A few years back, I happened upon the work of Mark Federman, a Canadian scholar whose writings on innovation include this provocative suggestion: “Multiply your mind by giving it away.” And Federman means exactly what he says: be generous, be charitable, give instead of always taking. Because when you are generous with your mind—with your knowledge and education and other gifts—you help to create organizations, neighborhoods, agencies, churches, and schools that are marked not by the scarcity of the world, but by the abundance of what is possible.

I was thinking about Federman’s challenge while serving on a panel about how Lutheran colleges and universities might apply lessons learned about vocation from work with our undergraduate students to other important constituencies. The following three themes emerged from our conversation:

On our campuses, beyond undergraduates

Many colleges and universities have graduate programs in professional disciplines like nursing, education, and social work, where the concept of vocation can play an important role in shaping a professional career and life. At Augsburg, we created V-Portfolio, an online vocation portfolio for undergraduate and graduate students to share artifacts from their personal, academic, and professional journeys. V-Portfolio has proved a helpful tool for students to narrate the many facets of a vocational journey. In addition to academic work, students share experiences as parents, as citizens, as neighbors, and as professionals—creating that many-layered story of a life.

Across the vocational lifespan

Other important constituencies for our campuses include prospective students and alumni. For example, Augsburg has hosted an annual Youth Theology Institute for high school students. Over the summer, these student learning communities explore pressing issues in the world through a theological lens.

Alumni are another important audience for our vocation lessons. At Augsburg, we organized the Centered Life Series, led by Jack Fortin, whose book, “The Centered Life,” has inspired many of us in our own vocational work. Fortin curates a series of sessions each semester (in person before the COVID-19 pandemic, but even more well-attended online during the pandemic) that address a particular vocational theme. For example, one series focused on the vocation of caregiving for a spouse with memory loss; another shared the concept of interrogating our institutional saga, the work of appreciation and accountability for what German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer called our historical legacy.

Accompanying our faith communities

We also have shared our vocation lessons with faith communities, in some ways coming full circle to the traditions that have given us the gift of vocation. Many of those faith communities are now seeking new ways to support the vocational journeys of their members.

The work of the Riverside Innovation Hub, an initiative of Augsburg’s Christensen Center for Vocation, comes alongside local congregations seeking to become public churches. A public church is committed to place-based vocational discernment in the public square for the common good. In other words, the partner churches are pursuing God’s call for them to be in relationship with their neighborhoods in ways that bring flourishing and life. The Riverside Innovation Hub explores how the many resources of a college or university can be brought to bear in helping faith communities be more responsive to the vocational pursuits of their members. For example, leaders found that many young people care deeply about environmental issues and don’t feel that their faith communities offer them resources to pursue those commitments. The innovation hub brings scientists and artists and writers and theologians from the Augsburg faculty into conversation with faith communities to help expand their understanding of how they might accompany those young people in their passions for God’s creation.

Alumni living out their vocations

Multiply your mind by giving it away. In this issue of Augsburg Now, you’ll find stories of Augsburg graduates doing just that. Keenan Jones ’13 is driven to empower and educate Black boys, who fall behind in every category the United States uses to determine academic success and wellness. After 13 years in the classroom, he started a nonprofit for Black boys in grades 5–12 that focuses on literacy, empowerment, social justice, and social/emotional health. Other Auggies’ time and talents are focused on environmental justice: María Belén Power ’07 is an advocate and organizer for GreenRoots, an organization in her Boston-area suburb of Chelsea, Massachusetts, and was recently named to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Elan Quezada Hoffman ’22 pursues his calling through work as an environmental inspector for the City of Minneapolis.

We’re finding new ways to share the gift of vocation and those lessons we have learned with our undergraduate students with others at all stages of life. We all are enriched by the joy of lives faithfully led.

The post Notes from President Pribbenow—Multiply Your Mind by Giving It Away: Sharing the Gift of Vocation appeared first on Augsburg Now.

Najeeba Syeed joined Augsburg as the inaugural El-Hibri endowed chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg in early August. Syeed is an award-winning educator and expert practitioner in the fields of conflict resolution, mediation, and interfaith studies. Previously, she held faculty positions at Claremont School of Theology, Starr King School for the Ministry, and Chicago Theological Seminary, as well as executive leadership roles at the Western Justice Center Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center.

In this new position, Syeed will serve as a national ambassador for the interfaith movement and will partner with campus leaders as a change agent for interreligious learning and living. Her appointment fuels one of the goals of the Augsburg150 strategic plan: to advance the public purposes of an Augsburg education by enhancing interfaith leadership on campus and nationally. Interfaith at Augsburg: An Institute to Promote Interfaith Learning and Leadership was established in 2019 to further the belief that religious diversity can be a constructive force for the common good.

In 2021, a significant gift from Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri allowed for the creation of the El-Hibri endowed chair and executive directorship for the institute. Fuad El-Hibri died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. A longtime friend of the university, he made a tremendous mark on Augsburg during the past two decades.

The El-Hibris learned of Augsburg in the early 2000s, when their son, Board of Regents member Karim El-Hibri ‘06, participated in the StepUP® Collegiate program. They served as the inaugural co-chairs of Augsburg’s President’s Council and, among other generous gifts to the university, annually sponsored Iftar dinners for the campus during Ramadan.

President Paul Pribbenow reflected on the family’s scope and significance: “Fuad and his family have been generous with their time, wisdom, and gifts to support me and our community as we advance Augsburg’s deep commitments to collegiate recovery, interfaith dialogue, and student success. Fuad was a role model for our students as he combined his faith, his business acumen, and his love for his family in all that he pursued. I will miss him and know that his legacy will live on at Augsburg and beyond.”

A business leader and philanthropist, Fuad was the founder and executive chairman of Emergent BioSolutions Corporation, chairman of East West Resources, and chairman of Aptevo Therapeutics. He also served as the founding chairman of the El-Hibri Foundation, which the family founded in 2001 to honor Fuad’s father. Faud said he was inspired by the universal values of Islam and supported the foundation in its vision of building an inclusive society where everyone can thrive in a diverse and inclusive world. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; son, Karim; daughters, Yusra and Faiza; and three grandchildren.

The post Campus Welcomes Executive Director of Interfaith, Celebrates the Life of Fuad El-Hibri appeared first on Augsburg Now.

1965

Marcia Schneider ’65 met with Professor Emerita Kathryn Swanson and her husband, Jack, while they were in Arizona. Marcia was a part of a trip to Thailand and Cambodia that the Swansons led in 2017.

1966

David Johnson ’66, who received a doctorate in the history of religion from the University of Iowa, returned from teaching as a visiting professor in China. His books include “Western Thought for Asian Readers” and “Indian Thought Between Tradition and the Culture of Technology.”

1967

Dennis Miller ’67, professor emeritus of food science and nutrition at Cornell University, is one of the participants in a research project to transform nutrition and water use in the poultry industry to improve its environmental impact and enhance human health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funded the research through a $9.95 million grant, one of the largest grants ever awarded by the USDA.

Thad Danielson ’67 has retired from his boat shop and now teaches a two-week class, The Fundamentals of Boatbuilding, at the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, Maine. He also wrote the book, “An Introduction to Wooden Boat Building: Always More to Learn.”

1969

Janis Mathison ’69 was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Shawano Community High School in Shawano, Wisconsin. The honor recognizes her work as a coach and pioneer of women’s athletics at the school.

1970–79

1972

After 26 years, Robert Engelson ’72 has retired from his role as a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arizona Global Campus.

1973

Sheldon Anderson ’73 published a memoir, “Jump Shooting to a Higher Degree,” which chronicles his basketball career in Minneapolis, West Germany, and Poland, where he did research for his doctorate.

1979

With more than 500 wins in his prep coaching career, Douglas Greseth ’79 has been named boys basketball head coach at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill, Florida.

1980–89

1983

In November 2021, Luverne Seifert ’83 directed a melodrama, “The Last Train to Winnipeg,” for the Lyric Center for the Arts in Virginia, Minnesota. The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council supported the play with Rural and Community Art Project grant funding.

Brian Hoffman ’83, associate professor of anthropology at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, was about the excavations he leads on campus—most recently, the remains of a St. Paul home near the corner of Hewitt Avenue and Pascal Street.

1984

Anne Marie Erickson ’84 has created a website with excerpts from essays she’s written about living with her husband’s 17 years of dementia.

1985

Jean Taylor ’85 was of American Public Media Group, the parent company of Minnesota Public Radio, in 2021.

1988

Dallas Miller ’88 was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame for playing hockey at Kennedy High School in Bloomington, Minnesota. Miller was inducted into �̲�ֱ��’s Hall of Fame for his award-winning hockey career.

1990–99

1994

Michelle Steever ’94 received the Outstanding Librarian Award from the Rhode Island Library Association in 2021. She is the school library media specialist for the Jamestown School District in Rhode Island.

Judell Anderson ’94 retired after leading the Alliance of Auto Service Providers-MN for nearly 26 years.

1998

Rollors, a lawn game by Matthew Butler ’98, was featured in the Rolling Stone article “From Grills to Boombox Speakers, These Are the Products We’re Using Labor Day Weekend” (September 2, 2021).

1999

Kale Henry ’99 was named the head coach of the Forest Lake High School baseball program. He is a previous winner of the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association’s Rob Fornasiere Assistant Coach of the Year Award.

2000–09

2000

interviewed Ross Murray ’00, ’09 MBA about his founding of the Naming Project, an ELCA-based camp for LGBTQ youth. Murray wrote the book “Made, Known, Loved: Developing LGBT-Inclusive Youth Ministry,” and he is the director of news and faith initiatives for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD).

Nathan Budde ’00 completed the Ironman Wisconsin in 2021. He finished 77th out of roughly 1,800 competitors and seventh among the 180 people in his age bracket.

2003

Kari Lucin ’03 has returned to The Globe newspaper in Worthington, Minnesota, as community editor. She was previously the Globe’s education reporter and online content coordinator.

Keneeshia Williams ’03, MD, gave a , “The Prosperity of Investment: A Journey From Murder Witness to Trauma Surgeon,” that uses her life experience and medical expertise to offer non-divisive, proven solutions to gun violence in America. Williams is an assistant professor of surgery at Emory University in Atlanta and director of medical student education at Grady Memorial Hospital.

2005

Eddie Frizell ’05 MAL was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Marshal for the District of Minnesota. He previously served as chief of police for the Metro Transit Police Department in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Christe Singleton ’07 MBA was named vice president of Minnesota Gas at CenterPoint Energy, Minnesota’s largest natural gas utility.

2007

Travis Paul ’07 MBA is the regional chair of administration for Mayo Clinic Health System in Southwest Minnesota. Paul has 26 years of progressive health care experience at Mayo Clinic, including 18 years in leadership roles and numerous years as a front-line nurse.

Emily Bastian ’07 MSW, Avivo’s vice president of ending homelessness, was about Avivo Village in Minneapolis, an indoor grouping of tiny houses offering safety, comfort, and dignity to 100 residents.

2008

Anthony Vicino ’08 is a founding partner of Invictus Capital and co-author of “Passive Investing Made Simple.”

Nicholas Zeimet ’08 MSW is an assistant professor of social work at Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minnesota. He has served as the Minnesota Chapter President of Syrian American Medical Society and has led a mental health mission to Lebanon and Jordan. He holds a volunteer position with Mt. Sinai’s Human Rights Program as a remote mental health evaluator for those seeking asylum or other immigration matters.

Michael Henrichsen ’08 is lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player for ’80s cover band Nite Wave, which was recently featured in an article in 425 Magazine. The band has produced a live album and has performed with Billy Idol three times.

Katherine LaGrave ’08, digital features editor for AFAR Media, was named Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers in 2021.

Nicole Richards ’08, a certified public accountant, was promoted to principal at Boeckermann, Grafstrom & Mayer in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Dianna Robinson ’08 was promoted to market president and director of private banking, community markets at Associated Bank in Rochester, Minnesota.

Michael Graber ’08 MBA has been appointed president and CEO of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.

2010–11

2011

Kyle Potswald ’11 was promoted to vice president of commercial lending at the Citizens Bank Minnesota Lakeville branch.

Elle Thoni ’11 wrote the musical, “Queen B: A New Work of Honeybee Futurism,” which toured Minnesota farms and green spaces in August 2021.

2012

Emily Nichols ’12 is general manager of the Kimpton Alton Hotel in San Francisco’s iconic Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood.

2013

As executive director and founder of MN Renewable Now, Kristel Porter ’13 is working toward the installation of solar systems in North Minneapolis, among other environmental justice projects.

2013 and 2019

Daley Knochar Farr ’13 and Maximillian Bray ’19 married June 11, 2021, in New Orleans. Connor Krenik ’13, Kacie Lucchini Butcher ’13, Kevin Butcher ’13, Morgan Thompson ’09, and Gabrielle Miller ’09 were in attendance.

2016

Rayna Lindsey ’16 appears in season 9 of “Below Deck” on Bravo.

Lisa Archer ’16 MAN has been named chief nursing officer for Mayo Clinic Health System in Southwest Wisconsin.

2019

Jeffrey Boldt ’19 MFA published his debut novel, “Blue Lake,” in March 2022. Boldt drew from his legal and environmental background to write the Wisconsin-based thriller.

2020s

2020

Alison Uselman ’20 won the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts & Letters’ 2021 Wisconsin People & Ideas Fiction Contest for her short story, “Honor Cord.”

2021

Isaac Tadé ’21 started dental school at the University of Minnesota, where he received the Xhonga Scholarship and a National Health Service Corps Scholarship.

The post Alumni Class Notes, Summer 2022 appeared first on Augsburg Now.

Thea M. (Horne) Carpenter ’39, Forest Lake, Minnesota, age 107, on March 30, 2022.

1940s

Robert W. Andersen ’49, Belvedere Tiburon, California, age 94, on June 30, 2021.

Vera B.  (Thorson) Benzel ’45, Prior Lake, Minnesota, age 103, on November 3, 2021.

David R. Christenson ’49, Lynnwood, Washington, age 95, on March 1, 2022.

George H. Dahl ’49, Minneapolis, age 97, on February 8, 2022.

Elsie I. (Ronholm) Koivula ’49, Cokato, Minnesota, age 95, on December 10, 2021.

Avis K. (Haga) Lindroos ’47, Northwood, North Dakota, age 98, on October 16, 2021.

Arne K. Markland ’49, Tempe, Arizona, age 96, on May 4, 2022.

1950s

Charles R. Bard ’50, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 96, on January 23, 2022.

Vernon O. Berkness ’59, Minneapolis, age 90, on August 15, 2021.

Rhoda L. Carlstedt ’53, Kissimmee, Florida, age 93, on February 3, 2022.

Orla J. Christensen ’56, Vermillion, South Dakota, age 88, on April 5, 2022.

Doris M. (Johnson) Deml ’58, Minneapolis, age 84, on September 12, 2021.

Richard A. Dronen ’55, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, age 89, on January 28, 2022.

Valborg L. (Kyllo) Ellingson ’54, Harris, Minnesota, age 90, on June 14, 2022.

Curtis A. Fox ’53, Peterson, Minnesota, age 91, April 26, 2022.

Marshall H. Gante ’54, York, Pennsylvania, age 92, on February 9, 2022.

Verner L. Gilbert ’56, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 88, June 1, 2022.

Thomas H. Hoversten ’56, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, age 88, on April 9, 2022.

Harvey M. Johnson ’50, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, age 96, on October 26, 2021.

Oliver E. Johnson ’50, Waverly, Iowa, age 97, on April 11, 2022.

Stanley B. Ludviksen ’56, La Grande, Oregon, age 90, on December 26, 2021.

Ronald C. Main ’56, New Brighton, Minnesota, age 91, on August 26, 2021.

Robert L. Meffert ’59, Marshall, Minnesota, age 84, on January 31, 2022.

Perry D. Miller ’51, Carmel, California, age 94, on August 9, 2021.

Leroy D. Nyhus ’52, Minneapolis, age 94, on January 4, 2022.

Magne B. Olson ’58, Lombard, Illinois, age 88, on November 20, 2021.

Rhoda (Knutson) Oscarson ’53, Nashville, Tennessee, age 95, on June 13, 2022.

Dorothy G. (Skonnord) Petersen ’52, San Antonio, Texas, age 90, on April 26, 2022.

Ardelle E. (Skovholt) Quanbeck ’54, Minneapolis, age 89, on December 31, 2021.

William E. Robbins ’50, Blaine, Minnesota, age 96, on December 20, 2021.

Donavon L. Roberts ’52, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, age 91, on November 16, 2021.

Viola P. (Nelson) Solberg ’50, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, age 99, on August 19, 2021.

Thomas P. Straiton ’53, New Prague, Minnesota, age 96, on November 21, 2021.

Gale L. Torstenson ’59, Dawson, Minnesota, age 85, on December 12, 2021.

David P. Wasgatt ’50, Newark, Delaware, age 94, on July 19, 2021.

1960s

John A. Anderson ’60, Nevis, Minnesota, age 84, on August 5, 2021.

Jean F. (Hemstreet) Bachman ’68, Sun City, Arizona, age 97, on February 8, 2022.

Donald F.J. Baum ’65, Dresser, Wisconsin, age 86, on September 23, 2021.

Loren L. Ehnert ’61, Byron, Minnesota, age 88, on October 24, 2021.

Gene M. Erlandson ’60, Mentor, Minnesota, age 92, on October 12, 2021.

Paul A. Fieldhammer ’65, Alexandria, Minnesota, age 79, on March 24, 2022.

LeMar J. First ’66, St. Cloud, Minnesota, age 82, on August 1, 2021.

Ronald E. Holden ’69, Plymouth, Minnesota, age 75, on November 7, 2021.

Peter C. King ’69, Prior Lake, Minnesota, age 76, on April 27, 2022.

Barbara H. (Cook) Krueger ’62, Hendersonville, North Carolina, age 81, April 30, 2022.

James G. Lasley ’62, Redwood Falls, Minnesota, age 82, on August 12, 2021.

Julie A. (Gudmestad) Laudicina ’65, Staten Island, New York, age 79, on November 19, 2021.

LeRoy J. Martinson ’65, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, age 81, on November 2, 2021.

Roy V. Munderovski ’67, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 82, on July 30, 2021.

Kathlyn E. (Mattson) Nelson ’66, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 77, on December 2, 2021.

Ronald J. Nordin ’64, Holmen, Wisconsin, age 80, on September 29, 2021.

Joel V. Nyquist ’67, Cokato, Minnesota, age 76, on December 1, 2021.

Roger C. Olson ’62, Escanaba, Michigan, age 82, on August 20, 2021.

Glenn A. Pearson ’61, Omaha, Nebraska, age 91, on February 16, 2022.

Paul A. Peterson ’60, Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, age 83, on January 14, 2022.

Ronald D. Peterson ’66, Ottertail, Minnesota, age 79, on April 13, 2022.

Marilyn E. (Tweed) Purser ’60, Apple Valley, California, age 86, on July 16, 2022.

Audrey J. (Anderson) Rogness ’66, Golden Valley, Minnesota, age 78, on November 4, 2021.

John F. Ryski ’63, Chaska, Minnesota, age 81, on December 17, 2021.

Leland B. Sateren, Jr. ’68, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 78, on April 15, 2022.

Dennis F. Schroeder ’61, Omaha, Nebraska, age 87, on November 19, 2021.

Paul D. Swanson ’69, Center City, Minnesota, age 75, on March 4, 2022.

Jane E. (Knudsen) Wold ’68, Mankato, Minnesota, age 77, on February 26, 2022.

1970s

Mavis L. (Knutson) Graske ’71, Minneapolis, age 73, on August 29, 2021.

Peter A. Hendrickson ’76, Houston, Texas, age 68, on June 14, 2022.

Gary R.D. Kanne ’74, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 69, on July 12, 2021.

Rachel C. (Sapp) Laaksonen ’72, Duluth, Minnesota, age 77, on February 12, 2022.

Marty J. Lindell ’76, Woodbury, Minnesota, age 68, on August 22, 2021.

ChanSoon (Lee) Olson ’76, Minneapolis, age 73, on June 20, 2021.

Adelaide (Peterson) Parbst ’79, Eagan, Minnesota, age 98, on October 11, 2021.

Terry J. Peterson ’70, Rancho Mirage, California, age 73, on July 9, 2022.

Patricia A. Rydeen-Barnes ’78, Shoreview, Minnesota, age 66, on March 2, 2022.

Violet M. (Dahl) Sumey ’70, Fairmont, Minnesota, age 93, on June 28, 2021.

Suzanne I. Thompson ’72, Minneapolis, age 72, on June 21, 2022.

James C. Wolslegel ’72, Fargo, North Dakota, age 72, on April 11, 2022.

1980s

Leonard F. Ditmanson ’85, MD, Oro Valley, Arizona, age 63, on April 20, 2022.

Patricia J. (Hanson) Ihrke ’82, Stillwater, Minnesota, age 62, on October 22, 2021.

Janet T. (Bailey) Lewis ’81, Pudong, Shanghai, age 63, on November 21, 2021.

Michele M. McGaughey ’80, Minneapolis, age 66, on March 6, 2022.

1990s

Meghan R. (Carlblom) Blomquist ’98, Farmington, Minnesota, age 46, on February 6, 2022.

Richard D. Bruce ’92, Minneapolis, age 73, on August 14, 2021.

Marcia L. Lozier ’94, Maplewood, Minnesota, age 63, on September 5, 2021.

Truong V.V. Nguyen ’99, Minneapolis, age 49, on November 11, 2021.

Leslie A. (Daboll) Throne ’95, Watkins, Minnesota, age 67, on December 31, 2021.

Scott P. Wright ’96, Chaska, Minnesota, age 55, on June 22, 2021.

2000s

Thalia M. (Koch) Cipala ’07, Minneapolis, age 39, on July 11, 2021.

Francis D. Dehn ’03, Ramsey, Minnesota, age 61, on December 18, 2021.

Darren S. Ginther ’06, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 38, on June 16, 2022.

Jon D. Gottesleben ’05, Minneapolis, age 62, on January 5, 2022.

Erik J. Helgeson ’05, Minneapolis, age 40, on January 26, 2022.

John T. Michael ’02, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 51, on June 30, 2022.

Mary C. Nolan ’08, Ramsey, Minnesota, age 69, on July 31, 2021.

Luci T. Sagehorn ’03, Anoka, Minnesota, age 41, on August 1, 2021.

Thomas A. Skarohlid ’00, Minneapolis, age 54, on October 26, 2021.

2010s

Kathleen G. (Steen) Brockway ’13, Brook Park, Minnesota, age 69, on February 8, 2022.

Joseph S. Gauslow ’12, Colfax, North Dakota, age 35, on April 23, 2022.

Jacquelyn F. (Faulkner) Komplin ’18, Napa, California, age 61, on August 5, 2021.

Darla J. (Swanson) Maciewski ’10, Minneapolis, age 61, on September 26, 2021.

Taylor A. (Gregurich) McCafferty ’13, Dallas, Texas, age 33, on March 23, 2022.

Kesang M. Olsen ’15, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, age 29, on September 3, 2021.

Eric K. Robinson ’19, Columbia Heights, Minnesota, age 35, on June 6, 2021.

Alexandra N. Wolfe ’13, Minneapolis, age 33, on June 27, 2022.

2020s

Katherine Novak ’20, Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, age 32, on January 18, 2022.

Dion L. Ford Jr. ’24, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 21, on March 31, 2022.

Kailey L. Mach ’22, Le Center, Minnesota, age 20, on February 26, 2022.

Claudia A. G. Murray ’24, Minneapolis, age 20, on February 26, 2022.

Emily A. Suhrhoff Onken ’25, Minneapolis, age 21, on August 4, 2022.

Faculty, Staff, and Board of Regents

Bradley D. Branch, Augsburg custodian, Minneapolis, age 62, on June 14, 2022.

Wesley B. Ellenwood, assistant professor emeritus of filmmaking, St. Paul, Minnesota, age 69, on December 25, 2021.

Patricia A. “Pat” (Falstad) Parker, former Augsburg associate dean and library science instructor, Minneapolis, age 94, on October 21, 2021.

Philip J. Thompson, professor emeritus of art, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, age 88, on November 1, 2021.

Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, Augsburg Board of Regents member, Plymouth, Minnesota, age 75, on July 22, 2022.

The post In Memoriam, Summer 2022 appeared first on Augsburg Now.

But what happens when the threat isn’t as obvious? When there aren’t many, if any, headlines? When strangers don’t understand, let alone lend support for the cause?

For Auggies working in environmental activism fields, the challenges and work take on many forms.

María Belén Power ’07 is an advocate and organizer for GreenRoots, an environmental justice organization in her Boston-area suburb of Chelsea, Massachusetts. Belén Power’s days are filled with educating fellow community members. That includes helping them question and hold accountable elected leaders and other officials.

“It’s very much a story we see playing out all over the country,” said Belén Power. “Environmental justice is about protecting the most vulnerable residents … it’s crucial to protect the communities where Black and brown and low-income residents live.

“There’s a direct correlation between access to green space and blue space (sky), and health care and quality of life.”

A member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, Belén Power said climate and environmental injustices have been occurring in the United States “ever since Europeans arrived on this land.” But as a modern movement, environmental justice has been present and recognized in some communities much longer than in others.

The Environmental Protection Agency notes that one of the first modern actions of the movement began in Memphis, Tennessee, with the Memphis Sanitation Strike in 1968. Calls for fair pay and better working conditions for the city’s waste workers, most of whom were Black, marked one of the first times people of color formally organized to oppose workplace inequalities.

But the issue extends well beyond the workplace. Redlining, which is the discriminatory, government-sanctioned practice of refusing mortgages or insurance to home buyers in or near African-American neighborhoods, occurred across the country from the mid-1930s until it was outlawed with the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Despite the change in the law, the damage was already done and remains an issue today, Belén Power said.

One of the more infamous examples of a public health emergency was the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. There, starting in 2014 and stretching more than five years, Flint residents—nearly 60 percent of whom were Black—couldn’t care for their pets, bathe, drink, or cook with the water flowing from faucets. It was contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria.

“The fact that there was intentional mismanagement of public water resources and that it had to do with certain companies saving money, and people living in communities drinking water that was completely polluted, makes it one of the most prominent environmental justice issues,” she said.

Problems facing the Chelsea, Massachusetts, area where Belén Power and her neighbors work and live include things like the fight she and her organization have been involved in for six years and counting about where an electrical substation will be located. Other work includes continuing the organization’s response to COVID-19, creating urban gardens, and other long-term legislative issues like fighting for the right to secure energy from more economical sources. These and other environmental justice issues are not unique to Chelsea; they are the unsung battles being waged across the nation.

Belén Power credits her undergrad experiences, and living in the Twin Cities, for how she landed at GreenRoots.

“The education that I got at Augsburg really shaped who I am and what I do,” Belén Power said. “My political awareness was shaped by my professors and the community—Augsburg has a special place in my heart.”

The work is hard, and success looks different to those who are in the middle of changing how entire cultures and generations consider long-held beliefs.

“There are some really crappy days, really crappy weeks, but you think about the victories,” Belén Power said. “You just stay focused every day, building up power and eventually shifting that power.

“Justice is not really won; every generation has to fight for it. We can have victories, and yet those victories have to be re-won with every generation,” Belén Power said. “My kids are an amazing inspiration for me. I hope we are working toward a society they can build on and make better.”

Consider the why

An eye toward future generations motivates Elan Quezada Hoffman ’22, an environmental inspector for the City of Minneapolis.

Even though Hoffman is one of the youngest and newest in the climate crisis fight, his focus is on who and what is to come.

“The beginnings of the call to urgency for the climate was something I started learning about in high school. The urgency was communicated to me clearly, and I thought there’s no point in doing anything else,” Hoffman said. “If someone doesn’t take responsibility for this and do the work that has to be done, we’re all going to be lost.”

To improve the urban landscape, Hoffman said he and his colleagues respond to any pollution or similar issues that might arise—anything from noise pollution, to water quality testing, to erosion control. His agency also helps protect the environment with tree distribution and pollinator promotion efforts.

But he said much of what he focuses on is education, at his day job and through the volunteer work he continues to do with groups like Augsburg’s Environmental Stewardship Committee.

“Climate education is a massive part of addressing the climate crisis,” Hoffman said. “If you have a population of people who don’t care, nothing will change.”

How that education is offered, Hoffman said, is an important piece to sustainable action.

“When you have a one-on-one conversation with someone, you’re creating a relationship,” he said. “Dialogue is happening and the message hits home. As environmentalists, we need to do a better job of getting into communities—not just preaching (through pamphlets and PSAs)—but having an actual conversation with someone.”

The Environmental Stewardship Committee at Augsburg is an effort near to Hoffman’s heart. Like many things, COVID-19 affected the team’s ability to move some initiatives forward. But Hoffman, who began working with the group as an undergrad, is hopeful the committee’s outreach can begin again, especially on a long-range solar and carbon neutrality plan.

“It’s our responsibility as students, faculty, and staff to say, ‘We need to do better,’” Hoffman said. “It requires a shift in how we think about wellness, our economy, and society.”

Encircling all of those issues is the environment.

“It comes down to awareness, then action. All of us working together.”

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Sowing seeds for tomorrow

Student-led efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle

Top image: GreenRoots is a community-based organization dedicated to improving and enhancing the urban environment and public health in Chelsea and surrounding communities. It does so through deep community engagement and empowerment, youth leadership, and implementation of innovative projects and campaigns. (Courtesy photo)

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Monica McDaniel, Augsburg’s sustainability officer, said the university community uses a multi-faceted approach to intersectional environmentalism, which challenges advocates to protect people as well as the planet. The university does this work through committees, including the student-led Environmental Action Committee and the Environmental Stewardship Committee, which includes students, faculty, and staff.

How that plays out at Augsburg, McDaniel said, is through holistic programs on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods that consider not only what is needed now, but how needs and protections can be carried out in the future.

Originally developed by Bemidji State University, the university’s “wellness model” derives from ancient Ojibwe teachings that the environment is the foundation that holds wellness, social health, and economic health in place. Think of it like a solar system, with the environment being the sun around which wellness, social health, and economic health orbit.

McDaniel said Augsburg’s focus is on three areas: food sovereignty (making sure people have unimpeded access to healthy nutrition), a mutual aid circular economy, and renewable energy.

Augsburg supports more than 100 community garden plots and an indigenous medicinal garden. These gardens reflect the communities they serve, and every aspect is intentional—from the types of items planted, such as rue, a common herb used in East African cooking and medicine, to the ways each garden is tended.

“It’s one way that we’ve been trying to move beyond just planting food and eating it,” McDaniel said. “We want a space where people can see themselves represented, too.”

On campus, the ShareShop supports the circular economy component. Made by students for students, the shop is a place where small kitchen and other household items can be borrowed, swapped, or taken for use.

Each semester, McDaniel said, the ShareShop saves at least a dumpster’s worth of items from being thrown out. The lasting effect, though, is about changing behaviors.

Some of that lasting impact is in the interest new students have for a living and learning committee that focuses on sustainability. More than 50 students applied for 14 spots in the fall, McDaniel said.

“That demonstrates to me that this generation genuinely cares about these issues,” she said.

Work continues on renewable energy efforts underway at the university. From replacing less-effective light bulbs with LED lighting and upgraded HVAC systems, to major initiatives like studying the possibility of on-campus solar, the renewable energy conversations involve all members of the Augsburg community.

Across all fronts, McDaniel said, she tries to keep one eye on the present and the other on what’s coming.

“Programming helps because it gives us an immediate win,” she said. “The challenge is looking at the systemic change we’re trying to implement.”

Top image: Monica McDaniel and students in Augsburg’s Environmental Stewardship Committee discuss the plants in the community garden plots outside the Hagfors Center. (Photo by Rebecca Slater)

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As a comprehensive campaign, Great Returns: We’re All In strengthens Augsburg and supports current and future students in numerous ways. So far, donors have contributed more than $26 million toward creating or strengthening 139 endowed scholarship funds and establishing five endowed professorships. More than $10 million has been raised for the StepUP® Collegiate program Growth Endowment, which provides ongoing support for Augsburg’s recovery program.

Benefactors have also contributed more than $16 million to the Augsburg Fund, which allocates unrestricted, discretionary dollars to improve the student experience through academic programs, technologies, student aid, and more. “These have been a tough couple years for all of us,” said President Paul Pribbenow. “But the hardships of these years only remind us that the core of Augsburg to educate students as stewards of an inclusive democracy is all the more important and all the more critical.”

Endowed funds can support specific scholarships, professorships, or specific programs. The university draws from these investments every year, currently at a rate of 4.5%, which ensures a steady stream of funding that allows Augsburg to build programs and make multi-year commitments.
A university with generous endowments is able to offer financial aid and learning opportunities that better prepare students to pursue their callings.

These are just a few of the ways Augsburg’s alumni and friends have demonstrated that they are “all in” to ensure a vibrant future for �̲�ֱ��. Campaign gifts can enhance the student experience by providing funds for hands-on research opportunities, study abroad experiences, or improvements to the facilities where Auggies study, research, live, eat, relax, and train. After celebrating Augsburg’s sesquicentennial in 2019 and 2020, Augsburg’s community—“faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, friends, all who care deeply about this place”—are setting the university up to thrive for another 150 years, said Pribbenow.

Great Returns: We’re All In is also the theme of the All-School Reunion to be held during Homecoming on Friday, October 6–Sunday, October 8. Co-chaired by Jeff Nodland ’77 and Becky Bjella-Nodland ’79, the celebration will include a gathering of Auggie affinity groups and an award ceremony for the Distinguished Alumni Awards in the Hagfors Center.

The weekend will also include the traditional Taste of Augsburg, a home football game against St. John’s University, a celebration of 50 years of Augsburg women’s intercollegiate athletics and Title IX, and the dedications of the renovated Si Melby women’s locker room (funded by a donation from Patricia Piepenburg ’69), and the updated Si Melby weight room, dedicated to Donny Wichmann ’89.

Learn more about Great Returns: We’re All In and donate to Augsburg’s future.

Top image: Great Returns: We’re All In waterdrop. The water drop sculptures were given to the first 150 benefactors who chose to invest in an endowed scholarship during the Great Returns campaign.
(Photo by Courtney Perry)

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Through the fellowship, students grow their networks, connect with BIPOC mentors, strengthen their leadership skills, and benefit from a supportive, motivating cohort. Fellows receive up to $5,000 for tuition and $500 for books each year and participate in a national conference about racial and social justice.

In 2021–22, 10 Augsburg juniors participated in the fellowship. Eight of those students will continue to participate as seniors. The two open slots, one of which was vacated by a student who graduated early, will be filled by seniors on a waiting list for the initial cohort. Ten new juniors will also join the program.

Four Augsburg staff members support the fellows: Joanne Reeck, vice president for equity and inclusion; Chris Dixon, athletic diversity and inclusion director; Kate Gray, career services and alumni connections manager for the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work; and Kezia Burrows, Pan-Afrikan Student Services program manager.

Students formed meaningful connections with the mentors and each other over the course of the program’s first year. By the end of the year, student fellows described their relationships with one another as familial. The initial cohort’s mentors included the vice president of a bank, a nurse practitioner, an assistant principal, a retired judge who founded a nonprofit, and Augsburg’s university pastor. Alumni and community members who are interested in mentoring can email inclusion@augsburg.edu.

To apply for a fellowship for the 2023–24 school year or learn more, visit the Sankofa Circle Fellowship web page or email inclusion@augsburg.edu.

Top image: Sankofa fellows visited the YMCA Equity Innovation Center in March 2022. (Courtesy photo)

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Campus programs like Campus Cupboard and ShareShop reflect the university’s environmental stewardship and social consciousness.

Campus Cupboard is Augsburg’s food shelf, which provides students and recent alumni with access to free food and other essentials like toilet paper and shampoo. The cupboard is open for in-person shopping in the basement of Anderson Residence Hall, but the staff also make contactless curbside and off-campus deliveries.

Serving students since 2013, Campus Cupboard is an essential part of Campus Kitchen, which manages more than 80 community garden plots and delivers meals—made from dining services’ surplus—to area youth programs, seniors, and community centers. Campus Kitchen also hosts food demos, shares recipes, and distributes excess produce from area farmers. Learn more about the Campus Cupboard and ways to donate to this and other Campus Kitchen initiatives on the Campus Kitchen webpage.

Students created the ShareShop in 2019 to help the Augsburg community save money and reduce consumption of material goods, while providing a space that fosters community and informal learning about sustainable practices. Located in the basement of the Science Building, the shop features free clothes and household goods such as kitchen appliances, furniture, sheet sets, and more. Some items are free while others are available to check out.

The shop, which is open year round, expanded in 2021 to offer a pop-up location in the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work. Partnering with Campus Cupboard, the satellite location offers nonperishable food, school supplies, clothes, and professional attire.

In spring 2022, the shop held the inaugural MoveOut effort in partnership with Residence Life. The partnership made it easy for students moving out of the dorms to donate small appliances, furniture, fans, kitchenware, clothes, and more to the ShareShop rather than tossing unwanted items into dumpsters. Donate items and learn more about ShareShop.

Top image: Augsburg students help sort items donated to ShareShop. (Photo by Rebecca Slater)

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