(MINNEAPOLIS) – The Mississippi River and four, 24-foot voyageur canoes are home and classroom for a group of Augsburg College students who will be in Dubuque from Sept. 28-30 as part of the nation’s first-ever River Semester.

The students, who have paddled more than 250 miles of river since departing St. Paul on Sept. 1 as part of their nearly 2,350-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico, will earn as many as 16 credits in biology, environmental studies, health and physical education, and political science.

“The canoes are a floating classroom where students translate into action what they learn on shore during lectures and from their reading and homework,” said Professor Joe Underhill, creator of this hands-on learning program.

“Each student also is responsible for personal research project, some in partnership with state and national agencies. Some of these projects contribute to the common good, and every project is a chance for teamwork and collaborative excellence.”

The dozen students participating in this hands-on learning program, created by Underhill, is offered in partnership with , a nonprofit and inclusive travel provider that specializes in experiential programming and outdoor travel for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

“We know that what happens in the boats transfers to the classroom and life,” said Chad Dayton, director of programs and partner relations for Wilderness Inquiry. “Students develop increased confidence, better relationships with faculty, and throughout their college careers, they have a shared experience to refer back to that can help with problem solving.”

During the trip, students will:

• Conduct a field research project on a topic such as water pollution, the Clean Water Act, agriculture in the watershed, political organizing around environmental issues, race relations and social justice, or urban riverfront revitalization.
• Explore the history, literature, food, music and culture of the Mississippi River.
• Gain skills tailored to meet the needs of partner organizations, including businesses,  graduate schools, nonprofits and government agencies.
• Attend town hall meetings and meet with environmental organizations along the river.
• Hear from guest lecturers about authors Mark Twain and William Faulkner, ancient river civilizations, American Indian communities and their fight for justice, and the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Students will return to the Twin Cities via train in mid-December and will arrive at St. Paul Union Depot.

An can be found on the River Semester website.

CONTACTS

• Stephanie Weiss, Augsburg College Director of News and Media Services, 612.330.1476
• Jeffrey Kemnitz, Wilderness Inquiry Outreach Director, 612.676.9427

The post Dubuque a stop for college students studying and traveling Mississippi River in nation’s first-ever River Semester appeared first on News and Media.

Katie Edelen ’11 [right] arrived at Augsburg intent on becoming a doctor and helping people in war-torn countries. Following her junior year of college she traveled to Chennai, India to shadow doctors in government hospitals and work with a doctor who brought internal medicine services to refugee camps, slums, and villages.

In India, she began to see the effects of peoples’ actions on the environment. “What really spoke to me were all the people who had been exposed to water-borne, preventable diseases because of unsafe sanitary conditions,” she recalls. She saw that issues related to health, education, poverty, and social justice were connected to environmental problems.

This experience led Edelen to pursue other opportunities centered on water and its role in society. She took a course on environmental and river politics led by environmental studies professor Joe Underhill Cady. She also traveled to Uganda and worked with villagers on water access and conservation, even starting a “safe water and hygiene club” in the primary school.

Edeln received a Fulbright research fellowship and will work at the Peace Research Institute Oslo researching the correlation between armed conflict and water hazards and scarcity. Following her time in Norway, she will pursue graduate work in environmental studies at Oxford on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship.

Similar to her friend, Kathy DeKrey ’12 [left] came to Augsburg wanting to find a way to help people who live in toxic areas. In her first year of school, she took the Environmental Connections course. “On the first day we talked about how the environment is everything, even the things that destroy nature. I was so angry because I thought that’s not true!” As she went through the program, she realized the value of being able to look at issues in that way.

DeKrey traveled to Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, BC with the Sustainable Cities in North America class and began to realize how complicated the environmental movement can be. “I saw gentrification at horrible levels that didn’t even seem real, and next to it was this amazing sustainable city,” she says. She says she wondered how some citizens felt pride in their sustainable habits and environments when others were digging through the garbage and selling trash to each other.

Throughout the program, DeKrey says she has learned that in order to make change in an area, it is important to have an open dialogue and honor what all parties bring to the discussion. As a project for one class, DeKrey worked on writing the environmental history of Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway. “Writing this history has helped me realize how in my work as an environmental activist moving forward listening and understanding the needs of everyone involved is more important than your own agenda,” she says.

In 2011, DeKrey received a Udall Scholarship, named for U.S. Representative Morris K. Udall. The scholarship is awarded to students committed to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy, or Native American health care.

After college, DeKrey plans to study environmental and public interest law. “I want to help the people who don’t have power in our system regain a safe place to live that isn’t full of toxins. I think it’s important to empower people to do things that they think are important,” she says.

The post Environmental Studies majors are prepared to make a difference appeared first on News and Media.

Edelen was awarded both BA and BS degrees on Saturday with majors in environmental studies, chemistry, and biology. She was also called to the podium to accept the Marina Christensen Justice Award, presented to the graduating senior who best exemplifies Augsburg’s motto, “Education for Service,” and has demonstrated a dedication to community involvement. The award honors 1965 graduate Marina Christensen Justice, who lived in Chicago and reached out to serve disadvantaged people and communities.

An Honors Program graduate, Edelen was a Sabo Scholar in civic engagement and a Peace Prize Forum Peace Scholar. Throughout her four years, she challenged herself to find opportunities that would provide her knowledge across disciplines and hands-on learning. She seeks a career that combines application of science to public policy decisions that will improve the lives of people in countries lacking services, equal access to resources, and just policies.

Edelen decided against a medical career as she discovered how treating disease can ameliorate its symptoms but doesn’t remove the underlying structural causes. As an intern in both rural India and Uganda, she saw how lack of access to clean water extenuates the effects of disease and poverty. This led to internships with the White House Task Force on Climate Change and Energy Policy and with local environmental groups to learn how to translate and bring science to community issues, and how to build common interest to create change in public policy.

For almost three years as a Sundquist Scholar and with national grants, Edelen carried out research in atmospheric chemistry with Professor David Hanson, investigating the oxidation mechanism and atmospheric interactions of isoprene, a volatile, organic compound. She presented the research in the student session at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting and is awaiting a decision on publication.

For the next year, Edelen’s Fulbright will take her to Oslo, Norway, continuing research that she began last summer as a Peace Prize Forum Peace Scholar at the Oslo Peace Research Institute. She’ll study the relationship between lack of access to water and armed conflict in the world.

Edelen received word last week that she has also been awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship for the following year, 2012-13. The scholarship covers all expenses for one year of graduate study.

She does not yet know at which of the five institutions she selected—in England, New Zealand, South Africa, Denmark, and Egypt—she will be placed. All five programs study environmental management and policy, some focusing specifically on water resources. Her first choice is Oxford University’s Master of Science in Water Science, Policy, and Management.

The post Katie Edelen: Triple majors, triple major awards appeared first on News and Media.

Appleton spent five weeks in New Zealand studying ecology, biodiversity, and climate change with a group of Augsburg students led by biology professor Brian Corner and political science professor Joe Underhill. Their group explored the unique flora and fauna of the island as well as the distinctive political culture that has made it a leader in environmental policy.

“I was completely amazed by everything I saw in New Zealand,” Appleton said. “Everyone 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, an environmental studies major who will complete his Augsburg classes this fall semester, wanted to take ideas from New Zealand back to Augsburg and to Minneapolis. He wrote to Mayor Rybak, who has been a strong supporter of Augsburg and values the College’s commitments to service and the city.

The mayor was reportedly excited about the letter—enough to have his assistant contact Appleton to schedule a meeting to discuss the young man’s ideas for making Minneapolis a more sustainable and livable city.

Kjerstin Hagen ’10, an American Indian studies major who traveled last summer to Portland, Ore. and Vancouver studying urban sustainability, joined Appleton on his visit to the mayor’s office. Hagen was one of the students involved in implementing Augsburg’s composting effort and is currently on the planning team for the College’s first Sustainability Awareness Month.

The 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.

Appleton and Hagen suggested a sister city relationship with Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city. They also discussed Homegrown Minneapolis, an initiative to develop recommendations for the City of Minneapolis to improve sales, distribution and consumption of fresh, locally grown foods.

The three agreed that informing and educating the community is an important factor in promoting urban sustainability. “New Zealand empowers the community to get involved,” Appleton said, “and gives people the resources to do what needs to be done.” Rybak encouraged Appleton and Hagen to sign up for one of the city’s committees so that they could continue their work outside of Augsburg.

After telling Rybak about the Sustainability Awareness Month activities scheduled for September, including a lecture presented by author and activist, Bill McKibben, the mayor promised that he or his wife, who has been actively involved with Minneapolis Homegrown, will be in attendance at one of the events to talk about the city’s sustainability measures and projects.

The post Meeting with the mayor appeared first on News and Media.

Through each discipline, students learn about real-world issues like global warming, energy use, and pollution. Then, they apply this knowledge to develop and produce solutions, such as the three water gardens designed and built by the Environmental Connections course earlier this academic year.

The rain gardens collect water that would otherwise run into the storm drains and eventually into the Mississippi River, which is where the majority of Twin Cities residents get their drinking water. As rainwater collects in the garden, the root systems of plants native to Minnesota filter out pollutants such as lawn fertilizer, grass clippings, and automotive waste.

The Environmental Studies major focuses on ecological issues in an urban context, taking students out of the classroom to experience firsthand how city residents affect nature. In addition, students see how disadvantaged communities often bear the costs of abuse and misuse of the environment. The new major’s comprehensive approach to both ecological quality and social justice reflects Augsburg’s commitment to these issues.

In addition to raising awareness of ecological hazards and engaging students in action, the Environmental Studies program seeks to prepare students for life after college. Their training in science, policy, and the humanities aims to shape students into informed, articulate leaders who will have an impact on our future.

Visit the Environmental Studies web site at  for more information about the new major and minor.

Special thanks to Erin Johnson and Michael Lansing for their contributions to this article.

The post Augsburg creates Environmental Studies major appeared first on News and Media.