lutheran Church
in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Lois (Peterson) Bollman ’69
Lois Bollman
graduated in
1969 with a
bachelor’s
degree in
English education from
Augsburg, and
went on to
earn a master’s degree in reading.
In 2001 she earned a doctorate
in educational policy and administration of higher education.
For the past 30 years, she has
worked in a number of areas
within the Minnesota community
college system and is a recognized leader and administrator in
areas of student assessment, college readiness, and developmental education. Her strengths lie in
strategic planning, institutional
research, and evaluation of academic programs. Currently she is
vice president of strategy, planning, and accountability at
Minneapolis Community and
Technical College.
Here, she developed the
Urban Teacher Education
Program, in collaboration with
secondary and postsecondary
institutions, that aims to inspire
and educate students from urban
schools to become teachers in
their own communities. In 2003,
Bollman led the faculty development work that received one of
five national Theodore Hesburgh
Awards from TIAA-CREF.
Bollman has served as a class
agent and is active at Edina
Community Lutheran Church.
First Decade Award
The First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of
the past 10 years who have made
significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community, and
in so doing, exemplify the mission
of the College.
Spirit of Augsburg
Award
The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni or friends of the College
who have given exceptional service
that contributes substantially to the
well being of Augsburg by furthering its purposes and programs.
Herald Johnson ‘68
Milana (Gorshkova)
Pirogova ’96
Milana
Pirogova graduated magna
cum laude
from Augsburg
with a bachelor’s degree in
economics and
international
relations, and went on to earn a
master’s degree in international
economics from George
Washington University.
In 1998 she began working
for the International Finance
Corporation, a member of the
World Bank Group, in
Washington, D.C. She is now an
investment officer in the Global
Financial Markets Department
and posted in Russia, her homeland.
Two of her significant projects have included working with
privatization projects in Bosnia
and drafting the Mortgage
Securities Law with the Russian
national parliament. In her current work she is able to promote
awareness and resources for the
much-needed economic and
educational development in
Russia. She also has been an
eager promoter of Augsburg
College to prospective students
in Murmansk, St. Petersburg,
and Moscow.
After graduating, Herald
Johnson first
became an
admissions
officer, then
Augsburg’s
first financial
aid officer
when new federal programs
required administrative oversight. Over the nearly 40 years
since, he became a pioneer,
leader, and mentor among all of
Minnesota’s financial aid officers.
He is respected both for
helping students understand and
access financial resources to
make college possible and for
mentoring young professionals in
the field. He is the only person
to have been twice elected president of the Minnesota
Association of Financial Aid
Administrators (MAFAA).
Johnson collaborated with
Julie Olson ’90, ’04 MAL, now
vice president of enrollment
management, to create and
implement the Enrollment
Center, which brings together
several student service offices
into a one-stop shop for students.
Johnson retired last summer,
but continues to serve as a consultant on scholarship programs
and with Augsburg’s government
relations office concerning financial aid issues.
—Betsey Norgard
WINTER 2006-07 5
Photo courtesy of Martha Gisselquist
AROUND THE QUAD
SUPPORTING
AUGSBURG
The Clement A.
Gisselquist Endowed
Scholarship—
an Augsburg family’s
music legacy
6 AUGSBURG NOW
All six of Clement and Borghild Gisselquist’s children graduated from Augsburg, and most of them were choir and band members
during their college years. (L to R): James ’68, Joel ’77, Rebecca ’67, Borghild, Martha ’87, John ’72, and Miriam ’83.
Gisselquist extended family
includes 17 relatives with
Augsburg connections. Clement’s
brother, professor emeritus Orloue
Gisselquist, attended Augsburg, as
well as two sons, Richard and
David. His wife, Marilyn, came to
Augsburg and completed her
bachelor’s degree in 1973.
Clement and Orloue’s sister
Grace E. Gisselquist ’49 married
the Rev. Oliver Johnson ’50.
Another sister, Marilyn, attended
science classes at Augsburg as
part of her nurses’ training and
married Vardon Quanbeck ’44.
While at Augsburg, Orloue,
like Clement, sang in the choir
and Grace belonged to the Music
Club, both sharing their brother’s
love for music.
Another brother, John Irving,
did not attend Augsburg, but his
son, John E. Gisselquist, graduated in 1984.
Even more telling is the musical legacy Clement left his six
children, all of whom graduated
from Augsburg. The youngest,
Miriam (Gisselquist) Jensen ’83
was a music major and is now an
organist and piano teacher—
something her mother knows
would have pleased her father.
John, Class of 1972, sang in
the Augsburg Choir and for
many years has been a member
of the National Lutheran Choir,
performing in concerts throughout the U.S.
Judy Petree
The Rev. Clement A. Gisselquist
enjoyed a lifelong love of music.
He graduated from Augsburg
College in 1941, and during his
college years he sang both in the
Augsburg Choir under Henry P.
Opseth and in the Augsburg
Quartet as its second bass when
they toured in 1940.
Following Augsburg,
Gisselquist graduated from
Luther Seminary, and he and his
wife, Borghild, served churches
in North Dakota, Minnesota, and
Iowa. Throughout his life, he
always actively promoted his
churches’ music programs.
Borghild recounts how especially
pleased he was when his church
in Sioux City, Iowa, purchased a
new organ.
After Clement died in 1979,
the family decided to establish a
scholarship endowment in his
memory and designed it to benefit students “of organ and/or
choral music who desire to serve,
professionally or otherwise, in
the ministry of music of the
Lutheran Church.”
“Augsburg was close to his
heart and we knew that music
was something he was always
interested in,” comments
Borghild, recalling the family discussions. The scholarship just
seemed a fitting way in which
they could honor their brother,
husband, father, and uncle.
The remarkable fact is that the
Nicole (Warner) Simml ’01 (left), who performs and teaches music in Germany, joined
Krista Costin ’07 (right) as soloist with the Augsburg Choir’s concert in Leipzig,
Germany last May. Both Simml and Costin are recipients of the Clement A. Gisselquist
Church Music Scholarship.
Rachel Olson ’08
Photo courtesy of Orloue Gisselquist
The Rev. Clement A. Gisselquist (far right) sang second bass in the 1940 Augsburg
Quartet. His love of music is passed on to students through an endowed scholarship
Five of the Gisselquist women enjoyed meeting the current student scholars at the
in his name. Photo taken from The Augsburg Quartets: A Mission-Driven Tradition, by
annual Scholarship Brunch in November. (L to R): Martha Gisselquist, Becky Lien,
Merton P. Strommen and David M. Larson.
Borghild Gisselquist, Marilyn Gisselquist, and Miriam Jensen.
Joel, Class of 1977, played
tuba in the Concert Band for two
years and sang in the Augsburg
Choir during his senior year. The
two oldest children, Rebecca
(Gisselquist) Lien ’67 and James
’68, also sang in the choir. James
is married to fellow Auggie Jane
(Eidsvoog) ’73. Martha, a nurse,
came to Augsburg to complete
her bachelor’s degree in 1987.
The Clement Gisselquist
Scholarship keeps the extended
family connected to Augsburg. A
number of the relatives continue
to grow the endowment by making gifts to the scholarship a part
of their regular giving—in lieu of
exchanging gifts within the family on special occasions.
In the fall, Borghild said of
her immediate family, “We’ve
already talked about this
Christmas, that we’ll make gifts
to the scholarship instead of to
each other.”
The Gisselquists enjoy meeting the Augsburg students who
receive the scholarship each year.
The 2006-07 recipient, junior
music major Krista Costin was
studying abroad in Ghana during
the fall and regrets missing the
Scholarship Brunch. She fondly
remembers meeting members of
the Gisselquist family at last
spring’s Music Scholarship High
Tea. Costin sings in the
Augsburg Choir and toured with
the choir last May to the Czech
Republic and Germany.
Last year’s scholarship recipient, senior Nikki Lemire, is a
harpist and a section leader in
the choir at Central Lutheran
Church. The 1998-99 scholarship holder, Nicole (Warner)
Simml ’01, now lives in Germany
and is enjoying a career performing and teaching voice. Last May
she joined the Augsburg Choir in
Leipzig on their tour in
Germany, and joined Costin as a
soloist.
An earlier Gisselquist recipient, Melissa (Wieland) Bergstrom
’97 has been organist and choir
director at Edina Community
Lutheran Church, in addition to
teaching and serving as director
of choral activities at AnokaRamsey Community College.
Several of the Gisselquist
scholarship recipients have sub-
sequently been chosen as Orville
and Gertrude Hognander Music
Scholars.
With many of the Gisselquist
Auggies making regular gifts to
grow the scholarship endowment, future students—and per-
haps additional Gisselquists—
join Rev. Clement A. Gisselquist’s
legacy to Augsburg’s music program—something that surely
would please him.
—Betsey Norgard
Making a gift to Augsburg
It’s easy to make a donation to Augsburg College.
All donations are tax-deductible.
Gifts online
Go to www.augsburg.edu/giving to make a secure credit card
donation. You can use the form to make a one-time donation or
to set up recurring gifts.
Gifts by phone
To make a donation by phone, call Kevin Healy, director of
advancement services, at 612-338-6537 or 800-273-0617.
Gifts by mail
You can mail your gift to:
Developement Office, Campus Box 142
Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454
For complete information about making a gift,
including the types of giving and giving programs,
go to www.augsburg.edu/giving.
WINTER 2006-07 7
AROUND THE QUAD
SPORTS
Brothers in soccer
Vinnie Brooks and Ryan Kitzman
are like brothers. Brothers united
by soccer.
For all but one year of the last
dozen, the two have played on
the same soccer teams—the same
club teams, elementary school
team, junior high team, high
school team, and the same college team.
Ever since they were each
eight years old, growing up in
Maple Grove, Minn., and attending schools in Osseo, the duo
could be found on the same
fields—Brooks on defense,
Kitzman in the midfield.
Best friends and players with
similar competitive personalities,
the two split for just one year—
their freshman years in college,
when Kitzman attended Bethany
Lutheran College in Mankato,
Minn., and Brooks enrolled at
Augsburg.
But the pair reunited their
sophomore years, became roommates, and helped to lead a renaissance in the Augsburg men’s
soccer program.
“I wanted to be back in the
city,” Kitzman said. “I talked to
Vinnie pretty much all my freshman year. I came to visit
Augsburg a couple of times, and
he said they were getting a new
coach and a new field, so I came
for another visit. Once I met
[coach] Greg [Holker], it was a
done deal.”
So Kitzman transferred, and
the pair was reunited.
“We have the same style of
play. We practice against each
other and just go at it. It’s like we
8 AUGSBURG NOW
hate each other when we’re practicing. It gets pretty intense,”
Brooks said. “He’s pretty much
like my replica on the field. We
have some minor differences, but
overall, the competitiveness and
our work ethic, we just relate to
each other. It just clicks. We both
respect each other.”
Both were starters throughout
their Auggie careers and were key
elements of the dramatic growth
of the men’s soccer program. In
Brooks’ freshman year, 2003, the
Auggies finished 5-11-2 overall, 09-1 in league play. In the 2006
season under third-year head
coach Greg Holker, the Auggies
finished 13-3-3 overall and 5-2-3
in conference play, winning a
place in the conference’s postseason playoffs.
In four seasons at Augsburg,
Brooks played in 67 games, starting 57, with eight assists from his
defensive position. As a midfielder
during his three years at
Augsburg, Kitzman started 49 of
54 contests, with five goals and
six assists for 16 career points.
As two of only three seniors
on this year’s Auggie squad, the
pair acknowledges that they have
been a part of a new beginning for
the men’s soccer program, which
they hope continues to succeed.
“It’s just awesome to have this
kind of success in our last year
playing here,” Brooks says. “It’s
like leaving a legacy behind. It’s
one of the things we wanted to
do. We had the first winning season here in 20 years and made
the [conference] playoffs.”
But the end of their senior
seasons will not mean the end of
soccer, or friendship, for Brooks
and Kitzman. The two play on
the same adult-league team and
coach a youth team together in
Plymouth, Minn. Brooks, a health
and physical education major
Auggie teammates Vinnie Brooks (left) and Ryan Kitzman (right) have played soccer
together since elementary school.
and business management minor,
and Kitzman, a marketing major,
have talked about starting a business together.
“It’s almost natural for us,”
Brooks said. “Some people hear
about it and think it’s pretty
weird. But we had the same
group of friends growing up,
from elementary school to junior
high and high school. We were
always in the same group.”
“We don’t think of it as being
weird,” Kitzman added. “It’s just
normal for us.”
—Don Stoner
An amazing soccer year
For the Augsburg College men’s and
women’s soccer teams, the 2006 season was
a history-making one.
The Auggie women captured a third
straight berth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference playoffs and finished 106-2 overall, 7-3-1 in league play—the team’s
fourth double-digit victory season in the past
five years. Augsburg’s 15 points in conference
Greg Holker, named MIAC
play this season were the most for an Auggie
Coach of the Year
squad in the 21-season history of the program.
Meanwhile, the Auggie men reached the league’s four-team postseason playoffs for the first time, finishing the season 13-3-3 overall,
5-2-3 in conference play. Augsburg finished with its most victories
(13) since its MIAC championship season of 1975 (15-2-1), and
claimed its most points in league play (13) since its last MIAC title
season of 1980 (11-1-3 overall, 9-0-3 MIAC, 21 points). Head coach
Greg Holker was named MIAC Coach of the Year this season.
Augsburg was the lone school to have both its men’s and women’s
soccer teams qualified for the MIAC postseason playoffs this year.
Both teams set school records along the way. Both teams were
unbeaten and did not give up a goal until the women were scored
upon on Sept. 20—Augsburg went the farthest among all NCAA
Division III soccer teams in having both its men’s and women’s teams
unbeaten and unscored upon.
For both the Auggie men’s and women’s teams, the future looks
bright. The men lose just three senior regulars to graduation, while
the women lose only five.
—Don Stoner
Marathoner
extraordinaire
Mary Croft ’79 didn’t catch the
running “bug” until she was in
her late thirties, a relatively late
start for a serious athletic career.
But that bug has taken the
Augsburg alumna around the
world and earned her numerous
unique distinctions in the world
of distance running.
Croft is one of only 67 people—including just eight
women—to have run in every
Twin Cities Marathon over the
25 years of its existence. She has
run a marathon in each of the 50
states—a feat that only 285 individuals have accomplished.
And over the past quartercentury, she has run in about
140 marathons and 30 ultramarathons—races ranging from 30
to more than 100 miles in
length.
She credits her running
career to her return to Augsburg
as an adult learner to complete
her bachelor’s degree in the late
1970s. She was an Augsburg student in the mid-’60s before starting her career in nursing.
“One of my friends was a
runner, and she was running five
miles a day for her mental health.
I was impressed with that, but I
didn’t start running until I graduated in 1979,” Croft said.
That year, she went to
Duluth to watch a friend compete in Grandma’s Marathon, and
was encouraged by her husband,
David, to try a marathon herself.
Later that year, the first Twin
Cities Marathon appeared on the
running calendar, and her running career kicked into high
gear.
“I trained for my first
marathon in just 12 weeks,” said
Croft, who noted that she had
As a Charter Club member, Mary Croft ran her 25th Twin Cities Marathon in October,
with a track record of 170 marathons in 50 states and several countries.
only run a 10-kilometer race
competitively before trying a 26mile, 385-yard marathon.
Since then, she has run in
each Twin Cities Marathon over
the past 25 years, a race considered the most scenic urban
marathon in the country.
According to Twin Cities
Marathon officials, Croft, at age
60, is the third-oldest woman of
the eight to have run in each of
the 25 races. She has also completed Grandma’s Marathon, a
race along the Lake Superior
shoreline from Two Harbors to
Duluth, eight times.
She has also run in two of
the most famous marathons
in the country, the Boston and
New York races. She has competed in the Boston Marathon—
a race in which runners have
to achieve a qualifying time
in another marathon to compete—three times, including
the 100th running of the race
in 1996.
“It was just such a historic
event,” Croft said. “Boston is the
epitome of marathoning in the
country.”
In 2004, she accomplished
the feat of running a marathon in
each of the 50 states (and the
District of Columbia)—becoming
the 162nd person at the time to
be able to make that claim. Since
then, the list has grown to nearly
300 members nationwide. She
has also run in marathons in
Russia and Spain.
In addition to her marathoning, she has also competed in
long-distance ultramarathons,
which brought her the most
meaningful moment in her sport.
In 2000, she ran in the 75th
Comrades Marathon, a 56-mile
race in South Africa, considered
one of the top ultra-distance
events in the world.
“It’s the biggest sporting
event in South Africa. It was the
most amazing thing,” she said.
“They were so wonderful. They
greeted us and welcomed us to
their country.”
She even incorporated running into her work. As a nurse at
the Minnesota state prison in
Stillwater, she organized inmates
and members of a local running
club to run a marathon inside
the prison walls each year for a
decade.
“We ran 112 laps around the
prison yard, about 15 to 20 runners,” she said. “It was pretty
well received by the prison
administration.”
Her best time ever was a 3hour, 18-minute effort in 1985 at
the Grandma’s Marathon. Now,
she runs in the 4:20 to 4:30
range; her time in the 2006 Twin
Cities Marathon was 4:28.34,
good enough for third place in
her age group.
“I just run for the health benefits and I enjoy it. If I place in
my age group, it’s an added benefit,” she said. “It’s the adventure,
the travel, seeing other parts of
the country, which is fun.”
She noted that she has been
fortunate not to have suffered
significant injuries during her
career, which she credits to leading a lifestyle of fitness and training in moderation.
She now runs about seven or
eight marathons a year—“I’m
always in training,” she notes—
and has been involved in organizing volunteers for the
marathon in Tucson, Ariz., where
she and David spend their winters. The Crofts live in Bayport,
Minn., during the summers.
—Don Stoner
WINTER 2006-07 9
AROUND THE QUAD
MOVING FORWARD
Kennedy Center now open
The Kennedy Center for Sports and Recreation has opened for classes,
with health and physical education staff and coaches moving into their
new offices. It will be formally dedicated on May 4.
The three-story addition to Melby Hall features a new wrestling
training facility, increased classroom space, expanded locker-room
facilities and expanded fitness facilities, as well as hospitality, meetingroom, and office space.
The new Alan and Gloria Rice Wrestling Room provides a spacious training area for
the champion Auggie wrestlers. It also provides a training facility for Greco-Roman
wrestling.
The Kennedy Center, the new three-story south wing added to Melby Hall, is open
for classes, athletic teams, intramural teams, and fitness.
In the left back corner of the photo, the roof of Lindell Library provides context to
the construction of the Oren Gateway Center, scheduled for completion in the fall.
Oren Gateway Center
Scheduled to open in fall 2007, the four-story Oren Gateway Center
will be the home of the StepUP program and other residential students in substance-free housing. The administrative section of the center will house the Institutional Advancement staff and an alumni relations conference center.
On the street level, a Barnes & Noble bookstore will serve as a
welcoming place in the neighborhood for books, readings, and coffee.
The Gateway Center will anchor a new circular entrance to the
College, flanked by Lindell Library and Foss Center.
The illustration on the sign in the photo shows the orientation of
the new center, facing the circular entrance to the College.
10 AUGSBURG NOW
After 23 years at Augsburg,
Margaret Anderson retired as
head librarian in 1990. She had
just spent several years studying
and documenting the need for a
new library building, and then
convincing the College to build
it. Now, 16 years later, she continues to work in Lindell Library
one day a week as a volunteer—
in the new building she labored
to justify.
In the first two years following her retirement, she took time
off. But then, she couldn’t turn
down a phone call asking her to
help troubleshoot problems the
librarians were facing in creating
barcodes for all materials.
There were lots of problems—“books without barcodes,
and barcodes not connected to
books,” Anderson says. Once
that process was straightened
out, she began working on a
series of long-term special projects that, without additional staff
and a meticulous eye, probably
never would have seen the light
of day.
For one project, Anderson
classified videotapes from many
years of College events that had
been turned over to the library—
which meant that she first had to
view each tape for content and
date, and then write a short
description.
Another similar project
involved classifying a collection
of sound recordings, for which
her music minor in college
proved extremely helpful.
With history and knowledge
of the Dewey Decimal System,
Anderson has also aided in classifying and cataloging fiction, the
only books in the library to use
the Dewey system.
Her current project tops all
others. In 1994, writer and
activist Meridel LeSueur donated
her personal library of more than
4,500 items to Augsburg College.
A change in
REFERENCE—
from LIBRARIAN
to volunteer
BY BETSEY NORGARD
It’s housed in the library’s Special
Collections Room, but has not
been easily searchable. After
working for more than two
years, literally from book to
book, Anderson hopes next year
to complete an extensive spreadsheet index that will enable the
collection to be searched by title,
author, and subject.
In reflecting on her 40 years
of library work, Anderson says
that the heart of the work has
not changed. “It still means connecting readers and scholars with
sources,” she says, “but now,
both in print and online.” What
has changed dramatically is the
way librarians fulfill that role,
and the different tools they use.
One of the tools that made a
huge difference in students’ (and
librarians’) lives was the development of the CLIC (Cooperating
Libraries in Consortium) system,
making materials from more
than a dozen college libraries
available on loan.
In the 1960s, Anderson was a
cataloguer, and she tells of how
librarians phoned each other to
check on availability by looking
at catalog cards for all the books.
She recalls that Karlis Ozolins,
her predecessor as head librarian, often would track down students with cars to pick up the
materials from other locations.
Two decades later, catalog
cards became relics and library
collections became housed on a
database, introducing new physical requirements for technology
in libraries. Already Anderson
had fought for improvements to
the aging Sverdrup Library,
including carpeting to replace
the loose asbestos tiles she continually removed. Upstairs, it
was so cold that the case for a
new building became obvious
when students were seen studying in mittens.
In 1982 the new Weekend
College increased the College’s
enrollment and brought new
demands on the librarians. At
the time, Anderson recalls, the
library staff was 4.75 full-time
equivalents.
Over the next few years,
Anderson detailed and documented what would be required
to meet College needs and help
it remain competitive. In the
process, she studied and visited
many libraries. She made her
case before retiring, and then—
as a volunteer—helped supervise
the move into the new building.
While it’s rewarding to work
in the new library, it’s really the
people, she says, who keep her
coming back each week. “The
people I worked with have been
among my best friends and they
were a big reason why I wanted
to stay in touch.”
Since her retirement 16 years ago, Margaret
Anderson has continued to volunteer in the
library to stay connected with the staff she
enjoyed during her career.
“We just think of her as one
of us,” current library director
Jane Ann Nelson says about
Anderson. Current cataloging
coordinator Betty Joyce talks
about what a wonderful mentor
Anderson has been to her.
Anderson’s career at
Augsburg has been part of an
Augsburg family affair, dating
back to 1949, when her husband, Ray, was appointed to
teach speech and theatre. He
retired in 1990, the same year as
his wife.
All three of the Andersons’
sons graduated from Augsburg—
Dean ’77, Stuart ’78, and Brian
’82. Stuart teaches in the
Department of Physics, but also
worked in the new library for
several years in information technology. He still spends some time
there as assistant director for
instructional course design in the
Center for Teaching and
Learning. Ⅵ
WINTER 2006-07 11
The Inauguration of Paul C. Pribbenow
October 18-21, 2006
Ages
of
Imagination
Over four days in October, Augsburg College inaugurated its 11th
president, Paul C. Pribbenow.
The days were filled with activities connecting its own community
of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents with city neighbors,
church leaders, and colleagues from across higher education.
Events included discussions on civic engagement, roundtables on
public education, service projects, and celebrations filled with music,
art, and good conversation. Each day at the “Abundance” lunches,
those who attended donated food and money to fill the food shelves
at the nearby Brian Coyle Community Center.
Inauguration Day, October 20, began with a Festival Service and
Holy Communion, officiated by Mark Hanson ’68, ELCA presiding
bishop, with the sermon presented by Rev. Dr. Robin W. Lovin,
Southern Methodist University. The investiture ceremony was held in
the afternoon.
Completing the inauguration was a morning of service in the community, preceding outdoor family activities and an Auggie football
game against Carleton College.
For additional information and photos from the inauguration, go to
www.augsburg.edu/inauguration.
In a lighter moment, Paul and Abigail Pribbenow,
with daughter Maya, enjoy festivities in the tent
during inauguration week.
Ages of Imagination
The theme of the inauguration, “Ages of Imagination,” was drawn
from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, one of the most influential
works of British poet and artist William Blake (1757–1827).
From The Marriage of Heaven and Hell:
The Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel dined with me, and I asked them how they
dared so roundly to assert, that God spoke to them; and whether they did
not think at the time, that they would be misunderstood, and so be the cause
of imposition.
Isaiah answer’d, “I saw no God, nor heard any, in a finite organical
perception; but my senses discover’d the infinite in every thing, and as I was
then perswaded, & remain confirm’d; that the voice of honest indignation is
the voice of God, I cared not for consequences but wrote.”
Then I asked: “does a firm perswasion that a thing is so, make it so?”
He replied, “All poets say that it does, and in ages of imagination this
firm perswasion removed mountains; but many are not capable of a firm
perswasion of any thing.”
(Top) The newly-invested President Paul C. Pribbenow greets his colleagues in higher
education following the ceremony. From right to left, he greets Kathryn Jeffrey, president of Hennepin Technical College; Linda N. Hanson, president of Hamline
University; Lois (Peterson) Bollman ’69, vice president of strategy, planning, and
accountability at Minneapolis Community and Technical College; James L. Peterson,
As Augsburg College celebrated the inauguration of its 11th president,
it also celebrated its calling as a college, and imagined itself in future
ages, using “AGES” to remind it of the four themes of this new era:
Abundance, Generosity, Engagement, and Service.
In moving these four “mountains,” Augsburg College, under the
leadership of Paul Pribbenow, will continue to demonstrate how the
power of imagination can transform the lives of its students and its
community.
14 AUGSBURG NOW
president of Gustavus Adolphus College; and (tallest, with mortar board) the president’s brother, Dean Pribbenow, dean of the School of Integrative Studies at
Edgewood College. (Above) Student Government president Maria Mitchell led the
responsive prayer during the Inauguration Ceremony.
Excerpts from the sermon
for the inauguration of
Paul C. Pribbenow
The Rev. Dr. Robin W. Lovin
Cary Maguire University Professor of Ethics
Southern Methodist University
(Left) Rev. Robin Lovin, from Southern Methodist University, preached about moving
mountains at the Festival Service on Inauguration Day. (Right) ELCA presiding bishop
… I greet you on behalf of all of us who have known and
worked with Paul Pribbenow over the years and benefited
from his leadership in many different places. …
I am also welcoming you to your own future, because
those of us who have worked with Paul Pribbenow in the
past know what you can expect in this new phase of the history of Augsburg College that we inaugurate today. … as I
looked at the [Inauguration] program with its multiple
events and its common themes, I spotted the Pribbenow
imprint of energy and organization. …
And I suppose that what you want to know about the
future from my knowledge of the past is whether it is really
true that this guy can move mountains. I’m here to tell you
that he can, and I’m also going to tell you how he does it. …
The way [he] moves mountains is to figure out what
everybody else is already doing and tie those activities
together into a single mission with a unified message, so that
when the mountain moves, it’s because you moved it. …
Education is supposed to be about expanding our vision
of the world and changing the way we see our own place in it.
It is about asking new questions, and questioning familiar
answers. It should change us in fundamental ways, not just fill
our heads with facts. Education is inseparable from change,
personal and social, change in ideas, goals, and priorities. …
and Augsburg parent Mark Hanson ’68 presided at the service.
The word of greeting I bring you from the past is that
great things are possible for Augsburg College, beginning
today, because you have a leader who will listen to you, who
can see the possibilities that you see, and who can bring
them together in new ways that will empower you and energize all these people who want a future of abundance, generosity, engagement, and service for this institution.
But the word I bring from the Lord, the word that cuts
across past, present, and future, comes to you today in the
form of a question. It is addressed equally to students, faculty, and staff, addressed to alumni, supporters, and to the
church. And it is addressed to the president. The question is,
“Do you really want to move the mountains?”
I think you recognize the opportunity, and I pray that
you will enjoy the blessings that come with accepting the
vocation: That through humility and even sorrow, your
hunger for truth and justice will be satisfied; that through
integrity and generosity in judgment, you will see God; and
that through the knowledge you create and share, the world
will find peace, and you will be called the children of God.
(Left) President Pribbenow gets a hug from his father, Rev. Jerome Pribbenow, who read from the gospel during the service. (Right) Associate Dean Frankie Shackelford stands
amid a sea of academic vestments as the faculty line up for the inauguration processional.
WINTER 2006-07 15
Excerpts from “Thanksgiving”
Inaugural address by
Paul C. Pribbenow
October 20, 2006
Thank you for being here today for this celebration of Augsburg
College. I am inspired by your faithful lives, and I accept the call to
be your partner in service to Augsburg with gratitude, resolve, and
humility. …
Authentic life—especially a life of faith—begins and ends in gratitude and in thanksgiving. We come together with the humility of
thanksgiving, the recognition that life is a gift and a privilege not to be
misused or misled, and, I might add, not to be missed. The late Henri
Nouwen once wrote that “Gratitude … goes beyond the ‘mine’ and
‘thine’ and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift.”
All of life is a pure gift.
Let these words of mine, then, become my thanksgiving to God
and to all of you, my psalm of gratitude for this college, for its mission
and values, and for the cloud of witnesses gathered here today and
scattered across time and space that hold Augsburg College in their
hearts and minds. …
“In ages of imagination,” [the poet William] Blake tells us, the
power of the imagination, the power of belief, the power of a ‘firm
persuasion’ can move mountains. We must decide, today, to live in
one of those ages of imagination, in fact, to use our imaginations to
create a new era for the College. …
(Above) Augsburg Board of Regents chair Ted Grindal ’76 places the seal of the
College around the neck of Paul C. Pribbenow, who is invested as the 11th president
of Augsburg College. (Below) To conclude inauguration week, the College gathers in
community service to clean up along the Mississippi riverbank. (Right) Paul and Abigail
Pribbenow lead the recessional out of Hoversten Chapel after the Festival Service.
16 AUGSBURG NOW
For the complete texts of Rev. Robin Lovin’s sermon and President
Pribbenow’s inaugural address, go to www.augsburg.edu/president
(Left) Sounds of the big band organized and led by music professor
Robert Stacke ’71 fill the tent during inaugural week festivities.
(Below) Student Government public relations officers Rachel
Forsberg (left) and Kati Welt (right) present a giant card with inauguration congratulations from students to President Pribbenow.
There are four themes to my presidency. … These four
themes are Abundance, Generosity, Engagement, and
Service. Think of them as the “AGES” in Ages of
Imagination. … Augsburg is already blessed to have all of
these things, though we sometimes don’t recognize these
great gifts—gifts that God has given us, and gifts that we
were meant to care for and pass on. …
During my short time here at Augsburg, I have been
challenged to think again about the role of colleges and universities in an urban setting. I am committed to the mutual
dependency of colleges and the city. The paradigm for the
relationships between cities and higher education must be
less about extracting benefits from each other, less dependent on incidental impact, and more focused on the various
resources that can be shared in the pursuit of a more robust,
healthy, and meaningful urban life. …
I know that you share with me this deep sense of
thanksgiving for this college and its remarkable commitments. What we do here matters—to our students, our
neighborhood, our city, the church, and the world.
What we do here is significant—because our work is
grounded in a deep and confident faith, because it enjoys a
history of love in a community of memory and tradition,
because it believes deeply in intellectual curiosity and personal courage, and because it is full of hope.
What we need now is imagination—and faith, and fearlessness—to hear and follow the call to be a college committed to the liberal arts in all that we learn and teach; a college
grounded in faith and values that are the source of our firm
persuasion; a college located in a place full of life and
urgency that draws us out of our insular selves; a college
engaged with a creation rich in difference that constantly
surprises us.
What fun we’re going to have! Ⅵ
WINTER 2006-07 17
Many of the mentors and mentees in Scholastic Connections, including both
day and weekend students, gathered in November to celebrate the
program’s five-year anniversary. (L to R) Jim Genia ’87, Chris Adams ’07,
Natalia Pretelt ’03, Nhia Lee ’02, Luis Lopez Monterrubio ’09, Purity Ouma
’08, Mary Murzyn ’08, Killa Martinez-Aleman ’08, Eloisa Echavez ’94, ’96 MEL,
Georgette Christensen ’96 MSW, Bernice Arias-Sather ’97, Julianne Lynum
Leerssen ’00, Ami Nafzger ’94, Sama Sandy ’08, Ashley Stoffers ’08, Miguel
Sotamba ’08, Derek Francis ’08, Alex Gonzalez ’90.
MAKING
connections
BY BETSEY NORGARD
SCHOLASTIC CONNECTIONS—THE NAME SAYS IT ALL.
It’s about making connections.
In November, this scholarship-mentorship program marked the beginning of its sixth
year. At the annual dinner, senior Chris Adams spoke on behalf of the students.
“Through this program, I’ve learned to connect with many different kinds of people,”
said Adams. “This program has helped me understand the fundamentals. And these
fundamentals have helped me understand the connections between hard work, talent,
commitment, and their relationship to good grades, lifelong friends, engaging teachers,
and a lot about life in general.”
Each year, five Day College students of color—African-American, American Indian,
Asian, and Hispanic/Latino—are selected by Augsburg’s four ethnic services directors for
a $5,000 scholarship. They are also paired with a mentor who is an Augsburg alumnus/a
of color, with the idea being to connect leaders of today with leaders of tomorrow. Most
students are paired with mentors of their own ethnic group.
The scholarships are renewable annually, so students can remain connected with
their mentors as long as they are at Augsburg. Thirty students have participated in the
program since its inception in fall 2001.
18 AUGSBURG NOW
Having a mentor like Noro Andriamanalina (right), who is also an African
woman and has achieved a successful career, inspired Melat Woldegebriel
(left) to set higher goals for herself.
Scholastic Connections was the creation of columnist, playwright, and consultant Syl Jones ’73 and was designed to assist students of color to succeed at Augsburg, while engaging our alumni of
color in the College’s commitment to an intentionally diverse community. This concept of combining financial aid and mentoring garnered national notice for the program when it began.
Vivian Jenkins Nelsen, president and CEO of the INTER-RACE
Institute, a diversity think tank based at Augsburg, has been instrumental in implementing and sustaining Scholastic Connections. She
says that while mentoring is common within community organizations and in the corporate world, she is convinced that it is vastly
underrated at the college level.
With Scholastic Connections, students can pursue their careers
already connected with mentors, who are able to network within
their own communities on behalf of their mentees.
The pairs of alumni and students create their own styles of relationships. Some are largely career-driven with specific goals planned
out, while others focus around personal issues, self-confidence, and
life decisions.
Mathew Shannon says about his mentor, Chad Jackson, “I was
looking for a friend who could be supportive enough to keep me
encouraged and real enough to hold me accountable to the high
expectations I set for myself and the company I keep.”
Attorney Jim Genia’s career has been a big factor in his mentorship with Chris Adams. Adams says that in addition to learning
how Genia has been a successful lawyer, Genia has been helping
him network to find an internship in a local law firm before entering law school.
Xia Xiong also worked on career planning. “I definitely feel that
my mentor had an impact on what I am doing with my life today,”
says Xiong. “She guided me in figuring out what I wanted to do
upon graduation and helped me find resources in order to get
where I wanted to go. I think having someone who has gone
through the same path makes it so much easier.”
In some cases, cross-mentoring occurs to also connect mentees
with other mentors who match their interests.
Culture was an important factor in the partnership of Melat
Woldegebriel, from Ethiopia, and Noro Andriamanalina, from
Madagascar. Woldegebriel says, “Knowing that my mentor is from
Africa and seeing her as a successful person makes me realize that I
can be like her if I work hard like her. On top of her responsibility
at her work, [she] takes part in church and community activities. I
learned a lot from that and increased my extracurricular activities.”
Andriamanalina adds, “You don’t have to be in the same discipline or line of work to have a positive and rewarding mentoring
relationship. Melat and I were able to connect on many levels. We
are both African women balancing different roles and expectations
within and outside of our communities.”
“It’s clear that although the match did not seem perfect at first,
as I am in education and she is in accounting,” Andriamanalina
continues, “we had so much more in common than we ever imagined and learned from one another in the process.”
The value of the program to students is obvious: needed financial assistance, plus the experience of having role models who have
already been through the challenges and pitfalls of college and
career who can serve as guides.
For the mentors, their learning often includes the satisfaction of
helping others maneuver these challenges.
For mentor Eloisa Echavez it is “to be energized and contribute
to the development of a young professional who has many dreams
and plans for the future.”
Mentor Chad Jackson says, “For me it was a way to connect
with an African-American student … who had gone through the
same things I did. It showed me the importance of investing in
youth.”
The four ethnic services directors recommend alumni of
Augsburg to be invited as mentors, and Jenkins Nelsen serves as the
guiding force in making the mentorship connections. She provides
training to both mentors and mentees on how to work together to
get the most from their relationships.
WINTER 2006-07 19
In addition to the individual mentoring activities,
Jenkins Nelsen brings the entire group of mentors and
mentees together at various times during the year for cultural celebrations and other social and community activities. Both Genia and Adams have found these gatherings to
be times when the group can learn about each others’ cultures and appreciate the differences and similarities.
The creation of Scholastic Connections came about in
response to a difficult situation in Augsburg’s history. In
1986, alumnus Elroy Stock ’49 gave a $500,000 campaign
naming gift to Augsburg. When it was discovered that he
was the author of thousands of letters sent to interracial
couples and adoptive parents urging “racial purity,” the
College decided it would not put Stock’s name on the
building. Charitable gift regulations prevented the return of
the money, which led to a lawsuit by Stock that was later
dismissed.
In 2001, Syl Jones (himself a victim of Stock’s mail
campaign) proposed an endowment in the same amount of
Stock’s gift to offer scholarships for students of color and
mixed race. The program supports them in achieving academic success and developing leadership skills.
President Paul Pribbenow, in remarks at the annual
dinner, commented that Scholastic Connections is “an
example of the College at its best,” supporting its mission
and commitment to provide access to college for all students.
Overall, there is little doubt that the program is successful. So far, more
than half of the former students have gone on to complete higher degrees.
Echavez says the program enables Augsburg “to make a greater impact on the
lives of the students of color going beyond the academics, extracurricular
activities, and financial aid.”
Woldegebriel believes that more international students of color will be
attracted to Augsburg, knowing that through Scholastic Connections they can
be paired with a mentor of similar cultural background.
At the annual dinner, Genia, an attorney and lobbyist, spoke of the fact
that among Minnesota’s 201 state legislators, there are only five or six senators
Although Xia Xiong (left) comes from a different cultural background than her mentor, she appreciates the guidance that Eloisa
Echavez (above) was able to give her to plan for the next steps in
her studies and career. Since Echavez had never mentored anyone
outside of Latino culture, she enjoys learning from Xiong and
helping her pursue her dreams.
20 AUGSBURG NOW
and representatives of color, with no American
Indians.
“The legislature is making decisions every day
that affect all Minnesotans’ lives,” Genia said. “If some
groups are under-represented, … then life-changing
decisions are potentially being made without taking
into account the unique perspectives and cultural
beliefs of these groups.
“Until all races are represented in the halls of
government, in the business world, or in the academic world at the same rate at which they’re represented
in the general population,” he concluded, “we’ll need
programs like Scholastic Connections.” Ⅵ
(Left) Through Scholastic Connections,
Chris Adams learned to connect with different kinds of people—something that
helps him in his current real estate work,
and as he prepares for a law career. Jim
Genia’s (far left) work as an attorney and
lobbyist provides the networking to assist
Adams with internships and law school in
planning for that career.
SCHOLASTIC CONNECTIONS
Mentees and Mentors interviewed for this story:
CHRIS ADAMS ‘07 (sociology)
Real estate broker
Vilana Realty
MELATEWORK WOLDEGEBRIEL ’05
(accounting)
Moving back to Addis Ababa
JIM GENIA ’87 (sociology)
Lobbyist/Attorney
Animiki LLC
NORO ANDRIAMANALINA ’91
(English, religion)
Program Adminstrator in The
Graduate School and Faculty
Fellow at the Center for Teaching
and Learning, both at University of
Minnesota
XIA XIONG ’05 (sociology)
Graduate program:
Counseling and Student Personnel
Psychology, University of
Minnesota
Intern—Multicultural Center for
Academic Excellence, University of
Minnesota
ELOISA ECHAVEZ ’94
(computer science), ’98 M.A.
Educational Leadership
Executive Director
La Oportunidad, Inc.
MATHEW SHANNON ’04
(business, communication arts)
Administrative Assistant
Soft Computer Consultants
CHAD JACKSON ’97
(elementary education)
Account Executive
Bluewater Direct
WINTER 2006-07 21
Jesse Docken has enjoyed the companionship of four AIBO dog robots that he
has used to help beginning students learn basic programming as well as to
provide him challenges for more complex programming.
F
See AIBO walk …
and sit …
and wigg le its ears
BY BETSEY NORGARD
22 AUGSBURG NOW
our black-and-white dogs have taken up residence in
Augsburg’s computer science lab, and sophomore Jesse
Docken has become their keeper, trainer, and researcher.
The dogs are called AIBO, for Artifical Intelligence roBOt,
and were created by Sony Corporation in 1999. Designed as
futuristic pet robots, thousands of them with price tags of
$1,500-2,000 have been purchased and taught to play games,
shake their legs, wiggle their ears, say their names, and let their
owners know when they’re happy, angry, and bored.
There is even a “four-legged league” of AIBOs that compete
around the world in RoboCup, an international robotics competition.
Last fall, computer science professor Karen Sutherland took
the AIBOs to her Introduction to Computer Science, a course
required for all computer science, mathematics, and management information systems (MIS) students.
As far as robots go, the AIBOs are quite complicated crea-
tures, capable of highly-advanced programming. Their best
feature, however, is that their basic programming is relatively easy—much of it is self-contained and doesn’t
require proficiency in a programming language.
The task in the AIBO lab is for student teams of mostly
freshmen and sophomores to write an easy program, transfer it to a memory card, plug it into the AIBO dog robot,
and see if it goes through its routine correctly.
“The code is easy to read because it uses commands
that you would use for a real dog,” says sophomore Brietta
Schluender. “When working with the code you are able to
change the commands and numbers to see how the dog
reacts; then you can easily conclude how the changes in
the code make the dog’s actions differ.”
The students turn on the switch and watch cautiously
as their dog slowly comes to life. First a stretch, and then
one, two, three, and four shakes of a paw—so far so good!
After making several turns, AIBO ends with “an amazing
amount of ear wiggles,” as one student describes it.
Sutherland introduced the AIBOs into her class as part
of a collaborative grant—with Berea College and the
University of Minnesota—from the National Science
Foundation. Her goal is to engage and attract more students, especially women and minority students, to computer science study. The AIBOs offer an easy way to teach
the basics of programming and robotics while having fun.
“It’s easy for the students to see how the AIBO reacts to
their program, and it does cute things,” Sutherland says. “If
they can see the program physically happen, they understand it better.”
Docken, a computer science major, works with
Sutherland in the class, lending a hand when students run
into programming glitches or when the AIBO’s routine
doesn’t work. In his own research, in addition to making
the AIBOs perform various tasks, he has studied different
means of programming to ascertain which methods are
easier and harder. These results will inform how robots
might be used in future class projects.
He has enjoyed working with his new robotic pets.
“I’ve been fascinated with learning how to make them do
certain things, for instance, how to change which lights
come on [to show emotional responses], how to make
them walk, or how to make them play sounds to music.”
Working with the AIBOs will help him move into more
complex robotics.
Docken’s primary interest is artificial intelligence (AI).
“I’ve had a few ideas I’ve played around with,” he says,
“and I hope to begin AI research to make algorithms that
Sophomore Jesse Docken (second from left) helps junior David Yanagisawa and sophomore Alex
Garver with their programming to make the AIBO dog robot perform its routine, while computer
science professor Karen Sutherland looks on.
Freshman Melissa Moberg (left) and sophomore Brietta Schluender joke with Docken about the
tricks they can make the AIBO dogs perform.
could provide a more sophisticated means of handling emotions and simulate
primitive emotional responses to external stimuli.”
This could be applied, he says, in many ways—to robotics for entertainment, e.g. AIBOs that can react in more real ways, to games where characters
can respond to events, and to simulation.
Docken has written a paper on his research that he will present at a regional conference in the spring. Sutherland is using his work plus student feedback
from class labs at all three institutions involved in the NSF grant to develop a
course curriculum that will appeal to a broad spectrum of students with varied
career goals.
And, yes, Docken says their AIBOs have been given names—Sirius,
Snoopy, Scooby-Doo, and Spike. Ⅵ
WINTER 2006-07 23
Polish-born Magdalena Paleczny-Zapp, associate professor
in marketing, brings her experience as an international
business consultant to her students in class.
global
MEET THE INTERNATIONAL FACULTY
Associate professor Magdalena Paleczny-Zapp
(management coordinator) was born and
raised in Krakow, Poland, and taught in several
European institutions before coming to
Augsburg.
Associate professor Amin Kader (international business coordinator) is from Egypt. A
past president of the Islamic Center of
Minnesota, he teaches Islamic Studies in addition to business.
Before coming to the United States in
1970, associate professor and finance coordinator Ashok Kapoor worked at the American
Embassy in his home country of India. He has
brought this international experience into his
Augsburg classroom since 1998.
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
director Bob Kramarczuk was born in western
Ukraine. At the age of five, his family escaped
and hid in the forest for five months keeping
ahead of the front during World War II. His
business
Experience is a powerful teacher. In addition to study abroad programs,
Augsburg’s business students have opportunities to experience global
perspectives in their classrooms every day.
BY BETHANY BIERMAN
family was later shipped to a work camp in
Bavaria before immigrating to the U.S.
Associate professor Fekri Meziou, Tunisian
by birth, has taught at Augsburg since 1987.
“Having faculty of diverse backgrounds is
important to the richness of the academic programming offered in our department,” says
Meziou. “For instance, I am teaching an international marketing course that is approached
from a globally diverse background. We analyze the challenges of marketing products and
services in different regions around the world.
This course can only be taught by someone
who has traveled extensively and has
immersed himself/herself during an extended
stay in the life of the foreign countries.”
“I grew up on a farm outside a small
town,” says Jamie Schiller ’05, who currently
serves as MBA program coordinator. “Most of
my experience with diversity was through the
business department.” Reflecting back on her
undergraduate experience, Schiller remembers,
“[Zapp] helped us understand global differences as well as learn to make culturally sensitive business decisions. … [Meziou] changed
my life and drove me to seek out opportunities
to broaden my perspective of marketing and
business on a global level. He continuously
brought cases to his courses that had global
business challenges. … With the help of the
business faculty, I was able to customize a
study abroad program in England. … I have
Associate professor Fekri Meziou brings case studies from his own cultural experience
From his years of working at the American Embassy in India, associate professor
to his international marketing course.
Ashok Kapoor can teach finance, drawing on extensive knowledge of both
cultural contexts.
24 AUGSBURG NOW
Trading Places
grown to appreciate international differences in
other country’s beliefs, norms, and value sets.”
“Students leave the place more openminded than the day they came,” Zapp asserts.
John Cerrito, assistant professor and
department chair, says, “The course descriptions are broad enough so faculty members can
bring in their own flavor and expertise.”
“In the current context of globalization,”
says Kapoor, “my international experience
comes in handy in all my classes, but especially in the international finance classes. My work
experience overseas provides many examples
to my students and helps them keep an open
perspective leading to better decisions both
professionally and in their personal lives.”
Senior Dulce Monterrubio is a perfect
example of this. She came to Augsburg from
her hometown of Mexico City. She says, “It was
Magda’s own experience as an international
business consultant that made me understand
that being an international student here at
Augsburg was just the first step, but that successfully adapting to a second, third, or
fourth culture would be what truly would
make me the international educator/professional I wanted to become.” Monterrubio is
using her cultural experiences, which include
studying abroad in Spain, in her current role
as a program assistant in Augsburg’s Center
for Global Education.
Along with representing differences in
ethnic backgrounds, there is significant religious diversity represented in the department.
“The department really does have an
interesting diversity of faith expressions,”
comments assistant professor Lee Clarke,
who also happens to be a former ELCA minister. “For some, it’s very clear to students
because of culture and nationalities. Ashok
[Kapoor] is very upfront talking about his
Hindu faith, and Amin [Kader] and others
are Islamic. For others, it’s not as intentional… Because religion is so close to culture, it
gives students a taste of some of the challenges in global business.”
Cerrito agrees. “The College goes out of
its way to be diverse. In 1983 when I came, I
did not represent the faith, culture, or ethnic
background the culture [of Augsburg] represents, and I’ve never been anywhere where
I’ve felt more accepted.” (Cerrito is Roman
Catholic and of Italian descent.)
Kapoor says, “Both my cultural and religious background allows me to bring a very
different perspective to issues of the day that
we discuss both among colleagues and with
our students.”
Consider two college students in
1980—one, a student at the University
of Minnesota; the other, studying at the
University of Tunis. Both had the desire
to see the world through a new culture.
The two are allowed to exchange
places through the International
Reciprocal Exchange Program.
After her time in Tunisia, the
American returns to Minnesota; the
Tunisian young man decides to stay in
America to pursue his academic objectives. The two meet while serving as cochairs for a selection committee to
choose and orient another student
exchange.
Years later, the two cross paths
again, this time at Augsburg College,
where they both now work. Their
names? Regina McGoff, associate director of the Center for Global Education,
and Fekri Meziou, associate professor of
business.
Meziou says the exchange “was a
wonderful opportunity to share experiences and academic ideas with international students from a number of countries around the world… International
exchanges enable students to immerse
LAYER IN CORPORATE EXPERIENCE
A different kind of culture—corporate culture—is also something faculty add to the
international mix.
Prior to coming to Augsburg in 1995,
David Schwain, assistant professor, served on
Assistant professor Lee Clarke combines both his cor-
themselves in the cultural, social, political, and economic life of another country. The learning outcomes are tremendous and the personal growth opportunities are immeasurable.”
It’s a small world, after all.
porate perspectives from software design and programming with his background as a Lutheran minister
in Augsburg’s MIS classes.
WINTER 2006-07 25
ALUMNI NEWS
From the Alumni
Board president …
Greetings fellow
Auggies,
As I write this, fall is settling
in and the transition to winter
is in the air. Homecoming
week was a great set of
events—I hope you could
attend some of them. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity
to learn more about our
Distinguished Alumni and
Spirit of Augsburg and First
Decade awardees. Their recollections of what life was like
at Augsburg 30-40-50 years ago reminded me of how much
has changed and is changing around us all the time.
Homecoming also set a great stage for President Pribbenow’s
inauguration. I was honored to represent the alumni in the
Inauguration Ceremony and the four days of events surrounding it. The theme of AGES—Abundance, Generosity,
Engagement, and Service—is one we can all be proud of and
take part in as we live our lives in service to the broader
world. If you want to learn a little more about Augsburg’s year
of transition I highly recommend the inauguration webpage,
www.augsburg.edu/inauguration, and the President’s office
page, www.augsburg.edu/president.
By the time you read this, Advent Vespers, Christmas, and the
new year have come and gone, and before too long, Easter
will arrive. Then, in May, another commencement arrives. I’m
starting to deeply appreciate my grandmother’s insight when,
at 90, she told me that the years never seem to go by more
slowly. It’s always faster and faster.
As your new year unfolds, I wish you all the best in your
transitions.
Barry M. Vornbrock ’96 MAL
Alumni Board President
28 AUGSBURG NOW
Auggies at the
State Capitol
Alumni calendar
Congratulations to the following
Auggies who were elected to the
Minnesota Legislature in
November:
February 20
Alumni Board meeting—
5:30 p.m., Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
Sandy Wollschlager ’94 (DFL),
elected to her first term in House
District 28A, representing
Cannon Falls and Red Wing
March 14
Join members of the Alumni
Board Events Committee to volunteer at Augsburg’s Campus
Kitchen from 7-9 p.m. For more
information or to sign up as a
volunteer, contact Liz Pushing at
lpushing@provplace.com. Learn
more about Campus Kitchen in
the GET INVOLVED section at
www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Diane Loeffler ’75 (DFL), elected to her second term in House
District 59A, representing
Northeast Minneapolis
Rod Skoe ’77 (DFL), elected to
his second term in Senate
District 2, representing
Northwest Minnesota. He had
previously served two terms in
the Minnesota House of
Representatives.
Sport an Auggie
license plate
Auggie license plates are available from the Minnesota
Department of Transportation
for a $10 plate fee and a minimum annual contribution of
$25 when renewing registration. The plates can go on passenger class vehicles carrying
not more than 15 persons; this
includes pickup trucks and
vans with a three-quarter-ton or
less gross weight and one-ton
passenger vans. For information, go to www.dps.state.mn.
us/dvs/PlBrochure/CollegiatePla
tes.htm.
April 17
Alumni Board meeting—
5:30 p.m., Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
Check the online calendar at
www.augsburg.edu for a complete schedule of campus
events.
Send in your
nominations
Is there someone you
believe is deserving of a
Distinguished Alumnus/a,
Spirit of Augsburg, or First
Decade award?
Nominations are being
received by the Alumni
Relations Office from now
until March 1.
For instructions about nominating and the nomination
form, contact Becky Taute
at 612-330-1085 or
tauter@augsburg.edu. The
forms are also available on
the alumni webpage at
www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Please consider making a
nomination!
Centennial Singers head to the Southwest
Following a successful series of concerts in Florida in 2006 and
their annual fall concert season in Minnesota, the Augsburg
Centennial Singers will reprise their 2005 tour in Arizona in
February 2007, with additional concerts in Nevada and Utah.
Directed by Alfred (Al) Reesnes ’58, the Singers reflect the gospel
quartet tradition at Augsburg. Formed in 1993 to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of the first Augsburg gospel quartet that
traveled to Norway, the Singers have toured Norway twice, most
recently in 2001.
“Seeing alumni and other friends of Augsburg is a wonderful part
of the touring,” says Reesnes. “Our guys love to sing songs of
praise and we are looking forward to returning to the Southwest.”
Also featured in the concert are songs by a quartet, led by Paul
Christensen ’59, and including Norm Anderson ’60, Paul Mikelson
’70, and Jon Lueth, husband of alumna Marilyn (Buschbom) ’71.
This group recalls Augsburg’s strong gospel quartet tradition over
many years. In addition, a second quartet now presents songs from
a more Southern gospel tradition.
February concerts/appearances
February 6, 7 p.m.
Eccles Concert Hall, Dixie College, St. George, Utah
February 7, 7 p.m.
Community Lutheran Church, 3720 Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas, Nev.
February 8, 7 p.m.
Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church, 15820 Clearview Blvd., Surprise, Ariz.
February 9, 7 p.m.
Vista de la Montana United Methodist Church, 3001 E. Miravista
Lane, Tucson, Ariz.
Alumni reception, 6–6:45 p.m.
February 10, 4 p.m.
Chaparral Christian Church, 6451 Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, Ariz.
February 11, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
Worship Services at American Lutheran Church, 172 Del Webb
Blvd., Sun City, Ariz.
Alumni reception between services.
February 13, 7 p.m.
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, El Lago Blvd. and
Fountain Hills Blvd, Fountain Hills, Ariz.
Alumni reception, 6–6:45 p.m.
February 14, 7 p.m.
King of Glory Lutheran Church, 2085 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, Ariz.
Alumni reception, 6–6:45 p.m.
A special highlight in the concerts of the Centennial Singers, who number more than
50, is a smaller group of four who keep alive Augsburg’s longstanding gospel quartet
tradition. (L to R): Jon Lueth, Paul Christensen ’59, Paul MIkelson ’70, and Norm
Anderson ’60.
February 15, 7 p.m.
Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, Ariz.
NOTE: Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow will be the guest
preacher at services on Feb. 17 and 18 at the American Lutheran
Church in Sun City, Ariz. (see address above):
Sat., Feb. 17—4 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 18—8:30 and 10:30 a.m., with a coffee reception
between services.
For information, contact the alumni relations office at 612-330-1085.
Join the Augsburg Online Community
It’s designed just for you—
• Keep in touch with classmates
• Find out what’s happening on campus
• Send class notes about what you’re doing
• Change/update your address and e-mail
• Update your profile so others can find you
• Make an online gift to Augsburg
It’s fast and easy. Already, more than 500 alumni have registered.
Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni—have you signed up?
If you have questions, e-mail healyk@augsburg.edu.
WINTER 2006-07 29
HOMECOMING 2006
Homecoming 2006 brought students and alumni together in record numbers. Fireworks at the pep rally pumped up the crowd, and seniors
Grant Hemmingsen and Sari Gallagher were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. While the football game against Concordia-Moorhead went into
overtime, the Cobbers edged out the Auggies, 34-28, for the win.
30 AUGSBURG NOW
WINTER 2006-07 31
HOMECOMING REUNIONS
Class of 1956
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Dorothy
(Floistad) Benson, Carolyn (Lower)
Bliss, Elizabeth (Mortensen) Swanson,
Chris (Munson) Main, Ron Main.
ROW 2: Augsburg president Paul
Pribbenow, Louise Jones, Laurayne
(Helgerson) Solberg, James Nordling,
Bonnie (Bieri) Vaagenes, Marilyne
Dahl, Wanda (Warnes) Olson, Farolyn
(Johnson) Gehring, Ruth (Borchardt)
Ysteboe Engelstad, Hans Dumpys,
John Haynes. ROW 3: Ted Berkas,
Harvey Lundin, Roger Ose, Chuck
Evavold, Glen Thorpe, Jim Pederson,
Harold Stoa, Rodney Erickson, Tom
Hofflander, Tom Benson, Chuck
Howard, Tom Hoversten. ROW 4: Bob
D. Larson, Bob Gjengdahl, John
Thompson, Bill Anderson, Ardell
Moen, Richard Thorud, Gary Fitch
Class of 1966
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Sylvia
(Steinbeck) Torstenson, Lila (Lee)
Salls, Mary Lynn (Larson) Leff, Rhoda
(Lindekugel) Vandervoort, Grace
(Estenson) Fladeboe, Judith (Erickson)
Coppersmith, Jeanne (Wanner)
Morreim. ROW 2: Karen (Torkelson)
Leverentz, Douglas Johnson, John
Andreasen, Beth Torstenson, Karen
Johnson, Kathleen (Davis) Jacobsen,
Kay (Swensson) Cerkvenik. ROW 3:
Kathryn (Wall) Johnson, Sharen
(Muehlenthaler) Schornstein, Vernice
(Ring) Bishop, Karen (Langseth)
Oelschlager, Marcia (Thimsen) Noble,
Susan (Joesting) Propst, Joan (Alden)
Blomlie. ROW 4: Jerry Maas, Maggi
(Ahlson) Tjaden, Judith (Erickson)
Pittelkow, Kathleen (Kalpin) Franson,
Heidi (Degen) Shurtleff, Ed Huseby,
Richard Mork, Allan Kristenson. ROW
5: Kathleen (Popp) Boggess, Joy
Klemp, Smokey (Wyckoff) Nielsen,
Gracia (Nydahl) Luoma.
32 AUGSBURG NOW
Class of 1981
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Ruth Muschinski, Karla (Morken) Thompson, Janna (Wallin) Haug, Mary Beamish, Molly Olson-Blomgren. ROW 2: Susan
(Dahlgren) Sackrison, Kirsten Schwappach, Maureen Webster, Kristine Johnson, Gaynelle (Webb) Buckland, Leann Rock, Barbara Gilbert, Janis (Blomgren)
Aune, Naomi (Christensen) Staruch.
35th Anniversary of
Metro-Urban Studies
Alumni enjoyed reuniting with former faculty and classmates at the
35th anniversary of Augsburg’s
Metro-Urban Studies program. Paula
(Brookins) Pentel ’78, warmly greets
Fran Torstenson, with professor
emeritus Joel Torstenson ’38 looking
on. In the background, professor
emeritus Myles Stenshoel talks with
Bruce Shoemaker ’81.
WINTER 2006-07 33
CLASS NOTES
1942
Chester and Ebba (Johnson)
Brooks, Duluth, Minn., celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in June at Gloria Dei
Church in Duluth, surrounded
by family and friends. After more
than 32 years with the National
Park Service, they moved to
Duluth in 1983.
campuses, when the church grew
from 525 to 7300 members. He
and his wife, Bonnie (Bieri) ’67,
have four children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
1957
Jeanette (Olson) Locke, Inver
Grove Heights, Minn., has been
awarded a grandfather clock after
35 years of service as an H&R
Block employee. She and her
husband, Peter ’60, have lived in
both St. Paul and Scottsdale, Ariz.
children, reading, and golfing.
Lois is director of nursing at the
Burnett Medical Center.
Lowell “Zeke” Ziemann,
Phoenix, Ariz., met up with fellow Auggie Hall-of-Famer Lute
Olson ’56 at the booksigning for
Olson’s new autobiography, Lute!
The Seasons of My Life. Olson is
head basketball coach at the
University of Arizona.
1968
Janet Letnes Martin and
Suzanne (Johnson) Nelson
were awarded the Gold Pen
Award by Metro Lutheran newspaper at their annual dinner in
October, recognizing distinguished
service to Christ and the church
through significant contribution to
public communication. Their
book, Growing Up Lutheran, is the
basis for the currently-running play
Church Basement Ladies. In August,
Janet suffered the loss of her husband, Neil, who died following a
four-year battle with cancer.
1959
1943
The Rev. LuVerne “Red”
Nelson, ’46 Sem, New Hope,
Minn., celebrated the 60th
anniversary of his ordination as a
Lutheran pastor on August 4. He
served parishes in North Dakota,
Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Red
was married to Grace (Carlsen)
’45 and established a scholarship
for voice students in her memory.
He also set up a scholarship for
tuba players.
Gail Castor, Redwood Falls,
Minn., played one season of
Auggie football while a student.
In the Homecoming alumni football game this year, as the oldest
player on the field at age 75, he
made two plays towards the end
of the game, one of which ended
in a touchdown. His efforts were
showcased on several local television stations as well as in
ESPN’s Top Ten Plays of the Day.
He has every intention to play
again next year.
1948
Jeroy Carlson, Burnsville,
Minn., celebrated his retirement
on September 30 after 44 years
of service and was honored at a
reception in October. (See page 3.)
1951
1960
The Rev. Morris Vaagenes,
Shoreview, Minn., recently published Baptism: God’s Activity of
Grace at Kirk House Publishers.
For 38 years, he served as the
senior pastor at North Heights
Lutheran Church and played an
active role in the development of
the Roseville and Arden Hills
The Rev. Myron Carlson,
Grantsburg, Wis., celebrated his
retirement after 37 years as the
pastor of Grantsburg Faith
Lutheran Church. He also served
congregations in Clayton, Wis.,
and rural Clear Lake. Myron is
looking forward to traveling with
his wife, Lois, visiting their three
34 AUGSBURG NOW
1976
Jane Stritesky, Georgetown, Ky.,
has taken a new position at
Northern Elementary School as
elementary music specialist for
grades K through 5. She also
coordinates after school courses
in choir, piano, and guitar.
1963
Carol Ann (Erickson) Zwernik,
Minnetonka, Minn., was named
the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America’s 2006-07 Director of
the Year, an award based on professional achievements and work
in implementing programs for
students, their families, the congregation, and community. She is
the pre-kindergarten director at
Calvary Lutheran Church.
1979
Linda Sue Anderson,
Minneapolis, received rave
reviews in the Star Tribune for
her performance as Big Mama in
Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof at the Minneapolis
Theatre Garage. The show sold
out in July and was extended
into September.
1982
Diane (Peterson) Kachel,
Woodbury, Minn., has become
assistant director for the newlyestablished Center for Lung
Science and Health at the
University of Minnesota. For
nearly 25 years she has been
actively engaged in lung-related
research and administration
across the academic industry and
government sectors. In her new
role she will focus on lung
research, education, and public
service for the prevention and
treatment of lung cancer.
1985
1991
Tom Terpening, Minneapolis,
appeared on TV’s Deal or No
Deal. Unfortunatly, he didn’t win
the big money, but says he and
his family enjoyed a wonderful
four days in Hollywood for the
taping.
Betty Christiansen, La Crosse,
Wis., became a published author
this fall. Her book, Knitting for
Peace, contains stories about
charity knitting organizations
around the United States, selfhelp knitting groups in countries
recovering from war, and other
folks who are using knitting to
help others around the world.
She hopes the book will inspire
others to pick up their needles
and knit one of the 15 projects
in the book for someone in need.
1986
Debra Balzer-Plagemann,
Roanoke, Va., and her husband,
Rob, welcomed a new daughter,
Sophia, in August.
Lisa Baumgartner, Sycamore,
Ill., recently received tenure and
promotion at Northern Illinois
University to associate professor
in the counseling, adult, and
higher education department.
1987
Barbara Blomberg, Princeton,
Minn., is one of four people
inducted into the Princeton High
School Activities Hall of Fame this
year. She teaches in the Princeton
district and served several years as
the head volleyball coach.
Patricia (Noren) Enderson, Elk
River, Minn., recently joined
Deloitte Services LP, a division of
the Deloitte & Touche LLP firms,
as a marketing manager. She can
be reached at pjend@aol.com.
1994
Michelle (Eaker) Steever,
Cranston, R.I., and her husband,
Frank, welcomed a son, Gavin,
on July 27. He joins big sister
Genevieve, 2.
“PSI House Girls,” graduates of 1982 and 1983,
celebrate a girls’ getaway weekend in June at
Izatys Resort.
(L to R) Lisa (Salmonson) Weatherhead, Marlene (Sorensen) Carr, Cindy
(Winberg) Sisson, Janice (Haselhorst) Hostager, Linda (Dibos) Graslewicz,
Terry Swanson (U of M graduate), Kris (Alexander) Korby, Jean (Lucas)
Horton, Terese (Borgstrom) Almquist.
Auggies at Jellystone
1989
Mark Limburg, St. Paul, has
been published by Concordia
Publishing House of St. Louis,
Mo., for his piano arrangements,
which have appeared in many
collections. Carols for Piano is his
12th published piece. Mark has
been named of one “Today’s Top
Writers” and “Today’s Top
Arrangers.” In 1999, he toured
England with David Soul and
Hugh Burns, the guitarist for
Paul McCartney and George
Michael. Mark is currently completing a CD of original contemporary compositions. You can email Mark at rachoven63@aol.com.
This group of Auggies (Classes of 1995, ’96, and ’97) and their families
celebrated their ninth annual summer outing at Jellystone Park in
Warrens, Wis. All living in the Twin Cites, they are able to get together
often and continue to add “future Auggies” to the clan. Their shirts
read, “First Annual Auggie 5K Walk, Run, & Crawl.” (L to R) Jodi Monson
’96, Gene Louie ’95, Dave and Natasha (Solberg) ’96 Sheeley and daughter Kaia, Brian ’95 and Jennifer (Cummings) ’96 Ackland and children
Ellie and Lucas, Brittany (Lynch) ’96 and Mike Jakubiec, Brooke (Manisto)
’96 and Erik ‘97 Reseland and daughter Elsa, Tom Shaw ’95 and
Stephanie Harms ’96 and daughter Madeline, Nate Markell (fiancé of
Jodi Monson), Dylan Nau ’97 and Wendy Laine ’96 and daughter Lydia,
Andy and Connie (Arndt) ’96 Clausen and children Adam and Aaron.
WINTER 2006-07 35
CLASS NOTES
Kari (Schroeder) Prescott,
Minneapolis, and her husband,
Scott, welcomed their second
child—a son, Soren Theophilus.
He was born on June 28 and
joins big brother Simon, 6. Kari is
a physician with a private practice
downtown and Scott is a middle
school music teacher in Chaska,
Minn.
1995
Tiffany Lynn (Peterson) Garzone,
Rocky Mount, N.C., and her
husband, Steven, have adopted
their first daughter, Natalie,
from China in May 2005. Tiffany
and Steven are both chiropractors and business partners at
Rocky Mount Chiropractic.
1999
Devean George, Dallas, Tex.,
signed a two-year contract worth
$4.2 million with the Dallas
Mavericks. In his first three years
in the league, he became the seventh player in the NBA to win
three championships. He leaves
the Los Angeles Lakers to join
the Mavericks.
Victoria Sadek, New Brighton,
Minn., teaches Honors
Humanities, 20th-Century
American Literature, and
Creative Writing in the English
Department at Mounds View
High School. She also directs the
fall and spring plays and just finished a production of It’s a
Wonderful Life, presented as a
radio broadcast, complete with
sound effects. For it, marketing
students created real “commercials” for local businesses that
benefited the theatre program.
Torma-Agrimson Wedding
Jenell Torma ’00 married Erick Agrimson ’98, on May 20 at Hoversten
Chapel. Jenell is currently a training facilitator at East Suburban
Resources in Stillwater and Erick is an assistant professor in the
Department of Physics and Sonography at the College of St. Catherine
in St. Paul. The couple lives in Roseville, Minn. (Front row, L to R) Prof.
Mark Engebretson, Prof. Ken Erickson ’62, Drew Monteith ’99, Kevin
Wipf ’98, and Larye Pohlman ’98. (Middle row, L to R) Matt Klatt ’01,
Justin Walker ’98, Jenell Torma ’00, Erick Agrimson ’98, and Eric Klatt
’98. (Back row, L to R) Kaydee Kirk ’98, Jessica Rivera ’01, Rachel
Oldfather ’02, Conie Borchardt ’98, Jennifer Warner ’98, Katie Bodurtha
’99, Lois Bordurtha ’73, Lois Agrimson ’60, and Melissa Pohlman ’00.
2001
Leah Carlson, Minneapolis, has
recently moved to Chicago, Ill.,
to become operations specialist
for Dominium Inc. Because the
company has properties in 14
different states, she will be traveling most of the time.
Bonner-Pavelka Wedding
Jessica (Norman) Hafemyer,
Northfield, Minn, and her husband, Eric, welcomed a daughter, Lauren Ann, on October 15.
Lauren weighed in at 9 lb., 4 oz.
and is 22 in. long.
1996
Anna (Lalla) Johnson,
Shoreview, Minn., and her husband, Todd, welcomed a daughter, Kate Morgan, on July 28.
She joins big brother Evan, 4.
36 AUGSBURG NOW
Rachel L. Oldfather, Fargo,
N. Dak., graduated from Luther
Seminary in May with a Master
of Divinity degree and was
ordained June 10. She is now
serving at Trinity Lutheran
Church in Moorhead, Minn., as
part of the Transition into
Ministry Program. She can be
reached at: Rachel@trinitymhd.org.
Lindsay Bonner ’02 married Matthew Pavelka ’02 on August 27, 2005, at
First United Methodist Church in Dallas, Tex. Matron of honor was
Solveig (Grafstrom) Harren ’02, and best man was Jacob Pavelka. Beth
Scott and Sara Seekins ’02 were bridesmaids, and groomsmen were
Jason Pavelka and Devin Fitzsimons. Flower girl was Madison Pavelka.
Ushers were Ryan Bonner ’08, Matthew Brutsche ’00, and Andrew
Gordon ’02. Matthew is a first-year medical student at the University of
Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Tex., and Lindsay is a voice teacher
on faculty with the Galveston Island Arts Academy, and is currently performing in the East-End Theatre Company’s production of The Full
Monty.
Emily Maeder
(left) Beatrice and Benedick Deanne
McDonald ’04 played the feuding
Beatrice to Andrew Kraft’s Benedick in
Much Ado about Nothing, a production of the Traveling Players, a troupe
formed by McDonald.
(far left) Monster of Phantom Lake (L
to R) Josh Craig (as Professor Jackson)
and Deanne McDonald (as Elizabeth),
in a scene from The Monster of
Phantom Lake (2005).
Actor, director, costume designer
Deanne McDonald graduated in
2004 with a degree in theatre
arts. In the not-quite-three years
since then, she has appeared in a
surprise hit indie b-movie; started
her own acting company, starring
in its premiere production; and
directed her high school alma
mater’s theatre productions—in
between other theatre projects
and working a full-time job.
A year ago, after enjoying several
summer stints with Shakespeare
& Company, an outdoor repertory theatre in White Bear Lake,
McDonald decided to form her
own theatre company. She loved
doing Shakespeare outdoors,
where she says if feels “larger
than life,” and, along with her
sister and a group of fellow
Shakespearean actors, she put
together a company. Its name, the
Traveling Players, comes from the
description for Shakespeare’s own
actors who took their productions on the road when the theater closed to stop the spread of
the London plague.
For their premiere production
McDonald and the Traveling
Players chose Much Ado about
Nothing, which translates well for
a small cast and is quite portable.
McDonald served as producer
and costumer, and acted the role
of Beatrice. The play was performed last August and
September in Como Park, Eagan,
and Burnsville, with some of
their rehearsing done at
Augsburg in Murphy Square.
The Traveling Players’ interpretation of Much Ado about Nothing
included pop music and contemporary costumes, like camouflage
fatigues for Benedick, returning
from war. The production was
limited to an hour, with minimal
sets and an informal, intimate
outdoor setting—all trying to
more closely approximate the
experiences of Shakespeare’s own
audiences.
The turnouts were big, and even
without charging admission, the
costs for the production were
covered through donations.
McDonald’s most unexpected
recent acting success, however,
has come in a low-budget, ’50sstyle fake horror movie, The
Monster of Phantom Lake, created
by writer/director/producer
Christopher Mihm in homage to
his father’s love for the genre.
McDonald plays one of five high
school seniors enjoying a camping trip together in celebration of
their graduation. They fall victim
to a horrific, slimy monster—in
reality, a deranged war veteran
hermit who mutated into a monster from the nuclear waste that
had been dumped into the lake.
The movie was the realization of
Mihm and co-producer and star
Josh Craig’s lifelong dream to
produce a movie. With a digital
camera, at a cost of $1,500, they
brought back the experience—in
black-and-white—of movie-goers
during the 1950s who watched
an array of cheesy horror b-movies.
McDonald joined the cast after
responding to Mihm’s online
notice seeking actors for the fake
horror movie, and filming began
in the woods around the Twin
Cities. The film debuted in
March 2006.
Since then, The Monster at
Phantom Lake has been accepted
to numerous film festivals across
the country, won a number of
independent film awards, and
continues to grow a cult status
and play to sold-out audiences.
Last fall the film traveled with
care packages to Iraq and was
shown on Halloween to soldiers
at the air base.
Already Mihm has a sequel in
production, in which McDonald
has a cameo role.
McDonald’s most recent project,
as a part-time gig, was direction
of Look Homeward, Angel at
Henry Sibley High School, her
alma mater, in Mendota Heights,
Minn. On the production team
also was a fellow Auggie, set
designer Justin Johnson ’06. In
the spring, McDonald returns to
Sibley to direct The Boyfriend.
Last year McDonald’s work also
included another stage appearance in Wind in the Willows, with
New Breath Productions, a musical theatre learning collaborative.
Even with a busy theatre schedule, McDonald works full time at
TMP Directional Marketing, an
ad agency. She says the acting
experience enhances her work
there, especially in role-playing
techniques she uses for sales
training.
For information on upcoming
screenings of The Monster of
Phantom Lake featuring Deanne
McDonald, go to www.monsterofphantomlake.com.
—Betsey Norgard
WINTER 2006-07 37
CLASS NOTES
Laura Waldon and Emily
Brinkman were married on
Sept. 2 at the Inn at Castle Hill
in Ipswich, Mass. Emily graduated from Northeastern University
in Boston in August with a
Master of Science degree in
Physician Assistant Studies.
Laura is currently obtaining her
Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction writing from the
University of New Hampshire,
where she teaches First-Year
Writing and is the director of the
Online Writing Lab. The couple
lives in Salem, Mass.
Linnea Mohn, Minneapolis, and
her team, including David
Gillette and Rich Kronfeld from
the Comedy Central TV show,
Let’s Bowl, won this year’s 48Hour Film Festival. Their seven
minute short film Dangerous
Proximity was completed from
inception to delivery in 48
hours. The film can be viewed at
www.youtube.com.
Fellow Auggies in the wedding
party included Andi Slack ’07,
Becky Welle ’05, Amy Mackner
’04, Sarah Schultz ’04, Angela
Van Binsbergen ’05, Jon Fahler
’03, T.J. Bramwell ’03, Sam Gross
’03, Paul Amundson, Nick Slack
’02, and Joe Holman ’04.
2004
2003
Cherie Christ, Minneapolis, has
been promoted to director of
electronic communications at
Augsburg and is working over
the next six months on a major
study and redesign of the
Augsburg website.
Danielle Slack ’04 married John
Tieben ’03 on July 9, 2005, at
St. John Lutheran Church in
Belle Plaine, Minn., and spent
their honeymoon in Kauai,
Hawaii. Pastors Dave Wold and
Mark Johnson officiated at the
wedding.
Danielle is a third-grade teacher
in the Edina Public School
District, and John will graduate
in May from the University of
Minnesota School of Medicine.
They live in St. Louis Park, Minn.
38 AUGSBURG NOW
Kelly Chapman, Willernie,
Minn., received the Fashion
Design Award for Outstanding
Fashion Design Student. As one
of only 10 designers to participate in the Advanced Fashion
Design Program for the 2006-07
school year, her first collection
will debut at “FIDM’s Fashion
Gala” in February 2007.
Chad Darr, and his wife, Krista,
welcomed their first child, a
daughter, Addison Lynn, on
Sept. 8. Addison weighed in at 6
lb., 6 oz. and was 19 3/4 in. long.
Sara Kamholz, Maple Grove,
Minn., and her husband, Chad,
welcomed their first child,
Sophia Lyn, on Oct. 19, weighing in at 8 lb., 7 oz. and 20 1/2 in.
Katie Scheevel, Las Vegas, Nev.,
recently began teaching third
grade at Stanford Elementary
School. She can be contacted at
spicerisnicer24@yahoo.com.
2006
Justin Johnson, was set designer
for the fall play, Look Homeward
Angel, at Henry Sibley High
School in Mendota Heights,
sponsored by the Henry Sibley
Drama Club. He has recently
completed other sets, including
productions for Irondale High
School and In the Basement
Productions. He’s pictured here
with fellow Auggie Deanne
McDonald, who directed the
play. See page 37 for more on
Deanne.
2005
Katarzyna (Pruchnik) Niles,
Isanti, Minn., and her husband,
Joe, welcomed their first child,
daughter Helena Violet on July
14. She weighed in at 7 lb., 12
oz. and is 22 in. long.
Graduate Programs
Barry Vornbrock ’96 MAL, and
his husband, Ernest Lewis,
recently relocated to Palo Alto,
Calif. Barry accepted a position
with Stanford Univeristy Medical
Center as the director of IT
Systems Planning-Ambulatory
Care. Besides leading the technology efforts to implement a
new electronic health record, he
will also help Stanford Hospital
and Clinics develop a future
vision of their technology needs
as they grow their ambulatory
(walk in and walk out the same
day) services.
In Memoriam
Stella (Pederson) Eiermann
’30, Pacific Palisades, Calif., age
98, on May 31.
The Rev. Clifford M. Johnson
’34 (’30 Acad, ’39 Sem),
Bloomington, Minn., age 95, on
Oct. 12. He was a Distinguished
Alumnus and served Augsburg as
a fundraising leader, regent and
board chair, and director of
development.
Abner B. Batalden ’35,
Hanover, N.H., age 98, on Jan.
18. He traveled and worked
many years for the Lutheran
Church and Lutheran World
Relief, in social service agencies
and with refugee affairs. At
Augsburg he served as director
of alumni relations and as a
fundraiser; he was a
Distinguished Alumnus.
Wilhelm (“Bill”) Helland ’35,
Spicer, Minn., age 91, on Feb.
16.
Harold E. Mork ’38, Whittier,
Calif., on Nov. 24, 2005.
The Rev. Ormande Gordon
Tang ’41, Arden Hills, Minn.,
age 86, on July 14.
The Rev. Carl J. Carlsen ’43
(’46 Sem), Gig Harbor, Wash.,
age 85, on Sept. 3.
The Rev. Gerhard (“Giggs”)
Bretheim ’46 (’51 Sem), Edina,
Minn., age 78, on July 21 from
cancer.
Roald Nokleberg ’47, Duluth,
Minn., age 84, unexpectedly on
Oct. 12.
Mae Luhn ’50, Crossville, Tenn.,
age 82, on July 22 after a long
illness.
Aileen Okerstrom ’50,
Shoreview, Minn., age 78, on
Sept. 16.
Morris G. Jespersen ’57, Little
Canada, Minn., age 76, on Feb.
8 after a long battle with cancer.
Jack R. Norman ’59, Pennock,
Minn., ate 73, unexpectedly on
Aug. 6.
Gerald L. Peterson ’61,
Owatonna, Minn., age 66, on
Sept. 1.
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the Augsburg
Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Philip M. Dyrud ’64,
Newfolden, Minn., age 67, on
Sept. 18.
Maiden name
Carolyn (Hove) Dyrud ’65,
Maple Grove, Minn., age 62, on
Sept. 24, 2005, from cancer.
Street address
John A. Bruntjen ’68, Wayzata,
Minn., age 63, on Nov. 3 from
cancer.
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Michael Manz ’70, Spokane,
Wash., age 58, on Nov. 1 of a
heart attack.
E-mail
Mark J. Zachary ’83, Savage,
Minn., age 45, unexpectedly on
July 22.
Employer
Kathrynn Mae Powell ’01, student in the Master of Arts in
Nursing program, Rochester,
Minn., age 47, on Oct. 22 following an accident.
Work telephone
Jason B. Mulligan ’02, St. Paul,
age 28, on Aug. 18 of ALS.
Spouse’s name
Class year or last year attended
City, State, Zip
Home telephone
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Position
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
If yes, class year
Maiden name
Luverne (“Vern”) Carlson,
Edina, Minn., age 86, in July.
Your news:
Robert Clyde, Crystal, Minn.,
age 79, on Jan. 9. He was associate professor and institutional
research analyst at Augsburg for
31 years until he retired in 1998.
WINTER 2006-07 39
Stu Stoller, professor of accounting, maintains active
ties with universities in Poland and the Czech
Republic, where has collaborated to develop curriculum, teach seminars, and establish a small-business
incubation center.
a national promotion board that oversaw the
“Got Milk” advertising and promotion program. His industry experience amplifies business theory in the classroom.
Professor Stu Stoller owned his own CPA
practice before going through what he calls
“a mid-life change in careers.”
Prior to joining Augsburg, Assistant
Professor Marc Isaacson worked at Innovex
Inc. in Maple Plain in various quality/engineering roles, including the launch of Flex
Suspension Assemblies into high volume
manufacturing. This took him to Asia frequently as he dealt with issues in global engineering, development, and customer service.
Nora Braun joined the department in
1997 with 20 years of information technology industry experience, most recently with
Electronic Data Systems and National Car
Rental.
Clarke was introduced to Augsburg
when Braun, a colleague, informed him of an
opening in Management Information Systems
(MIS). Clarke had worked for the EDS
26 AUGSBURG NOW
Corporation and National Car Rental System,
Inc., where he served as a software development manager, senior programmer/analyst,
and project leader. “I brought with me a corporate culture, but it was not long before it
became obvious that it was very different
here.”
All of this gives students a better idea of
what to expect in the “real” world. Ana
Chilingarishvili, a senior international relations major from the country of Georgia,
says, “Professor Zapp shared with us all kinds
of experiences she has had in her professional career which enhanced my understanding
of the concepts covered in the textbook and
showed how they can be applied to real-life
situations.”
“It’s paramount that you do what you
teach,” says Stoller. “It’s one thing to be an
academic and understand the philosophy
and the theory, but people become practitioners when they graduate from here, so
they need to understand the rules of practice.
One of the things that experience does is to
give you that practical experience… [What] I
think I give to students that they enjoy are
my stories of what is out there in the trenches of the world.”
GIVE CREDIT WHERE DUE
Cerrito credits the character of the business
department to Amin Kader, who founded it
(formerly it was combined with economics)
and served as department chair for 16 years.
“Faculty are here because of Amin’s leadership and drive. He was very successful at
establishing a culture where all members of
the department are treated with dignity and
respect.”
“When I interviewed here, Amin Kader
was the chair at the time,” recalls Stoller, who
grew up in a Jewish New York City family.
He remembers his family telling him, “‘You
mean you’re teaching in a Lutheran school,
and your boss is Egyptian?’ They said, ‘Boy,
you’re in trouble.’”
“When I got here [in 1990] and saw the
amount of diversity in the department, I
wondered if we would all work well together,” remembers associate professor Lori
Lohman, who is a self-described Midwestern
Protestant. “In a short period of time it
became apparent to me that this would be
the best place I would ever work. My coworkers are exceptional. We support each
other. We respect and value our differences.”
“For me, it would be hard to work in a
department where only one culture was represented,” says Zapp.
CREATE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES
The business faculty have actively crossed
borders for their teaching and research—
especially in Central and Eastern Europe.
In 1991, following a trade exhibition in
Pozan, Poland, Cerrito went to Warsaw and
met the vice-mayor of the city of Lublin, who
was also a professor at Catholic University.
“He invited me to visit the campus and meet
with professors. That really started
[Augsburg’s] relationship with Catholic
University and working with Solidarity, the
free trade movement, and privatization
issues. I then brought in Amin [Kader] and
Stu [Stoller].”
Cerrito and Kader were invited by
Catholic University’s dean to develop management degree programs and work with the
university’s faculty to assist them in privatizing state industries. Cerrito and Kader were
also asked to serve as guest lecturers.
In 1996, Stoller was invited to Catholic
University to set up curriculum and to teach
a seminar for financial auditing. “My grandfather came from Poland, from Krakow, and so I
figured I could visit on the way… I knew
nothing about Poland. The only thing I knew
were the black and white newsreels from
World War II… I thought Poland was black
and white.”
Stoller later returned to Catholic
University to set up curriculum and teach sem-
inars in Audit, and Mergers and Acquisitions.
“I learned a lot about different perspectives,
different point of view. It took me out of my
comfort zone and really gave me an education,” Stoller recalls. “But I figured, this cannot
end here, so I asked my colleagues here [at
Augsburg], if they had any connections in central Eastern Europe.”
It turned out that business/MIS professor
Milo Schield’s son was teaching in the Czech
Republic. He connected Stoller with the associate director of intercultural studies at Palacky
University in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Stoller’s offer to help resulted in his
“thumbprint” on the Czech professor’s financial project over the Internet. This led to a sabbatical, during which time Stoller created an
incubation center for small business in the
community.
Stoller then created a course for Augsburg
students, “The Czech Republic: Social and
Cultural Impact of the Emerging Free Market
Economy,” which integrated history, culture,
and economics. In January 2001, he took 17
students to the Czech Republic for the first
time.
Students met with business leaders, workers, and citizens to discuss the impact of the
privatization process and the development of
capitalist enterprises in the ex-communist
country. The course has evolved since 2001,
but Stoller continues to lead student groups
to the Czech Republic.
Stoller was later invited to set up a similar program in Prague. Stoller has taken students there in 2003 and 2005 and will return
this year.
“Nothing can change you in three weeks
as fast as an experiential education,” Stoller
asserts. “Four years of college don’t change
you as much as three weeks in Prague.”
MAKE WIDER CONNECTIONS
In the mid-’90s, a connection with Russia
was established when Cerrito joined with
political science professor Norma Noonan to
present lectures at and facilitate an exchange
of professors with the State Academy of
Management in Moscow.
In May 2004, President William Frame
and Zapp visited the University of Ljubljana,
Slovenia, to rekindle an exchange program
with Augsburg. Several other business faculty,
including Clarke and Kader, have also visited
Slovenia. The department has hosted four
professors and the country’s prime minister,
Dr. Janez Drnovsek.
On that same trip, Frame and Zapp also
visited Krakow University of Economics,
Zapp’s alma mater. A year later, an exchange
agreement was signed between Augsburg and
Krakow University.
Last summer, through another faculty
connection, Stoller and associate professor
Kathy Schwalbe taught a course in Karlsruhe,
Germany, including four Augsburg students
and 14 students from the Berufsakademie.
More recently, Stoller has developed curriculum, discussed business cooperations, and
has given lectures in Shanghai, China. An
exchange of business programs is being considered as part of ongoing College discussions.
IN SUM
Stoller says his colleagues “tell about their
lives, they bring in their food—it’s wonderful. They talk about their experiences … you
can call up somebody like my friend Ashok
and talk about Indian culture, or Muslim culture, or whatever. It just adds a breath and
depth and experience to the department. We
all work with each other on a professional
basis and rejoice in each other’s differences.”
“It’s outstanding that we have this diversity,” says Kramarczuk. “We’re all God’s children. I’ve seen people die because of their
nationality. When I came into New Orleans
in the early ’50s, I couldn’t understand when
I would get on a bus, why an older black
woman would have to get up and give me
her seat.”
In the words of Lohman, “My colleagues
have expanded my world. It’s been fabulous.”
“We bring to the class very different
worlds,” says Zapp of her colleagues. “We
represent different cultures, different countries, different religious beliefs… The benefits
are immeasurable.” Ⅵ
The Department of Business Administration has
24 full-time faculty, more than 35 part-time faculty, teaching over 700 undergraduate and 300
graduate students.
MBA director Bob Kramarczuk, whose family immigrated to the U.S. after fleeing Ukraine, has enjoyed a career as
an international consultant and is an academician in the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
WINTER 2006-07 27
VIEWS
Icons of an Inauguration
THE SCHOLARLY SYMBOLS
College seals are common inauguration
icons and appear on the many official
congratulations and certificates
President Pribbenow received from his
colleagues across the country. Nearly
50 of these colleagues attended the
inauguration.
THE BOW TIE STYLE
Paul Pribbenow adopted the bow tie on a daily
A giant red bow tie anchored the “President Bush”
Bow ties, again, on the buttons that Student Senate
basis after learning to tie many of them for black
outside of Christensen Center, designed by a team of
distributed across campus during inauguration week.
tie events in his work at the Art Institute of
students led by junior Ben Katz.
Chicago. He believes he currently has more than 50
bow ties in his wardrobe.
THE STUFF
From printed programs to food and coffee, lots of visuals recall this festive
week. The Event Services Office reports that approximately 800 Augsburg
“A” cookies were served at the inauguration reception.
40 AUGSBURG NOW
CALENDAR
For music information, call 612-330-1265
For theatre ticket information, call 612-330-1257
For art gallery information, call 612-330-1524
Note: The Gage Family Art Gallery will close in Lindell Library on Feb. 16. A new
Gage Family Art Gallery will open in the Oren Gateway Center in August.
March 7
faith@work! breakfast series
FEBRUARY
Tim Geoffrion, executive director,
Family Hope/TreeHouse
7 a.m.—St. Philip the Deacon
Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Minn.
www. spdlc.org
Through February 16
“In the Secret Place,”
by Arlene Burke-Morgan
Gage Family Art Gallery,
Lindell Library
Artist talk, Feb. 8, noon,
Minneapolis Room, Christensen
Center
Through February 16
Photographs by Aviel Goodman
Christensen Center Art Gallery
February 2–11
Twelfth Night, by William
Shakespeare
Guest directed by Barbra Berlovitz
Feb. 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10 at 7 p.m.
Feb. 4 and 11 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
February 8
Theatre Artist Series
March 13–16
Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls, by
Naomi Iizuka
February 26-27
Visiting Artists from Japan
Guest directed by Steve Bussa
7 p.m.—Foss Studio Theater
Bidou Yamaguchi (Master Noh Mask
Carver) and Ayomi Yoshida
(Designer, Printmaker, Installation
Artist)
March 25
Augsburg Choir home concert
Feb. 26, Bidou Yamaguchi carving
demonstration
9:10–10:10 a.m., with guest
Matthew Welch, curator of Asian art,
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
11 a.m.–noon, with Martha Johnson,
professor of theatre arts
Marshall Room, Christensen Center
“Technical Direction at the Guthrie
Theater,” Craig Pettigrew, technical
director, Guthrie Theater
1:30–3 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
Feb. 27, Ayomi Yoshida presentation
9:40-10:40 a.m.
Marshall Room, Christensen Center
February 9
Theatre Artist Series
MARCH
“South Indian Dance:
Bharatanatyam,” Ranee Ramaswamy,
artistic director, Ragamala Music
and Dance Theater
11 a.m.–noon—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
February 21
Reading by ACTC visiting writers
Ingrid Wendt and Ralph Salisbury
7:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
March 2
2007 Batalden
Seminar in Applied
Ethics and 25th
anniversary of the
Center for Global
Education
Jorge Bustamante,
president and
founder of El Colegio de la
Frontera Norte
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
612-330-1180
March 6
Theatre Artist Series
“Stage Movement Using Viewpoints
as Developed by Anne Dogart,”
Randy Reyes, actor/director
9:40–11:10 a.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
February 23–March 30
“Listen: A Pilgrimage in Watercolor
and Ink,” by Tara Sweeney
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Opening reception, Feb. 23,
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Artist talk, March 9, 4 p.m.
March 6
Theatre Artist Series
“The Scenic Artist,” Mary
Novodvorsky, scenic artist
1:30–3 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
March 28
Theatre Artist Series
“Issues of Race and Ethnicity in
Asian American Theatre,” Josephine
Lee, director, Asian American
Studies Program, University of
Minnesota
11 a.m.–noon—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
April 9-May 6
All-Student Juried Art Exhibition
All-Student Juried Art Exhibition
Award Winners
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Opening reception, April 13, 5-7 p.m.
Awards presentation, April 13,
5:30 p.m.
April 11
Theatre Artist Series
“A History of Mu Performing Arts in
Regard to Contemporary American
Theatre,” Rick Shiomi, artistic director, Mu Performing Arts
11 a.m.–noon—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
March 29
Theatre Artist Series
April 12
Theatre Artist Series
Bain Boelke, Jungle Theatre
11:50 a.m.–1:20 p.m.—TjornhomNelson Theater
“Creating Original Work,” Shawn
McConnologue, artistic director of
Shawn McConnologue and her
Orchestra
11:50 a.m.–1:20 p.m.—TjornhomNelson Theater
APRIL
April 1
Masterworks Chorale concert
4 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
April 3
Theatre Artist Series
“The Production Notebook:
Directing Pericles from Start to
Finish,” Joel Sass, freelance director/designer
9:40–11:10 a.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
April 13-22
The Threepenny Opera, by Bertolt
Brecht; music by Kurt Weill
Faculty directed by Darcey Engen
Music direction by Sonja Thompson
April 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21 at
7 p.m.
April 15 and 22 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
April 15
Augsburg Orchestra concert
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
April 4
faith@work breakfast series
April 16
Sverdrup Visiting Scientist Lecture
“Grace at Work” panel
7 a.m.—St. Philip the Deacon
Lutheran Church
www.spdlc.org
“The Exploration of Planetary
Systems,” Fran Bagenal, professor of
astrophysical and planetary sciences,
Laboratory for Atmospheric and
Space Physics, University of
Colorado
8 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
612-330-1180
WINTER 2006-07
Advent Vespers 2006
The 27th Advent Vespers filled
the majestic Central Lutheran
Church for four services of
music and liturgy to begin the
Advent season. For the first
time this year, Central
Lutheran’s new carillon bells
were an added dimension to
the music of the three
Augsburg choirs and Vespers
Orchestra.
— Stephen Geffre, photographer
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
Show less
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Augsburg
Now
FRESH FOOD FOR CITY FOLKS
A BETTER POLICE LINEUP
HANDS-ON HEALING
A PUBLICATION FOR
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
FALL 2006
VOL. 69, NO. 1
Welcome to
the Pribbenows
page 12
P. 30
P. 18
P. 24
6121_Augs... Show more
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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Page 1
Augsburg
Now
FRESH FOOD FOR CITY FOLKS
A BETTER POLICE LINEUP
HANDS-ON HEALING
A PUBLICATION FOR
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
FALL 2006
VOL. 69, NO. 1
Welcome to
the Pribbenows
page 12
P. 30
P. 18
P. 24
6121_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Letter
from the President
W
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
hat we have loved,
others will love, and we will
teach them how.”
William Wordsworth’s remarkable words from “The Prelude” offer me
the simplest way to introduce myself to the Augsburg community. I am
an educator and college president because I have been blessed in my
life with passionate teachers who have taught me to love great ideas,
imaginative skills, faithful acts, and vibrant communities. I teach and
lead so that others also might love what I have learned to love.
A wise alumna of Rockford College—from which I have arrived to
take up my new post here at Augsburg—asked me during the interview process there in 2001 what I was reading and why. What a great
question and what an intriguing way to know someone.
Allow me therefore to offer a few texts that are always near at hand
for me, and that offer you a glimpse into the issues and ideas that
inspire my work.
The Bible is the source of my worldview. It teaches me of faithful
and abundant lives, of generous love surpassing all understanding,
and of a gracious story that still unfolds around all of us in our lives
in this world and beyond.
The Constitution of the United States sits on my desk as a reminder
of the truths and aspirations of our democracy. In those truths is the
stuff of patriotism, properly understood.
Michael Ignatieff’s The Needs of Strangers is an elegant essay that
draws together some of the best of human thought to help all of us
better understand what it means to care for each other.
Jane Addams’ Twenty Years at Hull-House is the story of a life led
in a neighborhood, serving others and strengthening democracy.
Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak is my roadmap to vocational
journeys.
And Wendell Berry’s What Are People For? challenges us to remember the proper scale of human work and life—and to fight for sustainability in the world bent on destroying itself.
Shall we read together? Shall we find the time to talk together
about great ideas and actions? Shall we work together to make the
world a more faithful, just, and humane place for all God’s people?
I believe that is what Augsburg stands for and I could not be more
pleased—or have a deeper sense of gratitude—for the privilege to
lead this remarkable college.
I look forward to our work together on behalf of Augsburg College.
Yours,
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing and
Communications
Christopher Moquist
moquist@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
On the cover:
On July 1, the Augsburg community welcomed Augsburg’s
11th first family—Paul and
Abigail Pribbenow, and their
children, Thomas and Maya.
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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18
Fall 2006
Contents
Features
Departments
12 Experience grounded in
2
Around the Quad
mission and vision: Paul
4 Sports
Pribbenow’s call to Augsburg
10 Supporting Augsburg—
by Bethany Bierman
Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for
18 Country Fresh Urban
Augsburg College
Renewal by Tim Dougherty
32 Alumni News
22 Making art and history in
France by Tara Sweeney
34 Class Notes
24 Making their mark in the
40 Views
lineup by Betsey Norgard
and
Calendar
28 Photographer’s pick—
some of the year’s favorites
by Stephen Geffre
22
30 A hands-on approach to
better health by Betsey Norgard
28
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AROUND THE QUAD
NEWSNOTES
Also elected as board officers
are: Dean Kopperud, vice chair;
Dan Anderson ’65, treasurer; and
Jackie Cherryhomes ’76, secretary.
In addition, Pribbenow has
announced the formation of a
Branding Committee, which will
work with materials as they are
developed to strengthen the
College’s position and image.
Promotion to professor
Andrew Aoki,
political
science
Vicki Olson,
education
The president’s
leadership teams
Congratulations, faculty!
Ted Grindal is elected
board chair
At its spring meeting on May 5,
the Augsburg Board of Regents
elected H. Theodore Grindal ’76
the new chair for a six-year term.
“My goal is to help the board
keep true to our vision and mission,” said Grindal, which
includes supporting the president and serving as ambassadors
to the community on behalf of
Augsburg. “If we do these things,
the College will continue to
move forward positively.”
President Paul Pribbenow has
formed two teams to help him
lead the College:
The President’s Cabinet will
be the primary administrative
decision-making body for the
College and includes the two special assistants, five vice presidents,
and chief information officer. (see
photo on p. 14)
The President’s Advisory
Group comprises a representative
group of Augsburg College faculty, staff, and students whose primary role is to convene regularly
on a one-year appointment to
advise the president on key institutional issues, to receive reports
on institution-wide projects and
initiatives, and to engage in an
ongoing conversation about
future opportunities and challenges related to institutional
planning and activity.
Editor’s note
After its first six years, Augsburg Now has received a makeover—
not extreme, but aiming to read more easily, look fresher, and
appear more contemporary with Augsburg’s other communications.
We’ve listened to your comments and hope that you enjoy the
new format for Around the Quad campus news and the Alumni
News/Class Notes. Our features aim to engage you in their remarkable stories and vibrant photography.
Please … write to us with your thoughts. Does Augsburg Now
read well? What changes or improvement should we still consider?
We’d love to hear from you.
2 AUGSBURG NOW
Tenure granted
Matthew
Haines,
mathematics
Augsburg advances in
college ranking
Mark Strefeler,
biology
Tenure granted and promotion
to associate professor
Beth
Alexander,
physician
assistant
studies
Eric
Buffalohead,
sociology and
American
Indian studies
Lars
Christiansen,
sociology
Nancy
Rodenborg,
social work
In U.S.News & World Report’s
2007 listings of America’s Best
Colleges, Augsburg is ranked
23rd in the category of “Master’s
Universities—Top Midwestern,”
an improvement of three places
from last year. For the full listings, go to www.usnews.com.
Augsburg is also named an
“Academic Program to Watch
For” in two categories—ServiceLearning and First-Year
Experience—and is the only
Minnesota private college in
either group.
Hoping for “I do” on
the Today show
WEC student Josh Linde and his
fiancé, Carrie Hortsch, are
among the seven finalists for a
wedding with all the trimmings,
courtesy of NBC’s Today. As they
tackle weekly competitions, their
fate is determined by viewer
votes, with one couple eliminated each week up to Sept. 20,
when the winner is announced.
Go to
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/130830
94/.
6121_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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Three learn
foodservice skills
In its third summer Culinary Job
Training program for the unemployed or underemployed, the
Campus Kitchen at Augsburg
College graduated three people
with newly-earned skills for the
foodservice industry. This year’s
eight-week program focused on
local food production in partnership with Ploughshare Farm (see
the story on p. 18).
Jessica Gaulke is
Aquatennial queen
On July 21, sociology major Jessica
Gaulke was crowned the 2007
Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes.
As ambassador, she will travel
throughout the region representing
the City of Minneapolis and receive
an educational scholarship.
RECENT GRANTS
$9,000 from the C. Charles
Jackson Foundation for a oneyear project to analyze and
develop leadership activities in
the co-curricular program.
$2,000 matching grant from the
Consulate General of Canada in
Minneapolis to purchase library
materials to support Canadian
Studies on campus.
$238,080 renewal of two-year
grant for Academic Fellows from
the U.S. Department of
Education to support summer
research of students who are
first-generation or low-income
college students working with
faculty mentors in preparation
for post-baccalaureate education.
10:57 AM
Page 5
$538,300 in grants from
National Science Foundation to
the Department of Physics to
support the collection of data
and study of Earth’s magnetosphere, or “space weather.”
$26,514 from the National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) to support the research of two physics
students who will carry out data
validation and scientific analysis
of magnetometer data from
NASA’s recently launched ST5
satellites.
$198,000 federal appropriation to
the StepUP Program to refine academic support services, to hire a
chemical dependency counselor
for student caseload relief, to
complete an outside program
evaluation, to develop standards
of practice, and a mentorship
program, and to write a history of
the program in book form.
Kids creating art on Riverside Avenue
Augsburg art faculty member Robert K. Tom, students from the Cedar Riverside Community School,
and volunteers from the Augsburg community have begun work on a project that will turn dour concrete walls at Augsburg’s 21st Avenue entrance into a ceramic bas-relief mural.
The mural is an outgrowth of the Cedar Riverside–Augsburg Pottery Cooperative, an ongoing partnership that Tom began with the Cedar Riverside Community School. Each week fifth- through
eighth-grade students from the largely Somali, Asian, and Hispanic neighborhood participate in
hands-on pottery and art workshops.
Starting in the fall, Augsburg volunteers and the students will create clay press moulds to be replicated over and over—moulds of icons and symbols that Tom says “represent their thoughts, values,
concerns, and/or inner beliefs.” They will be fired and placed in a radiant mandala pattern along the
220 square foot walls. In July, students in the CREATION summer arts program, sponsored by Trinity
Lutheran Congregation, enjoyed a four-day head start on the project.
This project recently won Tom a seed grant from Forecast Public Art, a Twin Cities-based organization
nationally recognized as a public
art resource, to carry out the
project through November. Tom
is currently seeking additional
funds for further continuation.
Tom said that he found regular
walks in the Cedar-Riverside
neighborhood to be the impetus
for a project to chisel away at the
“invisible barrier between the
Augsburg campus and the community of Cedar Avenue.” To
him it seemed that despite the
lively energy of the dense multiethnic neighborhood, “there
were two worlds existing sideby-side with little interaction.”
— Darcy Trunzo ’06
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AROUND THE QUAD
SPORTS
Campus mourns
longtime English
professor
Seven students receive
athletic honors
John Mitchell, who taught English
at Augsburg for 36 years, died on
Aug. 17 at the age of 66. A memorial service was held for him on
Sept. 8 in Hoversten Chapel.
Mitchell taught courses in
poetry, writing, and film.
Repeatedly, former students
remark that John Mitchell’s classes were among the most difficult
and the most memorable they
took. They describe his teaching
as challenging, engaging, enraging, inspiring, and influential. He
always found time for students
and took great effort to correct
and edit their papers.
His passion for film led to a
two-year sabbatical to study film
at San Francisco State University.
English department colleague
Robert Cowgill remembers that
when the Oak Street Cinema
opened, Mitchell often attracted
groups of people around him
after the shows who stood and
listened to hear his thoughts
about the films. On campus,
Mitchell was often seen with
clusters of students and colleagues, enjoying a conversation.
In 1996, Mitchell was devastated by the death of John
Engman, an Augsburg student
whom Mitchell had met in 1968,
during his first year of teaching
at the College. Following
Engman’s premature death,
Mitchell became the executor of
his literary estate and worked to
find a publisher for a manuscript
Engman left. This poetry collection, Temporary Help, was published by Holy Cow! Press and
was nominated for a Minnesota
Book Award in 1998.
4 AUGSBURG NOW
Augsburg College has awarded
seven seniors with its athletic
awards for accomplishment,
leadership, and character on the
playing field and in the classroom. Athletic awards are voted
on by coaches in Augsburg’s
men’s and women’s athletic
departments.
Augsburg mourns the death of English professor John Mitchell, who died in August.
Mitchell was born in Decatur,
Ala., and earned degrees from
Maryville College and the
University of Tennessee. He
met his wife, Jean, while they
both served in the Peace Corps
in Liberia.
For a number of years,
Mitchell was faculty adviser to
Murphy Square, Augsburg’s literary arts journal. Last year, in the
foreword to its 30th anniversary
edition, he wrote, “I get more
pleasure from being published in
Murphy Square than from a
nationally distributed magazine.
Why? Well, more people are
likely to read my work, people I
know and care about, and readers who will be more able to
construe it in terms of my
known local identity. To put it in
literary jargon, I have the chance
to be a public poet rather than
merely a private one.”
— Betsey Norgard
2005–06 Augsburg Honor
Athletes
Mitchell was also a frequent
contributor to Murphy Square.
This poem appears in the 1998
edition:
The Sound of Two Pie Pans
The brief little period when you
Are alive is more than enough
To make up for all the years
When you were giving yourself
Advice. How wonderful to
perspire,
To examine the back side of a
leaf,
To admire the angel worms
Gorged on their silk. You could
Walk for days sucking an orange.
You could write letters home
Without stopping to compose
Your face. Living is like banging
Two pie pans together at midnight
For the brief silence that precedes
The noise. No, living is not
anything
You can say. It’s an attitude
Of swanky delight, and the
absence
Of attitude, simple sleep at night.
Darren Ginther—Ginther, a
baseball third baseman and pitcher became one of the top hitters
in the region, earning All-MIAC
and All-Midwest Region honors
as well as ESPN The Magazine
academic honors. He was an economics and education studies
major and Dean’s List honoree.
Millie Suk—Suk was the only
women’s soccer player in MIAC
to earn All-MIAC first-team honors in all four years, and she set
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Augsburg career records for total
points and goals. A political science major, she graduated magna
cum laude.
tournament, earning his second
straight fourth-place national finish to earn All-American honors
for the second time.
Seven named to Athletic
Hall of Fame
Ryan Valek—A three-time AllAmerican wrestler, Valek was an
individual national runner-up
twice at 165 pounds. He earned
ESPN The Magazine academic
honors and National Wrestling
Coaches Association Division III
Scholar All-America honors.
Troy Deden—Deden transferred
to Augsburg from St. Mary’s and,
as a catcher, helped lead the
Auggie baseball team to the
MIAC playoffs in 2005. He also
played two years of football as a
quarterback and defensive back,
and was a special education
major at Augsburg.
Named to the 2006 class of the
Athletic Hall of Fame:
2005–06 Augsburg Athletes of
the Year
Tonnisha Bell—Bell became one
of the most decorated track and
field athletes in school history. A
sprinter, she finished her career
with five All-American honors
and qualified for every indoor
and outdoor NCAA championship meet during her Auggie
career—eight in total. Bell won
11 conference championships
and earned numerous conference
honors while setting six individual and two relay school records.
Seven alumni will be inducted
into the Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame during Homecoming
week at a dinner on Thurs.,
Sept. 28, in Christensen Center.
For information, contact the athletic office at 612-330-1249 or
bjorklus@augsburg.edu.
Chike Ochiagha—Ochiagha was
a defensive tackle on Augsburg’s
football team, earning conference
and Football Gazette honors. A
business and marketing major,
he earned Academic All-MIAC
honors, as well as football academic club honors twice.
Brad Tupa—An upper-weight
wrestler, Tupa battled injuries
during his career. He recovered
in his senior season to qualify for
the NCAA Division III national
Tom Hall ’85—Hall earned AllAmerica honors in wrestling four
times, including twice in the
1983 season in two different
national meets. In NCAA competition, he placed seventh in
1983, sixth in 1984, and fifth in
1985 at 142 pounds.
Steve Nelson ’78—Nelson
earned All-MIAC and NCAA AllAmerican honors as a leader and
center of the 1977-78 Augsburg
men’s hockey squad that captured
the NAIA national title—the
school’s first team national title.
John Nelson ’86—A two-time AllMIAC pitcher in baseball, Nelson
set an NCAA Division III singleseason record, which still stands,
with 15 complete games in 1986,
as the Auggies reached the NCAA
Division III Midwest Regional.
Wayne “Mick” Scholl ’86—
Scholl earned All-MIAC honors
in baseball in 1984 and 1986.
Peggy Meissner ’80—An
Augsburg Honor Athlete in
1980, Meissner competed in
both volleyball and softball, and
was part of an Auggie volleyball
squad that finished second at the
MAIAW state tournament in
1979, finishing 27-15-3.
— Don Stoner
Julie Stepan Flaskamp ’92—A
track and field athlete, Stepan
Flaskamp qualified for the NCAA
Division III national championships twice in the heptathlon,
earning All-American honors in
1992 with an eighth-place finish.
She earned Academic All-MIAC
honors and was named an
Augsburg Honor Athlete in 1992.
Kristi Ockuly ’95—Ockuly, an
outfielder and pitcher, earned
All-MIAC and All-Region honors
three times each in softball and
was named a Division III AllAmerican in 1995. She was an
Augsburg Honor Athlete in 1995.
For complete schedules, scores,
and information about Augsburg
athletics, go to
www.augsburg.edu/athletics.
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AROUND THE QUAD
Ages of Imagination
Augsburg College celebrates a new season
of leadership
October 18–21, 2006
Over four days in October, Augsburg College will celebrate the new leadership of President Paul
Pribbenow, as he is inaugurated into office around the themes of AGES—abundance, generosity,
engagement, and service.
Each day will focus on one of these themes in a variety of activities and events that involve the entire
Augsburg community on campus, in our neighborhood and city, and around the world.
The Inauguration Ceremony, open to the public, will take place on Fri., Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. in Melby
Hall, followed by a community celebration.
For major events, see the calendar on the inside back cover. For further information and the complete
calendar of events, go to www.augsburg.edu/inauguration.
Lutheran college choirs
celebrate F. Melius
Christiansen
The Augsburg Choir and four
other Minnesota Lutheran college
choirs will perform together in
two concerts on Sunday, Nov. 19,
to celebrate the living legacy of F.
Melius Christiansen, the “father”
of American a cappella singing.
Christiansen’s birth 135 years
ago will be commemorated by
Augsburg, Concordia-Moorhead,
Concordia University-St. Paul,
Gustavus Adolphus, and St. Olaf
in the first joint appearance by
these five ensembles representing
the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA) and the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
(LCMS). Each choir will perform
individually with their own conductor and as a combined choir
under the direction of guest conductor Kenneth Jennings, professor emeritus and former director
of the St. Olaf Choir.
Two identical anniversary concerts will be performed at
Slovakian baseball, Auggie style
For the seventh year, StepUP program director Patrice Salmeri coached in a baseball camp for youth in
Slovakia. Here, Jano and Lucia sport Auggie baseball t-shirts sent from the baseball team.
6 AUGSBURG NOW
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F. Melius Christiansen
Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on
Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The concerts are sponsored by
the F. Melius Christiansen Star of
the North Festival Concert Series
affiliated with the American
Choral Directors Association
(ACDA) of Minnesota, and will
highlight the organization’s twoday annual fall convention program and benefit the F. Melius
Christiansen Endowed
Scholarship Fund that supports
continuing education and graduate studies of young and aspiring
choral directors in Minnesota.
Music to be performed at the
concerts will feature works of
F. Melius Christiansen, including
choral favorites of thousands of
choral concertgoers, such as
Beautiful Savior, Wake Awake,
O Day Full of Grace, Psalm 50,
Praise to the Lord The Almighty,
and Lost In The Night,
among others.
Born in Norway in 1871,
Christiansen came to the United
States at age 17. In 1892, he
attended a concert by the
Augsburg Quartet in Wisconsin
and was attracted to Augsburg
College, where he became a
quartet member.
In 1903 he accepted an appointment as director of the St. Olaf
College music program. He founded the St. Olaf Choir in 1911 and
directed it until 1941, becoming
internationally known for his
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006
2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Featuring the choirs of
Augsburg College
Concordia College–Moorhead
Concordia University–St. Paul
Gustavus Adolphus College
St. Olaf College
Ticket sales available May 1, 2006
Orchestra Hall Ticket Office: 612-371-5656
1871–1955
Proudly sponsored by the F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Committee
and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) of Minnesota
135th Anniversary Festival Concerts
development of perfect intonation,
blend, diction, and phrasing. He
was succeeded by his son Olaf;
another son, Paul, taught for nearly 50 years at Concordia CollegeMoorhead. F. Melius Christiansen
died in 1955.
Welcome, GEMS and GISE
About 100 girls and—for the first time—35 boys from Minneapolis Public Schools in grades 4–12 spent
several weeks on campus studying monarch butterflies, building the Mars terrain, programming robots,
and learning the chemistry of cosmetics. The GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Mathematics, and Science) and
new GISE (Guys in Science and Engineering) programs involve Augsburg students and former GEMS students as mentors.
For additional concert information go to www.fmcendowment.org. All seats are reserved;
tickets are available through the
Orchestra Hall box office (1-800292-4141 or 612-371-5656).
The Frame years in print
Published by Lutheran
University Press, with a preface
by ELCA presiding bishop
Mark Hanson ’68
$24.95
Available at the Augsburg
College Bookstore
612-330-1521
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AROUND THE QUAD
Dan Jorgensen retires to teaching—for now
Retirement for Dan Jorgensen, Augsburg’s public relations director
since 2000 and special assistant to President Frame for the past year,
is all relative. During this fall semester, he’ll still be commuting from
Northfield, but to a classroom instead of an office.
He has taught a journalism course in Weekend College for the past
five years, and in September he’ll teach it both in the day and weekend
programs—plus, teach a public relations course in both programs.
Much of Jorgensen’s tenure as public relations director focused on
raising the visibility of Augsburg in both the local and national media.
“I feel like we became more of a ‘player’ in terms of which institutions should be contacted when media sources were searching for
across-the-board responses to different educational questions,”
Jorgensen says. He recalls an editor of the Chronicle of Higher
Education telling him that Augsburg and President Frame were the
first who came to mind from small liberal arts colleges when planning a national forum on college presidencies.
Jorgensen also enjoyed seeing more faculty included as key
resources in the media—faculty who “took on a willingness to be
called upon,” he says. “That sort of cooperative spirit exemplifies the
overall ‘can do’ spirit of the institution. I loved that.”
For his retirement outside of teaching, he has several writing projects waiting, especially a novel about the Black Hills of South Dakota.
He and his wife, Susan, have first-hand experience living there and
have been collecting information for many years. He has also been
asked by his publisher for additional youth sports novels.
8 AUGSBURG NOW
Herald Johnson—Augsburg’s first financial
aid officer—retires after 37 years
When he came as a freshman in 1961, Herald Johnson ’68 probably
had no clue he would still be at Augsburg in 2006.
He stayed on to become an admissions counselor, but moved into
financial aid when new federal programs required administrative
oversight. In the 37 years since, he has served as a pioneer, leader,
and mentor among Minnesota financial aid officers.
One of Johnson’s legacies at Augsburg is the Enrollment Center. He
and Julie Olson, vice president for enrollment management, played
important roles in the concept development and implementation of
bringing several financial aid and enrollment offices together in a
one-stop shop for students.
He is the only person to have been twice elected president of the
Minnesota Association of Financial Aid Administrators (MAFAA). He
is proud of the Futures Task Force he created with his charge to past
presidents: “I want you to look at our association with critical eyes
and see if we’re poised for what you see coming down the road.”
His retirement plans include a fair amount of work, but his four
children and seven grandchildren are top priority. “The kids are my
friends,” Johnson says—“it’s really cool.” Their gift to him is a trip to
Norway to meet relatives and explore his heritage—a longtime dream.
He’ll continue as a consultant at Augsburg with the Scholastic
Connections program, the Scholarship Brunch, and with government
relations concerning financial aid issues in 2007.
He mentions that among his pleasures at Augsburg was hiring student workers and following their careers as they assume leadership
positions both at Augsburg and around the state.
At the end of his notice of thanks following a retirement celebration, Johnson wrote, “As we Norwegians say, ‘Mange tusen tak.’”
— Betsey Norgard
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American Indian Studies—
a cultural commitment
Augsburg’s newest department
makes a bold statement for the
College—about commitment,
about culture, and about heritage.
After being offered as a minor and
major for a number of years, the
faculty approved the creation of
an American Indian Studies
Department, headed by Associate
Professor Eric Buffalohead.
The new department models
Augsburg’s mission to serve diverse
populations, says Buffalohead, and
it signals to students, parents, and
the community that it’s permanent
and a great choice for a major—
and not just a selection of courses
that may change.
The number of students in the
program has been growing, and
they are beginning to shift from
Native to non-Native students.
American Indian Studies is a valuable major, second major, or minor
for students who are preparing for
work with human services—in
business, health care, education,
youth and family ministry, etc.
“AIS courses and skills are
transferable,” Buffalohead says,
“to law, politics, service—it’s
about cultural understanding.”
Since the program is small,
students often take several courses
with the same professor. For
native students, the program also
serves as a safety net where they
can relate to faculty and staff.
The department works closely
with Augsburg’s American Indian
Student Services program.
This multidisciplinary department includes courses in history,
literature, religion, film, women’s
studies, and special topics. The
faculty seek opportunities to
build in experiential opportunities, such as learning in the community, internships, and study
abroad. Next winter, Assistant
Professor Elise Marubbio will
M. Elise Marubbio and Eric Buffalohead are
two of the faculty in Augsburg’s new
American Indian Studies Department.
lead a travel program to
Guatemala, focusing on indigenous issues of the Mayan people.
Film has become a focus in the
AIS program. For three years, the
College has sponsored the
Augsburg Native American Film
Series, which screens documentary films, often with the filmmaker present to lead discussion.
It also provides a venue for selections from other film festivals,
and links to Augsburg’s
Indigenous Filmmakers course.
Buffalohead says that
Augsburg’s American Indian
Studies Department seeks to
excel as a regional center for the
study of Indians in the Upper
Midwest. Students can study one
year of Ojibwe language on campus, with the possibility of a second year of study.
Buffalohead’s experience in
American Indian Studies dates
back to age five, when his father
became the first chair of the
American Indian Studies
Department at the University of
Minnesota, and Eric would visit
his office. After earning academic
degrees in anthropology, he also
taught at the university, which he
considers to have been good
training for Augsburg’s new
department.
For information on American
Indian Studies, contact Eric
Buffalohead at
buffaloe@augsburg.edu or go to
www.augsburg.edu/ais.
— Betsey Norgard
Killing the Indian Maiden:
Images of Native American Women in Film
by M. Elise Marubbio
Native American women have been
characterized as various figures in
film for over 100 years. None,
however, has intrigued Elise
Marubbio more than the young
Native woman who falls in love or
is connected with a white hero and
dies for this choice.
Marubbio’s book, Killing the
Indian Maiden: Images of Native
American Women in Film, will be
published in December by the
University Press of Kentucky. The
book analyzes 34 A-list Hollywood
films, from the silent era to the present, to analyze the depictions of
women and the themes and myths that are played out.
The book stems from her dissertation and unites her various areas
of interest—she has degrees in fine arts/photography, American
Indian Studies, and cultural studies. It is the first in-depth study in
this area and is important for film studies, women’s studies, cultural
studies, and American Indian studies.
Marubbio researched film archives at the Museum of Modern Art
in New York, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the
Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, and
the Cecil B. DeMille Archives at Brigham Young University. A dissertation fellowship from the American Association of University
Women gave her time to write.
What she found, she says, is that “over a 90-year period this figure
emerged in premier films in various forms as either the Princess or
Sexualized Maiden, figures through whose body national themes of
colonialism, violence toward women of color, and feats of interracial
mixing are played out.
“All the films reinforce American myths of the frontier, Manifest
Destiny, and the ideal of Anglo-European America’s pre-modernization innocence through this image,” Marubbio says.
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AROUND THE QUAD
Renewing Old Main—
heritage of place,
spirit of space
SUPPORTING
AUGSBURG
Over the top at
$55 million
A 500-ton crane has begun to set the precast concrete walls on the poured footings for
On June 27, a celebration was
held in Christensen Center as
the star was moved across the
$55 million figure and the goal
was reached in Access to
Excellence: The Campaign for
Augsburg College.
“We are here to celebrate
achievements in the capital campaign that started six years ago
with a $55 million goal,” said
Tracy Elftmann, vice president
for institutional advancement.
She reported an exact total of
$55,009,761 received to date.
Retiring president William
Frame commented that this
could not have been achieved
without everyone’s participation.
He described vocation as “living
so that you create community,”
and this accomplishment could
not have happened unless
Augsburg is becoming “something called ‘community.’”
President Paul Pribbenow
wrote in a memo to the
Augsburg community in July, “As
called for in our original campaign plan, we are continuing to
raise funds for all Access to
Excellence campaign projects
(Kennedy, Gateway, and science
facilities, along with our endowment) through the end of the
2006 calendar year. And we are
preparing to celebrate this
10 AUGSBURG NOW
the new Oren Gateway Center. The completion date is set for fall 2007. Watch the
progress on the webcam at www.augsburg.edu/campaign/gateway/construction.html.
Construction is moving quickly on the Kennedy Sports and Recreation Complex in Melby
Hall. The structure is up, new bleachers have been installed, and anticipated completion is
January 2007.
remarkable achievement during
the upcoming academic year.”
He further explained that
although the total goal was reached,
funding for the science building
was not completed, in part due to
dramatically higher construction
and transportation costs.
Pribbenow has identified the
science building as one of his top
priorities, and says that “with
anticipation and momentum we
will now redouble and refocus our
efforts to raise funds to see the
completion of the science project.”
Construction began on the
Kennedy Sports and Recreation
Complex in Melby Hall in May,
and on the Oren Gateway Center
in July.
— Betsey Norgard
A gift of $1 million has been given
by Norman and Evangeline
(Vangie) Hagfors for the renovation
of Old Main and a potential home
for the Center for Faith and
Learning. Both Norman and Vangie
enjoy longtime connections to
Augsburg through the Lutheran
Free Church. With this gift they
honor both the physical and theological heart of the Lutheran Free
Church as well as the renewed
spiritual vitality of the College,
guided by its Center for Faith and
Learning.
The renovated chapel in Old
Main will be named for Vangie’s
father, Rev. Elnar Gundale, who
graduated from Augsburg College
in 1933 and Augsburg Seminary in
1937. For more than 50 years,
across four states, he served LFC
churches and was the oldest living
LFC pastor at the time of his death.
From her childhood memories, Vangie recalls visits to their
homes during the summers from
the Augsburg Men’s Quartets.
“Their proclamation of the
Gospel as Augsburg ambassadors,” says Vangie, “made a very
positive impression on the youth
of the churches they visited, as
well as their parents, who supported the school.”
Three of Vangie’s siblings followed their father’s footsteps to
Augsburg. Vangie also attended the
College as part of her nurse’s training at Lutheran Deaconess
Hospital. She remembers her class
of 32 nurses walking across
Franklin Avenue to Augsburg
where they studied mostly science.
Among other activities on campus,
she attended chapel in Old Main.
Norman Hagfors has been a
member of Augsburg’s Board of
Regents for more than twelve years,
including serving as vice chairman
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Above: The chapel in Old Mail will be restored and named for alumnus Rev. Elnar
Gundale, ’33, ’37 Sem.
Left: Vangie and Norman Hagfors
and chairing committees. “I have
enjoyed watching the College grow
in stature both as an educational
institution and in spiritual vitality,”
he says. He gives much credit to
President Emeritus William Frame
who, he says, “really pushed the
spiritual aspects of developing one’s
life—not only at Augsburg, but as
a spokesman to other colleges.”
Norman graduated from the
University of Minnesota in electrical engineering when biomedical
engineering was in its infancy,
and worked in medical research,
authored many papers, and
received a number of patents for
his inventions. He also played a
part in several “start up” medical
device companies that brought
implantable cardiac pacemakers
and neurological devices for the
treatment of chronic pain to the
medical community.
Norman and Vangie Hagfors
have chosen to support the renovation of Old Main not only
because of its physical significance in the history of the school,
but because it embodies the spiri-
tual foundation and concepts on
which Augsburg was founded.
Their hope is that the renovation
will give support, emphasis, and
inspiration to the spiritual life of
the school and its students.
Norman and Vangie have two
married children and seven
grandchildren.
— Betsey Norgard
The Center for Faith and Learning
As the Old Main Chapel stands in the center of the campus,
Augsburg’s new Center for Faith and Learning lies at the heart of
Augsburg’s educational mission. Four years ago, Augsburg received
its first grant from the Lilly Endowment for “Exploring Our Gifts,”
helping students, faculty, and staff attend to their called lives of
service. When the Lilly grants conclude in 2010, Augsburg’s Center
for Faith and Learning will continue to embed and extend
Augsburg’s leadership in vocation.
A focal point in the Center for Faith and Learning is Augsburg’s
first endowed chair, named for former Augsburg president and
scholar Bernhard M. Christensen. In September 2005, retired Luther
Seminary president and theologian David Tiede was inaugurated as
the Bernhard M. Christensen Professor in Religion and Vocation.
In his inauguration speech, Tiede explained the Center for Faith
and Learning: “The purpose of the center is to guide the College in
the theological exploration of vocation as understood within the
Lutheran tradition. It will provide resources to faculty, staff, and students that enable them to organize faith and learning within a vocational framework.”
The center is also building external partnerships to study faith
and learning in the community. One example is faith@work!, a
partnership with St. Philip the Deacon Church in Plymouth, Minn.
This speaker series presents community leaders who provide examples and tools for living faith-based lives. (See information on the
speakers and dates in the calendar on the inside back cover.)
A $1 million gift from Norman and Vangie Hagfors will help renovate Augsburg’s
oldest building.
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Experience grounded in mission and vision:
Paul Pribbenow’s call
to Augsburg
BY BETHANY BIERMAN
12 AUGSBURG NOW
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“Hip, hip, hooray!” Thomas exclaimed, his right arm pumping in triumph. He had just been told his family’s picture would be on the cover
of a magazine.
“Wow, how about that!” replied his mother, as she brushed sand off his
little sister Maya’s knees.
I
ndeed, it is a time for celebrating at Augsburg, as the
Pribbenow family settles into Minneapolis and the Augsburg
House. Not since Bernhard Christensen’s presidency, which
began in 1938, has Augsburg’s first family included young children. Paul Pribbenow and his wife, Abigail, and their children,
Thomas (5) and Maya (2), quickly have acclimated to the Augsburg
community.
On July 1, 2006, Pribbenow became the 11th president of
Augsburg College, a position that colleagues close to him have
known was his dream—to become the president of a Lutheran college. To that dream he brought a proven track record of success—
from fundraising to developing mission and vision and from teaching
to handling senior management issues.
In announcing his Augsburg appointment to the Rockford College
community, which he had served as president since 2002, Pribbenow
stated, “The leadership opportunity at Augsburg College is a once-ina-lifetime chance to take the best of what I have learned at Rockford
College, with its commitments to liberal arts and civic engagement in
the city, and link that experience with a connection to the Lutheran
Church, which is my personal faith tradition.”
Over the months since his appointment, Pribbenow’s entry into the
Augsburg community, through an unusual shared transition with
retiring president William Frame, has seemed quite natural—as if it
had been in the making for a long time.
Son of a pastor
Paul Pribbenow was born in Decorah, Iowa, during his father’s senior
year at Luther College. The young family moved to St. Paul where his
father attended seminary, then moved to a small town near Tomah,
Wis., where his father’s ministry began.
The eldest of six children, Pribbenow spent most of his youth in
small towns around Madison. His family moved to Iowa during his
ninth-grade year, and he graduated from high school in Denver, Iowa,
near Waverly. Pribbenow graduated magna cum laude from Luther
College in three years, with a B.A. in sociology and political science.
“My first couple of years at Luther, I thought I would go to seminary,” Pribbenow recalls. Halfway through his third year, however, he
admitted to one of his religion professors, “I love the study of religion, but I don’t feel called to be a minister.” The professor suggested
looking into the Divinity School at the University of Chicago where
he could engage the questions that interested him without specifically
preparing for the ministry. Pribbenow entered the Divinity School in
1978 and spent the next 18 years in the Chicago area.
“I went from never living in a big city to living on the south side of
Chicago. If I have a place that I call home, it’s probably Chicago.”
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The call begins
Starting graduate school, Pribbenow felt his primary interest would be in
teaching religion and ethics. Along the way, however, he began to focus
his interests on the ethics and management of not-for-profit organizations.
“I learned that in American society, non-profits are one of the
important ways we live out our social ethic,” Pribbenow says. “I
became intrigued by how organizations are managed and what link
that has to how effective they are in helping society live out its social
ethic. If there’s a problem in the way a college or museum is run,
that’s going to have an impact on how well the institution will live
out its mission and values.” Pribbenow began to understand these
issues as examples of the need for reflective practice—linking learning with action.
In order to practice what he preached, he took a job in fundraising
at the university after receiving his M.A. in divinity. “I started up the
administrative ladder, along the way I taught and had chances to
write, but I never left the practice of administration. I started practicing what I studied and what I cared about. That was my calling.”
The lines connect
The President’s Cabinet (L to R) Leif Anderson, chief information officer; Barbara
Edwards Farley, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the College; Ann
Garvey, vice president of student affairs and dean of students; Tom Morgan, senior
vice president and special assistant; President Pribbenow; Tracy Elftmann, vice president for institutional advancement; Julie Olson, vice president of enrollment management; Dick Adamson, vice president for finance and adminstration; and Gaye Lindfors,
senior vice president and special assistant.
14 AUGSBURG NOW
It was in these early years working at the University of Chicago that
Pribbenow started to realize even more clearly the connection
between his various interests—higher education, management, and
ethics—and that he might have both the skills and commitment to be
a college president.
In 1993, Pribbenow was named vice president for institutional
advancement at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago—an
assignment that helped him gain valuable experience in leading a
complex (and sometimes unpredictable!) organization.
At the Art Institute he also met his future wife, Abigail, then a
graduate student in the school’s arts administration program, when
she interviewed with him for a job in event planning for the school.
Paul and Abigail were on their honeymoon when the call from
Wabash College came. After many years of living in the Windy City,
the two packed up and headed to Crawfordsville, Ind., for a six-year
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Abigail at a
glance
adventure where Paul served as dean for college advancement, secretary of the Board of Trustees, and research fellow in the liberal arts.
A taste of the ministry
While working at Wabash, Pribbenow got a call from the ELCA
Indiana-Kentucky Synod bishop, saying, “‘There is a little SwedishLutheran church down the road from you in Attica, Ind., that has lost
its pastor and can’t afford a full-time pastor. I was wondering if you’d
take an interim assignment to serve them for six months, just to help?’”
“I actually think he mistook me for my father,” Pribbenow chuckles. When he told the bishop he wasn’t ordained, the bishop
responded that he would license him for the roles that would require
ordination. “What was originally a short-term assignment turned into
a three-year stint as interim pastor,” says Pribbenow.
The Pribbenows moved to Rockford, Ill., on Easter Weekend 2002
for the start of Pribbenow’s presidency at Rockford College. After the
couple and their son, Thomas, whom they adopted in Vietnam in
2001, made the Saturday trip from Central Indiana to Illinois with
two heavily packed vehicles, Pribbenow turned around to make the
five-hour trip back to Indiana so that he could preside at his last
service the next morning—on Easter Sunday.
“My work as interim pastor in Attica was a valuable experience for
a new college president. It taught me some very important lessons
about loving a congregation, preaching the lectionary, and presiding
over congregational meetings—all activities that closely parallel the
work of leading a college.”
The Rockford years
Pribbenow became the 16th president of Rockford College at an
extremely important point. Critics at the time of his arrival described
the four-year, independent college founded in 1847 as lacking in focus,
and there were financial challenges that required immediate attention.
In his four years at Rockford, Pribbenow led the campus community in a strategic long-range planning process that refocused on the
liberal arts, launched new degree programs, renewed its commitment
Abigail Crampton Pribbenow
grew up in Flossmoor, Ill., outside of Chicago. She spent her
junior year of high school as an
exchange student in France and
two subsequent years at the
United World College–USA in
New Mexico. She went on to
earn a bachelor’s degree in
anthropology from the
University of Chicago and a
Master of Arts in arts administration from the School of the
Art Institute of Chicago.
Dance has always been a keen interest for Abigail. While growing
up, she studied classical ballet and in college learned modern dance
and choreography. Combining her experience as a dancer and her
administrative skills, Abigail’s professional work includes working in
not-for-profit management at the Chicago Dance Coalition, the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Wabash College, and the
International School of Indiana. While preparing to adopt Thomas,
she returned to teaching dance to children in Crawfordsville, Ind.
Abigail has fully immersed herself in the life of each college and
community in which she and Paul have lived, including serving as
president of the Rockford Area Arts Council, church council member,
board member for the Easter Seals Children’s Development Center,
and host of the biannual women in the arts festival at Rockford
College. Among her many accomplishments, she co-founded the Jelly
Bean Ball, a family-friendly fundraiser for Easter Seals. She looks forward to finding her niche in the Augsburg community.
Abigail anticipates much entertaining and relationship building in
the next several months and expects her largest challenge to be figuring out when to integrate the children into these activities. For
now, she’s glad to have figured out routes to the farmer’s markets
and local parks. Thomas and Maya seem glad about this, too.
to civic engagement, and engineered a provocative and attentiongrabbing branding campaign that played off of the image of the institution’s most famous alumna, Jane Addams, social reformer and the
1931 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
The Pribbenow family also received the blessing of a daughter while
in Rockford when they adopted Maya in Chongqing, China, in 2004.
The call to Augsburg
When approached by the search consultant in 2005 about applying
for the vacancy at Augsburg, Pribbenow was intrigued. He and
Abigail knew Bill and Anne Frame through their work on a vocation
project with the Council of Independent Colleges.
“It was a call to a place that clearly is working to be faithful to its
church tradition while also seeking to be faithful to its educational
and civic engagement traditions,” says Pribbenow. “I’ve spent my
entire career in non-sectarian places. … I’ve learned some valuable
lessons about what it means to be faithful in the world, and I know
those are lessons that will inform my work at Augsburg.”
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Augsburg College—
the first-year initiatives
One College
Based on the College’s mission that embraces the liberal arts, faith
and values, life in the city, and diversity, the Augsburg community
will engage in conversations that explore how all the curricular,
co-curricular, administrative, and public work at Augsburg is
grounded in the College’s singular mission and vision. Wherever it
is found—in Minneapolis, Rochester, or around the world at its
Center for Global Education sites—and whomever it teaches—traditional undergraduates or adult learners—and whatever it teaches—the traditional liberal arts or professional studies—how is
Augsburg known as one college, dedicated to the same abiding
values and aspirations?
The Augsburg Promise—Experience and Image
Based on the one college conversations, the Augsburg community
will examine the promises it makes to students, faculty, staff,
alumni, its neighborhood, and the wider world. We will consider
how well we keep our promises in the daily work of the College.
We then will explore how the Augsburg community can do an
even better job of keeping its promises, talking to each other
about those promises, and then illustrating to the world what the
Augsburg brand is all about.
Common Work at Augsburg
The Augsburg community also will examine its organizational
life—how it’s governed, who’s involved in leadership and decisionmaking, and what voices are heard (or not) in its daily life. Based
on this examination, the College will develop an organizational
structure that deploys resources responsibly and is accountable.
Based on our common work of educating students, we also will
seek to offer all members of the Augsburg community the opportunities to nurture and sustain their callings.
Science at Augsburg
As a college community, we will explore what it means to educate
students in the sciences at Augsburg, within the context of the
College’s mission—dedicated to our rich tradition of excellence in
teaching and research, as well as to our commitments to scientific
literacy and responsibility. Based on our findings, we will plan curricular and co-curricular programs, public outreach, and facilities
appropriate to our highest aspirations for science education at
Augsburg. A central feature of this project will be the re-launching
of fundraising efforts for new science facilities at Augsburg.
— Paul Pribbenow
16 AUGSBURG NOW
Pribbenow did have hesitations about leaving Rockford. “I didn’t
feel as though I’d been there long enough, and there were many
issues still to be addressed.”
He was encouraged to speak with Jean Taylor, chair of the
Augsburg Board of Regents. “She listened carefully, and at the end of
our conversation she said, ‘I think you’ve got to do what Augsburg
has taught me—you’ve just got to listen.’ That was very insightful
and critical to my decision to seek the Augsburg presidency.”
It was a call to which he and Abigail couldn’t say “no.”
A remarkable fit
In his letter to the Augsburg search committee, Pribbenow spelled
out why this opportunity seemed such a remarkable fit for his leadership and experience.
To him leadership must also be understood as stewardship. He is
committed to the role of a collaborative leader who has a “responsibility to help the college community ‘pay attention’ to its most deeply
held values and priorities so that all gifts are well used.” This
includes a uniting of the campus community in shared vision, as well
as in varying forms of hospitality that engage the campus with its
urban neighbors.
Pribbenow wrote that his own deeply held sense of personal vocation builds on Martin Luther’s view of education that creates people of
“wondrous ability, subsequently fit for everything.” A college that helps
students discover this ability must in itself be a mission-driven and
integrated institution, so that all students in all programs “are chal-
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lenged and shaped by [a] vision to link education with engagement.”
Pribbenow went on to write that he is “committed to the idea that
colleges—and especially church-related colleges—are uniquely situated to help students of all ages to listen for and hear their own calls,
to find their vocations for life and service in the world.” As an ethicist
he has examined professional work in society and understands how
significantly reflective thinking (linking learning and experience) and
personal faith affect public well-being.
As he begins his Augsburg presidency, Pribbenow finds Augsburg
and Rockford colleges very similar in their commitments to civic
engagement. “I am here because of that commitment to educating students for democracy, and I intend to make it an even more important
focal point. Augsburg should be known for what it does in civic
engagement. … We need to say to the world, ‘Look at what we’re
doing and why we’re doing it. There are important lessons about faithful life in the world that are being taught and practiced at Augsburg.’”
The key difference between the colleges, he says, is of course the
connection to the church. “The role at Augsburg of Lutheran faith
and human religious experience shapes the education of students and
defines a central aspect of our identity as a college,” Pribbenow states.
“I need to have a different lens to the way I look at issues that I didn’t
in a non-sectarian institution. That’s an energizing and meaningful
aspect of the work ahead of us.”
The plan
Pribbenow’s initiatives for his first year at Augsburg all point to action
(see the sidebar on the opposite page). “We need to take the good
vision work that’s been done during the Frame presidency and translate it into organizational activity and image so that people will look
at Augsburg and say, ‘I see what this college cares about.’”
When asked what he hopes the headlines will read when he retires,
Pribbenow answers, “I do hope we’ll be here until I retire, and when
I’m ready to step down that the community will have the same affection and love that people had for Bill and Anne, because we were
faithful to what this college is called to do. … I hope the headlines
will read that I helped Augsburg to be even more faithful to its calling, and that as a result, this little college stands as a 21st-century
model for faithful and responsible liberal arts education in a city.”
As far as Thomas and Maya’s plans, they seem content to be getting
to know their new hometown. When asked his favorite thing about
Minneapolis, Thomas answered, “The Mall of America! On the log
ride, there’s this big guy with an axe. He’s GI-NORMOUS!”
Without a doubt, Augsburg seems to be on the cusp of some pretty
“gi-normous” opportunities as well. Ⅵ
5
things you may
not know about
Paul Pribbenow:
1.
He writes his own version of
a “blog,” known as Notes for
the Reflective Practitioner.
2.
He sang professionally for 13
years in Chicago. (His father
and he both sang for Weston
Noble at Luther.)
3.
He doesn’t eat red meat or
lutefisk. (Perhaps the latter
has to do with his first job
cleaning out the lutefisk tub
in the Stoughton, Wis.,
grocery store cooler.)
4.
While it’s true that his mentor
and dissertation adviser Martin
Marty wears a bow tie, it wasn’t
until years after learning to tie
them for the many black tie
affairs he attended at the Art
Institute of Chicago that he
decided to adopt the look on a
daily basis.
5.
In his car stereo you’ll find
National Public Radio, the
Mars Hill tapes (conversations on Christianity and
modern culture), choral
music, or Raffi (children’s
musician and entertainer).
To learn more about Augsburg’s mission and vision and to read
President Pribbenow’s speeches, go to www.augsburg.edu/president.
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Country
Fresh U
BY TIM DOUGHERTY
very Thursday during the growing season, Campus Kitchen
student intern Melanie Opay returns to campus around 5:30
p.m., her head barely visible above the white produce boxes
stuffing her car. Teeming with delicacies from rutabagas to
radishes and kale to kohlrabi, these bountiful boxes are
courtesy of Gary Brever’s Ploughshare Farm, a family-owned organic
farm in Parker’s Prairie, Minn. Brever’s parents, Jeanie and DeWayne,
deliver the veggies each week to drop-off sites in Alexandria, St.
Cloud, and the Twin Cities, delighting urban dwellers who have
increasingly searched for more freshness in their summer diets.
Brever is a small-business owner and entrepreneur just as much as
an organic farmer, and has carved a niche for his farm in the growing
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement. In the CSA
model, individuals and families purchase a “share” of the harvest at
the beginning of the growing season in exchange for a weekly box of
vegetables from mid-June to early October. Typically, paying customers receive the produce themselves, but Brever has augmented his
market by allowing people or congregations to purchase shares and
donate them to hunger organizations like the Campus Kitchen at
Augsburg College (CKAC).
For the past three summers, these white produce boxes have
formed the food foundation for Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen—a student-driven food recycling organization. Volunteers use this produce
along with surplus food from Sodexho’s campus dining services and
local food banks to prepare nutritious, free meals for residents in
neighboring community programs. The premise has always been simple: there is far too much good food going to landfills and far too
many agencies that can’t afford to buy food for their hungry clients.
By recycling food and empowering students to prepare meals and share
them with immigrant youth, the homeless, and homebound elders,
CKAC uses food as a tool to engage students in the community, to reduce
the amount of discarded campus food, and to forge bonds in Augsburg’s
neighborhood through the universal language of a shared meal.
E
Ploughshare Farm’s Gary Brever spreads
hay to mulch the tomato beds for weed
control and moisture.
18 AUGSBURG NOW
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Urban Renewal
With the addition of Brever’s organic, locally-grown produce,
CKAC has begun to build programs that can better nourish clients
with an array of ingredients infinitely fresher than grocery store fare.
At the same time, the programs redefine stewardship by supporting
local farmers and they educate youth about dietary choices that can
simultaneously heal both the earth and their bodies.
Above: Campus Kitchen culinary job
Taste the difference
trainee Kenny Peterson chops lettuce fresh
For the Campus Kitchen, the quality of freshness is staggering. Each
week, the menu for clients is set according to the contents in those
boxes, an adventurous undertaking in and of itself. “Working with
local produce has been an exciting challenge,” says Opay. “I get to
work with food I’ve never used before, which has been a great learn-
from Ploughshare Farm.
Below: Campus Kitchen volunteer Trish
Hannah leads the youth in the Jump Start
program through cooking techniques.
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ing experience and a lot of fun. Plus, our clients love the results!”
That’s because the results are often worthy of an epicurean’s table:
dishes such as arugula salad with shaved fennel and marinated chioggia beets or southern-style collards and cabbage. These meals are
then delivered, served, and shared with the community by Augsburg
students, staff, and alumni.
In addition, each week’s harvest is so bountiful that CKAC can
share full boxes of fresh produce with the Brian Coyle Center food
shelf. In the heart of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, this community food shelf primarily serves East-African immigrants, a population
that prefers to prepare meals from scratch and spurns the canned
goods and highly processed foods that usually fill food shelves.
Brever, like the Campus Kitchen, believes that true community
health can begin with what people have on their dinner plates.
Having spent a few years on a Catholic Worker farm in Washington
state, he was well accustomed to the corn-syrup-laden, preservativerich foods typical of food shelves. While these foods may fill bellies,
they do little to build health.
Brever also saw the preponderance of these products as a good
indicator of the shortcomings embodied by our industrial food system, where—according to Francis Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé in
their book Hope’s Edge—about half of a typical grocery store’s more
than 30,000 items are produced by 10 multinational food and beverage companies.
A rural Minnesotan by birth, Brever knew the effect this homogenized system has on the fabric of rural farming communities and the
20 AUGSBURG NOW
relative lack of nutritive value provided by these preserved foods.
Longing for an alternative, he envisioned a system where small, family
farmers could thrive while even the urban poor could gain access to
fresh, responsibly grown produce. In short, everyone deserves food
grown with care, harvested at peak ripeness, and made into meals
that nourish the body and sustain the mind.
Redefining stewardship
Brever saw the CSA model as the answer. By offering people the
opportunity to donate locally-grown produce, he felt he could help
farms like his to earn a living wage while getting more healthy food
options to urban populations who lack access to such luxury. “At its
core, it’s about relationship,” says Brever. “How are we supporting the
farmers and the communities that grow our food?” In an increasingly
complicated world, it’s no longer enough to merely feed people. We
must also take into account how that food is grown and prepared
while weighing the environmental and economic realities we’re supporting with our food decisions.
The model has been hugely successful, as church congregations
and individual donors love the idea of enriching the urban community
while helping small farms succeed. In Brever’s words, feeding the
hungry is “no longer just about charity. Now, it’s also about change.”
At Augsburg, the Campus Kitchen has been helping to usher in
those changes. Thanks to a generous donation from St. Martin’s
Table, the local restaurant and social-justice bookstore, CKAC is
embarking on its third summer of vegetables from Ploughshare Farm.
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In addition to preparing meals for clients, the produce is now being
leveraged to educate youth about the health benefits of a diverse diet,
and the power we have to effect change with something as simple as
our eating habits.
Project C.H.O.I.C.E.S
Few tactics succeed when it comes to getting kids to taste new vegetables. Unless, of course, you involve them in the cooking process.
Each week, CKAC volunteer Trish Hannah leads a cooking class with
11- to 14-year-old participants in the Brian Coyle Center’s Jump Start
program. Seasonal dishes such as a strawberry, spinach, and grilled
asparagus salad that would have originally garnered a cacophonous
chorus of “eew” and “boo” are suddenly finding a receptive audience
in these young culinarians.
Project C.H.O.I.C.E.S (Community Health Originates in Creating
Environmental Sustainability) is a curriculum devised by Hannah in
conjunction with CKAC and Jennifer Tacheny, coordinator of
Celeste’s Dream Community Garden Project. Its goal is to awaken the
power in students to choose health for their bodies and the earth.
Through cooking classes using local produce, it seeks to teach youth
the full cycle of food—from the field to the table to the compost
bin—while empowering them to choose respect. It means the choice
to respect their bodies with healthy, tasty food that was grown in a
responsible manner and as close to home as possible. And the choice
to respect their neighborhoods and backyards by picking up litter
and composting food waste. Using the common denominator of food,
the curriculum hopes to teach self-sufficiency and empower these
youth to cultivate healthy, responsible lifestyles.
Honoring the full cycle
Brever can’t think of a better outlet for his produce. “So many nonprofits are forced to measure their impact in pounds of food. Just as
it’s hard to measure the intangible nutritional and environmental values of buying local and organic produce, you can’t measure the intangible value of sharing a meal with someone,” he says. “Not only does
the Campus Kitchen share my food with people in Minneapolis, it
also uses it as a teaching tool for empowerment.”
And the Campus Kitchen can’t think of a better direction to be heading, helping to better their urban backyard while supporting the work
of organic farmers in Minnesota. With the success of the Ploughshare
Farm partnership and the positive impact of programs like Project
C.H.O.I.C.E.S., the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College hopes to
expand its programs to involve more local growers and to take clients
on field trips to the farms that make the meals possible. It could also
lead to the creation of a local community garden where clients get their
own chance to participate first-hand in the full cycle of food.
Through the Campus Kitchen, Augsburg is redefining what it
means to be a good urban neighbor and, simultaneously, support
rural communities. With such tasty food arriving by the boxful, it’s
becoming easy to build bridges to the heart through the belly. Ⅵ
Former Campus Kitchen coordinator Tim
Dougherty pounds in the staking lines for
organic heirloom tomatoes.
Tim Dougherty is the community and civic engagement student coordinator in the Center for Service, Work, and Learning. He formerly was
the coordinator of the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College.
Augsburg Campus Kitchen volunteer
Melanie Opay heaves boxes of produce
from Ploughshare Farm into her car.
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S
Making art
and history
in
France
BY TARA SWEENEY
Above: From left, Augburg students John
Leibfried, Patrick Wendel, and Joe Trenary
greet the locals in Espeyrac, France.
Right: Augsburg pilgrims cross the old
bridge into Estaing, France.
22 AUGSBURG NOW
o, how was France?” is the usual question. “Good. Great,” is
the typical answer that satisfies a polite inquiry. The real
answer takes a little longer.
“What’s the first word of the rule?” my colleague, [Professor]
Phil Adamo, asks, and not for the first time. “Listen,” the students chime in unison, just as the old man in the beret hobbles up the
tiny cobblestone passageway that Espeyrac, this hamlet in southern
France, calls a street. It’s not easy to upstage Phil Adamo, but this
Frenchman’s hound dog doesn’t know any better. The students have forgotten about The Rule of St. Benedict. The traditional French greeting—
kiss-kiss-kiss—seems more the order of the day as they hand out eager
caresses to this tail-wagging, sweet-talking, show stealer of a dog.
They have come here with us to learn plein air drawing and to
study the religious experience of medieval France as a paired shortterm study abroad experience, May 14–June 4. Before they return to
Minnesota they will make a four-day pilgrimage, visit monasteries,
cathedrals, walled towns, museums, and a papal palace to earn two
credits and satisfy the critical thinking (CT) and liberal arts foundation (LAF) graduation requirements.
Class begins wherever 15 students can listen to the history professor
read a passage from a 1500-year-old text on monastic practice, and
the art professor read from John Ruskin’s Elements of Drawing in
Three Letters to Beginners. Yesterday it was below Le Pont Vieux in
Espalion, one of three communities on this pilgrimage with the muchdeserved designation of “les plus beaux villages de France.” The day
before it was beside the River Lot in equally picturesque Estaing.
My colleague reminds me daily that this collaboration in experiential
teaching and learning is work. Each day’s sweat, constant thirst, and
aching body parts are real enough. So are the pain of blisters, the weight
of packs, and our labored breath as we follow our capable local guide,
Laurent Riou, up another steep ascent of mud and rock. Each night we
sleep in a new family-run hotel after dining on traditional local fare at
long communal tables. We hear little English other than our own as we
walk village to village on the centuries-old pilgrimage road, le Chemin de
St. Jacques de Compostelle, with pilgrims from around the world. Some
will continue the entire summer, across the Pyrenees into northern Spain,
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Class in France begins wherever history
professor Phil Adamo finds enough
room to gather students and read the
day’s passage from The Rule of St.
Benedict.
and all the way to Santiago in the
west, to receive the official pilgrim’s
passport and a chance to have their
sins forgiven. Some, like us, are walking just a few days.
We have many things to teach;
what students learn depends on the
site visit and their willingness to try.
Each keeps a daily sketchbook/journal that integrates personal reflection with history and art assignments.
Reading from The Rule of St. Benedict is Phil’s structure for teaching
the principles of monastic community, an important aspect of medieval
religious practice. Students don’t simply hear about how silence helped
monks to listen deeply. They are expected to practice it. They do so,
awkwardly at first, for a short time as they enter Église de Perse, the
Romanesque chapel of Saint Hilarian, built on the site where the
Muslims supposedly beheaded him in the eighth century. Eventually,
they practice silence for what seems like an eternity, from sundown to
sunup, in preparation for a visit to the monastery, St. Martin du
Canigou, perched a half-day’s hike up the foothills of the snow-capped
Pyrenees. In the end, they are willingly silent beside the rushing alpine
waters of Vernet-les-Bains, embracing experiential learning at its best.
My structure for teaching plein air drawing is demonstration and practice, and practice, and practice—the medieval master/apprentice model.
Students are expected to draw at least two hours per day. For some this
is daunting at first. We stop and draw together wherever the inspiration
and pauses of travel make it possible. They learn that this kind of drawing can happen all day, any day. This means that a rest from the midday
hiking heat finds these vibrant young people sketching in the shade
along the trail. Curious fellow pilgrims pause to enjoy the view and cheer
them on. Augsburg’s students are natural goodwill ambassadors.
Our pilgrimage ends in Conques, where we receive the pilgrim’s
blessing at Abbaye de St. Foye, the patron saint of the blind and the
imprisoned, and hear Phil read the gospel of John. We pick up our
pace and continue to the restored, walled city of Carcassonne and
hear about heretics; take a dip in the Mediterranean Sea at Collioure;
and visit the papal palace at Avignon. The last full week of the course
is spent in the “city of lights” where we are surprised and thrilled to
Art professor Tara Sweeney sketches plein
air with student Cassandra Roschen on the
outskirts of Sénergues, France.
hear students wishing for more pilgrimage and less Paris.
So what was France really like? The syllabi promised we’d unravel
the mysteries of critical thinking and blind contours, learn how to
read history, and make plein air drawings. We walked a very long
way together to do all that. But if we can’t tell you the best thing that
happened in France it’s probably because it’s still happening. In
studying to understand the past, in sketching what remains of it, we
have learned to listen, to see deeply, and most importantly, to be fully
present. Transformation is like that. Go ahead, ask. Ⅵ
Tara Sweeney is assistant professor of art. Phil Adamo is assistant professor of history.
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MAKING THEIR MARK
BY BETSEY NORGARD
Nancy Steblay and her student researchers
in the lineup
have partnered with
Hennepin County police
officers to research, apply, and test
changes in police lineups to reduce the
chances of convicting innocent people.
24 AUGSBURG NOW
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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n the past 14 years, 183
people have been exonerated from crimes they
did not commit, but for
which they were convicted and for which they may have
spent a decade or more in prison.
In 75% of these DNA-exoneration cases, the primary evidence
leading to their conviction was a
witness who identified them as
the perpetrator of a crime.
Only after development of DNA
technology that could positively
match evidence to a person—or
exonerate that person—did the
law enforcement community realize the depth of the eyewitness
problem in the legal system.
The social impact of a witness
identifying the wrong person in a
lineup is significant. Not only can
it send an innocent person to
prison, but it also allows the real
criminal to remain uncaught.
In the late 1980s, when psychology professor Nancy Steblay
began reading the early research
describing simple changes in lineup procedures that could reduce
the rate of false identifications,
she became intrigued. Trained as
a behavioral scientist, she saw in
this an ideal application of laboratory research and theory. “There’s
so much we could add, we could
say, about how to understand
human memory in the legal
process,” says Steblay.
What the early psychology
research offered, she says, is only
probabilistic—laboratory research
I
Psychology students have created research
projects to examine procedures used by law
officers in police lineups and to test them in
field projects. Student researchers include
Psychology professor Nancy Steblay has studied police lineups for more than 15 years and
helps students develop research that addresses problems with eyewitness identifications.
helps to estimate the likelihood
that certain events, like eyewitness fallibility, will occur. What
the legal system needs at trial,
however, is certainty about a specific case. Did something affect
this particular witness’ memory
in this particular case?
The goal of recent lineup
research, says Steblay, is to fix
the eyewitness problem before it
reaches the courts. “We need to
develop the procedures that
make certain that memory, like
all trace evidence, is not contaminated,” she says. In other words,
when a person is on trial for a
crime for which he/she has been
identified by a witness, the legal
system needs to know that this
identification is accurate, that the
eyewitness evidence is sound.
(L to R) Brenna Johnson ’07, Amanda Brey
’08, and Robert Tix ’07.
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6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
Tackling the problem
By the late 1990s, the Department
of Justice could no longer ignore
the fact that increasing numbers of
people were being proven innocent after wrongful convictions,
even by well-meaning law
enforcement officials and eyewitnesses who thought they were
doing everything by the book.
In 1999, Attorney General
Janet Reno brought together
early researchers who had been
focusing on lineup procedures
and produced an in-depth study
of their research with recommendations for improving the system. It gave visibility and awareness to the problem and options
for improving the protocol.
Augsburg’s psychology department did not have a laboratory
at that time, so Steblay was
unable to carry out any lab
research. However, what she
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could do was to produce metaanalyses, or comprehensive
reviews and syntheses of all
existing research around a particular issue or question that provide a “grand picture.” These
studies prove extremely useful
for researchers and policy makers studying the questions.
In 2001, Steblay’s meta-analysis on sequential vs. simultaneous lineups caught the attention
of Gary Wells, an Iowa State psychology professor and pioneer in
lineup research, who was trying
to encourage lineup reform
across the country.
What Wells advocated, and
Steblay’s meta-analysis confirmed,
is that the rate of false identification is lowered when the lineup
subjects, usually shown in photos,
are presented to the witness one
at a time, rather than all at once.
There is less tendency for wit-
nesses to compare one to the
other instead of to their memory
of the perpetrator.
A further procedural change
that Wells recommended was a
“double-blind” lineup, where the
law officer or person administering the lineup does not know
which person, if any, in the lineup is the suspect.
When the psychology department gained a small lab, Steblay
was able to involve students in
her research. As part of the
advanced research seminar she
taught, students could create
spin-offs of her research and
could run subjects in the lab.
To develop better research
capabilities, Steblay needed some
tools—a laptop simulation of a
crime and a lineup to show lab
subjects. The technical concept
came from IT staff person Bill
Jones, and the material came
from film professor Deb
Redmond’s video production
class. “It became the students’
assignment—to shoot a crime,
and then to help me construct
the lineup,” says Steblay. “And
they did a beautiful job.”
Hennepin County attorney Amy Klobuchar
(left) and psychology professor Nancy
Steblay (right) recently co-authored an
article that reports on the success of the
Hennepin County lineup project.
26 AUGSBURG NOW
Joining with law
officers
In 2003 Hennepin County in
Minnesota initiated a year-long
pilot project to test new sequential, double-blind lineup procedures. County attorney Amy
Klobuchar spearheaded the
study, involving four police jurisdictions—two urban
(Minneapolis and Bloomington)
and two suburban (Minnetonka
and New Hope)—after hearing
Wells speak about the need for
lineup reform.
Steblay joined the pilot project
as the data analyst, supported by
a two-year grant from the
National Institute of Justice
(NIJ). The grant paid for her
time to pull and run data from
the 280 lineups in the pilot project, and to run several analog
laboratory projects testing questions that arose. One such question was “Does it make a difference if a witness goes through
the sequential lineup photos
more than once?”
“Questions came up in the
field and we tested them in the
laboratory,” Steblay says. “Now I
can bring the two together and
say, ‘This is how we should run
lineups in the field based on
what we know now.’”
NIJ found Steblay’s project compelling because it united police
practice and laboratory research,
Steblay says. It was a field study
on the cutting edge of national
discussions, and no field data had
been collected previously.
Steblay and Klobuchar were
two of the three co-authors for a
recent article in the Cardozo
Public Law, Policy and Ethics
Journal that reported on the success of the Hennepin County
project. The authors wrote that
“analysis of the data and anecdotal responses from the participating police agencies led to the
conclusion that the new protocol
is both efficient to implement
and effective in reducing the
potential for misidentifications.”
In a press release issued by the
Innocence Project, co-director
Barry Scheck called the study
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
“the first to use scientifically
valid research techniques to evaluate the eyewitness identification
reform in the field—in a ‘real
world’ application, rather than
an academic setting.”
Getting students
involved
The lineup research has been a
great opportunity for students to
learn about the research process.
Even before a psychology lab
existed, students co-authored the
meta-analyses with Steblay. With
the lab, dozens of students over
the years have developed their
own research questions as well
as aided Steblay with her studies.
The NIJ grant added more
opportunity. Students helped to
produce a more professional laptop video “crime scene,” to run
pilots to clarify the instructions,
and to make sure the procedures
ran accurately.
“The benefit of this kind of
research is that students can
grasp it readily and contribute
enormously. Even though the
eyewitness research is complex
and sometimes confusing in its
entirety, at its surface it’s easy to
understand what we’re trying to
do,” says Steblay.
“Students seem to enjoy the
connection to the national lineup
reform effort, as when I say,
‘Well, we’re doing this in
Hennepin County,’ or ‘I went to
Chicago and talked about that,’
or ‘the Los Angeles Police
Department called me yesterday
with this question,’” she says.
“They realize this is not just
some practice exercise—this
really counts.”
With the current popularity of
television crime shows attracting
more students to forensics,
Augsburg launched a concentration in psychology and law.
Steblay’s psychology and law class
has always been popular, and she
says that while students start out
with forensic clinical interests from
TV, the class helps them see the
broader range of opportunities.
Augsburg is one of the few
schools that offers psychology
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Page 29
and law at the undergraduate
level. Steblay feels that the
research helps prepare students
who may be intimidated by the
prospects of graduate school
research.
“I think they get a sense of,
‘Yes, I can do this,” says Steblay.
“Once you get on top of the
research, there’s no end to the
number of research questions
and directions to go.”
A good example is 2005 psychology graduate Hannah
Dietrich. She was awarded the
2006 Best Undergraduate Paper
award from the Psychology-Law
Society for her senior honors
research project on sex offenders,
which began with an internship
at the Minnesota Bureau of
Criminal Apprehension. She’s
currently studying for a master’s
degree at the University of
Colorado-Colorado Springs.
Senior psychology major Shannon Ryan, one of 60 students selected to present their
Presenting the
findings
Since the completion of Hennepin
County’s pilot project, Steblay has
presented the findings at a number of conferences across the
country. Her phone has also been
ringing more with questions and
contacts about the research since
publication of the study.
She is now completing the final
data analysis and report for the
NIJ grant, and preparing to train
in a new batch of students to start
the next generation of research in
Augsburg’s “crime” lab.
“The people I work with—the
homicide investigators, the attorneys—help keep me in touch
with how this plays out in the
real world, and the kinds of
adjustments I need to make in
the lab to try to capture that in a
better and more authentic way,”
Steblay says. “And the students
help keep me very much in
touch with what a real witness
would experience.” Ⅵ
research on Capitol Hill, has been part of Nancy Steblay’s research that is supported
by a National Institute of Justice grant.
Shannon Ryan takes lineups
to Washington
Shannon Ryan ’07 was among 60 students selected nationally to
present their research at the Council on Undergraduate Research’s
Posters on the Hill session in Washington, D.C.
in April.
Ryan’s research examines procedural guidelines for gathering
eyewitness evidence in police lineups and how witness memory is
affected by lineup structure and format. Her poster, “BlindSequential Police Lineups: A Test of Revised Procedure” compared
the number of eyewitness false identifications in two different formats, and was the only poster representing the social sciences.
While in Washington, Ryan and Professor Nancy Steblay, her
research adviser, visited with U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo and Rep. Betty
McCollum to explain the research.
Ryan will carry on the lineup research for her senior honors
project, and then continue in either a psychology and law or criminal justice graduate program.
During the summer, she worked in the McNair program at the
University of Minnesota on a project about the over-reporting of
voting behavior, with Christopher Uggen, Distinguished McKnight
Professor and chair of the sociology department.
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Left: Very Special Arts (VSA) day brings
children with mental and physical disabilities to the Augsburg campus where they
are treated to dancing, music-making,
music performances, and more by the
Music Therapy department.
Right: Members of The Remnant Gospel
Choir sing at the annual Martin Luther King
Jr. convocation, sponsored by the PanAfrikan Center. The 2006 speaker was
Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., SNCC co-founder
and director of nonviolent and peace studies at the University of Rhode Island.
Below: The tables on the balcony of
Christensen Center are distorted by raindrops clinging to the windows during a
Photographer’s pick—
September rain storm.
some of the year’s favorites
PHOTOS AND TEXT BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
From the thousands of photos
staff photographer Stephen Geffre took during 2005–06, he selected these photos
that give beauty and meaning to life at Augsburg.
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Left: Trevor Tweeten ’06 sits in front of a
video installation piece that was part of his
senior filmmaking show. Tweeten is the
first graduate of Augsburg’s new film major.
Above: Helping to clean up the Soap
Factory art gallery was one of the many
AugSem projects first-year students undertook on the first day of class in September.
The gallery is housed in a former soapmaking factory in the St. Anthony Main area
of Minneapolis, and “is dedicated to the
production, presentation, and promotion of
emerging contemporary practice across the
visual arts.” (Soap Factory website)
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A hands-on
approach to
better health
BY BETSEY NORGARD
r. Bruce
Cunningham ’77
talks about having
one additional trick
in the bag of medical
tricks he offers patients in his
practice.
Cunningham is a doctor of
osteopathic medicine, or DO,
and has been practicing in
Woodbury, Minn., for 21 years.
For the last 12 years he has been
a family practice physician at the
MinnHealth Clinic.
The “trick” he calls on is
manipulation, the core of osteopathic medicine. Osteopaths
examine the interrelationship
and functioning of the body’s
musculoskeletal system—nerves,
muscles, and bones—to understand disease and its causes. It’s
literally a hands-on approach
with patients as he physically
manipulates or adjusts their
D
With his left hand, Dr. Bruce Cunningham
searches for a lesion in the patient’s back
where manipulation will help his condition.
30 AUGSBURG NOW
joints, muscles, tendons, etc. that
may be injured or impaired.
“It’s not for everybody or every
problem,” Cunningham says, “but
it can be effective in a number of
common disorders—backaches,
headaches, sleep disorder. It’s a
nice tool to be able to pull out.”
In his practice, he shares some
of his patients with his MD partners—the patients come to him
specifically for certain things
because he’s an osteopath. “It’s a
very good holistic approach to
care; many MDs have a similar
approach, but very few have the
training where they can actually
do the manipulations that help
people immediately.”
“So there are reasons why we’re
a bit different,” Cunningham
says. “But if someone comes in
with appendicitis, I’m going to
treat it in exactly the same way as
my very capable MD partners.”
He says that 80–90% of what he
does is “very mainline.”
The medical training is essentially the same for both the “allopathic,” or traditional physicians,
and osteopathic physicians—four
years of medical school, at least
three years of residency, and certifying exams administered by
different bodies.
Osteopathic students have extra
study in the musculoskeletal system, including two years of lab
work. “You’re learning on other
students, and then you’re picking
on your family and friends to do
some of the manipulation,” he
says. “So there’s a better understanding of how the body works
and how to interact with it.”
Cunningham is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota
and two osteopathic colleges—
Des Moines University College of
Osteopathic Medicine and
LECOM-Bradenton College—and
enjoys working with third-year
osteopathic students, who must
spend eight weeks in rotation to
learn primary care.
“I teach both allopathic and
osteopathic students, and there’s
a big difference. … The osteopathic student is always more
comfortable touching the patient
and getting close, and doing a
number of the musculoskeletal
exams we have to do.”
Cunningham explains that
osteopathic physicians are different
than chiropractors, who also treat
patients with physical manipulation, but are not medical doctors.
Chiropractic focus is on the nervous system, while osteopathy
trains doctors to look at the body’s
functioning in more depth.
Osteopathic physicians have
not always been accepted as
equals in the medical profession.
Minnesota did not offer full practice rights to DOs until 1963; the
last state to do so was Louisiana,
just two years ago.
Currently there are about
56,000 osteopaths in the U.S.
who make up about six percent
of all physicians. In Minnesota
that figure is about 300, and
they practice across the state, traditionally serving in smaller
communities, but now increasingly in large healthcare systems
and at Mayo Clinic.
Cunningham says that osteopathic medicine is “growing by
leaps and bounds,” and that
within two or three years,
approximately 20% of all medical students will be pursuing
osteopathy. Currently they study
at 23 osteopathic medical
schools, most of which are private institutions. Because they’re
not affiliated with large hospitals,
osteopathic students tend to
travel and spread out more for
their rotations.
Four additional colleges of
osteopathic medicine are actively
on the drawing board, says
Cunningham, who has served on
the national committee that
approves new training schools.
In Minnesota Cunningham has
enjoyed being part of a team of
DOs who visit every college in
the state once a year to talk to
students about osteopathic medicine. “It’s really fun,” he says,
because “the idea that you can
learn to touch your patients and
to take a more natural approach
to some of their ailments is very
exciting to pre-med students.”
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
Osteopaths can pursue any
specialty, although most are in
family practice. Cunningham
says that research is becoming an
important new endeavor in
osteopathy. “I’ve just had a student who finished his PhD while
he was on rotation with me and
he’s doing oncology research,
some really exciting work in it.”
The choice between traditional
medical programs and osteopathy must be a personal one for
the student, Cunningham says.
First they have to know they
have a choice, and then some
will go the osteopathic route as
they become excited by the
approach osteopathy offers to
concentrate on treating the person and not just the disease.
Cunningham’s own vocational
route was not so direct. When he
was not accepted at first into
medical school, he took graduate
9/12/06
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Page 33
courses at the University of
Minnesota and worked in a hospital. After trying a year at law
school, it was a fellow classmate,
John Ronning ’77, now a physician in St. Cloud, who suggested
osteopathy. When Cunningham
learned more about it, he
applied, and went on to Des
Moines University College of
Osteopathic Medicine.
He says he owes a lot to the
profession, since it was while on
his internship in Grand Rapids,
Mich., where he met his wife.
He has served twice as president of the Minnesota Osteopathic
Medical Society, and has been
active on committees within the
profession, including the
National Board of Osteopathic
Medical Examiners.
Cunningham credits Augsburg
with a good preparation for leadership and service. He attended col-
lege as a commuter student to save
money, but was welcomed by the
residents and even kept a sleeping
bag in the corner. He served as
student body vice president, and
remains best friends with Ron
Robinson, who was president.
“The student leadership and
the opportunities Augsburg gave
me to be in that role were really
great testing grounds for what
I’ve gone on to accomplish in
medicine,” Cunningham says. He
encourages all students to take
advantage of leadership opportunities during their college years.
Cunningham says he loves
being involved in the politics of
medicine. This should keep him
active as osteopathic medicine
keeps growing and offers additional tricks in the doctor’s bag
for health and wellness. Ⅵ
For over 20 years Dr. Bruce Cunningham
’77 has brought the additional perspectives
from osteopathic medicine to his clinical
practice.
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ALUMNI NEWS
From the Alumni
Board president …
When I attended Augsburg in the
MAL program from 1993-1996, I
often thought of Augsburg as a diamond—many facets, one beautiful
gem of a college. Serving on the
board of directors of the Augsburg
Alumni Association over the last
few years has offered me many different and wonder-filled views of
Augsburg, yet I come back to the
same thought—many facets, one
beautiful gem of a college.
As another school year begins,
the cycle it brings is also the same
and different. Augsburg is about its
same calling—offering a transformative education rooted in vocation and service—while embracing
new presidential leadership.
Healthy expressions of excitement,
concern, joy, and challenge are evident every day I visit or speak
with someone on campus.
Augsburg is very alive! And well!
I encourage you to participate
in this cycle of life at Augsburg
through your Alumni Association.
The association remains committed to its purpose: “…to support
and serve Augsburg College in its
stated mission and to promote
interest and involvement of the
membership in Augsburg College
and in the association.” And there
is something new, too: the
Alumni Association has restruc-
32 AUGSBURG NOW
tured itself and its activities, and
has prepared itself to be a
stronger partner with the College.
I invite you to (re)connect
with Augsburg and your Alumni
Association:
• Attend events. Take advantage
of the many interesting and
meaningful activities available to
alumni. These include the inauguration of our new president,
music and theatre, athletics,
Velkommen Jul and Advent
Vespers, Homecoming, alumni
gatherings, and conferences.
This year’s alumni events also
will include volunteering with
Habitat for Humanity and the
Campus Kitchen, as well as the
Master of Arts in Leadership’s
20th anniversary celebration.
• Visit the campuses. Yes, that’s
plural! Augsburg now has at
least five campuses: ‘traditional’
day school, weekend, graduate,
Rochester, and overseas. Look
up former professors and mentors, shop at the bookstore,
and see the dramatic changes
that are occurring at Si Melby
and Gateway and planned for
the Science building. You
could even come back to
Augsburg for another degree!
• Stay in touch. We want to hear
from you and we want to be able
to contact you! Register for the
Augsburg Online Community
(www.augsburg.edu/alumni,
then click on Augsburg Online
Community) and let us know
what you are doing. Remember
to update your profile, and
look for your friends and
classmates. You can also use
the form on page 39 to submit
information, or e-mail it to
alumni@augsburg.edu.
• Contact us. Let us know how
you would like to be involved
with the College and fellow
alumni. You can reach me by
e-mail at bvornbrock@gmail.com
or through the Online
Community. You can also contact us through Alumni
Relations by phone at 612330-1085 or 1-800-260-6590,
by e-mail at alumni@augsburg.edu or in writing
(Campus Box 146, 2211
Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
MN 55454).
I look forward to seeing you at
Homecoming.
Barry Vornbrock, ’96 MAL
President, Augsburg Alumni
Association
Homecoming 2006—September 25–30
“Watch Us Soar”
Highlights of Homecoming Week
Please note that not all activities are on campus. For a complete listing and information, go to www.augsburg.edu or call 612-330-1085.
September 25
4:30-6 p.m.
Intl. Student Organization reception
September 26
11 a.m.–2 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Counseling and Health Promotion Annual Fair
Alumni Baseball Game
Powder Puff Football
September 27
10:30 a.m.
Augsburg Associates Annual Fall Luncheon—
speaker, Abigail Pribbenow
September 28
5:30–8:30 p.m.
5:30–8:30 p.m.
Education Dept. Open House
Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
September 29
9 a.m.
10–11 a.m.
12:30–2 p.m.
2:15 p.m.
4–5:30 p.m.
5–7 p.m.
5:30–7:30 p.m.
7 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
1956 Reunion Celebration
Homecoming Chapel
Homecoming Luncheon
Campus Tour
English Alumni/ae Reunion and Reading
Pan-Afrikan Alumni Reception
Metro-Urban Studies 35th Anniversary
Homecoming Variety Show
Men’s soccer game vs. Macalester College
September 30
10 a.m.
10–11:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
11 a.m.
11 a.m.–noon
11 a.m.–1 p.m.
1–3 p.m.
3–7 p.m.
1966 Class Reunion
Political Science Dept. 40th Anniversary
1981 Class Reunion
Young Alumni Reunion (1990–2006)
Campus Tour
Picnic in the Park
Football Game vs. Concordia College-Moorhead
Auggie Block Party
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Page 35
(Front row, L to R) Karen Oelschlager ’66, Donna Amidon, Linda Holt, Karen Johnson ’66,
Cathy Holmberg ’64, Joyce Pfaff ’65, Nancy Roemer, Janet Roemer ’79, Andy Song.
(Row two, L to R) Larry Turner ’69, Lynn Kielas, Colleen Johnson ’60, Margaret Fogelberg,
Doug Pfaff, Connie Bagenstos, Marie Sandbo ’65. (Row three, L to R) Florence Borman
’54, Joyce Young ’64, Donna Pederson, Sue McQuire ’70, Sue Turner, Lana Donald,
Mike Holmberg ’64, Lee Johnson, Donna Torgeson, Joan Dehn, Matt Young.
(Back row, L to R) Dennes Borman ’57, Louis Dehn, David Pederson ’70, Tom McQuire,
Jim Donald ’63, Brad Holt ’63, Hans Sandbo ’63
Centennial Singers perform in the Twin Cities
The Centennial Singers, a male chorus of Augsburg alumni and
friends, will present a series of concerts this fall in the greater
Twin Cities area.
The chorus was formed in the early 1990s of former Augsburg
Quartet members to revive and continue singing the gospel quartet
tradition. Since then, they have toured to Norway twice and to the
Southwest U.S.
Fall Concerts/Appearances:
Sat., Sep. 30, 7 p.m.
Vinji Lutheran Church, Willmar
China: A visit to the Great Hall
Thirty alumni and friends of the College, hosted by assistant alumni
director Donna Torgeson and faculty members Brad (’63) and Linda
Holt, toured China for two weeks in May. The tour featured the history, culture, and scenic beauty of China, and included a visit to the
Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City; a boat cruise
down the Yangtze River past the Three Rivers Dam project; an
evening at the opera; and many other historical stops. The experience
took travelers from Beijing to the international city of Shanghai. In
addition to visiting the famous sites of China, the group enjoyed an
educational opportunity to explore the religions of China with visits
to several temples and churches.
Sun., Oct. 1, 4 p.m.
Central Lutheran Church, Elk River
Sat., Oct. 7, 7 p.m.
Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, Bloomington
Sun., Oct. 8, 4 p.m.
Crystal Free Church, New Hope
Sat., Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Hopkins
Sun., Oct. 15, 4 p.m.
Faith Lutheran Church, Coon Rapids
Sat., Oct. 28, 7 p.m.
Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church, Prior Lake
Join the Augsburg Online Community
It’s designed just for you—
• Keep in touch with classmates
• Find out what’s happening on campus
• Send class notes about what you’re doing
• Change/update your address and e-mail
• Update your profile so others can find you
• Make an online gift to Augsburg
It’s fast and easy. Already, more than 500 alumni have registered.
Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni—have you signed up?
If you have questions, e-mail healyk@augsburg.edu.
Sun., Oct. 29, 2 p.m.
House of Prayer Lutheran Church, Richfield
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CLASS NOTES
1950
1951
1957
Rev. Raynard Huglen ’53 Sem,
Rev. Herbert C. Hanson, Forest
Stan Baker, Raleigh, N.C., pro-
Newfolden, Minn., has published
a book, The Race Before Us, a
collection of writings from his
27-year tenure as editor of The
Lutheran Ambassador, the publication of the Association of Free
Lutheran Congregations. His
book is available through
Ambassador Publications of the
AFLC, in Minneapolis.
City, Iowa, was presented the
Golden Hammer award by
Habitat for Humanity in North
Iowa and the Volunteer of the
Year award for 2005 by the Forest
City Chamber of Commerce for
his volunteer work for Habitat for
Humanity. In April, he celebrated
his 80th birthday.
fessor of counselor education at
North Carolina State University
in Raleigh, was recognized as one
of the 100 Distinguished Alumni
during the centennial celebration
in May of the University of
Minnesota’s College of Education
and Human Development. He
received a Master of Arts degree
in personnel and guidance work
from there in 1963.
Auggie Reunion
Marshall Johnson, Brooklyn
Center, Minn., has completed 60
articles for The New Interpreter’s
Dictionary of the Bible, forthcoming from Abingdon Press.
Virgil Vagle, Paynesville, Minn.,
was inducted into the Minnesota
State High School League Hall of
Fame in May. He has coached football and wrestling at Paynesville
Area High School for 70 seasons
combined and held the state record
for most career coaching victories
in wrestling from 1997–2004.
1963
1970
Carolyn E. Johnson, Placentia,
Bonnie (Christopherson) Feig,
Starkville, Miss., has been teaching social studies at Starkville
High School for 16 years. During
that time, she has been named
the state’s outstanding social
studies teacher by the Mississippi
Historical Society, the district’s
Star Teacher (chosen by the high
school’s Star Student), the
Starkville Teacher of the Year for
2005–06, and the American
History Teacher of the Year by
the Mississippi Chapter of the
Daughters of the American
Revolution. Her husband,
Douglas ’68, teaches political
science at Mississippi State
University in Starkville.
Calif., received a grant from
Rotary International to teach for
one semester at the University of
Belize in Belize City, starting in
February 2007. She will also
work with the Women’s Issues
Network in Belize. Contact her at
cjohnson@fullerton.edu.
1965
Peter Jacobson, Paynesville,
Six roommates/housemates who graduated in 1967 celebrated their 25th consecutive annual
reunion in August 2005. They all have been teachers at some point in their careers. (Back
row, L to R) Gloria Lamprecht, Sue (Overholt) Hampe, Pat (Rupp) Rossing, Phyllis
(Stradtman) Krieg; (Front row, L to R) Ruth Ann (Gjerde) Fitzke, Ardell (Arends) Lommen.
34 AUGSBURG NOW
John K. Luoma, Stow, Ohio,
recently saw the re-publication
of his case study on the Anglican
divine Richard Hooker in the
Journal for Case Teaching
(2004–05). It was recognized as
one of the outstanding cases in
the Association for Case
Teaching archives.
Minn., and his wife, Lynne, were
honored as Distinguished
Alumni of the Paynesville Area
High School. They have been the
publishers of the Paynesville
Press since 1973, when they
took it over from her father, who
had succeeded his father as well.
In June they became semi-retired
when their son, Michael, took
over as publisher/editor.
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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Rev. Kathryn Schreitmueller,
Green Bay, Wis., has been named
pastor of Resurrection Lutheran
Church, after serving for 20
months as interim pastor of Peace
Lutheran Church in Oshkosh.
She teaches liturgy and worship
at the Eastern Lay School of
Ministry and has led students to
work for Habitat for Humanity.
1991
Jennie (Clark) Anderson, Park
Lisa Dietz, Golden Valley, Minn.,
was selected as one of the artists
for the Minnesota State Arts
Board’s second annual Art of
Recovery exhibit, April through
June. Her work included a
poem, an essay, and textile art.
Rapids, Minn., is the new owner
and innkeeper of the Red Bridge
Inn in Park Rapids.
www.redbridgeinn.com
Christine Halvorson, Hancock,
1977
Sharon (Johnson) Sullivan, San
Ron Housley, Santa Maria,
Jose, Calif., was honored by the
Junior League of San Jose as one
of the City of San Jose’s
Outstanding Volunteers for 2006.
She received her honor at the
37th Volunteer Recognition
Luncheon on April 28. She was
nominated by The Tech Museum
of Innovation for her dedication,
compassion, and action.
Calif., is in rehearsal with The
Kingsmen Alumni Corps, a
group of musicians who formerly
were members of The Anaheim
Kingsmen Jr. Drum and Bugle
Corps, for the 2007 Summer
Music Games. Recently, his
arrangement of “Eternal Father,
Strong to Save,” was chosen for
inclusion in the book of The
Kingsmen Alumni Corps.
1975
Craig Olsen (deceased) was
inducted posthumously in April
into the Oregon Chapter of the
National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
During his career he coached high
school teams in Minnesota and
Oregon, and at Pacific University
and University of MinnesotaMorris. He died of cancer in 2004.
1981
N.H., has entered the business of
corporate blogging as a consultant to companies wishing to join
the blogosphere.
www.halvorsonnewmedia.com
1989
Carolyn (Ross) Isaak,
Rochester, Minn., was named to
the U.S. Track and Field Cross
Country Coaches Association’s
Silver Anniversary Team, as one
of the outstanding performers in
women’s outdoor track and field
of the last 25 years. She was
named for her performance in
the 400-meter hurdles, for which
she still holds the NCAA
Division III national meet record.
1990
1978
Debra Axness, Charleston, S.C.,
has been living with her
boyfriend, Larry Struck, aboard
Debonair, their cutter-rigged sailboat, for four years after sailing
from Duluth, through the Great
Lakes, down the Erie Canal and
Hudson River, and down the
East Coast. They are ready to set
sail again towards Bermuda and
south to the Caribbean Basin.
Ora Hokes, Minneapolis, was
one of two winners of the 2006
University of Minnesota Josie
Johnson Human Rights and
Social Justice awards, named for
the first African American to
serve on the university’s Board of
Regents. The award recognizes
individuals who have devoted
their time and talents to making
substantial and enduring contributions to the University of
Minnesota community.
1992
Steven Benson, Owatonna,
Minn., was one of 100 teachers
nationwide to be awarded a 2005
Presidential Award for Excellence
in Mathematics and Science
Teaching. He and his wife, Nancy,
spent a week in Washington, D.C.,
sponsored by the National Science
Foundation, in a combination of
professional development activities
and festivities, which included a
White House breakfast meeting.
He is an advanced mathematics
teacher at Owatonna High School.
Sven
Erlandson,
Minneapolis,
published his
third book,
The 7
Evangelical
Myths:
Untwisting the
Theology behind the Politics, that
addresses the intersection of religion and politics in America,
specifically the role of evangelical
Christianity in the current political culture. During the spring he
served as Augsburg’s strength and
conditioning coach for all sports.
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CLASS NOTES
1993
1999
Anne JulianVan Abel,
Minnetonka,
Minn., started
a new business,
The A-List, a
human resource firm that provides
sourcing and staffing services for
local and national firms in all
industries. She had been an independent consultant for 12 years.
1996
Ryan Carlson, St. Paul, was
appointed an alternate member
by the Highland District
Council’s board of directors. The
council is an organization that
provides a neighborhood voice
to decisions made by the city
and the state.
1997
Sarah (Gilbert) Holtan,
Milwaukee, Wis., was promoted
to assistant professor of communications at Concordia University
Wisconsin. She can be reached at
sarah.holtan@cuw.edu.
1998
Angie Ahlgren, Minneapolis,
will begin a doctoral program
this fall in theatre history/criticism/theory/text with an emphasis in performance as public
practice at the University of
Texas at Austin. She holds an
MA in English literature from the
University of Minnesota.
36 AUGSBURG NOW
Erik C.B.
Johnson,
Chicago, Ill.,
received a
PhD in biochemistry
and molecular biology
from the University of Chicago
on June 9. He is currently a third
year medical student at the
University of Chicago, Pritzker
School of Medicine.
2003
Kristen Opalinski, White Bear
Lake, Minn., was named Coach
of the Year by the Northcentral
Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association
(NSLA) after coaching the North
Suburban Lady Spartans lacrosse
team to an undefeated record
and state championship. She was
also head coach for the
Minnesota All-Stars team, made
up of the state’s best girls in
lacrosse, who achieved a 2-1-2
record at the US Lacrosse
Women’s Division National High
School Tournament at Lehigh
University in Pennsylvania, after
six years of winless appearances.
Kristen works as a graphic artist.
Lindsay Plocher, Megan Feider, and Miya Kunin—the Des Cordes String Trio
2004
2006
Kelly Chapman, Willernie,
Lindsay Plocher, Megan Feider,
and Miya Kunin ’04 have joined
Minn., graduated magna cum
laude from the Fashion Institute
of Design and Merchandising in
Los Angeles. She was one of 10
students accepted into the third
year design program and awarded a full Nolan Miller Scholarship
for the 2006–07 school year.
2005
Yi Chen, New Brighton, Minn.,
works with her husband, Chen
‘04, at Akingco, Inc., a company
that sells gift pens.
together as the Des Cordes String
Trio, playing for weddings, parties, and corporate events. The
trio has performed prior to Saint
Paul Chamber Orchestra concerts as part of their community
series, and in the Linden Hills
Live Music Festival. They are
currently on the preferred musicians list of the Twin City Bridal
Association. www.descordes.com
Graduate programs
Doris Rubenstein ’93 MAL,
Richfield, Minn., has been
named a contributing editor to
CPA Wealth Provider magazine.
She is the principal of PDP
Services, a philanthropy management and planning consulting
firm in Minneapolis.
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Sports and Scores in Saginaw
Darryl Sellers, a Weekend
College grad of 2002, is the most
recent addition to the WNEMTV5 news team in Saginaw,
Mich. The station’s no. 65 ranking is an impressive advance for
Sellers, coming from no. 153,
KAAL-TV, in Austin, Minn. It’s
one more stepping stone on the
journey that began at Augsburg.
While earning a major in mass
communications and a minor in
English through the weekend
program from 1997 to 2002,
Sellers spent three years as a
McNair Scholar, which helped
him to prepare for graduate
school through workshops,
weekly meetings, conferences,
and outside assignments involving cultural awareness.
Sellers credits Augsburg for
“[laying] the groundwork for my
path… The school helped me
open many doors that were
closed to me before.”
For his McNair mini-thesis,
which he presented at the State
Capitol, Sellers chose to research
the Western Appeal, a St. Paul
African-American newspaper
published from the late 1800s to
the 1920s. He was able to see
how the newspaper began and
how it handled issues facing
blacks of that era such as racism,
discrimination, disenfranchisement, voting rights, and equal
education. Sellers concluded that
the black community was divided
in a number of issues. “Although
the people had many of the same
goals in mind,” he said, “the pathways to get there varied.”
The project helped Sellers
learn crucial lessons in balanced
reporting. “It helped me explore
both sides of issues. I learned
that objectivity itself can be subjective. Balance can’t always be
achieved, and this was something very valuable for an aspiring broadcast journalist.”
After Augsburg, Sellers and his
wife moved to Los Angeles where
he entered the Annenberg School
for Communication at the
University of Southern California.
Although he chose the school
because of its excellent program,
staff, and campus, he also admits,
“I fell in love with Los Angeles
during my honeymoon; I had
fantasized about living in
California. I also wanted to see
what it was like to escape the
tundra country and cold temperatures for two years.”
Part of his study there included
a six-week internship in 2003 in
Cape Town, South Africa, working
for SABC-TV, which he found to
be a great, eye-opening experience.
He received a Master of Arts in
broadcast journalism in May 2004,
and by August, KAAL-TV in
Austin, Minn. offered him a weekend sports anchor position. “I
started working there in
September 2004. It was a whirlwind summer—our son was born
August 13, so we drove more than
2,000 miles to Minnesota with a
three-week-old baby.”
In addition to the weekend
anchor spot, Sellers did sports
reporting and put together feature stories. He was in charge of
all his own camera work, producing, writing, and editing.
After a year and eight months
at KAAL-TV, Sellers stumbled into
a great opportunity through the
persistence of his father-in-law—
whom he calls his “unofficial
agent”—to connect with a
Phoenix TV-station president so
he could tell him about Sellers.
The president sent notification to
sister stations with a wonderful
recommendation. A week or so
later Sellers received e-mail from
the news director of WNEM-TV,
requesting a tape and an interview
in Saginaw. Sellers was then hired
as an 11 p.m. Fox sports anchor.
This new position offers both a
wider geographical area and a bigger budget. It also offers greater
challenge and opportunity to
report on events such as the PGA
Buick Open and to cover college
sports teams, like Michigan State,
and professional teams.
Darryl Sellers ’02
Sellers does miss Minnesota
and the people back home, and
he hopes to eventually make it
back to Minneapolis. “I would
like to work for WCCO-TV—
save a place for me, Mark Rosen,
as a sport anchor,” he says, and
adds with a smile, “Of course, I
wouldn’t say no to KARE, KSTP,
or KMSP.”
His goals also include starting
his own production company
and mentoring aspiring, young
journalists and other youth. “I
want to give back and help pave
the pathway for their future.”
Right now, though, Sellers is
staying very active with his new
job and helping to raise a very
energetic little boy.
— Sara Holman ’06
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CLASS NOTES
WEDDINGS
BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS
Dale Martin Christopherson ’85,
Grand Forks, N.Dak., and his
wife, Debra, announce the birth
of Alyssa Mae, in March. Dale is
a chemist at the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition
Research Center.
Mark Keating ’91 and his wife,
Amy, of Edina, Minn., announce
the birth of their third son,
Aidan Howard on March 14. He
joins brothers Owen, 4, and
Carson, 2. Mark is an account
executive at Symantec.
Nicole (Smith) Sendar ’93,
Edina, Minn., and her husband,
Jordan, announce the birth of
twin boys, Cameron and Gavin,
in September 2005. Nicole is a
teacher in the Minneapolis
Public Schools and can be
reached at nsendar@mn.rr.com.
Sarah (Ginkel) Spilman ’99,
Ames, Iowa, and her husband,
Damion, announce the birth of
their son, Alexander (Zane)
Nicholas, on Jan. 3. Sarah
earned her Master of Arts degree
in sociology at the University of
Iowa in 2004. She is a research
scientist for the Institute for
Social and Behavioral Research at
Iowa State University.
Jennifer Johs-Artisensi ’94, Eau
Ami Nafzger ’94 married Aron Spiess in July. They wed in a tradition-
al Korean wedding that took place as part of the 10th annual Dragon
Festival, an event in St. Paul at Lake Phalen, where they were introduced to each other three years ago. Both Ami and Aron are adoptees
from South Korea. Ami says, “The chair of Dragon Festival asked if
Aron and I would be willing to share our culture with the public at
the festival. We agreed and thought it made sense. Since we met at the
Dragon Festival, we should wed at the festival.” She serves on the festival board as treasurer, as well as on Augsburg’s Alumni Board.
Ami is the founder in 1998 of GOAL, the Global Overseas
Adoptees Link in Korea, that helps to inform Koreans about the existence of adoptees and helps adoptees to connect with their Korean
families and culture. She is beginning a three-year project to start a
GOAL in Minnesota for Asian adoptees and others. Ami and Aron
live in Minneapolis.
38 AUGSBURG NOW
Claire, Wis., and John Artisensi
became the parents of Alexis
Polina in May 2005. She was
born in Novosibirsk, Russia, and
is now two-and-a half years old.
Jennifer is an assistant professor
in the University of WisconsinEau Claire healthcare administration program and John is an elementary music teacher. She can
be reached at johsarjl@uwec.edu
Erica (Johnson) and Jared Trost
’00, East Bethel, Minn., welcome
to the world Josiah Jeffrey, their
first child, on March 19. Coming
in at 8 lbs., 13 oz. and 21 1/2
inches, Josiah is definitely a keeper. Erica is a science teacher at St.
Francis High School, and Jared is
employed by Cedar Creek
Natural History Area.
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
IN MEMORIAM
The Rev. Robert D. Weeden
’51, Newington, Conn., age 82,
on June 22. He served churches
in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and
Connecticut, as well as serving in
the chaplaincy during WWII and
at hospitals until his retirement
in 1990.
Phillip Gronseth ’55, Bella Vista,
Ark., age 72, on April 7. He was
an entrepreneur who retired to
Arkansas, where he enjoyed
being an avid golfer. While at
Augsburg he sang in the
Augsburg Quartet and continued
singing throughout his life. He
remained close to Augsburg,
with a special fondness for the
baseball program, and has supported athletics and the sciences.
9/12/06
12:47 PM
Page 41
Betty (Hanson) Rossing ’64,
Grand Rapids, Minn., on July 3.
With a special love for children, she
mentored teenagers, taught Sunday
School and Vacation Church
School, taught elementary grades in
public schools, and encouraged
young people to become involved
in ELCA missions.
Bessie Mae Hughes ’71,
Minneapolis, age 94, on June 8. A
native of Alabama, she came to
Augsburg to complete her college
degree at age 59, after raising four
children, and then taught in
Minneapolis Public Schools. In
1992 she was named an Augsburg
Distinguished Alumna for her contributions to community and her
church, St. Peter’s A.M.E. Church.
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
Street address
City, State, Zip
Joseph Boyer ’90, Greenwood,
Minn., age 38, died unexpectedly
at home on June 11.
The Rev. Harry H. Fullilove ’59,
Coral Gables, Fla., age 81, on Dec.
25, 2004, after a lifetime of service
as Lutheran pastor and missionary
in Pakistan, Ghana, and India.
Is this a new address? □ Yes
□ No
Home telephone
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? □ Yes
□ No
Employer
Position
Work telephone
Go, Auggies! Lots of spirit at Homecoming ’55
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College?
□ Yes
□ No
If yes, class year
Spouse name
Maiden name
Your news:
Auggie spirit resounded around the Quad as the cheerleaders led the
Pepfest for this year’s 50-year anniversary class at Homecoming 1955.
FA L L 2 0 0 6 3 9
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VIEWS
Reflections on
Red Lake
by Janna Caywood ’04
Janna Caywood, former program
coordinator for the Master of
Social Work program, interviewed
Matthew Thornhill ’04, ’06 MSW
about his reflections, as a social
worker, following the Red Lake
school shootings. Following is a
summary of her longer article.
40 AUGSBURG NOW
n March 21, 2005,
16-year-old Jeffrey
Weise shot and
killed three adults
and five classmates,
wounded seven other students,
and then killed himself. It’s a day
in history that the Red Lake Band
of Chippewa will never forget.
This one-hour violent act tore a
gaping hole in the collective spirit
of the entire Red Lake Nation. The
shock and pain were unimaginable. People simply could not
believe something so heinous
could happen in their community.
Worst of all, it was children who
were most deeply affected.
Social work graduate Matthew
Thornhill, a foster care social
worker for American Indian
Family and Children Services in
St. Paul, is an enrolled member
of the Red Lake reservation and
a relative of one of the kids who
died. When he heard the news
that day, his first instinct was to
go to the reservation to be with
his family and friends. “To be
present is very important in
Native culture,” he explains.
He immediately coordinated a
fund drive with his social service
colleagues to help many other Red
Lake members in the Twin Cities
also make the trip back home.
When Matt reached Red Lake,
what he found was both rewarding and disheartening.
It was rewarding to see the
close-knit Red Lake community
pull together and support one
another. Rewarding also was the
support that came from outside
the reservation—from Native
peoples across the U.S. and
Canada, in particular, who called
and e-mailed to express sorrow
and to offer help. “It’s a cultural
value,” says Matt. “We look out
for each other.”
O
Matthew Thornhill ’04, ’06 MSW was named
the “2006 Social Work Student of the Year”
by the National Association of Social
Workers–Minnesota Chapter. His wife,
Angelina, accepted the award with him.
Non-native responses, too,
came from around the globe,
including from some who had
suffered their own school shootings. Many non-Native emergency
responders in Red Lake learned
how to be culturally sensitive
while helping in the community.
The collaboration between
emergency responders and tribal
elders was quite remarkable.
Medicine men, spiritual leaders
and other Band members acted
much like social workers to help
individual families cope and pull
the community together toward
stability and healing. They organized healing ceremonies and
prayer circles for spiritual strength,
both on and off the reservation.
The collaboration between
emergency responders and tribal
leadership was also impressive.
Each morning tribal leaders met
at the local hospital to brief one
another on recent arrivals, so the
newcomers could be dispatched
where need was greatest. Given
the sovereign status of the Red
Lake Nation, there was no ambi-
guity as to who was in charge
and responsible for emergency
efforts—unlike the post-Katrina
confusion.
What Matt found disheartening was the media frenzy around
the shootings and the allegations
about the involvement of the
tribal chairman’s son. Insensitive
behavior by a number of journalists made many in Red Lake feel
exploited. Matt and his family
were most disturbed by news
stories that focused on Red
Lake’s social and economic struggles, implying that they were the
result of failed Native values and
an indifferent, incompetent
community.
The truth is, Matt says, Red
Lake does have its difficulties.
But the root causes are complex
and can only properly be understood through the lens of history
and an understanding of the
long-term effects of colonialism.
What didn’t always come
through were the embedded cultural values in the Red Lake
community and Native way of
life that give strength and
endurance in times of crisis.
In the end, Matt says, Red Lake
did not succumb to the media
barrage, because people drew on
their cultural traditions to rally
each other. “We are a proud,
strong Nation” he says. “We hold
onto our traditional values, yet
we adapt with the times. Red
Lake is gonna make it.”
6121_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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11:09 AM
Page 43
For music information, call 612-330-1265
CALENDAR
For theatre ticket information, call 612-330-1257
For art gallery information, call 612-330-1524
SEPTEMBER
October 18
Concert by the Habbestad Trio, tone
poem and chamber ensemble
September 15–October 27
Reliquiae
Sculpture by Sam Spiczka
“Terje Vigen” song cycle,
by Kjell Habbestad
7 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
Free and open to the public.
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Artist reception, Oct. 7, 4–8 p.m.
Artist gallery talk, Oct. 25, 12:30 p.m.
Egg Basket
Full of
Hollyhock
Dolls
Paintings by
Amy Rice
’93
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Artist reception, Oct. 7, 4–8 p.m.
Artist slide presentation, Sept. 29, 3:30
p.m., Marshall Room, Christensen Center
September 21
Many Voices: Bold Visions
Convocation Series
The Rose Ensemble
“Common Threads: Exloring Shared
Texts among Early Christians and Jews”
11 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Free and open to the public.
September 25–30
“Watch Us Soar”—Homecoming 2006
October 18–21
Ages of Imagination: A New Season
of Leadership
The inauguration of Paul Pribbenow
Free and open to the public.
October 20
Festival Service
Bishop Mark Hanson ’68, presiding
Rev. Dr. Robin Lovin, preaching
10:30 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Inauguration Ceremony
2 p.m.—Melby Hall
Community Celebration
3:30 p.m.—Murphy Square
October 21
Auggie Spirit Zone
11:00 a.m.—Murphy Square
Football game vs. Carleton College
1 p.m.—Anderson-Nelson Field
For information:
www.augsburg.edu/inauguration
See page 32 for schedule.
NOVEMBER
OCTOBER
November 1
faith@work! breakfast speaker series
October 2–3
2006 Christensen
Symposium
Douglas John Hall,
professor emeritus
of Christian theology, McGill
University
Free and open to
the public.
October 2, “Where in the World Are We?
Being Christians after Christendom”
7:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
October 3, “What Are People For? Caring
for Life in a Violent World”
11 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
October 4
faith@work! breakfast speaker series
Paul Pribbenow, Augsburg president
7:30 a.m.—St. Philip the Deacon
Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Minn.
Free and open to the public.
Contact: John Knight, 330-1351 or
faith@augsburg.edu. Go to www.spdlc.org.
Barbara Helmsley, founder, Hope
Chest for Breast Cancer
7:30 a.m.—St. Philip the Deacon
Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Minn.
Free and open to the public.
Contact: John Knight, 330-1351 or
faith@augsburg.edu. Go to www.spdlc.org.
November 3–11
Hedda Gabler
By Henrik Ibsen
Faculty directed by Martha Johnson
November 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11
at 7 p.m.
November 5 and 12 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
November 3–December 17
Signs of Life
Sculpture by
Kim Matthews
Gage Family Art
Gallery
Artist reception,
Nov. 3, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Artist gallery talk, TBA
November 5
November Nativity
Concert by Masterworks Chorale of
Augsburg
4 p.m.—TBA
November 17–19
Exceptionally Ordinary
Guest directed by David DeBlieck ’88
November 17, 18, and 19 at 8 p.m.
performed together with
No Exit
November 5–19
Henrik Ibsen Film Festival
Lindell Library 301
Free and open to the public.
November 5, 4:30 p.m.
Immortal Ibsen!—a documentary by
Erling Borgen (Norway, 1999)
Terje Vigen–Victor Sjöström (Sweden, 1917)
November 10, 7 p.m.
The Wild Duck (Vildanden)—
Tancred Ibsen (Norway, 1963)
November 12, 4:30 pm.
A Doll’s House—Patrick Garland
(England, 1973)
By Jean Sartre
Student directed by
Justin Hooper ’07
November 17, 18, and 19 at 9 p.m.
Foss Studio Theater
November 18
Augsburg Concert Band concert
4 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
November 19
F. Melius Christiansen Festival concert
2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.—Orchestra Hall
See page 6–7.
November 17, 7 p.m.
Lady Inger (Fru Inger til Østråt)—
Sverre Undnæs (Norway, 1975)
November 19, 4:30 p.m.
An Enemy of the People (En
folkefiende)—Erik Skjoldbjærg
(Norway, 2004)
November 5–30
Exhibit–“To Be a Poet Is to See:
Ibsen in Our Time”
Lindell Library, third floor
November 6
Scholastic Connections Gala
Reception and Dinner
Celebrating the scholarship/mentorship program and the four ethnic services programs
Free and open to the public.
6 p.m.—Christensen Center
Info and reservations:
612-330-1104
November 10
Anita Gay Hawthorne Jazz &
Poetry Bash
6:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel and
Arnold Atrium
November 12
Augsburg Symphony Orchestra Concert
4:30 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
Augsburg Jazz Ensemble concert
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Subjective Mapping: An Exploration
of Spirit and Place
Paintings by Teresa Cox
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Artist reception, Nov. 3, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Artist gallery talk, TBA
DECEMBER
December 1
Velkommen Jul Celebration
10:15 a.m.–Chapel service,
Hoversten Chapel
11 a.m.–2 p.m.–Scandinavian treats and
gifts, Christensen Center
December 1–2
27th Annual Advent Vespers
A service of music and liturgy
5 and 8 p.m. each night
Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
For seating envelopes,
612-330-1265
December 6
faith@work! breakfast speaker series
Norah Long, Canto, St. Philip the
Deacon Lutheran Church
7:30 a.m.–St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran
Church, Plymouth, Minn.
Free and open to the public.
Contact: John Knight, 330-1351 or
faith@augsburg.edu. Go to www.spdlc.org.
FA L L 2 0 0 6
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
9/12/06
10:25 AM
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“Hostas and Water Drops” was
the first photo in a series called
“Photo of the Week” on the
AugNet page of the Augsburg
College website. This feature
was created to keep AugNet
readers up to date on College
happenings, to help them
notice beauty they may have
overlooked, and to add variety
to the page.
— Stephen Geffre, photographer
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
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PAID
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A
P U B L I C AT I O N
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
Summer 2006
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 4
A SMOOTH TRANSITION
page 2
FEATURES
17
The Frame years—
a journey toward vision
by Betsey Norgard
22
Augsburg’s original MBAs:
The Class of 2006
by Bethany Bierma... Show more
A
P U B L I C AT I O N
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
Summer 2006
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 4
A SMOOTH TRANSITION
page 2
FEATURES
17
The Frame years—
a journey toward vision
by Betsey Norgard
22
Augsburg’s original MBAs:
The Class of 2006
by Bethany Bierman
27
On tour with the Augsburg Choir
by Judy Petree
30
Those Lutheran Ladies
by Betsey Norgard
DEPARTMENTS
2 Around the Quad
7 Sports
8 Commencement 2006
12 Sixth Annual International
Programs Photo Contest
14 Supporting Augsburg
Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for Augsburg College
35 Alumni news
37 Class notes
TABLE OF CONTENTS
40 Auggie Thoughts
Summer 2006
Vol 68, No. 4
A college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg College is an equal education/employment institution.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg edu
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Staff Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing and
Communications
Christopher Moquist
moquist@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
On the cover:
Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg
Augsburg President William Frame (right)
and President-elect Paul Pribbenow (left)
have enthusiastically worked together for a
smooth administrative transition.
College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota
55454. Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not
necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058–1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste)
AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
From one president to the next—
in smooth transition
I
n what President William Frame calls a
rather remarkable and unusual
occurrence in higher education, both he
and President-elect Paul Pribbenow
jointly spoke to the spring gathering of
faculty and staff in March.
Frame explained what he understands
as a complex relationship between
continuity and change, as both he and
the incoming president individually and
jointly continue to increase the “clarity of
the College’s self-definition” as well as
“the speed at which it is being realized”
during the transition period.
(In a gesture to ease at least the visual
transition, Frame turned just before
introducing Pribbenow and donned a
bow tie, calling reference to the incoming
president’s signature accessory.)
Pribbenow lauded and affirmed the
defining work that has been carried out
by the Augsburg community in
articulating its vision. “I would not be
here,” he commented, “if I did not find
your aspirations inspiring and
compelling.”
Pribbenow takes office on July 1, and
his inauguration has been set for Oct. 20.
The next issue of Augsburg Now will
outline his administration’s priorities and
introduce his leadership team.
William Frame donned a bow tie to signal his
“profound regard” for his successor.
Both retiring president William Frame (left)
and incoming president Paul Pribbenow
(right) spoke to faculty and staff in March.
Chris Kimball will be chief academic
officer at California Lutheran University
C
hristopher Kimball, provost and vice
president for academic affairs, left
Augsburg May 31 to assume the same
position at California Lutheran
University in Thousand Oaks, Calif.,
beginning in July.
Kimball, a member of the history
faculty since 1991, was appointed dean
in 2000 and provost in 2004 when that
position was created. His impact at
Augsburg is seen in the areas of
curricular reform, calendar changes,
teaching loads, several new programs,
and the “internationalization” of the
campus.
“I have been blessed to work at
Augsburg during a time of great change,
2
especially in the articulation of our
mission and vision,” said Kimball.
“California Lutheran University, located
in an economically vibrant and culturally
diverse region, offers a wonderful
opportunity to continue that work.”
President William Frame stated,
“… Chris’ gifts, some of which were
shaped in the process of giving our
College new vitality and sharp direction,
have been acknowledged by a fine
institution in current need of them.”
In May, the Department of Business
Administration presented Kimball with a
plaque recognizing his support of business
studies and his “entrepreneurial spirit.”
Summer 2006
Farewell to the Frames—a ‘gentle roast’ and
a proper tribute
1
2
3
O
n April 21, more than 300 faculty and
staff gathered to honor and show
appreciation to Bill and Anne Frame, and
to entertain them with some ‘gentle’
roasting. Augsburg’s Gospel Praise
provided music, with returning special
guest artist Jennifer Grimm ’99.
Gift presentations were made and the
Frames offered an Augsburg rendition of
Woody Guthrie’s song, “So Long, It’s Been
Good to Know You.”
Frame reflected on his time at
Augsburg. “These years have been a great
gift to us … because they’ve given us the
possibility for growth … And new
understanding about this great business of
education—where it comes from, what it
changes, why it’s crucial for the salvation
of humankind. …
“This place gave us a chance to think
through [a great calling] more deeply and
better than ever we would have had a
chance to do otherwise. So, we’re grateful.
We’re grateful to you and we’re grateful to
Summer 2006
this place and its great lineage in history.”
When asked by Augsburg Echo about
his plans for retirement, he mentioned one
specific project—an old boat with “at least
a year’s worth of work before it’s ready for
the water.”
On April 30, a more proper
“Celebration of Music and Worship for the
Presidency of Bill and Anne Frame at
Augsburg College” was held at Central
Lutheran Church.
ELCA presiding bishop Mark Hanson
’68 presented the keynote address. Three
music groups—Augsburg’s Gospel Praise,
Masterworks Chorale, and the Augsburg
Centennial Singers—each sang several
pieces.
Campus pastor David Wold read a
series of tributes received honoring the
Frames, including an ode written by
Wartburg College president Jack Ohle and
his wife, Kristy, and a proclamation from
the City of Minneapolis declaring this day
to be “Bill and Anne Frame Day.”
4
1 Bill and Anne Frame enjoy some of the
lighter minutes of the “roast” in their
honor.
2 Campus pastor David Wold reads the
proclamation from Mayor R.T. Rybak
declaring April 30 “Bill and Anne Frame
Day” in the City of Minneapolis.
3 President Frame picked up his guitar to
join Gospel Praise in “I Saw the Light” at
Central Lutheran Church.
4 Assistant director of alumni relations and
former football coach Jack Osberg ’62
leans in close to extend his greetings
above the jazz and gospel music.
3
Campus News
Honors for distinguished
teaching and learning
Association, and the American
Association of School Administrators.
Selection to the network, part of ECS’
National Center for Learning and
Citizenship (NCLC), commits its
members to further service to promote
civic engagement for all students.
Erickson serves as chair of the
Minneapolis School Board.
Hannah Dietrich’s research
paper wins national award
Dietrich visited the sex offender
treatment program at the Lino Lakes
Correctional Facility and learned about
the pre-release transition program. She
became interested in finding out if
offenders really understood the
registration process and if they became
more compliant and submitted better
verification after completing the
program.
Together with Steblay, she crafted a
research plan that became her senior
honors project.
Dietrich is now in the master’s program
in experimental psychology at the
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
Orientation leaders
receive awards
Congratulations to the faculty and staff
who received awards for Distinguished
Contributions to Teaching and Learning
from the Center for Teaching and
Learning and the Office of the Provost
and Dean of the College:
Teaching—Phil Adamo (standing, left),
history
Mentoring—Dixie Shafer (seated,
center), Undergraduate Research and
Graduate Opportunity (URGO)
Service to Students—Heather Feehan
(standing, right), Chris Pegg (seated,
right), Scott Krajewski (seated, left),
Robert Bill (standing, center)—all from
Information Technology.
Joe Erickson selected for
national network
Joseph Erickson, education, has been
named to the “100 District Leaders for
Citizenship and Service-Learning
Network.” The network includes school
board members and district
superintendents across the country
selected by a panel representing the
Education Commission of the States
(ECS), the National School Boards
4
Hannah Dietrich’s honor project research
with Professor Nancy Steblay was named
Best Undergraduate Paper.
Hannah Dietrich, a 2005 psychology
graduate, has received the American
Psychology-Law Society’s 2006 Award for
Best Undergraduate Paper. She presented
her research and received the award at
the AP-LS meeting in March in St.
Petersburg, Fla.
Her paper, “Predatory Sexual
Offenders: Post-Treatment Registration
Compliance and Recidivism” is the result
of research she did in collaboration with
psychology professor Nancy Steblay.
Dietrich became interested in
studying disorders after taking an
abnormal psychology class. She landed
an internship at the Minnesota Bureau of
Criminal Apprehension, working in the
Predatory Offender Registration Unit,
and connected with a supervisor who
included her in many areas of the work.
Augsburg’s student orientation leaders
participated in the National Orientation
Directors Association Regional
Conference in Minneapolis.
In the Undergraduate Case Study
competition, Greg Hildebrandt ’08 won
the Best Problem Solving Award, and
Sarah Black ’09 received the Best
Communication Award. Student
Activities director Marc Skjervem
presented on the changing culture of
college students using online
communities and the consequences
students face with the misuse of
websites.
Wrestlers are second in nation
in academics
For the ninth year in a row, Augsburg
finished in the top 10 in the National
Wrestling Coaches Association’s Scholar
All-America team program, finishing
second among more than 100 NCAA
Division III wrestling institutions, with a
3.42 team grade point average. The top
team, Messiah College (Pa.), had a team
GPA of 3.47.
Augsburg is the only school in NCAA
Division III wrestling to finish in the top
10 both in competition on the mat and
in the academic team competition in
each of the nine years that the NWCA
has awarded an academic team national
championship. ■
Summer 2006
‘Zyzzogeton’—
the last word
A
ugsburg launched a new tradition this year with
“Zyzzogeton,” a four-day celebration of student
and faculty work—from artistic performances to
student research posters.
Taking its name from the last entry in Webster’s
Third New International dictionary, the celebration is
meant to wrap up and highlight the breadth and depth
of scholarship at Augsburg. Art exhibits, faculty and
student recitals, faculty research roundtables, student
research posters, film projects, theatre productions,
museum installations, and more filled the calendar
of events.
(In the dictionary, “zyzzogeton” is defined as a
genus of South American leaf hoppers.)
Visitors to campus during this time included high
school students who came on Drama Day to learn
more about the theatre arts program, and middle
school students with developmental disabilities and
peers taking part in the annual Metro Arts Festival
with Augsburg’s music therapy students.
A lighter highlight of the celebration was a
vigorous debate, Lefse vs. Lutefisk, in which four
scholars—President Frame (political science), Lori
Brandt Hale (religion), Joan Griffin (English), and Ken
Kaminsky (mathematics)—took sides to argue and
defend the Norwegian delicacies from the viewpoints
of their academic disciplines. The judges were
Norwegian bunad-clad members of the Augsburg
Associates, and guests were treated to the delicacies of
each, including their aromas. (And, yes, the lutefisk
side was declared the winner.)
Top left: The spring theatre production, Metamorphoses,
by Mary Zimmerman, uses contemporary language and
imagery to explore ancient myths.
Center: Biology major Ben Sonquist explains his research
to physics professor Ben Stottrup.
Bottom left: Physics professor Mark Engebretson shared
his research on geomagnetic pulsations in Earth’s space
environment.
Summer 2006
5
Larry Ragland retires after
21 years
P
rofessor Larry Ragland was
one of the founding
members of the Computer
Science Department and retired
in May after 21 years teaching
in both that department and
mathematics.
He has stayed at Augsburg,
he says, for the same reason he
tells prospective students they
should come—to be in a
supportive environment where
students and faculty work
closely together.
While computing has
changed greatly over two
Professor Larry Ragland served as one of the founding
decades, he says, the discipline
faculty of the computer science department and retired
of computer science has not.
after 21 years at Augsburg.
“When I started, we showed
students the ‘on’ switch and
unmanned flights.
how to use a mouse … We operated in
Ragland recalls his first assignment at
an entirely different way then,” Ragland
Augsburg
as chair of the Academic
says. Now, with a comprehensive campus
Computing
Committee, with a goal to
network and the global Internet, “we
hire
a
full-time
academic computing
have changed how we relate to the
director.
That
finally
happened in 1990.
world.”
At
Ragland’
s
retirement
celebration,
Ragland reflects on the fact that he
Professor
Karen
Sutherland
said the
has spent his entire career working in a
department
will
miss
his
“advice,
cool
discipline that didn’t exist when he went
ideas,
ability
to
keep
them
calm,
and
to college. His first degrees were in
sense of humor.” Junior Cory Nathan
mathematics, and he started out teaching
spoke
for students, thanking Ragland for
in public schools.
“putting
up with us and teaching us a
His interest in computer science
thing
or
two
along the way.”
developed while he worked in the Apollo
Ragland
has
no definite plans yet for
Space Program in Houston. During the
retirement.
He
says
he has room for one
period in which the manned program
big
“yes”
for
a
project,
but has no idea
recovered from its tragic fire, Ragland
yet
of
what
that
project
will be.
worked on computer displays for
Joy Bartlett leaves Education Department
E
ducation professor Joy Bartlett retired
from Augsburg in December 2005
and moved to Las Vegas. Since 2001 she
has taught orientation to education,
reading methods, and technology in the
classroom.
6
She fondly recalls the warmth of the
Augsburg community and the
enthusiasm of her students. Also, she
enjoyed helping students in the McNair
program and the Undergraduate Research
and Graduate Opportunity office with
their research.
Sandi Lallak
leaves Augsburg
for Arizona
A
fter 23 years at
Augsburg
working with
students in the
CLASS program,
Sandi Lallak retired
in May and moved
with her husband to
Mesa, Ariz.
When Lallak began working in the
Center for Learning and Adaptive Student
Services (CLASS), she recalls, CLASS had
one computer, little technology, and
mostly provided advocacy for students
with disabilities—about 10 of them.
An endowment from the Groves
Family in 1988 enabled the program to
grow and make the commitment to
become a premier program. Lallak
researched the field to learn about
available adaptive technology, traveled to
visit programs, and helped create a small
lab on campus. She and colleague Sadie
Curtis began to tape textbooks.
Within three years, the program grew
to provide services and accommodations
to over 100 students. Lallak and Curtis
spent nearly a decade developing the
systems, databases, and procedures for
CLASS as it is today, including its student
workers. “I’m so honored to have been
able to make this happen,” she says.
With new technology, Lallak says,
“students are reading better, retaining, and
comprehending better.”
Lallak became the first
accommodations specialist she knows
about; Curtis is now a physical disabilities
specialist in the ACCESS program.
While CLASS currently serves about
190 students, past students remain an
important part of Lallak’s life. A double
bulletin board jammed with photos of past
students—weddings, babies, vacations—
covered a corner of her office.
Lallak has no definite plans in
retirement, but many ideas for volunteer
opportunities in Arizona.
Summer 2006
Sports
For current sports information, scores, and schedules go to <www.augsburg.edu/athletics>.
Carol Enke retires from coaching
by Don Stoner
I
“ ’ve never looked at any part of my job as
a ‘job’,” said Carol Enke, who has
coached Augsburg’s softball team for 21
seasons and taught in the Health and
Physical Education Department for 19
years. “I always say that I’m going to
‘school.’ I never say that I’m going to
‘work.’
“I’ve looked at this as fun. I get paid to
come in here and do this—interact with
students and interact with studentathletes.”
Enke left her coaching position at the
end of the 2006 season, while continuing
to work in the HPE department. In 21
seasons at Augsburg, Enke has compiled
302 career victories, while coaching six
players who have earned National
Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III
All-American honors and 28 players who
have earned all-region honors (entering
the 2006 season).
Along the way, Enke has touched the
lives of hundreds of softball players, along
with hundreds of HPE majors who are
continuing her legacy in classrooms all
over the region. In 2001, the senior class
selected her as one of three Honored
Faculty.
“I’ve enjoyed watching the students
grow,” Enke said. “I have them in a 200level class in their first or second years,
and I ask myself, ‘Are they really going to
make it in the teaching profession?’ Then
when they are in the 300-level classes their
junior and senior years, you see that these
kids have made a lot of progress and
they’ll be OK.”
Enke was a standout athlete in
multiple sports in her hometown of
Janesville, Wis.—she was inducted into
her hometown’s Athletic Hall of Fame in
1995—and played collegiate softball at the
University of Minnesota. She coached for
three seasons, two as head coach, at
Minneapolis Roosevelt High School before
coaching her first season at Augsburg
in 1986.
Enke initially worked part time at
Augsburg, while completing her master’s
degree at Minnesota. And in her early
Summer 2006
Softball coach Carol Enke, flanked by players (left to right) Sarah Mueller ’09, Sarah Green ’09,
and Katie Johnson ’08, cheers on the team in her last game as coach after 21 seasons. Enke will
continue teaching in the health and physical education department.
years, she felt that Division III Augsburg
would be just a step in her career to bigger
goals.
“Way back when, I thought that
someday I’d move up to coach Division II
or Division I softball. Then, it happened
that I started to teach more courses in the
[HPE] major and I really enjoyed that
along with coaching. After that, I never
thought about moving up to Division II or
Division I.”
Do I remember very many
games? Heck, no. Do I remember
the fun we had? Absolutely.
—Carol Enke, softball coach
Enke has developed a close-knit, family
atmosphere with her softball teams,
encouraging the players’ families to be
active in the program during the short
spring season. In the past, she has taken
the players on off-season adventures and
team-building activities, such as crosscountry skiing, winter camping, snow
tubing, and rock climbing.
She has also encouraged her studentathletes to be active in multiple activities
on campus. Several of her players compete
in multiple sports at Augsburg, while also
serving as members of clubs and
organizations on campus.
“With the softball teams, our athletes
aren’t one-dimensional,” Enke said. “We’ve
got them going in all directions, more than
ever before. That’s just how well-rounded
they are, and we encourage that. We tell
them that they have four years here, and
they should ‘bite off as much as they can
chew.’ If you want to play two or three
sports, do it. If you want to be active in
campus activities, do it. Take advantage of
what you’re getting for your tuition.”
There have been many changes in
college softball during the 21 years of
Enke’s tenure, including in bat technology.
“When I started here, a bat was $29.95.
Now bats can cost over $200,” she said.
But what hasn’t changed with Enke’s
Auggie teams is the fun atmosphere she
encourages, along with the life skills she
teaches, both in the classroom and on the
softball diamond.
“It keeps me young,” she said. “Just
the relationships with the students and
student-athletes, getting involved in their
lives. Letting them know that you are
someone they can come to. I really like
that, and I like to watch them grow in all
areas of their lives—not just as student,
not just as an athlete, but as the person as
a whole.
“I’ve loved the people, the teammates
and the coaches, all the relationships
we’ve had. Do I remember very many
games? Heck, no. Do I remember the fun
we had? Absolutely.” ■
7
COMMENCEMENT
2006
The 137TH YEAR of Augsburg College
PAUL CUMINGS RECEIVES
MARINA CHRISTENSEN
JUSTICE AWARD
Faculty and students grab one more farewell in Augsburg’s longtime tradition
of faculty cheering on their students as they process to the ceremony.
Libby Henslin, admissions and operations
coordinator for Augsburg’s Rochester
program, graduated with a major in
religion and shared the day’s excitement
with her daughter, Rebecca, who earned
a degree in social work.
Paul Cumings, an international relations
major and student body president, was
selected as the 2006 recipient of the Marina
Christensen Justice Award.
Each year, this honor is presented to the
graduating senior who best exemplifies
Augsburg’s motto, “Education for Service.”
Cumings came to Augsburg from
AmeriCorps, serving at the Brian Coyle
Center on the West Bank in Minneapolis.
He worked two years in the college readiness
program, helping junior high and high
school students first consider going to
college and then helping them prepare the
skills to gain acceptance.
On campus he served in numerous
service and leadership roles—as resident
adviser, as director of food and clothing
drives, as a co-sponsor of the “get out the
vote” efforts, and as a leader in neighborhood Somali programs.
As a Sabo Scholar, Cumings helped
Augsburg make connections between public
policy and service, laying groundwork for
future Sabo Scholars.
The award recipient must have
demonstrated a dedication to community
involvement as characterized by the personal
and professional life of Marina Christensen
Justice, who reached out to disadvantaged
people and communities.
President William Frame congratulates
student body president and Sabo Scholar Paul
Cumings, who was awarded the 2006
Marina Christensen Justice Award.
8
Summer 2006
EXCERPTS FROM THE COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
“An Augsburg Education: Vocation and the Social Good”
—Peter Agre ’70, M.D.
I would like to use this occasion to reflect on my life and share some of the lessons I have
learned. While an Augsburg student I became a die-hard advocate for the liberal arts
tradition …
Proud chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg (left)
straightens the hood of his former student,
Dr. Peter Agre ’70, who was the Commencement
speaker and received an honorary Doctor of
Humane Letters degree. The accolade was read by
Dr. Paul Mueller ’84, a student of Agre’s at
the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
The Honorable Walter F. Mondale reads the
accolade for the honorary Doctor of Humane
Letters degree awarded to James A. Johnson,
former executive assistant to Mondale and
CEO of Fannie Mae.
Lisa Prytula ’04, ’06 MAN, who completed
a bachelor’s degree in nursing and
finished a master’s degree, spoke on
behalf of the graduate students.
I was a student here in the 1960s—an era notable for extreme turmoil in our country.
During my years in high school and as an undergraduate, I lived through the assassinations
of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert Kennedy. My years here
coincided with unprecedented social disturbances resulting from conflicts between white
supremacists and civil rights workers, between supporters of the war in Vietnam and antiwar protesters. Despite the consternation experienced elsewhere, those of us at Augsburg
enjoyed an island of tranquility where issues and events such as these could be discussed
with respect and civility.
Augsburg College has never been a school for privileged members of the establishment.
Augsburg recognized the importance of inclusion at a very early time and has long been a
leader in providing educational opportunities for the Native Americans and other ethnic
minorities. Augsburg’s commitment to students with physical disabilities had just begun in
the 1960s. Similar to previous generations of Augsburg students, many of my classmates
were from the working class, often the first members of their families to attend college. …
But this is not the tradition prevailing at the so-called “prestige” colleges and
universities in the United States where it is rare to have first generation students or
students with parents holding blue-collar jobs. Clearly the working class of America is
being excluded from many institutions of higher education. This makes me even prouder
of the modest roots of Augsburg students, for as the late Kirby Puckett reflected, “It doesn’t
matter where you come from. It only matters how you play the game.”
And I always felt that my classmates at Augsburg learned to play the game extremely
well. This was due in part to the splendid Augsburg faculty—perhaps most outspoken
among them was my father, Courtland Agre, whose unbridled enthusiasm and exuberant
encouragement directed many of us into professional and graduate schools. …
While my generation, the “Baby Boomers,” has achieved unprecedented prosperity, I
sincerely feel that we have failed to improve the world to a state better than it was when
we received it from our parents. In fact, I fear that the world is in worse shape now. If
this continues, we will be the first generation in memory to fail in such an important
endeavor. We all know what the problems are: damage to the environment, continued
war, prevalence of famine and untreated disease in the developing world, violent crime
and poverty in our inner cities, the epidemic of drug abuse, failure to provide adequate
health care to all Americans, and the staggering $9 trillion national debt which will fall
on your generation.
Education has never been more important than in the current time of growing antiintellectualism in America. It is really shocking when you think that less than half of all
Americans read a single book last year.
As Mark Twain informed us, “The man who doesn’t read good books has no
advantage over the man who can’t read them.”
I fear the emphasis in our country has now become one of fixing the blame rather
than fixing the problem. The polarized special interests have caused gridlock in our
national government where the two major parties can seemingly agree on nothing. Let
me suggest that the hour is late and we must stop the face-slapping and join hands and
concentrate all of our attention on fixing the problems. It is often said that “the genius
of this immigrant nation is that we have always found our center,” and I believe that we
need to do so urgently. …
Thank you and congratulations.
The full Commencement Address is at <www.augsburg.edu/president/commencement06.html>.
Summer 2006
9
COMMENCEMENT
2006
BACCALAUREATE HOMILY (EXCERPTS)
WILLIAM V. FRAME, PRESIDENT
Physician assistant graduate Tara Rick is the center of attention as she receives her
master's hood from PA director Dawn Ludwig.
“Separating Together”
[I]n John’s Gospel and the Book of Acts, Jesus is preparing the disciples for
their new assignment—dispersal, one by one, each on his own, into the
world for the sake of the great commission. He suggests that they can
sustain themselves in the midst of their independence only if they remember
before leaving that they were transformed from a motley crew of fishermen,
tax collectors, and other workaday professionals into a “community.” But
this recollection will strengthen them for the independent journeys just
ahead only if they repair the terrible rip in the fabric of their collegium
caused by Judas’ betrayal. Hence, before the reprise of community can be
undertaken, Judas’ empty position must be filled. And it is, by one Mattias,
who is called up from the apostolic bench (which appears to have been
deeper than that of the Timberwolves) by a drawing of lots. …
You and I are separating—together—and the good news is that we’re
separating from a place that gave each of us something to be separated from. …
[from] a community of learning, in which ideas of the transforming kind,
experiences (sometimes of the embarrassing kind—some, entailing success,
and some, failure and frustration), gave us new life and, therefore, identity. …
Like us, in the hands of the College, the disciples had been molded into
something new by their particular course of study, faculty, and classmates.
Their capstone course culminated in the resurrection. Yours came to a more
conventional conclusion a week ago. But neither we now, nor the disciples
then, are yet prepared for separation.
Until we recognize that we were transformed by our time together; until
we confess that each of us is now becoming someone—not the realization of
some persona prescribed at or even before birth—but a self created by a
million incidents of concourse, a thousand recollections of experience,
a hundred moments of revelation. Until we begin becoming ourselves, we
shall lack the independence of the world that vocation requires. To stand in
the midst of the life each of us is about to undertake—either of a job search,
employment, or retirement—and to render service to our neighbor, we must
know who we are and how we got that way. That knowledge is of identity; it
constitutes the protective suit, even though not fully woven, that allows us
to live in and serve the world without being wholly fused with it. …
But what we have learned here—about ourselves, the world, and God;
what the disciples learned about themselves—remains beyond our grasp and
theirs without the great final examination known as saying goodbye!
Until we address our separation—seriously; until we face the fact that we
are leaving people who have meant the world to us—teachers, friends,
10
Sunny Olise receives his master’s hood from director Robert
Kramarczuk in Augsburg’s first MBA class.
parents (that you now realize you didn’t leave four years
ago but are now, finally going to leave—today!)—we are
not tempered for the new immersion in the world. Until
we know who and what we have become, we cannot
maintain our independence in the world when we are out
there in it, on our own.
Goodbyes force us each to meet ourselves face to face,
as Achilles did in The Iliad. That means that we have put
our affairs in order—so that they may be abandoned; we
have to repair the rents in the fabric we knit in the
College cocoon in order that we might be released from
it—a beautiful butterfly capable of flying into the
maelstrom of life without danger to bring a glimpse of
beauty to a dour and broken world. …
And so—let us, to each other, both now and this
afternoon, say, “Goodbye!” And in so doing, we shall
each bear the College with us, out into the world—a
shield and a buckler of the vocational life that fulfills the
requirements of the great commission in the kingdom on
the left.
That last great goodbye gives us the capacity and even
the need for reunion. If done right, it allows us to soon
again say—here, at the intersection of Riverside and
22nd—“Hello! It’s good to see you. I’ve missed you!”
To read the full Baccalaureate Homily, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/president/baccalaureate06.html>.
Summer 2006
THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE CLASS
OF 2006
3,420
Attended the ceremony
3,600
Cookies and petit fours served at the reception
752
Class of 2006—346 traditional day students, 162 weekend
students, 39 students in the Rochester program, 13
from United Hospital, 1 from 3M; and 191 graduate students
in six programs
580
Graduates marching
490
Enjoyed Commencement Brunch
350
Attended Commencement Dinner
125
Faculty marching in the procession
58
Age of the oldest graduate
20
Age of the youngest graduates
14
Flags representing countries of international graduates
2
Honorary degrees conferred
1
Retiring presidential couple—many thanks to Bill and Anne!
countless Smiles and tears of happiness, gratitude, and appreciation
Audra Johnson, a studio art graduate, has a
jubilant smile on graduation day.
The sociology department faculty take a moment to get photos of their graduates.
Summer 2006
11
SIXTH ANNUAL International Programs Photo Contest
1
2
3
7
1
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT
AUGSBURG, second place.
“Melting Pot.” Kamilla T. Fossem,
Norway.
2
PEOPLE PORTRAITS, first place. “Yo
confío.” Kathryn Jones ’08. San
Salvador, El Salvador.
3
PEOPLE PORTRAITS, third place.
“Begging Musicians.” Richard
Garnett ’08. Cuernavaca, Mexico.
4
5
LOCAL PEOPLE, second place.
“Video Games vs. the Acropolis.”
Katharine Mahon ’06. Athens,
Greece.
LOCAL PEOPLE, third place. “A
Journey through an African Desert.”
Therese DeMay ’06. Swakopmund,
Namibia.
12
8
6
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT AUGSBURG,
first place. “The Old and the New
Minneapolis.” Martin Garnes, Norway.
7
CITYSCAPES, third place. “Untitled.” Britta
Boyum ’06. Lofoten Islands, Norway.
9
8
LOCAL PEOPLE, first place. “Bearing the Load.”
Kelsey Nolan ’06. Sontule, Nicaragua.
9
PEOPLE PORTRAITS, second place. “Familia.”
Megan L. Schiller ’06. Nicaragua.
10 CITYSCAPES, second place. “Cusco by Night.”
Joelle Bickel ’07. Cusco, Peru.
11 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT
AUGSBURG, third place. “A Frozen
Falls.” Martin Garnes, Norway.
12 CITYSCAPES, first place. “Fishing
Industry.” Britta Boyum ’06.
Harstad, Norway.
13 BEST OF SHOW. “Waca Wasi
Wardrobe.” Joelle Bickel ’07.
Waca Wasi, Peru.
Summer 2006
4
5
6
10
11
12
Summer 2006
13
13
Supporting Augsburg
Gift of $4 million gives green light
to Gateway
by Betsey Norgard
A
$4 million naming gift from Donald
’53 and Beverly (Halling) Oren ’55
has provided the funding needed for
Augsburg to proceed with the $18.5
million Gateway Building.
On May 5 the Augsburg Board of
Regents granted approval for the College
to pursue the financing needed to begin
construction this summer. A ceremonial
groundbreaking is scheduled for Sept. 8,
with building completion in fall 2007.
Donald Oren ’53, an Augsburg regent
emeritus, is chairman of the board of Dart
Transit Company, founded by his father in
1934. The trucking and logistics company
ranks 53rd of the Top 100 Carriers
nationwide.
Beverly (Halling) Oren ’55 has taught
school and worked as vice president of
human resources at Dart Transit. She
remains a principal and adviser to the
company, and currently serves on
Augsburg’s Board of Regents.
Three of their children are involved
with Dart Transit—David, president;
Daniel, vice president; and Bradley, general
manager. Daughter Angela Anderson is
mother to one-year-old Samuel.
“We are pleased and honored to
participate in Augsburg’s growth by being
part of the Gateway project,” says Beverly
Oren. “The business school is of special
interest as it offers an opportunity for
students to experience the entrepreneurial
Donald ’53 and Beverly (Halling) Oren ’55
spirit. Also, Augsburg’s commitment to
promoting vocation provides a very
worthy goal.”
The Gateway Building will be
Augsburg’s link to its surrounding
community and city, and a distinctive
“front door” on Riverside Ave. It will easily
connect the College with the CedarRiverside area, the University of
Minnesota’s West Bank, and the FairviewUniversity Medical Center across the
street.
The building is a four-story combined
administrative, commercial, and residential
center. It will provide new homes for the
Alumni Conference Center, the StepUP
Program, the Master of Business
Administration program, the Gage Family
Art Gallery, and offices for Institutional
Advancement. Community residents and
organizations will be encouraged to use
meeting space in the new Gateway.
On the first floor, retail stores such as
Barnes and Noble will serve not only the
campus community, but staff and patients
of the hospital across the street and the
West Bank and Cedar-Riverside
communities as well.
The top three floors will provide
student housing—upperclass students on
the second floor and StepUP students on
floors three and four.
From Riverside Ave., a central Gateway
plaza welcomes visitors to campus.
Circling the plaza are Hoversten Chapel,
Lindell Library, and the Gateway Building,
representing the College's commitments to
faith, reason, and service.
For Augsburg’s StepUP program, which
provides students in addiction recovery the
support and skills they need to succeed in
college, the Gateway Building will
centralize their office, counseling, and
residential space.
It’s about “having a home where we’re
all together,” says StepUP director Patrice
Salmeri, and will give students who
complete the program the “ability to stay
longer and mentor younger students.”
In eight years, StepUP has grown to
over 50 students, and they have
maintained an 83% abstinence rate while
in the program and a grade point average
of 3.0. Augsburg is a national leader in the
recovery school movement; Salmeri
currently serves as president of the
national organization.
The Augsburg MBA program, which
after only two years is now the state’s
third largest, will gain much needed and
more suitable classroom, technology, and
study space in Gateway for its small-class
learning.
Save the date!
GATEWAY BUILDING
CEREMONIAL GROUNDBREAKING
Friday, September 8
Noon
14
Summer 2006
Gateway’s ground floor will welcome
alumni and visitors, and provide a
gathering space to meet over coffee and
enjoy exhibits in the Gage Family Art
Gallery, which will move from Lindell
Library to a more accessible location in the
new building.
“[T]he connection to the wider
community will be greater than ever
before,” says Kerry Morgan,
coordinator of galleries and exhibits.
“The easy access from Riverside will be
welcoming to off-campus visitors; and
Augsburg students, staff, and faculty
will continue to find inspiring and
thought-provoking art where they
work, live, and study.”
Planning for the Gateway Building
has been carried out in conjunction
with the Riverside Corridor Project
development, funded partially with an
early campaign gift from James A.
Johnson, former banking administrator
and public servant. The project brings
together West Bank partners—the
Cedar-Riverside Business Association,
the West Bank Community
Development Corporation, the
University of Minnesota, Augsburg,
Fairview-University Medical Center, and
others—to envision a thriving urban
village that links to the light rail system.
The City of Minneapolis has begun to
develop a small area plan for the entire
Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
“One issue the plan will consider is
how to make Riverside more comfortable
for pedestrians and bicyclists,” says Beth
Elliott, principal city planner. “More retail
stores and outdoor seating opportunities
will also help in adding vibrancy to that
section of the corridor.” She says the
Gateway Building can be “an example that
others can follow if they are thinking
about redevelopment.”
Honoring a graduate by honoring the College
A
s a nontraditional
student past the
usual graduation
age, Matt Van Zant
seemed just a bit
too old for the
traditional card
with a money
pocket. So Frank
McKinney, a close
family friend,
Matt Van Zant ’06
called Augsburg
and asked how he could make a gift to the
College instead, in honor of Van Zant.
Van Zant came to know McKinney, a
corporate lawyer, in Ohio where Van
Zant grew up. “He encouraged me and
stressed the importance of ethics,”
Summer 2006
Van Zant says. “[He] is a believer in
education and encouraged me to remain
in school and do well.”
McKinney said he was proud of Van
Zant, that after many years he would
return to school for his degree.
Van Zant works as an operations
analyst in the healthcare field. He
enrolled in Weekend College in fall 2001
to begin a major in management
information systems (MIS).
One of the common themes he found
in his classes fits right in with what he
remembers learning from McKinney.
“People who work with data, who
manage sensitive and confidential
information,” says Van Zant, “are and
should be held to higher standards of
performance and integrity.”
Juggling full-time employment with
full-time study was difficult, and Van
Zant says he tried to take it just one term
at a time. “It helped to work on
coursework almost every day and try to
remain current with the material.”
His strategy worked, so much so that
he will begin an MBA degree in the fall,
looking forward to “the opportunity to
develop strategic decision-making skills.”
McKinney says he enjoyed making the
gift to Augsburg in Van Zant’s name and
that Van Zant also enjoyed it. To
McKinney, “it just seemed the appropriate
thing to do.”
He says now he’ll just wait for Van
Zant’s master’s degree.
15
Construction begins on Melby Hall addition
by Betsey Norgard
n a chilly, cloudy May 5, a crowd
gathered on the south side of Melby
O
Hall to ceremonially mark the
groundbreaking for the $6.1 million new
south wing, named the Kennedy Sports
and Recreation Complex.
Augsburg regent and emcee Mike
Freeman, in describing the expansion,
called it “lots of much-needed space to
show our Auggie pride.” He drew
attention to the efforts that had made the
project possible, especially noting that
every coach had put together a plan to
reach former students and athletes.
He read a statement from lead naming
donors Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy, who
Kennedys. “Your gift is exciting, and we
so appreciate it.”
The Kennedy Sports and Recreation
Complex includes the Alan and Gloria
Rice Wrestling Center and the James and
Katherine Haglund Fitness and
Recreation Center, as well as other named
spaces: the Lavonne (Johnson) Peterson
’50 Conference Suite; Lute Olson ’56 Hall
of Champions; “Doc” Johnson ’52 A-Club
Office; and the Gamma House
Hospitality/Classroom.
Work has already begun on the new
south wing; construction is expected to
be completed in spring 2007, with the
official opening in fall 2007.
weren’t able to be in attendance, saying
that their “family is proud and excited to
be part of this [project].” Kennedy was an
All-American wrestler and, as co-captain
of the team, led Augsburg to a runner-up
spot at the NAIA national finals, marking
the beginning of Augsburg’s longtime
dominance in small-college wrestling.
President William Frame drew
attention to Augsburg student-athletes
and the leadership they bring to the life
of the campus.
Football linebacker Michael Matson
’06, speaking on behalf of studentathletes, directed his remarks to lead
donors Alan Rice, Jim Haglund, and the
Front row (L to R): Major gifts director Donna McLean; regent and lead donor Jim Haglund; Board of Regents chair Jean Taylor '85; assistant dean
and head wrestling coach Jeff Swenson ’79; lead donor Alan Rice; regent Mike Freeman; and President William Frame.
Melby groundbreaking—twice!
When Rev. Clifford M. Johnson, ’34 (’30
Acad, ’39 Sem) received his invitation to
attend the May 5 ceremonial
groundbreaking for the expansion of
Melby Hall, he remembered that he still
16
had a 46-year-old photo from the day he
held a shovel to break ground for the new
Melby Hall.
Johnson, age 95, has been part of the
Augsburg community since 1926 when he
entered the Augsburg Academy. He has
been a fundraising leader, a regent and
board chair, and a director of development
over the years. In 1993 he was honored as
a Distinguished Alumnus.
He recalls the excitement in 1960 of
constructing the first athletic facility for
Augsburg. Until then, he says, the
basketball team played on the court in the
basement of Old Main. He also remembers
that the invocation that day was given by
Lutheran Free Church president Rev. T. O.
Burntvedt ’12.
Johnson was thrilled to be part of this
new excitement this year and to see that
earlier photo at the ceremony, enlarged to
poster size and sitting on an easel.
Just announced …
$1 million gift has been received
A
from Norman and Vangie Hagfors for
the renovation of the chapel in Old Main
and the creation of a home for Augsburg’s
Center for Faith and Learning. Read more
in the next issue.
Summer 2006
The
FRAME
years
a journey toward vision
BY BETSEY NORGARD
W
William Frame, the 10th president of Augsburg, is not typical of his nine
predecessors. He is not a Midwesterner, nor is he of Norwegian background or an
ordained Lutheran minister.
From his nine-year tenure, he leaves a long litany of new programs, partnerships,
and much-needed capital improvements. But, much more significant is that he leaves
an Augsburg that has renewed its self-identity, and that has crafted and refined a
vision representing the deepest thinking any college could undertake about its own
mission or “institutional vocation.”
In the foreword to Augsburg’s revised vision document, The Augsburg Vocation:
Access and Excellence, Frame describes this vision not as his, but as “drawn from the
soul of the College.” It is an idea—vocation—that “has been calling Augsburg to its
work since the founding.”
Frame points to his time at Augsburg as the continuation of a vocational journey
that began as a young instructor at Kenyon College, that immersed him in the urban
life of corporate banking and finance, and then took him back into academia. All
along, the work he did served to shape, nurture, and refine a strong, personal sense
of vocation. At Pacific Lutheran University, he came to understand Martin Luther’s
two-dimensional world of faith and reason, one in which students explored vocation
as both learning through faith to understand themselves and learning through reason
to prepare for careers and service in the world.
Top, left: President Frame (right) and ELCA presiding bishop Mark
Hanson ’68 (left) find a moment for conversation at
Commencement. Staff photo
Middle, left: Bill and Anne Frame enjoy talking with passersby at
Augsburg’s State Fair booth. Staff photo
Bottom, left: President Frame occasionally joins the Augsburg Jazz
Ensemble with his guitar.
Summer 2006
17
At Augsburg Frame discovered the
theology of Luther’s close colleague,
Philip Melancthon, who authored the
Augsburg Confession and advocated the
participation of Christians in civic
affairs. This German theological duo
became the basis for Frame’s model of
education and the hallmarks of
Augsburg’s vision: vocation, service,
civility, diversity, and community.
Remarkably, in retrospect, the agenda
for the Frame years seemed set even
before he became president. In summer
1997, shortly before taking office, he was
interviewed for Augsburg Now, and was
asked to identify the three most important
agenda items for Augsburg College as it
prepared for the 21st century.
Nine years later, his responses at that
time seemed predestined:
1. finding “communal clarity about our
purpose”—who we are and what
we do;
2. determining “how we adapt what
we’re up to, to what properly serves
the world” … i.e., what we must do
to carry out our mission;
3. figuring out “how we do all that” …
finding “a form of life on campus that
allows us to do all this thinking in a
fully civil, candid, ingenious,
participative way.”
Clarifying the vision
In the first two years of Frame’s
presidency the entire campus engaged
itself in a highly collaborative process,
which included commissions charged
with producing working papers around
issues that would form the groundwork
for a vision document.
English professor Joan Griffin,
describes that period:
“When Bill Frame became president
of Augsburg, the College suddenly
became Lutheran. I’m exaggerating, of
course, but despite the required religion
courses and daily chapel, our Lutheran
identity was something that we took for
granted: we did not always connect it
with how we go about doing our work.
18
“But then Bill arrived, and even the
least theologically sophisticated among
us became familiar with the kingdom on
the right and the kingdom on the left,
freedom, paradox, and of course, most of
all, vocation. Bill changed the Augsburg
lexicon.”
Griffin and physics professor Mark
Engebretson were charged with shaping
the 250 pages of discussion into the
College’s first vision document, Augsburg
2004: Extending the Vision, approved by
the Board of Regents in 1999.
Five years later, as 2004 approached,
Frame again called the campus
community into discussion about
updates to the vision. Again, Griffin and
Engebretson compiled a revised vision
document, The Augsburg Vocation: Access
and Excellence, that succeeds in bringing
vision and practice closer together.
Tracy Elftmann ’81, vice president for
institutional advancement and former
regent, commented, “The leadership Bill
brought to our visioning work is nothing
short of extraordinary. The clarity of
purpose in Augsburg’s vision provides
balance, meaning, and motivation to our
daily work. We know who we are and
what we are here to do.
“Let’s be clear,” she continued, “this
is not Bill’s vision for Augsburg—it’s our
vision. We wrote it, we work it, we live
it. The collaborative effort to bring this
work to full fruition was laborious but
well worth the effort.”
Tom Morgan, vice president for
planning and market development,
added additional context. “Through Bill’s
leadership we have rediscovered who we
are and clarified where we need to go.
More than simply words on a page, we
have been inspired to rededicate
ourselves to a course that was charted at
the time of the College’s founding.”
Carrying out the vision
The most significant result of the
revisioning process was the launching of
a new general education curriculum to
imprint the core values of the vision.
Griffin led a faculty team that crafted a
new Core Curriculum. Combined with
the depth of study in a major, this would
prepare students for careers and service
in the world.
Ideas of vocation, citizenship, and
engagement are reflected in the signature
elements of the Core Curriculum—
Search for Meaning courses to explore
vocation; the first-year program that
Summer 2006
Staff photo
The LEGACY of WILLIAM FRAME’S
YEARS at AUGSBURG (1997-2006)
New programs
• New general education—Core Curriculum
• Scholastic/Corporate Connections
• New master’s degrees—education, nursing, physician
assistant, and business administration
• Youth and family ministry major
• Finalizing and naming first endowed chair—Christensen
Chair in Religion
• Growth of StepUP program
• Degree programs in Rochester
Community partnerships/collaborations:
• Nursing degree programs at United Hospital and Rochester
• Augsburg-Capella innovative“brick-click” courses
• Faith in the City—plus the spin-off Augsburg Academy for
Health Careers
• Clinical Lab Science program with Fairview
Capital buildings/improvements:
• New Hall—apartment-style residence hall
• Groundbreaking for Melby Hall expansion
includes learning about and connecting with the city; experience
gained through internships, research, community service, and
global study; and a keystone summative seminar. Combined with a
liberal arts foundation and skills development, students prepare to
become effective, informed, and ethical citizens.
Important to Augsburg’s vision are a number of new programs that
provide access to education for students who lack it for various
reasons: Scholastic Connections, a scholarship program that matches
students of color with alumni of color in mentoring relationships;
StepUP, a nationally-recognized program that provides support to
students in addiction recovery to help them succeed academically; and
graduate programs to help students understand the world through a
lens of vocation.
Augsburg’s vision has taken the College into many new and
innovative partnerships. A program in Rochester now serves 300
students, mostly from Mayo Clinic and IBM, who wish to complete
baccalaureate and some graduate degrees. An unusual partnership
with Capella University involves Augsburg faculty developing and
teaching online courses.
One of Frame’s key leadership roles was helping to found Faith in
the City, a collaboration of seven urban Lutheran institutions in
Minneapolis that together seek to improve the quality of life in the
community. Included is the year-old Augsburg Academy for Health
• Link between Library and Sverdrup/Memorial— Sverdrup
renovation, new atrium
• Christensen Center renovation—welcome and gathering
area, coffee shop, gallery space
• Purchase and renovation of Augsburg House
• New signage on Mortensen Hall and on I-94
• Upgrading of residence halls
• Replacement of Edor Nelson Field turf
• Overall beautification of grounds
• Sale of Ice Arena to gain lease-back arrangement
and capital
• Added two new parking lots and upgraded security
• Purchased additional perimeter properties
around campus
Administrative
• Creation of Enrollment Center as one-stop shop
• Creation/consolidation of Center for Service, Work,
and Learning
• Creation of Undergraduate Research and Graduate
Opportunity (URGO) from McNair program
Awards/Recognition
• 2006—Augsburg Medal
Left: President Frame poses for a moment with the directors of the ethnic
programs at the annual Scholastic Connections dinner in October 2005.
(L to R) Bao Thao, Cindy Peterson, Frame, Emiliano Chagil, and Trena
Bolden Fields.
• 2006—award from Lutheran Educational Council of North
America
Top: First-year students hear from the president on City Service Projects
day during their Augsburg Seminar.
• 2004-05 chair of Minnesota Private College Council
Summer 2006
• Project director for Council of Independent Colleges’
19
Presidential Vocation and Institutional Mission seminars
• 2006—Toby LaBelle award from StepUP to Anne
and Bill Frame
• 2003-04 president of the ELCA Council of College
Presidents
Careers, a joint charter school with
Fairview Health Services that prepares
high school students for careers and
vocations in health care.
Augsburg, under Frame’s leadership,
has gained considerable recognition for its
visioning work. Elftmann stated, “College
presidents across the country consistently
ask Bill how Augsburg was able to capture
its essence, its purpose, its wholeness so
well. Bill’s contributions have established
Augsburg as a national leader in terms of
strategic direction and future focus. “
The College was recognized by The
Princeton Review and Campus Compact as
a “college with a conscience.” It
consistently ranks high for service-learning
programs and is one of 12 colleges selected
for excellence in first-year programs.
Frame has served as president of the
ELCA Council of College Presidents, as
chair of the Minnesota Private College
Council (MPCC), and as project director
for the Council on Independent Colleges
(CIC) seminars reflecting on vocation
and institutional mission. He also has
received awards from the Lutheran
Educational Conference of North
America (LECNA) and Augsburg’s
StepUP program, who selected Anne and
Bill Frame for the 2006 Toby LaBelle
Award for support of its ideals.
Changing the culture
Frame’s third agenda item from his 1997
interview was the creation of a campus
culture that would support and model the
mission and vision. His first task was
confronting what he called “militant
modesty,” the difficulty of the College to
“toot its own horn.” He immediately put a
great deal of attention on both tangible
improvements—fixing up and painting
residence halls, landscaping, new
facilities—and more deep-seated changes,
such as making Augsburg salaries more
competitive.
Griffin says that Frame has been able
to get Augsburg to “think big about
ourselves”—in both small ways, like the
campus improvements, as well as bigger
ways, with new programs and initiatives.
“I think we’re becoming more willing to
20
embrace our complexity—and also our
promise,” she said.
The Frame presidency has been one
very much shared by both Bill and Anne
Frame. Anne has been active in a number
of Augsburg programs, contributing her
business expertise, hospitality, and much
volunteer time.
She told faculty and staff that after long
consideration of how to describe her role
at Augsburg, she had recently been
introduced in a way that seemed very
comfortable to her—“this is Anne Frame,
she’s a member of the Augsburg
community and happens to be married to
our president.”
Hospitality, from the theological sense
to a simple friendly welcome, has become
a hallmark of the vision—and one in
which Anne has played a significant role.
Their sharing of Augsburg House as a
center for college hospitality has opened
new dimensions in how community
members relate to each other.
In March Bill Frame articulated
Augsburg’s vision of hospitality: “[Our
college] welcomes the stranger as a gift to
a learning community composed of
students, many in the guise of faculty and
staff colleagues, who cannot proceed in
their own quests for vitality and hope
without constant contact with a diverse
array of learning styles and even learning
capacities, each one at least beginning to
feel that deep and absorbing hunger
to know.”
In an interview with Augsburg Echo,
Frame recently reflected on what he
considers his proudest moment—“having
our envisioning work recognized as
distinctive by candidates and their
sponsors for the 11th presidency of the
College.”
And, indeed, President-elect Paul
Pribbenow told faculty and staff in March,
“I would not be here if I did not find your
aspirations inspiring and compelling.”
Griffin offered an Augsburg
community perspective: “I think at least
part of the excitement of the approaching
Pribbenow era is that Bill brought us to a
point where we can imagine how much
farther we can go.”
Since February, when Pribbenow was
chosen by Augsburg regents, an unusual
The Frame years in print
William Frame has published a collection
of writings and speeches from his years
as president at Augsburg College. He says
it intends to both “provide a record of
the principal stops on the faith and
reason journey on which I was sent when
elected as Augsburg’s 10th president,”
and to share his connection with Martin
Luther and Philip Melanchthon.
The book’s preface was written by the
Rev. Mark Hanson ’68, presiding bishop
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America.
Published by Lutheran University Press in
Minneapolis, the book is available in
bookstores, online, and at <www.
lutheranUpress.org>. Proceeds from sales
of the book will be donated to
Augsburg’s annual fund.
collaboration has developed. Frame invited
Pribbenow to share the podium with him
in March at the College’s all-faculty and
all-staff meeting.
Mark Hanson ’68, presiding bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA), summarizes the impact
of the Frame years, “… Bill draws upon
the great themes of the Lutheran
Reformation and weaves them into the
mission of a Lutheran urban college in the
21st century. When Bill Frame speaks, I
want to ask him to stop after each
sentence so that we can ponder the depth
of his wisdom.”
In every way, the Frame presidency has
been one of introspection and distinction,
even to his legendary eloquence and
penchant to speak long. Quipped student
body president Paul Cumings, “He will be
missed. Even his dry humor and lengthy
lectures.” ■
Summer 2006
At Augsburg House—since 1998
Frequency of events: about twice a week
Events held: 430
In 1998, the Augsburg Board of Regents authorized the purchase of a house for
the home of the president and a gathering place for campus events. In January
2006 Anne Frame talked to the Board of Regents about hospitality at Augsburg
House. Following are excerpts of her talk.
People who have attended: 8,600
Catering by Augsburg-Sodexho staff
(as of January 2006)
Staff photo
HOSPITALITY
and the House
BY ANNE FRAME
I
I’ve been asked to think about some of
the ways my work with Augsburg is
applied to implementing the idea of
hospitality. The Augsburg Vocation, our
vision document, talks about
community and intentional diversity–
language that conceived of this College
as a welcoming place, where persons are
accepted, perhaps because of their
differences, and where a community is
developed that contributes to the
learning for all of us.
Much of my work takes place away
from this Riverside campus. From the
beginning, Bill and I—ironically, as the
newcomers—took as our job helping the
various constituents of the campus feel at
home here. We have visited alumni and
friends of the College in many locations
to let them know what is going on now
at Augsburg, and specifically to
emphasize that they are welcome here.
That they, as a part of Augsburg’s history,
therefore have a place in its present. And,
as we have learned much from their
stories and memories, we hope they have
strengthened or rekindled their bonds to
this place.
We have been privileged both to live
at Augsburg House and to use it
frequently for College events. A plaque
in the entry hall—carved by a Norwegian
in Iowa—states our purpose:
In this place we extend to our guests
the friendship and hospitality of the
Augsburg Community in loving
memory of Adeline Marie Rasmussen
Johnson ’31 and through the
Summer 2006
generosity of James and Kathleen
Haglund and Milton and Dorothy
Kleven.
So we are acting for the community and
have practiced that hospitality to student
groups, to faculty and staff, to the
regents, the parents and alumni and
friends of the College, to neighborhood
and community groups who may not
know Augsburg well. We have done this
in as many different forms as we can
think of: with receptions, breakfasts,
lunches, dinners, conversations. We
bring these groups together for food and
fellowship, for study and discussions. We
feel that getting to know each other
better, spending time together, and
talking about the College together helps
us to be a stronger community.
Frequent remarks I hear as people
learn how many groups and events are at
Augsburg House each year come in one
of two forms, the first being, “You must
get really tired of having so many people
at your house.” (The answer is a very
clear “no.”) The other comment is, “You
must really be a party person!” I don't
think that’s quite the case, either.
But these two questions have caused
me to try to express what it is that I do
like about using Augsburg House in this
way. What do I get out of it?
The answer is … getting to know the
wide and diverse constituency that is
Augsburg—learning histories and
connections, hearing staff and faculty
speak across their areas of expertise, and
listening and discussing ideas with
each other.
Bill and Anne Frame welcome the community
to Augsburg House.
What a rare privilege this is. It has
given me an appreciation of this place
that is deeper than I could have
discovered elsewhere. It has widened my
horizons, expanded my understandings,
and has made this College house truly
“home” to me.
What we do at the house is
intentional, and I believe it’s consistent
with trying to build our community, as
stated in The Augsburg Vocation, “the
development of a sense of connectedness
that leads to lasting relationships.”
The author of the Book of Hebrews
exhorts his readers: “Do not neglect to
show hospitality to strangers, for by
doing that some have entertained angels
without knowing it.” And I’m convinced
there are at least a few angels hanging
around Augsburg.
21
Augsburg’s original
MBAs
The Class of 2006
BY BETHANY BIERMAN
22
Summer 2006
The
AUGSBURG
MBA
Nathan Appel joined the army right out of high school in Colorado and spent several years in the
service. He eventually came to Minnesota to attend the university but “became tired of rollerblading
from Timbuktu to a class where another student taught us.” So he transferred to another college,
taking evening classes to finish his undergraduate degree in management. His campus? A hotel
conference room in the suburbs. His cohort? Number 327.
Later, with his career at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage well underway, Appel decided to return to school
for his Master of Business Administration degree. He was about to choose another program when he
received an MBA postcard from Augsburg. He came to an information session and was sold. His new
campus? A small, fully functioning campus in the heart of Minneapolis. His cohort? Number 1.
“It’s kind of cool … We are the original,” Appel says.
A JUMP-START LAUNCH
This May, Augsburg graduated the first four sections, or cohorts, of
its new Master of Business Administration program—a total of 84
students.
The 20-month program evolved from eight years of discussion,
research, and planning by members of the business department, with
Professor David Schwain serving as the chief designer.
“In the feasibility study, our researcher found that our business
program ranked third best business program in the state by those
students taking the GMAT,” says John Cerrito, chair of the
Department of Business Administration. “Of course, we did not have
a grad program at that time, which the two programs that ranked
higher did, so we felt we’d have good acceptance in the market.
When we introduced the MBA, we met with instant success.”
In fact, recruiting one group to start the program doubled into
two, as 44 students responded by the time the MBA began in fall
2004. The initial goal of four cohorts by the end of three years was
met within four months of launching the program. It was these
students who became Augsburg’s first MBAs in May.
THE CAPTAIN
Since its launch 20 months ago, under the direction of Robert
Kramarczuk, the MBA program has grown to over 300 students.
Kramarczuk’s international career had included teaching at the
International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in
Switzerland, running several successful businesses, and starting up
six other graduate educational programs. He was already enjoying
retirement, but the Augsburg call was too good to pass up.
He was attracted to Augsburg’s commitment to service-learning,
Top: MBA director Robert Kramarczuk places a hood on Kristen Schell, one of
84 in the first class of MBA graduates.
Bottom: Sarah Anton offers a comment to her classmates in Cohort 3.
Summer 2006
23
“In the real world, you don’t function on
your own. You rely upon other people.”
—CHRISTINE WAGGONER ’97, ’06 MBA
which became an integral component in
the MBA. “The program reflects very well
Augsburg’s mission—service to others,”
Kramarczuk says. “It’s a hallmark of our
program.”
One group of MBA students spends
time in the Somali community. All are
involved in field projects where, as a
team, students work with an organization
for 10 to 11 months. Kramarczuk says
that these sorts of experiences put
Augsburg’s MBA students “ten levels
above” those in other programs.
“The other key factor is that we
consider really good leaders to differ
from others by being able to think
critically … That’s woven into the entire
program.”
Even with six other successful
program starts, Kramarczuk considers
Augsburg’s unique. “We look at it from a
different perspective. We look at it as
your life’s purpose or vocation, with the
MBA being a critical leg in this life’s
journey… We tell our students, ‘After
you get this MBA, you’ll say this
is probably one of the most
important decisions you’ve made
in your life.’”
Jamie Schiller, MBA coordinator, and graduate
As a requirement for
Christine Waggoner pause from the action of an MBA
admission to the program, each
softball game.
applicant must personally
interview with Kramarczuk. “It’s
humbling to hear them share and discuss
THE CURRICULUM
their goals and aspirations and how the
The intense curriculum includes finance
MBA fits into this process. … I consider
and economics, local and global issues,
myself almost like a peer. I love my
organizational management, and
students, and I think they kind of like
leadership ethics. Through application
me.”
and research, students learn to
Like him they do, and at a recent
implement ideas and communicate vital
event they presented Kramarczuk with an
statistical, financial, and other critical
award. Accolades include these words
business-related data in an evolving work
from Babette Blumenauer of Cohort 4:
environment.
“He has started this program that will
The required field project, which
change my life course. … I am not just a
serves as the thesis for the MBA, often
number or an obscure student here. Dr.
responds to real-world requests that
Kramarczuk … gives me time, shows he
come to the program from business and
cares, and he knows my name. And that
industry.
has meant a lot to me.”
“Book learning is very different from
Announcing
•
•
•
•
•
•
NEW MBA
GRADUATE
CERTIFICATES
Finance
Financial planning
Human resource management
International business
Marketing management
Music business management
Graduate certificates provide applied, practical, graduate-level
training to enhance skills and advance careers. In addition, they
can later be applied toward a master’s degree. Certificates can be
earned in as few as six months with courses meeting one evening
per week for seven weeks. Cohorts will form beginning this fall.
For information, call 612-330-1390.
24
real-life experience,” says Christine
Waggoner of Cohort 2. “It’s that real-life
experience that is discussed and studied
in this program.”
Waggoner earned her bachelor’s
degree from Augsburg in 1997. “Given
my positive experience as an
undergraduate, I cannot tell you how
excited I was when I received the
postcard announcing that Augsburg was
starting an MBA program,” she says. “At
Augsburg, the professors know you.
They tailor their teaching methods to the
students in their class. They share their
personal stories … [and] successes and
failures they’ve gone through.”
“When you finish, you will be at a
higher level of leadership and decisionmaking,” Kramarczuk says. Additionally,
because of the liberal arts background, an
Summer 2006
Augsburg MBA graduate will be more of
a “cosmopolitan” thinker.
Waggoner confirms this. “I have a
new outlook on the way I view myself
and my career. I have a lot more
confidence in my ability to lead, manage,
and make strategic business decisions.”
A significant number of students have
been offered new jobs and promotions as
a result of what they have taken away
from the MBA program.
LIFE IN THE COHORT
The cohort model has been critical to the
success of the program. It allows
students to build relationships and
become almost like family to each other
as they travel together through the
sequence of courses.
“Taking classes as a member of a
cohort has really enriched my learning
experience,” says Waggoner. “Classes are
sequentially ordered so that students
build upon learned skills, and those
skills are continually reinforced
throughout the program. The program is
organized so students can focus on
learning.”
This even includes providing a warm
meal before each evening class.
“[Students] have an opportunity to sit
together,” says Kramarczuk. “They are
from different professions, different parts
of the Twin Cities. They sit down to
really communicate about class work,
personal life, professional life.”
“In the real world, you don’t function
on your own,” Waggoner says. “You rely
upon other people.”
“You learn a lot from the students,
too,” adds Appel. “There are people of
diverse backgrounds—professional
backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, age
groups…”
This group atmosphere extends
beyond the classroom to social events
and celebrations. Appel formed and
managed a softball team with players
representing multiple cohorts. They
ordered Augsburg caps and jerseys and
even won a game. “We were beyond
awful, but we had a lot of spirit!”
Waggoner says.
“When Cohorts 3 and 4 came on
board, we had a little party at
Kramarczuk’s Deli,” reminisces Appel.
“Bob [Kramarczuk] wrote a ‘Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer’ song and made
them sing it.” The parody was titled
“Auggie, the Adult Professional.” These
kick-off dinners have become a tradition,
with older cohorts welcoming new ones.
Other social events have included the
students’ families, giving them a chance
to meet classmates and professors.
Already, a graduation celebration is in
the planning, where awards will be
handed out and, in line with tradition,
Kramarczuk’s musical parodies will
probably be sung.
THE CAMPUS
MBA director Bob Kramarczuk (left) and Auggie Eagle (right) lead Cohorts 3 and 4 in their
“initiation” song.
The opportunity to study on a “real”
campus also attracts students to the
program.
“Here, you come to school,” Appel
says. “There’s people with laptops, people
studying, there’s the bookstore… When I
meet my cohort outside of class to study,
we meet at the library. You feel like you
“[My classmates are]
people I respect…
very smart people.
Just like family.”
—SUNNY OLISE ’06 MBA
MBA graduate Nathan Appel, originator of the
MBA softball team, strikes a pose.
Summer 2006
Nigerian-born Sunny Olise came to the U.S. to
study business and appreciates the small-group
atmosphere in Augsburg's MBA program.
25
are in school… Now, actually coming to
campus just feels more like I’m at an
institution of higher learning and all that
goes along with that.”
Nigerian-born Sunny Olise began
studying in Lindell Library while he was
an undergraduate business student at
another school because he found it to be
a more calming and productive place for
him to work.
So when he heard the ad for
Augsburg’s new MBA program on the
radio, he said to himself, “Yeah, it’s a
good school.” Olise called Kramarczuk
and told him the story of how he woke
up one day after working for the
Nigerian government for 21 years
wanting to “try something new.”
The two later met in the coffee center of
Christensen Center. At the end of their
visit, Kramarczuk said, “Congratulations,
Sunny. You’re in!”
“I didn’t even know he was
interviewing me,” Olise says, laughing.
From there, Kramarczuk took Olise to
the bookstore to purchase his books.
Less than two years later, Olise is one of
the Cohort 4 graduates. He describes his
group as “people I respect… very smart
people. Just like family.”
“In addition to the knowledge you get
from the MBA program, there’s a lot of
prestige attached to it,” says Olise. “I work
full time, I have a full-time family, I
attended school, and I’m a chess addict…
I have no regrets whatsoever. None.”
COMING OF AGE
Kramarczuk considers the number of
students pretty close to the maximum
the College can currently support,
although he sees a huge potential for
growth. In response to a particular need,
Augsburg now offers the full MBA
program at Thrivent Financial’s corporate
center in downtown Minneapolis. Several
students have transferred in from nearby
programs, and Kramarczuk anticipates an
eventual 100 students at the Thrivent
location alone.
Augsburg also launched its first MBA
cohort in Rochester in fall 2005, its second
last winter, and will add its third this fall.
26
“Augsburg is a very traditional
institution, while the MBA is a very
entrepreneurial effort. There’s continual
adjustment that’s had to happen on both
ends,” Kramarczuk says. “It’s seems to be
progressing well.”
“We want to continue to develop
graduate business programs geared
toward executives. We are also
developing MBA programs in specific
concentration areas such as international
business,” says Cerrito.
Putting their MBA
“It’s kind of scary being the first class
of MBAs, but Augsburg’s reputation in
the metro and in the region is solid,”
Appel says. “The undergraduate business
program has a really good reputation.
Hopefully we’ll piggyback off of that. …
I’m banking on Augsburg’s reputation
carrying weight. I think it will.” ■
For more information about the MBA
program, go to <www.augsburg.edu/mba>.
(L to R): Derek Zielin, Max Boller, David
Sandvig, Matthew Barrett, Sarah Anton,
Scott Kretzschmar
TO WORK
Many MBA students seek out the
program to help them advance in their
current positions. For some students in
Cohort 3, however, the program
provided the foundation for a new
business venture.
One particular group of students
began talking during breaks, after
class, and, of course, over the pre-class
dinners. At these dinners, student
Sarah Anton says, “We learn about our
families, our goals, our plans for the
future.”
These discussions led to the creation
of Minnesota Business Consultants, LLP
(MBC), a group of five men and Anton.
“Each member brings a different
expertise to the group that comes out
of our diverse career paths,” she says.
MBC specializes in strategic
planning and profit maximization for
small- to medium-size businesses.
“Guiding businesses that might wish to
re-evaluate their current financial
picture” is the mission, according to
Anton. “We see using the contacts
we’ve gained from Augsburg to
develop a client base and to develop a
niche in an industry where small
businesses are struggling. We believe
small businesses are an important part
of our Minnesota culture.”
MBC is starting out in rental office
space, and each consultant will
maintain his or her current job until
MBC is able to support them fully.
“It’s a natural progression of the
excellent talent pool that Kramarczuk
puts together,” says Anton. “It would
surprise me if there aren’t more
businesses formed out of the MBA
cohorts.”
Summer 2006
on tour with the
AUGSBURG
Choir
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JUDY PETREE
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW WROTE, “Music is the universal language of
mankind.” As the Augsburg Choir set out on its European concert tour they would come to
understand the meaning of Longfellow’s words.
From May 8-21, under the direction of Peter Hendrickson ’76, the choir toured Budapest,
Hungary; Prague and Kutna Hora, Czech Republic; and Dresden and Leipzig, Germany,
where the tour ended at the American Choral Festival.
The 66-voice choir sang in basilicas that took their breaths away, in churches that dated
back to the 1300s, and in one of the finest concert halls in Europe. Their audiences included
U. S. citizens living in Europe as well as people who could speak little or no English.
The choir learned that it wasn’t the words they sang, but rather the music they made that
touched hearts and brought smiles—and sometimes even tears—to the people who came to
hear them. They also learned how music is indeed a universal language, and that experiences
like these also create bonds among themselves that last across continents and time.
On the return trip home, tenor Hayes Kaufman ’09 said when he joined the choir his dad
expressed his hope that someday he, Hayes, would come to appreciate the opportunity he
was being given.
“I think I already have,” Kaufman told his fellow choir members. “Thanks to everyone
for this great trip, the memories, and opportunity.”
H U N G A R Y,
Summer 2006
C Z E C H
R E P U B L I C ,
A N D
G E R M A N Y
27
B U D A P E S T ,
K U T N A
H O R A ,
P R A G U E ,
D R E S D E N ,
L E I P Z I G
(1) The concert tour began at St. Stephen’s Basilica
in Budapest, Hungary, the city’s largest church. Not
only its beauty and magnificence awed the choir,
but also the sound of their voices. Tenor Tony
Wallin ’08 said he couldn’t believe that “we, the
Augsburg Choir, would ever have the opportunity
to sing in such a place.”
(2) In the small Czech town of Kutna Hora, once
famous for its silver mines, the choir sang at St.
Barbara’s Cathedral. Here, a few choir members
take a break at intermission to catch a view of the
town at night.
(Front row, L to R) Aleah Tebben, Mike
Schmit, Colin Callander, Kathryn Goerges (Back
row, L to R) Stacey Zeutenhorst, Miranda Nelson,
Eric Anderson, Adam Krumwiede, Tom Robinson
and Kent Bodurtha.
1
In Prague, the choir sang at St. Ignatius, an active
church run by Jesuit monks that was begun in
1665 and completed in 1671.
2
3
4
28
(3) At a stop in Krabcice, another small Czech
town, the choir performed for an audience of
senior citizens, most of whom knew no English. A
highlight of the tour for many of the students was
a song they sang in the Czech language, for which
they received a standing ovation and compliments
on their pronunciation.
“This by far has been the best part of the tour
for me,” said soprano Molly Shortall ’07, who
enjoyed talking with one of the senior citizens
after the concert.
“It was better than the larger concerts because
you could just feel that it meant so much to these
people. These are people who had their culture
taken away from them for so many years, and now
you can see how much it must mean to them to
get it back.”
(4) The audience was sparse but very appreciative
at Annen Kirche in Dresden, Germany, one of the
only churches there to escape bombing during
World War II. A woman in the front row was so
clearly moved by the choir’s singing, she would
direct along with Peter and, at times, smile broadly
and cry quietly.
Summer 2006
B U D A P E S T ,
K U T N A
H O R A ,
K R A B C I C E ,
D R E S D E N ,
L E I P Z I G
“It doesn’t always matter how many people are
in the audience, said bass Dave Czepa ’06. He
spoke for many of the choir members as he said,
“that one lady and what this obviously meant to
her made the whole concert worth it.”
(5) In Leipzig, Germany—home to such famous
composers as Bach and Handel—the choir visited
St. Thomaskirche, where Johann Sebastian Bach
was a cantor and where he is buried. They also
toured St. Nicholaskirche, founded in 1165.
6
(6) The choir teamed up with the Northwestern
College Choir of St. Paul to perform at the
Gewandhaus in Leipzig for the American Choral
Festival. They sang several songs as a massed
choir, plus each choir performed on its own.
Joining the choir was Augsburg alumna Nicole
(Warner) Simml ’01. Simml now lives in Germany
teaching voice and performing frequently.
Performing solos are (L to R) Nicole (Warner)
Simml; Krista Costin, Augsburg; Nathan Bird,
Northwestern; and Dave Czepa, Augsburg.
Directing is Northwestern choir director Timothy
Sawyer, with Augsburg director Peter
Hendrickson on piano.
What was the most memorable part of the trip—
the beautiful churches; the scenery; experiencing
different cultures, food, and languages? Not
according to many of the students. What they will
remember most are the bonds and friendships
they made with each other. Although the choir
has been singing together all year, they found that
sometimes it takes an experience such as this to
get to know each other really well. Alto Kellin
Pray ’08 said she really enjoyed being with others
who enjoy the same thing. The sad part, she
added, is now saying goodbye to the seniors
whom they were just starting to really know.
7
5
8
(7) (L to R) Kellin Pray, Bri’Ann Wright, and
Micah Erickson.
(8) (L to R) Emily Denstad, Emma Stensvaag, and
Adena Berg.
(9) Mother’s Day greetings from Prague were sent
home by Brian Halaas and Kari Aanestad.
9
Summer 2006
29
E
very week more than 2,000
people fill the Plymouth
Playhouse in the Twin Cities’
suburb for an afternoon or
evening of laughter, sharing
the lives of four women and their pastor
in the church basement of the East
Cornucopia Lutheran Church.
The play, Church Basement Ladies,
pays homage to the stalwart women who
cooked for and served every church
congregation. And it strikes a chord with
anyone who grew up in the 1950s and
’60s across the Midwest, whether they be
Lutheran, Methodist, or Presbyterian—it
was all part of their own experience.
Church Basement Ladies is based on
the Scandinavian humor books of Janet
Letnes Martin and Suzann (Johnson)
Nelson, both 1968 Augsburg graduates.
On stage the role of the church’s
matriarch, Mrs. Lars Snustad, is played
by Janet Paone ’83. For all three of them,
their Augsburg experiences play big.
Martin and Nelson came to Augsburg
in 1964 as freshmen, each attracted to
the big city and driven by the desire to
escape a future as a farm wife. When they
arrived, Augsburg was in the midst of
great change, reflecting new college
direction and leadership—the College
had just merged into the American
Lutheran Church after the demise of the
Lutheran Free Church, and Oscar
Anderson had just become president.
Students were pushed to explore and
understand the social and racial issues of
the city around them, forever changing
their worldviews.
Nelson aspired to be a home
economics teacher, but by the end of her
“God knew that if there were going
to be growing, self-sustaining, active
Lutheran Churches in America, he
would have to create a special
species of people, so He created the
Lutheran Church Basement Women.”
—Growing Up Lutheran,
Janet Letnes Martin and
Suzann (Johnson) Nelson, 1997
first semester had switched to political
science, and then in her sophomore year
to Scandinavian studies when the new
major was announced. She studied
Norwegian and was active in the
Norwegian Club, which led to many
opportunities, such as meeting the
visiting King Olav V of Norway.
Both Martin and Nelson felt
comfortable at Augsburg. They loved the
big city around them, but appreciated the
small-town comfort of the campus.
What they discovered was that smalltown Scandinavian Lutheran life was the
same everywhere. Nelson recalls the
many nights she and classmates from
small towns across the Upper Midwest
sat around in Gerda Mortensen Hall and
talked about their common backgrounds.
“We all grew up the same way,” Martin
confirms.
Students not from rural small towns
were commuter students, and Nelson
remembers stunning her city roommates
by talking about eating cream on bread.
So much so that she and others went
shopping and demonstrated how it was
made and eaten.
Paone arrived at Augsburg 15 years
later. By then Augsburg was less
THOSE
Lutheran
ladies
BY BETSEY NORGARD
30
Summer 2006
Top: Janet Letnes Martin ’68 began writing
down her experiences growing up in rural
North Dakota and calls herself a “NorwegianLutheran farm girl humorist.”
Suzann (Johnson) Nelson ’68 used her
Scandinavian studies to inspire the
characters of rural Norwegian
Minnesota in her books.
Janet Paone ’83 has made a career in
acting and voiceover work, and
brings her Augsburg experience to
the stage in Church Basement Ladies
Bottom: From The Augsburgian, 1968.
Bottom: From The Augsburgian, 1968.
Bottom: From The Augsburgian, 1981.
obviously Norwegian Lutheran and far
more diverse, but it was because of the
Lutheran church that Paone chose it. Her
mother was Lutheran and her father was
Catholic. She was raised in Abiding
Savior Lutheran Church, but within her
family she felt the stigma of being the
child of a parent who “turned,” i.e.,
married outside the Lutheran faith. She
feels her father’s family never really
accepted her Lutheran mother.
After applying to music schools in New
York, she decided to stay home for college
and chose Augsburg because she had
always respected and enjoyed the
Augsburg students who were counselors at
Lake Wapogassett Lutheran Bible Camp.
She had also considered the ministry, but
she ended up in the theatre program.
“There was definitely a Norwegian
Lutheran influence at Augsburg,” Paone
says. “There was a Scandinavian studies
major, and most people’s names ended in
–son, -sen, -gard, or –dal.” She also
remembers the aesthetic influence of the
“good” dinnerware with Scandinavian
design used for special dinners.
Martin and Nelson graduated in
1968, but neither returned to her small
town. On a Norwegian Club trip to
Decorah, Iowa, Nelson had met Ronald
E. Nelson ’67; in March 1967 they were
married in Mindekirken, the Norwegian
Lutheran Memorial Church in
Minneapolis. She studied Scandinavian
literature in graduate school and for 10
summers directed Skogfjorden, the
Norwegian Language Village.
Martin married shortly after college
and began raising a family. More than a
decade later, in 1983, while helping her
mother-in-law research family history,
she became frustrated at not finding
much information about life in rural
communities and decided to begin
writing down what it was like growing
up. Together with Allen Todnem ’64, also
an Augsburg graduate, she co-authored
Cream and Bread, and then Second
Helpings of Cream and Bread.
Martin and Nelson remained close
friends. In 1994, on a whim, Martin
suggested that Nelson should write a
book with her, and Nelson quit her job
the same day.
Sitting around the kitchen table in
their flannel nightgowns enjoying
Summer 2006
31
REMEMBERING
those
Lutheran
ladies
BY DAVE WOOD
IT WAS THE MID-1980S. I had recently been appointed
book review editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune after a lengthy
stint as English teacher at Augsburg and feature writer for the old
Tribune.
“Dave,” said the receptionist, “There’s an author out here in
the lobby who wants to see you.”
Wow. My first author. Who would it be? I trotted down to the
lobby to discover a woman who looked like a pert middle-aged
housewife from Hastings, Minn., which, in fact, she was.
“Hi,” she said, thrusting an enormous layer cake into my paws.
“I’m Janet Martin. I went to Augsburg back in the ’60s. I’ve
written a book and if you’ll review it the cake is yours.”
Looking back, I sincerely hope I wasn’t too condescending
when I explained to Janet Letnes Martin that Star Tribune policy
prohibited my taking gifts, blah blah blah.
“OK,” she said, unflappable. “I’ll take back the cake. You take
the book.”
So there I was with Janet Letnes Martin’s first literary effort,
Cream on Bread. I gave it a whirl. It was wonderful. As a minor
ethnician of the times, I had read lots of this stuff, like Howard
Mohr’s work, and I think I knew what was good. Janet Martin’s
was excellent. No cheap shots. There were no big yuks in Cream
on Bread, just lots of little ones. That’s because Janet Martin was
smart enough to know that there aren’t a lot of big yuks in
Lutherandom, but lots and lots of little ones. That’s why she
became one of Lutheran humor’s most honest purveyors.
Was I surprised? Yes. But I shouldn’t have been. I had taught
for 10 years at Augsburg, not too many years after she had
graduated. I had taught at four other schools before my arrival
there and was continually surprised at the little college’s vitality
and intellectuality. Sure, there was a streak of inferiority feeling
running through the student body. The University of Minnesota
students across Riverside Ave. called Augsburg “God’s Little Acre.”
We had great music, science, art, and poetry, but the steam heat
system in Old Main on a cold day sounded like the last 15 minutes
before the H.M.S. Titanic went down. Nevertheless we had great
32
Dave Wood is a past vice-president of the
National Book Critics Circle and former
book review editor of the Minneapolis Star
Tribune. He taught English and journalism
at Augsburg from 1969 to 1981.
poetry readings, students went off to good
graduate schools.
Best, we all had lots of fun, parked
right in the middle of a seedy old section
of Minneapolis.
But back to Janet Letnes Martin. Her
first book was a success followed by many
more, including one of my favorites, which
involved Hastings housewife/detective
Shirley Holmquist, a direct steal from Arthur Conan Doyle. In 1994,
her Auggie classmate, Suzann Nelson of Grand Rapids, Minn.,
joined her and their books tumbled out, books like their
monumental theological tract about Lutherans and Roman
Catholics entitled They Glorified Mary … We Glorified Rice. They
also performed two-woman shows, filling church basements across
the Midwest.
Ever since the Martin/Nelson success, I’ve been a bit jealous.
I’ve tried my hand with ethnic humor. Like Martin and Nelson I
grew up in a little Norwegian Lutheran town. But my stuff never
lit any fires. Why did theirs?
I’ve come to think that Augsburg College had a lot to do with
it. Augsburg was traditionally on the outer fringe of the Lutheran
establishment. Its supporting synod, the Lutheran Free Church,
was always suspicious of clericalism, authority, big shots. An
immigrant church, it had to survive by its wits. (Janet Letnes
Martin, you see, didn’t actually think her layer cake would
persuade me to review her book. It was just a way of tweaking my
self-satisfaction, cutting me and the Star Tribune down to size.)
And so the two pious girls from small farm towns came to God’s
Little Acre in the heart of the Sinful City and found out one could
love one’s church and have some fun with it, too.
I look back more than a quarter century at the students like
Martin and Nelson and wonder at their successes, many of which
have just a bit of orneriness in common. It’s a wonderful tradition
and the women who made church basements famous are
definitely part of it.
And so now the girls are moving out onto the national scene.
Martin and Nelson are no longer girls, but I can’t help thinking of
them in that way, for their girlish glee and for poking a little fun
at the basements where they both spent hundreds of hours
learning that certain concepts were “most certainly true.”
I have only one bit of advice and that’s for Janet Letnes
Martin. If and when you get to New York City, don’t bring a layer
cake to the offices of the New York Times Book Review.
The editor won’t get it.
Summer 2006
copious amounts of both coffee and
laughter, the two women began to
capture recollections and memories as
they spilled out. Nelson has said that it’s
her job to jog people’s memories and
their job to laugh. Their intention is
never to make fun of anyone or anything.
“There’s a fine line between making fun
of something and having fun with it,”
Martin told an interviewer. “Hopefully
we’ll never cross it.”
Three books came within the first six
months. So far, they’ve written nine
books together, the most popular being
Growing Up Lutheran: What Does This
Mean?, which won a Minnesota Book
Award for humor.
Requests for speaking engagements
also started coming, and for several years
Martin and Nelson crisscrossed each
others’ paths as they spoke to church
groups, women’s groups, and local
organizations. Then they devised a
comedy routine and began appearing
together as “Those Lutheran Ladies”—
nothing more than sharing their own
backgrounds.
An idea for a play came about when
TroupeAmerica’s president and executive
producer-director, Curt Wollan, hired
Those Lutheran Ladies to perform for
three weeks at the Medora Musical in
North Dakota. Wollan invited a
playwright-couple, Jim Stowell and
Jessica Zuehlke, to pen the script.
Wollan, who had grown up as
“Lutherans attending a Lutheran
college in the ’50s and ’60s did not
have to prepare themselves for any
big culture shock. Some of them
even shared the same last name—
but were not related.”
—Growing Up Lutheran,
Janet Letnes Martin and
Suzann (Johnson) Nelson, 1997
president of his Luther League and the
son of a dedicated church basement lady,
encouraged Paone to take the part of
matronly Vivian Snustad, the
unequivocal and uncompromising queen
of the church basement ladies in his
fictional East Cornucopia Lutheran
Church.
Paone, a veteran character actress seen
in Tony ’n Tina’s Wedding, pushed for
revisions to the script through a workshop
process in order to engage Mrs. Snustad
more with the audience. This character is a
curmudgeon, but works through her
issues and begins to understand why
things must eventually change—beginning
with her consternation over the hymnals
changing from black to red.
Church Basement Ladies previewed at
several locations before settling into its
long run at the Plymouth Playhouse.
Paone recalls opening in Fargo, where
the cast was extremely nervous about
how it would go over. Once the audience
started laughing and didn’t stop, Paone
remembers the “neat moment” between
acts when the cast suddenly realized that
“this thing is going to be huge.”
Audiences react differently to the
play, Paone says, and she can tell by what
they laugh at whether the crowd (often
comprised of large church groups) is
Lutheran or Catholic. And, if they react
most vividly to the physical comedy
aspect, they probably aren’t churchconnected at all.
Even if someone is not well versed in
the ways of Martin Luther, she says, the
play is still very accessible. “It’s about a
[small] country church … it’s the social
center, with many different layers.”
Paone would love to pull more
material from Martin and Nelson’s books
for the stage, and Martin and Nelson
would love to have the current actors
stay involved with the East Cornucopia
Lutheran Church.
What’s next for Those Lutheran
Ladies? When asked about it, Martin
quickly replies, “Oh, ya, there’s lots more
in it.” When they get together and start
laughing, she says, “We just run with it
… and sometimes we just blurt out the
same thing.”
And, to quote Martin Luther and the
church basement ladies, “This is most
certainly true.” ■
“If Scandinavian Lutherans could add one more feast day to the church
calendar, it would be the feast of fish and flatbread … Unlike the Catholics
who had to eat fish every Friday, Scandinavian Lutherans were only morally
obligated to eat it once a year, and that was at the annual Lutefisk supper.”
—Growing Up Lutheran,
Janet Letnes Martin and
Suzann (Johnson) Nelson, 1997
Summer 2006
33
CHURCH
Basement
Troupe America, Inc.
Ladies
—you bet it’s a big hit!
The cast of Church Basement Ladies (L to R): Janet Paone ’83 (Mrs. Lars Snustad—Vivian), Greta
Grosch (Mrs. Gilmer Gilmerson—Mavis), Tim Drake (Pastor E. L. Gunderson), Dorian Chalmers
(Mrs. Elroy Engelson-Karin) and Ruthie Baker (Signe Engelson—Karin’s daughter).
BY ANY MEASURE, Church Basement Ladies is a monster
hit. It has been running for more than 35 weeks at Plymouth
Playhouse (scheduled through the end of 2006) at 101%
occupancy. It now has a double cast and offers 10 or 11 shows per
week.
Curt Wollan, producer and director, found inspiration for the
play in his own mother. After she died, Wollan was asked if the
gift she left the church could be used for their greatest need, a
new stove for the kitchen. He agreed, and it was named Lorraine
in her honor, a seemingly fitting legacy.
“We’re honoring people who are never honored … and who
are under-appreciated,” says Wollan. “The play has been hugely
popular with women who have worked in church basements, and
with their daughters and granddaughters, who are remembering
mom and grandmother.”
He remembers being a Luther Leaguer in his own church when
they’d sing, “Come out, dear ladies, come out, come out” so the
women could be recognized, and they were always bashful about
it. “They were the unsung heroes of the church—they kept it
clean and fed, and the coffee going.”
He says the play is universal—it doesn’t matter where or what
church you’re in—every church has its basement ladies. The show
just happens to be Norwegian Lutheran because it’s based on
Nelson and Martin’s book, Growing Up Lutheran.
The play is important, he says, because this part of church life
is dying. “As women have started to work, there are fewer
basement ladies and there is more catering,” says Wollan. “This
34
celebrates the past and its heritage.”
Church Basement Ladies is preparing to embark on a ninestate, 50-city tour from January-March 2007, in mostly small towns
throughout the Upper Midwest, but reaching as far as New
Mexico, Colorado, and Montana. Then, they’ll wait a year and
tour bigger cities.
Already underway are plans for a second cast to begin
production in Chicago. New York is pending, and there has been
interest in an off-Broadway venue where it would play in a real
Lutheran church basement.
Norwegian Lutheran food is central to the play. One of
Wollan’s favorite lines is “Lutefisk and lefse are directly descended
from the five loaves and two fishes at the Sea of Galilee, and have
since lost their color.”
The music and lyrics were written by Drew Jansen; here are
two samples:
From “Closer to Heaven”—“You’re closer to heaven in the
church basement, Where we do the Good Lord’s work. Everywhere
you look you see spectacular sights; 40 kinds of food to feed some
fierce appetites; Nearly new linoleum and fluorescent lights,
managed by a stalwart squad. Here below the house of God.”
From “Dead Spread”[term for the spreads served on
sandwiches following a funeral]—“Dead spread, a splendid affair,
to celebrate someone who’s no longer there; dead spread, a
wonderful thing, what sweet consolation a hotdish can bring.”
For more information, go to <www.plymouthplayhouse.com>.
Summer 2006
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the Alumni Board president’s desk…
S
erving as
president of the
Augsburg Alumni
Board the past year
has in many ways
been one of the most
rewarding and
enriching things I
have done. I am
continually inspired
by the many outstanding and diverse
accomplishments of our alumni, and I
am honored and humbled by the
opportunity to serve the Augsburg
Alumni Association and Augsburg
Alumni Board over the past seven years.
My goal this year was to continue the
transformation and forward momentum
of the Alumni Board in its journey from
the role of an advisory board to a
working board. Under discussion has
been our advisory member initiative, in
which we invite representatives of
various campus constituencies to attend
our committee meetings in order to
foster greater dialogue, e.g. parents,
international students, A-Club, the
Augsburg Associates, Faculty and Staff
Senates. Our Connections Committee,
led by Buffie Blesi, undertook an effort to
explore possibilities for offering alumni
benefits. Stay tuned to hear more about
this effort in the coming months.
I’m proud to report that Alumni
Board members are well on the way to a
fourth consecutive year of 100%
contribution to the annual fund. Our
intention is to continue to build on this
tradition of giving, and I am pleased to
say that the Alumni Board has also
committed to a 100% contribution rate
among board members to the Access to
Excellence campaign. We are certainly
blessed by these commitments and by
these gifts.
President Frame’s leadership of
Augsburg is finishing with tremendous
energy, solid growth for the College, and
renewal of its vision for the future. The
strength and constancy of his leadership
has helped draw Augsburg to new levels
of recognition. In his own words,
“Augsburg plays a unique role in the
world of Lutheran education. Its service
to the city, to the provision of
accessibility to first-class educational
opportunities, and its regard for faith and
reason as interactive and mutually
reinforcing modes of understanding …
gives us a special mission.” Augsburg has
been truly blessed by President Frame’s
incredible leadership the past nine years.
I had the privilege of speaking at
Augsburg’s 137th Commencement on
May 6 and welcoming 752 graduates as
the newest members of the Augsburg
Alumni Association. Our Alumni
Association has grown considerably since
my Commencement ceremony a little
over 20 years ago, when the Weekend
College had just been launched and
when graduate programs, the Rochester
program, and many others did not yet
exist. The Alumni Association in those
days numbered around 10-11,000
members and now includes around
18,000. Congratulations and welcome to
the Class of 2006!
I am excited about Augsburg’s future,
the future of the Alumni Association,
and the Alumni Board. I hope you will
join me in welcoming President-elect
Paul Pribbenow and incoming Alumni
Board president Barry Vornbrock—the
next chapter in our history!
Stay close and stay connected.
Karina Karlén ’83
President, Alumni Board
LSAT prep for a bargain
Don’t take out a loan to pay those expensive test prep companies.
Augsburg’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate
Opportunity (URGO) is hosting LSAT Prep on campus this fall.
The instructor is Brian Farrell ’95, an attorney and Augsburg
alumnus, who scored in the 99th percentile on the exam and taught
LSAT prep for Princeton Review. Four sessions are offered:
TUES., OCT. 10, 6 TO 9 P.M.-—Homework review, reading
comprehension strategy and practice
TUES., OCT. 17, 6 TO 9 P.M.—Homework review, continued practice in
all sections, overall test-taking strategies, test-day preparation, class
questions
TUES., SEPT. 26, 6 TO 9 P.M.—General introduction to the LSAT,
analytical reasoning strategy and practice
The cost for the four sessions is $150 for Augsburg alumni,
compared to $580 at the University of Minnesota and over $1300 at
Kaplan or Princeton Review.
TUES., OCT. 3, 6 TO 9 P.M.—Homework review, logical reasoning
strategy and practice
To register (limited spaces are available), contact Dixie Shafer,
<shafer@augsburg.edu>.
Summer 2006
35
Alumni Events
Please join us for these upcoming alumni events; unless otherwise noted, call 612-330-1085 or 1-800-260-6590 or e-mail
<alumni@augburg.edu> for more information.
June
August
20
8
Auggie Hours, 5:30-7 p.m.
Campiello, 1320 West Lake St.,
Uptown Minneapolis,
612-825-2222
15
Alumni Board Meeting,
5:30 p.m.
Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
10
Auggie Evening at the Races
Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
Gather your friends and family and
join us for free admission and
complimentary hors d’oeuvres.
RSVP is required and space
is limited.
16
Auggies attend Lutheran
Night at the Dome
Minnesota Twins v. Cleveland
Indians, with first pitch at 7:10.
Lower level seating—$18 per
ticket(group rate).
Tickets are limited-contact the
Alumni Relations Office,
612-330-1613 or send check to:
Alumni Relations Office,
2211 Riverside Ave S., CB 146,
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Once your payment has been
received, the tickets will be mailed
to you in August.
Alumni Board Meeting,
5:30 p.m.
Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
July
11
Auggie Hours, 5:30-7 p.m.
Maynard’s Restaurant,
685 Excelsior Blvd., Excelsior, MN
(located in the southeast corner of
Excelsior Bay on Lake
Minnetonka), 952-470-1800
Please e-mail the following
information to <ecs@augsburg.edu>
or call 612-330-1104: Total number
in your group, names of you and
your guests, your graduation
year(s), and your contact number.
The deadline to register is Friday,
August 4.
Homecoming 2006—Watch us Soar
September 25-30
Mon., Sept. 25
Wed., Sept. 27
4:30-6 p.m.
10:30 a.m.
7:30-9 p.m.
International Student
Organization reception
Student Kick-Off Event,
Coronation and Pep Rally
Augsburg Associates annual
fall luncheon (off campus)
Noon-1 p.m.
Auggie Cup Knowledge
Bowl (East Commons)
9:30-10:30 p.m. Homecoming communion
Tues., Sept. 26
11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Counseling and Health
Promotion Annual Fair
6:30 p.m.
Alumni Baseball game,
Parade Stadium
7 p.m.
Powder puff football
9 p.m.
FCA campfire, Murphy Park
Thurs., Sept. 28
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Student activity—Old Auggie
photos
5:30-8:30 p.m. Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
Fri., Sept. 29
9-10 a.m.
10-11 a.m.
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
12:30-2 p.m.
36
2:15- 3:15 p.m. Campus tour
3:30-6 p.m.
Hall Crawl
3 p.m.
Artist Amy Rice ’93, slide
presentation, Marshall
Room, Christensen Center
7 p.m.
ASAC Variety Show
7:30 p.m.
Men’s soccer game v.
Macalester
Reunion breakfast
Homecoming chapel
Student activity
Alumni luncheon
Sat., Sept. 30
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Picnic in the Park
noon
Auggie Cup Desk
Hurling
1-3 p.m.
Football Game v. ConcordiaMoorhead
3:30-7 p.m.
Auggie Block Party
Summer 2006
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
1956
Evelyn (Chanco) Steenberg,
Missoula, Mont., and her
husband, Tom ’58, ’61 Sem,
celebrated their golden wedding
anniversary on June 2, and hope
to be at their 50-year reunion at
Homecoming. They’ve spent 45
years in the ministry, including
35 years as missionaries in Japan.
The Steenbergs can be reached at
<tasteenberg@aol.com>.
1957
Gloria (Grant) Knoblauch,
Lake Elmo, Minn., was recently
recognized for her service and
leadership in forming the Friends
of Lake Elmo Library, which
succeeded in bringing a branch
of the Washington County
Library back to their city.
1958
Rev. Gary Turner, San Jacinto,
Calif., is an Anglican priest and
V.A. Hospital chaplain. Last
summer, while at the Hollywood
Bowl to see Garrison Keillor, he
ending up sitting two rows
ahead of Philip Knox ’57.
1965
Dwight Olson, San Diego,
Calif., was elected president of
the Licensing Executives Society
(LES) of USA & Canada, a
professional society of over 6,000
members engaged in the use,
development, manufacture, and
marketing of intellectual
property. LES is part of an
international organization, with
30 national societies representing
12,000 members in 80 countries.
He can be reached at
<dwight.olson@ironmountain.com>.
1969
James Roste, Roseville, Minn.,
retired on Dec. 31 after 36 years
in corrections work. He has
joined his wife, Lorene
(Peterson) ’70, in her business,
“Senior Moves,” helping seniors
Summer 2006
sort, pack, move, unpack, and
settle in at new locations.
1971
Thomas Haas, West St. Paul,
Minn., retired last August after
working 32 years at the State of
Minnesota Department of
Employment and Economic
Development, helping people find
employment by providing basic
skills and resources. He says that
retirement is “almost all I have
heard it can be—WONDERFUL.”
He also wonders how he had time
to work and get other things
done before. His wife is a genetics
researcher at the University of
Minnesota.
Jean Holbrook, San Mateo,
Calif., has been named San Mateo
County superintendent of schools
through January 2007, to
complete a vacated term. She
brings 30 years of experience
with the San Mateo County Office
of Education to the position.
Charles Maland, Knoxville,
Tenn., was awarded the
Alexander Prize for his superior
classroom teaching and
distinguished scholarship at the
University of Tennessee. His
teaching and research focuses on
American literature and cinema,
and he has been named editor of
a volume of James Agee’s film
criticism.
NewsCenter in Duluth, Minn.,
which provides weather news to
several TV channels and
newspapers in northern
Minnesota and northwestern
Wisconsin.
1988
Kiel Christianson, Champaign,
Ill., writes a golf equipment
column for travelgolf.com as a
hobby, and was recently quoted
in an article in CNNMoney.com
about a new Nike golf club.
1989
Nnamdi A.
Okoronkwo and
his wife, Sabrina
K., Minneapolis,
announce the
birth of their son,
Grayson
Nnamdi, very unexpectedly and
quickly, with the help of the
Minneapolis Fire Department. He
was born on his parents’ fifth
wedding anniversary and joins
older brother, Spencer, 18
months. Nnamdi and Sabrina
work for Best Buy and Target.
Steven Torgerud and his wife,
in St. Paul, welcomed a
daughter, Abigail Mae, on
March 1.
1992
Susan E. (Gehrke) Erdman
and her husband, Shane,
Marinette, Wis., announce the
birth of their daughter, Wynn
Leslie, on Sept. 9. She joins her
brother, Carson.
1993
Dana (Ryding)
Martin, and her
husband, Jeff,
Andover, Minn.,
welcomed a son,
Caden Joshua,
on Dec. 2. He
joins brother Noah, age 2. She
can be reached at<dana.martin@
moundsviewschools.org>.
1975
Daniel Swalm, Minneapolis, is
an adjunct professor at the
University of Wisconsin-River
Falls in the Graduate College of
Education and Professional
Studies and teaches career
counseling through the
Department of Counseling and
School of Psychology. He is the
executive director of Career
Solutions Inc., a nonprofit career
development agency in St. Paul.
1986
Karl Spring was named chief
meteorologist at the Northland’s
Joyce (Nelson) Schrader ’64, Friendswood, Texas, is a retired
elementary school teacher who taught second, third, fourth, and
fifth grades. Her husband is a retired human resources manager.
In the photo are Joyce and her husband, Steve (middle and top
rows, right); their daughter Mandy and her husband, Scott (top
row, left and middle), with their children, Haley (3) and Cason (1);
and their daughter Julie (bottom row, left) with her dog, Elvis.
37
Class Notes
Courtesy photo
ALUMNI PROFILE
Targeting cancer as both
physician and scientist
by Sara Holman ’06
Nine years have past since Arlo Miller roamed Augsburg’s campus as
a biology and chemistry student. However, this recent M.D./Ph.D.
Harvard graduate has not forgotten his Minneapolis alma mater.
“One of the biggest challenges in medical school is just trying to
figure out what is important and what actually matters. It’s
essentially very easy to lose the forest for the trees. I think Augsburg
science did very well to emphasize the forest, which provided a good
starting point,” Miller comments. He also credits the Honors
Program for its emphasis on critical thinking and communication
skills. After his junior year, Miller worked for the summer with a
leading cancer researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, who
helped convince him to seek the dual medical/research degrees.
Entering Harvard after his 1997 graduation was the first step in
Miller’s pursuit to study oncology, and his lab work in graduate
school led him to study melanoma. “I’d always been thinking I
would do hematology-oncology,” says Miller, “but I found that
dermatology is a better fit for me. Dermatologists actually deal with
the most prevalent forms of cancer, but the work primarily occurs in
the clinic rather than in the hospital. This will better enable me to
spend a fraction of my time doing research.”
Arlo Miller '97 received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2004 on
the same day as his fiancée, Ileana Howard, graduated from Harvard
Medical School. In June, he completed the M.D./Ph.D. program and
also received his medical degree.
Whether to become a regular doctor or a regular researcher or to split his time doing both has been something Miller has grappled with since
becoming part of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).
MSTP was founded to bridge the gap between physicians and scientists. “Sometime in the 1970s,” Miller says, “there was a concern that the
divide was widening to the point that effective translation of basic science research to the realm of medicine was in jeopardy. The MSTP
program sends people to medical school and graduate school with the hope of creating a pool of people who could serve as bridges between
these two communities.”
Miller entered the MSTP program with a National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grant, given to about 300 students across the country.
The grant pays all medical school costs and provides an annual stipend to compensate for the economic consequences of choosing the
lengthy M.D./Ph.D. path.
In this joint medical-research program, Miller’s first two years included the medical school core scientific curriculum—anatomy,
biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pathophysiology, etc. Then he shifted to graduate work and did research for five years in three
different laboratories, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Finally he returned to the last two years of medical school and
worked in hospital and clinic settings.
In early June, Miller graduated from the M.D./Ph.D. program and will marry Ileana Howard, also a physcian. For the next year, he has a
transition-year internship in Seattle, where Howard is currently a resident in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
In July 2007, Miller will begin a three-year residency in dermatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., a department known for its
excellence in the research and treatment of unusual problems. He imagines himself ending up at a research university and says he feels
drawn to the area of cancer biology.
When dealing with the very sensitive subject of cancer, Miller says his Augsburg experience continues to impact his role as a doctor. “You
often find yourself taking care of people that the rest of society has pretty much given up on and for whom all social support systems have
failed,” he says. “This is a community service aspect of medicine that I hadn’t anticipated or appreciated when I started, but I feel that
Augsburg helped prepare me through informal means, including the Link program and its urban setting.”
Sara Holman graduated in 2006 with majors in communication studies and English.
38
Summer 2006
operas in repertory during its
eight-week season, attracting
40,000 people from around
the world.
Courtesy photo
TOASTMASTERS AWARD
Graduate
programs
Doris Rubenstein ’93 MAL
was elected to the Board of
Directors of Affinity Plus
Federal Credit Union. She is
principal of PDP Services, a
consulting firm specializing in
corporate and personal
philanthropy.
In Memoriam
The Honorable Pamela Alexander ’74, Minneapolis, received the
Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership award
for 2006. She was lauded for her community service as a youth
motivational speaker, basketball coach, and teacher, and for the
more than 50 community service awards she has received. She is
a judge of the Fourth Judicial District Court, Juvenile Division, of
Hennepin County.
Jessica (Ferrell)
and Brad
Zenner ’92,
Minneapolis,
adopted a
daughter,
Jasmine Shan,
in November. Jasmine was born
in Hunan, China, in February
2005. She joins a happy sister,
Lily Jinxiong, 3. Jessica can be
reached at <jessicazenner@
hotmail.com>.
1994
Carrie Kennedy
and her husband,
Eric Peterson,
Hopkins, Minn.,
announce the
birth of a son,
Kieran Philip, in
January. Carrie is an adjunct
professor of English at Concordia
University in St. Paul and
teaches fiction writing at the Loft
Literary Center.
1996
Anne Lalla married Todd
Johnson in March; they live in
Summer 2006
Shoreview, Minn. They have one
son, Evan, born in September
2002.
Leslie Lucas ’00 married
Matthew Weide in July 2005.
She is currently a student in
the Master of Social Work
program, and he is an account
executive for Donaldson in
Bloomington. They live in
Minneapolis.
1998
Brittani (Gross) Filek ’00 PA,
Corona, Calif., and her husband,
Matt, welcomed their first child,
Van Owen, in June 2005. They
were married in July 2004;
Brittani is a surgical physician
assistant at Kaiser Permanente
General and Plastic Surgery
Department.
1999
Bobby Scala, Eden Prarie,
Minn., along with his brother-inlaw, has opened Scala’s Beef
Stands in Maple Grove, a
restaurant selling products from
his family’s Chicago-based
wholesale meat company.
Sarah (Ginkel) Spilman, Iowa
City, Iowa, and her husband,
Matt, announce the birth of their
son, Alexander Nicholas, on
Jan. 3. Sarah earned a Master of
Arts degree in sociology at the
University of Iowa in 2004.
2000
Kai Gudmestad ’06 MBA,
Minneapolis, Minn., and his
wife, Amy, welcomed their son,
Elijah Douglas, on Jan. 29. Kai
graduated in the first Augsburg
MBA class.
2001
Kathryn Koch has been named
production stage manager for the
Glimmerglass Opera 2006 festival
season in Cooperstown, N.Y. She
will lead the stage management
staff and be part of a world
premiere opera, The Greater Good.
The company produces four
Irvin Nerdahl ’40, age 87, Jan.
27 in Crystal, Minn. He is
survived by his children,
Marsha, Laura, John, and David.
Kelly Roth ’47, age 85, in
Wheaton, Minn. He is survived
by his wife, Beverly, and three
children, John “Champ”,
Richard, and Janice, who also
attended Augsburg. Kelly,
nicknamed “Smiley,” was a
manager at the Smiley’s Point
confectionary. He retired from
Lutheran Brotherhood and
Central Life Insurance. He was
inducted into the Augsburg
Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978.
Rev. Philip A. Nelson ’55, ’58
Sem, age 72, Dec. 1 in New
London, Minn. He is survived
by his wife, Beverly (Omdahl)
’55, and three sons, Bruce, Peter,
and Blair. Phil had callings to
Colombia Heights, Morris, New
London, and Osakis before
retiring in 1994 due to health
concerns.
Edward M. Sabella, professor
emeritus of economics, May 5 in
Minneapolis. He taught at
Augsburg from 1967 until his
retirement in August 2000 and
was chair of the Departments of
Business Administration and
Economics from 1968-81.
39
AUGGIE
THOUGHTS
Auggie Thoughts
Over spring break, 35 Augsburg students joined with students from Grand
View College in Des Moines, Iowa, for a trip to Biloxi, Miss., to help with
hurricane relief sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA). Students posted daily journal entries on Augsburg’s website; the
following is a portion of Jeanette Clark’s journal from the last day of the trip.
Guarding people’s stories
by Jeanette Clark ’07
Some look at the journey home as a necessary part of a trip—something
logically following going away somewhere. On some level, this is true. On
the other hand, the opportunity to travel home is one that should not be
ignored. One does not have an experience, really, until he/she reflects on
it, and this is part of going home. So rather than being a burden, this 30hour bus ride has been a blessing—a chance to continue to get to know
people and to process, or try to process, all we have seen and heard.
It seems that more than the work we did during our time in Biloxi, our
greater service was guarding people’s stories. We heard the great trials and
agony of those who worked in the morgue after Katrina. By going home,
caring for those around us, and sharing these stories, we will guard the
stories of those who suffered through this disaster. More than clearing
brush, painting, or scrubbing, it was crucial that we took the time to value
the experiences of those who suffered so much. It was a service to hear AJ
talk about the importance of his camp. It was a service to hear Jack tell of
the struggles of those living in FEMA trailers. We heard the stories of
spelling tests and possible “reward movies” by the elementary students we
visited. There is no way we can begin to understand their pain or their
experiences, but we can listen, and in doing so, we show them they matter
just as they showed us that we mattered by cooking and caring for us with
the utmost hospitality.
On some level, our trip home is when the journey starts. Who around
us is also suffering, and how do we get to the root of this pain? Who
around us has a story to tell that no one has listened to? How can we be in
solidarity with those on the coast who are trying to rebuild their lives?
There is still work to do. We’ve only just begun.
Jeanette Clark ’07 is pursuing a degree in metro-urban studies, and youth and
family ministry. She is a student leader in Campus Ministry and the Campus
Kitchen at Augsburg.
40
Summer 2006
The Golden
Fisherman
According to the volunteer coordinators at Lutheran Episcopal
Disaster Relief in Biloxi, Miss., Mondays start slow. So, to quell their
nervous energy, some students got on the bus for a quick tour of the
damage that Hurricane Katrina caused. Even after nine months the
destruction is awe-inspiring. The U.S. Highway 90 bridge, which once
spanned the 1.5 miles between Biloxi and Ocean Springs, looks like a
set of dominos. “The Golden Fisherman,” a sculpture by Harry Reeks,
has only its feet connected to the cement base, with the rest of the
eight-foot brass-and-copper figure thrown 20 feet from its home.
—Stephen Geffre, Staff Photographer
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Send your news items, photos, or
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Spring 2006
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Vol. 68, No. 3
OUR CITY …
OUR CLASSROOM
page 10
T A B L E
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Spring 2006
Vol 68, No. 3
FEATURES
10
17
DEPARTMENTS
Our city ... our classroom
2
Around the... Show more
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P U B L I C AT I O N
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
Spring 2006
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 3
OUR CITY …
OUR CLASSROOM
page 10
T A B L E
O F
C O N T E N T S
Spring 2006
Vol 68, No. 3
FEATURES
10
17
DEPARTMENTS
Our city ... our classroom
2
Around the Quad
by Betsey Norgard
5
Sports
Teachers who lead,
leaders who teach
6
Faculty-Staff notes
22
compiled by Betsey Norgard
Supporting Augsburg—
Access to Excellence:
(The Campaign for Augsburg College)
25
32
inside
back
cover
Alumni News
Auggie Thoughts
Calendar
A college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg College is an equal education/employment institution.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
Sports Information Coordinator
Don Stoner
www.augsburg.edu
On the cover:
Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg College,
From the beginning of her
classes, first-year student Beckie
Jackson begins to explore the
opportunities around campus as
an extended classroom.
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily
reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058–1545
On this page:
Augsburg’s Enrollment Center is
the one-stop shop for all the
“business” of the College—
registration, financial aid,
transcripts, accounts, and more.
Send address corrections to:
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AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
Paul Pribbenow is chosen as
Augsburg’s next president
Augsburg News Service
P
aul C. Pribbenow, president of
Rockford College in Rockford, Ill.,
has been elected as the 11th president of
Augsburg College by its board of regents.
“We are confident that Dr. Pribbenow
has all the qualities of leadership and
passion needed to continue Dr.
[William] Frame’s work at Augsburg
College,” said Jean Taylor ’85, chair of
the Board of Regents. “He has already
demonstrated that he is an accomplished
communicator, a person who can
demonstrate his own sense of Christian
vocation, a skilled administrator, and a
visible leader, actively participating in
the life of the campus and surrounding
community.”
Presidential search committee chair
and regent Ted Grindal ’76 expressed his
thanks and gratitude to the entire
Augsburg community for their participation in the search process. “After a very
thorough and successful search, we are
pleased to welcome Dr. Pribbenow as
Augsburg’s next president,” Grindal said.
“In Paul Pribbenow, we feel we have found
a successor who will not only carry on
Augsburg’s commitment to being a college
committed to a Christian understanding
of vocation, but will maximize its
exciting potential for the future.”
“This is the work I believe I was
called to do, and I look forward to
serving as Augsburg’s next president,”
Pribbenow said. “I firmly believe that my
experiences and commitments are a
remarkable fit for the mission and needs
of the College.”
Paul C. Pribbenow was born in
Decorah, Iowa, in 1957. He received his
bachelor’s degree in sociology/political
science from Luther College, and his
master’s degree in divinity and his
doctorate in social ethics from the
University of Chicago.
He has served as president of
Rockford College since 2002. Since his
arrival there, Pribbenow has launched
several new educational initiatives,
including working with faculty and staff
to develop the Jane Addams Center for
Civic Engagement. This program’s
primary responsibility, according to
Pribbenow, “is to find ways to work with
students to integrate their education,
co-curricular activities, spiritual
experiences, and service to the
community as part of an intentional
vocational formation initiative.” He has
also been an integral part of expanding
Paul C. Pribbenow
opportunities for the campus and its
community to join together in a variety
of collaborative efforts.
He and his wife, Abigail, an arts
administrator, have two young children.
Pribbenow succeeds retiring president
William V. Frame, and will take office on
July 1.
To read more, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/news>.
NEWSNOTES
Agre to speak at commencement—two honorary
degrees to be awarded
Peter Agre ’70, Nobel Prize laureate for chemistry in 2003, will
speak at the College’s 137th commencement on May 6.
Agre is vice chancellor of science and technology at the Duke
University School of Medicine. He will receive one of two
honorary degrees approved by the Board of Regents to be
conferred on that date.
James A. Johnson will receive the second honorary degree. He
has enjoyed a distinguished career in finance and lending, formerly
with Fannie Mae and now as vice chairman of Perseus L.L.C.
Johnson has been active in supporting the Gateway Building and
development of the urban village concept along Riverside Ave.
Johnson was Augsburg’s commencement speaker in 2002.
2
Outstanding physics students
For the third time in six years, the Society of Physics Students (SPS)
has named Augsburg’s chapter as an Outstanding SPS Chapter, this
time for 2004-05. Fewer than 10% of the chapters nationwide
receive this honor; Augsburg’s chapter was also named in 19992000 and 2002-03. Professor Mark Engebretson is chapter adviser.
Jim Haglund honored
Regent Jim Haglund was honored with the Hall of Fame award by
the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC), a
1,000-member international organization. Minnesota Gov. Tim
Pawlenty lauded Haglund as characterizing the “best of
Minnesota.” Pawlenty also drew attention to Haglund’s leadership
on the Augsburg Board of Regents.
Spring 2006
Mexico social work consortium receives
award
Courtesy photo
by Betsey Norgard
A
Spring 2006
Students in the 2004 spring semester program in Mexico visited the pyramids of Xochicalco to
learn how pre-Hispanic cultures regulated the solar calendar.
is noteworthy in several regards beyond
the challenges of satisfying the needs and
criteria of nine different institutions.
Foremost, it makes possible a study
abroad experience for social work
students at colleges that can’t sustain
their own individual programs.
Also, because the program is ongoing,
issues of social work in developing
countries are constantly part of
department discussions and curriculum.
Returning students readily talk about the
program as life transforming.
“Students who return from Mexico
have a window into the lives of Hispanic
and Latino communities impossible to
gain domestically,” commented social
work professor Nancy Rodenborg. She
said the department hopes to take
advantage of this experience in working
with Twin Cities’ Spanish-speaking
populations.
Also cited in the award is the program’s
shared ownership and governance among
the partner institutions in Minnesota and
South Dakota—both public and private—
allowing social work students equal access
to study abroad.
Rodenborg stated that a large part of
the success of the program is due to the
Center for Global Education’s expertise in
offering international education and the
resources available at its Mexico center.
Courtesy photo
ugsburg is part of a social work
consortium that has been honored
for its semester study program in Mexico.
The consortium was awarded the 2006
Global Commission Partners in
Education Award by the Council on
Social Work Education (CSWE) in
recognition of “the contributions of
individuals, organizations, and others as
partners in advancing education for
international social work.”
The development of the BSW Mexico
Consortium of the Minnesota/South
Dakota Area, which includes both private
and public institutions, was more than
two years in the making and is
remarkable for the complexity of issues it
negotiates. The study courses meet all
the schools’ curricular needs and allow
social work students to participate
without delaying their graduation date.
Financial costs were worked out so that
students pay only their home-school
tuition (plus airfare), regardless of which
partner institution they attend.
The program, “Social Work in a Latin
American Context,” is based at the
Center for Global Education (CGE)
study center in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and
includes study of Mexican culture,
intensive Spanish language instruction, a
social work course, and either a field
practicum or comparative social policy
course. A several-week homestay gives
students a chance to experience living
with a Mexican family. There is also a
two-week exchange with students in the
School of Social Work at the Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
in Mexico City.
Cultural content courses are taught
by CGE staff, and the social work
content is taught by a rotating visiting
faculty member from one of the partner
schools. Augsburg social work professor
Barbara Lehmann is currently in
Cuernavaca, teaching for the second year.
The BSW Mexico Consortium model
Social work students visited Tlamacazapa, a
rural village where Claudia (in red, above)
helped them learn to weave.
Schools belonging to the BSW Mexico
Consortium are Augsburg College,
Bemidji State University, Bethel
University, College of St.
Catherine/University of St. Thomas,
Metropolitan State University, St. Cloud
State University, St. Olaf College,
University of Sioux Falls, and Winona
State University.
For more information on the Mexico
study semester, go to <www.augsburg.
edu/global/swksem.html>.
3
Business students seek stronger connections
through ABO
by Betsey Norgard
international presence and do a thorough
analysis of its marketing department. It
meant making the contacts, meeting with
corporate officials, and following up on
the research. Sometimes it’s even possible
to tie ABO activities into coursework for
some extra credit.
A
ugsburg business students realize
the importance of stepping out of
the classroom to gain “real-world”
experience, and the Twin Cities offers
them plenty of opportunities. The
Augsburg Business Organization (ABO)
aims to provide them a platform to do this.
Students join ABO to learn more
about the business world, to meet
corporate leaders, and to network in
search of opportunities for projects,
internships, and future employment.
Since ABO is student-run, they gain
leadership and professional skills as they
brainstorm, contact, and arrange for
speakers and trips.
Founded five years ago by business
major Rod Gonzalez ’04, ABO currently
has about 15 active students, with a
number of others who participate in
various events.
In January, 12 ABO students traveled
to Chicago for an activities-packed three
days of visits to CEOs and businesses,
following up on contacts from Augsburg’s
Development Office. While there they
visited three businesses—Chase Bank,
Hydrotech Manufacturing Co., and the
H&K law firm; plus, they met with
executives and toured the Mercantile
Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank.
“The Chicago trip was a unique
opportunity,” said senior business major
and ABO member Nii Mensah, “in that it
gave us an opportunity to see many
different aspects of the city in both a
business and urban sense.”
Building a portfolio of experience
Anthony Haupt, a senior from Red Wing,
Minn., and the current president of ABO,
has taken good advantage of
opportunities in ABO for his own
leadership growth. Last year after
arranging for Greg Smith ’72 to be a
guest speaker at ABO, he kept in contact
with Smith, who is chief operating officer
of Walden Automotive. It led to a summer
internship at the Denny Hecker
4
Anthony Haupt, senior international business
management major and president of the
Augsburg Business Organization, hopes to
involve more business professionals and
Augsburg business alumni in the student
organization.
Automotive Group where Haupt did
financial analysis and project management
work. He and Smith still keep in touch,
and Smith continues to suggest other
contacts from whom Haupt can learn.
“ABO has opened many doors for me,
like the summer internship,” Haupt says,
“and has put me in leadership roles with
responsibility.”
Haupt also strengthened his major in
international business management with
a semester study program in Barcelona,
Spain, that included courses in
international business and Spanish. He
hopes his minor in Spanish will support
future work with a company that has an
international presence. He also
completed an internship in a healthcare
organization, and will seek opportunities
to gain training in project management
and/or account management after he
graduates in May.
Even as a part of their coursework, the
business administration faculty push
students to connect with the business
community. Haupt cites his international
marketing class in which students had to
choose a Minnesota company with
ABO seeks business contacts
Haupt’s vision for ABO is for the
organization to build a network of Twin
Cities business professionals, especially
Augsburg business alumni. What
students hope to gain, he says, are
relationships with the business
community and access to business
expertise, experience, and information.
Business professionals should be
assured, Haupt says, that Augsburg
students are well-educated and eager to
get their feet wet in the business world.
He cites several examples of past student
leaders, like the ABO presidents, who
have transformed internships into job
opportunities, and used their experiences
as springboards into a career.
How to connect with ABO
ABO offers these ideas for connecting
Augsburg business alumni and other
business professionals with students:
• Volunteer as a guest speaker at an
ABO event
• Participate in a resource network for
business students
• Host Augsburg business students at
your company or workplace
• Join the Take an Auggie to Lunch
program
• Help ABO with fundraising to support
trips and other activities
To learn more or participate in ABO
activities, contact Anthony Haupt at
<abo@augsburg.edu> with your name,
class year (if you are an alumnus/a), title
and place of work, and e-mail and/or
telephone number.
Spring 2006
Sports
For current sports information, scores, and schedules go to <www.augsburg.edu/athletics>.
Auggies inspire hoop dreams in
neighborhood kids
by Don Stoner
H
elping young members of the CedarRiverside neighborhood learn about
the game of basketball was a “slamdunk” proposition for the Augsburg
College men’s basketball team.
In January, the Auggies invited 50
boys and girls from the Cedar-Riverside
Community School, which primarily
teaches immigrant children, to attend a
morning basketball clinic at Si Melby
Hall. Head coach Aaron Griess and
members of the Augsburg squad showed
children the basics of the game, then
broke up into smaller groups to work
individually with them. Each group took
part in fun games with the Auggie
players, where they were able to put
their newly-learned skills into practice.
The clinic ended with an impromptu
dunking exhibition from members of the
Augsburg squad, to the cheers of the
youngsters watching.
“We’re proud to be able to make a
difference in the lives of young people
who haven’t had the same opportunities
that other children have, and we’re
committed to helping build the
community we live in,” said Griess, in
his first season as Augsburg’s head coach.
The clinic was organized by Griess
and Mary Laurel True, associate
director of Augsburg’s Center for
Service, Work, and Learning.
“Spending time with the kids,
watching them laugh, and teaching them
some basketball skills was a tremendous
joy,” Griess said. “Each and every one of
our students put their hearts into the
short period of time they spent with the
kids, and we’re all looking forward to the
next opportunity.”
ade
h gr
a, 4t
Laur
Fadum
o, 4th
grade
Thank you, Auggies!
“I had fun learning with you guys. It was
important to me because when I grow up
I will be a good basketball player.”
—Abdullahi, 3rd grade
“I learned basketball is not easy; it's hard,
but it just looks easy.” —Sagal, 6th grade
“Thank you for giving me inspiration to
play basketball.” —Karina, 6th grade
“In the summer I will love to show all of
my friends what you have taught me. It
really meant a lot to me when you taught
me a lot of tricks.” —Muna, 4th grade
The Cedar-Riverside kids yell “41, 41, 41…”
to pull no. 41 Auggie junior Tait Thomsen to
the floor.
“I’ve learned new tricks and so much
more. I felt like a professional basketball
player. This is one of the best days of my
life.” —Nasra, 4th grade
Fifty-plus students from the Cedar-Riverside Community School watch in awe as Auggie senior Aaron Benesh dunks the ball.
Spring 2006
5
Faculty and Staff
PRESENTATIONS
Tony Bibus, social work, presented a
poster, “Working with Involuntary Clients
in Slovenia,” about a study with Ljubljana
University, at the Council on Social Work
Education meeting in February.
Bill Capman, biology, co-presented “Reef
Aquaria in the Classroom and Teaching
Laboratory: Learning Activities, Organisms,
and Logistics” at the Marine Aquarium
Conference of North America (MACNA) in
Washington, D.C.
Emiliano Chagil, Hispanic/Latino Student
Services, presented “Higher Education and
Acculturation: The Contradictions Involved
in Improving Your Life through Education
while Sustaining Your Cultural Self,” at the
annual Breaking Barriers Conference at the
University of St. Thomas.
Su Dorée, mathematics, led a paper
session, “Countering ‘I Can’t Do Math’:
Strategies for Teaching Underprepared,
Math-Anxious Students,” at the annual
joint meetings of the American
Mathematical Society and the
Mathematical Association of America.
At the same conference, Rebekah
Dupont, mathematics, co-organized a
panel discussion, “Firefighting, Paper
Trailing, and Cat Herding: Everything You
Wanted to Know to Be an Administrator
but Were Afraid to Ask.”
Teachers meeting teachers
in Namibia
by Gretchen Kranz Irvine
F
or over five years, my life has been
exponentially enriched, professionally
and personally, from my experiences in
Namibia, Africa. I have been the trip
leader for three summer study trips in
2000, 2003, and most recently last
summer, July 1-22, 2005. I gathered a
group of educators—classroom teachers,
a preservice teacher, and teacher
educators—to travel to Namibia to learn
about the country and her people,
focusing on the education system. In
collaboration with the Center for Global
Education, my goals for the trip were to
introduce Namibia by visiting various
locations; by hearing from Namibians
working in a variety of sectors,
especially teachers, principals, and
faculty from the University of Namibia
and teachers’ colleges; by accessing local
media; and by being immersed in a
culture so different from ours, and yet
the same.
I was pleased that our group bonded
easily as a community and blended like a
fine-tuned melody. We benefited from
the two University of Namibia students
preparing to be teachers who joined us
and added depth to our understanding
of schools and the influence of culture.
A highlight for this trip was a oneday conference for teachers in the
Windhoek area hosted by our group,
with the help and facilitation of many
others. We gathered at the Rossing
Conference Center in Khomasdal, a
suburb of the capital city, Windhoek—
50 people interested in schools, teachers,
learners, and all areas related to
education—for sessions titled “The
Important Role of Teachers in NationBuilding.” The speakers, facilitators, and
organizers were both Namibians and the
members of our group.
The results far exceeded what could
be stated here. We explored large issues
impacting all teachers. We built
professional links—both individual and
group—that would sustain relationships
after we returned to the U.S. And we
Courtesy photo
Garry Hesser, sociology and metrourban studies, co-presented “Toward the
Public Good: Maps, Lenses, and Models
of Civic Engagement,” at the Association
of American Colleges and Universities
conference in November.
Hesser also presented, with Ann
Lutterman-Aguilar and Merrie
Benasutti, “Crossing Borders: Exploring
Vocation in a Multicultural/Global
Context,” at the Nov. meeting of the
National Society for Experiential Education.
Marc Isaacson, MIS, presented
“Statistical Literacy—Online at Capella
University” at the American Statistical
Association meeting.
Cheryl Leuning, nursing, and Pandu
Hailonga, CGE Namibia, co-authored and
presented, “Transforming What is Known
about HIV, AIDS, and Tuberculosis into
Culturally Appropriate Protective
Practices in Namibia and Tanzania,” at
the July Tumaini conference in Tanzania.
6
A group of educators from Minnesota spent three weeks with teachers and educators in
Namibia, based at Augsburg’s Center for Global Education. Augsburg participants are: Melinda
Stockmann (front row, left), CGE-Namibia intern; Pandu Hailonga (back row, fourth from left),
CGE-Namibia trip leader; Carol Knicker (back row, fifth from left), assistant professor of
education; and Gretchen Irvine (back row, second from right), assistant professor of education
and Augsburg trip leader.
Spring 2006
Courtesy photo
On a visit to the Haganeni Primary School in Walvis Bay, Namibia, the educators enjoyed meeting
the students, or “learners.”
Courtesy photo
helped to respond to the need of all
teachers to discuss important issues,
realizing how vital it is for people
involved in the process of educating our
children and youth to have opportunities
for dialogue and reflection. Because of
the cultural differences unfamiliar to me,
I appreciated working with the
Namibians who helped to make the
conference relevant and meaningful for
everyone.
It will be months and years before we
can realize what this trip has meant to us
as individuals. We have tried to spread
the word about Namibia, a very silent
country on the world stage. Our
worldviews have been forever changed
by images of Namibian teachers, of the
children and youth, and of the life we
witnessed in the coastal cities as different
from the villages in the north. We heard
the voices of Namibians telling of their
past, and we learned about the current
struggles toward the constitutional goals
of their 16-year-old nation. We witnessed
the joy of people together, and enjoyed
being in the company of a youth group
building their lives. And we read about
the hopes and dreams of people looking
toward the future. Our global vision has
expanded as a result of this experience.
I am grateful to the Center for Global
Education staff—both here and in
Namibia—whose expertise helped us
create the best learning environment for
our experience. In our own group,
individuals acted beyond any expectations
in caring for each other, challenging
thinking, and with kindness to all.
I have been a teacher for 38 years.
The experiences I’ve enjoyed are true
gifts to me as a teacher, and, also, to my
students at Augsburg.
Gretchen Irvine is assistant professor of
education.
Professor Gretchen Kranz Irvine presents an
Augsburg folder to Augsburg alumna
Fredericka Uahengo ’90, rector of the
Ongwediva Teachers College in northern
Namibia.
Spring 2006
Read more about this travel seminar and
conference on the participants’ blog at
<web.augsburg.edu/~irvine/Namibia>.
PRESENTATIONS
Dallas Liddle, English, presented
“Bakhtinian ‘Journalization’ and the MidVictorian Literary Marketplace,” at Oxford
University’s First Annual Conference on
the History of the Book, sponsored by
their English faculty, in Nov.
Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Center for
Global Education-Mexico, presented a
theological perspective on the rights of
women at the International Women’s Day
conference in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in
March 2005.
She and Judy Shevelev, also with
CGE-Mexico, along with five former
students, co-presented two papers at the
National Women’s Association conference
in June.
Diane Pike, sociology, presented the
keynote, “Not Rocket Science: Teaching,
Learning, and Engagement,” at the Oct.
joint meeting of the Wisconsin and
Illinois Sociological Associations and the
Wisconsin Political Science Association.
Marc Skjervem, student affairs, and
Keith McCoy, residence life, presented a
session, “Developing a Seamless FirstYear Experience on a Small Campus,” at
the National Orientation Directors
Association regional conference in April.
NOTEWORTHY
Markus Fuehrer, philosophy, is
preparing a translation and commentary
of Albertus Magnus’ Liber de homine
(Treatise on Man). He is currently
preparing an entry on Albertus Magnus
at the invitation of the Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Brad Holt, religion, was elected to the
national board of the Society for the Study
of Christian Spirituality (SSCS), an
international organization of people who
teach Christian spirituality in colleges,
universities, and seminaries.
Patrice Salmeri, StepUP® program, was
elected chairperson of the executive
board of the Association of Recovery
Schools (ARS).
Milo Schield, business administration
and the W.M. Keck Statistical Literacy
Project, completed a textbook on
statistical literacy, which is being used in
Augsburg classes this spring.
7
Lynn Bollman, art, participated in the
Third Biennial Printmaking Exhibition,
in November, showcasing the work of 40
professors of printmaking at 22
Minnesota colleges and universities.
History professor Jacqui DeVries’
article, “Rediscovering Religion after the
Postmodern Turn,” was published in the
spring 2005 issue of Feminist Studies and
will also appear in the fall 2005 issue of
the online History Compass.
Pandu Hailonga, Center for Global
Education-Namibia, published an article,
“Violence, Rape, and Murder: Symptoms
of Societal Disease,” in The Namibian in
March 2005.
Garry Hesser, sociology and metrourban studies, co-authored a chapter,
“Liberal Learning and Internships in
Sociology, in The Internship Handbook,
edited by Richard Salem and published
in 2005.
Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Center for
Global Education-Mexico, published a
chapter, “La reconstrucción de la iglesia,”
in Los derechos humanos al interior de
nuestra iglesia, edited by Guadalupe Cruz
Cárdenas, published by Católicas por el
Derecho a Decidir (CDD) in 2005.
Phil Quanbeck II, religion, contributed
to a collection, Teaching the Bible,
published in October by the Society of
Biblical Literature. An article by
Quanbeck “Preaching Apocalyptic Texts”
was published in the summer issue of
Word and World.
Department of Public Safety—
Augsburg’s 411
by Betsey Norgard
L
ocked out? … Too hot in your room?
… Need a jump for a dead battery?
… Want to know when the hockey game
starts? … Need a ride from the lightrail
station?
These are just samples of the
questions fielded by the Department of
Public Safety. Headed by John Pack, who
came to Augsburg nearly three years ago
after 13 years at the University of
Minnesota, this office operates 24/7 and
oversees the College’s switchboard
communications, facilities management
requests, campus security, and
communications and emergency
management.
Pack tries to get the word out about
their services, especially about campus
safety. Each summer at orientation, he
enjoys talking with new students and
their parents.
“The message is that Augsburg is in
the heart of the city,” Pack says, “which
brings tremendous opportunities, but
also some challenges, mostly parking
and security.”
Public Safety strives to ensure that
everyone in the Augsburg community
feels safe. Escort services are available to
any of the parking lots and for students
who go back and forth from internships
or service projects in the neighborhood.
Security officers also provide rides to and
from the nearby lightrail stops. A phone
call from two stops away gets students a
quick ride back to campus.
Pack has initiated regular meetings of
security personnel from Augsburg, the
University of Minnesota, FairviewRiverside, College of St. Catherine, and
the Minneapolis police to share
information and coordinate prevention
efforts in order to decrease incidents
overall.
A recent incident illustrates this
cooperative relationship. At a building
near the edge of campus, an intoxicated
person, not part of the Augsburg
community, slipped, fell, wedged his
head between two pipes, and went into
respiratory distress. Augsburg security
officers on routine patrol noticed him
and called 911. Officer Annie DeYoung
stayed with the injured man, monitoring
his medical condition, until rescue
personnel arrived. Firefighters needed
the Jaws of Life to free the man and rush
him to the emergency room.
The firefighters credited DeYoung
with saving the man’s life—for assessing
the situation quickly and applying the
medical treatment that kept his airway
and breathing clear until they arrived.
Staff photo
PUBLICATIONS/EXHIBITIONS/
PERFORMANCES
HONORS/AWARDS/GRANTS
Mark Strefeler, biology, received a
$57,500 grant from Beckman Coulter’s
matching grant program for a genetic
analysis system to aid research in plant
genetics and microbiology. It allows for
gene sequencing, DNA fingerprinting,
and molecular genetics. In his research
with students, he carries out DNA
barcoding for species identification and
identification and isolation of genes for
disease resistance in plants.
John Pack, director of public safety, accepts a Certificate of Appreciation
from Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak (left) and police chief William
McManus for the College’s cooperation and for support to the
Minneapolis Police Department.
8
Spring 2006
Photo illustration by Stephen Geffre
Office space: or how I spent 18 years
in the closet at Augsburg
by Doug Green
W
hy I didn’t move out of
my little hole in the wall
of an office when I had the
chance, I’ll never know. It’s
one of the smallest spaces in
the maze that is Memorial
Hall, a former dormitory and
the second oldest surviving building on
campus. The room can’t be more than
6 x 6 and would be more suitable as a
walk-in closet—or perhaps a very large
coffin.
My office desk, an old metal one of
modest size and a rosy beige hue, faces
the wall beneath an enormous Saul
Steinberg print of America as viewed
from Manhattan. Before I got my laptop,
Manhattan was unfortunately hidden
behind my computer, just as Minnesota
has blotted out most of my New York
past over the last 20 years.
On the wall behind me as I sit at my
desk, the floor-to-ceiling shelves are
overflowing with books, papers,
knickknacks (mostly mementoes from
past students and pictures of my wife
and son), and last year’s posters for
campus events. The filing cabinet next to
Spring 2006
the door obscures some of the shelves
and is buried under debris. Confidential
student records are now filed on top of
the cabinet for easy access—even to
passers-by in the hallway: It’s my version
of the Freedom of Information Act.
Behind the door and next to the desk
is another freestanding bookcase, also
overflowing and surmounted by stacks of
texts and paper—for creative writing, I
think. The walls and the hallway side of
the door are plastered with notices,
reminders, pictures drawn by my son,
and posters of events I had a hand in—
like the first GLBT alumni reunion and
art show: “Out and About.”
The window, however, I love best.
When I sit at my desk and look out, it’s
like Rear Window; I can spy on a whole
set of neighboring offices. But if I push
back just a little and face the outside, I
see Augsburg’s little quad, an Edenic
version of my little closet.
Maybe that’s why I can’t leave:
because this little cubby across the floor
from an old dormitory bathroom that
sports mold from the era of Warren G.
Harding and College President George
Sverdrup is the quintessential
professorial space. Like the brain in
Dickinson’s poem, my office “is wider
than the sky.” My little cabinet contains a
world of thoughts—from the books
behind and beside me to the computer
on my desk to the many visiting
colleagues and students who come to
share their inner lives with me. I need
their stifling and stimulating proximity.
My office is certainly no “proud,
ambitious heap” nor “built to envious
show,” but a place in which, like the
Sidneys at Penshurst in Jonson’s famous
poem, I can “dwell.”
Doug Green is professor of English. This
story first appeared in Augsburg Echo in
September.
9
10
1 THE NEW GUTHRIE
Only a mile away, the Guthrie Theater’s new
home makes it even easier for actors and
technicians to visit Augsburg seminars and
teach as adjunct faculty.
1
3
2
Downtown
Minneapolis
4
8
5
9
Augsburg
College
6
7
2 CORPORATE DOWNTOWN
Internships downtown with non-profits,
Fortune 500, and other companies are but a
quick lightrail or bus ride away for students
and often lead to future career opportunities.
Saint Paul
3 MEETING HIS CONSTITUENTS
City Hall is his home base, but Minneapolis
mayor R.T. Rybak enjoys getting out to meet
the new students on campus.
4 PLAY BALL!
The Twins, Vikings, Gophers—and the
Auggies, for one game per season—compete
several blocks away at the Metrodome.
OUR CITY …
OUR CLASSROOM
10
BY BETSEY NORGARD
➶
WHAT EXACTLY DOES BEING A COLLEGE OF THE CITY MEAN FOR
AUGSBURG? WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DOES IT BRING TO THE AUGSBURG
LEARNING COMMUNITY—TO STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF?
If one were to look at just a TWO-MILE RADIUS AROUND AUGSBURG,
what would be found?
5 HIGH-RISE MELTING POT
Riverside Plaza is the hub of the most diverse
neighborhood in Minneapolis—and a partner
with Augsburg in its community programs
and school.
The answer is A LOT …
the most diverse neighborhood in Minneapolis …
the downtown business district …
a Super Bowl pro-sports dome …
a brand-new home for a world-class theater …
a Big 10 university and teaching/research medical center…
a quick train ride to the largest shopping mall in the country…
miles of running, walking, and biking trails along the Mississippi River.
Staff photo
6 A JUMP ON THE LIGHTRAIL
Just a few blocks away, the lightrail train is a
quick ride to downtown, the airport, and the
Mall of America.
7 LEARNING FROM LIVE CORALS
Biology professor Bill Capman lends expertise
and some live corals to help teachers at
Seward Montessori School set up and maintain
a coral reef aquarium for their science classes.
8 WORSHIP IN THE CITY
Central Lutheran Church is the majestic
setting for Augsburg’s Advent Vespers, an
annual celebration of word and music that
begins the holiday season.
Spring 2006
Here, we highlight some of the myriad opportunities our location offers
to learn, serve, volunteer, intern, experience, shop, compete, perform,
keep fit, have fun, and so much more!
Teach. Reach. Feed. Lead.
That’s the motto of the Campus
Kitchens Project, based in Washington,
D.C., that combines preparing and
delivering meals, partnering in the
community, training for employment
opportunities, and providing service
learning for students. Since opening on
campus in 2003, the Campus Kitchen
at Augsburg has served more than
25,000 meals to community
organizations. The program, which is
student organized and run, is based in
the College’s food service facilities, and
works with surplus food from the food
service and local food banks.
Two shifts of student volunteers
each week prepare meals and deliver
them to six locations the next day. The
students spend time in each location, getting to know and talking with
the people being served.
Above, at Peace House in the Phillips neighborhood, junior Jeanette
Clark talks with a visitor. She and other students deliver meals on
Thursdays to the 30-50 people who drop in to Peace House for
conversation, fellowship, and nourishment.
During the summers, Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen operates a job
training program to train and certify unemployed people in food
management culinary skills to help them find jobs.
11
Trick or treat—dorm style
Targeting a career
Each Halloween, ghosts, goblins, and other costumed
characters wander the halls of Urness and Mortensen Halls,
going from door to door trick-or-treating.
They’re neighborhood children invited to campus by
LINK, the student service organization, for fun, games,
treats, and, sometimes, a haunted house. LINK provides
the candy, and students provide the fun for the kids.
Tim Benson ’00, graduated
with a business administration/marketing major
and a minor in management
information systems.
Benson picked up his first
downtown corporate
experience at a summer
internship with Accenture
(then Andersen Consulting).
He found it to be great
preparation for the business
world that he couldn’t have
learned in a classroom—
“protocols, unwritten rules,
and business speak”—that
helped him get a foot in the door at Target Corporation.
He started as a business analyst and was eventually
promoted to a supply chain expert. Now he is manager of
an eight-person team in the kitchenware department,
which is responsible for about 1,000 items and hundreds of
millions of dollars in sales annually in all 1400+
Target stores.
A day at the Soap Factory
(map #10)
As part of AugSem,
their first-year seminar,
students in ART 102
Design spent an
afternoon at the Soap
Factory. This turn-ofthe-century wood and
brick warehouse, which
formerly housed the
National Purity Soap
Factory, has been turned into an art gallery featuring work
by emerging artists, and offering available studio space.
The afternoon was part of City Service Projects Day,
which started with a 20-minute walk to the gallery
through the historic flour mill district. At the gallery, the
students helped take down one show and prepare to
install another. They cleaned floors, scrubbed and
squeegeed walls, and moved furniture.
The students got first-hand experience in what a
gallery is—or not, i.e. it’s not just clean floors and bright
lighting. Since a number of these students intend to major
in art-related fields, this gave them an opportunity for a
service project in something that really interested them.
Plus, the gallery director told them that what they
were able to do for the gallery in three hours would have
taken the staff all week to complete.
12
(map #2)
Staying connected with kids
(map #9)
Kristy Bleichner graduated from Augsburg in 2002 with a
major in social work. While a student, she began to
volunteer for Wednesday Night Out, a program sponsored
by Trinity Lutheran Church. For this, Trinity partners with
community organizations, including Augsburg, to provide
suppers for neighborhood families, giving them a place to
gather and talk. After supper, Bleichner and other student
volunteers take the children to a nearby gym for games,
making it more convenient for their parents to talk with
each other about family and community issues.
Even after graduating nearly four years ago, Bleichner
has wanted to stay connected with these families and
continues to devote time to the Wednesday Night Out
program.
Spring 2006
A school of many cultures
(map #5)
Around-the-world food
Five blocks from Augsburg lies the only school in the country
located in a high-rise apartment building. The Cedar-Riverside
Community School, a K-8 charter school sponsored by
Minneapolis Public Schools, is in the midst of Minneapolis’
most diverse neighborhood, largely Somali and East African.
The school serves mostly immigrant children, from nearly
a dozen different countries, some of whom never had any
formal education before arriving in the U.S. Each week nearly
30-40 Augsburg students tutor and mentor at the school, and
provide instruction or support during the year in music, art,
piano lessons, physical education, science, and health.
Augsburg elementary education students in Professor
Jeanine Gregoire’s science methods class teach hand-on
science units at the school. In the photo, Pa Kou Yang ’05 is
working with two second-graders.
When Augsburg moved to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood
in 1872, it was home to a thriving community of
Scandinavian immigrants. Again, it is a center for many
people recently arriving in the U.S., primarily from Somalia
and East Africa.
The neighborhood has more than 20 restaurants, most of
which serve ethnic foods; as well as ethnic clothing stores,
grocers, and art galleries; and a Lutheran church and a
mosque. As part of the first-year AugSem group, students
visited area businesses and tried out some of the nearby
restaurants. In this photo, a group sits around the table at
Addis Ababa, an Ethiopian restaurant down the block from
campus.
Helping women stay fit at FOLC
Caring for the mighty Mississippi
(map #5)
Eilidh Reyelts ’06 (facing
front at right in photo), a
senior biology and premedical major, began
volunteering last year with
Rachel Domier ’05 (left) at
Family Opportunities for
Living Collaboration
(FOLC) at Riverside Plaza.
This center encourages
community members to
work together at meeting
the needs of neighborhood residents, many of whom are
immigrants or refugees with little understanding of English
or of American customs and health practices.
Reyelts and Domier were both Lilly Interns and designed
internships to explore areas within their vocational interests.
Twice a week at FOLC they taught exercise to immigrant
and refugee women, and helped them monitor their weight
and blood pressure.
Reyelts also is a Citizen Scholar through the Campus
Compact program. As an AugSem leader, she took new
students on a tour of the neighborhood and to FOLC. Reyelts’
vocational goals include a career in medicine or public health.
Spring 2006
With the Mississippi River
within a stone’s throw,
Augsburg has joined the
network of “river stewards”
and has “adopted” a section of
the river just downstream
from campus. Planned
activities involve students in
litter clean-up, trail
monitoring, placing stenciled
warnings on storm drains to
prevent pollution into the
river, monitoring invasive
species, and trail monitoring.
In the summer, political
science professor Joe
Underhill-Cady teaches
Environmental and River
Politics, a course that looks at
the challenges of balancing
economic development, social justice, and environmental
stewardship. Students spend time on the river and meet
with people involved in river-related issues.
13
Courtesy photo
H U R R I C A N E K AT R I N A :
R E S P O N D I N G F R O M T H E H E A RT
Medicine for both patient and doctor
The days were long, the work was
physically exhausting. What Augsburg
alumni Paul Mueller ’84, M.D., and Rick
Seime ’70, Ph.D., encountered in the
hurricane-devastated areas of southern
Louisiana was far worse than news
reports could show. But, Mueller describes
returning to Minnesota rejuvenated and
thankful for the opportunity to help.
Seime says he would do it again in
a heartbeat.
Mueller, an internist with a public
health background, and Seime, a
psychologist, both at Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minn., served on different
medical relief teams. They were a part of
Operation Minnesota Lifeline, a
collaboration of healthcare volunteers
from Mayo Clinic, University of
Minnesota, College of St. Catherine, and
the American Refugee Committee.
Sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Health, their work helped to
14
by Betsey Norgard
bridge the crisis period by treating
immediate medical needs and connecting
people to resources until more permanent
public health clinics were set up.
For two weeks each, Mueller’s and
Seime’s teams operated from a base in
Lafayette, La., and were housed at a
Baptist church. Each day they set out in
vans supplied with medicines, supplies,
and vaccines, to treat people in the field,
most of whom were either Hurricane
Katrina evacuees from New Orleans or
residents of the areas ravaged by
Hurricane Rita.
The medical teams were
multidisciplinary, including physicians,
nurses, social workers, and others. But,
everyone served as a mental health
counselor because the need was so great.
Many people had lost everything they
owned, had lost contact with family
members, and had lost their medications
and medical providers. Many simply just
needed to talk.
Despite their adversities, Seime was
“impressed with their resiliency, in the
faith they had, and in the way they came
together to help each other out.” Both
Mueller and Seime remark about the
gratitude expressed by hurricane victims
for the care they received from the
medical teams.
In Johnson’s Bayou, La., a coastal
town almost totally destroyed by
Hurricane Rita, Mueller met Rhonda, “a
salt-of-the-earth person” and one of a
very few who had returned to her home.
Above: Mayo Clinic internist Dr. Paul Mueller
’84 (left) and Sr. Romana Klaubaus (right), a
nurse from the College of St. Catherine,
posed with residents of Johnson’s Bayou
(La.). There they met Rhonda (second from
right), a local emergency medical technician,
who helped them find and treat the
residents who had moved back.
Spring 2006
Courtesy photo
left Lafayette at 4:45 a.m. and worked
until 10 p.m. that night. The team
consulted all day, but still could not meet
with everyone seeking help.
His most vivid memory is of Miss
Cindy, who came to be vaccinated in
Eunice, La. He listened to her story of
riding out the storm in her apartment
building in New Orleans. When the
levees broke, she told of trying to get
help to rescue the other tenants in her
building, and of wading in the water to
get to boats. Not all survived, and she
told of an elderly man who had to turn
back. They saw him drown without
being able to offer assistance.
Miss Cindy was so grateful for the
medical team’s help that she baked a
Cajun meal to thank them and drove it
35 miles to the church where Seime and
his colleagues were staying.
Drawing on his background in both
internal medicine and public health,
Mueller felt “called” to respond to the
medical needs in Louisiana. Seime
considered it a privilege to serve and was
glad for the opportunity, even taking into
account the 21 hours each way on the bus.
Paul Mueller ’84, M.D., is a member of the
Augsburg Board of Regents and serves on the
Science Center Task Force. Rick Seime ’70 is
a Distinguished Alumnus and member of
Augsburg’s Science Advisory Board.
Mueller’s medical team set up shop in a FEMA
trailer park, where many evacuees were living
in tents.
Courtesy photo
Donald Mattison ’66, M.D., a senior adviser at the National Institutes of Health and a U.S.
Public Health Service (USPHS) medical officer, led a team to Louisiana on Aug. 31, just
after Hurricane Katrina struck, for a two-week deployment.
Emergency medicine in a field hospital
by Donald Mattison ’66, M.D.
Mayo psychologist Rick Seime ’70 (right) and
internist Dr. Daniel Hartigan (left) from the
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., pack the van
with medical supplies and vaccines for the
day’s assignment in the field.
Even though the local gas station her
husband owned had been destroyed,
Mueller says she was “amazingly happy
and optimistic, and determined to
re-build.”
He tells of how Rhonda knew
everybody—those who had returned to
town, their ages, what medicines they
took, etc. She was a volunteer emergency
medical technician and rode with the
team in their van, taking them to each of
the homes where returning residents
could be vaccinated and treated.
Seime spent one day on a team sent
to New Orleans, where they treated
people in a FEMA resource center. They
Spring 2006
I was part of the second team of Public
Health Service (PHS) officers deployed
into Baton Rouge, La. Our initial
assignment was staffing and coordination
of a temporary hospital established in
two buildings on the Louisiana State
University campus—an acute care
“emergency room” with intensive care
unit (ICU) containing about 150 beds,
and a lower acuity hospital containing
200-500 beds (depending on need).
While both were operating as
hospitals over about a 15-day period,
approximately 15,000 individuals were
“triaged” and about 3,000 admitted,
cared for, and discharged. When the
demand for acute care diminished, the
smaller facility was closed and the lower
acuity facility converted to a special
needs shelter. At that point additional
PHS officers were available to participate
in needs assessment and establishment of
surveillance systems with the state health
department.
Teams were also assigned to manage
medical and mental health needs of first
responders from New Orleans. Missions
Donald Mattison ’66, M.D., was honored on
campus last fall as a Distinguished Alumnus.
during the “public health” period of the
deployment included assessment and
surveillance of hospitals, clinics, schools,
public wells, food processing facilities,
and shelters.
The PHS officers I worked with
during the deployment were dedicated,
highly professional, and went far beyond
what would be expected to meet the
needs of Louisiana. I was honored to lead
these officers and extremely proud of all
of them.
15
Hurricane Katrina,
a personal perspective
by Shira Hussain
I was recruiting in Wisconsin when
Hurricane Katrina was set to hit the Gulf
Coast. My dad was determined not to
leave and actually held my family back
from evacuating as soon as they wanted
to. I even called home and was crying
because I just didn’t have a good gut
I just didn’t have a good gut feeling
about this hurricane.
feeling about this hurricane. Frequently
people in New Orleans do not evacuate
for hurricanes because they are so
common, and people fear their houses
will be looted if they leave.
My parents, sister, and brother
evacuated to Lake Charles, La., the day
before the storm hit. I watched the news
and was happy to see that the storm
came and went.
Then disaster struck on a whole new
level. The minute the levees were
declared breached, I knew things were
going to get a lot worse. I saw the city
under water and couldn’t stop crying. I
didn’t hear from my family and friends
and cried even more. I was finally able
to reach my mom two days after the
ordeal and cried for more positive
reasons. Eventually, I got in touch with
the rest of my family and also my
hometown friends.
Although I couldn’t explain why all of
this happened, I did have the choice to
find something positive out of all of it.
Although I couldn’t explain why all
of this happened, I did have the choice
to find something positive out of all of
it. The fact that my family and friends
were alive is what kept me going. A few
weeks later, my parents returned to the
16
Shira Hussain was on the road attending college fairs when she heard the news that her New
Orleans neighborhood was under water.
house, which was completely destroyed.
Fortunately, my mom was able to get our
family Bible and photos. They plan to
rebuild in the same area.
I, too, took a hard hit with all of this.
I lost the house I grew up in and the
schools I went to. Most of my hang-out
of things as we think we are. (My
parents, like so many others, are still
waiting for their insurance checks and
their trailer from FEMA). This whole
experience gives us all so many reasons
to be thankful. And it emphasizes that
minor problems, petty grudges, and bad
Helping my fellow “N’awlins” neighbors in any way I could
was in turn helping me deal with everything.
spots were gone, and the worst part was
being so far away from my family during
all of this.
So I did what I could. I got advances
on my checks and sent money home.
I headed up fundraising efforts at
Augsburg for hurricane evacuees. I even
passed out my number as a resource to
Minnesota locals who were hosting,
donating to, and/or aiding evacuees.
Helping my fellow “N’awlins”
neighbors in any way I could was in turn
helping me deal with everything.
From all of this, I’ve truly accepted
that nothing material lasts forever. I’ve
also learned that we are not as in control
intentions are really things we shouldn’t
hold on to, because major things beyond
our control will happen—both good and
bad, easy and challenging.
A family friend of ours did drown in
her house while waiting for her nephew,
who never came to get her. My mom
took it particularly hard because she had
wanted Miss Gerdy to evacuate with
them. I just trust that she died peacefully
in the house as I believe many people did
who were stuck behind.
Shira Hussain is senior admissions
counselor in the Office of Undergraduate
Admissions.
Spring 2006
Teachers who lead,
leaders who teach
EDITED BY BETSEY NORGARD
Vicki Olson describes how teachers as
leaders must be willing to take risks and
to become positive influences in schools.
O
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS
I’ve been reading about a topic dear to
my heart—teacher leadership. At
Augsburg, this concept undergirds our
teacher licensure programs at both the
undergraduate and graduate levels.
What teacher leadership means to
Augsburg’s Education Department is that
the teachers we prepare have both the
right and the responsibility to exercise
leadership within their classrooms,
schools, districts, and communities.
Recognizing that teachers lead within
the classroom is not difficult; it is
accepted enough to seem like common
sense. But once you get beyond the
classroom walls, the concept of teacher
leadership is less well established.
Some would say “teacher leadership”
is an oxymoron. Principals lead, not
teachers. They would go on to say that
teachers carry out the will of the school
district by teaching the designated
curriculum, following the standards
determined by the state, and upholding
the expectations of the community.
Teachers, in other words, follow the
Spring 2006
direction of others who make the
decisions, creating classrooms, in turn,
where students learn what they are
required to learn.
This philosophy exists, but it isn’t the
one we believe in or work from.
Certainly our vision incorporates the
idea that teachers have a responsibility to
the school district, the state, and the
community to educate students in the
best ways possible. That’s a given.
But rather than simply doing what
they are told, we believe teachers must—
truly must—see themselves as active
participants in deciding what should be
taught and how to teach it.
In our vision, teachers come to the
table with administrators, parents, other
community members, and sometimes
students to define what it means to be an
educated person and then to map out
how that education will happen within a
given setting.
Teachers count themselves among the
grown-ups and accept the responsibility
and risks from making the decisions
they make.
This conceptualization of “teacher”
that includes an element of leadership
frightens some. Responsibility and risk
bring with them accountability, but along
with that they also can bring a fine sense
of exhilaration, energy, and eminent
satisfaction in a job well done.
Roland Barth, in Learning by Heart,
says, “I think of a teacher leader as one
who has a positive influence on the
school as well as in the classroom … all
teachers have the capacity to lead the
enterprise down a more positive path, to
bring their abundant experience and
wisdom to schools.”
Like Barth, at Augsburg we believe all
teachers can be teacher leaders and share
in leading the collective “enterprise” of
making schools positive places with
learning at the heart. Teachers who
understand their role in this way—risks
and all—are more likely to define
teaching as their vocation rather than
simply their job.
Vicki Olson is associate professor
of education.
17
Teachers who lead,
leaders who teach
M
MARGARET KNUTSON ’91
Fifth-grade teacher at Orono (Minn.) Intermediate School
Education is the second largest major at Augsburg,
with approximately 500 students across undergraduate and graduate programs.
How do Augsburg students carry the qualities of
teacher leadership into their classrooms? Augsburg
Now invited a number of alumni and faculty who
have been recognized as leaders to reflect about their
careers and how they have seen themselves both as
teachers who lead and as leaders who teach.
Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award in 2004
My goal is to inspire students to find the learner in themselves,
to challenge themselves and to find meaning in their education.
To that end I have always yearned to try new things in order to
find ways to more effectively connect students to learning on a
real and personal level. When I discover or create methods I find
successful, I share these with colleagues at my school as well as
lead workshops for schools around the state.
So, being a teacher leader involves keeping your mind and eyes
open for new methods, being a risk taker and pioneer in
applying new methods, and then not being shy about sharing
your successes with others ... and to humbly educate other
teachers.
Above: Maggie Knutson tries to keep her students engaged in ways that
challenge and inspire them to find learning meaningful.
18
Spring 2006
J
JOSEPH ERICKSON
Professor in Augsburg’s Education Department, and chair of the
Minneapolis Board of Education
My personal philosophy of teaching is based on the assumption that
my primary role is to motivate learners to gather information and
develop themselves—I don’t make them learn. I think that’s a kind
of leadership; sparking curiosity and motivating learners. I think that
is central to good teaching.
In my role on the school board, I’m constantly meeting people who
have opinions about what should and should not be done in
Minneapolis Public Schools. It’s hard to underestimate how much
rumor and gossip is out there. My role is to help educate the public
when I meet people who hold information that is wrong or misleading.
More importantly, I try to make sure that I take every opportunity I can
to inspire optimism and confidence in MPS’s future. Sometimes inspiring
confidence is even more important than competent administration.
Joe Erickson brings his school board leadership experience into
his classrooms at Augsburg to help future teachers understand
the issues affecting school districts.
J
JACKI BRICKMAN ’97
Mentor at Elizabeth Hall International
Elementary School, Minneapolis
From my second year of teaching, my
classroom has been a public place—
to current and new teachers, to district
officials, politicians, and parents.
Teachers are at their best in their
classrooms facilitating learning, and when
teachers open their doors to one another
and make their classrooms a public place,
we are able lead and teach at the same
Teachers in Jacki Brickman’s school meet regularly in study
groups to share their practices and strategies in order to help
each other grow.
J
time. Both the teacher observing and the
teacher being observed can grow in their
practices if they engage in reflective
conversation after this shared experience.
JUDY SCHAUBACH ’68
President of Education Minnesota
Being a teacher and a leader are for me inseparable.
In my early years as a teacher I was a strong voice
for ensuring a positive work environment that
included advocating for professional development
opportunities, insisting on compliance with state
and federal laws, and working together with the
administration to insure a safe and respectful learning
environment. The more I took responsibility for these
issues the more I grew as a professional.
Being involved at the local level and gaining a sense
of empowerment was what prompted me to get
Spring 2006
involved at the state and national level. As a union
leader I rely on my teaching experience to help
policy-makers understand what needs to be done …
I believe that teachers should not be passive
bystanders to what is occurring in their classrooms,
schools, or communities, nor should they be silent
about policies and laws that have a direct impact
on their profession and the students they teach.
This philosophy has been the impetus for my
leadership, even when it is sometimes difficult and
may be controversial.
19
Teachers who lead, leaders who teach
A
ADAM THRONSON ’99
Social studies teacher at Coon Rapids (Minn.) High School
2005 Anoka-Hennepin School District Teacher Outstanding
Performance (TOP) award
Teachers are leaders by researching and implementing new
strategies into their classroom. It means you take a risk.
Teachers usually try methods that other teachers have found
success with, but leadership comes when you blaze a new
trail by trying something new.
B
BRUCE PALMQUIST ’84
Professor of physics and science education at Central
Washington University, Ellensburg, Wash.
Washington State Professor of the Year, named by the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
and the Council for Advancement and Support of
Education (CASE).
I started teaching while I was a student at Augsburg. I
tutored first-year physics students. This taught me that it
takes more than good grades in a subject to be a good
teacher. I learned that I needed to understand what the
students knew and didn’t know before I could help them. …
In general, a good teacher is one who leads by example. I try
to make my science teaching methods courses relevant by
developing interesting opportunities for my students to
interact with children. My teaching methods students have
been among the first at my university to teach science lessons
in the local schools, to develop after-school science clubs, and
to provide children with practice items for the Washington
state science assessment.
(To become better acquainted with Bruce Palmquist, see Auggie
Thoughts on p. 32)
20
I have been a leader who teaches when I’ve accepted and
encouraged the work of other teachers. This could be new
programs like Link Crew or just cooperation dealing with the
same student. I have been a teacher who leads by staying positive,
supporting administration, and trying new things in my
classroom.
A
ALLEN TRIPP ’69
English teacher at Rush City (Minn.)
High School
2005 Leadership in Educational
Excellence Award,
selected by peers
After 35 years of teaching English, I can look back and see many
times where I have been both a teacher and a leader. The teacher
role is six classes a day September through May. However, the
leader role has grown on me over the years as I became more
experienced in my profession and familiar with the people in the
community. …
Teaching ability and leadership skills are a necessary
combination for any successful teacher. When I look back at
my first year of teaching, I see I had the knowledge to teach
effectively, but at times lacked the confidence to lead. By
talking to experienced teachers and gaining experience
in the classroom, the leadership skills evolved. When you
demonstrate confidence in yourself as a teacher, you will
clearly communicate goals to the students; and they gain
confidence in themselves as learners. It’s a win/win situation.
Spring 2006
A
ALYSSA SNYDER ’98
President, Bethany Lutheran
College, Mankato, Minn.
It is in the classroom where we have the
most direct impact on our students;
however, it cannot end there.
As educators we must challenge one another’s ideas and philosophies
through professional dialogue in order to gain insight into how to
better meet the needs of our learners.
My top priority is having high standards for all my students. This
is why I feel fortunate to be an instructor in the Weekend College
program. I want to influence potential educators to advocate for
all of their students, not just the smart and well behaved. A true
teacher leader is willing to do this by going against the status
quo knowing the student must come first. When I can influence
future teachers, I can impact more students positively.
D
DAN BRUSS ’75
Adjunct instructor in Augsburg’s
Education Department
J
I have been connected to the
teaching enterprise of higher
education nearly 25 years.
As a professor I saw myself not just as a champion of
my area of expertise, but primarily as a role model, an
individual concerned with the wide variety of struggles
students have during their college experience. For me
life in the classroom was seamlessly interwoven to the
life outside of it.
As a college president I still see my chief function as a role
model, although now my teaching crosses constituency
boundaries. As an administrator I look for the professor
who can have the biggest impact on students’ lives. They
generally have more lasting influence than programs or
buildings.
JOHN-MARK STENSVAAG ’69
Charlotte and Frederick Hubbell Professor of Environmental and
Natural Resources Law at the University of Iowa College of Law
University of Iowa 2005 President and Provost Award for Teaching
Excellence
All of my great teachers led by example. Every day, I try imperfectly
to emulate what my greatest teachers showed me; every day, I
expect my students to outshine me in their future endeavors. The
enterprise is driven by love: love of learning, love of the subject
matter, and love of the students. My greatest teachers led by
illustrating such love. For me, “leading” is nothing more than
striving to reflect their love to a new generation of students.
A POSTSCRIPT: After this story was completed,
announcement came of the appointment of
Augsburg history professor Bill Green as interim
superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools.
As he steps from the classroom into a leadership
role in a difficult situation, Green has been quoted
as saying that he is “first and foremost a teacher.”
Spring 2006
21
Paulson family makes major gift to the Science Center
Courtesy photo
In December, John Paulson, together with
Norma Paulson, pledged a $1 million gift
on behalf of his family to name the front
entrance and atrium of the new Science
Center.
This is the Paulson family’s second
major capital gift to Augsburg. In 2001,
the family provided major funding to
complete the enclosed skyway link from
Lindell Library to the two-story atrium
between Memorial and Sverdrup Halls.
“One does not have to be on campus
long to see what an important need was
met by the Paulson Link,” said Stephen
Preus, director of development. “This new,
special gift by the Paulsons will provide
for an equally important and highly
attractive space.”
While Paulson is not an Augsburg
alumnus, three of his children and a sonin-law graduated from the College—Mary
Jo (Paulson) Peterson ’80, Laurie
(Paulson) Dahl ’76 and David Dahl ’75,
and Lisa Paulson ’80.
The motivation behind the Science
Center gift, however, may date back much
farther than his family’s education.
Paulson served in the Second Infantry
Division during World War II and was part
of the Allied invasion landing on D+1 at
Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, in June
by Betsey Norgard
Cory Ryan
$1 million gift will name the new atrium
John and Norma Paulson pledge $1 million for the Science Center atrium. (L to R) Dick Adamson,
vice president for finance and administration; Jeroy Carlson, senior development officer; and
Norma and John Paulson.
1944. He was a frontline soldier until July
28, 1944, when he was wounded during
the St.-Lo breakthrough. Among the
awards Paulson received were the Combat
Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, and the
Purple Heart.
In June 2004, Paulson and his wife,
Norma, traveled to France to take part in
the 60th anniversary commemoration of
the event that proved to be the turning
point of the war.
The festivities brought together
thousands of people—war
veterans, military officials,
local people and tourists, as
well as Hollywood
celebrities whose acting
roles had recreated the
battles on movie screens.
Standing in his Army
uniform, wearing medals
depicting D-Day service,
Paulson enjoyed the
commemoration.
Following the ceremony,
however, he noticed lines of
French citizens forming to
At the 60th anniversary commemoration of D-Day, Norma and
shake hands and request
John Paulson met and talked with actor Tom Hanks.
22
autographs from the U.S. veterans.
Puzzled, Paulson finally asked someone
why he wanted a soldier’s autograph.
“Don’t you understand,” the
Frenchman told him, “you saved our
country.”
Paulson recounted how vivid an
impression these words made. When he
thought about the statistics—the
staggering numbers of soldiers who were
killed or wounded during the invasion—
he realized that he was, in fact, a
survivor. And with that realization also
came the insight that he had been
blessed with many gifts in his life that
should be shared with others.
“I believe it is important to leave this
world in better condition than it was when
we arrived,” Paulson said, “so contributing
to Augsburg and other worthwhile
organizations is part of this process.”
The Science Center atrium girft is
provided in memory of Lois V. Paulson,
Rose E. Paulson, and Johnny E. Paulson,
by the Paulson family—John R., Sr., and
Norma Paulson, John Reid Paulson, Mary
Jo Peterson ’80, Deborah Stansbury, Laurie
Dahl ’76, and Lisa Paulson ’80.
Spring 2006
Naming the ‘Doc’ Johnson A-Club Office
Office in Doc’s memory. Their gifts, with
additional gifts from Louie Morseth ’51,
Roger Stockmo ’54, Leroy Nyhus ’52, and
Virg Gehring ’57 have made it possible.
In his senior year at Augsburg, Doc
Johnson was elected president of AClub. Now, it is the A-Club vice
president from that year, Ron Main,
helping to perpetuate Johnson’s legacy
as an Auggie.
Archive photo
Donnis “Doc” Johnson ’52, an Auggie who
died at the age of 23, well before his time,
will not be forgotten by his friends. Five of
his classmates and friends have joined
together to name the A-Club office in the
new Si Melby South Wing in his memory.
Raised in the small town of Newman
Grove, Nebraska—the only Lutheran Free
Church congregation in that state—
Johnson followed his sister, LaRhea, and
several relatives to Augsburg College, 400
miles away. He enrolled in 1948, majored
in physical education, and became center
on the football team.
After graduation in 1952 and two years
in the U.S. Army at Fort Leonard Wood,
Mo., Johnson returned home to a teaching
and football coaching position at the Elgin
(Neb.) High School. This was to be his
only year of teaching, as he died of bulbar
polio in November 1954. Members of his
high school football team served as
pallbearers.
Early last year, Doc’s cousin, Mark
Johnson ’54, together with Augsburg
development officer Ron Main ’56,
proposed a plan to name the new A-Club
by Betsey Norgard
“Doc” Johnson (top row, no. 28) played on the 1951 football team, along with teammate, and
now development officer and donor, Ron Main ’56 (middle row, no. 38).
Connections
Augsburg meets
Thrivent challenge
Augsburg received bonus funding of
$5,415 from Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans for successfully meeting the
GivingPlus program challenge.
About 450 Lutheran schools and
social service agencies were awarded
portions of an $800,000 grant from
Thrivent for significantly improving
participation in Thrivent’s GivingPlus
program, which matches contributions
to Lutheran institutions by its members.
In order to qualify, Augsburg needed
to increase GivingPlus by 588 member
donors before December. It exceeded
that with a total of 693, thereby also
earning $78,805 in matching funds from
Thrivent under the program.
The bonus funds will be used for
student scholarships, curriculum
development, student-oriented
activities, and campus improvements.
Spring 2006
Barbara Gage, president of the Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation, was honored with the
2006 Leading Leaders award for lifelong commitment to family, career, and service to
community. (L to R) Emily Anne Tuttle, Augsburg Board of Regents; Barbara Carlson Gage;
and Tracy Elftmann, Augsburg vice president for institutional advancement.
The Connections event, co-sponsored by Augsburg and Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans, also included speakers Janice Aune ’88, chairman/CEO of Onvoy, Inc.; Augsburg
regent Gloria C. Lewis, president/CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin
Cities; and Shira Hussain, Augsburg senior admissions counselor.
23
Sig Hjelmeland led fundraising efforts for 30 years
Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41 was the second of
four generations of Augsburg graduates
and spent three decades at Augsburg
leading fundraising efforts that made
possible a number of major capital
projects. He died on Dec. 25 at age 90.
Hjelmeland returned to Augsburg in
1952 to serve as the College’s first
director of development. Major
campaigns he headed led to the
completion of the George Sverdrup
Library, Christensen Center, Urness Hall,
and Foss Center.
He is best remembered by colleague
Jeroy Carlson ’48 as “meticulous.” In the
late 1950s, as donor and giving programs
were being created, Hjelmeland drew on
his expertise and passion for detail to
create a manual accounting system and
bookkeeping procedures for donor gifts.
This included the use of a bank book to
help donors track their monthly pledge
payments.
In 1963, as the College moved
through the transition from the Lutheran
Free Church (LFC) into the American
Lutheran Church, Hjelmeland, with his
Norwegian LFC background, served a
valuable role in helping many of
Augsburg’s longtime LFC families stay
part of and feel connected to Augsburg.
“He spoke Norwegian and had a great
sense of humor,” Carlson says, “not just
American humor, but Scandinavian
humor as well.” Hjelmeland’s
relationships helped to foster a culture of
philanthropy that has nurtured many of
Augsburg’s current donors.
In 1986, Hjelmeland, with his wife,
by Betsey Norgard
Three generations of Hjelmeland Auggies: Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41, who is survived by his wife,
Helen; (back row, L to R) James Clarke and daughter Laurene (Hjelmeland) Clarke ’64; son John
’70 and Lynn (Benson) ’69 Hjelmeland; and granddaughter Jennifer (Hjelmeland) Stewart ’00.
Helen, and son and daughter-in law John
’70 and Lynn (Benson) ’69, established a
scholarship in the name of his father,
John Hjelmeland, who graduated from
Augsburg Academy, College, and
Seminary.
In 2003, Sig Hjelmeland received the
Spirit of Augsburg award for his
dedication and long service to the
College.
Hjelmeland is survived by his wife,
Helen; two children, Laurene and John;
seven grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren. The family has directed
memorial gifts to the Rev. John
Hjelmeland Scholarship Fund.
Faculty-staff giving boosts campaign
From September through December, guided by a faculty-staff
campaign committee, employees of Augsburg raised the bar on
giving and encouraged awareness of a philanthropic culture.
A generous matching fund, matches from Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans for its members, and contacts from committee members
helped to significantly increase both the dollar amount and the
rate of giving within the Augsburg community.
24
Through December 31, an additional total of $133,000 was
given or pledged by employees of the College, beyond the
$635,000 since the campaign’s launch.
Even more important, however, was the increased rate of
participation in the campaign—to more than doubling the overall
rate of 17% in 2004-05. By the end of the year, the giving rate for
full-time faculty and staff exceeded 50%.
Spring 2006
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the director of Alumni Relations…
A
ugsburg College
is in the midst
of many exciting
changes this spring.
Our first group of
MBA students will
graduate in May,
along with
candidates from our
other master’s
programs in leadership, education,
nursing, physician assistant studies, and
social work—plus our undergraduates
from the day, weekend, and Rochester
programs. Congratulations to you all!
The campus face is changing, too. I
hope that you have had an opportunity
to view the artist renderings of the
planned Science, Gateway, and Si Melby
additions. We welcome you back to
campus to tour the grounds this spring
and summer—our grounds crew does an
amazing job beautifying the campus!
In Alumni Board news, three members
will end their terms this spring. We would
like to thank Beth Torstenson ’66, Andy
Morrison ’73, and Paul Mueller ’84 for
their dedication and hard work during
their tenures. We hope to see them at
many events in the future. Thank you!
Alumni Relations, along with
Advancement Services and Information
Technology, are pleased to announce the
newly launched Augsburg Online
Community, which will help you stay
informed and involved with Augsburg
via the Internet. See the information
below for details.
Planning for Homecoming 2006 is
well underway. This year’s theme is
“Watch Us Soar,” and events are
scheduled this September 25-30. Watch
your mailbox for your Homecoming
brochure in August. We have made
changes to the usual Saturday activities,
and we encourage all alumni, family, and
friends to join us.
We look forward to hosting you at an
Augsburg event in the near future. Please
let the Office of Alumni Relations know
if you will be in the metro area this
summer—we would love to show you
the campus!
Heidi Breen
Director, Office of Alumni Relations
Introducing Augsburg’s new online community
A
ugsburg’s online community has
been developed just for you—
alumni, friends, parents, and donors of
the College. The new online community
will help you stay informed and involved
with Augsburg via the Internet. This is a
great way to stay connected!
Visit the site and register today so that
you can take advantage of the great new
features to keep you connected to your
Augsburg friends and classmates.
You’ll find:
Alumni Directory
• Learn where your classmates and
friends are, and what they’ve been
doing since graduation
• Connect with other alumni in your
area of the country
• Update your personal profile so your
classmates can get in touch with you
Spring 2006
Class Notes
Tell us what you’ve been up to! As part
of your personal profile you can now
submit class notes online for possible
publication in Augsburg Now.
programs, and of course, Access to
Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg
College. Giving online is easy and
secure—and there’s no need to be a
registered user to donate.
Events
Wondering what events are taking place
for Augsburg alumni? The online
community is the place to search and
register for events specifically for alumni
and friends of the College. Check back
often to learn about upcoming Auggie
Hours, parent events, or just to find out
the most up-to-date news around the
Augsburg campus.
It’s EASY
Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni
Online Giving
You asked, and we listened! Making a
contribution to Augsburg has never been
easier. Simply visit Augsburg’s online
community and click on the “Give Now”
link to donate online. Otherwise, click
on “Giving at Augsburg” to learn about
planned giving, our various giving
It’s FAST
Moving? Changing your e-mail address?
New addition to your family? Let us
know instantly by logging in and
updating your information.
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, first read
through the information on the
Augsburg online community website. If
you still have questions, send an e-mail
to <healyk@augsburg.edu>.
25
Alumni Events
SUMMER AUGGIE HOURS
Please join us for these upcoming alumni events (see also the college-wide calendar on the
inside back cover for additional Augsburg events); unless otherwise noted, call 612-330-1178
or 1-800-260-6590 or e-mail <alumni@augburg.edu> for more information.
March
May
16
5
Graduation reception for all
undergraduate and graduate
business students, Marshall Room,
Christensen Center, 4-6 p.m.
April
9
Alumni tour to China departs
18
Alumni Board meeting,
Christensen Center, 5:30 p.m.
18
27
Senior reception hosted by the
Alumni Board in honor of the
Class of 2006, East Commons,
Christensen Center, 4:30-6 p.m.
WECAN meeting (Weekend
College Alumni Network), 6-8
p.m., Riverside Room, Christensen
Center
WECAN meeting (Weekend
College Alumni Network), 6-8
p.m., Riverside Room, Christensen
Center
April
Join a variety of alumni who are
actively involved in the Twin Cities
theatre community; location TBA.
May
W.A. Frost & Company, Historic
Cathedral Hill—Dacotah Building,
374 Selby Ave., St. Paul,
651-224-5715
June
Maynard’s Restaurant,
685 Excelsior Blvd, Excelsior, Minn.
(located in the southeast corner of
Excelsior Bay on Lake Minnetonka),
952-470-1800
August
Campiello, 1320 West Lake St.,
Uptown Minneapolis, 612-825-2222
June
20
Alumni Board meeting,
Christensen Center, 5:30 p.m.
25
Rochester Weekend College
graduation banquet, Rochester
Country Club, 5-8 p.m.
Commencement 2006
Augsburg
Associates Spring
Seminar
Softball and
baseball alumni
receptions
The Augsburg Associates invite you to
their 20th Annual Spring Seminar,
Saturday, April 1, 8:30-11:30 a.m. at
Foss Center. This year’s guest speakers
include Augsburg professor of religion
Brad Holt ’63, Tsehai Wodajo, and Ann
(Tjaden) Jensen. Wodajo emigrated from
Ethiopia 15 years ago and received her
MSW from Augsburg in 1997. Jensen
served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia
after graduating from Augsburg in 1964.
They are founders of REAL (Resources
for the Enrichment of African Lives).
Registration is $15 per person, payable in
advance (this includes refreshments and
materials).
Call your old teammates and join us at
these upcoming receptions! Softball
alumni are invited to gather at 5 p.m.,
Thursday, April 20, prior to the game
against Carleton College; for more
information, contact Carol Enke at
612-330-1250 or <enke@augsburg.edu>.
Baseball alumni are invited to gather at
1 p.m., Saturday, April 29, prior to the
game against Macalester College; contact
Keith Bateman at 612-330-1395 or
<bateman@augsburg.edu>.
26
Auggie Hours are held the second Tuesday of
each month from 5:30-7 p.m. Please join us!
Reunion
celebrations
Attention Auggies from the classes of
1956, 1966, 1981, and Young Alumni
1990-2006: this is your reunion year!
Plan now to join your classmates this
September 25-30 for the annual
Homecoming festivities and your
reunion reception. Watch your mail and
upcoming issues of Augsburg Now for
complete details; please let us know your
current e-mail address at
<alumni@augsburg.edu>. You can also
stay up-to-date by visiting the alumni
website at <www.augsburg.edu/alumni>.
Spring 2006
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
1956
Richard Thorud, Bloomington,
Minn., has pursued a hobby of
writing, illustrating, publishing,
and marketing books since his
retirement as a research and
development engineer. His
seventh book, Mette Marie’s
Homestead Journal, is based on
his mother’s childhood memories
of living in a sod hut in North
Dakota; for more information, go
online to <www.amazon.com>.
1967
Rev. Harley J.
Refsal, Decorah,
Iowa, is a
professor of
Scandinavian folk
art and
Norwegian at
Luther College. He has earned
national and international acclaim
for his figure woodcarving—
including a St. Olav Medal in
1996 from the king of Norway.
Besides teaching at Luther, he has
written four books and numerous
magazine articles. He’s also the star
of an instructional video,
Scandinavian Style Figure Carving
with Harley Refsal, which earned a
prestigious 2005 Telly Award.
John N. Schwartz is serving as
interim president and chief
executive officer of St. Patrick
Hospital and Health Sciences
Center in Missoula, Mont. He
previously served as interim
president of Providence Medford
Medical Center in Medford, Ore.,
and has 30 years of experience in
the healthcare field and a long
history in management.
1969
Allen C. Tripp was one of four
Rush City, Minn., teachers selected
by their peers for the Leadership in
Excellence Award, which honors
their teaching quality and
commitment. The awards were
presented in October at a banquet
in St. Cloud. Tripp has been an
English teacher at Rush City High
School since 1970. In addition to
teaching English, he has directed
class plays and all school plays for
14 years and has been a junior
high speech coach for 15 years.
He has also served as an assistant
track coach for 20 years. His wife,
Linda, teaches first grade at
Jacobson Elementary School.
They have two sons, Ryen, 29,
and Justin, 23. See more about
Allen on p. 20.
AUGGIES AT
CARNEGIE HALL
1977
Timothy Strand was elected
mayor of the City of St. Peter
(Minn.) in November in a
landslide victory. Strand, who by
election time had served two
years of a four-year term as a
Ward II council member, was
anxious to start his new role.
“I’m very excited, and the first
thing that comes to my mind is
that I’m proud to have been
elected,” he said in a postelection article in the St. Peter
Herald.
Patricia Clausen Wojtowicz,
Largo, Fla., is manager of
Jan (Pedersen) Schiff ’68 of
Mill Valley, Calif., will be a
guest conductor at Carnegie
Hall on April 24, performing
two works for women’s
chorus and orchestra. The
concert is part of
MidAmerica Productions’
2005-2006 concert series.
Courtesy photo
AUGGIE HONORS
Ora Hokes ’90 of Minneapolis was one of 10 recipients of the 2005 Virginia
McKnight Binger Award in Human Service. The awards are an annual tradition of
The McKnight Foundation, and each recipient exemplifies the life-changing
difference one person can make through service. The following is reprinted from
the award program:
Ora Hokes is transforming the health of her community Sunday by Sunday. A
member of the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church for 25 years, Hokes
saw the alarming health-related risk factors affecting the African American
community, and took action.
In 2003, after years of service with the Sabathani Community Center and its Way
to Grow program, she began volunteering with the American Red Cross and the
American Heart Association. Working with her pastor, she created the Health
Sundays program to provide monthly health information to her congregation.
Partnering with nurses and others from the congregation, and using additional
resources from the American Cancer Society and the Stairstep Foundation’s Health
Initiative, she implemented monthly blood pressure checks, distributed health
information on sexually transmitted diseases, instituted a “Stomp Out Stroke”
awareness program, and started the Promised Land Fellowship walking program
which focuses on weight loss, nutrition, and exercise. “My mother was my
inspiration,” Hokes says. “She had the gift of healing.”
Hokes is a lifelong advocate for continuing education. She returned to school
after her two children were grown, and has since received an Associate of Arts
degree from Minneapolis Community College, a Bachelor of Arts degree from
Augsburg’s Weekend College, a Master of Arts degree from the University of St.
Thomas, and a parent educator license from the University of Minnesota. It seems
no challenge is too big for Ora Hokes.
Spring 2006
27
Class Notes
Courtesy photo
ALUMNI PROFILE
Mike and Gail Koski: Traveling the
missionary road
by Sara Holman ’06
Working in the mailroom, falling in love with a fellow coworker, graduating
in four years, and preparing for a bright future were just a few of the things
that Mike and Gail (Niederloh) Koski accomplished while attending
Augsburg. However, finding their joint calling to become missionaries
happened just months after their marriage. Married in October 1972, the
following July carried the Koskis across the ocean to Africa.
Mike, a 1971 graduate, came to Augsburg and studied history and secondary
education. Gail graduated one year later with a B.A. in French secondary
education. Both came from congregations that were involved in missionary
work, yet each confesses that overseas missionary work had not been a part
of their plan. When the inspiration came, Mike recalls, “It was an answer to
prayer.”
“We just understood that this was the way God would want us to use our
gifts and abilities,” Gail said.
Mike ’71 and Gail ’72 (Niederloh) Koski have traveled the
world as missionaries since meeting and graduating from
Augsburg more than 30 years ago.
After 32 years of missionary work in Kenya and Zaire (now the Democratic
Republic of Congo), the Koskis are currently awaiting their next assignment. The couple works with the Minneapolis-based mission
organization World Mission Prayer League (WMPL). When choosing a mission group, “WMPL resonated well. Its principles, policies, and
practices fit the best,” Mike said.
Every four years, the couple comes back to the United States on furlough. During this one-year break, the missionaries continue their work
and await news about their future destination. The Koskis were called back in September 2005.
The couple’s mission experience started in Zaire where they worked in a rural setting, often connecting with nomadic tribes. It was the
couple’s responsibility to learn the language and culture and then present the gospel in a way that would be understood. Their time in Zaire
was limited to only four months, and then their assignment changed.
Kenya has been a very permanent place for the Koskis’ mission work. They spent many years in the agricultural parts of northern and
western Kenya but have been stationed in the city of Nairobi for the past 10 years. Mike became assistant director of the Urban Ministries
Support Group (UMSG) in 1995 and then moved up to the director position in 1999. Gail’s work has consisted of many facets: UMSG
resource center librarian, ESL teacher, Sunday school supervisor, and mission hostess. She was also in charge of home-schooling their three
children. Now fully grown, their children have all graduated college and live and work at various places within North America.
The Koskis’ main goal in Nairobi was to help develop leadership within the Lutheran church. With strong leadership skills instilled, the
church was able to discuss and respond to societal ailments such as poverty and HIV. To reach more people within the city, one church
decided to split the congregation into five groups and build five new churches. Everything was planned and prepared ahead of time: pastors
were found, worship teams were formed, and everything transitioned very smoothly. The five new congregations each held a special
characteristic that made it fit perfectly into its new part of the city. For example, in the area where many university students lived, the
church emphasized youth activities and provided a contemporary worship service.
The couple’s greatest excitement is to see their fellow church members’ faith development. “We’ve been doing this for so long that we get to
see young people grow into adults. We are able to see how their faith keeps growing and then how it impacts their families, vocations, and
communities.”
Kenya holds a special place in both the Koskis’ hearts. They enjoyed the vibrant colors and temperate climate, but it was the people-oriented
culture and relaxed pace of living that really appealed to the couple. Being concerned about people and taking time to establish relationships
is a big part of missionary work, and the Koski family praises God for the rich experiences that were shared in Kenya.
Sara Holman is a senior English/communication studies major.
28
Spring 2006
accreditations at Forensic
Quality Services, Inc., in Largo.
Courtesy photo
STENSVAAG-DARDA WEDDING (CORRECTION)
1979
1980
Nancy (Weatherston) Black,
Cornelius, Ore., is a serial
cataloger for Millar Library at
Portland State University.
Rev. David L. Norgard, West
Hollywood, Calif., has
established a consulting practice
for churches and other nonprofits in the area of
organizational development. He
can be contacted at
<davidnorgard@yahoo.com>.
1982
Kevin Gordon, International
Falls, Minn., was quoted in an
article in the St. Paul Pioneer
Press newspaper about his son,
Ben Gordon, who is a
sophomore forward on the
University of Minnesota Gopher
hockey team. Ben acquired his
hockey skills growing up playing
on outdoor rinks and from his
father, a former International
Falls High School coach and an
Augsburg All-American.
Spring 2006
The above photo from the July 2004 wedding of Rebecca Stensvaag ’01 and Paul Darda ’01, which
features more than 40 Augsburg alumni, contained unintentional inaccuracies in the winter issue of
the Augsburg Now. The correct information is as follows: ROW 1 (L to R): Cindy Huber Blummer ’01,
Emma Stensvaag ’08, Ruth Casperson ’67, Hannah Mehus Stensvaag ’38, Rebecca Stensvaag Darda ’01,
Paul Darda ’01, Nancy Strommen Stensvaag ’71, John-Mark Stensvaag ’69, Stephanie Johnson Sulzbach
’71, John Sulzbach ’69, Jean Boxrud Steen. ROW 2: Roland Blummer ’00, Mary Kay Johnson Stensvaag
’72, Ken Casperson ’70, Peggy Nelson Hintzman, Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46, Hans Strommen ’04,
Andrea Johnson Strommen ’75, Bob Strommen ’74, Roy Steen. ROW 3: Normajean Johnson Strommen
’69, Saul Stensvaag ’72, Ann Peterson ’01, Tony Quance ’03, Tjersti Strommen ’07, Adam Thronson ’99,
Marsha Strommen Olson ’68, Dawn Hofstad Strommen ’70. ROW 4: Peter Strommen ’69, Mary Nelson
Eckberg ’70, Brad Fischer ’03, Heidi Peterson ’03, Mark Peterson ’01, Mary Ellen Strommen Lieber ’67,
Tim Strommen ’70. ROW 5: John Eckberg ‘68, Ben Paul ’03, Ainy Carlson, Jeroy Carlson ’46, Phil
Edstrom ’69, Luther Strommen ’40, Steve Strommen ’65.
1984
Bruce Palmquist, Ellensburg,
Wash., was honored as the 2005
Washington State Professor of the
Year by the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching
and the Council for
Advancement and Support of
Education (CASE). Palmquist is a
physics and science education
professor at Central Washington
University, and is highly regarded
for his commitment to improving
public understanding of basic
scientific principles and working
to develop skills in the next
generation of science teachers
needed to successfully bring
about a scientifically literate
society. In his dual role as a
physicist and a teacher educator,
Palmquist has taken on many
AUGGIES ON THE ROAD
Courtesy photo
Paul Daniels, archivist for
ELCA Region 3 and
archivist/curator at Luther
Seminary, traveled to Chennai
(Madras), India, to assist the
Lutheran Heritage Centre at
Gurukul Theological College on
several projects. Daniels had
served there 12 years ago when
the archives center was just
beginning its work of collecting
and making available records of
the 12 Indian Lutheran church
bodies. Over the years he has
maintained contact with the
staff, working on issues of
collection development,
preservation, and program
expansion. Daniels and his wife,
Sally (Hough) ’79, director of
parent and family relations at
Augsburg, live in Golden Valley,
Minn., and have two daughters,
Kristin ’09 and Maren.
Jennifer Tome ’99 (left) of Minneapolis visited Mary Olson ’74
(right) in October at Airlie Winery, Olson’s winery in Monmouth,
Ore. Tome is a wine representative for Grape Beginnings.
29
Class Notes
initiatives, including developing a
new CWU program at Green
River Community College in
Auburn, called Project TEACH
(Teacher Education Alliance for
Colleges and High Schools). In
2004, Palmquist was also named
the CWU Distinguished Public
Service Professor.
1988
Brad Anderson, Plymouth,
Minn., teaches biology and
human genetics at Wayzata High
School. He also serves as head
football coach, and this past
season led the Trojans to capture
the 2005 state championship. He
and his wife, Maari Anderson
’87, have two daughters, Barrett
and Isabelle.
1990
Kay E. Baker, Savage, Minn., is
an account director hired to set
up the new Minneapolis office of
the Jerome Group, a direct
marketing support firm based in
St. Louis, Mo. She was recently
featured as a “Mover” in the
business section of the St. Paul
Pioneer Press newspaper.
1992
West Central Initiative in Fergus
Falls, Minn., as a Connectinc
Replication Project executive.
She has several years of
experience in the service
industry, including serving as a
board member for Restart Inc.
1996
Julie (Lindusky) Corcoran,
Forest Lake, Minn., was elected
in November to a four-year term
on the ISD 831 School Board.
She and her husband, Mike,
have three children.
Paul Wahmanholm, St. Paul,
is an administrative intern for
Dayton’s Bluff Elementary
School in the St. Paul Public
Schools district.
Debra Carpenter has joined
Courtsey photo
HINTON-HANSEN WEDDING
1997
Lars P. Dyrud, Amesbury,
Mass., was one of approximately
70 selected worldwide by the
Young Scientists Award Panel to
attend the Union RadioScientifique Internationale
(URSI) General Assembly at the
Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi,
India, last October. Participants
were also given the opportunity
to meet with the president of
India at the Rashtrapati, the
official presidential residence.
1998
Melanie Hinton ’04 married Mark Hansen in October; the
couple resides in Kasson, Minn. Melanie is a registered nurse
and assistant nursing supervisor at the Mayo Medical Center.
Ann Rohrig, Lima, Ohio,
married Stephen Jenkins in
June, becoming a stepmother to
two children. She is a social
worker for a therapeutic foster
care agency in Lima.
AUGGIES IN THE MILITARY
Lewis Nelson ’00, pictured here with his wife, Holly, is currently
deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is in
the U.S. Army serving with the 506th Infantry Regiment of the
101st Airborne Division (AASLT), and is in charge of the signals
intelligence analysis section for the brigade. Lewis’ wife and two
children, Benjamin, 2, and Arianna, 9 months, reside in Clarksville,
Tenn. The family maintains a website at <www.nelson
downs.com> and welcomes any e-mail messages for Lewis at
<lewis@nelsondowns.com>.
30
2000
Mauris De Silva, Miami, received
a Ph.D. in materials science and
engineering from the Department
of Chemical Engineering and
Materials Science at the University
of Minnesota in May. He now
works in the Department of
Ophthalmology at the University
of Miami’s Miller Medical School
of Medicine.
2001
Greg Barrett, St. Paul, graduated
from the University of St. Thomas
with a master’s degree in gifted
and talented education.
Becki Frestedt, Seattle, received a
Master of Public Administration
from the Evans School of Public
Affairs at the University of
Washington in June. She works for
a community development
organization, where she
coordinates outreach for a land
use study in the city.
Beth Nordin, Minnetonka, Minn.,
was named vice president of
information technology by CHS
Inc., an energy and grain-based
foods company. She previously
served as vice president of
operations for Capella Education.
Prior to Capella, she held several
positions with Pearson Education,
including senior vice president of
information technology and chief
information officer.
2003
Shawn Smith was acquired by
the Quad City Mallards from the
Port Huron Flags. Smith is a
rookie-defenseman who has
appeared in 14 United Hockey
League games this season split
between the Fort Wayne Komets
and the Port Huron Flags.
Births/Adoptions
Lisa (Svac) ’85
and Lee Hawks
’85 in New
Brighton, Minn.,
adopted a son,
Andrew John, in
December.
Spring 2006
Carley (Miller)
’94 and William
Stuber in
Shakopee,
Minn.—a
daughter,
Kirsten Rae, in
May. Carley is executive director
of the St. Francis Regional
Medical Center Foundation in
Shakopee.
Jay Lepper ’95 and his wife,
Bronwyn, in Savage, Minn.—a
daughter, Rowan Jane, in May.
Jennifer (Polis) ’97 and Dan
Debe in Minneapolis—a son,
George William, in September.
He joins older sisters Allison, 5,
and Emily, 3. Jennifer can be
reached at <jendebe@
yahoo.com>.
Summer Joy (Sorenson) ’99
and Jeffrey Brackhan in
Mondovi, Wis.—twin boys, Cole
and Dakota, in February 2005.
Heidi
(Erickson) ’01
and Matt Segedy
in Minneapolis—
a daughter,
Eleanor
Catherine, in
November. Matt is a pediatrician
at South Lake Pediatrics, and
Heidi is currently home with
Nora.
in November.
Lisa (Ashbaugh) ’04 and
Darrel Stange in Bertha, Minn.—
a son, Nathan, in September.
Lisa and Darrel married in
October.
In Memoriam
Bertha D. Lillehei ’34,
Minneapolis, died in January; she
was 92. Following the example of
her father, Lars Lillehei, who
taught Greek at Augsburg, Bertha
taught English at Augsburg in the
1930s and ’40s.
Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41,
Edina, Minn., died in December;
he was 90 (see p. 24 for further
details).
Rev. Earl E. Dreyer ’56, Detroit
Lakes, Minn., died in December
of heart-related problems; he
was 75. Ordained in 1959, he
served parishes in Alexandria,
Rochester, Canby, and Detroit
Lakes.
Holly Ebnet ’03 married Jeremy Knutson in August 2004; the
couple resides in Hugo, Minn. Holly is pursuing an MBA at
Augsburg, and Jeremy is a pipefitter for Yale Mechanical in
Bloomington. The couple can be reached at
<hknutson04@yahoo.com>.
NEVE-KNUTSON WEDDING
Paul A. Benson ’85, Willmar,
Minn., died unexpectedly in
December; he was 42. He was a
financial controller for West
Central, Inc., and previously
worked for R.J. Ahmann
Company and Twin City Group.
Rev. Louisa (Goplen) Fure
’95, Albert Lea, Minn., died in
December after an automobile
accident; she was 53. Ordained
in 1999, she served as an
associate pastor at Trinity
Lutheran Church in Owatonna.
She was also active in
community theatre, with roles in
Sommerset Theatre of Austin,
Little Theatre of Owatonna, and
Footlights Dinner Theatre in
Rochester.
Jason Jenness ’01 died in July
2001 of Non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma; he was 31.
Spring 2006
EBNET-KNUTSON WEDDING
Courtsey photo
Marissa
(Skowronek)
’02 and Michael
Partridge in St.
Michael, Minn.—
a son, Logan
Michael,
Courtsey photo
C.J. Beaurline ’94 and his wife,
Christin, in Ham Lake, Minn.—a
son, Basil, in December. He
joins older siblings Savanna, 7,
Simeon, 4, and Sophia, 2. C.J. is
a sales engineer at Vector Design
Technology, and has also served
as an NCAA hockey referee in
the WCHA for eight years. He
can be reached at <cbeaurline@
vectordesigntech.com>.
Niels Neve ’97 married Darlene Knutson in September; the couple
resides in Pine Island, Minn. Niels is an account representative at
UnitedHealth Group, and Darlene works for the Mayo Clinic in
cytogenetics.
31
AUGGIE
THOUGHTS
Auggie Thoughts
Editor’s note: Bruce Palmquist ’84 was honored as the 2005 Washington State
Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement in Teaching
and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Eschewing the normal media interviews that accompany such honors,
Palmquist decided to introduce himself to readers through the eyes of his best
canine friend, Jack.
Bruce DOES know Jack, or
Jack, Bruce’s Jack Russell Terrier,
interviews Bruce about teaching
Bruce: I like answering students’
questions and helping them make sense of
concepts they are having problems with.
Some professors go into the classroom
with an elaborate presentation all planned
out. But, that’s not me. I know where the
class should end up by the end of the
week. And, I have planned, in general,
how we will get there. But, the students
help create the path with their specific
needs and questions.
J: You often teach late night astronomy
labs or organize public observing
sessions that go late. How can you
stay up so late and still get up at
5 a.m. to take me outside?
B: Well, it isn’t easy. The Central
Washington University Astronomy Club
helps out a lot. In fact, they plan most of
the late observing sessions you
mentioned. But, I think it is important
that introductory astronomy students get
familiar with the nighttime sky. The best
way to learn about the night sky is to
observe it with some expert help. By the
way, taking you out at 5 a.m. is better
than cleaning up after you in the house.
J: Speaking of expert help, you write a
weekly astronomy column …
B: I hope Augsburg Now doesn’t misspell
that as “weakly column.”
32
J: It would be a Freudian
slip if they do. Anyway,
why do you volunteer
your time to write a
newspaper column in the
Ellensburg Daily Record?
B: Science is such an
important topic. And, it is
woefully under covered in
the popular press.
Astronomy is a very
attainable topic. The stars
and planets are always up
there for people to see.
And, I have selfish reasons
for writing the column, as Bruce Palmquist ’84 and his “interviewer,” Jack
well. If my column helps
the general public have a
requires students to write about science
more positive outlook toward science,
and to design scientific experiments.
they are more likely to support science
Simply memorizing facts will not result
teaching in the schools and universities.
in a good WASL score. And, the WASL’s
emphasis on designing experiments
J: Talk a little bit more about science
means that teachers will need to include
in the schools, especially the state’s
more experiments and the analysis of
standardized test called the
experiments in their classroom. This is a
Washington Assessment of Student
good thing.
Learning, or WASL.
J: What is your favorite constellation?
B: Even dogs know that the WASL is a
sensitive subject. In general, children are
B: Canis Major, the great dog. During the
over-tested. I think no child gets left
winter, it is low in the southern sky.
behind, because they leave such a long
paper trail of standardized test sheets.
J: Good answer.
But, the science WASL is much better
than the typical multiple choice
For more about Bruce Palmquist’s thoughts
standardized test. The science WASL
on teaching and leadership, see p. 20.
Spring 2006
Courtsey photo
Jack: What is your favorite aspect of
teaching?
CCalendar
ALENDAR
Music
April 29
March 27
For music information, call 612-330-1265
Augsburg Concert Band
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Sverdrup Visiting
Scientist Lecture:
“Civilization as a
Geosystem: A Scientific
Perspective on Global
Change”
Dr. Thomas H. Jordan, university
professor, Department of Earth Sciences,
University of Southern California
8 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
612-330-1551 or gregoire@augsburg.edu
March 28
Augsburg Jazz Ensemble
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
March 29
Augsburg Choir
5:30 & 7 p.m.— Mt. Olivet Lutheran
Church; Minneapolis
April 1
Augsburg Choir
7 p.m.—St. John Lutheran Church
Owatonna, Minn.
April 30
Musical celebration honoring the
service of President William V. and
Anne Frame
2 p.m.—Central Lutheran Church
Minneapolis
May 8–21
Augsburg Choir
Tour to Hungary, Czech Republic, &
Germany
April 2
Theatre
Augsburg Choir
8:45, 10, & 11:15 a.m.—Calvary
Lutheran Church; Golden Valley, Minn.
For ticket information, call 612-330-1257
Riverside Singers
9:30 & 11 a.m.—Mt. Calvary Lutheran
Church; Excelsior, Minn.
Metamorphoses
By Mary Zimmerman
Directed by Darcey Engen
April 7, 8, 20, 21, & 22 at 7 p.m.;
April 9 & 23 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
Augsburg Choir
4 p.m.—Cambridge Lutheran Church
Cambridge, Minn.
Brass in the Chapel
Joint concert of the Augsburg & St.
Thomas brass ensembles
7:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
April 9
Masterworks Chorale
4 p.m.—Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church
Minneapolis
April 22
Augsburg Symphony Orchestra
4 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
April 23
Riverside Singers
8:30 & 11 a.m.—Mayflower
Congregational Church; Minneapolis
April 26
Chamber Music Recital & High Tea
4 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium & Arnold
Atrium
April 7–23
Exhibits
For gallery information, call 612-330-1524
April 7–May 7
All-Student Juried Art Exhibition
Opening reception: April 7, 4:30–6:30 p.m.
Gage Family Art Gallery
April 7–May 14
Senior Art Exhibition
Opening reception: April 7, 5–7 p.m.
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Seminars, Lectures,
and Films
January 25–May 20
Augsburg Native American Film Series
www.augsburg.edu/home/ais/filmseries/
April 12
Speech and booksigning by Norwegian
Crown Princess Martha Louise
4 p.m.–6 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
612-330-1176 or jorgensd@augsburg.edu
Other Events
April 18
Pan-Afrikan Year-End Celebration
6–9 p.m.—Christensen Center
612-330-1022 or bolden@augsburg.edu
April 27
Senior Athletes Award Banquet
6–9 p.m.—Christensen Center
612-330-1243 or grauerp@augsburg.edu
May 5–6
Commencement 2006
Featured speaker: Dr. Peter Agre ’70
Recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in
Chemistry
www.augsburg.edu/commencement/
May 22
Third Annual
Healthcare Conference:
“Building Minnesota’s
Healthcare Workforce
Through Diversity”
8 a.m.–5 p.m.—Melby Hall
www.augsburg.edu/healthcare
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A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Winter 2005-06
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 2
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Winter 2005-06
FEATURES
10
Putting a fresh ‘face’ on Augsburg
by Lynn Mena
12
Jeroy Carlson ’48—’Mr. Augsburg’
by Sara Holman ’06
... Show more
A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Winter 2005-06
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 2
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Winter 2005-06
FEATURES
10
Putting a fresh ‘face’ on Augsburg
by Lynn Mena
12
Jeroy Carlson ’48—’Mr. Augsburg’
by Sara Holman ’06
14
Physician Assistants—increasing healthcare access
by Cynthia Hill
18
A chance to skate
by Don Stoner
20
Faith in the City
by Betsey Norgard
DEPARTMENTS
2
Around the Quad
6
Sports
23
Vision,
news of Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for Augsburg College
26
Alumni News
28
Homecoming 2005
32
Class Notes
40
Auggie Thoughts
inside
back
cover
Calendar
A college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg College is an equal education/employment institution.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
Sports Information
Coordinator
Don Stoner
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454. Opinions
expressed in Augsburg Now do
not necessarily reflect official
College policy. ISSN 1058–1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
50 percent recycled paper
(10 percent post—consumer waste)
On the cover:
On this page:
Samuel Gross ’03 shows off a
sampling of merchandise that
carries the Auggie Eagle athletic
logo he created for the College, a
project that began in a graphic
design class.
Photo by Stephen Geffre.
The maroon banners on the Link
between Sverdrup and Memorial
Halls, and Lindell Library pale in
comparison to the blazing fall
colors of the maple trees
alongside the library.
Photo by Stephen Geffre.
AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
New regents are elected to the board
S
even new members were elected to
four-year terms on the Augsburg
College Board of Regents at the annual
meeting of the Augsburg Corporation in
October.
In addition, Gloria C. Lewis was reelected to a second six-year term. She is
the executive director and CEO of Big
Brothers Big Sisters of the Twin Cities and
serves on the Marketing and Executive
Committees of the board.
Esperanza
Guerrero-Anderson
A native of
Nicaragua, Esperanza
Guerrero-Anderson is
founder, president,
and CEO of
Milestone Growth
Fund, Inc., a nonprofit venture capital
fund providing capital to minority
entrepreneurs. She also serves on the
boards of the Bush Foundation, Walker
Art Center, Center for Ethical Business
Cultures, and Chicanos-Latinos Unidos
en Servicio (CLUES).
Norman R. Hagfors
Recently retired from
Norsen, Inc., the
management and
engineering
consulting firm he
founded, Norman
Hagfors is returning
to the Board of
Regents, where he
served from 1989-2001. He is active in
the community and his church.
Jodi Harpstead
Jodi Harpstead is vice
president and chief
advancement officer
at Lutheran Social
Service of Minnesota,
where she leads
marketing,
fundraising, public
2
relations, and public policy. She has
served on several boards, including
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and the
Girl Scout Council of St. Croix Valley, as
well as in numerous volunteer leadership
positions.
Dean Kennedy ’75
Fridley native Dean
Kennedy graduated
from Augsburg in
1975, where he was a
four-year wrestler
with conference and
All-American honors.
In 1996, he was
inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. He is
president of Texakoma Oil & Gas
Corporation and lives in Plano, Texas.
Dean C. Kopperud
Returning to the
Augsburg Board of
Regents where he
served from 19982004, Dean C.
Kopperud brings 20
years of experience in
the financial services
industry. Most
recently he was national sales director
for Oppenheimerfunds, Inc., in
New York.
Marie O. McNeff
In 2000 Marie
McNeff retired from
Augsburg, where she
served as professor of
education and dean
for over 30 years. As
academic master
planner during her
last year before
retirement, she led efforts to bring
together faculty and staff in a
campuswide learning community and
created the blueprint to implement
academic provisions of Augsburg 2004,
the College’s first vision document.
Paul S. Mueller,
M.D. ’84
Dr. Mueller is an
internal medicine
consultant at the
Mayo Clinic in
Rochester. He has
served as Augsburg
Alumni Board
president and was an
instrumental force in launching
Augsburg’s Rochester program.
The Augsburg Corporation is comprised
of representatives elected by the
assemblies of the Minneapolis, Saint
Paul, Southeastern Minnesota, and
Northwest Wisconsin Synods of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The bishops from these four synods
serve as rotating ex officio members on
the board. Bishops Peter Rogness of the
Saint Paul Area Synod and Harold
Usgaard of the Southeastern Minnesota
Synod will begin their service in January.
Advent Vespers
video wins Emmy
Last year’s video recording of Advent
Vespers won an Upper Midwest
regional Emmy for director Jeffrey
Weihe at Twin Cities Public
Television for best direction of a live
recording.
The 2004 recording will be
shown again this year in the Twin
Cities: TPT-2 on Dec. 25, 10:30 a.m.
and TPT-17 on Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. and
Dec. 25 at 12 a.m., 6 a.m., and noon.
Contact public television stations
elsewhere for broadcast times.
Winter 2005-06
Welcome to the Class of 2009
American Indian
honors given
While attending new student orientation with his daughter, Christina, Rory Waller decided it
was time for him to pursue his own dream to teach.
W
hen President Frame welcomed
incoming first-year students and
their parents at orientation last summer,
he didn’t realize he was recruiting one
more student.
Rory Waller, father of first-year
student Christina, wrote, “During
Christina’s new student orientation in
August, President Frame addressed the
new students and spoke about vocation.
His words rekindled an old desire from
my youth, in that I have always wanted
to teach. Later that day during the Expo,
I happened across the information table
for the WEC program, and discovered
that Augsburg offered a degree in
education through the weekend program.
Sometimes the signposts in life are subtle,
and other times they just hit you right
between the eyes. … [My family] backs
me wholeheartedly in obtaining the goal I
have set, and for this I am grateful.
“Because of the weekend program at
Augsburg I feel I have the opportunity to
find my true vocation in life.”
Christina is one of 320 new first-year
day students. Of them, 41% are Lutheran.
They represent 15 states, with 83% from
Minnesota. Eleven percent of them are
students of color. During their first week,
on City Service Project day, first-year
students volunteered 1,000 hours of
service at 18 community sites.
Recent grants received
• $301,000 over three years from National
Science Foundation (NSF) to physics
professor Mark Engebretson for
collaboration with the University of New
Hampshire and University of Oslo to study
northern lights in the Svalbard archipelago
of northern Norway.
• $500,000 from Lilly Endowment to sustain
the work of “Exploring Our Gifts” through
2010.
• A National Science Foundation grant to
computer science professor Karen
Sutherland for undergraduate research on
questions involving the design of robot
rescue teams, in collaboration with the
University of Minnesota. Part of the NSF-
Winter 2005-06
supported Industry/University Cooperative
Research Center on Safety, Security, and
Rescue at the University of Minnesota and
University of South Florida.
• Five-year grant from U.S. Department of
Education for TRIO/Student Support
Services to continue providing academic
and personal support to help low-income,
first-generation college students and
students with disabilities.
• $10,000 from National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) for one year to provide
health education programming primarily to
student-athletes in areas of sexual assault,
eating disorders, and nutrition.
At their 20th annual conference in
October, the Minnesota Indian
Education Association (MIEA) named
American Indian studies professor
Sophia Jacobson (left) as the
Outstanding Postsecondary Teacher, and
sophomore Chris Adams (center) as the
Outstanding Postsecondary Student.
Cindy Peterson (right), director of
American Indian Student Services,
serves as secretary of the MIEA board.
Augsburg again top-ranked
In U.S.News & World Report’s 2006
listings of America’s Best Colleges,
Augsburg was ranked 26th in the
category “Master’s Universities-Top
Midwestern.”
Augsburg was included in the
“Academic Programs to Watch For”
listings of the 40 or so top programs in
the country for both First-Year Programs
and Service-Learning, and was the only
Minnesota private college listed. For
information go to <www.usnews.com>.
Augsburg is also included in Colleges
of Distinction, an online guide listing
colleges that excel in providing the best
places to learn, to grow, and to succeed.
For information go to <www.collegesof
distinction.com>.
3
Around the Quad
President emeritus Oscar Anderson dies at 89
Augsburg News Service
scar Anderson, Augsburg’s president
from 1963-80, died Aug. 25 in
Minneapolis following injuries suffered
from a fall. He was 89 years old.
While president, Anderson was
credited with defining Augsburg’s role as
an urban college, while not losing its
roots as both a liberal arts institution and
a College of the church.
“My goal for Augsburg College was to
make it an urban college, not only one
recognized within the urban setting, but
one utilizing the resources of a
metropolitan setting,” he said in 1993
when the College dedicated Oscar
Anderson residence hall in his name. “I
think we got into the bloodstream of
the city.”
President emeritus Charles Anderson,
who succeeded Oscar, said Oscar was
instrumental, in terms of attitude, in
bringing the College together with the city.
“We always were here geographically,”
Charles Anderson said, “but our
institution moved considerably closer
with the city in Oscar’s tenure. It was true
then, and it remains so today.”
Born in 1916 in Minneapolis, Oscar
Anderson was educated at Minnehaha
Academy and Augsburg before eventually
receiving his bachelor’s degree from
St. Olaf College in 1938. He graduated
from Luther Theological Seminary in
1942; his first pastorate was at Lake
Harriet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis,
from 1942 to 1948. For the next six
years he was the executive director of the
International Young People’s Luther
League of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church. He went on to complete
graduate study at Union Theological
Seminary in New York, an experience
that heightened his awareness of
contemporary trends in theological
scholarship.
From the mid-1950s until his
appointment as president at Augsburg,
he served as senior pastor at Trinity
Lutheran Church in Moorhead, Minn.,
where he established close ties with the
4
Rob Levine
O
President emeritus Oscar Anderson returned to campus at Homecoming 1990 to speak about
Augsburg heritage.
On one of his last visits to campus Oscar Anderson posed with his two successors, Charles
Anderson (left) and William Frame (right).
academic community—both at
Concordia College and Moorhead State
University.
After coming to Augsburg, Anderson
presided over a tremendous period of
growth and evolution at the College. Six
new buildings—Urness and Mortensen
residence halls, Christensen Center,
Music Hall, Murphy Place, and the Ice
Arena—were built during his presidency.
At his retirement, Board of Regents chair
Clayton LeFevere noted that Anderson
had signed more diplomas than all of his
predecessors—approximately 4,600.
Winter 2005-06
Archive photo
A nationally known preacher,
Anderson received many honors,
including the Knight’s Cross First Class
of the Order of St. Olav from the
Government of Norway; the Paul Harris
Fellow from Rotary International; the
Distinguished Alumni Citation from both
Augsburg and St. Olaf College; and the
Distinguished Service Award from the
City of Minneapolis.
“Oscar Anderson was president of the
College during two crucial decades and
supervised our transition from a college
in the city that wished it were in the
country to a college fully engaged with
the city that had grown up around it,”
noted President William Frame.
“As perhaps the best pulpit preacher
of his time, Oscar employed a razor
sharp and telling wit to guide the College
and its alumni through this crucial
transition. He had returned to the
College frequently since his retirement
and invariably brought that wit and
powerful rhetoric with him.”
Anderson’s wife, Leola, died in
December 2004. In 1993, at the
dedication of Anderson Hall, Anderson
had paid special tribute to Leola and the
Winter 2005-06
At the memorial service in Hoversten Chapel on Sept. 1, a photo display
captured the life and service of Oscar Anderson.
Archive photo
Oscar and Lee Anderson greeted the Homecoming crowd at
Parade Stadium in the 1960s.
President Anderson led an estimated crowd of 800 faculty, staff, and students from campus to
the Minneapolis Courthouse in 1965 in support of the Montgomery (Ala.) march.
17 years she presided as Augsburg’s first
lady. “I call the two of us ‘Osceola,’ he
said. “In my secret heart this will be
‘Osceola Hall.’” They are survived by
their children, Donna Anderson Hoekstra
’68; Randall; Sheldon ’73; and Gracia
Anderson Lindberg ’80.
A memorial service was held in
Hoversten Chapel on Sept. 1. The family
has requested memorial gifts to the
Access to Excellence campaign or the
Leola G. Anderson Scholarship. ■
5
Sports
O
by Don Stoner
White House photo by Paul Morse
Auggie wrestlers visit the White House
n Oct. 12 the Auggies,
winners of a record nine
NCAA Division III national
titles in the last 15 years,
became the first Division III
wrestling title team—and just
the second college wrestling
national title squad ever—to
meet with the president at the
White House. The University
of Minnesota’s 2001 Division I
national title team was the first
to achieve this honor.
The White House meeting
was arranged between
Augsburg coaches and U.S.
Rep. Dennis Hastert (RIllinois), the speaker of the
House of Representatives and a
former wrestler and wrestling
coach. Other key people
assisting in arranging the
Fourteen Augsburg wrestlers and coaches, along with College officials and friends, accepted an invitation to
meeting included Manchester
the White House in honor of Augsburg’s longtime domination of small-college wrestling with nine national
(Ind.) coach Tom Jarman and
titles in 15 years. (L to R) President Frame, Joe Moon ’05, Dean Kennedy ’75, Justin Sorensen ’06, Alan Rice,
Mike and Bev Chapman,
assistant coach Sam Barber, President Bush, Jared Evans ’07, Marcus LeVesseur ’07, Ryan Valek ’06, Brad Tupa
founders of the International
’06, Jamell Tidwell ’05, head coach Jeff Swenson ’79, and Mark Matzek ’05.
Wrestling Institute and
Museum, said Augsburg head
importance of that achievement and
coach Jeff Swenson ’79.
because they were student-athletes at
thanked me for mentioning it to him.”
Instead of meeting in the Rose
Augsburg College, they had this
“I was motivated when [Bush] talked
Garden, the normal site for team
opportunity. They’ll never forget that as
about the word ‘leadership’ and the
receptions with the president, the
long as they live.”
qualities he said are necessary to have in
meeting was held inside the Oval Office,
Team members said the trip was also
order to be an effective leader,” junior
a rare occurrence. The Auggies met with
a special honor for the hundreds of
Jared Evans said. “This motivated me,
the president for about a half hour,
individuals in the past who have helped
because as I looked around at my
much longer than he normally spends
establish Augsburg as a national power in
teammates, coaches, President Frame,
with teams in these kinds of meetings,
small-college wrestling.
Dean Kennedy, and thought about
White House staff told Swenson.
President Bush gave the Augsburg
Augsburg wrestling and the Augsburg
A total of 14 Augsburg individuals
group a tour of the Oval Office and
community, I realized I am surrounded
made the trip, including head coach
discussed a variety of subjects with the
by a great number of leaders.”
Swenson, assistant coaches Sam Barber
team, Swenson said, including history
“This experience obviously means a
and Scott Whirley, and eight of the 10
and patriotic subjects and sports topics.
lot to the whole team, but particularly
All-Americans from the 2004-05 national
The team presented Bush with an
Jeff [Swenson] and the rest of the
championship team. President William
Augsburg wrestling singlet with “Bush”
coaching staff that have been together for
Frame also met with President Bush,
printed on the back.
so long and working for so long to
along with team leaders Dean
“He admitted that he was not a
achieve what they have,” senior Ryan
Kennedy ’75 and Alan Rice.
wrestler, that his athletic passion is
Valek said. “It meant a lot to me to have
“To spend time with an active
cycling,” Frame said. “[I] told him that
that team together one last time. It was
president is really an incredible feeling,”
the wrestling team was consistently
really an incredible experience to be part
Swenson said. “For the rest of their lives,
[among] the highest-performing
of a group like that.”
our wrestlers are going to remember that
academically. … He acknowledged the
6
Winter 2005-06
Around the Quad
Sally Daniels ’79 heads new parent and
family relations office
by Sara Holman ’06
A
ugsburg has created a new office
specifically aimed to provide service
to the people behind the student—the
parents. Most comparable Lutheran
colleges, such as Luther or Concordia,
have an alumni and parent relations office;
however, Augsburg has gone beyond the
common model. Augsburg’s Office of
Parent and Family Relations is completely
devoted to the family.
Sally Daniels ’79, the new director of
parent and family relations, said, “This
position is not a fundraising component,
so I can focus on service to the parents.
That’s completely in keeping with
Augsburg’s mission.”
Daniels was asked to inaugurate this
position not only because she has 26 years
of experience in Augsburg’s undergraduate
admissions office, but because she is also
an Augsburg alumna and parent.
Daniels’ Augsburg experience began in
1975 when she was a first-year student
living on the fourth floor in Urness. She
graduated in 1979 and eventually married
her college sweetheart, Paul Daniels, also a
1979 Augsburg graduate. “Because I am an
alum, it comes naturally to say what a cool
place this is. I’ve told my Augsburg story
many, many times,” Sally Daniels said.
Both parents were very excited when their
daughter, Kristin, also chose to come to
Augsburg.
Daniels will draw on this experience,
as well as how she is handling being a
Sally Daniels ’79 (right) takes her experience
as an Augsburg student, former director of
admissions, and, now as parent of first-year
student Kristin (left) to a new role as director
of parent and family relations.
first-year college student’s mom, in her
new position.
This will help her build relationships
with three different types of parents—the
prospective parent, the current parent, and
the parents of alumni. All of these parents
have different questions, concerns, and
needs as their children work through
Augsburg. Daniels said, “I make sure
parents and family members have someone
to connect with about life at Augsburg,
and specifically the life of their kids.”
Parents who send their kids off to
college for the first time have many
questions, like how to deal with “letting
go,” or how to handle the new adult who
comes home in the summer. Daniels will
have personal experience to share.
By better caring for Augsburg parents,
the College can improve the student’s
experience. “Kids born after 1985, the
millennium generation, have a close
relationship with their parents,”
Daniels says.
She and her daughter, Kristin, have
this type of relationship. “We’ve always
been very close. We try to connect
somehow each day,” Daniels said.
Since Kristin studies at the place
where her mother works, it’s easy for
them to stay in contact. But, Sally says,
“This is her college experience; the fact
that she likes me is an extra bonus.”
Right now, Daniels is hand-writing
letters to all of the first-year parents. Since
she worked in the admissions office last
year, Daniels says, “I know the students;
I’ve read their essays. I admitted them all.
I’m hand-writing these notes because I
think it’s important.”
Daniels works with a parent council;
and so far 119 parents have contacted her.
Parents who do not live near the Twin
Cities are sent minutes from the council
meetings. It doesn’t matter where parents
live; they can stay connected to Augsburg.
Even though Parent and Family
Relations has split from the Alumni
Relations office, the two directors work
closely together. Heidi Breen, the alumni
relations director formerly headed both
Alumni and Parent Relations, but now is
solely in charge of alumni and has an
assistant director, Donna Torgeson.
“Donna, Heidi, and I have a very open
door,” Daniels said. “We all want this
new position to be successful.”
Sara Holman is a senior English/
communication studies major and an
intern in the Public Relations and
Communication office.
Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen, new director of alumni
relations, poses at Homecoming with
Auggie Eagle.
Winter 2005-06
Heidi Breen, who has worked at Augsburg
for 19 years in the admissions and alumni
relations offices, became director of alumni
relations in August. Donna Torgeson, who
was administrative assistant in the office,
is now assistant director. Amy Sutton,
formerly alumni director, is now director of
corporate and foundation relations in the
Development Office.
7
HOMECOMING 2005
Donald A. Anderson ’60
Janice L. Aune ’88
Donald Mattison ’66
Three honored as Distinguished Alumni
by Lynn Mena
Three alumni join 166 others as Distinguished Alumni of Augsburg
College. Recipients are recognized for significant achievement in
vocation, for outstanding contribution to church and community, and
for a life that exemplifies the ideals and mission of Augsburg College.
Donald A. Anderson ’60 is a retired two-term Minnesota
senator and business owner. He served in the Minnesota State
Senate from 1982 to 1990; between 1991 and his retirement in
1995 he also served as assistant to the commissioner of
transportation, as deputy chief of staff to Governor Arne
Carlson, and in the Department of Transportation-Aeronautics
Department. For nearly 20 years, Anderson owned a Red Owl
grocery store in Wadena, Minn., before selling to one of his
sons in 1984. He graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in
business and history.
Janice L. Aune ’88 is chairman and CEO of Onvoy, Inc., a
Minneapolis-based telecommunications services provider. Since
her appointment in 2000, she has led Onvoy to a position of
financial growth and has exceeded all financial performance
expectations for the privately-held company. Prior to joining
Onvoy, Aune served in various executive leadership positions at
US West (now Qwest) and ended her 30-year career there as
8
president of the !NTERPRISE division and a senior officer. She
graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in business management
and finance.
Donald Mattison ’66, M.D., is senior adviser to the directors
of the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development and the Center for Research for Mothers and
Children. He also serves as an adjunct professor at both the
Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh
and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia
University. He has served as medical director of the March of
Dimes Defects Foundation, and prior to that as dean of the
Graduate School of Public Health at the University of
Pittsburgh, where he was also professor of environmental and
occupational health, as well as of obstetrics, gynecology, and
reproductive services in the university’s School of Medicine. He
graduated from Augsburg in 1966 with a B.A. in chemistry and
mathematics.
Winter 2005-06
First Decade and Spirit of Augsburg award recipients named
by Lynn Mena
Augsburg is pleased to announce the 2005 recipients of the First Decade and Spirit of Augsburg awards.
The First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of the past 10 years who have made
significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community, and, in so
doing, exemplify the mission of the College: to prepare future leaders in service to the world. Graduates
from the day, weekend, and graduate programs are eligible.
The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni or friends of the College who have given exceptional service
that contributes substantially to the well being of Augsburg by furthering its purposes and programs.
First Decade Award
Spirit of Augsburg Award
Aaron Cross ’97 formed his own
business, Motivation on Wheels, in
which he travels the United States
delivering motivational speeches
that stress the importance of seeing
beyond daily obstacles in order to
accomplish goals. Despite his
physical challenges (Cross become a
paraplegic as a result of a bicycle
race crash in high school), he has
kept his eye on a variety of targets—
both literally and figuratively. He
holds 15 national titles in archery, five world titles, and a
bronze team medal from the 2004 Greece Para-Olympic games.
In addition to archery, Cross is also a skydiver. He graduated
from Augsburg in 1997 with a B.A. in communication.
Richard J. Thoni is director of
Augsburg’s Rochester Program. His
exceptional and dedicated service to
the College began in 1972 as a parttime instructor in the Department of
Psychology and as a counselor in the
Center for Student Development.
Starting in 1975, he served as
associate dean of students, and over
the proceeding years he also served
as acting vice president of student
affairs; director of an extensive, yearlong community outreach project; director of Weekend College;
vice president for enrollment management; and vice president for
research and development. Thoni is most widely recognized for
his leadership and achievement in the establishment of both the
Weekend College and Rochester programs. He received his B.A.
in English from St. Olaf College, and his Ph.D. in educational
psychology from the University of Minnesota.
Andry Andriambololona-Jurcich
’98 graduated from Augsburg with a
B.A. in political science,
international relations, and religion.
She received her M.A. in intercultural communications from
Luther Seminary in 2001. Jurcich is
vice-president of Marketing and
Company Relations for Invisik
Corporation, a Twin Cities-based
computer consulting company she
co-manages with her husband, Matt
Jurcich. Concurrently, she works as a professional non-profit
development consultant with various Twin Cities non-profits,
and is currently the acting executive director of Jordan New
Life Community Development Corporation—a non-profit
organization improving the lives of families in North
Minneapolis. Jurcich also continues to stay involved with
Augsburg as a member of the Pan-Afrikan Center’s Alumni
Council, as a mentor with the Scholastic Connections Program,
and as the alumni representative on the committee to select the
new Augsburg president.
Winter 2005-06
The Augsburg Centennial Singers were formed in 1993 to
honor the 100th anniversary of the Augsburg Gospel Quartets.
Since its formation, the Augsburg Centennial Singers have
furthered the quartet’s mission to spread the Lutheran faith and
the name and mission of Augsburg. Under the current direction
of Al Reesnes ’58 (who took over after the original director, Dr.
Merton Strommen ’42, retired) and assistant director Paul
Christensen ’59, the group—which consists mainly of Augsburg
alumni—are true ambassadors of Augsburg, performing across
the United States and around the world.
9
PUTTING
a
FRESH
‘FACE’
on A U G S B U R G
B Y
10
L Y N N
M E N A
P H O T O S
B Y
S T E P H E N
G E F F R E
Winter 2005-06
W hat began
as a class project
three years ago came full circle at this
year’s Homecoming, where visitors were
introduced to Augsburg’s newest
“member.”
The newly unveiled Auggie Eagle logo
could be spotted all over campus—on
team helmets and cheerleader uniforms;
on sweatshirts, T-shirts, and baseball caps;
on the balloons and decorations that
dressed up various events; on students’
faces as temporary tattoos; and even on
the gymnasium floor as an illuminated
hologram.
“The College is pleased to present its
new athletics logo, and even more pleased
to announce that its creator is one of our
own—Class of 2003 alumnus Samuel J.
Gross,” says Ann Garvey, dean of
students. “The logo further establishes
Augsburg’s identity and serves as a
graphic component to the Auggie Eagle
mascot that was introduced at
Homecoming in 2002.”
The logo first took shape a few years
ago when the Office of Public Relations
and Communication partnered with John
McCaffrey, assistant professor of art.
McCaffrey’s graphic design students were
challenged to design an athletics logo for
their final project.
While the entire class created a wide
range of exceptional designs, Gross’ logo
was a strong favorite, and this year the
College officially signed contracts to
acquire it from Gross as its new athletics
and merchandising logo.
“Sam demonstrated that he was
creative, dedicated, and driven by a
purpose from his very first assignments in
my Graphic Design class,” says McCaffrey,
reflecting upon Gross. “Sam delivered
excellent work that was always in excess
of any project requirements. It
immediately became apparent that he
would succeed in the design field. He
Winter 2005-06
dedicated himself to learning all that he
could ensuring his future career direction.”
Staff members in the public relations
department were also impressed with
Gross’ work, and quickly recruited him to
work as a student graphic designer during
his senior year. There he created designs
for letterhead, flyers, greeting cards,
brochures, and magazines.
After he received his B.A. in studio art,
he stayed on in the public relations
department for the summer, and shortly
thereafter landed his first full-time job as
the graphic design and production
coordinator at Sons of Norway in
Minneapolis.
Today, Gross serves as a graphic
designer and production coordinator for
TQ3Navigant Performance Group in
Minneapolis, a division of Denver-based
Navigant International, where he produces
original marketing graphics, designing
creative pre-trip travel packages for large
corporate industries such as Best Buy, ING,
T-Mobile, and Qwest.
In addition, Gross is building a
successful freelance business, 144design,
creating works in traditional studio pieces
as well as digital media, including digital
retouching of photographs, custom logo
design, illustration, and various print
related materials.
“The birth of 144design was inspired
by a mentor and lifelong friend, my
father,” writes Gross on his Web site,
<www.invisik.com/144design/artist2.html>.
“Born in rural Minnesota in 1980, the
influence of art began in the earliest stages
of my life,” continues Gross. “Impacted by
those around me, I began my own pursuit
of knowledge in the continually changing
art and design world.
“Two and a half decades into my life I
am still chasing this aspiration of
achieving artistic prominence in this
transforming world.”
This year, Gross designed logo and
stationery pieces for expansion NAHL
hockey team the North Iowa Outlaws, and
is currently working on other expansion
team logos. In July he designed the book
cover for Daniel Boone and the Defeat at
Blue Licks, written by Neal O. Hammon.
Gross is also an accomplished painter,
whose work was recently purchased by the
Springfield Public Library in Minnesota for
their permanent collection. His oils and
photography have twice placed third in
the annual Five County Juried Art Show in
Minnesota.
Gross, a former Auggie football and
baseball player, has particularly enjoyed
athletic logo design, and is pleased that his
alma mater has chosen to use his work.
“It’s really exciting and interesting to
see my design carried out in so many
different ways—on the uniforms, on the
line of sweatshirts,” says Gross. “Plus, it’s
great to give back as an alum.” ■
11
Jeroy Carlson ’48
‘MR. AUGSBURG’
by Sara Holman ’06
Jeroy Carlson ’48 has spent over 60
years on the Augsburg campus as a
student, volunteer, alumni director, and
development officer. Here, he sits in Old
Main 17, which was Augsburg’s chapel
and is now the art studio.
AUGSBURG COLLEGE pastor Dave
Wold paused, “Mr. Augsburg … well, I
don’t know where the name got started.
Everyone just refers to him as that.
Anyone who mentions Jeroy always says
‘Jeroy from Augsburg.’”
Why is Jeroy Carlson Mr. Augsburg?
Really, the question doesn’t need to be
asked. He just is. Carlson embodies
everything that is Augsburg—from
knowing its history to sharing its faith.
“Jeroy’s commitment and love for
Augsburg is pretty clear,” Wold said. “No
one can be identified with Augsburg as
much as Jeroy can. He has a network of
friends I’ve never seen before.”
Carlson has spent the last 42 years
serving Augsburg, first as Augsburg’s
alumni director and then as senior
development officer.
He has connected with hundreds of
people through Augsburg and has been
able to raise millions of dollars to help
build the chapel, library, fitness center,
football field, and theater (to name just a
few). Carlson’s efforts can be seen all
over campus, though he is quick to
12
protest, “I just ask for support. It’s really
about what the donors have done for this
college.”
Being 82 years old, Carlson has spent
the better part of his life on campus, not
to mention the years he spent as a
student. What would inspire someone to
become so dedicated to a place?
“I’m not here because of myself. I’m
here because of the people who have
given their lives to this place. I don’t
want them to be forgotten. I’ve developed
a purpose for living from their caring
about me. Charles Anderson, Gerda
Mortensen, Bernhard Christensen, Phil
Quanbeck Sr., Joel Torstenson, Paul
Sonnack, Dave Wold—these people have
been my friends,” Carlson said.
Carlson took his first step onto
Augsburg soil in 1940. His high school
basketball team had come to challenge
Augsburg’s junior varsity team.
Fortunately, Augsburg’s embarrassing loss
didn’t keep him from applying to the
College two years later. After spending
one year on campus, Carlson enlisted in
the Navy. On Monday, Dec. 10, 1945,
Carlson was released, and the following
Thursday he registered for classes. That
Saturday he played for Augsburg’s
basketball team. Carlson laughs as he
recalls this memory. “I hadn’t even taken
a class, but the coach needed me.”
Sports have always been a passion for
Carlson. He played baseball, basketball,
and football while he attended Augsburg
and was part of four MIAC championship
teams. After graduating, Carlson spent 15
years teaching and coaching. During this
time, he became part of the Augsburg
Alumni Board and wrote an article titled
“Why is Being a Christian Important?”
for a Christian magazine that most
alumni received. When the alumni
director position became open, Carlson
didn’t even have to apply. “Two people
just asked me if I wanted to do it. It was
the best move I’ve ever made.” In honor
of his service, the alumni office was
dedicated in 1991 as the Jeroy C.
Carlson Alumni Center.
While working at Augsburg, Carlson
was able to stay active in the Athletic
Alumni Association (the A-Club) and
Winter 2005-06
also helped establish the Athletic Hall of
Fame. He can still remember when the
A-Club started. It was 1937, and the
athletes wanted an honor banquet. Four
people took it upon themselves to raise
the money—a difficult task during the
Depression years. They put on skits like
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and charged 10
cents a person.
Times were very different during
Carlson’s student years. His tuition was
$50 a semester, so he worked in the
dining room, which was on the lower
level of Memorial Hall. He worked with
18 other people, 16 of whom were in the
choir. A lot of singing was done in the
kitchen, and this was a treat for Carlson,
since he wasn’t able to participate in
both music and sports. By working five
hours, Carlson was able to pay for his
Winter 2005-06
Archive photo
Archive photo
In the 1948 Augsburgian, Jeroy Carlson ’48 was called a “standout
player” on the 1947 basketball team, and he was selected for an all-state
second team.
Carlson (left), along with teammates Kenneth Walsh
(center) and Al Mateyko (right), celebrate the Auggies’
1947 baseball conference championship.
room for one week—55 cents an hour
went a long way back then. One not so
pleasant memory Carlson recalls from
the dining hall was dropping a tray on
[dean of women] Gerda Mortensen. “I
was lucky I didn’t get expelled,” he said.
“Gerda knew it was an accident. Mortensen
was a woman you never forget.”
Carlson also went to school with Jim
Lindell, for whose family Lindell Library
was named in 1997. Lindell and Carlson
both completed their first year at
Augsburg together, and then each joined
the Navy. However, upon returning to
the Twin Cities, Lindell found he needed
to transfer colleges because Augsburg
didn’t offer a business degree. He
enrolled across the river at the university
but never forgot the best friends he
made at Augsburg.
Carlson has been fortunate in his
long tenure at Augsburg to get to know
the people behind the great names on
campus. While it’s easy for students to
grumble about tuition costs and for
alumni to feel continually asked for
donations, it’s the dedication of the
people for whom Augsburg means so
much—the people who work here and
the people who learn here—that makes
the difference. Carlson understands all
of this. It’s why he has stayed so long.
“After all these years, the attitude here is
still the same. What I believe is here,
and what’s happening at Augsburg is
important.” ■
Sara Holman is a senior English/
communication studies major and an
intern in the Public Relations and
Communication office.
13
PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANTS
i n c r e a s i n g
h e a l t h c a r e
a c c e s s
by Cynthia Hill
photos by Stephen Geffre
When Rob Carlson turned 40, he turned
a career corner as well. He left the
propane gas business to enroll in
Augsburg’s very first class in the
Physician Assistant (PA) program.
Today, Carlson maintains a busy
schedule treating recent immigrants and
refugees at the Regions Center for
International Health in St. Paul. He also
sees patients at the Regions HIV Clinic
and St. Paul Ramsey Public Health
tuberculosis clinic.
Jackie Osterhaus was also in
Augsburg’s first class of PA students. She
had worked as a laboratory technician
and a clinical assistant, but wanted more
out of a healthcare career. Yet with two
small children, becoming a PA made
Winter 2005-06
more sense than medical school.
Osterhaus now handles a full
caseload of patients in Belgrade, a tiny
Minnesota town some 100 miles west of
the Twin Cities. The Belgrade clinic is a
satellite of the Paynesville Area Health
Care System, which employs five PAs, a
nurse practitioner, and seven physicians.
Carlson and Osterhaus are among
more than 170 graduates of Augsburg’s
PA program since it was launched as
Minnesota’s only PA preparation
program in 1995.
From rural towns to urban centers,
these well-trained healthcare practitioners are living out the program’s
mission of increasing healthcare access to
underserved communities in Minnesota.
What is a
physician
assistant?
Physician assistants are not doctors, but
they can do many things a doctor does,
including seeing their own patients,
making diagnoses, doing minor surgery,
writing prescriptions, and ordering tests.
“But here’s the caveat: we can’t do it
on our own,” said Dawn Ludwig,
director of Augsburg’s program who is a
PA herself. “PAs are team providers who
work under the supervision of a licensed
physician. We can’t open our own
practice.”
That doesn’t mean the supervising
physician is always in the next room.
For example, Jackie Osterhaus staffs
the Belgrade clinic four days a week,
along with a nurse and laboratory
technician, but without a physician on
site. A physician from the Paynesville
clinic 10 miles away provides regular
telephone supervision and chart review
to Osterhaus’s cases.
“It’s definitely a team effort with
ongoing communication and interaction
with the supervising physician, but as a
PA, I am ultimately responsible for my
patients,” said Ludwig, who was named
Minnesota Physician Assistant of the
Year in 2002 by the Minnesota Academy
of Physician Assistants.
Because of the similar roles, it’s not
uncommon for patients to be confused,
said May Mua, an Augsburg graduate
who also practices at the Regions Center
for International Health.
“My patients—primarily Hmong,
Somalis, and recent immigrants from
other countries who may never have had
access to health care before—often call
me ‘Dr. Mua,’” she said. “I’m always
correcting them but it’s hard to get
across the idea of the difference because
they see me regularly for their care.”
15
A response
to the
healthcare
shortage
The physician assistant career is a
relatively recent addition to the
healthcare team, growing out of the
Vietnam era when highly skilled
medics returned from military service,
Ludwig said.
“At the time, we were seeing a
shortage of physicians around the
country and needed a new source of
caregivers,” she said. To help fill the need,
Duke University created the first formal
physician assistant program in 1965.
In the early ’90s, Augsburg was
approached by the Minnesota Academy
of Physician Assistants and asked to
consider starting a physician assistant
training program for the state.
“People were going to other states for
training and not returning to practice in
Minnesota,” she said. “Augsburg’s
mission of community and world service
was right in line with the concept of
physician assistants providing health
care to underserved areas.”
Initially offered as a two-year, postbachelor’s certificate, Augsburg’s program
drew immediate interest, especially
among people seeking a career change.
“That first informational meeting at
Augsburg was standing room only. There
must have been 600 people there,”
recalls Rob Carlson.
Over 10 years, admission to the
program, now offered as a three-year
master’s degree, has remained highly
competitive, reflecting Augsburg’s
reputation and strong track record. This
year’s class of 28 was culled from more
than 140 applications.
One thing that has changed is
average age of applicants—from 34 at
the outset to 27 currently, Ludwig said.
“At first, the appeal was mainly to
16
folks already in some aspect of health
care—nurses, laboratory assistants,
emergency medical technicians, etc. But
it is definitely becoming a first-career
option for those looking for a career in
medicine.”
Cases in point: second-year PA
students Kari Badali and Jodi Winters,
both 2004 Augsburg bachelor’s degree
graduates.
“Before coming to Augsburg as an
undergraduate, I read a magazine that
listed a physician assistant as one of the
top ten careers for women. I was
interested in the medical field but not
sure which direction to go. I researched
schools offering a PA program and
Augsburg was the only one in
Minnesota,” said Badali ’04, a biology
major.
Winters, a biology and chemistry
double major, added, “The reputation of
the Augsburg program is what finally
helped me make my decision.”
High
expectations,
high
performance
Augsburg’s program is known for its
academic rigor, in-depth clinical training,
and track record of well-prepared
graduates. Consider these indicators:
• 100% pass rate on national
certification examinations since the
program’s inception.
• Scores on the national certification
examinations have never been below
the 90th percentile (the Classes of
2001 and 2004 both ranked in the
99th percentile).
• In recent years, every PA graduate has
been employed within six months of
graduation, 85% of them in Minnesota.
Winter 2005-06
These successes grow out of high
expectations and a demanding
educational program that moves from a
foundation of classroom study into
direct clinical experience.
In the first phase, students are on
campus in courses in human gross
anatomy, pathophysiology, clinical
medicine, pharmacotherapy, history and
physical exam skills, research, and ethics
and legal medicine. An orientation to the
program’s mission of reaching the
underserved is woven throughout this
phase in courses on special populations
and in annual service-learning projects.
The clinical phase is next, structured
much like a physician’s internship.
Taught by physicians and supplemented
by physician assistants and other
healthcare providers, students progress
through seven required rotations and
one elective, each six weeks long, in
healthcare facilities across the state.
At least one rotation is required to be
outside of the metropolitan area, in
keeping with the program’s mission of
addressing healthcare gaps across
the state.
Twin Cities native Debbie Maas did
rotations in Deer River, Minn., a small
community west of Grand Rapids. After
graduation last year, she accepted a job
at the Deer River clinic. About 25% of
Augsburg graduates practice in rural
communities and greater Minnesota.
“I found I really liked the variety in
a smaller clinic. There was great
camaraderie with the physicians, and I
learned so much,” she said. “This is
truly family practice medicine. We see
everything from OB-GYN to geriatrics.”
The final component is a 12-week
preceptorship—an intensive clinical
experience required by only a few other
PA programs. “This is the last piece of
their education that ties everything
together and solidifies all they’ve
learned,” said Ludwig. “It gets them
ready to go out and practice.”
The personal
touch
Core to the Augsburg PA training is an
emphasis on treating patients as
individuals, not diseases.
“We look for students who are able to
handle a tough and rigorous program but
who are also able to connect with patients
on a personal level,” Ludwig said.
“Physician assistants should be good at
JACKIE OSTERHAUS (p. 14) graduated in Augsburg’s first class of physician assistants
and enjoys the variety of patient care she gives in her work at the Paynesville Area
Health Care System clinic in Belgrade, Minn.
ROB CARLSON (left) and MAY MUA (p.16) are two of the three Augsburg graduates
who are physician assistants at Regions Hospital’s Center for International Health.
Second-year PA student CHENTEL DANGERUD (above) discusses health issues with a
resident at the Danebo Home in Minneapolis during a health and wellness fair
specifically for seniors.
Winter 2005-06
listening and building trust with their
patients.”
Patricia Walker, M.D., director of the
Regions Hospital Center for International
Health, considers the clinic’s three
physician assistants, all Augsburg
graduates, “an absolutely vital part of our
provider team.”
“They are so talented that they are
working at the level of other providers in
our group on a daily basis, and rarely ask
questions of the physicians. That being
said, they also know when to consult us
on difficult cases,” Walker said. “They
provide outstanding clinical care and are
very kind and compassionate.”
In the future, demand for physician
assistants is likely to continue to grow,
according to Rodney McFadden, M.D., a
physician with Internal Medicine and
Geriatric Associates in Minneapolis and a
preceptor of Augsburg PA students on
rotation at the University of Minnesota
Medical Center, Fairview.
“Medical schools are producing about
the same number of doctors each year, so
as the population gets older, we will need
more healthcare providers,” said
McFadden. “Physician assistants play an
important role and I see them becoming
even more common to meet growing
healthcare needs in our society.” ■
Cynthia Hill is a freelance writer in
St. Paul who frequently writes about
Augsburg College.
17
A C H A N C E T O S K AT E
BY DON STONER
The scene is like any other in hockeycrazed Minnesota on a weekday evening.
A cacophony of noise inside a cold indoor
ice arena. Young kids, some maybe just a
few months from putting skates on for the
first time in their lives, are learning the
fundamentals of hockey. Coaches strain to
be heard above the din.
On one half of the rink, an older
group has the ice. On the other, Janet
Marvin and a couple of assistant coaches
are working with girls ages 10 and under.
Marvin yells encouragement to her
young charges. “I want two hands on your
stick all the time.” “When you find it,
look up for your teammate and pass it to
her stick.” “Good job, excellent! Nice
job!”
You look at the faces inside the masks,
and that’s where you notice the difference.
Most of the girls aren’t typical Minnesota
hockey players. Most are Hmong, some
are African-American, some are white.
But if it weren’t for Marvin, it’s likely
that none of them would be on the ice
this night—or any night, for that matter.
For the past seven years, Marvin, a
1986 Augsburg graduate, has been
volunteering with young girls on the
north and northeast neighborhoods of
Minneapolis with the Edison youth
hockey program. Along with her sister
and a devoted group of volunteer women
coaches, they have provided opportunities
for young girls who wouldn’t otherwise
have discovered the sport.
For Marvin, it’s an extension of a family
tradition to provide hockey opportunities
to others. Her father, Cal, was a legend in
hockey in the Upper Midwest. A U.S.
Hockey Hall of Famer, he helped to start
the men’s hockey program at the University
of North Dakota, coached the U.S. national
team in 1958, and founded and coached
one of the most successful amateur hockey
teams in American history, the Warroad
Lakers. He helped to establish Warroad, a
small town near the Canadian border in
northwestern Minnesota, as a place
synonymous with hockey.
18
“My dad did it for young men. He let young men play
for over 50 years, and he had over 900 young guys that
got to skate for him,” Marvin said. “What he did for the
guys is what my sister and I are trying to do for young
girls who want to play hockey. It doesn’t matter where
they’re from, or what color they are, or what background
they come from. If they want to play, we’ll get them
equipment, we’ll find them a place to play, we’ll
make sure they have transportation and make
sure their fees are paid.”
One of 12 children in the Marvin family,
Janet Marvin grew up around hockey. “We
grew up at the rink,” she said. “We folded
programs, we cleaned the rink, we worked in
the concession stands, we sold tickets. We
did whatever we could do, because we wanted
to be up there at the rink with Dad and the rest
of the community. That’s what you did in
Warroad. You were at the hockey rink.”
She and her sister played hockey in
their early years, but as they grew older,
there were fewer opportunities for young
women to play hockey in northern
Minnesota. So she played basketball
instead, eventually playing two seasons of
junior college basketball and a season at
the University of St. Thomas, before
transferring to Augsburg for her senior
season, 1985-86. She earned a degree
in education from Augsburg and
eventually worked for the
Minneapolis public schools for
15 years.
But hockey remained a major part
of her life. She played competitively
on adult teams for more than a
decade, and also worked as a
volunteer assistant coach on
teams with her friend, Sue
Ring-Jarvi. Marvin also
served as an adult mentor
for young kids in northeast
Minneapolis, including
youngsters who wanted to
play hockey for Edison’s
youth program. She
eventually got involved with
coaching at Edison, and
helped to start the Edison
girls’ youth program. Along
the way, Marvin and her sister began
bring out the best of their potential. …
But her work with the hockey
incorporating more young Hmong girls
You can see how these coaches put their
program doesn’t end there. The coaches
from the neighborhood into the program.
whole lives into coaching these kids. It
organize year-round experiences for the
“Because there weren’t enough kids
makes all the work worth it.”
girls, in order to keep them active and
coming out, I started recruiting Hmong
Since many family incomes may not
together as a group. They’ve had camping
girls. My sister and I are involved in the
be able to support the expenses for their
trips, barbeques, and trips to team
Hmong community in mentoring kids and
children to play, Marvin often dips into
coaches’ cabins in northern Minnesota to
getting kids involved,” she said. “It’s been
her own pocket to pay for equipment,
go skiing.
a focus point for us to bring them into the
uniforms, and supplies.
“My parents gave us all the
program and give them an opportunity to
A shed in Marvin’s yard is full of
opportunities. If you wanted to play, play.
skate. But when we coach at Edison, we
hockey equipment that she has either
They wanted you to be involved,” Marvin
coach anyone who wants to play
said. “There’s so many kids who
and who lives on the north side
don’t have that opportunity, and I
or northeast.”
think that’s what my sister and I
The program started from
are trying to provide. We give
one small team seven years ago
them an opportunity.”
to nearly 50 girls on teams for
Last summer, Marvin and
ages 10-under, 12-under, and
fellow Augsburg alumnus John
14-under. This year, Edison has
Evans ’82 received grant money
two teams, with Janet Marvin
from City Kids Inc., a north
coaching the 10-under team and
Minneapolis program, to provide
Robin Marvin coaching the 12hockey instruction for north-side
under team, along with a faithful
children. About 30 kids took part
group of volunteer assistants.
in the summer-long program,
“It’s an all-female staff, and
portions of which were held at
not one coach has anybody
the Augsburg Ice Arena. Several
involved with the program,
Augsburg student-athletes
which is very unique,” Marvin
assisted Marvin in coaching
said. “When you go to other
during the summer program.
associations, it’s always a dad or
“The kids love the attention,
a brother or an uncle who is
and when the college kids came
coaching the kids because there’s Janet Marvin ’86 plays less hockey these days so she can concentrate on the ice, I think it was a match
on coaching. She makes it possible for girls like these at the Edison
a connection. … We just have
right away,” Marvin said. “The
Youth Hockey Civic Arena in Northeast Minneapolis to learn hockey.
females who want to come in
kids know that when they come
and coach. We’ve skated with
to the rink, there’s going to be
them in the women’s hockey associations,
purchased or had donated to her by
someone there that’s going to say ‘Hi’ to
and they want to come in and give back.
friends. It’s available for her players to
them, ‘How are you doing,’ ‘You’re doing
They see this program and they see that
pick from. She often provides
a good job,’ and giving them positive
these kids need it, these kids want it, and
transportation for team members to and
feedback. That’s what these kids need.”
these kids absorb it.”
from practices and games in her van.
Coaching has become a major part of
The devotion that Marvin and the
“Last year, my mom bought the whole
Marvin’s life, so much so that she now
other coaches have makes them positive
12-under team a brand new stick for
plays less hockey herself in order to
role models for the children they are
Christmas. That was the first time our
concentrate on coaching.
coaching, said Marta Kurak ’98, a parent
kids that we register had a brand new
“The kids like it. They want to go to
of two girls who have played hockey on
stick,” she said.
the rink. They want to play,” she said.
Marvin’s Edison teams. Kurak now serves
Marvin figures that she puts in 25 or
“You see them skating around the rink
as a manager for the 12-under team.
more hours per week into the Edison
and they have smiles on their faces. They
“[The coaches] bring an energy to the
hockey program, on a strictly volunteer
might fall down or get a little hurt, but
program. They are always positive and
basis. She now also works for Ring-Jarvi’s
they get up and they’re like, ‘OK, let’s go
never say anything negative. They always
sportswear business, in addition to
again.’ They just want to be at the rink. …
look for the positives in the girls,” Kurak
working for a local flower shop.
My heart’s really into coaching and
said. “[Marvin] works with every kid to
working with the kids.” ■
Winter 2005-06
19
Faith
City
in the
Faith
BY BETSEY NORGARD
PHOTOS BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
Envisioning a renewed public calling for the well-being of the city and its people
In a twist on the realtor’s three magic
words, the Faith in the City initiative
might be described as “location, location,
vocation.”
This distinctive collaboration brings
together seven urban-focused Lutheran
institutions in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
All of them are committed to improving
the quality of life in their community and
they all center their work around Lutheran
ideas of vocation. They share a belief that
more can be accomplished when people
and organizations work together and when
they share their particular expertise toward
common goals.
It’s a diverse group—Augsburg
College, Augsburg Fortress Publishers,
Central Lutheran Church, Fairview
Health Services, Luther Seminary,
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota,
and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans—
20
whose members contribute their
expertise across the areas of health,
education, social services, finance,
publishing, and service in faith. The two
synods of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) in
Minneapolis and St. Paul are partners in
the collaboration.
After several years of informal
discussions among the CEOs, a formal
collective was launched in 2002 that
draws its calling from a passage in the
book of Jeremiah, “Seek the welfare of
the city … for in its welfare you will find
your welfare.” The collaborative seeks to
renew that same concern to care for each
other in the community that motivated
the founding of their institutions a
century or more ago. And, today, they are
again finding some of the greatest
community needs among recent
immigrants.
“[Faith in the City] has set before
Lutheran institutions across the land a
model which illustrates service
leadership,” says President William
Frame. “The CEOs became interested in
Luther’s idea of vocation as a vehicle to
draw their constituents out into the
world in service and in collaboration.”
They were encouraged by the extent of
common purpose and overlap in their
missions.
Tom Morgan, Augsburg’s vice
president for planning and market
development, speaks of Augsburg’s
perspective: “It’s a way for us to more
deeply express and live out our
commitment to the city, to service, and
to strengthen and demonstrate our
connection to the church.”
Ci
Winter 2005-06
Community initiatives
Faith in the City serves as a catalyst for collaboration among people,
neighborhoods, congregations, and others, primarily in the areas of
health, education, and neighborhood. Each initiative has two or
three member organization sponsors and appropriate strategic
partners.
Initiatives specific to Augsburg are:
Augsburg Academy for Health Careers—Augsburg, together
with Fairview Health Services, developed the first proposal to
Faith in the City. Responding to the shortage of healthcare
professionals, especially within increasingly diverse communities,
a charter school was proposed, with funding from the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation, to prepare students for careers and
vocations in health care.
The Augsburg Academy for Health Careers opened this fall
with 61 students, a majority from diverse backgrounds, in grades
9, 10 and 11, with grade 12 to begin next year.
Lutheran College House—A second initiative spearheaded by
Augsburg, together with Luther Seminary, is the Lutheran College
House, proposed for summer 2006. Students from six partner
Lutheran colleges will live for a semester in the Phillips
neighborhood to explore vocation, service opportunities, and
leadership development.
Augsburg/Central Nursing Center—Augsburg’s 10-year-old
free nursing center at Central Lutheran Church that serves
neighborhood residents at no cost was incorporated into the
Faith in the City initiatives.
Hands-on learning
for health careers
by Judy Petree
Jasmine Smith, a junior, and one of 61 students at the new
Augsburg Academy for Health Careers, travels from Maple
Grove across the city everyday. She enrolled at the academy to
pursue a career in the health field, particularly forensic science
or neurology.
In addition to her interest in the CSI television shows, she
said she chose the academy for its small class sizes and the
ability to work one-on-one with instructors. She recently
interviewed for an internship at Fairview in the nursing
department.
Students at the academy are paired with Fairview health
professionals as mentors. Together they explore the student’s
talents and interests as related to vocations in the health field.
Students use Fairview as a hands-on learning laboratory; they
also take field trips to Mayo Clinic, and visit emergency care
centers, hospitals, clinics, and science-related businesses and
industries.
All students receive training to become certified as
emergency medical technicians, first responders, and/or
certified nursing assistants. This will help them find
employment during summers and after graduation.
Mark Youngstrom, director of Augsburg Academy, is a
former state education department specialist in English
education and co-founder of the Perpich Center for the Arts in
Golden Valley.
“The primary purpose [of the academy] is to provide
immigrant students and students of color with a solid
academic education that enables them to advance in the
educational system,” he said. “In addition, hospitals and
healthcare facilities of all kinds are treating increasing
numbers of patients from immigrant communities and
communities of color, and they need employees who speak
their languages and understand their cultures.”
Youngstrom concludes, “Our ultimate hope is to raise the
sights of our students so they can plan a future for themselves
that includes higher education and a professional career.”
Other initiatives include:
The Wellness Connection—With the help of several
neighborhood organizations and congregations, this center
responds to Somali immigrants’ health needs, promotes healthy
lifestyles, and connects them with appropriate medical providers.
ty
Personal Finance Center—Begun as a tax service for lowincome residents, this center has grown to offer a wide range of
financial literacy tools for banking, home ownership, borrowing
money, etc.
Phillips Neighborhood Park, Library, and School—Faith in
the City provides financial resources and volunteer service to
help sustain these sites as vibrant neighborhood centers.
Above left: Tom Morgan (left), Augsburg’s representative on the steering committee,
and Jeri Nelsen (right), executive director, are finding that the Faith in the City
Lutheran collaborative is an effective model for responding to community needs.
Winter 2005-06
Jasmine Smith (right) and Ophelia Mensah (left) enjoy the small
classes and one-on-one mentoring at the Augsburg Academy for
Health Careers.
21
Leadership conference—Two annual
conferences have brought together
downtown faith and business leaders for
discussion and mutual collaboration
around faith and work.
Leadership initiative—-For the second
year, a program nurtures emerging leaders
at member organizations through ongoing
discussions of vocation and faith.
The next steps
Faith in the City is proving that greater
good can come about through working
together in collaboration than by
individual organizations working in
isolation. In a commentary written for
the Star Tribune last year, Thrivent
president and CEO Bruce Nicholson
described Faith in the City’s process as
“mission-based collaboration, an ideal
model for holistically addressing pressing
community needs.”
Moving forward, the collaborative
continues to seek strategic partners for
specific initiatives as well as to engage
Lutheran congregations in outreach to
urban needs.
Perhaps nowhere else in the nation
could such an integrated community
collaboration take place, and Faith in the
City is beginning to garner attention.
Tapped for leadership
by Betsey Norgard
22
Executive director Jeri Nelsen, Morgan,
and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
CEO Mark Peterson presented Faith in the
City at the national meeting of Lutheran
Services in America (LSA) in April.
The collaborative has also garnered
significant attention from Minneapolis
mayor R.T. Rybak. Nelsen says that Rybak
sees Faith in the City as a model for
collaboration with great potential for
improving community well-being.
Frame believes that Faith in the City
has proven that, even within a highly
competitive arena, nonprofits can
combine resources to carry out their
work more effectively. ■
Last fall Julie Olson ’90, ’04 MAL, dean of enrollment management, was
part of the first “class” of Faith in the City’s Leadership Development
Institute. Over several day-long sessions, the group participated in
presentations and discussions on leadership, read books, and listened to
the CEOs of Faith in the City member organizations talk about their own
vocational paths—all woven around the concept of servant leadership.
This first group bonded with each other to the extent that they
couldn’t let go when the formal series ended. They continue to gather
periodically for conversation, even as the second “class” of the institute
has begun.
The leadership initiative came about as member organizations felt a
need to be better prepared for their next phase of growth. Olson says the
program is about identifying emerging leaders within the organizations,
and helping them discern their vocation—i.e., helping them feel
“tapped,” or hear the call of an inner voice.
In addition to getting to know their Faith in the City colleagues,
participants gain valuable insight into their organizations—how they’re
structured, issues they face, what’s ahead for them, and how they
respond to their constituencies.
The member organizations share a common Lutheran background, but
some—Fairview, for example-—are less overt in their Lutheran heritage
than others. Olson says that if you look at how they treat their
employees, their staff and leadership development programs, and their
missions, it’s all there. It may not be called Lutheran, or even Christian,
but the organization effectively puts action behind their values in the
model of servant leadership.
“By the end, everyone was more comfortable with identifying
themselves from a Lutheran organization and recognizing what’s special
about that,” Olson said. “This is something that’s essential to our identity,
and we mutually reinforced that with each other.”
While this is the only “inward” initiative of Faith in the City, Olson
says the leadership institute is about “building the strengths of the
individual organizations to enable them to better serve their larger
communities.”
In this second year, a coaching component was added to the
initiative, and Olson is one of two from the first group who will be
coaching members of the second group.
“It’s an honor to be asked and identified as an emerging leader,” she
said. “Now I have the responsibility to carry out that gift.”
Winter 2005-06
Scholarship brunch honors donors and students
On Nov. 20, the Scholarship and Donor
Brunch was the place where more than
170 Augsburg donors were honored for
their generosity and commitment to
Augsburg College. Scholarship donors,
Heritage Society donors who have estate
plans that include Augsburg, and
Maroon & Silver Society donors, who
give annual support at the leadership
level for Augsburg scholarships, were all
thanked.
It was also the place where 100
students had the opportunity to meet
the families behind the scholarships
they've received. Student body president
Paul Cumings, speaking on behalf of
students, told the donors, “You give; it’s
not required, but I’m here to tell you it’s
appreciated.”
Philip Rowberg Sr. ’41 had not been
on campus since 1948. He recently
endowed a scholarship in memory of his
wife, Betty, who died last year. “I decided
to fund a scholarship in appreciation of
Philip Rowberg Sr. ’41 (left) recently endowed
a scholarship in memory of his wife, Betty. At
the brunch he met the scholarship’s first
recipient, Evan Holmes ’06 (right).
Winter 2005-06
the education I received here,” Rowberg
said. “Nothing is more important than
investing in the education of our young
people.”
The Philip and Helen Taylor Rowberg
Scholarship gives preference to a student
from rural Minnesota. Rowberg and his
son, Philip Jr., were able to meet its first
recipient, Evan Holmes ’06, from
Janesville, Minn.
Among other donors at the reception
were the Rev. Orville ’52 and Yvonne
(Bagley) ’52 Olson, and their son
Jonathan. In 1993, the Olsons
established a scholarship in memory of
another son, Timothy, and in recognition
of his devotion to Jonathan.
“The scholarship is in honor of son
Timothy. Our other son, Jonathan, has a
disability, so we made our scholarship
available to students in college who have
special needs or are going into the field
of special education.
Nicky Cronin ’08, the recipient of the
Olson scholarship, is a special education
major in emotional/behavioral and
learning disabilities.
“Our giving has been out of profound
gratitude to Augsburg for the many
blessings we received as college students
and over the years,” said Yvonne Olson.
“I personally am one of 11 siblings, and
eight of us have attended Augsburg. My
husband and I graduated in the same
class, and our daughter, Beth (Olson),
and her husband, Scott Bouman, both
graduated in the Class of 1977. That’s
our connection to Augsburg.”
“‘Tak for alt’—we noticed this saying
on a lot of gravestones around
Scandinavia,” Olson continued. “This
saying is important to our family. It’s a
symbol of gratitude and means ‘thanks
for everything.’ ”
The Rev. Orville Olson ’52 and his wife, Yvonne (Bagley) ’52 Olson created a scholarship in
memory of their son Timothy and his devotion to brother Jonathan (center). They enjoyed
meeting this year’s recipient, Nicole Cronin ’08 (back center).
23
Roarin’ and soarin’ to the finish at Si Melby
At Homecoming 2005, hundreds of
alumni, students, fans, friends, and even
prospective students celebrated and
cheered for the campaign to expand
Si Melby Hall with a new south wing
addition.
It was a celebration of Auggie
athletics past, present, and future.
Emcee Tim McNiff, from KARE-11 TV,
introduced coaches and athletic teams,
fired up the crowd with achievements
and successes of Augsburg’s athletic
program, and extolled the benefits of the
new south wing.
A virtual video tour took the crowd
through the proposed 27,000 new square
feet that includes expanded classroom
space, a fitness center, training areas, and
more. The project was explained in depth
by Jeff Swenson ’79, head wrestling coach
and assistant dean for athletics, and regent
and campaign co-chair Mike Freeman.
The video also featured testimonials from
current and former student-athletes and
administrators.
The Si Melby completion team, led by
Freeman, has rallied volunteers to work
with them to make sure that all Augsburg
athletes and friends have opportunities to
help Augsburg reach the goal. The team
includes Dan Anderson ’65, Rich Colvin
’74, Mike Good ’71, Jane Helmke ’83, and
Glen Person ’47. Staff support to the team
includes Swenson and Development
Office staff: Jeroy Carlson ’48, Jack Osberg
’62, Ron Main ’56, and Donna McLean.
Momentum continues to grow as the
team pushes toward the final goal,
enjoying additional volunteer support
from Bob Strommen ’74, “Butch”
Raymond ’63, Rick Ekstrand ’72, Dave
Andell ’71, Bob Martin ’71, Bruce Brekke
’70, and Erv Inniger. Each sport is also
gathering alumni support to help
complete the project so that
Student-athletes cheered as coaches, teams, and alumni spoke at the athletic celebration.
24
Winter 2005-06
groundbreaking can occur as soon as
possible.
Augsburg is especially grateful to Alan
Rice for making the first lead gift in the
amount of $1 million and to Dean ’75
and Terry Kennedy for the largest lead
gift of $2 million, in addition to several
others whose gifts helped kick off the
campaign for the new south wing.
For additional information on the
Si Melby south wing addition, or to
make a gift, go to <www.augsburg.edu/
campaign/athletic>, or call the
Development Office at 612-338-0002 or
1-800-273-0617.
The new South Wing will
include spaces already named
in honor of the following:
Doc Johnson A-Club office
Lavonne (Johnson) Peterson ’50
Hospitality and Conference Room and
patio
Luther (Lute) Olson ’56 Hall of
Champions
Jack ’62 and Nina Osberg Student
Study and Computer Room
“Gamma House” Hospitality
Lounge and Classroom overlooking
Nelson Field
Rolf Erickson Hospitality Lounge and
Classroom overlooking Nelson Field
Many exciting opportunities remain to
create a legacy in someone’s name for
the new south wing. Contact Donna
McLean at 612-338-4826 or
<mclean@augsburg.edu> for further
information.
Winter 2005-06
Jeff Swenson ’79 (left), head wrestling coach and assistant dean, and Mike Freeman, Augsburg regent
and campaign co-chair, kept the crowd fired up about Auggie athletic successes and the progress
toward the new south wing of Si Melby Hall.
Faculty and Staff Make It Happen
Faculty and staff launched a campaign in
September to increase giving to the
Access to Excellence campaign among
Augsburg employees.
The goal of the faculty-staff campaign
was to significantly increase the
participation rate of giving from within
the Augsburg community—a critical
factor to funding agencies when
reviewing grant proposals from the
College.
At the end of last fiscal year in May,
the overall participation rate among the
more than 800 faculty and staff
employed by the College was 22%. As of
Nov. 10, with more than half the current
fiscal year remaining, that figure has
risen to 29%.
An even greater indicator of
commitment to the campaign goals from
within the College is the giving rate
among full-time faculty and staff, and
staff who work more than 50% of the
time. As of Nov. 10, full-time faculty
giving rose to 54%, while the rate among
full- and nearly-full-time staff was at 41%.
First-time givers and those who
increased their current gifts were eligible
for a full match from a special fund
established by a group of faculty emeriti,
faculty, and staff whose generosity
enabled even small gifts to grow in size.
In addition, new and increased gifts
from members of Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans were also eligible for a 50%
match from that organization.
25
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the director of Alumni Relations…
G
reetings! As the
new director of
Alumni Relations, it
is a great pleasure for
me to have the
continued
opportunity to work
with Augsburg’s
alumni and our many
Augsburg friends.
In addition to myself, Donna
Torgeson currently serves as assistant
director of our newly re-structured Office
of Alumni Relations. Donna finds herself
busy working with the Class Agents, the
Augsburg Associates, and also
coordinating with the alumni group
traveling to China this spring. You may
have also worked with her on your
reunion group this past year.
I have been at Augsburg since 1986,
when I began working in the
undergraduate admissions office. In
2002, I joined the Alumni/Parent
Relations office working with the Parent
Council, Homecoming and Reunions,
plus many events on and off campus. I
am very fortunate to now be working
closely with the Alumni Board—please
take a look at the calendar on the next
page and join us for one of many
upcoming events.
If you are interested in more
information regarding opportunities to
join the Alumni Board, or if you believe
that you know an alum who should be
nominated for our Distinguished
Alumni, First Decade, or Spirit of
Jon Thorson ’86 leads groundbreaking
research with anti-cancer potential
E
mploying a simple new technique to
manipulate the sugars that power many
front-line drugs, a team of Wisconsin
scientists, led by Augsburg alumnus Jon S.
Thorson, professor of pharmaceutical
sciences at the University of WisconsinMadison, has enhanced the anti-cancer
properties of a digitalis, a drug commonly
used to treat heart disease.
Reported in the August 8 edition of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, Thorson and the team describe a
series of experiments that boosted the cellkilling potency and tumor specificity of the
drug, derived from the foxglove plant and
used to stimulate the heart. The drug is
suspected to have anti-cancer properties,
but its use to treat cancer has been little
explored.
The new work is important because it
provides scientists and drug companies
with a quick and easy way to manipulate
the sugars found in chemicals produced in
nature.
According to Thorson, the technology
26
can be widely applied: “We’ve already
taken this chemistry and applied it to
many different drug classes. It’s possible to
extend it to antibiotics and antivirals.”
The new technique, according to
Thorson, will play a prominent role in the
new UW National Cooperative Drug
Discovery Group, a consortium of UW
scientists seeking to develop new anticancer drugs from natural products.
Thorson joined the UW School of
Pharmacy in the summer of 2001, and
since moving to UW has been designated
an American Society of Pharmacognosy
Matt Suffness Awardee (2004) and a UW
H.I. Romnes Fellow (2004). From 19962001, Thorson held appointments as an
assistant member of the Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center and assistant
professor of Sloan-Kettering Division, Joan
and Sanford I. Weill Graduate School of
Medical Sciences, Cornell University,
during which he was named a Rita Allen
Foundation Scholar (1998-2002) and
Alfred P. Sloan Fellow (2000-2002).
Augsburg awards, please go to
<www.augsburg.edu/alumni> or call
612-330-1173.
We are in the midst of an exciting
year, and we hope that you’ll join us on
campus for an athletic event, theatre
production, musical performance, or one
of several convocations scheduled this
year. Please save the date for
Homecoming 2006, and bring your
classmates, family, and friends to our
next ever-growing family picnic event on
Saturday, September 30, 2006.
Heidi Breen
Director, Office of Alumni Relations
Two alumni
appointed to
Alumni Board
The Augsburg Alumni Board of
Directors appointed two new members
and elected Karina Karlén ’83 as
president and Barry Vornbrock ’96 MAL
as president-elect. To view the complete
list and photos of board members, visit
<www.augsburg.edu/alumni/board.html>.
The new members are as follows:
Dale E. Hanka ’60
Dale E. Hanka graduated from Augsburg
with a B.S. in Scandinavian studies. He
is a retired teacher, business owner, and
financial planner.
Jamie E. Smith ’04
Jamie E. Smith graduated from Augsburg
with a B.S. in history. He is a real estate
professional at Keller Williams Premier
Realty in Woodbury, Minn.
Winter 2005-06
Alumni Events
Please join us for these upcoming alumni events (see also the college-wide calendar on the
inside back cover for additional Augsburg events); unless otherwise noted, call 612-330-1178
or 1-800-260-6590 or e-mail <alumni@augsburg.edu> for more information.
December
February
10
15
11
Washington, D.C.: Alumni
gathering honoring 2005
Distinguished Alumnus Donald
Mattison ’66, M.D., Watergate
Hotel, Executive Boardroom
(Ballroom Level), 8 p.m.
immediately following the Peace
Prize Forum reception; registration
is limited, please RSVP no later than
Dec. 2 to 612-330-1598 or
<rsvp@augsburg.edu>
McLean, Virginia: President
Frame will speak at Lutheran
Church of the Redeemer,
703-356-3346, 9:45 a.m.
16
19
Auggie Hour at Beaujo’s Wine Bar
& Bistro, 4950 France Ave. S,
Edina, 952-922-8974, 5:30 p.m.,
featuring a wine tasting with Jenn
Tome ’99
Honors Program alumni
gathering, Christensen Center,
5:30-7 p.m.; please RSVP no later
than Jan. 13 to 612-330-1598 or
<rsvp@augsburg.edu>
Scottsdale, Arizona: Alumni
gathering at Winn and Maxine
Wallin’s home, 4-7 p.m.
18
Tucson, Arizona: Gospel Praise at
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church,
520-327-6521, time TBA
19
Tucson, Arizona: President Frame
and Gospel Praise* at Our Savior’s
Lutheran Church, 7:45 a.m.,
*8:45 a.m., and *11:15 a.m.,
520-327-6521
January
10
Sun City, Arizona: President
Frame will speak at American
Lutheran Church, 623-974-2512;
5:15 p.m. gathering and light
supper; 6-6:30 p.m., “Christian
Civility: Is it a Sellout?”
March
26
Annie at the Orpheum: Gather
for brunch on campus prior to a
performance of Annie at the
Orpheum Theater; transportation
provided
FOURTH ANNUAL CONNECTIONS EVENT
Augsburg alumnae are invited to attend Connections—A Women’s Leadership Event, cosponsored by Augsburg and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, on Feb. 11 from 8 a.m.-12:30
p.m. at Thrivent Financial Corporate Offices in downtown Minneapolis.
Presenters at this fourth annual event include Gloria C. Lewis, president/CEO of Big Brothers
Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities and member of the Augsburg Board of Regents; Janice
L. Aune ’88, chairman/CEO of Onvoy, Inc.; and Shira Hussain, senior admissions counselor at
Augsburg College.
This unique event brings together students, alumnae, and women throughout the
community for a morning of networking, mentoring, and leadership development. Please
join us for this incredible morning of empowerment and
encouragement through the experiences and stories of the
amazing women who attend!
For more information and to register online, please visit
<www.augsburg.edu/womenconnect>.
Winter 2005-06
A-Club invites
alumni on Baltic
cruise
The Augsburg A-Club invites alumni and
friends of the College on an exciting and
relaxing 12-day Baltic cruise with hosts
Dick (Porkchops) and Jane Thompson
on the Holland America Rotterdam
Cruise Ship. The adventure begins July
28 in London, England, with stops in
Norway, Denmark, Germany, Estonia,
Russia, Finland, and Sweden. Group
rates range from $2,548 to $4,300 per
person; airfare depends on your city of
origin. If you are interested, call the
alumni office at 612-330-1178. You are
encouraged to book early if you are using
frequent flyer miles for your own air
transportation. Most of the commissions
for this cruise will be donated to the
Augsburg A-Club Building Fund. So
gather a group of Auggies—or honorary
Auggies—and experience a true northern
European adventure!
Business alumni
events
All business alumni are invited to attend
the Department of Business
Administration’s Executive Management
Lecture on March 4 from noon-1 p.m.,
in Christensen Center (speaker TBA).
Alumni are also encouraged to attend the
annual Spring Business Forum (speaker
and date TBA). Please call 612-330-1191
or e-mail <heckers@augsburg.edu> for
more information.
27
Homecoming 2005—Roarin’ & Soarin’ Auggie Style
Augsburg alumni and
friends gathered during
Homecoming week for
the annual Augsburg
Associates Fall
Luncheon at the
Women’s Club in
Minneapolis.
The Auggies’ new head coach, Frank Haege,
walked the sidelines during the Auggies’ nailbiting loss to Carleton College.
Festive Auggie beads in maroon and silver decorated every tree,
building, and statue during Homecoming weekend.
28
Above: The new Auggie Eagle
logo, designed by Augsburg
alumnus Samuel Gross ’03
(see p. 10) was illuminated on
the floor of the gymnasium in
Si Melby Hall during the
athletics celebration.
Left: The Augsburg community
cheered on students who dared
to compete in the comical,
oversized boxing arena at
Homecoming picnic.
President William V. and Anne Frame performed at the student talent show in
true 1920s style.
Winter 2005-06
Photo by Charles Walbridge
The Auggie cheerleaders kept spirits high at the
Homecoming football game despite a disappointing 21-19
loss to Carleton College.
Many students and alumni received Auggie Eagle temporary
tattoos at the Homecoming picnic.
Above: Linnea Evans and Andy
Nelson were crowned as
Homecoming Queen and King.
Left: Simona “Fiery” Williams
wowed everyone at the student
talent show, taking top honors
for her rap performance.
Donald Mattison ’66, one of three alumni honored this
year as Distinguished Alumni (see p. 8), spoke during
the Homecoming chapel service
Winter 2005-06
Photos by
Stephen Geffre
(unless otherwise noted)
29
Homecoming 2005—Roarin’ & Soarin’ Auggie Style
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CLASS OF 1955
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Beverly (Omdahl) Nelson, Agnes (Tweet) Schaper, Beverly (Williams) Lundeen, Miriam (Greguson) Travis, Mary Jean (Danger)
Holmquist, Wenona (Strandlie) Lund, Beverly (Jorgensen) Olander. ROW 2: John Mulliken, Richard Dronen, Delores (Eide) Berkas, Clinton Peterson, Maxine
(Dahlin) Christ, Kenneth West, I. Shelby (Gimse) Andress, Beverly (Halling) Oren. ROW 3: Darrell Egertson, Arthur Lunow, Elmer Karstad, Duane Westfield,
David Skaar, Robert Herman, James Anderson. ROW 4: Robert Sneitzer, Richard Mahre, Wesley Bodin, Wayne Thoreson, John Benson
CLASS OF 1965
(L to R) ROW 1 (floor): Lyndon West. Lyle Olson, Marie (Bergh) Sandbo, Julie (Gudmestad) Laudicina, Joyce (Anderson) Pfaff, Judy (Thompson) Eiler, Gary
Thyren. ROW 2 (chairs): Darryl Carter, Dorothy (Rasmussen) Nelson, Anita (Christopherson) Gransee, Eunice (Bergman) Dietrich, Sharon (Dittbenner)
Klabunde, Adrienne (Strand) Buboltz, Larry Buboltz. ROW 3: Carolyn (Fernstrom) Anderson, Sharon (Kunze) Erickson, Jane (Huseby) Norman, Judith
Reynolds, Wayne Fehlandt, Phyllis Borri, Mary (Tildahl) Meyers, Mary Ann Cogelow. ROW 4: Gerald Dahl, Dale Slone, Gracia Grindal, Bette (Bodin) Leeney,
Karen (Lund) Orrill, Priscilla (Strecker) Feildhammer, Paul Fieldhammer, David Berg, Larry Nelson, Keith Dyrud, Dwight Olson, James Daugherty. ROW 5:
Donald Anderson, Robert Klemenhagen, Robert Lee, Mary Ann Miller, Daniel Meyers, Ronald Blake, David Dyrud. ROW 6: Donald Hoseth, Gerald Hamlin,
Gary Blosberg, Daniel Anderson.
30
Winter 2005-06
CLASS OF 1980
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Lori (Elmgren) Binder, Kristin (Johnson) Hella, Laurie Fyksen-Beise, Christine (Edlund) Luk, Mary Carlson.
ROW 2: Jeffrey Jarnes, Brett Batterson, Carolyn (Johnson) Spargo, Jacqueline (Brookshire) Teisberg, Claudia (Walters) Forsberg,
John Carlson. ROW 3: Paul Sannerud, Jon Burnison, Gary Tangwall.
CLASS OF 1995
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Jonathan Arntz, Lisa (Carlson) Sackreiter, Soven Sackreiter (baby), Andy Sackreiter, Dan
Deitrich, Theresa (Hoar) Magelssen, Trygg Magelssen (baby), Scott Magelssen. ROW 2: Erica Bentley, Amy (Torgelson)
Forsberg, Aubrey Forsberg (little girl), Cory Forsberg, Olin Forsberg (baby), Andrea (Mathieu) Bedard. ROW 3 (back):
Kirk Litynski, Mark Bedard, Nick Bedard (baby).
Winter 2005-06
31
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
1951
John Garland, St. Paul, was
recognized by the American
Institute for CPCU and the
Insurance Institute of America as
an outstanding course leader. He
has served as an institute course
leader for 33 years, and currently
teaches insurance for Hughes
Group, LLC.
Minn., is director of social services
at Rose of Sharon Manor.
1968
1957
Marshall D.
Johnson,
Minneapolis,
published a new
book, The
Evolution of
Christianity:
Twelve Crises that Shaped the
Church, in May (Continuum).
1960
Lois (Richter) Agrimson, Eagan,
Janet Letnes Martin, Hastings,
Minn., and Suzann (Johnson)
Nelson ’68, Grand Rapids,
Minn., were featured in the Star
Tribune for their musical, Church
Basement Ladies, based on their
books celebrating the foods and
traditions of Lutherans. After
successful trial runs in Grand
Rapids, Fargo, St. Cloud, and
Bismarck, the musical is settling
in for a 14-month run at the
Plymouth Playhouse.
1969
Barbara Hagel Stevens, Inver
Grove Heights, Minn., retired in
June; she taught second grade at
Pilot Knob Elementary School in
Eagan for more than 30 years.
childhood experiences of her
grandfather, King Olav V, the
princess has written a tale about
a little boy who becomes a
prince in her first children’s
book, Why Kings and Queens
Don’t Wear Crowns.
1971
1973
Mike Sevig,
Bloomington,
Minn., and his
wife, Else
(Tallaksen) ’71,
operate Skandisk,
Inc., a company
that distributes books and CDs
(especially those related to
Scandinavia) to specialty shops
around the country. Last winter
Skandisk secured the English
language rights to publish a new
fairy tale written by Norway’s
Princess Märtha Louise and
illustrated by one of Norway’s
most celebrated artists, Svein
Nyhus. Drawing from the
Corrine (Froelich) Frank,
Detroit Lakes, Minn., proudly
reports that her son, Corporal
Will A. Frank, is currently
serving in the United States
Marine Corps in San Diego
(Miramar). He has served in
Iraq and will be deployed again
in December. He also plays tuba
in the USMC Band.
Courtsey photo
AUGGIE REUNION
1974
Marlene (Chan) Hui,
Bloomington, Minn., sadly notes
the passing of her mother, Choi
Wan Chan, in September.
1976
Rev. Gary Andersen,
Bloomington, Minn., was
installed as senior pastor of
Community of the Cross
Lutheran Church in June. He
previously served Bethany
Lutheran in Rice Lake, Wis. His
wife, Diane (Forsberg) ’76,
teaches English as a second
language.
1977
These Auggies and their spouses gathered at Chautauqua, N.Y., and stayed at the Anthenaeum Hotel to
share special memories of their 1953-1957 college years. Pictured on the hotel’s porch are: ROW 1 (L to R,
seated): Gayle Engedahl Matson, Doug Herr, Verna Skovholt Barrett, Grace Forss Herr, and Marlys Holm
Thorsgaard. ROW 2 (standing): Norman Matson and Arlen Thorsgaard (not pictured is Roger Barrett).
32
Lise LungeLarsen, Duluth,
Minn., published
her third
children’s book
in August 2004,
Hidden Folk:
Stories of Fairies, Dwarves,
Selkies, and Other Secret Beings
(Houghton Mifflin). LungeLarsen grew up in Norway, and
her parents and grandparents
filled her life with stories of
elves, dwarves, and fairies. Now
she shares those stories with
children and the adults who
read to them.
Winter 2005-06
ALUMNI PROFILE
Stan Waldhauser
100 years young: Community celebrates
Knut Hoversten’s 100th birthday
by Bill Vander Weele
Reprinted by permission of the Sidney Herald in Sidney, Montana
When Knut Hoversten [Class of 1930] was nine months old, he suffered from
whooping cough. In May, he officially celebrated his 100th birthday. In between, there
have been very few illnesses or other physical problems for the longtime Sidney
resident. Because of rheumatism in his knees and hips, Hoversten uses a wheelchair,
but appears to be in excellent health for someone who is a century old. He credits his
long life to a harmonious family and living in Big Sky Country. “I watched my appetite
very closely,” Hoversten said. “I don’t do any drinking or smoking.”
He remembers being an 8-year-old boy and reading about proper diet during his
mother’s trip to the doctor’s office. “I always had food that was tested by proper
nutrition. I kind of studied a balanced diet all through my life. I studied the kind of
vitamins food contained, especially food with good vitamins.”
His daughters say Hoversten’s wife of 65 years, Hazel, also played an important role in
his health. Hazel died in November 2004 at the age of 93. “She took awfully good care
of him,” said daughter Julianne Mell ’64. “She was a nurse and made sure he ate
right.”
During the past year, Hoversten received the shocking news from his dentist that he
had two cavities—the first in his life. Hoversten remembers, “I had to have all of my
baby teeth pulled by a dentist because of the strength of my teeth.”
Hoversten currently lives with his daughter, Carol Anderson, in Spokane, Wash. He
remains busy during the day by reading, visiting friends, and seeing his greatgrandchildren. “My mom and dad used to come out and visit, so it’s been a second
home for him,” Anderson said.
Knut Hoversten celebrated his 100th birthday in
May. Since his graduation from Augsburg in 1930,
more than 40 members of the extended Hoversten
family have also attended, including the family’s
most recent Augsburg graduate, Kari Lucin ’03.
The pair, along with the entire Hoversten clan,
was honored in 2003 with the Distinguished
Service Award.
The oldest of 14 children (eight are still living), Hoversten
attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis. He then went to the
University of Minnesota, where he majored in chemistry, physics, and aeronautics. Years later, he finished his master’s
degree at Montana State University. “He still reads and has been a student all his life,” said his daugher, Mell.
Hoversten can speak several languages, including Norwegian, German, Greek, Latin, and French. “The best resources
of medical sources are in German and Russian,” Hoversten said.
He feels the greatest advances during his life came in the physics and medicine fields. “It started out pulling slivers
out of your hand with a tweezers, and turned into working with DNA,” Hoversten said.
Knut Hoversten ’30
He experienced many highlights during his 40 years of teaching. One memory he shared was building a rocket with a
student in the 1950s and setting the rocket off from the baseball field. “It went pretty high,” he said. That student
was Kendall Habedank, who is now a retired major general from the Air Force.
Many students are thankful that Hoversten went into the teaching field. He was hoping to become a doctor, but because of the Depression,
he couldn’t continue his education. “I ran out of money,” he said.
“But I think his teaching was rewarding,” Mell said. “He was meant to be a teacher. I think he influenced more people than he would had he
been a doctor.”
Hoversten’s non-teaching activities included being a member of the Sidney Kiwanis Club for 58 years, a member of Pella Lutheran Church
for 59 years, and director of the Methodist Church choir for 30 years. His many years of retirement featured teaching Norwegian at the Sons
of Norway and working as a piano tuner. “I’ve got a good reputation in all of the area for being a good piano tuner.”
When asked if he ever thought he would celebrate his 100th birthday, Hoversten said, “No. But I didn’t object to it.”
Winter 2005-06
33
Class Notes
Courtsey photo
AUGGIES ABROAD
AUGSBURG CENTENNIAL SINGERS
2006 FLORIDA APPEARANCES
Concert Performances
FEBRUARY 1
Trinity Lutheran Church and School
3016 S. Vine St., Kissimmee, Fla., 407-847-4204; 7 p.m.
FEBRUARY 2
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
800 Tamiami Trail S, Venice, Fla., 941-488-4942; 7 p.m.
FEBRUARY 4
Peace Lutheran Church
15840 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, Fla.; 6:30 p.m. (time tentative)
FEBRUARY 5
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
777 Mooring Lane Dr., Naples, Fla., 239-597-1043; 3 p.m.
FEBRUARY 6
First Presbyterian Church
9751 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs, Fla., 239-992-3233;
3 and 7 p.m.
FEBRUARY 7
Grace Lutheran Church
327 C Ave. SE, Winter Haven, Fla., 863-293-8447; 7 p.m.
Church Appearances
FEBRUARY 5
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
777 Mooring Lane Dr., Naples, Fla., 239-597-1043; 8, 9:30,
and 11 a.m.
Hisham Al-Fergiani, an Augsburg alumnus from the 1970s,
stands in the bookshop and press that he owns in Tripoli, Libya,
called Dar Al-Fergiani Publishers.
FEBRUARY 5
First Presbyterian Church
9751 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs, Fla., 239-992-3233;
8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
1979
1983
1984
1985
Judy Berkeland, Fairmont,
Minn., recently became the
Fairmont Area Schools’ new
orchestra director. Her husband,
Steve ’79, is senior pastor of
Grace Lutheran Church.
Les Heen and Barbara
(Westerlund) ’89, Maynard,
Minn., are enjoying life in the
country, “with nothing but room
to run, hills to roll down, and
stars in the sky to find through
the telescope,” says Barbara. Les
is director of communications
for Minnesota Farmer’s Union,
located in St. Paul, and Barbara
is an estate and businessplanning attorney, operating her
own law practice in Maynard.
They have two children,
Christopher, 7, and Erik, 4.
Laurie (Lindell) Miles, Apple
Valley, Minn., recently moved
back to Minnesota from
California. She is a sales
representative at Northwest
Airlines.
Norm Okerstrom and John
Wahlberg ’86, owners of Excel
Promotions, LLC, have entered
into an agreement with Prime
Advertising & Design, Inc., of
Maple Grove, Minn., as an
exclusive provider of promotional
products, apparel, and corporate
recognition items. Okerstrom and
Wahlberg can be reached at
<norm@excelpromo.com>.
1980
Bradley J. Imsdahl left his
position as lead publisher of
Quickfinder Handbooks,
published by Practitioner’s
Publishing Company of Fort
Worth, Texas, to start a new
publishing company called Tax
Materials, Inc. His new company
publishes quick reference tax
guides to sell to CPAs and other
tax professionals nationwide. He
can be reached at
<brad@thetaxbook.com>.
34
Franklin Tawah was featured
as a “mover” in the business
section of the St. Paul Pioneer
Press. He is assistant vice
president of University Bank in
St. Paul.
Elizabeth (Ingersoll)
Swanson, Minneapolis, received
the Master of Sacred Music
degree with an emphasis on
conducting from Luther
Seminary in May. She currently
serves as the choir director for
Glen Cary Lutheran Church in
Ham Lake, Minn.; she plans to
become ordained as an associate
in ministry and seek a call as a
full-time cantor/music director in
the Twin Cities.
Jean Taylor, Eagan, Minn., was
elected to serve on the board of
directors for Piper Jaffray
Companies. Taylor is president
of Taylor Corporation and serves
as chair of the Augsburg College
Board of Regents. She also serves
on the board of directors for the
Minnesota Private College
Council and is a trustee of the
Glen A. Taylor Foundation.
Winter 2005-06
AUGSBURG ARTISTS
Amy Rice ’93 is known in the Twin Cities’ art community for her bold
stencil creations, inspired as much by pop art and Japanese printmaking as
the graffiti art movement. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has cited Rice’s
mural work as an example of how art has participated in the rebirth of
Franklin Avenue. Rice is also known locally for her advocacy role on the
behalf of artists with mental illness and recently received a national award
for her efforts.
Rice is a member of the Rosalux Collective, a vibrant and growing community
of Twin Cities’ artists. Her work will be on display at the Rosalux Gallery’s
upcoming Holiday Hoopla exhibit, Dec. 3-30 (opening reception Dec. 10, 7-11
p.m.). For more information and to view more of Rice’s work, visit the
Rosalux Gallery online at <www.rosaluxgallery.com>.
Mural on 11th and Franklin, Minneapolis, fall 2003
1986
Michael Berry was named
executive vice president and
chief financial officer of Dallasbased i2 Technologies, Inc. He
previously served as senior vice
president of Solutions
Management at The Reynolds
and Reynolds Company, Inc.
1987
Andrew Altenburg, New
York, produces and hosts
fundraising events through his
company, Will Clark USA,
which raises money for and
awareness of AIDS causes under
the umbrella name Bad Boys
Events. He produced the Fifth
Annual Bad Boys Pool Party in
Palm Springs, Calif., in May,
Winter 2005-06
Fisher Price Angel
Spray paint and acrylic on canvas, 6” x 6”
which raised $64,000 for L.A.
Shanti, a nonprofit HIV/AID
support organization in Los
Angeles. He also executive
produced a series of weekend
events that brought another
$13,000 to various Californiabased nonprofits. In the past
eight years, Altenburg has been
directly responsible for nearly a
million dollars raised for gay
men’s health organizations such
as Magnet and the AIDS
Emergency Fund in San
Francisco and the Gay/Lesbian
Anti Violence Project and Visual
AIDS in New York. He currently
hosts a weekly bingo game at the
9th Ave. Bistro in New York,
which raises money for AIDS
organizations, gay sports groups,
and community organizations
such as the Gay Men’s Chorus.
Lisa Martin-Crawford,
Minneapolis, received a 2005
Association of Schools of Public
Health Minority Fellowship to
support her study of the
experience of Ojibway
adolescents with Type II diabetes
who live on reservations. The
goal of the two-year study is to
improve preventive health care.
The fellowship is one of only
four public health fellowships
made annually by the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention. Martin-Crawford is a
doctoral student at the
University of Minnesota School
of Nursing, and is an enrolled
member of the Lac du Flambeau
Tribe, an Ojibway tribe in
Northern Wisconsin.
Meghan with Olivia
Mixed media, 24” x 48”
1988
Jim Damiani, Plymouth, Minn.,
was featured in the Twin Cities
Business Journal as a recipient of
its “Forty under 40” honor.
Damiani, who serves as vice
president of Bloomington-based
Welsh Cos., has secured more
than 1,500 real estate
transactions in the past two
decades. He got his start in real
estate rehabbing old apartment
buildings while still a student at
Augsburg.
1989
Dawn Givans-Lander, Los
Angeles, is a busy stay-at-home
mom with 2-year-old twin boys.
She is launching a hair salon/spa
next spring.
35
Class Notes
1990
Courtsey photo
KOLANDER-MCCUNE WEDDING
Dave Frisell, Bloomington,
Minn., is Kennedy High School’s
new head football coach. He also
teaches physical education at
Kennedy and at Oak Grove
Middle School.
Alex Gonzalez,
Bloomington,
Minn., earned the
title of financial
consultant for
Thrivent
Financial for
Lutherans after successfully
completing extensive training. He
is one of 450 financial
consultants nationwide qualifying
for membership in the group.
Judith A. Lemke was named
executive vice president and chief
information officer at Schneider
National, Inc., in Green Bay, Wis.
She previously served as CIO of
Capella University in
Minneapolis and as vice president
of the Midwest region for
Minneapolis-based BORN
Information Services, Inc.
Holly Kolander ’96 married Chris McCune in March 2004 at
Orange Tree Golf Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. Holly taught 4th
grade, but now stays home to care for their four-month-old twin
daughters (see their birth announcement on p. 38).
Courtsey photo
BOLDEN-FIELDS WEDDING
1991
Penny R. Olson, Richfield,
Minn., received the Master of
Divinity degree from Luther
Seminary in May. Before entering
the seminary, she worked as a
registrar, data processor, health
consultant, and health unit
coordinator at hospitals and
medical centers in Minneapolis
and St. Louis Park. She plans to
serve as an ELCA parish pastor.
Carolyn Pool, Minneapolis,
originated the lead in the world
premiere of Paula Cizmar’s play,
Bone Dry, aka the Copy Editor
Murders, at the Jungle Theater. A
writer in the Star Tribune recently
described her as a “dynamo of
the stage.”
1992
Trena Bolden ’00 married Jerome Fields ’00 in August. Trena
serves as director of Augsburg’s Pan-Afrikan Center.
36
Walt Filson, Brooklyn Center,
Minn., teaches law enforcement
for Anoka-Hennepin ISD #11; he
is pursuing a master’s degree in
criminal justice.
Ladd Ojala, Minneapolis,
competed in an Ironman
competition this summer in
British Columbia, Canada.
1994
Susan (Horning) Arntz,
Waconia, Minn., recently
received the International
City/County Management
Association (ICMA)’s
Credentialed Manager
designation. Arntz, a member of
Augsburg’s Alumni Board of
Director’s, is city administrator
of the City of Waconia. She also
serves as chair of the
Leadership ICMA Committee,
and previously served as
assistant city manager for the
City of New Brighton and as
assistant to the
administrator/economic
development coordinator for
the City of Chaska.
1995
Jason Shaver was appointed as
director of broadcasting and
corporate sales by the Iowa Stars
hockey team. Shaver, who was
the vice president of
communications and the playby-play voice of the Texas
Wildcatters the past two seasons,
will be the play-by-play voice of
the Dallas Stars American
Hockey League affiliate.
1998
Camille Carnes, San Rafael,
Calif., received a Master of
Education with a concentration
in equity and social justice in
May from San Francisco State
University. She is currently
working with high-risk youth
in a young women’s
empowerment program. She
can be reached at
<camillecarnes@sbcglobal.net>.
Stephanie Simones, New
Berlin, Wis., married Jeff
Wehrman in May 2004. She
teaches at St. Mathias Catholic
School, and enjoys running and
biking in road races, marathons,
and triathlons.
Winter 2005-06
Courtsey photo
STENSVAAG-DARDA WEDDING
Brenda Selander, Champlin,
Minn., married Ted Mitshulis in
June. They met at Anoka High
School, where they teach and
coach.
2003
Eric Bretheim, Edina, Minn.,
married Kelly Anne Lewis in July.
Eric is a transportation logistics
coordinator for Cargill.
Ken McCann, Eden Prairie,
Minn., works for Target Financial
Services.
Shawn Smith was added to the
2005-06 pre-season roster of the
Fort Wayne Komets—five-time
United Hockey League
champions.
2004
Rebecca Stensvaag ’01 married Paul Darda ’01 in July 2004. Paul is a history teacher and assistant
wrestling coach at Champlin Park High School, and Rebecca teaches 3rd grade at Johnsville Elementary
School. Their wedding photo features more than 30 Augsburg alumni. Pictured here are: ROW 1 (L to
R, front): Cindy Blummer ’01, Emma Stansvaag ’08, Ruth Casperson ’67, Hannah Mehus Stensvaag ’38,
Rebecca Stensvaag Darda ’01, Paul Darda ’01, Nancy Strommen Stensvaag ’71, John-Mark Stensvaag
’69, Stephanie Johnson Sulzbach ’71, John Sulzbach ’69, Jean Boxrud Steen. ROW 2: Roland ’03, Tjersti
Strommen ’07, Adam Thronson ’00, Marsha Strommen Olson ’68, Dawn Hofstad Strommen ’70. ROW 4:
Peter Strommen ’69, Mary Nelson Eckberg ’70, Brad Fischer ’03, Heidi Peterson ’03, Mark Peterson ’01,
Mary Ellen Strommen Lieber ’67, Tim Strommen ’70. ROW 5: John Eckberg ’68, Ainy Carlson, Jeroy
Carlson ’48, Phil Edstrom ’69, Luther Strommen ’40, Steve Strommen ’65.
1999
Tony Hudson, Minneapolis, is
the diversity achievement
coordinator at Sandburg Middle
School in Golden Valley, Minn.
He recently received a master’s
degree in education
administration from St. Mary’s.
Rachel
(Westhed)
Stenback
resides in
Sweden with her
husband, Tomas.
She received a
master’s degree in enthnology
from Uppsala University in
Uppsala, Sweden. She recently
co-wrote the resources section of
a new book, On My Swedish
Island: Discovering the Secrets of
Scandinavian Well-being, by Julie
Catterson Lindahl (Teacher
Winter 2005-06
Penguin), and she has worked
on marketing the book—both in
Scandinavia and the United
States. She and her husband,
who is a math and science
teacher, have been offered
English teaching positions in
China starting next August
through the Lutheran Church in
Sweden (Svenska kyrkan).
Stenbak can be reached at
<rachel.stenbak@home.se>.
2000
Larissa (Westfield) Larson
along with her sister, Rebecca
Westfield ’03, launched
Ensemble, a women’s clothing
and accessories boutique in the
Linden Hills neighborhood of
Minneapolis. The sisters and the
boutique were featured in the
September issue of Women’s
Business Minnesota magazine.
Marcia Volk, Rosemount,
Minn., married Brian Marrison
last December.
2001
Conor E. Tobin, St. Paul,
received a juris doctor degree
from William Mitchell College of
Law in June. While attending
William Mitchell, Tobin served
as president of the Student Bar
Association and was a recipient
of the CALI Award of Excellence
for his work in the Immigration
Law Clinic.
2002
Chris Kambeitz recently moved
from Fargo, N.Dak., to Carver,
Minn. He works in sales with
Summit Products North, and can
be reached at <cgkambeitz@
yahoo.com>.
Erica Champer, Chicago, works
at Heartland Housing.
Kelly L. Chapman is a student
at Fashion Institute Design &
Merchandising in Los Angeles.
She is working and interning for
Ali Rahinii, owner and designer
of Mon Atelier. After graduation
in December, she hopes to enroll
in the institute’s third-year
program.
Rick Dzurik is a music therapist,
working with patients at the
North Memorial Residential
Hospice in Brooklyn Center,
Minn., on the North Memorial
Inpatient Hospice and Palliative
Care Unit and with Hospice
Homecare patients.
Brian Eayrs is pursuing a
master’s degree in sports
administration at the University
of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where
he serves as graduate assistant to
the defensive coordinator of the
UW-L Eagles’ football team. His
father, Mike Eayrs ’72, once
served as the Eagles’ offensive
coordinator; he now serves as
director of research and
development for the Green Bay
Packers (he also served 16 years
in the same capacity for the
Minnesota Vikings).
37
Class Notes
Dayle VanderLeest,
Minneapolis, is serving as a
long-term substitute secondgrade teacher at Cedar Riverside
Community School in
Minneapolis.
2005
Brad Schwartzbauer is the
new Mounds View, Minn., boys’
hockey coach. He was an allconference player and captain at
Augsburg, and played in the
Colorado Rockies’ minor league
system.
Births/Adoptions
Mark Muhich ’89 and Allison,
Eveleth, Minn.—a son,
Brennan, on St. Patrick’s Day.
He joins older brother Quinn, 4.
Mark owns Muhich Law Firm in
Virginia, Minn., and teaches
legal-related courses at Mesabi
Range Community and
Technical College in Virginia. He
can be reached at <mamuhich@
rangenet.com>.
Rich Blumer ’95
and his wife,
Heather, Maple
Grove, Minn.—
a daughter,
Amanda Jane,
in February. She
joins older brother Carson, 2.
Rich is an applications
consultant for US Bank.
Ryan Carlson
’96 and his wife,
Lauren, St.
Paul—a son,
Quintus (Quin)
Joseph, in
September. Ryan
is a senior manufacturing
manager for Seagate in
Bloomington and Lauren is a
scientist for Ecolab in Eagan.
They can be reached at
<rc_and_lauren@yahoo.com>.
Holly
(Kolander)
’96 and Chris
McCune,
Scottsdale,
Ariz.—twin daughters, Sierra
and Malayna, in June (see
Holly and Chris’ wedding photo
on p. 36).
Ann
(Gallagher) ’96
and Lee
Stephenson
’06, Sturgeon
Lake, Minn.—
a daughter,
Laura Ann, in May. She joins
older sister, Grace. Ann and Lee
received master’s degrees from
St. Mary’s University.
Amy
(Gustafson) ’97
and Ross
Albertson, South
St. Paul—a son,
Max Andrew,
in June. Amy
teaches 6th grade for South
Washington County Schools.
Leah (Holloway) ’99 and Kevin
Rudeen, Vadnais Heights,
Minn.—a son, Zachary John, in
June. Leah is a research
consultant with John H. Harland
Company in Roseville.
Jennifer (Crego) ’00 and Chad
Carls ’00, Oak Grove, Minn.—a
son, Brock David, in April. He
joins older brothers Tommy, 3,
and Andrew, 1. In addition to
teaching chemistry and physics
at Champlin Park High School,
Chad also sells real estate.
Jennifer and Chad can be
reached at
<chadcarls@yahoo.com>.
Amy (Stier)
’01 and Jeff
Eppen, Belle
Plaine,
Minn.—
a daughter, Courtney Breanne,
in February.
Stefanie (Lindell) ’98 and
Bruce Lender ’98, St. Paul—
a son, Samuel, this year.
Courtesy photo
ALUMNI PROFILE
Laura McGowan ’03: Study-abroad seminar
inspires future service
Written by Lynn Mena; interviewed by Betsey Norgard
After participating in an Augsburg Center for Global Education seminar to Namibia during her
senior year, Laura McGowan ’03 was so inspired by her experience that she pledged to one day
return to Africa. This summer, she landed upon an opportunity to spend six weeks volunteering
at Beautiful Gate Namibia, an international, interdenominational Christian organization providing
daycare and support to children and families in need. Located in Katutura, Windhoek, Namibia,
the center provides emotional, spiritual, and physical care to these children, and supports their
families and communities by giving practical assistance.
“I just started doing whatever they needed—sharpening pencils, cleaning, making food,” said
McGowan. “It took a bit of time for me to put into perspective what I was doing, and I started to
realize that what I might ordinarily consider menial tasks were genuinely helping to make the
staff’s lives easier as well as to serve these kids. I may not be up there in front of the class
teaching, but what I’m doing is needed just as much.”
Laura McGowan ’03 posed with one of
the children at Beautiful Gate, a
daycare center in Namibia where
McGowan volunteered for six weeks
this past summer.
McGowan, who teaches 9th-grade history at Northview Junior High in Brooklyn Park, Minn.,
formed a special bond with a young girl named Queen whom she provided one-on-one tutoring.
She also traveled with staff to various homes to perform needs assessments as well as to provide support.
Upon returning to Minnesota, McGowan was immediately struck by the multitude of opportunities available to children and students in the
United States as compared to those at Beautiful Gate. “Even though many of my students are at or below the poverty level, I started to realize
that even for them, in comparison, there is tremendous opportunity here,” said McGowan. “And so now I really have a drive to make sure
the kids I teach realize and have access to those opportunities.”
38
Winter 2005-06
In Memoriam
M. Glendora Dueland ’29,
Slater, Iowa, died in April; she
was 98. She taught in public
schools in Minnesota and
eventually entered public service
in Washington, D.C., working
for various government
departments. She retired back to
Slater, where she was active in
the historical society. Dueland
was a longtime supporter of the
College and generously included
Augsburg in her estate plans.
Joseph E. Erickson ’37,
Mukilteo, Wash., died in
February; he was 91. He was a
retired farmer and missionary,
known to many as the “singing
farmer” for his singing ministry,
which he shared during his
mission trips to more than 50
countries.
Norman Myrvik ’38, Brooklyn,
N.Y., died in August 2004; he
was 91. He was an opera singer,
composer, choral conductor,
opera impresario, radio host,
record producer, and teacher.
His Town Hall debut was
followed by many engagements
with opera companies and
symphony orchestras, as well as
leading roles on NBC’s Opera of
the Air and recitals in major U.S.
cities. In 1967 he founded the
Brooklyn Lyric Opera Company
at the Brooklyn Academy of
Music, which received glowing
reviews from The New York
Times. In 1962 his recording of
Charles Griffes and Edvard
Grieg songs won praise from The
New York Times, The Atlantic,
and High Fidelity. Myrvik hosted
Opera Stars of Tomorrow for
many years on WNYC Radio,
and held teaching positions at
Lehman and Kingsborough
colleges.
Rev. Grant H. Olson ’40,
Seminole, Fla. (formerly of
Minneapolis), died in August; he
was 90. He formed two churches
in Washington and served
Minneapolis at Lebanon
Lutheran Church for 26 years.
In 1984 he joined the Lutheran
Winter 2005-06
Synod staff in Tampa and later
became chaplain at Palms of
Pasadena Hospital and Bay Pines
VA Medical Center, retiring in
1999.
Agnes (Landsverk)
Torbenson ’41, Detroit Lakes,
Minn., died in July. She was a
retired English teacher.
Sylvia (Brandt) Sateren ’47,
Indio, Calif., died in May. She
was a retired choral music
teacher and a 1996 inductee into
the Augsburg Athletic Hall of
Fame.
Marvin Larson ’50, Carrollton,
Texas, died in September 2004.
He and his wife, Elaine, built
three Home Mission churches in
Circle Pines, French River, and
Keewatin (all Minn.) and spent
six years in Guadalajara,
Mexico, serving as missionaries
before moving to the
Texas/Mexico border town of
McAllen to open an
English/Spanish Bible bookstore.
Prior to his retirement, Larson
also taught high school building
trades and did cabinetry work.
Arthur J. Cote, Jr., ’54,
Columbia Heights, Minn., died
in September; he was 82.
Dale Erdahl ’54, Sioux Falls,
S.Dak., died in May; he was 73.
In addition to farming for more
than 20 years, he was a two-time
Minnesota legislator and an
employment counselor for the
State of Minnesota.
Rev. Glen C. Eveland ’56,
Backus, Minn., died in July
2004; he was 71. In his 38-year
ministry, he served churches in
Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Paul L. Nyhus ’57, Brunswick,
Maine, died in August of brain
cancer; he was 70. He was
former Bowdoin College dean of
students, dean of the college,
and Frank Andrew Munsey
Professor of History emeritus. As
dean of students from 1969 to
1974, he encouraged and
protected diversity among
students and faculty, participated
in the founding of the Afro-
American Society and the
establishment of co-education,
and dealt with such crises as the
student strike of 1970 to protest
the bombing of Cambodia. As
dean of the college from 1975 to
1980 and again in the fall of
1987, he continued to work on
the goals established earlier, and
participated in the debates that
lead to Bowdoin’s divestment of
investments in companies
operating in apartheid South
Africa in 1985. Nyhus retired
last year after 38 years of
service. Prior to Bowdoin as a
graduate student at Harvard, he
participated in the second march
to Montgomery, Alabama,
organized by Martin Luther
King, Jr., an experience that
forever shaped and strengthened
Nyhus’ commitment to civil
liberties and racial equality.
Nyhus was a named an
Augsburg Distinguished
Alumnus in 1978.
Rev. Glenn O. Davidson ’58,
Pine Island, Minn., died in
December 2004; he was 73. He
was ordained at Central
Lutheran Church in Minneapolis
and later served 10 years in
parish ministry in Wisconsin
and as a pastoral counselor
throughout Wisconsin for 20
years, retiring in 1995.
Marilyn Rogers ’61,
Minneapolis, died in March of
complications from post-polio
syndrome; she was 64. Despite
spending much of the past 55
years in an iron lung, she lived
an active and inspired life. In the
1970s, she helped start the
United Handicapped Federation,
which worked with the
Minnesota Legislature to
improve access for people with
disabilities.
James R. Quick ’71,
Bloomington, Minn., died in
September; he was 72. A retired
social worker, he also served in
the Air Force during the Korean
War and was a singer and
former Golden Gloves boxer.
Rev. Daniel D. Rudquist ’71,
Arden Hills, Minn., died in
August; he was 55. He was
ordained in 1976, and served the
parishes of Sillerud and Trinity in
Balaton, Minn., and Redeemer
Lutheran in Fridley, Minn.
Charlotte M. Granite ’97,
Freeport, Minn., died in July of
cancer; she was 42. She worked
as a physician assistant for the
Paynesville Area Health System
and the St. Cloud Medical Group
(Cold Spring office), and served
in the 134th Forward Support
Battalion of the Army National
Guard.
Rev. Dr. Karl H. Brevik, Indian
Wells, Calif., died in October
2003; he was 75. He taught
religion courses at Augsburg in
the 1950s, during which time he
served as a parish minister at
Central Lutheran Church.
Katherine A. Hennig,
Minneapolis, died in October; she
was 94. An Augsburg professor of
emerita of music, she also taught
voice at the College of St.
Catherine and Hamline
University. She was a soloist with
the Minnesota Orchestra and also
performed with the Minnesota
Opera Company. In New York,
she obtained the lead on the
Broadway stage in Allegro and a
role on Broadway’s 46th Street
Theater in the musical Arms and
the Girl. She also appeared in a
14-week engagement at Radio
City Music Hall.
Elvira Carlson Springer,
Golden Valley, Minn., died in
July; she was 93. She was a
dietician and teacher at Augsburg
during WWII.
Nels Stanley “Stan” Stake,
Wayzata, Minn., died in January;
he was 87. A former regent of
Augsburg, he was a longtime
employee of Honeywell. His
career took him from his
hometown of Chicago to
Pittsburgh and finally to
Minneapolis, retiring as senior
vice president of the Commercial
Buildings Group.
39
AUGGIE
THOUGHTS
Auggie Thoughts
Making cultural choices
by Dulmaa Enkhchuluun ’04
Courtesy photo
Dulmaa Enkhchuluun, or “Enkee,” as he explains below, is a 2004 Augsburg graduate who majored
in international relations. He now works for the Mongolian Parliament, handling international
communications, especially from international organizations. The following is excerpted, with his
permission, from a piece he wrote for a Star Tribune blog.
I
over. He had more electronic
am a 26-year-old Mongolian male,
equipment than my whole school
and everyone calls me Enkee. My
had in Mongolia.
full name is Dulmaa Enkhchuluun.
I learned about the value of
Under the Mongolian system, we
choice and the abuse of choice. I
only have one name, but my
had to select those things that
mother’s name is Dulmaa and out of
could help my family and country,
honor to her, I use her name as my
and I had to avoid the excess.
first name or what you would call
Having choice was worthless unless
my family name. She gave me the
I could use the choices wisely. I
personal name Enkhchuluun,
learned that I would never have
which comes from two Mongolian
more food than I could eat, that I
words, enkh meaning peace and
could never have more equipment
chuluun meaning stone. She hoped
than I could use, and that I would
that in a world of great uncertainty
buy only what I needed. I also
I would be as strong as stone but
Dulmaa Enkhchuluun ’04, or “Enkee,” walks through fields in
made a promise to myself to remain
also as peaceful as a stone.
his native Mongolia, with the sacred mountain Burkhan
as strong as a rock and as peaceful
I came to Minnesota to pursue
Khaldun in the distance behind him.
as a rock in America. In order to
my B.A. degree. It was my first trip
remain strong, I would walk or ride
abroad, and I had no idea how the
to have as much pop, milk, or tea as I
the bike that my host family gave me,
American academic system functioned or
wanted. Just walking into the cafeteria
even in the coldest weather.
even how Americans lived. I knew that
gave me more choices in food than I was
In five years I learned to be an
the images I saw on television and in
accustomed to making in a whole year
American in some parts of my life and
films did not represent real life in
back in Mongolia.
even in some parts of my heart, and yet I
America, but I had no idea what to
I came to America with one small
strove to remain a Mongol and to be my
expect aside from those images.
suitcase. I kept everything that I had in
mother’s son. I wanted to return home to
I thought of America as a large, powerful
it. Each piece of clothing was folded
Mongolia with the best education and
country associated with democracy and,
exactly as my mother taught me. My pen,
training that America had to offer, but I
of course, Hollywood.
pencil, and notebook were each carefully
wanted to be the strong and peaceful
My introduction to American life
wrapped, and I treasured them. By
man that mother intended me to be.
came through the college experience. I
contrast, my roommate had a roomful of
After all, in giving me the name
was delighted by the great choice of food.
stuff. He owned more books than a
Enkhchuluun, she gave me my destiny
On campus and within a few blocks, I
library, yet he never seemed to read. He
and my character, I wanted to live up to
could find pizzas, hamburgers, French
had enough music CDs for a music store,
her hopes for me.
fries, and the drink machines allowed me
but he played the same one over and
40
Winter 2005-06
CCalendar
ALENDAR
Music
February 16
For music information, call 612-330-1265
The Guthrie Theater: An Organization in
Transition
December 2-3
26th Annual Advent Vespers
5 and 8 p.m. service each night
Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
A conversation with Tom Proehl, managing
director, Guthrie Theater
7 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
January 27-29
Exhibits
Gospel Praise Tour
For gallery information, call 612-330-1524
Performances in southern Minnesota
November 4-December 18
February 5
Recent Works
Gregory Fitz and Jake Keeler
Gospel Praise Concert
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Artist gallery talk: Dec. 8, noon
10 a.m.—Woodlake Lutheran Church
Richfield, Minn.
February 17
Gospel Praise Concert
4 p.m.—MMEA Conference
Convention Center, Minneapolis
Fragments: Glimpses of History
and Place
Thomas Westbrook
February 28
Trio Concert
Featuring Mary Horozaniecki, violin;
Jim Jacobsen, cello; Jill Dawe, piano
7 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
Theatre
For ticket information, call 612-330-1257
February 4-12
The Illusion
By Tony Kushner
Directed by Martha Johnson
Feb. 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11 at 7 p.m.;
Feb. 5 and 12 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
January 25-May 20
January 13-February 17
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Opening reception: Jan. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Featuring five collegiate women’s choruses
including Augsburg’s Riverside Singers
4 p.m.—St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church
Mahtomedi, Minn.
“Being Global
Citizens; Living a
Legacy”
1 p.m.—Hoversten
Chapel, Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1022
For more information, visit
<www.augsburg.edu/ais/filmseries> or
call 612-330-1523
Gospel Praise Concert
WomanVoice Concert
Martin Luther King
Jr. Convocation
Augsburg Native American Film Series
Sculptural installations by Barbara
Claussen
February 26
January 16
Christensen Center Art Gallery
February 18-19
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church
Tucson, Ariz.
you work and live. A continental breakfast
is served, no reservations are needed.
7 a.m., first Wednesday each month, St.
Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church,
Plymouth, Minn. For speaker
information, contact Pastor John
Hogenson at <jhogenson@spdlc.org> or
John Knight at <faith@augsburg.edu>.
Photography by Terry Gydesen
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Opening reception: Jan. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
February 24-March 31
Sculpture by Jane Frees-Kluth
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Opening reception: Feb. 24
February 14
Dana Gioia
Poet, critic, and
bestselling author.
Part of the Augsburg
Convocation Series:
Global Citizens/Local
Citizens.
11 a.m.—“American Poetry in a
Violent War”
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1180
Mixed media by Mary Bergs
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Opening reception: Feb. 24
Other Events
December 2
Seminars,
Lectures,
and Films
December 7-May 3
FAITH@WORK Monthly Series
FAITH@WORK is a monthly meeting of
business professionals featuring speakers to
help you grow as a leader so that you can
more effectively live out your faith where
Annual Velkommen Jul Celebration
10:15 a.m.—Chapel Service, Hoversten
Chapel, Foss Center
11 a.m.-2 p.m.—Scandinavian treats and
gifts, Christensen Center
February 11
Connections—A Women’s Leadership
Event
See p. 27 for more details
Send us your news
and photos!
Please tell us about the news in
your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget
to send photos!
For news of a death, printed
notice is required, e.g. an
obituary, funeral notice, or
program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or
change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes,
Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
MN, 55454, or e-mail to
<alumni@augsburg.edu>.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Is this a new address? ■ Yes ■ No ________________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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If yes, class year_______________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Your news: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Summer 2005
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 67, No. 4
EEditor’s
DITOR’Snote
NOTE
Staying connected
I
t seems the talk everywhere is about
being “connected.” There’s the daily
media buzz about camera phones, text
messagi... Show more
A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Summer 2005
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 67, No. 4
EEditor’s
DITOR’Snote
NOTE
Staying connected
I
t seems the talk everywhere is about
being “connected.” There’s the daily
media buzz about camera phones, text
messaging, chat rooms, etc., but here on
campus the conversations focus more on
meaningful ways to help our alumni stay
connected to the College.
While I was thinking about all of this,
we received the sad news of the death of
Augsburg’s President Emeritus Oscar
Anderson. It was a quote included in a
newspaper article that sparked more
thinking about connections. In 1983, while
speaking about liberal arts education,
Anderson said that students needed to be
as familiar with Captain Ahab in Moby
Dick as with the computer HAL in 2001: A
Space Odyssey. “The computer is an
extension of the brain, not a substitute for
the mind.”
To me, this really tells us that as we
become more proficient in maintaining the
technological connections, we should
remember that it’s the fostering of deeper
relationships that make people want to
stay involved in the life and future of
Augsburg. It’s the difference between being
brain-connected and being heartconnected. Like family members who grow
up and move away, we hope our students
will leave us wanting to stay involved in
what goes on at this place.
We hope this relationship begins with
the very first impression a high school
junior gets as he or she is led around
campus, and with each stop increasingly
thinks, “This is the place I really want to
be.” Or, when a full-time nurse or a stayat-home mom hangs up the phone, excited
about the prospect of finishing college
after receiving lots of encouragement from
an admissions counselor.
Once students are on campus, they
discover many opportunities to forge this
kind of relationship—with classmates,
with athletic teammates, with professors in
classrooms and labs, with academic
advisers, and with people they meet as
they explore the world off campus.
Each year at Commencement, we send
off our graduates confident that they’ll take
their learning in directions that bring
meaning to their lives. We fervently hope
they stay in touch.
After that the connections become
more tenuous. Work and family life take
over, and again we hope that somehow
Augsburg fits into their careers and
activities.
This summer issue of the Now speaks
to this whole process of building Augsburg
relationships and keeping the “family”
connected. You’ll share the excitement of
the 600 graduates we sent off in May with
Augsburg diplomas. You’ll be encouraged
to return to campus for Homecoming
festivities to catch up with old friends and
connect with our current students.
In the feature stories, you’ll meet
bright, young music scholars who have
graduated and followed their hearts and
talents to places far and near. You’ll also
meet students and faculty in our
Mathematics Department, and learn how
math studies and career exploration go
hand-in-hand in a very personal process.
And, you’ll read about some very
remarkable donors to our Access to
Excellence campaign—both Augsburg
alumni and others—who are committed to
building exceptional opportunities for
future students.
Alumni president Bill Vanderwall sums
it up at the end of his column, “Be
connected—stay connected!” And I’ll add,
“Stay heart-connected!”
Betsey Norgard
Editor
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Class Notes Coordinator
Sara Kamholz ’04
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
President
William V. Frame
Director of Alumni and
Parent Relations
Amy Sutton
Director of Public Relations
and Communication
Dan Jorgensen
Opinions expressed in
Augsburg Now do not necessarily
reflect official College policy.
ISSN 1058–1545
Postmaster: Send address
corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
Augsburg College, as affirmed in its
mission, does not discriminate on
the basis of race, color, creed,
religion, national or ethnic origin,
age, gender, sexual orientation,
marital status, status with regard to
public assistance, or disability in its
education policies, admissions
policies, scholarship and loan
programs, athletic and/or school
administered programs, except in
those instances where religion is a
bona fide occupational qualification.
Augsburg College is committed to
providing reasonable
accommodations to its employees
and its students.
www.augsburg.edu
12
A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
Summer 2005
Vol. 67, No. 4
FEATURES
21
Finding the right career formula
by Betsey Norgard
25
Following the Hognander Scholars
by Jessica Brown
10
12
16
2005 Fifth Annual International Photo Contest
Commencement 2005
Vision, news from Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for Augsburg College
DEPARTMENTS
21
2
Around the Quad
8
Sports
28
Alumni News
30
Class Notes
35
In Memoriam
36
Auggie Thoughts
inside
back
cover
Homecoming 2005 Preview
On the cover:
Three education students enjoy the
serenity of the Quad to study after
their summer school class.
25
Photo by Stephen Geffre.
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post—consumer waste)
AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
President Frame announces
retirement in 2006
Augsburg News Service
W
illiam V. Frame, who has served as
president of Augsburg College
since the summer of 1997, has
announced plans to retire in the summer
of 2006 following completion of his
current term.
In letters to regents and colleagues
and in a talk before a gathering of staff
and faculty on the campus, Frame said
that he and his wife, Anne, have found
the work both rewarding and
demanding, with the principal rewards
being a deeper understanding of the
Lutheran idea of vocation and of the
educational regimen that it requires. He
saluted faculty, staff, regents, and other
supporters of the College as “true
partners” in his presidency.
“Our work together has helped us
draw Augsburg to new levels of
recognition for advancing the cause of
Lutheran higher education in the city
and in the global society of the 21st
century,” he said. “Together, we have
brought new life and utility to Luther’s
idea of vocation, and have organized our
general education curriculum and now
our graduate programs around this grand
idea of the ‘called life of service.’
“Augsburg plays a unique role in the
world of Lutheran education. Its service
to the city, to the provision of accessibility to first-class educational
opportunities for both traditionally-aged
students and working adults, and its
regard for faith and reason as interactive
and mutually reinforcing modes of
understanding gives us a special mission
which you have helped us to see and
pursue. No doubt my successor will rely
as heavily upon your counsel and
support as have I.”
Jean Taylor ’85, president of Taylor
Corporation and chair of the Augsburg
Board of Regents, said she expects the
search for the new president to occupy
most of the next year. She has appointed
H. Theodore Grindal ’76, partner in the
law firm of Lockridge Grindal Nauen
P.L.L.P. and vice-chair of the Augsburg
board, to lead the search.
Frame, who is the 10th president in
Augsburg’s 136-year history, said that
while much has been accomplished, he
expects his final year to be filled with
projects and opportunities. Among those
is his continuing work on the College’s
$55 million Access to Excellence: The
Campaign for Augsburg College, kicked off
in April 2004. Some $41 million has
been raised toward that goal, the largest
in the College’s history.
Prior to joining Augsburg, Frame was
vice president for finance and operations
at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma,
Wash. He has been a strong proponent of
William V. Frame
the tradition of Lutheran higher
education, which he believes is based on
the ideas of vocation and service and
requires ongoing dialogue between faith
and reason.
His advocacy for vocation also has led
to his national leadership among college
presidents, currently serving as project
director for the Council of Independent
Colleges’ program designed to guide both
current and prospective presidents in
reflection about each leader’s sense of
calling and its intersection with
institutional mission. He also has taken
leadership roles with the Minnesota
Private College Council—as chair during
the 2004-05 academic year—and the
Minnesota Campus Compact.
A L U M N I A S K E D T O S U B M I T N A M E S O F P R E S I D E N T I A L C A N D I D AT E S
The Augsburg College Presidential Search Committee is continuing to seek names of potential candidates
for the presidency and especially wants to hear from Augsburg alumni, parents, and close friends of the
College during this process.
Names of suggested candidates should be sent to Dr. Thomas B. Courtice of the Academic Search
Consultation Service, Washington, D.C., who is assisting with the search. Nominators or prospective
candidates may contact Courtice at <tom.courtice@academic-search.org> or at 614-405-9209.
2
Summer 2005
David Tiede named to first endowed chair
D
avid Tiede, president of Luther
Seminary for 18 years, has been
named to the Bernhard M. Christensen
Chair in Religion—the first endowed
chair in Augsburg’s history.
Known as one of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America’s preeminent theologians and educators, Tiede
was selected following a nationwide
search by the College. He earlier had
announced his intention to retire from
the Luther presidency in May 2005. His
appointment to Augsburg begins in the
2005-06 academic year.
The chair honors Bernhard M.
Christensen ’22, the seventh president of
Augsburg College and Seminary from
1938-62 and a central figure in drawing
Augsburg fully into the study of liberal
arts. Augsburg Seminary was later merged
with Luther Seminary.
In announcing the selection, Augsburg
President William V. Frame noted, “David
Tiede is a champion of the Augsburg ideals
of vocation and service to the city. These
ideals, along with Augsburg’s increasing
attention to its role as a college of the
church and in a global society—including
the formation of a new Center for Faith
and Learning under the auspices of our
Lilly Endowment grant—were keys in
attracting him to this new position.”
As the Christensen professor, Tiede
will carry out research and writing,
including focus on Christensen’s legacy
and work. He also will lecture and conduct
on-campus workshops, represent the
College at various events sponsored by the
Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment
Fund, work with Augsburg students who
have been designated as “Lilly Scholars”
and who have demonstrated an interest
in studying for ministry, and will seek
ways to strengthen the College’s ties to
key Christian leaders and communities.
In accepting the position, Tiede
noted, “Since the days of President
Bernhard Christensen, Augsburg College
has had a vision of academic excellence
for the sake of vocation in the world.
Summer 2005
Now faculty, graduates, and administrative leaders are bringing renewed
focus, discipline, and strength to this
vision. I am grateful the Christensen
Chair will allow me to join them in
helping make it happen.”
Inez Schwarzkopf, former Augsburg
regent and chair of the College’s
Christensen Endowment Fund
Committee, said Tiede graces the
Christensen chair with a wide reputation
as a scholar, a leader, and a churchman.
“We are delighted that he has accepted
this new challenge,” she said. “At the
same time, the appointment honors Dr.
Tiede by association with Augsburg’s
solid legacy of scholarship, Christian
spirituality, service, diversity, and
ecumenism as embodied in the life and
work of Bernhard M. Christensen.”
Christopher Kimball, provost and
dean of the College, who co-chaired the
search committee with Schwarzkopf,
said, “Tiede provides the College with a
voice in the national conversation about
the importance of church-related—in
particular Lutheran—higher education.
So, we are fortunate to have someone of
that stature join the faculty.”
Tiede’s teaching career began in 1967
as a summer instructor in Greek at
Harvard Divinity School, where he
became a teaching fellow in New
Testament in 1969.
Ordained in 1971, he served as
associate pastor of Trinity Lutheran
Church, Minneapolis, from 1972-75. In
June 2000 he was elected vice president
of the Association of Theological Schools
(ATS) in the U.S. and Canada. Two years
later, he was elected president of ATS. He
serves on the board of directors for In
Trust magazine.
Courtesy of Luther Seminary
Augsburg News Service
David Tiede, retiring president of Luther
Seminary, is Augsburg’s first Bernhard M.
Christensen Professor of Religion.
Tiede earned the B.A. degree from
St. Olaf College, attended Princeton
Theological Seminary, and received the
B.D. degree from Luther Seminary in
1966. He earned the Ph.D. degree from
Harvard in 1971 and began his career at
Luther that same year, teaching New
Testament, his specialty.
In addition to ten books and textual
notes, he has written dozens of scholarly
articles and book chapters, done a
number of audio and video productions,
and served on numerous boards and
committees for the church, in national
and international religious organizations,
and throughout the Greater Twin Cities.
For the past three years he has been the
initial chair of the new consortium, Faith
in the City, composed of seven Lutheranbased organizations working collectively
and with others to contribute to the wellbeing of the community.
Oscar Anderson dies at 89
As Augsburg Now goes to press, we sadly report the death of President Emeritus Oscar A.
Anderson, Augsburg’s eighth president, from 1963-80. Read the news release at
<www.augsburg.edu/news/news-archives/2005/oscaranderson.html> and see the
complete story in the next issue.
3
Around the Quad
Larry Crockett recognized for
Honors Program leadership
omputer science professor Larry
Crockett, who directed the Honors
Program from 1988 through this past
academic year, was honored by the
College for his service and vision for the
program over 16 years. Crockett will be
on sabbatical leave during spring 2006
and return in the fall to teach in the
Honors Program and computer science
department.
“His vision for the Honors Program
has shaped its curriculum and the
intellectual lives of its students,” said
academic dean Barbara Edwards Farley at
the April recognition gathering.
“Establishment of the Honors Suite gave
students a place to call their own; and
Larry’s work on the Honors Web page and
contributions to the National Collegiate
Honors Council have brought the College
national recognition,” she continued.
For several years, Augsburg’s Honors
Program Web site was the top-ranked
honors page at both Google and Yahoo.
Christopher Kimball, provost and dean
of the College, said that Crockett “cares
deeply about ideas, particularly those that
should shape and be shaped by a liberal
arts education.” Kimball recalled a
conversation in which Crockett lamented
that faculty only gather to take care of
questions of governance and legislation,
and no longer to converse about ideas.
“We never talk about the important stuff,”
Kimball recalled Crockett saying. “Those
are the things that got all of us into
academia.”
Crockett’s teaching crosses disciplinary
boundaries—computer science,
philosophy, history of science, theology,
and history. He has served in the clergy of
the Lutheran church, and is currently a
priest in the Episcopal church.
Both former and current students
testified to the impact that Crockett’s
sometimes unorthodox, but always
challenging, teaching made in their
education.
Erica Huls ’01 recalled the first day of
Honors 101 when students were asked to
4
Staff photo
C
Larry Crockett catches up with former
Honors Program students Erica Huls ’01 (left)
and Stephanie Lein Walseth ’00 (right) at the
reception honoring his leadership and service
to the program.
count the ceiling tiles in the classroom,
before pondering why it was that people
don’t sit around all day doing that. She
said that Crockett’s goal was to teach them
how to think, to make and defend
arguments, and to find fallacies in others.
“The program wanted us to look at
subjects like religion, science, and
technology, and see how they could live
and work together, just as they live and
work together in Dr. Crockett’s person,”
she said.
Senior Eric Dunens spoke about
community. “[Crockett] created a program
that surrounds its participants with the
best Augsburg has to offer. He’s created an
honors community that challenges its
participants to reach their potential. He’s
also created an honors community that
encourages students to interact with other
students and create a real community on
campus.”
Crockett participated on the Honors
Program Design Team to develop a new
proposal for the Honors Program. The
proposal was approved by the faculty,
and Crockett has worked with the team
implementing the program, along with
Robert Groven, the new Honors
Program director.
Bob Groven
named Honors
Program director
Augsburg News Service
R
obert Groven,
associate
professor of
communication
studies, has been
named to a threeyear term as
director of the
Honors Program.
Groven holds a Juris Doctorate from
the University of Minnesota Law School
and a Master of Arts in speech
communication from the University of
Minnesota. He is a 1989 graduate of
Concordia College-Moorhead, where he
participated in the honors program in
humanities. Groven, who has been a
member of the faculty since 1997, also is
director of Augsburg’s award-winning
forensics program and has led it to
national prominence in recent years.
In announcing the appointment,
Christopher Kimball, provost and dean
of the College, said, “Dr. Groven’s
philosophy of education, his vision for
an honors program education at
Augsburg, and his commitment to
student development and community
building make him an excellent choice
to assume leadership of the program.”
Kimball noted that an Honors Program
Council will be established this year to
work with the new director to guide the
development of the recently revised
program.
Kimball said that the Honors
Program—as noted in its operational
statements—both celebrates and
enhances the signature elements of
Augsburg’s Core Curriculum: Christian
vocation, global citizenship, the
importance of service, the value of
diversity, and the role of the city in
framing the College’s beliefs and values.
About 115 students participate in the
program each year.
Summer 2005
Making room for mental illness
P
rofessor Dan Hanson’s family has
struggled for a decade to understand
and care for their mentally ill son and
brother, Joel. The road has been difficult
and, at times, seemingly hopeless. Hanson
has transformed that journey into a book
that aims to give hope and support to
countless other families who also never
expected to find themselves in this
situation.
At age 20, Joel Hanson was diagnosed
with severe schizophrenia, and believes
that he is God. He lacks the insight to
understand why others can’t share his
delusion and why he must inhabit his
different reality alone. If he discontinues
his court-ordered medication, he stops
eating and drinking, and becomes severely
ill and dehydrated.
Dan Hanson explains that his book,
Room for J: A Family Struggles with
Schizophrenia, evolved in several ways. The
simplest is that it started out as a personal
journal. “Writing is often my way of
dealing with difficult situations,” he says.
“[My books] always emerge out of my
own struggle.”
As Hanson and his wife, Sue, sought
care and support for Joel, they also began
to consider a book that would help other
families navigate the social services system,
as well as deal with the sense of loss for a
loved one who has become a totally
different person.
And, thirdly, Hanson wanted to include
Joel’s own voice, his own writing about his
self-identity, to demonstrate how he, too,
Professor Dan Hanson
struggles with family and others who don’t
acknowledge or understand him for the
person he believes he is.
The book presents journal entries of
the Hanson family members. They talk
about good times, even during Joel’s
illness, when the Joel they know shines
through while out fishing or playing with
a nephew. But there are also the most
difficult times, when they fear for Joel,
when he becomes psychotic, when they
must confront him to force commitment,
or when they discover he’s gone off
medication and disappeared.
What the Hansons and other families
learn and face is that society does not deal
adequately with mental illness. Many
institutions and asylums were closed in
order to mainstream the mentally ill into
society, but the reality is that the programs
by Betsey Norgard
and support to
accomplish this are
severely underfunded and
understaffed. Some
end up reinstitutionalized in nursing
homes, prisons, or
state hospitals not
designed to treat
them—or they end
up on the street and helpless.
Ultimately, Hanson says, Room for J is
about making room for Joel in the family,
as well as challenging society to make
room “for all our Js, and to find ways to do
a better job of providing community-based
programs that integrate people who cope
with severe mental illness back into the
community so they feel respected, yet are
given the right kinds of program to survive
and even thrive in the social structure.”
Room for J has been welcomed and
critically acclaimed. It was recognized as a
“highlighted title” on an independent
publisher’s Web site. Hanson appreciates
hearing from others who find comfort in
understanding that they need not face
their challenges alone.
Dan and Sue Hanson spoke about the
book and insights the family has gained on
Minnesota Public Radio’s “Speaking of
Faith” program on July 17. That program
can be heard at <speakingoffaith.
publicradio.org>. Room for J: A Family
Struggles with Schizophrenia was published
last year by Beaver’s Pond Press.
Augsburg gains a provost and three new deans
Christopher
Kimball
Summer 2005
Barbara
Edwards Farley
Ann Garvey
Julie Olson
Last September, as part of a restructuring of the College
administration, Christopher Kimball became Augsburg’s first
provost, as well as continuing as dean of the College.
In further changes to the Academic and Student Affairs
division, three positions of dean were created. Barbara Edwards
Farley became academic dean, while Ann Garvey is now dean of
students. Formerly, both positions were associate deans.
Julie Olson ’98, ’05 MAL , formerly director of the Enrollment
Center, is the new dean of enrollment management, with
responsibility for the Enrollment Center; day, weekend, and
graduate admissions; and public relations and communication.
5
Around the Quad
Music therapy celebrates
past, present, and future
by Jessica Brown
F
aculty, alumni, and friends of
Augsburg’s music therapy program
gathered in April to celebrate its 30th
anniversary. They reflected on the growth
of the program, affirmed a leading role
for music therapy across many careers
and vocations, and proposed a vision for
its continued growth.
The original vision for music therapy
at Augsburg was that of longtime music
department chair Leland Sateren ’38, who
asked Prof. Robert Karlén to attend a
national conference in this emerging field.
Karlén was impressed, and invited
Roberta Kagin to teach the first music
therapy courses. She was eager. “As a
college student,” she said, “I saw a
demonstration by a talented composer
and pianist who asked handicapped
children to walk across the room to the
beat of her piano music. If music had the
power to influence the way these children
could move, what else might lie in its
power?”
Today, Augsburg’s more than 100
music therapy graduates live around the
world and work in a wide variety of
careers and fields that serve people of all
ages and needs—working with disabled
children to maximize their learning
potential, helping elderly people remain
active and engaged, and combining music
with many forms of treatment and
therapy to promote healing and wellness.
Keynote speaker Cheryl Dileo, from
Temple University, recounted personal
experiences from her career in which
music therapy is introduced in situations
of death and dying, i.e., of aiding people
in the transition from life to death. Where
communication can be difficult among
family members, Dileo says, “songs help
families express all the love they hold in
their hearts to the dying patient,” as well
as provide spiritual affirmation, healing,
and a musical legacy.
Speaker Bill Bowen spoke personally
about the value of music therapy to
6
people with physical and cognitive
challenges. He told of the instrumental
role that music therapy and Professor
Roberta Kagin played in the remarkable
progress of his son, Edward “Major”
Bowen, following surgery to remove a
brain tumor.
Kagin, honored as one of the original
architects of the program and its current
director, presented a slide presentation
and oral history of Augsburg’s music
therapy program and affirmed its place in
Augsburg’s curriculum. “The music
therapy major is firmly and without
apology steeped in a liberal arts
education,” she said. Students study a
four-year liberal arts course, followed by
an intense six-month internship with a
music therapist. Above all, music therapy
touches a very basic human need for
creative expression.
Kagin also spoke about music therapy
within a Center for Creativity and
Transformational Learning envisioned at
Augsburg. In addition, a master’s degree
in music and medicine is under
consideration. Augsburg remains the
Each year Augsburg music therapy students
join with VSA Arts of Minnesota in a music
festival for developmentally disabled children.
only music therapy program among
Minnesota’s private colleges.
For information about music therapy
at Augsburg, contact the Music
Department at 612-330-1265.
Jessica Brown is a communication specialist
in the Office of Public Relations and
Communication.
2005 teaching and learning distinctions
The 2005 awards for
Distinguished Contributions to
Teaching and Learning have
been announced by the Center
for Teaching and Learning and
the Office of the Provost.
TEACHING—
Kristin Anderson (standing),
associate professor, art
ADVISING/MENTORING—
David Wold (seated, left),
College pastor and director of
ministries, and Sonja Hagander
(seated, right), associate
College pastor
SERVICE TO STUDENTS—
Wendi Wheeler (seated,
center), Weekend College
academic coordinator
Summer 2005
Terry Lewis retires from PA program
T
erry Lewis, clinical site director and
faculty member of Augsburg’s
physician assistant program, retired from
Augsburg at the close of the 2004-05
academic year. He joined the PA program
in 1995 as clinical coordinator, having
spent several years prior as a physician
assistant in the military.
Lewis received his initial PA training in
1977 from the U.S. Army/Baylor University
PA Program in Texas. He went on to
receive his bachelor’s degree in 1983 from
Siena Heights University in Adrian, Mich.,
and his Master of Physician Assistant
Studies in 2002 from the University of
Nebraska.
“Terry and I [joined Augsburg] when
this program was new,” says Dawn
Ludwig, PA program director. “Terry’s
wisdom has been invaluable to me as this
program was molded into the premier
program it is today. … He is a kind and
patient person and I will miss him greatly.”
Over the course of his career in the
physician studies field, Lewis has received
numerous honors and awards, including
the U.S. Army PA of the Year in 1990,
presented by the surgeon general, as well
as 40 additional military honors. He has
presented numerous presentations around
the world, and his work has been
published in several PA reference works.
Not one to stand still—even in
retirement—Lewis has signed a one-year
Getting the project done right
P
roject management is carried out in
all kinds of organizations; and across
the board, advances in computer
technology and globalization of the
workforce have required everyone to
become smarter about managing work
and resources. Within information
technology, it has become a highly
specialized field that others are
beginning to notice.
Business Administration professor
Kathy Schwalbe has published a
textbook, Information Technology Project
Management, now in its fourth edition,
that incorporates the guidelines of the
Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK), information that the Project
Management Institute (PMI) uses as the
basis for its certification. Even while the
book is aimed at IT students, it is not so
advanced to preclude others who could
benefit from principles of good planning
and management.
After teaching a project management
course for several years, Schwalbe
decided to tackle the project of writing a
book the way she would like it, using
the PMBOK Guide as a basis and
Summer 2005
by Lynn Mena
Professor Terry Lewis
contract with a small rural health clinic in
Melba, Idaho (population 497).
by Betsey Norgard
advances in the field and
updating Microsoft Project
software. At her
publisher’s request
(Course Technology, a
branch of Thomson
Learning), she is also
working on a new project
management textbook,
not geared toward
Professor Kathy Schwalbe
information technology
projects, to be published
including many examples
in late 2005.
and exercises to help
Within the past two
students understand and
years, the second edition
apply project management. Information Technology
of Schwalbe’s book has
Project Management,
In every chapter, case
been
translated into
translated into Japanese
studies—both successes
Chinese and the third
and failure—feature actual
edition into Japanese,
applications of the project management
reflecting the growth and interest
framework. A companion Web site
worldwide in the project management
includes template files for creating
profession.
various project management documents,
A senior project manager for IBM
notes, quizzes, case studies, and links. In
Germany commented that global IT
five years sales of the book have
companies—especially in Japan, China,
exceeded 120,000 copies.
and India—are creating career models
On her Web site, Schwalbe explains
for project managers based on PMI
her intent to release a new edition of the
certification credentials.
book every spring, continually adding
7
Sports
Augsburg nets record number of academic
All-Americans
by Don Stoner
A
Charles Walbridge
ugsburg student-athletes set a new
milestone for academic performance
this season, as a record four athletes
earned ESPN The Magazine Academic AllAmerica honors from the College Sports
Information Directors of America
(CoSIDA).
Senior wrestler Mark Matzek and
junior Ryan Valek earned Academic AllAmerica men’s at-large honors, while
junior baseball player Darren Ginther
and track and field/cross country senior
Riley Conway earned Academic AllAmerica honors in their respective sports.
Four Auggie All-Americans represents
the most ever in a single year. Since 1981,
Augsburg student-athletes have earned 17
Academic All-America honors from
CoSIDA.
Matzek, a first-team men’s at-large
Academic All-America honoree, is profiled
in the story about honor athletes on page
nine.
Ginther, a first-team Academic AllAmerica selection in baseball, is a
secondary education/social studies major
with a 3.81 grade point average (GPA). He
also earned All-Minnesota Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference honors as well as
American Baseball Coaches
Association/Rawlings AllMidwest Region second-team
honors in 2005.
As the Auggies’ No. 2
starting pitcher, he finished as
one of the top hitters in the
MIAC this year, and was
Darren Ginther
Ryan Valek
Riley Conway
Augsburg’s fourth .400 hitter
since 1988.
Conway, a second-team Academic
Cross Country Coaches Association
All-America honoree, was the Auggies’ top
Scholar All-America honors his senior year.
runner in all seven cross country
Valek was a third-team men’s at-large
competitions in 2004, earning all-region
Academic All-America honoree. He earned
honors at the 2004 NCAA Division III
wrestling All-American honors for the
Central Regional in November. At the
second time in 2004-05, finishing second
MIAC championships in October, he
nationally at 165 pounds.
earned all-conference honorable-mention
Valek is an accounting major with a
honors.
3.789 GPA. He has earned National
In track and field, Conway earned
Wrestling Coaches Association Division III
All-MIAC honors at the outdoor
Scholar All-America honors in both 2004
conference championships in May. In the
and 2005.
indoor season, Conway set a school
Top student-athletes from non-Division
record as part of the distance-medley
I programs, who have already earned
relay squad.
Academic All-District first-team honors,
Conway had a perfect 4.000 GPA and
are eligible for inclusion in the ESPN The
graduated in May summa cum laude with
Magazine Academic All-America program.
an English major. He was an Academic
They must have a GPA above 3.20 (4.0
All-MIAC selection his junior and senior
scale) and have outstanding athletic
years in both track and field and cross
credentials. The Academic All-America
country, and earned NCAA Division III
ballot is voted on by a committee of
CoSIDA members.
In addition to the four Academic AllAmericans, Augsburg had three other
student-athletes earn ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-District V honors, saluting
the top student-athletes in a four-state area
of the Midwest. Senior women’s hockey
players Lauren Chezick and Laura Prasek
were named to the Academic All-District V
women’s at-large second team, and junior
Millie Suk earned Academic All-District V
first-team honors in women’s soccer.
For a full list of Augsburg 2004-05
athletic award-winners, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/athletics/sportsnews/
0405athleticawards.html>.
Augsburg wrestler Mark Matzek controls Wartburg’s Tyler Hubbard en route to a 4-2 win in a
dual meet in February at Si Melby Hall. Matzek repeated as NCAA Division III national champion
at 133 pounds in 2004-05.
8
Don Stoner is sports information
coordinator.
Summer 2005
Eight senior athletes are honored
A
ugsburg College honored eight
senior student-athletes for 2004-05.
Athletic awards are voted on by coaches
in Augsburg’s men’s and women’s athletic
departments.
Five Auggies were named Honor
Athletes, the highest honor the College
gives its senior student-athletes for
accomplishment, leadership, and
character on the playing field and in the
classroom. Three Auggie student-athletes
were named Men’s Athletes of the Year.
2004-05 AUGSBURG HONOR
ATHLETES
Lauren Chezick rewrote
the record book in
women’s hockey at
Augsburg. A three-year
captain on teams that
qualified for conference
playoffs in three seasons,
Chezick earned MIAC Player of the Year
and American Hockey Coaches Association
Division III All-American honors.
Chezick was named to the Dean’s List
five semesters and graduated with a 3.562
grade point-average (GPA) and a prelaw/communications major. She
volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and
served as a student-athlete mentor.
Joe Cullen earned
honors in both football
and wrestling. In football,
Cullen earned All-MIAC
first-team honors in 2004
after honorable-mention
honors in 2002 and 2003.
In wrestling, Cullen earned NCAA
Division III All-American honors in the
2003-04 season. He earned the wrestling
team’s Auggie Award his senior season.
Cullen was a mathematics major with a
3.500 grade-point-average.
He has also earned numerous national
and conference academic honors in both
football and wrestling.
Hannah Dietrich was a four-year member
of both Augsburg’s cross country and track
Summer 2005
and field teams and
played women’s hockey
two years.
In cross country,
Dietrich was a team
captain and No. 3 runner
her senior season.
In track and field, Dietrich was a top
middle-distance runner, earning three
MIAC championships. In 2005, she
qualified and competed at the national
outdoor meet in the 1,500-meter run.
A psychology major with a 3.672 GPA,
she graduated with departmental honors
in psychology, national honor and
leadership society recognition, and
numerous academic athletic and
leadership awards. In 2004, she was voted
Homecoming Queen.
Adam Hoffmann, a
three-year offensive line
starter in football, was
named to the Division
III Preseason AllAmerica team by the
D3football.com Web site
in 2004, and was named to the Football
Gazette Division III All-West Region third
team at the conclusion of his senior
campaign. A two-year captain, Hoffmann
was voted the team’s top lineman by his
teammates for three years, and earned the
team’s highest honor, the Edor Nelson
Auggie Award, in 2004.
Hoffmann graduated with a 3.770
GPA as a finance major. He was an
Augsburg Presidential Scholar and a
student-athlete mentor.
Mark Matzek, one of
the top lightweight
wrestlers in school
history, won national
titles at 133 pounds his
junior and senior
campaigns, while earning
NCAA Division III All-American honors
three times.
Finishing his collegiate career with a
42-match winning streak, Matzek
dominated his weight class in the 2004-05
by Don Stoner
campaign. He earned the team’s Coaches
Award his senior season, was the team’s
Auggie Award winner his junior season,
and earned the team’s Most Improved
Wrestler award his sophomore season
Matzek graduated as a mathematics
and secondary education major with a
3.408 grade-point-average.
2004-05 AUGSBURG ATHLETES OF
THE YEAR
Mike Elcano has been a
team leader throughout
his career for Augsburg’s
men’s soccer team. In
2004 he led the
conference in overall
scoring. He finished his
career with Augsburg’s all-time record for
goals with 35, and earned MIAC honors in
two years. He graduated with a major in
finance.
Jeremy Nelson emerged
as one of the top pitchers
in recent years for
Augsburg’s baseball team.
He was Augsburg’s No. 1
starter throughout his
four seasons, and earned
MIAC and regional honors over two years.
He graduated with a marketing major, was
on the Dean’s List, and served as a studentathlete mentor.
Jamell Tidwell was a
four-year starter on the
varsity squad and a fourtime qualifier for the
NCAA Division III
national championships.
He earned All-American
honors three times and finished his career
with a 155-17 record, second best in wins
in school history. A health and physical
education major, he was one of 10
members of an Augsburg academic
national team that finished sixth nationally
in team GPA this year.
Don Stoner is sports information
coordinator.
9
Augsburg’s fifth INTERNATIONAL
OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES PHOTO CONTEST
1 Scenic landscapes, first place.
“MY CHAIR,” Jamie Schiller ’05.
Venice, Italy.
2 Scenic landscapes, second place.
“STRENGTH, SWEAT, AND
SOUL,” Lindsay Plocher ’06.
Cuernavaca, Mexico.
3 Scenic landscapes, third place.
“BUILDING BRIDGES,” Lindsay
Plocher ’06. Cuernavaca, Mexico.
4 Local culture, second place.
“SAWADEE CROP,” Rachel
Schuette ’03. Bangkok, Thailand.
5 Local culture, first place. “LUK
LUK,” Rachel Schuette ’03.
Chiang Mai, Thailand.
6 Augsburg students in a host
setting, second place. “ON
WATCH,” Sari Gallagher ’08. U.S.
Virgin Islands.
1
3
2
10
4
Summer 2005
7
5
8
6
7 Augsburg students in a host setting, first place.
“A TROPICAL MINNESOTA NIGHT,” Maria Roots
Morland ’05. Minneapolis, Minn.
8 Augsburg students in a host setting, third place.
“LAST DAY,” David Nash ’04. Edinburgh, Scotland.
9 Local culture, third place. “GAMBLING DURING
RAMADAN,” Jake Renze ’05. Morocco.
Summer 2005
9
11
COMMENCEMENT
2005
The 136TH YEAR of Augsburg College
photos by Stephen Geffre (except as noted)
TONY SCHADEN RECEIVES
MARINA CHRISTENSEN
JUSTICE AWARD
The Augsburg campus provided
fresh spring blooms as a backdrop
for family photos.
REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE
CLASS OF
2005
❚ Glenda C. Holste,
representing graduate students
❚ Gretchen M. Hemmingsen,
representing day students
❚ Nicholas J. Schumm,
representing weekend students
12
Tony Schaden, a history major from
Minneapolis, was selected as the 2005
recipient of the Marina Christensen
Justice Award.
Each year, this honor is presented
to the graduating senior who best
exemplifies Augsburg’s motto
“Education for Service.” The student
must have demonstrated a dedication
Tony Schaden, a history major from to community involvement as
Minneapolis, was honored with the 2005 characterized by the personal and
Marina Christensen Justice Award during the
Commencement ceremony. professional life of Marina Christensen
Justice, who courageously and
effectively reached out to disadvantaged people and communities.
Schaden grew up in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood and was a member of
Trinity Congregation, where he has been a longtime volunteer with the Safe Place
Tutoring Program.
At Augsburg he has held numerous leadership roles, including serving as
chaplain for the Pan-Afrikan Student Association for the past two years, as organizer
of Peace Day in the Park, and as a member of the Outreach Ministry Team through
Campus Ministry. He has done service-learning at Women against Military Madness,
as well as volunteered with Campus Kitchens and mentored youth at the Wednesday
Night Out program in the neighborhood.
Among his numerous awards and honors are the Dean’s Award for student
leadership, the Pan-Afrikan Ambassador of the Year Award for commitment to
campus and community, the Win Wallin Scholarship, and the Bilkie Scholarship.
Paul Cummings, president-elect of
Augsburg’s student body, wrote this
about Schaden: “Giving back to the
community is part of Tony’s very nature.
The courageous example he is setting
within his community and family has
given many people hope that they too
may succeed in college. Tony is a role
model in the Cedar-Riverside
neighborhood. His actions in service to
his family and community speak
volumes about his true character.”
In the coming year he will expand
his work with youth mentoring and
counseling, serving in Brazil and Africa
under the auspices of the Wapagasset
Luther Bible Camp.
Students processed from Foss Center to Melby
Hall for the Commencement ceremony.
Summer 2005
“ON OUR OWN—AGAIN”
Excerpts from the Baccalaureate Address
William V. Frame, President, Augsburg College
May 7, 2005—Ascension Sunday
… The thing that Graduation has in common with the Ascension is separation. You
are leaving us today and are henceforth and in a new way “on your own;” Jesus leaves
the Disciples at Ascension. They are “on their own.” And so—What is the good news
in this Separation—either yours from the College or the Disciples from Christ?
Staff photo
The Commencement concert featured
performances by the Augsburg Choir and
Augsburg Chamber Orchestra.
If we stick with the relationship between you and us, a preliminary and happy
interpretation is quite possible. Not that we’re glad to be rid of you … but your
separation from the College is a necessary condition of your full engagement with the
world. However successfully we have introduced you to the city and to the global
society of which it is so much and evidently a part, Augsburg College remains a refuge
and a training ground, a harbor ringed round by our core general education
curriculum; an open cloister in which we can talk “… of many things: Of shoes—and
ships—and sealing wax—of cabbages—and kings … .” All that talking, and especially
about such things as these, yields self-knowledge at exactly the rate at which it yields
knowledge of the world. …
But when we turn to the Easter Story itself, the good news lies deeper and is harder to
detect. According to the lectionary passage from Acts, the first consequence for the
disciples of their separation from Jesus is the loss of their special access to the Divine
Plan.
They ask: “Is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus
responds: “It is not for you to know the time or period that the Father has set by his
own authority.”
Kathy Rumpza, advertising and graphic
design manager for Augsburg’s public
relations department, posed with her
husband, Matt Rumpza, manager of
Augsburg’s Central Support Services, prior to
receiving her Master of Arts in Leadership.
You can sense their stunned reaction. “After giving up everything of our own to follow
you; after all that we've been through together-you leave! And at the same time cut us
off from the very knowledge you’ve been so anxious to reveal to us. You've left us on
our own in this world after pointing us time and again, especially recently, at the other
world.”
Before they have time to register this complaint with their ascending Lord, he
imposes upon them a task—to be performed in his absence. For the sake of this
task, he expects them “to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.” …
Both the good news and the good sense in this is camouflaged by
the pathos of the separation. Just behind the fact that the disciplesand, through them, we—have been left on our own by the
ascension, lies the fact that we were prepared for this independence
by the whole of the Easter story—including the part of it here at
issue. Christ’s refusal to answer the disciples’ request for knowledge
of the Divine Plan—indeed, his general refusal to give us any
detailed portrait of heaven-keeps our attention where the Gospel
focuses it-not on the next world but this. The Easter story—all of it,
including the ascension-gives us the tools (including a carefully
confined ignorance) to take up, for the first time, life on our own.
To read the complete address, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/president/bacc05.pdf>.
Christopher Kimball, provost and dean of the College, handed out
honors cords during the Honors Convocation.
Summer 2005
13
COMMENCEMENT 2005
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS:
“IF YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF IT…”
Dawn Ludwig, director of the Physician
Assistant Program, placed a master’s
hood on Patricia Rodriguez.
Nicholas Schumm, Weekend College Class of 2005
representative, addressed the crowd at the
Commencement ceremony.
Following are excerpts from Parker J. Palmer’s Commencement address; download
the complete address at <www.augsburg.edu/president/palmer05.pdf>
… I was raised by a father who gave my two sisters and me the perfect
graduation speech at breakfast every school day. Dad had a thousand aphorisms,
brief and pithy sayings designed to point us kids in the right direction. Well, it
seemed like he had a thousand, but he probably only had 50, which he recycled
constantly.
We’d be almost finished with breakfast, my sisters and I, when Dad would
look at us and say, “Just remember kids, add a little ‘oomph’ to ‘try’ and you get
‘triumph.’ Now off you go!”
Or on another day he’d look at us and say, “Just remember kids, there’s only
one-letter’s difference between hero and zero. Now off you go!”
… Now, if I had any sense I’d say “Off you go!” and sit down, having
delivered succinct advice from a highly reliable source, my father. But there are a
few more things I’d like to say …
First, we never outgrow our need for teachers … as you go down the road
called life after college, stay alert for your next teacher, and the next, and the
next. It may be a family member, a friend, a child, a stranger, it may even be a socalled enemy. If the teacher does not appear, reach out for him or her. Your need
for a teacher will draw that person to you if you make your need known. …
A second lesson is this: whatever good and true thing you want to do, go
ahead and take the first step … of course the big enemy of trust and risk-taking
is fear. But here we can take good counsel from the religious tradition in which
this college is rooted: “Be not afraid.” Those words do not say that you should
not have fear, which we all do (at least I do); instead they say you need not be
your fear. Right alongside our fear we have other places within us, places with
names like hope, and faith, and trust. We can look at the world from those
places instead of from our fears. …
Here’s the third lesson: when you face into that fear as you step off the cliff
… seek out people with whom you can tell it like it is. …
A fourth lesson is this: know that you have an inner guide, an inner teacher,
a true self who will be there for you when all
else fails. …
And finally, a fifth lesson … “If you can’t
get out of it, get into it.” Of course there are
some things that you can get out of, and you
should: a relationship that kills your spirit, a
job that contradicts your most basic values
… but there are other things that we can’t
get out of, so we had better get into them.
And one of them is to fully inhabit
ourselves, which means making the most of
our gifts and being honest about our
shadows. …
So congratulations to all of you, and
many blessings for your journey. And, as my
father would surely say, “Now off you go!”
Parker Palmer (center), Commencement ceremony keynote speaker, was presented the Augsburg
Medal by President Frame and Jean Taylor ’85, chair of the Board of Regents.
14
Summer 2005
Staff photo
THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE
Twin brothers Robert Amaya (left) and Renzo
Amaya Torres (right) celebrated the day with their
mother, who flew to Minnesota from Colombia to
watch her sons graduate.
630
Candidates for graduation
355
Day program candidates
144
Weekend College candidates
85
Graduate program candidates (20 Master of Arts in Leadership,
35 Master of Social Work, 6 Master of Arts in Nursing, 16 Master
of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, 8 Master of Arts in
Education)
33
Rochester program candidates
9
United Hospital candidates
4
3M candidates
20-65
10
Jubilant students celebrated after the
Commencement ceremony.
Summer 2005
CLASS OF 2005
Age range of graduates in the Class of 2005
Countries other than the United States represented (Belarus,
Bolivia, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Mexico, Norway,
Philippines, Sweden, and Vietnam)
After the Commencement ceremony ended, students exited Melby Hall to join their
families at the reception in Murphy Square.
15
Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy donate $2 million to
Melby Hall expansion
by Dan Jorgensen
The proposed addition to Si Melby Hall, as shown from the southwest corner, is adjacent to
Edor Nelson Field, facing 23rd Avenue South.
All-American his senior year. He also
was a two-time Minnesota Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference champion, and twotime MIAC Tournament Most Valuable
Player. In dual-meet competition, he lost
only one match during his career and
had 53 victories his junior and senior
seasons. In 1996, he was inducted into
the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame.
He credits the discipline instilled in
him by his coaches and mentors,
particularly Mike Good ’71 (a current
Augsburg regent) and John Grygelko
(Augsburg’s head coach from 1973-80),
as keys to his success.
Good preceded Kennedy at both
Fridley High School and Augsburg where
he, too, was a champion wrestler. He
went on to a successful business career
in New York and has served on
Continued on page 19
16
Dean Kennedy ’75 shared a moment of
honor with his wife, Terry, when he was
inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in
1996 for his career as an Auggie AllAmerican wrestler.
Thanks to the generous gifts from
Augsburg alumni and friends, the
ceremonial groundbreaking for the
south wing addition is scheduled
for Oct. 29. Ground cannot be
broken, however, until the
remaining $1.5 million in gifts and
pledges is secured. Contact the
Development Office at
612-338-0002 or 1-800-273-0617.
Summer 2005
David Santos/H. Larson Photography
A former All-American wrestler and his
wife have contributed $2 million to
Access to Excellence: The Campaign for
Augsburg College in support of a major
addition to the College’s athletic center,
Si Melby Hall.
The gift, made by Fridley natives
Dean Kennedy ’75, and his wife, Terry,
was announced recently by Augsburg
President William V. Frame, who said
the gift not only is “a magnificent
gesture of support for the campaign, but
also significant recognition for the work
of coaches and others who shape the
lives of those of our students and
colleagues who are engaged in athletics.”
Kennedy, an independent businessman, was the first four-time AllLutheran Tournament champion in the
tournament’s history. And he was at the
front end of what has been built into the
most successful small-college wrestling
program in the nation. In his senior year
as co-captain, Kennedy led Augsburg to
a runner-up spot in the NAIA national
finals with a third-place finish at 142
pounds. In the ensuing 30 years,
Augsburg has consistently finished
among the top 10 in the nation, winning
a record nine NCAA Division III
national titles and taking second place
seven more times.
A four-year varsity wrestler for
Augsburg, Kennedy was a 142-pound
The Augsburg Fund annual goal of $1 million reached again
Significant growth in alumni giving to
The Augsburg Fund made an aggressive
goal of $1 million reachable for the fiscal
year ending May 31. The annual fund
primarily supports student financial aid
through scholarships and grants. Since
this is unrestricted annual giving, gifts
also may be used to provide for the
critical needs of the College such as
technology advancement and other
strategic operations.
“This is the second time in
Augsburg’s history that $1million has
been raised in one year for The
Augsburg Fund,” said Stephanie Malone,
director of the fund. “The standard has
been set, so it should be an achievable
goal in the future.”
Significant giving this year came
from the Alumni Board with 100 percent
participation, the Board of Regents, and
two class challenges generated by
Alumni Board members and volunteer
leaders, including the “Decade of the
’70s Challenge.”
Ken ’74 and Linda (Bailey) ’74
Holmen provided the lead gift to the
challenge, followed by more than 200
fellow alumni from the decade of the ’70s.
Five alumni families from the
1970s—Rick Colvin ’74, Mark ’79 and
Pamela (Hanson) ’79 Moksnes, Robert
’74 and Andrea (Johnson) ’75 Strommen,
Philip ’79 and Julia (Davis) ’79 Styrlund,
and Thomas Peterson ’70—issued a
$50,000 challenge and 1:1 dollar match
to ensure new levels of support and gifts
of $100,000 to the College.
“The Decade of the ’70s Challenge
was a dollar-focused challenge that
matched new and increased gifts to The
Augsburg Fund,” said Malone. “We are
pleased with the results and hope that
next year other individuals will come
forward and think of creative ways to
sustain the College.
“It was a highly successful year in
terms of participation levels. First time
donor giving rose 100 percent, and
alumni giving increased from 20 percent
to a participation rate of 25 percent.”
Repeat and increased giving also were
noticeable. All donors at the $10,000
level renewed their gifts, and new donors
were added to the $25,000+ level,
currently the top tier for gifts to The
Augsburg Fund.
Reunion year activities and volunteer
involvement this year also sparked the
growth of annual giving, led by Alumni
Board initiatives. Class agents, who
engaged their classmates through letters
and contacts, were also extremely
beneficial in helping to meet annual fund
needs. “We will especially miss the efforts
of class agent Wes Sideen ’58 who passed
away earlier this year,” said Malone. He
affected many Augsburg families by his
vigor for life and commitment to his
alma mater.”
Giving to The Augsburg Fund is an
important component of the $55 million
capital campaign, Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for Augsburg College. “We
hope alumni and friends of the College
will continue to make The Augsburg
Fund a priority,” Malone said.
“We hope they continue to offer
prayers and gifts of support and that the
first gift they make every year is a gift to
The Augsburg Fund as a way to ‘check in’
annually with their alma mater,” she
continued. “After that we hope they will
consider special opportunities based on
the College’s priorities, like building and
endowment initiatives. Gifts to Augsburg
offer a future of access and excellence to
our students.”
For information on how to contribute
to The Augsburg Fund, contact Stephanie
Malone at <malone@augsburg.edu> or
612-338-4825. ■
Campaign progress
$41.1M of $55M goal
as of 7-31-05
Summer 2005
17
What is your dream job? For many of us,
travel would play a part in our dream. The
Reverend Dr. Arne Markland ’49, and his
wife, Jean (Swanson) ’52 Markland, have
lived their dream of seeing the world.
Their gift for storytelling has landed
them on the lecture circuit for a number of
cruises—162 and counting. Arne first
starting working on cruise ships as a
chaplain and history lecturer and has
amassed a repertoire of 156 lectures on
countries and islands around the world.
Jean shares her knowledge and
expertise of how nutrition affects the
brain. They have acted as destination art
lecturers and have been fortunate to
collect art on their travels. Their cruise
travel has taken them mainly overseas.
“We’re waiting to cruise to Sri Lanka,
India, Havana, New Orleans, and Lake
Wobegon,” said Arne.
The Marklands have spent their lives
encouraging people to enthusiastically
embrace learning. Since graduating from
Augsburg, Arne became a campus and
parish pastor in Georgia, South Dakota,
and Utah. He also served as a military
chaplain for four years. Jean used her
skills as a teacher and taught many
different subjects in the public school
system as a secondary school educator for
30 years.
Recently the Marklands established an
endowed scholarship to help support
students who want to attend Augsburg
from two high schools: Hillcrest Lutheran
Academy in Fergus Falls, Minn., and Oak
Grove Lutheran School in Fargo, N.Dak.
Arne grew up in the Norwegian section
of Brooklyn, N.Y., but his parents sent him
to Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus
Falls for high school. Jean is from Bemidji,
Minn., and has had an interest in Oak
Grove Lutheran School.
The scholarship is structured so if
there are no students accepted to
Augsburg from these high schools in a
given year, the scholarship will be given to
a current Augsburg student who will
attend Luther Seminary or one who has an
interest in secondary education.
“We have always been interested in
Christian education,” said Jean. “I liked
the spiritual values of Augsburg when I
was attending college. Augsburg has
Courtesy photo
Marklands endow a scholarship as they cruise into retirement
Rev. Dr. Arne ’49 and Jean (Swanson) ’52
Markland are enjoying second careers as
cruise ship lecturers while staying connected
with Augsburg through an endowed
scholarship.
always stressed the values of serving and
giving to others.”
Perhaps like the Marklands you want to
make student dreams a reality. After all,
85 percent of Augsburg’s students receive
financial aid and scholarship support.
Contact the Development Office at
612-338-0002 or 1-800-273-0617 to offer
encouragement and significant financial
assistance for students. ■
Ellingers support Science Center through student-faculty research
Albert Einstein’s words, “It is high time
that the ideal of success should be
replaced by the ideal of service,” reflect the
giving spirits of Patricia (Olson) ’71 and
Mark ’71 Ellinger. The Ellingers, both
biology majors at Augsburg, have enjoyed
success in their careers and are now giving
back in ways that will serve others.
18
Last year, they established an
endowment, the Ellinger Faculty Scholar,
to provide support for faculty research to
include student collaboration. “We really
appreciated how the research program was
developed,” said Pat. “It is our way to
support the new Science Center and
faculty research because of the positive
experiences we had at Augsburg.”
“We were both drawn to Augsburg
because of the strong science and
biomedical programs and its Lutheran
heritage,” continued Pat. Mark, who
transferred to Augsburg during his junior
year, echoed that: “I had a deep and
continuing interest in the relationship of
Summer 2005
Dean and Terry Kennedy, continued
Augsburg’s board for the past three years.
Just out of college in 1971, Good
convinced Kennedy to come to Augsburg
and then coached him his freshman year.
Grygelko was Kennedy’s coach for his
final three years.
“I was fortunate to be on the varsity
for four years and take my lead from
good leaders who remain my lifelong
friends,” Kennedy said. “It was such an
important part of my life at the time, and
it molded me and shaped my values as a
person.
“Terry and I have been blessed to be
in the position to do this. We’re doing it
for Jeff Swenson ’79, Mike Good, John
Grygelko, and all the outstanding young
men for whom the Augsburg wrestling
program has meant so much. And now
that we’ve thought it through and made
the commitment, we’re feeling very good
about it, both of us.”
Swenson is current wrestling coach
and assistant dean for athletics and
recreation. Kennedy said he is a great
admirer of Swenson’s coaching, but more
importantly how he has shaped his team
members into outstanding men who
excel in the classroom and in society.
“Augsburg has done a very good job
in working with its student-athletes. I
took great pride in the program when I
was there, and 30 years later I’m still able
to take pride. When I was at this year’s
national tournament (in Northfield,
Minn.) I was very impressed by Jeff’s
work with these young men. They were
articulate and, even with all their
success, very humble. I attribute that to
Jeff and his coaches.
“You see a lot of successful ‘sports’
programs, but you don’t hear them talk
about their graduation rates or inclassroom successes. But you do hear
that at Augsburg. This is a college that
teaches its students how to think
critically and care about the world. I
wanted to be supportive of that.”
Kennedy said he also was spurred
into making his gift by an earlier gift
science and religion, which continues to
captivate me.” Both of them enjoyed
learning in smaller classes and taking a
wide array of liberal arts in addition to
the required biology courses for their
majors.
Taking Professor Robert Herforth’s
Developmental Biology course
influenced Mark significantly: it’s where
he and Pat met, and it convinced Mark
to pursue a Ph.D.
Pat has never regretted following a
career in medical technology suggested
by her chemistry professor Courtland
Agre. She went on to specialize in blood
banking and obtained a master’s degree in
health education.
For many years both Mark and Pat
Ellinger have mentored students about
the importance of science careers and
research. The Ellinger scholarship will
further those efforts; and for its first
recipient, biology professor Mark
Strefeler, it will provide enhanced
resources for his research and support
for a student assistant.
Summer 2005
made by Twin Cities wrestling legend
Alan Rice—a non-Augsburg alum who
donated $1 million to the campaign just
a year ago. Kennedy said he had long
known and admired Rice, and when he
saw that kind of commitment from him,
he knew that he, too, needed to step
forward to insure that good facilities
were available for future generations.
The goal for the new facility is about
$5 million, and nearly $4 million has
now been raised. The College hopes to
bring in the last of the money by fall and
have a ceremonial groundbreaking soon
thereafter.
“I hope that Terry’s and my gift will
not only spark interest in other
generations of Augsburg athletes whose
lives have been shaped by the College,
but also by Augsburg alumni in general
in support of the many other important
projects, such as the new Science Center,
that will serve so many students in so
many different ways,” Kennedy said. ■
The Ellinger Faculty Scholarship has
supported the collaborative research of
biology professor Mark Strefeler and student
assistant Andrea Carlson ’05.
19
Seed family endows StepUP to affirm others
SM
Adam Seed’s life changed when he
attended Augsburg. “It took Hazelden
and Don Warren, former StepUP SM
director, to jumpstart me,” said Seed.
“Don Warren saw my potential and
made me believe in myself. He was
always available to me and the other
students.”
Seed was one of the first students in
Augsburg’s StepUP program, which
supports students in recovery to achieve
academic success.
Now it’s Seed’s turn to share his
passion for the program and offer his
unique insight as co-chair of the StepUP
Alumni Board. “His leadership, wisdom,
and strong recovery are necessary assets
for the Alumni Board,” said Patrice
Salmeri, StepUP director.
“I want to make a connection with
others and come up with unique
solutions to common problems,” Seed
said. “I’d also like to help re-establish
alumni connections and contribute to
the decisions concerning StepUP’s
present and future. StepUP is a major
part of who I am today and its health
and possibility for the future are very
important to me. Augsburg’s part in my
Vision is published by
Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454.
Editor and Writer
Lynn James
Contributing Writer
Dan Jorgensen
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
www.augsburg.edu/campaign
20
Jim and Adam Seed
development was crucial. It’s my hope
that students take the opportunity to get
uncomfortable and grow in areas that
typically don’t occur naturally.”
Seed’s family also continues to be
involved with StepUP because of the
impact it had on his life. In 2003 the
Seed family received the Toby LaBelle
Award as the StepUP Family of the Year.
Recently, they showed support for the
program by answering the Parent/Family
and Friend Challenge.
“By endowing the StepUP program—
both as a physical and financial
resource—we hope to create more
certainty for its future,” said Jim Seed,
Adam’s father. “We appreciate what was
available to Adam and to others. I’d also
like to commend [President] Bill Frame
on his dedication to this program and to
Augsburg,” said Jim.
“I appreciate the commitment and
loyalty to the program shown by the
Seeds,” said Salmeri. “Since its inception
in 1997, when Adam was in the class of
founding students, the program has
grown from 23 students to 53 students.
Our new home, [the] Gateway
[Building], will house 84 students.”
“The original model for the StepUP
program evolved over the last eight
years,” Jim Seed said. “Young people are
living in a small community and
supporting each other. Prior to StepUP it
was something that was impossible for
them to do on their own. It’s a
transformational environment where
students break through the memories of
failure and then come back into that
environment.
“It’s a wonderful program. It will be
affirming and visionary if this program is
constructed and transported to other
colleges and universities. StepUP is a
paradigm for life. As a collective group
we have to help each other.” ■
GATEWAY CONSTRUCTION
FURTHERED BY CHALLENGE GIFTS
Thanks to the generous support by the
Seed family and others, StepUP’s
Parent/Family and Friend Challenge met
its goal. The challenge, set by Jim Johnson
in the spring of 2004, raised $425,000
toward construction of the Gateway
Building that will house the StepUP
program.
Johnson, a former CEO of Fannie Mae,
likes the urban village concept of the
planned mixed-use office/retail/residential
Gateway Building. He also appreciates
the collaboration between the University
of Minnesota and Augsburg, with both
institutions serving the neighborhood and
addressing needs for retail and housing.
Johnson has been supportive of education
and a strong proponent of higher
education. At Augsburg, Johnson honored
his mother, Adeline (Rasmussen) ’31
Johnson, by establishing a scholarship in
her name.
Summer 2005
FINDING THE RIGHT CAREER
F
O
R
M
U
L
A
by Betsey Norgard
TRYING OUT THE OPTIONS
Senior Jennifer Geis has shaped her own career goals in just this
way. She came to Augsburg having been turned on to math in the
eighth grade and having studied two years of college math as a
postsecondary student. But, she really didn’t have a career focus,
and hadn’t even settled on a math major. After two years of
Summer 2005
Staff photo
S
On one of the first nice days in spring, students in Professor
Rebekah Dupont’s (second from left) class enjoyed solving their
math problems outside on the Quad.
Stephen Geffre
tudying mathematics can open doors to increasing numbers
of varied careers and jobs for students. Often called the
“language of science,” mathematics provides a structure and
the tools to solve many kinds of problems, especially within the
increasing complexity of today’s sciences and technology.
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2002 Jobs Rated Almanac,
eight of the 10 “best jobs”—biologist, actuary, financial planner,
computer-systems analyst, software engineer, meteorologist,
statistician, and astronomer—all require complex understanding
and interpretation of numbers.
Even more telling of how mathematics is becoming “cool” is
the popularity of the new CBS-TV show, Numb3rs, in which a
mathematician helps the FBI solve crimes through mathematical
modeling—constructing formulas to reveal patterns and predict
behavior.
Using mathematics as a complementary skill to a variety of
disciplines makes it a valuable second major or minor. Augsburg
students combine math with physics, computer science, biology,
psychology, economics, as well as music, English, Spanish, and
religion.
While some students know they want to pursue a degree in
mathematics, many students generally don’t enter Augsburg
intending to major in math, or even to study it. So, how does the
mathematics faculty help students sort out the possibilities for
math in liberal arts, for teaching, for research, for graduate
school, and for using math in both theory and application?
“We encourage them to pursue opportunities for out-of-class
experiences such as community service, undergraduate research,
paper presentations, and internships,” said department chair
Rebekah Dupont. “Then, as part of our advising, we talk about
what they liked best, and what perhaps they didn’t.
“Our focus is really on helping students to activate their
potential by connecting them to opportunities they might not
have known about.”
Senior Jennifer Geis has taken advantage of internships, tutoring, and
research to help her pursue a career in statistics.
mathematics courses at Augsburg, she knew she was hooked.
“When my professors realized I was spending more time
in the math department than anywhere else, they encouraged
me to improve my teaching and tutoring skills,” said Geis.
She began assisting with grading and tutoring in calculus,
linear algebra, statistics, and courses for non-majors.
It was a course in actuarial science that really sparked her
interest and led to her work with Professor Ken Kaminsky on
the textbook he had just completed. While giving the
textbook a trial run in one of his classes, Kaminsky asked
Geis to help him proofread, review the ease of layout, and
21
Stephen Geffre
Stephen Geffre
Professor Ken Kaminsky tried out his new textbook with classes over several semesters, and
tests his math cartoons with the readers of Augarithms, the bi-weekly department newsletter.
Rhythm and ‘Rithmetic—Music professor Bob
Stacke ’71 (left) and math professor Matt
Haines (right) presented an interactive
seminar for Augsburg faculty, staff, and
students to demonstrate how counting beats
in a measure is really mathematics.
verify the accuracy of the answers—
while also gaining a bird’s-eye view into
how a professor engages in academic
scholarship.
Kaminsky encouraged Geis to pursue
a double major in mathematics and
actuarial science, which she is able to do
through the Associated Colleges of the
Twin Cities (ACTC) consortium,
allowing students to take courses at four
other private colleges when they’re not
learned how to communicate clearly and
how to explain myself carefully.”
This summer, she left the business
world to accept a research internship in
statistics at North Carolina State
University, funded through the National
Science Foundation. This gives her an
introduction to the wider application of
statistics than actuarial science offers.
Mathematics major Tim Bancroft,
who is now at Iowa State University
T E A C H I N G
Mathematics professors Tracy Bibelnieks
and Matthew Haines usually focus on
helping college math majors head to
graduate school or other careers. Recently,
though, they have spent considerable time
together with education specialists across
the country studying the mathematical
knowledge needed by college students
who are preparing to become teachers.
This is important because everyone is
learning mathematics differently now than
how it was taught years ago—even only
five years ago. Starting in early grades,
children begin playing games with
numbers—tossing pennies and making
charts to learn about probability, for
instance. In each succeeding year, their
classroom learning builds on and expands
the knowledge and skills they
already have.
It means that elementary teachers need
to develop a deeper understanding of
numbers than just how to add two
22
available on the home campus.
Geis put her skills into practice for a
year as an intern at Allianz Life
Insurance. She became part of a team
implementing a major, new actuarial
reserving system and feels fortunate to
have been given a role and responsibility.
Plus, she learned more.
“Some of the most important things
I’ve learned working at Allianz have
nothing to do with math,” she said. “I’ve
M A T H E M A T I C S
T O
numbers, or divide, or multiply. High school
calculus teachers must understand how
their students learned mathematics as they
progressed through the grades—how their
thinking developed and how they
communicate mathematical concepts.
Bibelnieks and Haines focused their
research on mathematics content for
students preparing to be elementary
teachers who have neither a strong
background in math nor an interest in
teaching it. Already, together with
Augsburg’s K-6 mathematics education
specialist Linda Stevens, they’ve made
content revisions in two mathematics
courses.
It has been a more difficult assignment
than they imagined.
“How you teach pre-service teachers
[education majors] is different from how
you teach somebody who’s going on to
graduate school in math, says Bibelnieks.
“You have to go out of your comfort zone
T E A C H E R S
and learn what it means to be an
elementary teacher in some sense.”
Bibelnieks, Haines, and Stevens received
Minnesota State Education Department
funding to work with current teachers on
acquisition of content knowledge in
mathematics and its application to
classroom learning. An in-service workshop
first focused on mathematics content;
Bibelnieks, Haines, and Stevens then
advised the teachers during the school year
in class activities. The project goal was to
develop a “professional continuum,” in
which knowledge gained from current
teachers informs how future teachers learn,
who then go into the field, etc.
This summer Bibelnieks and Haines
presented papers at an international
conference in Brazil outlining Augsburg’s
new curriculum as well as Haines’
participation in a wider longitudinal study
looking at where education students learn
their mathematics.
Summer 2005
Staff photo
working on a master’s degree in statistics,
was able to enter graduate school with
solid research experience. He took a
project from his Discrete Mathematics
Structures class with Professor Su Dorée
and developed a research project in
combinatorics, which studies the
arrangement of objects. For the cointrading game called Bulgarian Exchange,
Bancroft took results from the solitaire
version of this game and generalized the
patterns and repetitive cycle of twoperson play. Together with Dorée,
Bancroft presented his research at a
national mathematics conference.
Stephen Geffre
Tim Bancroft began grad school with solid
research and presentation skills from a
project he carried out with Professor Su
Dorée involving prediction of patterns in a
coin-trading game.
S T U D E N T S AT T H E
CUTTING EDGE
Professor Tracy Bibelnieks considers
herself an applied mathematician, which
in her words involves “using theoretical
mathematics in innovative ways to solve
rich business problems.”
She previously worked as a consultant,
applying mathematics to the analysis of
huge customer databases to help
companies address problems or
maximize revenue in their marketing and
promotional strategies.
Bibelnieks is seeking to develop
partnerships with local firms that would
provide benefit to both the business
world and to her Augsburg students. She
is looking for rich business problems and
projects that will engage students in
research beyond the standard classroom
theory and models. The mathematical
theory involved has to be exacting and
validated—risky for a company to
undertake—but invaluable for students
wanting to get their feet wet in the field.
The research generated by such a
business/academic partnership gives
students an edge as they look for career
opportunities in the marketplace.
Moreover, it may give the business an
edge in the marketplace through the
development of new tools, techniques,
and solutions for a wide range of
business problems.
In September, Jennifer Geis begins to
work with Bibelnieks on a business
partnership research project. Geis is
excited because it will require her to
learn more about applied mathematics in
the business sector, including the use of
programming and software, that will
hopefully give her that extra edge as she
pursues an advanced career in statistics.
ENGAGED STUDENTS
Professor Tracy Bibelnieks is developing
business partnerships to provide problems
and projects for students to research and
gain experience in applied mathematics.
Summer 2005
The mathematics department makes it
easy for students to feel connected to
R E A D
P I —
T H R O W
P I E !
On 3-14 (March 14, that is), students
in Unbounded, Augsburg’s math
club, hosted a pi(e) fest, in honor of
Pi Day. The event benefited
Augsburg's “Ride the Wave”
tsunami relief project. From noon
until 3:14:15 p.m., students took
turns reading the digits of pi—
24,401 at final count. Also, faculty
and staff signed up to be “pied,”
i.e., to have a whipped-cream minipie tossed at them for a donation—
the larger the donation, the closer
the pie subject would stand.
faculty. Several years ago, a study room
was set up in the department to
encourage students and faculty to get to
know each other. Students spend time
there using the telephone or computers,
or researching something in the small
library.
“I practically live in the math suite
with the workroom and the study areas,”
said Geis. “It’s great just having the
professors there. They come in to eat
lunch and help you through your
homework right then and there.”
Dupont adds that it also encourages a
supportive environment in which
upperclass students can help newer
students.
The department also brings students
together in bi-monthly colloquia where
they meet professionals in various fields
of mathematics, learn about applications,
and hear research presentations. Often
the presenters are Augsburg alumni who
enjoy keeping in contact with their
former professors and getting to know
current students.
Augarithms, the department’s
biweekly newsletter, complete with
department news, colloquia information,
puzzles, and even math cartoons
provided by editor Kaminsky, keeps the
department in touch.
All of this is to encourage students to
connect what they learn in classrooms
23
K E E P I N G
A
L E G A C Y
A L I V E
T H E
G E O R G E
S O B E R G
S C H O L A R S H I P
Professor George Soberg graduated from
communicate to our students that we
Augsburg in 1926, and then spent the
think they show real potential in
next four decades of his life teaching
mathematics. As a department, we
mathematics at his alma mater. For 32
believe in honoring the level of
years he served as chair of the
accomplishment seen in junior or senior
Mathematics Department.
mathematics majors, and also celebrating
The 1965 Augsburgian dedication
the strong performance and enthusiasm
calls out his “constant concern for
of a freshman in calculus. In addition,
students and his ever-ready willingness
since they are named scholarships, they
to help them individually.”
connect our current students with alumni
Donald G. Murphy ’43 and Kenneth
A. Gilles ’44 were two of Soberg’s
and faculty emeriti.
“A named scholarship is one of the
students who wanted to keep his legacy
many ways alumni give back to our
alive and inspire future students to
department. Mathematics alumni also
achieve their educational dreams. In
speak in our colloquia, connect students
2004, Murphy and Gilles endowed a
with internship opportunities, serve on
scholarship in Soberg’s name to be
Augsburg’s alumni board, and participate
awarded to a math major or minor.
in programs such as the alumni
“The value of such gifts to the
mentoring program (funded by the Lilly
department is immeasurable,”
Endowment), which brings together
commented Rebekah Dupont,
alumni, current students,
Mathematics Department chair. “The
and faculty.”
scholarships funded by these gifts
Archive photo
Professor George Soberg, who graduated from Augsburg and stayed to teach and chair the
Mathematics Department for over 30 years, now has an endowed scholarship in
his honor.
24
with real-world mathematics. Last year,
Dupont and other faculty and staff from
Augsburg attended the Engaged
Department Institute in Engineering,
Mathematics, Computer Science, and
Related Fields. Co-sponsored by Campus
Compact and 3M Corporation, the
institute aimed to help departments
develop strategies to include communitybased work in both their teaching and
scholarship and to seek ways to integrate
service-learning, community-based
research, and civic engagement into the
curricula.
For example, one of the first-year
mathematics courses last fall that was part
of the Augsburg Seminar student
orientation included service-learning at
the Cedar-Riverside Community School.
Augsburg students worked with the
elementary children to create a store,
helping them understand what kinds of
data they needed to make decisions about
stocking the store, setting prices, etc.
All in all, the department seeks to
encourage students to explore the
possibilities and to help them
understand what it means to be
successful in the sciences. It’s part of
introducing them to the notion of
vocation—helping them discover the
opportunities within their own interests
and abilities. Bibelnieks talks about
helping them open doors, which they
can leave behind if they wish, but
supporting them toward success, not
failure.
For Geis, it’s made the difference. “All
my professors have encouraged me to try
things I didn’t think I could do,” she
says. “I didn’t think I could get my
internship this summer, but I was
accepted. I didn’t think about pursuing a
master’s or Ph.D. in statistics, but here I
am prepping for my GREs. It’s been a
lack of self-confidence, and they’ve
always encouraged me to push myself
from the limit to the next level, and I
think that’s the most important thing.” ■
For information about Augsburg
mathematics, go to <www.augsburg.edu/
mathematics>.
Summer 2005
Music after Augsburg
R
FOLLOWING THE HOGNANDER SCHOLARS
by Jessica Brown
adio variety shows … opera … film scores … high school teaching … music
education outreach … electronic music … jazz composition … Augsburg’s Hognander
Scholars are out making their marks in music around the world.
In 1998, the Orville ’36 and Gertrude (Lund) ’36 Hognander Family Fund was
established to support Augsburg’s music department. Principally, it establishes the
Hognander Scholars, juniors and seniors who receive merit awards for exceptional
music performance and academic achievement. The award is based on a résumé, essay,
and audition.
Here is an update on the Hognander Scholars, now Augsburg alumni, from the past
seven years.
Stephen Geffre
Aaron Gabriel ’00 (below), tenor,
graduated with majors in both English
and music performance. He is now
director of cultural arts at the Sabes
Jewish Community Center in
Minneapolis, where he supervises the
music, theatre, dance, art, literary, and
cinematic arts programs. Center
Playhouse, the youth theatre program
he created does six productions a year
and includes a Holocaust outreach
program, touching 3,000 middle school
age students; a classics series for teens
interested in classic playwrights; and
two summer musical theatre institutes
based on the Wesley Balk training he
received at Augsburg.
In addition, Gabriel performs
regularly with a number of local Twin
Cities theatre companies, including the
Minneapolis Musical Theatre, which
won the Star Tribune Best Small Theatre
Award in 2004 for Bat Boy, a musical in
which Gabriel played five characters.
Qiuxia (Hu) Welch ’99, French horn,
was “recruited” to Augsburg by
Professor Emeritus Robert Karlén, who
met her while teaching at the Sichuan
Summer 2005
Conservatory in China. After Augsburg,
she studied in the graduate program of
the University of Minnesota School of
Music and has spent three summers
teaching high school horn and
performing at the Kendell Betts Horn
Camp in New Hampshire. She and her
husband, Kevin, are moving to China
for several years to continue their
teaching and performing careers.
Chiho Okuizumi ’00 (above),
euphonium, earned an Augsburg degree
in music therapy, but also pursued an
instrumental career. At Montclair State
University she completed a master’s
25
FOLLOWING THE HOGNANDER SCHOLARS
degree in euphonium performance, and
she continues to play in the New York
metropolitan area. She is currently
pursuing a second degree at Montclair
State University in music therapy.
Okuizumi directs the REACH
(Resources for Education And Community
Harmony) program for the New Jersey
Symphony Orchestra and produces
orchestra concerts throughout the state. As
a one-person production unit for the
NJSO, she manages 120-150 concerts each
year, serving 20,000 people.
Jaime Kirchofner ’00, oboe, has carved
out a busy performance and teaching
career since graduating from Augsburg.
She plays second oboe in the St. Cloud
(Minn.) Symphony and regularly appears
with the Duluth-Superior Symphony
Orchestra, Amadeus Symphony, Great
River Chorale, Minnesota Center
Chorale, and chamber groups throughout
central Minnesota. She currently has 40
piano and oboe students.
Nicole (Warner)
Simml ’01 (left),
mezzo-soprano, has
performed for
audiences in the
U.S. and abroad. In
her junior year at
Augsburg, she
brought home top
division honors in a
regional voice competition. After
graduating, she completed a master’s
degree in classical voice from the
Manhattan School of Music and moved
to Germany.
In December, she sang Bach’s
Christmas Oratorio. “Without overflowing emotion, [Simml] convincingly uses
the opportunity to sing unpretentiously
and stylefully,” read a German newspaper
in translation.
26
She is also an active member of the
Gächinger Kantorei under the direction
of Helmuth Rilling. She teaches voice
and piano, and conducts a small
community choir.
Anna Brandsoy ’01, soprano, studied
in Germany at the Mozarteum and the
Münchner Singschule with Edda Moser
on a scholarship from the Voices of
Vienna. She is currently a doctoral
candidate at the University of Minnesota
where she has performed in numerous
operas. Last December, she won the
Metropolitan Opera National Council
Auditions, South Dakota Region.
Joe Tucker ’01, piano, is director of
instrumental music at Como Park High
School in St. Paul, where he has
established an orchestra program which
now boasts 40 members, has expanded
the band program to two ensembles with
a total of 85 students, and has led
ensembles to top honors at state contests
for four consecutive years.
From Augsburg, he earned a master’s
degree in music education from the
University of Minnesota. He was recently
recognized as an “outstanding teacher”
in the 2005 edition of “Who’s Who in
American Teaching.”
Brendan Anderson ’02 (top right),
saxophone and composition, made a
name for himself as a composer even
before leaving Augsburg. In his senior
year, he led the Augsburg Choir and
Concert Band in the premiere “I Believe,”
his interpretation of the Apostles’ Creed
in word and music. The work was later
performed at the Crystal Cathedral in
California during the Concert Band’s
spring tour in 2003.
In the past two years he has
completed coursework in the UCLA film
scoring program, and been commis-
sioned to compose an arrangement of
part of the Lutheran liturgy, as well as a
piece for the Lutheran High School of
Orange County (Calif.) Handbell
Ensemble and Hollywood Brass
Ensemble.
This spring Anderson was nominated
for Best Original Score at the 168 Hour
Film Festival in Pasadena, Calif., for his
score to the short film, Picket Guy. He
lives in Arizona and works in the
administrative offices of the Phoenix
Symphony while continuing to compose
both concert and film music.
Lindsay Bonner ’02, soprano, sang in
the Augsburg Choir, performed with the
Gospel Praise ensemble, and appeared on
the theatre stage. In 2002, she studied on
scholarship at the Wesley Balk MusicTheater Institute and performed with
Nautilus Music-Theater. For two years
she has been in Austin, Texas, where she
is a featured performer with the Lillian
Kaufman Radio Drama and teaches voice
lessons at Westlake High School. Bonner
has also performed on Eklektikos, an
Austin Public Radio variety program.
Daniel Luedtke ’02, piano, is exploring
the potential for creative expression
Summer 2005
Stephen Geffre
found in the experimental and electronic
genre. He currently works on electronic
music and sound design projects, as well
as the post-production video editing for
the Pilot Chicago Queermedia
Conference 2004. In July he began work
with the Video Data Bank in Chicago,
Ill., a resource for videotapes by and
about contemporary artists.
Visitors and is
performing the part
of La Ciesca this
summer in Puccini’s
Gianni Schicchi.
FritzHuspen is a
teaching assistant
and will begin to
coach private vocal
lessons in the fall.
Mark Abelsen (’04), piano, has plans for
graduate school in the near future,
majoring in either piano or musicology. He
currently works for the Schubert Club in
St. Paul as a museum docent in the
organization’s keyboard and manuscript
museums, as well as assists with various
recital series, scholarship competitions,
and office duties.
In addition, he serves as director of
music ministries for Epiphany Lutheran
Church in Minneapolis and has a piano
studio of 12 students.
Gertrude Hognander with the 19992000 Hognander Scholars Jaime
Kirchofner ’00 (left) and Chiho
Okuizumi ’00 (right).
THE HOGNANDERS:
SUPPORTING MUSIC
EXCELLENCE
Orville ’36 and Gertrude (Lund) ’36
Hognander created a legacy in
Augsburg’s music department that will
encourage and support students for
years to come.
Emily Gerard ’03 (above), harp, studied
harp at Augsburg with Kathy Kienzle,
principal harpist with the Minnesota
Orchestra. She went on to Carnegie
Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where
she studied with Gretchen Van Hoesen,
principal harpist with the Pittsburgh
Symphony Orchestra. During her time
there, she was able to participate in
numerous master classes and perform
repertoire with the Carnegie Mellon
Philharmonic, and play second harp with
the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In
May she earned her Master of Music
degree in harp recital.
Upon completing this degree, she
returned to Minneapolis to join the
faculty of the MacPhail School of Music.
Maja Lisa FritzHuspen ’04 (top
center), soprano, currently studies at the
University of Iowa with Rachel Joselson
and opera director Gary Race. Last fall
she performed the lead role as the
mother of Amahl in Amahl and the Night
Summer 2005
While a student at Augsburg in the
1930s, Orville Hognander sang in the
male quartet and the Augsburg Choir.
He created and produced “The Hour
Melodious,” a weekly radio program
that brought the choir to a national
audience.
Gertrude (Lund) ’36 Hognander,
studied music at Augsburg and went
on to a career as a church organist and
choir director.
Andy Peterson ’05 (above with Professor
Angela Wyatt), piano and saxophone,
will complete his bachelor’s degree in
music education following student
teaching at Henry Sibley High School
this fall. He is currently working on his
composition Sound Carei's, a piece for
saxophone and piano which was inspired
by the music of Minneapolis jazz
musician Carei Thomas. ■
Jessica Brown is a communication
specialist in the Office of Public Relations
and Communication.
Together, they provided leadership
support to Augsburg music. In 1994,
they matched a $25,000 challenge to
refurbish pianos and purchase
equipment for the music department.
The Hognander Scholar awards,
aim to attract gifted students and to
encourage current students.
Orville Hognander died in 1997,
and Gertrude Hognander in January
2005. They are survived by their son,
O.C. Hognander, Jr.
27
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the Alumni Board president’s desk…
I
n May I had the
opportunity to
attend Augsburg’s
Commencement
ceremony in Si
Melby Hall. I also
had the privilege to
welcome new
graduates into the
ranks of over
19,000 alumni. Surveying the crowd, I
was reminded that Augsburg graduates
are prepared to lead and make a
difference—wherever their community is
and however defined. Augsburg
graduates understand that the phrase
“values proposition” goes beyond the
business marketing context to include
living out one’s life in service to
community and others.
Representatives from each graduating
class spoke of their experiences and
perspectives as learners. Glenda Holste,
representing graduate-level students,
shared a story that revealed the
important value she places on her
education. However, she didn’t mention
her career as a member of the Pioneer
Press Editorial Board. Her role at the
Pioneer Press newspaper exemplifies the
Augsburg spirit of leadership and service
to others. Holste’s editorial responsibilities
and op-ed writing reach many thousands
of people each day—and her work
ensures that readers have the
opportunity to be informed on many
viewpoints of important issues of the day.
Another example of exemplary
service is Dr. Jeanette Vought ’77,
profiled on page 31 of this issue. Vought
founded the Christian Recovery Center
in Brooklyn Center, Minn., which helps
many people get the mental health care
they need. In today’s world of
A-Club making connections with new
look and Web site
A
n old Augsburg tradition has a fresh
new face! Earlier this year, the
A-Club Executive Committee approved a
new logo for the organization that
supports Augsburg athletics and
physical education.
“We hope the bold, clean look
will increase awareness of A-Club
events as well as our mission of
helping today’s student athletes,” said
John Harden, A-Club president.
The block “A” is just the first step
aimed at improving A-Club’s brand.
Visitors will see the logo on the debut
Web site (www.aclub.org). For the first
time, A-Club members and friends can
get the latest information on events,
activities, fundraising efforts, and
newsletters online.
“It is critical to stay connected with
all our members, and this Web site will
help us take giant steps toward improved
28
communication,” Harden said. By
browsing the site, visitors will also
discover an exciting line of A-Club
apparel featuring the block “A.” Hats,
shirts, windbreakers, and even stadium
blankets are now available online with
proceeds benefiting Augsburg athletics
and physical education.
diminishing access for mental health
services, particularly for lower income
people, Vought’s service approach is
particularly needed and inspiring.
Each of us as alumni have the spirit of
vocation and leadership potential of
Vought and Holste. We are all at a starting
point of some kind or another. If you
haven’t already, I invite each one of you to
connect or re-connect with Augsburg
College. Along the way your life
experience will grow and be enhanced,
your community will benefit, and
Augsburg will be enriched many times
over. Be connected—stay connected!
Bill Vanderwall ’93 WEC
President, Alumni Board
A-Club 5K Run/Walk
The Augsburg College Athletic Alumni
Club (A-Club) requests your
participation in the Second Annual
A-Club 5K Run/Walk. Join us for a fun
morning of fellowship and running or
walking in the crisp autumn air while
helping to support student athletes at
Augsburg.
The event will take place Sunday,
September 18. Check-in begins at 9 a.m.
at Melby Hall; race begins at 10 a.m.
For more information or to register,
please contact A-Club President John
Harden at <jharden@hardeninc.com>.
Second
Annual
A-Club
5K
Summer 2005
Attention Auggies: Do you have the time and desire to help
today’s student-athletes become tomorrow’s leaders?
The Augsburg A-Club is looking for
women and men who are willing to be
active participants on the A-Club
Executive Committee. The A-Club is a
volunteer organization of former men and
women athletes that depends on members
to do what they can to help provide
today’s student-athletes with opportunities
for a quality athletic experience.
We are looking for individuals who are
dedicated to supporting the College,
Augsburg athletics, and physical
education. Most important, they must be
willing to put in time as a volunteer. The
time does not have to be significant, but
they do need to be able to follow through
on their commitment (we’re big on people
doing what they say they will). Members
must be able to attend brief quarterly
Executive Committee meetings at the
College and be willing to work on at least
one A-Club committee: Golf, Hall of
Alumni tour to China
Centennial Singers Fall Schedule
Enjoy fellowship, comfort, and enriching
educational opportunities on the May
2006 Augsburg Alumni Association
China tour: Sights and Spirits. Hosted by
Brad Holt, professor of religion, this 15day tour scheduled for May 11–25,
2006, begins in Beijing and includes
Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City,
the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors,
and a boat cruise down the Yangtze
River past the Three Gorges, which will
be flooded by a dam project at the end
of this decade. The international city of
Shanghai concludes this travel
experience. In addition to visiting
famous sites in China, the tour will
include an investigation of the religions
of China, including Confucianism,
Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and
Islam, with special attention to the
churches of China. Spaces are filling
quickly; to add your name to the waiting
list, call or e-mail the alumni office at
612-330-1178 or <alumni@augsburg.edu>.
Summer 2005
Fame, Membership, Fundraising,
Communications, Special Events, 5K
Run/Walk, etc.
Are you interested in joining our
team? Do you know of someone who
would be a good fit on a winning team?
If you would like to know more, e-mail
A-Club President John Harden
(jharden@hardeninc.com), or Jane
Helmke (jhelmke@kare.gannett.com).
Thanks for your interest!
September 25, 4 p.m.
Hope Lutheran Church
Moose Lake, Minn.
October 22, 7 p.m.
Salem Covenant Church
New Brighton, Minn.
October 1, 6 p.m.
Augsburg Awards Banquet
Christensen Center
October 23, 7 p.m.
Christ the King Lutheran Church
Bloomington, Minn.
October 2, 7 p.m.
Golden Valley Lutheran Church
Golden Valley, Minn.
October 29, 7 p.m.
Lakeville Arts Center
Lakeville, Minn.
October 9, 9 and 10:45 a.m.
House of Prayer worship services
Richfield, Minn.
October 30, 7 p.m.
Community of the Cross Lutheran
Church
Bloomington, Minn.
October 9, 4 p.m.
Westwood Lutheran Church
St. Louis Park, Minn.
October 17, 7:30 p.m.
Wayzata Community Church
Wayzata, Minn.
November 6, 4 p.m.
Our Savior's Lutheran Church
Hastings, Minn.
November 13, 11 a.m.
Fort Snelling Chapel morning worship
Minneapolis
29
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
1948
1958
Robert Tharp, Lexington, Va.,
works as a commercial artist
who does illustration, murals,
stone carving, and portraits. In
addition, Robert works in art
conservation, engineer drawing,
and ceramics.
Doris (Johnson) Deml, St.
Cloud, Minn., won the Ray
Johnson Distinguished Service in
Senior Housing Award, given
annually to one winner in
Minnesota through the Minnesota
Health and Housing Alliance.
Doris is director of operations at
Clearwater Suites, an assistedliving facility in Alexandria,
Minn.
1956
Rev. Arlen Stensland and his
wife, Lois, were featured in the
Minneapolis Star Tribune in a
story about how they collect and
send portable manual
typewriters to the pastors and
congregation of the Malagasy
Lutheran Church in Madagascar,
where the couple were
missionaries for 22 years. The
manual typewriters are
immensely useful in this
electricity-starved nation. Arlen
and Lois live in Laporte, Minn.,
on Lake Kabekona; they can be
reached at <kabegasy@
paulbunyan.net>.
1957
Rev. Orval
Moren, Coon
Rapids, Minn.,
wrote a book,
Gospel Stories for
Pastors, Teachers,
and Parents
(American Christian Writer’s
Press), filled with 115 children’s
lessons he told during his 14
years of ministry at Faith
Lutheran Church in
Albuquerque, N.Mex.
Rev. Neal
Snider,
Steilacoom,
Wash., published
two books in
2004: Letter to
Jabez: Response
to a Prayer, and Spring Training
for Christians: Getting Your Faith
in Shape (both by Augsburg
Fortress). He is pastor emeritus
of Bethlehem Lutheran Church
in Marysville, Wash.
30
1961
Keith Leiseth, Golden Valley,
Minn., is an ecology instructor at
Benilde-St. Margaret’s; he was
featured in a story in the Edina
Sun Current for the unique
teaching techniques he uses in
his honors ecology class. Last
year, Keith volunteered his
students to partner with the
Department of Natural Resources
to track white-tailed deer and
wolves near Camp Ripley in
northern Minnesota. This year,
his class partnered with the
Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency to monitor water quality.
1962
David Moe,
Juneau, Alaska,
published My
Spirit Sings (Moe
Publishing), a
collection of
poems written
over the past 40 years on a
variety of subjects.
1968
Duane M. Ilstrup, Kailua-Kona,
Hawaii, is a retired associate
professor of biostatistics at the
Mayo Clinic. He was recently
appointed by the governor of
Hawaii to a four-year term on the
Hawaii Subarea Health Planning
Council.
Bruce Johnson, Plymouth,
Minn., received the Minnesota
High School Hockey Coaches
Association’s 2005 Dave Peterson
Award. The award is given
annually to a high school coach
who has shown great leadership
in developing youth hockey
either locally or statewide.
Bruce, currently the boys’
hockey assistant coach at
Bloomington Jefferson High
School, previously served for
several years as head coach at
Robbinsdale Armstrong High
School.
1969
John-Mark Stensvaag, Iowa
City, Iowa, received the 2005
President and Provost Award for
Teaching Excellence from the
University of Iowa in recognition
for his years of outstanding
teaching. John-Mark is the
Charlotte and Frederick Hubbell
Professor of Environmental and
Natural Resources Law in the UI
College of Law, where he has
taught since 1988. He was
awarded the university’s
Collegiate Teaching Award in
both 1989 and 2002, and also
received the 1996 UI
Instructional Improvement
Award, which supports faculty in
bringing innovative teaching
methods and technologies to the
classroom.
1970
Sonya (Hagen) Zieske, Albert
Lea, Minn., was one of five
finalists for Teacher of the Year in
the Albert Lea school district.
Sonya is a fifth-grade teacher at
Lakeview Elementary School; it is
her second year in the district.
Her husband, Rev. Curtis Zieske
’69, is pastor at Trinity Lutheran
Church, where Sonya serves as
director of the children’s choir.
She and her husband have two
children, Sarah and Aaron.
Twin Cities. Previously, she was
a vocalist with the ensemble
Moore By Four, and has been a
solo artist for the past decade,
producing six albums on her
own label, Minnehaha Music.
Ronald Mielke was inducted
into the Bloomington Sports
Hall of Fame. He is director of
sales at Trintel Communications,
Inc. Ronald and his wife, Linda,
live in Bloomington, Minn.
1977
Rev. Jim
Purdham is the
minister at
Sargeant,
Brownsdale, and
Lansing United
Methodist
churches in southeastern
Minnesota, leading services at
all three each Sunday. He and
his wife, Cindy, have two
daughters: Katie, 14, and
Laura, 12.
1979
David Eitrheim, Menomonie,
Wis., was named Family
Physician of the Year for 2004
by the Wisconsin Academy of
Family Physicians. The award
recognizes a physician who
exemplifies the tradition of the
“family doctor.” David has been
a family doctor in Menomonie
for 17 years.
1980
1974
Dan Carlson, Excelsior, Minn.,
is chief of police for Eden
Prairie, Minn. This past winter,
he and his son, Peter, traveled to
Alaska for a month to compete
in the international Iditarod dog
sled competition, where Peter
came in 11th.
Connie
Evingson was
featured in a
story in the St.
Paul Pioneer
Press. Since the
1970s, Connie
has been singing jazz in the
Lisa Novotny, Minneapolis,
was awarded the Woman of
Achievement Award from the
Minnesota Chapter of the
National Association of Women
Business Owners at its awards
gala in April. The award honors
women who have made
Summer 2005
ALUMNI PROFILE
Dr. Jeanette Vought ’77: Restoring Broken Lives
by Kathy (Kuchera) Gruber ’84
Courtesy photo
Dr. Jeanette Vought ’77 has compassion for people of all ages who have experienced traumatic or abusive events
in their lives. As a licensed psychologist, she saw many people unable to afford mental health care slipping
through the system. So in 1993, she founded the Christian Recovery Center (CRC): a nonprofit,
nondenominational charitable organization, located in Brooklyn Center, Minn., to help more people get the
mental health care they need.
Vought’s career journey began at Augsburg, when she became interested in the social work degree offered.
Transferring from Golden Valley Lutheran, known today as Lutheran Bible Institute, was easy.
“The degree laid the foundation in the helping field,” Vought said in her calm soft voice.
One memory she won’t forget occurred during her first day interning at South High as a high school social
worker. “They were a tough group of kids with difficult problems,” Vought said, “and they stole my car.”
Dr. Jeanette Vought ’77 began
her career working with
abuse and trauma victims
while working toward a
social work degree from
Augsburg College.
Vought called the police, and they offered to drive her to work. On the way, they heard a call over the police
radio about an abandoned car. “It had been left in the middle of an intersection, running, and all the doors
open,” Vought said. Today she can chuckle over the event.
It was during college that Vought landed her first job at Friendship House I (FHI), a residential treatment center
for unwed pregnant teens run by Lutheran Social Services. Once she graduated, there were staffing changes at
FHI and Vought was asked to develop programs, write policies, and eventually supervise staff. The focus of care transitioned from unwed pregnant
teens to treating emotionally disturbed girls ages 12 to 18 years old.
“It was hard to write policies because not everyone on staff had a Christian background,” Vought said.
In 1981, she found a job with New Life Family Services, working with families, individuals, and marriage counseling. With her previous
leadership and program development skills, Vought eventually became executive director. During her years there, she completed her Ph.D. at
Union Institute, co-authored a book with Lynn Heitritter, Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse, and authored another book, Post-Abortion Trauma: Nine
Steps to Recovery.
“I really loved that ministry,” said Vought, “but I saw [in the helping fields] that people who were being abused sexually, emotionally, and
domestically were falling between the cracks—especially the poorer people.”
Motivated to action, Vought founded CRC in a small office space with a receptionist, a board of directors, and, initially, no pay. Today, CRC sees
over 250 clients a week ranging in age from 3 to 80 years old. A Rule 29 clinic, this state-licensed mental health facility has many programs to
help facilitate emotional healing. No one is turned away.
Vought has another connection with Augsburg, working with interns from the Master of Social Work program. Vought said she gets together with
professors Laura Boisen and Maryann Syers-McNairy to work on intern evaluations. Not only does Vought have a heart for the victims of abuse,
but also for giving interns the opportunity to develop their skills in helping to restore broken lives.
Kathy (Kuchera) Gruber is a 1984 Augsburg graduate and freelance writer in Brooklyn Park, Minn.
outstanding contributions to their
company. Lisa is vice president of
diversity and staffing at General
Mills.
Lisa Mae
Rusinko married
Anthony Michael
Vannelli in
October. Lisa is
an executive
liaison at
Navitaire, Inc., in Minneapolis;
Tony is a fire fighter/paramedic
Summer 2005
with the St. Paul Fire
Department. The couple lives in
Shoreview with their children:
Tovah (19) and Christian (16)
Rykken and Stephen (21),
Brianna (18), and Andrew (17)
Vannelli.
1981
Suzanne (Sienkiewicz)
Peterson, Burnsville, Minn.,
directs the Master of Education
in Teaching and Learning
Program at Saint Mary’s
University in Winona, Minn.,
where she also received her
Master of Education degree.
1982
Sandy (Walter) Holten,
Plymouth, Minn., wrote an
article, “Music Therapy for
People with Parkinson’s,” that
was included in a Parkinson’s
disease reference book published
by CRC Press (2005).
Debra Krueger Knight,
Bloomington, Minn., was
awarded the Wise Woman Award
from the Minnesota Chapter of
the National Association of
Women Business Owners at its
awards gala in April. Debra is
co-founder of Career
Professionals, Inc. The award
honors female business owners
who have operated a steady
business for more than 10 years
and who have sustained their
31
Class Notes
company through day-to-day
obstacles while continuing to
build a healthy, profitable
business.
1984
Lori Gustafson, Helsinki,
Finland, teaches English to
children of diplomats.
Paul Mueller, Rochester, Minn.,
received the Outstanding Faculty
Award for 2004 from the Mayo
School of Continuing Medical
Education.
Mike Riley, Brainerd, Minn., is
president of Bremer Bank in
charge of overall operations in
Brainerd and the surrounding
communities. Previously, Mike
was senior vice president at
Bremer.
Judy (White) Rixe, Corcoran,
Minn., was a member of the
Buffalo Thunderbirds women’s
hockey team that won the
Minnesota state tournament, C-3
division, in March. The team is
part of the Women’s Hockey
Association of Minnesota, which
has been around for 25 years and
has grown to nearly 900 players
in seven levels of competition.
The Thunderbirds were
unscored-upon at the
tournament; Judy scored two
goals and two assists. Her three
sons also play for Buffalo teams,
and her husband, Steven ’84,
coaches youth bantams at
Buffalo.
1985
Daniel Cress,
Gunnison, Colo.,
was promoted to
professor of
sociology at
Western State
College in
Gunnison. His co-edited book
on social movements, Authority
in Contention, was published this
spring. Daniel and his wife,
Cindy McKee, have two
daughters: Maggie, 11, and
Myles, 2.
32
Thomas “Tommy” Terpening,
Key West, Fla., works for Cooke
Communications as the printing,
composition, and graphic
services manager for Cooke’s
newspaper, The Key West Citizen.
1986
Mike Berry, Dayton, Ohio, is
senior vice president of solutions
management, development, and
operations for The Reynolds and
Reynolds Company. Previously,
Mike was senior vice president
of services at Reynolds. Before
joining Reynolds, he was
executive vice president of
customer support and general
manager for Stored Value
Systems at Comdata, a division
of Ceridian.
Jon Thorson, Middleton, Wis.,
was inducted into the Brainerd
High School Distinguished Hall
of Fame. He is an associate
professor of pharmacy in the
graduate school of the University
of Wisconsin.
1987
Jacquie Berglund,
Minneapolis, was featured in the
March 2005 issue of Minnesota
Monthly magazine for her
Finnegan’s Irish Amber beer and
the Spud Society nonprofit
organization it funds. Jacquie is
co-founder, director of sales, and
the sole employee of the
company, which uses money
generated from its beer sales to
help at-risk youth and the
working poor. Finnegan’s is
available at more than 140
restaurants and 200 liquor
stores.
1990
Alisa Holen, Iowa City, Iowa,
teaches ceramics and sculpture
as an adjunct faculty member at
Kirkwood Community College
and Mt. Mercy College, both in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Alisa
received her MFA from the
University of Iowa in May 2004
and has a home ceramics studio.
Karen (Neitge) Holt, Winters,
Calif., is teaching grade school at
the Davis Waldorf School.
1992
Robera Battal received a
Master of Art in African Studies
degree at Yale University in
2004.
Bethany Buchanan,
Minneapolis, is a medicalsurgical RN at Methodist
Hospital. She is also a bareboat
charter captain and races
sailboats competitively on Lake
Minnetonka and Lake Superior.
Bethany can be reached at
<gracesaddress@aol.com>.
theatre companies: Jungle
Theatre, Park Square, Theatre
Mu, Outward Spiral, the
Playwrights’ Center, Mystery
Cafe, Shakespeare on the Park,
and many others. She also does
commercial work and can be
seen in the short film, PALS,
written and directed by Neil
Orman. By day Heather is a
billing specialist with the law
firm Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
Heather can be reached at
<porkchop@aboutthisplay.com>.
Greg McAllister, Shoreview,
Minn., was featured in the
St. Paul Pioneer Press as a
“business mover.” He is
president and chief technologist
at Anesis Information Services
LLC in Shoreview.
Amber (Meier) Tarnowski,
Peabody, Mass., is a Kress Fellow
at “Historic New England”
(formerly SPNEA) in
conservation of historic objects.
Amber received her Master in
Art Conservation degree from
Queen’s University (Ontario,
Canada) in 2003 and did
research as a Kress Fellow
(2003–2004) at Harvard
University.
1993
1995
Ted Reiff, St. Paul, Minn., is
head volleyball coach at The
Academy of Holy Angels. Ted
has taught science at Holy
Angels since 1996 and
previously served as the school’s
head varsity volleyball coach
from 1998–2000 and as assistant
varsity coach from 1996–98. He
was also head coach for Club
Adidas Select Volleyball in
St. Paul.
Gena (du Bois) Hepworth,
MSW, Madera, Calif., is a
therapist at DCFS in Fresno
County, Calif., doing sandplay
therapy. Gena and her husband,
Todd, have one child, Gillian.
1994
Heather Stone, Minneapolis,
started a theatre company,
Sandbox Theatre
(www.aboutthisplay). The
company’s first production was
an original work titled Victoria
in Red, which premiered in June
at the Bryant Lake Bowl theater
in Minneapolis. Sandbox is
currently creating a piece about
Zelda Fitzgerald to be performed
next May at the Loring
Playhouse in Minneapolis.
Heather has been working
professionally in the Twin Cities
since 1994 with numerous
Dee Ann L. Sibley, Cambridge,
Minn., is a high school guidance
counselor for Centennial
Schools in Circle Pines, Minn.
Dee Ann received a master’s
degree in art therapy and school
guidance and worked as an art
therapist in a clinical setting
before going into counseling. In
2004 she also taught oil painting
for Anoka-Ramsey Community
College.
1996
Emily D. Haraldson,
Northridge, Calif., is the
registrar at the Carnegie Art
Museum in Oxnard, Calif., and
teaches art history at Mt. San
Antonio College in Walnut,
Calif. Emily received her M.A. in
Art History degree in June 2004
from California State University
in Northridge. Her thesis
Summer 2005
explored the importance of
posters to international
environmental movements.
online Bathtub Art Museum
(www.bathtubmuseum.com) that
opened in August 2003.
Erika Scheider received the
Excellence in Performance
Award from the Minnesota
Association of Women Police at
its annual conference in April.
Erika is a police investigator in
Roseville, Minn., where she has
worked since 1997. Last year,
she also received the 2004
Minnesota Chiefs of Police
Association Award for
meritorious service.
Jason
Canfield is
the band
director at
Prescott High
School. He
has a drumming ministry, “Drumming to
Spiritual Enlightenment,” and
performs at church services and
youth events. He recently
released a CD of drumming,
Drumming from Within, The Inner
Drum. Jason lives with his wife,
Christy, in River Falls, Wis., and
can be reached at
<canfield@pressenter.com>.
Scott Scholl,
Eden Prairie,
Minn., married
Heather Lucken
in June 2004.
Scott works in
lifestyle
management at the Minneapolis
Club.
Jane Jeong Trenka,
Minneapolis, won a $25,000
Loft Award in Creative Prose,
part of the 2005 McKnight
Artist Fellowship for Writers.
She has previously received
fellowships from the Jerome
Foundation, the Blacklock
Nature Sanctuary, the Minnesota
State Arts Board, the Loft
Literary Center, and S.A.S.E.:
The Write Place. Her book, The
Language of Blood, received the
2002 Minnesota Book Award for
Autobiography/Memoir and was
a Barnes and Noble Discover
Great New Writers selection.
The book was also cited by City
Pages as “Best Book by a Local
Author” and received a
commendation from the
Minnesota Humanities
Commission.
1997
Carye (Johnson) Bye,
Portland, Ore., is running a
small arts press called Red Bat
Press (www.redbatpress.com),
that specializes in old-time
printing methods such as
woodcut prints, letterpress type,
and hand coloring. Carye is also
director and curator of the
Summer 2005
Pamela J. Glander,
Minneapolis, is the associate art
director for Social Expressions
Company. Pamela is also starting
a home-based design/art studio,
Outsideline Studio, with her
business partner.
Derrin Lamker, Minneapolis,
was named the new football
coach at Osseo High School.
Derrin previously served as the
offensive coordinator at
Armstrong.
Jackie
Osterhaus is a
primary care
provider for the
Paynesville Area
Health Care
System (PAHCS)
at the Eastside Clinic in
Belgrade. Prior to joining
PAHCS, Jackie was in the Army
Reserves and spent 10 months in
Kuwait and Iraq as a physician
assistant, processing troops who
were being sent home for
medical reasons. She is now the
acting commander of the 367th
Engineering Battalion.
1998
David Peters, Dovre, Wis., was
elected to the Chetek Board of
Education in Wisconsin. David
is chief financial officer for a
community development
corporation in Almena.
Joan Game, Iron Mountain,
Minn., works in watercolor and
teaches children’s after-school art
classes at Hana Mele, her
studio/gallery. More than 20
regional artists display and sell
their work at her gallery.
1999
Kyran (Christianson) Cadmus
is a PACFA (Pet Animal Care
Facilities Act) inspector for the
State of Colorado Department of
Agriculture. She lives with her
husband, Pete, in Fort Collins,
Colo.
Brenda Talarico is a faculty
member in the physician assistant
program at Augsburg.
Adam Thronson,
Coon Rapids,
Minn., won a
Teacher
Outstanding
Performance
(TOP) award from
the Anoka-Hennepin School
District. The TOP program is
designed to involve parents,
students, and community
members in recognizing
exemplary teachers and rewarding
them for their efforts.
Wendy Vogelgesang, Litchfield,
Minn., teaches second grade for
Litchfield Public Schools. In
addition, Wendy and her husband,
David, are busy working on their
home, a 1912 Arts and Crafts
bungalow.
Laura Welke completed and
defended her doctoral thesis,
“Prefrontal Cortex and Medial
Temporal Lobe Interactions in
Cognition,” earning a Ph.D. in
Anatomy and Neurobiology
degree at Boston University
School of Medicine.
2000
Stephanie Lein Walseth, St.
Paul, Minn., was pictured on the
cover of May 25 issue of The
Chronicle of Philanthropy, and
interviewed for the accompanying
article, “Small Theater Puts
Training to Use.” Stephanie is
managing director of Mu
Performing Arts, a Pan-Asian
performing arts organization
based in Minneapolis.
Jennifer Rensenbrink,
Minneapolis, is a Web designer
for the Star Tribune. Jennifer
also does freelance Web design
and continues to work on
photography and bookmaking.
She and her husband, Adam,
live in south Minneapolis with
their dog and are “slowly”
fixing up their old house.
2001
Anne (McCaul) Bailey,
Shorewood, Minn., is the
gallery manager for Circa
Gallery and Dolly Fiterman
Fine Arts. In addition, Anne is a
certified fine art appraiser and
runs Bailey Fine Art Appraisals.
Adina (Levine) Bergstrom,
New Ulm, Minn., is a lawyer at
Gislason and Hunter LLP. Adina
also works with her husband’s
business on housing restoration
and interior design while
continuing to pursue
photography in her free time.
Amy Vatne Bintliff received a
Teacher Outstanding
Performance (TOP) award from
the Anoka-Hennepin School
District. The TOP program is
designed to involve parents,
students, and community
members in recognizing
exemplary teachers and
rewarding them for their efforts.
Amy teaches English at
Crossroads Alternative High
School, where she also leads the
Drop-Out Prevention
Committee, and is a member of
the Department of Reading
Specialists, which facilitates a
program to meet the needs of
struggling readers.
Carrie McCarville, St. Louis
Park, Minn., owns Mac’s Liquor
in Hopkins, Minn. She also
plays hockey in a women’s
league with other Augsburg
women’s hockey alumnae.
33
Class Notes
Joyce Nyhus,
Buffalo Lake,
Minn., was
elected the first
female mayor of
Buffalo Lake,
earning 70
percent of the votes. She also
teaches written communication
at Ridgewater College, and
serves as a member of the
Renville County HRA Advisory
Board and as American Legion
Auxiliary president.
2002
Maria Sieve, Leicester, Mass.,
received a Master of Education
degree in May from Providence
College. Maria, a math teacher at
Holy Name High School, can be
contacted at <sievem@
yahoo.com>.
Mark O. Rogge, Santa Monica,
Calif., graduated in April with
an MBA from Pepperdine
University’s Graziadio School of
Business and Management, and
was recently asked to serve as a
mentor for the program. He has
worked as an executive in the
high tech/software industry for
the last eight years with both
Fortune 100 companies and
start-up software companies.
Mark lives by the beach, and has
appeared on a couple TV shows,
a TV show pilot, and in a few
commercials since moving to
California. He spends most of
his free time surfing in Malibu
and snowboarding at Mammoth
Mountain, and is also training
for the Rock-n-Roll Marathon in
San Diego.
Brooke Stoeckel, Elk River,
Minn., is sales manager of
meetings and conventions for
the Minneapolis Metro North
Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In 2004 she won both the EMPI
Rookie of the Year Award from
Meeting Professional International (MPI) and the Best of
2004 Hall of Fame Up-andComing Meeting Professional
Award through Minnesota
Meetings and Events. She is an
34
active member of the
Foundation Committee of the
local chapter of the Society of
Government Meeting Professionals, and also serves as cochair of the Education
Committee for MPI.
2003
Melissa Bawek, Minneapolis,
is assistant director of The
Augsburg Fund in the Office of
Institutional Advancement at
Augsburg. Melissa is also
pursuing a master’s degree.
Erika Hammerschmidt was
featured in a
story in the St.
Paul Pioneer
Press for her
book, Born on
the Wrong Planet, recently
published by Tyborne Hill
Publishers LLC. Her book
describes her quest to understand
and be understood as she moves
through life diagnosed with
Asperger’s syndrome, Tourette’s
syndrome, and obsessivecompulsive disorder.
Jon Liesmaki, Newport Beach,
Calif., completed a Master of
Environmental Health and Safety
degree from the University of
Minnesota-Duluth. He is an
environmental health specialist
for a consulting firm in southern
California called Environmental
and Occupations Risk
Management. Jon lives with his
wife, Natalie.
David Mataya, Hudson, Wis.,
manages creative services at
Anderson Windows, Inc., which
includes managing creative
direction and personnel. In
addition, David serves on the
Visual Arts Council of the
Phipps Center for the Arts in
Hudson.
Natasha Thoreson, Shoreview,
Minn., is a communications
coordinator at Family Pathways
in Wyoming, Minn. Natasha
does some desktop publishing
for Family Pathways while
keeping up with her
photography, drawing, and
painting. In her free time she is
a volunteer tour guide at the
Walker Art Center.
2004
Laura Simones, Minneapolis, is
in the process of finding an
internship with a child life
program in a Twin Cities hospital.
She hopes to take photography
classes in the area and start her
own photography business.
2005
Mark Langseth, MAL, was
appointed vice president for
university advancement and
executive director of the
Metropolitan State University
Foundation. Mark will serve as
the university’s chief development
officer. Since 1994, he has been
the executive director of
Minnesota Campus Compact, and
previously served for seven years
as chief operating officer of the
National Youth Leadership
Council. Mark and his wife, Kate
DePaolis, have two daughters,
Tess, 10, and Teagan, 6.
Births/Adoptions
Tina (Kubes)
’92 and Lance
Peterson,
Willmar, Minn.—
a daughter,
Ellary Brooke,
in October. She
joins brother Blake, 5, and sister
Ari, 2. Tina is a middle school
physical education teacher with
NL-S Schools and can be
reached at <wildmom@
charter.net>.
Julie
(Severson) ’94
and Dermott
Norman,
Minnetonka,
Minn.—
a daughter,
Elizabeth Claire, in August
2004. She joins sister Sophie, 2,
and half-sisters Emily and
Miranda, both 12. Proud
grandparents are Audrey
(Neiderhauser) ’68 and Clair
Severson ’68.
Tara (Butler)
’96 and Robb
Kruger,
Burnsville,
Minn.—a son,
Calvin Rock, in
November. He
joins older siblings Chloe and
Charlie. Tara can be reached at
<taranbkruger@yahoo.com>.
Ann
Stratton
’96 and her
partner,
Dawn
Madland ’93, Luxemburg, Wis.—
two sons, Levi and Luca. Dawn
directs an alternative high school
in Green Bay, Wis.; Ann
previously worked at the
University of Wisconsin-Green
Bay and now stays home with the
boys at the couple’s hobby farm.
Ann can be reached at
<stratton224@aol.com>.
Kathleen
(Lindquist) ’00
and Eric Blilie,
Blaine, Minn.—a
son, Alexander
Patrick, in
November. He
joins older brother Andrew, 2. Also
welcoming Alexander is proud
uncle Orville Lindquist ’96.
Frank Huebner
’02 and his wife,
Elizabeth, South
St. Paul, Minn.—
a daughter,
Sophia, in
January. The
couple was also married in
January. Frank is a lab technician
at Alternative Technologies, Inc.
Karen (Tweeten) ’02 and
Russell Larson, Mabel, Minn.—a
son, Jordan Ricky, in January.
Chad Prigge
’05 and his wife,
Laura, Edina,
Minn.—a son,
Aven Michael,
in April.
Summer 2005
In Memoriam
Richard E.
Jacobson ’41,
Plymouth, Minn.,
died in April on
his 61st wedding
anniversary; he
was 86. He was a
chemical engineer for Honeywell
for 34 years, retiring in 1980 as
manager of the Cost EstimationOrdinance Division. He then
served as a consultant until
1991. He was honored in 1994
as a WCCO Good Neighbor for
his dedication to church and
community. He is survived by his
wife, Ilamae; sons Richard,
Terrance, and Jay; daughter
Dawn; and eight grandchildren.
Earl V. Lanes ’40, Spokane,
Wash., died in April; he was 86.
He served in the Navy during
WWII and the Korean War. He
retired from the Navy in 1962 as
a commander in supply at
Moffett Field, Calif. He then
worked in electronics in Silicon
Valley, retiring from Western
Microwave as vice president in
1986. He was honored as an
Augsburg Distinguished
Alumnus in 1975. He was loved
and respected for his charity and
service, much of which was
associated with Immanuel
Lutheran Church of Los Altos,
Calif., where he was a member
for 45 years before moving to
Spokane. In the last days of his
life he greatly enjoyed watching
the recording of the 25th
Anniversary Advent Vespers
service. He is survived by his
wife, Dorothy (Herman) '43;
daughter Gretchen; sons Scott,
Thomas, and Timothy; seven
grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren.
Shirley (Formo) Haven ’46,
McHenry, N.Dak., died in
February in Mesa, Ariz., of
cancer; she was 77. In addition
to Augsburg, she also attended
the MacPhail School of Music
and later taught in Enderlin,
N.Dak., before moving north of
McHenry to farm with her
husband. She served as church
organist, choir director, and
Summer 2005
Sunday school teacher at
Gethsemane Lutheran Church.
In spite of arthritis that
challenged her physically, she
continued to teach piano lessons.
She is survived by her husband,
Melvin ’38; sons Donald and
David; daughter Linda; seven
grandchildren; and one greatgrandson.
Leroy “Buzz” Northfelt ’52,
Minneapolis, died in April; he
was 80. He worked for CocaCola Bottling Co. for 36 years.
He is survived by his wife of 51
years, Geri.
James “Huck”
S. Haugen ’56,
Minneapolis,
died in April
from complications of
Parkinson’s
disease; he was 71. He spent 43
years as a math teacher and
coach at Minneapolis South and
Washburn high schools, as well
as at Augsburg and Bethel
colleges. He received his master’s
degree in math from Western
Michigan University and pursued
graduate work at the universities
of Maine and Minnesota. A
standout football and baseball
athlete while attending
Augsburg, he was inducted into
the Athletic Hall of Fame in
1992. He is survived by his wife
of 41 years, Dottie; sons Tom
and Peter; and four
grandchildren.
Kenneth Manske ’61,
Asheville, N.C., died in
November from a brain tumor.
He was a retired professor of
chemistry. He is survived by his
wife, Janet (Hermstad) ’60;
daughter Sheryl; and son
Timothy.
University of St. Thomas, and
previously taught at Winona
State University, where she
directed the social work
program. She was a strong
supporter of social work
education at Augsburg, serving
as an active member of the
College’s alumni advisory
committee for many years. She
was a caring friend and
consultant to several faculty
colleagues, a valued guest
speaker in Augsburg classes, past
president of the MN Chapter of
the National Association of
Social Work (NASW), past chair
of the MN Conference of Social
Work Education, and current
vice-president of the
International Association for the
Advancement of Social Work
with Groups. She was co-author
of the book The Road Not Taken:
A History of Radical Social Work
in the United States (used by
Augsburg as a supplemental text)
and author of the recently
published biography of Gisela
Knopka. Augsburg honored her
as a Distinguished Alumna in
1999; she also received the 2005
Lifetime Achievement Award
from the MN Chapter of the
NASW. She is survived by her
husband, Carl Schenk; son
Jonathan Andrews; step-sons
Peter and Tim Schenk; and three
step-grandchildren.
Leslie (Samuelson) Larsen
’76, Wayzata, Minn., died in May
of ovarian cancer; she was 50.
She was an interior decorator
who completed major projects
for Augsburg including the
president’s office, the Augsburg
Room, and Augsburg House. She
also served as an admissions
counselor following her
graduation from Augsburg. She
was the daughter of Pat
Samuelson, an active member of
the Augsburg Associates. She is
also survived by her husband,
Kenneth P. ’76; their son, Sam;
and her sisters, Barbara and
Lynne.
Dustin P. Hoff ’04,
Minneapolis, died in April; he
was 23. He was pursuing his
master’s degree in psychology at
Bethel College. He is survived by
his family and his fiancée,
Amanda.
Marvin E. Trautwein, Brooklyn
Center, Minn., died in March; he
was 91. He was an Augsburg
professor of education and
psychology from 1950-59. He
was a Minnesota Teacher of the
Year, DFL advocate, master
gardener, and activist for the
elderly. In addition to teaching at
Augsburg, he taught in
Nebraska, the Robbinsdale
School District, the University of
Minnesota, and at several
community colleges in
Minnesota and Wisconsin. He
also wrote teaching materials for
McGraw-Hill and was active in
national and international
psychology organizations until
retirement. He is survived by his
wife, Margaret (Sateren) ’37, who
taught English at Augsburg in
the 1950s and ’60s, and by his
son, Thomas ’79, and daughterin-law, Margaret (Oven) ’87.
Janice Peterson
AndrewsSchenk ’66,
Minneapolis,
died in May of
pancreatic
cancer; she was
61. She was a dedicated
professor of social work at the
35
AUGGIE
THOUGHTS
Auggie Thoughts
EDITOR’S NOTE: This year Murphy Square, Augsburg’s literary
arts journal, celebrates 30 years. Following are excerpts from the
foreword to this year’s edition, written by English professor John
Mitchell, who recollects the journal’s early years.
Foreword
John Mitchell
As a title, Murphy Square came into being in the spring of
1975. … At first I thought the name odd, and still have no idea
who thought of it or how it actually came about. … In the
immediately preceding years, the literary magazine had been
called Arkai, Loose Change, and Burnt Sugar, stilted, jazzy, and
enigmatic names that changed almost yearly. In previous
decades, coldly allusive literary names like The Dial (Margaret
Fuller’s famous transcendentalist magazine in the 1840s) had
beggared identity and status.
The more I thought about it, the better I liked the new
name. I marveled that no one had thought of it previously, this
coming down and back to our very place on earth. It was our
own, not a classical or alien allusion. Murphy Square is the
oldest park in Minneapolis, the oldest free and public space in
the city. The title, I reckoned, signified the playful license poets
and creative people need to feel and speak truthfully and
amusingly—a freely creative zone now identified with the
magazine itself.
Although the square is enclosed by Augsburg College and
the freeway, it is not owned nor regulated by the college.
Although writers and artists are associated with the college,
they are not controlled by it. Like the circle, the square may
also be seen as a symbol of perfection or, short of that lofty
aspiration, a symbol of wholeness and centered or squaredaway integrity. Because of this line of reasoning, I am grateful
for the continuity of the name for the past 30 years, as opposed
to a string of idiosyncratic appellations not many alumni
would likely remember and be able to refer to.
More personally, I get more pleasure from being published
in Murphy Square than from a nationally distributed magazine.
Why? Well, more people are likely to read my work, people I
know and care about, and readers who will be more able to
construe it in terms of my known local identity. To put it in
literary jargon, I have the chance to be a public poet rather
than merely a private one. Murphy Square gives me a sense of a
reading public, a community to write to and for and about, the
dream of most artists, including minor ones.
Finally, I like the title and purpose of Murphy Square
because it is neither pretentious nor timid. It is just what it is,
take it or leave it. Certainly there is pride in competitive
publication, but, I trust, not a false pride nor an overweening
one. And the truth is, the literary magazine is an institution in
and of itself. Check the archive in the library. It was here
36
Title page design by Aaron Koehn ’06
before we arrived (going back to the Roaring ’20s and The Jazz
Age) and will be here long after we have passed. And there our
poems and stories and photographs and art works and
recognitions of editorial contributions will be manifested,
speaking of our living and feeling presence to the future from
the past. There’s not much in our studious lives that performs
such a cherished role and acquires such a persistent value.
John Mitchell is an associate professor of English and faculty
adviser emeritus to Murphy Square.
Leaf Meditation
Sarah Aune ’06
She takes shrooms on occasion,
For clarity.
And I play my red guitar.
She has always wanted to date a girl.
And I want to be an artist.
But some leaves are blown away,
Browning and taking seed in other dimensions.
Only in the spring of dreams we see them—
Sprouting.
Finally at home in the soil.
Summer 2005
Roarin’ and Soarin’ Auggie Style
September 26-October 2
Monday, September 26
Friday, September 30
• Roarin’ and Soarin’ Student Activities
• Class of 1955 Reunion Breakfast
• International Student Homecoming
Reception
• Homecoming Chapel
• Christensen Symposium (Part 1)
• Roarin’ and Soarin’ Student Activity
• Roarin’ and Soarin’ Student Kick-off
Event, “A Roarin’ Good Time”
• Variety Show and Coronation
• Pep Rally
Saturday, October 1
Tuesday, September 27
• Augsburg College Nurses Alumni
Association Brunch
• Christensen Symposium (Part 2)
• Annual Social Work Alumni Network
(SWAN) Homecoming Brunch
• Counseling and Health Promotion
Annual Fair
• Fourth Annual Powder Puff
Football Game
Wednesday,
September 28
• Class of 1955 Reunion Luncheon
• Alumni Chamber Music Recital
• 2006 Alumni Tour to China
Information Session
• Soarin’ to the Finish Line: A Roarin’
Celebration of Augsburg Athletics
• Class of 1995 Tailgating Reunion
• Augsburg Associates Annual Fall
Luncheon
• WEC Alumni Network Lunch Reunion
& Gathering
• Roarin’ and Soarin’ Student Activity
• Homecoming Picnic
• Baseball Alumni Game
• Augsburg Wrestling Alumni, Family,
and Friends Barbeque
• Augsburg Ethnic Programs Celebration
• Scholastic Connections Dinner
• Augsburg Football Alumni, Family, and
Friends Barbeque
Thursday, September 29
• Homecoming Football Game vs.
Carleton College
• Los Gauchos de Roldan (live
Paraguayan music group)
• Post-Game Gathering for First Decade,
WEC, Football, and Wrestling Groups
• Leadership Workshop: The Art of
Presentation
• English Alumni/ae Reunion and
Reading
• 2005 Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
• Volleyball Game vs. St. Olaf College
• Homecoming Dinner & Reunion
Parties
• Women’s Soccer Game vs. Macalester
College
• Men’s Soccer Pre-Game Alumni
Gathering
• Men’s Soccer Game vs. the College of
St. Scholastica
Sunday, October 2
• Men’s Soccer Alumni Game
2005 Award Recipients
Distinguished Alumni Award
Donald A. Anderson ’60
Donald Mattison ’66
Janice Aune ’88
Spirit of Augsburg Award
Richard J. Thoni
The Augsburg Centennial Singers
First Decade Award
Aaron Cross ’97
Andry Andriambololona Jurcich ’98
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marriage, and births. Don’t forget
to send photos!
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notice is required, e.g. an
obituary, funeral notice, or
program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or
change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes,
Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
MN, 55454, or e-mail to
<alumni@augsburg.edu>.
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A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Winter/Spring 2005
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 67, No. 2-3
EEditor’s
DITOR’Snote
NOTE
Learning by seeing and doing
I
usually write this piece at the very last
moment, after all the page layout is
complete and after ... Show more
A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Winter/Spring 2005
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 67, No. 2-3
EEditor’s
DITOR’Snote
NOTE
Learning by seeing and doing
I
usually write this piece at the very last
moment, after all the page layout is
complete and after we’ve proofed
everything. At this point, the magazine is
finally in order, and, freed of the editorial
minutiae, I can more easily take in the
content as a reader.
I always seem to discover unexpected
themes and threads among the stories.
Sometimes they’re serendipitous, and
sometimes it’s as if the stories fall together
to create something greater than the sum
of their individual parts.
When I “read” through this issue, I was
struck by how much of the content deals
with learning outside the classroom.
Moreover, the one story that is about
classroom learning lauds the new ways
that technology links us with classrooms,
students, and teachers around the world.
Experiential learning, the learning that
takes students outside of books, and
mostly outside of classrooms, is powerful.
It’s an Augsburg hallmark, enhanced by the
vast resources of the neighborhoods, city,
and world around us.
I felt the power of experience when
student Anna Warnes talked about how
the tsunami didn’t kill faceless people on
the other side of the world, but people she
knew and had learned from in Thailand. I
also felt it in hearing from our nursing
students who learned about Lakota culture
and the inequalities of health care from the
nurses and residents they met on the Pine
Ridge Reservation.
Names also became real faces and
people for the school children participating
in the Peace Prize Festival who had
“adopted” Nobel Peace Prize laureates and
spent months developing creative projects
around their lives.
And, after hearing Dr. Sima Samar
speak at the Peace Prize Forum, it will be
difficult to read about Afghanistan without
thinking about the persecution and
hardships she has endured in her life.
The timing of the article in this issue
about Professor Garry Hesser—honored as
Minnesota Professor of the Year—was
serendipity, but couldn’t have fit better
with themes about experience in an
Augsburg education. His vision, wisdom,
and leadership at Augsburg and across the
nation have enabled students to learn more
fully through internships, service-learning,
cooperative education, and by getting out
of the classroom and into the community.
So, read on and experience an
education exemplified, I believe, by the
phrase on many of the publications from
our Center for Global Education—“See the
world through their eyes, and your world
will never be the same.”
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Class Notes Coordinator
Sara Kamholz ’04
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
President
William V. Frame
Director of Alumni and
Parent Relations
Amy Sutton
Director of Public Relations
and Communication
Dan Jorgensen
Opinions expressed in
Augsburg Now do not necessarily
reflect official College policy.
ISSN 1058–1545
Postmaster: Send address
corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
Betsey Norgard
Editor
Augsburg College, as affirmed in its
mission, does not discriminate on
the basis of race, color, creed,
religion, national or ethnic origin,
age, gender, sexual orientation,
marital status, status with regard to
public assistance, or disability in its
education policies, admissions
policies, scholarship and loan
programs, athletic and/or school
administered programs, except in
those instances where religion is a
bona fide occupational qualification.
Augsburg College is committed to
providing reasonable
accommodations to its employees
and its students.
www.augsburg.edu
10
A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
Winter/Spring 2005
Vol. 67, No. 2-3
FEATURES
22
22
Through the eyes of teachers,
the eyes of students
by Kathy Swanson, Anna Warnes ’05, Jeff Moores ’05,
Sue Kneen ’04, and Rachel Schuette ’03
28
Learning with your heart
by Judy Petree
8
10
13
2005 Nobel Peace Prize Forum
Garry Hesser: Minnesota Professor of the Year
Vision, news from Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for Augsburg College
DEPARTMENTS
2
Around the Quad
6
Sports
17
Faculty/Staff Notes
34
Alumni News
37
Class Notes
43
In Memoriam
44
Auggie Thoughts
inside
back
cover
28
Calendar
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste)
On the cover:
The 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Forum
brought together nearly 1,000 people
to hear, consider, and discuss issues
of women’s rights, honoring 2003
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin
Ebadi. Photo by Stephen Geffre.
AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
NEWS NOTES
Campus Kitchen receives honors
The Campus Kitchen at Augsburg received
one of nine Harry Chapin Self-Reliance
awards given by World Hunger Year
(WHY) to “outstanding grassroots
organizations in the U.S. that have moved
beyond charity to creating change in their
communities.” WHY is devoted to finding
grassroots solutions to hunger and poverty.
Campus Kitchen at Augsburg is a
partnership with The Campus Kitchens
Project and local community agencies to
use food donations from campus dining
operations, student organizations, and
Second Harvest Heartland in preparation
of meals delivered to community service
agencies. Since Augsburg’s program began
in October 2003, over 10,000 meals have
been served and 300 volunteers involved
in Augsburg’s program.
Thrivent grant will help strengthen
planned giving program
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has
awarded Augsburg $99,935 over two years
to support the College’s plan to strengthen
its planned giving program.
The grant will expand Augsburg’s
congregational outreach to inform,
motivate, and engage Lutherans through
seminars, individual visits, direct mail, and
Web site content in the charitable giving
options available to them.
Rochester Program relocates
After five years at the Rochester Central
Lutheran School, Augsburg’s Rochester
campus program moved closer to
downtown with its new location at Bethel
Lutheran Church.
In January, the College officially
celebrated the move and dedicated the new
location. Speakers included Rochester
mayor Ardelle Brede; Rev. Gary Benson ’70,
Augsburg regent and minister of Zumbro
Lutheran Church in Rochester; Rev.
Norman Wahl ’75, executive pastor of
Bethel Lutheran; and Pat Engstrom, a
current graduate nursing student in
Rochester who spoke on behalf of the
Rochester students.
Augsburg’s Gospel Praise, a student
music ensemble that performs across the
nation, also took part in the celebration.
Robert Stacke ’71, the group’s director and
chair of the Music Department, used the
occasion to note that Augsburg would
continued on page 3
2
A college with a conscience
A
ugsburg College is one of the nation’s
best colleges fostering social
responsibility and public service,
according to The Princeton Review and
Campus Compact. It is one of 81
institutions in the nation featured by The
Princeton Review in its book, Colleges
with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with
Outstanding Community Involvement, to be
released in June.
“A college with a conscience,” said
Robert Franek, vice president for
admission services at The Princeton
Review, “has both an administration
committed to social responsibility and a
student body actively engaged in serving
society. Education at these schools isn’t
only about private gain: it’s about the
public good.”
The Princeton Review, an organization
that prepares online test-prep courses,
books, and other education services,
partnered with Campus Compact, a
national organization committed to the
civic purposes of higher education, to
choose the schools and develop the book.
Colleges were also nominated by
organizations with expertise in campus
community service and engagement.
Criteria included the college’s
admission practices and scholarships
rewarding community service, support for
service-learning programs, student
activism, student voice in school
governance, and level of social
engagement of its student body.
From over 900 nominations, the list
was shortened as editors collected data
about the nominees’ programs and
policies, and surveyed their students,
faculty, and staff.
Parker Palmer is the 2005
Commencement speaker
P
arker J. Palmer will present the
Commencement remarks, “Living the
Questions,” at the 2005 Commencement
ceremony on Saturday, May 7.
Palmer, a respected writer, lecturer,
teacher, and activist, focuses on issues in
education, community, leadership,
spirituality, and social change. His work
speaks deeply to people in many walks
of life.
He serves as senior associate of the
American Association of Higher
Education, and senior adviser to the Fetzer
Institute. He is the founder of the Center
for Teacher Formation, which oversees the
“Courage to Teach” program for K-12
educators across the country and a parallel
program for people in other professions.
Palmer’s work has been recognized
with eight honorary doctorates, two
Distinguished Achievement Awards from
the National
Educational Press
Association, an Award
of Excellence from the
Associated Church
Press, and major
grants from the
Danforth Foundation,
the Lilly Endowment, and the Fetzer
Institute.
He has published a dozen poems, more
than 100 essays, and seven best-selling
and award-winning books, including A
Hidden Wholeness, Let Your Life Speak, and
The Courage to Teach.
In 1998, The Leadership Project, a
national survey of 10,000 administrators
and faculty, named Palmer one of the 30
“most influential senior leaders” in higher
education and one of the 10 key “agendasetters” of the past decade.
Winter/Spring 2005
New regents elected to board
Frank Cerra, M.D.
Anthony (Tony) L. Genia, Jr.
’85, M.D.
T
hree new members and one re-elected
member were welcomed to the
Augsburg College Board of Regents at
their meeting in January.
Re-elected to a second term is former
Minneapolis city councilmember Jackie
Cherryhomes ’76, a government relations
consultant and current chair of
Augsburg’s Government and Community
Relations Committee.
Frank Cerra, M.D.
Dr. Frank Cerra is senior vice president
for health sciences at the University of
Minnesota, one of the most
comprehensive academic health centers
in the U.S.
He graduated from the State
University of New York at Binghamton
and received his medical degree from
Northwestern University School of
Medicine. In 1991, he came to the
University of Minnesota as director of
surgical critical care, and in 1995 was
appointed dean of the Medical School.
He is co-developer of the bioartificial
liver, a device similar to a kidney dialysis
machine.
Anthony (Tony) L. Genia, Jr. ’85, M.D.
Dr. Tony Genia graduated from Augsburg
in 1985 with a major in biology. While a
student, he served as president of the
Intertribal Student Union. He earned a
medical degree from the University of
Minnesota Medical School, and
Winter/Spring 2005
Beverly (Halling) Oren ’55
completed a residency in emergency
medicine at the University of New
Mexico Hospital in 1993.
He is a diplomate of the American
Board of Emergency Medicine and a
fellow of the American College of
Emergency Medicine. His principal
practice is at Fairview-University Medical
Center in Minneapolis.
Beverly (Halling) Oren ’55
Bev Oren graduated from Augsburg in
1955 with a major in history and a minor
in English. She taught school for several
years and then served as vice president of
human resources during the 1980s and
1990s at Dart Transit Company, a
nationwide trucking and logistics
company of which her husband, Donald
Oren ’53, is president. She remains a
principal and adviser in the company.
She currently serves on the boards of
Minnehaha Academy and Dart Transit
Company, as well as having formerly
served on the boards of the Boys and
Girls Club, YWCA, and the Covenant
Pines Bible Camp.
The new board members were elected
to four-year terms by the Augsburg
Corporation at its meeting in October.
The Augsburg Corporation is comprised
of representatives elected by the
assemblies of the Minneapolis, St. Paul,
Southeastern Minnesota, and Northwest
Wisconsin Synods of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America.
NEWS NOTES
begin offering music courses in Rochester
next year.
The Rochester Program began in fall
1998 with 65 nurses, mostly employees
of Mayo Clinic, studying toward a
bachelor’s degree completion. Now, at
nearly four times that size, 230 students
are currently enrolled in bachelor degree
programs in business, management
information systems (MIS), education,
and nursing (BSN completion), as well as
in the Master of Arts degree in nursing.
Augsburg Academy needs high
school students
The Augsburg Academy for Health
Careers is recruiting 9th-, 10th-, and
11th-grade students interested in math
and science for its first class beginning
this fall when doors open in St. Paul.
The academy is a new charter school,
sponsored by Augsburg, Fairview Health
Services, and Faith in the City, a
collaborative of seven Lutheran-based
Twin Cities institutions. Centered on
health as a vocation and a way of life, the
free school receives grant funding from
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Focusing on math and science within
a regular curriculum, students will gain
immediate skills, graduating with
certification in CPR and first aid, and
either as a nurse assistant or first
responder. Mentoring and job-shadowing
will begin in grades 9 and 10.
For information, contact Linda
Packard, Fairview Community Health
Outreach, at 612-672-6322.
Augsburg gains European partners
Augsburg has established academic
partnerships with universities in Poland,
Slovenia, and Finland.
Business professor Magda PalecznyZapp is co-coordinator of two
partnerships—one with the Krakow
University of Economics in Krakow, Poland,
and the other with University of Ljubljana
in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Opportunities will
include faculty exchanges, research
collaboration, curriculum development and
teaching, and study abroad for students.
Augsburg’s International Partners
program has established a partnership
with Arcada College in Helsinki, Finland,
for students in business, economics, and
MIS. All course credits taken there will
apply to Augsburg majors.
3
Around the Quad
A
ugsburg’s Speech Team placed
among the top teams in the state
with a second place sweepstakes award
in their division at the Minnesota College
Forensic Association’s annual
tournament in February.
Since Minnesota teams routinely
place in the top 20 nationally, the state
tournament serves up some tough
competition. “Our students have won
awards at almost every tournament they
attended this year,” said coach and
communication studies professor Bob
Groven, “and routinely beat some of the
best competitors in the country. After
placing second at nationals last year in
our division, it’s nice to continue
building our success.” According to
assistant coach Brad Christ, Augsburg’s
Speech Team has already this year
amassed 22 finalist trophies, with several
tournaments still left in the season.
Senior Ryan Sobolik took top honors
with a second place in Impromptu
Speaking and fifth place in
Communication
Analysis. His success
comes after three years
of hard work. “It took
me a while to get the
hang of impromptu,”
said Sobolik. “It’s tough
because you don’t know
the topic beforehand,
and you only have two
minutes to prepare your
speech.”
Erik Helgeson placed
sixth in After Dinner
Speaking, which
requires presenting a
funny speech about a
serious topic. His
The Augsburg speech team’s success grows with a second-place
finish in the state tournament. (L to R) Francis Rojas ’05, Brian
speech highlights the
Mumford ’08, Ryan Sobolik ’05, and Erik Helgeson ’05
ways that “free speech
zones” have been
should be allowed to voice their opinion,
abused to limit a protestor’s free speech
even if those in power don’t always want
rights. After working extensively in
to hear the message. It’s important that
radio, he feels a special connection to
we preserve everyone’s right to protest.”
this topic. “I really believe that everyone
Augsburg presents Native American voices in
film series
F
or the second year, the Augsburg
Native American Film Series (ANAFS)
has collaborated with local and regional
film organizations to offer regional
venues for Native American filmmakers.
This year, ANAFS has partnered with a
new film organization, Independent
Indigenous Film Minneapolis (IIFM);
continued to work with the Fargo
International Film Festival; and is
planning programs for fall 2005 with the
University of Minnesota’s American
Indian Student Association and IIFM.
The series of films being shown on
campus and in community locations
aims to engage viewers in dialogue about
indigenous film and forge collaborative
relationships with the local Native
American community.
4
The spring schedule of screenings has
included a five-film documentary series
at Augsburg with special hosts and panel
discussions, and continued with a threeday series at the Center for Independent
Artists that showcased local new media
artists and the best of the Native American
Voices selection from the Fifth Annual
Fargo International Film Festival with a
special panel of filmmakers. The fall
schedule, still in the planning stage, would
show a number of feature films at the
University of Minnesota.
The series is also linked to the
American Indian Studies program’s
Indigenous Filmmakers course, offering
students an interactive environment in
which to discuss issues of America’s
history, contemporary culture, and social
justice raised by Native filmmakers with
community members.
For a schedule of the remaining
screenings or for more information, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/ais/filmseries> or
contact M. Elise Marubbio at 612-330-1523
or <marubbio@augsburg.edu>.
Winter/Spring 2005
Staff photo
Speech team wins sweepstakes award
Auggies win national title while records fall
Stephen Geffre
by Don Stoner
T
ying national records with 10 AllAmericans, six wrestlers in national
championship finals, and four wrestlers
repeating as individual national
champions, the Augsburg College
wrestling team claimed its ninth NCAA
Division III national championship in the
last 15 seasons with a dominating
performance in the national tournament,
March 4-5, at St. Olaf College in
Northfield.
Augsburg put together the secondhighest point total for any championship
team in Division III history, and the most
ever for an Augsburg team at the national
championship tournament.
Augsburg claimed 10 All-Americans, a
first in program history and the second
such occurrence in Division III history.
Augsburg head coach Jeff Swenson has
guided 143 All-Americans in his 23 years
of coaching (1980-84, 1986-present).
Junior Marcus LeVesseur became just
the eighth wrestler in Division III history,
and the first in Augsburg history, to win
three consecutive national titles, as he
claimed the 157-pound crown.
His 124-match collegiate unbeaten
streak is now the second-longest winning
Augsburg’s wrestling team claimed the NCAA Division III national championship on March 5 at
St. Olaf College—its ninth wrestling national title in the last 15 seasons.
streak in college wrestling history behind
the 159 of Cael Sanderson at Iowa State
(1998-2002). LeVesseur has yet to lose a
collegiate wrestling match.
Augsburg’s four repeat national
champions all finished their seasons
unbeaten, bringing the Auggies’ all-time
national championship total to 39 in
school history— and a record 35 in
Division III competition.
“Not only did they repeat, but they
were undefeated champions—it’s almost
unheard of at any level for a guy to do
something like that—and to have a team
that had four guys repeat and go
undefeated in that year, it’s just mindboggling,” Swenson said. “This will be in
the storybooks long after I’m done
coaching.”
Augsburg finished 14-1 on the season
in dual meets, earning Swenson his
300th career coaching victory along the
way. He is now 302-40 (.883 winning
percentage) in his career.
Don Stoner is sports information coordinator.
A
ugsburg has joined the Lutheran
World Relief’s Wave of Giving
campaign to rebuild resources in South
Asia devastated by the December
tsunami.
Augsburg’s goal is to raise $35,000;
while it will contribute to LWR’s overall
rebuilding plan in the area, the focus will
be on the rebuilding of a cyclone
shelter/school in India.
Student organizations have jumped
on to “ride the wave” with creative
fundraising events. For Valentine’s Day,
the LINK, a student service organization,
collected money for their singing
telegrams and a raffle.
Winter/Spring 2005
On March 13, Pi Day,
the student math club,
Unbounded, charged
students money for the
opportunity to “pi” their
favorite professor—by
tossing a whipped cream
mini-pie at them. Students
also took turns reading the
digits of pi, reaching a
grand total of 24,401.
Augsburg’s Center for Global
Education (CGE) and LWR have shared
their common strong commitments to
experiential education as a learning tool
with trips over the past two years to
Courtesy photo
Ride the ‘Wave of Giving’ for tsunami relief
Nicaragua to educate about the LWR
coffee project and fair trade.
Contact David Fenrick, Center for
Global Education, for further information
or to donate, at <fenrick@augsburg.edu>
or 612-330-1669.
5
Sports
Gridiron guru
by Erin Peterson
hen Jack Osberg ’62 walked off
the football field for the final time
as head coach of the Augsburg team
following the Auggies’ game against
St. Olaf at the Metrodome on Nov. 12,
he departed as the winningest football
coach in the school’s history.
But for him, that legacy isn’t nearly
as important as the one he’s had on a
generation of players.
Take Craig Peroutka ’99. Long before
Peroutka ever donned an Augsburg
uniform, he knew that Jack Osberg
would be his college coach. As a senior
at Faribault High School, the offensive
lineman hadn’t attracted notice from any
Division I or Division II schools, but he
had caught the eye of Osberg.
“Jack was the only one who took the
time to visit me at my house after a high
school football game,” he says. “He
really took time to get to know me.”
Peroutka would go on to be a part of
the 1997 Augsburg squad that finished
10-2 and earned a Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(MIAC) crown for the first time since
1928, while advancing to the NCAA
Division III national quarterfinals.
Now a financial analyst, Peroutka
says Osberg wasn’t just a football coach
for him; he was a life coach. “He
focused on values,” Peroutka says. “He
didn’t want us to succeed just on the
field, he wanted us to succeed in the
classroom and in everything we did.”
This is the kind of praise on which
Osberg thrives. During his 14-year
tenure as head coach at Augsburg, he’s
garnered his share of accolades, from
winning the MIAC championship to
surpassing his former coach and mentor,
Edor Nelson ’38, as the winningest
football coach in Auggie history.
But he’s much quicker to recount the
weddings of former players he’s attended
recently, and the friendships he’s formed
with many of his players. He’s happy to
talk about the successes of his players
6
not just on the gridiron, but in the
business world.
“I want my players to understand
that there’s a bigger world than football,
but that there are many things we can
learn on the football field that will help
us, whether it’s our careers, our
relationships, our spirituality, or
anything else,” says Osberg.
It’s the wisdom of a coach who’s
played the game for his entire life, and
coached for nearly three-quarters of it.
An Auggie himself, the offensive and
defensive lineman played under the
legendary Edor Nelson ’38, and he knew
by the middle of his freshman year that
he would coach.
He spent 30 years teaching biology
and coaching at Minneapolis Roosevelt,
Bloomington Kennedy, and Wayzata high
schools, where he says he quickly
learned that good coaches aren’t
necessarily the best athletes, they’re the
best teachers.
“You need to know how to motivate
and work with young people,” he says.
“I’ve always said that if I’m teaching a
class of 30 students and I get 28 positive
evaluations, I’ll wonder what I could
Head football coach Jack Osberg ‘62 retires
with the most wins in Augsburg coaching
history.
Charles Walbridge
W
Charles Walbridge
Augsburg coach Jack Osberg shares his philosophy on football and life
Coach Osberg celebrates with Auggie players in 2003 after a win over Hamline.
Winter/Spring 2005
Archive photo
begin to turn the
have done for those
program around, even if
other two. Coaching
they would not be the
is the same way. I
ones to finish first in
want to be able to
the MIAC.
relate to all of the
These days, says
players.”
Osberg, it’s tougher to
While he’s had
succeed than it used to
plenty of role models
be. Many players, even
on and off the field,
at the Division III level,
his goal was never to
are pressured to
emulate the style of
specialize in a single
any of them. “As a
Jack Osberg began his football
sport, and with everyoung coach, I went
career as an Auggie offensive and
defensive lineman.
improving technology,
to a clinic and I heard
play is far more
[former Vikings
sophisticated than it was when he was a
coach] Bud Grant speak,” he says. “I
player.
came back with all these great Bud Grant
“We have video tapes now that we
ideas, but I wasn’t Bud Grant.”
can just copy and give out,” he says.
As he looked to many people for
“We used to have just one 16-millimeter
ideas, he ended up building his own
film, and we couldn’t copy that. It was
coaching philosophy and style. For better
difficult to run, and it broke all the
or worse, the young men who played for
time.”
him would look up to him, and he
Even as players feel that they must
stresses that he tries to be a role model
do more work in the weight room and
for them. He is demanding but respectful
spend more time in the offseason
of his players; he focuses on the
preparing for the following fall, Osberg
fundamentals of the game while
tells them to find balance. College is a
acknowledging that his players and his
crucible, but it is only through the
coaches have much to teach him.
balance of sports and academics, work,
“If you think you have all the answers
and friendships that they will be
to everything, you’re not going to make
prepared to enter the world and the rest
it,” he says.
of their lives.
As a Division III coach, Osberg hasn’t
In retirement, he says he is looking
had access to the kind of talent available
forward to spending more time with his
to large programs, but he’s a proponent
wife, Nina, and six children and
of making everyone—even those who
grandchildren. He may also spend more
will never be stars—feel valued.
time on the golf course. But retirement
“Jack made me think I could
will be bittersweet because of the joy
accomplish anything,” says Mike
that his tenure at Augsburg has brought.
Weidner ’83, a defensive end who played
“I was here 40 years ago, and in that
while Osberg was a defensive coordinator
time buildings have changed, technology
under Al Kloppen. “I was 6-feet-1 and
has changed, and administrations have
177 pounds, and he convinced me I
changed,” he says. “But the thing that’s
could do the job. I don’t think we had
stayed constant is the [encouragement]
one guy who was over 200 pounds, but
for individuals to be who they are. That
he always got the most out of
is something that persists.”
everybody.”
Osberg will remain on the Augsburg
Indeed, he says one of the squads he
staff, assisting in the school’s Alumni and
was most proud of during his tenure at
Parent Relations and Development areas,
Augsburg was the group of players he
to develop connections with athletic
started with during his first year as a
alumni and parents.
head coach, in 1991. Augsburg had
compiled an abysmal 7-61-2 record in
Erin Peterson is a freelance writer based in
the previous seven seasons, and he
Minneapolis.
marveled at the 1991 group’s ability to
Winter/Spring 2005
Frank Haege to
replace Osberg
by Don Stoner
F
ormer Augsburg assistant coach
Frank Haege has been named to
replace retiring coach Jack Osberg. He will
be the 14th head coach in the 74-season
history of the school’s football program.
Haege brings a 64-24 record as a
professional football head coach to his
new post at Augsburg. Most recently,
Haege spent three seasons as head coach
of the Arena Football League’s Las Vegas
Gladiators, posting a 25-23 record
(including playoffs).
“I’m very excited about this position,”
said Haege, 36. “Working at Augsburg,
and at the small-college level, has always
been a long-term goal for me. I’ve really
enjoyed the 10 years that I coached in
Arena Football, and I’ve had a lot of
success at that level. But there is a lot
more stability at the small-college level,
and that is important to me and my
family.”
Haege served on the Augsburg staff
under Jack Osberg as offensive
coordinator from 1996-98.
“Ever since I started coaching with
Jack in 1996, I fell in love with
Augsburg,” Haege said. “It is a great
atmosphere in which to coach and teach.
People work hard, have fun, and always
look out for the student-athletes.”
Don Stoner is sports information
coordinator.
7
The 17th Nobel Peace Prize Forum and Peace Prize Festival
Left: Dr. Sima Samar,
chair of the Afghanistan
Human Rights
Commission, spoke
about her struggle as an
Afghan woman to
become a medical
doctor, establish the first
hospital for women in
Afghanistan, and
continue her pioneering
work on behalf of
women in her country.
Right: Augsburg student Sam
Kanenwisher ’06 (left) presents a
gift of the waters brought to this
year’s forum to a representative of
Luther College, which will host
the Peace Prize Forum in 2006.
Left: Students from CitySongs
children’s choir performed at the
forum prior to the Friday
evening plenary session.
Above: Augsburg was host in February to
nearly 1,000 college, university, and
community participants in the 17th annual
Nobel Peace Prize Forum honoring Nobel
Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi of Iran.
Above: National Public Radio producer Davar Ardalan
spoke in a plenary session about rediscovering her
native country of Iran and learning about the legacy
her family left in the national struggle for reform.
8
Above: Augsburg student Katie Bickel ’05 participated on a student seminar panel examining
human rights issues in China, Iran, and East Africa.
Winter/Spring 2005
Above: Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a
Small Planet, spoke about the politics of food and
consideration of food as the central issue through
which to understand world politics.
Above: Augsburg sociology professor Garry Hesser, with
students Krista Dahlke and Riley Conway, presented to a
standing-room seminar audience their research on
demographics, resources, and revitalization in lowincome neighborhoods.
Above: Students from the
Prairie School of Dance in Eden
Prairie performed a modern
dance, “The Wall.”
Above: Mary Robinson, former president of
Ireland and U.N. high commissioner for human
rights, talked about her global experience as an
advocate for human rights and the use of law to
bring about social change.
Above: A participant from one of the five
sponsoring colleges brought water to the Peace
Prize Forum cauldron.
Winter/Spring 2005
Above: Ole Mjøs, chair of the Nobel
Peace Prize Committee in Oslo, Norway,
gestured in his greetings from Norway
and spoke about the significance of the
forum, sponsored by the five
Norwegian Lutheran colleges.
9
Stephen Geffre
G A R RY H E S S E R
M I N N E S O TA P R O F E S S O R O F T H E Y E A R
Augsburg News Service and Betsey Norgard
10
interdisciplinary metro-urban studies
program. He was instrumental in the
creation of Augsburg’s Center for
Service, Work, and Learning—a center
marking the marriage of the classroom
and the city that has not only emerged
as a hallmark of an Augsburg education,
but also has served as a service-learning
model across the nation.
For 28 years Hesser has been a
national leader in assisting students in
taking fuller advantage of Augsburg’s
urban location through wide-ranging
internships, community servicelearning, and cooperative education.
Education Award (National Society
for Experiential Education)
• 1998, Thomas Ehrlich Award for
national leadership and scholarship in
advancing the field of service-learning
(Campus Compact)
Stephen Geffre
A
ugsburg sociology and urban
studies professor Garry Hesser
was named 2004 Minnesota
Professor of the Year by the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching and the Council for
Advancement and Support of Education
(CASE).
The day of the announcement,
November 18, was proclaimed as “Dr.
Garry Hesser Day” in Minnesota by Gov.
Tim Pawlenty. A special chapel service
and luncheon marked the day on the
Augsburg campus.
In reflecting on his time at Augsburg,
Hesser said, “This has been an
extraordinary place to be all these 28
years. The gift of community is about the
greatest gift to be given to anybody in
one’s life.”
Hesser joined Augsburg’s Sociology
Department in 1977. Since that time he
has served as chair of the Natural and
Social Sciences Division and chair of the
His awards include:
• 2004, Distinguished Contributions to
Teaching and Learning (Augsburg)
• 2002, Distinguished Sociologist of
Minnesota (Sociologists of Minnesota)
• 2001, Pioneer in Experiential
Professor of the Year Garry Hesser is
introduced at a special chapel service by
Frankie Shackelford, associate dean for
teaching and learning enhancement.
Winter/Spring 2005
Stephen Geffre
Hesser represents the
very best teacher any of
us ever have had.
He’s that teacher we think
about with gratitude
decades later.
—Doug Grow
Star Tribune columnist
Hesser is Augsburg’s first recipient of the
professor-of-the-year honor, which is
given annually by the Carnegie
Foundation and CASE, two Washington,
D.C.-based organizations. It is the only
national award that recognizes
excellence in undergraduate teaching
and mentoring. More than 500
nominations were submitted.
The nominees were evaluated on
criteria including the impact on and
involvement with undergraduate
students, scholarly approach to teaching
and learning, contributions to
undergraduate education within the
institution and community, and support
from colleagues and students
“In my view, Garry Hesser represents
the best Augsburg College has to offer in
respect to innovative teaching, engaged
scholarship, and service to the
institution and the community,” noted
President William Frame.
Augsburg provost and dean
Christopher Kimball wrote, “His unique
preparation as a theologian and
sociologist has proven fertile soil in
which to cultivate a teaching life. He
does so with energy and care and
thereby provides a compelling example
of Christian vocation for his colleagues
Winter/Spring 2005
and students.”
Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist
Doug Grow led his column about
Hesser’s honor by fantasizing about a
time when media would get as excited
about people who matter as they do
about celebrities and sports stars. He
wrote, “Hesser represents the very best
teacher any of us ever have had. He’s that
teacher we think about with gratitude
decades later.”
Hesser is past president of the
National Society for Experiential
Education (NSEE) and the Higher
Education Consortium for Urban Affairs
(HECUA). As a consultant, he has led
workshops on service-learning and
experiential education on over 50
campuses and at professional meetings.
Hesser holds degrees from Phillips
University in Oklahoma, Union
Theological Seminary in New York, and
the University of Notre Dame. He makes
his home in the Seward neighborhood
where he and his wife, Nancy Homans,
have raised their five children, two of
whom are Augsburg graduates. He is the
author or editor of numerous
publications and articles in the areas of
experiential education, service-learning,
and neighborhood revitalization.
Courtesy photo
At a luncheon in his honor, Garry Hesser acknowledged and greeted his friend and mentor Professor
Emeritus Joel Torstenson ’38, founder of Augsburg’s Sociology Department, as Fran Torstenson looked on.
In 2000, Prof. Garry Hesser and then-PanAfrikan Center director Joe Young taught
an Interim course on civil rights history that
included a 10-day bus tour to spots where
historic civil rights events occurred—Selma
and Birmingham, Ala.; Little Rock, Ark.;
Memphis, Tenn.; and Atlanta, Ga. For most
students, it was their first trip in the south,
and left a strong impact as they immersed
themselves in the history. Here, the group
posed on the steps of the 16th Street
Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala.
11
Robert Frost poignantly reminds us of
roads not taken, as well as those that are
taken. In 1984, I was engaged in a
faculty development internship related to
affordable housing policy and programs.
I was preparing for a sabbatical leave to
write a book with an economics colleague
focusing on neighborhood revitalization
using data that my students and I had
collected from a sample of 500
Minneapolis residents. Then the dean
called and invited me to accept an
appointment as founding director of the
newly funded Cooperative Education
program, stressing the importance of
faculty leadership in this new undertaking.
My colleague wrote the book that we
had planned together, but the alternate
“road taken” enabled me to become one
of the early faculty members who led in
the “rediscovery” and validation of
experiential education and servicelearning. Because there were so few
faculty members whose colleges
supported their involvement in servicelearning, I stood out and became
president of the National Society for
Experiential Education (NSEE), which
collaborated with Susan Stroud and Tim
Stanton as they worked with the
university presidents who founded
Campus Compact. These were heady
times for all of us in experiential
education. I found myself at Wingspread
on a task force which was deliberating on
whether to call it “service-learning” and
played a leadership role in NSEE when
we convened Wingspread gatherings that
produced the “Principles of Good
Practice in Service-Learning,” designed a
research agenda under the leadership of
Dwight Giles, and commissioned the
now classic NSEE three-volume
Combining Service and Learning, edited
by Jane Kendall.
All this also opened the door to
my becoming a FIPSE-NSEE consultant
(which has evolved into the Campus
Compact-AAHE Consulting Corps). This
20-year interchange and dialogue has
enhanced our programs at Augsburg and
12
by Garry Hesser
Stephen Geffre
T H E R O A D TA K E N
An unexpected career path and serendipity led Professor Garry Hesser to the forefront of leadership,
as experiential education, and especially service-learning, was embraced and developed in higher
education.
the over 50 campuses where I have been
privileged to conduct faculty and staff
development workshops on experiential
education and service-learning.
Serendipity played a key role in recentering my teaching and scholarship in
the very values that had led me into the
academy in the first place, namely a
desire to combine knowledge with civic
engagement that could lead to thriving
and integrated communities open to all.
These opportunities have been gifts
in a 20-year “faculty development
process” and dialogue with colleagues
from across the globe, enabling me to be
a bridge between Augsburg, HECUA, and
others on the cutting edge of experiential
education. My teaching has certainly
benefited from an expanded utilization of
community-based pedagogy. And it
would appear that Augsburg has also
benefited from this disciplinary and
interdisciplinary exchange. This summer
two of my students will collaborate with
me as we expand upon and synthesize
the community-based research of other
students over the past five years as we
deepen our understanding of five
Minneapolis neighborhoods and compare
their community-building endeavors
with five neighborhoods involved in
Annie E. Casey’s “Rebuilding
Communities Initiative.”
I do not know the roads that I
might have traveled by pursuing more
traditional forms of scholarship. But the
decision to focus my teaching and
sociological journey on experiential
education and community-based servicelearning has provided countless
opportunities in higher education and
the discipline of sociology. …
My colleagues and students, both
within the academy and the community,
young and old, have shared their gifts
and accepted mine. We have challenged
and changed one another as a
community of learners and engaged
scholars. How could any professor ask
for more opportunities than I have had
or more reasons to celebrate the joy of
being a teacher, a student, a sociologist,
an urbanist, and a citizen? ■
Excerpted from the personal statement by
Garry Hesser that accompanied his
nomination as Professor of the Year.
Winter/Spring 2005
‘Many Houses’ author found Augsburg home
With many men serving in the Armed
Forces during World War II, most
Augsburg students were women. It was
here that writer Marie (Gjenvick)
Knaphus ’45 found a home. “The entire
school was like a family,” said Knaphus.
“Augsburg means a lot to me. I received
a good education and made many
lifelong friends.”
In addition to studying, Knaphus
kept involved with oratory and debate,
singing in the Mendelssohn Chorus, and
participating in the International
Relations Club and the Writers’ Club. At
the same time, she was engaged in
community and faith-based activities
through Girl Scouts and the church.
Making Iowa her home for many
years, Knaphus last visited the campus
in 1996 for the 50th anniversary of
campus ministry among students
attending state-supported colleges and
universities. Shortly after leaving
Augsburg, Knaphus served as counselor
to Lutheran students attending the Iowa
State Teachers College in Cedar Falls,
Iowa. It was there that she met and
married her husband, George, and
together they became the ministry’s first
counselors.
During her visit, Knaphus was
amazed at the growth of Augsburg’s
Weekend College (WEC) and feels a
connection with WEC students because,
she, too, lived off campus. However, she
took a streetcar to attend Augsburg.
Winter/Spring 2005
A great-grandmother at 81, Knaphus
continues to use her education and serve
others. Currently she is working on her
third book, this one about her father, a
Norwegian immigrant. ■
Marie (Gjenvick) Knaphus ’45, then and now.
“I am impressed with what’s
happening to Augsburg today,” she said.
“Students should work hard and take
advantage of every opportunity to grow
and develop their abilities. I feel
Augsburg did this for me.”
Knaphus also thinks “it’s important
for alumni to help support the College.
It takes so much money to run a
college, and people who have benefited
from it need to help.”
She recently made a significant gift
of stock to the Bernhard M. Christensen
Endowed Fund “out of gratitude for a
good education. It [Augsburg] offered
me the incentive to go out and offer
myself in service to others. I believe
there is a place for the small college that
has a mission like Augsburg.”
Knaphus was fortunate to have
Bernhard Christensen as a professor and
keeps in contact with his widow, (Lilly)
Gracia. “I have fond memories of Dr.
Christensen’s religion class that pulled
everything together for me. Attending
Augsburg helped me crystallize my faith,”
she said.
Marie Knaphus’ story may be similar to
yours. She held stock for many years and
wanted to give to Augsburg instead of taking
the capital gain from the sale of stock. Her
gift helps build Augsburg’s endowment, and
Knaphus benefits as well.
Augsburg is focusing its endowment growth
in three ways:
• NEW FACULTY CHAIRS AND
PROFESSORSHIPS
Endowed chairs and professorships allow
the College to attract and retain the most
qualified and talented faculty.
• NEW ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS
By expanding the current level of endowed
scholarships the College is able to attract
talented students from all backgrounds.
• PROGRAM SUPPORT AND FACULTY
DEVELOPMENT
A strong endowment is essential to
sustaining distinctive programs, supporting
innovative faculty-student research projects,
and enhancing professional development
programs for all faculty and staff.
You may designate endowment gifts to areas
of your specific interest.Your appreciated
securities of stock, bonds, or mutual funds
may be exempt from capital gains taxes
when you transfer them to the College, and
you may receive a tax deduction equal to the
market value of the securities at the time
they are transferred. Contact the
Development Office at 612-338-0002 to
discuss how your gift can best help others.
13
Goal reached through the 3M Foundation challenge grant
The challenge went out this past fall to
Augburg alumni and friends who are 3M
employees to give back to their alma
mater through the 3M Foundation
Challenge Grant.
“I think the
3M Foundation
structured the
grant appropriately,” said Ron
Nelson ’68. “I am
pleased to see we
achieved the
match.” Augsburg
College and 3M
partnered to
Ron Nelson ’68
successfully raise
$100,000 from 69 3M employees in
support of the new Science Center. The
special challenge match opportunity
offered by the 3M Foundation ran for
eight weeks. Under the 3:1 challenge, the
foundation matched the $100,000 in
contributions from employees, retirees,
and friends with a $300,000 gift. Additionally, the foundation contributed a
$200,000 grant to the new Science Center.
“There is a long-standing relationship
between Augsburg and 3M,” said Nelson.
“This challenge grant gave many 3M
employees and retirees an opportunity to
reconnect with the College and play an
important part in the capital campaign.”
Sandra Wollschlager ’94 was compelled
to contribute because “my education made
a challenging 3M career possible. Many
3M employees completed degrees in a
nontraditional fashion when taking
Augsburg coursework. We obtained an
14
Augsburg degree
while working full
time and raising a
family.
“My daughter
was one-year-old
when I took my
first Augsburg
class. I commuted
Sandra Wollschlager ’94 a long distance.
Because Augsburg
chemistry professors came to the 3M
campus, it enabled me to juggle my work
schedule so I could take classes. If it wasn’t
for 3M and Augsburg making it easier for
me, I wouldn’t have gone to college.”
Nelson came from the small Minnesota
town of Dawson, and life at Augsburg
was his first introduction to the city. “It
became my window,” said Nelson. “All is
available within the city, and students
should plug in culturally, through sports,
and experience activities relative to
societal diversity.”
Students should “participate in the
hands-on experiences made available in
the classroom and the laboratories, and
take advantage of the research work,” he
said. “These are extremely important
building blocks for the future.”
“The connection with Augsburg to the
scientific community is imperative,” said
Wollschlager. “Students need to see and
understand the big connections. 3M is a
global company so it is involved in global
issues. So what can we do to lessen global
warming, for example? Students need to
learn air and water transport modeling so
they can see how the world is connected.
“Our generation needs to make
improvements in the environment
(sustainable chemistry, technological
advances) and we need to figure out how
to educate the public about our
improvements and, in general, the value
of a science education/background.”
“The contributions made in sciences
are important to everyone,” continued
Nelson. “We want the science programs to
continue to be competitive and turn out
leaders like Dr. Peter Agre ’70, recipient of
the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.” ■
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Many people made a difference through the
3M Foundation Grant Challenge—please
consider how you can make a difference, too.
Does your company offer a matching gift
program? If so, please let us know.
Remember, all gifts are tax deductible.
Contact Sherry Jennings-King at
612-338-4823 or jenningk@augsburg.edu
to discuss giving options.
Vision is published by
Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454.
Editor and Writer
Lynn James
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
www.augsburg.edu/campaign
Winter/Spring 2005
A FINE FIRST LADY
Leola (Lee) Anderson served as the first
lady of Augsburg College during her
husband’s presidency from 1963 to 1980.
President Emeritus Oscar Anderson
focused on three main areas during his
term in office: to meld Augsburg into its
new family of colleges in the American
Lutheran Church (it had been the
college of the Lutheran Free Church); to
experiment with programs that involved
the city as a learning laboratory; and to
strengthen the College academically,
which resulted in an invitation to join
the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities
(ACTC).
As the president’s wife, Lee was active
in the Augsburg College Women’s Club,
now called the Augsburg College
Associates, and hosted College functions.
She raised four children during her
husband’s tenure, served on the first task
force of the American Lutheran College,
and was involved in the church.
She is remembered as a warm,
friendly person who cared deeply about
social issues, was a strong advocate for
women, and was close to her children.
Family was very important to her, and,
at age 86, she experienced the joy of
seeing her first great-grandchild.
TIME OF REMEMBRANCE
Donna (Anderson) Hoekstra ’68 spoke at
the memorial service about her mother,
Lee Anderson. Excerpts are reprinted
here with permission.
“She was a lovely lady with a unique,
one-of-a-kind personality and a name to
Winter/Spring 2005
Archive photo
In Memoriam
Leola G. Anderson, April 17, 1916–December 4, 2004
Leola (Lee) Anderson
match. Mom was generous with her
myriad talents. She could sing
beautifully, strum a guitar (though
upside down and backwards), sew
professionally, entertain with class,
sashay with flair on the dance floor,
draw and paint, and write with depth
and feeling.
Mom was generous with her
treasures, too. She gave, with no strings
attached, to her family, but she also gave
to the far ends of God’s world to
suffering people in places like Rwanda.
Mom embodied for me Christian
discipleship. She tried to live the godly
life—her life bore the fruits of the Spirit:
patience, kindness, goodness,
compassion, and self-control. She exemplified how I wanted to live my life.
Mom gave of herself in service to
others. She was all too often selfless to a
fault. In her early years she served as
choir director, youth leader, Sunday
school teacher, newsletter editor, and
worked in various jobs to support the
family during difficult times in Chicago.
In her years as wife of a traveling
Luther League director (that would be
my dad), Mom formed the Traveler’s
Aid group to provide mutual support
for other staff wives.
In her role as pastor’s wife, she served
gracefully. I can remember food-laden
tables at open houses and family
gatherings at holiday times, Bible
studies she led, sharing fresh insights,
overflowing Christmas baskets for the
poor, and quiet living room conversations with hurting parishioners.
continued on page 16
LEOLA G. ANDERSON
SCHOLARSHIP
Appreciating the legacy a scholarship offers,
in 2002 President Emeritus Oscar Anderson
established the Leola G. Anderson
Scholarship in Mathematics to honor
his wife.
“My wife had a love of math, but was a very
modest person,” said Anderson.“I wanted to
do something to honor her, so with
agreement from my family, the Leola G.
Anderson Scholarship in Mathematics was
established.” It is designated that one or more
students who have demonstrated academic
achievement and financial need be awarded
the scholarship. Special consideration is given
to assisting women in mathematics.
If you are interested in contributing to this
scholarship, contact Jennifer Kahlow at
612-338-6540 or <kahlow@augsburg.edu>.
15
F
In Memoriam, continued
Mom was an open person. She
opened her mind—especially during the
17 years at Augsburg. I found speeches
she had given in front of learned college
groups. And I remember a particular
Mother/Daughter Banquet. Her talk was
brilliant. How I admired her and was so
proud to be her daughter.
She opened her home—to the
freshmen for Welcome to College Week,
to friends we brought home, and to faculty
for college functions. She opened her heart
to students she tutored and to the needs of
patients at Fairview Hospital.
Books were her love from when she
was young to just three months before she
died. They informed her thoughts and
shaped her opinions.
I had a mom who was on the cutting
edge, though often herself teetering
precariously. With heartfelt empathy
from her own personal loss, she
championed the poor, the oppressed, and
the disenfranchised. She fought for peace
and justice through written word and
voice forming the MS (Miscellaneous)
group of gals to hone shared thoughts
and strategies for change. She took on
Enhancements made to Thrivent’s GivingPlus Program
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans offers a charitable/match gift program to alumni,
faculty, staff, and friends of the College. Changes to the program for 2005 include:
•
•
•
•
•
no minimum gift required,
increased member giving range,
multiple gifts option by members to same organization,
equal membership status for gifts, and
additional Lutheran organizations eligible.
Contact Stephanie Malone, director of The Augsburg Fund, at 612-338-4825 or
<malone@augsburg.edu> for details on how your participation benefits Augsburg.
the “isms” of race, gender, and culture.
My mom was a flaming liberal and an
authentic feminist. She could talk your
arm off sharing her causes. After her
death, we discovered volumes of prose
and poetry on all kinds of subjects. She
will live on in her written words.
Mom gave her love unconditionally.
She saw God as unconditional lover and
tried to model that love. She was
generous, open, and loving even during
her darkest times. Mom modeled for me
how to give, how to really see the other
person, how to serve, and how to love.” ■
SUPPORT STUDENTS
Hurry! Your annual fund donation to
The Augsburg Fund for this fiscal year must
be received by May 31.
Your tax-deductible gift will accomplish many
things: help students by supplementing their
tuition, provide enriching campus experiences,
enhance technology and curriculum, and
prepare future leaders for service in the world.
Contact Stephanie R. Malone, director,The
Augsburg Fund and Maroon & Silver Society,
at 612-338-4825 or <malone@augsburg.edu>.
Campaign Progress
$37.5M of $55M goal
as of 3-10-2005
16
Winter/Spring 2005
FACULTY
/STAFFNotes
NOTES
Faculty/Staff
Connecting with classmates around the world
by Judy Petree
new program at Augsburg connects
students and faculties around the
world via Web cam and e-mail, offering
one way for students to gain global
perspectives without leaving campus.
Augsburg social work professor
Rosemary Link, along with Robert Bill
from Information Technology, received a
State Department grant to develop the
“Exploring World Cultures” project as a
module in a social work class. Augsburg
is the only Minnesota institution among
the 10 funded grants.
The goals of the project are to
increase understanding of world cultures
and systems of human service; to
increase students’ abilities to explain
their own culture and respect others; to
identify the variety of cultures worldwide
and to recognize their interdependence;
and to develop crosscultural
communication skills, including conflict
management.
Link said they began with schools
where Augsburg already had
connections. At the University of
Ljubljana in Slovenia, where student
summer exchanges have become a
tradition, Professors Gabi Cacinovic
Vogrincic and Lea Sugman Bohinc were
“delighted to participate in this venture.”
A second project site is the National
University of Singapore. The third
partner, Tata Institute in Mumbai, India,
has been delayed by technical and
structural difficulties.
To prepare for the project, Link and
Bill visited the three overseas schools and
researched their political, economic,
historical, and social characteristics, plus
technology resources. They received
training at East Carolina University, where
this technology concept initiated, to
develop curriculum using video
technology and to review steps to establish
crosscultural relationships. They also
prepared for the reality of different
approaches to technology, firewall status,
bandwidth issues, and availability of an
academic technology team.
Winter/Spring 2005
Stephen Geffre
A
Students in an Augsburg social work class “study” with classmates in Slovenia, pictured on the screen.
Back row (L to R) Professor Rosemary Link, Kelly Sve, Cody Swanson, Stacy Anderson, Amanda Dowdy,
Emily Lunemann, Dan Quance, Carolyn Herman, IT coordinator Robert Bill. Front row (L to R) Erin Olsen,
Walter Gies, Shannon Rynders, Amanda Bockmann and Joelle Bickel.
“One of the unique elements of the
project is the opportunity to share
innovations in teaching and local
challenges with colleagues across the
globe,” Link said, “and to understand
different perspectives on issues which
affect us all, such as health, migration,
international adoptions, and conflict
management.”
The Augsburg students participating
in the project are taking Social Work
257, Exploring Human Services in
Global Context. They were matched with
students in either Slovenia or Singapore
and are exploring each other’s culture,
social well-being, and current issues
such as homelessness, SARS, and
migration.
Two logistical challenges, Link said,
have been the different semester
schedules and the time differences.
The joys, however, far outweigh the
challenges, and students even come in
on Sunday evenings to ‘meet’ their
Singapore classmates.
“I didn’t know much about the rest of
the world before this class,” fall semester
class student Samantha Privratsky said.
Another student, Brooke Vasseur,
commented that this is “way cool to be
making friends on the other side of the
globe.”
“Our colleague in Singapore, Dr.
Ngoh Tiong Tan, is an expert in cultural
conflict and mediation,” says Link. “His
class was well underway when we joined
in. His students gave excellent
presentations and our students joined
enthusiastically, although initially they
were somewhat alarmed at the view of
American culture from Asia.” She added
that this was mitigated as students emailed each other and explored concepts
of individualism and collectivism, as well
as distinct characteristics of culture
alongside common human needs.
According to Link, the project director,
and Bill, project technology director, “the
project has been quite a roller coaster, but
also enthralling, and students have said
they will never forget it.”
Judy Petree is media relations manager in
the Office of Public Relations and
Communication.
17
Faculty/Staff Notes
Toward spiritually-sensitive social work
A
calling to social work came to Leola
(Dyrud) Furman at age 12 during a
career session at a summer Luther League
convention. She followed family members
to Augsburg College and graduated with a
major in sociology and minors in social
work and religion. She then pursued
graduate degrees in social work and
human development.
She taught social work for 25 years at
the University of North Dakota. During
that time it was a personal and spiritual
crisis—the death of her husband from
cancer—that called her to the forefront of
a new movement in her field. While in the
role of a client needing support during her
husband’s illness, she realized that not
only could spiritual support help people
cope in a crisis, it could help them grow
personally and spiritually.
She understood the importance of
spirituality and religion as necessary
aspects of human identity. Her research
connected her to Edward Canda, at the
University of Kansas, who had recently
founded the Society for Spirituality in
Social Work. Together, they co-authored a
textbook, Spiritual Diversity in Social Work
Practice, The Heart of Helping that was
hailed as “a ‘state of the art’ expression of a
newly re-emerging theme, spirituality.”
This refers to the fact that social work’s
roots came from the work of 19th-century
religious charity organizations. Their book
defines the values and issues inherent in
spiritually-sensitive social work practice
and offers practical guidelines and
strategies.
In 1997 Furman and Canda developed
a national survey of social workers, asking
their views on the appropriateness of
religion and spirituality in social work
practice—the first of its kind. The survey
defined spirituality as search for meaning
and purpose in either religious or nonreligious forms, and religion as “an
organized set of beliefs and practices
shared by a community related to
spirituality.”
The survey results showed that not
only did social workers affirm a role for
18
the discussion of these topics (82%), but
that many of them had already been doing
it in various ways (75%).
An important finding, however, was
that 73% of respondents expressed a lack
of any spiritual training. That began to
change as social work schools developed
curricula and new courses. Today, most
textbooks integrate spirituality within
discussion of treating the client as a
whole person.
Spiritually-sensitive social work
practice is becoming especially relevant in
diverse communities where an important
way to reach ethnic minorities is through
their faith and spirituality.
Three years later, Furman repeated her
survey in the U.K., with similar results.
Then, building on connections she
made while a visiting professor in Norway,
Furman collaborated with Mari-Anne
Zahl, a professor in social work at the
Norwegian University of Science and
Technology (formerly University of
Trondheim) who has a graduate degree
from the University of Minnesota. Zahl
translated the survey instrument into
Norwegian, and surveyed Norwegian
social workers.
The results, while similar to the U.S.
and U.K., demonstrated cultural
differences in religious institutions. The
Norwegian Lutheran Church, until
recently, did not have the same kind of
social network and function as American
church congregations, and social workers
were not accustomed to considering
religious referrals. Also, church attendance
is less frequent there.
Zahl sees the survey results as valuable.
Social workers can understand better how
discussion of religion can be appropriate
and they gain insight into working with
increasing numbers of immigrants arriving
in Norway.
“Since social work deals with everyday
social functioning,” Zahl said, “[a client’s
religion] is part of what social workers
deal have to deal with. Are they open to,
are they sensitive to, do they listen to, and
are they comfortable enough to deal with
that aspect of life?”
by Betsey Norgard
Adjunct social work professor Leola (Dyrud)
Furman ’61 (left) and Norwegian social work
professor Mari-Anne Zahl are collaborating to
study social workers’ perspectives towards
inclusion of religion and spirituality in social
work practice, as thoroughly presented in the
book Furman co-authored.
This means that social workers need to
have understanding of their clients’
culture, religion, and the place that
religion plays in their culture. She said that
while fewer than half of the survey
respondents had any training in dealing
with religious and spiritual issues,
70-80% of them said they desire it.
With her husband, Hans Eriksson,
who returned this year as visiting
professor in Augsburg’s social work
department, Zahl is in Minneapolis on
sabbatical, continuing her collaboration
with Furman. Zahl is compiling the
Norwegian information and, along with
Furman, is writing comparative studies of
the three countries surveyed. Together,
they are presenting at national social work
meetings, and jointly teaching some of
Furman’s classes.
Leola (Dyrud) Furman ’61 is an adjunct
professor at Augsburg and the University of
Minnesota. She is a Distinguished Alumna
of Augsburg College and associate professor
emerita of the University of North Dakota.
Mari-Anne Zahl is an associate professor in
the Department of Social Work and Health
Sciences at the Norwegian University of
Science and Technology in Trondheim.
Winter/Spring 2005
Presentations
Laura Boisen and Maryann Syers, social
work, have published articles and presented
nationally on their integrative case analysis
model, including at the annual program
meeting of the Council on Social Work
Education in February.
Blake Boursaw, Tracy Bibelnieks, Nick
Coult, Matthew Haines, and
Su Dorée, mathematics, presented at the
annual meeting of the Mathematical
Association of America-American
Mathematical Society (MAA-AMS) annual
meeting in January. Mathematics/
computer science major Dan Wolf ’05
presented a poster about his NSF-funded
research last summer.
Lars Christiansen and Diane Pike,
sociology, led a teaching workshop, “Teaching
Organizational Theory,” at the American
Sociological Association in August. At that
meeting, Pike became chair of the
Undergraduate Teaching Section and the
Ethics Committee.
Jacqueline deVries, history, presented “New
Women, New Religion: Feminism and the
Victorian Crisis of Faith” at the American
Historical Association meeting in January.
David Fenrick, Center for Global Education,
was an editorial team member in an issue
group, “Effective Theological Education for
World Mission,” at the Forum 2004 on World
Evangelization in Pattaya, Thailand.
He also presented “Transforming ShortTerm Mission through Service-Learning” at
the Annual World Mission Conference of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) in St. Paul in March 2004. In
November he co-presented a workshop,
“Reciprocity Leads to Culture Learning,” at a
workshop of NAFSA: Association of
International Educators.
Annette Gerten and Lois Bosch, social
work, presented a workshop on using
creativity to enhance learning relevance for
policy students at the annual meeting of the
Minnesota Conference on Social Work
Education in September.
Winter/Spring 2005
Orv Gingerich, international programs and
Center for Global Education, participated on
a panel, “Why Do They Hate Us So Much?
Encouraging Student Geopolitical Awareness
in a Post-9/11 World,” at the Council on
International Educational Exchange in
November.
He also participated in a panel,
“Interdisciplinary Learning, Internationalization, and Study Abroad,” at the Study
Abroad Curriculum Integration Conference at
the University of Minnesota last April.
Doug Green, English, read a poem “A
Topography of Love,” now published online,
at the Northfield Arts Guild Writers’ Night in
November.
He also presented a paper, “Estranging
Bedfellows: Early Modern Cinema Today,” for
the seminar on Shakespeare, Gender, and
Sexual Orientation at the Shakespeare
Association of America’s annual meeting.
Garry Hesser, sociology, presented a paper
co-authored with Augsburg students Riley
Conway ’05 and Krista Dahlke ’06,
“Rebuilding Communities: Comparing a
National Model (Casey) and Minneapolis
Neighborhood Revitalization Program,” at the
annual meeting of the American Sociological
Association in August.
Norm Holen, art,
emeritus, was present
for the dedication of the
F. Scott Fitzgerald
alcove in the St. Paul
Central Library, where
his terra cotta bust of
Fitzgerald was unveiled.
Holen’s works have
been included in two
recent books, The
Sculpture Reference
Illustrated, by Arthur
Williams (2005) and
500 Figures in Clay: Ceramic Artists Celebrate
the Human Form (Lark Books, Sterling
Publishing, 2004).
Gretchen Irvine, education, was a panel
member on “Service-Learning: Connecting
Schools to the Community,” at the Minnesota
Alliance of Black School Educators (MABSE)
Education Summit in October. She also
presented, “Learning Outcomes One Year
Later” at the Hawaii International Conference
on Education in January.
Mary Jacobson and Vicki Olson,
education, and Robert Bill, information
technology, presented at the National Reading
Conference on the study they have carried
out focusing on teacher preparation in the
state of Minnesota as it relates to reading.
Mark Lester, Center for Global EducationNicaragua, spoke at Seattle University in the
Salon Series, on “U.S. Consumption and the
Needs of Developing Nations: A View from
Nicaragua.”
He also presented there on the U.S.Central America Free Trade Agreement
(CAFTA), and spoke to theology, business,
and social work classes.
David Matz, psychology, was a co-presenter
of “The Social and Evolutionary Psychology of
Hair Color Preferences on the Northern and
Southern Prairie,” at the January meeting of
the Society of Personality and Social
Psychology.
Curt Paulsen, social work, with Cathy
Paulsen, graduate programs, presented “From
Spirituality to Empathy: Application to
Dialectics in Marital Relationships,” at the
National Council on Family Relations in
November.
He also presented “From Chaos to Order
by Way of a Seven-Step Process from
Freedom to Love” at the Lilly Conference
West on College and University Teaching.
Tim Pippert, sociology, presented “I Ain’t
Seen Them in Awhile: Created Familites of
Homeless Men” at the American Sociological
Association annual meeting in August.
Nancy Rodenborg and Lois Bosch, social
work, presented a paper on using dialogue
groups in teaching Master of Social Work
students at the annual program meeting of the
Council on Social Work Education in February.
19
Faculty/Staff Notes
Presentations (continued)
Patrice Salmeri, StepUP, and Ann Garvey,
student affairs, presented about Augsburg’s
StepUP program to the American Association
of University Women (AAUW), Minneapolis
branch, in September.
Nancy Steblay, psychology, presented
“Reforming Eyewitness Identification:
Convicting the Guilty, Protecting the
Innocent,” at a conference at the Cardozo
Law School in New York.
She also presented
on lineup identification
issues with real officers
and real cases at the
American PsychologyLaw Society conference
in California, and on
blind sequential lineup
identifications in the
field at a Hennepin County conference of law
enforcement officers.
Kathryn Swanson, English, served
as a panelist for Theatre Unbound’s
production of “Girls Got Pluck” and
presented a paper titled “Ten Thousand Cups
of Tea: American-born Chinese Women
Sleuths” at the Popular Culture Conference in
San Diego in March.
reflection in a curvilinear magnetic field and
formation of Alfvenic resonators on open
field lines,” in the Journal of Geophysical
Research, in 2005.
In the same journal, Engebretson is lead
author, along with co-authors Jennifer
Posch ’94 and Brian Anderson ’82, at
Johns Hopkins University; and acknowledged
student contributors Geoff Shelburne ’05,
Heather Greene ’05, Jon-Erik Hokanson
’05, and Ryan Nevin ’04, for “Ground and
satellite observations of Pc 1-2 waves on
open field lines poleward of the dayside
cusp.”
Engebretson is also a co-author of a
study, “Density enhancement in
plasmasphere-ionosphere plasma during the
2003 Halloween Superstorm: Observations
along the 330th magnetic meridian in North
America,” which recently appeared in
Geophysical Research Letters.
syllabi in international social work being
published by the Council on Social Work
Education.
James Vela-McConnell, sociology,
participated in a department chairs workshop
at the annual meeting of the American
Sociological Association.
Publications
Beth Alexander,
physician assistant
studies, was lead
author of “Methods of
Pain Assessment in
Residents of Long-term
Care Facilities: A Pilot
Study” which appeared
in the March/April
issue of the Journal of the American Medical
Directors Association.
Tony Bibus and Rosemary Link, social
work, published a chapter, “The Impact of
U.S. Welfare Reform on Children’s Well
Being: Minnesota Focus,” in Promoting the
Well Being of Children, Families, and
Communities, edited by Harriet Ward and
Jane Scott and published in 2005.
Jacqueline deVries, history, published an
essay, “Rediscovering Christianity after the
Postmodern Turn,” in the winter issue of
Feminist Studies and two essays, “Women’s
Religious Organisations” and “Women’s
Charity Organisations,” in A Change in
Attitude: Women, War, and Society, 19141918, edited by Susan Grayzel.
Mark Engebretson, physics, and David
Murr ’92, at Dartmouth College, are coauthors of an article with lead author Slava
Pilipenko, Institute of the Physics of the
Earth in Russia, and frequent visiting
scientist at Augsburg for “Alfven wave
20
Bill Green, history,
published an article,
“Brown, Adequacy, and
Young Men Getting
Real about One Big
State,” in the
December/January issue
of Minnesota Law and
Politics, about the
desegregation of Minnesota schools and the
legal doctrine of “adequacy.”
Rosemary Link, social work, is co-author
with Lynn Healy of a collection of model
David Matz, psychology, co-authored
“Cognitive Dissonance in Groups: The
Consequences of Disagreement,” in the Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 88. He
also co-authored “Social Norms and Identity
Relevance: A Motivational Approach to
Normative Behavior,” in the Personality and
Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 30.
Bruce Reichenbach, philosophy, published
“Miracle Cure or Moral Quagmire?” about
the ethics of stem cell research in the October
issue of Covenant Companion.
He also published “Dances of Death: SelfSacrifice and Atonement,” in Mel Gibson’s
Passion and Philosophy, edited by Jorge J.E.
Gracia and published by Open Court in
2004. He also authored “The Cosmological
Argument,” for the online Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy in 2004.
Nancy Rodenborg, social work, published
an article, “Service to African American
Children in Poverty: Institutional
Discrimination in Child Welfare?” in the fall
issue of Journal of Poverty: Innovations on
Social, Political, & Economic Inequalities.
Glenda Rooney, social work, is co-editor of
the seventh edition of Direct Social Work
Practice, published this year by Brooks/Cole.
Winter/Spring 2005
An April 1999 article in Law and Human
Behavior, by Nancy Steblay, psychology;
Solomon M. Fulero; and students Jasmina
Besirevic ’97 and Belia Jimenez-Lorente ’97—
“The Effects of Pretrial Publicity on Juror
Verdicts: A Meta-Analytic Review”—was one
of the magazine’s top 10 downloaded articles
in 2004.
Francine Chakolis, social work, president of
the Minnesota Alliance of Black Educators,
coordinated a three-day summit on the
Augsburg campus in October, “Yesterday,
Today, Tomorrow,” addressing disparities in
educational achievement.
Kathryn Swanson, English, has been a team
member for several accreditation site visits
under the auspices of the Higher Learning
Commission (North Central Association) and
has served on readers’ panels and as part of the
accreditation process. She is also an elected
ARC (Accreditation Review Council) member.
Honors/Awards
Retiring football coach Jack Osberg ’62 was
honored by Minnesota collegiate football
coaches as the 2005 Man of the Year for his
valuable contribution to football.
Tony Bibus, social work, was elected chair of
the Minnesota Board of Social Work, a board
appointed by the governor that regulates social
work practice in the state.
Five Augsburg staff members won top honors
at the annual awards banquet for the
Minnesota Chapter of International Special
Event Services (ISES) in March. Jodi Collen,
event services, won the top prize for Best Event
Logistics for her planning work on
Homecoming 2004. She, Heidi Breen,
alumni/parent affairs, and Marc Skjervem,
student activities, won first place for Best
Corporate or Non-Profit Event Planning—also
for the weeklong Homecoming 2004. Kathy
Rumpza and Sara Kamholz, public relations
and communication, won top prize for Best
Use of Graphic Design for the range of
publications and promotional materials used
for the 25th anniversary of Advent Vespers.
Winter/Spring 2005
‘Thirsty for God’
R
eligion professor Brad Holt’s recent
book seeks to help readers
understand the thirst they experience
in their relationship with God, but
may not realize or understand.
Thirsty for God is an updated and
expanded edition of Holt’s work by the
same name from 1993 that now
broadens the survey of persons and
institutions included under Christian
“spirituality.” It expands the body of
non-Western Christian materials and
includes maps identifying locations of
people and movements
described.
“This is a needed text
for students and for the lay
person,” says Holt, “to help
them understand the global
perspectives of Christian
spirituality. It is not just
about Europe and the U.S.”
Holt makes the
distinction between
“spirituality” and “religion”
within the context of 20thcentury scholar Baron von
Hügel’s tripartite nature of religion as
intellectual, institutional, and mystical.
Holt equates spirituality with this
mystical dimension, and thus a
necessary component for well-rounded
Christians.
The book is accessible and free of
the jargon that writer Kathleen Norris,
by Betsey Norgard
who is included in the book, refers to as
“scary words” in the theological lexicon.
Holt intends for this book to be as much
about “formation”—what he calls
“discovery of new being, new
relationships, and new practices”—as it
is about “information.” Each chapter
contains spiritual practice exercises.
Organized chronologically, the survey
of Christian spirituality begins with early
Christian times and carries forth into the
21st century to include such disparate
Western contemporaries as Jean Vanier,
Jim Wallis, Cesar Chavez,
and Robert Schuller. From
the Third World, Holt
discusses, for example,
the Virgin of Guadelupe,
liberation spirituality,
Pentecostalism, and
African indigenous
churches.
Holt will travel to Italy
for six weeks this
summer, as one of 15
scholars in various
disciplines selected by the
National Endowment for the Humanities
(NEH), to study one of the subjects in
his book, St. Francis of Assisi. The
scholars will examine source texts and
visual representations of the saint within
his 13th-century world to better
understand his meaning for today,
beyond the popular images.
Stephen Geffre
Noteworthy
Professor Brad Holt’s recent book expands the survey of Christian spirituality.
21
4
THROUGH THE EYES OF TEACHERS,
THE EYES OF STUDENTS
English professor Kathy Swanson and her husband, Jack, both former Peace Corps volunteers, led a group
of nine Augsburg students to their Thai village home of 35 years ago for an internship in teaching English.
The students lived Thai culture through the eyes of teachers Kathy and Jack; through the Thai teachers,
some of whom are former students of the Swansons; and through the schoolchildren. Excerpts from the
Augsburg students’ final papers describe their experience.
4
SEEING THE ‘REAL’ THAILAND
I’ve never even seen the ocean!” …“I can’t wait to see
Bangkok.”… “Do you think it’s safe?”… “Does the flight really
take 26 hours?”… “I already miss my mom!” These were some
of the comments we heard as nine Augsburg students, my
husband, and I waited to board the first leg of the flight that
would take us back to the place we had called home 35 years
ago. Jack and I served as Peace Corps volunteers, teaching
English in a small rural village, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand,
during the height of the war in Viet Nam. Now we were
returning, for the second time, but with the responsibility of
nine students, some of whom had not traveled beyond the
Midwest.
“We want to see everything through your eyes,” Jack had
told the students. We all expected adventure, some chaos, and
wonderful experiences. We knew these three weeks would
open our students’ eyes and hearts; we didn’t know how
significantly it would change their lives.
Our family had returned to Thailand several years before
the Augsburg trip and had found that Bangkok had become a
huge, modern city, but that our village had remained essentially
unchanged. Yes, there were now a 7-Eleven store that offered
ice cream and pizza, an ATM machine, and Internet cafes, but
the essence of Thailand was there. Prachuab had remained a
sleepy, beautiful, fishing village. Walking through the market in
the center of the village, we found piles of fish and shrimp
22
by Kathy Swanson
from the morning’s catch, baskets of chilies ready for curries,
mounds of chicken feet, stands with mangoes and sticky rice,
and hills of pineapple, durian, and mangosteen fruit.
Most importantly, we found that time had not erased
memories we had for our former students and they for us.
Returning to the schools where we had taught English, we
found that several of our former students were now teachers.
They welcomed us with gifts, hugs, and tears and we began
thinking about sharing this magnificent place with Augsburg.
“You can bring students to teach us,” we were told—and the
seed was planted!
After my course in Teaching English in Thailand was
approved as an English elective, Jack and I began making plans
for the trip. We knew that the heart of the experience was to be
living and teaching in our village. We also wanted students to
see parts of Thailand that tourists likely would miss. Arranging
to be present in the village school when classes began after the
rainy season, we planned to begin the adventure in Bangkok,
then travel to Chiangmai, and then south to Prachuab Kirikhan.
Most important to us was that our Augsburg students
experience the real Thailand as we had so many years before.
And so, after crossing many time zones, watching many inflight movies, and trying to sleep in cramped airline seats, 11
Auggies arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. Even though it was
Winter/Spring 2005
2
midnight, traffic was heavy and the heat was oppressive. Too
excited to sleep, we checked into the hotel and all set off down
Sukhimvit Road. Smells of unrecognizable things, sights of
unfamiliar occurrences, and sounds very non-Minnesotan
overwhelmed us until we had to give in to sleep.
We spent the next several days seeing Bangkok’s magnificent
temples and palaces, sampling foods students had never
imagined existed, holding giant snakes at the Pasteur Institute,
winding through old Chinatown, riding in both tuk-tuks and
the new skyway train, and trying to survive humid, 100+ degree
temperatures.
Ready for a respite, we flew north to Chiangmai. Here we
were met by representatives from Payap University who made
sure Midwest students understood proper and polite Thai
behavior.
“Don’t cross your legs so that your toe is pointing at
anyone;”… “Never touch anyone on the head;”… “Wear skirts
and long pants in the temples;” … “Acknowledge one’s social
status by the appropriate wai (bow).”
In Chiangmai, we learned about Thai history and culture,
spent time at the night markets (after practicing bargaining in
Thai!), visited a mountaintop temple, rode elephants through the
jungle, trekked on a visit to hill tribes, and rode bamboo rafts
down a jungle river.
Despite these exciting events, I believe all the students would
agree that the highlight of the trip occurred during a stop on our
way to the airport as we were leaving Chiangmai. The grandma of
one of our students, Rachel Schuette, and her church friends had
sent handmade quilts with each of us. We had carried these 15
quilts until we stopped at an orphanage to deliver them to the
children. Seeing excitement and joy on the faces of these children
as they sang for us and finding tears on our own faces as we left
them is a memory none of us will forget.
After Chiangmai, we took a long, hot, Thai travelers’ trip by
train south to Prachuab. Located on the Gulf of Siam, with the
mountains of Myanmar to the west, Prachuab is unspoiled
paradise. Here students marched to the secondary school,
notebooks and lesson plans in hand, to join Thai students on that
first day of the term. We were introduced and welcomed at the
opening assembly and then began teaching.
Moving from class to class, level to level, each class period,
Winter/Spring 2005
Left: Kathy Swanson (back row,
sixth from left) poses with students she and Jack
taught in their Peace Corps days in Prachuab Kirikhan. Many are now
teachers in the school where the Augsburg students practice-taught.
Right: Nine students traveled to Thailand to practice-teach English
with Professor Kathy Swanson and her husband, Jack, in the village
where they had served as Peace Corps volunteers 35 years ago. (back
row L to R) Jack Swanson, Carl Butler, Jeff Moores, (third row L to R)
Kathy Swanson, Stephanie Nichols, Rachel Schuette, (second row L to
R) Sue Kneen, Sabrina Jurey, Bekah Chell, (front row L to R) Annie
Reierson, Anna Warnes.
Augsburg students learned quickly how to gesture and
communicate with just a few Thai words. Jack and I moved
around with them, helping occasionally, but mostly sharing in
this wonderful experience. After a few days, students felt at home.
Every morning as we participated in the school’s opening
ceremony, Thai students waved and welcomed us. One of our
students received a Thai name, many received gifts, and all
realized we were receiving much more than we were able to give.
Teachers hosted a party for us toward the end of our time in
Prachuab and we reciprocated the next evening. Some of our
former students from our Peace Corps days joined us and led
rounds of the Peter, Paul, and Mary songs we had taught them 35
years ago. There were no dry eyes in the room after we all joined
Ratchana, one of my former students and now a teacher in the
secondary school where Augsburg students had spent their time,
in “To Sir, with Love,” the song she chose to honor us as teachers.
Carrying gifts and e-mail addresses from their Thai students
and unconsciously humming “500 Miles,” Augsburg students left
Prachuab for Bangkok and Minneapolis. “Saying farewells amid
smiles, hugs, and many tears, we promised to return someday
soon—and I’m sure we will. For, as one student said, “There’s so
much about the world I didn’t know. I thought this trip would
change me; I just had no idea how much!”
Kathy Swanson is professor of English and chair of the English
Department. She directs the English as a Second Language program.
23
j
TOUCHING
MY HEART
by Anna Warnes ’05
Above: For Anna Warnes, traveling in
Thailand was an experience for all five
senses; but most important were the
friendships she made that touched her heart.
Thailand is an experience, not just of the
mind or for the eyes, but a complete
immersion into the culture. Unless you
stay at a pristine, exclusive hotel in Hua
Hin, it is hard not to touch all five of
your senses in Thailand. For me,
Thailand was an adventure of smell,
sound, taste, sight, and touch, and most
importantly, an experience of the heart.
The sounds of Thailand are like
nothing else. After spending 26 hours on
a plane listening to movies, people
snoring, and babies crying, the drone of
traffic is a welcomed sound in Thailand.
Bangkok always had the sound of
buzzing tuk-tuks in traffic and trains
overhead, but it also had more profound
sounds. The sound of complete silence
in the wat (temple) with the many
pagodas and the loud, but quite musical,
sound of blind musicians singing into
microphones as they wandered the
streets come to mind.
Chiangmai had the sound of rushing
water over rocks as we slipped by in our
open raft and the constant sound of
bartering hill tribe women with their
silver jewelry and colorful hats.
Chiangmai also had the sounds of Doi
Suthep with its deep bells booming over
the hill and children playing amongst
the tourists and monks.
Prachuab had the sound of rain,
whether misting or pouring, washing the
market streets. Prachuab also had the
24
sound of
monks blessing
people in the
early morning
hours, speaking and singing prayers
over women bowed before them.
Amusingly, the national anthem was
played at school every morning by the
marching band and on the loud
speakers, and it also played in my head
for the remaining 23 hours of the day
until my roommate would throw a
pillow at me!
My favorite sound of Thailand was
the sound of singing. Several times the
former students, Kathy, and Jack sang
“500 Miles” by Peter, Paul, and Mary. It
certainly wasn’t the beauty of the
singing that struck me, but the fact that
the students remembered all the words
and sang them so faithfully. It was
obvious that the students had been
significantly moved by their teachers.
As the students sang, you could see the
love and appreciation exuding from
them; so much so that it made my eyes
water every time they would sing. When
I heard the students sing, I could only
hope that I too would have such an
influence on a group of people. …
Forming relationships with my
students was an aspect of teaching that
really touched my heart. I was able to
get especially close to two of my
students, Maew and Por. These students
were extremely helpful to me in the
classroom and they both wanted to learn
English so badly. On the Friday evening
of the teachers’ dinner, Maew and Por
were able to eat dinner with me. I loved
talking to them about anything from
music to Por’s schooling abroad to my
family and America. Maew and Por have
e-mailed me several times since our
group returned to the United States.
They like to ask me questions about my
jobs or different musical acts in the U.S.
I think it is great that I was able to
connect with these students in such a
way that they feel comfortable e-mailing
me and talking to me about their lives as
well as mine. …
Thailand is not a place that can be
seen on a National Geographic episode
and be fully comprehended. I had to
smell the markets, hear the temple bells,
taste the pineapple, see the countryside,
touch the silk, and feel my gia (heart)
warmed by the people in order to know
Thailand. The exciting part of my
experience in Thailand is knowing that
there is so much more waiting for me to
encounter when I go back.
Anna Warnes completed her studies in
December 2004 with a major in English.
She plans to attend law school.
Winter/Spring 2005
BECOMING A TEACHER
1
In his first teaching experience, Jeff Moores ’05 just barely got
his feet wet in the classroom and left Thailand wishing he had
more teaching opportunities, as well as anticipating his next
return trip.
“Tomorrow,” I wrote in my journal on Sunday, May 16, “I
become a teacher.” Unofficially, of course, and I’m
technically still very much a student; but, I’ll be stepping
into a role, a job, that rivals that of prostitution for the
title of the world’s oldest occupation. I’m feeling what
every teacher—from Kathy in her initial teaching years,
to Aristotle—must feel when faced with the daunting
task of instilling knowledge upon youthful minds:
nervousness, anxiety, fears of inadequacy. But mostly, I’m
excited. Excited for something new, something
frightening, an experience that might open my mind
along with those of Thai students. …
My most challenging teaching experience in Prachuab
happened at the end of Thursday. … At 3 p.m. I returned
to the English office to track down a teacher-less class to
take over or an occupied class to observe. I was quickly
told that Stephanie was teaching level 6/9. I hadn’t taught
or observed a high grade level yet, so I thought it would
be worthwhile to attend. … Outside the classroom, the
slightly older students relaxed on the benches, some
slumped over with the end of the day, others energetically
giggled with friends. One thing was certain: Stephanie
had not yet arrived.
I looked at the students in a way that hopefully said,
“I’m the teacher; time to start. Get in. Sit down.”
Friendly, of course, but I wasn’t about to let the older
students walk all over me. Meanwhile my head was
reeling: Stephanie’s not here; my lesson plans are for
younger students; are they expecting Stephanie? What if
they already know everything I’m teaching them?
A deep breath later, I calmly flipped through my
Winter/Spring 2005
by Jeff Moores ’05
notebook as they settled down.
Dictation. That was it, an exercise I
had not yet utilized. I slowly read four
sentences about a man going to a
market and then returning home to eat
dinner and watch TV. Their attentive
gazes and lack of utterly confused
looks encouraged me, but it was
difficult to discern whether they were
genuinely interested or if they were
simply patronizing the new foreign
teacher. A few of the boys, including
one who sat in the middle of the front
row, were energetic and active,
sometimes scratching their heads and
employing grimaces of misunderstanding
or raised eyebrows of clarity.
Stephanie showed up about halfway
through the class, hopefully adding to
any authority I had over the classroom.
In the end we walked away not
knowing what to conclude. I had felt a
lack of influence with level 3/9, and
now I felt a lack of respect from level
6/9. On top of it, inadequacy stemmed
from having viewed [regular teachers]
Charles and David wielding their
experienced skills.
The mere 10 pages of this essay
cannot begin to explore the intense
realizations I began uncovering about
my future as a mentor, a teacher, a
parent—an adult. Luckily, as I
suspected it would, my thirst for
Thailand continues. A week in
Prachuab was not enough time
teaching English. I wanted two, three
weeks to practice my skills. I wanted to
tutor university students and come
into contact with all age levels. After
my first trip, I predicted that I would
definitely return to Thailand someday. I
found myself in Bangkok’s busy streets
sooner than I thought.
Jeff Moores is in the Honors Program and
is a senior majoring in English with a
concentration in writing. He is news
editor of the Echo. This was his second
trip to Thailand.
c
25
ef
MY GOD AND
YOUR BUDDHA—
THE SAME, ONLY DIFFERENT
by Sue Kneen ’04
As a religion major and a prospective
seminary student, I was most anxious to
see and experience Buddhism first hand.
… As I really thought about it, there is
much that our faiths have in common:
God or Buddha, do good works, eternity
or Nirvana, God is omnipresent or
eternal nothingness, prayer, denying
self, look to pastors/monks, churches
and temples, worship, help the poor and
taking care of your neighbor. There
really isn’t anything so unusual—only
different.
I thought [our Bangkok tour guide]
Panya’s comment summed it all up well
as he said with great feeling, “My
Buddha and your God, they are the
same. When we are sad, we talk to
Buddha. Sometimes we talk to a monk,
and he makes us do better with what he
says, but sometimes we don’t want to
tell anyone, so we talk to Buddha. And
we feel better; we feel lighter and
THE
REAL
happier.” Now that sounds just like me
and my God.
I’d like to quote what I wrote in my
journal as I stood on top of “Monkey
Mountain,” listening to the hauntingly
beautiful Buddhist music and the
chanting of the monks, and the pungent
aroma of their incense lifted to my ears
and nose, and the cool breeze smoothed
against my face: “It was a beautiful view
from on top of the hill over the ocean,
Prachuab Kirikhan, and a big sprawling
temple to the west. What was especially
significant to me was seeing the building
where the monks had their evening
meditation and hearing them chant and
hearing their music. I will never forget
that feeling. I imagined and hear them
praising their God as I do mine (for lack
of better words). It was a feeling and
very real sense of oneness while very
different. It was surreal and profound. I
am thankful for this experience.”
FACES
IN
THE
Prachuab Kirikhan is located on the east coast of Thailand,
on the Gulf of Thailand. It escaped the massive destruction
of the tsunami that devastated areas farther south on the
west coast. Of course, when the tsunami hit, everyone from
the trip feared for his or her old and new friends.
Anna Warnes was the first to hear news from Prachuab.
“The day before the tsunami struck I received an
e-mail from one of my Thai students. Maew, a sweet 12-yearold, wrote me one of her typical e-mails: ‘Hello Miss Anna,
how are you? How are your studies? I am fine. My family
went on holiday. It was fun,’ etc.
“The next day I heard about the tsunami on the news. I
immediately thought of Maew. I wrote her an e-mail: 'Maew,
26
Sue Kneen ’04 gained a rich introduction
to Buddhism as she prepared for her
own seminary studies.
It seems I am very fortunate
indeed to have been introduced to a
culture such as this through the lens
of respect and deep affection. … I
will never be the same, and my
daughters and those with whom I
have the privilege to share about my
trip will be able to see some of
Thailand and foreign travel for
themselves.
Sue Kneen graduated from Weekend
College in 2004 with majors in English
and religion and is now studying at
Luther Seminary.
TSUNAMI
are you safe? Were you hit
by the wave?' I received a
response within a day.
Maew was in fact safe,
although her father had
been working near
Phuket, and he was
injured but alive.
“By expanding the world
classroom and making
connections with people in
Thailand, the tsunami affected real people, people I knew.
The tsunami did not kill thousands of faceless people on the
other side of the world; the tsunami killed people I may have
met and learned from.”
Winter/Spring 2005
C
ONE STUDENT I MAY
HAVE TOUCHED
by Rachel E. Schuette ’03
SEEING THAILAND
THROUGH KATHY AND
JACK’S EYES
“Kathy and Jack also had endless tidbits about Thai
culture to share with us throughout the three weeks.
Whether we received lessons about teaching English, how
to eat at a Thai restaurant, or when to take our shoes off
at a Buddhist temple, Kathy and Jack’s previous
knowledge of Thailand was a critical part of the
wonderful experience we shared.”
—Jeff Moores
“The entire trip was affected because Jack and Kathy led
Rachel Schuette ’03 compiled a lesson plan book, in
collaboration with Professor Swanson, with materials from the
Augsburg students’ lessons “to show appreciation for the
gracious welcome they received from everyone in Prachuab
Kirikhan.”
It has been three weeks since we returned home and I am
still on “Thai time,” meaning I feel much more laid back
and not really pushed to do anything in a hurry. …
I learned so much from this experience; it is difficult
to pinpoint the important issues. Being a teacher is not
always about teaching test-ready material. It was not until
about the third day of teaching in Prachuab that I
realized this. I wasn’t there to teach them how to
conjugate verbs perfectly, or to show them how to use
articles all the time. I was there to learn from them and to
hopefully share my culture with them. There was no test
on Friday or review of information; the visit was much
more than that. It was an experience that I will keep with
me for the rest of my life. It will serve as a reminder
every time I walk into a new classroom or job. It made
me appreciate what I have here in America, but still
understand that just because some people do not have
these luxuries, they may be just as happy as I. It was
apparent through the interactions among Professor
Swanson, her husband, and the former Thai students that
a lifetime connection can be made. Truly, for me, it was
finding that one student whom I feel I may have touched,
but who really touched me, that makes me say, “YES!
That is why I went to Thailand.” ■
Rachel Schuette graduated in 2003 with a double major in
English and secondary education/communication arts
licensure.
All photos were taken by participants on the trip.
Winter/Spring 2005
the way, I suspect. On just a superficial level, the heat, the
smells of the streets, some of the foods, and the different
standard of living we enjoy could have easily been turned
into disgust by travelers not accustomed to such extremes
and who were not constantly challenged to look deeper
for beauty and meaning and perhaps a different way of
living life.”
—Sue Kneen
I
27
28
Winter/Spring 2005
Learning with
your heart
by Judy Petree
photos by Stephen Geffre
A
Long distances and remote locations
make healthcare delivery difficult
on the reservation.
Winter/Spring 2005
visit to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation helps nursing students bridge cultural
differences to experience health care from the perspectives of a community long
underserved by mainstream healthcare systems.
Last November, three Augsburg nursing students—Sharon Gentile, Susan Loushin,
and Cathy Miller—spent several days on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in
southwestern South Dakota. Led by Cheryl Leuning, professor and chair of the
Nursing Deptartment, and Susan Nash, nursing professor in Augsburg’s Rochester
program, the experience is one of several nursing practicums offered in the Master of
Arts in Nursing program.
Augsburg’s graduate nursing program prepares nurses for transformational
leadership and transcultural practice across care settings, especially as they address
health inequities. At Pine Ridge, they became immersed in a community with different
cultural values and traditions that has long remained outside the mainstream of the
health care system.
The Pine Ridge Reservation encompasses about two million acres and is home to
approximately 40,000 Lakota people. Pine Ridge is also home to two of the poorest
counties in the nation.
According to the “Village Earth” online newsletter and “Pine Ridge Reservation”
(pineridgerez.net), the unemployment rate is 86 percent, versus a 5.5 percent national
average; and 63 percent of the people live below the federal poverty level. Alcoholism
affects 8 out of 10 families, and half of the people over the age of 40 have diabetes. The
infant mortality rate is the highest in this continent, and the school dropout rate is
more than 70 percent. The Indian Health Service is understaffed and ill-equipped to
29
Pastor Larry Peterson, director of the Pine Ridge Retreat Center
introduces the students to Lakota culture before they begin their home
visits. (L to R): Cheryl Leuning, Nursing Department chair; Susan
Loushin; Sharon Gentile; Cathy Miller; Sue Nash, Rochester program
nursing professor; and retreat center director Larry Peterson.
fully address the health needs of the
community. Consequently, health
inequities continue to increase.
The students spent two days
shadowing the Indian Health Service
(IHS) nurses from the reservation who
served as cultural guides. However,
before the students became immersed in
the program, they gained a brief insight
into the Lakota culture and history
through visits to Prairie’s Edge Native
American Cultural Art Center in Rapid
City, and short stops at Mount Rushmore
and the Crazy Horse Memorial.
At Pine Ridge the students stayed in
30
the Pine Ridge Retreat Center, run by
Pastor Larry Peterson. Peterson sat down
with the group the first night to give
them a brief lesson on the Lakota people,
some dos and don’ts, and what they
should expect when going on home
visits. “Knowing the culture of the
Lakota people is really important when
interacting with them,” Peterson said.
Another history lesson came from
Leonard Littlefinger, Lakota cultural
teacher at the Loneman School in Oglala.
Littlefinger has been the IHS hospital
administrator at Pine Ridge for a number
of years, and is also the great, great
grandson of Lakota Chief Big Foot, who
was slain in the Wounded Knee Massacre
of 1890. Littlefinger shared with the
students the key values integral to the
culture of his people, their past and
future.
“The Lakota people are the fastest
growing people, yet have the greatest
health issues,” he said. “It’s not just
about a healthy body, but about a healthy
spirit and soul as well.”
Karen Red Star, health educator with
the Indian Health Service, also shared
her experiences as a healthcare provider
on the reservation. She advised the
Winter/Spring 2005
For Leonard Littlefinger, Lakota cultural
teacher and great, great grandson of Chief
Big Foot, a healthy spirit and soul are as
important to his people as a healthy body.
Augsburg student Sharon Gentile (background) shadowed
Indian Health Service nurse Sally Mercier (left) in home
visits on the reservation.
students to be “culturally sensitive,” as
there is a high turnover of healthcare
providers on the reservation and the
clients see different people all the time.
“This makes it more difficult to establish
any sense of trust and familiarity.”
Equipped now with some background
information, the students were ready to
pair up with the public health nurses at
the Indian Health Service and begin their
home visits. For the next two days, the
students set out with registered public
health nurses Rod Sahr, Sally Mercier,
Kendra Lone Elk, Mary Moussear, and
Andrea Pond, visiting homes in town and
out in the countryside.
The nurses clued the students in on
what to expect in the coming days. Sahr
said that much of his time is spent
simply tracking down clients, as families
on the reservation move frequently. And,
as frustrating as that can be, he said, you
learn when to keep searching for them
and when to move on.
“There are hundreds of people we
have to see, but just don’t have the time,”
Sahr said. “Actually, there is probably
someone we’re supposed to see in every
single house.”
Not only is relocation a factor, but
Winter/Spring 2005
also many of the homes in the country
are miles apart. Some people live on
long, rut-filled, one-lane dirt roads, miles
off of the main highway. Obviously this
causes problems in the wintertime, Sahr
commented.
One of his clients is an elderly
woman struggling with diabetes. She and
her husband are also raising their two
grandsons, not uncommon on the
reservation, said Sahr. Family connections
are a strong part of Lakota culture and
tradition.
One of the keys, he told the students,
is to listen and treat the clients with
respect. He demonstrated this by just
visiting with the client at first, asking her
about their grandsons and family, and
only after this initial conversation
moving on to the health issues.
Lone Elk, another public health
nurse, also modeled how relationships
were built during each home visit. “You
need to build up a rapport with the
people. You need to get them to trust
you, or they will agree with whatever
you say just to get rid of you.”
Many of the visits throughout the two
days included varied services—vaccinations, monitoring of blood sugar levels
and blood pressure, new mother and
baby checkups, and post-surgical visits.
Throughout, however, was what one
student described as the “wonderful way
the nurses have of working with the
clients.”
“There’s more to health care than just
the medical side of it,” nursing student
Sharon Gentile said. “I feel there is a
need to find a better way, a better
approach to health care.”
Cathy Miller, a public health nurse in
the Rochester, Minn., area, shadowed
Lone Elk one of the days, and told Lone
Elk that much of what she does is not
that different from what she was seeing
on the reservation.
“The first time you visit you see so
much, you just want to jump in and fix
everything,” Miller said, “but you have to
take it slow and gain their trust first.”
Miller came to Augsburg because she
was looking for a program that would
enhance her own work as a public health
nurse. “Some of the art of nursing has
gone by the wayside,” Miller said. “It’s
not enough to know what the diagnosis
is, but what the barriers are that may be
preventing treatment. Many times it’s just
a cultural misunderstanding.”
31
Miller added that she sees transcultural nursing as giving nurses the
tools to practice both the “art of nursing
and the science of nursing,” and a way to
bridge barriers through understanding
culture and cultural differences.
“It has opened my eyes to see that
there are other ways to look at problems.
Ten years ago I never would have done
that.”
At the end of the day, all of the
students remarked on the value of the
experience. “The nurses all showed
empathy, respect, persistence, and true
interest in their clients,” Miller said.
“The healthcare provider needs to truly
listen, be present, and value what the
Lakota person shares as being important
to them. Only then can they (the
provider) move on to an effective
partnership.”
Listening in an intentional way,
Leuning said, is a skill that needs focused
practice. It is an integral part of
Augsburg’s nursing program, built into
classes from the very beginning of the
students’ educational journey.
“I think the uniqueness of these
practicums is that we can more easily
identify preconceived ideas that block
true listening and hearing of the other
person’s voice,” Leuning said.
“Experiences like this uncover our own
biases and values. Once we experience
that ‘aha’ kind of moment, it provides a
prototype for applying skills to our own
daily life and interactions.”
Nash added that this practicum opens
the world to the students. “Having this
opportunity to closely experience other
cultures first hand will give the graduate
nursing students an incredible
opportunity that expands their world
view.”
These aren’t sightseeing trips, Nash
continued, but rather opportunities to
walk side by side with other people and
to view the horizon from the other
person’s perspective. “That kind of
experience is truly life changing and
transforming,” she said. “It is more than
head learning. It is heart learning.” ■
Small medicine bags hang on the chainlink fence
surrounding the mass grave at the site of the Wounded
Knee Massacre on the Pine Ridge reservation.
Judy Petree is media relations manager.
32
Winter/Spring 2005
Learning nursing care
across cultures
H
ealth is influenced by culture, belief, and values, and
it often suffers when the culture is not understood.
Today, the influx of immigrants to the United States,
particularly to Minnesota, is severely challenging social
service programs. A disproportionate burden of disease and
suffering experienced by minority and foreign-born
populations in the United States is but one indication that the
healthcare system is ineffective.
Given the current shortage of nurses, it is not surprising
that there is an increasing demand for professional nursing
leadership to provide culturally-congruent health care to
people of diverse cultures with emphasis on holistic care,
cultural diversity, and community-focused practice. Augsburg’s
graduate nursing program prepares nurses for advanced
transformational leadership and transcultural practice across
care settings.
Through nursing practicums, Augsburg students form
relationships with persons representing diverse cultures both
locally and globally in order for the students to understand
the health inequities that people experience. Learning how to
do this while preserving the cultural dignity of others goes
Winter/Spring 2005
beyond basic nursing skills.
The aim of the program is not for every student to become
an “expert” in every culture, but rather that every student will
learn skills that are necessary to become a culturally competent
nurse, such as basic knowledge of cultural differences and the
awareness of differences in delivery of patient care; recognition
of the nurse’s own bias and influence of personal culture views
and practices; and an awareness and respect for cultural
communication issues, etiquette, and problem solving.
The practicums are a vital part of Augsburg’s nursing
program, says Cheryl Leuning, nursing professor and
department chair. The focus is on reaching populations
underserved by traditional healthcare systems. “If a student can
see the world through another’s eyes, it changes how they see
their own world. It is the unique balance of in-class and incommunity opportunities that attracts students to the nursing
programs.”
Augsburg offers nursing practicums for both graduate and
undergraduate students in several cultural contexts: Namibia,
Mexico, Guatemala, the inner cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul and
Rochester, and at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. ■
33
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the Alumni Board president’s desk…
A
ugsburg
College alumni
are a pretty amazing
bunch. Consider
Carol (Johnson)
Casperson ’60
(profiled in this
issue on p. 38),
who is working to
create affordable
housing nationwide with Habitat for
Humanity. I’m thinking also of 2004
Distinguished Alumnus Dr. Brian
Anderson ’82, who is working on
pioneering physics research, as well as
Alumni Board past president Dr. Paul
Mueller ’84 from the Mayo Clinic and
First Decade awardee Susan (Horning)
Arntz ’94, city manager for the City of
Waconia.
These folks and many others have
passed through Augsburg on the front
end of their life journey, and all have
significant, everyday impact on the lives
of other people. They all have very
different vocations, but share one
similarity—they all received an
undergraduate degree at Augsburg
College.
Which other group of amazing people
is forming new ideas, creating new
journeys, and setting new standards?
Why, that group is attending Augsburg
right now! They are participating in one
of many world-class Augsburg programs
that deliver transforming education:
• The Center for Global Education
connects students with learning
opportunities around the world, while
the Center for Service, Work, and
Learning finds opportunities for
experiential education locally.
• Augsburg offers great athletics
including a nine-time national
championship wrestling team along
with superb women’s hockey.
• The nationally recognized StepUP
program offers a supportive
educational environment for students
in recovery.
• Augsburg is one of 12 colleges
nationally chosen for excellence in its
first-year program.
• The Weekend College program offers
the most comprehensive and quality
adult learning program in the region.
• New graduate programs like the
Master of Business Administration are
providing expanded and growing
learning opportunities for adult
learners.
There is a renewing group of leaders
attending Augsburg right now. They are
future alumni who will go out into the
world and impact our lives and
communities. I am so proud to be part of
this transforming educational
community, and all that we do!
Bill Vanderwall ’93 WEC
President, Alumni Board
Alumnae present gift to the Women’s Resource Center
I
n December, five Augsburg alumnae
presented a special gift to the Anne
Pederson Women’s Resource Center in
honor of former Augsburg professor Dr.
Gerald Thorsen and in commemoration
of the 40th anniversary of their
graduation from the College.
The five women, who refer to
themselves as the “619 Club” (so named
for the house they resided in as students
on 22nd Avenue—the site now occupied
by Foss Center), are Class of 1964
alumnae Betty (Hanson) Rossing, Karen
Kohout, Ellen (Paulson) Keiter, Sandra
(Simpson) Phaup, and Deanne (Star)
Greco.
The women met during their
freshman year in the advanced freshman
English/Western literature course taught
34
by Thorsen.
“Dr. Thorsen, never one to
slight the intellectual talents
of women, encouraged us to
stretch our critical abilities
and tackle literary analysis,”
says Greco. “Two of us
became English majors, in
part inspired by our
experience in his class.
“Thank you, Dr. Thorsen,
for the part you played in
forming our lives and
careers,” continues Greco.
“We are pleased to honor you,
a ‘feminist’ before it was
fashionable, by making a gift to
the Women’s Resource Center
in your name.”
Five alumnae presented a special gift to the Anne Pederson
Women’s Resource Center in honor of former Augsburg
professor Gerald Thorsen and in commemoration of the 40th
anniversary of their graduation from the College. Pictured, L to
R, are Deanne (Star) Greco, Sandra (Simpson) Phaup, Ellen
(Paulson) Keiter, Karen Kohout, and Betty (Hanson) Rossing.
Winter/Spring 2005
Third annual Connections event honors
Jane Freeman
J
ane Freeman, former first lady of
Minnesota, was presented the
“Leading Leaders” award at the third
annual Connections—A Women’s
Leadership Event in January.
The award, which recognizes those
who have inspired others to high levels
of achievement through vocational,
community, and civic leadership, honors
Freeman, who has led by example as the
first lady of Minnesota from 1954–60,
and as president of Girl Scouts of the
USA from 1978–84, building the
organization and shaping the futures of
many young women through her vision
and dedicated service.
Frances Hesselbein, current chair of
Jane Freeman (front row, right), former first lady of Minnesota, was presented the “Leading Leaders”
the Board of Governors of the Leader to
award at the third annual Connections—A Women’s Leadership Event in January. She is pictured here
along with fellow event presenters: (front row, L to R) Ami Nafzger ’94, Frances Hesselbein, and Jane
Leader Institute and former CEO of the
Freeman; (back row, L to R) Jennifer Martin, Gloria Lewis, Jean Taylor ’85, Kathryn Tunheim, and Phebe
Girl Scouts, made a special trip to take
Hanson ’50.
part in this year’s event to
help present the award to her
friend and former Girl Scouts
colleague. Hesselbein defined
leadership as “a state of
being” and not something
that you “do,” and offered
her friend, Jane Freeman, as
the perfect example of grace
and leadership.
Co-sponsored by
Augsburg and Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans, this
year’s gathering joined more
than 100 women from
Numerous Augsburg students participated in the event’s
throughout the community
these two students gained valuable insights from
for a morning of inspiration, activities;
Koryne Horbal during a roundtable networking discussion.
encouragement, networking,
and empowerment.
Board of Regents, who inspired the group
Several Augsburg alumnae provided
with her own discovery of how she is able
Frances Hesselbein (left), former CEO of Girl
an excellent program with Augsburg
to share her unique gifts and talents with
Scouts of the USA, presented the “Leading
Leaders” award to her friend and former Girl
regents Gloria Lewis and Jennifer Martin
others more effectively after learning how
Scouts colleague, Jane Freeman (right).
providing the welcome and the closing.
to also receive gifts from others. Ami
Author Phebe Hanson ’50 set the tone
Nafzger ’94 shared her journey as a
Link (G.O.A.L) to provide services and
with a poem from her new book Why
Korean adoptee of finding her place in
support for other adoptees on their path
Still Dance—75 Years: 75 Poems.
the world. She spent several years in
of self-discovery.
Featured speakers included Jean
Korea after graduating from Augsburg
Mark your calendars for the fourth
Taylor ’85, president of Taylor
exploring her heritage, and ultimately
Connections event next January 28.
annual
Corporation and chair of the Augsburg
founded the Global Overseas Adoptees
Winter/Spring 2005
35
Alumni News
Alumni events calendar
Please join us for these upcoming alumni and parent events (see also the college-wide
calendar on the inside back cover for additional events):
April
June
28 Senior Reception hosted by the
Alumni Board, East Commons,
Christensen Center, 4:30–6 p.m.
14 Auggie Hour at Three Fish, 3070
Excelsior Blvd., Minneapolis (near
Lake Calhoun and Whole Foods),
612-920-2800, 5:30 p.m. Meet the
new Auggie coaches!
May
6 Special reception for business
graduates (all Augsburg faculty,
alumni, and 2005 business graduates
are invited), Christensen Center,
4–6 p.m.
10 Auggie Hour on-campus reception
for all current and former Alumni
Board members, 5:30 p.m.
24 Class Agent Year-in-Review,
Minneapolis Room, Christensen
Center, 5:30 p.m.
23 Alumni Board meeting at
Canterbury Park, 5:30 p.m.
July
12 Auggie Hour at Trattoria Da Vinci,
400 Sibley St., St. Paul,
651-222-4050, 5:30 p.m.
August
9 Auggie Hour at Dock Café,
425 Nelson St. E, Stillwater,
651-430-3770, 5:30 p.m.
18 Canterbury Park Alumni Event
(Watch for details this summer!)
ALUMNI TOUR TO CHINA
Join alumni and friends of the College on a
discovery tour of China hosted by Brad Holt,
professor of religion. Plans are in progress
for a May 2006 two-week tour featuring the
history, culture, and scenic beauty of China.
Discover treasures of this ancient land and
witness China’s rapid growth in the 21st
century. The tour begins in Beijing with visits
to the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the
Ming Tombs, and the Summer Palace. Marvel
at the thousands of terra cotta warriors
uncovered in Xian in 1974 and dated to 221
BC. Experience China’s historic and majestic
Yangtze River on a four-night cruise. Few
places on earth match the splendor of the
Yangtze River’s Three Gorges, which will be
flooded by the dam project at the end of this
decade. The international city of Shanghai
concludes this travel experience. More details
available later this spring; call or e-mail the
alumni office at 612-330-1178 or
<alumni@augsburg.edu> to get on a special
mailing list for further information.
36
Parent Council
is invited…
Parent Council members are invited to
attend the annual New Student
Orientation, June 17–18. Contact
Alumni/Parent Relations at
<alumni@augsburg.edu> for more
information.
Auggie Day at
Como Park
Bring your family to Como Park in
St. Paul on June 4, 11a . m. –1p. m. , for this
fun annual event. Bring a picnic lunch
(BBQ grills are available) and Augsburg
will provide beverages and goodies,
giveaways, and fun for the kids. For more
information, contact Alumni/Parent
Relations at <alumni@augsburg.edu>.
Annual golf
tournaments
Alumni are invited to participate in
Augsburg’s Annual Men’s Hockey Golf
Tournament on June 10 at Manitou
Ridge Golf Course in White Bear Lake,
Minn; cost is $90 per person (contact
Mike Schwartz ’83 at 612-330-1163 for
more information). Alumni are also
invited to the 42nd Annual Clair
Strommen A-Club Golf Tournament on
June 27 at Pebble Creek Golf Course in
Becker, Minn. (contact Ron Main ’56 at
612-338-4824 for more information).
Homecoming 2005
Attention Auggies from the classes of
1955, 1965, 1980, and First Decade,
1995–2005: This is your reunion year!
Plan now to join your classmates this
September 26–October 1 for the annual
Homecoming festivities and your
reunion reception! Watch your mail and
upcoming editions of the Augsburg Now
for complete details; please let us know
your current e-mail address at
<alumni@augsburg.edu>. You can also
stay up-to-date by visiting the alumni Web
site at <www.augsburg.edu/alumni>.
Winter/Spring 2005
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
Rev. Jim
Glasoe recently
published The
Immigrant’s
Treasure
(Publish
America), a factbased, fictional biography of his
late grandfather, Michael Glasoe,
an ambitious young Norwegian
who emigrated to America in
1886, settling first in Minnesota
and eventually homesteading in
North Dakota. Jim and his wife,
Nicole, are retired and live on a
lake in the north woods of
Minnesota, where he does his
writing. From 1972–97, he
served as executive director of
several non-profit corporations
that provide residential and
developmental program services
for children and adults with
developmental disabilities. He
also served as a Lutheran parish
pastor for 10 years.
1964
Deanne (Star) Greco,
Bloomington, Minn., was elected
president of the Ordway Circle
of Stars.
1966
Alan Stensrud, Plymouth,
Minn., recently retired as
president of the Animal Humane
Society, a position he had held
since 1975. He was also awarded
the Glen Summerlin Service
Award, presented by the Society
of Animal Welfare Administrators
at a conference in San Diego,
Calif. He looks forward to
spending more time with his
wife, Shirley, his son and two
daughters, and his four
grandchildren.
1969
Mark Lund, professor of
economics and director of
international education at
Luther College, Decorah, Iowa,
was appointed as the college’s
Dahl Professor of Economics for
Winter/Spring 2005
the 2004–05
academic year. As
the Dahl
Professor of
Economics, Mark
devotes part of
his professional
time to teaching activities that
encourage students to develop
sound analytical and critical
thinking skills, become active
participants in community and
civic activities, and understand
the importance of incorporating
personal responsibility and
accountability into their work
and lives. Mark has served on
Luther’s faculty since 1978.
1971
David Siedlar,
previously of
Concord, Mass.,
emigrated to
Netanya, Israel, a
port on the
Mediterranean
between Haifa and Tel Aviv, by
virtue of the Law of Return, an
Israelian policy that grants
automatic citizenship to any Jew
of the diaspora. David is retired
from the U.S. Navy.
Lieutenant Colonel Jerry
Steinke, began service at Camp
Victory in Baghdad, Iraq, about
two weeks before she left
Kuwait. Prior to Kuwait, she
owned a dental practice in
Maplewood, Minn.; Kristin and
her husband reside in North
Oaks, Minn.
1975
Brad Forsythe,
Cincinnati,
Ohio, published
his debut book,
Bulletproof Your
Business—
Cutting Risk for
Small Business Owners and
Managers. The book has been
featured in several media outlets
and reviews from across the
country, and serves as a “plainEnglish guide that shows
companies how to simply and
cost-effectively conduct risk
management on a do-it-yourself
basis.” Brad is founder and
president of Best Practice
Advisors.
Patricia (Reuter) Georg,
Hopkins, Minn., was selected as
the Minnesota State Teacher of
the Year in 2003 by the United
States Air Force Association/
Aerospace Education Foundation;
she was honored in November
2003 at the Rawlings Chapter
Fall Awards Banquet. Patricia
teaches at Franklin Elementary
School in Anoka.
AUGGIES ON TV
Courtesy photo
1957
1972
Kristin
Rajala, an
Army major,
returned
home in
April 2004
from Camp
Udairi in Kuwait, where she
served as a dentist for three
months to incoming U.S. troops
and nationals. She also donated a
keyboard and served as organist
at the camp’s chapel, where she
also conducted the service when
the chaplain was unavailable. In
addition, Kristin created three
banners for the soldiers who
attend camp Udairi chapel, as
well as for both her family home
church and for her husband’s
home church (she is pictured
here with her husband and one of
her banners). Her husband,
Augsburg alumna Linnea Mohn, Class of 2003, recently
completed work on the first season of the Channel 45 (KSTC-TV)
show, Nate on Drums. Hosted by local musician Nate Perbix, the
half-hour program stars Mohn along with fellow actors David
Harris and Motion Price, and showcases comedy segments
coupled with local music and original animation. During its
premiere season, the show won the 2004 Minnesota Music
Academy Award for Best Audio-Visual Production. Pictured from
the show, clockwise from left, are David Harris, Nate Perbix,
Motion Price, and Linnea Mohn ’03.
37
Class Notes
ALUMNI PROFILE
Carol (Johnson) Casperson ’60: Building hope one home at a time
by Bobbie Chong
A physical education and biology major, Carol (Johnson) Casperson fondly recalls hanging out at “the grill” and
wild ping-pong tournaments at Augsburg. Originally from St. Paul, she chose Augsburg because some of her
cousins were current students. After graduating in 1960, she taught at Shakopee Public Schools and served as its
only P.E. teacher. She went on to teach at a school in the New Hope district that she describes as having been the
epitome of “brand-new.”
Casperson later married, had two children, and moved to California where her (now former) husband attended
medical school and completed his internship and residency. During this time, Casperson says “Vietnam happened,”
and her family received military orders to relocate to 29 Palms Marine Base or “MCB.” In the 1960s, 29 Palms was
literally in the middle of nowhere, and Casperson describes the desert location of what was to be her family’s new
home as “465 square miles of kitty litter.”
Flash-forward to the present day and 29 Palms isn’t the “middle of nowhere” anymore. Reflecting on her former city of residence and the dramatic
change it’s undergone, Casperson says, “Now when you fly into Orange County Airport you can’t believe the new houses. There are massive
developments, roofs touching, [many cost] $500,000.” As executive director of D.C. Habitat for Humanity, Casperson is familiar with the national
housing crisis and the realities and hardships of the real estate market.
She made the leap from California to Washington, D.C., after she helped a former neighbor campaign for Congress. He won and asked if she’d be
interested in working at the home office. She needed to send a copy of her résumé but didn’t have one because at the time, “as a teacher in
Minnesota, when I graduated, they came looking for you.” She quickly threw one together and was hired on the spot.
A few years later she got bored and asked if she could come out to D.C. and work on the select committee her boss served. While newly
transplanted in the D.C. area, an Iowan friend of Casperson’s stayed with her for three years. This friend was registered in the volunteer
clearinghouse and asked if anyone in the area inquired about Habitat for Humanity because, at the time, there wasn’t an affiliate in that area. “I
didn’t know anything about it [Habitat] at the time.”
Recalling the beginning of the D.C. Habitat, “Three people came to town to start one,” Casperson said. She was invited to go with her friend into a
questionable part of the D.C. area for one of the very first meetings. “I drove down there and went to the meeting with her and I thought, ‘What a
great idea. I wonder if this really works?’” So the two friends both began volunteering. Casperson was still working full time then.
“We had such a terrible time in the beginning,” laments Casperson, “First of all, we’d never done anything like this so who’s going to believe you,
that you can actually do this? I mean, it sounds good, [but] people have pulled so many schemes on people in D.C. that no one trusts anybody.”
Despite obstacles, the group persisted and “we got the first two houses done, then we started on the next two. Then our ‘blueprintist’ got this
brilliant idea to apply to be the site of the Jimmy Carter Work Project (1992).” Casperson then became director for what she says “should’ve been
a one-year assignment, but I’m still here.”
In 1988 when she first began volunteering with Habitat, there were about 200 chapters across the United States. Today, there are over 1,700
worldwide. Casperson pointed out that a common misconception about Habitat for Humanity is that it’s only about construction. “We have 12
committees, including the Family Selection Committee, which tends to [include] people such as loan officers or mortgage bankers—people who
know about the mortgage business because that’s really what you’re doing. Based on Habitat’s criteria, you’re picking people for a mortgage
because there aren’t too many banks that want to carry a no-profit, no interest mortgage.”
Another opportunity for volunteerism is the Family Partnership Committee. This committee helps provide moral support to families because
many are first-time homeowners and the process can be scary and can literally throw a person into a panic.
Much of D.C. Habitat’s fundraising comes from direct mail, donations, and their once-a-year, one-hour breakfast that generated $150,000 last year.
And though it is rare, occasionally a developer or landowner will donate plots of land. The D.C. Habitat has built two homes on Capitol Hill that
turned out to be model green homes. Currently, the group is working on a 53-house project on 4.3 acres of land.
When asked what job advice she would impart on current Auggies or recent alumni, Casperson said, “I would say the same thing I said to my
daughter when she was in school forever. She said, ‘Mom, I don’t know what I want to do when I graduate.’ You know, what you want to do is not
necessarily what your major subject was. But it’s whatever makes you happy. And that’s what you have to follow. If things aren’t making you happy
in your job, you need to pick out the things that you do like and then follow that path.”
For more information about the D.C. Habitat for Humanity, go to <www.dchabitat.org/>.
Bobbie Chong is an administrative assistant in the Office of Public Relations and Communication.
38
Winter/Spring 2005
1978
P. Dawn (Heil)
Taylor, Des
Moines, Iowa,
was honored as
one of 10
“Women of
Influence” in
August for her volunteer work
and activism. She has been an
advocate for Iowa’s Latino
communities, serving on the
Iowa Commission of Latino
Affairs and as vice president of
the Hispanic Educational
Resource Center, which operates
a bilingual preschool and
provides outreach assistance to
families. She currently serves on
the boards of the Greater Des
Moines Community Foundation
and the Red Cross of Central
Iowa Foundation, and is an
Augsburg regent. In addition,
she is an adviser to the Center
for New Communities and the
Iowa Project, an immigrant
rights organization geared
toward Latinos. She has served
as an advocate for Latinos who
were in the process of being
deported, and has assisted them
in finding resources and
guidance.
1979
Barb Ahl, Evansville, Minn.,
received the Evansville Public
School Teacher of the Year
Award for 2004–05. Barb is a
music teacher for Evansville
Public Schools.
Kathy (Gray) Dohner,
Fairbanks, Alaska, is a sign
language interpreter.
AUGGIE AUTHORS
Courtesy photo
LaJune Thomas Lange,
Minneapolis, was featured in The
Minnesota Women’s Press’ annual
“changemakers” issue, which
salutes 25 individuals and
organizations whose actions in
the public arena over the past
two decades have promoted
greater self-determination,
equality, and justice for women
and girls. LaJune is a judge on
the Hennepin County 4th
Judicial District Court; she has
held this seat since 1986.
1980
Robert Stanley
Peter Gardner,
Rochester,
Minn.,
composed
original music
for the Saint
Paul City Ballet’s production of
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas
Carol. A blend of ballet and
theatre, the production was
presented in December at both
the O’Shaughnessy in St. Paul
and the Paramount Theatre in
St. Cloud.
1981
Walt Johnson, Minneapolis,
completed a two-year fellowship
at the Patent and Trademark
Depository Library (PTDL)
Program in Arlington, Va.
During that time, he researched
patent and trademark questions
from PTDLs throughout the
country and spent many days on
the road conducting public and
PTDL-staff training sessions. He
returned to his former position
as a reference librarian at the
downtown Minneapolis Public
Library.
1982
Rev. Rebecca Sogge received a
doctor of ministry degree in
single parent ministry from
Luther Seminary last May. Before
entering Luther, Rebecca served
for five years as co-pastor of
Christ, Marble, and Singsaas
Lutheran churches in Hendricks,
Minn. She then spent another
five years as pastor of Trinity
and West Lake Johanna
Lutheran churches and Union
Presbyterian Church in Brooten,
Minn. She is currently an
associate pastor at Zion
Lutheran Church in Buffalo,
Minn.
Three alumnae authors were featured as special guests at a
recent Auggie Hour celebrating Augsburg authors. Pictured, L to
R, are: Erika Hammerschmidt ’04 (Born on the Wrong Planet,
Tyborne Hill Publishers LLC); Doris Rubenstein ’93 MAL (The
Good Corporate Citizen: A Practical Guide, John Wiley & Sons);
and Phebe Hanson ’50 (Why Still Dance: 75 Years: 75 Poems,
Nodin Press).
1983
Gordon Sandquist, Ballwin,
Mo., began a new call at Trinity
Lutheran Church in Chesterfield,
Mo. in September. He and his
wife, Sonja, recently adopted two
girls, ages 6 and 7.
1985
Ron Munkittrick, Westfield,
N.J., was appointed chief
financial officer of Ramp
Corporation in October; he had
been working with Ramp since
June as a consultant on
operational and financial
initiatives. Ron has 20 years of
experience in corporate financial
management with companies
such as Fingerhut Corporation,
Hanover Direct, Genesis Direct,
Site59.com, and Decima
Ventures. Most recently he was
CFO of CapeSuccess LLC, a
staffing and information
technology consulting company.
Ron has an M.B.A. from the
University of St. Thomas.
1986
Michael A. Johnson accepted
the position of director of
Winter/Spring 2005
dramatics at Trinity High School
in Trinity, N.C. His wife, Ann
Marie (Glover) ’84, has
contributed to the field of early
childhood education as a Head
Start administrator and teacher
for more than 20 years.
1987
Rev. Tammy J. Rider,
Claremont, Minn., was a finalist
in a national sermon contest
sponsored by the FaithTrust
Institute (formerly known as the
Center for the Prevention of
Sexual and Domestic Violence)
with her sermon, “Sleeping
Women.” As such, her sermon
was published in The Journal of
Religion and Abuse (Haworth
Pastoral Press, Vol. 6, No. 1,
2004).
1988
Carl R. Holm (formerly
Holmes), Albertville, Minn., was
recently promoted to northern
regional sales manager at F.A.
Davis Co. Publishers. His wife,
Chrisanne D. (Rebertus) ’89,
began her fifth year of
homeschooling their three
children: Emilyanne, Mark, and
39
Class Notes
James. They can be contacted at
<arenzano1@earthlink.net>.
1990
Vicki (Janssen) McDougall,
North Branch, Minn., is the new
dean of students at Forest Lake
Senior High School.
1991
Rev. Judith A. (Benson)
Bangsund received a master of
divinity degree from Luther
Seminary last May. She is a
missionary at the Division of
Global Mission for the ELCA in
Chicago, and following
graduation, Judith returned to
Makumira-Tumaini University
in Usa River, Tanzania (where
she served as an intern as part of
her degree requirements), to
serve in an ordained role in
missions.
written exams. Sharol specializes
in coaching nurses and “peak
performers” from all walks of life
through her company, Life
Illumination Keynotes, Seminars,
& Coaching; Sharol can be
reached via her Web site at
<www.lifeillumination.com>.
law degree at William Mitchell
College of Law.
Cindy (Kostusak) Waldron,
Fairfax, Va., graduated from
George Washington University,
Washington D.C., in 2004 with
an M.B.A. specializing in finance
and entrepreneurship. She works
for Freddie Mac in the Financial
Research Department.
Julie (Holmquist) Sellers,
Duluth, Minn., is a media
planner for Out There
Advertising, a Duluth advertising
firm. She was previously a media
director for von Goertz &
VanHove (also in Duluth), and a
senior media planner and
account executive at Haworth
Marketing and Media Co. in
Minneapolis. She was also a
media analyst at the
Minneapolis-based Campbell
Mithun Esty agency.
1993
1994
Michael H. Haukaas, Brooklyn
Center, Minn., is a clerk at the
law firm of Schwegman,
Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth for
a second year. He is pursuing a
Bill Gabler, Prior Lake, Minn.,
married Corinne Lindborg, a
1998 Gustavus Adolphus
alumna, last May. In addition,
Bill was inducted into the 2003
Prior Lake High School Hall of
Fame for his achievements in
athletics in both high school and
college—he was a standout
three-sport athlete (football,
wrestling, and baseball). He is
the youngest male to be
inducted.
Dan Sweeney, Minneapolis,
recently opened his own
business, Keep In Touch
Massage, in Uptown
Minneapolis. The company
offers a wide range of massagespecific services and natural skin
care products. Dan can be
reached via his Web site at
<www.keepintouchmassage.net>.
1995
Deb (Bellin) Smith, Neenah,
Wis., is a recruiter for
TEKsystems, an IT services
THE AUGSBURG CENTENNIAL SINGERS
Courtesy photo
1992
David Murr, Orford, N.H., was
presented the F.L. Scarf Award in
December during the 2004 AGU
Fall Meeting in San Francisco
for his thesis, “Magnetosphereionosphere coupling on mesoand macro-scales.” The award is
given annually to a recent Ph.D.
recipient for outstanding
dissertation research that
contributes directly to solarplanetary sciences (David
earned his Ph.D. at Boston
University in 2003). David also
received the National Science
Foundation Geospace
Environment Modeling (GEM)
postdoctoral researcher award in
2003. He currently works with
William Lotko at Dartmouth
College.
Sharol Tyra,
Hanover, Minn.,
recently
completed the
Coaches
Training
Institute’s
Certified Professional Co-Active
Coaching Certification Program
and passed both the oral and
40
The Augsburg Centennial Singers recently completed a tour of Arizona, sharing their passion and
enjoyment of singing with congregations from Green Valley to Scottsdale. They are pictured here in Sun
City West, where they performed at Lord of Life Lutheran Church.
The Centennial Singers will perform in the Twin Cities:
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 7 P.M.
Calvary Church of Roseville, Lexington and County Road B
Free will offering
Winter/Spring 2005
recruiting firm in Appleton, Wis.
She has been married for four
years to her husband, Scott, and
she enjoys spending time with
her son Noah, 3, and her
stepdaughter Andrea, 9.
Rev. Kari L. Burke-Romarheim
is pursuing a master of divinity at
Luther Seminary. She previously
worked for three years as a youth
and family minister in Bergen,
Norway.
1997
Arlo Miller, Brookline, Mass.,
successfully defended his thesis,
“The Regulation of Melanoma
Antigens by the Microphthalmia
Transcription Factor,” and
received a Ph.D. in biochemistry
and molecular pharmacology
from Harvard University Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences.
1999
Rev. Deborah
Hutterer
recently relocated
to Pontiac, Ill.,
where she is
serving as pastor
of St. Paul
Lutheran Church. She received
her Master of Divinity degree
from Luther Seminary last May;
she also received the A.E.
Hanson homiletic award in
preaching, which recognizes the
importance of preaching as
seminary graduates move into
the next chapter of their
ministries. The award was
established by the family of the
late Rev. Arthur E. Hanson
(1894–1966), former president
of the ELCA’s Northern
Minnesota District.
Megan Renze, Miami, recently
graduated cum laude from the
University of Miami School of
Law. She passed the bar
examination in Florida and is
now working as associate general
counsel for Banco Santander
International in Miami.
2000
Rev. Melissa G. (Moyle)
Pohlman, St. Paul, received a
master of divinity degree from
Luther Seminary last May.
2001
Jessica Norman married Eric
Hafemeyer in February 2004. Eric
is a carpenter and Jessica recently
ALUMNI PROFILE
Courtesy photo
Alumnus wins state technology award
by Beverly Deming
Mark Deming, a 1993 graduate of Augsburg, was honored in November as the inaugural recipient of
the statewide Minnesota TEKNE Award for Innovation in Teaching. Deming is the media specialist at
Orchard Lake Elementary School in Lakeville, Minn.
Each year the Minnesota High Tech Association, Minnesota Technology, Inc., Medical Alley, and
Minnesota Project Innovation recognize start-up and giant corporations in Minnesota for their
achievements in technology. This year a new category was added to recognize and honor educators for
their contributions and innovations in teaching. Its purpose is to recognize an educator who
demonstrates leadership in creating learning opportunities for students using innovative technology in
Minnesota’s classrooms.
The TEKNE Award has been described as the “Academy Award” of the technology industry in
Minnesota. Deming was one of three finalists from an overwhelming number of nominees for the new
category of Innovation in Teaching.
Deming has been a media specialist for nine years, the last four being at Orchard Lake Elementary. He
was nominated for his work in bringing the oldest elementary school in Lakeville up to the same level
of technology as Lakeville’s new schools. When faced with a space problem, Deming designed a
mobile computer lab to take to the classroom. He has taken time to help fellow educators make
adjustments in their classrooms using the technology available to them. Physical education teachers
are using Palm hand-helds instead of paper-laden clipboards to keep their records at hand. One fifthgrade teacher who was avoiding technology entirely credits Deming with bringing him around to
using the latest in technology.
WCCO News anchor Don Shelby
(right) presented Mark Deming ’93
(left) with the TEKNE Award for
Innovation in Teaching at the
Minnesota TEKNE Award ceremony
at the Minneapolis Convention
Center in November. Deming also
received a monetary award and
multimedia projection system for
Orchard Lake Elementary School,
where he is the media specialist.
Deming was also recognized for turning the school’s morning announcements into a student-run
multimedia show. Students now eagerly apply each spring for a position the following year on
The Morning Crew. A group of 10 fifth- and sixth-grade students meet Deming an hour before school starts most days to prepare the school’s
daily announcements, which include reviews of popular books and videos, music and graphics for the opening and closing credits, lunch
menus, and a Friday bloopers show. This by-kids-for-kids morning news show is considered a daily “must see.”
When asked by the awards committee why he gives his personal time to promoting technology, Deming stated that “It’s not just a job, this is
a lot of fun—I really enjoy it.”
Deming and his wife, Jean, reside in Farmington, Minn., with their 5-year-old son, Randall, and 1-year-old daughter, Jaela. A former
basketball player with the Auggies, Deming is also a ninth-grade basketball coach for the Farmington School District.
Beverly Deming, a student in Augsburg’s Rochester program, is also Mark Deming’s mother.
Winter/Spring 2005
41
Class Notes
received her J.D. degree from
William Mitchell College of Law.
The couple resides in Northfield,
Minn.
Stacy Waterman, Pinehurst,
N.C., graduated from West
Virginia University with a
master’s degree in counseling.
She is in her second year as a
middle school counselor in
Pinehurst. Stacy can be reached
at <stacywaterman@hotmail.
com>.
2003
Kristopher Freeman,
Minneapolis, was hired as an
account executive at City Pages,
a Twin Cities weekly newspaper,
after completing an internship in
its promotions department.
Christina Markwood-Rod,
Wayzata, Minn., created an
exhibit in the St. Cloud State
University’s Archives and Special
Collections that uncovers the
intriguing tale of world traveler
and late SCSU adjunct professor
William Lindgren. The William
Marcellous Lindgren Interpretive
Exhibit, located in the Kalm
Family University Archives and
Special Collections on Miller
Center third floor, opened in
October 2004 and will remain
open through the 2004–05
academic year. Christina is a
graduate student in SCSU’s public
history program, and spent a year
processing Lindgren’s collection.
Orion Wisness married Erin
Dablow in August in Butte, Mont.
The couple resides in
Hackensack, Minn.
Heather Wessling married
Andrew Maki in October.
Heather is a Northwest Airlines
biller for Carlson Marketing
Group, a subsidiary of Carlson
Companies, Inc.
2004
Christina M. Boe married
Michael T. Anderson II in
October. The couple resides in
Roseville, Minn.
Rev. Linda (Brandvold)
McPeak is pursuing a master of
divinity at Luther Seminary in St.
Paul. She previously worked in a
variety of positions in Minnesota:
as a youth and family minister at
Cross of Peace Lutheran Church
in Shakopee, as church secretary
at Discovery United Methodist
Church in Chaska, as a benefits
specialist/administrator at
Andersen Consulting in
Minneapolis, and as a benefits
administrator for OTC/Power
Team SPX Corporation in
Owatonna.
Courtesy photo
GARRY HESSER HONORED IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Augsburg professor Garry Hesser gathered with Augsburg alumni
and friends in December in Washington, D.C., for a special
celebration honoring his selection as 2004 Minnesota Professor of
the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of
Education (see p. 10 for more information). Pictured, L to R, are:
Sylvia and Martin Sabo ’59, Garry Hesser, William V. and Anne
Frame, Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe.
42
Glendine M. Soiseth (’04
MSW) received an M.A. in
pastoral care from Luther
Seminary last May. She plans to
pursue work at either a
Christian counseling agency or a
social service agency that will
provide the necessary
supervisory requirements to
allow her to become licensed for
independent counseling practice.
Births/Adoptions
Norm ’57 and Gayle
(Engedad) Matson ’57,
Chicago, Ill., are the proud
grandparents of grandson Lars
Engedad Matson, born in July
to Hans Engedad and Holly
Matson.
Jeannie (Shaughnessy) ’88
and Joseph Hodges, Alexandria,
Minn.—a daughter, Celia
Marie, in May. She joins older
sister Campbell. Jeannie is the
owner/president of Pathwise
Partners.
Nnamdi
Okoronkwo
’89 and his wife
in Minneapolis—
a son, Spencer
Ajah, in March
2004. Nnamdi is
associate corporate council to
Best Buy Company and practices
in the area of retail litigation.
Kelly (Moore)
’92 and David
Lozinski ’91,
Bloomington,
Minn.—a
daughter,
Elizabeth
“Libby” Grace, in January 2004.
Brent Anderson ’93 and his
wife, Marilyn, Burnsville,
Minn.—a daughter, Maizie
Margaret, in January 2004.
Michelle (Eaker) ’94 and Frank
Steever, Cranston, R.I.—a
daughter, Genevieve, in July.
Susan Irene
Forsmark ’95
and her
husband, Bill,
Minnetonka,
Minn.—a
daughter,
Abigail Rose, in January 2004.
She joins older brothers Reilly, 7,
and Cole, 3, and big sister Libby, 3.
Melanie
(Main)
Johnson ’95,
Fayetteville,
Ark.—a son,
Calvin
Jeramiya
Johnson III, in September.
Melanie is the office manager for
Sonstegard Foods of Arkansas
and can be contacted at
<melanie@sonstegard.com>.
Connie (Arndt)
’96 and Andy
Clausen, Blaine,
Minn.—a son,
Aaron Andrew,
in April 2004. He
joins older
brother Adam, 2. Connie is a
business analyst with the ELCA
Board of Pensions in Minneapolis.
Aaron was baptized by his
grandfather, the Rev. Charles
Arndt ’63, pastor of First
Lutheran Church in Cushing, Wis.
Tracy (Holloway) ’97 and
Thane Drier ’99, Eau Claire,
Wis.—a son, Tristan Thane, in
September. Tracy is a CPA for
Chippewa Valley Technical
College and Thane is a
pharmacist for the Marshfield
Clinic Regional Cancer Center.
Matt Topp ’03
and his wife,
Trisha, South St.
Paul—a daughter,
Emma Marie, in
January 2004.
Also welcoming
Emma are proud grandparents
Gary and Carol (Watson) Topp
’76; Carole can be contacted at
<carolet4@excite.com>.
Winter/Spring 2005
In Memoriam
Gertrude Hognander ’36, longtime activist, dies
ertrude (Lund)
Hognander ’36, a
longtime activist for world
peace and higher education,
died January 13 in her Edina
home after suffering a stroke.
She was 89.
“She had this way about
her that allowed her to gain
the confidence of those around
her, without ever aspiring to
lead them,” her son, O.C.
“Joe” Hognander, Jr., told Sun
Current newspapers. “That’s
why I believe she was so
successful at a time when
women were not always
embraced in leadership roles.”
Born in Marinette, Wis.,
Gertrude was raised in a
church background that
included music and
educational instruction. In the
late 1930s, she honed her
musical talents (which
included the gift of perfect
pitch, an inheritance from her
father, Augsburg alumnus Rev.
L.R. Lund) at Augsburg and
later at Rockford College in
Illinois, where she received a
bachelor’s degree in music. She
directed several church choirs
in Michigan and then in
Minnesota, often adding her
talents as pianist and organist.
During the late 1940s and
early 1950s she was the
accompanist to citywide
ecumenical events at the
Minneapolis Armory.
Outside of church,
Gertrude also actively applied
her leadership skills to
community and state
organizations, serving as
president of the St. Louis Park
Woman’s Club, the
Minneapolis branch of the
American Association of
University Women, and the
United Nations Association of
Minnesota. She was also one of
three members of the St. Louis
Park Charter Commission, and
served on many boards
including the Minnesota
International Center,
Hennepin County American
Cancer Society, Minnesota
Board of Correctional Services,
Abbott Hospital Auxiliary, and
Hennepin County Mental
Health Association.
Augsburg recognized
Gertrude’s commitment to
church and community with
the Distinguished Alumni
Award in 1973. She was also
honored with the Minnesota
Distinguished Service Award
and the WCCO “Good
Neighbor” Award.
Gertrude and her family
generously established the
Anna Manger, Augsburg’s
first female instructor, dies
Anna (Gjesdahl)
Manger, who
died in January
just days shy of
her 104th
birthday, was
hired by
Augsburg as its first female
instructor, teaching higher
algebra and geometry. Even after
marrying and leaving the College
in 1925, Manger continued to be
involved with Augsburg,
volunteering her time in the
Augsburg Associates and other
groups to help raise money. Both
of her daughters, Elizabeth
Anderson ’53 and Margery
Torgerson ’47, are Augsburg
alumnae who enjoyed becoming
part of the community where
their mother had taught.
Lutheran missionary Malvin
Rossing ’30 dies
The Rev. Malvin Rossing ’30 died
of natural causes in January in
Viroqua, Wis.; he was 96.
Rossing spent three decades as a
Lutheran missionary in
Madagascar, starting in 1937,
when he, his wife Anna, and
toddler daughter Gertrude
boarded a freighter in France and
headed to the island in the
Indian Ocean. He believed that
education would eliminate
poverty, and his main job was as
director of a teacher-training
school. He retired from
missionary service in 1967 and
served as a minister in Viroqua
and in Houston, Minn., and
retired from pastoral service in
the mid-1980s. His wife, Anna,
preceded him in death in 2003.
He is survived by four children:
Elizabeth, Gertrude, Martha, and
Melvin ’66; nine grandchildren,
and five great-grandchildren.
Wesley Sideen, Class of 1958
‘class agent,’ dies
Wesley Sideen,
dedicated class
agent for
Augsburg’s Class
of 1958, died in
January; he was
69. A lifelong St.
Paul resident, Sideen was a retired
English and social studies
teacher—he spent all but one of
his 38 years in teaching at Hazel
Park Middle School. Following
retirement, he worked at Byerly’s
grocery store. He was an active
member of East Park Lions Club
and current Lion’s district
governor. He is survived by his
wife, Carol Ann; four children:
David, Diane, Daniel, and Denise
’94; and four grandchildren.
G
Winter/Spring 2005
Orville C. and Gertrude O.
Hognander Family Fund at
Augsburg in the 1990s to
recognize exceptional music
performance and achievement.
The scholarship is based on
merit, specifically to provide
encouragement to outstanding
music students.
Gertrude was preceded in
death by her husband, Orville
Hognander, Sr., in 1997. She is
survived by her son, Joe.
Matthew Woodford, PA
student, dies in car accident
Matthew
Woodford, a
student in
Augsburg’s
Physician
Assistant
Program, and his
unborn son, Logan, died in
December 2004 as the result of a
car accident in Baldwin, Wis. His
wife, Lora, and daughter,
Madalyn, were also injured in the
accident. Woodford, 27, worked at
Methodist Hospital as a
phlebotomist, and entered the
Augsburg PA Program in 2002.
The PA Program is pleased to
announce the creation of the
Matthew Woodford Memorial
Scholarship in honor and in
memory of Woodford, to be
awarded annually to a third-year
Augsburg PA student.
43
AUGGIE
THOUGHTS
Auggie Thoughts
Ted and Fern Hanwick, 1909-2005
‘A perfect ending’ to a shared life
I
n what was described by their pastor as
“a script that only God could write,”
Professor Emeritus and a pioneer of
Augsburg’s physics department Theodore
“Ted” Hanwick and his wife of 64 years,
Fern, died within 19 hours of each other
on March 2 and 3, each at age 95.
The story of their life together was
recounted at their memorial service and
also in a Star Tribune front-page column
by Nick Coleman, titled “Lifetime of
Love Endures to a Couple’s Dying Day.”
Hanwick was chair of the physics
department at Rutgers University when
he was recruited in 1956 by thenpresident Bernhard Christensen to start a
physics major at Augsburg. Hanwick has
said that he heard the voice of God tell
him that the small liberal arts college in
the Midwest was the place where he
should be, despite the prestige and salary
he would leave behind.
“He firmly, honestly believed that
God called him here,” said Rev. Howard
“Skip” Reeves, a close family friend and
pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church,
where the Hanwicks had been active
members.
by Betsey Norgard
Hanwick developed a major in
physics and launched a number of
new courses, including astronomy.
His daughter, Linda (Hanwick)
Putnam ’64, tells of his love for
astronomy and how he made
telescopes at home, grinding the
lenses himself. When an Augsburg
graduate offered to provide a
telescope for an astronomy course
at Augsburg, Putnam says that her
father—who was “always looking
for a good deal”—needed housing
for the telescope and found a
place in Minnesota that sold silo
domes. The “silo” was donated to
Augsburg and became an unlikely
addition to a city campus.
Hanwick retired in 1978, but has
remained connected to the Augsburg
community. Ted and Fern were last on
campus at Homecoming 2003 for a
science alumni gathering.
Both of their children are Augsburg
alumni—Linda (Hanwick) Putnam ’64
and Theodore Hanwick, Jr. ’66.
Physics professors Ken Erickson ’62
and Stu Anderson ’78, were both
Physics professor emeritus Ted Hanwick and his wife, Fern, last visited campus for a science
alumni gathering in 2003.
44
Hanwick’s students in the department—
Erickson studied during Hanwick’s early
years at Augsburg, while Anderson was
one of his last students. In 1976, the
Physics Department established a
scholarship in Hanwick’s name to honor
his 20th anniversary at Augsburg.
“He had such a passion for this
place,” says Reeves. “When you mention
Augsburg, even in his later years, his face
would brighten up, and he’d smile. … He
wore Augsburg—he was Augsburg to a
lot of people.”
Reeves describes Ted Hanwick as “a
blend of intelligence and humility.” Fern
Hanwick, Reeves says, was “pure grace.”
For a number of years, until she was 90,
she directed Calvary Lutheran’s program
for women prisoners in the Hennepin
County workhouse.
Their life together was a storybook
romance. They met in New York City,
were attracted from the first moment,
and became engaged in three weeks.
Since then, they’ve been inseparable.
The circumstance of their death just
19 hours apart—Ted died in his sleep on
March 2 and Fern died peacefully while
visiting with friends the next afternoon—
was described by Coleman in his column
as “a love story with a perfect ending.”
Granddaughter Christine Hanwick, in
speaking at the memorial service, said
that she thought her grandfather must
have wanted to go on ahead and “check
things out to make sure it was OK.”
Winter/Spring 2005
CCalendar
ALENDAR
Music
Exhibits
For music information, call 612-330-1265
For gallery information, call 612-330-1524
April 27
Chamber Music Recital & High Tea
4 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
April 30
Augsburg Jazz Ensemble Concert
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
May 1
Augsburg Concert Band Concert
April 8–May 8
3 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Juried All-Student Art Exhibition
May 8–18
Augsburg Concert Band Norway Tour
• Baccalaureate Service
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
• Commencement Brunch
11 a.m.—Christensen Center
• Commencement Ceremony
Featured speaker: Parker Palmer,
bestselling author, lecturer, teacher,
and activist
1:30 p.m.—Melby Hall
Seating begins at 12:30 p.m.; tickets
required
• Commencement Reception
3 p.m.—Murphy Park
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
April 8–May 20
Senior Art Exhibition
Theatre
Christensen Center Art Gallery
For ticket information, call 612-330-1257
Seminars,
Lectures, and
Films
February 23–May 19
Augsburg Native American Film
Series 2005
April 15–24
Our Country’s Good
By Timberlake Wertenbaker
Directed by Darcey Engen
April 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23 at 7 p.m.;
April 17 and 24 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
April 29
Senior Acting Recitals
7 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
May 4
Stage Direction Class Recital
6:30 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
In collaboration with Independent
Indigenous Film Minneapolis; various
dates and times. For schedule
information, call 612-330-1523, e-mail
<marubbio@augsburg.edu>, or visit
<www.augsburg.edu/ais/filmseries>
Other Events
May 6–7
Commencement Weekend
May 6
• Honors Convocation
4:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
• Commencement Dinner
6 p.m.—Christensen Center
• Commencement Concert
7:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
May 7
• Eucharist Service
8:30 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
May 16
Second Annual Healthcare Conference:
“Building Minnesota’s Healthcare
Workforce Through Diversity”
A collaborative conference sponsored by
Augsburg, Minnesota Hospital
Association, Fairview Health Services,
and United Health Foundation
8 a.m.–5 p.m.—Melby Hall
For information, call 612-330-1171,
e-mail <croyle@augsburg.edu>, or visit
<www.augsburg.edu/healthcare>
June 16
Graduate Programs Discovery Evening
Gathering for prospective graduate
programs students; includes dinner
buffet and break-out sessions
5:30–8:30 p.m.—Christensen Center
For information, call 612-330-1150 or
e-mail <parkp@augsburg.edu>
June 27
42nd Annual Clair Strommen A-Club
Golf Tournament
See p. 36 for more information
See the alumni calendar on p. 36 for additional events
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A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Fall 2004
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 67, No. 1
EEditor’s
DITOR’Snote
NOTE
What is an Augsburg education?
Joan Griffin, Augsburg’s director of
general education, writes that an
Augsburg education is an education for
a... Show more
A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Fall 2004
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 67, No. 1
EEditor’s
DITOR’Snote
NOTE
What is an Augsburg education?
Joan Griffin, Augsburg’s director of
general education, writes that an
Augsburg education is an education for
action. It is an education to prepare
students to become effective, informed,
and ethical citizens. It asks students to
explore answers to the big questions
within the context of values and beliefs
that matter. At Augsburg students are
challenged to discover the very best in
themselves.
The new Augsburg Core Curriculum,
highlighted in this issue, truly gives
distinction to an Augsburg education.
The result of several years of thoughtful
and deliberate collaboration, the new
core curriculum offers a blueprint for a
learning community that connects each
and every element of the College’s
mission with its vision. It respects and
reflects the College’s heritage, including
its vital role in the community, working
in partnership to prepare students for
responsible citizenship.
Augsburg has long believed, before
many other colleges around the country,
that students learn best when combining
their classroom learning with experience
outside the classroom. In the Augsburg
Core, every student is required to
complete an Augsburg experience—
through internships (and student
teaching, practica, cooperative
education, etc.), faculty-student research,
service-learning, study abroad, or other
off-campus immersion activities.
Augsburg’s leadership role in this area
has been affirmed repeatedly—most
recently and importantly by the honor
bestowed upon sociology professor
Garry Hesser as Minnesota’s Professor of
the Year, from the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching and
the Council for the Advancement and
Support of Education (CASE). Hesser
has also received national awards for his
pioneering work in developing
experiential education and continuing
national presence in promoting it.
Augsburg’s Center for Global
Education and service-learning program
have also received national and regional
awards for their excellence in programs.
The new Augsburg Core has good
reason to make all Augsburg alumni
proud of their Augsburg education.
Enjoy reading about it, as well as about
some important events in our campus
life—Homecoming 2004, Advent Vespers
25th anniversary, and the upcoming
Nobel Peace Prize Forum and Festival
in February.
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Class Notes Coordinator
Sara Kamholz ’04
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
President
William V. Frame
Director of Alumni and
Parent Relations
Amy Sutton
Director of Public Relations
and Communication
Dan Jorgensen
Opinions expressed in
Augsburg Now do not necessarily
reflect official College policy.
ISSN 1058–1545
Postmaster: Send address
corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
Betsey Norgard
Editor
Greetings of the season
Augsburg College, as affirmed in its
mission, does not discriminate on
the basis of race, color, creed,
religion, national or ethnic origin,
age, gender, sexual orientation,
marital status, status with regard to
public assistance, or disability in its
education policies, admissions
policies, scholarship and loan
programs, athletic and/or school
administered programs, except in
those instances where religion is a
bona fide occupational qualification.
Augsburg College is committed to
providing reasonable
accommodations to its employees
and its students.
www.augsburg.edu
A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
Fall 2004
Vol. 67, No. 1
Features
FEATURES
15
The Augsburg Core Curriculum:
Educating for work, educating for life
This special issue introduces readers to the new Augsburg Core
Curriculum—the broad general education that forms the foundation
for an Augsburg education. Signature elements of the Augsburg
Core draw on the College’s heritage, values, and mission.
11
Vision
The newsletter for Access to
Excellence: The Campaign for
Augsburg College
4
Advent Vespers celebrates
25th anniversary year
DEPARTMENTS
Departments
2
Around the Quad
6
Sports
8
Homecoming 2004 Awards
27
Alumni News
30
Homecoming 2004 Photos
On the cover:
34
Class Notes
40
In Memoriam
inside
back
cover
Calendar
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post—consumer waste)
Over 300 first-year students begin
their educational journey through
the Augsburg Arch, the visual
representation of their Augsburg
education, at the Opening
Celebration, where they are
welcomed into the Augsburg
community. Photo by Stephen Geffre.
AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
Notes in brief
Namibia center
celebrates 10 years
Convo series
explores social
justice themes
PA students excel
on exam
The May graduates in the Physician
Assistant Program received among the
highest scores in the country on the
National Commission on Certification of
Physician Assistants board examination.
The Class of 2004 received a mean
score of 613, ranking in the 99th
percentile, as compared to the national
mean score of 510.
Augsburg’s program is Minnesota’s
only PA training program; in 2002 it
became a graduate program and received
full accreditation. The Class of 2004 is
the first to graduate at the master’s level.
Augsburg moves up
in college rankings
Once again, U.S.News
& World Report has
included Augsburg in
the top tier of its
annual ranking of best
universities, tied for
20th place—a move
up from 24th place
last year. The College is ranked among
142 institutions in the category “Best
Midwestern Universities-Master’s” and is
compared with other area colleges and
universities that offer both
undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Also, The Princeton Review has once
again included Augsburg among the 170
colleges named “Best in the Midwest,”
based on student responses as well as on
recognition by the media, other
institutional leaders, and educational
organizations. Augsburg was recognized
for its dedication toward diversity.
THE 17TH ANNUAL
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM
February 11–12, 2005
www.peaceprizeforum.org
2
Center for Global Education Namibia
director Pandu Hailonga welcomed
guests of the center’s 10th anniversary
celebration, with associate dean Orv
Gingerich and President William Frame
looking on.
“Justice for All,” the theme of the
2004-05 Augsburg Convocation series,
challenges consideration of how
issues of justice bring into focus one’s
gifts, interests, desires, and passions;
and connects them with diverse
careers, occupations, and ministries
that benefit others and selffulfillment.
The remaining presentations are:
New MBA program
in full swing
Forty-four students filled two cohorts to
launch the new Master of Business
Administration program this fall, and
additional cohorts will begin in winter and
possibly spring. About 30 percent of the
first class is made up of Augsburg alumni.
The 20-month MBA program includes
several cross courses with the Master of
Arts in Leadership program and a strong
emphasis on application of classroom
learning to the business environment.
Garry Hesser is prof
of the year in
Minnesota
Nov. 18 was designated “Dr. Garry
Hesser Day” in the state of Minnesota in
honor of the announcement that Hesser
had been named Professor of the Year in
Minnesota by the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching and
the Council for the Advancement and
Support of Education (CASE).
Hesser was lauded in the citation for
his pioneering efforts in developing
experiential education, a hallmark of an
Augsburg education.
See the next issue of Augsburg Now
for the full story.
• JAN. 17—Martin Luther King Jr.
Convocation, with speaker Victoria
Jackson Gray Adams, a spiritual,
social, political, and civil rights
activist.
• FEB. 11—In conjunction with the
2005 Peace Prize Forum, former
United Nations high commissioner
for human rights and former
president of Ireland Mary Robinson
will speak about security in an
unsecure world.
• FEB. 16—Jane Jeong Trenka ‘95,
award-winning author, will speak
on transracial adoption and
memory/writing as a site of
resistance.
• MARCH 4—Craig Kielburger,
children’s rights activist and
founder of Free the Children,
in the 2005 Batalden Seminar
in Applied Ethics.
• APRIL 11—2005 Sverdrup Visiting
Scientist lecture, to be announced.
For further information,
call 612-330-1180 or visit
<www.augsburg.edu/convo>.
Fall 2004
Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for
Augsburg College
Fourth annual Scholastic Connections celebration
Goal: $55 million
$33 million
Read more campaign news in Vision, the
campaign newsletter, on p. 11.
Welcome,
Class of 2008!
WELCOME TO 343 NEW FRESHMEN …
• 10 states represented, with 81% from
Minnesota
Five new scholarship recipients and six returning scholars were honored along with
their mentors at the fourth annual Scholastic Connections dinner and program in
October.
This program pairs student leaders of color with alumni mentors of color. The
emcee for the evening was Vineeta Sawkar, news anchor at 5 Eyewitness News. The
welcome was presented by actor and vocalist T. Mychael Rambo.
Front row (L to R): Xia Xiong ‘05, Eloisa Echávez ‘94, ‘98 MEL, Melat Woldegebriel
‘05, Vineeta Sawkar, and Renzo Amaya Torres ‘05. Back row (L to R): Franklin Tawah ‘83,
Alex Gonzalez ‘90, Nhia Lee ‘02, Saroja Thapa ‘06, Robert Amaya ‘05, Chris Adams ‘07,
Maria R. Johnson ‘94, Adela Arguello ‘05, Jim Genia ‘87, Diane Love-Scott ‘98, Leah
Carlson ‘01, and Audra Johnson ‘06.
Forging exchanges with a Polish university
Courtesy photo
News:
• 3M is partnering with Augsburg to
raise $600,000 in support of the
Science Center that will come through
a combination of gift and challenge
match.
• 89% live in residence halls on campus
• 37% are Lutheran
• 11.3% are students of color
• 2,600 hours of service-learning in the
community given by first-year students
as part of the Augsburg Seminar
ACROSS ALL PROGRAMS …
• 3,375 students (1,826 day,
1,090 weekend, 459 graduate)
• Average age is 21 in day, 34 weekend,
33 graduate
• Students from 40 states and
33 countries
• Students of color—10.2%
Fall 2004
Amidst their European and African travels last summer, President and Mrs. Frame, along
with business professor Magda Paleczny-Zapp, visited the Cracow University of
Economics in Poland, an institution of 20,000 students, to discuss exchanges of faculty
and students in business and the social sciences. The university is also interested in
starting a program similar to Augsburg’s CLASS program to support students with
learning disabilities.
(L to R): President William Frame; Anne Frame; Chancellor Ryszard Borowiecki;
Professor Magda Paleczny-Zapp; Professor Janusz Teczke, vice chancellor for scientific
research and cooperation; and Agnieszka Nawrocka, head, Office of International
Relations.
3
Around the Quad
ADVENT VESPERS
celebrates 25th anniversary year
‘With Peaceful Wings’ offers
theme of peace and comfort
Augsburg College’s Advent Vespers program celebrates its 25th
anniversary around the theme “With Peaceful Wings.” The
four services, this year held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3 and 4
at 5 and 8 p.m. at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis,
usually draw over 8,000 people.
Advent Vespers combines more than 300 participants from
choirs, instrumental ensembles, readers, and a full liturgical
party. Through the majestic celebration of music and word, the
message of Christ’s coming to the world is conveyed.
Augsburg’s annual advent program began in 1979 around
the vision of Larry Fleming, then-director of choral activities,
to offer a service of meditation and prayer as a gift to the
community during the advent season. The tradition continues
today under the direction of Peter Hendrickson ’76, director of
choral activities, and the Rev. David Wold, College pastor and
director of ministries, with active support from Augsburg
College students, faculty, and staff.
“With Peaceful Wings” focuses on the message of assurance
that in the wings of the Savior Jesus Christ rest and comfort
4
Fall 2004
SPECIAL
BROADCAST
Add this special 25th anniversary
Advent Vespers broadcast to your
holiday plans.
can be found through all good and ill.
The wings of the Savior provide the
strength and shelter to live in the
unconditional grace of God, and the
strength and comfort to know the
peace of God that passes all
understanding, the peace of God that
keeps hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
The service provides an
opportunity to reflect first on the
coming of Jesus, initially announced by
John the Baptist; second, on living in
the promise that Christ will come
again; and third, in knowing that
Christ comes through people
constantly and regularly, even now.
To mark this special 25th
anniversary, Augsburg College
collaborated with Twin Cities Public
Television (TPT) to produce a onehour program to be broadcast during
Christmas week. The majesty of
Central Lutheran Church and the
intimacy of the service are captured by
a multiple-camera production crew
that followed the drama of the
processions and recorded the splendor
of the sounds from the choirs scattered
through the sanctuary.
The program is also offered
statewide to the stations of the
Minnesota Public Television
Association, and nationwide, via
satellite, to public broadcast services.
Commemorative DVD, VHS, and
CD recordings of this production will
be available following the event.
For more information about Advent
Vespers, call 612-330-1444 or go to
<www.augsburg.edu/vespers>. ■
Fall 2004
The service will be aired in Minnesota
on Twin Cities Public Television:
December 22, 8 p.m. on TPT2
December 23, 2 a.m. on TPT2
December 25, 10 a.m. on TPT2 and 7
p.m. on TPT17
Check local listings for broadcast times
on public television stations.
The 25th anniversary Advent Vespers
broadcast is made possible through a
major gift from the 11 Hoversten
families who have supported
Augsburg worship, music, and
education programs for generations,
and with additional support from
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
TWIN CITIES
PUBLIC
TELEVISION
5
Sports
Women’s hockey celebrates 10 years
ugsburg College has played a major
role in the growth of women’s
hockey, one of the fastest growing sports
in recent years. As the first college or
university in the Midwest to sponsor the
sport on the varsity level in 1995,
Augsburg was a leader in sparking major
interest and impacting the lives of
thousands of young girls and women.
This year Augsburg celebrates its
10th season of varsity women’s
hockey—an achievement that speaks
volumes to the College’s commitment to
the sport’s growth.
Over the past decade, 97 young
women have donned an Augsburg
uniform, for a team that has gone
131-86-13 entering this season under
Jill Pohtilla, the only head coach in the
program’s history.
“What I’m most proud of is that,
year-in and year-out, the types of
individuals who play here have great
character and great motivation,” Pohtilla
said. “They work hard, and they care a
lot about the legacy they are going to
leave behind.”
When Augsburg announced in
February 1995 that it was going to field
a varsity women’s hockey program for
the 1995-96 season, there were only 15
varsity teams nationally—all on the East
Coast (members of the Eastern
Collegiate Athletic Conference) and
none in the Midwest.
Girls’ hockey was just starting at the
high school level in Minnesota—the
first state to sponsor a girls’ hockey high
school state championship tournament
—even before it became an Olympic
sport.
Both location and funding made
Augsburg’s situation unique. In its
announcement, Augsburg was believed
to be the first collegiate team to fund its
women’s hockey program on a level
equal with the men’s program, in terms
of equipment, uniforms, ice time,
training, games, publicity, and awards.
A
Highlights from Augsburg’s first decade
include:
• 1995-96—Augsburg went 16-5 in its
first season against club and women’s
adult teams in the Midwest, including
three games on the East Coast against
varsity teams.
• 1997-98—Augsburg faced the University
of Minnesota in the Gophers’ first
varsity contest. The crowd of 6,854 in
Mariucci Arena remains the largest-ever
crowd for a U.S. collegiate women’s
hockey game.
by Don Stoner
• Winter 2003—Members of the team
traveled to Italy and Austria to play and
win three games against local club teams.
A 10th anniversary dinner and program
was held in November. For more
information about women’s hockey, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/athletics>.
Don Stoner is sports information coordinator
in the Office of Public Relations and
Communication.
• 1998-99—Augsburg won a share of the
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference (MIAC) title, which was the
first Division III conference to sponsor
the sport at championship level.
• 1999-2000—Augsburg won the MIAC
play-off to go to the Division III national
championship, where they lost the
national title series to Middlebury (Vt.).
• 2003-04—The playoff semifinal game
against the University of St. Thomas,
a 6-5 loss, was the longest women’s
hockey game in conference history,
a two-overtime, 96-minute, 9-second
marathon.
A plaza in front of Augsburg’s Ice Arena was
dedicated as “JC’s Place,” in honor of James
“JC” Carey, athletic facilities director for 30
years. New seating and memorial plaques
honor Carey, who died of heart failure in
2003 at the age of 54.
The 1999-2000 women’s hockey team posed, following the Division III national championship,
where they lost to small-college power Middlebury (Vt.).
6
Fall 2004
17
AUGSBURG COLLEGE HOSTS
T H A N N UA L N O B E L P E AC E P R I Z E F O RU M
Around the theme “Striving for Peace:
Uniting for Justice,” Augsburg College will
host the 17th annual Peace Prize Forum,
Feb. 11-12, 2005. This forum honors the
2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin
Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer and human rights
activist who was recognized for her efforts
for democracy and human rights.
In cooperation with the Norwegian
Nobel Institute, five Midwestern colleges
of the ELCA—Augsburg College,
Augustana College (Sioux Falls, S. Dak.),
Concordia College (Moorhead, Minn.),
Luther College (Decorah, Iowa), and St.
Olaf College—host the annual Nobel
Peace Prize Forum, the Norwegian Nobel
Institute’s only such program or academic
affiliation outside Norway.
The colleges, all founded by
Norwegian immigrants, sponsor the forum
to give recognition to Norway’s
international peace efforts and to offer
opportunities for Nobel Peace Prize
Fall 2004
by Betsey Norgard
laureates, diplomats,
scholars, students, and the
general public
to engage in
dialogue on the
dynamics of
peacemaking and
the underlying
causes of conflict and war.
The first Nobel Peace
Prize Forum took place in
1989 at St. Olaf College, and
rotates each year among the five ELCA
colleges. Augsburg last hosted the forum
in 1999, and honored Peace Prize laureates
Jody Williams and the International
Campaign to Ban Landmines. Over the
years, more than 21,000 participants have
become involved in the forum, which has
received an even broader audience through
national and regional media coverage.
The Peace Prize Forum program also
includes a series of seminars and
discussions of issues around the theme.
Plenary speakers scheduled for the
2005 forum include:
• Mary Robinson, the first woman
president of Ireland and more recently
United Nations high commissioner for
human rights;
• Davar Ardalan, a producer for National
Public Radio based in Washington,
D.C., who has lived in Iran under both
the shah’s reign and that of the
ayatollah’s;
• Sima Samar, pioneer for almost 20
years in the cause for women’s rights in
war-stricken Afghanistan; and
• Frances Moore Lappé, author and
global citizen who started a revolution
in the way Americans eat. Her most
recent book is You Have the Power:
Choosing Courage in a Culture of Fear.
For more information about the 17th
annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/ppf> or call
612-330-1383.
Children celebrate peace at
the Nobel Peace Prize Festival
More than 700 students from 27 Peace Site
schools and youth groups across the Twin
Cities will gather at the 10th annual Nobel
Peace Prize Festival at Augsburg on Feb.
10. This year’s festival will honor Shirin
Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The festival was first organized in
1998 as an expansion of the Nobel Peace
Prize Forum and in response to the
growing interest to involve children and
youth of all ages. The event is designed
to connect students in grades K-12 with
Nobel laureates. Students study a
laureate or peace theme,
create a related interactive
exhibit or performance of
their subject, and bring it to
the one-day festival.
Along with the Peace
Prize Forum, the festival
has the endorsement of the
Norwegian Nobel Institute.
The 2004 festival honored
Nobel laureate Jimmy
Carter, who visited the J.J.
Hill Montessori School in
St. Paul, Minn., along with
the former first lady. ■
7
HOMECOMING 2004
TWO HONORED AS 2004 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
T
wo alumni join 164 others as Distinguished Alumni of Augsburg College. Recipients are recognized
for significant achievement in their vocations and outstanding contributions to church and
community, through years of preparation, experience, dedication, exemplary character, and service.
Brian J. Anderson ’82
Dr. Brian J. Anderson graduated from
Augsburg in 1982 with a B.A. in
physics, mathematics, and religion.
From 1983-1987, he served as a
research associate at the University of
Minnesota, where in 1987 he earned a
Ph.D. in physics. In 1986 he returned
to Augsburg as a visiting lecturer in
physics, and in 1987 as an assistant
professor of physics. During his two
years on the Augsburg faculty, he was instrumental in securing a
grant from the National Science Foundation for the establishment
of a vacuum technology laboratory for advanced physics
students.
In 1988, Anderson relocated to the East Coast to serve as a
postdoctoral associate at Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory, where he is currently a senior physicist. He
also supervises the magnetic fields section of the APL’s Space
Physics Group, and is a member of the science team for NASA’s
Messenger mission to Mercury, among others.
Anderson is internationally recognized in space physics for
his innovative and wide-ranging contributions to the
understanding of the dynamic particle and magnetic field
environment of near earth space.
In addition to his duties at Johns Hopkins, Anderson also
serves as president of Division III (Magnetospheric Phenomena)
of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy,
the international scientific association that brings together space
scientists worldwide for biennial scientific congresses. He
recently completed service as an editor for Geophysical Research
Letters, the premier international journal of earth and space
sciences. He was also a member of a panel convened by the
National Academy of Sciences to provide guidance over the next
10 years to all U.S. government agencies in the areas of solar and
space physics.
Anderson is an active member of Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Frederick, Md., where he serves on the church council
and on various committees. He also serves as an assisting
minister in worship and is a regular participant in other
congregational events. His wife, Dr. Leeann Rock, is a 1981
graduate of Augsburg.
8
by Lynn Mena
Fern L. (Hanson) Gudmestad ’41
As a child growing up in Seattle, Wash.,
Fern L. (Hanson) Gudmestad learned
about Augsburg from her uncle, the Rev.
Frederick Iversen, an early 1900s graduate
of Augsburg College and Seminary.
Although she enrolled at the University of
Washington—where she ultimately
received a B.A. in art in 1941—she
convinced her parents to send her to
Augsburg for her sophomore year.
Gudmestad’s time as a student on the Augsburg campus
produced numerous lifelong bonds—particularly to one
alumnus, the Rev. Lawrence Gudmestad ’39 (1983 Augsburg
Distinguished Alumnus), whom she married. Three of their four
children also attended the College—one graduating in 1965 and
the other in 1968—as well as a daughter-in-law and a grandson,
making theirs a four-generation Augsburg family.
Gudmestad has remained a loyal and active alumna of the
College, having served as an adviser to the College of the Third
Age, as a longtime member of the Augsburg Associates, and on
the committee assisting with the recent Lutheran Free Church
celebration held on campus in June. In addition, she has been a
regular contributor to The Augsburg Fund and a member of the
president’s Maroon & Silver Society. She generously funded a pipe
in Hoversten Chapel’s new organ for each of her children, and
after her husband’s death in 1986 she directed memorial gifts to
Augsburg.
As a young woman in the 1940s and ’50s, Gudmestad
answered the call to serve along with her husband during his
years as a parish pastor in both Washington and North Dakota.
As his partner, she managed a myriad of responsibilities, and in
the 1970s and ’80s she held successive and increasingly
comprehensive leadership positions in the American Lutheran
Church Women (ALCW) organizations, beginning as president of
her local ALCW, later as president of the ALC’s Southeast
Minnesota District ALCW Board, and ultimately as president of
the national ALCW.
Recognized as a wise and quietly powerful woman,
Gudmestad’s special combination of faith and skills in leadership
continues to bring many invitations to speak at events and
participate on committees and boards.
Fall 2004
HOMECOMING 2004
FIRST DECADE AND SPIRIT OF AUGSBURG AWARD
RECIPIENTS NAMED FOR 2004 by Lynn Mena
A
ugsburg is pleased to announce the 2004 recipients of the First Decade and Spirit of
Augsburg awards. The First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of the past
10 years who have made significant progress in their professional achievements and
contributions to the community, and in so doing exemplify the mission of the College: to prepare
future leaders in service to the world. Graduates from the day, weekend, and graduate programs
are eligible.
The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni and friends of the College who have given
exceptional service that contributes substantially to the well being of Augsburg by furthering its
purposes and programs.
FIRST DECADE AWARD
SPIRIT OF AUGSBURG AWARD
Susan Arntz ’94
Arthur V. Rimmereid ’53
Susan (Horning) Arntz graduated from
Augsburg in 1994 with a B.A. in
political science and a minor in metrourban studies. In 1999, she earned a
master’s degree in public administration
from Hamline University.
Despite her young age, Arntz
possesses a vast amount of knowledge
and leadership skills related to public
affairs and government, and has utilized
these for an exemplary career in public
service. Following her graduation in
1994, she served as an intern to Commissioner Peter McLaughlin
of Hennepin County, Minn. During that same time period, she
served as assistant administrator and economic development
coordinator of the City of Chaska (Minn.), and from 1998–2001
as the assistant city manager of New Brighton, Minn. Over the
last several years, she has served as the city administrator of
Waconia, Minn. She has skillfully managed increasingly larger
city projects, and has directed major projects in the rapidly
growing community of Waconia.
Clearly, Arntz is driven to excel in her chosen field of city
management; she approaches the responsibilities and call of
public service with tremendous enthusiasm and dedication. She
has worked tirelessly to construct an innovative and successful
partnership between the city and the development community
and other agencies.
Since 2001, Arntz has served as a member of Augsburg’s
Alumni Board of Directors, contributing a valued voice of vision,
reason, and influence. In addition to sharing her time with the
College, Arntz is also a member of Augsburg’s Century Club.
A woman of deep faith and Christian values, Arntz is an active
member of her church and community. She and her husband,
Jonathan ’95, have two children.
The Rev. Arthur V. Rimmereid graduated
from Augsburg College and Seminary in
1953 and 1956, respectively. His first call
was to a parish in north central North
Dakota—Bisbee Lutheran Church—
where he served as pastor from
1956–1962. He then served as pastor of
Advent Lutheran Church in Coon
Rapids, Minn., where he was asked to
develop a new mission congregation.
From 1967–1983, he served first as
assistant pastor and then as senior pastor
at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Brainerd, Minn.
Rimmereid’s 27 years of distinguished parish ministry—in a
rural community, in a mission congregation, and in a larger
established congregation—served as excellent preparation for his
next call to serve as assistant to the bishop of the Northern
Minnesota District, ALC, from 1983–1987. He served in that
capacity until the merger and was called to a like position in the
new Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA, serving again
as assistant to the bishop from 1988–1991. In 1991, he was
elected bishop and served until his retirement in 1995.
A strong supporter of his alma mater, Rimmereid often and
proudly encourages others to attend the College and also to
provide financial donations to support its programs and its
mission. In addition, he is a regular participant and speaker at
College events—particularly in chapel, where he shares his spirit
of dedication, his love of people, and his message of faith.
Rimmereid has distinguished himself as an active member of
Kiwanis International for a number of years. He and his wife,
Charlotte (Kleven) ’52, reside in Maplewood, Minn., where in
addition to church activities, they are active volunteers in the
community.
A person of compassion and integrity, Rimmereid’s
achievements and service exemplify the ideals and mission of
Augsburg.
Fall 2004
9
HOMECOMING 2004
THE NYDAHL FAMILY honored with the Distinguished Service Award
by Lynn Mena
T
Courtesy photo
he Distinguished Service Award recogizes “formative
families” who have made a substantial and continuing
contribution to Augsburg and to its mission in the world
through their vocations, their philanthropy, and their citizenship.
This year’s recipient is the family of Johannes and Tabitha Nydahl,
honoring their Norwegian and Lutheran heritage and their
generations-long connection to the College. Over the years, many
descendents of Johannes and Tabitha have attended Augsburg,
including their three sons, Theodore, Malvin, and Harold. The
Nydahl family members, through their careers and avocations, have
long illustrated Augsburg’s mission of “education for service,” and
it is a great honor to recognize them with this special award.
Johannes Ludvigson Nydahl was born Feb. 20, 1863, at Sondfjord,
Norway, to Ludvig Olson Nydahl and Nille Johannesen Holsen. As
the oldest son, Johannes stood to inherit the family farm. However,
he relinquished this right in order to realize his dream of exploring
the world. He considered going to South Africa or the Sandwich
Islands (Hawaii), but chose instead the United
States, emigrating in 1882.
When Johannes arrived in the United States,
he first worked as a lumberjack in northern
Minnesota and then as a stonemason in
Minneapolis—the First Baptist Church was
one of his masonry projects. By these jobs he
earned enough money to attend Augsburg.
Johannes’ wife, Tabitha, was born to immigrants
on a southern Minnesota farm. She was the
daughter of Torger T. Rygh, who arrived in
America in 1845 along with several siblings and
their parents.
Johannes Nydahl
Johannes graduated from both the College and the Augsburg
Seminary, attending from 1883–1891. Although he was never
ordained, he was deeply involved with the Lutheran community,
and served as a vicar in Watertown, S.Dak., in 1891. He then served
the College as a professor of history and Norwegian from
1891–1920, before beginning in 1920 as Augsburg’s head librarian,
a post he held until his death in 1928.
During his years at Augsburg he also served as an instructor at
Deaconess Hospital in Minneapolis from 1909–14. Among his
many community and church activities were serving as Sunday
school superintendent at Trinity Church, as president of the
Minnesota Total Abstinence Society, secretary of the Folkebladet
Publishing Company, treasurer and then president of the Board of
the Deaconess Home, and secretary of the Lutheran Free Church,
being listed as one of the 10 prominent men in the church’s
development. An outstanding musician, too, Johannes was a
member of the Augsburg Quartette, which toured throughout the
10
Johannes and Tabitha Nydahl pose with their six children. Pictured
from L to R are: Ragna, Tabitha, Malvin, Agnes, Harold, Theodore,
Johannes, and Valborg.
upper Midwest and Michigan through the
late 1880s and early 1890s. In 1895, the
Quartette toured Norway, the first concert
tour by Norwegians in America back to the
fatherland.
The Nydahls also were members of the
Saga Hill community, a colony established
in the 1880s by Augsburg professors,
ministers, bankers, and professional men,
most of them being members of Trinity
Tabitha Nydahl
Church who were deeply interested in the
College and its success. They purchased 40
acres from a farmer in the Lake Minnetonka area where they built
summer cabins.
Johannes and Tabitha—who lived on the Augsburg campus for
more than 30 years in what was to become known as West Hall
when it became a girls’ dormitory—raised a family of six children.
Ted became a history professor at the University of MinnesotaMankato, and later head of their Humanities Department; Mally
became an orthopedic surgeon in Minneapolis after a standout
athletic career in football, basketball, and baseball at the University
of Minnesota. Harold became a pastor and counselor, and Ragna,
Agnes, and Valborg all married Lutheran pastors and Augsburg
graduates—Melvin Olson, Clarence Carlsen, and Torgney Kleven,
respectively. All six children were great musicians, the three sisters
singing in a much sought-after trio, and the three brothers being
both singers and choir directors.
This award celebrates the contributions and legacy of Johannes and
Tabitha and the extended Nydahl family.
Fall 2004
BY PAUL S. MUELLER, M.D. ’84
Scientific inquiry will reveal truth and lead to more questions
“Where truth is, there is God.”
—Miguel de Cervantes
I give thanks and
praise for my
years at Augsburg.
I am grateful for
the knowledge I
learned, the skills
I acquired, and
the experiences I
had. But I am especially grateful for the
professors, fellow students, and other
individuals at Augsburg who encouraged
me to think about science and the
physical universe in the context of the
Christian faith. Faculty members like
John Holum, Earl Alton, Ralph Sulerud
and others patiently spent countless
hours with students like me, helping us
not only to understand the universe, but
also the relationship between the
universe and God. Kermit Paulson and
Mark Engebretson, persons of faith,
encouraged my wife Nancy (Mackey) ’85
to pursue a degree in physics, an
advanced degree in engineering, and
ultimately careers in engineering and
science teaching. To me, these teachers
made physics understandable and God’s
universe more spectacular.
The desire for truth at Augsburg
continues today. I am awed by the
innovative education and research
programs conducted by the science
faculty. Seeking scientific truth at
Augsburg is not simply memorizing and
reciting facts. Instead, it is learning
Fall 2004
methods of scientific inquiry that reveal
truth and lead to more questions. The
cycle of hypothesis, inquiry, discovery,
and generating new questions and
hypotheses about the universe leads to
new knowledge and understanding.
Whereas ignorance leads to fear and
conflict, knowledge and understanding
lead to comfort, joy, and peace. In other
words, the truth makes us free.
A tour of the current science
building reveals how innovative and
vital the science faculty is. This
education is made complete by the
Augsburg experience, a liberal arts
education that places scientific truth in
the context of other truths such as
spiritual, humanistic, and philosophical
truths. This milieu encourages the
Augsburg science major not to seek just
a job, but a true vocation, which
Frederick Buechner describes as “the
place where your deep gladness meets
the world’s deep need.”
A major focus of the current
campaign, Access to Excellence: The
Campaign for Augsburg College, is a new
Science Center. It is widely
acknowledged that the current Science
Hall is inadequate to fulfill and sustain
the vision for science education and
research at Augsburg College.
Despite the limitations of the current
facility, the sciences at Augsburg have
grown. In addition, the number of
science majors, education opportunities,
and research programs has grown.
Indeed, the College and the science
faculty have been very creative in using
and modifying the current facility, which
is now more than 50 years old, to meet
new challenges as they arise. For
example, the site of an active living coral
reef on the second floor of Science Hall
in the Biology Department is truly
amazing. Yet, this example of creativity
reflects the enthusiasm the Augsburg
science faculty has for teaching and
research irrespective of the facility. This
enthusiasm has undoubtedly played a
crucial role in the growth and success of
the science departments.
Nevertheless, the time has come for a
new Science Center at Augsburg College.
This center will provide an environment
conducive to teaching and mentoring
science students and conducting research
(SCIENCE continues on page 12)
Vision is published by
Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454.
Editor
Lynn James
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
Contributing Writers
Lynn James
Paul Mueller, M.D. ’84
www.augsburg.edu/campaign
11
3M Foundation partners with Augsburg in gift and matching
grant challenge
The 3M Foundation has announced a
partnership with Augsburg College to raise
$600,000 in support of its new Science
Center. For every dollar donated by a 3M
employee or retiree, the 3M Foundation
will contribute three dollars. Under this
3:1 challenge, the foundation will match
up to $100,000 in contributions from
employees or retirees with a $300,000 gift.
Additionally, the foundation itself is
contributing $200,000 to the Science
Center.
The grant challenges the College to
raise up to $100,000 in gifts and pledges
from 3M employees and retirees between
Oct. 15 and Dec. 10, 2004, according to
Alex Cirillo, Jr., vice president for the 3M
Foundation.
“This is a tremendous gift that
provides Augsburg the opportunity to raise
$600,000 in new funding for our
campaign’s top priority—the new Science
Center,” noted Sue Klaseus, Augsburg’s
vice president for institutional
advancement. “We are excited about the
3M Foundation leadership commitment.”
Gifts toward the 3M Foundation
challenge grant can come from any of its
employees or retirees, Klaseus said, but the
College’s primary effort will be geared
toward the hundreds of Augsburg alumni
and parents who work for the company.
SCIENCE continued from page 11
at 21st-century standards. It will, in part,
preserve and grow opportunities to
explore science at Augsburg. Finally, the
Science Center will be a major focal point
of the Augsburg campus, where faith and
reason are reconciled, where truth is loved
and sought, and God is found.
What can you do?
• Keep Augsburg leadership, faculty, staff
and students in your prayers.
• Be an ambassador of Augsburg. Share
with others, especially family, friends,
and potential students, the good things
that are happening at Augsburg,
especially in the science departments.
Encourage them to partake in the
Augsburg experience, a place where the
search for truth is encouraged and
12
nurtured, where science meets and
honors God, and where seeking and
finding the truth makes one free.
• Get involved. Visit the campus and see
what is happening at Augsburg. Attend
alumni events.
• Give generously to Augsburg. Consider
joining the Maroon & Silver Society.
Prayerfully consider committing to
Access to Excellence: The Campaign for
Augsburg College. Include Augsburg in
your estate plan (e.g., will, insurance
policy, annuity). ■
Paul S. Mueller ’84, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P.,
is a consultant at the Mayo Clinic
Rochester and a member of the Science
Advisory Board. He is a former president of
the Augsburg College Alumni Association
Board of Directors.
3M hosted a campaign “event” at its
headquarters in November to help raise
awareness for both the campaign and this
special matching gift opportunity. Joining
Klaseus at the event was Augsburg
President William V. Frame, Provost
Christopher Kimball, Professor Nancy
Steblay, science faculty, students, and
alumni.
For additional details on this
challenge, contact Sherry Jennings-King at
612-338-4823 or <jenningk@
augsburg.edu>. ■
SAVE THE DATE
JANUARY 7, 2005
Friday Forum—noon-1 p.m.
Featured speaker Senator Dave Durenberger
Brown bag luncheon, Christensen Center
Call 612-338-4821 for details
JANUARY 29, 2005
Women’s Connections,Thrivent Financial
625 4th Ave., Minneapolis
FEBRUARY 4, 2005
Friday Forum—noon-1 p.m.
Brown bag luncheon, Christensen Center
Call 612-338-4821 for details
FEBRUARY 10, 11, and 12, 2005
17th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Festival
and Forum, Augsburg College campus
MARCH 4, 2005
Friday Forum—noon-1 p.m.
Featured speaker Senator Mark Dayton
Brown bag luncheon, Christensen Center
Call 612-338-4821 for details
MAY 16, 2005
Second Annual Healthcare Conference
Details to follow
www.augsburg.edu/healthcare
Fall 2004
Director of development named
After a national search, Stephen Preus assumed
his role as director of development in October.
“Preus brings a strong background of corporate
and community experiences to the role,” said Sue
Klaseus, vice president for institutional
advancement.
“Stephen articulated well his passion about
Augsburg’s mission and vision. We feel confident
that his expertise and external perspective will
continue to enhance the success of Augsburg’s
current capital campaign and our long-term advancement program,”
she continued.
Preus succeeds John Knight, who left Augsburg in May to pursue
opportunities with his church, and interim director Richard J.Weiland,
of Northfield.
Prior to joining Augsburg, Preus owned CM IT Solutions in Edina,
Minn., and was a longtime employee and officer of Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans and its predecessor company Lutheran Brotherhood.
Preus is active in numerous community organizations and lives in
Burnsville with wife, Martha, and their two children. ■
CAMPAIGN CORNER
• An anonymous endowment gift of $2 million was given
this fall.
• Thrivent Financial Services is offering alumni, friends of
the College, faculty, and staff the opportunity to join
Thrivent’s GivingPlus charitable/matching gift program.
For details, contact Stephanie Malone, director of The
Annual Fund, at 612-338-4825.
• Broadcasting of Advent Vespers nationwide this year was
made possible by generous lead gifts from the extended
Hoversten family,Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and a
number of other friends and alumni of Augsburg College.
(Read about the broadcast on p. 5.)
If you’d like to consider a gift to the Advent Vespers
broadcast, funding is still needed. Contact Sherry
Jennings King at 612-338-4823 by December 31 for this
year’s pledge form.
WE’VE MOVED
Institutional Advancement moved from Smiley’s
Point recently when Fairview Health Services
exercised its option on Augsburg’s lease to
house the Fairview Foundation.
Vice President Sue Klaseus, administrative
assistant Kathryn Croyle, and the Institutional
Advancement and Alumni and Parent Relations
departments are located in Science Hall 152.
Development, Government and Community
Relations, and Advancement Services are in
downtown Minneapolis in the Crown Roller Mill
Building next to the former Whitney Hotel, just
off Washington Avenue near the new Guthrie
Theater site.
All email addresses are the same, but to contact
individuals in the Crown Roller Mill building,
please call the phone numbers listed.
Fall 2004
KAY AHLSTROM 612-338-4818
STEPHANIE MALONE 612-338-4825
MELISSA BAWEK 612-338-4819
DONNA MCLEAN 612-338-4826
TRACY BECKMAN 612-338-6536
KIM OLMSTED 612-338-4827
DAVE BENSON 612-338-6539
STEPHEN PREUS 612-338-4828
JEROY CARLSON 612-338-4820
PHIL QUANBECK, SR. 612-338-6539
CHRISTIN CRABTREE-MCWETHY
612-338-4821
PATRICK SHEEHY 612-338-6533
KEVIN HEALY 612-338-6537
BARBARA HUTSON 612-338-4822
STEPHANIE STUART 612-338-6534
GEORGE SVERDRUP 612-338-6539
SHERILYN YOUNG 612-338-6535
SHERRY JENNINGS-KING 612-338-4823
JENNIFER KAHLOW 612-338-6540
SUE KLASEUS 612-338-6538
FAX 612-338-6542
MAIN OFFICE NUMBER 612-338-0002
RON MAIN 612-338-4824
13
Superb results through Class Challenge
Strides to increase annual giving continue
as “alumni participation for the past five
years has increased to 20 percent,” said
Stephanie Malone, Augsburg Fund
director. For fiscal year ending May 2004,
$825,000 was raised to support the lives
and education of Augsburg students.
New this year was the Class
Challenge. “We issued a Class Challenge
in hopes of involving more individuals in
supporting their alma mater.” The criteria
used included individuals who could be
located within each class year and who
held a day student status. Using the
aforementioned criteria, the Class of 1937
had 100 percent participation. The Class
of 1946 was the top giver, with an average
gift size of more than $13,000 and a class
participation rate of almost 81 percent.
The class of 1985 also significantly
increased their participation from past
years.
“We really appreciate the efforts of
each of the Class Challenge participants,”
said Malone. “The Augsburg Fund
touches every aspect of the College at
every moment of a student’s educational
experience. It offers financial aid through
scholarships and programs that transform
students’ lives.”
There are many stories of individuals
giving to the Class Challenge who have
never given to the College or who haven’t
given on a consistent annual basis.
Richard Koplitz ’48 has given to the
College’s athletic programs in the past, but
liked what he saw with the College
expansion and wanted to support The
Augsburg Fund.
“Our annual fund support also was
made possible by leadership donors, many
of whom are Maroon & Silver Society
members. Their gifts of $1,000 or more
accounted for 75 percent of the annual
fund goal this past year,” reported Sue
Klaseus, vice president of Institutional
Advancement and Community Relations.
Augsburg’s goal is to nearly triple
annual fund giving by 2006 to reach a
30 percent alumni participation rate. “This
is a vibrant, evolving college,” said
Malone. “Alumni giving to enhance the
institution makes an Augsburg degree
more meaningful. There are so many ways
to support Augsburg, and contributing to
the annual fund to support scholarships is
one meaningful way.” ■
Contact Malone at 612-338-4825 or by
e-mail at <malone@augsburg.edu>.
Dorothy and Richard Koplitz ’48
CLASS CHALLENGE RESULTS
(as of May 31, 2004)
Class of
Class Part.
Class of
Class Part.
’30
33.33%
’69
21.50%
’33
16.67%
’70
24.82%
’34
28.57%
’71
21.28%
’35
22.22%
’72
19.93%
’36
40.00%
’73
16.33%
’37
100.00%
’74
20.28%
’38
83.87%
’75
10.50%
’39
41.94%
’76
29.80%
’40
43.90%
’77
16.49%
’41
22.81%
’78
20.14%
’42
32.73%
’79
27.71%
’43
38.60%
’80
14.33%
’44
20.69%
’81
24.73%
’45
97.78%
’82
12.61%
’46
80.95%
’83
15.76%
’47
60.00%
’84
24.91%
’48
55.68%
’85
31.67%
’49
44.80%
’86
6.93%
’50
51.58%
’87
11.62%
’51
50.68%
’88
17.97%
’52
51.91%
’89
11.73%
’53
63.03%
’90
11.07%
’54
30.97%
’91
8.45%
’55
21.51%
’92
7.43%
’56
55.65%
’93
9.94%
’57
40.00%
’94
13.47%
’58
53.97%
’95
7.47%
’59
42.96%
’96
4.94%
’60
25.63%
’97
10.54%
’61
32.45%
’98
11.95%
’62
23.21%
’99
11.80%
’63
41.71%
’00
2.70%
’64
35.96%
’01
2.70%
’65
33.93%
’02
4.69%
’66
37.67%
’03
1.21%
’67
22.12%
27.27%
’04
0.29%
’68
14
TOTAL 20.57%
Fall 2004
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
Fall 2004
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
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THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
core
curriculum
T H E A U CORE
G S B UCURRICULUM
RG
THE AUGSBURG
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM is designed to
E D U C AT I N
G F OCURRICULUM
R WORK,
THE AUGSBURG
CORE
THE
AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
prepare students to become effective, informed, and
SM
E D U C AT I N G F O R L I F E
ethical citizens through their engagement in a
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE
AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
curriculum that:
provides
a liberal arts foundation
and CURRICULUM
promotes the
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE
AUGSBURG
CORE
▼
acquisition of intellectual and professional skills;
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE
AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
calls for common inquiry into questions of Christian
▼
faith and the search for meaning; and,
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
▼
cultivates the transformative discovery of, and
appreciation
for, the student’s
place ofCURRICULUM
leadership
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE
AUGSBURG
CORE
and service in a diverse world—vocatio and caritas.
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM
THE AUGSBURG
core
curriculum
E D U C AT I N G F O R W O R K ,
E D U C AT I N G F O R L I F E
BY BETSEY NORGARD
▼
DESIGN BY KATHY RUMPZA
When students look at colleges, one of the
first areas they ask about is the list of
majors or academic disciplines offered.
Seldom are they as interested in other
required courses, usually called the general
education or core curriculum.
What they don’t realize, however, is
that this part of their college study is
recognized within the higher education
community to be as important as their
major or area of specialization in
preparing them for an increasingly
technical, complex, and diverse
workplace.
Following extensive study, a national
panel of the Association of American
Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
issued a report in 2002 that makes the
case for a “liberal” education, meaning
one that will “help college students
become intentional learners who can
adapt to new environments, integrate
knowledge from different sources, and
continue learning throughout their lives.”
A liberal education prepares students
with skills beyond the theory and depth
of a specialization that they will need to
meet the challenges of a global society—
critical thinking and communicating, the
knowledge of how to learn, and the
preparation for responsible citizenship.
One hallmark of a liberal education is
the integration of classroom learning with
practical application through internships,
community service, and other forms of
experiential learning. A liberal and
practical education educates students for
responsible citizenship as well as for
16
▼
work and careers.
The good news for Augsburg is that
educating for citizenship has always
been part of an Augsburg education.
Joan Griffin, Augsburg professor of
English and director of general
education, wrote in a recent
discussion paper, “Education for
citizenship may be trendy now, but as
many of us discovered … it’s been in
the bones of this College at least since
September 1874 when the faculty
approved a science division that
would provide ‘a practical general
education’ to prepare Norwegian
immigrants to flourish as citizens of
their new world.”
In the area of experiential
education, and especially in servicelearning where community service is
integrated into classroom learning,
Augsburg has been a national leader
for many years. In 2003, U.S.News &
World Report, in its “Programs to Look
for,” included Augsburg among 20
schools nationwide as a “stellar
example” of a service-learning program.
PHOTOS BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
previous general education course
requirements spread over eight liberal
arts “perspectives,” and—most
importantly—that aligns it more closely
with Augsburg’s vision document,
Augsburg 2004: Extending the Vision.
LAUNCHING THE
AUGSBURG CORE
In fall 2003, Augsburg launched the
Augsburg Core Curriculum, or
Augsburg Core, a new general
education curriculum that
incorporates the best practices from
national research, that streamlines the
At Opening Celebration, new first-year students
process into Hoversten Chapel through the
ballooned arch and through a line of welcoming
faculty and staff.
Fall 2004
For more than two years, several
committees involving over 25 faculty and
students worked to define the underlying
principles of general education at
Augsburg. Then, over several months a
design team collaborated to construct the
new curriculum. The full faculty
discussed the proposal in open hearings
and finally voted its approval.
The Augsburg
Core Curriculum
Design Team
CORE PRINCIPLES
A number of key principles make up the
heart of the Augsburg Core.
Augsburg believes that students learn
best in community. Thus, “learning
communities” are at the center of the
Augsburg Core. Students begin their
college careers in the Augsburg Seminar
learning communities, and they
complete their careers in their major
keystone communities. Both connect
students with faculty and with fellow
students. In the first year almost all
courses are taught by full-time faculty,
not adjuncts, to encourage these
connections.
The community of learners is
strengthened by having all students
share educational experiences at several
places during their studies where
common questions are considered and
continually revisited. This is
accomplished through common
readings, through required courses, and
through required experiences to which
students apply their classroom learning.
At the heart of the Augsburg Core are
Joan Griffin, chair . . . . . . . .English
Lori Brandt Hale . . . . . . . .Religion
Dal Liddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .English
Merilee Klemp . . . . . . . . . . .Music
Diane Pike . . . . . . . . . . .Sociology
Ambrose Wolf . . . . . . . . . .Physics
The result of this work over these
several years is a carefully crafted,
cohesive education that blends broad,
general learning with depth in one or
more specific areas and prepares students
with tools to succeed.
The Augsburg Core combines
hallmarks of the College’s Lutheran
(and, specifically, Lutheran Free Church)
heritage, its long-standing commitment
to educating students for service in the
world, its commitment to provide access
to a diverse learning community, and its
location in the center of an urban area.
Woven throughout are the themes of
Christian faith, exploration of vocation,
the city, diversity, and global awareness.
It is an education distinctive to Augsburg
College, and it offers a life-changing
journey for students, truly a
transforming education.
Fall 2004
In their Augsburg Seminar, first-year students begin learning about the city in which they will
study, live, and work by exploring its resources and opportunities and engaging in community
service projects.
Sociology professor Diane Pike (right) leads an AugSem group as they explore downtown
Minneapolis streets.
17
the two signature courses called Search
for Meaning that are required of all
Augsburg students. In these courses, the
themes most important to Augsburg’s
mission and vision—vocation, identity,
and Christian faith—are introduced and
revisited as students begin to reflect in
more substantive ways about these
issues.
The Core Curriculum is designed to
be developmental. From the first year
onward, the curriculum introduces
shared themes through common
experiences, engages students in the city,
builds skills in the major, broadens
perspectives through the liberal arts,
requires application of learned theory,
and, finally, pulls everything together in
a keystone course before graduation.
Augsburg students continually have
Becoming an orientation leader is one way in
which students can grow as leaders on
campus. Here, during summer orientation,
Laura Prasek ’05 helps a new student figure
out his academic schedule for the first
semester.
18
opportunities to develop leadership
skills for service in society: through
knowledge gained from the breadth of
their liberal arts courses, through the
embedding of skills development in
their major courses, and through the
many forms of experiential education in
the Twin Cities or elsewhere where they
can apply their classroom learning to
practical situations.
An Augsburg education places
emphasis on the whole student, both in
academic classroom study and activities
outside of the classroom. Working in
tandem with the academic curriculum is
the co-curriculum, i.e., the rich variety
of college life that includes support
services such as advising, tutoring
services, and accommodations for
physical and learning disabilities, as well
as student government, sports, residence
life, campus ministry, and many other
social organizations. All of this helps
students build the confidence and skills
they need to become leaders.
Two significant aspects of an
Augsburg education—the commitment
to a diverse learning community and the
importance of global awareness—are
intentionally infused throughout both
the core curriculum and the major,
rather than being targeted in specific
courses. Students will encounter these
themes inherent in Augsburg’s identity
throughout their studies.
In several cases the themes are
imprinted in a common experience. For
example, the Effective Writing course,
required of first-year students, includes
a common text chosen for its culturally,
racially, and ethnically diverse content.
Throughout the core curriculum,
students will encounter opportunities to
experience and discuss the nature of
human differences.
The Augsburg Core is designed for
all undergraduate students and is
required of all, including those in the
traditional day program, in Weekend
College, and the Rochester program,
albeit with some adjustments and
slightly altered format for weekend and
transfer students.
While weekend and Rochester
students do not participate in the firstyear program, they must fulfill all other
requirements of the curriculum. For the
most part, adult working students value
the Augsburg Core for its emphasis on
liberal arts, and they understand its
application to their work or life
situation. They often use their own
workplace as the setting for a project to
fulfill the Augsburg Experience. Many
students also take advantage of shortterm study seminars to experience
another country or culture.
Augsburg’s Honors Program is rooted
in the Augsburg Core and offers an
enriched and interdisciplinary
environment in which students explore
the many dimensions of ideas and uses
of knowledge. Its courses lead students
through a specially-designed core
curriculum for academically-qualified
students.
IMPLEMENTING THE
AUGSBURG CORE
In 2003, Augsburg’s Center for Teaching
and Learning received a three-year grant
from the Bush Foundation to help
faculty implement the new Augsburg
Core. During the past year, faculty have
met in learning collaboratives to address
best teaching and learning practices. The
grant has also funded workshops,
materials, and research collaborations.
For faculty, the new core curriculum
has resulted in a significant shift.
Formerly, faculty members generally
designed, taught, and evaluated their
own courses within departments. The
new curriculum calls upon faculty to
Fall 2004
collaborate across departments and
disciplines, since all courses now serve
the broader goals of an Augsburg
education, including embedded skills,
service-learning, and other kinds of
learning beyond the specific subject
matter.
“It’s work that will have as much
payoff for faculty, if we do it well,”
comments Diane Pike, professor of
sociology and director of the Center for
Teaching and Learning. “Faculty gain a
much better understanding of how the
curriculum meets its goals; it gives us an
intentionality and explicitness that we
didn’t have before.”
The Augsburg Core’s distinction has
not gone unnoticed. While higher
education is clearly moving towards the
“liberal education” called for in
AAC&U’s national report, Augsburg
shows clear leadership with its emphasis
and commitment to service-learning and
the development of learning
communities. The College is actively
participating in this national discussion
and is being recognized for the
distinctiveness and coherence of the
new core curriculum. Representing the
Augsburg Core graphically as an arch
becomes an effective tool to explain the
comprehensiveness of the curriculum as
well as to help students navigate
through the courses to graduation.
Creating the Augsburg Core has been
a self-examination of the most
fundamental values of Augsburg’s
heritage, mission, and vision. An
Augsburg education is now more closely
aligned with the vision of “transforming
education” the College understands
itself called to offer, helping students to
find their place in the world and reach
their potential.
Provost Christopher Kimball sums it
up on Augsburg’s Web site, “We are one
college with one mission, offering one
unique experience.”
Fall 2004
The Augsburg Arch
The Augsburg Arch visually
demonstrates the structure,
relationships, and coherence of the
Augsburg Core Curriculum. It shows
how the liberal arts, academic majors,
and general education intersect, and
how the liberal arts are foundational,
both in content and skills. The keystone
brings it all together and supports the
whole as an integrated education.
The Augsburg Core has three major
components:
▼
The Signature Curriculum
▼
The Liberal Arts Foundation
▼
Skills Requirement
The Signature Curriculum sets
Augsburg apart from others. It includes
both specific courses and elements of
courses that engage students with the
core values inherent in Augsburg’s
mission and heritage.
1. THE SIGNATURE CURRICULUM
Augsburg Seminar (first-year
program) helps first-year weekday
students make the transition to college
in “learning communities” based on
their major or other academic interests.
In these courses students learn what it
means to become a citizen of an
academic community. Many of these
courses also include an Engaging
Minneapolis component, which
introduces them to life in the Twin
Cities—by exploring the local arts
scene, studying environmental issues on
the Mississippi, bicycling the downtown
riverfront, tutoring neighborhood
immigrant children, sampling the local
ethnic cuisine, and much more.
Search for Meaning 1 and 2—These
two religion courses present Christian
theology as well as non-Christian faiths
and guide students in exploring and
reflecting on Augsburg’s concept of
vocation—discovering and using one’s
own talents and passion in service in
the world.
Augsburg Experience—All students
will complete a required experience
that links their academic study to
involvement in the broader community,
either locally or globally. This
experience can be study abroad, an
internship, research with a professor,
community service-learning, or an offcampus immersion experience.
Senior Keystone—The required senior
keystone course revisits conversations
on vocation, now within the context of
the major, and builds on the cumulative
combining of theoretical classroom
knowledge with experiential
applications of it. It also reflects the
developmental nature of the Augsburg
Core—beginning with Augsburg
Seminar, Search for Meaning, and
Engaging Minneapolis; then adding
growth in major skills and practical
application in the Augsburg Experience;
and, finally, a uniting of everything in
the keystone.
2. THE LIBERAL ARTS FOUNDATION
In order to learn and appreciate
different ways of knowing and modes
of inquiry, students take two courses
from different departments in each of
the four academic domains. Students
may take “connections” courses that
are team-taught and examine the
liberal arts around themes and across
disciplines.
3. SKILLS REQUIREMENTS
Courses throughout the four years
provide skills beyond the specialization
that responsible citizens and successful
employees need in the global
workplace—in critical thinking,
speaking, writing, and quantitative
reasoning. Entrance assessments
prepare students to take the courses
that fulfill graduation requirements in
these areas. Core skill requirements
include writing, modern language, and
lifetime fitness.
19
core curriculum
Augsburg Seminar
THE FIRST-YEAR PROGRAM
BECOMING AN
AUGGIE
For most first-year students, college is a
big change. It may be the first time they
have left home or have lived in a city.
Many will find that high school did not
prepare them for the demanding work
load of a college schedule or the cognitive
challenges and skills that they will need to
flourish in their new academic
environment.
Augsburg recognizes that first-year
students need support as they make the
transition to college and successful
academic careers. Because of the attention
that it pays to the experience of first-year
students, Augsburg was named as one of
12 Founding Institutions in the Council of
Independent Colleges’ Foundations of
Excellence™ in the First College Year
Project.
Augsburg’s first-year program,
Augsburg Seminar, introduces first-year
weekday students to the Augsburg
learning community. It helps them
become intentional learners as they
develop the skills and strategies that will
lead to success in college. It introduces
them to the signature themes of an
Augsburg education: vocation, caritas,
and community. It introduces them to
what it means to be an educated person:
an effective, informed, and ethical citizen.
From their first day on campus,
everything is geared to helping students
get off to the right start. Augsburg
Seminar courses join students, professors,
peer leaders (AugMentors), and campus
staff together in “learning communities”
based on a student’s major or other
academic interests.
In these communities, students may
work on joint projects, getting to know
the Twin Cities cultural scene, meeting
and tutoring newly-arrived immigrants in
the neighborhood, and writing reflections
on these experiences. On the day before
classes actually begin, AugSem sections
spend the afternoon in community
service projects, mostly in the
neighborhoods around campus. This year,
Kristin Snartland is one of the AugSem students who rode the new
lightrail from near campus to downtown, finding out how easy it is to
get around.
20
first-year students worked a total of more
than 1,000 hours on their AugSem
community service projects.
In the process they become acquainted
with each other, explore the resources of
the College community, get connected
with the city—and have fun. Many
students find college-long (and life-long)
friends in their Augsburg Seminar. They
get to know their professors—and their
professors get to know them, both in class
and outside the classroom in AugSem
activities.
Biology professor Bill Capman’s
AugSem section is paired with the
Introductory Organismal Biology course,
which also includes a service-learning field
project. This fall, his students visited a
local nature preserve, Dodge Nature
Center, to learn about and work to remove
invasive plant species from their grounds.
As part of their AugSem curriculum,
Capman’s group spends time on broader
topics—developing good study skills in
the sciences, exploring biology and
medical-related careers, and, for biology
The AugSem/Biology 103 class spent time at the Dodge Nature Center,
studying invasive plant species and helping to remove them from the
preserve. Professor Bill Capman points out differences between the
buckthorn to be removed and ash trees to Brittany Grudem (left) and
Jennifer Moe (right).
Fall 2004
A Somali community leader, Abdirizak Bihi, introduces an AugSem group to a Somali shop in the
Cedar-Riverside area. The class was getting acquainted with Somali culture to prepare them for
their later visits in the neighborhood to give people information about voting and registration.
majors, getting to know upperclass
biology majors and becoming involved
in department activities.
In Professor John Shockley’s
Augsburg Seminar section with its
paired Political Patterns and Processes
course, students took advantage of the
events around the presidential election
to study the challenges and
opportunities people face in trying the
make the world safer and more peaceful.
On the AugSem city service projects day
this group visited shops and businesses
around campus owned by Somali
immigrants to learn about their culture.
During the semester they met with
people in the neighborhood about voting
and voter registration.
Getting off to the
right start
Over the past decade, Augsburg has
intentionally developed a first-year
program that helps incoming
students ease the transition to both
college life and to the city in which
they’ll live, work, and find many
kinds of opportunities. Because of
this commitment and a readiness to
evaluate and improve its program,
Search for
Meaning
All freshman students are required to
take the first of two Search for Meaning
courses, Christian Vocation and the
Search for Meaning. This course explores
the broad questions of existence—who
we are, why we’re here, etc.—and
examines the Christian notion of
vocation as a lens through which one’s
own life can be considered, informed by
faith within the context of these larger
questions.
Some of the Search for Meaning
Fall 2004
sections are paired with Augsburg
Seminars, and some have
community service-learning
components. Religion professor
Russell Kleckley’s Search for
Meaning section is paired with
music professor Merilee
Klemp’s Introduction to Music
and the Fine Arts, and together
they co-teach the Augsburg Seminar.
These two courses will jointly study
larger questions of meaning in the
context of the Judeo-Christian musical
tradition—from medieval chanting to
today’s rap music.
The second Search for Meaning
course invites students to think about
the role that religion, the Bible, and their
own beliefs play in the vocational
choices they make in their lives.
Students who are not Christian will
consider their own religious and spiritual
beliefs and how they affect their vocation
and place in the world.
Augsburg was named one of 12
“Founding Institutions” to
participate in a national project to
develop a model first-year program
that can be used by small, private
colleges to help their students reach
graduation.
The project, Foundations of
Excellence™ in the First College Year,
is co-sponsored by the Policy Center
of the First Year of College and the
Council on Independent Colleges.
Funding for the two-year project is
provided by Lumina Foundation for
Education and The Atlantic
Philanthropies.
21
core curriculum
Engaging Minneapolis
“MEETING” THE CITY
The first-year orientation booklet tells incoming day students,
“When you come to Augsburg, you arrive at the heart of a vibrant
city.” While most students have probably visited the Twin Cities
before, it was most likely while visiting family or as a tourist,
which gave them little knowledge about studying, living, and
working in this area.
Engaging Minneapolis highlights the importance of Augsburg’s
urban location and introduces new students to the resources,
issues, opportunities, and diversity of the city. This is the urban
context that enables Augsburg to fulfill its mission to prepare
students as responsible citizens and leaders in service to the world.
Engaging Minneapolis is not the name of a single course, but
rather an added course component that makes intentional and
substantial use of city resources. Courses with Engaging
Minneapolis components are not about the city, but engage the city
as a learning laboratory in which students study their particular
liberal arts or general education subject matter.
Activities in Engaging Minneapolis courses can vary widely—
attending concerts and other cultural events, exploring the ethnic
restaurants in the neighborhood, tutoring immigrant children or
adults preparing for citizenship tests, helping care for community
gardens, or discovering the many bike and walking paths along the
Mississippi River near campus.
Some of the Engaging Minneapolis courses also include courseembedded service-learning—an Augsburg signature. In these
classes service experiences and reflective learning are integrated
Bicycling Minneapolis is a lifetime fitness course that fulfills Engaging
Minneapolis by exploring the history and culture of the city along its
bikepaths and trails.
22
As part of her Search for Meaning course, Ashley Boyd helps
Somali high school students with their homework and has
opportunity to learn about their religion and culture.
into the students’ coursework, and the community
experience becomes a “text” for the course. Both the
students and the community partners learn from each
other.
Very few colleges include service-learning in first year
courses. Mary Laurel True, director of community servicelearning, says that community service is “part of who we
are,” and that it’s important for new students right away to
get a taste of what it means to be engaged in the
community.
Several of the AugSem paired classes work with new
immigrants in the neighborhoods surrounding the College.
In Professor Janelle Bussert’s Religion 100 class, students
spend 15 hours at Trinity Lutheran Church in the CedarRiverside neighborhood helping Somali high school
students with their homework in Safe Place, an afterschool program.
The students study Islam in their religion class, and
then find opportunities to talk further and ask questions of
the Somali high school students about their religious
traditions. Bussert says that some wonderful conversations
have arisen while they work together.
English professor Bob Cowgill’s Effective Writing
students spend 15 hours during the semester working with
adult immigrants, mostly from East Africa, at the Franklin
Learning Center in the Phillips neighborhood near campus.
The students review English lessons or help with flash
cards as the adult learners study for citizenship tests.
Cowgill’s English course investigates how one knows
and accounts for identity through language. He says that
his students benefit from meeting and working with the
immigrants, and have remarked about how hard the
immigrants work to learn English and become Americans.
Fall 2004
core curriculum
A LESSON IN COMPUTERS AND CULTURE
Business/MIS professor Lee Clarke
student wrote. “He handed me
teaches a first-year course, MIS 175
a piece of paper that said,
Principles of Computing for Business.
‘Thanks for helping me.’ It
It’s an introductory course for
was typed in real big, bold
management information systems (MIS)
letters. He then looked at me
students to learn Microsoft Office
and said, ‘Look, I learned how
programs and how they are used in
to use Word.’ ”
business to reach goals and solve
A disabled student
business problems.
thought he would not be able
The course is designed to include an
to help, but later wrote,
Engaging Minneapolis component. That
“Little did I know that I was
part of the course, which Clarke calls
about to prove myself wrong,
the experience “text,” involves a
very wrong.” The computer
partnership with the Cedar-Riverside
instructor told him that since
Plaza Residents Resource Center. There,
he was not able to actually do
Augsburg students work 15 hours per
Freshman business student Jerrad Honstad helps a Somali woman the computing for the
at Riverside Plaza learn computer skills.
semester as assistants in the computer
residents, it was more
class or open lab. The residents are
beneficial for them, since
mostly Somali refugees; many have
they had to listen to the student’s
One student wrote, “This experience
limited English skills and some have never
explanation and do the work themselves.
helped me to meet [new immigrants], and
touched a computer.
For the young business students in
I can look at the world and America in a
Clarke requires three assignments that
his class who have always had computers
whole new light. … I feel that you can
connect the subject matter with the
in their lives, Clarke knows they are now
learn more in the short 15 hours I worked
service experience. In one, students reflect
more aware of the disparities of wealth
there than you can in some classes you go
on the digital divide with its issues of
and technology in the world. The
to daily for a whole semester.”
technology “haves” and “have-nots” and
experience of working with new
Another student talked about an
talk about how the Resource Center helps
immigrants, many of them close to the
unforgettable moment after helping an
the residents overcome these barriers. The
students’ grandparents’ ages, also gave
older man learn to use Microsoft Word.
last assignment asks the students to reflect
them a greater appreciation of culture
“Then one day he came in quite as usual
personally—what they learned at the
and citizenship.
but with a huge smile on his face,” the
center and how it relates to their course.
Keystone
PUTTING IT
TOGETHER
If Engaging Minneapolis is the bookend
on the front end of an Augsburg
Fall 2004
education, the keystone experience is
the final bookend. During the years in
between, students delve into a major,
build professional as well as life skills,
apply their classroom learning, explore
faith, and experience the city. The
keystone course usually occurs in the
senior year, close to graduation.
The keystone in the Augsburg Core,
as in architecture, provides the shape
and support to the structural elements
of the arch. It connects the broad liberal
arts foundation with the professional
skills and the in-depth study in the
major. It helps students begin the
transition to their after-college life.
Learning goals include a revisiting of
the critical conversations about vocation
that were begun in the first Search for
Meaning course. Attention is paid to
reflection on vocation, leadership, and
service in a diverse world.
The value of the keystone, says MIS
professor Nora Braun, who piloted an
MIS keystone course, is that it’s time
focused on thinking about all the pieces
in an Augsburg education and what the
student has done with them. “It’s a
reflection and a pulling together of the
total experience in and out of the
classroom.” Braun asks her students to
write an “education autobiography” that
reflects on the identified outcomes of
their Augsburg education.
23
core curriculum
Augsburg Experience
CONNECTIONS TO
COMMUNITY
Augsburg recognizes that today’s citizens
need new kinds of competencies—
abstract and complex problem-solving,
systems thinking, and collaboration,
among others. These are skills that
cannot be learned in normal classroom
activity alone, but are enhanced with
direct experience in the workplace and
community. In the Augsburg Core all
students are required to complete an
approved Augsburg Experience, one of
the signature elements in the core
curriculum that adds value to an
Augsburg education.
The Augsburg Experience can be
completed in one of five ways:
▼
internships, cooperative education,
practica, fieldwork, and clinicals
▼
faculty-student research
▼
community service-learning courses
and experiences
▼
study abroad
▼
off-campus immersion experiences
The Augsburg Experience, in short, links
the theoretical with the practical, and
links on-campus experience to the wider
community. Every approved
“experience” must engage the student in
the community away from campus. To
help them tailor an experience to their
studies and interests, students work with
faculty; the staff and resources of the
Center for Service, Work, and Learning;
and the Office of International Programs
(OIP).
Internships and cooperative
education have traditionally been the
most common choices for work-based
24
experiential education. Several
professional studies majors already
require student teaching, practica or
fieldwork, and internships. Some
Weekend College students who are
working full time find they are able to
develop an Augsburg Experience in
their own jobs by compiling a formal
plan, approved by the Center for
Service, Work, and Learning, identifying
a minimum of three learning outcomes
that make deliberate connections
between their education and work.
Augsburg offers outstanding
opportunities, especially in the sciences,
for student-faculty research. Students
work with their professors on original
research that is usually more common at
the graduate level. Through this,
students learn to apply knowledge from
their major and engage in the research
process and in the discoveries, both
successes and failures, that contribute to
the body of knowledge in their
discipline and benefit the wider
community.
Augsburg’s Physics Department
collaborates on a number of ongoing
research projects with major universities
and government agencies, giving its
students original research opportunities
from their freshman year forward. The
department enjoys an international
reputation for research excellence, and
its students have won several awards for
outstanding presentations.
Students can also meet the Augsburg
Experience through courses with servicelearning components. A portion of
course time is spent in service at the site,
reflection, discussion, and related
activities. Or, students can work at
approved sites and carry out reflection
activities with Augsburg faculty or staff
members. Augsburg has built
partnerships with more than 30
community organizations and is a
recognized national leader and awardwinner.
Students have a variety of choices for
study abroad through the Center for
Global Education’s study centers in
Sociology and metro-urban studies students visited U.S. Rep. Martin Olav Sabo ’59 on their
study trip to Washington, D.C., last spring to talk with people in public service about their
vocations and working “on the hill.” (R to L): Lois Olson, Center for Service, Work, and
Learning; Jennifer Nacey; Jessica Howard; Lori Cain; Amanda Froiland; Ray McCoy; Ted
Arrindell; Maria Belen Power; Adela Arguello; Krista Dahlke; Kendra Kahlow; Kate Loyd; and
Garry Hesser, professor of sociology and metro-urban studies.
Fall 2004
Central America, Mexico, and southern
Africa. Also, the International Partners
program offers opportunities in
European countries where Augsburg
has formal university partnerships and
internship opportunities. Other
programs are available with approval
from OIP.
The fifth possibility for an Augsburg
Experience is through off-campus
immersion. These are typically weeklong experiences away from campus
where students are engaged in learning
that helps them understand, apply, and
appreciate their Augsburg education in a
diverse, global society.
One example of off-campus
immersion includes the visits made by
Weekend College nursing students to the
Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
There they meet with public health
nurses, shadow them in their daily work,
and learn about Lakota culture.
An English major looks at rap music
by Keme Hawkins
It was the summer before my senior year
and I knew I wanted to apply to
graduate school. It was important for me
to get some research experience and
quick. The University of Minnesota’s
McNair Summer Research Program
accepted me, and I worked with the
Institute on Domestic Violence in the
African American Community under the
mentorship of Dr. Oliver Williams from
the College of Human Ecology, School of
Social Work.
It seemed a strange home for an
English major, but my McNair adviser
assured me that it would be a valuable
experience. The Institute holds annual
conferences that focus on specific aspects
of domestic violence and this year’s
conference theme was “Domestic
Violence and the Hip-Hop Generation.”
In keeping with the theme I tailored my
research to complement the research
already in progress and formulated a
study that looked at whether or not
people are influenced by the suggested
gender identities in rap music and how
that affected their dating and marital
relationships.
The scholar’s group reported weekly
to the seminar, where we would be
debriefed on each aspect of the research
process: developing an introduction,
explaining the significance of the study,
forming a hypothesis, doing a literature
review, forming methodology, compiling
results, creating a discussion, and making
recommendations for further study. The
dispensing of our stipend was contingent
upon completing each research step by a
certain time, while also doing work to
help prepare us for graduate school, like
writing a personal statement, putting
together a curriculum vitae, and making
Fall 2004
a list of graduate schools to apply to.
My research concluded with the
Domestic Violence and the Hip-Hop
Generation conference at York College in
Queens, N.Y. Because my professor
thought so highly of my work and was
impressed with my knowledge of hiphop music and culture, I was invited to
take part in a plenary session where I
discussed the impact of sexist rap lyrics
with the rap group Holla Point and
practitioners who work to combat
domestic violence.
As an English major, entering the
world of social science was not as
unnatural or discomforting as I would
have imagined. While the social sciences
study human behavior, literature is a
study of the human condition through
non-fiction accounts and human
imagination. Having the opportunity to
do interdisciplinary work has not only
given me another perspective on how to
think more broadly within my own field,
but it has also allowed me to get better
focus on the kind of graduate program
for my interest. African-American
literature can offer me the best of those
worlds—having a definite house or genre
or body of literary work to study based in
a social science is the ideal place for me.
Keme Hawkins is a Weekend College senior
English major and a McNair Scholar.
Weekend College senior English major Keme Hawkins used her knowledge of hip-hop music
and culture in research on domestic violence that she carried out last summer with a
professor in the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Family at the
University of Minnesota.
25
Meet Joan Griffin
PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH
D I R E C T O R O F G E N E R A L E D U C AT I O N
Joan Griffin has lived and breathed the
mission and values of Augsburg College.
She is the co-author of the College’s vision
document, Augsburg 2004: Extending
the Vision, that was approved in 1999,
and has also co-authored its update and
revision, presented to the Board of Regents
for approval in January 2005. Augsburg
Now posed the following question to her:
What are the most important core
values from the College’s mission and
vision that are now imprinted in the
new Augsburg Core Curriculum?
One, of course, is vocation … the idea
that each student brings a unique set of
talents and abilities and potential. We
need to cultivate all of these abilities,
not just the academic ones, but all the
talents that students bring with them.
Certainly, also important is
citizenship, or “the city.” We tried to
expand the notion of city, so that it’s not
just an urban studies requirement, but it
really has to do with providing an
education for citizenship. The College
has always done that; it’s part of why the
College is a college rather than a
seminary—early leaders were concerned
with how to prepare
Norwegian immigrants to
become citizens.
Right away we want
students to know they they’ve
come to a terrific place and
that they can learn here, both inside and
outside the classroom. We introduce this
theme in Engaging Minneapolis and
repeat it in the Augsburg Experience,
where once again we ask them to go
beyond the classroom and actually put
into practice what they’ve learned in the
classroom.
For the first time we have overall
goals in our curriculum—we want
students to become effective, informed,
and ethical citizens. The emphasis on
ethics comes from our Lutheran heritage,
but we want it to pervade the entire
curriculum. Effective citizens need the
skills of knowing how to write, to read,
to think critically. Those skills should be
addressed intentionally throughout the
curriculum, but general education can be
particularly accountable.
We know too that effective citizens
will need to function in a diverse society.
Although we explicitly introduce the
theme of diversity through the Many
Voices Project in the first year, the new
Augsburg Core calls for an infusion
model of diversity whereby we’ll ask the
entire curriculum—especially majors—
to think about the skills and knowledge
that their students will need to be
responsible citizens of an increasingly
global society.
The Signature Curriculum does
really hit these distinctive parts of an
Augsburg education. The two Search for
Meaning courses address vocation
through the lens of our Lutheran
heritage. The city, of course, we address
within our metropolitan setting through
the Engaging Minneapolis requirement.
There is also the notion of caritas,
the demand for God’s love to be enacted
in the world. An Augsburg education is
an education for action. We see this
throughout the curriculum—in
Augsburg Seminar, in Engaging
Minneapolis, and in the Augsburg
Experience.
Contact information
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Weekend College Admissions
612-330-1001 or 1-800-788-5678
admissions@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu/day
612-330-1101
wecinfo@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu/weekend
2 2 1 1
26
R i v e r s i d e
A v e n u e ,
M i n n e a p o l i s ,
M N
5 5 4 5 4
For information about
Augsburg’s Core Curriculum:
Barbara Edwards Farley
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
612-330-1024
farley@augsburg.edu
w w w. a u g s b u r g . e d u
Fall 2004
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the Alumni Board president’s desk…
ello Augsburg
alumni! As the
first Weekend
College graduate to
serve as Alumni
Board president,
I’ve been spending
some time
considering both
the similarities and
the differences among our alumni and
their experiences.
Augsburg has done an incredible job
of creating educational programs that fit
the contrasting needs of students. In
years past, the College was smaller and
offered fewer programs. Today, our
students may choose from the weekend,
Rochester, graduate, or traditional day
programs. They may live on campus or
they may commute from home.
It’s only natural, then, that graduates
of 20 or more years ago are likely to have
very different memories from those who
graduated more recently. In turn, this
H
also means that the “Augsburg
experience” will mean different things
for our alumni—their memories are
unique and the connection each feels
toward Augsburg varies. For example,
many adult learners do not feel the same
long-term association and affection for
the College as do those students who live
on campus. However, we all share in the
traditions and events that have been
treasured to this day, like Advent Vespers
and Homecoming.
One important goal of the Alumni
Board is to help create meaningful
relationships between all Augsburg
students and alumni. We want everyone
to share a deep “Augsburg experience”
and a continuing connection with the
College—which we believe will help to
spread Augsburg’s educational and
vocational values throughout the
community. All alumni have one thing in
common: the great benefit of an
Augsburg degree, which does not
differentiate between student types.
Five alumni appointed to Alumni Board
he Augsburg Alumni Board of
Directors appointed five new
members and elected Bill Vanderwall ’93
WEC as president and Karina Karlén ’83
as president-elect. To view the complete
list of board members, visit the
Alumni/Parent Relations Web site at
<www.augsburg.edu/alumni>. The new
members are as follows:
T
Buffie Blesi ‘90, ‘97 MAL
Blesi graduated from Augsburg with a
B.A. in business administration and a
Master of Arts in Leadership. She is
senior vice president and director of
operations for TCF Investments.
Andy Fried ‘93 WEC
Fried graduated from Augsburg Weekend
College with a B.A. in management
information systems. He is operations
Fall 2004
and systems support manager for
WindLogics, Inc.
Calvin Hanson ‘98
Hanson graduated from Augsburg with a
B.A. in history. He is a senior admissions
counselor at Augsburg.
Joyce Miller ‘02 BS Nursing,
Rochester
Miller graduated with a Master of Arts in
Nursing from Augsburg’s nursing
program in Rochester, Minn. She is a
registered nurse at the Mayo Clinic and
an adjunct instructor at Augsburg.
Elizabeth “Liz” Pushing ‘93
Pushing graduated from Augsburg with a
B.A. in business administration. She is
director of financial services at
Providence Place.
Of special note in this issue of the
Augsburg Now is the article on page 28
about the newly formed Weekend
College Alumni Network (WECAN).
This group is already developing some
great strategies on how we can better
connect with current Weekend College
students in order to establish a strong
alumni relationship later. We value your
input on how to accomplish this, so
please call the director of Alumni/Parent
Relations, Amy Sutton, at 612-330-1525,
or e-mail <suttona@augsburg.edu>. You
may also e-mail me at
<bvanderwall@lssmn.org> with your
ideas. I look forward to serving as your
new Alumni Board president!
Bill Vanderwall ’93 WEC
President, Alumni Board
Alumni Board elects
first WEC alumnus
as president
ugsburg’s Alumni Board of Directors
is pleased to announce the election of
Bill Vanderwall ’93 to serve as the
2004–2005 board president. Vanderwall is
the board’s first Weekend College alumnus
to serve as its president.
“I am honored to bring in some new
ideas to further connect Augsburg to nontraditional students,” says Vanderwall.
“Personally, my degree from Augsburg has
had great impact in helping me discern my
vocational direction and in setting a course
of action on how to get there—ultimately
enabling me to work and live in a way that
is consistent with my values.”
Vanderwall was recently promoted to
vice president of family services at
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. He
previously served as LSS’s senior director
of housing services.
A
27
Alumni News
Augsburg student and alumni win
legislative and judicial seats
by Lynn Mena
n November 2, an Augsburg graduate
student and three alumni won seats
in various legislative and judicial races,
while two alumni—Sandy (Voss)
Wollschlager ’94 and Kathryn Ness ’02
(both DFL)—were narrowly defeated by
Republican incumbents for seats in the
Minnesota House of Representatives.
O
Larry Hosch, MSW
student
Hosch (DFL) won a seat
in the MN House, District
14B. He has served as
mayor of St. Joseph for
four years, and at 27 is
the second youngest
mayor in Minnesota history. He is also coowner of Lamar Homes & Remodeling,
LLC, and is enrolled in Augsburg’s Master
of Social Work program.
LaJune Thomas Lange ‘75
The honorable LaJune Thomas Lange
retained her seat as a judge on the
Hennepin County 4th Judicial District
Court. She has held this seat since 1986,
previously serving as a
judge on the Hennepin
County Municipal Court
(1985–1986) and as an
assistant public defender
for Hennepin County
(1978–1985). She is also
an adjunct professor at William Mitchell
College of Law, where she teaches
international human rights and civil
rights. She is an Augsburg Distinguished
Alumna (2002) and a former member of
the Board of Regents.
Diane Loeffler ‘75
Loeffler (DFL) won a seat
in the MN House, District
59A. A lifelong resident of
Northeast Minneapolis,
her career has been spent
in public service. She has
worked as a budget and policy analyst on
education issues for state and local
government. She currently works for
Hennepin County in healthcare policy
analysis on issues of services to seniors
and persons with disabilities, health
promotion and protection, and how to
ensure more persons have access to
affordable and effective health coverage.
Martin Olav Sabo ‘59
Sabo (DFL) was elected to
a 14th term in the U.S.
House of Representatives,
MN District 5. He has
held this seat since 1979,
previously serving as a
representative of the MN House before his
election to Congress. In 2003, he became
the ranking member of the newly created
Homeland Security Subcommittee of the
Appropriations Committee. Sabo also
serves on the Defense Subcommittee of
the Appropriations Committee, where he
is known on Capitol Hill as one of the
leading voices on arms policy. An
Augsburg Distinguished Alumnus (1976),
he served for 12 years on the Board of
Regents, and also received the College’s
first honorary degree—the Doctor of
Humane Letters (Honoris Causa)—
in 2000.
Weekend College Alumni Network (WECAN) established
by Amy Sutton
lumni of Augsburg Weekend College
have established a group to represent
and advocate for WEC students and
graduates. Although initially launched a
few years ago, the Weekend College
Alumni Network (WECAN) has been reinvigorated in recent months.
“The Weekend College program is
such a vital part of Augsburg, and we want
to bring attention to that,” said Andy
Fried, a 1993 graduate who also serves on
the Alumni Board of Directors. “We
believe that a group of alumni who have
actually experienced the unique challenges
of WEC students can be strong advocates
for positive changes that will enhance the
Augsburg experience for current WEC
students.”
A
28
WECAN members also
hope to bring visibility to the
value that WEC alumni and
students bring to the College,
as well as to develop programs
and communications that
provide support and
encouragement to current
WEC students. “Our
opportunities to attend
Augsburg have had a
tremendous impact on our lives
and we want to give something
back,” says Fried.
If you are interested in
joining WECAN or have
suggestions for the group,
please e-mail
Members of the newly established Weekend College
Alumni Network (WECAN) gathered recently to strategize
ways to represent and advocate for WEC students and
alumni. Pictured here are (L to R, front row) Heather Birch
‘96 and Anne-Marie de Jong ‘01, and (L to R, back row)
Andy Fried ‘93, Jeff Gilbertson ‘04, Bill Vanderwall ‘93, and
Meri Pygman ‘93 (not pictured are Pete Hespen ‘92 and
Terry Marquardt ‘98).
Fall 2004
Alumni events calendar
Please join us for these upcoming alumni and parent events (see also the college-wide
calendar on the inside back cover for additional events):
January
April
11 Auggie Hour celebrating Augsburg
authors, Shelly’s Woodroast (I-394 &
Louisiana in Golden Valley), 5:30 p.m.
12 Auggie Hour on campus for
graduates of the Honors Program
(meet current students in the
program and learn about the changes
to the curriculum), 5:30 p.m.
18 Parent Association gathering,
Augsburg House, 6-8 p.m.
February
8 Auggie Hour luncheon on campus
for alumnae business owners (please
e-mail <alumni@augsburg.edu> with
your information if you are selfemployed or own a business and
wish to network with other women
business owners), noon
15 Alumni Board meeting,
Minneapolis Room, Christensen
Center, 5:30 p.m.
March
8 Auggie Hour wine tasting hosted
by Jennifer Tome ’99 of Grape
Beginnings, Beaujo’s Wine Bar, 50th
& France in Edina, 5:30 p.m.
14 Auggie Hour senior reception on
campus (all alumni are invited to join
us in welcoming the 2005 graduates
to the Alumni Association), 5:30 p.m.
May
6 Special reception for business
graduates (all Augsburg faculty,
alumni, and 2005 business graduates
are invited), Marshall Room,
Christensen Center, 4-6 p.m.
10 Auggie Hour on campus for all
current and former Alumni Board
members, 5:30 p.m.
Holidazzle Parade Event
Always wanted to see the Holidazzle
parade without the hassle? Augsburg
alumni and their families are invited to
gather at Augsburg at 5:15 p.m. on
Dec. 19. A bus will depart at 5:45 p.m. to
take you to the parade and then return
you to Augsburg where holiday goodies
and hot chocolate will be waiting to
warm you up. There is no cost but
limited transportation is available, so
please call the RSVP hotline at 612-3301598 or e-mail <rsvp@augsburg.edu>.
Business alumni events
All business alumni are invited to attend
the Second Executive Management
Lecture: “Key Success Factors in Starting a
Business,” presented by Richard
Brimacomb (partner, Sherpa Partners, and
previous vice president of finance, Cartia
Inc.) on Feb. 26, noon-1 p.m., Christensen
Center. Alumni may also attend the Spring
Business Forum: “General Systems Theory
Unites Diverse Disciplines,” on April 21,
4-6 p.m., Christensen Center. Presented by
Augsburg’s Department of Business
Administration.
The Lion King
THIRD ANNUAL
CONNECTIONS EVENT
The third annual Connections—A Women’s Leadership Event, co-sponsored by Augsburg
and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, will be held January 29 from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
“What makes this women’s event unique compared to others is that we invite students
to participate in this leadership development opportunity so they may network and be
encouraged by the experiences and stories of the amazing women who attend,” said
Sue Klaseus, vice president of Augsburg’s Institutional Advancement.
Presenters this year include author and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Frances
Hesselbein, and alumnae Jean Taylor ’85 and Ami Nafzger ’94. For more information and
to register online, please visit <www.augsburg.edu/alumni>.
The Augsburg Alumni Association invites
you to attend The Lion King performance
at the Orpheum Theatre on April 22. A
limited number of tickets are available to
alumni at a special discounted price of
$50, a value of over $80 that includes a
reception, roundtrip transportation to the
Orpheum from Augsburg, and a balconyseating ticket. For more information or to
secure your ticket, please visit
<www.augsburg.edu/supporting/>.
Alumni Tour to Norway
Interested in an eight-day tour to
Norway in May 2005? The Augsburg
Concert Band is touring Norway in May
and the alumni office would like to
know who would be interested in
participating on the companion tour.
Please e-mail <alumni@augsburg.edu>
for more information.
Fall 2004
29
[
Spark Your Spirit ]
Left: Students gathered
with Augsburg alumni,
faculty, and staff for the
third annual
Homecoming reception
celebrating the College’s
four ethnic programs:
the American Indian,
Pan-Asian, Pan-Afrikan,
and Hispanic/Latino
student service areas.
Right: As part of the Homecoming
festivities, students constructed
elaborate hats—such as the hat pictured
[at right]—to express their Auggie pride.
Above: The Auggie cheerleaders kept spirits
high at the Homecoming football game
despite Augsburg’s 13-point loss to Gustavus
Adolphus College.
The Auggie Eagle entertained fans at the Homecoming football game.
30
Left: Recipients of the 2004
Distinguished Alumni, First
Decade, and Spirit of Augsburg
awards were honored along
with the Golden Anniversary
Class of 1954 at the
Homecoming chapel service on
Oct. 8. Pictured [at left] are (L to
R): Dr. Brian Anderson ‘82,
Distinguished Alumni Award;
Charlotte (Kleven) Rimmereid
‘52, wife of the Rev. Arthur
Rimmereid ‘53, Spirit of
Augsburg Award; Fern (Hanson)
Gudmestad ‘41, Distinguished
Alumni Award; and Susan
(Horning) Arntz ‘94, First Decade
Award.
A future Auggie had her face painted by an artist before the football game.
Fall 2004
Above: Norman Nielsen ‘44 (left) was presented with
a commemorative archival photo of the Augsburg
campus in recognition of his pioneering efforts in
development for Augsburg during a special Class of
1944 reunion breakfast. Pictured with Nielsen is “Mr.
Augsburg” Jeroy Carlson ‘48 (right), a senior
development officer.
Above: The Auggies huddled before the game, which despite a
near-record running day by junior quarterback Marcus LeVesseur,
they lost to the Gusties, 34–21. LeVesseur rushed for 207 yards
on 32 carries, just 10 yards shy of the College’s single-game
rushing record 217 yards by Marty Alger ‘94 in a 1993 game.
Above: Members from the Class of 1994
gathered before the football game to
celebrate their 10-year reunion.
Above: Auggie wrestlers gathered for a reunion
and party in Murphy Park; they continued the
celebration at Grandma’s after the football
game.
Above: Bobby Brown (left) and Hannah
Dietrich (right) were crowned as the
2004 Homecoming King and Queen.
Above: Jack Osberg ‘62 addressed the team
during what would be his final Auggie
Homecoming halftime as Augsburg football
head coach; Osberg retired from his coaching
position at the end of the 2004 season, capping
a 14-year career that has produced the most
victories in school history. He will remain on the
Augsburg staff, assisting in the school’s Alumni
and Parent Relations and Development areas, to
develop connections with athletic alumni and
parents.
H o m e c o m i n g
Fall 2004
2 0 0 4
31
[
Spark Your Spirit ]
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
CLASS OF 1954
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Theodore W.
Anderson, Donald J. Dill, Marlys
(Ringdahl) Gunderson. ROW 2:
Joyce (Weber) Krueger, Ruth (Pousi)
Ollila, Donald A. Norum, Winifred
(Nystuen) Nyhus, Janice (Anderson)
Rykken, Gary R. Rust. ROW 3:
Ardelle Skovholt Quanbeck, Mary
Lee Peterson Leak, Shirlee Blake
Olmstead, Roger E. Carlson. ROW 4:
Helen Jensen Myhre, Orpha
Hushagen Iseminger, Marilyn
Soiseth Boraas, Yvonne Oudal
Rhodes, Jane Collins Cornelius,
Marlys Harkman Schmidt, Edward
O. Nyhus. ROW 5: Ardis Dorr
Nystuen, Arlene Larson Nelson,
Wallace L. Hafstad, Joyce Fossum
Pflaum, Florence Helland Borman,
Jerome S. Elness, James L. Shiell,
Wallace L. Hanson, Marlys Backlund
Morland, Russ Lance. ROW 6:
Clinton J. Peterson, Arlene
(Reinertson) Rolf, Leland E.
Evenson, Carl Jensen. ROW 7: Louis
O. Becker, Louis P. Rolf, Mark L.
Johnson, George W. Fisher, Valborg
(Kyllo) Ellingson, Barbara Tjornhom
Nelson, James A. Sorenson. ROW 8:
Robert E. Twiton, Herbert W.
Chilstrom, Virgil R. Gehring
CLASS OF 1964
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Anita
(Martinson) Mock, Karen (Henry)
Steenson, Jean (Pfeifer) Olson, Carla
(Quanbeck) Walgren, Dorothy
(Borsgard) Berkland. ROW 2:
Deanne (Star) Greco, Verlie (Block)
Jorenby, Rondi (Rindahl) Suppiah.
ROW 3: Joyce (Leifgren) Young,
Stella (Kyllo) Rosenquist, Sandra
(Simpson) Phaup, Ann (Tjaden)
Jensen, Mary (Fenrick) Olson. ROW
4: James W. Parks, Ellen (Paulson)
Keiter, Karen L. Kohout, Arlan
Oftedahl, Raul A. Jackson. ROW 5:
Charles W. Schulz, Betty (Hanson)
Rossing, Andrew Berg, Charlotte
(Gerdeen) Oswood. ROW 6: Robert
A. Nordin, Carolyn (Aadland)
Allmon, Mary (Munson) Peterson,
Linda (Hamilton) Senta, Ted W.
Olson. ROW 7: Philip M. Dyrud,
Sharon (Lindell) Mortrud, Avis
(Hoel) Dyrud, Karl I. Bakke, Michael
W. Walgren.
32
Fall 2004
CLASS OF 1979
(L to R) Row 1 (front): Julia (Davis)
Styrlund, Gary C. Dahle, Sally
(Hough) Daniels, Sandra (Spitzack)
Elhardt, Laurie (Hoversten) Busch.
Row 2: Carol (Dubovick) Hard, Paul
A. Daniels, Holly (Groten) Krekula,
Katharine E. Skibbe, Pamela
(Hanson) Moksnes, Mark A.
Moksnes, Lynn Schmidtke, Brian J.
Carlsen. Row 3: Jay K. Phinney,
Philip Styrland, Eric Anderson.
RECIPIENTS OF THE 2004 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD: THE FAMILY OF JOHANNES AND TABITHA NYDAHL
The extended family of Johannes and Tabitha Nydahl gathered at Homecoming Dinner on October 9 to accept the Distinguished Service Award and
to celebrate their generations-long connection to Augsburg—beginning with Johannes Nydahl in the 1800s (read more on page 10).
H o m e c o m i n g
Fall 2004
2 0 0 4
33
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
1965
Mary Jean (Danger)
Holmquist, Braham, Minn., is a
retired music teacher, and can be
contacted at <jeanie@ecenet.com>.
Rev. Dr. Dennis Morreim is a
pastor in Cloquet, Minn., and
has worked with Alcoholics
Anonymous throughout his 35year ministry. He has served as a
consultant and speaker at
treatment centers and is the
author of three books, two of
which were translated into
Spanish. Over the past four
years, he has twice led work
groups to Santa Barbara,
Honduras, to help build homes
and schools and to bring medical
help to those in poverty. His wife,
Jeanne (Wanner) ’66, taught in
public schools for several years,
directed youth music and
education programs in church,
and currently serves on the
volunteer network for
Compassion International. The
Morreims have two grown
children, Edward ’93, an
educator with the Mahtomedi
public schools, and Sarah, a
psychotherapist with Hoistad and
Associates in St. Paul.
Duane Westfield lectured onboard the Marco Polo cruise
ship this past summer.
1956
Arlen Stensland was featured
in an article in the Minneapolis
Star Tribune, “A Keystroke of
Genius.” Arlen and his wife,
Lois, were missionaries to
Madagascar for 22 years and
now organize a program that
sends manual typewriters to
Malagasy Lutheran Church in
Madagascar.
1958
Wes Sideen, St. Paul, was
elected district 5M6 governor of
the Lions Club, and is currently
planning an April benefit
concert for the Lions Club
International Foundation on the
Augsburg campus featuring the
Centennial Singers.
1959
Rev. Eugene S. Peterson
retired from the active clergy
roster. He is doing international
interim ministry. He lives with
his wife, Paula, in Jackson,
Minn.
1960
Lois (Richter) Agrimson is
director of social services at
Rose of Sharon Manor nursing
home in Roseville, Minn. She
lives with her husband, Russell,
in Eagan, Minn.
1962
Deloris (Olson) Norling,
Willmar, Minn., is enjoying her
retirement from teaching with
her husband, Palmer, and their
18 grandchildren.
34
Minneapolis/St. Paul
International Airport.
Barb Youngquist, Willmar,
Minn., and Nancy Sandro ’74,
Hendricks, Minn., co-wrote a
book for handbell choirs entitled
Bell Prayers (Lakeside Press).
The book is a nine-month
devotional that includes
inspirational quotes and a
collection of 35 corresponding
pieces for bell choirs to play at
weekly rehearsals. The book also
includes original watercolor
prints by Barb that divide the
book into the seasons of the
church year.
1971
1966
Sandra (Welin) Grunewald,
Ventura, Calif., was named a
senior accounting lecturer at
California Lutheran University
in Thousand Oaks, Calif.,
beginning this fall semester. She
is a licensed CPA and a partner
at a Thousand Oaks-area CPA
firm and has served as an
adjunct instructor at CLU in
both the day and evening
undergraduate programs.
Carmen (Neseth) Berg, Fergus
Falls, Minn., recently retired.
1972
Sylvia (Steinbeck) Torstenson,
Hayfield, Minn., recently retired
from teaching for the Hayfield
School District. The town held a
weeklong celebration and parade
in honor of her contributions to
the school district.
Diane Thompson, Wayzata,
Minn., received her master's
degree in special education in
1994 from the University of
Minnesota. She is currently on
leave from teaching to pursue
research, and can be reached at
<djunet2000@yahoo.com>.
1967
Marlys Ruona Thomsen, Apple
Valley, Minn., co-chairs the Sons
of Norway First District 2000
Convention Committee and is
the head of the library committee
at her church. She enjoys
traveling the United States with
her husband, who is retired.
1969
Jackie (Kniefel) Lind ’94 MAL,
Lilydale, Minn., is the volunteer
coordinator for the Travelers
Assistance Program at the
1973
Lyth Hartz recently celebrated
25 years of employment at
Midwest Special Services, Inc.,
an agency that provides
employment and training to
adults with disabilities, where he
is currently president. He lives
with his wife, Mary, in St. Paul.
Rev. Gary M. Wollersheim, St.
Charles, Ill., was elected to a
second six-year term as bishop
of the Northern Illinois Synod of
the ELCA at the synod assembly
in June. During his first term as
bishop, he served in numerous
denominational capacities,
including as chair of the ELCA
Evangelical Task Force. That
effort resulted in the adoption
of an evangelism strategy for the
ELCA at the 2003 Churchwide
Assembly in Milwaukee.
1975
Olando Smith is a weekend
international flight attendant
with Northwest Airlines. She is
also a cheerleading and track
and field coach at St. Cyril
elementary and middle school in
E. Lansdowne, Pa. Her 11-yearold daughter, Narita, holds the
2004 record for the one-mile run
from the Penn Relays novice
division. Olando lives with her
daughter and husband, Dan
Sweeney, in E. Lansdowne, Pa.
ALUMNA RECEIVES
NORWEGIAN MEDAL
Courtesy photo
1955
Leona (Eng) Rokke ’52 (left)
was presented one of
Norway’s highest
distinctions, the St. Olavs
Medallion. The medal was
presented to her in July at a
banquet of the Seven Lag
Stevne in Willmar, Minn.
Norwegian Consul Anita
Helland (right), presented
the award, and commented
that Rokke’s extensive and
gracious work over the years
have helped to keep and
strengthen the strong bonds
between Norway and the
upper Midwest.
Fall 2004
1977
Staff photo
Staff photo
Laurie (Barrett) Burns,
Stillwater, Minn., is pursuing a
career in import/export
operations after 25 years as a
travel agent. She can be
contacted at
<robertr.burns@netzero.net>.
OPEN HOUSE HONORS CLASS AGENTS
Rev. Jon Schneider,
Minneapolis, is senior staff
hospice chaplain at North
Memorial Medical Hospital, and
can be reached at
<jschap123@msn.com>.
Rev. Eric
Burtness
recently
published a
book, Leading on
Purpose:
Intentionality
and Teaming in Congregational
Life, available through Augsburg
Fortress Publishers. Eric is senior
pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran
Church in Beaverton, Ore.
1980
Dawn (Zocher) Nelson,
Minneapolis, is a radiology
supervisor at Abbott
Northwestern Hospital and is
enrolled in Augsburg’s Master of
Arts in Leadership program. She
can be reached at <autumnmoon
morn@mcleodusa.net>.
1982
Katie (Erdahl) Gussman
earned tenure as the orchestra
director for Marlboro and
Marlboro Memorial middle
schools. She is also a freelance
violinist, has been a member of
Monmouth Symphony Orchestra
for 20 years and the Orchestra of
St. Peter by the Sea for 17 years
(she has made six recordings
with the latter). Katie’s husband,
Roy, is the music director and
conductor for both the
Monmouth Symphony and the
New Jersey State Youth
Symphony. The couple traveled
to Eastern Europe with AllAmerican Youth in Concert and
Fall 2004
President William V. and Mrs. Anne Frame hosted an open house at the Augsburg House on October 26
in appreciation of Augsburg’s class agents. Pictured above (left) are 1974 class agents Marlene Chan Hui
(left) and Laurie Thorpe (right). Also pictured above (right) is President Frame (left), who visited with
class agent Sam Walseth ’02 (center) and his wife, Stephanie Lien ’02 (right).
performed in Budapest, Prague,
and Berlin this past summer. The
couple resides in Neptune, N.J,
with their three cats: Claude,
Lucy, and Beans.
1983
Sharon (Copeland) Booth,
Blaine, Minn., is a music
therapist at Hospice of the Twin
Cities.
1984
Lisa Rykken Kastler is middle
school ministry director at Faith
Lutheran Church. She lives with
her husband, Brent, in
Champlin, Minn. She can be
contacted at <middleschool@
faithlutherancr.org>.
1985
Barbara (Haack) Ross teaches
Suzuki violin from her home
studio and is the K-3 choir
director at St. John’s Lutheran
Church. She and her husband,
Tim, live in Lakeville, Minn.,
with their three children: Jordyn,
13; T.J., 11; and Jamie, 8.
1986
Scott Finsrud, Clifton Park,
N.Y., received a master's degree
in history/political science from
the College of St. Rose in Albany,
N.Y., in June.
1987
Joel Engel, Chaska, Minn., is
corporate sales manager for the
Minnesota Timberwolves and
Lynx basketball teams.
Patrick Hilger is a commercial
support manager at Tetra Rex,
Inc. He lives with his wife, Suzi,
in Circle Pines, Minn.
1988
Jeff Carlson, Linwood, Minn.,
teaches music at Highland High
School in St. Paul.
1989
Jean Hunter, Minneapolis,
teaches second grade for
Minneapolis Public Schools.
1990
Jenny Peterson, Mound,
Minn., is featured in the Courage
Center’s 2004 holiday card and
gift catalog. After a skiing
accident in 1983, Jenny became
a quadriplegic, and she credits
the Courage Center with helping
her to learn skills that enabled
her to succeed in her new life.
She now owns her own jewelry
design business and some of her
jewelry is sold through the
catalog. She is also a
motivational speaker and
consultant and serves as
executive director of Helping
Paws of Minnesota.
1991
Kristen Hirsch, St. Paul, is a
senior field communications
specialist at Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans in downtown
Minneapolis. She also recently
joined the Morris Park Players
Board of Directors and serves on
the Augsburg Alumni Board of
Directors as the Events
Committee chairperson and is
the class agent for 1991. She can
be contacted at
<kmhirsch@aol.com>.
Tommi-Riva
Numbala is the
personal
assistant to the
CEO and acting
company
secretary of
NamWater (Namibia Water
Corporation Ltd). Tommi, an
internationally acclaimed
35
Class Notes
1992
Rev. Sven
Erlandson
recently
celebrated the
publication of
his second book,
Rescuing God
from Christianity: A Closet
Christian, Non-Christian, and
Christmas Christian’s Guide to
Radically Rethinking God Stuff
(heliographica). Sven has spent
the last several years in
California as a preacher and
writer dedicated to meeting the
spiritual needs of people who
find themselves outside of
organized religion.
Walt Filson retired from police
work in 2002 and is now a
teacher in the Anoka-Hennepin
ISD #11, teaching the only high
school law enforcement program
in the state. He lives with his
wife, Anna, in Brooklyn Center,
Minn.
Robert
Manning,
Apple Valley,
Minn.,
completed his
third tour of
duty in support
of Iraqi Freedom, earning three
air medals and four aerial
achievement medals with more
than 300 combat hours. He was
promoted to the rank of major
(O-4) after completing inresidence squadron office school
at Maxwell Air Force Base.
36
Stacie (Edlund) Reynolds is
pursing a Master of Social Work
at the University of Minnesota.
She lives with her husband,
John, in Buffalo, Minn.
A-CLUB 5K RACE
Stephen Geffre
Lynelle Osgood is co-owner
and treasurer of Terra
Productions, Inc., an artist
agency representing artists for
commercial advertising, such as
makeup artists, stylists, etc. She
lives with her husband,
Lawrence, and children in
Minneapolis, and can be reached
at <lyn@terraproductions.net>.
1993
1994
Amy Gehring, West St. Paul, is
a professor at Anoka Ramsey
Community College and recently
moved back to Minnesota after
attending graduate school in
New York.
Bruce Nelson, Roseville, Minn.,
is a solutions lead at Affinity Plus
Credit Union. He is building a
home in Farmington, Minn.,
with his wife, Cristine, and their
son, Daniel, 2.
1996
Michael P.
Schmidt,
Minneapolis,
recently signed
with G.S.
Associates Artists
Management and
will debut at Carnegie Hall and
Berlin Stadtsoper in 2005. Most
recently, he was featured as Don
Alfonso with Lyric Opera of
Cleveland, Danilo with Western
Plains Opera, Marcello with
Kenwood Chamber Opera, and as
Dr. Falke with Pine Mountain
Festival. Some of Michael’s other
roles include: Figaro (Le Nozze di
Figaro), Dr. Bartolo (Il Barbiere di
Siviglia), and Horace Tabor (The
Ballad of Baby Doe). Also an
active concert artist, Michael has
performed as soloist in such
works as Mozart’s Coronation
Mass, Haydn’s Creation and the
Durufle Requiem. Upcoming
performances include a solo
recital featuring works of German
composers, Leporello in Don
Giovanni, and concert
appearances in the upper
Midwest. He is an adjunct faculty
member at Macalester College
and is set to complete his D.M.A.
at the University of Minnesota in
2005.
More than 100 runners took part in the inaugural A-Club 5K run
on Sept. 19. The fundraising run, organized by A-Club Executive
Committee member Tracy Tomforde ’92, took participants around
the Augsburg campus and along the Mississippi River Road on a
scenic fall afternoon. Winners from the event: Tim Nelson,
first male finisher; Eileen Uzarek, first female finisher; Scott
Peplinski, first male alum finisher; Laura Simones, first female
alum finisher; and Doug Pfaff, JC Award winner (for finishing
closest to 25:00, in honor of the late James Carey).
ALUMNUS RECEIVES DOCTORATE
Courtesy photo
musician, was recently featured
in the company’s newsletter in a
story detailing his musical career.
He can be reached at
<NumbalaT@namwater.com.na>.
Lars Dyrud ’97 (right) received his doctorate in space physics at
Boston University in May and has stayed to pursue a postdoctorate. Mocha Holmgren Dyrud ‘97 (left) is completing her
doctorate in clinical psychology at Suffolk University. The couple
has a son, Finn, born in September.
Fall 2004
1997
Jacki Brickman, Coon Rapids,
Minn., recently directed a
performance of Romeo and Juliet
for fourth graders at Elizabeth
Hall Community School in North
Minneapolis. Jacki teaches fourth
grade at the school and also
teaches education courses as an
adjunct faculty member at
Augsburg Weekend College.
Sarah (Gilbert) Holtan teaches
at Concordia University in
Wisconsin and recently entered
the doctoral program in
journalism education at
Marquette University. She was
married in June and resides with
her husband in Milwaukee, Wis.
Lena Stackhouse-Rogers was
named one of three recipients of
the charter school teacher of the
year award in Minnesota by the
Minnesota Association of Charter
Schools. Lena is a kindergarten
teacher at the Partnership
Academy charter school in
Richfield, Minn.
1998
student at the University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill,
pursuing a Master of City and
Regional Planning.
Gretchen Meents ’02 MSW,
So. St. Paul, recently raised more
than $6,000 for the Leukemia
Lymphoma Society’s Team in
Training when she ran the
Honolulu Marathon in honor of
her brother who is battling
leukemia. She is a senior social
worker for Hennepin County.
Benjamin Hoogland, Stillwater,
Minn., is pursuing a master’s
degree at the University of
Wisconsin-Stout in marriage and
family therapy. He works for
Faith Inkubators as their Faith
Stepping Stones director and can
be contacted at
<hoogland98@hotmail.com>.
Paul Pierson, Alma Center,
Wis., is associate registrar at
Walden University in Minneapolis.
2001
1999
Deb Cortes received a TOP
Award for outstanding teaching
in the Anoka-Hennepin School
District for 2004.
2000
Rebecca Lynn Brown,
Carrboro, N.C., is a graduate
Kari Burke-Romarheim
recently started the M.Div.
program at Luther Seminary. She
spent three years in Bergen,
Norway, working in youth and
family ministry. She lives with
her husband, Vidar, in
Menomonie, Wis.
2002
Adrienne (Kuchler) Eldridge,
Staff photo
ALUMNI TOUR TO EUROPE
Minneapolis, works for Vibe Urban
Youth Ministries in St. Paul.
Jackie Heyda, Savage, Minn., is a
first-grade teacher at New Prague
Primary School.
Darryl Sellers completed his
master’s degree in broadcast
journalism at the American School
of Journalism in Los Angeles. He
recently accepted a position as
weekend sports anchor at the
ABC-affiliate in Austin, Minn.
Emily Shelton, Minneapolis,
teaches at Cedar-Riverside School
in Minneapolis.
Brooke Stoeckel, Minneapolis, is
sales manager of meetings and
conventions at the Minneapolis
Metro North Conventions and
Visitors Bureau.
2003
Melissa Bawek, Minneapolis, is
assistant director of The Augsburg
Fund at Augsburg. She can be
contacted at <bawek@augsburg.
edu>.
Staci Owens, Minneapolis,
works for Hennepin County and
is pursuing a master’s degree in
elementary education. She can be
reached at <staciowens3411@
msn.com>.
Liz Sterbentz, Lindstrom, Minn.,
owns Break on 8 Coffee Shop,
where she serves Peace Coffee and
Fair Trade fruits to help
cooperative farms-both are
product lines she became
interested in after participating in
Augsburg’s Center for Global
Education’s WEC class on
liberation theology in Cuernavaca,
Mexico.
2004
In October, participants from the Augsburg Alumni Association-sponsored tour to Germany and Eastern
Europe gathered in Wittenberg, Germany, for a photograph. The tour, which ran from October 15-27,
visited Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, and featured the places of Martin Luther’s
life and ministry as well as a special worship service at the American Church of Berlin, where Augsburg
alumnus Rev. Ben Coltvet ’66 is currently pastor. Augsburg professor Dr. Mark Tranvik and his wife, Ann,
hosted the tour. Pictured are (Front row, L to R): Darryl Carter ’65, Ann Tranvik, Cecilie Teerink, David
Berg ’66; (Row 2, L to R): Pris Fieldhammer ’65, Sue Kneen ’05, Vi Aaseng, Lynn Stertz, Sally Tonsager,
Elaine Harder; (Back row, L to R): Ruel Carpenter, Darrell Strand, Larry Turner ’69, Chris Kneen, Karen
Bolstad, Sue Turner, Clarice Johnson, Marek Tysek, Peter Ern, Sue Klaseus, Mark Tranvik, Paul
Fieldhammer ’65, Tom Stertz, Rolf Aaseng.
Fall 2004
Kristi Hartway works at Abbott
Northwestern and is also an
adjunct faculty member in the
nursing program at Minnesota
State University-Mankato for the
2004-05 school year. She lives
with her husband, Mark, in
Wekston, Minn. She can be
contacted at <Kristi.Hartway@
allina.com>.
37
Class Notes
ALUMNI PROFILE
Carrie McCarville ’01: Building on a foundation of success
Stephen Geffre
by Rebecca Welle ‘05
Carrie McCarville’s decision to attend Augsburg
was due in large part to the strength of its
women’s hockey program and to its head coach,
Jill Pohtilla. Indeed, Augsburg was a natural fit
for McCarville, who as a high school student at
Benilde-St. Margaret’s played on its girls’ hockey
team—one of the first in Minnesota. At
Augsburg, she played center position on the
women’s hockey team, participating on the team
that took runner-up honors in the first-ever
NCAA Women’s Division III National
Championship series in 2000.
“Although we didn’t win, it was a blast going to
Boston and representing Augsburg,” said
McCarville.
After graduating in 2001 with a bachelor’s
degree in both studio art and art history,
McCarville began searching for her next
challenge, which presented itself a short time
later when she and her parents opened a liquor
store in September 2002.
Carrie McCarville ’01 gives strong credit to Augsburg for instilling the self-discipline
needed to successfully manage her business, coach and play hockey, and volunteer in
her community.
“We opened it because the store a block away
was torn down due to road construction and was never replaced,” said McCarville.
After a space in a nearby strip mall opened up they purchased it and immediately began the two-month remodeling process on what was
previously an audio-visual store. McCarville stated that she received a great deal of help putting the store together from fellow Augsburg
friends.
“We also managed to contact all the right people, and before we knew it there were reps from all the liquor and wine distributors setting up
our store,” said McCarville, who found it enjoyable to watch how the store came together from start to finish.
Although the first two years of operation were difficult due to nearby road construction, McCarville stuck with her business and today is
pleased with how well her store is doing. “Now we are enjoying seeing how everything we do affects our business,” said McCarville.
Aside from running her business, McCarville is also very active with the Hopkins Raspberry Festival during the summer months. She donates
her time by outfitting the royalty, “making sure they look their best wherever they go,” and volunteers as a chaperone to the young women
throughout the year. McCarville herself was the 1997-1998 Hopkins Raspberry Festival Princess and enjoyed her experiences throughout her
reign.
“It was a great learning experience and I will forever be grateful to the Raspberry Festival for giving me that [opportunity],” said McCarville,
which explains why the backroom of her store serves as headquarters for the festival. “I made sure everyone got what they needed,” said
McCarville, all in the comfort of her own business.
McCarville is also still involved in hockey. She has coached the Hopkins JV girls’ hockey team for the last three seasons and will coach the
Wayzata girls’ hockey team this season. She is also a member of the Owl’s team, which is a women’s A-Club team comprised of Augsburg
alumni. McCarville plays one to two times a week, mainly at Augsburg, and can be found playing any position—except goalie.
As a student at Augsburg, McCarville learned skills that enabled her to juggle her studies as a double major with both her hockey and work
schedules. Today, she gives strong credit to the College for instilling the self-discipline needed to successfully manage her business, coach
and play hockey, and stay organized with the Hopkins Raspberry Festival—all while remaining appreciative for everything that she has
accomplished.
38
Fall 2004
AUGSBURG CENTENNIAL SINGERS 2005 ARIZONA APPEARANCES
JANUARY 27—Centennial
Singers concert, Desert Hills
Lutheran Church, Green Valley,
Ariz., 7:30 p.m.*
FEBRUARY 2—Centennial
Singers concert, Lord of Life
Lutheran Church, Sun City West,
Ariz., 5 p.m.*
JANUARY 28—Centennial
Singers concert, United
Methodist Church, Catalina,
Ariz., 7 p.m.*
FEBRUARY 3—Centennial
Singers concert, Prince of Peace
Lutheran Church, Phoenix, Ariz.,
7 p.m.*
JANUARY 29—Centennial
Singers worship service,
American Lutheran Church, Sun
City, Ariz., 4 p.m.*
FEBRUARY 4—Centennial
Singers worship service, Victory
Lutheran Church, Mesa, Ariz.,
4 p.m.*
JANUARY 30—Centennial
Singers worship services,
American Lutheran Church, Sun
City, Ariz., 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.*
FEBRUARY 5—Centennial
Singers worship services,
Pinnacle Presbyterian Church,
Scottsdale, Ariz., 9:30 and
11 a.m.*
*Coffee receptions sponsored by Augsburg will be held prior
to these concerts or between services
Courtesy photo
AUGSBURG GIVING
Pamela Moksnes ’78 (left) and Joy Peterson (right) of Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans presented a check to Sue Klaseus, vice
president for Institutional Advancement (center), in support of
Connections, the women’s leadership event co-sponsored by
Augsburg and Thrivent.
Rachel Kreger, Richfield,
Minn., teachers seventh- and
eighth-grade English at
Minnesota International Middle
School, a charter school for
Somali immigrants.
Weddings
Carl Priest ’78 married Kathryn
Kraker in June. Carl is a
certified project management
professional and in January
celebrated his 25th anniversary
with IBM, where he has been a
project manager for the past 10
years. He also plays string bass
with a variety of groups in the
Twin Cities area. The couple
resides in Minneapolis.
Fall 2004
Melanie Main ’95 married
Calvin Johnson in April. She is
an office manager for Sonstegard
Foods. The couple resides in
Fayetteville, Ark., and can be
contacted at <melanie@
sonstegard.com>.
Amorita Larson ’96 married
Jeff Linner in October 2003. She
is a docket clerk for the U.S.
District Court-District of
Minnesota. The couple resides
in Lino Lakes, Minn., with their
daughter, Alexis, 5. Amy can be
contacted at <amorita_larson@
yahoo.com>.
Alisa C. Berg ’01 married
Jeremy Anderson in December
2003. Alisa is a music therapist
for the Robbinsdale School
District and Jeremy teaches in
Intermediate District 287.
Erica Bryan ’01 married Jason
Wegner ’01 in May 2003. Erica
is the volunteer coordinator for
Kinship of Greater Minneapolis
and can be contacted at
<ericajayne@hotmail.com>.
Jason is enrolled at Luther
Seminary.
Births/Adoptions
Kiel
Christianson
’88 and his
wife, Jennifer,
Champaign,
Ill.—a son, Erik
Douglas, in
October 2003. He joins older
sister Sophia. Kiel is an assistant
professor in the Department of
Educational Psychology at the
University of Illinois; he
previously served on the
psychology faculty at the
University of MassachusettsAmherst. Kiel is also a senior
writer and equipment editor for
<TravelGolf.com>.
Mark Keating
’91 and his
wife, Amy,
Edina, Minn.—
a son, Carson
Mark, in
February. He
joins older brother Owen. Mark
works for BladeLogic.
Melissa
Kaltenbach
’92 and her
husband, John,
Madison,
Wis.—a
daughter,
Vivianne Helene, in May.
Laura (Ferry) ’92 and the Rev.
Matthew Lee, Prentice, Wis.—
a daughter, Elizabeth Hannah,
in December 2003. She joins
older sister Catherine, 2 (3 in
January). Laura can be reached
at <blndcaml@pctcnet.net>.
Kirk Litynski
’95 and his
wife, Kara,
Savage, Minn.—
a son, Kahler
Michael
Edward, in
October 2003. Kurt works for
Motorola in the commercial
government communications
sector for radio communications
and covers Iowa and the
southern half of Minnesota.
Rodney
Dewberry,
Minneapolis—
adopted two
sons in
November
2003. Rodney is
president of the Circle of Men
Institute and is pursuing a
teaching career at the School of
Social Work at the University of
Minnesota. He can be contacted
at <dewbery47@msn.com>.
Jennifer (Runke) ’01 and
Ryan Cobian ’01, Blaine,
Minn.—a son, Caleb Ryan, in
March. Jennifer is a kindergarten
teacher for ISD #282.
Cole Trimble
’01 and his
wife, Gina,
Independence,
Iowa—
a daughter,
Alison Sue, in
September 2003. Cole is a
school social worker for the
Keystone Area Education
Agency and can be reached at
<trimble@indytel.com>.
Lori Strand
Fenske ’02,
Ham Lake,
Minn.—
a daughter,
Allison Marie,
in August 2003.
She joins sisters Haley, 6, and
Nicole, 3. Also welcoming
Allison are proud grandparents
Delmour ’53 and Luella Fenske.
Kelly (Saur) ’92 and Dustin
Sims, Minneapolis—a daughter.
Kelly works at United Defense.
39
In Memoriam
Rev. Martin D. Larsen ’45,
Fargo, N.Dak., died in June; he
was 81. After his ordination in
1951, he served parishes in
North Dakota, South Dakota,
Minnesota, Idaho, Washington,
and Oregon. He recently served
as visitation pastor at First
Lutheran in Fargo from 19881996. He is survived by his wife,
Marguerite (Greguson) ’45; six
children; and eight
grandchildren.
Rev. Olin “Ole” Nordsletten
’49 died in February after a long
illness. He was pastor of Prince
of Peace Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Kenmore, Wash., for
32 years. He retired in 1987.
Before serving Prince of Peace,
he was pastor of Trinity Lutheran
Church in Fort Atkinson, Wis.
He is remembered for his
determination and sometimes
unorthodox approach in serving
others. A sign outside his church
read: “Pray, but swing the
hammer.” He was known to live
that motto throughout his life—
for him prayer was important
and action was critical in making
a difference in other’s lives. In
40
addition to serving at Prince of
Peace, he helped county officials
establish the Paramount House
low-income apartments for the
elderly and disabled. He also
wrote and produced Christmas
plays, performed by young
people both at the church and on
local television. He is survived
by his wife, Arlett; four
daughters; six grandchildren;
and two great-grandchildren.
Harold Schwartz ’49,
Minneapolis, died in October; he
was 81. He served in the Army
Air Force during WWII from
1942-1945, and again during the
Korean War from 1950-1951. He
later worked for the U.S. Postal
Service, retiring in 1982 after 26
years of service. Throughout his
later years his faith in Christ and
his Jewish roots became
increasingly important to him.
He was a member of Ebenezer
Lutheran Brethren Church and
an enthusiastic supporter of
Lutheran Brethren World
Missions and Jewish Christian
organizations. He will be
remembered for his special
ministry of encouragement to
others. During his life he sent
out thousands of cards and
letters letting people know that
he was praying for them and that
he appreciated them and their
work. He is survived by his wife,
Carol; a daughter, Linda (Dean
Bengtson); and two grandsons,
Joshua and Christopher.
Rev. Erling Carlsen ’50, Eau
Claire, Wis., died in August from
acute leukemia; he was 77. He
served in the U.S. Navy,
stationed at the Great Lakes
Naval Base from 1945-1946. He
served parishes in North Dakota,
Wisconsin, and Illinois. He is
survived by his wife, Beverly;
five sons; and nine
grandchildren.
Veola Y. (Soberg) Ellingboe
’50, Lakeville, Minn., died in
June; she was 74. She served as a
member of the Augsburg
Associates. She is survived by
her sons, Rev. Craig (Mary),
Randy (Lynn), and Bradley
(Karen); nine grandchildren; and
one great-grandson.
Rev. John Miskowiec Jr. ’58,
Mounds View, Minn., died in
June at Mercy Medical Center
during a surgical procedure; he
was 68. He served Lutheran
congregations in Kansas and
Minnesota for over 36 years,
including 29 years at Abiding
Savior Lutheran Church in
Mounds View; he retired in
1998. He is survived by his wife
of 42 years, Linnea; two sons,
John III and Allen (Lisa); and
four grandchildren.
Rev. Lewis John Sundquist II
’62, Sturgeon Lake, Minn., died
in September; he was 72. After
serving in the U.S. Navy, he
became a radio broadcaster in
Minnesota, Texas, Michigan, and
Ohio. In 1965, he became an
ordained ELCA minister and
served parishes until his
retirement in 1993. Recently, he
had become pastor emeritus of
North Emanuel Lutheran Church
in St. Paul, his childhood
church. He is survived by his
sons, Lewis John III ’88
(Gretchen) and Martin Laurence
’93 (Melinda).
Iris Burlock ’94 MSW,
Farmington, Minn., died in
September; she was 51. Iris made
a difference in the lives of many
children while working as a
social worker for Hennepin
County Children and Family
Services. She is remembered for
her spunk, warmth, and
compassion, and was loved by
many friends, co-workers, and
clients. She is preceded in death
by her parents Amelia and
Phillip Burlock; she is survived
by her sister, Ellyn (Lou)
Romano; a niece, Nicole; lifelong
friends Barbara Higens and Bill
W.; family members Vickie Berg
and her sons Joe (Mandy) and
Derrick; and a granddaughter,
Emma.
Dr. Paul LeRoy Holmer, St.
Anthony Village, Minn., died in
June; he was 87. He was the
Noah Porter Professor of
Philosophical Theology at Yale
Divinity School. He also taught
at Augsburg, Gustavus Adolphus
College, and for 14 years at the
University of Minnesota. He is
survived by his wife of 60 years,
Phyllis; a daughter, Leanna
Wren; two sons, Jonathan
(Cathy) and Paul (Suzanne); and
a granddaughter, Nayla.
AUGSBURG MILESTONES
Archive photo
Rev. Lynn Hanson Luthard
’36, Paynesville, Minn., died in
September; he was 90. After
graduating from Augsburg
Seminary in 1939 (also the alma
mater of his father, the Rev.
Louis T. Hanson ’11), he legally
changed his name from Luthard
E. Hanson, and was later
ordained as a pastor in Fortuna,
N.Dak. Prior to his retirement in
1979, he served parishes for over
65 years, including those in
Wisconsin, Minnesota, North
Dakota, and Iowa. He served as
an interim and supply pastor for
nine years after his retirement.
He was preceded by his wife of
62 years, Thelma, who died just
four months before Lynn, and by
his daughter, Grace Moore
Meske, who died at age 48. He is
survived by two daughters, Lois
(Charles) Anderson ’65 and
Twila (John) Edmunds ’71; six
grandchildren; and one greatgrandson.
November 8 marked the 70th anniversary of the first annual
Augsburg Alumni Association banquet.
Fall 2004
CCalendar
ALENDAR
Music
For more information on any of these
events (unless otherwise noted), call
612-330-1265
December 22-25
Special Advent Vespers Telecast
Special one-hour broadcast of the 25th
anniversary Advent Vespers celebration
on Twin Cities Public Television
Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. (TPT2); Dec. 23 at 2
a.m. (TPT2); Dec. 25 at 10 a.m. (TPT2)
and 7 p.m. (TPT17)
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Opening reception: Jan. 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Gallery talk: Jan. 27, noon
February 11
“Wearable Resistance,” by Mary
Laurel True
Christensen Center Gallery
Opening reception: Jan. 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Mary Robinson, former United Nations
high commissioner for human rights
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1006
February 25-April 3
February 11-12
“Meditating on Seasons and Light,”
paintings by Joonja Lee Mornes
17th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Opening reception: Feb. 25, 5-7 p.m.
January 12-17
Sculpture by Karen Searle
Gospel Praise Tour
Christensen Center Gallery
Opening reception: Feb. 25, 5-7 p.m.
Performances in southeastern Minnesota
and northern Iowa
February 4
2005 Music Listening Contest
Annual music listening contest featuring
teams of 100 Minnesota-area high school
students
1-5 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1180
February 15
Michael Jacobs Concert
Native American recording artist
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1144
Theatre
Feb. 4-13
Romeo and Juliet
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Martha Johnson
Feb. 4, 5, 9, 10, and 12 at 7 p.m. and
Feb. 6 and 13 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater, Foss Center
For tickets, call 612-330-1257
Exhibits
January 14-February 18
“Voice To Vision: Holocaust Survivors
Share Their Experiences Through Art”
A collaborative project directed by David
Feinberg
Seminars,
Lectures, and
Films
January 17
Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation:
“Building Peace in our Community”
Victoria Jackson Gray Adams: spiritual,
social, political, and civil rights activist
1 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1006
Nobel Peace Prize Forum Convocation:
“Finding Security in an Unsecure World”
This year Augsburg hosts the annual
two-day forum, which will honor 2003
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi
For information, call 612-330-1383
February 16
“Outsiders Within”
Jane Jeong Trenka ’95, awardwinning author
10:20 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1006
Other Events
January 24
Fine Arts Night
January 29
High school students are invited to visit
campus and meet the admissions and fine
arts departments
5-8:30 p.m.—Christensen Center and
Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1585
Connections: A Women’s
Leadership Event
February 5
8 a.m.-1 p.m.—Thrivent Financial
Corporate Offices, Minneapolis
For information:
www.augsburg.edu/alumni/connections
February 10
10th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Festival
This one-day festival is designed to
connect students in grades K-12 with
Nobel laureates; this year’s festival
honors 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Shirin Ebadi
For information, call 612-330-1383
Pan-Afrikan Student Union Fashion
Show
7 p.m.—East Commons, Christensen
Center
For information, call 612-330-1022
February 17
Graduate Programs Discovery Evening
Prospective graduate students are invited
to enjoy a meal, sample a course, and meet
with graduate program faculty and staff
5:30-8:30 p.m.—Christensen Center
For information, call 612-330-1150
See the alumni calendar on p. 29 for additional events
Send us your news
and photos!
Please tell us about the news in
your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget
to send photos!
For news of a death, printed
notice is required, e.g. an
obituary, funeral notice, or
program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or
change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes,
Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
MN, 55454, or e-mail to
<alumni@augsburg.edu>.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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If yes, class year_______________
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Show less
A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Spring/Summer 2004
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 66, No. 3-4
LLetters
ETTERS
Editor’s note
I
n 1924, at a time of many changes
brought by the expansion of
Augsburg’s academic program and the
introduction of women stud... Show more
A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Spring/Summer 2004
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 66, No. 3-4
LLetters
ETTERS
Editor’s note
I
n 1924, at a time of many changes
brought by the expansion of
Augsburg’s academic program and the
introduction of women students,
Augsburgian editor Caleb Quanbeck
wrote, “Now that we are increasing in
numbers and have developed more
comprehensive curricula will we be
willing to assume the responsibilities
which come with the greater Augsburg?”
(See Auggie Thoughts, p. 44.)
Over the years there is little doubt
that the response has always been a
resounding “yes.”
As readers 80 years from now look
back to this day and what is being
written about the launching of the
largest fundraising campaign in
Augsburg’s history, I surmise they will
note the same sense of watershed in the
College’s life. Augsburg’s tradition of
excellence and vision for educating in
the sciences necessitates a new center
and upgrade to the existing half-centuryold facilities. Our men’s and women’s
athletic programs have no further
capacity to stretch their space. We seek
the addition of facilities on campus to
help us nourish and grow the
partnerships we’ve built in our
neighborhood and community. And, to
continue to make an Augsburg
education available to many students,
the endowment must grow.
Through Augsburg Now, news and
stories about the campaign, Access to
Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg
College, will be featured in a newsletter
called Vision. In this issue, a special
edition of Vision presents an overview of
the campaign as well as stories about the
generosity of donors who have already
made significant contributions and about
students who benefit from it.
This year also marks a change in
leadership on Augsburg’s Board of
Regents. The six-year tenure of board
chair Kathy Tunheim provided vision
and direction for Augsburg to leap into
national limelight as an innovator in
education. For the first time in 40 years
a graduate of Augsburg, Jean Taylor ’85,
takes over the reins of leadership. Their
perspectives on the College, its mission,
and their roles are included in this issue.
Other features offer different
glimpses of service reflected in
Augsburg’s motto, Education for Service.
Jean Housh, wife of regent emeritus
Allen Housh, brought to us a story she
wrote about “Major” Bowen, a
remarkable high school student and
current Augsburg student, who has faced
the greatest of challenges in recovery
from a devastating brain injury. With the
compassion and commitment of
Augsburg staff and faculty working
with his family, he was able to begin a
college career.
Stephanie Quick, an Augsburg
graduate and seminary student, is also
featured. Her efforts to collect donated
prom dresses—that most likely would
never be worn again—from parishioners
at her home church in the Twin Cities
and through her sister here at Augsburg,
brightened the lives of Native Alaskan
teenage girls who could not afford to
buy a dress for their special evening.
Editor Quanbeck wrote in 1924 that
he hoped The Augsburgian would be “an
instrument in helping people to realize
that our school is doing a great work, an
important work.” Augsburg continues
this great work, and we take pride in
sharing it with you in Augsburg Now.
Betsey Norgard
Editor
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
Spring/Summer 2004
Vol. 66, No. 3-4
Features
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Class Notes Coordinator
Sara Kamholz ’04
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
President
William V. Frame
6
18
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Postmaster: Send correspondence,
name changes, and address
corrections to: Augsburg Now,
Office of Public Relations and
Communication, 2211 Riverside
Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454.
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
Augsburg College, as affirmed
in its mission, does not
discriminate on the basis of race,
color, creed, religion, national or
ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual
orientation, marital status, status
with regard to public assistance,
or disability in its education
policies, admissions policies,
scholarship and loan programs,
athletic and/or school
administered programs, except
in those instances where religion
is a bona fide occupational
qualification. Augsburg College
is committed to providing
reasonable accommodations to
its employees and its students.
www.augsburg.edu
by Dan Jorgensen and Lynn Mena
Major Bowen: a story of
courage and determination
by Betsey Norgard
Director of Alumni and
Parent Relations
Amy Sutton
Director of Public Relations
and Communication
Dan Jorgensen
A change in leadership
A Major inspiration
by Jean Spielman Housh
24
A Quick connection to
prom dresses
16
Fourth Annual International
Photo Contest
21
From Flatanger to Augsburg:
A century apart by Betsey Norgard
23
Seeing abilities instead
of disabilities by Judy Petree
27
Commencement 2004
by Judy Petree
insert
Vision
1–20
The newsletter for Access to
Excellence: The Campaign for
Augsburg College
Departments
2
Around the Quad
10
Sports
12
Faculty/Staff Notes
34
Alumni News
36
Class Notes
43
In Memoriam
On the cover:
44
Auggie Thoughts
inside
back
cover
Homecoming Preview
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste)
Incoming first-year students in the
Summer Bridge program (see p. 3)
lined up in front of the wall
measuring progress for the new
$55 million campaign. In part, this
campaign ensures the availability
of an Augsburg education to a wide
variety of students.
(Photo by Stephen Geffre)
AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
Augsburg launches $55 million capital
campaign
Augsburg News Service
New Science Center needed to continue excellence in the sciences
O
n April 18 Augsburg kicked off a $55
million capital campaign—the most
ambitious fund-raising effort in its 135year history—to seek funding for two new
buildings, a major addition to a third, and
support for the endowment to help fund
scholarship opportunities for its students.
Access to Excellence: The Campaign
for Augsburg College seeks $37 million
for the three building projects, $13
million for growth to the endowment, and
$5 million in growth to the annual
operating fund. Nearly $30 million
already has been raised.
Individual gifts of at least $1 million
have come from James and Kathy
Haglund of Golden Valley, Minn.; Kinney
L. Johnson ’65, of Boulder, Colo., Jean
Taylor ’85 and Roger Griffith ’84 and the
Glen A. Taylor Foundation; and Alan
Rice of St. Paul.
The centerpiece in the campaign will
be a new Science Center and renovation of
the College’s existing Science Hall, built in
1949. The project will both strengthen
Augsburg’s tradition of excellence in the
sciences and help expand science learning
for both its own students and the
community. The 58,000 square-foot
Science Center will include teaching and
research laboratories and three multi-use
halls that will be used for classes, guest
speakers, and community events.
Renovation of the existing Science Hall,
which will connect via skyway to the new
building, will bring all of the science and
mathematics programs together into one
dynamic and interactive facility.
“This new facility will be extremely
important to Augsburg’s commitment to
the health sciences,” noted President
2
William Frame. The center will provide
space to help K-12 students explore
careers in health science and solidly
support Minnesota’s biomedical
technology sector through the high quality
education of talented science and math
majors steeped in Augsburg’s liberal arts
tradition. And, thanks to a planning grant
from the State of Minnesota, architectural
planning for the facility incorporates
multiple “green” features in an
environmentally responsible structure.
The second major campaign project is
the construction of a Gateway Building on
Riverside Avenue. The
building will serve as
headquarters for both the
College’s Alumni Center
and its award-winning
Center for Service, Work,
and Learning.
It also will house StepUP, Augsburg’s
program for students in recovery,
providing both residential and counseling
space for the program. And, it will have
space for retail opportunities to serve both
the campus and the surrounding CedarRiverside community, including the
University of Minnesota—in a model of
public and private economic development
for the neighborhood.
A third building project is a major
addition to Melby Hall, the College’s main
athletic facility. The project will address
pressing space shortages for Augsburg’s
academic, intercollegiate, and recreational
programs; it will provide classroom,
workout, and competitive space, including
a new Greco-Roman wrestling center,
funded in part through a $1 million gift
from Alan Rice of St. Paul.
Funding for the endowment will focus
on four key areas: several new faculty
chairs and professorships, new endowed
scholarships to provide access to students
from a wide range of backgrounds,
program support, and staff development.
Augsburg’s first endowed chair, initiated
through the campaign, will be named in
memory of Bernhard M. Christensen,
president of the College from 1938-62.
Growth in The Augsburg Fund, the
unrestricted annual giving fund, will be
used by the College to meet its most
pressing day-to-day needs.
The five-year campaign, which began
its “quiet phase” in fiscal year 2001 will
run through 2006, the same year the
College hopes to break ground on the new
Science Center and Gateway Building.
Giving toward the campaign has been
broad-based with nearly 70 gifts of more
than $100,000 already pledged.
The campaign was kicked off—
literally—on the Edor Nelson Athletic
Field by College officials and hundreds of
alumni, staff, and friends at a community
festival on April 18. The festivities
included a basketball youth clinic led by
University of Arizona head coach Lute
Olson ’56, a hockey clinic led by
Minnesota Wild Wes Walz, music and
theatre performances, children’s book
readings, and science demonstrations. The
evening prior to the festival, donors were
entertained at a gala dinner.
Augsburg’s last major campaign, the
21st Century Fund, raised $64 million
from 1989 to 1997, with the $15 million
James G. Lindell Family Library as its
centerpiece.
Read about Access to Excellence: The
Campaign for Augsburg College in
Vision, the campaign newsletter,
beginning after p. 22.
Campaign goal—$55 million
Capital projects . . . .$37 million
• Science Center and renovation
• Gateway Building
• Melby Hall expansion
Endowment . . . . . . .$13 million
Annual Fund . . . . . . .$5 million
Spring/Summer 2004
Around the Quad
Dennis Barker—coach to
world-class runners
Congratulations, faculty!
Promotion to professor
by Betsey Norgard
A
ugsburg’s head track and crosscountry coach Dennis Barker spent
two weeks in California this summer,
but hardly on vacation. His trip took
him to Sacramento for the 2004 U.S.
Olympic Team Trials in track and field
where 10 of the runners he coaches
hoped to earn a place in the Athens
games.
As a head coach for Team USA
Minnesota, Barker has garnered national
attention for the caliber of elite athletes
who come to Minnesota to train with
him—among them Carrie Tollefson, a
native of Dawson, Minn., who became
an NCAA-champion at Villanova, and is
close to being an Olympian.
In an article published in the
Minneapolis Star Tribune prior to the
trials and distributed nationally by the
Associated Press, Barker is noted for his
holistic approach to training, focusing
Team USA Minnesota head coach Dennis
Barker checks the time for one of his elite
runners during training.
4
on bringing together all of a runner’s
“physical, emotional, psychological, and
spiritual resources.”
Barker coaches Team USA Minnesota
at the University of Minnesota track
facility and crafts the training to fit each
runner’s strengths and needs. His
runners trust him implicitly, and the
notice being taken of him in the running
world attests to this.
In Sacramento, Tollefson failed to
qualify in her best event, 5,000 meters,
but won the qualifying trials in the 1,500
meters. She has one more “trial,”
however, since Olympic rules require a
minimum qualifying time, which she
will have to meet by early August in
order to compete in Athens.
Another of Barker’s runners, Katie
McGregor, came in fourth in the 10,000
meters, but may reach the top three team
if one of them chooses not to compete in
that event.
During the spring, Team USA’s
training sometimes overlapped with
Augsburg’s track team practices. “It’s
really not much different from coaching
our athletes at Augsburg,” says Barker.
“All the basic things apply. I think this
has really helped the Augsburg runners,
because they see what these levels of
athletes do, how they apply their
training, and how they believe in
themselves and what they can
accomplish.”
For the Augsburg athletes, the elite
runners were an inspiration. “We often
shared training time together and were
able to see how hard work and
dedication pay off at whatever running
level you are,” said Becky Welle ’05, a
member of Augsburg’s cross country and
track and field teams.
“Each runner is unique with different
goals and expectations, and Dennis does
an amazing job in challenging all of his
athletes to be their best, whether they
compete at Division III level or for the
Olympics.”
Joseph Erickson
Education
Beverly Stratton
Religion
Promotion to associate professor
Nicholas Coult
Mathematics
Susan Nash
Nursing
Tenure and promotion to
team associate professor
Jeanine Gregoire
Education and Physics
Robert Groven
Communication Studies
Ashok Kapoor
Business Administration
Joseph Underhill-Cady
Political Science
Tenure granted
Cheryl Leuning
Nursing
Spring/Summer 2004
Ron Palosaari retires from long tenure
R
onald Palosaari,
professor of
English, began 39
years of
distinguished service
to the College in
1965, when he
joined the English
faculty as an
instructor.
He obtained bachelor’s degrees in both
English and divinity from Bethel College
and Bethel Seminary, respectively. After
three years as a pastor he returned to
graduate school, completing a master’s
degree in English and a doctorate in
American studies with an emphasis on
American literature at the University of
Minnesota. Prior to coming to Augsburg,
he was a college instructor in Wisconsin
and Minnesota.
Over the years, Palosaari successfully
merged his professional fields of English
and theology with an interest in society
and social change.
His sabbatical research in 1994 was
also the topic of a lecture he presented at
the Augsburg Associates’ 1994 spring
seminar: “Jesus and Women.” It was
Palosaari’s opinion that Jesus was a
revolutionary: “He was very different from
the typical Middle Eastern male of his
time, an area which continues to be one of
the most gender-bound regions of the
world,” said Palosaari.
Palosaari has remained an active
member of several professional
organizations and has served as a
consultant for area businesses—always
making use of his community contacts to
enhance his teaching. He has read papers
and conducted workshops at state,
regional, and national conventions.
In addition, Palosaari has shared his
love of travel with the Augsburg
community, hosting Alumni Association
tours such as the “Spectacular
Scandinavia” tour in 1995 in honor of the
College’s 125th anniversary. He has also
traveled to London on four occasions to
teach drama.
Palosaari has long been a favorite
professor among students. He has received
the Outstanding Faculty Award multiple
times, an award given by graduating
seniors to honor classroom teaching.
“Ron Palosaari’s extensive knowledge
brought to life not only literary works but
the periods in which they were written,
offering students a more complete sense
of an author’s challenges, triumphs, and
place in history,” said Kathy Fagen, an
Augsburg Weekend College admissions
assistant/counselor and current student.
Farewell to Ginger Currey
A
fter working
for 15 years in
the Department of
Business
Administration as
office manager and
administrative
assistant, Virginia
“Ginger” Currey
retired from
Augsburg in January.
Currey was the first full-time office
manager in the department, the largest
academic department at the College, that
graduates over 200 students per year. She
worked under three department chairs—
Spring/Summer 2004
by Lynn Mena
“Lectures were delivered with a passion
that reflected his love for the academic
discipline to which he devoted his life.
For students fortunate enough to have
taken one of his classes, this passion for
literature was nothing short of
contagious.”
English professor Douglas Green
fondly recalls Palosaari’s “Ask Ron”
column in the Echo.
“Ron’s column in the Echo was
certainly essential to his enormous
contribution to the life of the College over
the years,” said Green. “In this column, he
satirized just about every aspect of College
life and of Augsburg’s various crises, as
well as his own character, during his long
tenure as an English professor.”
Palosaari’s future plans include to
“grow much older” and to “continue
playing tennis without a backhand, bridge
without a clue, and Scrabble despite being
the weakest speller in the English
department.”
“I loved teaching students who were
brighter and harder working than I ever
was—and I always had some of those,”
said Palosaari. “I got a special pleasure
when students admitted they were starting
to really like poetry, usually against their
better judgment.”
by Betsey Norgard
Amin Kader, Milo Schield, and John
Cerrito.
On January 29, at her retirement
reception, she was presented with a plaque
that summarizes the appreciation of her
colleagues.
“As business department office
manager, Ginger established
administration procedures that each
academic year set the standards for serving
the needs of over 40 faculty members and
hundreds of business administration
students,” the plaque reads. “Over her
many years of services to Augsburg
College, Ginger earned the admiration of
students, staff, and faculty. For 15 years,
Ginger was the mainstay of the Business
Administration Department. She was a
dedicated colleague and a good friend.”
The plaque doesn’t list the myriad
other duties that Currey took on to assist
the faculty, e.g., proctoring tests at the last
minute, meeting visiting professors at the
airport, and taking the extra steps to help
students get the classes they need.
Currey was also honored by the
College as an Outstanding Employee in
2000, nominated by her department. Her
commitment to community service
included collecting pop can tabs from
across the campus to benefit the Ronald
McDonald House.
5
A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP
AT ITS SPRING MEETING ON MAY 1, THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE BOARD OF REGENTS ELECTED
JEAN TAYLOR ’85 AS THE NEW CHAIR, TO SERVE A TWO-YEAR TERM. SHE SUCCEEDS KATHRYN
H. TUNHEIM, WHO IS RETIRING FROM A 12-YEAR BOARD TENURE, THE LAST SIX OF WHICH SHE
SERVED AS CHAIR.
TAYLOR IS A CO-CHAIR OF THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN CABINET THAT OVERSEES THE CURRENT $55
MILLION CAMPAIGN. SHE HAS ALSO SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE BOARD’S MARKETING
COMMITTEE AND A MEMBER ON THE REGENTS’ COMMITTEE.
OTHER OFFICERS ELECTED TO TWO-YEAR TERMS ARE H. THEODORE GRINDAL ’76, VICE CHAIR;
JOAN VOLZ ’68, TREASURER; AND TRACY ELFTMANN ’81, SECRETARY.
IN THESE STORIES, THE OUTGOING AND INCOMING BOARD CHAIRS SHARE PERSPECTIVES ON
BOARD LEADERSHIP, GOALS FOR AUGSBURG, AND THE AGENDA FOR THE COMING TERM.
A LEGACY OF
INSPIRED
GOVERNANCE
athy Tunheim likes to say that
serving as the chair of a board of a
college like Augsburg is a lot more like
being a shepherd than a boss. And that,
she adds, has been the key to helping
shape a shared governance model that
Augsburg has embraced, and that she
believes other colleges and universities
across the nation will strive to emulate in
the decade ahead.
Tunheim has just completed six years
as chair of the Augsburg Board of
Regents during a period that has seen the
College erupt from what President
William Frame once termed “militant
modesty,” onto the regional and national
scene as an innovative, forward-moving
institution. And, despite Tunheim’s own
modesty in describing her leadership of
the board, Frame said it has been
Tunheim’s vision and leadership that can
be ascribed to much of the impetus of
the College’s movement.
K
Kathryn H. Tunheim
by Dan Jorgensen
“Kathy Tunheim is, in the language
of one of her admirers, ‘prismatically
excellent’,” he said. “That is certainly
apt as a description of her work as
counselor to me, especially in respect to
the Augsburg 2004 vision.”
Tunheim said the feeling is mutual.
“Those of us serving on the Board of
Regents have learned that one of the
most important things a college
governing board can do is to take very
seriously the role we play in the
selection and performance of the
president. I’m proud of the work of the
president and pleased by the board’s
partnership with the administration.
But another less visible challenge has
been transforming the work of the
board itself. An institution’s lifeblood is
its faculty and students—management,
great staff, and volunteer leadership, in
general, are critical. But so, too, is
effective governance.
BUILDING A SHARED
GOVERNANCE
“During these years of my chairmanship,
I feel that our board, the faculty, and the
administration have come to terms with
our commitment to a healthy shared
governance model. It gives the board a
better sense of ‘who’s in charge here?’—
because now we know that at a college
everybody is! Bill Frame has been
masterful in helping all of us—board,
administration, and faculty—understand
this shared governance model. It’s what
makes colleges really work; it’s unlike the
governance work that occurs in business,
so it’s been a great learning experience
for all of us as regents.”
Just prior to becoming chair, Tunheim
served on the search committee that
brought not only Bill but also Anne
Frame to the College. “We got a
wonderful, dynamic duo in the Frames,”
she said. “Anne’s professionalism and
understanding of the needs and functions
of the school make her not only a great
partner for Bill, but a great asset for this
institution.”
continued on page 8
6
Spring/Summer 2004
AN ALUMNA’S
CALL TO LEADERSHIP
Jean Taylor ’85
s the newly elected chair of the
Augsburg Board of Regents, Jean
Taylor, president of Taylor Corporation,
brings to the seat not only a broad base
of knowledge and enthusiasm, but also
the valuable perspective that comes with
being an Augsburg alumna—an
association that distinguishes her from
the past several chairs, and which clearly
fills her with equal measures of pride,
purpose, and calling.
“I approach this opportunity not as
something that I sought, for indeed I did
not,” says Taylor, who received a B.A. in
business administration in 1985. “Rather,
I truly believe that I was called to do
this. It will for me be a tremendous
challenge in many, many ways. At the
same time, I am convinced that it will be
one of the most rewarding and enriching
things I will ever do.
“I believe that in the coming two
years I will discover much more about
my own gifts, as well as how to
strengthen their use,” continues Taylor.
“I am humbled to have this opportunity
to return the favor to Augsburg through
A
Spring/Summer 2004
by Lynn Mena
my leadership—this place has changed
my life in so many positive ways and I
will always be indebted to this college.
The history of Augsburg is rich, storied,
and full of successes, and I will focus my
energy on making the next two years the
best ever in this college’s history.”
Taylor, who has served on the board
since 1994, is also co-chair of Augsburg’s
Capital Campaign Cabinet, which
oversees the College’s newly announced
$55 million campaign—Access to
Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg
College. During her board tenure, she
has chaired the Marketing Committee,
and served on both the Regents’ and
Executive committees. She also holds an
M.B.A. in management support systems
from the Carlson School of Management
at the University of Minnesota, earned in
1988. In addition to her board
leadership at Augsburg, she is active in a
number of other community and nonprofit organizations—all while raising a
one- and a three-year-old with her
husband, Roger Griffith ’84, who serves
as chief financial officer of the
Minnesota Timberwolves and chief
operating officer of the Minnesota Lynx
professional basketball teams.
“This is a wonderful ‘fit,’ not only
from my point of view, but from our—
the College’s—point of view,” says
President William V. Frame. “Having
Jean Taylor as the next chair feels right,
seems right, and is right.
“Jean has grown remarkably in
management acumen during her 10
years as an Augsburg regent,” continues
Frame. “This growth was recognized by
her peers as a solid supplement to her
notable collegiality and personal
commitment to her alma mater. I am
very glad of the prospect of serving with
her over the next two years to
accomplish the work to which we have
agreed—to clarify and extend the College
vision and to strengthen the integrity of
the Augsburg brand.”
SERVING THE
COLLEGE
Taylor organizes her goals as board chair
under the framework of two distinct
paths—those that serve the College, and
those that serve the regents.
“Looking at it from this perspective, I
see three critical things that the College
needs from me as board chair to
accomplish over the next two years,”
says Taylor.
“One is to continue to extend
Augsburg 2004 [the College’s vision
document], not only in a way that
supports the work that professors Mark
Engebretson and Joan Griffin are doing
in terms of refining that vision and
taking it farther into the future. But also
in terms of taking Augsburg 2004 deeper
within the Augsburg community, so that
as a whole we can all enjoy greater
ownership and understanding of that
strategy, and so that we’re able to share
this strategy more broadly with our
larger community.
“When I talk about community, I
believe Augsburg’s community has many
layers,” continues Taylor. “There’s
certainly the immediate and very
important campus and Cedar-Riverside
community that surrounds us, but there’s
also the Minneapolis community, the
Twin Cities community, and the
Minnesota and Upper Midwest
community. And I think as one considers
Augsburg’s vision, we really also think
about ourselves as part of the world
community.”
Taylor’s second goal is to steer the
capital campaign toward a successful
continued on page 9
7
A LEGACY OF
INSPIRED GOVERNANCE (CONTINUED…)
During Tunheim’s three terms as chair,
the institution successfully added many
new programs and partnerships,
established a branch campus in
Rochester, embarked on its first major
capital campaign, reached new highs in
enrollment at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels, and more fully
engaged its alumni—something she has
worked toward from the moment she
took a seat on the board. “It should not
be lost on our alumni, by the way, that
up until Jean Taylor’s recent election as
board chair, the past six chairs have all
been non-alumni,” Tunheim said.
RAISING
E X P E C TAT I O N S O F
AUGSBURG
“When I first joined the board, I think
the College was ranked lowest among
the ELCA colleges in terms of alumni
philanthropy. So my goal was to find a
way to help change attitudes and set a
collective expectation of ourselves as
stewards of the school. I wanted alumni
to think in terms of giving back: serving
on the board, being partners in all that
we needed and wanted to do.
“I remember having breakfast in
1998 with the woman who was then
chair of the College’s alumni association.
I could clearly see she was frustrated, so
I asked her, ‘What is it that you want
from the College?’ Her answer was clear
and immediate: ‘We want a degree from
Augsburg to be more valuable in the
future than it was when we got it.’
Together, I think we’ve been committed
to ensuring that we create that future—
and we all agree how important the
College’s alumni are to making it
happen.”
Tunheim noted that when people
look across the nation and point out the
strongest higher education institutions,
they are always the ones that have
engaged, passionately loyal alumni.
8
“Augsburg has a lot of passionate and
loyal alums,” she said, “but in the past
we didn’t always find a way to engage
them. But now, especially with Jean’s
election, there are some great role models
in terms of what alumni can and should
do for their school.
AT T R A C T E D B Y
MISSION AND
VISION
“Having said that, I also want to point out
that non-alums like me have seen
something in Augsburg that attracted us to
the mission and vision. That’s a tribute to
Augsburg and its past leadership. My
message about Augsburg to the
marketplace is this: Augsburg College will
be more important in the future landscape
of higher education than it has ever been,
because its strengths will serve the future
needs of the community so well. But
institutionally, we’re not ready to meet all
the needs that will come to us—financially,
or in terms of buildings and infrastructure.
Our responsibility is to make sure that the
College IS ready to serve as it is called to
serve.”
Tunheim, who is a graduate of the
University of Minnesota and CEO of
Tunheim Partners, a leading Twin Cities
public relations firm, first came to
Augsburg in the late 1980s to talk about
how the College
might improve its
relationship with the
city of Minneapolis.
At the time, the city
seemed to be courting
institutions like St.
Thomas, while
Augsburg, already
well-established and
involved in the city,
was being ignored.
“I was struck by
the many fine
programs the College
had and how little was known about
them. As a professional in public relations,
I was intrigued by what might be done to
share that story. That’s what first attracted
me to the board.” When President Charles
Anderson decided to step down due to an
illness, she was asked to lead the search
committee for the new president, but
declined initially, citing business
obligations. But neither Anderson nor
Barbara Gage, who was then board chair,
would take ‘no’ for an answer. “Barbara
told me that this is what I needed to do,
that when you’re asked to do something
for which you’re a good fit, you need to
respond to the call.”
Other highlights of her three terms,
she said, were developing a better
understanding and working relationship
with members of Augsburg’s
Corporation—the four Lutheran synods
that “own” the institution; establishing the
Regents’ Committee, a group that has
been key to evaluating who is on the
board, what their expectations are, and
how new board members are recruited;
and working with the president on setting
a clear vision of what the College is and
where it wants to go.
“I was honored to be asked to serve on
this board, and then to serve as chair, but
I’m also extremely excited about where
this College is now heading,” she said.
“While other schools are working to
discern their uniqueness or their future,
Augsburg is already there. The light
coming from Augsburg is inspiring
already—I have no doubts about its
strength and constancy.” ■
Spring/Summer 2004
AN ALUMNA’S
CALL TO LEADERSHIP(
CONTINUED…)
conclusion, and third, to start the search
for the next Augsburg president.
“It is so critical to find the right
leadership for the College,” says Taylor.
“Augsburg has been absolutely blessed
with incredible leadership in terms of its
presidents, and I think Bill Frame has
done a remarkable job during his tenure.
So, we really need to establish a process
to make sure that we find a new
president who is truly called to be the
next president of Augsburg and continue
the legacy that has been created.”
“And this goal is about helping board
members to really understand their role
and to understand more about the
College, and putting each regent in
appropriate leadership positions, so that
not only two years from now, but five
years from now we’ll have a group of
regents able to utilize their talents to
their highest capability.”
SERVING THE BOARD
Professionally, Taylor has an outstanding
track record in leadership development.
At Taylor Corporation, where she served
first as vice president of development
before becoming president in 2001, she
has led several successful initiatives to
revitalize and restate the organization’s
core purpose and core values, formalize
leadership development, alter its
approach and philosophy to the role and
use of information technology, and
encourage and promote women in
leadership roles.
In 1998, CityBusiness magazine cited
Taylor’s commitment to networking
opportunities for women in business
When Taylor looks at how her election
as board chair can specifically serve the
regents, she cites two main goals,
beginning with a pledge to continue the
work of outgoing chair Kathy Tunheim.
“Kathy has done incredible things
with this board,” says Taylor. “One
aspect that she has undertaken that I
would like to continue is to refine the
governance roles at the College. I see
three components to that leadership—the
regents play a key role, as do both the
administration and the faculty. I think
there’s still critical work to do in terms of
refining how these three leadership
components work together—where do
each of us take the lead responsibility,
and where do we stand alongside the
others in order to ensure that the College
achieves its vision?
“The second piece relative to the
regents that I’ll focus on over the next
couple of years is determining how we
can most effectively utilize the talents of
our regents,” continues Taylor. “We have
an incredibly active and engaged group
of regents; every time I’m in a full board
meeting, I look around the room and I
am just amazed and blessed that I’m
sitting in this room with these incredible
people whom I learn from all the time,
and who put all this time and devotion
into the College.
Spring/Summer 2004
O U T S TA N D I N G
BUSINESS
LEADERSHIP
when it selected her as one of its “40
under 40,” a prestigious group of 40
business professionals who have achieved
distinction and risen quickly in their
fields—and who are all under the age
of 40.
Prior to joining her father, Glen
Taylor, at Taylor Corporation in 1994,
Taylor was senior vice president of E.W.
Blanch Co., a global reinsurance
intermediary.
As Taylor embarks on her two-year
term as chair of the Board of Regents, it
also represent her final years of a 12-year
tenure as a board member.
“Over the last 10 years I’ve learned so
much about the history and the
foundation of the College and where it
came from,” says Taylor. “It’s incredibly
satisfying for me to see the linkage
between what the founders of Augsburg
envisioned and all that Augsburg has
accomplished over the ensuing 135
years—and then to witness how we’re
currently extending that vision.
“I am so impressed by the history of
the College, and at the same time I am so
excited about its future, because I think
that Augsburg is positioning itself to
have an even greater impact on its
community. I’m incredibly proud to be
an alumna of the College, and my pride
continues to grow because I know that
this college is just going to get better and
better—our diamond is really going to
shine.” ■
9
Sports
Wrestlers, track, and women’s hockey lead a
solid year for Auggie athletics
by Don Stoner
A
Division III second-place finish by the
wrestling team, which tied both
NCAA and school records with four
individual champions and nine AllAmericans, respectively, and standout
seasons for the track and field and
women’s hockey teams paced a solid year
for Auggie athletics.
Senior Joe Moon earned the
Outstanding Wrestler honors after scoring
a 13-6 upset of top-ranked and four-time
All-American Eduard Aliakseynka of
Montclair State (N.J.) in the 174-pound
national finals.
Sophomore Marcus LeVesseur
extended his school-record winning streak
to 84 straight matches, finishing 40-0 and
winning his second straight national title
at 157. Juniors Mark Matzek, at 133, and
Matt Shankey, at 125, each claimed a first
national crown. The Auggies also finished
third in the NWCA Scholar All-America
Team program with a 3.39 team grade
point average, the seventh straight top 10
ranking. Augsburg leads the nation with
81 NWCA Scholar All-Americans since
1983.
Augsburg’s women’s hockey team,
under coach Jill Pohtilla, finished 15-10-2
overall, 10-6-2 in MIAC play, earning a
spot in the playoffs for the second season
in a row. The Auggies closed with an eightgame unbeaten streak, going 9-2-2 in their
final 13 games before ending with a 6-5,
double-overtime loss to St. Thomas in the
MIAC semifinals, a game played in a
conference-record 96:09.
Senior Annie Annunziato led the team
with 36 points and was named to the
Division III JOFA All-American West
Region team, joining juniors Lauren
Chezick and Melynda Kleewein on the AllMIAC first team. Freshman Stacy
Anderson earned honorable-mention and
All-Rookie recognition.
And track and field, led by sprinters
Mathew Shannon, Tonnisha Bell, and
Alana Carter; hammer-thrower Jon Dahlin;
and distance runners Ellen Waldow,
Hannah Dietrich, and Angie Bergeson had
10
two All-American honors, eight MIAC
titles, and 24 school records.
At the MIAC indoors, Shannon, a
senior, and Bell, a sophomore, earned Most
Outstanding Performance honors.
Shannon also earned MIAC Most
Outstanding Indoor Track Athlete and
USA Track and Field Minnesota Athlete of
the Month honors, winning the men’s 400meter dash in a record :48.78. He also won
the 55-meter dash and set or tied school
records in the 55 and 200. Bell, Waldow,
Dietrich, and Bergeson combined on the
All-American distance medley relay team,
finishing seventh nationally, and Bell set
school and MIAC records in the 200
(:25.52 ), shattering the meet record by
nearly a half-second.
Senior Jon Dahlin won the hammer
throw title and set a school record at 54.01
meters (177-feet, 2-inches). Waldow won
the 800 in a school-record 2:16.36,
breaking a mark set earlier by Bergeson.
Waldow and Bergeson joined teammates
Amy Mackner and Dietrich in winning the
3200-relay.
In other 2003-04 sports highlights:
• Augsburg finished with a 5-5 record (4-4
in the MIAC) in football, and 13-year
head coach Jack Osberg became the alltime win leader with 60. Osberg’s teams
have had seven .500-or-above seasons,
second only to Edor Nelson’s eight .500or-above seasons.
Auggie runner since 2001 to earn AllMIAC honors, with a 5,000-meter time
of 19:24.
• Under co-coaches Troy Nygaard and
Laura Levi, Augsburg produced its finest
women’s golf season in history. The
Auggies tied their previous best-finish at
the Minnesota Women’s Collegiate Golf
Association championships—10th
against all of the state’s Division II and
Division III programs. Freshman Marisa
Navarro blistered school records with a
85.63, 18-hole stroke average, and a 12th
place finish in the MWCGA meet.
• The men golfers—with just one
senior—finished with a 314 spring
stroke average, under 16th-year head
coach Brian Ammann. The team was
fifth in the MIAC, led by freshman Erik
Helgerson, who earned all-MIAC with a
36-hole total of 154.
• In women’s basketball, center Selina
Theisen led both scoring and rebounding
at 17.1 and 10, respectively, and was the
only freshman selected to the 16-player
All-MIAC first team. Theisen also was
selected to the conference’s All-Rookie
team, was named to the D3hoops.com
All-West Region third team, and was
named to the Freshman All-American
team by Women’s DIII News.
• Head coach Mike Navarre’s women’s
soccer team finished 11-5-2 overall (5-42 in the MIAC), tied for the second-best
record in school history. Sophomores
Millie Suk and Nora Austin were named
to the All-MIAC team. Senior Laura
Hoffman closed her career as one of the
school’s best goalkeepers, recording a 114-2 record, seven shutouts and a 0.95
goals-against-average.
• Under first-year coach Keith Bateman,
the young Augsburg baseball squad
finished 16-22 (7-13 in the MIAC),
nearly doubling its overall victory total
from each of the previous two seasons.
Sophomore pitcher Jeremy Nelson (allMIAC) had a 5-4 record and 2.91
earned-run average, throwing six
complete games, striking out 33, and
allowing only 15 walks and a .269
opponent batting average.
• Augsburg’s cross country teams logged
29 personal-best times (19 women and
10 men). Ellen Waldow became the first
Don Stoner is sports information coordinator
in the Office of Public Relations and
Communication.
Spring/Summer 2004
Five senior athletes are honored
F
ive senior student-athletes received
Augsburg athletic awards for the
2003-04 school year. Three Auggies
were named Honor Athletes, the highest
honor the College gives its senior
student-athletes—Melissa Lee, Brandon
Fox, and Mathew Shannon. Earning
Augsburg Senior Athlete of the Year
honors were Kristen Lideen and Joe
Moon. Lee was also given the Julie
Ellingson Leadership in Women’s
Athletics award, an honor given
periodically to female athletes who have
displayed qualities of outstanding
leadership and service to Auggie
athletics. The award is named for Julie
Ellingson ’98, a softball catcher who was
a devoted worker in many aspects of
Augsburg’s athletic department.
2003-04 HONOR ATHLETES
Brandon Fox
A three-year starter
and four-year
letterwinner in
football, Fox earned
All-Minnesota
Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference
second-team honors in both his junior
and senior seasons. His senior year, he
led the Auggies in tackles with 103. In
2003, he had the second-most tackles in
the MIAC and led both the conference
and team in tackles for loss. He added
2.5 sacks, two interceptions and two
fumble recoveries his senior year. He
was named the team’s Outstanding
Player on Defense, Most Valuable Player,
and earned the Edor Nelson Auggie
Award in 2003. A business management
major with a 3.63 GPA, Fox earned
Academic All-MIAC honors twice and
was named to the CoSIDA Academic
All-District second team in 2003.
Melissa Lee
Lee was a four-year starter in softball
and also played basketball for two
seasons at Augsburg. In softball, Lee will
Spring/Summer 2004
go down as one of
the “ironwomen” of
Auggie softball
history. Augsburg’s
third-baseman played
in every inning and
started every game of
her four-year
career—141 games, 141 starts, and 964
innings. She closed her career with a
.296 batting average and a.962 fielding
percentage. A health and physical
education major with a 3.507 GPA, Lee
has earned Academic All-MIAC and
National Fastpitch Coaches Association
Scholar Athlete honors three times. She
is a Student-Athlete Mentor, copresident of the Augsburg College
Education Students (ACES) program,
and has been active as a student worker
in many aspects of Augsburg’s athletics
program.
Mathew Shannon
A 17-time All-MIAC
performer, Shannon
became the first
Augsburg men’s track
and field athlete to
earn All-American
honors in both
indoor and outdoor events in the same
year in 2003 at the NCAA Division III
national championships. This season,
Shannon placed fifth in the indoor 400
at the national meet, and qualified for
the outdoor national meet in the 400. A
three-time MIAC titlist, Shannon earned
both the Outstanding Indoor
Championships Performance and Indoor
Track Athlete of the Year honors from
MIAC coaches this season. He also was
named USA Track and Field Minnesota
Co-Athlete of the Month in April. A
business and communication major with
a 3.155 GPA, Shannon has earned
Dean’s List honors. Shannon is also a
recipient of a Scholastic Connections
scholarship, which pairs students of
color with alumni mentors in the
community.
by Don Stoner
2003-04 SENIOR ATHLETES
Kristen Lideen
Lideen emerged as a
two-sport star at
Augsburg. In soccer,
Lideen earned AllMIAC honorablemention honors three
years in a row as one
of the top sweepers in the conference. In
softball, Lideen became one of
Augsburg’s best shortstops, holding
career school records in three different
categories—batting average (.444), hits
(175) and doubles (38)—while sitting
in the top 10 in school history in seven
other career listings. Lideen is one of
four players in school history to ever go
through a single season without a
strikeout. She earned All-Region and
All-MIAC first-team honors each of her
first three seasons in an Auggie uniform,
and earned All-MIAC honors her senior
year. In 2003, she earned NFCA AllAmerican honors. Lideen is a
philosophy major at Augsburg.
Joe Moon
Moon won his first
national title in
wrestling this season
with a dramatic upset
performance at the
Division III national
championships,
earning the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler
honors in the process. Moon finished 392 his senior season and 105-14 in his
three-season career at Augsburg. A twotime All-American in wrestling, Moon
finished fifth nationally last season at 174
and earned the team’s Outstanding
Freshman honors his first season at
Augsburg. A marketing major, Moon was
also a member of two academic national
wrestling teams at Augsburg.
Don Stoner is sports information
coordinator in the Office of Public
Relations and Communication.
11
Faculty/staff notes
Creating learning communities at Augsburg
F
rankie Shackelford, associate
Learning Community that
dean for teaching and learning
took a group of 12 students
enhancement, is a national
and the two professors to
resource leader in promoting the
museums in the Twin Cities,
concept of “learning
Chicago, and Baraboo, Wis.
communities,” and a key player
The subject matter was not the
in Augsburg’s development of
content of the museums, but
curricular learning communities.
rather how the museum
In 2000, Shackelford was
designed and arranged the
named one of 58 fellows of the
content and how that reflects
National Learning Communities
the society that created it.
Project (NLCP), funded by the
Their study was based around
Pew Charitable Trusts and
a text on this subject and
administered by the Washington
discussion with its author.
Center for Improving the Quality Associate dean Frankie Shackelford brings best practices from national
Shackelford’s continuing
learning community resources to Augsburg’s first-year program.
of Undergraduate Education at
commitment as a fellow of the
The Evergreen State College.
NLCP is to make site visits to
Since then, she has twice served
institutions who are
community links classes together for a
as a core resource person at NLCP’s
experimenting
with learning communities.
common group of students often across
summer institutes and presented at
Thus
far
she
has
held workshops and
academic disciplines and usually around a
professional meetings.
evaluated
programs
at Wofford College and
theme. Besides the faculty and students in
Last October, as part of a Midwestern
Cottey
College.
At
Augsburg
she is active
these classes, a learning community often
network of learning community leaders,
in
the
faculty-staff
task
force
on
includes academic advisers, residence life
Augsburg hosted one of 10 day-long
“Foundations of Excellence™,” whose
staff, student peer leaders, and staff from
Open Houses, where Shackelford and
work will lead to a strengthening of
campus support programs.
other Augsburg faculty and staff
learning communities in the first-year
While serving as co-director of
presented Augsburg’s first-year learning
curriculum. Augsburg was selected as one
professional development, Shackelford was
community program, helping others to
of 12 colleges in the Council of
instrumental in the design and
understand the concepts.
Independent Colleges (CIC) to participate
development of the eight-week Augsburg
As associate dean, Shackelford oversees
in this national study of ways to improve
Seminar for all incoming first-year
seven programs that promote student
the first college year. More information on
students, which was rolled out in fall 1998.
academic development and faculty/staff
this project is available at
This orientation seminar for new day
professional development.
<www.brevard.edu/fyfoundations>.
students is linked to one or two other
The concept of learning community
courses and includes student leaders as coinvites practices that bring together people
teachers to help answer students’ questions
NOTEWORTHY
and programs on campus to help students
about college life. The goal is to help
find more meaning in the curriculum, she
students transition to college life, connect
Tony Bibus, social work, was resays. The approach is an intentional
them to the larger campus community, and
appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to a
restructuring of students’ time, credit, and
help them become self-reflective learners.
four-year term on the Minnesota Board of
learning experiences to build community
Augsburg’s new Core Curriculum,
Social Work, which is responsible for
and to foster greater connections among
licensing and disciplining social workers.
launched last year, was inspired by the
students, students and their teachers, and
learning community model. “Learning
Trena Bolden, Pan-Afrikan Center, and
among disciplines. The learning
communities provide the impulse to make
Kenneth Turner, Student Support
community movement has broad reach
meaning across a student’s four years of
Services, attended the 28th Pan-African
across many kinds of educational
learning,” says Shackelford.
Leadership Conference at Minnesota State
institutions with over 500 colleges and
Co-curricular learning communities
University in Mankato in February, along
universities now registered at the
(outside of academic classes) have also
with students Hanna Habtemariam,
“Learning Commons” Web site
developed at Augsburg. Last year, under
Hamza Yusuf, Anthony Schaden,
(http://learningcommons.
the leadership of professors Phil Adamo
Robert Jones III, Dega Ali, and Audra
evergreen.edu).
and Lars Chrisiansen, the History and
Johnson.
In the curricular sense, a learning
Sociology Clubs formed a Museum
12
Spring/Summer 2004
The art of making events shine
by Betsey Norgard
J
odi Collen admits she
belonging that Augsburg alumni,
can’t go anywhere
parents, and donors feel as they
without noticing displays,
return to campus—including
the ways materials are used,
current students. “I want current
and how decorations are
students to feel connected, and to
arranged—in short, she
walk away feeling that they were
can’t turn off her job.
part of the event,” Collen says.
Collen is events
She seeks to work more
coordinator at Augsburg,
closely with faculty and staff
working in the Office of
from the get-go, offering ideas to
Events and Classroom
creatively plan the event from
Services. It’s her job—and
the beginning, to gain greater
her passion—to help make
consistency across all campus
every Augsburg event look
events.
professional, run efficiently,
Collen considers herself
Jodi Collen mixes a combination of inspiration, creativity, and purpose in
and communicate the right
lucky to know that events
planning major events at Augsburg.
messages.
planning is truly a calling and
Since coming to
part of her vocation. She can
While she entered the program for career
Augsburg two and a half years ago, she
trace that awareness to a keynote speech
development, she has found that her
feels lucky to say that she loves what she
by David Merrill, a leader in her field
own personal development has been
does—and she knows she can do it well.
(who has since become a friend and
more rewarding than prospects of career
Last year, Minnesota Meetings &
mentor), at the first special events
advancement. Her goal is someday to
Events magazine named her the 2003
conference she was invited to attend.
continue on for a Ph.D. and teach in the
“Up-and-Coming Special Events
“The minute he started speaking, I
industry.
Planner”; and the year before that, she
knew this is what I’m supposed to do,”
At Augsburg, she is responsible for
was named one of the top five women to
she says. Merrill connected her to the
planning
and managing summer
watch in the Minnesota events business.
right people and resources, and her
conferences, weddings and receptions,
She is currently president-elect of the
career took off.
and working with faculty and staff to
Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the
During the summer, in addition to
plan major campus events.
International Special Events Society.
managing summer events, Collen is
Collen looks forward to working
What put her over the top in
working with the alumni office to plan
more
closely with Augsburg faculty and
becoming noticed and in giving her
Augsburg’s 2004 Homecoming, “Spark
staff to plan the College’s major events.
confidence was the opportunity to plan a
Your Spirit,” to take place Oct. 2-9.
Her goal is to increase the sense of
major event last summer for her events
industry colleagues. With only months
to go before the annual conference of the
International Special Events Society to be
held in Minneapolis, Collen stepped in
to plan one of the major evening
events—a beach party. With the help of
four dumptruck-loads of donated sand
and lots of ingenuity, conference-goers
partied with hula hoops and parasoled
drinks on a sandy beach, with palm trees
and beach cabanas—all downtown in
Peavey Plaza.
Collen recently completed a Master
of Tourism and Administration degree at
George Washington University in
Washington, D.C., specializing in
conference and events management.
Spring/Summer 2004
13
Faculty/staff notes
Postcards from Italy
During February and March in the Christensen Center Gallery, art
professor John McCaffrey exhibited 34 oil paintings of the sultry
Italian landscape in the show “Postcards from Italy.” The paintings
are evocative recollections of a visit McCaffrey made to the country
several years ago.
Though small in size, the works are bold interpretations of some
of Italy’s most remarkable scenery and monuments. Captured in
the brushwork are narrow streets and sun-baked cobblestones of
old towns, the glory of Roman ruins, and the verdant beauty of
the rolling Tuscan hills. Even in these small sizes, McCaffrey’s
use of light to sculpt form, establish space, and construct volume
is revealed upon close observation.
John McCaffrey, art, measures to hang one of the 34
small oil paintings in his “Postcards from Italy” exhibit.
“Vernazza” (2004) is one of the
“postcards” that brought the
Italian landscapes to life in the
Christensen Center Gallery during
the winter.
Honors/awards
Congratulations to the 2004 faculty and
staff who received Distinguished
Contributions to Teaching and Learning
Awards. Mark Engebretson, professor of
physics, for teaching; Ann Klamer,
director of residence life, for direct
service to students; and Garry Hesser,
professor of sociology and metro-urban
studies, for advising/mentoring.
Carol Barnett, music professor and
composition instructor, was awarded the
2003 Nancy Van de Vate International
Composition Prize for Opera from the
Vienna Masterworks for her work, Snow,
based on a short story by Konstantin
Paustovsky.
Janna Caywood ’04, social work, was
inducted into Alpha Kappa Delta,
international sociology honor society.
14
Su Dorée, mathematics, received the
Mathematical Association of America
North Central Section’s Award for
Distinguished College or University
Teaching of Mathematics, presented in
April. It is presented for extraordinarily
successful teaching, influence beyond
their own institutions, and fostering of
curiosity and excitement about
mathematics to students.
Garry Hesser, sociology and metrourban studies, was honored by the Higher
Education Consortium for Urban Affairs
(HECUA) for his 25 years of service.
Ann Klamer, residence life, received the
2003 Linda Schrempp Alberg Outstanding
Contribution to Minnesota Higher
Education Award, presented by the
Minnesota College Personnel Association
in May. Alberg was director of student life
and associate dean of students at Augsburg
until her death in 1996.
Cheryl Leuning, nursing, received an
Alumni Achievement Award in 2003
from Augustana College, Sioux Falls,
S.Dak. In the award nomination, she was
described by her students and colleagues
as “a superb teacher, an inspirational
leader, and mentor.”
Sports information coordinator Don
Stoner, public relations and
communication, was named CoWrestling SID/Publicist of the Year by the
National Wrestling Media Association, an
organization representing journalists
who cover amateur and college
wrestling.
Jeff Swenson ’79, assistant dean for
athletics and head wrestling coach, was
inducted in March into the Minnesota
Wrestling Coaches Association/David
Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Spring/Summer 2004
Presentations/publications
David Apolloni, philosophy, presented
“Puzzles Concerning False Judgment in
Plato’s Theatetus” at the 10th Annual
Minnesota Conference on Ancient
Philosophy in May.
Tony Bibus and Rosemary Link, social
work, and Michael O’Neal, sociology,
presented a paper, “Analysis of Welfare
Reform Using a Global Perpsective and
Locally Mapped Conditions” at the 50th
annual meeting of the Council on Social
Work Education in March.
Nora Braun, business administration/
MIS, published “Critical Thinking in the
Business Curriculum,” in the March/April
issue of The Journal of Business Education.
Grace Dyrud and Bridget RobinsonRiegler, psychology, along with
psychology senior Matthew Plitzkow,
presented a poster session, “Lucky Next
Time: The Effects of Luck Inducement and
Delay on Predictions of Future Wins and
Luck Ratings,” at the Midwestern
Psychology Convention in April. They also
presented at the American Psychological
Society in May.
Orv Gingerich and Kathy McBride,
Center for Global Education, co-presented
a session, “Experiential Education: Theory
and Practice in Latin America,” at the 15th
annual international conference of the
Association of Academic Programs in
Latin America and the Caribbean
(AAPLAC) in February.
Shakespeare Bulletin published Douglas
Green’s review of Joe Dowling’s
production of Othello at the Guthrie Lab
in the spring issue (22.1); his review of
Ethan McSweeney’s Romeo and Juliet
appeared in the summer issue (22.2). In
April, at the annual Shakespeare
Association of America meeting, Green
participated in a dramatic reading of
Antony and Cleopatra. (His drunken
Lepidus was well received.)
Spring/Summer 2004
Gretchen Irvine, education,
participated on a panel on international
travel experience at the National Society
for Experiential Education conference in
November. She also presented “Value
Added to Global Study/Travel through
the Use of Technology,” at the Hawaii
International Conference on Education
in January.
Kenneth Kaminsky, mathematics,
published Financial Literacy: Introduction
to the Mathematics of Interest, Annuities,
and Insurance, with a manual to
accompany it, by University Press of
America, Inc. in 2003.
Jason Kemp, residence life, published
“Ally Rally: Problem Solving with GLBTQ
Allies on Campus,” in the spring 2004
UMR-ACUHO (Upper Midwest Region,
Association of College and University
Housing Officers) News.
Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Center for
Global Education-Mexico, published
“Educating about a Diversity and Global
Issues Experientially: A Review of
Simulations Games for Use in
Community-Based Learning Programs,”
in the fall 2003 issue of Transformations:
The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and
Pedagogy.
Dave Matz, psychology, co-authored
“Social Norms and Identity Relevance: A
Motivational Approach to Normative
Behavior,” in Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin. He also co-authored
an article in Current Psychology, 21.
Regina McGoff, Center for Global
Education, presented, “Study Abroad for
Students in a Weekend College Program,”
at the Student Abroad Curriculum
Integration Conference in April.
Susan O’Connor, education, co-authored
a chapter about her five-month faculty
exchange in Trondheim, Norway, in Sosialt
arbeid: Refleksjon og handling (Social
Work: Action and Reflection).
Ron Petrich, education, has a selection
in Teaching with Fire: Poetry That
Sustains the Courage to Teach, published
by Jossey Bass. Petrich finished the first
two-year Courage to Teach retreat series
for K-16 educators and began a second
series in May.
Bruce Reichenbach, philosophy,
contributed “Explanation and the
Cosmological Argument,” to
Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of
Religion, edited by Michael Peterson and
Raymond Vanarragon, and published by
Blackwells in England.
Bridget Robinson-Riegler and Greg
Robinson-Riegler published two texts:
Cognitive Psychology: Applying the Science
of the Mind (along with an instructor’s
manual) and Readings in Cognitive
Psychology: Applications, Connections, and
Individual Differences,” both published in
2004 by Allyn & Bacon.
Nancy Steblay, psychology, co-authored
“Eyewitness Accuracy Rates in Police
Showups and Lineup Presentations: A
Meta-Analytic Comparison,” in Law and
Human Behavior, 27.
Andrew Tix co-authored “The Relational
Context of Social Support: Relationship
Satisfaction Moderates the Relations
between Enacted Support and Distress,” in
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
29. He also co-authored an article in the
Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51.
Sean Truman, psychology, with students
Francis Rojas, Danielle Banaszak, and
Janessa Baier, presented “Maternal
Substance Abuse and Ratings of Parent
Behavior: Do Drugs Matter?” at the
Midwestern Psychology Convention.
Truman also co-authored “What Are
They Thinking? The Mediating Role of
Parental Cognitions in the Parenting
Processes of Drug-Dependent Mothers
and Fathers,” in the NIDA Research
Monograph Series in 2003.
15
AUGSBURG’S FOURTH INTERNATIONAL
ver 100 entries were submitted in
O
the fourth annual photo contest for
international and off-campus studies.
Winners were selected in three
categories: scenic landscapes, local people
in a cross-cultural setting, and Augsburg
students in a host setting. All winning
photos were displayed in Christensen
Center.
Entries were judged on the following
criteria: cross-cultural content, artistic and
technical quality, and reproducibility.
To see all the winners, visit
<www.augsburg.edu/international/
photocontest04>.
A
1st Place
A
B
B
16
Scenic landscapes. First place. “Prague from
the Castle Wall,” Erik Helgeson ’05.
Czech Republic
Augsburg students in host setting. First place.
“Dancing with Locals (Mike Boyle),”
Erik Helgeson ’05. Cuba
C
Local people in a cross-cultural setting. First
place. “Lunchtime,” Deb Olson, MA Nursing.
Namibia
Spring/Summer 2004
OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES PHOTO CONTEST
C
D
D
Augsburg students in host
setting. Second place.
“Namibian Dunes,”
Jenna Bracken ’05. Namibia
E
Scenic landscapes. Second place.
“On the Other Side of the
Fence: Auschwitz,”
Ariann Russ ’05. Poland
F
Augsburg students in host
setting. Third place.
“Candomblé,” Ana Gabriela
Power ‘05. Brazil.
E
F
Spring/Summer 2004
17
MAJOR BOWEN:
a story of courage and determination
by Betsey Norgard
As Jean Housh (left) coped with
surgery to remove a brain tumor,
her strength and inspiration came
from “Major” Bowen (right),
whose brain tumor left him near
death and in a coma. She helped
direct his path to Augsburg.
eople are brought together in
unpredictable ways. The friendship
between Augsburg freshman
Edward “Major” Bowen and Jean Housh,
wife of Augsburg regent emeritus Allen
Housh, began one day in physical
therapy at the Sister Kenny®
Rehabilitation Institute, where both were
recovering from brain surgery.
Because of the friendship that
developed from that day in the hospital,
the Houshes are largely responsible for
Major Bowen enrolling at Augsburg.
Three years ago last January, Bowen
was an All-State junior goalie on The
Blake School’s hockey team. The night he
and the team shut out Stillwater High
School, he felt sick with what he thought
was the flu. By the next evening he was
fighting for his life as a tumor blocked
the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through
his brain. Emergency surgery to relieve
the pressure, followed by another surgery
a week later to remove the cyst, left him
in a coma for six weeks.
P
18
“The nurses told us his brain was
injured like in a 60-mph crash through a
windshield,” recalls Bill Bowen,
Major’s father.
Miraculously, on Major’s
grandmother’s birthday, he began to
awaken. Weighing only 95 lbs., he was
unable to walk, talk, or eat. Thus began a
long rehabilitation at the Sister Kenny
Institute, at a clinic in Florida, at
Courage Center, and at other out-patient
facilities.
At Sister Kenny, as he worked to take
a few steps, then a few steps more, Jean
Housh was also recovering from elective
surgery to remove the same kind of cyst
before it became the emergency that
Major faced. She was undergoing therapy
to regain balance, strength, and memory.
Excerpts from her story about getting to
know Major are on p. 20.
By the fall, Bowen was able to return
home, but was plagued by short-term
memory loss, facial droop, and some
balance difficulty. His father tells of how
Rod Anderson, a former Blake teacher
and hockey coach “unretired” and
devoted his time to tutoring Major in the
Bowens’ home. During winter semester,
Bowen returned to Blake, with Anderson
continuing to tutor him at the school.
Bowen also began practicing Tae
Kwan Do as part of his therapy, and has
achieved a second degree purple belt. He
is now in training to test for his red belt.
Major Bowen graduated with his
Blake class in June 2002, but his real
achievement came earlier, during Blake’s
final hockey game of the year. After
weeks of incredible determination and
hard work to get back on the ice, he
skated out to tend the goal for the last 53
seconds as his team beat Minnehaha
Academy. For this, City Pages in their
2002 Best of the Twin Cities, named him
the Best High School Athlete.
The following year the Bowens began
exploring options for college. Sara Kyle,
associate director of college counseling at
Blake, suggested Augsburg. “[Augsburg]
Spring/Summer 2004
for the class.
is one of the best (if not the best)
Bowen’s determination also impacted
colleges in the nation for bright students
Maurer.
“One of the biggest lessons I
with learning and/or physical
learned
from
Major,” Maurer said, “is to
challenges,” said Kyle. “I thought it
never
give
up.
… I think Major’s refusal
would be a natural place for Major to
to
stop
until
he
had accomplished his
continue his education.” She connected
best
can
be
inspirational
to us all. The
the Bowens with Sally Daniels,
whole
experience
was
a
great
honor and
Augsburg’s director of undergraduate
will
remain
one
of
my
fondest
memories
admissions.
from
my
time
at
Augsburg.”
Jean and Allen Housh were also
During the second semester, Bowen
instrumental in the decision to consider
was
scheduled for several surgeries and
Augsburg. “While Augsburg was in the
would
miss a considerable number of
back of my mind,” Bill Bowen says, “90
school
days. He arranged with Gustafson
percent of it was the encouragement of
to
do
a
directed study in history, centered
Allen and Jean.”
around
the question of genocide and
Daniels and the Houshes introduced
focusing
on Nazi Germany and the Pol
Major and his parents to President
Pot
regime
in Cambodia.
William Frame and to Augsburg’s Center
A
highlight
of the semester was a field
for Learning and Adaptive Student
trip
to
Washington,
D.C., to the
Services (CLASS), a premier program in
Holocaust
Museum.
While in
providing comprehensive support to
Washington,
the
Bowens
met with
students with disabilities.
Minnesota
Senator
Mark
Dayton,
a friend
Major enrolled in the fall as a partof
the
family,
who
had
been
Major’
s
time student with two classes—Spanish
baseball
coach
and
who
had
also
been
a
and history. Bill Bowen credits both
hockey
goalie
at
Blake.
professors—Kate Reinhardt in Spanish
The year proved incredibly difficult,
and Don Gustafson in history—with
but
rewarding, for Major. Bill Bowen
being “absolutely wonderful” to Major.
recounts
that virtually every
Gustafson wondered at first how he
person
at
Augsburg “gave
would manage to teach someone with
102
percent”—nothing
was
short-term memory problems in the
just
average
concerning
detail-laden discipline of history. “It
Major’s experience. He will
worked,” he said, “partly because Maj
return to classes in the fall
came with some excellent high school
part-time and then evaluate
background; partly because his father
what the right course will
spent hours and hours going over the
be for the future.
material with Maj, and Maj on his part
The friendship between
was not about to give up; and partly
Jean
Housh and Major
because one of our very remarkable
remains
strong; Bill Bowen
students, Eric Maurer, agreed to tutor.
talks
of
how
they spend
“It was in our weekly meetings (and
time
reading
together—a
Eric often was part of them) on a one-topractice
that
began
during
one basis that I got a much better
therapy
to
improve
their
understanding of Major, of his
difficulties, and of his incredibly
dogged determination.”
Gustafson says that Bowen
Major Bowen and Jean Housh
ended up “at the top of the class in
remain good friends and continue
terms of effort and hours,” and
to read together, a practice that
earned a “very creditable 3.0” grade
started in rehabilitation.
Spring/Summer 2004
enunciation. While her story speaks to
the strength she gains from Major, Bill
Bowen says that Major thinks Jean is
“one of his angels.”
It’s clear that Bowen could not have
succeeded at Augsburg without the
CLASS program and without faculty and
staff who became entirely engaged in
helping him learn, as they also learned
from him. Even outside of class, in one
small but significant gesture, President
Frame relinquished his reserved parking
space to the Bowens so that Major’s shortterm memory loss could not prevent him
from always knowing exactly where their
car was parked.
“Augsburg has been a wonderful
experience for me,” says Major. “Each
professor has been different, but also the
same in being caring, kind, and
understanding. They have each also been
demanding, requiring me to work hard,
complete my assignments on time, to push
myself, and to learn the subject matter.
Professor Don Gustafson worked with me
extensively to become more self-reliant, to
trust myself, to think, and to respond. I can
never thank him enough.” ■
19
A M A J O R I N S P I R AT I O N
I owe my life to a young
m a n n a m e d M a j o r.
H
e is a guy I’d only heard about in the neurosurgeon’s
office. I was being examined and scheduled for brain
surgery. But I had the luxury of setting a surgery
date, calling family to Minneapolis to help out and bracing
myself beforehand. Major, however, did not. According to
my neurosurgeon, the 17-year-old hockey player was
nearly brain dead the January night he was brought to
Children’s Hospital. Imagine playing goalie for your hockey
team and near death one day later. I couldn’t. …
Eager to read all I could about my condition or anyone
else who’d experienced it, I combed back issues of the
Minneapolis Star Tribune sports section at the library until
I found it. There it was in bold type across five columns of
the January 9, 2001, sport page.
‘Blake Goalie Faces Surgery for Brain Tumor.’
Edward “Major” Bowen was his name and his story
would change my life. …
I wish I could say my surgery was easy. Although I did
not feel a thing, my family and friends suffered greatly. It is
only through God’s grace and mercy that I am here. …
One cold March day [at Sister Kenny Institute], I saw
the name Major Bowen handwritten on a label of a
headrest on a wheelchair. Could it be the same Major
Bowen? I wondered aloud to [my husband] Allen. If he’s
here, I have to meet him. After all, he is the reason I went
ahead with my surgery.
I asked Matt, my OT therapist, if that was Major
Bowen, the hockey player. Yes, it was, but due to
confidentiality concerns, I couldn’t just walk up and start
talking. Matt had to arrange it for us after getting Major’s
parents’ approval.
The next day, I was introduced to Major, and his
parents, Bill and Pat. …
The common denominator between Major and me was
the same colloid cysts in our brains. A rare and benign
tumor, colloid cysts reside in the third left ventricle and
restrict the flow of cerebral spinal fluid. In my case, it
caused considerable swelling and chronic headaches.
by Jean Spielman Housh
Major, however, experienced no warning signs or
headaches. …
After six weeks in Children’s Hospital, Major was
released to the Sister Kenny Institute for therapy and
rehabilitation. That’s where our paths finally crossed.
I was a bit tentative about meeting him. I was
concerned his parents might measure me against their son’s
progress. Boy was I wrong. I have never been so warmly
received. Behind Major’s wheelchair in the computer lab at
Sister Kenny Institute, Major’s dad, Bill, shook my hand
and thanked me for initiating our meeting.
“It’s nice to know someone who had the same surgery
as Major and who’s come out so well,” he told me.
I tried to tell him that his son was my inspiration. Tears
rolled down my face and I couldn’t get the words out. “I
cry a lot,” I told him. He smiled, knowing exactly what I
meant.
Around the corner came Major’s mom, Pat. Awkwardly
I began my story again. Lost in my tears were all the words
I’d hoped to say. Words like ‘thank you for your son.
Thank you for being such loving parents. Thank you for
giving me this opportunity to meet my life’s inspiration.’ …
During a follow-up visit last year, Dr. Nagib’s nurse
practitioner, Therese O’Fallon, told me, “One day, maybe
not soon, but one day, you’ll look back on this surgery
experience as a gift. Some good will have come from it.”
Brain surgery—a gift? Yeah, right. I brushed it off.
But today, more than two years later, I’m beginning to
see what she means. God has given me a gift of true
inspiration in Major.
Through him and my surgery, I’ve learned patience,
determination, and what family really means. Today, the
balance of good days and bad days clearly tips toward the
positive. I’ve recovered most, if not all, of my short- and
long-term memory. Although, I still lose my car in the
Target parking lot and often have trouble remembering
how many strokes I had on the golf course.
Major and I read Lance Armstrong’s book It’s Not about
the Bike last summer. We read it aloud to one another to
improve our enunciation. Armstrong’s story of victory over
cancer and winning the Tour de France is an inspiring and
powerful one. But one no less inspiring than Major’s story
of faith, courage, and strength.
Jean Spielman Housh is a writer and wife of Augsburg regent
emeritus Allen Housh.
20
Spring/Summer 2004
F R O M F L ATA N G E R
TO A U G S B U R G :
A C E N T U R Y A PA R T
by Betsey Norgard
THE SMALL coastal
town of Flatanger, Norway, has
sent two students to Augsburg
College, almost exactly 100 years
apart. While Ingwald Rosok may
not have received a diploma in
the spring of 1895 when he left
Augsburg, Monica Dahle
marched proudly across the stage
in spring 2004.
Dahle is a senior at Molde
University College in
central Norway and came
to Augsburg as part of
International Partners. This
program, based on
reciprocal agreements
between Augsburg and
European institutions that
offer the equivalent of
bachelor’s degrees, allows
students from both Europe
Norwegian student Monica Dahle stands in front of Old Main, built just three
years after Ingwald Rosok, another student from her hometown, attended
and Augsburg to take part
Augsburg.
of their study program at
Ingwald
Rosok,
who
attended
partner schools. This
preparatory class at
moved to Arizona and lived there the rest
Augsburg in 1894-95, left his
enables them to
Augsburg Seminary for
of his life.
small village of Flatanger 100
experience studying
years before current student
nearly five months until his
Although Rosok’s mother was from
Monica Dahle.
abroad without
money ran out.
the Sverdrup family, there is no apparent
interrupting or delaying
In his memoir, Retrospect, Rosok tells
close connection to Georg and George
their studies.
of wanting to go to school and learning
Sverdrup, Augsburg’s second and fourth
Because of International Partners and
about Augsburg from a Norwegian grocer
presidents, respectively.
the scholarship that participants receive,
in Minneapolis. He describes Augsburg’s
When Dahle arrived at Augsburg last
Dahle chose to come to Minneapolis and
location as “in the block between Seventh
winter, she recognized Old Main from
Augsburg. When she began researching
and Eighth Streets, and between 21st and
photos she had seen in a history book.
information about Augsburg, to her
22nd Avenues South.” He lists the faculty
She was one of 34 Norwegian students in
surprise and excitement she discovered a
that year as six professors.
book about Ingwald Rosok, also from
Rosok did not want to be a minister
Flatanger. He had come to the U.S. in
Photo of Ingwald Rosok from Retrospect: An
and chose to study engineering at the
1891, worked at a number of jobs in the
Autobiography, by I. A. Rosok, edited by O. M.
University of Minnesota instead of
Norlie, copyright 1957 and printed by Lund Press,
Upper Midwest, and attended the second
returning to Augsburg. He eventually
Minneapolis.
Spring/Summer 2004
21
A C E N T U R Y A PA R T
International Partners during the academic
year, and took social work courses.
For her internship, she learned about
an agency in downtown Minneapolis
offering a needle exchange program, and
applied to work there. Her tasks included
meeting with drug addicts, homeless
people, and prostitutes—work and issues
she had never encountered. “I learned so
much,” Dahle said, “about nonjudgemental attitudes, about how to treat
clients, and about the U.S.” She had not
expected the level of culture shock she
experienced.
Her biggest challenge was language.
Dahle said the people who came there
often used street slang, but that she simply
asked them what it meant. She loves to
work with people, and dreams of finding
similar ways to work with drug addicts in
Norway.
During spring semester, two events
stood out for Dahle as highlights. In
February, when Augsburg hosted the Peace
Prize Festival for schoolchildren, she was
one of two Norwegian students who
greeted and escorted special guests Gro
Harlem Brundtland, former prime
minister of Norway and director general
emerita of the World Health
Organization; and Knut Vollebæk,
Norwegian ambassador to the U.S.
22
The second highlight was participation
in Augsburg’s commencement ceremony. In
Norway, college graduates are hosted at a
dinner, but without the pomp and
circumstance of an American ceremony.
Because of the reciprocal agreements
between colleges, International Partners
students are granted special permission to
participate in Augsburg’s graduation.
EXCERPTS FROM
Monica Dahle (right) and Beate Fjellanger
(second from right) greeted Gro Brundtland,
former Norwegian prime minister, and Knut
Vollebæk, Norwegian ambassador to the U.S.,
at the Peace Prize Festival in February.
“It was amazing, with all the people
there,” Dahle remarked. “It’s a really big
deal, and I’ve seen it on TV.” Her cap and
gown went back to Norway with her as
mementos.
Dahle has her four-hour final exam to
finish at Molde University College. Then
she hopes to work for a year or so before
possibly returning to the U.S. and
Augsburg for a master’s program. ■
RETROSPECT: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
By Ingwald Andreas Rosok
Edited by O.M. Norlie; copyright 1957 by I.A. Rosok. Minneapolis: Lund Press, Inc.
16 ATTENDING AUGSBURG
We called on the Norwegian grocer. He advised me to go to Augsburg Seminary, which, at
that time, was not only a theological seminary but also a college and an academy. It was a
Norwegian Lutheran church school and was located in the block between Seventh and
Eighth Streets, and between Twenty-first and Twenty-second Avenues South. I went there,
and they took me and accepted my check without any question. … As already stated,
Augsburg Seminary had three departments: The Preparatory (Academy) Department which
took two years to finish; the College Department which took four years, and the
Theological Department which took three years, a total of nine years. When this was
completed one was ready to be ordained as a full-fledged Lutheran minister and to be
assigned to some congregation as its pastor. The professors that year were: George
Sverdrup, president; Sven Oftedal, vice president; John H. Blegen; Edward Hovde; J.L.
Nydahl and T.S. Reimestad. When I told them what previous schooling I had had, I was
assigned to the second preparatory class. It was a very good school and I enjoyed it very
much. It certainly was much better for me than working in the woods in Wisconsin. I
studied very hard, never missing any classes and spending all my waking hours in my room
doing my homework. I started school at Augsburg Seminary December 7, 1894 and
attended until April 13, 1895 when my money was all gone.
Spring/Summer 2004
SEEING ABILITIES
instead of disabilities
Seeing the abilities
of people rather
than their
disabilities has
given Cilje Nybord
Mosand a dream
and a plan, which
she has taken back
to her native
Norway this summer. Mosand, a social
work student in the International Partners
program at Augsburg, interned during the
spring at a non-profit organization called
Interact Center for the Visual and
Performing Arts, based in Minneapolis.
Interact, a multidisciplinary arts center for
adult artists with disabilities, features a
large art studio and public gallery,
rehearsal and performance space, a fulltime faculty of professional artists, a
performing arts training program, and a
theater company.
Mosand was so impressed with
Interact that she hopes to start a similar
organization in the Scandinavian
countries. “We have nothing like this in
Norway,” Mosand said. “This has been
such a wonderful experience. You don’t
see the disabilities of these people, rather
the abilities they possess.”
During her internship, Mosand
assisted the professional artists who work
with the disabled artists in all aspects of
the theater, from writing the script and
by Judy Petree
music, to acting. She even took part in the
theater performance, playing the part—
aptly enough—of a young woman named
“Celia,” who is Norwegian.
“We really liked having Cilje here,”
said Eriq Nelson, performing arts
instructor at Interact. “She gave our
‘artists’ individual support and always had
time for listening to them. Many times the
staff doesn’t have this kind of time.”
Nelson added that when Mosand first
came, they envisioned her as support
staff, doing odd jobs such as filling out
paperwork. But, she became so involved
with the artists the original plans quickly
flew out the door.
“We have a large Norwegian
population at the center and some have
even been to Norway on tour, so they
were excited about Cilje being from
Norway. She liked being with the artists
and they liked being with her.”
Nelson said it was also fun to watch
Mosand grow during her internship. “We
even got her to be a part of the show. It
was fun to see Cilje embrace that side of
it. She was always willing to do whatever
was needed to be done. She’s missed.”
Actually, this is not Augsburg’s first
encounter with Interact. A few years ago,
education professor Susan O’Connor
Top photo: At Interact, Cilje Mosand supported and worked with artists
with disabilities, and joined them to perform in their production.
Spring/Summer 2004
introduced Karl-Johan Johansen, an
instructor from Sør Trøndelag University
College in Trondheim, Norway, and Per
Frederiksen, with PROFF, an organization
serving people with disabilities, to
Interact while they were visiting
Minneapolis. As a result of that visit,
Johansen and Frederiksen secured
funding in Norway for a group from
Interact to travel to Norway and Denmark
to give performances. The artists that
went on this tour were the same ones
who formed a bond with Mosand.
“What fascinated me about Interact is
it’s so diverse,” Mosand said. “The mix of
people from a rainbow of ethnic, age, and
disability groups gives one the impression
of being in an inclusive Garden of Eden.”
The artists help the community
understand that gifts are given to all
people, Mosand said, and that vision is
not lost nor even impaired by a
disabling condition. “There are no
superiors, inferiors; no staff versus
clients. There is only the collegial mix of
diverse people who are all focused on
the same goals—the creation of beauty,
the making of art.” ■
Judy Petree is media relations manager
in the Office of Public Relations and
Communication.
23
A QUICK CONNECTION
PROM DRESSES
TO
by Judy Petree
Stephanie Quick’s passion for working with children and
youth, especially those who struggle with lives of poverty
and abuse, has taken her to a place far from her
Midwestern roots in Mendota Heights, Minn.—to Nome,
Alaska, a place so beautiful it’s hard to imagine life could be
anything but ideal. Quick, a 2001 Augsburg graduate with
a major in youth and family ministry, is currently working
on a four-year Master of Divinity degree at the Lutheran
School of Theology in Chicago. She is in year three of
seminary, which consists of an internship.
Beauty surrounded by poverty
The road to Alaska and her internship at Our Savior’s
Lutheran Church in Nome came after she was accepted
into a special ELCA program called Horizon. This program
offers 22 unique internship sites across the world,
including cross-cultural ministry, mission start
congregations, and others at rural, urban, and international
sites. Quick said that many of these sites, including her
current one, cannot afford a second pastor, and provide
excellent learning opportunities.
Quick said Nome is a beautiful place, surrounded by
ocean and tundra. She has seen wildlife from bears to
reindeer to seals, eaten a variety of Eskimo foods including
Eskimo ice cream (berries mixed with reindeer fat),
muktuk (whale blubber), black meat (seal), reindeer,
caribou, dried fish, greens, and herring eggs. But, she
added, the stark reality is that all of this beauty surrounds a
town plagued by alcohol abuse and poverty.
“While this town of 3,000 people is in a unique setting,
it is also very sad. You can find only two small grocery
stores, yet the street is littered with bars and liquor stores.
Alcohol abuse is a terrible factor in the community.” In
fact, Quick said, it has gotten so bad that alcoholism in
Nome and surrounding villages has nearly
Above: Stephanie Quick, Class of 2001, is
destroyed the Native American (Eskimo)
traditional lifestyle. “Sadly, as a pastor, you hear
using her seminary internship to work with
many stories of family violence, sexual abuse,
young people in an impoverished Nome,
and substance abuse. There is so much tragedy
here it is almost unbelievable.”
Alaska church. She brought joy to the high
Quick is called to many areas while serving
school girls there, as 60 prom dresses she
as an intern pastor. Some of her duties include
preaching, leading worship, teaching, pastoral
collected from family and friends back
counseling, home visitations, serving as
home were donated for Nome’s big dance.
chaplain at the local jail, eating lunch with
elders at the senior citizen’s center, and holding
24
Spring/Summer 2004
worship service at the nursing home.
However, there is one area where her
passion is strong. Quick is concentrating
her efforts on working with youth in
Nome, even starting a youth group at the
congregation, which now draws more
than 25 youth.
“I have formed some pretty strong
connections with some of the high
school girls,” Quick said. “These girls
have confided a lot of things to me.
Recently they told me they couldn’t go
to the prom because they couldn’t afford
a dress.”
While the town is plentiful with bars
and liquor stores, Quick said there is not
a clothing store to be found. The only
way for these girls to get a dress would
be to spend $343 on a plane ticket to
Anchorage or make a dress.
“None of these girls can afford a
prom dress let alone fly to Anchorage to
buy it. And many of the girls are being
raised by their grandparents who just
don’t have the time to make a dress.”
Quick came up with an idea and she
quickly enlisted the help of her sister,
Rachel, who is a junior at Augsburg; her
parents; and her hometown
congregation, St. Stephen’s Lutheran
Church in West St. Paul.
“I thought, well, I still have my prom
dresses, so I called up my mom and
asked her to send them here.
Unfortunately, she had just given them
away to the Goodwill, but my sister,
Rachel, still had hers.”
Rachel was more than happy to not
only ship her prom dress to Alaska, but
to send out a campuswide e-mail asking
others for their dresses and other prom
accessories, such as shoes and purses.
When Quick’s pastor at St. Stephen’s
found out what she was doing, he made
an announcement in church. Her plea
was so successful, she received 60
dresses, the majority coming from
Augsburg and St. Stephen’s Church in
West St. Paul.
After the shipment arrived in Nome,
Stephanie Quick opened up a “Prom
Shop” in the church basement. The
ladies’ sewing circle at Our Savior’s
Church volunteered to make alterations
on the dresses. Quick said the girls were
Spring/Summer 2004
“thrilled” with the dresses.
“I’m really proud of my sister,” Rachel said.
“She is such a kind person and she’s really grown
attached to these girls in Nome. She was able to
give them something we take for granted—a
pretty dress and a really special night.”
Quick said she wanted to do this for the girls
“simply because I care about them, and feel that
their opportunities shouldn’t be limited just
because of their finances.”
Reaching out
Quick followed her passion and calling one step
further when she volunteered to travel to a
remote village in the wilderness, without running
water or plumbing. She spent 10 days in a place
called Shishmaref, a tiny island Eskimo village
located 20 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The
village is entirely Lutheran and is the
northernmost ELCA congregation. Most people
there still speak their native language of Inupiaq.
Quick said the pastor there had resigned in
the fall, and it has been difficult to even get an
interim pastor, much less a permanent pastor. It
is a very rustic place with
honeybuckets for toilets and
Ladies in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
snow or rainwater for
volunteered their time to alter the
drinking water. The only
donated dresses for the girls.
place to shower is at the
“washeteria,” which costs
money, she added, so
obviously people don’t
shower much. The roads are all dirt and
the houses are primitive. Children, she
said, run around very dirty, many visibly
with lice. The town is filled with flies,
and garbage and raw sewage leak
from bins.
“It looked straight out of a ‘Save the
Children’ commercial,” Quick said. “It
was a moving experience just driving
down the street.” The only modes of
transportation, she added, are fourwheelers; snowmobiles, which the
Alaskans call snow machines; and dog
sled teams.
“I had some amazing visits with the
people there,” Quick said, “including a
group of elders who showed me some of
their sewing. It was a neat experience
sitting on the floor watching the Eskimo
women sew things like slippers,
mukluks, and Eskimo yo-yos out of seal
25
A QUICK
CONNECTION
TO PROM
DRESSES
skin and reindeer fur.”
Quick’s love and passion for children took center stage there as
well, in this remote village. She said the children were excited to
see her and she organized many youth activities for them,
including baking for elders and confirmation classes. Some days
there were more than 50 children that showed up in the basement
of the parsonage, which is used for a youth center.
“We had a Sunday School turnout of 75 children which is great
considering there are only 600 people in the village.”
The church services were similar to the ones she helps out with
in Nome, part of it being in their native language and part in
English. “I have to brag a little that I’m doing quite well on the
Inupiaq. The elders tease me that I am becoming an Eskimo!”
Quick said because of the lack of a pastor or interim pastor, she
was given special permission by the bishop and seminary to
administer the sacraments. She presided over Holy Communion
and performed her first baptism. The baptism, she added, was
especially moving.
“I had asked a woman in the congregation to present the candle
and recite a special verse. She has cerebral palsy and told me she
has trouble reading, so when she came up, she had the verse
memorized. It was moving and a true moment of grace.”
Augsburg’s transforming education
Quick credits the encouragement she received from faculty and
staff in the religion department while she was a student at
Augsburg for steering her toward the path she is now following. In
particular she remembers a lecture she heard about being called to
serve God.
“I still remember that lecture, and that confirmed my call from
God. I began to look for a place to serve the church and I felt not
only an internal call to the ministry, but an external call to serve
God.” Quick said she wasn’t sure at that point what direction in
ministry she wanted to pursue, but she loved the Youth and Family
Ministry program and being involved in Campus Ministry, so that
excited her about ministry with families.
Quick will return to Chicago in the fall to finish her education.
Where she will go from there is still a question, but she has many
goals, one being a pastor in an inner city church working with
families, children and youth; another opening an orphanage or
working at an existing one, perhaps in Thailand; or
even teaching religion, “especially if it was at
Above: A stitch here and there to the
Augsburg!”
donated dresses made the high school
“The education I received at Augsburg helped
shape
my life in a very positive way. Augsburg
girls feel like queens of the prom.
helped me realize that all things are possible
through God.” ■
Judy Petree is media relations manager in the Office of Public
Relations and Communication.
26
Spring/Summer 2004
Students celebrate after receiving their honors cords from
academic dean Christopher Kimball at the Honors
Convocation on Friday, April 30.
The Augsburg Chamber Orchestra performs at the Commencement concert on
Friday, April 30, which featured solos by each of the four 2004 Concerto Aria
winners: Miya Kunin ’04, violin; Maja Lisa FritzHuspen ’04, soprano; Nicholas White
’05, bass; and Keely Holcomb ’04, soprano.
DR. SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON DELIVERS COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
A graduate pays homage to her home state by
taping a cutout of Texas to her mortarboard.
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, president of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New
York, spoke at the 2004 Augsburg College Commencement ceremony Saturday,
May 1. It is said that Jackson has a “career distinguished by many historic firsts.”
Jackson, a theoretical physicist, holds a Ph.D. in theoretical elementary particle
physics from M.I.T. and an S.B. in physics from M.I.T. She is the first AfricanAmerican woman to receive a doctorate from M.I.T., and is one of the first two
African-American women to receive a doctorate in physics in the United States.
Jackson is also the first African-American to become a commissioner of the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and is now the first woman to lead a national
research university.
Jackson has held senior positions in government, as chairperson of the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); in industry and research, as a theoretical
physicist at the former AT&T Bell Laboratories; and in academe as a professor at
Rutgers University. While at the NRC, Jackson represented the United States as a
delegate to the General Conference of the
International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna,
Austria.
Among the number of professional organizations
Jackson belongs to, she is president of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science and a
member of the National Academy of Engineering.
She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences, and the American Physical Society.
Visit <www.rpi.edu/web/President/profile.html> for
more information about Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson.
Barbara Lehmann, assistant professor of social work, hugs a student during the
procession from Foss Center to Melby Hall.
28
Spring/Summer 2004
COMMENCEMENT 2004
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS URGES EXCELLENCE,
LEADERSHIP, AND COMMUNITY
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, president of the Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute in New York, delivers the
keynote Commencement address.
Lois Bosch, associate professor of social work, places
a master’s hood on a Master of Social Work student.
Barbara Forshier, Weekend College Class of 2004
representative, addresses the crowd at the
Commencement ceremony.
Spring/Summer 2004
Following are excerpts from Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson’s Commencement address; read the
complete address at <www.rpi.edu/web/President/speeches/augsburg.html>
… A simple message from my own father has always motivated me. … He
always would say to us: “Aim for the stars, so that you will reach the treetops, and
at any rate, you will get off the ground.” In other words, if you do not aim high,
you will not go far. He also believed that it was important to help somebody else
along the way.
I have taken my father’s advice throughout my career, and woven it into a
common thread with three basic strands. They are excellence, leadership, and
community.
It was Aristotle who said, “Excellence is an art won by training and
habituation. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a
habit.” After all, if you are going to spend precious time doing something, why not
do it well? And, when you do things well, it becomes your habit.
Secondly, leadership is a fundamental responsibility we all own. … Leadership
encompasses a clarity of vision, an understanding of the broader context, as well
as the articulation to share that vision with others. It takes perseverance, and
requires very hard work, but an effective leader sets an example by working hard,
by being ethical, and by inspiring others to do the same. …
The final strand is community. What I mean by community also might be
termed inclusiveness. In the global community in which we live, inclusiveness is
key, because it is the estrangement of individuals, or of groups, or of peoples, or of
nations that is responsible for the divisiveness that haunts us—that makes the
world a more dangerous place. …
Optimism also is part of my father’s legacy. As a result, I am determinedly
optimistic about the future. Optimism and hope are contagious. … Indeed, it is a
force for change, and it can move people to take positive action. …
So, give generously. Aim high. Lead with your gifts. Stay positive. Look
forward. Do not be discouraged. Lead with optimism. Challenge yourselves. Find
joy in everyday life. If you do all of these, I am confident that you can lead us to a
future of peace, a future of greater safety, security, and health for all—a future in
which hope prospers, and love and service guide us. Now is your time. Be that
future, and you can change the world.
Three graduates smile for the camera during the ceremony in Melby Hall.
29
Gregory McKusky, who received a B.A. in physics, joins family and faculty in
Murphy Park after the Commencement ceremony.
A graduate poses for a picture following the ceremony.
THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE
623
Candidates for graduation
347
Day program candidates
152
Weekend College candidates
83
Graduate program candidates (12 Master of Arts in Leadership,
30 Master of Social Work, 14 Master of Arts in Nursing, 24
Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, 3 Master of Arts
in Education)
33
Rochester program candidates
8
10
Jennifer Hagen, who graduated with a B.S. in
chemistry, relaxes with friends.
CLASS OF 2004
19-64
United Hospital candidates
Countries represented (China, Colombia, Republic of Korea,
Laos, Liberia, Mexico, Mongolia, Norway, Spain, Taiwan)
Age range of graduates in the Class of 2004
MASTER OF ARTS IN NURSING—CLASS OF 2004
A grad poses with her family after receiving a
bouquet of roses.
30
The Master of Arts in Nursing program celebrated its third class of graduates. Here,
graduates and faculty posed for a picture following the ceremony.
Spring/Summer 2004
COMMENCEMENT
2004
The 135TH YEAR of Augsburg College
THE CLASS OF 2004’S
OLDEST AND YOUNGEST
EDUCATION HAS NO AGE LIMIT
ABBEY PAYEUR, AGE 19, OF CHAMPLIN,
MINN., AND MARYANN KINNEY, AGE 64, OF
ROCHESTER, MINN., ARE THE YOUNGEST
AND OLDEST OF AUGSBURG’S GRADUATING CLASS OF 2004.
PAYEUR ALREADY HAD A TWO-YEAR
COLLEGE DEGREE WHEN SHE FINISHED
HIGH
SCHOOL
BACHELOR’S
AND
DEGREE
COMPLETED
IN
A
ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION AT AUGSBURG IN TWO YEARS.
SHE PLANS TO TEACH AND RETURN LATER
FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL.
KINNEY HAS BEEN A STAFF NURSE AT
SAINT MARYS HOSPITAL IN ROCHESTER
FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS AND DECIDED TO
SEEK A MASTER’S DEGREE IN NURSING. SHE
HAS NO PLANS TO RETIRE SOON, BUT
WANTS TO SERVE PEOPLE WITH LOW
INCOME AND HOMELESS POPULATIONS.
Spring/Summer 2004
By some accounts, at age 64, Maryann
Kinney should be making plans for her
retirement. Would she like to travel?
Spend more time with friends? Instead,
she walked down the aisle of Augsburg’s
gymnasium in Melby Hall, adorned in
cap and gown.
Kinney graduated with a Master of
Arts in nursing degree and isn’t
considering leaving the workforce
anytime soon. “I probably should think
about my retirement, but I’m just going
to keep on going,” she says.
This hospice volunteer for the past
18 years has always spent much of her
time serving others. A nurse since 1978,
she has worked in Appalachia and with
orphaned children in Romania.
“Nursing is a profession where care is
always our key element,” says Kinney.
After three attempts at attaining a
master’s degree, the fourth time proved
to be a charm. She began at Augsburg in
the fall of 2001. Kinney was finally able
to reach her goal, with the help of a
supportive supervisor at Saint Marys
Hospital in Rochester, where she
currently works, and close attention
from Augsburg faculty whom she says,
“build on your strengths and work with
your weaknesses.”
To Kinney, it was well worth the
effort. “To keep up with all of the
changes that are going on in nursing,
you really need an advanced degree,”
she says. “Unfortunately, many nurses
who get the degree get out of nursing.
They go on to get more administrative
roles. Augsburg’s program prepares you
to stay in nursing. I think most of the
students that finish here stay in patient
care.”
Kinney has a deep appreciation for
Augsburg’s commitment to the
community and their awareness of the
by Jessica Brown
broader issues, outside of what just
affects the campus. After graduation she
would like to do work with povertystricken or homeless populations, areas
where she gained experience through
her work at Augsburg’s Central Nursing
Center, located in Central Lutheran
Church in downtown Minneapolis.
Kinney was also afforded the rare
opportunity to do her clinical practice in
London, England, at St. Christopher’s
hospice under the tutelage of founder
Dame Cicely Saunders. Saunders, at age
85, still works at the hospice every day.
She was a true inspiration to Kinney and
reinforced a desire to work with those
less fortunate.
Kinney is no less of an inspiration in
her own right, “I carry a bag of dirt in
my pocket. I have for a long time. I like
to keep it with me to remind me to
always stay ‘grounded’,” she says. Often
when others around her seem to be
feeling overwhelmed she will share her
secret—“I take it out of my pocket and
everyone knows that they have to get
grounded.” At the very least it offers
those around her a moment to pause and
smile.
Kinney is grateful to Augsburg for
helping her achieve her goal, “I think
Augsburg is awesome. Not only are the
school, the classes, and the professors
great, but I was also really impressed
with the students. I can’t believe how
nice they are,” she says. “The greatest
gift one can give to another is a chance.
That is what Augsburg did for me. It is
almost impossible as a staff nurse to have
one’s educational needs met. Augsburg
went that mile.”
Jessica Brown is a communication
specialist in the Office of Public Relations
and Communication.
31
COMMENCEMENT
ON THE FAST TRACK TO A CAREER IN TEACHING
At a time when many 19-year-olds are still
early in their adventures in higher
learning, Abbey Payeur is completing that
adventure and embarking on a new one.
Payeur, of Champlin, Minn., got on
the fast track and never jumped off. She
enrolled in the Minnesota Post Secondary
Enrollments Option program (PSEO) at
the age of 15. The PSEO program allows
high school juniors and seniors to take
courses for credit at public and private
postsecondary institutions while still in
high school. Payeur decided to take full
advantage of the opportunity before her
and enrolled full time at North Hennepin
Community College (NHCC). Because of
her young age, she had to be driven to her
first year of college courses by her mother.
Thus, her final two years of high school
were spent away from the Champlin Park
schools where she’d began. “Mostly I
wanted more independence, more choices
in the classes I was free to take, more of a
challenge,” says Payeur.
When she participated in graduation
ceremonies at Champlin Park High School
in spring 2002, she already had an
Associate of Arts degree under her belt
from NHCC.
Payeur always had a passion for
32
by Jessica Brown
learning, and a decision about her
learning after high school was an easy
one. She went to a guidance counselor
and asked about the better schools for
elementary education. “I love school and
I think I can reach the kids like me [that
love school] and also the kids that don’t
like it as much,” she says. “I just want to
let them know how much your life can
change if you choose to do well in
school.” Augsburg College was at the top
of the recommended list, and after an
initial interview with Professor Vicki
Olson, it seemed like a good fit. Payeur
decided the small class sizes and the
personal relationships you make with the
professors was what she wanted.
Payeur enrolled at Augsburg in the
fall of 2002 at the age of 17. Being the
youngest in class periodically posed
certain challenges. “Sometimes people in
class didn’t give much credit to what I
would say because I was ‘just a baby,’ ”
says Payeur. Very quickly, however, after
the other students got to know her, she
was on the same playing field as everyone
else.
Sometimes her youth and experience
were advantages in the classroom. “There
was a discussion about the Minnesota
Graduate nursing student Maryann Kinney reminisces with Tony Bristo
about experiences in England at Augsburg’s Central Nursing Clinic at
Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis.
2004
graduation standards—profiles of
learning,” Payeur says. “The other
students were debating them but none
had ever experienced them. I was actually
in school when those were in place, and
so I had a unique perspective that could
add to the class.”
Payeur graduated Summa Cum Laude
from Augsburg with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in education and marched with her
fellow classmates in the Commencement
ceremony. In August she begins her
student teaching at Oxbow Creek
Elementary School in Champlin, where
she lives with her husband, Micah. The
next step for Payeur is looking for a
permanent teaching position. After that
she says, “I may return to Augsburg to
complete a minor in special education or
get my reading specialist certification, and
eventually I would like to get a master’s
degree, but I want to teach in the
classroom for a while first.” Whatever she
decides to do, even Payeur has to agree
that she has plenty of time.
Jessica Brown is a communication
specialist in the Office of Public Relations
and Communication.
Abbey Payeur, at 19 years old, is the youngest Augsburg graduate in
the Class of 2004. With an elementary education degree, she aims to
teach full time and then consider graduate school.
Spring/Summer 2004
SHARING A PASSION FOR
SOCIAL JUSTICE
by Keme Hawkins and Judy Petree
Though this group of five social work
students came from very different walks
in life, together they discovered how
their shared passions and compassion for
each other helped them succeed.
Throughout the past two years in
Weekend College, as they faced a variety
of challenges and demands on their
personal and academic lives, collectively
they supported each other to achieve
their highest potential as students and
successful graduates.
Vernona Boswell, Lymoua
Mouacheupao, Darin Rowles, Sophia
Thompson, Matthew Thornhill, and
Geralyn Williams all entered the social
work program together, and on May 1
they graduated together.
“They discovered that they share the
passion for social justice and service to
others that is the hallmark of Augsburg
College,” said Tony Bibus, associate
professor and social work department
chair, about the group’s commitment.
Three of the students shared their
stories.
LYMOUA MOUACHEUPAO enrolled
at Augsburg after her husband lost his
battle with liver cancer and left her to raise
four sons. Going back to school was her
way to deal with grief. “I needed a sense of
meaning in life,” Mouacheupao said, and
she appreciated the shared common bond
of family responsibility felt in this group.
GERALYN WILLIAMS came to
Weekend College in 1997 after having
gone in and out of college programs at
other institutions for 15 years. Not sure
what she wanted to do, she left school
and worked at an office job, but never let
her desire to finish college fade. When
she finally started looking at schools
Spring/Summer 2004
First row (L to R) Lymoua Mouacheupao, Matthew Thornhill, Second row (L
to R) Geralyn Williams, Darin Rowles, Vernona Boswell, Sophia Thompson.
again, it was the weekend program that
attracted her to Augsburg.
DARIN ROWLES began taking courses
at Augsburg through the postsecondary
program during his senior year in high
school. He completed his freshman year at
Augsburg until family issues, chemical
abuse, and other difficulties forced him to
drop out. In the mid-90s he completed an
associate degree, but wanted a four-year
degree. “Education has always been very
important in my life, and returning to
Augsburg had deep meaning to me. It was
part of my plan to finish where I had
started years ago.”
Before Rowles resumed his education,
he worked in corporate America at jobs
with great pay and amazing benefits,
Rowles said, but that were less than
satisfying. He also worked at an adult
foster home for people living with AIDS.
“I found this work to be very fulfilling,”
he said. “I knew I had the knack for
working with people in need and keeping
a level head during difficult
circumstances. Social work seemed a good
blend of these strengths.”
The students found that studying in
their cohort drew them together in
rewarding ways.
Initially, Rowles said he was
concerned about spending two years with
people who would end up sharing much
of their lives with each other. He quickly
learned this wouldn’t be the case. “Even
though our group represented a diverse
mix of race, gender, sexual orientation,
age, religion, employment background,
and so on, we formed a very close bond,
very quickly. Our diverse backgrounds led
to lively, informed debates as we moved
through our social work curriculum.”
Williams said it was comforting at
times going into class knowing this would
be there. “I knew them well enough to
feel comfortable calling them when I
needed help or had questions about class
assignments. I really appreciated the
relationship I have with them.”
Besides sharing help with academics,
their mutual support was on a more
personal level. Rowles said they listened
to each other’s difficulties, and when one
person was having an especially rough
week, others would step in and be more
involved with class discussion to lighten
the load. “We let each other vent about
the bad times and celebrated the good
times,” he explained. “I honestly don’t
know how I would have survived the past
two years without the support of my
classmates.”
D.J.M. Edwards, social work
undergraduate program assistant, said that
weekend students often feel they are on
their own, and a support group is a great
advantage. “Working in a cohort breaks
down barriers over time,” he said. “When
ideas can flow without impediments the
course material really starts to come to
life.” This was an unusual group, he said,
and definitely worked together as a unit,
“We are so proud to have been
partners in their educational journeys,”
Bibus added. “The social work profession
stands to gain mightily as they embark on
their careers. The world will change for
the better!”
Keme Hawkins is a Weekend College
communication major. Judy Petree is media
relations manager in the Office of Public
Relations and Communication.
33
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the Alumni Board president’s desk…
I
was honored to speak at Augsburg’s
135th Commencement on Saturday,
May 1. More than 600 graduating
students participated in the ceremony,
and of these, nearly 350 were day
students and 152 were Weekend College
students. In addition, 33 were Rochester
program candidates, and 83 received
graduate degrees. These figures are in
sharp contrast to those of my own
Commencement ceremony 20 years ago
when Weekend College had just been
launched and the Rochester and graduate
programs did not yet exist. Needless to
say, the College has evolved in many
ways over the past two decades.
An Augsburg degree not only
indicates that the bearer possesses
knowledge, but it also suggests that the
bearer has the wisdom to face challenges
with confidence, integrity, and honor. In
fact, as alumni, we have been blessed by
the time spent immersed in the Augsburg
community and its ethos—i.e., that we
mattered and that with a transforming
education we could make a positive
difference in the world. We have been
given an incredible gift.
Indeed, this gift reflects the
Christian heritage of Augsburg. In
Romans 12, Paul writes, “do not be
conformed to this world, but be
transformed by renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what the will of
God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect.” An Augsburg
education does not end with
Commencement. Instead, it is the
beginning of a journey of continuous
renewal. We have been transformed to
appreciate that there is joy doing that
which one is called to do in service to
others.
New graduates are now members of
the Augsburg Alumni Association. What
does it mean to be a member of the
Alumni Association? It means staying
connected to the College. Check in with
us by phone (612-330-1178 or toll free
1-800-260-6590), the Web
(www.augsburg.edu/alumni), or via email (alumni@augsburg.edu). Let us
know what you are doing. Tell us about
jobs, marriages, children, moves, and
other achievements.
Being an alum also means serving as
an ambassador of the College. Without a
doubt, many of you are or will be leaders
in your communities and people will
wonder what makes you shine, and part
of that is being an Auggie! Attend events
sponsored by the College such as
Homecoming and Advent Vespers. Visit
former professors. Support the College
with financial and service gifts. Finally,
keep the College, its students, and its
faculty in your prayers. A great mission
is being accomplished at Augsburg, of
Auggies at the
Minnesota State Fair
D
on’t forget to stop by the Augsburg booth
at the Minnesota State Fair Aug. 26–Sept.
6. Located in the Education Building, the booth
will feature alumni prize drawings, give-aways,
special guests, and more. For schedule
information or to volunteer for a four-hour shift
at the booth, call Bobbie Chong in Public
Relations and Communication at 612-330-1180
or e-mail <chong@augsburg.edu>.
34
Save the date:
Annual ice
cream social
T
he annual ice cream social at
the Augsburg House will be
held Aug. 31. Watch your
mailbox for further details, or call
Alumni/Parent Relations at
612-330-1178 or e-mail
<alumni@augsburg.edu>.
Stephen Geffre
On behalf of the Augsburg College Alumni Board and Association, I would like to extend heartfelt
congratulations to the Class of 2004 on a job well done!
which you and I are beneficiaries. The
College depends on your support and
enthusiasm for this mission. As alumni,
these are gifts that we can give back to
the school that has given us so much.
Again, congratulations to the Class
of 2004. Welcome to the Alumni
Association and God bless you on the
journey you are about to commence!
Paul S. Mueller ’84, M.D.
President, Alumni Board
2004-2005 Alumni
Board meeting
schedule
A
lumni Board meetings for the 20042005 academic year will be held Aug.
17, Nov. 16, Feb. 15, Apr. 19, and June
21. Meetings are open to the public and
all alumni are invited to attend. Meetings
are located in the Minneapolis Room in
Christensen Center at 5:30 p.m. For more
information, visit the alumni Web site at
<www.augsburg.edu/alumni>, call
612-330-1178, or e-mail
<alumni@augsburg.edu>.
Spring/Summer 2004
A-Club and AWAC merger unites resources,
strengthens fundraising efforts
by Rebecca Welle ’05 with
contributions by Lynn Mena
W
hen we hear the word “merger,” we
usually associate it with two
organizations coming together to achieve a
higher goal. This is precisely what the new
Augsburg College A-Club is planning to
accomplish. As briefly reported in the
winter issue of the Augsburg Now, the
College’s two alumni athletics
organizations—A-Club and the Augsburg
Women’s Athletic Club (AWAC)—merged
in November. This joint venture provides
an even stronger foundation and
organization dedicated to supporting the
success of Augsburg athletics.
The first official meeting of the new AClub was held November 4, and those
involved are prepared for the challenge.
The Executive Committee of six men and
six women has updated the constitution
and has also created a critical structure of
committees to move the organization
forward. These committees address the
Athletic Hall of Fame, the annual golf
tournament, membership, special events,
communications, and finance/fundraising.
Augsburg staff liaisons to the A-Club
include Jeff Swenson ’79, assistant dean
for athletics and recreation, and Heidi
Breen, associate director of alumni/
parent relations.
Dick “Pork Chops” Thompson ’61,
president of the former A-Club, serves as
interim chair, and the first A-Club
Executive Committee includes: Kathie
Erbes ’70 (treasurer), Dustin Froyum ’98,
John Harden ’70, Jane Helmke ’83, Mark
Hultgren ’82, Dick Kelley ’72 Ron Main
’56, Lisa Nos ’99, Tracy Tomforde ’92,
Lisa Trainor ’81, and Tim Wendt ’83.
“We are very pleased that this [merger]
has taken place and will be even more
pleased with the results,” said Thompson.
On June 28, the new A-Club
successfully hosted its first joint golf
tournament—the 41st Annual Clair
Strommen A-Club Golf Tournament—at
the Pebble Creek course in Becker, Minn.
Proceeds from this annual event
underwrite various A-Club activities,
including the Hall of Fame banquet.
Spring/Summer 2004
taken place and are anxious to make a
Deep roots and passionate goals
positive impact. On the immediate
For more than a half-century, the
horizon, the new A-Club will be a major
Augsburg A-Club has been a vital link for
fundraising force for the proposed South
the past, present, and future of Auggie
Wing expansion of Melby Hall. The
athletics. The original A-Club for athletic
project is an important and necessary step
letter winners was started in 1937 by four
in upgrading facilities for all students,
of Augsburg’s top student athletes—Ken
staff, physical education majors, and
Schmit ’38, Jerry Person ’39, Hoyt
intercollegiate athletes.
Messerer ’39, and faculty adviser Dick
“This merger will combine all alumni
Pautz ’37. The club is one of the oldest
of Augsburg’s 18 sports into a single
athletic alumni organizations in the state.
advocate, dedicated to the successful
Over the years the A-Club has kept
tradition of excellence in education,
close ties with the College and its athletes
recreation, and athletics at Augsburg,”
through social, athletic, and fundraising
said Swenson.
events. The A-Club was instrumental in
As a volunteer membership
raising money for numerous major
organization, the A-Club is dependent on
athletic facility improvements, such as the
the support and active participation of all
Edor Nelson athletic field, the Melby Hall
athletic alumni to make it a success. If
fitness center and renovation project, the
you'd like more information about how
annual Hall of Fame dinner and program,
you can help Augsburg’s A-Club, contact
the Hall of Fame display in the Melby Hall
Merry Ross at 612-330-1245 or
lobby, locker room improvements, and
<rossm@augsburg.edu>, or contact
many other projects totaling more than
Jeff Swenson at 612-330-1241 or
$4 million in value.
<swensonj@augsburg.edu>.
AWAC was started as an alumni
group in 1983 by Helmke to provide
female athletes with
the same opportunity
to stay connected to
Augsburg athletics. In
1989, AWAC honored
the first women
inductees in the
Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame.
“This new joint
venture is truly the best
future for both
organizations,” said
Helmke. “It unites all
resources, talent, and
passion into a single
cause directed at
supporting the success
of Augsburg athletics.” Augsburg’s two alumni athletics organizations, A-Club and AWAC,
merged in November 2003. Above, Bob Strommen ’74 (center)
Thompson,
addresses the audience with President Frame and his mother,
Helmke, and all
Gladys (Boxrud) Strommen ’46, by his side during the Clair
members involved said Strommen A-Club Golf Tournament dinner in June 2003. The
tournament, the largest yearly fundraiser for the A-Club, was
they are excited this
renamed in honor of his father, Clair Strommen ’46, in 2002.
merger has finally
35
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
Gloria (Greguson) Johnson,
Minneapolis, left the Golden
Valley City Council after 27
years of service. She will
continue to work as a substitute
teacher in Robbinsdale District
281 schools, as well as to serve
on the Golden Valley
Foundation, Envision steering
and youth committees, and sing
in the church choir.
1950
Phebe (Dale)
Hanson, St.
Paul, published
a new book,
Why Still Dance:
75 years: 75
poems. Hanson
recently read from her book at
Kieran’s Irish Pub in
Minneapolis after it was chosen
by The Rake magazine’s Happy
Hour Book Club as a “selection
of the month.”
1953
Quentin Goodrich, Port
Ludlow, Wash., was elected vice
president of the Washington
State School Directors
Association, an organization of
almost 1,500 school directors in
Washington. He served on his
local school board for over 16
years and has been re-elected for
another four-year term. Quentin
is also chairman of the School
Trust Lands Task Force for his
state association.
1956
Richard Thorud, Bloomington,
Minn., retired after 34 years
with the Toro Company. He was
senior principal research
engineer and holds 52 patents.
1957
Lois (Kolden) Larson lives
with her husband, Donald, in
Seaside, Ore., a small tourist
town on the northern Oregon
coast where Donald is mayor.
36
The Larsons can be contacted at
<larsondonlo@harborside.com>.
1958
Doris (Johnson) Deml, St.
Cloud, Minn., received the Ray
Johnson Distinguished Service in
Senior Housing Award, given
annually through the Minnesota
Health and Housing Alliance to
one recipient in Minnesota. Doris
is director of operations at
Clearwater Suites, an assistedliving facility in Alexandria,
Minn.
1966
Judith Engle Christenson
Kerr, Cornucopia, Wis.,
graduated from Luther Seminary
with a Master of Arts in Doctrine
and Theology in May 2003. She
is pursuing her M.S./Ph.D. in
distance learning from Capella
University. She can be contacted
at <jkcorny@yahoo.com>.
Daryl
Kosloske,
Winston-Salem,
N.C., is
president and
CEO of
Behavioral
Health Resources, Inc. (BHR),
which manages health and
substance abuse benefits for
health plans and self-insured
employers in North Carolina.
Daryl was previously vice
president of behavioral health
services for NovantHealth. He
received his M.S.W. from the
University of Denver. His wife,
Hilary, is a stockbroker and the
couple has two daughters, ages
11 and 16.
ordained in March 2000. He
continues to coach volleyball at
Grand Meadow High School,
and was inducted into the
Minnesota Volleyball Coaches’
Hall of Fame in November.
1968
Jan Pedersen Schiff, Mill
Valley, Calif., received the Milley
Award for creative achievement
in the arts, presented by the Mill
Valley Art Commission. She is
the artistic director and founder
of Singers Marin, a non-profit
organization of choruses for
youth and adults.
Wayne Hansen, Cheyenne,
Wyo., is director of the
Cheyenne Frontier Days Old
West Museum and the Cheyenne
Depot Museum. His wife, Lois
B. Hansen ’69, is a quilter and
artist and also sings with the
Capital Chorale in Cheyenne.
The couple recently celebrated
their 35th wedding anniversary.
1971
Bessie Hughes, Minneapolis,
was included in an article in the
winter 2003-04
issue of
Minnesota
History
magazine that
featured her
husband,
Solomon Hughes, who before
his death in 1987 was a top
Minneapolis-based golf
professional. The article
investigated his 1948 battle with
the then “white-only” PGA
when he attempted to enter the
St. Paul Open tournament.
1973
William Payne, Mendota
Heights, Minn., was named an
assistant professor in
Metropolitan State University’s
College of Professional Studies,
where he coordinates the
alcohol and drug counseling
major and teaches
undergraduate courses in
alcohol and drug counseling,
chemical dependency
counseling, and dual disorders.
William came to Metropolitan
State University in 2000; he
previously taught in the
INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI
Courtesy photo
1948
1967
Rev. Ron Prigge, Racine, Minn.,
is a pastor at the dual parishes of
Immanuel (Racine, Minn.) and
St. John’s (Sargeant, Minn.)
Lutheran churches. After
teaching and coaching (football,
wrestling, and volleyball) for 30
years, he enrolled at Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., and was
Nohn Rebecca Kidau ’88 currently resides in Monrovia,
Liberia, where she assists the deputy minister for special
projects at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs.
Spring/Summer 2004
ALUMNI PROFILE
by Rebecca Welle ’05
When the Rev. Dr. Ben H. Coltvet ’66 toured with the Augsburg Choir to Berlin in 1965,
little did he know that he would eventually return to Berlin as a pastor at the American
Church in Berlin (ACB).
Courtesy photo
Rev. Dr. Ben H. Coltvet ’66: Pastoral call leads to Berlin
Coltvet is currently serving as pastor of the ACB, where he and his wife, Margit, reside.
He and Margit found their way to Berlin through the Division for Global Mission (DGM)
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).
“It was in the interview process and selection process for working with DGM that a call
was extended to us to serve in Berlin,” said Coltvet.
The ACB is an independent church that has close relationships with the ELCA, the
American Foreign Christian Union (AFCU), the Association of International Churches in
Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Evangelische Kirche in Berlin-Brandenburg.
Coltvet graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in biology and a minor in political science.
“I was going to be a funeral director,” Coltvet said, but “instead ended up going to the
Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul.”
Courtesy photo
At Luther, Coltvet received a Master of Divinity degree and then went on to attain a
Certificate of Supervised Training in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of
Pennsylvania. Later, he received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Eastern Baptist
Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in Marriage and Family Care.
During his time at Augsburg, Coltvet served as president of the Augsburg Choir, president
The Rev. Dr. Ben Coltvet ’66 and his wife,
of Student Christian Fellowship, and
Margit, reside in Berlin, Germany, where
was involved in Men’s Senate. It was at Coltvet serves as pastor of the American
Augsburg that Coltvet met Margit.
Church in Berlin.
After two years at Augsburg, Margit
transferred to Cornell University for a
degree in nursing, and in 1968 they were married.
The members of the ACB come from more than 15 Christian denominations and more
than 30 different nations. They are united by three commonalities, which include their
Christian faith, the English language, and the spirit of tolerance that appreciates and
rejoices in the difference. The congregation consists of nearly 280 attending members
with an average Sunday attendance of 175 worshippers. Their congregation has been
welcoming worshippers to Berlin since the mid-1880s and has ministered to an estimated
1,250 members and countless visitors seeking a spiritual home in the past 25 years.
The location of the ACB holds great significance, Coltvet said, not only because of the
city it is in, but also because of the building itself. The importance of the city of Berlin
has to do with its “unique physical location, its historically symbolic importance, and its
current political importance,” Coltvet said. Because of this, “ACB recognizes a compelling
need to play a Christian role in building bridges across diversity in the city.”
Coltvet and his wife enjoy living in Berlin and have an avid interest in traveling, as they
have ventured to Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Kenya, Cameroon, Tanzania,
England, Hungary, Austria, and Italy all in the last few years—much of this travel being
work related.
The Coltvets have five grown children and four grandchildren who are scattered
throughout North America. Their youngest daughter attends graduate school at the
Cleveland Institute of Music in Cleveland, Ohio, for violin performance.
The American Church in Berlin, where the Rev. Dr.
Coltvet ’66 serves.
Spring/Summer 2004
This October, the Alumni Association tour to Germany and Eastern Europe will feature a
special worship service with Coltvet at the ACB.
37
Class Notes
Phil Lundin, Apple Valley,
Minn., was named the 2003
National Coach of the Year by
the U.S. Track Coaches
Association. Phil, who is the
men’s track and field coach at
the University of Minnesota, is
the first Minnesota men’s or
women’s track coach to earn the
national honor. He has been the
head coach of the Golden
Gophers’ men’s track and field
team since 1996. He also earned
Big Ten Coach of the Year and
the USTCA Midwest Region
Coach of the Year honors. He
and his wife, Sue, have two
children: Dann, 22, and Teresa,
15.
Stephen Geffre
Stephen Geffre
1974
LUTHERAN FREE CHURCH REUNION AND CELEBRATION
Stephen Geffre
addiction counseling and human
services programs at
Minneapolis Community and
Technical College.
1975
Patricia (Phelps) Georg,
Hopkins, Minn., received both
the Minnesota Teacher of the
Year Award from the Air Force
Association and the R.W.
Rawlings Teacher of the Year
Award for 2003.
1976
Chris Jensen, St. Paul, is a
teacher at Mounds Park
Academy, where he has worked
for 20 years. From 1994-96 he
and his wife, Barbara, a
children’s book author and
illustrator, traveled to Lima,
Peru, to teach at an international
school. He receives periodic
leaves for education and travel
abroad, the two most recent
being a trip to Tanzania to
accompany elephant DNA
researchers, as well as a vacation
with his wife’s South African
family to Botswana. In addition
to teaching and traveling, he
continues to enjoy playing and
coaching soccer
Rev. Dr. Norman W. Wahl,
Rochester, Minn., celebrated the
38
A festive celebration of the tradition and heritage of the Lutheran Free Church was
held June 12. Alumni and friends gathered at Augsburg for a special day of worship,
“singspiration,” testimonials, lectures, dining, and conversation.
25th anniversary of his
ordination in June. He is the
executive pastor at Bethel
Lutheran Church in Rochester,
and is married to Kathryn
(Anderson) ’76.
1977
Pamela Carlson and her
husband, Phil Heide ’58,
recently returned from spending
a year working and living in
Oslo, Norway, where Pamela was
cantor, organist, and choir
director at Holmen menighet
(congregation) in Nesbru,
Norway. Holmen is part of the
Lutheran Church of Norway.
Their 10-year-old daughter,
Selena, attended fourth grade in
a Norwegian school.
Bruce Cunningham,
Maplewood, Minn., was elected
president of the Minnesota
Osteopathic Medical Society for
2004-2006. Bruce is a family
physician at MinnHealthWoodbury and serves on the
National Board of Osteopathic
Medical Examiners and the
Commission on Osteopathic
College Accreditation. He and
his wife, Pam, have four children
ranging in age from 11 to 18.
Heidi (Leaf) Haagenson, New
London, Minn., completed her
master’s degree thesis at St.
Cloud State University, titled:
“The Nonlinear Nature of
Jamaican Women’s Writing:
Louise Bennett,” and dedicated
this work to the children at
Sunbeam Boys Home, near
Spanishtown, Jamaica, where
Heidi has traveled many times
since 1995. While in Jamaica,
Heidi is involved in work
projects at the Sunbeam Boys
Spring/Summer 2004
Jacqueline Knight, Minneapolis,
was featured in the Minneapolis
Star Tribune for her work as writer
and director of Youth Performance
Company’s production, Freedom
Riders, recently performed at the
Howard Conn Fine Arts Center in
Minneapolis.
Jonathan Moren, Eden Prairie,
Minn., has been a dentist with
the Boynton Health Service at
the University of Minnesota for
over 20 years. In addition, he is
co-owner of a private dental
office in Edina, named Pentagon
Dental Group, Ltd. He is the
official team dentist of the
Minnesota Twins baseball team.
Jonathan was recently chosen as
president-elect of the
Minneapolis Dental Society. He
will take over the presidency for
a one-year term in April 2005.
He is married to Bonnie
(Lamon) ’78, an adapted
physical education teacher for
Bloomington Schools.
1980
Brett Batterson, Gross Pointe,
Mich., was named executive
director of the University of
Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre.
Brett was previously chief
operating officer of Detroit’s
Michigan Opera Theatre, and
also served as manager of the
Detroit Opera House.
Judith Driscoll, Maplewood,
Minn., received a master’s degree
in marriage and family therapy
from the University of
Wisconsin-Stout in May. She can
be contacted at
<driscoll.j@juno.com>.
Carolyn (Johnson) Spargo,
Chaska, Minn., was named to the
“Who’s Who in America” 20032004 directory.
Spring/Summer 2004
Bob Wick, St. Louis Park,
Minn., received the “Building
Responsible Youth” award from
the Minnetonka Rotary Club for
his work in youth ministry. He
has been an integral part of
shaping youth ministry on the
junior high and senior high
levels. His involvement with
mission trips, youth retreats, and
mentoring youth in confirmation
and beyond has connected him
with many of the youth at a
critical time in their lives.
ALUMNI IN THE MILITARY
Courtesy photo
1978
1981
1982
Wendy (Fiscus) Dybdal,
Mendota Heights, Minn.,
completed her master’s degree in
organizational management from
the University of Phoenix in
2002. She works in management
at Abbott Northwestern Hospital
in Minneapolis, and has two
children—Kyle and Kira—with
her husband, Kevin.
1987
Sharon A. Romano,
Minneapolis, is enrollment and
student services assistant director
and liaison for American Indian
students at Metropolitan State
University. She previously served
as staff assistant at the Minnesota
Indian Affairs Council as well as
multicultural affairs director at
Anoka-Ramsey Community
College.
Samantha Michele Kronschnabel ’03 graduated as a combat
engineer platoon commander from Marine Corps infantry school
in Quantico, Va., in March. She reported to Camp Lejuene, N.C.,
for duty and welcomes correspondence via e-mail at
<kronsch5@hotmail.com>.
CHAMBER MUSIC RECITAL & HIGH TEA
Staff photo
Home and enjoys spending time
with the boys. She received an
American Association of
University Women Career
Development Grant in 2001.
1988
Eric Sime, Rochester, Minn.,
received the National Service
Provider of the Year Award from
the National Association of
Career and Technical Educators
at their annual national
convention in Orlando, Fla., in
December. He was named a
Minnesota state award recipient
in February 2003, making him
eligible for the national award.
Eric is the special needs
advisor/ADA coordinator for
Rochester Community and
Technical College.
Music scholarship donors and recipients gathered April 21 for the
annual Chamber Music Recital & High Tea, an event that allows
donors to attend a performance by the recipients of their
scholarships as well as to enjoy tea and hors d’oeuvres with the
students following the recital. Pictured above, Borghild Gisselquist
(left) and senior Emily Forsberg (right) are served by Ned Kantar,
assistant professor of music (center).
39
Class Notes
1991
Patricia (Noren) Enderson, Elk
River, Minn., is senior marketing
communications specialist at
Kern, DeWenter, Viere, a CPA and
business advisory firm located in
Minneapolis and St. Cloud.
Carolyn Pool, Minneapolis,
starred in Mercy of a Storm at
Florida Stage in Manalapan, Fla.
The production was written by
Twin Cities’ playwright Jeffrey
Hatcher and directed by Guthrie
dramaturg Michael Bigelow
Dixon and featured a Twin Cities’
cast. The theatre critic for
Florida’s Sun-Sentinel wrote that
Carolyn’s performance was
“comic but with an edge, making
the play sparkle like shattered
glass.”
Darbi Worley,
New York, was
cast in the Bat
Company at the
Flea Theater in
New York City, a
resident
company at The Flea. Each year
over 1,000 actors audition for a
spot in the 30-person company.
She performed in the play Design
Your Kitchen, April 14 through
May 22. She also filmed scenes
for the new Glenn Close movie,
Heights, and an episode of HBO’s
The Sopranos. Her Web site is
<darbiworley.com>.
1992
Heather Johnston was named
Minneapolis budget director for
the Minnesota Department of
Finance. She spent three years at
the federal Office of Management
and Budget in Washington, D.C.
David L. Murr of Boston
University, now at Dartmouth
College, was awarded the 2004
Scarf Award, given to one person,
worldwide, each year for an
outstanding Ph.D. thesis in the
field of space science. In his
dissertation, “Magnetosphereionosphere coupling on mesoand macros-scales,” he uses both
data analysis and MHD
simulations to comprehensively
address the physical processes of
two magnetospheric-ionspheric
coupling phenomena: traveling
convection vortices and the
response of the global
magnetosphere-ionosphere
convection pattern to the
Staff photo
Staff photo
AUGSBURG CONCERT BAND 2004 TOUR
changes in the interplanetary
magnetic field. David will
present an invited talk on the
subject of his thesis at the 2004
fall AGU meeting in San
Francisco.
Lisa (Barber) Zahn, Richmond,
Minn., opened a yarn shop called
The Itty Bitty Knit Shop, Ltd., in
Richmond. She and her husband,
an elementary music and band
teacher for the St. Cloud public
school district, have a son, Elijah,
in first grade, and a daughter,
Rose, a preschooler.
1995
Daniel R. Werner, St. Paul, is a
mortgage broker/loan officer
with Regents Mortgage. He can
be contacted at <DWerner@
regentsmortgage.com>.
Jon Olsen, Minneapolis, is an
electronic solutions coordinator
at ProGroup, a diversity and
management consulting firm. Jon
and his wife, Leann (Freeberg)
’96, have a daughter, Eleanor, 1.
Jane Jeong
Trenka’s book
The Language of
Blood: A Memoir
was named Best
Book by a Local
Author by City
Pages. The book was also cited by
the Minnesota Humanities
Commission for a “New Voice”
commendation, received the
Minnesota Book Award for
“Autobiography/
Memoir,” and was a Barnes &
Noble Great New Writers selection.
The Augsburg Concert Band toured the
Midwest May 2–8, stopping in Sebeka,
Minn.; Rugby, N.Dak.; Glendive, Mont.; The
Black Hills, S.Dak.; and Chamberlain, S.Dak.
Pictured above is alumnus Dave Kerkvliet ’95
(left), Sebeka High School band director,
standing with Robert Stacke ’71 (right),
Augsburg Concert Band director, in front of
Kerkvliet’s high school band. The Augsburg
and Sebeka bands performed a joint concert
for the entire (K-12) Sebeka school on May 3.
Pictured at right is junior Molly Erickson
(left) and senior Sara Lahr (right) posing in
front of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
40
1996
Tracy Mazion Smith, Inver
Grove Heights, Minn., graduated
from the University of Maryland
in May with a Master of Science
in Health Care Administration.
She is the coordinator of the
donor egg program at the Center
for Reproductive Medicine. She
lives with her husband, Drew,
and children (Thea Ose and
Aidan Smith) in Inver Grove
Heights, Minn.
Spring/Summer 2004
Courtesy photo
ALUMNI AMBASSADORS
The deployment included
training and real-world
operations in Iraq and Liberia.
2000
Lewis Nelson is enlisted in the
U.S. Army, where he studied
Korean at the Defense Language
Institute in Monterey, Calif., for
63 weeks and received an
associate’s in Korean. He was
then assigned to the 101st
Airborne Division’s 311th
Military Intelligence Battalion,
stationed in Ft. Campbell,
Kentucky. He married Holly Ann
Downs in 2003 and the couple
has a son, Benjamin Lewis, born
in December. Lewis is currently
in Mosul, Iraq.
Sharon (Hendrickson) Gronberg ’67 of Austin, Texas, represented
both Augsburg and Texas Lutheran University in March at a
Lutheran college fair in Austin. In May, she and her husband, the
Rev. Karl Gronberg, returned to Augsburg to attend
Commencement and celebrate the graduation of their daughter,
Rhia Gronberg ’04, who received her B.A. in international relations
and political science.
1997
Renee Blue, Andover, Minn.,
was named an outstanding
teacher by the Anoka-Hennepin
School District where she
teaches kindergarten at Rum
River Elementary School. Renee
has been a part of the AnokaHennepin School District for 14
years, including the last three at
Rum River. She is part of the
Staff Development Committee
and the Rum River Family and
Teacher Association.
Allison Corwin, Salem, Ore., is
director of the McKay High
School theatre program and
teaches theatre and English in
the Salem-Keiser School District.
Ryan Goetz, Crystal, Minn.,
became a franchisee of
Handyman Connection
(www.handymanconnection.
com) in March, providing home
improvement and repair in the
Twin Cities metro area.
Andrew Small, Richfield,
Minn., was recognized by
Minnesota Lawyer magazine as
Spring/Summer 2004
one of 15 “up-and-coming”
attorneys of 2004. The honorees
were selected by the editors
from nominations made by bar
associations, law schools,
judges, lawyers, and other
members of the legal
community. Andrew works for
the Hennepin County Attorney’s
Office.
1998
Natalie K. Abbott, Champlain,
Minn., received a juris doctor
degree from William Mitchell
College of Law in St. Paul in
January.
Ted Schultz, Cannon Falls,
Minn., was named athletic
director for the Bloomington
School District. Previously, he
served as activities director and
football coach at Cannon Falls.
Jason M. Wardlow, a Marine
Corps captain, returned from an
eight-month deployment
onboard the USS Iwo Jima,
while assigned to the 26th
Marine Expeditionary Unit
based in Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Anne Marie de Jong,
Bloomington, Minn., was quoted
in the Minneapolis Star Tribune
after attending a fundraising
speech by Vice President Dick
Cheney in February.
2003
Matthew Groth, Eagan, Minn.,
appeared as a contestant on
NBC’s Fear Factor in April.
Andrew Quandt recently
graduated from the U.S. Coast
Guard Recruit Training Center
in Cape May, N.J.
Marga Chiri was accepted to
graduate school at Purdue
University, Ind., to pursue a
Ph.D. in computer science.
Marga received the GAANN
Fellowship and credits his
graduate school accomplishment
to the McNair Program.
2004
Brian Timm, Minneapolis, was
accepted into Luther Seminary
and will begin his studies this
fall.
Weddings
Amy S. Ellingrod ’95 married
Mark Swain in April. The couple
resides in Valencia, Calif.
Darlene Mueller ’96 married
Matthew Finnerty in March. The
couple resides in Tampa, Fla.
Jennifer Kettering ’96
married Corey Doerfler in
September. Jennifer is a senior
project analyst for Qwest. The
couple resides in Roseville,
Minn.
Nicole Warner ’01 married
Marc Simml (international
student, spring semester, 1999)
in June 2003 in Hoversten
Chapel. The couple resides in
Lippstadt, Germany.
Births/Adoptions
Bonnie Gutknecht Miller ’91
and her husband, Thurston,
Granger, Ind.—a son, Koert
Donart, in April. He joins sister
Salinda, 2. Bonnie can be
contacted at
<leaflaker@mail.com>.
Heather
Johnston ’92
and Dr. Jason
Koch ’93,
Rochester,
Minn.—
a son, Simon
Koch, in October.
Shannon (Schultz) Van
Buskirk ’93 and her husband,
Renner, S.Dak.—a son, Jacob,
in March 2003. Shannon works
for Pfizer, Inc., and is pursuing
her MBA at the University of
Sioux Falls.
Dana (Ryding) ’93 and Jeff
Martin—a son, Noah Jeffrey,
in February.
Jessica
(Ferrell) ’93
and Brad
Zenner ’92,
Minneapolis—
adopted a
daughter, Lily
Jin, in October; Lily was born in
Hunan, China, in December
2002. Jessica is a business
analyst for Marshall Field’s
Travel Service and can be
contacted at <jessicazenner@
hotmail.com>. Brad works at
Fallon.
41
Class Notes
Lynnel (Wakefield) ’96 and Ian
Taylor, Inver Grove Heights,
Minn.—twin sons, Jacob Bruce
and Joseph Brian, in November.
Lynnel is a business analyst for
Express Scripts and can be
contacted at
<mntaylors@usfamily.net>.
Brooke (Manisto) ’96 and Erik
Reseland ’98, St. Anthony,
Minn.—a daughter, Elsa Leigh,
in November.
Anne Lalla ’96 and Todd
Johnson, Shoreview, Minn.—
a son, Evan Edward Johnson,
in September 2002.
Jessica
(Barker) ’97
and Paul
Johnson,
Minneapolis—
a daughter, Lily
Grace, in July
2003. Jessica is a business
analyst for Target Corporation,
and can be contacted at
<PaulJessMax@msn.com>.
Jennifer (Crego) ’00 and Chad
Carls ’00, St. Michael, Minn.—
a son, Andrew Joseph, in
Send us your news
and photos!
Please tell us about the news in
your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget
to send photos!
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notice is required, e.g. an
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Send your news items, photos, or
change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes,
Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
MN, 55454, or e-mail to
<alumni@augsburg.edu>.
October. He joins brother
Tommy, 2. Chad teaches
chemistry at Champlin Park
High School.
Mia Carol (Kordovsky) ’00 and
Dr. James Stafford, Bismarck,
N.Dak.—a daughter, Madeline
Grace, in February. She joins
sister Ellie, 3. Mia can be
contacted at
<miajim98@hotmail.com>.
Nathan Kyle
Dorenkamp
’00 and his wife,
Mary,
Farmington,
Minn.—a son,
Dominic
James, in March. He joins
siblings Michael, 5, and
Adrienne, 2. Nathan is a software
tester at Thomson West.
Chad Trench ’02 and his wife,
Ann, Minneapolis—a son, Ted
Thomas, in October.
Elisa Titus ’02 MAL and her
husband, Matt—a daughter,
Abigail Clara.
ALUMNI BENEFITS
As a member of the Augsburg College Alumni Association, you are
a very important part of the College community and are welcome
to receive various benefits and forms of communication:
• The award-winning College and alumni magazine, Augsburg Now
• The Alumni/Parent Relations Web site,
www.augsburg.edu/alumni
• College updates and news of your classmates from your
class agent
• Invitations to Homecoming, reunions, and other special events
hosted on campus and in your communities
• Access to the fitness center (w/picture ID) and Lindell Library
(a one-time fee will be assessed to check out materials)
• Access to career services resources
• Alumni tuition discount
• Legacy Scholarship for qualified family members attending the
day school program
• The opportunity to attend all regular season home athletic
events free of charge
• The opportunity to volunteer on leadership boards
and committees
• The opportunity to register for alumni tours around the world
Please contact the Office of Alumni/Parent Relations for more
information on your alumni benefits, and let us know how you
would like to be involved. We welcome your participation, ideas,
and feedback and look forward to staying in touch with you.
612-330-1178 • 1-800-260-6590 • alumni@augsburg.edu
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42
Spring/Summer 2004
In Memoriam
Elsie (Lokken) Lower ’30,
Minneapolis, died in February;
she was 96. She taught English
and social studies for many years
at Phillips Junior High School in
Minneapolis. A member of the
Augsburg Associates, she enjoyed
a lifetime of contact with
Augsburg, and counted many
Auggies among her closest longtime friends. She and her
husband, Kenneth ’28, were
among the first residents of
Augustana Apartments in
Minneapolis, where she became
an active volunteer. At the time of
her death, she had lived in the
apartments longer than any other
resident. She is survived by two
daughters, Carolyn Bliss ’56 and
Mary Farmer ’63; five
grandchildren; and three greatgrandchildren. She was preceded
in death by her husband.
Elmer A. Hendrickson ’31, San
Diego, Calif., died in May 2003.
He was a retired teacher. He is
survived by his wife, Marie, and
two daughters.
Olive (Casperson) Nelson ’38,
Burnsville, Minn., died in
October; she was 87. Her passion
in life was caring for her husband
and her children; she loved to
travel, entertain, and sew. She is
survived by four children, 11
grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren. She was preceded
in death by her husband, Lloyd.
Harold Schwartz ’49, Richfield,
Minn., died in October; he was
81. He served in the Army Air
Force in both WWII and the
Korean War. As a civilian, he
worked for the U.S. Postal Service
for 26 years until his retirement in
1982. Throughout his later years
his Christian faith and his Jewish
roots became increasingly
important to him. He was a
member of Ebenezer Lutheran
Brethren Church and an
enthusiastic supporter of Lutheran
Brethren World Missions and
Jewish Christian organizations. He
will perhaps be most remembered
for his special ministry of
encouragement to missionaries,
Spring/Summer 2004
pastors, church staff, and friends
from different places. During his
life he sent out thousands of cards
and letters letting people know he
was praying for them and
appreciated them and their work.
He is survived by his wife of 45
years, Carol; a daughter, Linda;
and two grandsons.
Rev. Lyle H. Shaw ’50,
Covenant Village, Westminster,
Colo., died in August 2003; he
was 80. He was a member of the
Army Air Corps during WWII,
earning several service awards
including the Legion of Merit, the
Distinguished Flying Cross, the
Bronze Star, the Vietnam Cross of
Gallantry, the Army
Commendation Medal, and the
Armed Forces Reserve Medal. He
served First Lutheran Church in
Sioux Rapids, Iowa, for four years,
and was then persuaded to join
the military chaplaincy. He was
stationed in seven states and in
both Germany and Vietnam,
retiring in 1974 after 20 years of
service and having achieved the
rank of colonel. He continued his
role as chaplain at the VA Hospital
in Fort Snelling, working full time
and then part time until 1994. He
and his wife moved to Covenant
Village in Westminster in 2001,
where he continued to minister to
confined residents with his
harmonica and favorite hymns.
He is survived by his wife,
Delphine; three children; and four
grandchildren.
Arthur Kuross ’51, Mendota
Heights, Minn., died in April; he
was 76. He was a retired manager
with J.C.Penney Company, and a
past president of Augsburg’s
A-Club. He is survived by his
wife, Val; two daughters,
Kathleen ’85 and Nancy; three
sons, Steven ’76, Paul, and Peter;
and seven grandchildren.
Jean C. (Anderson) Peterson
’51, Eagan, Minn., died in
February; she was 78. She was a
speech pathologist at Kenny
Institute and VA Hospital. She is
survived by her husband, Warren,
and her son, Jon.
Else “BJ” Bjornstad ’58,
Minneapolis, died in February.
She was a research editor for
Together magazine (a Methodist
publication) as well as a teacher.
For more than 25 years, she
worked for the U.S. government
in the Department of Social
Security—first in the regional
office in Chicago, then in the
Final Appeals Division in
Washington, D.C. She also served
in the Marines during WWII and
continued in the Reserves until
1959, retiring as a major. She is
survived by her sister, Elizabeth
’43; four nephews; and three
nieces.
Erwin W. “Chris” Christensen
’58, Hastings, Minn., died in
December; he was 67. He taught
middle school science in Hastings
from 1970 to 1995 before retiring.
He also taught in Rushford,
Minn., and Reedsburg, Wis. He is
survived by his wife of 44 years,
Mary Lou (Baker) ’61; two
children; and six grandchildren.
Donald W. Elfstrum ’59,
Verndale, Minn., died in July
2003; he was 66. He worked at
the Ford Motor Company
assembly plant in St. Paul, retiring
in 1987 after 30 years. He is
survived by his wife, Claudia; two
sons; and three grandsons.
Frank D. Hawks ’59, Cannon
Falls, Minn., died in December; he
was 71. An Army veteran, he
taught and coached in Cannon
Falls for 32 years. He was
inducted into the Augsburg
Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994. He
is survived by his wife of 50 years,
Jean; and two children, Lee ’85
and Susan.
Rev. Dr. Richard L. Husfloen
’60 died unexpectedly in
September of a heart attack in
Phoenix, Ariz., three days before
he was scheduled to undergo back
surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He
had retired July 1 from Augustana
University College in Camrose,
Alberta, Canada, where he had
served as president since 1996.
During his tenure he and his
administration eliminated salary
rollbacks, balanced the budget,
and increased enrollment.
Husfloen’s background was rich
and varied—he held a career in
the airline industry, served as an
administrative assistant to synod
bishops in the ALC for 15 years,
and also served as a development
director at the Lutheran
Theological Seminary at
Philadelphia and Waterloo
Lutheran Seminary. In addition,
he served as an assistant professor
of sociology at Augsburg and as a
visiting lecturer on church and
society at Wartburg Theological
Seminary in Iowa. He leaves
behind a host of friends, across
the continent and around the
world, who join his brother, Jim
’54, in mourning his passing.
Susan Lowe ’74, Denver, Colo.,
died in August 2003; she was 51.
She is survived by her mother,
stepfather, and five siblings.
Thomas Wyatt ’94, Brainerd,
Minn., died in March from a car
accident; he was 33. He was a
respected member of the law
enforcement community. He is
survived by his wife, Chanttel; a
daughter, Brienna; and a son,
Kyle.
Sonja Eylandt, St. Paul, died in
April; she was 86. Born in
Saaremaa, Estonia, her country
was invaded by Russia during
WWII. She lived in a displacedpersons camp for approximately
three years, and in 1951
immigrated to the United States
with her mother and her son; her
husband died on the operating
table during the war. She was
driven by an uncommon work
ethic, determined to take care of
her mother and son. In addition
to working for Gould
Incorporated for more than 30
years, she also worked in the
“Chin Wag” (now Murphy Grill)
at Augsburg for nearly 40 years.
She held positions with other
companies as well, such as
Goodwill Easter Seals and Cub
Foods. She is survived by a son,
five children, and six greatgrandchildren.
43
SPARK YOUR SPIRIT
October 2–9
Saturday, October 2
Friday, October 8
Men’s Soccer Alumni Game
Heritage Society Breakfast
5 p.m.—Edor Nelson Athletic Field
8:30 a.m.—Christensen Center
Monday, October 4
Class of 1954 Reunion Breakfast
“Spark the Campus with Spirit Trivia
Contest” begins
7 p.m.—Christensen Center
Tuesday, October 5
9 a.m.—Arnold Atrium, Foss Center
Homecoming Chapel
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Class of 1954 Luncheon
“Keeping Your Spirit Healthy”
Annual College Health Fair
11:30 a.m.—Arnold Atrium, Foss Center
11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.—Quad
Campus Tour
Third Annual Powder Puff game*
7 p.m.—Edor-Nelson Athletic Field
Wednesday, October 6
2 p.m.—Gather in Foss Center
Women’s Soccer vs. Gustavus
Adolphus College
5 p.m.—Edor Nelson Athletic Field
Augsburg Associates Annual Fall Luncheon
Town & Country Club, St. Paul
10 a.m.—Craft Sale
11:40 a.m.—Annual Business Meeting
Noon—Luncheon/Program
International Student Alumni Reception
4:30–6 p.m.—Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
Augsburg Ethnic Programs Celebration
5:30–6:45 p.m.—Christensen Center
Scholastic Connections Social & Dinner
Featuring an auction of signed limited
edition prints by Minneapolis artist
Kenneth Caldwell to benefit the
Scholastic Connections scholarship fund
7–8:30 p.m.—Christensen Center
Volleyball vs. Hamline University
7:30 p.m.—Si Melby Gymnasium
Auggie Variety Show*
7 p.m.—Foss Center
Men’s Soccer vs. Gustavus
Adolphus College
7:30 p.m.—Edor Nelson Athletic Field
Volleyball vs. North Central (Minn.)
7:30 p.m.—Si Melby Gymnasium
Faculty Violin Recital
5:30–8:30 p.m.—Christensen Center
Big Screen Movie*
9 p.m.—Si Melby Gymnasium
Annual Picnic in the Park/Wrestling
Reunion and Party
11 a.m.—Murphy Park
Campus Tour
11 a.m.—Gather in Christensen Center
Volleyball Alumnae Match
11 a.m.—Si Melby Gymnasium
Class of 1994 Tailgating Reunion
11:30 a.m.—Class of 1994 tent, across
from Murphy Park between Urness &
Christensen
Music Therapy 30th Anniversary Lunch
& Workshop
Noon—Riverside Room,
Christensen Center
7:30 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
Master of Arts in Leadership (MAL)
Alumni Gathering
Saturday, October 9
Noon—Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
Science Alumni Gathering
9:30–11:30 a.m.—Marshall Room,
Christensen Center
Football Game vs. Gustavus
Adolphus College
1 p.m.—Edor Nelson Athletic Field
Annual Social Work Alum Network
(SWAN) Brunch
10 a.m.—Augsburg Room,
Christensen Center
Thursday, October 7
Athletic Hall of Fame Reception
& Dinner
Original art by Kenneth Caldwell
HHomecoming
OMECOMING
2004
First Decade/Wrestling Post-Game Party
Upstairs at Grandma’s after the game
English Dept. Alumni Reunion
Nursing Alumni Association Brunch
4–5 p.m.—Lindell Library, Room 301
10 a.m.—Century Room,
Christensen Center
Homecoming Dinner & Reunion Parties
Stephen “Gabe” Gabrielson ’63
Organ Recital
5:30 p.m., Dinner—Christensen Center
7:30 p.m., Reunion Parties (1954, 1964,
& 1979)—Locations TBA
10:30 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
This is a preliminary calendar and is subject to change; please watch for your full Homecoming event brochure—due in mailboxes later this summer.
* Denotes student activities
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
Vision
2004
BY SUE KLASEUS,VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Although we’ve called these past four
years the “quiet phase” of the campaign,
it has certainly been an active and exciting time for all of us here at Augsburg
College. It’s been a productive time, too,
as we’ve raised nearly 30 million of our
$55 million campaign goal during this
time. In April, we went public with
Access to Excellence: The Campaign for
Augsburg College and we’ve stepped up
our activity manyfold. Already we’ve
enjoyed many successes.
The impact of this campaign will be
felt by thousands of students, faculty,
staff, alumni, parents, and most importantly, by our community for decades
to come.
The effects of our campaign go well
beyond our borders as we prepare students to make a difference in many
areas critical to the world’s future. We’re
drawing top-notch students and faculty;
and we’re providing them with the best
Vision is published by:
Augsburg College
Editor
Lynn James
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Contributing Writers
Kristin Anderson
Leif Anderson
Dave Benson
Lynn James
Sue Klaseus
Betsey Norgard
Alice Pepin
Nancy Steblay
www.augsburg.edu/campaign
2
facilities in which to teach and learn.
Our campaign will have a lasting, positive impact on our ability to provide a
quality education to a greater number of
students now and well into the future.
We’re fortunate to have already
received many wonderful campaign
gifts. We wish to thank all of our donors
for their contributions, regardless of the
size of their gifts. We’ve been blessed by
receipt of six, seven-figure gifts and seventy, $100,000+ leadership gifts to be
used in various areas of the campaign.
These 70 gifts range from, $100,000 to
$999,999. Look for more information
on some of these gifts elsewhere in this
insert.
These donors and many others
believe in Augsburg’s long tradition of
service to the community and have
demonstrated this belief with their generous donations and involvement.
However, to accomplish a campaign like
Access to Excellence: The Campaign for
Augsburg College, we have to enter an
entirely new realm of philanthropic giving. Our alumni giving must increase to
be competitive with other private colleges. Our endowment must grow to
AUGSBURG
CAMPAIGN
LEADERSHIP GIFTS
KINNEY JOHNSON ’65
$1 million for the new Science Center
(lifetime giving in excess of $2 million)
ALAN RICE
$1 million for Si Melby Hall expansion
JEAN TAYLOR ’85 and
ROGER GRIFFITH ’84 and
THE GLEN A.TAYLOR FOUNDATION
$1.5 million for the new Science
Center
FEDERAL APPROPRIATION
$1 million for the new Science Center
thanks to U.S. Rep. Martin Olav Sabo ’59
and others
JIM AND KATHY HAGLUND and
CENTRAL CONTAINER
CORPORATION
Leading the campaign with a $1 million
undesignated gift
E. MILTON KLEVEN ’46 and FAMILY
$500,000 to endow the first President’s
Scholarship (lifetime giving in excess of
$1 million)
LILLY ENDOWMENT, INC.
$2 million for a program titled
“Exploring Our Gifts: Connecting Faith,
Vocation, and Work”
sustain the long-term viability of this
fine institution, and we must keep our
physical plant vibrant and relevant with
state-of-the-art facilities to better serve
students, faculty, staff, and the community.
Recently I’ve been reading The
Greater Good, by Claire Gaudiani, and
am intrigued by her assertion that the
next 50 years will see the largest private
intergenerational wealth transfer in
human history. Experts at Boston
College have projected that between
1998 and 2052, $31 to $41 trillion of
“THE CHALLENGE OVER THE NEXT
20 YEARS IS TO SUSTAIN AND INCREASE
GIVING BY PEOPLE OF ALL CATEGORIES.”
–CLAIRE GAUDIANI, THE GREATER GOOD
wealth will move from one generation
to another. During that time, they estimate our economy will produce more
than 10 million new millionaires.
Gaudiani asserts that despite such
wealth, the trend in generosity has
remained under two percent of personal
income for 30 years. The real problem,
according to Gaudiani, is that we have
stopped nurturing and building our giving habits at just the wrong time.
You also may find this book worth
reading. It may help to inspire us all to
even greater heights of philanthropy.
To reinforce this culture change, our
branding and visibility campaign
launched this past year helped to get
the Augsburg mission out into the
world. Breaking ground for our new
Science Center, opening the doors of
the new Gateway Building, and celebrating the renovation of Si Melby Hall,
along with exponential growth in the
Annual Fund and our endowment, will
send similar messages to the public.
Augsburg is strong; it stands on a long
tradition of transforming our students
and serving the community. We are a
major player in this region on compelling issues such as K-12 education,
healthcare workforce development, science and math education, theater, fine
arts, and so much more. We can stand
up and be proud of Augsburg and our
many successes.
The recent campaign kickoff was a
turning point in our history. We must
continue building on the tradition of
giving by all constituents associated
with our fine college, and find new
friends willing to help. Our challenge is
great, but the momentum is strong, and
we have committed faculty, staff,
regents, and volunteers who stand
ready and willing to make this dream a
reality. As you read this campaign
update, we hope you will ask yourself,
“How can I help?”
Please don’t hesitate to contact me
should you want to talk about your
support of Augsburg. Remember, all gifts
are important to Augsburg’s future. ■
CAMPAIGN CABINET
MICHAEL O. FREEMAN co-chair
JAMES E. HAGLUND co-chair
JEAN M.TAYLOR ’85 co-chair
RICHARD T. COLVIN ’74
TRACY LYNN ELFTMANN ’81
PRESIDENT WILLIAM V. FRAME
KATHRYN H.TUNHEIM
REV. DR. NORMAN W.WAHL ’75
SUSAN J. KLASEUS
HONORARY
CO-CHAIRS
PETER AGRE ’70
RODNEY (ROD) BURWELL
EDWIN C. (SKIP) and BARBARA
CARLSON GAGE
BISHOP MARK HANSON ’68 and
IONE AGRIMSON HANSON ’68
R. LUTHER (LUTE) OLSON ’56 and
CHRISTINE TORETTI OLSON
MARTIN OLAV SABO ’59 and
SYLVIA LEE SABO
GLADYS BOXRUD STROMMEN ’46
Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College was officially kicked off at the Augsburg
Community Festival on Sunday, April 18, 2004.
3
Augsburg kicks off campaign at community festival
It was a day of promise. Blessed by 80degree weather and a reprieve from rain
showers, the College officially kicked off
Access to Excellence: The Campaign for
Augsburg College on Sunday, April 18,
2004, during the Augsburg Community
Festival. This inaugural event for
Augsburg built community awareness
and fortified community partnerships.
Neighbors, alumni, and supporters of
the College were invited to join students, faculty, and staff in a campus-wide
family celebration for the campaign kickoff. The afternoon event drew more than
1,500 people.
Augsburg’s Camp Cruisers music band
was instrumental in rallying the crowd as
everyone gathered on the Augsburg football field to literally “kick off” the campaign. Footballs flew toward the goal as a
banner announcing the campaign
dropped between the posts.
In recognition of the $55 million campaign goal, the community was treated to
a 55-foot hoagie and a 55-foot cake.
Everyone then scattered across campus to
partake in the activities designed to
appeal to all ages. Demonstrations, sports
clinics, author readings, fine art, and
musical and theatre performances
engaged people around campus.
Young readers gathered at the reading
corner to listen to children’s authors Rick
Kupchella, KARE-11 TV in
Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Shelly
Swanson-Sateren ’82. Adults also enjoyed
the literary talents of English faculty
member Cass Dalglish.
Lute Olson ’56, flew back to
Minnesota from his duties as head basketball coach of the University of Arizona to
host a youth clinic for boys and girls in
grades K-12. Many adults on the sidelines
were impressed with how much they
learned, too.
Murphy Square and Christensen
Center busily catered to festival participants as community partners and faculty
and students drew crowds with activities,
information booths, demonstrations, giveaways, and free food.
4
Science experiments of silly putty,
homemade nitrogen ice cream, coral reef
research, and many other hands-on activities kept the Science Hall active.
The community clamored onto the
fire truck driven over by neighborhood
Station 7. Down the street, medical personnel in the Augsburg Academy ambulance gave heart analyses and showcased
the internal workings of the vehicle.
Augsburg’s nursing department offered
blood pressure readings, stress level tests,
and hand massages.
Music streamed out of the cafeteria as
bands DoomTree, Heiruspecs, and
Medida performed. Reserved seats also
were available for the Augsburg theater
production of Machinal.
Minnesota Wild hockey player
Wes Walz drew boys and girls into the
ice arena for a hockey clinic. The
Minneapolis Figure Skating Club dazzled
the crowd with their technique and ability before the afternoon concluded with
open skating.
The event was so successful people
throughout the community were asking
for the festival to become an annual event.
A gala donor evening
Si Melby was transformed the evening of
April 17 for a donor dinner and program
Minnesota Wild player Wes Walz hosts a hockey clinic for youth in grades K–12.
Rick Kupchella, KARE-11 weekend anchor and children’s author, reads his book to eager
listeners. Author Shelly Swanson-Sateren ’82 followed with a reading from her children’s book.
focusing on Augsburg’s history and its future
growth. Lead gifts to the campaign were
announced on stages positioned around the
event. A campaign video highlighted people
transformed by Augsburg and its programs.
Guests reveled in the musical talents of
Augsburg student musicians, singers, and
actors. The evening culminated with rousing
songs by Gospel Praise and spectacular
in-house pyrotechnics. Special thanks to
Institutional Advancement, Ridgeway
International, Sodexho, Write 2 Work,
Event Services, and the College’s in-house
planning committee for making these historical events a reality. ■
Acclaimed hip-hop group, Heiruspecs, rocked Christensen Center during their Festival
performance.
Fifty-five feet of sandwich and fifty-five feet of cake fed Festival
participants.
Emcees Gary Rorman ’82 and actor T. Mychael
Rambo hosted the magnificent donor event on
Saturday, April 17, 2004.
Event participant Kim Drangeid and Chemistry professor Joan
Kunz make silly putty.
Lute Olson ’56 gives pointers during his basketball clinic for boys and girls.
5
Major gifts directed to new Science Center
Donors typically have unique, special
memories and connections with
Augsburg College that inspire them to
help the school. Such is the case with
these generous gifts that will be used for
the new Science Center, the top goal of
the campaign.
KINNEY JOHNSON ’65
Augsburg College
has been a central,
significant part of
Kinney Johnson’s
life–and vice
versa–for many,
many years. His
relationship with
the College became
closer recently when he joined the
Augsburg Board of Regents. Johnson has
given generously to Augsburg in various
ways over the years. His first $1 million
gift went to the Lindell Library to honor
his father, Herb ’34, and now he has
given a $1 million gift to the new
Science Center. In addition, he continues to provide strong leadership for The
Augsburg Fund each year.
Johnson’s family has a rich history
with Augsburg, beginning with Herb
Johnson, who was on Augsburg’s Board
of Regents for 12 years. Augsburg lost a
true friend when he died earlier this
year. Herb Johnson’s aunt, LaVonne
Peterson ’50, also had an impact on
Augsburg. She was a role model and
pioneer in women’s athletics and was in
charge of the women’s athletic department before the title “director” was
applied to that department. Kinney
Johnson has been very close to his
6
cousin, Jeffrey Peterson ’63, LaVonne’s
son, and the two attended Augsburg
College together. Jeffrey is retired from
the Federal government and lives in
Virginia. Johnson’s sister, Jennelle
Cunning, also graduated from Augsburg
in 1962. Needless to say, Augsburg has
been an integral part of the lives of both
the Johnson and Peterson families.
We are especially grateful to Kinney
Johnson, a highly successful, generous
entrepreneur who is a general partner of
a venture capital firm in Boulder, Colo.
JEAN TAYLOR ’85
Jean Taylor’s passion for Augsburg
College is difficult
to overstate. A
1985 graduate,
Taylor is co-chair
of the campaign
and began a twoyear term as Board
of Regents chair on May 1. She volunteers her time and energy tirelessly and
her enthusiasm is felt on the board and
the campaign. Her drive is helping to
chart the course for Augsburg College
now and into the future.
“Nothing gives me more confidence
than knowing that my successor brings
more talent to a job than I have,” said
outgoing board chair Kathy Tunheim.
“So I am extremely confident that the
next phase of Augsburg College’s governance will be even more important and
fruitful than the years in which I had
the honor of participating. Jean Taylor
brings the discipline and experience of
business leadership, the passion of her
feelings about this College, and the
great humor and wit of a wonderful
leader.”
Taylor is also a corporate leader
from one of Minnesota’s most important
business families, and she and her husband, Roger Griffith ’84, together with
the Glen A. Taylor Foundation, have
given nearly $1.5 million in leadership
gifts to the campaign that will help
build the new Science Center.
“The new Science Center is not
only the centerpiece of the campaign, it
also links the College’s past to its
future. Our rich history of talented science faculty and alumni and the importance of science in a liberal arts education are the foundation of using our
new Science Center to better serve our
community and educate future leaders
who will find essential a knowledge of
science, health care, and the natural
world,” Taylor said.
Perhaps her friend and fellow regent
Tracy Elftmann ’81 best summarized
Taylor’s contributions to Augsburg
when she said, “Jean is one of the most
strategic thinking people I’ve known
and is incredibly accomplished in being
able to identify and articulate
Augsburg’s vision and values. I think
she is going to move us forward in ways
we never envisioned.
“Jean is grateful for her education
here and is committed to giving back to
the institution in a meaningful, long-lasting way that is also forward thinking.”
(Major gifts continued on page 7)
New Science Center planning includes ‘green’ features
“Green building” features are the focus
of this summer’s design work for
Augsburg College’s new Science Center,
thanks to a $25,000 planning grant from
the Minnesota Office of Environmental
Assistance. With a matching grant from
the College and another $30,000 from
Xcel Energy, consideration of sustainable
design is integrated into the design
development process currently underway. The architects, engineers, and oncampus planning committee will make a
recommendation to College administration later this year regarding sustainable
design features for the new building.
The term “green building” is synonymous with a high-performance building,
sustainable design and construction, and
Rendering of the new Science Center at night.
(Continued from page 6)
MARTIN OLAV SABO ’59
U.S. Rep. Martin
Olav Sabo was
instrumental in
obtaining a $1 million federal grant
for Augsburg’s new
Science Center.
The grant will
allow Augsburg to
respond to our country’s need for science professionals by educating top-
notch scientists for the future. A farm
boy from Crosby, N.Dak., Sabo has
spent the past four decades in elective
public service. He served in the
Minnesota House of Representatives
from 1961 to 1978, including six years
as speaker of the house and four years
as minority leader. Sabo was first elected to Congress in 1978 and is currently
running for his 13th term in the House
of Representatives. ■
environmental responsibility.
A primary objective of sustainable
design is to reduce operating costs.
Xcel’s contributions include consultant
services on energy efficiency and a
detailed energy model for the building.
Once the building is complete, Xcel will
contribute another $14,000 in services
to verify that the selected measures have
been installed and will provide cash
incentives to encourage energy efficient
practices.
Sustainable design also employs
strategies to increase occupant comfort
and to reduce negative environmental
impact. For example, the team is evaluating expanded use of day-lighting, ways
to reduce construction waste, and use of
local and renewable materials.
“Augsburg is committed to incorporating environmentally-responsible features in the Science Center and is grateful to the OEA and Xcel for providing
their expertise and financial support,”
said Augsburg professor Nancy Steblay,
the Sustainability Project coordinator.
In developing a sustainability plan,
the building’s architects, Holabird &
Root, will use a rigorous green-building
rating system for effective sustainable
design known as LEED, or Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design.
The architects will examine LEED criteria as they relate to the Science Center’s
design and evaluate the cost/benefit of
each. The criteria fall into six categories:
sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy
and atmosphere, materials and
resources, indoor air quality, and innovation and design process. ■
7
Barber gift to go to Science Center
Loren Barber’s extensive history in the
sciences has resulted in a most generous
gift of $50,000 from Barber and his
wife, Mary Quanbeck Barber ’77, to be
used for the new Science Center. And
3M, Barber’s employer for many years
where he served as a corporate scientist,
is making the Barbers’ gift even more
meaningful through a $25,000 matching gift. In addition, the Barbers are
members of the Maroon & Silver
Society, providing annual support to
Augsburg’s students.
Even after Barber retired from 3M in
2001, he wasn’t ready to let go of his
work in the sciences, and he continued
to work two days a week for a couple of
years. Barber is used to hard work;
raised on 160 acres in upstate New
York, he attended the Rochester
Institute of Technology on a cooperative
Site plan of new Science Center.
8
work-study program at Eastman Kodak
Company with a major in chemistry.
That combination of school and work
experience made his studies more
meaningful and led him to Ames, Iowa,
where he received his Ph.D. Eventually,
Barber arrived in Minnesota, and
Augsburg is very fortunate he did.
Science education is very important to
Barber and he provides leadership on
Augsburg’s Science Advisory Board.
Mary Barber has strong connections
to Augsburg, beginning with her father,
Philip Quanbeck Sr., a distinguished
professor of theology who attended
Augsburg College and Seminary and
subsequently joined the faculty in the
1950s. In his retirement from Augsburg,
he serves as visitation pastor at
Bethlehem Lutheran Church and is a
Mary and Loren Barber’s gift to the Science
Center is enhanced by corporate matching.
member of the Augsburg Institutional
Advancement staff. Mary’s brother,
Philip Quanbeck II, is also a prominent
professor of theology at Augsburg.
Mary Barber received her B.A. in
English from Augsburg and her M.A. in
speech pathology from Michigan State
University. She serves the North St.
Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale schools as
their speech-language pathologist specializing in early childhood education.
“Our gift is rooted in our strong
belief in supporting scientific literacy in
our society and increasing awareness of
how science affects each of our lives,”
Loren Barber said.
The Barbers were married 10 years
ago and recently purchased a home on
Lake Vermilion. They share a passion
for the outdoors, water, and the environment, and Loren has discovered a
new avocation—building canoes.
For information about making your
Science Center gift, contact the
Development office at 612-330-1462. ■
McNair Scholar Stephanie Perkins likes Augsburg’s personal touch
A science fair
project in eighth
grade on the
oxidation states
of iron hooked
Stephanie
Perkins on the
study of science.
This fall the
McNair Scholar will be a senior at
Augsburg College majoring in science
and working with other students as a
peer instructor under associate professor Joan Kunz in chemistry. Augsburg
has transformed Perkins’ childhood
curiosity about science into a meaningful education that she will take out into
the world. A first-generation college
student, Perkins has found the McNair
Scholar program to be an indispensable
guide along the way.
When Perkins first visited
Augsburg, she was impressed with the
way the chemistry faculty members
went out of their way to make her feel
welcomed and special, a culture that
she says is unique to a small college
like Augsburg. Perkins has continued to
experience that personal attention
throughout her education here.
“This is what makes good scientists—the ability to interact with the
faculty in this way,” Perkins said.
“Science involves communicating with
peers and consensus about ideas.”
While it was the faculty who attracted Perkins to Augsburg, she feels that
facilities are important, too, because
they help the school compete for the
best students and faculty. She believes
the new Science Building will be
extremely beneficial to students, the
school, and the field of science.
According to Perkins, a new facility will
allow faculty and students to conduct
more effective research and it will
house additional and better instruments.
After graduation, Perkins is planning to pursue graduate school and a
doctorate in physical chemistry. ■
AUGSBURG SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD
JAMES AGRE ’72, M.D.
Ministry Medical Group,
Eagle River,Wis.
RALPH SULERUD, PH.D.
Professor Emeritus of Biology
Augsburg College
LOREN BARBER, PH.D.
3M
NEAL O.THORPE ’60, PH.D.
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust,
Vancouver,Wash.
GARY CARLSON ’95
3M, Retired
FRED FAXVOG, PH.D.
Honeywell, Inc.
STEVEN GRINDE ’81, D.D.S.
Maple Grove Dental Center
JOEL L. HOULTON
Honeywell, Inc.
DAVID KNUTSON ’69
Park Nicollet Medical Center
PAUL S. MUELLER ’84, M.D.
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
JOEL T. NELSON ’85, PH.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
RICK PANNING
Fairview Health Services
RICHARD SEIME ’70, PH.D.
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
Augsburg Board of
Regents and Staff Liaisons
RUTH E. JOHNSON ’74, M.D.,
Science Advisory Board Chair
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
BEVERLY THOMPSON
HATLEN, R.N., M.S.N.
Minnesota Life College
Ex officio—
Augsburg College
CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL, PH.D.
Vice President for Academic and Student
Affairs and Dean of the College
JOAN KUNZ, PH.D.
Associate Professor of Chemistry
NANCY STEBLAY, PH.D.
Professor of Psychology
Assistant to the Dean for Special Projects
9
Opening the door to Augsburg—
Gateway Building to welcome all
RIVERSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD
COLLABORATION
The Gateway Building will be multiuse and will feature retail space, student housing, and an administrative
area. The design will provide greatly
needed space for College programs and
offices, including the StepUP program;
the Center for Service, Work, and
Learning; and the Institutional
Advancement division, including the
Augsburg Alumni Center. The Gateway
Building’s commercial hub on Riverside
Avenue will contribute to the growth of
a thriving urban village encompassing
Augsburg’s campus, the CedarRiverside neighborhood, the University
of Minnesota’s West Bank, and
Fairview-University Medical Center.
Landscaping along Riverside Avenue
will create a pedestrian-friendly, safe,
and attractive thoroughfare for students and community residents and
link the campus to the nearby light rail
transit stop.
This project will increase the
physical presence of Augsburg in the
surrounding community and is part
of the College’s commitment to the
Riverside Corridor Project, an economic development collaboration
with Augsburg’s neighbors in the
West Bank. ■
ACCESS TO EXCELLENCE:
The Campaign for Augsburg College
THE GATEWAY BUILDING OFFERS:
• A new home for the StepUP program, including residential and
counseling space.
• Strengthened links to community organizations, local businesses and
corporations, and service-learning opportunities through the Center for
Service,Work, and Learning. Meeting rooms for neighborhood groups.
• Retail opportunities to attract students, local residents, and the staff and
visitors of the Fairview-University Medical Center complex across the
street. Local business owners are excited about the prospects for increased
commerce in the neighborhood.
• A comfortable gathering place for Augsburg alumni within the Institutional
Advancement offices.
• A more visible Gage Family Art Gallery providing enjoyment and learning
to the entire community.
10
Step up and support
the Parent/Family and
Friend Challenge
Augsburg’s StepUP program for students in
recovery from substance abuse will
receive a leg up in
financing as parents
and families respond to
a Parent/Family and
Friend Challenge offered by a second
Gateway gift of $425,000 from Jim Johnson.
Through a matching gift program, the challenge is to raise another $425,000 this year to
match Johnson’s generous gift to further the
construction of the Gateway Building, which
will house the StepUP program. Several
donors have already committed nearly onehalf of the goal.
Johnson was one of the first contributors to Access to Excellence: The Campaign
for Augsburg College when he agreed to
fund the planning for the Gateway
Building. It was his encouragement that
prompted the collaboration between
Augsburg, the University of Minnesota, and
the local community, and his lead gift of
$150,000 helped secure the project.
Johnson resides in Washington D.C., with
his wife, Maxine Isaacs. As a native of
Benson, Minn., he maintains local ties
through family, business, and Augsburg
College. Johnson has made gifts to Augsburg
in memory of his mother, Adeline Rasmussen
Johnson ’31; in honor of U.S. Rep. Martin
Olav Sabo ’59; and, more recently, toward
campaign projects.
If you are interested in the Parent/Family
and Friend Challenge, please contact Sherry
Jennings-King at 612-330-1386. ■
Gift from Mark ’79 and Pamela Hanson ’79 Moksnes symbolic of
their College experience
The passion that Pam and Mark
Moksnes felt for Augsburg College
when they met here as students in the
late 1970s continues today—perhaps
more than ever. While they were drawn
to Augsburg by the small, liberal arts,
Christian-based community, situated
within the city, what they discovered
were professors and staff who cared
deeply about them personally and
about their life goals. A campus ministry program that nurtured their
already strong Christian beliefs, especially the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes where they met, particularly
touched them. As Pam and Mark reflect
on those transformative years, their
expressions provide affirmation of the
truly inspirational experience they
remember. They are grateful that a nurturing culture is still at the core of the
student experience today.
Their lives have been happily
entwined with Augsburg; many of their
closest friends are also Augsburg alumni and their daughter, Laura, is a current Augsburg student.
“That personal approach has been
consistent over the years, and now our
daughter is experiencing it, too. It’s part
of Augsburg’s core—they’re there to
help students build their futures,” Pam
Moksnes said.
Yet Augsburg has changed a lot
since Pam and Mark graduated in 1979,
particularly its facilities. They believe
that the new buildings have greatly
enhanced the teaching and learning
Pam Hanson ’79 Moksnes and Mark Moksnes’ ’79 recent gift supports the campaign’s
Gateway Building.
environment so critical to delivering a
quality educational experience. They
are proud to continue to be part of the
campus community, so much so that
they’ve made a campaign commitment
designated to the Gateway Building,
which will symbolically embrace the city
as part of students’ learning experiences.
This isn’t the first time Pam and
Mark have helped out their alma mater;
previous gifts have supported the athletic program, the Lindell Library, and
campus ministry, and they are lead
annual fund donors in the Maroon &
Silver Society. Pam and Mark say they
are committed to furthering Augsburg’s
mission because of what the College
has meant to them.
Pam Moksnes is a partner at
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and
has been instrumental in helping the
College launch its annual women’s
“Connections” event. Mark is an executive vice president at Delta Dental.
Among several board appointments,
they both serve on the state board for
the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Thank you, Pam and Mark
Moksnes, for all you’ve done for
Augsburg College! ■
11
Heightened demand for
sport facilities drives Si
Melby expansion
Nearly half of the Augsburg community—
students, faculty, and staff—participates
pates in some form of athletic activity,
contributing to the strong sense of community and camaraderie on campus.
Expanded athletic facilities will accommodate the increasing demands of the
College’s 18 intercollegiate NCAA
Division III varsity men’s and women’s
sports, the health and physical education
academic program, intramurals involving
some 600 students, and workout facilities. The ever-growing popularity of personal fitness, the growth in the number of
women’s sports offerings, and the heightened demand by the community for use
of the College’s facilities contribute to the
pressing need for expanded facilities.
A NEW SOUTH WING FOR
SI MELBY HALL WILL PROVIDE:
• Four new classrooms and related facilities for the Health/Physical Education
Department.
• More locker rooms, training facilities,
and offices for intercollegiate athletic
programs.
• Expanded fitness facilities, a new aerobics/multi-purpose studio, and new
locker rooms for the student body.
• Additional wrestling training facilities,
which include a new Greco-Roman
wrestling center.
• Two new student gathering areas, a new
hospitality suite overlooking Edor
Nelson Field, and a new Alumni
A-Club lounge. ■
12
ALAN RICE, GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING CHAMP AND
PIONEER GIVES ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO ESTABLISH
TRAINING CENTER
Minnesota native
Alan Rice is a
dreamer and a
pioneer whose
lifelong commitment to amateur
and Greco-Roman
wrestling has culminated in a $1 million gift to Augsburg
College to create a Greco-Roman
wrestling training center. This generous
gift will have a significant impact on the
$5 million planned expansion of Si
Melby Hall, the College’s athletic, recreation, and physical education complex.
Rice, a National Wrestling Hall of
Fame member, is giving the gift in memory of his wife, Gloria, who shared a
love of amateur wrestling and worked
with Rice in establishing Minnesota as a
national hotbed for amateur wrestling,
especially the Greco-Roman discipline.
Rice’s gift illustrates how a partnership can be formed with the community
to achieve broader goals in athletics.
The addition of the Greco-Roman training facilities will attract senior wrestlers
training for the Olympics as well as
youth- and student-athletes, and will
take Augsburg to a new level of prominence in athletic achievement.
Over the past three decades, Rice has
helped raise and contribute nearly
$1 million to endow the Minnesota club
for continued training in both Olympic
wrestling disciplines—Greco-Roman
and freestyle. His continuing legacy will
have an impact on Minnesota for generations to come. ■
MATHEW SHANNON—RUNNER AND ROLE MODEL
Mathew Shannon
is a man on the
move. He runs by
day and serves
others at night.
A 2004
Augsburg graduate
with a degree in
business and communication, he
dreams of success
in running and in making a difference
for disadvantaged kids. While at
Augsburg, Shannon broke records in
track, and he hoped to qualify for the
U.S. Olympic trials in the 400 meters.
One of the top sprinters in Augsburg
history, Shannon was a three-time AllAmerican, earned All-MIAC honors 17
times, and won MIAC titles three times.
But Shannon is already a winner as a
tutor and role model for inner-city kids.
He knows from personal experience
what they’re going through because he
grew up in a low-income, single-parent
home in Minneapolis. Shannon’s faith
provided him with a strong foundation
on which to build. Now he hopes that
he can use his business education, too,
to bring positive influences to disadvantaged kids. Shannon truly exemplifies
the spirit of Augsburg. ■
Annual giving provides opportunities for all
When you help Augsburg achieve its
annual giving goals, you provide opportunities to students who may never
have been able to attend college. Cost
can be a significant barrier to obtaining
a college degree. With more than 80
percent of Augsburg students receiving
financial aid, annual giving is an important way for donors to help ensure that
all talented students have the opportunity to receive an Augsburg education.
Increasing the number of participants
and the level of support in The
Augsburg Fund is needed to ensure that
no talented student is turned away due
to cost considerations.
The Augsburg Fund is an unrestricted annual giving fund that aids the
College in meeting its most pressing
needs. Augsburg’s goal is to nearly
triple annual fund giving dollars
over five years and to reach a 30 percent alumni participation rate.
YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS HELP
STUDENTS
Each year the College awards more
than $10 million in scholarships and
grants to students. These include:
PRESIDENT’S SCHOLARS
$10,500 to $20,260 annually
As Augsburg’s premier scholarship, this
award is conferred upon the top incoming freshmen based on outstanding academic achievement and on-campus
competition.
REGENTS’ SCHOLARS
$3,000 to $9,000 annually
Awarded to high achieving, new students based on academic record and
accomplishment.
LEGACY SCHOLARS
$4,000 annually
Granted to qualified family members of
Augsburg alumni, current Augsburg
students, and ELCA-rostered clergy.
THE AUGSBURG GRANT
Varies, based on need
Awarded to students who qualify and
demonstrate need. These gifts make a
significant contribution toward the education of many students.
Adela Arguello, a Scholastic Connections
recipient, is a double major in finance and
economics.
CLASS
CHALLENGE
The challenge has been issued, the
suspense is building, and the question
lingers…What are the results of this
year’s annual fund class giving challenge? How does your class giving
compare to other classes? What support did my class year provide?
Watch for answers in the next campaign newsletter!
MANY OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS
are awarded each year to students for outstanding academic achievements, community service, and leadership in their
home congregation and community. ■
Robert and Renzo Amaya Torres are
scholarship recipients.
13
Strong endowment helps build long-term vision
A key measure of an educational institution’s strength is its endowment. It provides ongoing resources for needs now
and in the future. Augsburg is focusing
its endowment growth in the areas of
endowed faculty chairs, endowed scholarships, and ongoing program support.
ENDOWED FACULTY CHAIRS
Your generous gifts will strengthen the
College’s endowment in an area that is
relatively new. The College’s first
endowed chair, the Bernhard M.
Christensen Endowed Fund, named in
memory of Augsburg’s president from
1938 to 1962, was approved by the
Board of Regents in May 2003.
Christensen was a central figure in the
growth and development of Augsburg
and of countless students and teachers
whose lives he inspired personally and
professionally.
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS
By increasing its current level of
endowed scholarships, Augsburg can
attract talented students and provide
access for students of many backgrounds. E. Milton Kleven ’46 and his
family are helping to do just that
through their most recent gift of
$500,000 to fund the first endowed
President’s Scholarship. The gift was
established in memory of their wife and
mother, Dorothy Lijsing Kleven ’47.
Joining their father in funding the
endowment were Bruce and Maren
Kleven, David and Barbara Kleven, Zane
and Barbara Kleven Birky, and Philip and
Diane Kleven Larson.
The President’s Scholarship is prestigious and highly competitive, recognizing only the most academically qualified
freshmen entering Augsburg each year.
PROGRAM SUPPORT
Building the endowment is also essential
to sustain the long-term viability of
Augsburg’s distinctive programs, including StepUP, Augsburg’s innovative program for students in recovery from substance abuse; Center for Learning and
Adaptive Student Services (CLASS); and
the Center for Global Education, providing funding over and above what is available from the operating budget. Support
for a growing professional development
initiative centered on vocation as well as
other research and development opportunities for faculty also are needed. ■
A LIFE OF PROMISE IS GIVEN TO OTHERS
Just as her life’s adventures were starting
to take shape, melanoma cancer took
Heidi Huber’s life at age 33. Wanting to
honor Huber and help students at
Augsburg who dream of a career in education, Huber’s family, which includes her
sisters Wendy and Cindy ’01, her parents
Barb and Bob, and her grandmother,
Esther, worked with Augsburg to determine how to make this happen.
Once the goal of establishing a $25,000 endowed scholarship in Huber’s memory was set, her family dedicated memorial
gifts, contributed money, and contacted the Curtis L. Carlson
Family Foundation for additional assistance. Following in the
footsteps of her mother and grandmother, Huber was working at
the Carlson Companies at the time of her death. Through the
14
generosity of the foundation and the special efforts of Marilyn
Carlson Nelson and Barbara Carlson Gage, family and friends,
the Heidi Huber Scholarship will be awarded beginning with
the 2005-06 academic year to one or more students with
financial need, strong academic achievement, and dedication
to the community.
Huber graduated from Augsburg in 1992 with a triple
major in German, economics, and international business.
After graduation, she joined the Peace Corps, serving in
Botswana, Africa, until 1996. She then earned her master’s
degree in administration, planning, and social policy from
Harvard University in 1998.
If you have an interest in establishing an endowed scholarship or in contributing to the Heidi Huber Scholarship, please
contact Jennifer Kahlow at 612-330-1185. Currently, $25,000
will establish an endowed scholarship at Augsburg. ■
Gifts of Real Estate Benefit Augsburg and Donor
BY DAVE BENSON, PLANNED GIVING SPECIALIST
Gifts of highly appreciated real estate
are often an excellent means for a
donor to make a charitable gift to
Augsburg College because they allow
you to make a gift larger than you
thought possible, plus they provide
immediate and long-term tax advantages. The first step is to have an
appraiser determine the gift value when
the property exceeds $5,000. If you give
real estate, you receive a charitable
deduction for the full fair market value
of the property (regardless of its cost
basis). The College may then sell the
property for its full market value and
use the entire proceeds to support its
programs. Everyone wins.
Here’s an example of how a gift of
real estate will benefit Augsburg:
The Andersons own 60 acres of
farmland past an outer ring suburb.
Recently, they were approached about
selling 20 acres of their property for
$100,000. The land was purchased
nearly 20 years ago for $5,000 and,
when sold, they will realize substantial
capital gains.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have often
thought about making a significant gift
to Augsburg College and now it appears
this may be an appropriate gift asset to
benefit both the College and themselves. By giving the property to
Augsburg (that may then sell it to an
interested buyer), the Andersons receive
a charitable deduction for the full fair
market value ($100,000) of the proper-
CAMPAIGN GOALS
HIGHLIGHTS
ty. While their income tax deduction is
limited to 30 percent of their adjusted
gross income, when filing their taxes,
they can claim the gift in the year it was
given plus carry forward the allowable
deduction for five additional years.
Another tax benefit occurs should
the Andersons also choose to sell another portion of their land outright. While
that sale will have the same capital gains
liability, the charitable deduction from
the college gift may be used to offset the
capital gains obligation on the sale liability were they to sell the land outright.
Because your situation will be somewhat different from the Andersons, contact
the Development Office at 612-330-1462
for many other gift-giving ideas. Augsburg
will provide you with sufficient information so together with your attorney, tax
accountant and/or financial adviser you
can evaluate your gift giving options. ■
To ensure Augsburg’s transforming
education is available for generations
to come, Access to Excellence:The
Campaign for Augsburg College is
focused in the following areas:
SCIENCE CENTER
A new Science Center and renovation of the existing Science Hall are
the centerpieces of the campaign and
will strengthen and expand science
learning for all.
GATEWAY BUILDING
The new Gateway Building to be built
on Riverside Avenue will link the
College and the community.
SI MELBY EXPANSION
An expansion of Si Melby Hall will
accommodate the increasing
demands on athletic facilities.
ENDOWMENT SUPPORT
A strong endowment means the
Augsburg model of education will be
available to future generations.
ANNUAL FUND
Increasing the Augsburg Fund will
ensure that no talented student is
turned away due to financial need.
If you would like to support these goals,
contact Augsburg’s Development staff
for assistance.
15
Help Us Reach our Goal
Building a successful campaign involves
just the right mix of people, opportunities, and energy. One of those is the
outreach of the school’s leaders to
encourage others to give of their time,
talent, and resources.
Augsburg’s leaders are seeking your
support through a variety of ways.
Help is needed to identify new
donors, set strategies regarding cultivation of donors, and assist with cultivation of donors, events, and solicitations.
Whether you live in or outside
Minnesota, consider hosting cultivation
events for alumni and friends of the
College. These gatherings, either intimate or large, can be attached to a meal
or some type of event, whether on campus, in your home, or some other type
of public venue. Development staff will
work with you to arrange specifics and
carry out the details.
It is important to take a role in a
student’s life. Think about mentoring
and encouraging students to attend
Augsburg. Many programs offered at
Augsburg aren’t available at other colleges and universities in the immediate
area. Augsburg also sits within a vibrant
city, which provides opportunities for
internships for students and outreach to
the community.
Discuss with Development staff how
to focus your campaign interest. What
area of expertise or interest might serve
your needs as well as those of the campaign? Determine, too, what fiscal
resources you can provide Augsburg.
16
Strong leadership of fully committed
and active volunteers is essential to take
Augsburg to new levels of achievement.
Institutional Advancement and
Community Relations staff is sometimes
asked whom they should contact with
alumni and donor questions. Let us
take a moment to introduce them. As
always, staff looks forward to deepening
relationships with alumni and friends
of the College and welcomes hearing
from you.
SUE KLASEUS,
vice president of
institutional
advancement, has
been leading the
Augsburg team since
June 2001. She is
responsible for all fundraising/development, alumni/parent relations, and government/community relations. She also
serves as a member of the College’s
leadership team on the College Council.
Previously, Klaseus served as the
associate dean for external affairs at the
University of Minnesota, Carlson
School of Management. Her background
includes more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry
in management, marketing, sales, and
communications, and she has extensive
volunteer and fundraising experience
with nonprofit and community organizations.
Klasues hold a B.A. from
Metropolitan State University, and master’s degrees from Hamline and Harvard
universitites.
DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS
TRACY
BECKMAN, director of government
and community
relations, joined
Augsburg College in
September 2003. He
served as a Minnesota state senator for
District 26 from 1987 to 1999. Most
recently he was a lobbyist for the
National Farmers Union in Washington
D.C. Beckman holds a B.S. from
Mankato State University, and an M.P.P.
from Harvard. Beckman and his wife,
Janel, owned and operated the local
hardware store in Bricelyn, Minn., from
the early ’70s until 1985.
AMY SUTTON,
director of alumni
and parent relations. Sutton joined
the Alumni/Parent
Relations staff as
director two years
ago. She holds a B.S. and M.S. from
South Dakota State University and
worked there several years in admissions and at the SDSU Foundation
where she was the director of scholarship development and administration.
Sutton most recently worked as vice
president for Friendship Ventures, a
nonprofit organization, serving people
with disabilities. She and her husband,
John, welcomed their first child, daughter Taylor, in February 2004.
KEVIN HEALY,
director of
advancement services, manages our
database and gift
acknowledgement
systems and staff. He
joined the Augsburg team in May 2004.
Kevin comes from Community
Solutions Fund, St. Paul. His experience
in processing and disbursement of charitable donations makes him an asset in
the area of donor financial reporting
and technical support for the Office of
Institutional Advancement.
SHERRY
JENNINGS-KING
is the director of
corporate, foundation, and government relations and
has been with
Augsburg College for 20 months. In
addition to developing institutional
relationships between Augsburg and
corporations and foundations in
Minnesota and the United States at
large, Jennings-King is also responsible
for securing federal appropriations
through her work with Tracy Beckman.
DICK WEILAND,
interim director of
development, joined
Augsburg in April, to
fill the shoes of John
Knight, until Augsburg
selects a new director
of development. Weiland owns Weiland
Consulting Group and brings 22 years of
development experience and a 47-year
career in education to the position.
Augsburg is benefiting from Weiland’s
leadership in meeting goals for major gifts,
planned giving, and The Annual Fund.
Weiland has successfully led development
teams at both the University of St. Thomas
and Carleton College.
DONNA
MCLEAN, director
of principal gifts,
has served Augsburg
College for 19 years
in several roles
including director of
alumni and parent relations, director of
The Augsburg Fund and Maroon &
Silver Society, and most recently in the
area of leadership gift planning. Her
deep knowledge of institutional history
and long-standing relationships within
the Augsburg community are strengths
to the College. McLean’s passion for the
mission of Augsburg continues to be
inspired by the many outstanding and
diverse accomplishments of the
College’s alumni and friends.
DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS
PATRICK SHEEHY,
senior director of
principal gifts, has
been on Augsburg’s
Development team
since 2000 and
brings with him 20
years of experience in the field. Sheehy
is also the parent of an Augsburg
College student. As such, he not only
provides expertise in gift planning but
also is well versed in the amenities of
each dorm.
DAVID BENSON,
consultant in the
area of planned
giving, came on
board in spring of
2004 to work with
new members of the
Heritage Society at Augsburg College.
Benson is a specialist in the area of
estate planning and philanthropy. His
approach includes the creative uses of
charitable gift options in financial and
estate planning that result in win-win
strategies for all parities involved.
Development staff
not pictured
KAY AHLSTROM
MELISSA BAWEK ’03
JEROY CARLSON ’48
RON MAIN ’56
JENNIFER
(ABELN)
KAHLOW ’78,
director of
principal gifts and
planned giving,
since 1997, Kahlow
has helped donors and alumni interested in making a significant difference in
the lives of students at Augsburg
College. As an alumna, parent, and volunteer she has maintained a close relationship with Augsburg since graduating in 1978. Her focus is on capital
campaign gifts, with considerable experience in scholarship giving, estate giving, and gifts of appreciated assets.
STEPHANIE
MALONE, director
of The Augsburg
Fund and Maroon
& Silver Society,
joined Augsburg in
January 2004.
Malone came to us from the Girl Scouts
of Greater Minneapolis. She oversees
the Maroon and Silver Society membership, student phonathons, direct mailings, class challenge appeals, and the
faculty and staff campaign.
PHILIP QUANBECK SR. ’50
STEPHANIE STEWART
GEORGE SVERDRUP ’46
SHERILYN YOUNG
17
Thanks, John Knight
Called to speak out
about disabilities and
the church
CONTACT US
To learn more about Access to Excellence:The Campaign for Augsburg College, please
call Institutional Advancement at 612-330-1462 or 1-800-273-0617, or e-mail us at
giving@augsburg.edu. For a complete list of Institutional Advancement personnel
visit www.augsburg.edu/campaign.
INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
SUE KLASEUS
Vice President of Institutional Advancement
and Community Relations
612-330-1177
klaseus@augsburg.edu
Development
DICK WEILAND
Interim Director, Development
612-330-1580
weiland@augsburg.edu
John Knight receives farewell gift.
Development director John Knight left
Augsburg in May to answer God’s call
to better understand disability through
research and writing. During Knight’s
five years at Augsburg, he held various
positions before taking the helm as
development director two years ago. In
recent years he has been deeply
involved in the management and success of the current campaign. Another
of his achievements is the advancement
of donor relations efforts at the College.
In particular, he improved the system
for managing and accounting for gifts.
Knight’s current goals with The
Pauley Project, named in honor of his
eldest son, are to research what the
Bible says about disability, write on the
subject, and determine ways to include
individuals with disabilities in his
church. Initially, John’s first two writings will be based on the biblical text of
John 9.
If you are interested in learning
more about The Pauley Project, visit
www.thepauleyproject.org. ■
18
STEPHANIE MALONE
Director, The Augsburg Fund
612-330-1179
malone@augsburg.edu
MELISSA BAWEK ’03
Assistant Director,
The Augsburg Fund
612-330-1652
bawek@augsburg.edu
JEROY CARLSON ’48
Senior Development Officer
612-330-1175
SHERRY JENNINGS-KING
Director, Corporate, Foundation,
and Government Relations
612-330-1386
jenningk@augsburg.edu
PHILIP QUANBECK SR. ’50
quanbeck1@augsburg.edu
PATRICK SHEEHY
Senior Director, Principal Gifts
612-330-1329
sheehy@augsburg.edu
Alumni and Parent
Relations
STEPHANIE STUART
Prospect Researcher
612-330-1512
stuart@augsburg.edu
AMY SUTTON
Director, Alumni/Parent Relations
612-330-1525
suttona@augsburg.edu
JENNIFER KAHLOW ’78
Director, Principal Gifts and
Planned Giving
612-330-1185
kahlow@augsburg.edu
Government and
Community Relations
DONNA MCLEAN
Director, Principal Gifts
612-330-1556
mclean@augsburg.edu
DAVE BENSON
Planned Giving Specialist
612-330-1616
dbenson@augsburg.edu
RON MAIN ’56
612-330-1113
main@augsburg.edu
GEORGE SVERDRUP ’46
sverdrup@augsburg.edu
TRACY BECKMAN
Director, Government and
Community Relations
612-330-1575
beckman@augsburg.edu
Advancement Services
KEVIN HEALY
Director, Advancement Services
612-330-1619
healyk@augsburg.edu
through the decades
BY KRISTIN ANDERSON AND LEIF ANDERSON
1869
Augsburg College is founded
in Marshall, Wisconsin. Augsburg’s first
president August Weenaas recruits two
teachers from Norway—Sven Oftedal
and Georg Sverdrup.
1911 George Sverdrup becomes
president, proposing to develop college
departments with appeal to a broader
range of students than those intending
to be ministers.
1921 Augsburg considers moving its
campus to a suburban location in
Richfield, Minn.
1922 Augsburg admits women under
the leadership of Gerda Mortensen,
dean of women.
Sven Oftedal
1872
Georg Sverdrup
Augsburg moves to Minneapolis.
1938 Bernhard Christensen becomes
president, with his involvement in ecumenical and civic circles making
Augsburg a more visible part of church
and city life.
1874
President Weenaas and faculty
propose three-part plan: train ministerial candidates; prepare future theological
students; and educate the farmer, worker, and businessman. The plan stresses
that a good education is also practical.
1946 Following WWII, Augsburg
leaders expand and improve academic
offerings, making the College a larger
part of the institution than the seminary.
1963
President Oscar Anderson
begins his 17-year term, emphasizing
Augsburg’s involvement with city.
Augsburg experiences significant campus growth during his years of leadership, including the Christensen Center
in 1966 and the Music Hall in 1978.
1980
President Charles Anderson
begins a 17-year term, guiding
Augsburg to a strong commitment to
liberal arts education, diversity in
enrollment and programs, and a service-learning curriculum.
1982
Augsburg initates Weekend
College programs.
1988
College opens Foss Center for
Worship, Drama, and Communication.
1997
Augsburg opens the James G.
Lindell Family Library. The StepUP
program is founded.
1997
1876
1949
Keeping the vision of the
“non-elitist” college, Georg Sverdrup
becomes Augsburg’s second president
and stresses community involvement,
requiring students to get experience in
city congregations.
Science Hall is built.
1954 Augsburg College is granted
accreditation, although many alumni
had entered graduate schools and
teaching positions much earlier.
1879
1963
William V. Frame becomes
Augsburg’s president, sharpening the
College’s identity as a college of the city,
providing an education grounded in
vocational calling as articulated in
Augsburg 2004.
2000
Augsburg holds first graduation ceremony.
1890
Augsburg leaders form the
Friends of Augsburg, later called the
Lutheran Free Church—a group of
independent congregations committed
to congregational autonomy and personal Christianity.
Augsburg Seminary moves
to Luther Theological Seminary in
St. Paul; the Lutheran Free Church
is merged with the American
Lutheran Church.
Augsburg establishes a branch
campus in Rochester, Minnesota.
2003
Alumnus Peter Agre ’70
awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
2004
Augsburg launches a
$55 million capital campaign.
19
SAVE THE DATE 2004
FALL/WINTER EVENTS—PRELIMINARY LIST
AUGUST 31
Ice Cream Social
50th Class Year Reunion
and Volunteers
Augsburg House
NOVEMBER 14
“Thanks” giving
Scholarship Brunch
Endowed scholarship
recipients and donors
Christensen Center on campus
OCTOBER 9
Homecoming
All campus
See www.augsburg.edu for the latest on Augsburg’s events.
DECEMBER 3
Velkommen Jul
Christensen Center on campus
DECEMBER 3 & 4
Advent Vespers
Central Lutheran Church
Minneapolis, Minn.
NOTEWORTHY
A recipe for job success
In an eight-week program this summer,
the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg
College prepared nine trainees from the
community with job readiness skills to
help them pass the Food Manager
Certification Examination and to get
jobs in the food services industry.
Global partners in the classroom
Through a U.S. State Department grant,
Augsburg will offer a fall classroom
course, Exploring Human Service in
Global Context, via the Internet and
interactive video in partnership with
universities around the world. Rosemary
Link, social work professor and project
curriculum director, and Robert Bill,
liaison for computing and project
technology director, traveled to Ljubljana,
Slovenia, and Mumbai, India, during July
to meet with professors there for
curriculum planning and technology
testing. A fourth country will be added in
late summer.
New turf for the athletic field
Over the summer, the existing Astroturf
on Edor Nelson Field is being replaced
by Sprinturf, a “next-generation”
synthetic grass surface. The turf is laid
over an infill of rubber and sand on the
current asphalt base. Athletic teams will
begin to use the new surface at the end
of August.
Former regent honored by
Norwegian government
Lawrence O. Hauge,
Augsburg regent from
1976-88, received the
Knight’s First Class of
the Royal Norwegian
Order of Merit. The
honor ceremony took
place in Minneapolis
on May 17; Hauge
was recognized for
his efforts to maintain and strengthen the
close relationships between Norway and
the U.S.
Similar honors were conferred upon
President Frame in 2002, International
Partners director Nadia Christensen in
1996, and President Emeritus Charles
Anderson in 1993.
Spring/Summer 2004
Augsburg launches MBA program
T
wo cohorts of students begin classes
in September as part of Augsburg’s
sixth and newest graduate program—a
Master of Business Administration.
Students remain together in small
group cohorts throughout the 21-month
part-time program. Classes meet one
evening per week with some Saturday
workshops. The curriculum emphasizes
core business principles with relevant
real-world applications, including
special career workshops and a practical
field study project. Drawing on the
strength of Augsburg’s Master of Arts in
Leadership, the MBA curriculum begins
and ends with an Executive Leadership
course, and weaves the thread of
transformational leadership throughout
the program.
Students will receive a very
personalized education, drawing on the
strength of the cohort model in
encouraging close faculty mentorship. In
addition, as teamwork is developed,
students will build close relationships
with fellow students, who bring varied
backgrounds and experiences to the
program.
In order to apply, students must have
two years of work experience and must
take the Graduate Management
Admissions Test (GMAT). For more
information about the MBA, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/mba> or call
Graduate Admissions at
612-330-1101.
A ‘bridge’ into college
Nineteen incoming freshmen are getting a four-week jump to help them ease into
college academics and campus life.
The 2004 Summer Bridge program is funded by the Student Support Services (SSS)
program, one of three TRIO programs to help students overcome class, social, and
cultural barriers to complete their college education. Funded by the U.S. Department of
Education, the SSS program is committed to helping low-income, first-generation
college students and students with disabilities achieve a bachelor’s degree.
During the morning classes over four weeks, students will take two courses:
Introduction to Liberal Arts, and Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning.
Students also take a supplemental instruction course, attend academic support
seminars and workshops about Augsburg College and college life, and enjoy social and
cultural activities.
3
COMMENCEMENT
2004
The 135TH YEAR of Augsburg College
photos by Stephen Geffre
ELSA MAXWELL RECEIVES
MARINA CHRISTENSEN
JUSTICE AWARD
Mathew Shannon, who graduated with
a B.A. in arts and entertainment
business promotion, pauses to enjoy
the beautiful spring day.
A graduate kisses her baby before
lining up to process to Melby Hall for
the Commencement ceremony.
Elsa Maxwell, an international
relations and Spanish major with a
peace and global studies minor, was
selected as the 2004 recipient of the
Marina Christensen Justice Award.
Each year, this honor is presented
to the graduating senior who best
exemplifies Augsburg’s motto
“Education for Service.” The student
must have demonstrated a dedication
Elsa Maxwell (left), recipient of the Marina to community involvement as
Christensen Justice Award, poses with Mary Laurel characterized by the personal and
True (right), associate director of Augsburg’s
Center for Service, Work, and Learning. professional life of Marina Christensen
Justice, who courageously and
effectively reached out to disadvantaged people and communities.
Maxwell, from Duluth, has carried out a wide range of activities over the course
of her Augsburg career that led to her being selected for this special award. Among
them is activism in Latin American politics, farm policy, and environmental issues as
well as extensive on-campus involvement in both music and Spanish. She has
combined her class work and campus activities with work in the community as both
a volunteer and organizer, especially at the Cedar Cultural Center.
While at Augsburg, she also worked at an organic farm, putting her values to
work in sustainable agriculture. She spent two semesters in Chile and Central
America, serving as a translator and focusing on issues of social justice and
sustainability. And, her senior honors thesis was an insightful study of the impact of
NAFTA on corn farmers, both in Mexico and in the United States. She has played a
key role in the annual “Action at Augsburg” day and helped organize Augsburg’s
Coalition for Student Activism.
A faculty letter of nomination, written by Joe Underhill-Cady, stated: “Elsa
showed up as a freshman ready to be involved and already politically aware,
immediately immersing herself in both campus and community activities. Now, as
she prepares to leave Augsburg, she will be sorely missed, but she already has plans
to continue her social and political activism, having applied to work for ‘Witness for
Peace’ in Latin America.”
REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE
2004
COMMENCEMENT ‘FUN FACTS’
❚ Danielle M. Semling,
representing graduate students
3155 Attended the Commencement
ceremony
42 Plants
❚ Sarah A. Prozinski,
representing day students
2475 Chairs set for the weekend’s
activities
2
Pastors
❚ Barbara A. Forshier,
representing weekend students
505
Served for brunch
1
Organist
376
Served for dinner
1
Drummer
CLASS OF
Spring/Summer 2004
18 Flags
27
AUGGIE THOUGHTS
IN 1924, Augsburg College was in the midst of great change…and great promise.
The first woman had graduated one year earlier, the College was transforming from
a divinity school to a modern American college, and there was a great buzz about
relocating the College to the suburbs of Minneapolis.
As Augsburg launches into a campaign to build new structures and extend its
vision and programs, we pause to listen to the editor’s voice of The 1924
Augsburgian—a time 80 years ago that seems not so different from our own.
Note that among the yearbook staff pictured is the young intermediate seminary
student Bernhard M. Christensen, future Augsburg president.
The 1924 Augsburgian
As in many other tasks which one begins and works with for some time, it is
with some feeling of relief that we are nearing the completion of our work with
The 1924 Augsburgian.
We have tried to arrange a book which would be a credit to the school it
represents, one which would include ideas and pictures that could be enjoyed
not only by the students who have been at Augsburg during the past two years,
but also by the men and women who during the past 55 years have attended
school here or have in some way been connected with Augsburg.
In the present increase in attendance at various educational institutions
Augsburg has not been left out. We are growing rapidly. The question in regard
to location and room will soon not be how much longer we have to stay here,
but how much longer we can stay here. We have talked about a greater
Augsburg. Now that we are increasing in numbers and have developed more
comprehensive curricula will we be willing to assume the responsibilities
which come with the greater Augsburg?
Some of Augsburg’s friends have already provided suitable grounds for the
New Augsburg. A place to build, however, is not enough. We must also have
the means whereby buildings may be constructed. We believe that our people
will continue to support our school. In so doing they will rise to new victories
when they see new fields to conquer.
It is the wish of the editorial staff of The 1924 Augsburgian that this biennial
may be an instrument in helping people to realize that our school is doing a
great work, an important work; that the things which are valued here are those
which help young men and women to take their places in the world as
contenders for Christian principles in theory and practice, and for personal life
in Christ.
— Caleb H. Quanbeck ’21 Academy, ’24, Editor
44
Spring/Summer 2004
Show less
A
PUBLICATION
Fall 2003
FOR
AUGSBURG
COLLEGE
ALUMNI
&
FRIENDS
Vol. 66, No. 1,4
,,\
. 111
The Sciences at Augsburg
octors, research psychologists ,
space physicists, mathematicians,
teachers, and a Nobel laureateAugsbu rg enjo ys a long tradition of
excellence in the sciences. I ... Show more
A
PUBLICATION
Fall 2003
FOR
AUGSBURG
COLLEGE
ALUMNI
&
FRIENDS
Vol. 66, No. 1,4
,,\
. 111
The Sciences at Augsburg
octors, research psychologists ,
space physicists, mathematicians,
teachers, and a Nobel laureateAugsbu rg enjo ys a long tradition of
excellence in the sciences. I am
delighted to welcome you to this specia l
issue of Augsburg Now focusing on our
program s in the natu ral and behaviora l
sciences and mathematics.
Based in the liberal arts and
sciences, an Augsburg education equips
our diverse stud ent body to meet the
needs of the highly techno logical 21st
century. All of our stud ents gain skills
that help them und erstand
contemporary issues, evaluate evidence,
and make informed decisions. The new
Augsburg Core Curri culum encourages
interdisciplinary teachin g and
coursewo rk. It also gu ides students to
become thoughtful, effective leaders,
mindful of their gifts and talents, in
whatever field they enter.
Augsburg science maj ors, the focus
of this issue, receive a solid found ation
for advanced work. Ou r science
programs provid e many hands-o n
experiences such as research with
facult y, internships, and service- learnin g.
For example, our qu arter-centur y
partn ership with NASA has prov ided
D
We welcome your letters!
Please write to:
Editor
Augsburg Now
22 11 Riverside Ave., CB 145
Minneapo lis, MN 5545 4
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Fax: 612-330- 1780
Phone: 6 12-330- l! Sl
Lellers for publication must be signed and
include you r name , class year, and daytime
telepho ne numb er. Th ey may be edi ted for
length , clarity, and style. Read the full text
or len ers at Now Online,
<www.augsburg.edu/n ow>.
research opportuniti es for stud ents far
beyond what is available at many other
small private colleges. Our communit y
partnership s provide internships and
other off-campu s learnin g expe riences.
We eagerly anticipate the up comin g
campaign for a new science facility. For
50 years, our Science Hall has served
stud ents well, producin g remarkabl e
achievements in its laboratories and
classrooms. Our new center for the
natur al and behaviora l sciences and
mathematics will offer a state-of-the-art
environm ent for teachin g and research ,
as well as a welcoming place for the
communit y.
In these pages, I invite you to meet
our engaged facul ty, read about stud ents
succeedin g beyond their expectations,
and catch up with some of your fellow
classmates and friends who have chosen
many different paths in the sciences.
~ -plChristopher W. Kimball
Vice President for Academic and Student
Affairs and Dean of the College
Letters to the
editor
Mystery Auggi e runn er from
1960 s photo come s forth
Seeing the picture of Kofi Ann an on the
track with two other runn ers [see Summ er
2003, Class Notes] concerns me. Without
knowing, I may have been in the presence
of one of the greatest minds of our time.
How often does that happen?
I started my freshman year in 1960
and participated and lettered in track and
field. I held the school record for the high
hurdl es for a while and ran some sprint
races and pole vaulted as well.
Wh en my wife saw the mystery
picture she immediately said "The person
in this picture looks ju st like you." I got
out the magnifying glass, and sure enough
it looked like me. I had bony legs and
always had a pained look on my face
durin g a race. Furth ermore, I hardly ever
placed first- as the picture shows.
- Gary Ellis '65
Miigw etch from Bonnie Wallace
II write] with great humilit y and
appr eciation for the wond erful
celebration held Jun e 16 [see Summ er
2003, Around the Quad] for th e 25-year
anniv ersary of th e American Indi an
Stud ent Services Program .
I want the Augsbur g and local
American Indi an co mmuniti es to kn ow
that the success of the pro gram depended
on literally hundr eds of peopl e . ... I hold
[Augsbur g President Emeritu s] Charles
And erson in high regard for his genuin e
belief in our work .... He supp orted the
progra m's aut onomy, and that is evident
today.
Twenty-five years-th at's longevity!
.. . I am so very pleased to be a part of
th e history of this exce llent progra m.
Miigwetch (th ank you , in the Ojib we
language) to the Creator and all of you
that made this poss ible.
- Bonni e Wallace , Scholarship Director,
Fo nd du Lac Reservation; and found er
and former dir ector of Augsbur g's AISSP.
Augsburg Now is publi shed
qu arterly b y Augsbur g Co llege ,
22 11 Rive rsid e Ave., Minn eapoli s,
Minn eso ta 55454.
AUGSBUR G NOW
A
PUBLICATION
FOR
AUGSBURG
COLLEGE
ALUMNI
&
Fall 2003
FRIENDS
Vol. 66, No . 1
Editor
Betsey No rga rd
Features
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
Kath y Rumpz a
Class Notes Coordinator
Sara Kamhol z
Photographer
Steph en Geffre
President
9
The Sciences at Augsburg
In this special issu e abou t th e sciences at
Augsbur g, stud ents, faculty, and alumni share
Willi am V. Fram e
th eir stori es of researc h in Antar ctica,
Director of Alumni and
Parent Relations
chemistry in cosm etics, teach ing high school
AmyS utlOn
Director of Public Relations
and Communication
Dan Jor gense n
O pini o ns expr esse d in Augsburg
Now do no l n ecessa rily renecL
o fficial Co llege policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Pos tm aste r: Send co rr es pon de nce ,
nam e changes , and addr ess
corr ection s 10: Augsburg Now,
om ce of Publi c Relations and
Communication , 22 11 Riversid e
Ave., Minn eapo lis, MN 55454.
E-mail: now@au gsbur g .edu
Teleph on e: 6 12- 33 0 - 118 1
Fax : 6 I 2-3 30-1 780
Augsburg Co llege , as <iffirmed
in its mission , does not
disc,im inat e on the basis of race,
color, creed , religio n, nati ona l or
etlmic origin , age, gender. sexual
mie ntalion , marita l status , stat us
with regard to public assistance ,
or disability in its ed ucation
policies, admissions polici es,
scholarsl iip a nd loan pr ogmm s,
athletic and/or school
ad m inist ered programs , excep t
in tho se insta nces wliere religion
is a bona fide occupationa l
qualification . Augsburg College
is co mmitt ed to pr-oviding
reasonab le accommodations ro
its emp loyees and its stud ents .
biology, creatin g virtual reality, findin g su ccess
in grad schoo l, and mu ch mor e.
An overview story pull s together
th e myriad activiti es in biolog y,
chemistry, ph ysics , math emati cs ,
psycholo gy, and comput er
science.
Departments
2
Around the Quad
5
Sports
6
Homecoming awards
37
39
Alumni news
inside
back
cover
Calendar
Class not es
www.augsburg.edu
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste)
On the cover :
First-year s tud en ts Sa.-ah Pesola
(lef t) and Sara Ray mond (right)
get so m e hands-on experience in
chemisoy lab. Photo by Stephen
Geffr e.
Top rankings in college guides
A
ugsb urg has been named among the
nation's best colleges in thr ee
catego ries and ranked in th e top tier
among Midwestern unive rsities.
U.S. News & World Repon listed
Augsburg (the only Minnesota school)
among 20 of the nation 's best institutions
for service learnin g.
TIie Princeton Review includ es the
Co llege in the 150 "Best for the Midw est,"
prai sing an outstandin g faculty, sma ll class
sizes , and friendl y environm ent.
Kaplan Publishing 's The Unbiased
Guide to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges,
2004 includes Augs bur g and names it as
one of the top five sc hoo ls that may be
und errat ed , as judged by a nationa l survey
of guidanc e counselor s.
For the third year, Augsbur g is one of
the best 201 in Great Collegesfor the Real
World, selec ted for best demonstrating
both the education and the opportunities
to prepare stude nts for the real wo rld .
Augsburg has been named one of 12
"foundi ng institut ions " nat iona lly to
participate in a project joint ly sponsored
by the Policy Center on the First Year of
College and the Counci l of Indepe ndent
Colleges (C IC) to develop a model of
exce llence for the first college year.
Pete r Agre wins Nobel Prize
eter Agre, a 1970
graduate and
Distinguished
Alumnu s of Augsb ur g,
was one of Lwo
win ners of the 2003
Nobel Prize in
che mistry. He is a
professor and
researcher at the John s
Hopkin s University Schoo l of Medicine in
Baltimore . His discovery of "aquapori n-1,"
a "cha nn el" that lets water pass in and out
of cells represented a major breakthrough
that has led to greater understanding of
many inherited and acquired water balance
disorders , such as kidney disease .
After gradua ting from Augsburg , Agre
received his medical degree from John s
Hopkin s University School of Med icine
and is now professor of biologica l
chem istry there.
Agre's father , the late Court land Agre,
was chem istry professor at Augsburg from
1959-76. Three of Agre's siblin gs also
auended Augsburg: Mark Agre '8 1,
Annetta (Agre) Anderson '69, and James
Agre '72 , who curre ntly serves on
Augsburg 's Science Advisory Board .
"The Chemis tr y Department is elate d
at this news ," said chemistry professor
Arlin Gyberg . "Those of us who had Peter
P
2
,4 uGSBURG NOW
as a stud ent are not su rpri sed he has
reached this level. It's no shock that he
won the Nobel Prize in chem istry."
Agre shares the chemistry prize with
America n Roderick MacKinnon .
Center for Teaching
and Learning
2003-04
Convocation
Series
he fourth an nual Convocation Series
presents a challenge to consider all
work as voca tion-id ent ifying one's gifts
and abilities, and using them in benefit to
the communit y
T
The presentaLions include:
Oct. 14. 2003
Sharon Da loz Parks , W hidbey Institute
"Big Qu estions , Worthy Dreams "
Nov. 12, 2003
Lee Hard y, Ca lvin Co llege
"The Ch ristian 's Calling in th e Academy "
Jan. 19,2004
2004 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Convoca tion
Vanne Owe ns Hayes , Minneapolis
Departme nt of Civ il Rights
"Responding to the Ca ll"
Feb. 18, 2004
Kathy Buck ley, co med ian
"No Labe l, No Lim its "
Feb. 26-27, 2004
2004 Batalden Symposium in
Applied Ethics
Paul B. Batalde n , M.D. and David C.
Leach , M.D.
"Transfor min g th e Profess ion of
Health Ca re"
A S79,000 grant from the Bush
Foundation to the Center for Teaching
and Learning will involve more than
100 faculty in studying student
outcomes and assessment in the new
Augsburg Core Curriculum. Pictured are
(L to R) Frankie Shackelford, associate
dean for teaching and learning
enhancement ; Diane Pike, director of
the Center for Teaching and Learning;
and Terry Martin, administrative
assistant. Not pictured is Carol Forbes,
director of sponsored programs .
Spring 2004
2004 Sverdrup Visiting
Scientist Lecture
To be annou nced
For informatio n , call 612-330-1180 or
visit <www.augsburg .edu/ co nvo> .
Follow Auggie Athletics
NEWS • STATS• ALWAYS UPDATED
Visit the Augsburg College Athletcis
Web site, www .augsburg .edu/athlet ics
Fall 2003
$1 million-an
Fund first!
he $1 million goal for Augsburg 's
annual fund was reached for the first
time in Co llege history durin g 2002-03.
This 25 percent increase in giving over
th e previous year was achi eved by a total
of 1,928 donors.
Often referred to as "the lifeblood of
th e Co llege ," Augsbur g's ann ual fund
supp orts the financial aid com mitm ent
that allows the College to remain
affordable for a wide variety of
academically-qualified stu den ts. Last
year, more th an 80 percent of Augsburg
stud ents received $25 million in financial
aid , includin g $9 million in Augsburg
sc holarship s and tuition gran ts.
Sixty percent of The Augsburg Fund
total was contribut ed by the 185
memb ers of th e Maroon & Silver Society,
th e College's leade rship-l evel dono rs.
T
Augsburg
Congratulations,
faculty!
These donors pledge to support the
financial aid commitm ent with annu al
cash gifts of $ 1,000 to $25 ,000 for a
minimum of four years .
Much of the growth in The
Augsburg Fund has occurred in the last
six years , during the tenur e of President
William Frame . When he ar rived at
Augsburg , the annua l fund level was at
178 ,000. His push to increase th e level
and comm itm ent lo annu al fund giving
has resulted in its more than five-fold
growt h. Augsb urg regent Tracy Elfunann
'8 1, chair of th e Develop ment
Commin ee, and Donn a McLean , dire ctor
of The Augsb urg Fund , provided
leaders hip for the fund 's success .
Planning for Augsburg 's nexl capital
campaign includes continu ed aggressive
growt h of The Augsburg Fund .
Promotion to professor
Martha Johnson , speech ,
communicati on , and theatre arts
Stuart Stoller , bu siness administrati on
Tenure granted and promotion to
associate professor
Lois Bosch , social work
Nora Braun , business admini stra tion
Rona ld Fedie , chemistry
Merilee Klemp , music
James Vela-McConn ell , sociology
J. Ambrose Wolf , ph ysics
Tenure granted
Karen Sutherland , co mput er science
Welcome, new Auggies!
Sport ing maroon Augsburg T-shirts, 22 Augsburg Seminar groups-the orien ta t ion
seminar for freshmen-contributed
over 1,400 hours of commun ity service on t he
first day of school at 18 sites, mostly in the neighborhood . At Danebo Residence,
students visited with senior residents , painted , and cleaned .
Fall 2003
Jeann ette Clark, fr om Hop kins, Minn ., is one of
t he 348 fre shm en in t he class of 2007. She moved
int o Urn ess Hall on Aug . 31, getting some help
fr om her parents in unpacking the boxes .
A- UGSBURG NOW
3
Around the Quad
Transforming our students, ourselves,
our world
"Do you believe you will
be transformed by your
college experience?"
ore th an 94 percent of curr ent
and prosp ective stud ents-da y,
weekend , and grad-an swe red, "Yes."
Now th e qu estion is , "what th ey will
do wit h this transformative
expe rien ce ."
Th ese qu estions were part o f an
exte nsive resea rch effort Augsb urg
cond ucted rece ntl y in preparation for
th e laun ch of a new brand ima ge,
tag line, and marketin g camp aign for
th e College.
Th e resu lts o f this far-reac hin g
effort are now being see n and heard
all ove r campu s and throughout th e
Twin Cities, wit h the Septe mb er
laun ch of th e camp aign . Throug h
billb oa rds and bus stop post ers,
news pap er ads and radio spot s, a n ew
Web site and man y oth er engaging
vehicl es, Augsburg College is
emb arkin g on this ex tend ed
ca mp aign wit h a three-fold goa l: to
captur e and pres ent th e uniqu e
esse nce of its edu ca tional experience ;
to raise awa reness and positive
supp ort among key co nstitu ent s; and
to dri ve the mission of Augsb urg
College forward in an excit ing and
dynamic new way.
Both th e traditiona l day stud ent
and th e wo rking adult are being
Be yourself at Augsburg. And leave completely__
changed.
chall enged to "Be yo urse lf at
Augs bur g, and leave co mpl etely
changed ." Th e theme of
"Transform ing Ed ucat ion" deliv ers
three int errelate d messages:
trans forming stud ent s' uniqu e talents
and int erests into ca lled lives of
service ; tran sforming the edu cational
exper ience itself to effec t st ud ent
growt h and chang e; and , ultimat ely, transforming our community and wo rld through positive change .
Inco ming and "vetera n " stud ents , faculty members , staff, alumni , donors , and co mmunity members-all are integral parts of
this eve r-transforming ex perience ca lled Augsburg Co llege .
Stay tun ed . More to co me.
M
4
A-UGSBURGNOW
Fall 2003
Sports
Eight receive Athletic Hall of Fame honors
by Don Stoner
ugsbu rg Co llege honored eight
form er ath letes duri ng Homeco min g
wee kend , indu cted int o the Augsbur g
Athl etic Hall of Fame at th e annu al
banqu et on Oc l. 2.
Th e Augsbur g Ath letic Hall of Fame
was es tab lished in 1973 to recog nize
ma le athletes who made spec ial
co ntributi ons lo th e Co llege's athl etic
hisw ry. In 1989, female athl etes we re
first indu cted inlO the hall. Rec ipients are
chose n each yea r on th e basis of
performan ce in Augsbur g at hletics,
se rvice lo th e sc hoo l, civic and
profess ional ac hievement s , and
leadership .
A
Honor ed as indu ctees int o th e Augsbur g
Ath letic Hall of Fame are:
Bob Adams '83 (wrestling)
T he on ly Augsbur g wres tler to earn
mu ltip le All-America n honors in a single
seaso n, Adams wo n th e CAA Division
Ill indi vidu al champi ons hip al 134
pou nds in 1983 and place d seco nd al the
we ight class in th e NAlA champi onship
meet, the only yea r Augsbur g co mp eted
in both orga niza tions' national
tourn aments . Adams won MIAC titl es in
1982 and 1983 and was Augsbu rg's
Seni or Honor Athl ete in 1983.
Michele Boyer '89 (softball,
basketball)
Boyer earn ed All-American honors in
Fall 2003
1988 as a so ftball outfi elder, ea rnin g AllMIAC honors thr ee yea rs in a row. Her
.495 bauin g ave rage in 1988 is th e best
single-seaso n perform ance in sc hoo l
history. In basketba ll, Boyer was one of
only five players in sc hoo l history LO
sco re more than 1,00 0 po in ts in her
ca ree r, finishin g with 1,0 19 poin ts, and
ea rn ed All-MIAC honors in 1986-87 and
1987-88. She was Augsburg's Senior
Honor Athl ete in 1989.
Kevin Gordon '82 (hockey)
An NAIA All-America n in 1982 , Go rd on
was a member of Auggie tea ms that wo n
th e national champi onship in both 198 1
and 1982 , as we ll as thr ee straight MIAC
championship s. He earn ed All-M IAC
honors in both 1980 and 1982 , lead ing
th e tea m in sco rin g both years . Gordon 's
30 goa l in 1979-8 0 are th e seco nd- mos t
in a single seaso n ; he finished his caree r
with 108 poin ts (57 goa ls , 51 ass ists ).
Ray Hamilton '75 (basketball)
An honora ble-mention All-American in
1975 , Hamilton playe d two seaso ns o f
bas ketball al Augsbu rg, ea rnin g AIIMIAC and NAIA All-Distri ct honors both
seaso ns and MIAC Mos t Valuable Player
honors in 1974-75 , as the Auggies wo n
th e MIAC champi onship and advanced
LO th e NAIA distri ct champions hip game.
He led th e Auggies in sco ring both of his
seaso ns and in reboundin g his enior
ca mp aign.
Melanie Herrera '88 (track and field ,
volleyball)
Herrera ea rn ed All-America n honors
seve n Limes in trac k and field ,
dominating th e throwing eve n ls. She
qu alified for national mee ts in the shot
put all four yea rs in ollldoo r com pelilion
and her final thr ee seaso n in indoor
co mp elili on , win ning CAA Divi ion Ill
national champ ionship s in 1987
out doo rs , and in 1988 in bo th indoo r
and outd oo r co mp etiti on , where her
reco rd -se ttin g effort st ill stands . She also
played th ree sea a ns of volleyba ll al
Augsbur g and was Aug burg's Senior
Honor Ath lete in 1988 .
Robert Lafleur '80 (soccer)
A two- lime All-M IAC election (1 97879) and AIA All-Distri ct selection ,
LaFleur was a member of Auggie team s
that wenl 43-15-10 in his care er, neve r
finis hing low er than third in MIAC play.
He was team capt ain his se nior seaso n.
Jim Peterson '78 (hockey, baseball)
In men's hocke y, Peter son was a memb er
o f Augs bur g's first national
champio nsh ip team , the 1978 AIA titl e
team , and was a memb er o f Augsbur g's
MIAC base ball champi on hip tea m in
1975. He earn ed All-MIAC honors twi ce
in both ho ckey and base ball, was a
member of th e
IA All-Tourn ament
Team in hocke y in 1978 , and ea rn ed
Augsburg Senior Honor Athl ete honors
in 1978 .
David Trost '81 (track and field,
basketball)
Augsbu rg's firs t men's tra ck and field
national meel qualifier, he finished thir d
in the high j um p al th e AIA outd oo r
na tiona l meel with a 2.14-meter (7-fee lO) effort , a school reco rd that still stands .
He won the MIAC titl e in the high j um p
in 1981.
Don Stoner is sports inf onnation coordinato,:
,4uGSB RG NOW
5
Two named as 2003 Distinguished Alumni
ni jo i~ 162 oth ers as Distin gu ished Alumni of Augsb u rg College. Recipien ts are recog niz ed for
T s1wogmalum
f1cant achievement m their voca u ons and ou tstandm g con tributi ons to chur ch and commun ity,
by Lynn Mena
th rough years of prepara tion , experience, dedication , exempl ary character, and se rvice.
Hans G. Dumpys '56
Bishop Hans G. Dump ys gradu ated
from Augsbur g in 1956 with a B.A. in
histo ry. ln 1960 , he earn ed a B.D. from
th e Luth eran Schoo l of Theo logy in
Chicago , and was ordained by Hope
Luth era n Chur ch in Detroit. He
received a master's degree in th eology
from Harvard Divinity Schoo l in 1965 ,
and purs ued doc toral stu d ies at
Prin ceto n Theological Semin ary and
Tuebin gen University in Germ any. He
also studied at th e Advanced Institu te for Pastora l Studi es in
Michigan , and th e Tan tur Ecu menical Inst itut e in J eru salem .
Born in ibra i, Lithuania in 1933 , Dump ys has lived in th e
U.S. since 1949. He was instrum ent al in th e renewal and reviva l
o f th e Luth eran chu rch in Lithu ania after th e count ry regain ed
ind epend ence from the Soviet Unio n. This includ ed training
pas tors and teachers for the chur ch and contributin g as one of
th e fou nders of th e University of Klaipeda's th eological sc hool
in Lithu ania in 1992 . Du mp ys retired from parish mini stry in
ove mb er, but continu es to serve as bishop of th e Lithu anian
Evangelical Luth era n Chur ch in Diaspora, located in Chicago ,
for which he also serve d as chair of the syno d coun cil. In
additi on , he has served pastora tes in Michigan , Massac hu setts ,
Canada, Iowa , and most rece ntl y at Lithu ani an Evangelical
Lutheran Home Church in Chicago , Ill.
In Febru ary, Dum pys was honored by th e Knights o f
Lithu ania "in recog n itio n o f and grateful app reciation for
ecum enical, spiritu al, cu ltu ral, and hum anit arian lifetime
achievements in th e worldwi de Lith ua nian co mmunit y." In
1998, he was invited to th e Whit e House for the signin g of th e
"Charter o f Partn ers hip" with th e Baltic republi cs. He has
pr esent ed speec hes, se rm ons, in vocations, and greetin gs both
nationally and in tern ationally, and has initiat ed , organiz ed , and
presided ove r synod asse mbli es with delega tions from Ge rman y,
Ca nada, and th e U.S. In honor of his wo rk for th e Luth eran
chur ch in Lithuania and in th e ex ile Lithu anian communi ty, he
was invited by Lithu ania's mini ster of cultur e to be an official
represe nt at ive of North America's Lithu anian co mmunit y at th e
ethni c world music festival in 1994 .
Dump ys taught in Augsbur g's religion departm ent in 19651966. W hile pur suin g his gradu ate studi es, he was an assistant
at Harva rd University's Memorial Church , and se rved as pastorin-residence and also assistan t to th e dean of inst ru ction at
Prin ce ton Th eological Semin ary. He met his wife, Donn a , while
at Augsbu rg. They live in Oak Park, Ill., and have two childr en ,
Jon and Chri sta.
6
A UGSBURG NOW
Ertwin Jones-Hermerding '69
ErtJ ones-Hermerding graduated from
Augsburg in 1969 with a B.S. in liberal
arts speech, theatre, and physical
edu cation , with a head coaching
endors ement . He received an M.S. in
curri culum and instru ction with an
English emph asis from Mankat o State
University in 1975.
Jones-Hermerding retired this year
after an exceptional 34-year teaching and
coaching career for the Robbinsdale
Independent School District. He was the first to teach
improvisational theatre at the juni or high level. From 1969-1988 ,
he taught speech and theatre at Plymouth Junior High School, and
directed 96 productions. The Children's Th eatre Foundati on of
America recognized the Robbinsdale school district's theatre
programs with an award for excellence in 1995;Jon es-Hermerding
was specifically celebrated for creating "an extraordin ary middle
school dram a progr am."
Sin ce 1988 , J ones-Herm erdin g has taught speech , th eatre,
litera tur e, oral int erpr etation , and acting at Coo per Senior High
School. He also served as th eatre arts chair and audi tori um
manage r. He dir ected over 50 produ ctions at Coo per, and his
Introdu ction to Th eatre class was on e of only two in Minn eso ta
where a childr en's th eatre perform ance proje ct is compl eted as
part of th e curri culum , givin g stud ent s who can't particip ate in
after-schoo l th eatre th e chance to exp erience th e thrill of
crea ting and performin g in a sho w.
In additi on to his strong juni or and senior high theatre
programs, Jon es-Hermerding has also been a successful football
coach. He coached at Plymouth Juni or High for 10 seasons and at
Cooper Senior High for over 20 seasons (includin g 10 as head
coach). He was honored as Lake Conference Coach of the Year in
1984 for his exceptional program. He inspired players to be role
models for each other, and they work ed on team uni ty projects by
organizing programs on chemi cal abuse, weight trainin g, and other
relevant topics. He also institut ed a program that requir ed his
players to check in with their teachers on a weekly basis regarding
their academic performance and attitud e in the classroom .
Jones-Herm erding has worked in summ er th eatre projects for
th e Orono, Hopkins , and Robbinsd ale school districts, and as a
staff member for Augsburg's summ er theatre institut e. He is an
instru ctor and curri culum writ er for th e University of St. Th omas
Cont inuin g Edu cation progra m, and has facilitated worksh ops for
colleagues and serve d on many curri culum developm ent
committ ees. He and his wife, Pat, have two childr en, Mee-lynn
and Harper.
Fall 2003
First Decade and Spirit of Augsburg award
recipients named for 2003
bylynnMena
A
ugsbur g is please d to ann oun ce the 200 3 reci pients of the First Decade and Spirit of Augsbur g awards . Th e Firs t Decad e Award
is presented to Augsbur g gra du ates of th e past 10 years who have made signifi cant progress in th eir prof ess iona l achievements
and co ntributi ons to th e communit y, and in so doing exemp lify the miss ion of th e Co llege: to prepar e futur e leaders in se rvice to th e
world. Graduates from th e day, weeke nd , and gra du ate programs are eligible.
The Spirit o f Augsbur g Award honors alumni and friend s of the Co llege who have given exceptiona l se rvice that co ntribut es
substanti ally to th e well being of Augsbur g by furth erin g its purposes and programs.
RECIPIENT
OF
THE
2003
FIRST
DECADE
AWARD
Tammera Ericson '93
Tamm era Ericson has successfully combin ed
her interests in political science , urban stu dies,
public service, and the legal profession-all
while raising thr ee children. After serving as
chair of the Columbi a Heights Charter
Commission and as a member of its Planning
and Zoning Comm ission, Ericson was
appointed in 2002 to a task force charged with
developin g city design guide lines. In addition , she helped start a
nonprofit organization , Rising to New Heights, dedicated to
improving the image of Columbia Heights . In 2002 , Ericson was
elected to the Columbia Heights City Counci l, and was also
appoint ed to concurr ent terms on the city's Econo mic Developme nt
Auth ority and Housing Redevelopment Authority.
RECIPIENTS
OF
THE
2003
In Jun e, she gradua ted summa cum laude from William
Mitchell College of law, where she received the Stud ent Award of
Melit , the Burton Award for Excellence in Legal Writin g, and the
CALI Award for Excellence in Drafting and Negotiating Business
Agreements. She volunt eers for the Minn esota Ju stice Found ation,
giving presentations on legal topics to wom en living in a transitional
housing cent er in St. Paul. In addition , she volunt eers for the
Chrysalis Center for Wom en in Minn eapolis as part of the Pro Bono
Attorn ey Safety Project. Throu gh this program , she works to help
low-income victims of dom estic abus e obtain orders for protection.
She is curr ently serving as a judici al clerk for the Minnesota
Supr eme Court for one year before returnin g to the law finn
Winthrop & Weinstein .
SPIRIT
OF
AUGSBURG
AWARD
John Benson '55
Professor Emeri tus John Benson served more
than 35 years as an ac tive memb er of
Augsb ur g's religion department. After joining
th e facult y in 1963 , he was promo ted to
associate prof essor and gra nt ed tenur e in
1969 , th en promoted to full prof esso r in
1986. Benson also taught in th e phil osop hy
depart ment and helped deve lop Augsb ur g's
hum aniti es major in th e 1970s . In additi on ,
he taught a course entitl ed Deve lop ing a Mu lti-Cu ltural
Perspect ive for th e Master of Arts in Leadership program , and
tea med up wi th ph ysics prof essor Mark Engebretson to teac h a
cou rse th at int egra ted sc ience with religion and sp iritu ality.
Their co llabora tion led to two awards from the pr estigious J ohn
Templeton Foundation 's annu al sc ience and religion co ur se
pro gra m co mp etiti on. Throughout his years at Augsburg ,
Benson se rved on co mmitt ees too numerous to list. Beyond his
co mmitt ee wo rk , he was at th e forefront of a numb er o f thin gs ,
mos t notably the introduction of co mput er techn ology to th e
campu s in th e early 1980s. An avid go lfer, he also coac hed go lf
at Augsburg for sev era l years . Benson and his ,vife, Doroth y,
co ntinu e to be ac tive memb ers of th e Augsb ur g commu nit )'.
Fall 2003
Sigvald Hjelmel and , the seco nd of four
generati ons of Hjelmeland s to attend
Augsbur g, return ed to Augsbur g in 1952 as
th e Co llege's firs t dir ec tor of deve lopm ent.
He headed the new ly establi shed
Deve lopm ent Office and emb ark ed up on
Augsbur g's first capital ca mp aign to raise
fund s for the "Libra r)' Drive ." Th e camp aign
excee ded its goal, and b)' 1955 , th e Co llege
brok e ground on th e Sverdrup -Oftedal Libra ry. Th e success of
th e camp aign led to Augsbur g's su ccess ful appli cation of
acc reditation b)' th e North Centr al Association . Hjelmeland's
man y contributi ons and proj ects begun durin g his )'ears al
Augsburg includ ed Science Hall; Chri stense n Ce nt er; Urn ess
Hall ; Foss , Lobec k, Miles Cent er for Wor ship , Drama, and
Communi cati on ; and th e Tim es Buildin g (th e first co mm ercia l
building donat ed to Augsbur g). In th e late 1980s , Hj elmeland
es tablished the Rev. John Hjelmeland End owed Scholarship
Fund in honor of his fathe r, an alumnu s of Augsbur g Academ)',
Seminar )', and College. Even after his retir ement in 1982 ,
Hj elmeland volunt ee red his vas t ex perience as a developm ent
co nsult ant from 1982 to l9 86.
frU GSBURG NOW
7
Homecoming
2003
The Hoversten family honored with the
Distinguished Service Award
he Distinguished Service Award, inaugurat ed in its currenl form al Hom ecomi_ng 2001 with ~ e Strom~en _family, and last yea_r
T award ed to the Quanbeck family, recognizes families who have made substanual and contmumg comnbuuons lo Augsburg-111 the
by l ynnMena
form of stud ents and gradu ates, ideas , reputation , and resources .
.
.
Thi s year, we celebra te the Hoversten family, and th eir gene rations-long conn ecuon with Augsburg .
The Hoversten story
In 1806 , a youn g Norweg ian teacher
namedj ohann es ja cobso n mar ried Anna
Hoversten. She was a woman of prop erty
on the rocky island of Renn esoy, up the
coas t from Stavanger. So he took her
surn ame , which came from an
ou tcro ppin g of stone- "hoved sten" or
headsto ne-on the farm she owned.
J ohann es and Ann a had nin e
childr en. It is the descendents of thr eeJacob , Knud , and Gun vor-who
recognized that edu cation offered many
more op portun ities in th e U.S. than in
orway, and who u ltimatel y formed the
Augsbur g conn ection.
The Hoverstens and Augsburg
Elias Hovers ten , son of Knud and Elen
Hoversten, was a stern and practical man
who farmed the land near Marshall,
Minn ., in the first half of the 1900s. Wh en
Elias' oldest son , Knut , grew imo a young
adult , Elias feared that his so n's bad hip
would prevent him from becoming a
successfu l farmer. So in 1926 , he sent
Knut to the city to get an Augsbu rg
education . After Knut grad uated in 1930 ,
more than 40 members of the extend ed
Hovers ten family also attended , includ ing
the family's most recent Augsbur g alumn a,
Kari Lucin '03 , da ughter of Kim
(Hoversten) Lucin '76 and the Rev. Martin
Lucin '74 , grandd aughter of Kermit
Hoversten '50 , and grea t-gra ndd aughter of
Elias Hoversten .
Augsburg's motto, "Educatio n for
Service," is also one of the Hoversten's
strongest tradi tions , and the family has
dedicated their labors to the ideal of
service . Knut , the first Augsburg gradu ate,
is now a retired chemistry teacher. Several
other Hoverstens also became teachersand many entered the fields of medicine,
8
A-UGSBURG NOW
law, ministry, busin ess, and
agriculture.
The Hoverstens recall
Augsburg as a unifyi ng,
centr al presence in their
lives. M. Annett e
(Hoverste n) Hanson '68 ,
daught er of Knut's broth er,
the Rev. Chester E.
Hoversten '44 , heard many
stories abou t Augsburg
durin g her childh ood .
"Wh enever my dad and his
friends or other family
About 200 Hoversten family members gathered in Hoverst en
members would get
Chapel in 1989 for the dedication of the chapel_they funded . At
left are: (standing) Allen Hoversten '64, L. Berniece Johnson ,
together, they would
Knut Hoversten '30; (kneeling) Garfield Hoversten '50 and
always talk about
Clarence Hoversten '41 . At right are : (back row) Brian
Augsburg ," Annelle said in
Livingston, Kyle Hoversten , Rev. Joel Njus, Augsbu rg Pastor
an article for the fall 2000
Dave Wold ; (front row) Rev. Thomas Hoversten ' 56, Rev.
Chester J. Hoversten '60, Rev. Chester E. Hove rsten '44, and
issue of the Augsbu rg Now.
Augsburg President Charles Anderson .
"And if you want ed to
get married , you went to
Augsburg," she continu ed
the Augsburg campus . In recent years, the
with a chu ckle. "I met my hu sband ,
family had hon ored the College with gifts
Robert [Hanson '68] here. I think that
and pledges of over $1 million as major
while I was a stude nt , I didn 't auac h much
support for the cons tru ction of the
meanin g to the fact that so man y other
College's Foss, Lobeck , Miles Center for
family members had attended . But
Worship , Drama and Communication and
subsequently, it has become mu ch more
to establish the Hoversten Endowment .
important to me. What a rich, precious
On April 22, 1989, Augsburg officially
environm ent. "
dedicated the chape l in Foss Cente r as the
In Octo ber of 1985 , the Hoverstens
Hoversten Chape l. Two months later, two
gathered at the College for a reunion. It
newly endowed Hoversten scholarships
was during this time that they began
were announced , the Hoversten Peace
discussing a monum ent- a chapel at
Scholarship and the Jacob and Ella
Augsburg that would reflect their family
Hoversten Scholarship.
values and traditi ons. A gift of a chapel
"During my days on campus I was
not only expressed their gratit ude but also
enriched in man y ways," said Lorna
demons trat ed their comm itment to
Hoversten '62 . "I received not only a
edu cation , faith , and the college that so
strong scientific education , but also a
many family memb ers had au end ed.
deeper knowledge of my religious ethnic
Four years later, about 200
heritag e. I contribut e jo yfully to this
Hoverstens and their relatives from all
institu tion to enable present and futu re
over the U .5. return ed for a special day on
students to have similar experiences ."
Fall 2003
AUGSBURG NOW
Fall 2003
The sciencesat AugsburgCollegeoffer a rich educational environmentthat preparesstudentsto
enter a variety of fields in science, medicine, research, industry, public service, and education.
Rigorouscourseworkwithin a liberal arts curriculum, combined with internshipsand outstanding
opportunitiesfor researchwith faculty give students the solid foundation they need to meet the
highly technical demandsof our global society.
This combinationof high quality teaching, the enormous resourcesof the city, and an expectation
that each personcan make a difference in the world affords a powerfuleducation at Augsburg.
design
by Kathy
Rumpza
• photos
by Stephen
Geffre
• art
by Sam
Gro ss
theSCIENCES
atAUGSBUR
Educating
professional
scientists,effectiveleaders,and informed
citizens
by Cynthia Hill
" Progress made in harnessing fusion as energy source."
"World water crisis worsening. "
" Brain research reveals clues to dyslexia ."
"Meat suppliers asked to cut antibiotic use. "
"CDC reports first cases of monkey pox."
" U.S. sues over ban on genetically
modified foods ."
veryday headlin es like these
fields and inform ed citizens with th e
und ersco re the pervasive
knowledge and crit ical thinkin g skills to
influence of science in our lives .
evaluate the imp act of scientific develop ments
E
While the st ud y of science has long
been co nsidered part of a well-ro und ed
libera l arts edu cation at Augsbur g, it has
and weigh their mora l, ethi cal, and soc ial
impli cations," she said .
Augsbur g has a stro ng track record on
grown more imp ortant than
ever in a world increasingly
shape d by scientifi c and
techn ological
developm ents.
"Science matters come
up in th e pu blic deba te
continu ally, as we confront
issues such as
enviro nm ent al qu ality,
adva nces in medicine, and
the complexity of hum an
be havior," says Nancy
Steblay, professo r of
psychology and facu lty
liaiso n to Augsbur g's
Science Advisory Board.
"As a socie ty, we need
both capable professionals
in scientifi c and related
Luci Sagehorn'03 combinedminors in biology and chemistrywith a studio
art major.
Fall 2003
ETER AGRE '70
eter Agre's decision to major in
chemistry may have been a family
matter. His father, Courtland Agre
was a distinguished chemist in research at
DuPont and 3M as well as a college
professo r. He was one of the "founding
fathers" of Augsburg's chemistry
department and taught in it for 17 years.
Afte r Peter Agre graduated from
Augsburg, he went on to earn a medical
degree at Johns Hopkins UniversitySchool
of Medicine. His interest in biomedical
resea rch led him to a medical residency at
Case Weste rn Universityand a clinical
fellowshipat Universityof North CarolinaChapel Hill. He returned to Johns Hopkins
for a research fellowship in the cell biology
department and has been a faculty member
in the School of Medicine since 1984.
Agre sea rched for answers as to how
water moved from the cells within our
tissues . He also wondered why some
tissues, such as the linings of our lungs,
were so much more permeable than others .
In 1988 Agre discovered "channels "
that allow passage of water in and out of
ce lls. This major breakthrough resulted in
many related studies in biochemistry,
physiology, and genetics. From them ,
researchers have gained much greater
understanding of inherited and acquired
water balance disorders , such as kidney
disease.
P
Biology and chemistry major KeneeshiaWilliams '03 spent a summerresearchingnutrient import and export
in Augsburg'scoral reef aquariumwith biology professorBill Capman (above) and chemistry professorArlin
Gyberg(not pictured).
both fron ts, especia lly th e remarkab le
many a elementary or seconda ry teac hers.
numb er o f scient ists place d in ind ustry,
Augsb urg's strong int ern shi p co nn ect io ns
pub lic servi ce , edu cation , and socia l
lead o th ers to pro fess ional o ppo rtuniti es
servi ce organiza tio ns. Among th em a re
in ind ustry and th e no npro fit wo rld.
K- 12 teac hers, ph ysicia ns, and ot her
Augsburg science gradua tes ca n be foun d
hea lth care and ment al hea lth
at Medt ronic , SciMed, Genera l Electr ic,
prof essionals.
Guid ant , and many oth er bo th large and
In chemistry, for exa mpl e, half of all
gradu atin g maj ors ove r th e pas t 25 years
small co rp ora tio ns. At 3M in St. Paul in
parti cu lar, Augsbur g maint ai ns a large
have go n e o n to eith er earn Ph .D.s o r
prese nce beca use of its longtime
beco m e doc to rs , d en tists , or ph ar macists .
partn ers h ip with th e corpora tio n for
In th e sam e Lime fra me, m ore th an ha lf o f
trainin g of scie nti sts . Simil arly, hos pit als,
all physics maj ors have ent ered gra du ate
co un seling age ncies, and environm ent al
sc hoo l. A simil ar propo rtio n o f b iology
and health nonp ro fits empl oy grad uates
gradu a tes go o n to p rofess io na l and
from Augsbur g's sc ience depa rt ments .
gradu a te pro grams, includin g medi ca l
Thi s reco rd o f ac hi eve ment grows out
schoo l. In psyc ho logy, about half o f all
of Augs bur g's uni q uely enr ichi ng
gradu ates pur sue advanced stud y in areas
edu ca tiona l environm ent -r igorous
ranging from be haviora l gen etics to
science co ur sework wi th in a libe ral arts
co un selin g psyc ho logy as we ll a law,
curr iculum , ou tstand in g opport u nities for
medi cin e, and th eo logy.
s tud ent -fac ul ty researc h and int ern sh ips ,
O ther scie nce majo rs begin th eir
caree rs imm ediately after gra du ation ,
Fall 2003
and stro ng facult y mem ori ng and
p rogra m su ppo rt .
,4 GSB RG NOW
11
"Our science
condu cted indep endent and team research in
progra ms set high
the College's solid-state ph ysics lab as well as
expectatio ns of what our
summ er resea rch at both Stanford University
stud ents can achieve,"
and th e University of California-Berkeley.
said Mark Engebretson,
ph ysics departm ent chair.
HARDWORK,
"Whil e Augsbur g is only
BIG
REWARDS
moderately selective
comp ared to so me other
libera l arts colleges, it's
what we do with and
expect o f our stud ents
andScholarship Fair, Weekend College
n cassidy and biology major Jean Johnson
ledthe possibility of producing low sugar
the dietaryand diabetic consumer market.
that is different. "
One indi cator of
qu ality is the fact that in
the past seve n years, five Augsbur g science
majors have been awarded Goldwater
Scholarships , a pre mier national und ergradu ate
science awa rd for stud ents in science and
mathematics. Only 30 0 stud ents across th e
count ry are selected each year.
Augsb urg's mos t recent Goldwater Scholar is
senior ph ysics maj or Victo r Acosta . He has
Stud ents attain these high levels of
scholarship because Augsbur g's program s are
demandin g, said William Capman, chair of
Augsburg 's bio logy departm ent.
"Science at Augsburg is hard work, but it
pays off," he said. "Our stud ents develop the
strong found ation needed to succeed in
gradu ate school and in science professions."
Augsburg's biology program is design ed to
develop both breadth and depth of knowledge
in the field . "Our program is broadly based so
that stud ents have more opportuniti es than
they would with a more specialized degree,"
he said. "Stud ents gradu ate well-prepared for
many different paths."
Whil e each program requir es coursewo rk
Mathematics professor RebekahDuponthelps studentsfind researchprojects and internshipsthat give them experience,
combinedwith a solid foundationof theoretical and applied mathematics,for a variety of careers or advancedstudies.
Fall 2003
end eavo r. Cur riculum
tec hn o logy, it is diffi cult for th em to
enh ance ments includ e
co nve y a se ns e o f scie ntifi c exp lora tion
rece ntl y-developed courses
beca use stud ents are usu ally ex p ec ted to
in polym ers, medicin al
dupli ca te k now n res ult s ," sa id
ch emi stry , mat eria ls scie n ce ,
Enge br etson of ph ys ics.
beh aviora l m edi cin e , and
developm e nt al
int o new territo ry in every disc iplin e,
ps yc hopath o log y. In
work in g alongs ide Augs bur g facu lty o n
add iti o n , pra c tici ng
ind epend ent resea rch proj ec ts and w ithin
sc ienti sts come to ca mpu s
cours ewo rk .
as adjun ct facu lty a nd gues t
In the TeachingScholars Program,fundedby NationalScience
Foundation,Augsburg science majorstaught middle-school children at
the Cedar-RiversideSchool, involvingthem in "bottle biology"hands-onprojects like this, studyinggroundwater and its effects on
habitats when percolatingthroughsoil.
in oth er scien ce disci plin es , ma ny
stud en ts pur su e a seco nd maj o r or a
minor , of ten co mbinin g bi ology and
ch emi stry o r a scie nce d iscip lin e wi th
math em atics .
Math emati cs is a popular ch oice
beca use it is "th e language of scie nce, "
sa id ma th ema tics p rofesso r Rebeka h
At Augsburg , st ud ents are digg ing
Bes t kn ow n is Augsbur g's work in
speakers , he lpin g Augsburg
space ph ys ics over th e pas t qu a rt er
stay o n top o f sc ien ce's
ce ntu ry, fund ed w ith gra nts from the
rapidl y chang in g
Na tio nal Science Foundation
d eve lop men ts
a nd NASA.
Und er th e dir ec tio n of Engebretson
But per haps no thin g is
and
fellow ph ysics prof essor Ken Eri ckson,
mo re relevant and inOu enti a l
students
in deve lopi ng tomorrow 's
num e rou s spa ce ph ys ics proj ec ts , both
scie nti sts , do cto rs , ed uca to rs, a nd h ea lth
have bee n ac tively in vo lved in
on- a nd o ff-ca mpu s , and m any have
a nd behaviora l specia lists
than Augsburg 's
co mmitm ent to
un de rgra duat e resea rch ,
o ffer ing o pportuniti es
unmat c hed in mos t o th er
sma ll co lleges.
Dupont. "It's co mpl em ent ary to so many
o th er disci plin es ."
For exa mp le, J ennif er Pa lm er '99
QUESTIONING,
EXPLORING
co mbin ed a ma th maj or wi th a ch emi stry
minor. She wen t o n to ea rn a mas ter's
Scie nce edu ca tion ad visory
d egree in biostatisti cs at th e Un ive rsity of
pane ls have lo ng str essed
Minn eso ta and is n ow a bios ta tistician a t
th e va lue of und ergrad uate
Boston Scientifi c Co rporati on in th e
resea rch ex perien ces,
Twin C iti es .
es pecia lly th e op po rtunit y
With changing scie ntifi c tr end s and
wor kpl ace requir ement s, th e pro gra ms
n ot o nly str ess mas tery of th e
to look for n ew, as o pp osed
to ex pec ted , res ults .
"Alth oug h stand ard
fund a ment a ls but a lso ac qu ai nt st ud ent s
laborator y co u rses co nvey
with em erg in g fields of sci e ntifi c
kn ow ledge abo ut curr en t
Fall 2003
NSF funds provide 30 Augsburgscholarships each year for computer
science and mathematics majors (CSEMS) in both the day and
weekendprograms. Pictured here are: Firstrow (Lto R): Alex Krantz,
Brian Bue, Sarah Sletten (Middle row): HeatherGreene, Kirsten
Halvorson, Scott Kuhl (Back row}: Brian Ashbaugh, Paul Sanft.
/T UGSBURG NOW
13
Chemistry major Jennif er Hagenspent her summerassisting ProfessorRon Fedie on NSF-funded research studying
copolymers at the University of Minnesota.
presented resul ts at nationa l scie nce
conferences and in academic publi cation s (see
story on p. 30).
Similarl y, chemistry student J ennifer Hagen
devoted her summ er to assisting che mistry
professor Ron Fedie on a project to furth er
necessary for this work.
Engeb retso n said gradu ates rep eated ly tell
him th ese kind s of experiences were a key
factor in their decision to pursue adva nced
degrees and science caree rs.
"Their resea rch back gro und gave them an
know ledge of block copolym ers condu cted at
important sense of direction both during
the Univers ity of Minnesota, as part of the
th eir studies and durin g their later careers,"
NSF-fund ed Research Site for Edu cato rs in
he said .
According to the National Science Board's Science and Engineering
Indicators 1998 report, only one-quarter of Americans understand the
nature of scientific inquiry well enough to make informed judgments
about scientific results reported in the media.
Chemistry (RSEC) program. This grant provides
While man y stud en ts assist in resea rch
funding for faculty and students from smaller,
outsid e of th e classro om, research
primarily four-year colleges to collabora te and
experiences are also emb edded int o the
engage in cuttin g-edge research at research
curri culum . For exa mpl e, in biology, severa l
uni versities equipp ed with sophistica ted
cours es within the major includ e what
instrumentation and chemistry resources
Capman calls "non-trivi al" original research
Fall 2003
as maj or comp onents of th e labora tory
work . Every biology maj or comp letes at
progra ms.
In psychology, a research proj ect is
least two or thr ee such research proj ects
requir ed of every maj or, and many
before grad uating.
stud ents go on to do furth er work wit h a
"Through these long-term proj ects ,
students experience science the way a
faculty member.
"We stress research in our program
scienti st does, " Capm an said. "They have
because our stude nts need to become
to figure out the hypo thesis, design and
critical think ers. We want them to
cond uct the experim ents , and int erpret
question why claims are made, and to
and present the research, wh ich often
recognize both the strengths and
means dealing with the ambiguities of
limitations of research findin gs," said
results."
Bridget Robinso n-Riegler, chair of
Worki ng in small group s, stud ents
review the work of previous class projects
Augsbur g's psychology departm ent.
Research experience at Augsbur g
to figu re out the nex t logical qu estion for
often leads to int ensive off-campu s
stud y.
opportuni ties and int ernship s.
"Throu gh these stud ent proj ects , we're
Last summ er, for exa mple, j uni or
actually bui ldin g our own body of
ph ysics maj or Ryan Nevin went to Penn
scien tific literatur e on popu lation
Slate University for a research
genetics, prot ozoa n eco logy, )'easl grow th ,
expe rience, while juni or Greg McKusky
and other topics," Capm an said. He
and soph omore Nigel Milbridge loo k
add ed that this level of stud ent research
part in proj ects with Augsburg physics
goes far beyond many und ergradu ate
professor Amb rose Wolf at the University
Psychology
professorGraceDyrud(center)and psychology
studentsMatt Plitzkow(left) and Emily Beltz
(right)exploredpossiblereasonsfor persistent gamblingby lookingat gamblingbehaviorwhen players
receiveddifferentkindsof resultsin the slot machines.
Fall 2003
ecause science affects nearly every
aspect of modern life, Augsburg
courses for non-science majors are
aimed at building scientific literacy- the
knowledge and understanding of scientific
conce pts and processes required for
personal decision-making , participation in
civic and cu ltural affairs, and economi c
productivity .
B
William Capman , chair of Augsburg 's
biology department said , "We want nonmajors to become familiar with the scien ce
issues facing our society. The object is to
get them to the point where they can make
sense out of a newspaper article about
genetic engineering, health issues, human
behavior, or the environment , for
example. "
The College's general education
requir ement s include two science courses
for non-scie nce majors. Offering s include
courses specifical ly designed for the nonscience major, such as the elective
Chemistry for Changing Times.
Non-majors also participate in
Augsburg 's Science Education for New
Civic Engagement and Responsibility
program (SENCER), funded by the
National Science Foundation. Through
SENCER, biology and chemistry stud ents
have engaged in hand s-on projects, such
as analyzing water and invertebrate
samp les from area streams and providing
the information to a Hennepin
Conservation District water-quality
database. In turn , students are inform ed
as to how the data is used by legislative,
neighborhood, and environmental group s.
Joan Kunz, chemistry professor and
c hair of the Division of Natural Sciences
and Mathematics, has provided leadership
for the SENCER program . She is
ent husiastic about how thi s project brings
together two critical element s in
Augsburg 's mission-high quality science
educa tion and an ethic of service to
society. "Community environmental needs
are served at the same time that science
literacy is fostered in our student citizens,"
she said.
hUGSB URG NOW
15
University of Minnesota 's Cedar Creek
Natu ral Hiswry Area. After gradu atio n, he
was hired as a research field manager in the
program , and plans to cont inu e to grad uate
school for an advanced degree in ecology.
Augsburg science students have also
participated in research at the Mayo Clinic,
Argonn e
atio nal Laboratory, ationa l
Institut e of Health Summ er Research
Program , and the University of Minnesota
Sup ercomput er Institut e, to name just a few.
Besides enri ching stud ent learnin g,
Augsburg faculty-student research also
contribut es
lO
the wider comm uni ty by
advancin g scientific und erstandin g,
ftercomplellqhisfreshma
n year, RyanShea'06 found a research project working with Professor
Ambrow
Wolfin thesolidstatephysics lab.
contribu ting to new appli cation s, and , in
so me cases , in formin g public polic y.
In psychology, Steblay's resea rch on false
identifi cation in police line-ups , for exampl e,
has contribut ed to th e U.S. Departme nt of
Ju stice's new pro cedura l guide lin es for law
enforcemen t regarding eyewi tn ess evidence .
An exami nat io n of poverty patt ern s and th e
census in th e Cedar Riverside neighborhood
by Dupont and math ematics stud ents helped
a non-p rofit organization frame its advocacy
efforts .
On yet anoth er level, resea rch serves as a
"batt ery-c harger" for facult y, accordi ng to
Engebretso n . "Researc h can be very exc itin g.
It also remind s us that we as faculty are still
Biology maj or JaredTrost '00 was offered a position at the
University of Minnesota's Cedar Creek Natural History
Centerfollowing his research internship there in ecology.
learn ers and helps us maint ain humilit y in
th e face of th e uni verse. We don 't have all
the answe rs."
of Minnesota's Materials Research Science and
Engineering Cent er.
Sometimes an off-campus expe rience leads
A CULTURE
0 F
C A R
N G
to a job . Go ldwate r Scholar Jared Trost '00, for
example , pursu ed his interest in eco logy
Stroll through Science Hall and you'll usually
th roug h a se nior year research internship at th e
find groups of stud ents hanging ou t in the
Fall 2003
departm ent al office uit es. A strong
se nse of co mmunit y is enjoyed by
sc ience facult y and stud ents .
"Beca use we teach our ow n labs ,
j oy," she said .
Many Augsbur g scie nce gra du ates
ON THE
probably wou ld not have co nsidered
0 R I Z ON
majo ring in sc ience or pursuin g scie nce
have small classes , and advise our ow n
careers with out thi s level of facult y
majo rs , we spend a lot of tim e with our
involvement and Augsb urg's support
stud ent s and co me to kn ow th em well,"
progra ms. Science facult y wo rk clos ely
said Capm an .
with stud ents in Augsbur g's Cent er for
ugsburg is extending its pledge to
A
prepare the scientists, health ca re
and mental health professionals of the
Robin so n-Riegler's psyc hology
Learnin g and Adap tive Services (CLASS)
futur e through collaborations with
stud ents call her by her first name. "I
and Access Cr nt er (for stu dents with
like th at. Augsbur g is a place wh ere I
ph ysical o r learnin g disab ilities) and the
commu nity partners such as Fairview
can get to know stud ents well enough to
StepUP pro gram (for stud ents in
Health Services, United Hospitals, and
help guid e th em th rough thi s very
recove ry from alco hol and dru g
Hazelden. These alliances allow expanded
tumu ltu ous tim e in th eir lives. "
depend ency) .
ed ucational oppo rtunities for studen ts as
they prepare for careers as clinical
"The undergraduate years are the last opportunity for rigorous
academic study of math, science, and engineering by many of
the future leaders of our society-who
will have to make
momentous decisions that involve science and technology. "
-The National Research Council
laboratory scien tists, nurses, and chemica l
dependency counselo rs.
Among the emerging initiatives are a
new clinical laboratory science maJor to
prepare health professionals in laboratory
A ment oring relationship with
Augsbur g has also supp orted
medicine, in partner ship with Fairview
stud ent s often leads to what chemistry's
stud ent s from un de rrep rese nt ed group s
Sandra Olm sted calls "head- to-h ead ,
in pur suin g gradu ate studi es after
Health Services; an art iculated agreement
soul-sea rchin g academic advi sing."
co llege with a Ronald E. McNa ir Post-
that allows more seamless connection
Baccalaurea te Achievement grant.
between Augsburg's and Hazelden's
"Sometim es a s tud ent picks a career
path based on admirin g so meo ne, not
"lnclu sivity in our progra m is key to
necessa rily on his or her ow n calling,"
Augsbur g's missio n ," said Du po nt. "By
she said .
givin g th em th e too ls and ex periences to
educational programs; and the Augsburg
Academy, a charter schoo l focused on
Reca lling a s tud ent who had always
build th eir co nfid ence and co mpetence,
health careers, in partnership with
want ed to be a doc tor, Olmsted said th at
stud ents w ho might have bee n writt en
Fairview Health Services, Luther Seminary,
whil e workin g at a part-Lime jo b at a
off can encl up succee din g."
and othe r organizations.
hospit al near campu s , th e yo un g man
discovered he didn 't like being aro un d
ick peo ple. As his adviser, Olm ted
Robin so n-Riegler chara cterizes
Augsbur g's app roac h to scie nce
edu cation as "a laun ching pad for youn g
helped h im ex plo re oth er paths. He
peop le. You learn th eir dr eams , you see
eventu ally went on to Yale University
w hat th ey're good at, and
and beca me a medical resea rcher. "We
th em on ."
try to help stud ent s discove r th eir
Cy111h
ia Hill wriles fr eque111
/y a/JouI Augsburg
College and is a parlller <II Rw11111
el, Dubs and
Hill.
uniqu e talents and what brin gs th em
Fall 2003
)' OU
cheer
•
A- UG 8 RG NOW
17
MENTORING
andNETWORKING
BY PROFESSORS
PAYS DIVIDENDS FOR STUDENTS
by Dan Jorgensen
ugsburg College
Th e University of
math ematics and
Minn eso ta also serves
science
as a key summer
student.s---in addit ion
research site for Wolf
to winnin g such
and his students who
prestigious awards as
have worked at th e
the Goldwater
Material s Research
Scholarship (five in the
Science and
past seven years)Engin eering Center
often find themselves
(MRSEC) for th e past
in line for major
four summe rs. There ,
su mm er research
projects bring toge ther
oppo rtuniti es and
research ers from
acceptance into some
chemistry , ph ysics,
of the nati on's leadin g
material s scie nce, and
grad uat e program s,
engineerin g. In
thanks in no small part
addition to his physics
to th e research work
students Wolf has also
(L to R) ProfessorsRonFedie, chemistry; J. AmbroseWoll, physics; and NicholasCoult,
an d outside consultin g
worked with students
efforts of th eir professors. mathematics, offer their studentsadvancedresearchand internshipsopportunitiesbecauseof
researching polymers ,
their own research, networking, and collaborationwith universities, researchinstitutions,and
Faculty like icholas
the same field as Fedie .
industry across the country.
Coult in math emati cs,
"Polymers are at the
Ron Fedi e in chemistry,
heart of my work ," Fed ie
labo rato ry as well as in places like Target
and J. Ambro se Wolf in physics , brin g
stated . "Because there are probabl y 200 or
Co rporation , where th ey'll have th e
both "real-wo rld " expe riences dir ectly to
more local companies involv ed directly
chan ce to use th eir math ematics skills .
th eir classroom instru ction and pro vide
with polym er use, the indu strial
Fedie , who came to Augsburg in the
facult y-stud ent resea rch parLnerships that
applications are almost limitle ss. As a
mid -1990s after earning his Ph.D . in
help prepare th eir stud ents for graduat e
chemist, you have higher th an a 70
ph ysical/polym er chemistry from th e
sc hoo l, indu stry int ernship s, and job
perc ent cha nce of working ,vith polymer
Unive rsity of Minn eso ta, said many
chemistry, so I'm pleased that we've
op portuniti es .
chemistry stud ents find resea rch or
created a number of ties between
Coult , who earn ed his Ph .D. in
internship opportuniti es in places like
app lied mathematics at th e Universi ty of
Augsburg and th e industry . Through the
3M , Aveda, Aspen Resea rch , Hon eywe ll,
RSEC collaboration we are able to give
Co lorado , came to Augsbur g thr ee years
Genera l Mills, and Medtronic . He has also
our undergraduat es opportunities that
ago after serving as a postdoc tor al
been ab le to work in a team setting with
only graduate students might get at other
researc h asso ciate at the Institut e for
one of his students at th e U of M's
institutions. "
Mathema tics and its App lications at th e
Research Site for Educator s in Chemistry
A course developed by Fedie , Th e
University of Minn eso ta. With h is U o f M
(RSEC), where Augsburg has a grant to
Properti es of Polymers , has been th e only
con nection s, he is assis ting in develop ing
help und ergraduat e stud ents work und er
regular undergr aduate course offered on
oppo rtunities for stud ents to take
th e sup ervision of Ph .D. advisers.
this topic in the Associated Colleges of
int ernship s at its St. Anthony Falls
A
18
A-UGSBURG NOW
Fall 2003
Lhe Twin Cities (ACTC ) consort ium.
Polym er are long chain molecule
that are eith er natural , such as D A,
proteins , and cellul ose , or syntheLic.
Synth etic polym er rang e from
poly(e th ylene terep hthal ate) PETE, used
to mak e sof t drink bottl es an d polyester
fibers, to poly(s tyrene) PS, used for
insulation and co ffee cups , to
poly (ethylene ), the flexib le type used in
plastic sheetin g and trash bags. It also can
be blended for use in every thin g from car
Lires to fabrics LO artificial turf.
"Polymer ," Fedi e said , "are th e synthetic
age of materials that we're in toda y. In
many way , th e 1960s movie The
Graduate s till has it correct- th e futur e
is plastic s."
Polym er study also carries over to
ph ysics and th e thin films application s
researc h that Wolf is doi ng. "Polym ers
allow for flex ibilit y and co uld be used to
make tran istors , the building blocks of
co mput er chips . Thes e cou ld th en be
sprayed onto any surface and logical
elements created . Speci fically, th ey co uld
be sprayed on non -r igid surfaces like
clothing , si nce th ey are very thin and
lightweight. If every thin g in a store , for
example , had th ese sprayed-on pol ymer
inform ation piec es, all items in a
shoppi ng cart co uld be sca nn ed at th e
sa me tim e without being taken from th e
cart. It creat es grea t research possibiliti es
for our stud ents ."
Wolf's primar y research has centered
on Magnetic RAM (MRAM) , a co mpl ex
proc ess used for s torage densit y on th e
read-h eads of co mput er hard drives.
"MRAM will revolutionize comp uter
memory and storage as we know it," he
said . "Part of this research also is done in
my Augsburg lab. We are working on
basic equipm ent at this point , but the
resea rch shou ld reac h 'publishable ' leve l
during th e nex t academic year."
Becau se of th e ex tensive researc h
work Augsbur g stud ents have done not
on ly at th e Univer ity of Minn eso ta, but
in places like Wisco nsin , Corne ll,
tanford, and Univers ity of CaliforniaBerkeley, th e Chemi Lry and Physics
Departm ents are coo perating on crea tin g
a bachelor 's degree in materials science
for stud ent int erested in that area and
Fall 2003
currently doing doubl e majo rs in phy ics
and chemi try. Throu gh ACTC classes ,
th e new majo r also will serve Universi ty
of t. Th omas engin eer ing majo rs.
"Our new genera l edu cation
curriculum pro vid es for th e co urse
arrange ment for such a maj or," Wolf said .
"And loca l industri es are int eres ted in this
typ e of major. Its graduates will be very
empl oyable, boLh loca lly and nat ionally;
and it mirror s th e resea rch side in our
coursework. "
Wolf, who created Augsb urg's so lid
Late ph ysics co ncentr ation , did
postd octoral resea rch at Basel,
Switzerland, and th e Nava l Re earch
Laboratory in Washington , D.C., after
earning his Ph .D. from the University of
Ka in and th e Research Cent er in J0li ch ,
Germany. Th e new co ncent ration brin gs
all of the ph ysics resea rch supp ort-s uch
as co mput er program s and eq uipm entdir ectly in to th e classroo m. At th e same
tim e, it provides elective co urses for
stud ents majo rin g in chemistr y and
math ematics .
Cou lt's research also has brought new
equipm ent LO Augsburg , primaril )' in th e
form of co mput ers . The equipm ent is
pur chased throu gh gra nt s from a Texasbased seismic-exp lora tion co mp any and i
used to support his resea rch in
co mputati onal method s in ap plied
math emati cs. Augsburg tud ent
resea rchers mak e heavy use of th e
equipment both during th e summer and
throughout the schoo l year.
"I am working on severa l so ftware
packages that use advanc ed math ematics
to impro ve th e proces sing and analy is of
data used in exp lora tion for oi l and gas ,"
Co ult sa id . "A math ema tical per pective
allows us to have a precise und erstandin g
of why a process do es or do e not work ,
and how it can be impro ved . My plan is
LO ge t our tud ent dir ectly involv ed in
this kind of work ."
Coult has summer stud ents wo rkin g
with National Scienc e Foundation-funded
research . His stud ents build oftwar e th at
will be appli cable to co mput ationa l
research-solving
prob lems by using th e
comput er. Like his co lleagues in
chemistr y and physics , ou lt ha helped
start new classes, including Math 355 ,
um erical Mathematics and
Comput ation , which lie at th e
intersection of math emati cs and
comp ut er science-his primary field of
researc h.
"This is an elective for both
math ematics and computer science,
and stud ents from th at clas arc well
prepared Lo do co mput atio nal work in
th e field ," he aid.
"It is of int eres t LO stu de nts in th e
sciences , too, especia lly thos e
int erested in doing computational
modeling. Genomics , where sc ienti ts
will be sortin g th rough snippets of
DNA, and bio-infomatic , wh ich deal s
with pro cess ing and gathering in the
biological scien es, are go ing to be
growing fields where thi l rpe of
training will be ideal. " •
A- G BURG NOW
19
by 11111, Nor11rd
handra Erdman came to Augsbur g
with two years of co llege classes
alread y on her tra nscr ipt , but had
no particular major or caree r goal in
mind . Now, one year after gra du ating,
she has compl eted a master's degree and
has begun a Ph.D. progra m al Yale
University in sta tistics.
"I never thought I'd be where I am
toda y," Erdman reflected. and , as she
loo ks ahead a cou ple of years, lhe
statistic sh e's aimi ng for is lo beco me th e
first African-A merican to compl ete Yale's
doc toral progra m in statistics.
Erdman came to Augsbur g after
spendin g her ju nior and senior years of
high schoo l at the University of
Minn esota full lime taking general
co urses. She chose Augsbu rg because of
its small size and fou nd a co mfortable
fit. She decided upo n a math maj or
because the subj ect really challenged her,
and becau se o f its exac tn ess and "how
thin gs fall imo place." The fact that it's a
science that can be carrie d out enti rely
in one's mind , without too ls or lab
experim ents, imrigu ed her.
W hal made the real d ifference in
Erdm an's experience at Augsbur g,
howeve r, was selection as a McNa ir
Scholar. Thi s federally-funded prog ram
seeks to increase the number of gradu ate
degrees earned by stu de nts from
und erreprese nted segme nts of soc iety.
Th e 18 stud ents who have been serv ed
each year by the progra m, eith er lowincome first generation co llege stud ents,
stud en ts of color, or other individu als
und erreprese med in doc tora l progra ms,
have been involved in research and oth er
scholarly ac tivities lo p repare th em for
doc toral studi es.
Erdm an comp leted two research
proj ects while she was an un de rgradu ate.
For a summ er research proj ect in appli ed
mat h, she used U.S. census co un ts to
model the shifting residenti al palterns in
the last four decades among blacks and
C
20
,4 UGSBURG NOW
whit es in North Minn eap olis. She
presen ted thi s research as an ora l
presemation on campu s and as a
session at the McNa ir Scholars
conference at the University of
Puerto Rico.
Her seco nd resea rch proj ect
was in pur e math , where she
studi ed cominu ed fractions and
tried to pro ve a series of openend ed qu estions. This resea rch was
presented at a colloquium for
mathematics, co mput er science,
and ph ysics stud ents on campu s.
As she began thinkin g about
her voca tional choices , howeve r, it
was a semester with math ematics
prof esso r Ken Kamin sky that set
th e course. "My favorite class was
ChandraErdman'02 celebratedher Augsburg
graduat
ion
probability and statistics," Erdm an
with DixieShafer(left), McNairScholarsprogramdirector,
said- she enjo yed the fun in
and her mother
, PaulaErdman(right).Erdmanis currentlya
doctoralcandidatein statisticsat Yale University
.
probability and th e usefuln ess of
statistics. Thi s int erest, combin ed
with a requir ed teachin g experience in
thought about gradu ate schoo l. As a first
generation college stud ent , she grew up
calculu s, which she really enjoyed ,
helped shape her goa l to teach at the
with out role models to help her pur sue
co llege level.
edu cation or leach her th e process of
learnin g.
In fall 2002 Erdm an began a master's
In the McNair program, she learned
prog ram al Colum bia University. "I was
how to co ndu ct and present research,
terrified when I first go t th ere, thinking
that everyo ne else was smarter than I
what gradu ate schoo l is all about , and
was," she said. "But after I started gettin g
how to wril e appli cations and prepare for
th e gra d schoo l exa ms. But, most
A's, I felt I really did belong ." She
imp ortant , she received lots of supp ort
compl eted th e master's degree in a year.
and encou ragement to gain the
In seekin g doc tora l programs,
confidence to succeed. "McNa ir help ed
Erdm an loo ked not only at the schoo l's
me to never feel alone," Erdman
pro gra ms, but she also called its gra duat e
reflected .
stud en ts and talked with th em about
She stays in contact with mathematics
their ex periences . Yale's small size again
professo rs Kamins ky and Rebekah
see med like a goo d fit to pro vide the
Dup ont , also McNa ir's resea rch director,
comfort she so ught. Whil e im erviewin g
as well as with Dixie Shafer, McNair
there, she also conn ected wit h a facult y
prog ram director.
member who shared her int erest in
Fo r so meo ne who admitt ed to not
und ercoum ed popul ations and had a
even kn owing what the Ivy League was ,
proj ect idea in mind for adju stin g the
Erdman has already left her mark on on e
count s.
of its schoo ls and is ready lo tackle
Erdm an admit s that before j oinin g the
anoth er. •
McNa ir Scholars progra m, she had not
Fall 2003
LEARNING
THEHUMANSIDEOF
SCIENCE
by Paul S. Mueller '84, MD
hen sick people consult a
physician Lo determin e the cause
and treatment of their illness, they
may also seek answers to existe ntial
questions that science cann ot answe r (e.g.,
"Wh y me?"). Many patients rely on their
spirint al beliefs and spirintal care providers
to answ er these qu estions . Many patients ,
howeve r, also engage their ph ysician in
existential discuss ions. As a physician who
frequ ently conveys bad news to patients,
my liberal arts edu cation at Augsbur g,
mu ch more than my medical edu cation,
has prepared me to participat e in these
discussions .
Unlike most of the hard sciences (e.g.,
ph ysics), medical science is inexact. At
best, it is difficult to cond uc t research of
organ systems (e.g., the heart and blood
vessels) in iso latio n. Th e human body is a
highly complex organism. Its organ
systems are intertwi ned and exist in
harm ony with each other. Furth ermore ,
medical science often involves ani mal
research , the results of whi ch are
extrapolated to hum ans .
Whil e medical science is inexac t,
clinical medicine is even more so . It is
imp ossible for ph ysicians to appl y all of
the techniqu es of the laboratory LO the
patient's beds ide. In add ition, a patient is
mu ch more than a biological organism. A
patient has an emotional life, a sp iritu al
life, and past experiences, all of which give
meaning and purp ose LO life events,
includin g illness. Furth ermore , like organ
systems , patients do not exist in isolation.
Rather, patients have relationship s with
loved ones and communi ties. In fact,
evidence is growi ng that psychological
factors, spiritu ality, and interperso nal
relationship s are importa nt determ inants
W
Fall 2003
of health , and seasoned phy icians
recognize their imp ortance. Providing
holis tic care by addressing the
psychosoc ial, spiritual, and relational needs
of patients leads to beuer health outcomes
includin g recovery from illness.
In 1984 , I gradu ated from Augsburg
College with a B.A. in chemistry. I also
completed the pre-med ical education
requirements for medica l school. While in
medical school and interna l medicine
residency, I always felt my Augsburg
science education was sufficient. While I
certainly learn ed many facts at Augsbu rg, I
also deve lope d a love of discovery th rough
the scient ific method. I learned how to seek
new knowledge by asking quest ions ,
developi ng hypo theses, and conducting
expe riments--sk ills that I app ly LO my
practice and research wday.
Yet it was the Augsbur g libera l arts
edu catio n that allowed me to thrive in
clinica l medicine. Discussing a diagnosi s
(e.g., cancer ) \vith a patient requires not
only up- to-da te un ders tanding of the
disease and its treatment , but also how
such a diagnosis can impac t a perso n and
his or her relations hips. Religion ,
philosop hy, ethics, art , and the other
compo nents of a liberal arts education
inforn1 me in ways that the ph ysical
sciences do not. Not surpris ingly, it is from
these areas, especially religion and
philosoph y, that many patients draw
meaning, pu rpose , and wisdom as they face
and cope \vith illnesses. Like\vise, a liberal
arts educatio n prepares physicians to
empath ize and dialogue with patients as
they face iIIness.
Whil e the science major learns how to
become a proficient scientist, the Augsburg
liberal arts education informs the science
major of other truths such as religious ,
phil osophi cal, and ethica l tru ths. Indeed ,
blind pur suit of cientific knowledge an d
acceptance of scien tific materialism (i.e.,
the belief that everyt hing, including the
hum an being, can be under wod as simply
Paul S. Mueller'84, MD
mauer ) can have devastatin g conseque nces.
For examp le, the Nuremberg trials of Nazi
physicians taught us that medical cience
\vithoul conscience is un acceptable. A
liberal arts edu cation inforn1s the Augsburg
science major of what questions are worth
answering and what it means LO be a
scientist in the context of wday's world and
its greatest needs .
An Augsburg liberal arts edu cation also
encourages scien ce majors LO seek and
pursu e their vocation , or calling, rather
than simply a job. Like patients , man y
stud ents ask existential questions related LO
vocation (e.g., "What is my purp ose in
life?"). Science canno t answer these
qu estions. On the other hand , a rich liberal
arts educational experience can assist the
stud ent in answering these questions .
Some of my best memor ies of Augsburg are
of long discussions \vith my professors
related LO the meanin g and purpose of life.
Indeed , I spe nt countl ess hou rs in these
discussion s ,vith my mentor and adviser ,
Professor John Hoium of the Chem i try
Departm ent. He taught me not on ly the
principl es of organic chemistry, but al o
helped me reconcile my faith with my
know ledge of the physical uni verse. He
role mode led vocation and what it meant
be a conscientious scientist. These
discussions inform ed me and helped hape
my vocation , or calling-and continu e LO
inforn1 Augsburg stud ents wda)( •
Pau l 5. Muelle1; M.D., M.P.H., F.A. .P., is a
con ulta11tat the Mayo Clinic Rochester
a11dis president of che Augsburg College
Alumni Association Board of Directors.
,4 GSBURGNOW
21
I
BIOLOGY
FORTHECLASSROOM
by Betsey Norgard
TEACHING THOSE WHO WIL[ IEACH
eachers are often asked to recall past
teachers in their lives who made
differences along the edu cational
journey.Jon Iverson '00 and Pete Ockuly
'95 were biology majors at Augsburg. Both
now teach science in public schools , and
both readily talk about the differences
biology professor Dale Pederson '70 , their
adviser at Augsburg, made in their
vocational decis ions .
Iverso n teaches seventh- and eighthgrad e science at Anderson Open School in
Minn eapolis, and Ockuly teaches biology
at Champlin Park High School. Both
believe that Augsbur g prepared them well
to step into a classroom.
Iverson and Ockuly are grad uates of a
departme nt that prepares students for
varying career paths-graduate or
professional studies , secondary education,
and industry and research positions. In all
cases, it means equipping them with a
solid foundatio n in biology
Pederso n exp lains how difficult it has
become LO under stand the leadin g edges of
science without such a broad foundation .
When he talks LO prosp ective seco nda ry
schoo l teachers, he tells them how
important it will be for them to "help
[their] stud ents develop a useful
und erstanding of th e fund amental aspects
of biology, e.g. the cellular natur e of life,
the cent ral dogma of information storage
and expression , the correlations between
cell divisions and pan erns of inh eritan ce,
the unit y and diversity of life and
evolution-above all, evolution. Whil e
there are many hot topics in curr ent
biology," he says, "most of them cannot be
usefully addressed without such
found ational knowledge and insight. "
T
22
t4 UGSBURG NOW
In addition to courses in biology, most
biology majors also take six semes ters of
chemistry and physics, and two semesters
of mathematics . Iverso n says he felt this
prepar ed him for a variety of science
activities and teaching-more than many
new teachers he knows who concentr ated
in one major or focused on research.
Ockuly feels his core science
background is bett er than some of his
colleagues. His perception is that his
college training allowed him Loquick ly
work at a level like that of his colleagues
who had more extensive teachin g
experience.
Th e Biology Department's rigorous
training begins with freshm an courses that
includ e research projects throu gh which
stud ents learn to und erstand science as
process, how science knowledg e is
acquired , and the limitations of sciencewhat types of qu estions it can and cannot
ask. For futur e teachers , Pederson says,
this will provid e grounding needed for
them LO help their students , for example,
if they become involved in science fair
projects. "Teachin g science as process is
not likely to be effective un less the teacher
is experienced in research ," he says. "You
can't learn how to do science by reading a
book . ILtakes experience and
mentorin g-a lot of mentoring."
Th e departm ent also encourages
students LO develop a sense of lifelong
learnin g. "Th ere is no way that they can
learn everything they need to know [at
Augsburgl, but they'll know how to learn
and teach th emselves," says Pederson.
And , he hopes they take with them an
enthu siasm and excitement for science.
"You can't work in biology without
BiologyprofessorDale Pederson'70 adviseshis
studentsenteringteaching careershow important
it will be for them to help their studentslearn the
foundationand processof science to understand
the growingcomplexities of life.
developing a passion for it and a craving
for the insights that continually reveal life
to be both more complex and elegant than
imagined ," he says.
For his future teachers, Pederson says
the depart ment also makes specific
suggestions for courses to take. If, for
instance, th e student hasn't had a plant
biology course , Pederson recomm ends
one, believing that plant biology should be
part of th e high school curriculum .
When speaki ng abou t their advising
expe rience with Pederson, however, both
Iverson and Ocku ly speak about it more
from an intellectual than scientific
persp ective. Both recall frequent
Fall 2003
discussion s with Pederson about teaching,
education , and edu cational systems .
Iverson came to college already
knowing he wanted to teach. He tells of
recently cleaning out old paper s and
finding a report from second grade in
which he listed teaching as his choice for
wha t he wanted to be when he grew up.
He recalls Pederson as a "very, very,
very tough teacher." "ln my first year I
didn 't do very well in science ," Iverson
says, "and I was thinking that I really
shouldn 't do this . ln my second year 1 had
[Pederson]. and he pushed me like no
other instructor at Augsburg had. I think it
was at that time I really started to develop
intellectually. You could see it, not only in
my grades , but in how mu ch I remembered
after courses and in my attitud e toward
other classes.
"He taught me intellectually the effort it
took and the patience it took to do science
really well," Iverson says.
Ock uly didn 't decide on teaching until
late in his sop homore year. He can't
pinpoint the actual decision , but can recall
listening to teachers and thinki ng about
how he wou ld explain the subj ect
differently, or use different examp les. Ot her
factors supp orted his decision to teach. He
enjoyed coach ing yout h
wrestling, and his wife, Kristi
Ocku ly '95 , was in eleme ntary
edu cation.
Ockuly recalls thoughtfu l,
and sometimes provoking,
discussions he had with
Pederson. "I remember
specific conversat ions about
Jon Iverson'00, a middle-school science teacher, can now appreciate
the education system . It
the "push" he receivedfrom his biology professors at Augsburgthat
interested me to thin k and
challenged him-and helps him seek the best from his students.
talk about it, and perhaps
helped push me into
th ousands of doll ars because of the years
education ," Ockuly says. "Dale was the
or decades of research , design , and trials
first person I ever had deep discussions
that mad e it possible.
wit h; he helped me realize that I wanted
Pederson stresses that advisers at
to teach. "
Augsburg spend a great deal of time with
In educating the ir own stud ents now;
their students - in lectur es, in labs, in
both Iverson and Ockuly want to impress
one-on-o ne research, and in advising.
how important science edu cation is for
Students become comfortab le talking with
everyone, not just for the stud ents who
their advisers, mak ing it easier to discuss
want to become scientists.
how to select app ropr iate courses ,
"I believe the goal of science education
experiences, and activit ies for tho se
should be educating [students[ enoug h to
stud ents .
be able to vote on important science
For stud ents go ing into classroom
issues, to be able to deal with household
teachin g, the departm ent can arran ge
prob lems that they might have, or
pra ctical teaching experie nces. Iverson
prob lems at their businesses ," Iverson
worked as a lab assistant , helpin g teach a
says. "If their city decides to bui ld a stom1
biology class for non-majors . "The
sewer, they should be able to hear
opportuni ty to deal with tud ents who
argum ents on both sides and
really didn 't want to be th ere and didn 't
then decide whether it's a
have a good grasp on a lot of science "
good thing or not."
was a lot like th e middl e school science
Ocku ly tries to help his
classroom whe re he now teaches, he says.
stud ents und erstand the
At Augsburg, 10-15 students each year
complexity of probl ems, in
maj or in biology, chemi try, ph ysics, or
additio n to the advantages ,
math wit h seco ndary teachin g in mindthat result from the explosion
areas of current teacher shortages. Th ey
of science and techn ology.
have advisers in bot h their major
He gives medical care as a
discipline and in edu cation- something
prim e example. What once
not often the case in teacher training
were friendl y hom etown
progra ms.
doctors' offices have given
Advisers from th e two depa rtm ents
way to techni cally-advanced
depend on one anoth er, says Pederson ,
clinics. He tries to help his
and co llaborate on planning scie nce
Ideas from many of the discussions on educational systemsand
stud ents und erstand how, for
requir ements. "Th e bottom line," he
science standardsthat Pete 0ckuly '95 fondly rememberswith Dale
example, a small tub e for a
says, "is th at both want the student to
Pederson, his biology adviser, have found their way into 0ckuly's
heart procedur e may cost
succeed ." •
biology classroom at ChamplinPark High School.
Fall 2003
A-UGSBURGNOW
23
I
ONTHEROAD
TO
by Betsey Norgard
andr a Olmsted '69 , associate professor of
chemistry, often wonders what her former
classmates and stude nts are doing in the field and
what she can learn from them.
Sherry Jennings-King , director of corporat e,
foundation , and governm ent relations , has wondered,
in her new job , how she could gain ent ree to major
area corporat ions to build institutiona l relation ships
with the College. She happens to have a degree in
chemical engine ering.
So, they teamed up . Olmsted identified Augsburg
chemistry alumni worki ng at area corporatio ns, and
the duo visited them for lun ch and conversa tion.
Olmsted and Jennings-King 's agendas were differentOlmsted was anxious to hear what th e alum s could tell
her about new and chang ing ski lls in the workp lace
and , from their perspectives , what emerging trends
might impact Augsburg's chemistry curriculum .
Jennings-King was hoping to build bridges that wou ld
help bring internships , partnerships , and finan cial
support to Augsbu rg.
In meeting th e alumni , Olmste d
says it opened her eyes to new and
emerg ing opport uniti es for her
students , especia lly in the
combin ation of chemistry with ot her
disciplines . One grad they visited
combined chem istry with computer
scie nce. He writ es softwa re that run s
hosp ital instruments and allows
th em to communicate across
distances , enab ling doctors in
remo te loca tions to access medical
data and follow pat ient prog ress. He
says his kn owledge of how
chemistry works in the bod y mak es
him a bett er software engineer
because he can und ers tand the data
in more depth .
One person they visited is Dean
Malotky '71, vice president and
prin cipal at Barr Engineering. In his
25 years th ere he has been in on the
ground level to develop assessment
SherryJennings-King(right), ~irector of corporate,
and remediation meth ods for waste
foundation, and governmentrelations, and Sandra Olmsted
disposal sites . Serving as an expert
'69 (left), chemistry professoi, haveteamedup to connect
witn ess in cou rt , he helps resolve
with and learnfromchemisryalumni in the metro area.
S
24
A-UGSBURGNOW
legal battles fought over the extent of
liability and share of cleanup costs that
compa nies are assessed.
He tells of a big case in New J ersey
where thr ee maj or comp anies had to
divide up the total cost of cleanup .
Malotky 's job was to look at five or six
different chemi cal manufa cturin g
facilities to evaluate their products and
by-products , as well as the raw materials
that went into each facility, to determine
th e extent to which they contribut ed to
cont amin ation.
Earlier in his tenur e at Barr, Malotky
help ed wr ite th e specifications for
analysis of samples at the companies
where they were outsourced, in order to
ensur e accuracy.
After Augsburg, Malotky says he felt
well prepared to pursue doctoral studi es
at th e Un ivers ity of Wisconsin-Madison.
Since joining Barr Engineering , he has
helped the company grow from 40
employees to over 350 and win severa l
awards as a good place to work.
Shann on Hess , associate chemist at
Aveda, gradu ated in 2000 and told
Olmsted and J enning s-King, "I've loved
my j ob since th e day I started two-and-ahalf years ago."
Her work at Aveda, a cosmetics
compa ny whose vision is "connecting
beauty, environm ent , and well-being ," is
challenging because of th e strict
guidelines for using on ly naturallyderived materials. She explain s that
instead of using synt hetic raw materials ,
Aveda chemists mu st try to replicate the
benefits and perform ance with natur ally
derived and organ ic raw materials.
Hess' work is to acquire new organic
essentia l oils for fragran ce formul as. She
is in daily communi cation with
supp liers, who may be comp anies in
England , South Africa, Australia , or
lavender farmers in France . Aveda also
buys natural products from indigenous
Fall 2003
Shannon Hess '00 uses her chemistry to create personal care products from naturally -derived and organic raw materia ls.
Aveda and its co mmitm ent to
environm ent al issues. She says that
awareness of we llness is so methin g she
wo rks with every da y, "thinkin g about what
you put on your skin and in your body."
While her plans may includ e graduat e
schoo l some day, her work at Aveda is
giving her the experience she want s to
advance her car eer in th e persona l care
industr y.
J onath an DeVries '68 is a techni cal
manage r at th e Medallion Laborato ries
division of Gene ral Mills. For almos t 26
years he has been in th e forefro nt of
und ers tandin g, develop ing anal ytical
method s , and buildi ng sta nd ards for certain
nutriti onal and food safety guid elines. His
work has cent ered on th e infor mation
co nsum ers read on the nutrition al labels o f
foods th ey eat, with ex tra emphas is on th e
term "dietary fiber."
Prior to th e 1980s , "cru de fiber" was th e
basic nutriti on label, but thi s excluded a
significant portion of health y dietary fibers
in the foods. DeVries was instrum ental in
sta nd ardizing th e definiti on of dietary fiber
Dean Malotky 's work takes him into courtrooms to present expert
and in standardi zing and validatin g
technic al information toward resolut ion of legal issues around
meth ods of extrac tion and analysis for
environmental contamination and cle an-up.
genera tin g nutriti ona l labe ls , wo rkin g
throu gh th e Associa tion of Officia l
Analytical Chemists (now AOAC lNTER NATIONA L) ,
gro ups aro und th e wo rld , trying to
which established internationa l guid elines for th eir
und erstand and inco rpora te use of th eir
raw mate rials as they are used in th eir
usage.
De Vries cred its professor emeritu s J ohn Hoium for
cu ltur es.
emph asizing a solid scie ntifi c found at ion and process
At Augsbur g, a p lant biology co ur se
for co ntinu al learnin g, ra th er than the spec ific body of
with recent ly-retired Prof. Est her
chem istry learn ed . DeVries wo uld advise stud ent s not
McLaughlin spark ed Hess' int erest in
Fall 2003
A-UGSBURGNOW
25
Olmst ed and Jennings -King plan to
LO worry too mu ch about computer and other
continue their visits with area chemistry
techn ology that will change , but to "mast er the
alumni. Jennings -King has already told
learnin g pro cess an d the basics of the subj ect area, and
Olmsted that it's tim e LO hit the road
to loo k at all the data at their disposal before dr awing
co nclu sions ."
again. •
From these thr ee
chemistry alumni and
others, the feedb ack
Olmsted heard already
has brou ght chan ges to
the way chemistry
majors are taught. First ,
a new sec tion o f a
speec h course that
focuses on how to
present techni cal
infor mation and
research , including
makin g presentation s to
various audi ences , is
being develop ed.
Second , the fourJonathanOeVries
' work at GeneralMills over 25 years has involveddevelopinganalytical
semes ter chemistry
methodsand standardsfor nutritional and food safetyguidelines, especially concerning
semin ar for juniors and
dietary fiber.
seniors has been
revamped to be of
greater value to what stud ents can
expect after they leave Augsburg .
Stud en ts will also get more hands-on
expe rience in using instrum ents .
Olmsted says stud ents need to feel
comfortabl e about the kinds of
instrum ents they may encount er in
the wor kpla ce-no t only how LO use
th em, but also how to int erpret th e
data . "This will prepa re th em to be
functioning chemists as well as
fun ctionin g grad stud ents ," she says.
Olmsted also heard alumni speak
abo ut the imp ortance of
understanding the patent process ,
especia lly important for stud ents
pur suin g studies in publi c researc h
instituti ons where protec tion of
resea rch is para mount.
Jenning s- King has see n ben efits as
well. When she submits propo sals
and comp anies ask how engaged
Augsburg alumni at th eir co mp any
are, J enning s- King can report
co nfidentl y on their meetings . Th e
College has estab lished new
internships with these co mp anies and
SherryJennings-Kingand SandraOlmsted'69 review sketchesfor the
received in-kind donati on of
new science building, which has beena topic of discussionin their
eq uipm ent as well.
visits to metro-areachemistry alumni.
26
.4UGSBU RG NOW
by Lynn Mena
ehind Lhe door of a small
laboratory in the lower level of
Sverdrup Hall, Augsburg senior
Scott Kuhl is manipulatin g reality.
Kuhl, an undergraduate research
assistam, is part of the Departmem of
Comput er Science's Localization Project,
analyzing the cues Lhat people use to
locate Lhemselves when the y ent er
comput er-created virtua l environm ents.
Kuhl has participated in the Nationa l
cience Foundation-funded project since
Lhesum mer of 2001.
"Generally speak ing, we're trying to
answer qu estions abo ut how people
perceive thin gs," says Kuh l, a comput er
science and mathematics doubl e major.
"Similar research ha been done in
outdoo r environments. We are dupli cating
that work in a virtu al environment. We're
imerested in seeing the difference between
doing the experiments in a virtual
environm ent versus a real environm ent. "
The proj ect consists of two sets of
experime nts , the first involving selflocalizatio n and the second dealing with
rotational recalibration. The subjects in all
of the experiments view the virtual
environm ent by using a head-moum ed
display. They can move freely, able to turn
around or look up and down in the virtua l
environment. Kuhl wrote computer
programs to rend er the virtua l
environm ents for bot h sets of
experim ents .
Karen Suth erland , Augsburg associa te
professor of compu ter science , based the
overall vision of the project and the set of
localization experiments on her previous
work in both robot and real-world
localization . Experi ments in selflocalizatio n have been condu cted in the
real world for many years. More recemly,
researche rs have begun exp loring virtua l
space and asking the question: "Do we use
the same techniqu es to locate ourse lves in
B
Fall 2003
Scott Kuhl's head-mounted "glasses" give a manipulatedview of reality, as he uses a virtual environmentto
study how people locate themselvesin a given space.
virtua l space as we do in real space? "
Th e project's set of rotationa l
recalibration experim ents was developed
by Kuhl, and is inspired by a research
proj ect he participated in at the University
of Utah the su mmer of 2002.
"They had a tread mill-like system \vilh
screens, where you walk straight ahead
while the virtual wo rld is displayed on th e
screens ," ays Kuhl. "As part of their
research, they changed how fa t the virtual
world moved as you walked . The world
would , for exampl e, move twice as fast as
it should have."
This experie nce prompted Kuhl to
pond er what wou ld happe n if instead of
changing Lhe rate that the world moves as
you walk straig ht , you changed the rate at
which it moves as you rotate.
"I'm interested in learnin g about the
process of adjus tmem and how we might
adj ust differemly in virtua l environments
Lhan we do in real-world environments ,"
says Kuhl.
In Kuhl's expe riments , participants put
on the head-moumed display and are
shown a comput er-generated wall with a
post er on it. After viewing the poster ,
participants close their eyes and are
instru cted to turn around in place so that
Lhey are facing in the same direction as
the y were origina lly Then , th y are told to
look at a series of posters by follow ing a
set of instru ctions. After these instru ctions,
participants view another po ter, close
their eyes, and turn around in a complete
circle so they are facing the poster again .
"I've parti cularly enjoyed the techni cal
a pects of this research- although the
psychological aspects are a bit of a
challenge," says Kuhl. "It's really neat to
relate what I've learned in my math ematics
classes to what I'm doin g ,vith comp uter
graphi cs."
When the experiments are complete ,
the results will be compi led and analyzed
statistically, comparing results of the
previous real world and robot experiments
with these. Th e rotational recalibration
exl)eriments ,viii also erve as Kuhl's
departm emal hon ors project. After he
gradua tes Lhis sprin g, he plans to pursue
grad uat e studi es in co mput er science.
In addition to Lhi work, the co mput er
science departm ent will be performin g
experiments usin g a data glove in the
virtual environm em , and is also using the
lab to develop a comput er graph ics cour e
that incorporat es virtua l reality topics .
"I can see lots of opp ortuniti e in th e
future to use our lab-n ot just for virtu al
reality, but also for robotics-as we ll as a
combination of th e two," says
utherland . •
,4uGSBURG NOW
27
dam McWeLhy graduated with
distincti on and with deparm1ental
honors in psychology last spring.
Four years earlier, he had learned about
Augsbu rg's StepUP program and decided
to app ly- a decision Lhat wou ld change
his life.
"I knew nothing about Lhe school and
wasn't even Lutheran ," McWethy said.
"But I knew I had a great oppo rtuni ty in
this one-of-a-kind program ." McWeLhy
was on e of approximatel y 40 stu dents in
Lhe growing StepUP program, which
provides a support ive environm ent to
allow stud ents in recovery from add iction
achieve academic success. McWeLhy's
appreciaLion of StepUP's mission has now
broughL him into leadership positions on
StepUP's advisory board and , since
graduation , on a StepUP alumni board .
McWeLhy became a psychology major
in his sophom ore year. "I came here
because of StepUP, but it was the
Psychology Department Lhat allowed me
to find my niche and to excel."
He curr ent ly works as a chilcVfamily
advocate at Wayside Hou se- where he
also completed his psychology internship .
Th is program provides safe hou sing for
women in recovery from chemical
dependency. McWeLhy spends his time
working with teams who are Lrying to
accomplish what is best for the children of
Lhe residents . He says he is "on the front
line of a war to save kids' lives."
McWethy has also worked on a
numb er of research projects , most recently
with Professor Nancy Steblay. For the past
two years, McWethy and Steblay have
collaborated on a project in psychology
and law that includes Steblay's research
colleagues at Lhe University of Texas-El
Paso. Together, the team has collected and
analyzed a massive amo un t of laboratory
data addr essing three interrelated variables
in the ju ry decision-making process:
inadmissible evidence, judicial instruction
to disregard this eviden ce, and type and
timin g of such instrucLion. A pap er, which
A
28
A-UGSBURG NOW
At Augsburg, AdamMcWethy'03 discoveredhis
passion for research in psychologythat helped him
shape his goals in working with children.
McWethy co-auth ored , was presented
in Jul y at the International
Interdisciplinary Psychology and law
conference in Edinburgh , Scotland .
McWethy's honors Lhesis was a section
of this research and specifically
investigated the impact of charging
instru ctions that follow a trial.
McWeLhy's internship and his
research experiences are part of an
education that allowed him
"oppo rtuniti es to go above and beyond
the classroom. " 'T hat is what I love
about Augsburg," he said. "There is
always room to do your own thi ng,
and you truly get out of the school
what you put into it."
According to Steblay, what
McWethy "put into" the academic
endeavor was laud able. "Adam's skills
of analysis and syn lhesis are
remarkab le," she said. "His talents are
well-suited to Lhis domain of
research- an inquiry Lhat merges
psychology and law. He has a
particu larly sharp eye for the policy
implications of the data. Adam is a
valued collabora tor; the products of
our work have been mu ch richer for
his contributi ons ."
The research experience
dramatically influenced McWeLhy's
futur e plans . "While my jobs have
shaped my interest- helping children - it
is my research experience that has altered
how I believe I can be most effective in
solving kids' problems. I began to truly
comprehend the power of research to alter
the way in which society views prob lems.
It is only through research Lhat the way we
heal can become more effective," said
McWethy. He plans to apply to graduate
programs in psychology and law.
"Augsburg gave me a focus and a
passion that have allowed me to exceed
all my expectations for myself. No long er
do I mak e excus es ... Inst ead , I now do
what I need to do becaus e I love it and
because I see the good thaLcan result
from my work. " •
Judy Petree is media relations manager.
Professor Nancy Steblay contributed to
this story.
PROFESSOR
NANCY STEBLAY
:
Involving
students
in reSl,IJ;Pft
Professor Nancy Steb lay believes the goal of
the psychology department is to facilitate
students' movement from learning about the
disciplin e to becoming active contributors to
the discipline. Each psychology major must
comp lete at least one major laboratory
research project under the guidance of a
faculty member , plus at least one
com muni ty-based interns hip .
Steblay's ongoing research projects have
established her as an expert in areas of
psychology and law and have given her
student s challenging original research
oppo rtunit ies
The research Steblay and her student s
have carried out on police lineups has
contribut ed to recent U.S. Department of
Justice police procedural guidelines for the
gathering of eyewitness evidence. Her
projects focus on proper lineup structure
and format, assessing far''1rs of social
influence and witness memory in the
identification process. Recent cases in which
convictions have been overturned by forensic
Fall 2003
SEAN
TRuMANA PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
Psycho logy professo r Sean Truman is
beginnin g his secon d year teac hin g in th e
department. Augsburg Now edi tor Betsey
Norgar d talked with him about stu dents
and teaching.
Whydid Augsburg
interest youas a placeto
teach?
I'm int eres ted in und ergrad uate
excellence, and I'm int erested in
gro undin g edu catio n in the libera l arts
NancySteblay
, professor of psychology
DNA tests have revealed a crucial
finding: Mistaken eyewitness
identifications have been the primary
evidence used to convict innocen t
people. Thus, this research has critical
implications for soc iety.
A secon d line of resea rch bega n with
a 1999 article, co-authored by Augsburg
stude nts, regard ing the effect of pretrial
publicity on jury verdicts. The research
team found that pretrial publicity
produce d juror expectations of defendant
culpability before the trial and ultimately
produced higher conviction rates.
Traditionaljudicial safegua rds did not
reduce the pub licity's impact. Since then,
additional teams of Augsburg students
have advanced our understanding of
comp lex nuances of memory that
underlie pretrial publicity effects.
-Betsey Norgard
Fall 2003
tradition .... I also th ought that th e caliber
of my colleagues in th e Psycholo gy
Departm ent was remarka ble. The people
in the departm ent were clearly committ ed
to teac hin g, and to prod ucing research
and wo rkin g in th e communi ty on things
that were im po rtant. I found that
compe lling.
Whatdo youseek for your students?
I want to be unapolo get ically demandin g
of st ud ents.
I want them to be int ellectuall y
sop histicated , rigorou s, consi dered people
who have th e capacit y to dea l with
int ellectua l ambig uit y and who can
manag e in a worl d th at is frequ entl y
contradi ctory. The world is co mpli cated,
and what we do here is help peop le to
dev elop a capacity for compl ex thinkin g
that serves th em throu ghout th eir lives.
The way we do th at in th e psycholog y
department is th ro ugh scie nce-based
und ersta nding of peop le's experiencewhether it's peop le's emot ional exper ience,
cog nitiv e pro cess, socia l behavior, or what
have yo u. These are all different slices of
how we , as psycholog ists , think about
human expe rienc e. There's nothing
magical abo ut one parti cular pers pective;
it's th e disciplin e we bring to th e
perspective th at I think is really useful.
You don 't know who's in your class.
You have no idea. l'm hop ing I hav e a
futur e senator in my class. Wh en she sits
on a Senate sub-commiu ee, she 'll think ,
"How do we evaluate thi s iss ue? W hat is
th e justifi cation for spending a half billion
dollars on th is program? Whe re is th e
eviden ce th at this approac h wi ll be
effective?" We hope that our stud ents are
discip lined and rigorou s thi nkers when
th ey leave the College.
Some of the most comp elling mom ents
l've had here are when stud ents begin to
Psychology professor Sean Truman
see th emselves as intell ectu ally
sop hist icated. Early on in college students
rarely appreciate their own capac ity for
exce llence; they don 't see the horizon
that 's possib le for them. Th ey can exce l in
ways that the y don 't yet appreciate. It is
really fun to see students change ove r four
years in ways that are simply astounding.
How will a newsciencebuilding makea
difference in your department?
The first thing a new science buildin g
does is provid e ph ysical evidence of an
institutional commiu11ent to th e sciences.
When we app ly for grants , a new
building will mak e it possible to su pp ort
larger and mor e substantia l proj ects. Il
puts us in a mu ch more co mp elling
position to say, "We have intell ectu al
cap ital here , we have th e capacity for hard
work here, we have th e institutional and
organiza tional capacity , and we hav e th e
capaci ty to contr ibut e in a serio us way
through our laboratory resea rch." In th e
encl, havi ng th ese reso urces wi ll mean that
our stud ent s get more opportuniti es to do
meaningf ul work with faculty.
We have to recog niz e and be honest
abou t th e fact that we've don e great work.
This work has tak en pla ce wi th out many
resources. While people have done an
incr ed ible amount with what they have,
we also should be clear that the limit ed
resourc es redu ce our capaci ty to do work
that wi ll be meanin gful, larger in scope ,
and more comp elling and productive for
our students. •
A-UGSBURGNOW
29
LAB
ight scientists are gathered round a
conference table for a regular
week ly meeting. As they begin
reportin g their research to the group , the
talk is of variations in ULF and VLF
waves, compi lation of PE and QP/PE
data, progress on papers to be presented
at professional conferences, etc.
This would not sound unu sual unt il
it's realized that the meeting is taking
place on a small, private college campu s,
and five of the eight part icipants have
only ju st completed their first or second
year in college.
Each summ er, as part of the funding
Augsburg receives from the National
Science Found ation, NASA, and others,
physics professor and departm ent chair
Mark Engebretso n selects promi sing
physics and pre-engineering stud ents for
research proj ects in the physics labs.
Engebretso n says that the depart ment
tries to provide all physics maj ors with
research opportu nities- the experience
helps physics and pre-engineering
students with graduate school admi ssions
and helps them compete for national
fellowships.
Geoff Shelburn e, who is beginn ing
his j un ior year, began workin g last year
with Augsburg physics senior Alexa
Halford '03 on a paper titled "Latitudinal
and Seasonal Variations of Quasi-Periodic
and Periodic ELF-VLF Emissions." The
paper, a statistical study of extremelylow-frequency (ELF) and very-lowfrequency (VLF) waves using data from
severa l stations in Antarctica, includ ing
the South Pole, won Halford a top
student award last year when she
presented it at the spring meeting of the
American Geophysical Unio n. This was
one of two such awards Lo Augsburg
E
30
ft UGSBURGNOW
Sophomore
physics studentsSteveQuick(left), Erik Lundberg
(centerfront), and Matt Argall(right)watched
as junior Jon-Erik Hokenson (centerback) demonstrate
s howto run and plotdatafromgroundstationsand
orbitingsatellitesoverAntarctica
.
students in the last th ree years, who
comp eted against mostly graduate
stud ents, some of whom were presentin g
their Ph.D. work .
Shelburn e's work has focused on
identifying, tabu lating, and plottin g
occurrences of various types of these
waves as a function of the time of day for
an entire year at four different stations in
Antarctica- a time-consumin g and
tedious jo b.
Engebretson points out at the
meeting, however, that Shelburn e has
made a valuable con tributi on with his
meticulous work , because of surp rising
variations that can be observed only
when stud ying th e data in the detail he
plotted.
Shelburn e is workin g with
Engebretson to comp lete the paper and
ready it for publi cation next year. The
final author list will includ e Halford,
Engebretso n, assistant scientislj ennifer
Posch '94 , as well as researchers at the
British Antarctic Survey and at Stanford
University. Engebretson points out that
all the department 's fund ed research is
do ne in collaboration with physicists at
other schools and instituti ons, part of the
educational process for the students.
Shelburn e has put in his time learnin g
the detailed, routin e task of collecting
data. Next summ er, he hopes to gain
additi onal research experience at another
school or research laboratory- somethin g
that Engebretson encourages most of his
stud ents to pur sue.
Jon-Erik Hokenson, who ju st
completed his sophomore year, is
teachin g thr ee first-year research stud ents
in the space physics lab how to run and
plot the routin e data-th e same kind of
work he did last year as a freshm an. Part
of their work involves comparing the data
recorded daily by an orbiting satellite
with dat a recorded at the same time at the
ground stations to see if the same events
are observed. It requir es using a
comput er program to translate num erical
data int o spectrograms, or colored char ts,
that show wave activity.
Hokenson is a physics and math
major, and also has a comput er science
min or. The comput er progra m familiarity
comes in handy when stud ents must
wr ite their own programs in order to run
the data they want. Comput er science
and physics stud ents have been
Fall 2003
collaborating over the past coup le of years
on new progra ms in the physics labs .
Back in the meeting, first-year research
student Erik Lundb erg reports to the
group on the difficulti es he faced wit h
such a compu ter progra m while trying to
run the data requ ested by a researcher at
anot her inst ituti on. Wh en the printer
refused to spit ou t any data beyond 1999,
Lundberg wro te a new progr am to
eliminate the prob lem . Engebretson asked
him to inst all it on all the lab comput ers.
Lund berg recogn izes that science is a
lot of rout ine. "Sometim es you run the
numb ers several tim es and it doesn't
work; but one time it works ... and it's
exciting."
Heather Greene '04 reports to the
meeting that her paper is completed and
will be presented at a McNair Scholars
conference the following week. The paper
and the National Science Found ation .
The McNair program seeks to prepare
stud ents for doctora l studi es and to
increase the numb er of gradu ate stud en ts
from und errepresented sec tors. Through
the summ er experience, Greene says, "I
am starting to learn the process of
research and what I need to network wit h
others."
To prepare for her conference
presentation , Greene was able to bu ild
confidence wit h presentations to her two
ph ysics pro fessors, Engebretson and
Professor Ken Erickso n '62 , as well
as to the McNair Scholars staff and
stud ents .
Augsburg's physics department
has a long history of both involving
stud ents in ongoing, original
research and of collabora ting with
other scientists literally aro un d the
world . Hokenson said that he had
j ust sent thr ee CDs of data to a
researcher in England who had
requested it. Some of Shelburne 's
data came from Stan ford University
Senior HeatherGreene's research on geomagnetic activity was
and the Brit ish Antarctic Survey.
presentedboth on campusand at a McNair Scholars
Recent physics grad uate Jesse
conferenceat PennState University.
Woodroffe is still comparing data
from four European satellites,
studi es the activity recorded by satellites
obtained from a researcher in Germany
durin g a geomagn etic storm to help
wit h da ta from Augsbu rg's own
und erstand its effect on communi cations
instru ments .
systems as well as hum an health .
After gradu ating from Augsburg,
Greene's summ er research was fund ed
Erickso n return ed in 1970 , to teach space
by both the McNair Scholars program
Fall 2003
---
,
ProfessorMark Engebretsonreviews data in research carried out by graduati ng senior Jesse Woodrolle , who
1sheadedto a teaching assistantship and fellowship at the University of Minnesota.
physics at both the University of
Minnesota and Augsbur g. Following the
example of his faculty mentor at the
university, he began involving stud ents
in in teresting proj ects and research.
When Engebretson came to Augsburg in
1976, he began to seek grant funds to
cover the stud ent activit ies. Today, after
more than 30 years, and with the
additi on of Professor Ambrose Wolf's
research in solid state physics, there are
few small, private colleges that provide
the depth of undergrad uate research in
physics found at Augsburg.
The meeting continu es with an
ann oun cement that Olga Kozyreva, a
visiting ph ysicist from the Institut e of
the Physics of the Earth in Moscow,
would arrive the following week for a
month 's stay. Her visit, along with regular
semester-long visits by Russian physicist
Slava Pilipenk o, continu es collabora tive
research and teachin g with Engebretso n ,
fund ed by a recently-renewed Nationa l
Science Found ation grant.
In addi tion to the 10 students
working at Augsburg durin g the sum mer,
other stud ents are at un iversities around
the count ry. For the physics majors
attendin g the meeting, getting
experience that helps them gain an edge
in their field and getting paid for it is
ideal. And , as Hokenson pu ts it, "you
couldn't ask for a better employer than
Professor Engebretson. " •
/t- UGSBURG NOW
31
by Judy Petree
or 10 weeks over the summer,
severa l of Augsburg 's physics labs
on the lower level of Science Hall
became a staging area for a large-sca le
model of the Mars surface, with robot
exp lorers and a simulated model of the
space shuttle.
It's part of the Girls in Engineering ,
Mathematics, and Science (GEMS)
program , providin g middle and high
school girls and college undergraduates
an opportunity to exp lore math ematics ,
scie nce, and applied technology.
Because boys as young as fourth
grade begin LO show greater interest and
highe r achievement in math and science
than girls, GEMS address es an acute
need to create programs that encourage
girls to exp lore, experiment , and
collaborate in these fields.
Jeanin e Gregoire , assista nt professor
of edu cation and science coordin ator at
Augsburg, and co-coordinator of the
program , is con cern ed with gender
equit y in science edu cation . "Research in
F
gender-based programs and our own
experiences with the GEMS program
throughout the past six years have shown
how important it is for girls to have
access to challenging , comp lex, and fun
science, math, and technology proj ects
set in a supp ortive environm ent. "
Gregoire , in conjunction with the
Augsburg NASA Space Grant Program ,
has worked closely with Brad Blue,
Minneapolis Public Schoo ls science/math
teacher , and parents and teachers from 13
Minneapolis schools to develop ,
implement , and evaluate this program.
The GEMS progr am includes three
age groups:
FOURTH-EIGHTH
GRADE
COMPONENT
The year-ro und GEMS program presents
you ng wom en with comp lex problemsolving proje cts and opportu nities to
present in public . Annu ally, the girls
bui ld and program robots to compete in a
robotics competition.
One of th e GEMS
teams was featured on
the premiere episode
of Dragonfl y TV
Students also
Middle-schoolgirls in the GEMSprogramcarve from Styrofoama scale
modelof the surface of Mars createdfrom NASAtopographicalmaps.
32
A-UGSBURGNOW
particip ate in an intensive, 10-week
summ er program at Augsburg. During
the summ er of 2003, 78 middl e-school
girls from Minn eapoli s public schools
met twice a week at Augsburg and
learned how LO "terraform " the surface of
Mars. Th ey researched question s they
had about Mars, and built and
progra mm ed robots to maneuver on the
scale mod el surface they create d. Other
GEMS proj ects investigate the Science of
Speed, where they design, build , test, and
race CO2 cars in the Annual Day at th e
Races at Augsburg.
GEMS gro ups regularl y present the
results of their projects at the Science
Museum of Minnesota , LEGOL.and at the
Mall of America, the Minn esota State
Fair, the Minn eapolis School Board, th e
Eye to the Futur e Career Conference for
Young Women, and to engin eers and
technicians at Medtronic . These venu es
provide stude nts wit h opportu nities to
consolidate their und erstandin g of what
th ey are learnin g, become more
comfort able communi cating th eir
findin gs to othe rs, apply sk ills th ey have
learned in their proj ect, and receive
feedback from participants .
Gregoire said that they have already
seen many of th ese st ud ents do well on
Layersof Styrofoamwere piled and then smoothedout to look like the actual surface
of Mars' mountains.
Fall 2003
Two girls check to see if the robot they built and programmedto maneuver
on the Mars surface is working properly.
th e advanced placement tests for nin thgrade science, and th ey tend to take
more math and science cour ses in high
school.
"The GEMS program has also given
man y girls a strong network of friend s
who encoura ge schoo l att endance, value
and support each oth er's academic
achievement , and wh o demonstrate
leadership in oth er areas of sc hoo l. Th e
GEMS program gives each girl a different
way to see herse lf in the world. "
The program is free to gir ls in the
Minn eapolis Public Schools who app ly
and qualify.
NINTH-12THGRADE
MENTORING
PROGRAM
Girls who have participa ted in th e GEMS
fourt h-eighth grad e pro gram are eligible
to app ly for the su mm er leadership
program . Success ful compl etion of th e
summ er program allows new ment ors to
participat e in a year-long position as a
GEMS ment or. The GEMS ment or
program bu ilds up on th e mat u rity,
leader shi p developm en t, int erests, and
academ ic needs of the GEMS ment ors
involved in th e program. Incomin g
ment ors, th e girls in grades 8-12 , are
involved in a beta level leadership
trainin g to develop int erp erso nal
communi cation and group bui ld ing
skills. Th ey then have th e opp ortu nity to
lead larger GEMS enri chm ent progra ms.
"We have een many of th ese youn g
Fall 2003
On break time, GEMSgirls relaxed outside with jump ropes and games.
women develop tremend ous leadership
capacity wor kin g with th e middl e schoo l
stud en ts as a 'coach' and in one case the
progra m coo rd inator of a GEMS
program ," said Gregoi re.
Thi s past summ er 15 GEMS mento rs
participa ted in th e GEMS leadership
trainin g progra m . In 200 1, a high sc hool
mentor was chose n as "Mentor of th e
Year" from among all adu lt
ment or/coac hes in Minn esota for the first
Lego-Logo comp etitio n .
"Midd le school GEMS loo k up to th e
high choo l GEMS for direction , supp ort ,
and friendsh ip," Grego ire sa id. "I love to
see the strong bond established between
th e high sc hoo l ment ors and the middle
school GEMS dur ing th e summ er
prog ram."
UNDERGRADUATES
AS TEACHERS
Augsbur g smd ents have also benefited
from this progra m. Und ergrad uate
wo men in sc ience, math ematics,
engineer ing, and element ary or
seco ndary edu cat ion are recruit ed to
serve a teachers for th e summ er GEMS
middl e-schoo l progra m and as cofaci litator durin g th e regular schoo l year.
GEM mento rs and th e un de rgradua te
stud ent s wo rk as a team to plan and
teach uni ts to GEMS middl e schoo l
stud ents.
"Such opportuni ties give Augsbur g
stud ents valuable teachin g experience
and bui ld th eir own confidence and
know ledge of math ematics, scie nce, and
techn ology," Gregoire said. She added
th at as a result of th e program , severa l
elementary majors have refocused their
co ncentr ation in scie nce and several
oth er math majors are now in secondary
licensure programs .
Gregoire said that Augsburg , as a
college of th e city, has gained
tremendous ly as a community partner
with Minn eapo lis Pub lic Schoo ls.
"With th e challenge in urban
edu cation, th e College could be either
pan of th e prob lem, or we can be pan of
the so luti on by leveraging our resour ces,
knowledge , and experiences to create
viab le solut ions. The GEMS program is
bu t one program where the College and
th e NASA Space Grant have take n an
active role in working with urban schoo l
d istricts on specia l programs and
projects. GEMS has been a tremend ous
program for the linneapolis Publi c
Schoo ls and Augsburg College."
Fundin g for th e GEMS program s
co mes from th e Medtro nic STAR grants ,
Minn eapolis Public Schoo ls, and the
NASA Space Gra nt. The GEMS program
was prese nt ed at th e American
Association for Advancement o f Science
(AAAS) conference in an Franci co in
Feb ruary 2001. In Augu t it was featur ed
on W CCO-TV •
Judy Petree is media relations manager:
A-UGSBURGNOW
33
s part of the continued commitment
to maintain and enhanc e Augsburg's
traditio n of excellence m the
sciences, the Science Building Plannin g
Committ ee comp leted a feasibility report
that addresses the needs of curr ent
Augsburg stud ents and offers a unified
vision toward interactive and
interdisciplinary learning in the sciences.
In 2001 , a Science Advisory Board
(SAB) of 13 experts in the fields of biology,
chemistry, physics, mathematics, and
psychology was created to gain inp ut ,
guidance , and support. Propo sed by
academic dean Chris Kimball and scienc e
facility shepherd Nancy Steblay, the SAB is
sponsored by the Board of Regents and led
by Augsburg alumn a Ruth E. Johnson '74,
MD, chair of the regents' Academic and
Student Affairs Committ ee (ASAC).
The objectives of the Science Advisory
Board were out lined: (1) raise the pro file
of science edu cation at Augsburg; (2)
increase enro llment in science programs ;
(3) improve educatio nal opportunities and
outcomes for Augsbu rg stu dents; and (4)
assist in the design and fundr aising efforts
for the new science hall.
SAB members represent the corporat e
sector ; medical, dental, men tal health and
laboratory health care professions ;
Augsburg science faculty eme riti; and a
science-oriented charitable trust. Eight of
the thirt een SAB member s are Augsbur g
science alumni.
In its two years, the SAB has met
quart erly as a full board and has consulted
with President Fra me, Board of Regents
chair Kathy Tunh eim, ASAC regents, and
chairs of all the departm ents includ ed in
the new science hall. SAB memb ers tour ed
current science facilities and have had
several virtual tours of the proposed new
facility led by project designers Holabird
and Root, who also led an on-site tour of
A
34
A-UGSBURG NOW
the science bu ilding they designed at
University of St. Thomas .
In fall 2002 a special Homecoming
science alumni gathering , sponsored by
SAB and the ASAC, brought together
nearly 200 alumni , students , and faculty
to meet with science faculty emeriti Ted
Hanwick (physics),John Hoium
(chemistry) , Ralph Sulerud (biology), and
Bev Durk ee (mathemati cs), and to hear a
talk by SAB member Pau l Mueller '84 on
the interface of science and faith.
The Science Advisory Board also
focuses on fundraising efforts for the new
science hall, and has met with Sue
Klaseus, vice president for institutional
advancement , and the developm ent staff.
Neil Thorpe , executive director of the M.j.
Murdock Charitable Trust, SAB member,
and former Augsburg biology professor,
presented a Foundation Perspective
Report and recommended how Augsbur g
might approac h foundations for funding .
The SAB also plays a crucial role in
providing opp ort uniti es for science-related
educati on and careers for curr ent stud ents.
SAB member Rick Pannin g, president of
labora tory services at Fairview,
spearheaded developm ent of an Augsburg
partnership with Fairview, beginnin g this
fall, for stude nt s to pursue a n ew major
in clini cal laborato ry scie nc es. In thi s
joint p rogra m , stud ent s can co mp lete
thr ee yea rs at Augsbur g and one yea r of
practi ca l laboratory exper ien ce at
Fairv iew, to ea rn a B.A. degree and
certifi ca tion as a clini cal labor atory
scienti st.
In add ition , se nior psychology
majors met in Roch ester wit h SAB
memb er Rick Seime, a Mayo Clini c
psyc holog ist, to tour Mayo 's
psychoge netics rese arch labs and
discuss psych o logy-related health careers.
In August SAB member and Honeywell
Ruth E. Johnson
'74, MD, chair of the regents'
Academicand StudentAffairsCommittee (ASAC
)
executive J oel Houlton brought a dozen
members of HEART (Hon eywell Employee
and Retiree Team) to the Augsburg
campus for a tour and a "roll up the
sleeves" session with faculty and staff on
advancing the missi on of science
edu cation.
"It is in the role of helping to raise the
funds to make the science hall a reality
that the Science Advisory Board is most
needed now," says SAB chair Ruth E.
Johnson .
"Th e most challenging aspect of the
science hall project now is securin g
financial commitm ents against the
backdrop of an econo mic downturn ," she
says. "I have confidence that the Science
Advisory Board will continu e its
outstandin g leadership in this end eavor,
and I believe that science alumni and
friends of Augsburg College will do what
is so chara cteris tic of them: to give
generously so that curr ent and futur e
stud ents can also experi ence an
outstanding educati on in the best
traditi on of Augsburg College."
Fall 2003
•\iX'.;·
.->~·•.
1-\:Jj1t'
SCIENCE
ADVISORY
BOARD
.,1~•.~ -·
James Agre '72 , MD
Min istry Medical Group
Eagle River, Wis.
Loren Barber,
;.
l...
•
•
•
"t;
•
~-
·---
~ _:....
r
•,.;
.. ;
,.~--.
..
PhD
3M
Gary Carlson
'95
3M
Fred Faxvog , PhD
Honeywell, Inc.
Steven Grinde '81, DDS
Maple Grove Dental Center
Joel L. Houlton
Honeywell, Inc.
David Knutson '69
Park Nicollet Medi cal Center
Paul S. Mueller ' 84, MD
Mayo Clini c • Rochester , Minn.
Joel T. Nelson '85, PhD
Universi ty of Wisconsin- Madison
Rick Panning
Fairview Health Services
Richard Seime ' 70 , PhD
Mayo Clini c • Rochester, Mi nn.
Distingui shed Alumnu s 200 2
ugsbur g's new scie nce facility will
pro vide 58 ,000 net-ass ignable
square feet (NASF) of teac hi ng
laborat ories , resea rch space, classroo ms,
offices , and supp ort . Th e new bui ldin g
will includ e 45,000 NASF and house th e
Depart ments of Biology, Chemistr y, and
Psyc hology as well as add itional lab and
class room space for physics. The ex is tin g
Science Hall will und ergo ex tensive
renova tion , and will house the
A
Ralph Sulerud , PhD
Professor Emeritu s of Biology
Augsburg College
Neil 0 . Thorpe '60 , PhD
M.J. Murdock Charitabl e Trust
Vancouver, Wash.
Distingu ished Alumnu s 2001
AUGSBURG
BOARD
OFREGENTS
LIAISONS
Departm ent s of Phys ics and Mat hemat ics,
as we ll as add 13 ,000 NASF for other
campu s needs.
T he addition of the new science
bu ildin g crea tes a new quadrang le,
jo inin g Ande rso n and New Halls to the
aca dem ic plan. It also opens up th e
ex istin g area aro un d th e curr ent Scie nce
Hall, returnin g grea ter prom inence and
s tatur e to Old Main in th e main
qu adrang le area .
Ruth E. Johnson ' 74 , MD
Mayo Clin ic • Rochester, Minn.
Distingui shed Alumn a 1996
Beverly Thompson Hatlen,
MSN
Minnesota Li fe College
RN,
EXOFFICIO
- AUGSBURG
COLLEGE
Christopher W. Kimball , PhD
Vice President for Academic and Stu dent
Affa irs and Dean of the Coll ege
Joan Kunz , PhD
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Chair, Division of Natural Sciences
and Mathemati cs
Nancy Steblay , PhD
Professor of Psychology
Assistant to the Dean for Spec ial Projects
Fall 2003
A-UGSBURGNOW
35
"\
-
..\·,·..,·..__
•
,_.., '
-..T
·,_
--•••
··•
A ·..
ugsburg's biology department is home to two thri ving and colorful coral
reef ecosystems. Difficult to maintain in captivity, the coral reef habitats
provide stud ents opportunit ies for laboratory stud y of marine life
organism s usually accessible only in the natur al environm ent.
The 600-gallon multi -tank system has a sp ecial filter system that sustains
the more than 100 species of marin e organisms- corals, live sponges, fish,
shrimp , and many oth ers. The aqu arium provid es a numb er of biology stud ents
with research topics, as well as an opportuni ty for outr each to the communi ty.
Capman has train ed teachers as well as volunt eered in scho ols to help set up
small systems for science classes. He has also publi shed an article and been
featured in professional meetings of reefkeepers.
A
Biology professorBill Capmanhelps biology major Jean
Johnsonin a study of coral colony developmentunder
different water flow conditions.
36
,4uGSBURGNOW
Fall 2003
From the Alumni Board president's desk ...
Tw o decades ago, I
I enter ed my senior
year at Augsbur g. I
rememb er the fall of
1983 as a
transform ing tim e for
me. 1 vividly recall
the brilliant colors of
that autumn , the crisp yet sunn y weather,
the Quad covered with fallen leaves, my
classes, my friends , and especially my
housemates (not to mention the
camaraderie and the socia l gatherings that
living in one of the houses afforded).
Indeed , it was durin g this period that
many of my closest friendsh.ips were made
and when I met my wife (Na ncy Mackey
Mueller '85). I give thanks and praise for
Augsburg, as it has touched and enriched
my life every day for more than 20 years!
For the last severa l years, I have
served on the board of directors of the
Augsburg Alumni Association. Th e
changes that have occurr ed over the past
20 years at Augsburg are trul y asto nishin g.
New curri cula challenge stud ents in
relevant and practical ways. Th e stud ent
body has grown dramatically. A myriad of
programs and classes are offered to nontraditi onal stud ents. In additi on , the
campu s itself has also changed
dramatically: the houses are gone, and in
their place new buildin gs have been
erected . Desp ite these changes, however,
Augsbur g has retained its charac ter as an
academically rigoro us college that
encourages stud ents to pur sue their
vocation in a world with num erous and
daunt ing needs.
The Augsbu rg Alum ni Association
exists to represent you and to serve the
College. Our motto is "Buildin g
Conn ections. " All Augsbu rg alumni are
members of the associa tion. Members are
encouraged to supp ort Augsburg wit h
their time, talents, and financial gifts. The
Alumni Board consists of more than 20
alumni who serve one or two three-year
terms. We work closely with the
Augsbu rg's Office of Alumn VParent
Relatio ns, and we meet regularly at the
College. ln add ition, severa l Alumni Board
com mittees meet regular ly. These
com mittees include the Events
Committee , which sponso rs activities
such as the State Fair boot h and the
"Auggie Hour " gatherings; the
Connections Committee , which assists
wit h th e Class Agent Progra m and
establishes conn ections between current
st ud ents, alumni , faculty, staff, and others;
the Communications Committee , whic h
coordinates alum ni award program s,
provides input for the Augsburg Now and
alumni Web pages, and develo ps new ways
of stayi ng in touch with alumn i.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
• Contact us . We want to hear from
•
•
•
you ! Let us kn ow what you are doi ng
and how you wou ld like to be
involved wit h th e College and fellow
alumn i. We can be reach ed through
the Office of AlumnVParent Relations
by ph one at 6 12-330-1178 or
1-800-260-6590, by e-mai l at
<alum ni@augsburg .edu >, or in writing
(Ca mpus Box 146, 2211 Riverside
Ave., Minn eapolis , MN 55454).
Attend Augsburg events . The College
offers many enriching and entertaini ng
activities that are available to alumni .
These activities include mu sic and
dra ma produ ctions, athletic events,
holiday events, Homecom ing, alumni
gatheri ngs, conferences , and more.
Visit the campus . Look up former
professors and mentors , shop at the
bookstore , and see the dram atic
changes tha t have occurred over the
last severa l decad es.
Keep Augsburg and its stu dents ,
facul ty, and staff in you r prayers.
Paul S. Mue ller, M.D. '84
President , Alumni Board
Six alumni appointed to Alumni Board
he Augsbur g Alumni Board of
Directors app ointed six new memb ers
and elected Paul S. Mueller '84 as
president and Bill Vand erwall '93 WEC as
president-elect. To view photos of the new
memb ers, vis it the Alumn VParent
Relations Web site at <www.augsbur g.edu/
alumn i>. Th e new memb ers are as follows:
T
Dan W . Anderson '65
Anderson gradua ted from Augsbur g with a
B.A. in math . He is president of Swenson
And erson Financial Group .
Fall 2003
Lew Beccone '98 MAL
Lew Beccone gradu ated from Augsbu rg
with a Master of Arts in Leadership . He is
an ind epend ent software consultant .
Jacqueline (Brookshire) Teisberg '80
Teisberg gradu ated from Augsbu rg with a
B.S. in nu rsing. She is a homemake r and
serve d on Augsburg's alumni awards
selectio n committee.
The Rev. Karsten Nelson '83
Nelson grad uated from Augsburg with a
B.A. in commun ication. He serves as
bylynnMena
pastor of Redeemer Luth era n Church in
W hite Bear Lake, Minn .
Tom A. Peterson '70
Peterson graduated from Augsburg with a
B.A. in socio logy. He is chief investment
officer at the Good Samaritan Society.
LuAnn Watson '88, '02 MAL
Watso n graduated from Augsburg ,vith a
B.S. in nursing and a Master of Arts in
Leadership. She is a pan-tim e member of
Augsburg's nursing faculty.
t4UGSBURG NOW
37
Alumni News
2003-04 Augsburg
Alumni Events
Calendar
Gatherings and events for Augsburg alumni and friends are
being plann ed in the areas listed below throug hout 2003 -2004 .
Events may be added/changed as the year progresses. Please
make sure your cont act information is up-to-date with th e
alum ni office and then watch your mailbox for invitations with
complete details! Hope to see you soo n!
October
1- 4 ............ Homeco min g 2003 : Auggie Traditi ons
18 ...... .......Augsburg Centenni al Singers 20th Anni versary
Celebration, First Luth eran Chur ch, Columbia
Heights, Minn ., 7 p.m.
2004 Alumni Tour
he Augsburg Alumni
Association
invites you to
T
....,,!-.:~~~.
-.~;:;. :•:·J
enjoy the fellowship , comfort , and
, •. ·,.•l')• . .-.11
~'~
-,
-
. -
.
learnin g opportuniti es of travelin g
with a group of alumni and
friends to Germ any and Eastern
Europ e in early fall 2004.
A tour to Germany, the Czech Republi c, Slovakia, and
Hun gary is being plann ed to featur e a stud y of Martin Luth er's
life and ministry in Witt enberg, Germany, as well as visits to
Berlin , Pragu e, Bratislava, and Budapest. Pre-tour edu cation and
inform ation sessions are also being planned .
To receive upd ates about this exciting travel experience as
details become available, please e-mail the alumni office at
<alumni @augsbur g.edu> or call 6 12-330-1178 to have your
name added to the mailing list. Start plannin g now to j oin us
for this amazing trip!
' '-.
._ - ' t •
23 ............. StepUP Celebra tion, 5-10 p.m.
November
date TBD .... Chicago, Ill., alumni gatherin g
date TBD ....Boston , Mass ., alumn i gathering
date TBD .... New York area alum ni gathering
date TBD .... Rochester, Minn., alumni gathering
December
5- 6 ............Advent Vespers, Cent ral Luth eran Chur ch,
Minn eapolis, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m .
date TBD ....Washin gton, D.C. , alumni gatherin g
date TBD ....Norwa y alumni gatherings
January
24 ........ ...... Clint on , Minn. , alumni gatherin g (featurin g
Augsbur g's Gospe l Praise)
25 ........ ......Alexandria , Minn., alu mn i gathering (featu ring
Augsburg's Gosp el Praise)
30 .......... .... Theatre alumni reception on campu s prior to th e
winter pro du ction of An Ideal Husband
February
date TBD .... Du luth , Minn ., alumni gath ering
date TBD ....Arizona alumni gat herin gs
March
13 ..... .........Bonita Springs, Fla. , alumn i gather ing (featur ing
the Augsbu rg Choir )
14 .......... ....Venice, Fla., alumni gath ering (featurin g the
Augsburg Choir)
16 .............. Fairmont , Minn. , alumni gathering (featurin g
Augsburg's Chamber Orc hestra)
38
AUGSBURG NOW
Auggie Hours 2003-04
Auggie Hours are held th e second Tuesday of each month at
5:30 p.m. Please j oin us!
October ............Keegan's , N.E. Minn eapolis
November ........Bella Fin o, Maple Grove
December ........PF Chang's , Edin a (Southd ale)
January ............Rudolph 's, Plymouth
February ..........Pazzalun a, St. Paul
March ..............Koyi, Downtown Minn eapolis
April.. ................Redstone, Eden Prairie
May ..................Toby's on th e Lake, Oakdale
June ..................Solera, Minn eapolis
July ....................Dock Cafe, Stillwater
August ..............Bar Abilene, Upto wn Minn eapolis
2004 Lutheran Free
Church Reunion
reuni on celebrating Augsbur g's Luth eran Free Chur ch
(LFC) heritage is planned for Jun e 2004 . A new fellowship ,
Sons and Daught ers of '97 (the Luth eran Free Chur ch was
established in 1897) , is being organized by the Rev. Neal Snider
for those who have at any time been a member of an LFC
congregation. If you are interested in learnin g more about Sons
and Daughters of '97, please contact Snider at 253-583-8293. If
you would like to be involved in the upcomin g reun ion
preparations, which are being coordinated by a committ ee led by
Gracia Grind al '65, please contact the alumni office at
<alumni @augsburg.edu > or 612-330-1178 so we can keep you
updated as plans progress !
A
Fall 2003
1940
Ma rgaret (Chrislock) Gilseth ,
St. Charles, Minn., was named to
the Winona County Hall of
Fame. Prior to her retirement in
1976, Margaret taught English at
St. Charles High School. She also
served on the Board of American
Field Sen~ce Foreign Students;
was a member of Friends of the
Library, reading to childr en
weekly for over 10 years; and
taught Nonvegian through
community edu cation . From
1959-1963 , she and her husband ,
Walter Gilseth , taug ht at a
teacher trainin g college on ML
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania . After
retiring , she wrote four books .
Rev. Dale Striker , Faribau lt,
Minn , mourn ed the passing of
his wife of 58 years, Amelia
(Engelstad ), in Decem ber; she
named poet laureate of Taluca
Lake Village, Calif. He continues
to write poems for his chu rch
men's group and has received
several awards for his acrylic
landscape paintings.
1959
Rev. Robert Mor itz , Hadley,
Minn ., retired in Jun e after 40
years of min istry. His call to serve
often reached beyond the chur ch
wall and into the communit y,
where he sen •ed as chair and/or
member of several boards and
organizations , includ ing Murra y
County Development
Achievement Center ,
WonderWorld Preschoo l, SW
Minnesota Regional
Developm ent Committ ee,
Battered Women 's Workshop ,
and more. He was an end orsed
candidate for the MN Senate, and
was awarded the Murray County
ARC Distinguished Citizens'
Award. He and his wife, Carol,
have three childr en.
1960
Don Holmquist , Braham ,
Minn ., was inducted into
Braham's Hall of Fame in May.
Prior to forming the HolmquistGrundyson Insurance Agenc)' in
1986 (which evolved int o
Cent ral Insurance Agenc)') , he
worked at Olso n Insura nce
Agency and was ,~ce president
of Braham Bank. He is involved
in numerous communit y
activiti es, including two terms
on the Dist rict 314 Braham
School Board and in nearly all
phases of churc h activity at
Braham Evangelical Luth eran
Chur ch.
1961
Sheldon Johnson, Lake
Sup erior , Minn ., was hired as
interim superintendent for the
Lake Superior schoo l distr ict.
He retired in 1997 after 39 years
in edu cat ion , including 24 years
as superintendent of schools in
Monticello , Minn . After his
retirement , he was hired by the
Monti cello schoo l distri ct as its
cons tru ction proje ct supervisor
for the new Mont icello high
school, compl eted in 1999. He
then served as int erim
superintendent in the Crosb )'lronton School District from
2000-2001.
1963
Brenda (Henri ckson) Capek
and her husband , Richard,
retired last September and
moved from Illinois to Punta
Gorda , Fla. She was a socia l
work er for nearly 40 years. The
coupl e enjoys trave ling and has
visited all the contin ents .
1965
Anit a (Christ opherson)
Gransee, Belle Plaine , Minn .,
retired in May. She spent the last
16 years of her 38-year teachin g
AUGSBURG WEDDING
was 81. Amelia worked as a
nurse in several communilies
where Dale was an ELCA
minister . An active church
membe r, she taught Sunday
School and confirmati on, led th e
childr en's choir, sang in th e
church choir, and participated in
the ladies' aid and several pr ayer
groups . She was a dedi cated wife,
mother , grandmother , and greatgrandmother .
Bohdan and Erika Vadis w ere marrie d in February. an d t hough bot h Gustavus alumni were wed at
t heir alma mater, t he guest list conta ined a large number of Augsburg alumni . The groom' s mother is
Anita (Berg) Vadis '66, and his fat her is t he Rev. James Vadis '64, w ho presided over the ceremony .
1947
Warren Anderson, Huntington
Beach, Calif., taught for Long
Beach Public Schools for 29 years
until his retirement in 1981.
During that time, he was awarded
the "School Men Medal" at the
American Freedoms Foundation
in Valley Forge, Pa., hon or ing his
12 years of work prom oting
American ideals in the public
schools. He also wrote the script,
songs, and music for the school's
annua l spring pageant, and was
Fall 2003
Pictured (left to right): Christina (Vadis) Jones '95, Anita (Berg ) Vadis '66, Mardelle (Johnson) Pearso n
'66, Timothy Vadis '94, Lona (Berg) Froyum '69, Darryl Carte r '65, Carmen (Neseth) Berg '66, Rev. James
Vadis '64, Kim Vapp ie '98, Dustin Froyum '98; (kneeling): David Berg '66.
AUGSBURG NOW
39
Class Notes
career as a mu sic teacher al Belle
Plaine Elementary Schoo l. Her
hu sband , Earl, also retired from
his posLas principal of Belle
Plaine Elementary , and th e
coupl e plans LOspend retirement
traveling and volunt eerin g. Th eir
two daughters , Corinn e and
Miche lle, also work in ed ucation .
The Rev. John Luoma recentl y
celebra ted 25 years in ordained
ministry and was elected to a
seco nd term on th e Trinit y
Sem inary Board of Trustees in
Co lumbu s, Ohio . He and his
wi fe, Gracia (Nydahl) '66 ,
reside in Stow, Ohio .
1968
Janet (Letnes) Martin ,
Hastin gs, Minn ., recent ly spoke
at the Wom en's Spring Luncheo n
at Cambridge Luth eran Chur ch .
She is th e aut hor of 14 books ,
including Growing up Lutheran,
whi ch received th e Minnesota
Book Award in Humor in 1998 .
1969
John-Mark Stensvaag , Iowa
City, Iowa , received his second
Collegiate Teachin g Award from
the University of Iowa, and has
been named the Cha rlotte and
Frederi ck Hubb ell Professor of
Environmental and Natural
Resources Law at the University
of Iowa Co llege of Law.
1970
Terry Nygaard , Arden Hills,
Minn. , was promot ed to
principal at Ernst & Young in
Minn eapolis .
1971
Steven E. Larson, Riverside,
Calif., received th e Outstanding
Cont ributi on to Medicine Award
for 2002 from th e Riverside
County Medical Association . The
award hon ors his many years o f
serv ice to medicin e and the
contributions he has mad e to the
advancement of HIV medicin e.
He treated his first AIDS patient
in 1983 and has been active ly
involved in th e treatment of HIV
pati ents ever sin ce. He is th e
chief exec utiv e officer and
chairman of the Riverside
Medica l Clinic, and also serves
as a clinica l professor of
biomedica l sc ience at th e
Universit y of CaliforniaRiverside . In add ition , he directs
the AIDS Clinic at the Riverside
Ronald J. Graham '61: Class assignment
opens door to 40-year career
by Jessica Brown
Ronald Graham could never have guessed that an und ergraduate research paper would lead to a
career that has spanned more than 40 years. But a fateful class assignm ent did ju st that.
As pan of an Int rodu ction to Business cour se al Augsbur g in the late 1950s, Graham and his
classmates were instru cted LOwrite a pap er based on a chapter in their textbook , and in "one of
those linle things that becomes a very big, life-defining thing ." Graham was assigned the chapter
dealing with eth ics. He contacted the local Better Business Bureau , an organization whose prim ary
focus is business self-regulation and advocacy for cusLOmersatisfaction, and schedul ed an interview
with Cecil Shirk , then-president of the Minneapo lis bran ch.
Graham was intrigu ed by what he learned from Shirk about the BBB. He discovered that
Minn eapolis was th e birthp lace of the organization , and he admired the idea of busin esses
organizing themselves around the core principa l of engaging in honest advertisi ng and custome r educatio n. At th e end of the interview, Graham's
interest was piqu ed and he indi cated his willingness LOdo volunt eer work for the organization. Short ly thereafter, he became a "shopp er" for the BBB,
visiting local businesses and reporting on his exp eriences.
A year after beginnin g his volunt eer role, Graham received a call from the BBBnotifying him of an ope nin g for departme nt manager . Sudd enly, he
was faced with a difficult decision: stay in school, or strike ou t on a possible career path. Having spent time in the Air Force prior LOenro lling at
Augsburg, he was reluctant to halt his edu cation on ce again . But upon hearing that these positions were hard to come by- app roximate ly one
opening every seven years- he decided LOgrab the opport uni ty in front of him . Although his time at Augsbu rg was cut short, Graham says that the
College had an impact on his Christian values, pointin g him in the righ t direction .
"Augsburg helped me to renew and refine my Christian faith , which in tum help ed to shape and mold my business career," says Graham.
He soo n realized that his work at the BBBserved as his calling, and he contin ued working for the organization for more than 40 years. Eventually,
Graham was promot ed to general man ager of the Minneapolis bran ch. After the Minneapolis and St. Paul branches merged in 1978, he became
president of the BBBfor the state of Minnesota.
Th ough semi-retired, Graham still operates the BBBUniversity, an on line Web site designed to train BBBpersonn el in basic opera tional and
investigative skills. He enjoys the freedom that the Internet gives him to work as a cons ultant from home.
In addit ion LOhis continu ed involvement ,vith the BBB, Graham serves on the board for the Minnesota News Coun cil, the media's instrument of selfregulation, and on the Minnesota Consu late for Economic Education . "We need LOtrain teachers on economic edu cation before they can train their
own stud ents," he says.
Graham and his wife reside in Arizona for part of the year, but return LOMinnesota for the summ ers.
Jessica Brown is a communication specialist in the Office of Public Relations and Communication.
40
'4UGSBURG NOW
Fall 2003
Cou nt y Medical Center in
Moreno Valley, and is an active
member of the Inland AIDS
Project Board o f Dir ectors , the
HIV Medical Assoc iat ion , and
th e American A soc iat ion of HIV
Med icine . He has lectured
numerou s tim es in Chin a and
has published severa l articl es. He
can be reac h ed ,~a e-mail at
<Steven. larso n@rmcps .co m >.
David Siedlar, Co n cord, Mass .,
comp leted a 22-week course
spo nsored by th e New England
Regio n of th e United Synagogue
of Co nservative Jud aism . The
Jewish Discovery Institut e wa s
an in-d epth examina tion of
J ew ish belief, hi s tory, pra yer, and
ritua l, as we ll as in s tru ction in
basic Hebr ew.
Nancy (Strommen)
Stensvaag , Iowa Ci ty, Iowa ,
retir ed from her volunt eer
position as execu tive dir ector o f
th e Iowa Valley Habitat for
Hum anity affiliate. Durin g her
eight years of leaders hip , th e
affiliate built 25 hom es in the
greater Iowa City co mmunit y
and fund ed man y addi tiona l
homes in third-, o rld co umries
through its tith es to Hab itat for
Humanit y Int ern ation al.
1972
George Dahlman , Coon
Rapids , Minn ., was the focus o f
an articl e in th e Enterprise
Dispatch . He is th e resea rch
manage r for US Ban co rp Pip er
Jaffray 's Equity Capi tal Mark ets
Departm ent , and is we ll known
in th e financi al wor ld . He has
bee n named a Wall Street j ourn a l
All-Star five tim es , and is
frequeml y int erview ed and
refer enced in the Scar Tribun e
and on WCCO radio , as well as
on CNN, CN BC , Wall Street
Wee/1, and more .
1974
Raymond E. Dahlof , Buffalo ,
Minn ., is a produ ction s up en •i or
at Maximum Gr aphic s .
Fall 2003
1975
Rev. Rufus Campbell , St. Paul ,
is district s up erint end ent of th e
Southwest Dis tri ct o f th e
Minn eso ta Uni ted Meth od ist
Chur ch . He was pr evio usly
pas tor of Camp ho r Memor ial
United Methodist Chur ch in St.
Paul , wh ere he se rved fro m
1990 -2003 . He and his wife ,
Caro lyn, have thr ee childr en and
seven grand childr en .
1976
Rev. Mary (Ronning)
Gilthvedt , Grygla , Minn ., and
her hu sband , th e Rev. Gary
Gilth ved t , step ped in to fill
pas toral duti es at Gryg la
Luth eran Pari sh (G ra ce and Our
Savior 's) in Jun e. Mary is se rvin g
as prim ary int erim pasto r and
Gary as assis tant int erim pastor .
Rev. David Halaa s, River Falls ,
Wis ., accep ted a call to serve as
pastor o f Augus tana Lutheran
Chur ch in Cumb erla nd , Wis . He
recen tly se rved on th e
development panel for "New
Hymns and ew Songs ," one in
a series o f vo lum es in the ELCA's
"Renewi ng Worship " series .
1978
Dan Taffe , Glend ale, Ariz. , is
p lease d to hav e twin daug ht ers
enroll ed as so ph om o res at
Augsbu rg.
Steve Wehrenberg , St. Paul ,
was promoted to execu tive vice
president and director of
s trategic p lannin g and
int egra tion at Ca mpb ell Mithun.
operation s, and advocac)' and
publi c education campaigns for
clients ranging from Fortune I 00
corpora tio n and large trade and
profes s iona l assoc iatio ns to
leadin g think tanks and
gove rnm ent age ncies . He has
crea ted and m anaged success ful
coa liti ons, and lobb ied on
Capi to l Hill and in stat e houses .
His wri tin g on behalf of clients
has been p ubli shed in most
major newspa pers , including The
Washington Post , The ew Yori,
Times, and th e Los Angeles Times.
Throughout the 1980 s , Bond erud
served as press secretary for U.S.
Rep. Mart in Sabo 'S9 and
wo rk ed o n pr esidential and
co ngre s ional campa igns .
1980
Jeffrey K. James, Bloo min gton ,
Minn ., received the A sociate of
the Year award from Fortune
Financial for his client service and
for his produ ction durin g the year
endin g J une 30. Jam es is a
certifi ed financial planner at
Fortune Financial ; this is th e 15th
time he has earn ed this top award .
Mar ianne
(Lundberg)
Kulka,
Bloomi ngto n ,
Minn ., is
corporate vice
pr es ident at
Rada Adv ertis ing , and recentl )'
won four award s with th e agen cy
for creat ive advertising
exc ellence at the EMA
(Emp loym ent Manag ement
Associa tio n) An nu al Conf erence
in Las Vegas.
1979
Kevin Bonderud , Washington
D.C. , was prom o ted to exec uti ve
v ice pr es id ent o f Widmeyer
Co mmuni ca tio ns . A 20-year
ve tera n o f publi c policy
co mmuni ca tions , Cap ito l Hill ,
a nd political campaigns ,
Bonderud directs the firm 's
public affa irs pra ctice group . He
has d eve loped and execu ted
maj or co mmuni ca tio n
str ategies , natio n al m ed ia
M ary Beamish,
and David L.
Chri stense n ,
both o f Du luth ,
were married
Feb . 9 , 2002 , in
Duluth . She is a
cop y editor a l th e Duluth 'ews
Tribw,c.
1982
her comp an)', Cro s ingBord er ,
were the focu of an articl e in th e
Southsid e Prid e. Cross in gBord cr
is a travel comp an)' specializin g
in journ ey of faith and
pilgri m age.
Samuel Twerefo ur, Fon
Co llin , Co lo., was app oim ed
vice pr esid ent o f engin ee rin g and
corporat e o fficer al Advanced
En erg)' lndu tri es .
1983
John Oelfke , ew Hope, tinn .,
was nam ed athl etic d irec tor at
Robbin sdale Coo per High
Schoo l. He se rved as int erim
athleti c dir ec to r for th e pas t yea r
and pr eviously coac hed footb all,
bas eball , and gir ls' hocke)'. He
wa s hir ed by th e dis tri ct in 1986
as a phy sica l edu cati on and
h ea lth teach er, and has been
invo lved in impr ovin g th e
ph ysica l edu ca tion cur ric ul um
for di s tri ct s tud en ts . His wi fe,
Diana (Boe) '82, teac hes
kind erga rten in th e Robb insdale
sc hoo l di tri ct. Both rece ived
m as ter's deg rees fro m St. Mary's
Uni ve r il)' in May. Th e)• have
thr ee childr en : Eric, 16 , Allie, 13 ,
and Abb y, 10.
1985
Jose Becquer, Plymouth ,
Minn ., is se ni or m an age r for
treasur) ' manage m ent sa les and
co mm ercia l bu in ess
developm ent at \ Veils Fargo . He
bega n his ca ree r wi th o n vest in
1995 as vice pr esid ent and
dir ec tor o f treas ur y management
sys tems . He has also work ed at
Lotu s Deve lopm ent Co rp ora tion
as a regio nal sa les manage r an d
at IBM a a sa le m anager to th e
financial se rvices indu str)'.
1986
Jo hn W . Sandin III co mp leted
his Ph .D. at New Mex ico Lale
Uni ve rs ity with a read ing
specializa tion . 1-te continu es LO
teach at Taco ma Co m m unit )'
Co llege in Taco m a, Wash ., and
lives n ea r Taco ma with his wi fe
and thr ee daught ers .
Lori M ol ine, Minn ea polis , and
A-UGSBURGNOW
41
Class Notes
racing, called
Signs of Winning
(Whipp oorwill
Press). He
teaches
alternative
edu cation al
Nort h Branch ISO and has 20
sled dogs.
1987
Jenni Lilledahl, Minneapolis, will
present a seminar, "The Power or
Yes," as part or the eighth annua l
Women Venture Conference at the
Minneapolis Convent ion Center
Oct. 31. She is co-owner and
executive director or the Brave
New Workshop Theatre in
Minneapolis.
1989
Stephen Hind le accepted a
position as regional manager for
New Horizons, an IT training
compan y. He recently moved
Scott D. Mill er, Hinckle y,
Minn ., published his first book , a
young adu lt novel abo ut a dear
girl and her passion for dogsled
AUGSBURG CENTENNIAL
from Taiwan to Singapor e with
his wire, Wu Chun-Yann, and
two daught ers, Claudia, 7, and
Madeleine , 4. He has also lived
in Korea and Chin a.
1991
Rev. Andrew Carlson is the
new pastor at Zion Lutheran
Chur ch or Finland in nonhern
Minnesota. Prior to his recent
ordin ation , Andrew painted
houses to support his love or
travel. He has visited 30
countries in Europ e, the Midd le
SINGERS
The Augsburg Centenni al Singers consist or 40 men from various walks or lire drawn together by their
love or singing . Th e group was formed in 1993 to commemorate the 100th an niversary or the first gospel
qua rtet to travel to Norway from Augsburg . The group has traveled to Norway twice, mos t recently in
2001. Al Reesnes '58 serves as music director, and Pau l Christensen '59 as assistant director/accompanist.
Upcom ing performances by the Augsburg Centennial Singers :
Saturday, October 18
Sunda y, October 19
Satur day, November 1
7 p.m .
7 p.m .
5 p.m .
20th ann iversary celebration or
the Augsbu rg Cent enni al
Singers.
First Luth eran Church
1555 40th Av. E
Columbi a Heights , Minn.
Grace Luth eran Chur ch
1730 Old Hudson Rd, St. Paul
Oak Grove Presbyterian
Chur ch
2120 W. Old Shakopee Rd.
Bloomi ngton , Minn.
Sunda y, Octo ber 19
11 a.m .
(Part or the wors hip service)
Fort Snelling Chapel,
Minneapolis
Saturday, October 25
7 p.m .
First Luth eran Church
Hinckley, Minn .
Sunda y, October 26
7:30 p.m .
Communit y or the Cross
Lutheran Churc h
10701 Bloomington Ferry Rd.
Bloomington , Minn .
Sunday, November 2
4p.m.
House or Prayer Lutheran
Church
7625 Chicago Ave. 5.
Richfield, Minn .
East, North Africa, South Asia,
and Latin America.
Tina (McGregor) Jackson, St.
Paul , was reatur ed in the
Mi1111esota
Spokesman-Recorder
arter being appointed by the
University or Minn esota as
coo rdinator or the Minne sota
Women 's Center. She is th e first
Arrican-American woman to hold
the position since its inception
43 years ago. Ja ckso n is well
known in socia l service and
academic circles for her vitality
and commitm ent to youth
development and mentor ship ,
and is one or only 20 University
or Minnesota faculty, sta ff, and
administrator s chosen to
parti cipate its President 's
Emerging Leaders program .
Joel Staehling , Worthington ,
Minn ., is president or
Community First National Bank.
He previousl y served as vice
president or commercial loans at
Vermillion State Bank in
Vermillion, $.Oak. , He and his
wire, Erica, have two children:
Hannah , 5, and Benjamin , 2.
1992
Jennifer (Piper) Kempenich ,
St. Paul, received her master 's
degree in counseling and
psychological services from St.
Mary's University in January. She
works at Courage Center in
Golden Valley, and marri ed
Gerald Kempenich in June.
1993
Doris Rubenstein , Minneapolis ,
was named one or "25 Women
Changemake rs in the Twin
Cities" by The Business Journal.
She was selected for her
proressional achievements ,
leadership qualiti es, and her
ability to influ ence positive
change ,vithin her company and
her industr y. She was pronied in
a special section or the Jul y 25
issue or The Business Journal, and
was honored at a luncheon in
Jul y.
42
AUGSBURG NOW
Fall 2003
1995
2000
Rick Sansted was app oint ed
assistant prin cipal for South
View Middle Schoo l in Edin a.
Dan ielle Scheff , Go lden Valley,
Minn ., ma rri ed Co rey Drevlow
last Sept emb er. During their
honeymoo n , th e coupl e ran
togeth er in the Dublin Marath on
in Ireland . Danielle i a staff
acco unt ant at Ryan , Hodg ins &
Associa tes.
1996
Xanara Amand marri ed Marc
Stevenso n in Jul y.
Jox Metcalf, Monti ce llo , Minn .,
marri ed Kristi Hanso n in August.
Both are teac hers at St. Michae lAlben ville High Schoo l.
David Schreiber , Big Lake,
Minn ., marri ed Jane Millerb ernd
in August. David is a learnin g
disabilil )' tut or at LOA, Inc.; Jane
is a special edu cation teac her for
the Osseo Scho ol Distri ct.
1997
Kevin Crerand , Mesa , Ariz ., is
operati ons manager for a large
mortgage comp any in Phoenix .
Travis Stettler , Forest Lake ,
Minn ., join ed th e Miller Law
Office in Wyomin g, Minn .,
prim arily handlin g th e firm's
comm ercial litigation , personal
inj ur y, and crimin al defense
porti ons of th e pra ctice. Prior to
Miller Law Office , he work ed at
law firms in Chanh asse n and
Duluth .
1998
Jennifer Durst marri ed Kirk
Affeldt in Jun e. J ennif er works at
New Ulm Medi cal Cent er ; Kirk
works for Cann on Falls Publi c
Schoo ls.
1999
Natasha Hamann , Shoreview,
Minn ., gra du ated from th e
Universit)• of Minn eso ta Medi cal
Schoo l in Ma)'. She started her
family prac tice residency at St.
John 's Hos pit al in Maplewood .
She is marri ed to Jos h Schae fgen .
Aaron D. Smit h, Tucso n , Ariz. ,
gradu ated from th e Univ ersity of
Minn eso ta Medi cal Schoo l in
May. He start ed his general
surgery residency at th e
University of Arizo na . He is
marri ed to Jill (Pin tens) '99.
Fall 2003
Ma tt hew Romsdahl , Mankato ,
Minn ., marri ed Brin a Urevig in
Jun e. Manh ew wo rks at Kenda ll
Doo r a nd Hardwa re; Brin a wo rks
at Habil itative ervices Inc.
2001
Carrie Lind , Cham plin , Minn .,
marr ied Christopher Cabe in
April. Car rie is a sup erviso r a t
Edin a Kids Club , and can be
reached via e-mail at
<chri sand ca rr ie03@ao l.com>.
Carrie Mcc arvi lle , Hopki ns,
Minn ., own s Mac's Liquor in
Hopki n
Emily Shelt on, Minn eapo lis,
married William Grau in May.
Emily is a middle school ma th
teacher for Cedar -Riverside
Charter School in Min neapo lis;
William is as oc iate cent er
dir ec tor for Sylvan Learn ing
Cent er in Burn svi lle and is
dep loyed oversees on active dut y
with th e U.S. Arm y.
kind ergarten teacher for
linn eapolis Publi chools.
2003
Linda Kay
Stuart '99 and
Maur icio
Co rdova ,
Minneapo li -a
so n , Luca
Santiago , in
Apr il. He j oins sister Ananda . 2.
Th e coup le rece ntl y rewrn ed to
th e U.S. after Lind a comple ted
her master's in int ernational
relations at the Universi t)' o f
Chil e in Santi ago, Chil e.
Jill Boike , Ham Lake, Minn ., is a
family therap ist al ystrom's &
Assoc iates in ew Brigh ton .
Catheri ne Colsrud was nam ed
assistant general manager at
Grand Casino Hinckley.
Births/Adoptions
Jean Taylor '85 and Roger
Griff ith '84, Eagan , Minn .a daughter, Abby Jean, in Jun e.
She joins big sister, Emm a.
Laura (Krepela)
'96 and Dan
Stonebur g,
Farmin gton ,
Melis sa Mo rfo rd, Shakopee,
Min n ., married Spe ncer
Ande rso n in May. Melissa is a
trave l adm ini Lrator for Carlson
Marke tin g Group; Spenc er is a
comp uter consu ltant at
Wiz mo , Inc.
Mi nn.- a son ,
Jake Daniel , in
Ju ne. Laura is a
Rick W illbanks marri ed J ennif er
Spyc halla in Jun e.
AUGSBURG
Mike Darring t on , Red Wing,
Minn ., is a new financia l
associa te with th e south ern
Minn eso ta regional office of
Thr ivent Financial for Lu th erans.
He previously worked al th e
State Cap ito l in l. Pau l.
Angela Sat re marr ied Troy
Dej ong in Jul y. Angela wo rks at
Minn ewaska Luth era n Home in
Starbu ck , Minn .; Troy wo rks at
Garb's Sales of Kensingto n .
co m >.
Brenda Ely '99
and her husba nd
Tim , Blaine ,
Minn .-a on ,
Nicholas
Alexander , in
Ju ne. He JOins
sister Elizabeth , 2. Brenda is an
element ary teac her for Fores t
Lake Area Schoo ls.
LICENSE PLATE
•
2002
Pat Campanero was rece ntl y
th e spotlight perso n in th e
"Sunday Peop le" featu re of the
bu sines section of th e Srar
Tribu11
e. She is genera l manage r
of bu sin ess and whole ale
markets for Sprint in
Minn eton ka. She was previously
sales dir ector at Avaya Inc.
M elanie (Anderson) '97 and
Brian Burm eister, Owa tonn a,
Minn .- a so n , Nolan Dale , in
Oc tober. Mela nie i pra Lice
manager at Mont go mery Dent al
Care; she can be reached via email at <melanieb93@hotm ail.
EXPLORE
h
A-iJGsBDRG
CO
LLL
O l:
a.
AUGSBURG COLLEGEe
Display your Auggie pride by ordering an Augsburg lice nse plate
for your car! You may order Augsburg license plates th roug h th e
Department of Motor Vehicles. Considered a sp ecia lty collegiate
plate , these plates may be displayed on any passe nge r class
vehicle . A minimum contribution of S25 is collecte d at t he time of
the initial application and at each registration renewal. This
contribution is deposited to the scholarship accou nt of the
participating baccalaureate degree-granting colleg e, un iversity, or
post -secondary institution . Applicants must also pay an initial S10
plate fee and a S7 filing fee. You do not ne ed to be a n a lum to
order these plates - proud parents can order th e m too ! For
further information, visit the DMV online at <www .dp s.state .
mn .us/dvs /MotorVehicle /specialplates .htm >.
A-
GSB RG NOW
43
In Memoriam
Harold Olson '33, Cannon Falls,
Minn ., died in April; he was 93.
He work ed for the State of
Minnesota in social services al
various agencies for nearly 38
years until his retirement in 1975.
He also served with the U.S. Navy
from 1943-1946. He is survived
by his wife, Gladys; two
daughters; five gran dchildren ; and
two great-grand childr en. He was
preceded in death by five broth ers
and two grandchildren.
Viola (Holland) Nydahl '36,
Decorah, Iowa, died in May; she
was 84. She worked for Dayton's
for over 18 years and was active in
various Lutheran church es where
her husband served as pastor. She
is survived by two daught ers and
five grandchildren. She was
preceded in death by her husband ,
the Rev. Harold Nydahl '36 .
Winifr ed (Helland ) Formo '37,
Roseville, Minn ., died in April;
she was 86. She was a retired
nur se, and anended Augsburg
Academy before enro lling in
Augsburg College. Her father,
Andreas Helland, was an
Augsburg professor. She is
survived by her husband , Jerome
'37, and two childr en, Philip and
Katherine '79. She was preceded
in death by a son, David.
Walte r Keller '39, Tacoma,
Wash. , died in May; he was 91.
He was retired from
Weyerhaeuse r Co. He is surviv ed
by two childr en, Kathryn an d
Richard. He was pr eceded in
deat h by his wife, Hilder.
The Rev. A lfr ed H. Sevig '39,
Spicer, Minn ., died in June ; he
was 86 . He served parish es in
Canada, Minn eso ta, and Sou th
Dako ta. Following h is retirement
as a full- time pastor , he serve d as
chaplain part time al Rice
Memoria l Hospi tal in Willmar,
Minn ., for 10 years . He also
wo rk ed as a visitation pastor at
Calvary Luth eran Chur ch for five
years and continu ed to be an
active volunt eer visitor until his
deat h. He was survive d by four
childr en and seve n
grand childr en. He was preceded
44
AUGSBURG NOW
in deathcby his wife, Olive, and
two sons in infancy.
The Rev. John W. Steen '46,
Maple Grove, Minn ., died in Jun e;
he was 81. He served as pastor of
First Lutheran Church of Crystal
for 22 years. Following his
ordination in 1949, he served a
four-point parish north of
Williston , N.Dak. , until 1953.
From 1953-1956, he was a fulltime chaplain in the U.S. Air
Force. He continu ed his military
service in the Reserves for an
additional 17 years. He is survived
by his wife, Esther Victoria; five
childr en; 14 grandchildre n ; and
one great-grandson .
Erik Tromborg '48 ,
Bloomington , Minn ., died in May;
he was 77. A retired Honeywell
engineer, he and had a life-long
love of trains, and served on the
board of the St Croix Railroad
Club. He is survived by his wife,
Evelyn; two children ; and five
grandchildren .
Bonnie Mae (Everts) Yasgar
'48, Little Falls, Minn., died in
May; she was 77. She was a retired
English and physical education
teacher. She is survived by her
husband , Donald; two daught ers;
four grandchildren ; and her three
dogs and five hors es.
Berti! "Bert" Sandberg 'SO,
Mendota Heights, Minn ., died in
April; he was 77. He was a
building contractor , an
outstanding lifetime athlete , and a
decora ted WWll veteran. His
behind-th e-scenes work earned
him man y admir ers and an award
from former St Paul Mayor
George Latimer for ridding St.
Paul streets of Dutch Elm disease.
He was drafted after graduating
from Augsburg to play football for
the Philadelphia Eagles, but he
waived the opportunit y and
instead join ed his father's
business , St Paul-based N.H.
Sandberg Erection Co., which he
eventu ally took over and
e,q,anded . He was a member of
the Augsburg Board of Regents
from 1968-1980 , and was
indu cted into Augsburg's Alhletic
Hall of Fame in 1979. He is
survived by his wife, Carol
(Ziniel) '73, and three children.
William H. Riley '52, Golden
Valley, Minn ., died in June ; he was
77. He worked at the Montgomery
Wards home office in Chicago as
iLSnationa l merchandise manager
of iLScatalog division. He later
served as advisor to the founder of
the Lands End Co. He was a
WWll Navy veteran. He is
survived by his wife of 16 years,
Carol, and two stepchildren. He
was preceded in death by his first
wife, Marlys.
The Rev. Dr. A ndrew Hsaio
' 56, Hong Kong , China , died in
May of a heart attack; he was 77.
He was president emeritus of
Lutheran Theological Seminary
in Hong Kong, where he was its
first Chinese president. He was
named an Augsburg
Distinguished Alumnus in 1970.
He is surviv ed by his wife, Anna ,
and three children.
Warren Persons '66, Tracy,
Calif., died in June ; he was 59. He
was a successful software
engineer , and was instrumental in
developing software at Honeywell
for the Air Force's first-ever
computerized flight simulator . He
also worked at MTS Systems
Corporation , Bentley Scientific
Corporation , Pacific Bell, and
most recently at Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory
He also taught math ematics at
Augsburg . He is survived by his
wife, Connie; four children; and
three grandchildren.
Carole (Moran) Renner '92
WEC, New Brighton, Minn ., died
in May; she was 44 . She had
worked for Wells Fargo since high
school , starting with a clerical
position and most recently as
check reconciliation manager . In
her long career at Wells Fargo, she
earned many awards for her hard
work and accomplishments.
Known as an adventurer , she
loved to travel and enjoyed
fishing, boating , and camping. She
is survived by her husband ,
Ronald , and stepson , Christopher.
Robert B. Miller '04 , Virginia
Beach, Ya., died in August after a
car accident in Golden Valley,
Minn. ; he was 28. He was a senior
at Augsburg, studying psychology
and English, and a member of the
wrest ling Learn. ln 2001 , he won
the MlAC championships at 133
pounds , and earned All-American
honor s at the NCAA Division Ill
national championship s. He was a
1993 graduate of Kempsville High
School in Virginia Beach, where
he was a state champion wrestler.
He is survived by his parents, Nho
Tran Miller and Ernest Miller, and
two siblings , Kimberly and James .
James "JC" Carey, Minneapo lis,
died in September of heart failure;
he was 54. A 30-year employee of
Augsburg , he was mosl recently
director of ath letic facilities. He
was a muc h-loved member of the
Augsburg community , and his
unique and kind spirit will be
missed deeply. He is survived by
his wife, Sharon (Pautz) '82; two
children , Tim and Joy ; two sisters ,
Patjensen and Deb Yolkart; and
his father-in-law, Richard Pautz
'3 7, who co-founded Augsburg 's
A-Club.
Robin "Rob" A. Curtis, St Louis
Park, Minn ., died in April; he was
56. He served for many years in
Augsburg 's facilities management ,
and was a beloved member of the
campus community . He is
survived by his wife, Sadie, who
works with Augsburg 's Access
Center, and a son , Zach '97.
The Rev. Maynard L. Nelson ,
Phoenix , Ariz., died in May; he
was 72. He was a former member
of the Augsburg Board of Regents,
and also served on the boards of
Lutheran Deaconess Hospita l,
Fairview Riverside Hospital , and
Golden Valley Luth eran College.
He was senior pastor of Calvary
Lutheran Church of Golden
Valle)• for 22 years until his
retirement in 1996, after serving
congregations in North Dakota
and Washington. He is survived
by his wife, Nancy ; five children;
and 14 grandchildren.
Fall 2003
Calendar
Music
Oct. 3 1-Nov. 9
for more i11fo1111ation
on any of t/1ese events
(unless othen vise noted), call 612-330-1265
The Pirates of Penzance
or The Slave of Duty
Oct. 18
Gospel Praise Concert
7 p.m.-O ak Grove Luth eran Church
Richfie ld , Minn .
Directed b)' Karen Coe Miller;
mu sic dir ection by Sonja Th omp son
Perfo rmances: Oct. 3 1, Nov. 1, 6, 7, and
8 at 7 p.m .; Nov. 2 and 9 at 2 p.m .
Tjornhom- Nelso n Th eater, Foss Cent er
Nov. 22-23
Oct. 19
Gospel Praise Concert
10:30 a.m .-Peac e Luth era n Chur ch
Inver Grov e Heights, Minn.
0. Nicholas Raths Faculty Guitar Recital
3 p.m .- Sateren Auditorium
Nov. 2
The Masterworks Chorale Concert
7 p.m .-Immanue l Lut hera n Chur ch
Eden Prairi e, Minn.
Exhibits
Oct. 30
For galle,y infor malion , call 612-330-1524
International Business Forum :
Competing Glob a lly a nd Act ing Loca lly
Discuss ion o f global i sue pertainin g to
trade , int ernational awa reness , and
resea rch .
Guest speaker : Dr. Richard Bohr
4-6 p.m.- Chri ste nse n ent er
For inform ation , call 6 l 2-330- 119 1
Sept. 15-Nov. 2
"Recent Works by C.B. Sherlock:
Exploring the Box"
11 a.m.-Trinity Lut hera n Chur ch
Hovers ten Chapel
"Five Metro Paper Artists : Marjor ie
Alexander , Amanda Degener , Mary Har k,
Erica Spitzer Rasmussen, Jeff Rat hermel "
Nov. 15
Ope ning reception : Oct. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Th e Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell
Librar y
7 p.m.-Hoversten
Chapel
Nov. 7-Dec. 18
Nov. 16
Augsburg Concert Band Concert
3 p.m .- Centra l Luth eran Chu rch
Minneapolis
Nov. 18
Augsburg Chamber Orchestra Concert
7 p.m .- Sateren Auditorium
Dec. 5-6
24th Annual Advent Vespers
5 and 8 p.m. serv ice eac h night
Central Lutheran Chur ch , Minn eapoli
"Dan Noyes: Recent Wo rk in Stone
and Metal "
Annu al StepUP Prog ram Celebration
Ope ning reception : Nov. 14, 6:30-8 :30 p.m.
Christensen Center An Galler)'
5- 10 p.m.-Foss
ent er
For in formation , call 6 12-330- 1173
Seminars,
Lectures, and
Films
7th Annual M . An ita Gay Haw th orne
Jazz and Poet ry Bash
"Big Questions , Worthy Dreams"
Studi o , Foss Cent er
Dr. Lee Hard y, professo r of phi loso ph y,
alvin College
10 a.m.-Co nvocation, Hovers ten hapcl
Pan of the 2003-04 Augsburg
Convocation Series:
lak ing the Most of Your Gifts
"M arcia Soderman-Olson : Drawings ,
Paintings, and M ixed Media"
Oct. 14
7 p.m .-Film
"The Christ ian's Calling in t he Academy"
Other Events
For tic/1et i11formatio11
, call 612-330- 1257
Festival of Student-Directed
10-Minute Plays
Nov. 12
Opening reception: ov. 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Th e Gage Family Art Gallery
Theatre
Oct. 16
Oct. 20
Colombia : Women and W ar
Directed by Sarah arga ng (s tud ent
senior proj ect)
Per forman ces: ov. 22 and 23 at 7 p.m.
Tjornh om- elso n Th eater
Gospel Praise Concert
Augsburg Jazz Ensemble Concert
Kathy Kelley Present ati on
A Nobel Peace Prize- nomin ated activi t
return s from Iraq .
9:45-11 :15 a. m.- Chri stense n ent er
For information , call 6 12-33 0-13 12
Luth era n Wo rld Relief- pon ored
di cussion by thr ee olombi an wo men
speakin g about wo men's issues , war,
and peace .
4-6 p .m .- Christen en enter
For inform ation , call 612-330-1385
On the Verge
Opening reception: Oct. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Nov. 9
Oct. 16
Sharon Daloz Parks, as ociate directo r and
facult y member, Whidb e)' Institut e
11 a.m.- onvocat ion , Hoversten Chape l
Fo r in formation , call 62-330- 1180
Oct. 23
Nov. 6
6:30- 10 p.m.-Sat eren Auditorium
For information , call 612-330 -1022
Dec. 5
Annual Velkomm e n Jul Celebration
10:15 a. m.- Chape l ervice , Hove r ten
hapel
11 a.m.-2 p.m.-Sca ndi anavian treats
and gifts , Chri s tensen ent er
Send us your news
and photos!
Please tell us about the news in
your life, your new j ob, move,
marriage, and births . Don't forget
to send phot os !
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is requir ed , e.g. an obitua ry, funera l
notice, or program from a
memorial service.
Send your news items, phot os, or
change of addr ess by mail to :
Augsbwg Now Class Notes,
Augsbur g College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
MN , 55454 , or e-mail to
<alumni @augsbur g.edu >.
hUGSBURG
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¡¡
¡¡
From the editor
A :':1l,l^li:-,'ïï; îffi"::
:
3:"'
May 4, Augsburg concluded its l3,lth
academic year, sending 534 graduates
of the Class of 2003 into the world,
making room for the incoming Class of
2007.
The Commencement photo spread,
starting on p. 13, features highlights
fro... Show more
¡¡
¡¡
From the editor
A :':1l,l^li:-,'ïï; îffi"::
:
3:"'
May 4, Augsburg concluded its l3,lth
academic year, sending 534 graduates
of the Class of 2003 into the world,
making room for the incoming Class of
2007.
The Commencement photo spread,
starting on p. 13, features highlights
from the weekend's festivities,
including excerpts from the ceremony's
keynote speakers, ABC News
correspondent John McWethy and
elder care advocate Laurie Duncan-
McWethy
This year, the College also bid
farewell to four retiring members of the
faculty and staff: economics professor
Satya Gupta, biology professor Esther
Mclaughlin, associate professor and
librarian Grace Sulerud'58, and
support of the College. Comprised of
Augsburg alumni, alumni wives,
faculty wives, and other friends of the
College, the organization was founded
in the fall of 1984. Since then, its
members have raised over a half
million dollars for Augsburg. The
feature story on p. B pays tribute to
this forward-thinking and enterprising
group of women.
Be sure to check out the winning
entries of Augsburg's third annual
international photo contest on p. 6.
The contest provides an opportunity
for students to share their best images
from international and off-campus
studies, and offers a glimpse into the
different cultures explored by our
students.
Finally, Auggie Thoughts onp.24
features the Commencement speech
presented by Christin R. Crabtree '03,
Weekend College representative.
Crabtree reminds us that "behind every
new person you meet, there is a sea of
faces." We may never know all the
faces existing behind the lives we
touch, but as Crabtree reflects, "we all
have the opportunity to have a ripple
upon the world we occupy ... we can
positively affect our communities
through the simple acts of smiling at
our neighbors, voting at every election,,
and advocating for our future
generations, our children."
-l
Áu¡
*Jw
ll*
Lynn Mena
Assistant Editor
facilities assistant Mary Duffee. With a
combined 93 years of service, all four
leave distinct legacies to Augsburg;
read their stories and plans for the
future on p. 11.
The Augsburg Associ.ates, who
number around I00, is a service
auxiliary dedicated to fundraising for
a
o
s.
S
special projects and scholarships in
We welcome your letters!
Please
wdte to:
Edito¡
AugsburgNow
2211 Riverside Ave., CB I45
Minneapolis, MN 55454
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Fax: 612-330-1780
Business administration chair John Cerrito celebrated with four graduating business seniors at
the department's reception in April: (L to R) Kristina Truong, Peter Samargia, Suki Sylaphet, and
Hugo Quintiliano.
Phone:612-330-ll8l
Letters for publication must be signed and
include your name, class year, and daytime
telephone number. They may be edited for
length, clarity, and style.
CORRECTIONS
Karen Ackerman, who completed the Master of Arts in Nursing program this Ma¡ was incorrectly
identified as Linda Ackerman in the photo on p. 1l of the spring 2003 AugsburgNow.
On the same page, Gary Shinnick, pictured with professor emerita Bev Nilsson, was incorrectly
identified as the Rev Bill Miller.
Also in
tl-re
spring 2003 Augsburg Now, Carl Grulke's name was misspelled ln the story on p. 8.
i
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by:
Office of Public Relations and
Communication
221 I Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
612-330-r
AucsBuRG Now
Vol.65, No.4
Summer 2003
lBr
now@augsburg.edu
Features
Editor
I
Betsey Norgard
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
The Augsburg Associates-providing
service behind the front lines
Kathy Rumpza
by Betsey Norgard
Class Notes Coordinator
In the nearly 20 years since their founding,
Sara KamhoÞ
the Augsburg Associates have given to the
College over a half million dollars from their
fundraising efforts earmarked for special
projects and scholarships.
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
President
William V Frame
D¡rector of Alumni and
Parent Relations
11
Amy Sutton
Director of Public Relations
and Communication
Farewell to retiring faculty and staff
by Lynn Mena
Three retiring faculty members, with a combined 78
years of service to Augsburg, were granted
emeritus/emerita status by the Board of Regents in May;
in addition, one staff member, with nearly 15 years of
service, retired in January.
Dan Jorgensen
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy
ISSN r058-r545
6
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
221 I Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Third Annual International
Photo Contest
f3
co**encement 2oo3
612-330-ló87
now@augsburg.edu
Augsburg College, as affirmed
its mission, does not
discriminate on the basis oJ race,
color, creeil, religion, national or
ethnic origin, øge, gender, sexual
orientation, marital status, status
with regard to public assistance,
or disability in its education
p olicie s, a dmis sions p olicies,
s cholar ship ønil lo an pro gr ams,
athletic anill or scho ol
aâministered pro grdms, except
Departments
ir
in
those instances where religion
is a bona Jiile occupøtional
qualific ation. Au gsbur g C oll e ge
is committed to proviiling
reasonqble accommo ilations to
its employees and its students.
www.augsburg.edu
2
Around the Quad
4
Sports
17
18
Alumni News
24
Auggie Thoughts
inside
back
cover
Homecoming 2003 Preview
Class Notes
On the cover:
Augsbur g
s
tu dent
s, c ar ry ing Jlags
rcprescnltng lhe countrics oJ origin
oJ
the Class of 2003 graduates,Ied
the academic procession to the
C omnrcnc
50 percent recycled paper (10 percerLt post-consumer waste)
ement
C eremony. Pho to
by Stephen GelJre'03.
I
0
I o
^
Presenting music therapy in China
a
D ïi:: î.1ïil5i"':",*i:,:n" ""'
/a
O
tt
a
university faculty and
students, as well as a
s.
Therapy-A Field Whose Time Has
Arrived Around the World"-music
number of dignitaries,
could be felt in the
therapy professor Roberta Kagin found
that relatively few of the nearly 120
people who crowded into a room set up
for just 30 people in Beijing, China,
were familiar with the discipline of
music therapy.
Kagin was one of five music
educators invited to present at a
conference on music education reform,
held at Capitol Normal University in
Beijing. She says that Western music in
general is sorely lacking in China, and
that the Chinese concept of music
education is more commonly
understood as teaching people about
music, not preparing teachers of music.
"Students are hungry for anything
we can give them," she commented, in
reflecting on the great interest in her
presentation and in music therapy in
conference ambiance.
Kagin reported that, "The
opening ceremonies were
an amazing array of
flowers, speeches, and
videos."
general.
The conference audience included
à
as
so
U
While in Beijing,
Kagin visited two other
music schools-the
premier Central
Conservatory ol musìc
and the Chinese
Professor Roberta Kagin (right). chair of Augsburg's music
conservatory, a more
therapy program, was greeted with flowers in Beijing, China,
where her presentation at a conference on music therapy was
traditional program. As
eagerly received and overfilled the meeting room, Zhou Shibin
part of her own doctoral
(center above) is an administrator at Capital Normal University
study, Kagin met with
who visited Augsburg in the winter o1 1996-97.
members of the Huaxia
Musical Ensemble, a group of music
Kagin's host in Beijing was Zhou
students playing traditional Chinese
Shibin, an administrator at Capital
instruments. A paper she wrote included
Normal Universit¡ who visited
research and field recordings of the
Augsburg in the winter of 1996-97 and
instruments.
may return in the coming fall.
American lndian Student Services Program celebrates
25th ann¡versary
Æï}':::äffi ä":3öx'"'åïä:.
a yearlong celebration of its 25th
anniversary with a gala dinner May 16.
Mike Freeman, master of ceremonies and
Augsburg regent, welcomed guests, who
included faculty, staff, students, alumni,
and friends of the College and AISSP
The evening began with an
invocation by the Rev. Marlene
Whiterabbit Helgemo of All Nations
Indian Church, and an Honor Song by the
Lakota Singers, led byJerry Dearly Cindy
Peterson, director ofAISSB then presented
the history of the program.
Following dinner, those who have
impacted and helped shape the program
were honored with a "give-away."
Receiving special recognition were former
College presidents Oscar Anderson and
2
,+UGSBURG NOW
a
a
Charles Anderson;
former AISSP director
Bonnie Wallace and
current director Cindy
h
Peterson; Joseph Aitken;
President William Frame,
academic dean Chris
Kimball; Herald Johnson,
assistant to the vice
president of enrollment
and market development;
Tom Morgan, vice
president of enrollment
and market development;
Ann Garvey, associate
dean for student affairs;
scholarship donors; and
the Tribal Offices
Committee.
Charles Anderson, president of Augsburg
from 1980-97, receives
a
"give-away" blanket from Bonnie Wallace, the first director of
Augsburg's American lndian Student Services Program. Assisting
with the give-aways at AISSP's 25th anniversary dinner are Sandi
Lallak, a specialist with Augsburg's CLASS program (left), and
Sadie Curtis, a specialist with Augsburg's Access Center (right).
Summer 2003
I
a
o
Parker Palmer visits Augsburg
sS.
r^
Flarker l. Palmer.
Y m,
Courage
bestselling author oI
to Teach,visited
Augsburg lly''ay 17 as part of the College's
Exploring Our Gifts program. In the
afternoon, faculty, staff, and invited
guests gathered for a workshop, where
the respected teacher and activist
discussed vocation. Using a Mobius strip,
Palmer illustrated how one side
represents a person's outer
life-the
roles
played, the "stage-self"-and the other
side represents the inner life, the
Tvvo
"backstage self." He then demonstrated
how the two are combined, how "soul
and role" intersect.
In the evening, Palmer addressed
the issue of education with a public
presentation, "Honor Thy Teacher:
Authentic Education Reform in an Era
of Smoke and Mirrors." Palmer
suggested a need to "support the heart
of the teacher, and equip them as
human beings to effect change in the
troubled system we call education."
Parker Palmer, an acclaimed writen teache1 and
activist, presented a workshop and lecture May 17
as part of Augsburg's Exploring Our Gifts program
students rece¡ve Hognander Award
f, iark
Abelsen and Maja Lisa
are the 2003-04
recipients of the Hognander Award, the
College's most prestigious music award.
Mark Abelsen, of Duluth, Minn., is a
senior piano performance major studying
with associate professorJill Dawe. He
participates as an accompanist on
campus and in the chamber music
program, where he enjoys working with
singers and string players. In the future,
he plans to pursue master's and doctoral
degrees in accompanying or orchestral
conducting. He was a featured soloist in
the 2002-03 Concerto Aria concert.
lYlrtl,ruuspen
FritzHuspen, of Bismarck, N.Dak., is
a Regents Scholar and senior vocal
performance major studying with studio
artist Susan Druck. She performs in the
Augsburg Choir and vocal chamber
music program. In April 2002, she won
first place in the intermediate voice
division of the annual Schubert Club
competition. She was also featured as a
soloist in both the 2001-02 and2002-03
Concerto Aria concerts.
The Orville C. and Gertrude O.
Hognander Family Fund was established
to recognize exceptional music
performance and achievement. The
n
7
Maja
Lisa
ffi
Mark Abelsen '04
FritzHuspen '04
scholarship is based on merit, specifically
to provide encouragement to outstanding
music students. Requirements include a
resume, essay, and an audition of two
musical selections.
NOr{Wran¡t"Y
it¡t!ïtt?rñtãrtE
a
a
Augsburg hosts
Antarctic research
meet¡ng of national
scholars
s.
r4
Physics professor Mark
Engebretson (left) hosted a
meeting at Augsburg in
May of scholars from across
the country participating in
research in the Antarct¡c
region, including Vladimir
Papitashvili (center), f rom
the National Science
Foundation, and John Foster
(right), from MlT.
Summer
2OO3
President William V. Frame was
elected president of the ELCA Council
of College Presidents, representing the
28 colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America.
Emeritus/emerita status granted
Three retiring faculty members, with a
combined 78 years ofservice to
Augsburg, were granted emerituVemerita
status by the Board of Regents in May:
Satya Gupta, professor of economics
Esther Mclaughlin, associate professor
of biology
Grace Sulerud, associate professor and
librarian
For more information,
see the story about
retinng faculty and stafJ on p. 11.
,4ucs¡unc
ruow
3
2OO2-03
Twclvc
I
athletic year in review
All-Arnclican honors; two
national players ol the weel<;
l5
national toLrrnament qualifiers in
individual sports; l2 All-Region
selections, two MIAC Players of the Year;
22 AII-MIAC honors; three AII-MIAC
second-team honors; 35 AII-MIAC
honorable mention honors, 14 MIAC
Players/Athletes of the Week; 50 MIAC
Academic All-Conference honors; seven
Verizon Academic All-District selections,
and l5 sport-specific Scholar All-America
selections highlightecl the sports year.
Wrestling
The Auggie wrestlers saw their threeseason string of national championships
ended by Wartburg (Iowa), but the
Auggies finished second with six AllAmericans. Freshman Marcus LeVesseur
went 44-0 to earn the national title at 157
pounds, Augsburg's 3lst individual
national title.
Football
The Auggies finished the 2002 campaign
with a 2-8 overall record ancl l-7 mark in
the MIAC.
championship meet, a one-position
improvernent from last year's finish.
Augsburg's volleyball team struggled this
season, finishing 3-25 overall and l-10 in
the MIAC.
Men's soccer
Augsburg finished
4-II-2 overall and 1-8-1
in MIAC play
"i
U
Augsburg recorded one of its best
finishes in school history in the NCAA
Division III Central Regional at the encl
of the season, as each of the 14 runners
who competed at the regional rneet for
Augsburg recorded a personal-best time.
Augsburg's rnen placed l3th in the
25-team event, while the women finished
20th.
Men's hockey
Augsburg reached the conference
postseason playoffs for the fifth time in
the last six years. Ar,rgsburg finished
17-9-0 overall and 10-6 in MIAC pla¡
placing third. SeniorJaro Cesþ was the
top scorer among MIAC players this
season, standing 20th nationally among
Division III players in points. Chesky
was narned MIAC Player of the Year.
After a two-season absence, Augsburg
returned to the MIAC playoffs with a
fifth-place conference standing, finishing
the season l2-lI-3 overall, 10-6-2 in the
MIAC. Sophomore Lauren Chezick was
named MIAC Player of the Year; tl-ris
season, she led the nation in total points
and was second in points-per-game.
Men's basketball
Augsburg claimed its best record since
1995, finishingll-5-2 overall and 5-5-1 in
the MIAC.
Augsburg finished 1l-14 overall, S-12 in
MIAC play
Women's basketball
Men's golf
Augsburg finished
Adjusting to a relatively young lineup,
Augsburg finished fifth in the MIAC
meet with a 482 27-hole total, finishing
out of the top four in the MIAC meet for
the first time since 1993.
MIAC play
Women's golf
4
,+UGSBURG NOW
4,;
Men's/Women's cross country
Women's soccer
Augsburg finished eighth at the MIAC
¡*4É-{tr
In the MIAC meet, Augsburg's men
placed eighth overall, while the Auggie
women placed ninth. As a team,
Women's hockey
Volleyball
byDonstoner
4-2I overall,3-20 in
Baseball
The Auggies showed strong improvement
in team play finishing 9-24-2 overaTl and
4-16 in MIAC play
Softball shortstop Kristen Lideen earned All
American honors this season.
Softball
Augsburg finished the 2003 seasonT-29
overall and 4-18 in the MIAC. Shortstop
Kristen Lideen (junior) led the team in
virtually every offensive category, setting
the third-best single-season batting
average in school history. She set singleseason school records for hits, doubles,
and total bases, and became.just the third
player in school history to go through a
season
without
a strikeout.
Men's/Women's track and field
Sprinter Mathew Shannon (junior)
became the first Auggie male track and
field athlete to ever earn multiple AllAmerican honors in track in one season,
and earned MIAC Athlete of the Week
honors three times this season. Sprinter
Tonnisha Bell (freshman) became just the
second Auggie freshman to earn AllAmerican honors in track.
For the most complete information on
Augsburg Auggie athletics. visit
<www. augsbu rg.ed u/at
h let
ics>.
Don Stoner ís s¡rorts inJorntation coordtnator.
Summer 2003
T
I
Five students earn top athletic awards
!ive senior student-athletes received
I athletic awards for the 2002-03 school
year, voted by coaches in Augsburg's men's
and women's athletic departments. Four
Auggies earned Honor Athlete designation,
the highest honor the College gives its
senior student-athletes, and one eamed
Augsburg Senior Athlete of the Year honors.
career putouts are
tops in school history.
She has served as an
year starter at
Jay Howard,
running back in
football, Bramwell
earned AII-MIAC
business
Augsburg StudentAthlete Mentor for
two years and is a
member of the MIAC Student Athlete
Advisory Commiuee. With a 3.0 GPA, she
has served as president of the Augsburg
College Education Students (ACES)
association, and is a two-time recipient of
the Joyce Pfaff Academic Award for
management-A
women's athletics.
three-year starter in
men's basketball,
Howard earned All-
2002-03 Senior Athlete of the Year
2002-03 Honor Athletes
T.J. Bramwell,
biology-A three-
second-team honors
in2002. He was a
team co-captain in 2002 and received the
football team's Auggie Award. With
a
3.611 GPA, Bramwell earned Academic
AII-MIAC honors and Verizon Academic
All-District third-team honors in both his
junior and senior seasons.
Ricky Crone,
marketing-A twotime All American in
wrestling, Crone
nation at 184 pounds
this season, after
finishing second
coaches have been hired in four sports in
recent months.
Alumnus Douge Schildgen'90 was
hired to lead Augsburg's baseball team.
For the previous four seasons, Schildgen
served as head coach at North Hennepin
Community College, where he compiled a
49-44 record in his four seasons, finishing
second in the competitive Minnesota
Community College Conference twice
and reaching state tournament and
regional competition twice.
InJanuary Augsburg hired Troy
international
business-A four-
junior and senior seasons. He led the
Auggies in scoring, rebounding, blocked
time AII-MIAC firstteam recipient in
shots, three-point baskets, and field-goal
percentage. He was 10th in the MIAC in
scoring his senior season, 18th in
rebounding, and third in blocked shots.
With a 3.593 GPA, Howard earned
Academic AII-MIAC honors his junior
and senior seasons.
men's hockey, Cesky
Jennifer Lemke, elementary educationA four-year starter in softball at catcher
and first base, Lemke served as team co-
'Augsburg hires five new Goaches
I ugsburg College has severa] new
Flfu..r in the coaching ranks, as new
Jaro Cesky,
MIAC honorable
mention honors his
placed third in the
Summer 2003
captain for two
seasons. Her 631
nationally the year before. He earned MIAC
and Great Lakes Regional championships,
and was team co-captain his senior season.
He earned the team's Auggie Award and
was a part of teams that won the NCAA
Division III national title in 2002 and
finished second in 2003. With a 3.20 GPA,
Crone earned NWCA Scholar All-America
honors in 2003 and was a member of an
academic national team that finished sixth
nationally with a team GPA of 3.335.
byDonstoner
earned AHCA
Division III AllAmerican first-team
honors in 2002-03, Augsburg's 27th AllAmerican honor in men's hockey He was
named MIAC Player of the Year for
2002-03, scoring 42 points. He was voted
team Rookie of the Year his freshman
season and team MVP his senior year. In
March, Cesky was drafted by the Quad
City Mallards, a minor league UHL team.
byDonstoner
Nygaard and Laura Levi to serve as cocoaches for the women's golf team.
Nygaard currently serves as operaLions
supervisor of the Eagle Lake Golf Course
in the Three Rivers Park District (formerly
Hennepin Parks) in Plymouth, Minn. Levi
has worked as a golf instructor in the
Three Rivers Park for the past two years,
and is the golf courses' site coordinator for
the LPGA/USGA Girls' Golf Program.
In April, Cathy Skinner was hired as
the new head coach for the volleyball
team. Skinner brings 15 seasons of
volleyball coaching experience to
Augsburg, including eight years at the
NCAA Division I level with Fordham,
Princeton, and Drexel universities.
ln May, Dave Johnson, who coached
the Hudson (Wis.) High School girls'
basketball team to six Wisconsin state
tournaments and two state titles in the
last eight years, rÃ/as hired as the Auggies'
new women's basketball head coach. In
addition to his coaching duties at
Augsburg, Johnson will also direct the
school's intramural athletics program and
serve as equipment supervisor for the
health and physical education
department and the women's athletics
program.
,4ucssunc
Now
5
t'
\'('r' I00 I'nir¡(':r \\,¡^c :;Lrl)ltìii1('(l ìn tllc
1lriril lrtrrrrurl ¡rlroto t orrtcl;1 for
i
ntclnltionlI
¿rrrrl of 1ì.clrr.rprr:; :;t Lrrl icl;.
Wi¡rrrcr-¡; r,r,r'r"r' :;r'lcc:1ccl irr
tllrt'i'
clttc¡pric:;: :;cctric latrrl:;rlr¡ri':;, loclI ¡rco¡tIc
irr
l.r c
r-os¡;-cnItrrlrI :;ctiin¡r,, irncI Au¡,,.1brrlt,,
:itt-tcl(ìn1:ì
ur u lrosi rjcttinlì. ¡\llr'r,inninu
l)llotos wcrc c[isl)la)/ccl itr (.Ìrristcnscn
I
C.c:ntr:r'.
Lnlries \,vcrc juclgccl on t]ìc lollor,r,ing
cJ:itcrirì: cross-cullLll'irl contcnt, artistic tìncl
Lcchnical cluiìlity, ancl r'cprocl ucibrìr ty
Io 'r t' ltll llrt' rr innt'ts, r irit
<w
w\\r
a Lt
gsllulg.
ccl
u/i r tcl'r'r r
:
tiorul/
pho tocontcst03 >.
Local people in a cross-cultural setting. Third place.
A "Damara," Jamie Johnson '06. Namibia.
Scenic landscapes. Second place. "Namib," Jamie
e; &È,,e
B Johnson '06. Namibia.
Scenic landscapes. First Place.
C Stacy Enger'04. Norway.
"Little Piece of Norway,"
Local people in a cross-cultural setting. First place.
D "Playing with Pigeons," Naomi Sveom '04. Argentina
Augsburg students in a cross-cultural setting. First place.
E "Traje tipico y tevas," Katie Nielsen '03. Guatemala.
Scenic landscapes. Third place. "Nature's Embrace #2 "
F Naomi Sveom '04. Argentina.
6
.+t (;srit lì(; Now
Summer 2003
*:
q
Summer 2003
a
,,4ucsnunc
n¡ow
7
PROVIDING SIRVICE BIH ND THE FRONT
L
NES
by Betsey Norgard
Behincl the neu' Welcome Desk in
Cl.rristensen Center will soon appear a
new plaque, thar-rking the Augsburg
Associates for their funcling ancl support
for the renovatìon of that space. They
have also been thanked for similar
projects in tl-re Augsburg Roorn, Marshall
Roorn, and the Green Room in Foss
Center.
In the nearly 20 years since their
founding, the Augsburg Associates have
gi\¡en to the College over a half million
clollars frorn their fundraising eflorts
earmarked for special projects such as the
Christensen Center rerìovation.
The Ar.rgsburg CoÌlege Associates,
'uvho number around 100, is a sen'ice
auxiliary cleclicatecl to fundraising lor
special projects and scholarships in
support ol the College. Nearly 20 years
ago, in the fall of 1984, Gladys (Boxrud)
Strornmen '46, Kate Anderson, and Stella
(Kyllo) Rosenquist '64 er.rvisloned an
organization of Augsburg alumni, alurnni
1y11,s5, ancl other lriencls of
the College-sirnilar to social and service
organizations on other c:rm¡luses-ancl
compilecl a list of potential members to
invite to a luncheon.
A nurnber of these women then
hostcd thcir own luncheons. iuviting
classmates ancl friends with Augsburg
connections. Witl-rin a yeâr, the Associates
grew to arouncl 60 members.
For their initial funclraising events,
they sponsored benefit performances at
i.l'ives, facultl,
o
o
s.
bs'
Ø
Through its fundraising and membership, the Augsburg Associates have supported the College
for nearly 20 years. Board members are: (seated, L to R) Birgit Birkeland '58 (treasurer),
Michelle (Karkhoff) Christianson '72 (president). Ruth Aaskov'53 (secretary); (standing, L to R)
Lucy Hackbart, Grace (Kemmer) Sulerud'58, llene Holen, Lois (Black) Ahlbom '47,Barbara
(Olson) Dettle '59. Dorothy Bailey, Maryon Lee, Mary Wick, Anne Frame, Jo Erickson. Board
members not present are Dorothy (Floistad) Benson'56, Doris (Frojen) Bretheim '51,Terry
Cook, and Joanne (St¡les) Laird '58 (vice president).
8
,+UGSBURG NoW
Summer 2O03
L
q
Associates'board by Helga Egertson, who
had volunteered on similar sales with
Ebenezer Society. A group of 80 or so
women, who are experienced in the
organization and appraisal of household
goods, manage the sale and then take care
of anything that didn't sell. From 1996
through 2002, with six or seven sales per
year, the sales have netted $72,000 profit
The new Welcome Desk in the recently renovated Christensen Center was funded by the
Augsburg Assoc¡ates, and is but one of several examples of the Associates' generosity over the
past 20 years.
area theaters. The first, Tlrc Good Life, was
only marginally successful in raising
money, says Kate Anderson, a former
Associates president and wife of Augsburg
president emeritus Charles Anderson. "We
were barely organized, and we were trying
to do this at the same time." The two
following projects, The Rainmaher and
Gospel at Colonnus, were more successful.
At that time, planning was underway
at Augsburg for a new chapel, to be
located in the new Foss, Lobeck, Miles
Center for Worship and Communication.
As the need for a new organ was
discussed, Anderson recalls her proposal
to the Associates-"Let's see if we can buy
it for the College." Over a six-year period,
they raised $250,000 to purchase the
. Dobson organ in Hoversten Chapel.
During the first decade of the
association, their major fundraising
projects were annual "Trash and Treasure"
sales. For months, the group would
collect donations of furniture, clothing,
and other household articles for a giant
sale. While quite successful, the sales were
an enormous arnount of work to gather,
categorize, and price the goods-and
subsequently dispose of unsold items.
Space was used in the old church that
stood next to Melby Gyrn and in the
gyrnnasium itself, meaning that
everything had to be moved around to
accommodate athletic schedules and other
needs for the space.
Summer 2003
for the Associates.
These sales offer a service as well as
After eight or so years, and when the
church was torn down, the Associates
provide a benefit for the organization. The
Associates have received letters and cards
of appreciation, mentioning that they are
glad the money goes to support a worthy
decided to end the era of the Trash and
Treasure sales.
cause, says Egertson.
Managing estate and
mo\/ing sales
Anderson adds that their services are
provided at times that can be very difficult
for many people, some of whom already
have connections to Augsburg.
Each sale requires a team who spend
a week or so in the home organizing,
pricing, and preparing everything for sale,
including washing all china and crystal
Since 1996, the Associates have continued
to raise funds for the College by selling
household items, but now through the
administration of estate and moving sales.
The idea was first proposed to the
a
!
Avis Ellingrod (left) and Orlette Tatley (right) are
kept busy ringing up and packing purchases at
an estate sale in Burnsville in April.
È
L
q
Kate Anderson (right) and shopper Ruth
Schuenke examined some of the jewelry
items included in the Burnsville estate sale.
,4ucssunc
fr¡ow
9
and polishing silver. They bring tables ancl
sheÌr,ing to the sale Ìocation for clisplay
On the Friday and Saturday sale days,
approxirnately I0-12 r'olunteers are on
hand, sor-netirnes finding a line of 20
people waiting for them at 6:30 a.rn.
Customers range frorn professional clealers
who follow their schedule of sales to
neighbors and curious passers-b;'.
Funding other
special projects
After the organ purchase, the
Associates' second major
fundraising project was furnishing
the Special Collections room in the
new Lindell Library The Associates
raised $100,000 to create an
attractive space with a proper
enr¡ironr¡ent to house the special
books and collections owned by the
College, including the personal
library donated by writer and
activist Merideì LeSueur.
Since then, the Associates have
H
ru
r.w
ÆHE
LI
fl
m
Graham, and Leola Josefson.
renovated the Green Room in Foss
Center, the Marshall and Augsburg
roorns in Christensen Center, and, most
recently, havejust funded creation of the
Welcome Desk that greets visitors to the
College center.
Special lundraising projects are
chosen by the Associates in collaboration
with the College administration,
identifying projects of the greatest need to
the College.
Festive hosts
r7ïrr5
At Velkommen Jul 1999, among the festive hostesses
were (L to R) Fern Hanson Gudmestad '41, Elaine
f or
Velkommen Jul
The Augsburg Associates are perhaps rnost
visible at the College's annual Velkommen
Jul celebration for the community, held
usually on the first Friday in December.
Dressed in traditional Nordic folk
costumes, they host the sumptuous table
of Scandinavian Christmas goodies and
attract visitors with sales of homernade
and irnported Scandinavian gifts ancl
holiday clecorations. For a number o[
years, the Associates have carried out the
Over a six-year period, the Augsburg
Associates raised $250,000 to purchase the
Dobson organ in Hoversten Chapel.
10
,4ucs¡uRc ruow
planning ancl preparation for this popular
event, as well as the baking ancl donating
of many Scandinavian treats-flatbreads,
lutunl¿ahe, sandbahelser; hransel¿ahe, and
rosettes.
Service in education
Beyond fundraising, the activities of the
Augsburg Associates include an annual
educational seminar each spring.
Speakers on various topics-some frorn
the Augsburg faculty and staff-presenr
sessions to which the public is aÌso
invited.
In addition, the Associates have
endowed a scholarship offered to an
Augsburg student each year.
With a traditionally fernale
membership, the Associates would
welcome men and, especiall;', young
people to their ranks. Not all mernbers
need participate in the activities. For
many, ¡þs organization provides a way to
support the College, and higher levels of
membership represent a significant
portion of their annual funclraising.
For inlormation about estate and
moving sales or about the Augsburg
Associates, contact 6 1 2-330- I 183 or
6i2-330-1171.
I
Summer 2003
Farewell to
,i
FACULTY AND STAFF
by Lynn Mena
SATYA GUPTA
Satya Gupta,
professor of
econotnics, began
27 years oï
distinguished
service to the
College in 1976.
He was granted
tenlrre in 1982,
and promoted to
full professor in 1987. He obtained B.S.
degrees frorn Agra University in Inclia,
M.S. degrees from both Agra University
ancl Southern Illinois University, ancl his
Ph.D. from Southern lÌlinois Universì.ty.
Prior to coming to Augsburg, he taught in
India, Ethiopia, and Canada.
"He was always very interested in his
students," says Jeanne Boeh, associate
professor and chair of economics. "His
early work in peace studies was very
l-relpful to the College."
In 1981, Gupta and his wife were
two of 531 appointees from colleges and
universities throughout the United States
for six-year terms as Danforth Associates.
'The purpose of the Danforth Associate
Program is to recognize and encoLlrâge
effective teaching ancl to foster activities
that humanize teaching and learning for
nlcrnbcrs ol campus cornrnunilies.
In 1982, Gupta was awarded a grant
lo conclut l a spccial serninat'on rninority
education.
In reflecting upon eclucatior-r ancl the
role of educators, Gupta wrote in 1988,
Summer 2O03
"We need education that produces not
the physical or intelleciual, not the
political or economics man only, but also
the moral and spiritual mân-the whole
man. We need to impart education that
will help deveiop a meaningfui
philosophy ol lile."
Gupta anticipates having his hands
full during retirement, helping to care for
his new grandchild.
ESTHER G. MCLAUGHLIN
Esther
Mcl-aughlin,
associate
professor of
biology, began
her career at
Augsburg in
1989 as assistant
professor of
biology. She
obtained her B.A. and Ph.D. clegrees i.n
botany from the University of CaliforniaBerkeley in 1962 and 1968, respectively.
Prior to Augsburg, Mclaughlin held
adjunct faculty positi.ons teaching plant
biology ât Carleton College, St. Olaf
College, and the University of Minnesota.
"However, much of the time I was a stayat-home nìother, until my younger
daughter was a senior in high school,"
says Mclaughlì.n.
Outsicle of teaching, Mclaughlin has
co-eclited a two-volume book on ltrngi
for Springer-Verlag, ancl is an active
melnber of the Minnesota Native Plant
Society.
When she looks back on her career
at Augsburg, Mclaughlin says she is most
proucl of having inspirecl "a student or
a career involving plants
or fungi. She especially appreclates
having had colleagues "who care as much
as I do-or ms¡ç-¿þ6¡¡ biology and
two" to choose
teaching biology." She says she will miss
her department and her students, but
promises to "come back and annoy my
clepartment from time to time, just in
case they thought they coulcl get entirely
away from me."
"Esther Mclaughlin is a superb
teacher whose enthusiasm, energy, and
dedication is a joy to students ancl
colleagues alike," says Dale Peclerson,
associate professor of biology. "She has
rno<leled rnany oI the best l)racl jces it]
teaching: clear organization, thorough
preparation, honest self-evaluation, and
continual improvement. She has served as
mentor both for students and colleagues.
We have relied heavily on her
philosophical perspective, her wellternperecl and good-humored insistence
on rationality, and her willingness and
ability to argue for those positions that
improve the educational quality of our
programs and the College ... she will be
sorely missecl."
In the long term, Mclaughlin looks
forwarcl to spencling more time with her
two chilclren and grandchildren, traveling
wirh her husband (incluciing trips to Asia
and South America to collect fungi), ancl
,4ucs¡unc ruow
11
Fa
rewell to Retiring
plans to volunteer at the Bell Museum of
Natural History at the University of
Minnesota, where her husbancl is curatclr
of fungi.
storytelling. "She has often entertainecl
the library staff with stories of her travels
GRACE K. SULERUD '58
Augsburg, both as a stticlent ancl as a
librarian," adcls Susan Certain,
accluisitions coordinator.
Suierucl particì-tlarly enjoyecl worliing
wìth the library stafl to clevelop the
library's collections and expancl services.
An Augsburg
graduate fiom the
Class of 1958,
Grace (Kernmer)
Sulerud returnecl
to the College in
1.966 as a
circulation
librarian. She
stayecl for 37
years, retiring as associate professor ancl
collectior-r development/reference
iibrarian. She also served as acting heacl
librarian for one year, interirn co-clirector
for another year, and taught children's
literature in the education department for
14 years. She obtainecl a B.A. in English
frorn Augsburg, ancl two M.A. degrees
frorn the University o[ Minnesota (library
science in 1968 and English literature in
1970). Her husband, Ralph L. Sulerud, is
professor emeritus of biology.
"Grace Sulerud played a number of
roles as professor and librarian ... but her
most important role has been as a model
to others," saysJane Ann Nelson, director
of Library Services. "She's modeled
enthusiasm for learning, her own learning
and that of others; eagerness to try new
ways to serve stuclents or connect with
faculty; and seemingly bounclless energy
to work for peace and jr-rstice, to travel,
and to serve on caÍìpus committees.
Grace's legacy to Augsburg includes a
strollg collection of books as well as
strong relationships between the library
and faculty"
Many of Sulerud's colleagues are
especially fond of her talent lbr
12
,4UCSSURC NOW
and overseas teaching experiences, ancl
lras ¡rlovitlctì lristolical l)clsl)c( livc lr)
rnany situations liom her years at
"I'll rliss the work ancl daily encoLlrÌters
with the people here who have so greatly
enriched my life," says Sulerud. "I'rn
pleased that I could spend so rnuch of my
life at Augsburg, first as a siuclent and,
after a few years of teaching here ancl
abroad, as a librarian f'or over 30 years.
"I expect to continue working on
social issues such as affordable housing,
spend time with friends and farnily, travel,
paint a bedroom, and take more walks."
MARY DUFFEE
Mary Duffee
came to Augsburg
1988 as
facilities assistant
in
to the director of
the newly
instituted
Department of
Facilities, created
to establish
centralized scheduling on campus, as well
âs to coordinate both on- and off-campus
events. Duffee played an integral role in
helping this departrnent, now known as
Events ancl Classroom Services, to evolve
from a rnanual schecluling process to the
more sophisticated schecluling software
cllrrently in
use.
"When I started at Augsburg lin
19991, Mary scheclulecl everything on
huge hard copy books and then
transferrecl recorcls to a software
program," says Craig Maus, clirector of
Events ancl Classroom Services. "The olcl
software progranl wasn't so great, so tl-re
College pr-rrchasecl a new prograrn."
In the transition fronr tlre olcl
progrâm to the new program, Duffee
workecl hard to keep the carnplrs events
schedule running smoothly ancl, for a
tirle, was forced to scheclule everything
three times-hard copy, olcl software, and
new solÌware.
Maus creclits Duffee with having been
an invaluable member of the carnpus
community. "She knew the campus, the
departments, the phone ¡¡mþs¡5everything. She was a wonderful
resource."
Few at Augsburg know that it was
Duffee who won a contest to name two
Christensen Centel meeling loonìs upolì
their renovations-the Cedar and
Riverside rooms.
Prior to Augsbr"rrg, Duffee worked in
office adrninistration at the University of
Minnesota, Golclen Valley Lutheran
College, and Bethel College. "I discovered
[early on] that working in an academic
environment and Christian college
community is my passion," says Duffee.
"My position at Ar"rgsburg provided
interaction with faculty, staff, students,
and the general public. I will especially
miss working with students, as I always
enjoyed their vitality and energy.
"The gift of retirement will provicle
me with the opportunity to take more
trips, watch more sunsets, take more
walks, explore new bike paths, and savor
relationships with friends and farnilyespecially the six little ones who call me
'Granchna.' Retirement will also enable
me to try new opportr.lnities, such as
special interest classes ancl part-tirne
ernployment." I
Summer 2003
È
COMMENCEMENT2OO3
u
The 134th year of Augsburg College
s'
¡l
l
i
Despite overcast skies and sporadic rain
showers, spirits were high at this year's
Commencement f estivities.
ül
()
s.
ra
President William Frame presents Paul
Peterson, a metro-urban studies major, with
the Marina Christensen Justice Award for his
commitment to community issues.
REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE CLASS OF
PAUL PETERSON RECEIVES MARINA CHRISTENSEN JUSTICE AWARD
Paul Peterson, a senior metro-urban studies major, was selected as the 2003
recipient of the Marina Christensen Justice Award.
Each year, this award is presented to the graduating senior who best
exemplifies Augsburg's motto "Education for Service." The student must have
demonstrated a dedication to community involvement as characterized by the
personal and professional life of Marina Christensen Justice, who courageously
and effectively reached out to disadvantaged people and communities.
Peterson, from Minneapolis, has carried out a wide range of activities that
led to his being selected for this award. Among them are internships with both
the Lyndale Neighborhood Association and the Higher Education Consortium
of Urban Affairs' Metro Urban Studies program. He has been an active member
of MPIRG (Minnesota Public Interest Research Group) and the Coalition for
Student Activism. In addition, he spent this past spring break on the Lilly grant
"Community Development and Civil Service Exploration" trip to Washington,
D.C.
As one of his professors commented, "Paul represents the kinds of
commitments to social and community building that Marina lived for."
2OO3
COMMENCEMENT,FUN FACTS,
I
Jean M. Gunderson, representing graduate students
3000
Attended Commencement Ceremonv
I
I
Sarah R. Haberkorn, representing day school students
542
Served for brunch
Christin R. Crabtree, representing Weekend College students
19
Cakes for t"he luncheon
1
Pair of graduating sisters with the same
first name and the same major
Summer 2003
4ucssunc
Now t3
o
a
b
s.
O
B'
r^
Augsburg Chamber Orchestra director Paul Ousley poses with graduating
orchestra students after the Commencement Concert. Pictured, L to R: Heidi
Peterson, viola, business administration (marketing) major; Jody Montgomery,
violin, music therapy major; and Callie Hutchison, violin, music performance
Graduating senior and McNair Scholar Charles Barton (right)
enjoys a moment with Emiliano Chagil, director of Augsburg's
Hispanic/Latino Student Services, before the ceremony'
major.
CEREMONY KEYNOTE SPEAKERS THANK STEPUP PROGRAM,
ADVISE GRADS TO FIND BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND FAMILY
-L
()
s.
I don't have any magic words or easy answers, but what I do know is that each of
you will progress in a way that's perfect for you. Clearly, you are embarking on the
next stage of your very interesting life-no one else's. ... I wish to thank and bless
the students, staff, and administrators of StepUP, starting with Don Warren, the
founder of the program, to the current staff and participants. Your unrelenting
vision and energy are making a critical difference in people's lives. I thank you from
the bottom of our hearts for giving our son [Adam] a safe, supportive, challenging,
and demanding place to return to college. Thank you to Augsburg.
-L
George Kwangware, a management information
systems major, celebrates before the ceremony.
So you're about to take this amazingjourney called the rest of your life. Whatever
you do, make a difference. You don't have to win a Nobel Peace Prize to have an
impact. If you help someone else, you will help yourself. It's so simple, it's all
right-and, in fact, it's wonderful-to have a passion for your job. But separate
your job from your life. l'm one who has had a job that is very demanding, and
have been gone a lot, but I have tried to separate those important parts of my lifethe job which takes me from home a huge amount of time, and still pay attention
to my kids and my
o
a
$
fi
,ì
s.
E
Steven Grande (center), a history major and
McNair Scholar; gathers with his parents after
the Baccalaureate service,
14
4UCSSUnC NOW
aur i e D un c an -M cWethy
The Class of 2003 begins their graduation day in Hoversten
Chapel, first at an early morning Eucharist service, then at the
Baccalaureate service (pictured above), led by Augsburg campus
pastors, Rev. David Wold (left) and Rev. Sonja Hagander (right).
wife. ... You cannot
imagine how relevant
the building blocks
and knowledge and
experiences you've
gained here will be in
the rest of your life.
... What you've
learned at Augsburg
may not be the
answers, but you've
been given the tools
to start asking the
right questions, and
that is critical.
-JohnF.
McWetlry
Summer 20O3
o
o
s.
COMMENCEMENT 2OO3
Eü'
ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT JOHN MCWETHY AND ELDER CARE
ADVOCATE LAURIE DUNCAN-MCWETHY DELIVER KEYNOTE SPEECHES
ABC News correspondentJohn F McWethy and his wife, Laurie Duncan-McWethy,
were the keynote speakers at the Commencernent Ceremony Sunday, May 4. The
2003 graduating class included their son, Adam (pictured on p. 24 with his
fiancée, Christin R. Crabtree). Their other son, Ian, is a student at Fordham
University in New York City
Marissa Mapes, a communication major, joins fellow
grads as they process to the ceremony,
o
B'
q
Faculty and staff line up to enter Melby Hall for the
Commencement ceremony,
SJ
b
u
$
"We greatly admire Augsburg College and its StepUP program, in particular,"
Laurie commented upon accepting Augsburg's invitation to speak at this year's
ceremon)¿ "Not only has the school been an asset to our son and family, but we
find the College's role in education unique and filled with an exceptional mission.
We are pleased to be part of the graduation exercises and a support to the
Augsburg community"
Laurie Duncan-WcWethy is the owner and president of an elder care
management company called Choices for Aging and its affiliated daily money
management company Paperwork Solutionstt for Seniors. She founded the
company in l99t when she saw the need for assistance by older adults struggling
to remain in their homes or deal with a care crisis. She graduated from DePauw
University in Greencastle, Ind., and received her master's degree in health care
administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In
addition to her health care background, Laurie is a certified public accountant
specializing in long-term care counseling and retirement planning.
John F McWethy is chief national security and Pentagon correspondent,
Washington Bureau, for ABC Nøws. An ABC correspondent since 1979, he reports
on military and diplomatic aspects of U.S. foreign policy Widely honored for his
work, John received three Emmy Awards for his reporting on Ross Perot, the
Persian Gulf Waq and the Soviet military. He has also received the Alfred I.
DuPont-Columbia Award and the Overseas Press Club Award. He is also a
graduate of DePauw University, and earned his master's degree from Columbia
University's Pulitzer School of Journalism.
Augsburg's StepUP program, founded tn 1997 by Don Warren, is a nationwide model providing resources and support for students in recovery from drug
and alcohol dependenc;z After five years of service to recovering college students,
and a career dedicated to student-centered education, Don Warren retired in the
spring of 2002, handing his duties to StepUP's currenr director, Patrice Salmeri.
s)
Ê
O
s
E
H
u
ù
u
r4
E
Patricia Gonzales (left) adds a master's hood to her
academ¡c garb, as she receives her Master of Arts in
Nursing diploma and degree from Cheryl Leuning,
nursing department professor and chait.
Summer 2003
John McWethy, ABC News correspondent, and Laurie Duncan-Mcwethy, elder care
advocate, deliver keynote speeches at the Commencement ceremony. Their son, Adam
McWethy, was among the members of the Class of 2003 listening in the audience.
.Aucssunc
r{ow
15
r
U
È
s
s.
lb
Desiree Jorgenson (center), a psychology major, Honors Program graduate, and
McNair Scholar, shares a laugh with McNair Scholar program director Dixie Shafer
(left) and Rebekah Dupont (right), assistant professor of mathematics, at the
Commencement reception.
A future Auggie grad tries on her mother's
mortar board for size.
THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE CLASS OF 2OO3
) 534 Candidates for graduation
I 315 Day program graduates
I 148 Weekend College graduates
I 38 Graduate students (5 Master of Arts in Leadership,
è
h
26 Master of
Social Work, 7 Master of Arts in Nursing)
32
If
I 13
a
I
Rochester Program graduates
United Hospital Program graduate
Countries of graduates (Bangladesh, Brazll, Cameroon, Canada,
Colombia, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Lebanon, Somalia, Tibet,
Uganda, Ukrainia, and Zimbabwe
20-60 Age range of graduates in the Class of 2003
Karen Sutherland, associate professor of computer science,
poses with computer science major Hoa Nguyen (right)
and his wife (left) at the reception following the
Commencement ceremony.
h
U
s
ù
MASTER OF ARTS IN NURSING-CLAss OF 2OO3
Academic dean Chris Kimball (left) chats with Brad
Motl (right), a mathematics and physics double maior,
at the Commencement reception. Motl accepted a
research assistantship at the University of Wisconsin
in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and
Engineering Physics.
16 ,4ucssuRc
t{ow
The Master of Arts in Nursing program celebrated its second class of graduates'
Pictured, L to R, seated (faculty): Ruth Enestvedt, assistant professor of nursing; Bev
Nilsson, professor emerita of nursing; and Cheryl Leuning, professor and
department chair of nursing. Back row, L to R (graduates): Sandra Leinonen, Karen
Ackerman, Brenda Becker, Deb Brown-Schumacher, Patricia Gonzales, Jean
Gunderson, and Rae Ormsby.
Summer 2003
ll I
I
From the Alumni Board president's desk...
¡/ll
lJ
n May 4, I had the privilege and
hono, to address a new class of
graduates at the l34th Commencement
ceremony, and welcome them as official
alumni of Augsburg College.
The fall issue of the AugsburgNow will
provide more information on the board's
new leadership and members. Several
dedicated board members have completed
their terms, and we will endeavor to keep
them involved in the Augsburg
o
Thirty years ago, I sat in the same
Meþ Hall as a young graduate
looking forward to new horizons, but
feeling sad that I was leaving so many
good friends. These years later, I still get
seats in
community
together with some of my classmates once
or twice
a year.
Being Alumni Board president has
brought me back to campus, and now I
have a new set of friends from different
classes and programs. It has been a great
experience to work with the College and
the wonderful members of the Augsburg
community
As my term has ended, Dr. Paul
Mueller'84 from the Mayo Clinic is slated
to become the next president of the
Alumni Board, with Bill Vanderwall'93
Andrew Morrison '73, 2OO2-03 Alumni Board
president addressed the Class of 2003 at the
Commencement ceremony in May.
WEC as president elect.
We are fortunate to announce that
Lew Beccone'98 MAL; Dan W Anderson
'65; Tom A. Peterson'70; Jacqueline
(Brookshire) Tèisberg'80; Luann Watson
'88,'02 MAL; and the Rev. Karsten Nelson
'83 have been nominated to the board.
Speaking of keeping involved with
Augsburg, please contact the Alumni
Board or AlumniÆarent Relations and let
us know what interests you as alumni. We
want all of you to know about the wealth
of new programs at the College and the
numerous opportunities for alumni to
become involved with Augsburg. A good
time will be had by all.
Q72,,*-,
Andrew Morrison'73
Alumni Board, president
Lori Moline '82 rece¡ves women's business award
I
(ì
s
ffi:.ïi*'
company
specializing in
religious travel
wins a business
award. But in
April, creating
*J
Lori Moline'82
journeys of faith
and pilgrimage
earned Lori Moline'82 and her business
partner, Martha Van Gorder, the honor of
Emerging Business Owners of the Year by
the Minnesota Chapter of the National
Association of Women Business Owners.
Their travel company, CrossingBorders,
Inc., based in Bloomington, Minn., creates
church-related international tours that
provide spiritual expression and religious
education.
Few businesses have faced such a
series of challenges as CrossingBorders.
First, the viability of one of their key travel
Summer 2003
products was eliminated when the conflict
erupted inJerusalem in late 2000.
"The first destination for many
Christian travelers," Moline and Van
Gorder note, "is a journey to the Holy
l¿nd." Ayear later there was the impact of
September 1f , 2001, followed by a weak
economy and the weakening U.S. dollar,
and now the situation in Iraq.
It has required strength and
unwavering commitment to the long-term
potential of their business mission. Van
Gorder states, "We remain committed to
helping U.S. cit2ens discover their
Christian heritage, other cultures, and
often times other faiths through
international travel." To meet the
challenges, CrossingBorders has expanded
travel products, strengthened its overseas
people-to-people connections, and focused
on working with church leaders who put a
high value on intemational travel.
"We have witnessed," Moline said,
"some church leaders embracing the belief
that it is more important than ever to travel
beyond our borders to understand our
place in the world."
With planning up to 18 months in
advance, clients are preparing to travel to
Greece, Turkey, Italy, England, Scotland,
lreland, Germany, Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Hungary Austria, and China.
Tours created by CrossingBorders
emphasize a combination of church
heritage, cross-cultural, and spiritual
experiences. Prior tour highlights include a
choir performance in the church of a
Slovak village to standing-room only, a
pastor given permission to play one of
France's greatest church organs with the
tour group listening by his side, a church
group meeting elderþ members of the
Lutheran church in Dresden to hear how
the church was bombed in WWII, and
members sharing communion at the
Christian Catacombs in Rome.
,4ucssunc
Now
17
ta
1
939
The Rev. Alfred H. Sevig,
Spicer, Minn., retired inJanuary
2002, alter 45 years as pastor in
five parishes, and 15 years as
part-time hospital
chaplain/pulpit-supply. Last July,
he had heart bypass surgery and
has recovered well. He celebrated
the 60th anniversary of his
ordination in October.
1947
The Rev. Paul Blikstad, Salem,
¡a
o
Ore., continues in his l5th year
St. Matthew
Lutheran
Church in
as host of TheWillamette Renewal
Radio Broadcas¿, a half-hour
program sponsored by the
evangelical churches of many
denominations located in Salem.
The broadcast can be heard
Sunday nights at 7:30 p.m.,
Pacific time, at <www.kccs.org>.
1
956
The Rev. Ervin Overlund,
Beaverton, Ore., retired in
December, and was granted
pastor emeritus status by
Beaverton. He
celebrates 41
years o[
ordained parish
ministr¡
including 17 years ofparish
ministry in North Dakota, 18
years of institutional chaplaincy
in North Dakota and Canada, and
six years as a visitation pastor. He
and his wife, Sylvia (Moe) '58,
can be reached via e-mail at
<ekosao@attbi.com>.
1964
o
o
The Rev. James Parks,
Columbia Heights, Minn., is
s.
à
chaplain o[ Crest View Senior
Housing nursing home, which
provides a continuum of care for
a
U
seniors.
1
Staten Island, N.Y., is the
associate director of a museum
housing the John A. Noble
a
Maritime Collection, which
includes drawings, paintings,
lithographs, and writings
capturing the past century's "Age
of Sail." The museum is part of
Staten Island's Cultural Center.
She
recently retired from Lucent
Technologies, where she was
development manager.
1
à'
966
The Rev. Rodger Ericson was
I
recently featured in the
Cambridge, Minn.,Stør
newspaper. A lieutenant colonel
for the U.S. Air Force, he was
assigned to the Brooks City-Base
in
Antonio, Texas, as
chaplain for the 3llth Human
San
Systems
Wing and executive
officer of the 3llth Mission
Support Group. He has 23 years
of military service.
Alumni and friends of the College gathered at the Seattle Art
Museum in March to attend a performance of the Augsburg
Chamber Orchestra, Pictured, L to R: Anne Frame, David
Fagerlie '76, and Bonnie (Johnson) '67 and Bryce Nelson.
f8
,4ucssunc Now
is a victim advocate with
C.O.PE., working to empower
victims of domestic
abuse/violence. She also has a
side business of making creations
from gourds and modified pine
needle baskets. She can be
reached via e-mail at
<dav e7 5kay@netscape.net>.
f 968
Michael Arndt, Thousand
Oaks, Calif., received the
Excellence in Theatre Education
Award of the Kenney
Center/American College Theatre.
Festival at the American Theater
Festival XXXV held in Logan,
Utah, in February He is
professor of drama at California
Luthe¡an University in Thousand
Oaks, and is co-founder and
artistic director of the Kingsmen
Shakespeare Compan¡ a
965
Julie (Gudmestad) Landicina,
Augsburg alumni and friends gathered at the Housh home in
Arizona in March. Pictured, L to R: Anne Frame, President
William Frame, Ruth (Ringstad)'53 and Marvin Larson,
Lowell Ziemann'60, Jean and Allen Housh, and Vickie (Skor)
'59 and Howie '53 Pearson.
nicknamed the "earthship." Kay
1967
Kay Eileen (Nelsen) Jenness,
Lal-uz, N.Mex., and her
husband, Dave, are building an
underground house in Laluz,
professional theatre troupe that
brings Shakespearean plays to
life each summer in CLU's
Kingsmen Park. The troupe also
performs at other venues,
coordinates apprentice programs,
sponsors Theatre in Education
programs in local schools, and
organizes summer theatre camps
for youth.
1969
Kathleen Adix, Plymouth,
Minn., was featured in the New
Hope-Golden Valley Sun-Post
after being awarded the Arts
Coordinator of the Year award
from the Minnesota Alliance for
Arts in Education (MAAE) in
April. Kathleen is curriculum
coordinator in District 28I,
,/'?
where she has worked since
1969.
1972
Robert Engelson, Clinton,
Iowa, is starting his eighth year
as music department chair, fine
arts division chair, and choir
director at Mount St. Clare
College. He is also president of
the Board of Directors of Clinton
Symphony Orchestra. His wife,
Thea, is music director atZior'
Summer 2003
)
r¡rrrcreff=filÏIiE
Summer Auggie
Hours al fresco!
Come for the great patios and
stay for the interesting
speakers and networking
opportunities! The Augsburg
Alumni Board invites you to
these popular summer alumni
gatherings at local outdoor
patios the second Tuesday of
each month at 5:30 p.m.
July 8
Pickled Parrot
Apple Valley, Minn.
Facilitator: Norm Okerstrom
'85
August
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Clinton, and is pursuing her
doctorate in music
literature-voice at the University
of lowa. Their son, Matthew, is
in sixth grade.
197?
Don Swenson, St. Paul, is vice
president o[ operations at
Bachman's, the largest privatelyheld retail florist in the United
States. He gave a presentation
entitled "Tèchnology and
Problem Solving for Business,"
for the Augsburg Business
Organization (ABO) in April.
1975
Subhashchand Patel was
12
It's Greek to Me
Uptown, Minneapolis
Facilitators: Jeni Falkman '0I
At Patty Park'02 MAL
RSVP to AlumniÆarent
Relations if you can, or just
show up and enjoy a summer
evening catching up with old
friends and learning
something new.
featured in the Montevideo
American-N ews for practicing
dentistry in Clarkfield, Minn.,
for 26 years. He and his wife,
Annette (Hanson)'74,'89
MAL, reside in Clarkfield.
1977
Neil Paulson
started Franklin
Financial Corp.,
privately
funded
a
/¡l¡IIñN,IIm¡iJfrr\rl
,REALIZING
THE
AUGSBURG VISION'
an invitation from
President Frame
Members of the alumni,
associates, and parents'
advisory boards have been
invited tojoin the regents.
facult¡ and staff in
identifying strategies and
initiatives that will clarify the
institutional vocation of the
College and strengthen its
capacity to serve it.
President Williarn V Frame
welcomes any comments or
suggestions lrom aìl alumni;
please send them by August
15 via e-mail to
<frame@augsburg.edu> or to
Augsburg College, CB 13f,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, MN 55454.
mortgage
company that
offers sub-prime
loans to help customers rebuild
their credit.
William Reyer,
English
professor at
Heidelberg
College, Tiffin,
Ohio, is the
2003 recipient of
the Jane FrostKalnow Professorship in
Humanities, established to foster
educational excellence in
humanities teaching. Reyer has
been a member of the Heidelberg
faculty since t9B2 and serves as
chair of the English department.
1978
Jonathan Moren, Eden Prairie,
Minn., was elected vice president
of the Minneapolis District
Dental Societ¡ a chapter of the
Summer 2O03
;¡
"
la
Jackie (Kniefel) Lind '69, '94 MAL and Andy Fried '93 were
recognized in April at the end of their terms on the Alumni
Board of Directors for their leadership. Other outgoing board
members include Paul Fieldhammer'65, Tom Hanson '66, Jeff
Elavsky'68, and Christopher Haug '79.
Minnesota Dental Association, in
April. He also assumed
responsibility as president of the
United States Ski Association,
Central Division, Region One
board in May. He practices
1979
Linda Sue Anderson,
Minneapolis, and Zach Curtis
'97, appeared in the Twin Cities'
area premiere of Lanford Wilson's
in
dentistry for both Boynton
Health Service at the University
of Minnesota-Twin Cities and
Booh o[ Days at the Theatre
Pentagon Dental.
Bates.
Debra Axness, Charleston,
living with her
boyfriend, Larry aboard a
The Rev. Louise Britts was
featured in Norfh N¿ws for
S.C., has been
sailboat for almost three years.
They left Duluth in 2000 and
sailed through the Great Lakes to
the Erie Canal, down the
Hudson River to the Atlantic,
over to Chesapeake Bay, and
down the East Coast to the
Florida Keys. They are currently
anchored in Charleston, where
Debra is working at the Medical
University ol South Carolina as
associate director of a computer
lab for a research center that
does compute-intensive work on
the Round. Linda played Martha
Hoch and Zach playedJames
recently being ordained and
installed as pastor of River of
Life Lutheran Church in
Minneapolis. She was previously
the interim pastor at Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church in
afIrrù¡I¡Lrra[lltD
2003-2004 Alumni Board
meeting schedule
August
19
November 18
February l7
April20
brain imaging research.
June
Susan Shaninghouse,
Minneapolis, is a primary teacher
of a multi-age classroom at
Meetings are open to the
public and all alurnni are
invited to attend. Meetings
are held in the Minneapolis
Room in Christensen Center
at 5:30 p.m. For rnore
information, visit the alumni
Web site at <www.augsburg.
edu/alumni>.
ParkView Montessori School in
North Minneapolis. She is
pursuing special education
licensing in EBD through
coursework at St. Cloud State
University and the Minneapolis
Public School District.
15
4ucs¡unc ruow t9
Class Notes
Boardman, Ore., and has served
as the outreach minister and
youth minister at several
Minneapolis churches.
1
980
accepted the position of worship
ministries pastor at Brooklyn
Park Evangelical Free Church in
fall 2001. He and his wife, Mary
(Johnson) '80, reside in
Champlin, Minn.
The Rev. John E. Carlson
198f
1
Mary Beamish, La Crosse, Wis.,
married David Christensen in
February. Mary is a copy editor
at the Duluth News kibune and
David is employed by St. Louis
Janet Paone and Deb Pearson
'83 were featured guess on the
983
Ruth Koscielah Show on KCCO
radio in March. Janet was one of
the original cast members of
County.
m
o
a
Erica Benson '94= Path leads from basement
to Beverly Hills
s.
à
(J
by Dan Jorgensen
When Erica Benson '94 started on her career path she literally found herself with nowhere to go but up.
That's because her first job was located in a basement.
Benson, who now works for Beverly Hills-headquartered Kaleidoscope Films as a producer of movie
and TV promotional spots, landed her first media job working out of the basement at the PBS
affiliate ì.n Chicago.
"I sort of got into my career by accident," she recalled. "I was in the promo department and soon I was
on my way One job led to another until I eventually took the plunge and moved out to L.A. I went to
a promo house and got experience doing network stuff, including movies. Eventually that
Ianded me my job here at Kaleidoscope."
work at
A communication major, her first experience in the promotion field came through the news side when
she landed an internship atKARE-1LN¿ws in Minneapolis.
Erica Benson, a 1994 communication grad,
successfully transitioned from her first
media iob working out of the basement
at the PBS affiliate in Chicago, to Beverly
Hills-headquartered Kaleidoscope Films,
pictured above, as a producer of movie
and TV promotional spots.
"While I wâs there I met this crazy yovîgproducer named Larry Watzman," Benson said. "He was always going out on shoots and sending me to
fetch Bowie and Devo CDs for his spots. He pointed out that the great thing about TV promos is you get to wear many hats-writing, directing,
producing, and sometimes editing-versus work in advertising where you are forced to specialize in one area.
"I'd also have ro give a nod to MTV in shaping my career. I'm a pretty 'trendy' gal, so the thought of basically doing 'art' in
and ever-evolving medium, AND getting paid for it totally rocked."
a
hip way, in an exciting
Benson said she sort of "grew up" at Augsburg, where her father, Tom Benson'56 was the longtime director of Planned Giving, and not only helped
raise money for the College's scholarship funds but also for funding many of the newer Augsburg buildings, such as Lindell Library With a tuition
break because of her father's employrnent, she decided to try a year or so to see if she would like being a student where her father worked.
"I stayed because I liked the small classes and individualized attention I got from my professors," she noted. Her principal Augsburg mentors, she
said, were communication professor Deb Redmond, who also served as her advisor, and English professorJohn Mitchell. Benson also has other
Augsburg connections, including her uncie John Benson '55, a professor emeritus of religion.
Since entering the promo field full time, she's done work for almost all the major TV networks, including a short stint full time at FOX. She cut
movie spots for a Star W'ars campaign , Erin Brochoyich and Runaw ay Bride, and has done promos for such TV shows as the CBS blockbuster miniseries Hitla¿r. Other TV shows have included That '70s Show , Dr Phil, Spin City , and 3rd Roch From the Sun, to name just a few. The art of creating
these spots is made even more complicated by the fact that they have to "fit" into 30 seconds.
Making the transition to the L.A. area from Chicago, she noted, wasn't as hard as she thought it might be, "except everyone is so skinny out here,
and I like to earl" She makes her home in Toluca Lake, which is next door to Burbank, home of NBC's The Tonight Show.
As for advice to those interested in the field, she says "definitely internships, and make all the contacts you can. Go on informational interviews,
write thank you notes, and keep in touch. It's all about who you know
"As for actual skills, if you want to edit, learn programs like AVID, Final Cut Pro, and After Effecs, which is a graphics program. More and more
producer/editors are expected to make their own graphics these days, and this is especially true in television, which has become a very graphic
sensitive medium."
And for a final word of advice, she advocates long hours and hard work.
"l know it sounds depressing, but be prepared to pay your dues and do grunt jobs for long hours at little pay Then, if you hang in there and prove
you are ambitious, it will all pay off."
Dan Jorgensen is director of public relations and communication.
20
4ucssuRcr,¡ow
Summer
2OO3
)
Minneapolis' longest running
theatrical production, Tony n'
Tina\ Wedding, and is now a
theatre director at a local high
school and has done extensive
voice-over work. Deb is the
manager of the Children's
Theatre Company.
Anthony Munsterman,
Ironton, Minn., was featured in
¡he Aithen Independent Age as
feature French horn soloist in
The Great River Strings
Ensemble concert, "Something
Old, Something New, Something
Borrowed, Something Blue" in
March. He is band director for
the elementary and senior high
bands in Crosby, and has taught
music in Minnesota, Montana,
and North Dakota for 19 years.
Throughout his career, he has
directed or participated in
numerous choirs, orchestras, and
ensembles, both with the French
horn and voice. In 1998, he was
the assistant principal horn in
the College Band Directors
National Association Honor
Band. He and his wife, a
trombonist, have three children.
1
985
Peter Carlson and his wife,
Sara (Treanor) '87, Maplewood,
Minn., both received their
master's degrees in psychology.
Sara is licensed in marriage
therapy and owns a private
practice.
The Rev. Tammy Rider,
Claremont, Minn., was recently
honored for her award-winning
sermon addressing the issue of
violence against women,
"Sleeping Women," at the Walk
the Talk recognition banquet,
part of the third annual Spiritual
Speakout for Violence-Free
Families ecumenical
competition.
988
Jeffrey Bates, Chicago,
is
student special services advocate
at Prosser Career Academy on
Chicago's West side. He is also
Summer 20O3
o
a
AT
Ê*
a
2
5
programs and projects since
1997. He is former board
member of Future Teachers of
Chicago and lllinois, and
secretary of the Northwest
Neighborhood Federation Board
of Directors and catalyst for
community improvements.
Jeffrey is the proud single father
of Alyssa Carolynn, 7, and Kyle
An Auggie track athlete. pictured on the left, is now noteworthy
because of this race from around 1960, won by Macalester
student Kofi Annan. now UN Secretary General and Nobel Peace
Prize laureate. This photo appeared in the January issue of
Smithsonian magazine as part of an article about Annan. Do you
know who this Auggie runner is? Please let us know!
Jeffrey, 5.
Susan Hakes married John
Gorski in November. She opened
her own real estate company,
Hakes Realt¡ in Grand Marais,
Minn., inJanuary. She can be
contacted via e-mail at
<hakes@boreal.org>.
Tim A. Todd, El Sobrante, Calif.,
is group finance manager for BioRad Laboratories in Hercules,
Calif. He relocated from
Borbach-Le-haut, France, where
he worked at Roche
Pharmaceutical Co. of Basel,
Switzerland. He attended Schiller
International University in
Heidelburg, German¡ in 1991 to
receive his MBA, where he met
his wife, Hélène. They have three
children: Natalie, 7, Carol1.n, 6,
and Christopher, 2.
Kiel Christianson received his
Ph.D. in linguistics from
.1987
1
the head coach for girls'softball,
varsity [ootball assistant head
coach (offensive coordinator),
and assistant coach for girls'
varsity basketball. As the service
learning coordinator at Prosser,
he has developed innovative
Michigan State University in
December. He and his wife and
daughter moved to Amherst,
Mass., where he is a postdoctoral researcher in the
psychology department at the
University of Massachusetts.
1
989
Pamela Dorset Hoye was
featured in the Mírrrreapolis
Business.lowncl as owner of
Calhoun Beach Framing Ât Art
Gallery.
1
990
Lara Elhard, Minneapolis, is
pursuing her M.E.D. in Family
Education at the University of
analyst for the Toro Company.
Minnesoa-fwin Cities.
1
I 991
Perrine Dailey married Mau
Mikesell in August. She is an
Colleen Kay Watson, Mendota
Heights, Minn., wrote two
articles for CollegeRecruiter.com,
assistive technology specialist for
the PACER Center's Têchnology
Center, where she has worked
for eight years. Perrine held her
first solo art show at a St. Paul
café inJanuar¡ which featured
her fractals. She has also been
featured in several other art
shows sponsored by VSA MN
(Very Special Arts). The couple
resides in St. Paul.
entitled "You Will Find What
You Are Looking For" and "Don't
Let the Beetles Get Under Your
Bark." Colleen is CEO and cofounder of Career Professionals
Inc., which helps job seekers
find entrylevel opportunities in
management, marketing, sales,
customer service, finance, and
administration.
Carla Beaurline, Eden Prairie,
Minn., is founder and co-host for
the new cable television show,
Aroundthe Town, covering the
seven-county metro area, and
airing on MCN regional channel 6
and Time Warner 23. She was
director of national sales for a
direct response radio agency and
has been in advertising sales for
eight years. In addition, for the last
six years she has served as a parttime spokesperson/co-host/model
for ShopNBC and QVC.
1
993
Brent Anderson married
Marilyn Barry in April. Brent is a
manager in the small business
division at Qwest
Communications in St. Paul, and
Marill,n is a senior financial
1
995
996
g
il
Ryan Carlson,
Minneapolis,
participated in
Seagate's eco-
challenge, an
adventure race
consisting of
mountain
biking, sea kayaking, hiking and
orienteering, and rappelling, in
Brisbane, Australia. Individuals
from Seagate sites around the
world are nominated to participate
in the six-hour race. He is a
manufacturing manager for
Seagate, and can be contacted via
e-mail at <rcarlson@seagate.com>.
Scott Magelssen, Rock Island,
Ill., received his Ph.D. in theatre
history and theory from the
University of Minnesota in
spring 2002. He is assistant
4ucsnunc
now
21
Class Notes
m
Jane Jeong Trenka '95:
A journey in words orJudyPerree
An accomplished rnusician and soon-to-be published book author,
JaneJeong Tienka says she has been very "lucþr"
Tienka graduated magna cum laude in I995 with degrees in music
perlormance and English. Her first "real job" came about by a
suggestion from Jill Dawe, Augsburg assistant professor of music,
that she volunteer at The Schubert Club. Dawe's suggestion led to a
job at which she stayed for five years. While at The Schubert Club,
Tienka directed a music program, Musicapolis, which reduced the
cost of music lessons for children who couldn't otherwise afford
them. She now teaches private piano lessons out of her home.
A quirk of fate and a trip to a plumbing store eventually led to the
publication of her first book, due out this fall. What do plumbing
and writing have to do with each other? Well, the plumbing store
was across from The Loft Literary Center, and since she was
already
street.
in the neighborhood, she decided to make
a
professor o[ theatre arts at
Augustana College in Rock
Island.
FT
IJ
ffi ffi
ffi
Thanks to a "quirk of fate" that
led to Jane Jeong Trenka'95
receiving The Loft Creative
Nonf iction Mentorship Award,
she is celebrating the publication
of her first book, The Language
of Blood: A Memoir (Borealis
Books), due out this fall.
trip across the
"I loved writing while I was at Augsburg, but had no idea I was a writer," Tienka said. After winning the
award, she discovered she could indeed write. Since then she has aÌso been awarded aJerome Tiavel and
Study Grant, a Biacklock Nature Sanctuary Fellowship, a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, a
fellowship from SASE: The Write Place, and an Honorable Mention for the Water-Stone 2002 Brenda
Ueland Prose Prize.
Tienka said she feels kind of "guilty" that it has come so easy "Some people slave at their writing for
years before they publish, but I had luck. I'm glad people are interested in what I have to sa)¿"
The Language of Blood: A Memoir will be available this fall from Borealis Books. It is a personal comingof-age story of her search for identit¡ which takes her on a journey from Minnesota to Korea and back.
Included in her book are some of her experiences at Augsburg.
Tienka said Augsburg gave her the feeling of freedom to do whatever she wanted. It gave her a good
liberal education base, which has allowed her to pursue music as well as a literary career, and even
beyond that, if she chooses.
"Without that scholarship, I never would have been
able to attend Augsburg." But what she liked was the urban setting. She said she was so excited when
she tasted her first Korean food-growing up in a small, northern Minnesota town, ethnic restaurants
were few and far between.
She came to Augsburg on a President's Scholarship.
"I liked the slice of urban life where there is a diversity of people. In this setting I was able to find out
who I really was." While at Augsburg, Trenka said she made "terrific friends," and the faculty were so
giving. She got a sense that she could try whatever she wanted. 'John lMitchell, associate professor of
Englishl was fantastic. He would hang out with students at this little coffee place and talk to us. It was a
blessed time." She said it rerninded her of "hang-out places" you always hear about back in the'60s. "It
was like a little bubble in time at Augsburg."
What's next for Trenka? She is working on writing a series of children's books on home repair with a cowriter who is a builder. Her books will focus not only on home repairs, but diversity
"It's rare to see interracial families depicted in children's books," Tienka said with a twlnkling in her eye,
"but you'll see them in mine."
22
/,lUCSnUnC ruOW
ù
ã,
L
o
U
Laura Marie (Krepela)
Stoneburg, Farmington, Minn.,
received her master's degree in
education from St. Mary's
University. She is teaching all-day
kindergarten for Minneapolis
Public Schools.
1997
While there, she picked up information about The Loft Creative Nonfiction Mentorship Award and
decided to send in a manuscript. Tienka was one of five chosen for this award, which lent her the
opportunity to work with authors Louise Rafkin and Aram Saroyan, both out of California.
ludy Petree is media relations mdndger.
o
o
Melissa (Wieland) Bergstrom,
Brookll-n Center, Minn., was
featured ín rhe Champlin Dayton
Pr¿ss as
choral director of Anoka-
Ramsey Community College. She,
also directs music at Holy Nativity
Lutheran Church in New Hope,
and works as a personal assistant
for local composer Steve Paulus,
and is co-artistic director of The
Sacred Voice, a chamber choir in
the Twin Cities.
r
998
Brian Olmsted married Heather
Manley in May. Brian is pursuing
his doctorate in materials science
at the University of Minnesota,
and Heather is a production
manager ar cable Phoro systems.
The couple resides in Richfield,
Minn.
1
999
Leah Holloway married Kevin
Rudeen in May. Leah is a
marketing analyst with Liberty
Check Printers; Kevin is an
operations analyst with Wells
Fargo Home Mortgage. The
couple resides in Vadnais Heights,
Minn.
Wendy N.
(Hoekstra)
Vogelgesang,
Litchfield, Minn.,
received her
Master of Arts in
education from
St. Mary's
University inJanuary. She is a
second grade teacher for
Litchfield Public Schools.
2001
Todd Boerbooffi , Chattanooga,
Summer 2003
)
Tenn., married Kristine Smith in
February. He recently accepted a
position as product manager
with Playcore, Inc., in
Chattanooga. Todd can be
contacted via e-mail at
<todd_boerboom@hotmail.com>.
Dawn Millard, Iowa Cir¡ lowa,
married Brent Cobb in
December. Dawn works for Iowa
Health Physicians in Monticello,
Iowa, and Brent works at World
Class Industries Inc., in
Trojan Women.
Adam Sprech€r married
Shaundra Fossen in May. Adam
works for Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans; Shaundra is attending
college obtaining her floral
design designation. The couple
resides in Corono, Calif.
Christina Thérèse MarkwoodRod, Wayzata, Minn., is
pursuing her master's degree in
public history.
Hiawatha, Iowa.
Births/Adoptions
2002
Susan (Young)'88 and Thomas
Campbell, Maplewood, Minn.-a
son, Eric Thomas, in April. He
joins brotherJack, 5. Susan is a
kindergarten teacher for District
Ryan Krautkremer married
Amy Holthus in March. Ryan is
sales representative for Verizon
Information Services; Amy
a
third grade at Eastview
Elementary School in Lakeville,
teaches
wife, Sheila, Pl1'rnouth, Minn.-a
son, Matthew Scott, in March.
He
joins sister Lauren, 5. Scott
works in sales at MSI Insurance,
and can be contacted via e-mail
at <scotthumphre)@stribmail.
developer for Select Comfort.
Nick Gruidl '96
and his wife,
Megan, Brooklyn
Park, Minn.-a
son, Anthony
com>.
Denise (Bohnsack) '92 and
David Helke, Jordan, Minn.-a
daughter, Sarah Rose, in
December. She joins brothers
Matthew, 4, and Noah, 2.
Presley, inJuly
2002. Nick is a
tax manager at Grant Thornton,
LLP,
in Minneapolis.
Tina (Kubes)
'92 and Lance
Kristin Kay
Hillukka '98, Big
Peterson,
Willmar,
Dawn Lorna
(Givans)'89 and
Patrick Lander,
Marina Del Rey,
Erin Stuhtfaut, Inver Grove
Heights, Minn., recently
Calif.-twin
boys, Blake and
Blane, in
Minn.-a
¿:. ". daughter.
'Y
'
Ari
Rose, in
February. She joins brother
Blake, 3. Tina is a physical
education teacher for New
London-Spicer Schools.
Rich Blumer'95
and his wife,
Heather, Maple
Grove, Minn.-a
son, Carson
James, in March.
Rich is a software
Scott Humphrey'90 and his
622.
Minn.
performed at Lakeshore Players
and in Lex-Ham Community
Theatre's production of The
','
at Frege Salon, and can be
contacted via e-mail at
<dawngivans@aol.com>.
.
Lake, Minn.-a
daughter,
Meikiina
Dorothy
DanDan,
adopted from Hangzhou, China,
in May 2002. Kristin is an
accountant for Cargill, Inc.
January. Dawn is a hair colorist
lnM emorrem
I
Ann (Kveen) Sveom'36,
Minneapolis, died in February; she
was 87. She was preceded
in death
by her husband, the Rev Freeman
O. Sveom'34. She is survived by
her daughter, Karen (Sveom)
Andrews'69; her son, the Rev.
$tephen Sveom'76; and five
grandchildren.
Lloyd E. Raymond'38,
Burnsville, Minn., died in March;
he was 88. He was a retired
teacher and coach, and also coowned and operated aJohn
Deere dealership for 25 years. He
is survived by his wife, Evelyn;
son, Lloyd E. "Butch" '63;
daughter, Marcia (Raymond)
Berkowitz'73; six grandchildren;
and five great-grandchildren.
served in San Bruno, Calif.
Kenneth G. Robbins '50, Coon
The Rev. Harold l. Nelson'43,
Edina, Minn., died in April; he
Rapids, Minn., died in November
of A.L.S.; hewas74. A veteran o[
the Korean War, he taught for 32
years, and also owned an auto glass
business in San Diego, Calif., for
22 years. He is survived by his
wife, Beverly; three children; and
one grandson.
was 92. He worked as a farm
hand until he was 25, and later
served Trinit¡ Lesje, Turtle
Mountain, and Bethesda
Lutheran churches in Souris,
N.Dak., and Tiinity Lutheran
Church in Ottawa, I11. He served
as a mission developer for both
St. Mark Lutheran Church
in
Lindenhurst, Ill., and Peace
Lutheran Church in Morris, IlÌ.
Post retirement work included
visitation and interim ministry.
He is survived by his wife of 60
years, Helen; four children; ll
grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren.
The Rev. KarlW. Berg'40,
Norman H. Hermstad'47,
Tacoma, Wash., died in December;
he was 86. A retired minister, he
was a missionary inJapan, a
chaplain at the VA Medical Center
in American l-ake, Wash., and also
Novato, Calif., died in February He
was a retired teacher, and is
survived by his wife, Anne, and
Summer 2003
tvvo sons, Steven and Bruce.
The Rev. Milford C. Parkhurst
'54, Tiempealeau, Wis., died in
February; he was 70. He was a
retired pastor, serving
congregations in North Dakota and
Wisconsin. He worked tirelessly in
writing the constitution for the
new l-a Crosse area slmod of the
ELCA and served as s1'nod dean as
well as in other capacities. He is
survived by his wife, Donna; four
children; and four grandchildren.
Lynn E. Erickson '55, Walhalla,
N.Dak., died in Februar/; he was
69. He was an attomey in
langdon, N.Dak.; an assistant
attomey general for North Dakota;
chiefjudge of the tribal court for
Sunding Rock Sioux Nation in
Fort Yates, N.Dak.; a supervisory
contract specialist and contracting
officer for the Department of
Delense at the Grand Forks,
N.Dak., Air Force Base; and a
North Dakota state attomey for
Cavalier County He is survived by
his wife, Delma; three daughters;
and four gandchildren.
The Rev. Frank Schmeling'90,
Buffalo, Minn, died inJanuary
from complicatiors following a car
accident; he was 43. He was a
welder and mechanic until 1985,
when he was seriously injured in
an industrial accident. Shortly
thereafter, he began his college
education, and was ordained in
February 1999. He served parishes
in South Haven, Kingston, and
Cokato until health problems
prevented him from his pastoral
duties in 2001. He is survived by
his wife, LuAnn.
4ucs¡unc ruow
23
I
A
o
O
¡-
I I
o
I
'Behind every new person you meet, there is
a S(êa Of facest
ollow ing is the C ommencement
ceremony sp eech presented by Christin
R. Crabtree , Weehend College Class of 2003
representatíve.
F
The first Weekend College course I
attended at Augsburg was in 1988. I had
ridden in a car for four hours from
Brookings, South Dakota, and I was
thrilled to be at college. I was 7 years old.
My mother is a graduate of Augsburg
Weekend College, where she obtained her
elementary teaching license. I am honored
to follow in my mother's footsteps, as a
graduate with a degree in history and a
secondary education teaching license.
Augsburg has been a force of change
and growth for our family My mother has
a job working in a charter school that she
loves. My sister was able to begin college
here at age 17, leaving herjunior year ol
high school to become a freshman at
Augsburg majoring in social work. There
have been countless times that my 3-yearold son, Jacob, has attended psychology
classes here, with my fiancé, Adam. He
has met every history professor in the
departmentl
A wise woman I know told me once,
"Behind every new person you meet, there
is a sea of faces." This truth is one I carry
with me daily I may never even know the
people whose lives I affect through my
actions. Because of this truth, I must carry
with me into life the ideals of love and
tolerance for all people. I must be honest,
possess integrity, and above all maintain
spiritual health. ln living up to my ideals,
my time on earth will result in positive
relations with those who surround me.
When Don Warren founded the
StepUP program, I am sure he knew his
actions would help hundreds of youth and
their families. However, the ripple effect of
the founding of StepUP reaches far
beyond these students and their families;
StepUP serves as a catalyst for change
across the country through the fine
example being set for other colleges. The
24
,4UCSBURC ruOW
by chrisrin R. crabrree'03
example of Augsburg sets
a
precedent of success and
service for universities
around the nation-through
its Weekend College, the
CLASS program, and through
StepUP
As graduates of
Augsburg, we all have the
opportunity to have a ripple
effect upon the world we
occup)¿ We have been given
the gift of finding a vocation,
a chance to work in a field
where we find meaning, and
where we can use gifts given
to us by God. We can
Christin R. Crabtree ,03, seated with her fiancé, Adam
McWethy'03, and her son, Jacob, is surrounded by her
family, who gathered at Augsburg for Commencement
positively affect our
.o-*,,,'iti., through
ffi:1,ï"i":,'ffiiï"ifliiìil! i.îi:"ff;'ï'"31n'311n"
simple acts of smiling at our
ceremony May 4.
neighbors, voting at every
experience, and I had lost faith in myself
election, and advocating for ouI future
and in God.
generations, our children.
At Augsburg, my professors helped
I want to take this opportunity to
me to reach beyond what I ever thought I
thank the Augsburg community for the
could achieve. Because of the existence of
effect you have had upon my life. My
Weekend College, I was able to work full
experiences at this institution have
time to support my son while maintaining
inspired me, and changed me. To see
my enrollment in college.
faculty and staff believe in students and
You have brightened my future and
the one-to-one interaction that occurs is
that of my son. My faith in God, and in
amazing. \üy'atching young, recovering,
the inherent goodness of humanity, has
chemically dependent students enter
developed here. My dreams for the future
college and graduate with honors is a gift.
seem real now; there was a time it
Witnessing McNair Scholars
achieving goals beyond what they thought seemed I may never graduate from high
school, and I stand here today, speaking
possible is an honor to observe. To see a
blind man attend class with his seeing-eye at my college commencement. My goal
for the future is to advocate for those
dog, never losing his positive attitude or
with no voice, and to always give back to
his dream, is a memory that will stay with
the world around me, be that through
me forever. As for me, I have been given
teaching, public service, or some othel
the gift of a drive to succeed above all
avenue. Through faith anything is
obstacles. Know that these effects upon
possible, and the people we touch along
me inspire me to be a positive force in the
the way are the largest gifts of all. You
world around me.
may never know the sea of faces existing
When I first came to Augsburg, I had
behind the lives you touch. Thank you,
little study skills, nor did I have the faith
Augsburg, for the effect you have had in
that I could succeed. As a youth, I had
my life, upon the people I love, and the
been though turbulence and trials that
sea of faces beyond each of them.
have
eveï
to
not
should
children
the
Summer 2003
)
tl
O
¡¡
ll
O
I I
o
AUGGIE TRADITIONS
September 3o-October 5, 2003
Tuesday, September
christensen
n
a
m
30
symposium
-Locarion
rBA
Men's soccer vs. university or
Thomas
7:30 p.m.-Edor Nelson Field
st.
1
Luncheon
Town 6¡ Counrry Club, St. Paul
l0 a.m.- Craft Sale
1 I :40 a.m.-Annual Business Meeting
Noon-LuncheonÆrogram
Augsburg Ethnic Programs Celebration
:4
5
p.
[iíJ;i;"tääil
Friday, October 3
Augsburg Associates Annual Fall
:30-6
Fame
Banquet
ZÍ.ÎJ;k"-:'.'f,J"-
Wednesday, October
5
Athletic Hallof
m.-Christensen Center
Scholastic Connections Social & Dinner
7-B 30 p.m.-Christensen Center
:
Volleyballvs. St. Olaf College
7:30 p.m.-Melby Gymnasium
Class
of 1943 Reunion Breakfast
Picnic in the Park
11 a.m.-l p.m.-Murphy Park
9 a.m.-Christensen Center
of 1993 Tailgating Party & Reunion
a.m.-l p.m.-Class of 1993 tent,
Class
Class
of 1953 Registration & Continental
11
Breakfast
9 a.m.-Foss Center
across Murphy Park between Urness 6¡
Homecoming Chapel & Community Time
I 0:20 a.m.-Hoversten Chapel
Augsburg Women's Story Archive
Noon-3 p.m.-Christensen Center
of 1953 Luncheon
I I:30 a.m.-Chirstensen Center
Football Game vs. Carleton College
Book Signing/Authors from the Class of
Class of 1993 Post-Game Party
Upstairs at Grandma's after the game
Class
1953
Christensen
I p.m.-Edor
Nelson Field
2 p.m.-Christensen Center
Thursday, Octob er 2
2 p.m.-Gather in Christensen Center
English Dept. Alumni/ae Wine & Cheese
Reading & Reunion
4-5:30 p.m.-Lindell Library, Room 301
Seventh Annual M. Anita Gay
Hawthorne Jazz & Poetry Bash
Trash & Treasure/Augsburg
Alumni Soccer Game
Underground
4:30 p.m.-Edor Nelson Field
Campus Tour
5-7 p.m.-Foss Center
lnternational Student Alumni Gathering
'4:30-6 p.m.-Christensen Center
wÆrofessor Emeritus Philip Thompson
3 p.m.-Location TBA
Variety/Talent Show:'Auggie ldol'
7 p.m.-Foss Center
Homecoming Social, Dinner, & Reunion
4:30-5:30 p.m., Social Hour-Christensen
Center
5 :30 p.m., Dinner-Christensen Center
7:30 p.m., Reunion parties-Locations TBA
Saturday, October 4
Science Alumni Gathering
9-1 I :30 a.m.-Location TBA
Social Work Alumni Network (SWAN)
Event
10 a.m.-noon-Christensen Center
Registration & Refreshments
l0 a.m.-4 p.m.-Christensen Center
Campus Tour
11 a.m.-Gather Ìn Christensen Cenrer
Women's Soccer Game vs. St. Catherine's
7:30 p.m.-Edor Nelson Fj.eld
Sunday, October 5
Worship Service
I
I a.m.-Hoversten Chapel
Heritage Society Recognition Brunch
I I a.m., Worship Service-Hoversten
Chapel
Noon, Brunch-Christensen Center
This is a preliminary calendar and is subject to change; please wøtch for your full Homecoming eyent brochure-ilue in mailboxes later this summer.
'"
È
*T
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Send us your news
and photos!
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ìtc
rb(ìttl
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to sencl photos!
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lcr¡urccl, c.g. rn obitr-tary, fr,rncral
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Your news:
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A
UGSBURG
COLLEGE
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Minneapolis, MN 55454
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PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No.2031
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I
L
ast year, Augsburg established
a
college-wide program dedicated to
fulfilling its mission of "education for
service" and making the Christian
concep... Show more
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From the editor
I
L
ast year, Augsburg established
a
college-wide program dedicated to
fulfilling its mission of "education for
service" and making the Christian
concept of vocation a vital part of its
classrooms and co-curricular activities.
Minneapolis illustrates how nursing
students learn that healing can begin
with the gift of a smile or a
compassionate, listening ear.
The Kleven family's gift of an
endowed scholarship honors Dorothy
"True vocation joins self and service ... as'the place where
your deep gladness meets the world's deep need."'
J. Palmen author of leú Your Life Speak (Jossey-Bass, 2000),
-Parker
and upcoming guest speaker (see calendar on back cover)
This program, Exploring Our Gifts, was
funded by a grant from the Lilly
Endowment, and encourages the
Augsburg community to look at the "big
picture" and think about where our gifts
intersect with faith and service.
Indeed, exploring our gifts is about
much more than just choosing the right
major or finding a "fit" in a job.
Ultimatel¡ we can discover and share
our gifts-ou¡ y6ç¿1is¡-in many
different ways.
Our story on page 10 about the
Augsburg Central Nursing Center at
Central Lutheran Church in downtown
Lijsing Kleven '47 , who spent her life
sharing her passion for choral music
(page 8). This annual President's
Scholarship, the first one to provide full
tuition, fees, room and board, will enable
future students to nurture their talents
for choral music.
In Februar¡ Augsburg celebrated the
success of Devean George '99, who
returned to campus for ceremonies
that officially retired his Augsburg
No. 40 basketball jersey (page 7).
George, a member of the NBA
world champion Los Angeles
Lakers, recently shared a gift with
his hometown community, and
sponsored eight children from the "Why
Can't I Go?" program for special
education students in Minneapolis and
flew them to a game in Los Angeles.
Finally, on page 12, our feature story
introduces the Lilly-funded Exploring
Our Gifts program, sharing the many and
varied ways the grant has allowed the
Augsburg community to tackle some of
Iife's big questions: What are my gifts?
Why am I here? What ought I to do with,
my life? Where are my gifts and talents
most needed?
/1,* ll"^^
Lynn Mena
Assistant Editor
o
c'
Orono Elementary School students sang songs based on the international peace efforts by
Nobel Laureate Kofi Annan. with African drums to honor his heritage, during the Eighth
Annual Nobel Peace Prize Festival.
Students from Gatewood Elementary School paused
at the base of the huge, inflatable globe that
welcomed visitors to the Peace Prize Festival.
o
EI
ù'
Augsburg Now is publishecì
quarterl¡' b1'
Oflice of Public Relatior.rs ancl
Communicatior.r
2211 Riverside Åve.
ìvlinneapohs, ì\4N 5545+
6t 2,330-1 181
nos'@augsburg.edu
AI¿GSBI;RG
Now
Vol. 65, No.
Spring 2003
3
Features
Editor
Betsey Norgarcl
Assistant Editor
Lynn lvlena
1 O i"",ï#lIlT""*;Ji*n'
by Judy Petree
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rurnpza
CIass Notes Coordinator
Sara Karnl.rolz
r
At the Augsburg Central Nursing Center, nursing stuclents
learn that healÌng sornetimes can begin with a listening ear
ancl a smile as well as wlth a pil1.
:''
\=l
Contributing Photographer
Stephen Gef[r-e
President
\\¡illiam
\i
Frarnc
Director of Alumni and
Parent Relations
Ar.r.r¡'Sutton
8
Director of Public Relations
and Communication
First endowed President's
Scholarship honors
Dan Jorgensen
Dorothy Lijsing Kleven'47
Opinions expressecl in Augsburg
Now clo not necessarill'reflect
by Dan Jorgensen
official College polìcyr
rssN 1058-15.15
Sencl address corrections to:
Ach'ancement Sen'ices
Ar-rgsburg College, CB I42
221 I Riverside Ave.
ìr4inr-reapolis, ì\'{N 5 5454
6t 2-330- I 687
nori'@angsburg.eclu
Augsburg College, as alJirnrcd
in ifs rníssion, does not
å.iscrínúnate on the basis oJ rcrce,
colot', creed, religiotr, nntíonal or
etlnríc origitt, age, gender, sexual
orientation, mcrìt4l str¡fus, stdtus
with regard to publíc assístance,
or disability ín íts eclucatíott
policies, a¿lrnissions policies,
sclnlarship and loan program1
atlúe tíc an dl o r sclto oI
adminístered pïogranß, except
í,1 lhosc insfr¡nccs rvfierc rclígiorr
ís a bona Jicle occupational
qualif
í
catío n. Au gsbu rg C oll e ge
is conmútted to provicling
re aso nable acco mtno datí ons to
ifs clrrployecs nnd its students.
12
Exploring Our Gifts: Reconnecting faith, life, and vocation
by Lynn Mena With the help ol a granr from the Lilly Endowment, Augsburg students,
faculty, and stalf are engagecl in finding ways to unclerstand how their
lives, work, ancl caleers car-r be guided by a sense of inner calling.
Departments
2
Around the Quad
4
Faculty/Staff Notes
7
Sports
19
20
28
Alumni News
inside
back
cover
Calendar
Class Notes
Auggie Thor,rghts
On the cover:
Harbo Mcclitation Chttpt:) in
Cfirisicnscn Ct:ntcr, grttct:d with th¿
bt:atrLy and warnúh o.[ thc stautctl
glass " hrccr r t'tctti.on " b_y Arrgusf
www.augsburg.edu
M.r/,/. r: o//, rs rr t¡ltit
50 ltcrccnL lec,yclcr/ pa¡tcr (10 pcrc(:t1t
posL-con sLrnrt:r r,va.slc)
l
¡rf¡¡¡ c./p¡'
reflt:ctiott in thc heat t of thc
can'tpLts. Photo bv Erih Stt:nbcthl¿cn
A20 0 0 S tt nb althcn/ stcnb thhut. cont
I
A
O
I
o
I
ln Brief
Augsburg has announced plans to open
a charter high school in 2004 focused on
health careers. As part of the "Faith in the
City" collaboration with five other Twin
Cities Lutheran-based organizations, the
Augsburg Academy for Health Careers will
be funded through start-up grants from
the Gates Foundation.
Augsburg will administer the school
and provide courses and tutors, while the
other groups will add acrivities relating to
their expertise. For instance, FairviewUniversity Hospital will match students
with mentors and provide internships.
The new academy hopes to attract
students from urban, underserved areas to
pursue careers in health caÍe to address
workforce shortages and to better serve the
Twin Cities populat ions.
Faith in the City also includes
Fairview Health Services, Centrai Lutheran
Church, Lutheran Social Services, Luther
Seminar¡ and Thrivent Financial for
college honors programs.
Created by Honors Program director
(a
o
Larry Crockett, the Honors
Program pages acquaint
viewers and inform
prospectÌve students about
curriculum and seminars, as
à
L
U
well
as the fall and spring
Monday Fon¡m series, open to
the public.
Readers can access the
online journal, Ah-zine, and
the annual Honors Revíew,
featuring outstanding student
writing selected and edited by
Honors Program students.
To see the Honors
Program page, go to
<www. augsburg. edu/honors>.
to R) StepUP program director Patrice Salmeri, StepUP
student Katie Moore, and Rick Francis listened to testimony
by U,S. Rep, Jim Ramstad criticizing Christian Dior's
advertising campaign.
(L
Augsburg has received two grants from
the lmproving Teacher Quality program
for teachers to participate in Gourses
this summer at Augsburg. Part of the
No Child Left Behind Act, the grants are:
.
Lutherans.
Augsburg's Honors Program Web page,
"honors.org", is rated by search engine
Google as the number one page among
I
¡¡
.
Thirty education paraprofessionals in
the MinneapolÌs, St. Paul, and Roseville
school districLs wilì participate in a twoweek intensive summer course with
additional follow-up in mathematics
content and teaching techniques.
Twenty-five middle and high school
social studies teachers from Minneapolis
Public Schools will attend the summer
Paideia lnstitute, JuIy 2I-25.
StepUP students testify at
state legislature
StepUP director Patrice Salmeri and two
students from Augsburg attended a special
hearing at the Minnesota House of
Representatives as part of a worldwide
protest against the advertising campaign of
cosmetic giant Christian Dior for their new
perfume, "Addict." The edgy ads used
images and language that seemed to glorify
addition.
Junior Katie Moore read from a paper
she had written for a class on the campaign
U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad presented testimony
both in Minnesota and the U.S. Congress.
In response to the protests, the Dior
company revised the ad scripts and
changed the name to "Dior Addict."
o
o
Augsburg3 chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national
leadership honor society for cotlege students, faculty, and
staff, initiated eight new members at its meet¡ng in February.
Prof. Lori Lohman, faculty adviser, and Colleen Junnila, faculty
secretary have reactivated Augsburg3 ODK chapter, which
was chartered in 1987 but has been inactive for the past
several years,
to R) Prof. Keith Gilsdorf, economirs; Colleen Junnila, ODK
secretary; Erika Benson; Jennife¡ Holm, president Jana Skrien;
T.J. Bramwell, treasurer; Sarah Haberkorn; Heather Wessling,
vice presidenü lindsay Ruliffson; Norm Okerstrom '85,
Development Office; and Prof. Lori Lohman, business
administration and faculty adviser.
(L
2
,+UGSBURG NOW
Spring 2003
I
Speech team novices are
top-notch in tournaments
o
I ugsburg's speech
!{t.utrl novices
s.
à
surprised their coach,
and even themselves, as
they carried home a fifth
place sweepstakes award
in the largest and most
L
Junior Victor
Acosta wins
Goldwater
Scholarship
Õ
=
U
lunior
Jphyslcs
major Victor
Acosta is one
of 300
competitive division at
the 2lst Annual Novice
National Speech
Tournament, held Feb.
28-March 3. They
competed in I I
recognized events and
categories
against hundreds of
students fiom teams
across the country.
two debate
students
nationwide in
Back row (L to R): Dan Sweet, Kirstin Kuchler, Becky Tellin, Nick
Carpenter, Kyle Loven, Ryan Sobolik, Coach Bob Groven (Front
row): Heather Nystrom, Gretchen Hemmingsen, Crystal Harles,
Robert Jones
finish in Impromptu Speaking.
"This award represents a
breakthrough for the team," said
Robert
Groven, coach and speech professor. "We
had assumed that competing in Division
One would prevent us from winning a
sweepstakes award, but the team's
performance exceeded my expectations."
Freshman Kyle Loven took top
honors with a second place in
Informative Speaking and a semifinal
The team had also competed well in
local and state tournaments. At the
Minnesota College Forensic Association
state tournament they garnered a third
place sweepstakes award.
Freshman Heather Nystrom placed
sixth at thls tournament in Informative
speaking as she used her own experience
with diabetes to speak about a new
tïeatment to help orhers.
Successfu I'Connect¡ons'
/Fonnections: A Women's
LLeadership Event,"
sponsored by Augsburg and
Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans, brought together
130 students, alumni, faculty,
and staff to discuss issues of
financial freedom, vocation,
and life balance.
Speakers included
to R) Kathi A. Tunheim, Pamela Moksnes'79, Shelby
Gimse Andress '56, Andry Andriambololona Jurcich '98,
Anne Frame, and Connie Evingson'76.
(L
Andress'56, training and
development consultant Kathi
A. Tunheim, vocalist Connie Evingson'76,
Spring 2003
Victor Acosta
win
a
prestigious
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for
2003-0+. The scholarship covers costs of
tuition, fees, books, and room and board
up to $7,500.
Acosta, a native of New York City, is
in the
StepUP program, where he is chair of
a McNair Scholar and active
the governing board.
For the past two years, Acosta has
carried out independent and team
research on thin magnetic films in the
solid state physics lab with Prof.
Ambrose Wolf. He worked on a summer
internship at the U.S. Department of
Energy's Stanford Linear Accelerator
Center last year; this summer he will be
at University of California-Berkeley
working on condensed matter and
atomic physics contributions to
quantum computation.
Acosta is the fifth Augsburg
Goldwater Scholar in the past seven
years and is one of eight recipients from
Minnesota colleges and universities. The
scholarship winners are selected by the
Thrivent's Lutheran
Community Services manager
Pamela Moksnes'79,
consultant l. Shelby Gimse
the fields of
mathematics,
science, and
engineering to
and The Augsburg Fund assistant director
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and
Excellence in Education Foundation
from nearly 1,100 nominees by college
and university faculties. Goldwater
Scholarships are considered the premier
undergraduate awards in these fields of
science and math.
Andry Andriambololona Jurcich'98.
,4ucsnunc
ruow
3
E¡tt*t+wrytlrflllst¡tm
Margaret Anderson and Adrienne
A coral reef aq uanum for
neighborhood kids
Kaufmann, Center for Global Education,
presented "Crossing Borders, Challenging
Boundaries" at the ELCAb Global Mission
event in Minneapolis last summer.
tlack in 1999. when biology
a
o
Lapman
Orv Gingerich, international programs,
set up the two coral reef
h,
and Michael O'Neal, sociolog¡ presented
"Developing a Global Perspective through
Faculty Development" at the Association
of Lutheran College Faculty in October.
Gingerich also co-presented
"Transformative Learning and Critical
Pedagogy: A Collaborative Workshop
Approach to Theory-Building for Study
Abroad" at the annual conference of the
Council for International Educational
Exchange (CIEE), in Atlanta in October.
aquaria in the biology
department, he probably had
no idea where this project
Þpror.rro, wlrram
Jeanine Gregoire, education and NASA
Space Grant program, presented "Make and
Take Space Science Activities for the K-6
Curriculum" at the 2003 Space Science
Across the Curriculum Conference at the
Science Museum of Minnesota in March.
She also presented "Girls Solving Real
Life Problems Using Science Technolog¡r
and Math" at the National Science Têacher
Association Conference.
Stella Koutroumanes Hofrenning,
economics, presented "Greek Orthodox
Perspectives on Economics," at Baylor
University's Lilly-funded conference on
Christianity and economics in November.
She also teaches modem Greek
language to school-aged children at St.
George Greek Orthodox Church in St. Paul.
Thirty students and staff from residence life
attended the Area Twin Cities College
Housing Association (ATCCHA) conference
in February Nancy Holmblad, residence
life, presented a workshop, "The Augsburg
Challenge: Getting First-year Studens
Involved." Christine Olstad, residence life,
and StepUP students Torin Kelly and
Mitch Lyle presented about campus
drinking and drug use. Studens Amy
Jones and Bekah Cahill presented a
workshop on ice breakers and teambuilders.
s,
ra
would lead.
One direction
it led was
right into the neighborhood,
to the Seward Montessori
School, where he has worked
with staff to build aquaria for
their science classrooms. The
first project was a small, lowbudget tank furnished with
spare parts from Augsburg's
Biology professor Bill Capman helped build a coral reef
aquarium at the Seward Montessori School, with its
biology department.
colorful habitat of corals, marine plants, and fish.
Over the pastyeaÍ,
however, he has helped
Capman was able to supplement their
construct and populate a reef system
grant funds with donations of both
containing live corals in a much larger
money and livestock from Augsburg and
70-gallon, four-foot long tank.
other reefkeepers to outfit the school's
"We had our share of problems for a
system.
while-the water was pea soup green
In March Capman led a day-long
with algae lor six months before we
workshop at Augsburg on marine aquaria
figured out what the problem was," said
for grammar school, middle school, and
Capman, "but we did a'transfusion' of
high school teachers. Six teachers
sorts from our tanks at Augsburg ... and
attended, with one bringing a student
we fixed a problem with their water
along, and received continuing education
purifier." Since last fall, he said, the tank
credit for their participation. Among
has been "beautiful and healthy."
attendees was John Roper-Batker from
The Web site that Capman created
Seward Montessori, who spoke about his
for the biology department's aquaria has
use of the new aquarium in teaching
attracted attention from an active
middle school science.
community of reefkeepers who share
To see more about Augsburg's
their knowledge and ideas, as well as
aquarium, go to <www.augsburg.edu/
offer materials and funding where
biology>.
needed. For Seward Montessori School,
Looking closely at Shakespeare
nglish professor Doug Green joined
Lejeune Lockett, Center for Global
Education-Mexico, presented a poster
session "Black Mexicans? A Non-traditional
Cultural Perspective in Mexico" at CIEE.
Continued on p.6
4
.4UGSBURG NOW
E teachers and researchers from
across
the country at the annual meeting of the
Shakespeare Association of America in
April.
There, he participated in a workshop
to examine small portions of texts in
Shakespeare's plays, not for understanding
of the play, but for the language itself, in
isolation from the play's meaning.
The workshop was led by Professor
Stephen Booth, a Shakespearean sonnet
expert from University of CaliforniaBerkeley
Spring 2003
Learning to read the numbers
rFwo
I
vears aso. business administration
proí.rro, rtÏ¡to s.t i.t¿ received
a
a
s.
S
a
$500,000 grant from the \ùlM. Keck
Foundation to develop statistical literacy
as an interdisciplinary curriculum in the
E
s
O
liberal arts.
In terms of student learning,
becoming statistically literate means
gaining understanding of the use of
statistics as evidence in an argument. In an
age of numbers and technical information,
it means helping students to develop a
comfort level in the use of statistics in
much the same way they become
comlortable using words.
As part of the Keck grant, Joel Best,
author oï DamnedLíes and S¿a¿isúícs visited
Augsburg in November to meet with
faculty and students in several
departments and give an invited talk.
Students reported that while Best's
book takes a somewhat cynical look at the
use of statistics, it helped them become
Business professor Milo Schield (left) hosted the visit of author and statistician Joel Best as part
of the Keck Stat¡stical Literacy grant. Best lectured in classes on the need to th¡nk critically about
numbers and statistics.
more aware of what they read.
"Within 24 hours of reading the book,
I found myself questioning statistics being
thrown around by the current crop of
lpolitical] candidates," said student Jim
Humbert.
Schield is collaborating with faculty in
several departments to develop teaching
materials to include a greater focus in the
statistics curriculum on reading and
interpreting data.
Schield has also collaborated with the
Royal Statistical Centre for Statistical
Education at the University of
Nottingham-Tient. Peter Holmes, a senior
researcher there, visited Augsburg in late
March to review Augsburg's curriculum.
NfornWOnil'
Sally Daniels '79, undergraduate
admissions, is president-elect of the
Minnesota Association for College
Admission Counseling (MACAC).
Mark Engebretson, physics, served on the
Decadal Survey of Solar and Space Physics,
an l8-month planning effort of the National
Academy of Science. He was vice chair of the
Panel on Education and Society, which
prioritized scientific and education effors in
U.S. solar and space physics research for the
decade 2003 through 2013.
He was invited to present. a paper at the
NASA Earth Science Institute at the Science
Museum of Minnesota in November.
With Augsburg students, including
Jesse Woodroffe'03 and Jeremiah Knabe'04,
he made presentations at the fall meeting of
the American Geophysical Union in San
Francisco.
Engebreson also had papers published
Series of the
American Geophysical Union and the
Journal of Geophysical Research.
in the Geophysical Monograph
members of the Minneapolis school board.
He was also quoted in an article about
state legislative initiatives in education in the
Dec. 4 issue of EducationWeeh.
Garry Hesser, sociolog¡ received the2OO2
Distinguished Sociologist Award from the
Sociologists of Minnesota, at the association's
fall meeting in St. Cloud.
He presented "Rebuilding communities:
A Comparison Between the Annie E. Casey
Rebuilding Communities Initiative and the
Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization
Program" at the Urban Affairs Association, in
Cleveland in March.
He also served as a retreat leader at
"Worthy Questions," at the College of
Wooster in January, and served as an
evaluator for service-learning and urban
studies programs aÍ, Aztza Pacific University
and Messiah College in February.
Norm Okerstrom '85, development,
coordinates the Lutheran College Advocates
and serves as the council president at Peace
Luthe¡an Church in Pl).rynouth.
Joseph Erickson, education, was elected
to a four-year term as one of the seven
Spring 2003
Timothy Pippert,
sociology, was named
president-elect of the Sociologiss of
Minnesota at their fall meeting in St. Cloud.
Glenda Dewberry Rooney, social work,
was re-appointed to the Association of
Social Work Boards (ASWB) Examination
Committee, which reviews, edits, and
approves questions for the social work
licensing examination used in 48 states.
John Shockley, political science,
participated in a national study funded by
Pew Charitable Trusts that examined I5
close Congressional ¡aces. He analyzed how
Minnesota's Second District race between
Bill Luther andJohn Kline was covered
poorly by media.
Jim Trelstad-Porter, international student
advising, passed both phases of the Spanish
Interpreter Proficiency Exam and is now a
Minnesota certified court interpreter.
The travel seminar that he led in 2001,
"Cultural Immersion at Tirrtle Mountain
Indian Reservation," was selected for
inclusion in the 2003 model program list by
NAFSA: Association of Intemational
Educators.
,4ucssunc
n¡ow
5
Faculty/Staff Notes
Taf*Tilrff{ùf{JFilFrílÐ
Steven LaFave, business administration,
presented "The Effect ofEuro Conversion
on Price Stability in the French Economy:
A Market Basket Study" at the annual
meeting of the Midwest Academy of
International Business in March. It was
nominated for a manuscript award.
Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Center for
Global Education-Mexico, presented a
workshop, "So You Want to Change the
World? Educating for Responsible Global
Citizenship" for the National Society for
Experiential Education in l-as Vegas.
Kathryn Swanson, English,
presented
"Now I Become Myself: Power and Peace
in Aging Sleuths," at the Popular Culture
Conference in New Orleans in April.
She completed two site accreditation
visits this year for the Higher Learning
Commission and was elected to serve on
their review board. With Norma Noonan,
political science, she presented "Lessons
Learned from Years of Reviewing SelfStudy Reports: Advice on Writing and
Editing the Self-Study" at the Higher
Learning Commission's annual meeting.
Doug Green, English, published an
on Shakespeare and film in R¿el
essay
Shahespeare (2002), and a scholarly
review in Shahespeare Bulletin of the
Guthrie's production of A Comedy of
Errors.
He also presented "Desperately
Seeking Desdemona: Ideologies of
Gender in Shakespearean Tragedy" at
the Renaissance Society of America
meeting in Toronto in March.
Bruce Reichenbach, philosophy, coauthored the third edition oÏ Reason and
Religious Belief (Oxlord University Press),
an introductory text in the philosophy of
religion.
He also published "Genesis I as a
Theological-Political Narrative of
Kingdom Establishment" in the Bulletin of
Biblical Research, 2003.
From card catalogs to art
catalogs
Flill Wittenbreer. reference librarian at
Þ,-r'oa,, Lr'rary, worKs atl clay wrtn
words, but it's visual images that occupy
much of his free time-especially
Minnesota landscapes.
Wittenbreer is co-curator o[ the
current exhibit at the Minnesota
Museum of American Art, "An Artist's
Paradise: Minnesota Landscapes 1840-
l9+0." This exhibit, for which he
researched and located works, contains
some images painted by visìting artists
seeking the "exotic" on the mid-l9th
century northern plains, as well as
commissioned works portraying the
growing prosperity of Minnesota's
cultural centers.
This is Wittenbreer's first adventure
in Midwest
histor¡ culture, and politics for many
years was focused in literature, perusing
old diaries and items of literary historical
interest. About a decade ago, however, at
the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, he saw
an exhibit about art and life of the Upper
as an art curator. His interest
Mississippi, and began appreciating and
seeking Minnesota landscapes, especially
those depicting Minnehaha Falls.
He was drawn to works at the
Minnesota Museum of American Art in
St. Paul, and became a volunteer in the
library and a docent, and more recently
technology project published two
monographs with JDL Technologies:
Nowhere in Technology: All Children Left
Behind and Talhin' Tall: Voices for
Millennium Teachers.
Fìrofessor Amin Kader was honored
l'vu..h
11 by the Department
of
on
in
serving
for 16 years as the department's first
chair. ln his honor and to his surprise,
an Amin E. Kader Business Scholarship
Business Administration for his role
was established by his faculty colleagues,
friends, and alumni.
Department of Business
Administration chairJohn Cerrito
6
,+UGSBURG NOW
has worked with the museum's curator,
who invited him to collaborate on the
current exhibit.
He began this project by considering
attitudes held by Minnesotans toward
their landscape over a century, and how
national trends played into the state's
artistic history. He sought to discover
how deep and how strong the influences
were-in other words, how they played
out here, he said. He then researched
catalogs and vendors to find works for
the exhibit.
His own collection includes seven or
eight images of Minnehaha Falls, from a
small, romantic Currier and Ives print to
a more contemporary wood block print.
The exhibit runs through June 22.
Professor Amin Kader honored
by his department
founding the department and in
The Augsburg PT3 education
Reference librarian Bill Wittenbreer cocurated an exhibit on Minnesota landscapes
spoke
about the significant role Kader played in
building the foundation and leaáing the
growth of the department over the past
two decades, and of the atmosphere of
respect and dignity that he fostered
among faculty and students.
Kader's leadership as chair, followed
by that of Milo Schield and John Cerrito,
has helped the department grow to be
the largest major at Augsburg College,
currently with 716 majors.
Spring 2003
Auggies place second at NCAA nationals
byDonstoner
a
o
ven though Augsburg's wrestling
E team accomplished nearly all the
s.
E
goals they set for the NCAA Division III
wrestling national championships, they
ended up with a second-place trophy,
breaking their three-year string of
national titles.
Augsburg nearly finished with more
team points (84.5) than its 2001-02
championship performance (87). They
finished with six All-Americans and one
individual national champion, matching
last year's total. And it took a recordsetting performance by Wartburg
(Iowa), with 166.5 points and 10 AllAmericans, to break Augsburg's
stranglehold on the national
championship.
The Auggies continued their
dominance in small-college wrestling,
however, with the runner-up finish.
They have finished either first or second
nationally l2 times in the last 13 years,
winning eight titles, and have finished
in the top 20 every year since 1971.
The Auggies were paced by Marcus
The Auggie wrestlers' second-place finish this year was only three po¡nts shy of last year's
national title points as they were topped by record-setting Wartburg College in the NCAA
national championships,
an individual season unbeaten. He
With six All-Americans, it marked
15th
the
straight year that Augsburg has
had at least five wrestling All-Americans.
finished 44-0 to win the 157-pound
individual national championship.
Don Stoner is sports int'ormatron coordinator.
LeVesseur, who became only the second
wrestler in school history to go through
Augsburg ret¡res Devean George's jerseV o,Donstoner
D ;"ï,î".:,i: .:ii:Ti:i,lî
"r,.,uo
his Augsburg No. 40
to formally retire
'basketball jersey
George, a small forward with the
three-time NBA world champion Los
Angeles Lakers, was honored in public
6¿¡srn6¡is5-once for students, faculty,
and staff and also during Augsburg's men's
basketball game against Hamline.
"I want to thank the school for doing
this for me. This is real special for me and
I will always remember it," said George. "I
want to thank my family, my teammates,
and friends, for being there for me. My
success is because of them. I've had good
people around me."
George's family, friends, and former
teammates and coaches were a prominent
part of the celebration events. George,is
Spring 2003
s
the only player
from an NCAA
s
a
s
Division III
institution
currently in the
ts
NBA. His No.40
joined the No.
50 jersey of Dan
Anderson'65
the only two
as
numbers retired
any Augsburg
sports team.
by
During the
weekend,
Men's athletic director Paul Grauer (right) congratulates Los Angeles Laker
Devean George '99 as his Augsburg jersey was retired at a celebration in
February.
Augsburg also
unveiled a
banner to honor Lute Olson'56, men's
basketball coach at the University of
Arízona, who was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of
Fame in September.
Don Stoner
rs sports
ntformatron coordtnator
,4ucsnunc
ruow
7
Around the Quad
First endowed President's Scholarship honors
Dorothy L¡¡sing Klgvgn '47
byDanrorsensen
D;i:
:?,
:ËTf .i:î
;li,:
îti:î.
lb
O
:T
world, and in her memory her husband,
and her four children and spouses have
s
s
created Augsburg's first endowed
President's Scholarship to be given
annually to an entering student in
choral music.
On March 23 the Kleven family
members gathered with the family of the
first recipient of the award, Carl Gruhlke
of Kelley, lowa, to both honor Dorothy
and the student who received the award.
"My family and I are pleased to
present this first annual scholarship for
choral music," Said E. Milton Kleven'46
"It seems a fitting tribute to Dorothy
because, in addition to her family and
her Christian faith, choral music was
very important to her. From an early age
when her parents discovered that she had
beautiful talent, she took voice lessons
and was active and involved in church
and school choirs.
"While a student here at Augsburg in
the mid-40s, she was a member of the
Augsburg Choir, and throughout our 53
years of married life, while busy raising a
family, running a busy household, and
helping me run our flooring business,
Dot remained an active member of the
church choir."
Kleven said that over the years
Augsburg has never been far from his
thoughts. He also said he was pleased
that his children and their spouses joined
him in giving their emotional and
financial support to the scholarship
because they understand the importance
of maintaining Augsburg's strong musical
heritage and attracting talented students
to the College. Gruhlke displayed that
talent by performing two songs,
accompanied by his future choir director,
Peter Hendrickson'76, music professor
and director oI choral activities.
Joining with their father in funding
the endowment were Bruce and Maren
Kleven, David and Barbara Kleven, Zane
8
.,+UGSBURG NoW
Milton Kleven '46, with his sister and his four children and their spouses, have endowed a
President's Scholarship in choral music in the memory of his wife, Dorothy Lijsing Kleven '47. The
first recipient is entering freshman €arl Gruhlke. (L to R) Maren Kleven, lvadell Kleven Rice. Bruce
Kleven, Carl Gruhlke, Zane Birky, Milt Kleven '46, Philip Larson, Barbara Kleven Birky, David
Kleven, Barbara Kleven, and Diane Kleven Larson.
E.
and Barbara Kleven Birky, and Philip and
Diane Kleven Larson.
"It's our family's hope that the
recipients of this scholarship will find an
Augsburg College community where
their love and talent for choral music can
be nurtured and developed and bring
them to a lifetime of happiness," Kleven
said.
Sue Klaseus, vice president for
institutional advancement, both
welcomed the participants and spoke
about the prestige of the scholarship
itself. "The President's Scholarship is the
most prestigious and highly competitive
scholarship, recognizing the most
academically qualified freshmen entering
Augsburg College each year," she said.
"This particular scholarship sets a model
for future endowments that will help
build our reputation and recruit the kind
of talent that Carl Gruhlke represents."
While President's Scholarships have
been awarded annually since the fall of
1982, this is the first one to provide full
tuition, fees, room and board thanks to
the Kleven Endowment. Ninety students
competed for the award with five others
receiving the traditional scholarships
covering tuition and fees. Gruhlke, who
is a student at Ballard High School, plans
to major in youth and family ministry.
Hendrickson spoke about the
transformation that occurs when
students come to the College, noting that
he came to Augsburg to prepare for
medicine and left to live his life in choral
music. "This is a place where we want
you to be you," he said to Gruhlke, "and
if you can do that through choral music,
that's fabulous."
And Herald Johnson'68, assistant
vice president for enrollment and market
development, spoke about the impact
that scholarships make on the life of the
institution.
"Augsburg always has been an access
place," he said, "and gifts such as this
show an ongoing confidence in the
College and its mission. Fundamentall¡
it's a commitment to an individual
student, but it's also commit"ment" to
Augsburg College, what we stand for and
are trying to perpetuate into the future.
"When you endow something you
are creating something for posterit¡" he
said. "You've given us a wonderful
vehicle to carry things into the future."
Spring 2003
'1
I
I
A t¡me for celelcration and thanks
Ol,ï¿'"1,1"""*'
u
faculty, and staff
gathered on campus
to celebrate the
generosity of one
generation to
another. The annual
Scholarship Têa
brought together
students who have
received
scholarships and the
donors and their
families who have
made them possible.
Senior student
body president and
physics/math major
Brad Motl spoke
about the
È
President and Mrs. Frame hosted four of the President's Scholars at
(L to R) Jean Johnson '04, President Frame,
Alexis Johnson '05, Andrea Carlson '04, Anne Frame, and Adam
their table for conversation.
Nugent'03.
importance of
scholarships to his studies.
''Scholarship money is
important-it
I don't have to focus on working
to go to school here, but allows me to
means
focus on other things, such as my
research with Prof. Ambrose Wolf in
physics."
Motl's sister, Melissa, a freshman at
Augsburg, told donors that her
5
t)
È
scholarships allow her the time to
become involved in student activities and
campus ministry.
Junior music performance major
Jennifer Holm and donorJonathon Nye
were thrilled to meet each other. Hohn,
an oboeist, is the recipient of the Lois
Oberhammer Nye Scholarship that Nye
established in memory of his wife, who
was also an oboeist.
During the 2002-03 academic year,
over $750,000 was
available to fund 247
endowed
scholarships.
In additlon,
another $3.9 million
provided President's,
Regents', Tiansfer
Regents', and Legacy
Scholarships. This
aid, much of which
t
'{
Student body president Brad Motl '03 and his sister, Melissa, a
freshman. enjoy being at Augsburg together and spoke about how
their scholarships have allowed them to grow while here.
Spring 2003
by Betsey Norgard
comes from the
College's operating
budget, is especially
critical at a time when
state ând federal
funding for education
is facing considerable
reduction.
Senior Yvonne Andert Wilken '03, who is
studying with a Transfer Regents'
Scholarship, stops to chat with a donor.
Sue Klaseus, vice president for
institutional advancement,
acknowledged and expressed gratitude
for the growing support to The
Augsburg Fund, the College's annual
fund.
"We set some very aggressive annual
fund goals," she said. "The good news is
that in this difficult time and in this
economy we are achieving those goals,
and many of you in this room are
responsible for making that possible."
Development director John Knight
summarized the thoughts of many.
"Augsburg is not a building stuck in
the middle of Minneapolis. It's about all
the people who have attended here, who
have taught here, who have come to
campus ministry here, who have played
athletics here, who have donated here,
who have sent their children here-all
for different reasons, but the same place.
It's a remarkable place."
.Aucsnunc
ruow
g
w
the value
¡.
e, respec
byJudy Pát"""
È
t:
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT LOVE and compassion all day, but if you really want to
experience
it first hand, spend a few hours at the Augsburg Central Nursing Center
at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis. The Nursing Center, a
collaboration of Augsburg College, Central Lutheran Church, and the Urban
Communities of Minneapolis, offers people from the community of Minneapolis and
from the congregation of Central Lutheran Church an opportunity to meet with a
nurse, discuss their health concerns, and get linked to other resources if needed.
As an educational endeavor, the center offers nursing students unique
opportunities to learn about the needs and strengths of homeless people who are
often invisible in society and marginalized in health care.
The center, which recently celebrated its lOth anniversary, is based on a nursing
model, which teaches health promotion and helps people take control of their own
lives, rather than a medical model, which is focused on diseases and curing.
Professor emerita Bev Nilsson, retired chair of the Nursing Department and Rev Dr.
Bill Miller, retired associate pastor at Central Lutheran Church, worked closely in
establishing the center, but it wasn't an easy task
Above: At Augsburg Central Nursing Center at Central Lutheran Church. nursing students
learn that healing sometimes can begin with a listening ear and a smile as well as with a pill
Photo by Stephen Geffre.
10
,4ucs¡uRc ltow
The Beginning
In the early 1980s, nursing centers,
which are independent nursing
practices, were just starting to get press.
Nilsson, then chair of the nursing
department, was looking for a different
clinical site where Augsburg nursing
students could practice, to see what a
difference nursing in itself can make.
She spent a lot of time searching for
an ideal location for a nursing center,
looking at places from rooms in the
nursing department at Augsburg to
various sites in the neighborhood.
Nilsson said she even considered at one
time buying a bus and having a mobile
nursing center, but there was always a
glitch.
While students and faculty were
excited about the potential of a new
type of practice and educational
experience, Nilsson said she was about
Spring 2003
it was known that they were
going to hand out hygiene
supplies, items were left in
shopping bags-full outside the
door. With that and a $15,000
start-up grant from Fairview
Foundation, they were ready to
open.
"Another miracle," Nilsson
said, "is that we have never run
out of everything, thanks to
generous donations. And some
Nursing professor emerita Bev Nilsson and the Rev. Bill
days," she added, "we give
Miller. retired associate pastor at Central Lutheran Church,
away
as many as 100 pairs of
celebrated the 1oth anniversary of their collaboration in
socks."
providing health counseling and resources for the innercity community.
As word of the center
spreads, the demand for
ready to give up because she couldn't
service is increasing. "The good news
find a location.
is," Nilsson said, "many people use the
That's when Miller entered the
center. The bad news, many people must
picture.
use the center."
One of the greatest gifts the nurses
and volunteers give to the people who
come to the center, is the gift of
listening. Miller said the nurses accept
the people as they are, they always listen
"lt was almost a miraculous turn of
and never turn their backs on anyone.
events," Nilsson said. "It was like Gocl
"You don't have to have anything
was saying you need to be in that
physically wrong with you to go to the
place. "
center," Miller said. "To some, it's just a
place to go where someone wiÌl listen to
That place was Central Lutheran
them, which is a rare commodity,
Church. Several factors came together to
especially in today's world."
make the Nursing Center a reality.
Nilsson added that they, too, receive
MilÌer and Rev Steve Cornils, then
a gift from the people who come to the
pastor at Central Lutheran, were talking
center-the gift of trust. It takes a while
about the "visions" they had for the
to build that trust to the point where
church, and Cornils ancl Charles
people who come wili open up to the
Anderson, president of Augsburg, were
center'.s staff.
having discussions about ways the
church and College could work more
closely together. This discussion lecl to
a
Nilsson's search for a nursing center site,
and as they say, the rest is history. Miiler
got in touch with Nilsson, ancl the two
worked closely in establishing the center
Nilsson said she hopes the nursing
at Central Lutheran.
students come away with a heightened
As Nilsson recently saicl at the lOth
appreciation for nursing-that clifferent
nursing practices can make a difference
anniversary celebration, "As people were
lecl to Bethlehem, we were 1ed here, and
in people's lives, and that you clon't
aÌways need a pill to heal. As a matier of
are delighted to be here."
Nilsson said word spreacl about the
fact, they do not give out medications or
prescriptions, rather vouchers, which
nursing center and "the abundance
can be turned in at a clesignated local
flowed down." Equipment and supplies
drugstore. These vouchers are very
started showing up at the center. When
Miraculous turn
of events
'
specifically written out, Nilsson said. The
nlrrses never prescribe an over-thecounter medication, rather write down
the symptoms and leave it to the
pharmacist to recolnmend a proper
treatment.
She said she also hopes the stuclents
come away with a greater appreciation
and understanding for what it is like to
live in poverty, what it takes to survive
on the streets, and for the hopes, dreams,
and fears these people also have.
Students see the opportunity to work
at the center as a valuable addition to
their education. Nilsson said it can be "a
big eye opener" to many students.
Eric Eggler, second year nursing
student in the Augsburg Rochester
program, said his experience in working
at the Nursing Center has given him a
"better understanding of life, and how
much he, as an individual, can do to
change things for others."
"I feel like a better nurse for my
experiences," Eggler said. "I can honestly
say that it really is the simple things we
do as nurses that patients remember. Just
offering a warm smile and a polite hello
without judging can make the difference
in someone's day."
I
Judy Petree is media relations manager.
Students making
difference
Spring 2003
Linda Ackerman, a student in the Master of
Arts in Nursing program, measures the blood
pressure of a visitor to the Nursing Center.
,4ucs¡unc n¡ow
11
a
-..i:.;:i3
RECONNEC ING FAIT
LIFE, AND VOCATION
by Lynn Mena
those of Martin Luther when she writes: "Ministry is not
a minister is
anyone who chooses to use our resources to tend to the
wounded heart of the world. Anything we do can be a
just for ministers: In the new spirituality,
ministry, from menial labor to the highest professional
endeavor. It is our ministry if it is an activity we use to
spread peace and forgiveness and love."
lndeed, as defined by Exploring Our Gifts: "In its
broadest sense, vocation is the thing that you were
created to be and do, whether that means being a
student, a parent, a doctor, a teacheq a businesspersonanything you can imagine. A vocation is both personal
and communal; it serves to bring you true happiness, but
it also serves the greater community."
¡Æ<ploring Our Gifts, funded by a grant from the Lilly
I-Endowment. Inc., is a college-wide program dedicated to
Lufulf'll'ng
the mission of Augsburg and making the Christian
concept of vocation a vital part of Augsburg's classrooms and cocurricular activities.
This article serves as an overview of Exploring Our Gifts,
introducing its inspired and varied programs and celebrating those
whose lives are enriched by vocation. In upcoming issues of the
AugsburgNow, we'Il continue to showcase these and other Lilly
programs and their influence upon the Augsburg community
Wht b
u.ut^|;'aø)
In her book Everyday Gracø (Riverhead Books, 2002), Marianne
Williamson challenges the reader by asking: "If life is to have
deeper meaning, can our work be something we merely do to
make money? Or can work itself become sacred, a channel
through which we shine our light and extend our love?"
Williamson gets to the heart of vocation, and her words echo
The above photo, taken by sociology assistant professor Tim Pippert, is
part of a photographic essay he completed during an intensive Exploring
Our Gifts seminar on vocation for faculty and staff (see p. 14).
A t"r,,/;,t;* al u,æaf;ø,n
Augsburg College has deep roots in the Christian tradition.
Founded as a seminary in I869 to train pastors for immigrant
Norwegian Lutheran congregations, it is now a liberal arts
college that continues a significant engagement with the
Christian faith land a commitment to vocationl.
The word vocation is derived from the Latinverb vocare,
which means, "to call." Exploring Our Gifts, with a deep debt
to the Lutheran tradition, understands vocation in a dual
sense. First, people are called by God to particular roles and
responsibilities in daily life. These include being a student,
professor, friend, parent, and family member. Second, within
these callings, people are called to the love and service of God's
creation. Thus, faith in God and love toward the neighbor may
be distinguished but never separated. By insisting on the
importance of vocation, Augsburg is seeking to reconnect faith
with daily life.
What might all of this have to do with you? It means that
Augsburg is dedicated to helping students ask and find
answers to some of life's big questions: What are my gifts?
Why am I here? What ought I to do with my life? Where are
my gifts and talents most needed? We firmly believe that life
means much more than a job and a salary. By entering into the
world of vocation we are inviting you to look at the "big
picture" and think about where God, faith, and service fit into
your life.
Tranvih, director of Erploring Our
proJessor of religion
-Marh
Gifts and qssociate
A
"a..¡r.t-u&.
Augsburg's Lilly-funded
o?¿'u^'v.uL
profit agencies, apply for
prograrn
focuses primarily on stuclents, but
also provides numerous
opportunities for faculty,
staff, and alurnni. The
progrâms are assembled
under four themes: l)
vocation as a life approach;
2) vocation as a curricular
focus; 3) vocation as
education for service; and 4)
stipends to intern at local non-
it
scholarships for international
Ar^ylt-rú /'r,¿
Ë: ï
ã,
ç
t
uæ¡,,trÅ¿.¡
by Daniel S. Hanson'86
When I think about vocation and what it means for me, I
think about Augsburg College. My experiences at
Augsburg shaped my life's work and gave it new meaning.
I arn a graduate of Augsburg's Weekend College
program.
I returned to complete my degree after a 15awareness.
year
absence.
Returning to college was not easy for me. I
While Exploring Our
still
recall
long
weekends cramming for an exam or
Gifts is grounded in a
struggling
to
complete
an assignment. I often studied late
Lutheran perspective, its
at
night
so
that
I
would
have time to play with my
Daniel S. Hanson'86, a Distinguished
cloors are open to people of
Alumnus and assistant professor in the
children
before
they
went
to
bed.
More
than
once
I
all faiths and beliefs. Many
Department of Speech/Communication
wondered whether getting my degree was worth all the
points of view are needed to
and Theatre Arts, says Augsburg
effort. But I also remember how good it made me feel
Weekend College "shaped my life's
create a full, honest, fruitful
when
I did well on an exam or when I grasped a new
work and gave it new meaning."
discussion aboui vocation.
concept
or
theory
as
if
I
was
learning
it
for
the
first
time.
The opportunities for
I remember, too, the special people who were part of my learning experience, both students and
involvement are rnany:
teachers, and how good it felt to be part of a learning community.
students can take vocation
Because of my experiences at Augsburg, I fell in love with the adult learning experience.
courses, participate in
After
graduation I applied and was accepted to graduate school at the University o[ Minnesota.
mentoring groups and
My
intent
was that some day I would teach in a program like the one at Augsburg, which had
vocation retreats, receive
impacted
me
in so many positive ways. Years later, when I learned of an opening to teach at
Lilly Scholar grants to
Augsburg,
the
decision to apply was, as my son would say, a no-brainer.
explore seminary, receive
I often say that Augsburg Weekend College changed my
life. But what do I really mean by that? I suppose I could say
that Weekend College helped me achieve success in my career.
The evidence seems clear on the surface. After graduating from
Augsburg, I became an officer of a Fortune 500 company, and
eventually president of a major division. I finished my master's
degree, had four books published, and was honored by
Augsburg as a Distinguished Alumnus. But I don't think that
these accomplishments by themselves capture the significance
of what the Augsburg experience did for me. My experiences
at Augsburg helped me believe in myself, if I applied my
energy to a task or a cause, I could indeed make a difference.
It also gave me a new vision for what I could be, perhaps a
calling. I was given a taste of a learning environment that
made me hungry for more.
In a way I never left Weekend College. As a teacher, I am
blessed to be a part of the ongoing Augsburg Weekend College
experience. And every time I watch a student exceed his or her
own expectations I am reminded of how I felt, and I am
Sonja Hagander, associate campus pastor (left), and coralyn Bryan
(right), Campus Ministry associate, help oversee several programs
renewed, once again, in my own sense of what work should be
under the Exploring Our Gifts umbrella, including a vocation
mentoring program, a summer vocation institute for high school-aged
Daniel S. Hanson is an assistqnt professor in the Department of
church youth leaders, and more.
Speech/Communication and Theatre Arts.
developing vocational
l.:f'
s)
u
L
Hagander, associate
campus pastor. "It crosses
the students who are
wondering, 'What do I
want to do when I grow
up?' to us as faculty, staff,
and alumni who are all in
a
work situation for
various reasons. It crosses
over all of that and brings
Liz Pushing '93 has participated in a series of vocation
us closer together,
mentoring meetings that join students, faculty, staff, and
because vocation is all
alumni.
about life-what you love
to do in life, what you
travel seminars, and much more.
want
to
share
with
the world-these are
Staff and faculty can develop
the
things
that
cross
religious grains and
vocation courses, participate in
us
together."
bring
professional development activities,
Liz Pushing '93, director of financial
and become mentors. Alumni are also
services
at Providence Place in
invited to get involved as mentors,
Minneapolis,
has enjoyed her
attend vocation convocation
participation
in
the group. "I wanted to
activities, and help lead international
my
knowledge
and experiences,"
share
travel seminars.
"and
Pushing,
I've
says
also learned a lot
Since last fall, students, alumni,
myself
in
about
talking
with everyone."
facult¡ and staff have gathered for a
Likewise.
Augsburg
com m unication
series o[ vocation mentoring
Baweka,
senior,
Melissa
credits
the
meetings. This mentoring program,
mentoring
group
with
opening
overseen by Campus Ministry and the
Center for Service, Work, and
Learning, joins two students with two
alumni and one member of the
faculty or staff.
"l think the mentoring
group
crosses everybody," says Sonja
ways of using the concept in both
communal and personal projects, such
as revising a course to include vocation,
or re-conceiving how to incorporate
vocation into work with students. In
January the group gathered for a final
meeting, where they shared their
experiences and project abstracts.
"This project was designed to force
me, and ultimately my students, to
examine how we visualize the
fulfillment of our vocation," wrote Tim
Pippert, assistant professor of sociology,
in his project abstract. "While reflecting
on my vocation ... I turned to
photographlz
"I chose a beach as the location to
capture these images ... a young child
Ð..rnbolizes the experiences my students
gain before they reach my classroom
(see p. 12), a college-aged woman
represents the brief timeframe I have to
work with, and a middle-aged woman
represents the experiences of my
students after they leave college. ... lt is
my calling to ensure that what I select to
her eyes to different
u
perspectives and possibilities.
"l've been increasingly curious
about vocation-I'm looking
for more than just a job," says
Baweka. "Itìs been so
wonderful to hear how alumni
experienced Augsburg and
where their journeys have
taken them after graduation."
In Januar¡ one of the first
Exploring Our Gifts programs,
a seminar for faculty and staff,
completed a six-month study
of faith and vocation. Last
summer, Mark Tranvik and
s.
q
Philip Quanbeck II, associate
professors of religion, led
participants in a two-day
workshop to study the concept
The Rev. Oliver Johnson '50 returned to
campus in October to present the homily
at a mini-convocation on vocation. Since
September, Campus Ministry has held
monthly Exploring Our Gifts worship
services that embrace varying themes of
vocation.
of Christian vocation from
a
biblical and theological point of
view. Participants then spent the
ensuing months reflecting uPon
their vocation and considering
È!
Melissa Baweka, a communication senior (left), credits
her participation in a Lilly-funded vocation mentoring
group with opening her eyes to different perspectives
and possibilities.
()
teach them about their social
environment is relevant to their lives
in the hope that it will impact their
life beyond Augsburg.
"The second component involved
how first-year students envisioned
vocation," continued Pippert.
"Students in my Introduction to
Human Society course were given the
extra-credit opportlrnity to représent
their concept ofvocation through ... a
single photographic image" (see p. 18).
A ¡"
"This job has proven to be a wonderful fit with my own gifts. I have the
opportunity not only to help administer a prograrn with an important
rnessage and purpose, but also to exercise my research and writing abilities
and to interact with a lively college community."
-Juliana
Exploring Our Gifts is funded by a
two-million dollar grant from the Lilly
Endowment, a private philanthropic
foundation based in lndianapolis, Ind.
Founded by the Lilly family in 1937, it
supports the causes of religion,
education, and community
Sedgley, progrclrn assistønt Jor Exploring Our Gifts (pictured øbove
wíth Professor Mqrh Trøtn¡ih, clirector of Exploring Our Gifts)
Ex+!^4;^ú uu¡^il'o¡ h^
il¿ ;,¡lt¿¿"al;^'t¿l
Since 1982, Augsburg's Center for
Global Education has been a
national leader in providing crosscultural travel programs, serving
nearly 10,000 people. As part of
Exploring Our Gifts, CGE will
oversee nine different student travel
gr',t^"" Lo h,r4^
seminars led by Augsburg faculty
and staff in collaboration with
CGE's adjunct faculty in Mexico,
Guatemala, Nicaragua, El
Salvador, and Namibia. Each
seminar will offer $1,000 grants
for up to 15 students.
"We've rnade it an open
competition for faculty and staff to
propose seminars that could be
done either as part o[ an existing
course taught internationally, or as
development, and is interested in
initiatives that benefit youth, foster
p
È
U
s
leadership education among nonprofit
institutions, and promote the causes of
philanthropy and volunteerism.
Two years ago, the foundation
called for grant proposals from
religiously rooted colleges and
universities outlining a theology-based
exploration of vocation. Augsburg's
proposal, "Exploring Our Gifts:
Connecting Faith, Vocation, and
Work," was written by philosophy
professor Bruce Reichenbach and
Carol Forbes, director of sponsored
programs in Academic and Learning
Services. In addition to Reichenbach
and Forbes, a committee of faculty and
Regina McGoff, associate director of Augsburg's Center for Global Education, helped
develop an international travel component of Exploring Our Gifts, which provides
$1,000 grants for students to participate in vocation-themed travel seminars to
Mexico, Central America, and Africa.
staff helped define and plan the grant
proposal's contents.
Mark Tranvik, associate professor
of religion, serves as director of
Exploring Our Gifts. Juliana Sedgley,
previously an assistant to the
Department of Worship and Sacred
Arts at the Basilica of St. Mary in
Minneapolis, was recruited as program
assistant. The program's offices and its
resource center are located in
Memorial Hall.
Iillel
Fa;nla"*û¿'9t
'A nn^^'o u'*t'h Lo ko øu'yír,at^'
by Cherie Christ
X
o
Leland Fairbanks grew up in a poverty-stricken
home in Harmony, Minn. during the depression-era
years and has since applied this experience to his
life's work. Helping others has become his passion,
his trademark, and his calling-and through this he
has learned that "life is more than just earning a
À
o
E
o
'6
a
Êa
living."
F
o
Although he yearned to be
A 1953 graduate of Augsburg with bachelor's
degrees in sociology and chemistry, Fairbanks went
on to receive his medical training from the
a
missionary 1953 alumnus L"Fnq.
..
Fairbanks' decision to enter the field
of medicine forever .¡""glj;ìr'iit"] university of Minnesota Medical school and his
leading him to discover tñat a careei master's degree in public health from the University
in public health could be his mission. of Oklahoma.
Although he yearned to be a missionar¡
Fairbanks' decision to enter the field of medicine forever changed his life, leading him to
discover that service to others could be his mission. For this he credits Augsburg, and
says, "service to others was always portrayed as the reason Augsburg College existed."
Fairbanks spent more than 30 years working on Indian reservations for the U.S.
Public Health Service, and continued his dedication to a life in public health by
promoting the hospice movement and campaigning to lower the D.U.I. limits in
Arizona.
However, Fairbanks is best known for his work to ban smoking in hospitals. He
remembers that in the 1950s, "workplaces and hospitals were like smoke-filled
dungeons. No one else seemed willing to stand up for those most affected because of a
risk of offending someone." Fairbanks added, "I started the movement because someone
needed to do it."
It has been this fight against the tobacco and liquor industries that Fairbanks has
found to be the most challenging-yet most rewarding-part of his career. For his work,
Fairbanks has earned several awards and honors, including an appointment in the early
1980s by then-Surgeon General C. Everett Koop to expand the ban on smoking to
include all public facilities.
Although retired in 2000 from Cigna HealthCare where he worked as a family
physician, Fairbanks has continued his involvement in public health service. He
currently serves as president of Arizonans Concerned About Smoking, and also serves as
ex-officío member of the Executive Committee for International Network Towards
Smoke-Free Hospitals, a London-based organization that works to promote smoke-free
hospitals around the world.
Reflecting upon his career, Fairbanks embraces Martin Luther's quote, "a manb
work is his mission," and concludes, "my work has been my mission and continues
to be."
Cherie Christ is content webmaster
in
Augsburg's infonnation technologlt departrnent
part of a new course that they
could develop,' says Regina
McGoff, associate clirector of CGE.
"In the case of staff, they might
propose something that could be
developed as a non-credit
'Augsburg Experience.'
"The goal oI these seminars is
to look at themes o[ vocation in a
global context-which is already
part of many of our programsbut this grant gives us an
opportunity to really fine-tune and
develop a stronger model for
incorporating faith ancl vocation
aspects," says McGoff.
Last year, CGE recruitedJeni
Falkman as an intern for their
Lilly program. Falkman, who
graduated from Augsburg last year
with a major in religion,
participated in two of CGE's
programs as a student, and had a
transforming experience as a result
of her travels.
"Jeni is helping us develop a
faculty guide, because the goal is
to use these nine seminars to
develop a model that Augsburg
can use for faculty-led, studyabroad programs that help
students reflect on faith and
vocation," says McGoll.
"She'll also help us pull
together an independent study
journal that can be used by
Augsburg students on nonAugsburg programs, provlding an
imprint for all study-abroad
programs, so that students will
more intentionally think about
their faith experiences and their
vocation."
In addition to faculty and
staff, CGE hopes to include
alurnni in the seminars. "Ideally,
we'd be interested in individuals
involved in a vocation related to
the discipline," says McGoff. "For
instance, it would be great to have
an educator go along on an
education seminar, and really be
a
:J
()
Ê
part of that learning experience
publications and
alongside the faculty, staff, and
students." While there are no
scholarships available for alumni, the
experience would certainly serve as a
unique and possibly transforming
learning and teaching opportunity.
"It's really exciting to work on
developing something that can create
more of a framework for Augsburg
students," says McGoff. "Most studyabroad programs don't incorporate
faith elements, and we're trying to
build a stronger model for doing so."
editor of Augsburg
Now, will lead the
Center for Global
Education's first
Exploring Our
Gifts travel
seminar. The
seminar, entitled
"Namibia:
International
Education," will
spend three
weeks in this
African countr)¿
Students will visit
schools in the
capital city of
Tr/,r/,;^t: A +<^1,wul
u&,atrfu1
On May 21, Augsburg education
professor Gretchen Kranz Irvine and
Betsey Norgard, director of
s
È
()P
Augsburg education professor Gretchen lrvine (above), along with
Betsey Norgard, director of publications in the Office of Public
Relations and Communication, will lead the Center for Global
Education's first Exploring Our Gifts travel seminar to Namibia this
spring.
Windhoek as well as several other areas
to explore differences in the educational
a teachers'college, an early childhood
development center, and
experiences of students and teachers in
Namibia.
Students will be encouraged to
foster enduring relationships with
Namibian teachers and students. They
will learn how to develop culturally
appropriate educational materials and
methods, and how to become a better
educator about Namibia and Africa.
Furthermore, students will explore the
vocation of teaching as a call that
integrates faith and profession.
"Têaching is such a natural vocation
and connection to the Lilly
opportunities to appreciate Namibia's
Endowment," says Irvine, who in 2000
led in a five-week Fulbright-Hays
educators' travel seminar to Namibia.
"At that time, we did similar things to
what we'll do now, and I can see our
students as really understanding the
Namibian educational system."
To Jind out more about Exploring Our
Gifts, vísit <www.augsburg. edu/lilþ>
and see the vqríous ways that vocation
Students will have a
chance to rneet with school
two days in a second-grade classroom,
where she took this photo of the teacher
and a group of her students using bottle
caps for a math lesson.
minister of education and
culture. They'll also gather with
members of the Namibia National
Têachers'Union, and
with leaders of the
Sexuality Education
Research Project. In
park, Etosha.
"For me personally, when you go
on a trip such as this the first time,
there's that first meeting of that
culture, and that first thinking about
all of it," says lrvine. "So noq on this
trip, I'm in a different place in my
thinking about Namibia; I hope to
take myself to a nelv level in my
understanding of Namibia." I
is being integrated into the life of
Augsburg.
,AUCSBURG COLIÆGE
directors and Namibia's
During her first visit to Namibia in 2000 as
part of a Fulbright-Hayes educators'travel
seminar, Professor Gretchen lrvine spent
culturally rich heritage, majestic
scenery, as well as the largest game
Exnlorins
Ou'r
Giftí
Reconnecting Faith, Life, and Vocation
addition, their stay will include visits to
WM /"r^ I ca,Iful rô /ô7
A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPLORATION OF VOCATION
In collaboration with a six-month vocation seminar for faculty and staff, Tim Pippert, assistant professor of sociology,
invited students in his Introduction to Human Society course to participate in an extra-credit assignment. Pippert
challenged the students to represent their concept of vocation through a single photographic image and a brief description.
Following are samples of the students' images and excerpts of their descriptions.
o
o
s.
òr
o
t_)
'r>
(.
A PASSION FOR CHILDREN
I believe that my vocation is to work with children. I am not exactly
sure how I will end up helping children, but I know that I will
definitely incorporate it into my life. ... I gravitate toward children,
and many people have told me that I look happiest when I am
helping them. ... [My passion for] children has grown over the
years into real enjoyment. ... I think this is my vocation because I
get such satisfaction out of it.
Wien, elementary education freshman
AN ALTRUISTIC VOCATION
My vocation in life is to help individuals. I think
my purpose in life is to make a difference in
[people's lives] and to touch their hearts. I am here
to [helpl people find their potential and guide them
back to where they [belongl . I am here as a friend, a
confidant, and as an extra person to love, in case
someone doesn't feel love.
Yang, psychology and
-Michelle
o
-Seese
communication freshman
NURTURING A
VOCATION
o
.:3
L
I have come to
s-
U
the realization
a
s.
õ.
o
õ'
!
that my
vocation is as an
(J
educator and
nurturer of kids.
...When I got
out of high
school, the first
job available to
teacher's aid at a Catholic elementary school. ... My first three
months were pure hell ... someone then advised me to attend
teacher's training college ... from then on it was great. ... I was
nominated Têacher of the Year and received an award for best
teacher/student relationship. ... When I came to America, I found
myself in the same role as a live-in nanny, taking care o[ four
kids, ages 3 through 7 . ... I think I have now accepted that my
vocation meets the needs of those parents who don't have lextra]
time to [spendì with their children, which is very important to a
child's maturity and self-esteem.
Jones, marketing sophomore
-O'Fay
A CALL TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
First and foremost, I wanted to be a cop since age 5. ...
lThenì all through high school, I dreamt of nothing but
the FBI as my vocation. ... ll¿terl, I got sidetracked by
my path to the FBI ... and vowed that the Navy was a
great choice. ... Now guess what-I want to be a cop
again. So now I'm making calls, having interviews,
going on ride-alongs, researching internships,
volunteering, etc. At least one thing is lcertain]-I
know I want to be involved in law enforcement.
Brunzell, sociology freshman
-Sara
/
^
tl I
¡-
From the Alumni Board president's desk...
Tlåi:,"ï:l,
part of a cold
January in Russia
behind the lron
Curtain with a
group of
Augsburg and St.
Olaf students.
The trip was led
by Professor Norma Noonan, and this was a
part of my education that I will never forget.
Recently, I spent an enlightened Auggie
Hour with Professor Noonan and a group of
Augsburg alumni discussing the current
status of Russia. We ate Russian food and
leamed a lot-without the fear of a final
examl
This calls to mind two facts: we should
never stop leaming, and we should maintain
our relationship with Augsburg colleagues
and alumni. However, in our busy lives,
getting together with old friends and
retuming to campus can be difficult.
The Augsburg Alumni Board represents
you, and we would like to hear from you so
we can keep alumni connections open. Email us at <alumni@augsburg.edu> and let
us know who you are, what you are doing,
and how you would like to be involved with
the College and fellow alumni. We value
your input!
Becoming involved can be as simple as
updating your e-mail address so we can
contact you about upcoming events in your
area, or joining us for some geat
conversations at an upcoming Auggie Hour
listed on p. 25 of this issue of the Augsburg
Now. We welcome your ideas for building
connections between Augsburg and our
alumni and providing events and services
that are valuable to you.
Paul Batalden '63 receives
Alfred l. duPont Award
llaul
B.
Itgatalden,
M.D., was
honored in
September as the
recipient of the
2002 Alfred I.
duPont Award for
Excellence in
Paul Batalden'63
was
Children's Health
Care. The award
honored in September recognizes his
for excellence in
childrent health care. early and ongoing
efforts in
developing innovative, high-quality
systems to advance health care worldwide.
Batalden's Health Care Improvement
Leadership Development program at
Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover,
N.H., has as its main goal the
development of knowledge and leadership
that will result in cost-effective, patientcentered, quality health care both
Spring 2003
nationally and internationally. Batalden is a
professor of pediatrics and of community
and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical
School, and program co-director of the
Veterans Affairs National Quality Scholars
Fellowship.
In accepting the award, Batalden
remarked, "My hope for the future is that
we will recognize the importance of
understanding and improving those small,
living systems where children, families,
and health care meet. We also need to
rccogrize the challenges facing us as we
try to integrate cognitive knowledge,
technical skills, and values. Through this
connection, others who share these
concerns
will be energized, encouraged,
and make connections with each other."
The Alfred I. duPont Award, which
includes a $50,000 pnze and original
crystal award, is granted annually by
Nemours, one of the nation's largest
pediatric health care providers.
Many interesting things are happening
at the College, and alumni involvement is
on the rise. Watch for upcoming
opportunities to get involved-such as those
Iike the vocation mentoring program, which
be recruiting alumni for the 2003-'04
school year who can share a little of their
time and talents with students.
Mark your calendar for this summer's
alumni picnic onJune2S at Como Park in
St. Paul (see p. 2l for more information).
Family and friends are welcome, and we're
hoping for better weather this year!
will
Andrew Morrison'73
President, Alumni Board
Gene Hugoson'67
appo¡nted
commissioner of
agr¡culture
¡F
overnor Tim Pawlenty appointed Gene
'ó7 commissioner o[ the
|\IHugoron
Minnesota Department of Agriculture in
January A south-central Minnesota farmer
from the East Chain area, Hugoson was first
appointed agriculture commissioner in July
1995 by Gov. Ame Carlson, and was
reappointed in 1999 by Gov. Jesse Ventura.
Hugoson also served five terms in the
Minnesota House of Representatives, having
been first elected in 1986, and served four
years as assistant minority leader.
Pawlenty said he looked "far and wide"
for an agriculture commissioner and
real:zed Hugoson was the best person for
the job. He cited some of Hugoson's
accomplishments, including the creation of
an online licensing system for people or
companies who hold certificates, licenses, or
permits required by state law Pawlenty also
said Hugoson has followed up on numerous
trade missions over the years.
4ucs¡unc ruow
19
1
Books). In making its selection,
the award jury commented: "A
953
Dean Lapham, Bloomington,
Minn., is one of the authors of
new book on Freemasonry in
Songfor Nettie lohnson is
a
Minnesota, entitÌed, The Scottish
Minnesota1867-2001. Sales of the book go to
support the Scouish Rite Clinic
for Childhood Disorders in
Duluth. Dean can be ¡eached via
Rite oJ Freemasonry in
e-mail at <lapham2@mac.com>.
Gloria Sawai,
Edmonton,
Alberta, received
the Canadian
Governor
General's Literary
Award for Fiction
for her book, A
Songfor Nettíe lohnson (Coteau
/rrllll
¡a
o
tt
rv¡
III
a
profoundly light-tilled collection
of short stories set on the prairies
and peopled with holy sinners,
visionaries, children, and socalled ordinary folk. The power
of grace illuminates her world."
Her book also won two awards at
the 2002 Alberta Book Awards:
the Henry Kreisel Award for Best
First Book and the Howard
O'Hagan Award for Short Fiction.
In addition, she was the lirstprize winner of the Writers'
Union of Canada's Danuta Gleed
Literary Award. An author,
playwright, and teacher, Gloria
has been
publishing individual
Nettíe lohnson is her firsr booklength publication. Her plays
have been produced by Alberta
Theatre Projects and the
Edmonton Fringe Festival.
|
¡
f.I
ù/ |
fi..!
ù/ | I
¡
tctlùr}l
HOMECOMING 2OO3
October 3 and 4
Football game vs.
Carleton College
1957
SaLurda¡ October
Marshall D.
Johnson,
Minneapolis,
recently received
news thât his
,,.¡ry,Fr book. Mal¿ins
-Á!,@r*D.rú,ún (Eerdmans,
2002), was named to the
"Outstanding Academic Title" list
for 20O2by Choice magazine,
published by the American
Library Association.
stories [o¡ many yeârs; A SongJor
4. I
p.m.
Homecoming dinner
Friday, October 3, 5:30 p.m.
Reunion celebrations
Classes of 1953, 1963, 1978,
and Ì993
Psychology department allclass reunion
& 40th
anniversary celebration
Saturday, October 4
Contact the alumni olJrce at 612-
330-1178
iJ
you are interested in
serving on a reunion planning
committee.
I I il.-r I I I I
Dean Gulden '63: From Augsburg professor
dOgsled mUSh€f
¡v
to pr¡ze-winning
ressica Brown and Lynn Mena
Imagine beginning your day with the sun on your face and the wind rr-rshing against you, traveling at high speeds through the woods, stopping
for breakfast only after you've reached the top of a hÌll so high you can see Lake Superior and its stunning vistas. This is a solitary adventurewell, almost-just you, nature, and a pack of canine companions leading the way.
For Dean Gulden, a prizewinning dogsled musher, this has become a way of life. In 1985, he and a friend started a summer mountain program
for area youth in Grand Marais, Minn., taking a busload of l<ids to Wyoming to experience the thrill of mountain climbing. ln continulng the
program into the winter, he was introduced to the sport of dogsled raclng. Having a great love of the outdoors, the sport quickly grew on Gulden,
who now owns l7 Alaskan Huskies and participates in up to slx races per year.
Sometimes, Gulden's competition includes his wife, Jean. "[In 200tL we were competing and I was
having a good run," recalls Gulden. "i was out first and Jean was five or six teams behind me. I was
cruising along this river and looÌ<ing at the blue sk¡ when all of a sudden I heard, 'trail!' which race
etiquette dlctates you must relinquish the trail and let the competitor by. We1l, I look around and here it's
a
o
\
õ
s
a
\J
Jean passing me!
"It's a tough sport, there's both competition and camaraderie
need help, they're there for you,"
... mushers are fiercly competitive, but if you
One of the most enjoyable aspects for Gulden is the ability to share his dogs with others. "I go to high
schools and senior centers so they can see the dogs and pet them and learn about them," says Gulden.
"It's a vehicle I can use to share myself and what I've done ... I've been very blessed and I like to share
that blessing with other people."
Tiaining the dogs is both challenging and fulfilling. "Finding what the strength of each dog is and helping
them to maximize that potential is a lot like teaching," says Gulden, a longtime leacher. "I'm not
comparing students to dogs-though most people who know dogs would not be offended."
Dean Gulden '63, former Augsburg
math department chair and
professor, now participates in up to
six dogsled races per year.
20
4ucs¡uRc lr¡ow
Both an Augsbr"rrg alumnus and a former Augsburg math department chair and professor, Gulden left the
College in 1975 for Grand Marais, where he taught at Cook County High School. Prior to Cook County and
Augsburg, Gulden served in the Air Force and also worked in the space industry He and his wife now split
their time between Grand Marais and Fairbanks, Alaska, where he teaches rn the summer monthsJessíca
Brown is a communication speciøList in the OlJice of Public Relations and Communication.
Spring 2003
t
I
i
l1964
Lloyd A. Pearson, Holmen, Wis.,
retired in November after 30 years
of airline flying, most recently as a
captain with Northwest Airlines.
He began his airline career with
North Central Airlines, which
became Republic Airlines, and later
merged with Northwest. Prior to
airline flying, he taught high school
math and then spent five years in
the Air Force, including a year in
Vietnam, during which he flew
365 combat missions.
1967
George Lillquist, Golden
Valley,
Minn., was featured in an article in
the Crystal-Robbinsdale Sun-Post,
after he was named interim artistic
director at the FAIR fine arts
magnet school in Crystal. George
had retired in the spring ol2002
as principal of the TÞchnology
Learning Campus and Robbinsdale
Spanish Immersion School, after a
35 -year education career.
Gail(Stromsmoe) Dow,
Denver, Colo., was presented with
the Career Achievement Award by
the Colorado Library Association
in recognition of her many years
of dedicated sewice to the library
profession. In 1999, she was
named Librarian o[ the Year,
honoring her efforts with the
Colorado Legislature. She has
since retired, but remains an
active part of the Denver library
system and also volunteers at her
.church library
f968
Minn., was the featured speaker at
the Lac qui Parle Prairie
t
Inbune, after she spoke at
a
Community Leaders Breakfast in
November in St. Paul. LaRhae is
pÌanning director for the Project
2030 Aging Initiative in the
Minnesota Department of Human
Services.
Donald Q. Smith, Monticello,
Minn., was featured in an article
in
Preservation's annual meeting in
November. Janet, who calls herself
Augsburg alumnÌ, friends, facult¡ and staff are invited to jorn
academic dean Chris Kimball and associate professor Kristin
Anderson on a trip to explore the great American pastime o[
baseball. Travel by bus to Chicago and visit the Field Museum's
"Baseball as America" exhibit, as well as check out some great
baseball:
the Monticello Times, after his
selection for the Monticello High
School (MHS) Wall of Fame, in
recognition of his civic activism.
Wednesda¡ June 18, 7:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox
Richard J. Seime, Rochester,
Minn., presented a forum in
Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox
US Ceilular Field (Comisky)
February on "Interpersonal
Psychotherapy for Depression" at
Metropolitan State University's
First Friday Forum Series.
1973
Syl Jones, St. Louis Park, Minn.,
was the topic of a recent interview
in the Puls¿ of the'Iwin Cities
weekly newspaper, entitled "A
discussion of race relations and
other matters with Syl Jones." Syl
is an editorial writer for the
Minneapolis Stør Tnbune and a
consultant to corporations on
topics of diversity and quality He
also collaborated with Augsburg
to form the Scholastic
Connections program.
US Ce11ular Field (Comisky)
Thursda¡June 19, l:05 p.m.
Frida¡ June 20
Field Museum Exhibit: "Baseball as America"
Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox
Wrigley Field, 2:20 p.m.
Saturday, June 21, 6:05 p.m.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Minnesota Twins
Mi11er Park
Sunday,June 22, l:05 p.m.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Minnesota Twins
Miller Park
Cost of trip is $595 per person based on double occupancy For
complete details, contact Thorpe Tours at l-866-553-8687 or
<thorpe@wwt.net>, and contact <alumni@augsburg.edu> so we can
add you to our line-up!
Jan (Weum) Ph¡l¡bert,
Minneapolis, is a business
applications anaþt at Guidant
Corporation.
1975
Minn., is co-author and ilÌustrator
of a book of childhood games,
entitled Sally B's Games for Good
HomeMøde Fun. She owns
speaking engagements a year and
has authored, co-âuthored, and
created I3 books, two audio
tapes, and various novelty
products.
Mark Sedio,
girl
humorist," does about 100
1970
nflrdsrr'lTrcIt[f1
a
computer consulting firm, Hakes
Consulting Inc., and also trains
and shows horses. She and her
husband, Steve Hawrysh, Iive on a
12O-acre farm.
a "Norwegian-Lutheran farm
Join Augsburg for a special "Baseball as America" trip!
JUNE 18-22, 2003
Jennie A. Hakes, Monticello,
Janet Letnes Martin, Hastings,
l
St. Paul, was quoted in a recent
issue o[ the MinneapoÌis Stør
1976
Ar<¡y
Dz-1
al 0â"*
ÞÁr,1,
June 28, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Join us at Como Park in St. Paul for this annual event and visit with
Augsburg alumni, friends, faculty, and staff. Bring a picnlc lunch
(BBQ grills are available) and Augsburg wlll provide beverages and
brownies. There will be fun activitres for kids and great door prizes!
St. Paul, was
featured in the CrossingBorders
newsletter, Crossings, after he led
For more information, please contact the alumni office at
612-330 -II7 B or <alumni@augsbr"rrg.edu>.
LaRhae (Grindal) Knatterud,
Spring
2OO3
4ucsnuncuow
21
Class Notes
choir concerts during a toul to the
1979
Czech Republic, Poland, and
Slovakia. Mark is director ol
The Rev. Mark R. Aune,
Mendota Heights, Minn., was
installed as senior pastor o[
Augustana Lutheran Church. He
ancl his rvife, Janis (Blomgren)
music at Central Lutheran Church
in Minneapolis.
1977
'81, have two children: Stefan and
Roselyn Nordaune, Plymouth,
Minn., rvas featured in the "Who's
Who in Family Law" resource
guide to Minnesota attorneys in
nonprofit organizations. She can
Shorewoocl, Minn.
John Popham, Washington,
Susan Lyback-Dahl, Wahkon,
Minn., is a staff writer for the
1
980
Sarah Parker ('89 MAL), Edina,
for 15 years.
Minn., recently returned to
1978
Minnesota after spending nearly
l0 years in the Pacific Northwest.
She owns a busìness providìng
marketing, media relations, and
communications services to small
and mid-sized businesses and
The Rev. Mark Christoffersen,
Fairfield, Conn., is pasror at Our
Savior's Lutheran Church.
7lI
Daniel J. Carlson rvas promored
to chief of police in the City oi
Eden Prairie. He and his wife,
Camilla (Knudsen) '81, live in
Ingrid.
D.C., received a Master o[ Science
in Information Systems from
Shippensburg Universit),.
a
recent issue of Minnesota Latv €>
Politics. She has practiced family
larv since 1980, and rs a founder
of Nordaune 6¡ Friesen, which has
operated in St. Louis Park, Minn.,
be contactecl via e-mail at
<sp 1243@qrvest.net>.
Mille Lacs Messenger. She has an
extensive background in
Norwegian cultural heritage. She
owned and operated a
Scandinai'ian retail business lor
l0 years and continues to ser\¡e
the Norwegian-American
community vra her lolk music.
artwork, and writing.
198f
Walt Johnson, Minneapolis,
temporarily left the Minneapolis
Public Library to begin a yearlong
fellowship with the U.S. Patent
and Tradernark Depository Library
Program (PTDLP) ofiice in
Arlington, Va., rvhere he will assist
rvith the clei'elopment and revision
oI electronic products lor PTDLPs
throughout the country He i,vill
also travel to some of these
libraries to train staff and patrons
on patent and trademark searches.
The Rev. Richard D. Buller,
New Hope, Minn., was installed
ol Valìey Community
Presbyterian Church in Golden
Valley. He previously sen'ed 10
years at a diverse, inner-city
congregation in Philadelphia and
four years at another diverse
church in Waterloo, lowa. He
and his wife, Jean Ann, a
as pastor
tlf ùif NI IIITI.I{JI¡
Tim McWatt'742 Unique path leads to professional success
by Judy Petree
It
comes as no surprise that Auslin McWatl has a love o[baseball. After all, his c1ad, Tim McWatt, Class of '74,
played baseball rvith one o[ St. Paul's own Hall of Fame baseball players, Dave Winfield. O[ course, that rvas
rvhen they were both klds playing at the Oxford lields in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Pau1. Today, McWatt
hves in Santa Rosa, Calif., and is a hon're office property claim technical manager for Frreman's Fund insurance
Company (FFIC). He has bcen in thrs positron srnce rnoving fiorn Mir-u-reapolis in December 199ó.
Õ
õ'
s
U
Mcwatt has lvorked for FFIC for the past l7 years, starting as a property adjr-rster and then moving to
management in 1991 in what usecl to be their Minneapolis branch oflice. Before FF]C, McWatt rvas an adjuster at
St. Paul Companies and SAFECO Insurance Company. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in business
adminÌstration/econornics from Ar,rgsburg, he began working in the loan department of First Produce Bank, a
part of the First Mir-rneapolis Bank's system. He has also worked for 3M in sales.
While a stuclent ât Alrgsburg, McWatt held positions
Tim McWatt's success as a
business professional is
grounded by student
leadership roles at Augsburg
and as an early member of
the critically acclaimed gospel
group, Sounds of Blackness.
as
vice president and president of the Black Student Union
(BSU). He recalls his educational experience at Augsburg to be very positive, enabling hÌm to develop business
and leadership skills that have played a palt in his success today.
McWatt me[ one of his best frìends while at Augsb]-rrg, Roger Clarke, rvho was also a past president olBSU. They
were both members of the critically acclaimed and internationally-renowned gospel group, Sounds ol
Blackness-McWatt from I9TI-1975 during its infancy under [he directorship of Gary Hines.
"I had great opportumtres to travel r,vith the group throLlghout the Unlted States, and was fortunate enough to be
on the first alburn," 1-re said, "and happen to be one o[ the members picturecl on the back of the a1bum."
He and his wife, Michelle (Whie) '75, r,vhom he also rnet while they rvere stnclents at Augsburg, recently celebrated their 25th wedding amlversrry.
Michelle is a teacher's aid in Santa Rosa-ReiblÌ. They have trvo chilclren: 12-year-olc1 Austin, who, besides loving baseball and basketball, plays piano,
and Ì6-year-old Danae, a sophomore at Santa Rosa High Scl-rool and a member of the Dance Cornpany One o[ her best experiences, says her dad, is
when she became a cast mernber of the Penumbra Tl-reatre's production of Blacl¡ Nativity rvhen they rvere back in Minnesota.
McWatt and his family belong to the Harvest Christlan Center Church 1n Santa Rosa, ancl he enjoys playing golf and workrng olrt at the local
YMCA. He has been an assistant basketball coach for the past three years for the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) St. Rose boy's basketball tearn,
lvhere 1-ris son, Austin, rs a point gr"rard. The 2002 season brongl-rt Lhem therr fìrst champions}rip season.
ludy Pctrct is
22
¡tt¿dict rclatiotts nlanogcr
.4UCSBUnC ¡¡OW
in thc Olficc
oJ Pttblic Rclations and Comtntnicatiott
Spring 2003
psychiatric nurse at Nonh
Memorial, have two sons: Peter,
13, and Martin, 10.
1
The Office of Alumn¡/Parent Relations announces...THE AUGSBURG SONG CONTEST
Have you ever loved the words to a song, but the music was rmpossible to follow? Here is youlchance lo
rewrite the music for the Ar-rgsburg Song that was written by P A. Sveggen and H.P Opseth. The song has a
wonderful message, but a diffÌcu1t line of music to slng. We would like to update the Augsburg Song into one
that can be sr-rng by the masses throughout the year.
985
Kevin Augustine, Plymouth,
Minn., married Cathe
Cunningham in October.
lor oul Augsbulg Song, keeping in mind that it rnust be simple enough for a range
of voices and talents. We would like to begin singing the new music at Hornecoming, October 3 and 4.
Please compose new music
1987
Jenni Lilledahl, MinneapoÌis, led
The words are:
a seminar, entitled "The Power
love the school where we belong: We love to sing its praise .
AndiJ the nrclody o[ songMay hearts to rdpture rctise.
Let Augsburg where it now doth stand and Augsburg in our love,
Resound iir songs on every hand, in thanhs to Him aboye
'We
of
Yes!" at the CoÌlege of St.
Catherine's Leadership lnstitute in
February She is co-owner of the
Brave New Workshop Theatre
.
We síng of those
(Minneapolis), and director of its
school for improvisation, the
Brave New Institute.
1
of
t'ormer days, with thanht'ulhearts we sing,
Because they wrought in wondrous ways the Love of God to bring,
To
bringhis love and wisdom down to every seehing
h joyJttl praise Let music
988
sotLl.
sound and up to heavet-t roII.
We sing of all who now belong to Augsburg's brotherhood:
May they stand always Jirm and strongwhere those before them stood:
Let Augsburg still in strength remøin, \\/hen we our way have trod:
Janice L. Aune, St. Paul, was
recently featured ln the St. Paul
Pioneer Press. She is president and
Let sound Jor aye the joyous strain oJ thanhJul praise to God.
CEO of Onvoy, a teÌecommunications firm based in Pl1'rnouth.
The deadline for submission lsJuly 16, 2003. Please send your composition [o
Heidi Breen, Associate Director
Augsburg College AlumniÆarent Relations
CB I,16
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 5545'+
Jeannie (Shaughnessy)
Hodges, Alexandria, Va., recently
became president and co-owner of
Pathwise Partners, LLC, a transition
management consulting firm
focused on partnering with nonprofit and for-profit organizations
breen@augsburg.edu
e>.periencing significant change.
1
989
Gail(Moran)
Wawrzyniak,
Raleigh, N.C.,
was promoted to
vice president. at
BB&T
Corporation,
based in
Winston-SaÌem, N.C
1
990
administrative pharmacy and
director ol the pharmacogenetics
laboratory at the University of
Iowa College ol Pharmacy
Renee (Paulsen) married Paul
Del¿ria in March. The couple
resìdes in Ham l¿ke, Minn. She is
project manager for Wells Fargo
Spring 20O3
q
993
1
received the Young Investigator of
the Year award from the American
College of Clinical Pharmacy She
was also recently awarded a fiveyeñ career development award
Mental Heaìth to investigate the
genetic basis oI antipsychotic
metabolism. She is assistant
professor of clinical and
s.
Ê,
Deb (Stone) Schumaker, Blair,
Neb., received a Master of
Education degee from Lesley
University in July She is in her
ninth year as a kindergarten teacher
at St. Paul Lutheran School. She
and her husband, Jay, have two
sons: Brett, 6, andJared, 4.
Vicki Ellingrod, Iowa City, Iowa,
from the National Institute of
a
o
a
Home Mortgage in Edina.
The Augsburg Alumni Association and President Frame honored
2002 Distinguished Alumnus Richard J. Seime, Ph.D., at a
1994
gathering in February of Augsburg alumni. friends, and parents in
Rochesteri Minn. ln addition, Professor Nancy Steblay presented
architectural renderings of Augsburg's proposed new Natural and
Nancy (Moore Smith), Erie,
Pa., married Dr. Michael T. Kalisra
in June. She is executive director
Behavior Science Center. Pictured, L to R: Richard Seime '70,
President Frame, and Augsburg regent Ruth Johnson '74.
4ucs¡uncruow
2z
Class Notes
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IñI
-llf{
i
I rI
Iù
I
l0I ¡ lr¡l(l1l ¡l lv/ Fl t l I I I I I
: 71l
I
I..l f tll
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I
3
z
of the YWCA of Erie, and was
previously executive director of St.
David's Child Development and
Family Services in Minnetonka,
Minn. She can be reached via emaiÌ at <mtknak@yahoo.com>.
1
naval history military
indoctrination, and physical
[itness.
Paula Seeger, Madison, Wis.,
995
Amy Ellingrod, Woodland Hills,
Augsburg wrestling alumnus Dan Lewandowski '97 was inducted
into the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Division lll
Wrestling Hall of Fame in March in Ada, Ohio. Lewandowski, who
won Division lll national titles for the Auggies in 1996 and 1997, is
the first Augsburg wrestler to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
After graduating from Augsburg, he served as an assistant coach
for the Auggie wrestling program for four seasons (1998-2002),
and was part of three national t¡tle teams as a coach, He is
currently pursuing a graduate degree at the University of
Minnesota.
training in naval warfare,
seamanship, navigation,
engineering, naval leadership,
Calif., has been a member of the
Santa Monica S¡rmphony since
1998. After five years of working
as an engineer for 3M
Pharmaceuticals, she folÌowed a
new career path, and is currently
working for the Los Angeles
Philharmonic in the development
department.
Deborah A. Kirby,
Pensacola,
Fla., was commissioned to the
rank of Navy ensign after
completing Aviation Officer
Candidate School at Naval
Aviation Schools Command, Naval
Air Station, in Pensacola. At the
school, she received intensive
was promoted to the reference
and outreach services librarian at
the Dane County Law Library in
Madison.
1
996
Chellie (Kingsley) married
David Shaffe¡ in September. The
couple lives in Rancho Palos
Verdes, Calif., where Chellie is
pursuing a doctorate degree at
Ryokan College in Los Angeles,
and David is owner/operator of
Summit Pain and Injury
Treatment Centers.
1997
Jane Marie (Ruth) ma¡ried
in September.
Jeremy Zirbes
:IlivilI¡¡IIiltlI¡¡fl
et4ugsúotrg'6oncerr
tøn&
øt t/oe 'Úrystal T¿atl¿e&aa.l
Los Angeles-area alumni, parents, and friends are invited to this special performance of
the Augsburg Concert Band's 2003 tour, conducted by Robert Stacke '71, and featuring
reunion of the internationally-acclaimed "Skeets" Tiio and an original composition
ñ
L
a
a
L)
conducted by Augsburg alumnus Brendan Anderson'02.
FRIDAY, MAY 9, 7:30
Crystal Cathedral
p.tø.
. I2I4l
Lewis Street . Garden Grove, California
714-97t-4000
All
are
invited to a reception from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Crystal Cathedral Art Gallery;
please RSVP to Alumni/Parent Relations at I-800-260-6590 or <alumni@augsburg.edu>
il you plan to atl.end this reception.
The Crystal Cathedral in Los Angeles.
a
o
S.
çf eøture& pues t eÅyy u^rrntnt
!
THE "SKEETS" TRIO
The "Skeets" Tiio has played for presidents and royalty. Members include "Skeets"
Langley'65, winner of the prestigious Coupe Mondiale (World Cup) and the Gold Medal
at the 1963 Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes in Baden-Baden, Germany;
Stanford Freese, entertainment director for Disney Corporation; and Robert Stacke '71,
Augsburg Music Department chair and director of bancls.
BRENDAN ANDERSON'02
will conduct hÌs original composition, I Believe, an interpretation
of the Apostle's Creed in word and music, performed by the Augsburg Concert Band
with guest high school and youth choirs from the grealer Los Angeles area.
Brendan Anderson '02
a
4ucs¡uncruow
An early photo of The "Skeets" Trio, featuring
(l to r) Stanford Freese, Robert Stacke'71, and
"Skeets" Langley'65.
Spring
2OO3
ffi
Brent Grier, Naperville, Ill., is a
lile/dental insurance underwriter
o
rvith Metlife.
Õ
AUGGIE HOURS
s.
Ar.rggie Hours are held the
Laurence Stratton was recenrly
featured in an article in the
l.
Springfield Adv ance-Press, aftel he
L)
L
a
second hesday of each month
at 5:30 p.m.
joined the Ìegal firm o[ Muske,
Muske & Suhrhoff Ltd. He and
May 13
his wife, Jennifer (Draeger)
'97,live in Morgan, Mìnn.
Stillwater, Minn.
Facilitator/topic: Angie
Ahlgren '98, theatre
Freighthouse
Ryan Kehnle, Ortonville, Minn.,
and his wife, Nikole, were
featured in an article in the
O rtonville lndep enden t detaillng
the celebration oI their one-year
anniversary as owners of the
Ortonr'ìlle Matador Supper Club.
1
998
Kaydee Kirk, Chicago, works
for Lakefront SRO, a nonprofit
developer oI supportive housing
for the homeless in Chicago. She
is pursuing a graduate degree at
the University of Illinois at
Chicago in the urban deveÌopers
program.
Gretchen Meents, South Sr.
Paul, Minn., was featured in the
St. Paul Pioneer Press as a
candidate for the St. Paul Winter
Carnival's Queen of the Snows
competition. She is a senior social
worker for Hennepin County, and
ls also co-chair o[ the Hennepin
County Social Work Advisory
Council.
f 999
Scott Hvistendahl recenrly
.
accepted a position at TiueWell,
an organization that helps youth
pastors design, build, manage,
and rnaintain Web communities.
He can be contacted via e-mail at
<hvisty@hotmail.com>.
2000
Aaron Gabriel perlormed with
the Grimrn family includlng
Jennifer Grimm '99, in a concert
at Bigfork High School Commons
inJanuary The concert was
featured in an article in the Gr-and
Rapids Herald-ll¿vi¿1a,. Jsnnifsr has
also been performing overseas and
rvith the Minneapolis band, Soul
Tight Committee.
Spring 2003
AUGGIE HOURS AL
FRESCO
Same great after-work event, but
held outside on a locaÌ patio!
(left) recently spent two weeks teaching
English in Xi'an, China, as part of a Global Volunteers service
program. He was assigned to teach conversational English to
adult learners and was impressed by their level of knowledge.
"Their English skills were good," said Soderberg, who lives in
Minneapolis. "l mainly helped them with pronunciation-so we
had many good conversations. lt was interesting; I learned a lot
about their lives."
Eric Soderberg '92
Soderberg enjoyed strolling the streets of Xi'an, meeting people
and immersing himself in the city's daily rhythms. "One day, I
was walking back from the park to the hotel," he said. "l passed
a young man-he nodded, rushed up to walk next to me, and
said 'hi!'very enthusiastically. Then he continued talking in
Chinese! We exchanged many smiles, and I knew he was just
trying to be friendly."
June
l0
Black Forest Inn
Minneapolis
Facilitator/topic: Jim Bernstein
'78, state go\¡ernmenl
July 8
Pickled Parrot
Apple ValÌe¡ Minn
Facilitator: TBA
Augsust 12
It's Greek to lvle
Minneapolis, Minn.
Facilitator/topic: TBA
Anna (Missling) married Kyle
Nutting '02 in October. The
couple resides in Eagan, Minn.,
where Anna is a case managel at
the Salvation Army's HOPE
Harbor project and Kyle r¡'orks at
Gourmet Alvard Foods.
Ò
È
E
2001
Sarah (Henderson) married
Justin Accola inJanuary The
couple live and work in the
Minneapolis area.
Brandi Czyson, Brooklyn Park,
Mìnn., was featured in a Chantplin
Dayton Press article on nelv school
district employees. Brandi is a
compuier lab paraprolessional
r'vith the district.
Meghan L. (Swanson) married
Peter Dangerfielcl
in December.
The couple resides in Minneapolis,
li'here Meghan rvorks at
Make\4usic! lnc., and Peter lvorks
ar rhe Universit)'
ol Minnesota.
ln February, the Augsburg Alumni Association sponsored a
networking fair for careers and internships, which joined
students with area employers-many of which featured
Augsburg alumni. Held in Christensen Cente1 the event also
featured a talk by Colleen Watson '91 MAL, and a panel
discussion by alumni on what employers look for in new grad
hires and interns. For those interested in recruiting Augsburg
students, contact the Center for Service, Work, and Learning at
612-330-1148 or via e-mail at <careers@augsburg.edu>. Pictured
above are Kristen Hirsch '91 and junior Brittany Fagen.
,4ucssunc
Now
2s
Class Notes
m
Mary Olson '742 'Find passion in what you do'
by Marissa Mapes'03
Would you like to trade in your business suits, endless meetings, and stale coffee for an
opportunity to fulfill your dreams? A[ter 22 years of successfully cllmblng the
corporate laclder at USWest, Mary Olson did just that when she jumped at Lhe chance
to transform her dream ol owning a winery rnto a reality ln 1996, Olson sold her
lifetime supply of pantyhose and purchased Airlie Winery in Monmouth, Ore.
Ò
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As a high school student, Olson longed to broaden her experiences, and Ar-rgsburg's
Minneapolis location seemed the "perfect fit" for this small-town girl from Osceola,
Wis. Olson discovered all that Augsburg had to offer through her visits to another
Augsburg alumna-her cousin, Juhe (Olson) Munson '72.
"My days at Augsburg gave me great insight into people," Olson said. She graduated
from Ar"rgsburg In L974 with degrees ln English and politlcal science, and fondly recalls
chess games with Professor Myles Stenshoel, her tennre as student body president, and
her trlp to Russia with Professor Norma Noonan. Olson was highly involved in campus
life, and later brought that experience into her professional life and the world of
business.
"Work to me has always been more than a job-1t is a passion," Olson said. Following
graduatlon, she was hired into the management-training program with Northwestern
8e11, which became USWest and is now Qwest. From there, she was transferred and
promoted to different branches of USWest throughout the country. In 1990, she was
transferred to Portland, Ore., as she worked her way from the technical ranks to vice
presrdential level.
ln 1996, Mary Olson '74 traded her 22 years in the
corporate world to purchase and operate a winery in
Monmouth, Ore.
"I fell in love with Oregon, its people, and the wines, and started telllng friends that in my next life I was going to move back to Oregon and own
a winer¡" she said. Her "next 1ife" came sooner than she thought, and her dream came true; she ls now the proud owner of a beautrful vineyard
and winery
Olson said she would not change anythlng that lec1 up to her owmng the winery "My career at USWest made it possible for me to live out my
dream." Olson's success is illustrated by her passion for life and work. For othels seekrng to transform their lives, Olson advises, "Learn, enjoy, and
find passion ln what you do."
Olson has kept in touch with many o[ her Augsburg friends, and some have visited her vineyard. If you can't get to her winery in person, you can find
Airlie wrne at area Twin Cities retailers. Olson is planning to hold an Augsburg alumni gathering at Airlie Winery this summer. Watch for details!
Marissa Mapes is a senior majoringin commLLnication.
joins sister
2002
She
Brooke Stoeckel, Isanti, Minn.,
is a group sales manager at
Riverwood Inn in Monticello,
Minn. She can be reached via e-
advocate
Karin, 3. Diana is
a sentencing
mail at
Defender's Office.
<brookiedoll2 7@hotmail. com>.
Brenda Selander, Oakdale,
Minn., is a physical education
teacher at Anoka High School.
She can be contacted via e-mail at
<selander9@hotmai l.com>.
Births/Adoptions
Diana (Wilkie)'86 and Rick
Buffie, Apple Valle¡ Minn.-a
daughter, Kirsten Dale, in,July
26
4UCSnUnCUOW
with the
Hennepin
County Public
Leah is a special education
teacher and Todd is a social
studies teacher. They both teach
at Armstrong High School.
Julie (Severson)
Jennifer
'94
(Cummings)
'96 and Brian
and Dermott
Norman, St. Louis
Patricia
(Noren)
'91 and
Park, Mirm.-a
daughter, Sophie
Lyle
Enderson,
Leah (Johnson)
'95 and Todd
Elk River, Minn.-twins, Evan
Noren and Laura Mary, in
December. Patricia is a marketing
communications specialist for
Reviva Co.
Marla (Stratton)'92 and John
Mayer'BB, New Prague, Minn.a son, Trace Alan, in November.
He joirs brother Mason, 3.
Farmington,
.-'.:.I Minn.-a
Ann, inJune.
Weisjahn'95,
New Hope,
Minn.-a
son,
Noah Charles,
in November.
I
Ackland'95,
I
Krystina,
last
daughter, Ellie
April. They can be
reached via e-mail at
<bjackland@msn.com>.
Jasmina Besirevic-Regan'97
and Matthew Regan '95, New
Haven, Conn.-a daughter, Selma
Jane. in November.
Spring 2O03
)
m
The Rev. Harry T. Sorenson
'42,Ephrata, Wash., died in
January he was 83. In his 58
years of minìstry he sen'ed
parishes in Minnesota, North
Dakota, California, and
Washington. He is survived by his
wife, Judy; two daughters, Linda
and Sheila; son, Aaron; and four
grandchildren. He was preceded
in death by his first wife, Ruth
Berg, and his daughter, Cheri.
Marilynn
(Peterson)
Merced. She and her husband,
Herman, rerired in lg8l ancl
began a long and memorabÌe
retirement. She loved to travel and
was talented at needlepoint, crossstitching, and crocheting. A
dedicated volunteer, she surpassed
6,500 volunteer hours at a locaì
hospital, and was very active in
her local ELCA church. She also
organized and enjoyed mini
Auggie reunions on the Pacific
Coast. She is survived by her
husband of 55 years; three
children, Steven, Scott, and
Olson'48,
Shelley; eight grandchildren; and
Merced, Calif.,
died in July; she
was 77. She
taught school for
many years at
five great-grandchildren.
Wayne L. Stutelberg'49,
Woodbury, Minn., died in
September; he was 77. He spent
32 years working with programs
Oak Grove High School in Fargo,
N.Dak., and kindergarten in
related to special services,
including serving as head of the
and Wisconsin. She is survived by
her husband of nearly 40 years,
Bob; two sisters and a brother; and
speech department at Gillette
Children's Hospital, state director
for the National Easter SeaÌ
Society, and director of special
education programs for both the
Rosemount and Forest Lake
her beloved Boston terrier, Arf,
who shadowed her every step.
school districts. He is survived by
three children, Tom, Patricia, and
Mark, and eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his
elementary school principal.
wife, Marlys.
John N. Samuelson'50,
Minneapolis, died in December;
he was
/).
Shirley A. (Knapton) Hooker
'57, CaldwelÌ, ldaho, died inJuly
2001 after a prolonged medical
battle; she was72. AÎrer
graduating from Augsburg, she
worked for the state highway
departments in both Minnesota
Marvin Husby, lr.,'64,
Inverness, Ill., died inJanuary of
cancer. He was a retired
Dennis J. Carlson '90,
Minneapolis, died inJanuary; he
was 35. He worked as a bouncer
for many years, and was also
involved in semi-professional
wrestllng in Minneapolis, where
he was known as "Samson." He is
survived by his mother, Patricia;
three sisters, Candy, Kathleen, and
Cindy; and two brothers, Robert
and Jerome. He was preceded in
death by his father, Edwin.
Augsburg remembers leader |ibrarian
by Boyd Koehle¡; associate professor and librarian, reprinted from the Augsburg Echo
M
arJone
Sible¡
librarian and
professor at
Augsburg for more
than a quarter of a
century died
January 21,2003,
at the age of 82.
Sibley served as a reference librarian
from 196l to 1987 and also as library
'director from 1970 to 1977. Concurrentl¡
she taught courses in Quakerism and
library science at Augsburg and courses in
library science at the University o[
Minnesota.
Sibley's educational preparation
included a B.A. with Phi Beta Kappa
honors at the University of lllinoisUrbana, an M.A. in sociology with work
toward a doctoral degree also at Urbana,
and a second M.A. in library science lrom
the University of Minnesota.
Augsburg colleagues remember
Sibley's leadership style both in the library
and on campus at large. "Marjorie
regarded the library as the 'heart of the
Spring 2O03
College campus'," according to Margaret
Anderson, former library director and
professor emerita. "She helped build the
library collection up to national standards
and introduced reference service to
promote the library as an active agent of
learning," Anderson said.
The library collection received a boost
in the area of minority and diversity
studies during the early 1970s under
Sibley's leadership, according to Grace
Sulerud, acquisitions and reference
librarian. "She wrote a Bush grant that
increased our budget by $75,000 over
three years," Sulerud said.
"Her energy could not be contained in
the librar¡" said Anderson. "She served on
the laculty senate and nearly every other
faculty committee." Sibley chaired the ad
hoc commìttee on the status of women in
the early I970s, a committee that
examlned pay equity for women and other
lacets of discrimination on campus at both
faculty and staff levels. This study
triggered actual change in Augsburg's
salary structure, according to Grace
Dyrud, psychology professor.
"Marjorie was very good at seeing the
big picture and could approach matters
calmly and rationall¡" Dyrud said. Sibley
also championed world peace. "Marjorie
advised students interested in peace
studies, and, with her husband, Dr.
Mulford Sibley, devoted energy to peace
and justice in the world beyond campus,"
Sulerud said.
"Her Quaker conviction that 'there is
something of God in every person' guided
her life and work," Sulerud said.
"Marjorie was an advocate for justice
in the minds and hearts of everyone she
came in contact with," said Spanish
professor Mary Kingsley, a friend and
colleague who served on various faculty
committees with Sibley.
Sibley's first husband, Mulfurd, a wellknown political science professor at the
University of Minnesora, died in 1989.
Sibley is survived by her husband,
Don Irish; a son, Martin; a daughter,
Muriel; five sisters and brothers; and a
host of grandchildren. A Quaker memorial
service celebrated Sibley's life in February
at Augsburg's Hoversten Chapel.
,Aucssunc
Now
27
o
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o
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o
A president looks back 500 years and finds
h iS Ca I I ing
by president wirriam v. Frame
ollowing are excerpts of a piece written
F by President
Frame Jor the September 6,
2002, issue of Tlne Chronicle of Higher
Education.
Having recently returned from a lO-year
stint in the corporate world to my original
home in the academy, I have stumbled
onto an idea of great utility-both to
rattonalize my own tortuous career path
and to guide the curricular and cultural
reforms needed to serve our college's
students. The idea is vocation. ...
The most immediately distinguishing
aspect of vocation is that of being drawn
to an undertaking with a deep sense that
"This is the right work for me!" I first
encountered that aspect as a reporter for
the student ne\Mspaper at Ohio State
University in the early 1950s. Campus
journalisrn in the early days of the civilrights movement was a thrilling business,
and it gave me, for the first time in my
college life, popular recognition. Yet my
inner voice had not yet matured, and was
thus overwhelmed by its natural rival, the
voice of public acclaim.
That orientation, unfortunatel¡
remained as I shifted my study to political
science and followed it into the
professoriate ... where I eventually
achieved tenure and the rank of professor
of political science. Now I see that I was
actually chasing after the seductive but
ultimately unsatisfactory vindication of
acclaim. ...
Even so, the process of becoming a
professor and achieving tenure
introduced me to two of the critical
axioms of the teaching vocation: Great
teachers begin and remain as serious
students-of themselves as well as of the
world-and learning improves life. But
since I discovered those axioms in a
selective liberal-arts college that was
purposely set well away from the cit¡
they took a particularly private and
rnildly antisocial form. They did not gel
with the outgoing and service-oriented
2A
,4UCSSURC l,¡OW
s
aspects of vocation. ...
A sneaking discomfort with all this
caused me, I now think, to strike out
from the secure shores of rural academe
after 13 years there. I had gone to
Chicago to direct a research program in
the humanities at the Newberry Library. I
fell in love with the city, which, I
realized, is the quintessential social
institution of the modern world. ...
As a result, I was hesitant to return
to the college at the end of the
fellowship. Almost frantically, I cast about
for an alternative, wonderingwhat a 42year-old professor of an arcane art could
do effectively in the "real" world. I joined
the First National Bank of Chicago as a
trainee in the summer of 1981. ...
Those seven years in commercial
banking, followed by three in corporate
finance, gave me a profoundly different
attitude toward work and the world than
I had acquired in the academy Yet as I
advanced in the commercial hierarchy ...
I became less and less interested in the
ultimate purpose (stockholder value) of
the institutions that employed me. I
knew that my appreciation of the
compatibility of work and personal
fulfillment in the modern commercial
world had deepened in several important
ways, and I longed to see how that new
understanding would resonate with
students. I wanted to go back to teaching.
Yet, as I was absolutely dumbfounded to discover, higher education
institutions did not invite my return,
especially into any available teaching or
teaching-related administrative function.
I had to make my way back through
finance ... I re-entered the hallowed halls
as vice president and chief financial
officer at Pacific Lutheran University ...
It was there that I learned of Martin
Luther's respect for "the fine liberal arts,"
which he proposed as the chief human
therapy for modernity-the world in
which work had begun to disconnect
from its earlier communitarian functions.
President Frame led an AugSem discussion
with students about vocation and service on
community service day last September. That
month, he also reflected upon his personal
vocational path in a piece he wrote Íor The
Chronicle of Higher Education.
Vocation, or the called life of service, is
the ultimate objective of that therapy ...
I could see in Luther's idea of
vocation the rnakings of a life-changing
educational concept ... in the presence
ol Luther and my colleagues in a
church-related college ... I began to
draw together into a new educational
philosophy the disparate elements of
what had by now been four different
adult careers. ...
Now, as president of Augsburg, I am
pursuing the application of vocation in
our curriculum and culture in ways that
reflect my personal and increasingly
fulfilled search for my own calling. ...
Looking back, I see that the concept
of vocation has helped me find a pattern
in what I once regarded with shame as a
restless turning from one profession and
career to another ... it has allowed me to
make real progress in drawing together
into a satisfying whole both thought and
action, theory and practice, work and
leisure, and ultirnately, reason and faith.
That wholeness is the ultimate gift of the
called life of service-and what I believe
we should strive to achieve for ourselves
and for our students. I
Spring 2003
)
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tt
I
a,
(a
Music
For more information, call 612-330-1265 (unless otherwise noted)
April 30, }t4ay 2-3
Masterworks Chorale with the Minnesota Orchestra
Sir Neville Marriner, former music director of the Minnesota
Orchestra, returns to conduct the music of his fellow countrymen.
Actor and screen star Christopher Plummer narrates the words of
Shakespeare with music by William Walton from the lllrnr'Henry V
Elgar's poignant Enigma Variations places the finishing touches on
an all-English event.
April 30 at7:30 p.m.-Orchestra Hall
}y'ray 2 at 8 p.m.-Orchestra Hall
May 3 at 8 p.m.-Ordway Center
For ticket information, call the Minnesota Orchestra at 612-371-5656
Seminars, Lectures,
and Films
May 7
Master of Arts in Leadership Series on Transformational
Leadership
Presenters: MAL students, "Leadership Paper Colloquium"
6 p.m.-Christensen Center
For information, call 612-330-1786
Muy 5-10
Augsburg Concert Band Tour
Los Angeles area (seep.24)
Theatre
April
25
Senior Acting Recitals
7 p.m.-Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
For information, call 612-330-1257
Exhibits
For gallery information, call 612-330-1524
}/.ay L7
Parker J. Palmer
"Honor Thy Teacher: Authentic Educational Reform in an Era
of Smoke and Mirrors"
Parker Palmer, a teacher, activist, and bestselling author of
Let Your Life Speah: Listening for the Voice of Vocation and The
Courage to Teach, will present this lecture as part of
Augsburg's Exploring Our Gifts program. This presentation is
free and open to the public.
7 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
For information, call 612-330-1 180
Other Events
May 3-4
COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND
May 3
Commencement Luncheon
Noon-Christensen Center
March 2B-May 4
All-Student Juried Art Exhibition
Gage Family Art Gallery Lindell Library
m&i
Commencement Concert
I :30 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
Honors Convocation
4 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
May 4
Baccalaureate Service
10 a.m.-Hoversten Chapel
Commencement Ceremony
l:30 p.m.-Melby Hall
Seating begins at 12:30 p.m.
Tickets required
March 2B-May 4
Senior Art Exhibit
Christensen Center Art GallerY
Com mencement Reception
3
p.m.-Murphy
Square
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