At Augsburg College, teaches courses on the history of art and architecture, and she’s prepared to talk about works ranging from the Mona Lisa to the Metrodome.

Anderson’s current writing and research are focused on sports architecture, and she is co-authoring a book on the history of athletic facilities in the Twin Cities.

Minneapolis’ new U.S. Bank Stadium is scheduled to open its doors to the public following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 22, and Anderson offered an explanation in the��Star Tribune as to why the facility’s design needed to be bold.

“Every sports broadcast will open with a view of the stadium, the skyline shot, the establishing view of the city,” she said. “If it weren’t distinctive or if it were ugly like the Metrodome, that’s not the statement you want to make.”

Read, “” on��the Star Tribune website.

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Kristin Anderson

The Vikings football franchises’ new U.S. Bank Stadium will celebrate its grand opening in approximately one��month, and Anderson provided context on��how the facility continues some local legacies while innovating in other regards.

Listen to, “” on the MPR��website to learn more.

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Occupying the central panel of the Gothic altar, the image was painted by artist Sarah Kirkeberg Raugland, who’s work Anderson has studied. Among the few women who were creating altar paintings during the period, “Raugland really stood out for both quantity and quality of her work,” Anderson said. The altar was one of the few furnishings retained when the church was rebuilt in 1921.

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Kristin Anderson

“The immediate expectation was that it had to match the things around it — ye old ballpark — and I don’t think that’s necessary … The subtlety of the exterior allows the action of the place to shine,” Anderson said.

Read, “St. Paul Saints: Not your grandfather’s ballpark” on the Star Tribune website to learn more.

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In the company of current and emeriti faculty, members of the Board of Regents, and guests, members of the faculty were recognized for 35, 25, 20, 15, and 10 years of service at Augsburg. Faculty who received tenure and promotion were also mentioned, including Kristin Anderson, Robert Cowgill, Colin Irvine, M. Elise Marubbio, Michael Schock, and Jody Sorensen.

The faculty who received awards for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning by the Center for Teaching and Learning were introduced. Tracy Bibelnieks, associate professor of mathematics, received an award for excellence in teaching. Bibelnieks thanked her colleagues, saying “It is truly awesome to be surrounded by experience, innovation, and excellence in teaching.” She also expressed gratitude to the students she has worked with over the years who she said have fueled her passion for teaching. “…you are amazing individuals, you are amazing leaders,” she said.

Susan Nash, who has taught in the Rochester nursing program for 11 years, was awarded for mentoring and advising. Her colleagues noted that Nash advises more than 80 students and has been responsible for bringing back students who had at one time dropped out of the Rochester program. Nash thanked the Augsburg community, noting, “You don’t become a mentor by yourself.”

Dale Pederson, associate professor of biology, also received an award for mentoring and advising. After asking the Dean if this was a good time to ask for a raise, Pederson said, “The work I do is very much part of a team.” He thanked each member of the Academic Advising staff by name, as well as Dixie Shafer of the URGO program, for their support of his work with students.

Joyce Pfaff ’65, retiring associate professor of health and physical education, was acknowledged for her 43 years of teaching, coaching, and leadership with Augsburg. Dean Farley said Pfaff has always inspired her students and colleagues to “get up and move.” She has displayed a dedication beyond teaching, helping to establish a women’s athletics program at Augsburg and serving as the director of that program.

Pfaff talked about the history of women’s athletics at Augsburg, noting that women had to work hard to change attitudes and policies related to female participation in sports. She recalled the determination of athletes and coahces like Marilyn Florian (current assistant athletic director) who personally sewed uniforms for the women’s volleyball team when funding was not available to purchase them.

Pfaff spent one of her last semesters at Augsburg in China. Last fall, she and her husband taught physical education courses at the United International College in Zhuhai, China and helped UIC develop a fitness center and program for faculty and students.

To celebrate her retirement, the Augsburg community is invited to “get up and move,” joining Pfaff for a 43-mile bike ride beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13. In the afternoon, a reception will be held in Christensen Center at 3:30 p.m., with a program beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The luncheon ended with special recognition of Vicki Olson, who has completed her term as faculty senate president, and Diane Pike, who leaves her position as director of the Center for Teaching and Learning after this semester.

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Art history professor Kristin Anderson’s Designed Environment course uses art and architecture to study the history of Minneapolis and St. Paul. On weekly outdoor excursions, students explore buildings, parks, churches, and museums to learn about architecture, landscape design, and urban design and their evolution throughout history. Anderson teaches the course because she wants students to experience some of the beauty and positivity of the Twin Cities.

On a breezy summer afternoon, Anderson and Fannie, her 8-week old Goldendoodle, began class at the Lakewood Cemetery near Lake Calhoun. Built in 1872 in response to the rapidly growing city’s need to deal with its deceased citizens, Lakewood was modeled after Mt. Auburn Park in Cambridge, Mass. As such, the cemetery was not only to serve as a burial site but also fulfill the public’s need for green space and provide a respite from the noise and pollution of the city.

The design features curving lanes, emphasizes and augments existing topography, and utilizes species of trees and plants not found elsewhere in the state. The cemetery also includes beautiful architectural features — each a work of art in itself — such as mausolea, monuments, and a chapel designed by Minneapolis architect Harry Wild Jones based on the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The inside of the chapel treats the visitor to a breathtaking mosaic designed by New York designer Charles Lamb.

The class is typically taught each summer, but site visits can change from year to year. This session, the class visited downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, the St. Anthony Main neighborhood, the Hiawatha Corridor, Summit and Selby Avenues in St. Paul, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minnehaha Falls, the state capitol building, James J. Hill house, and the Basilica of Mary. Following the site visits, students are asked to analyze an element of the designed environment and evaluate its style, historical and architectural functions, and the element’s overall success in the environment.

Senior Robert Rivera took Anderson’s course to fulfill his final requirement for graduation. Though he has lived in the Twin Cities for 6 years, Rivera said he never ventured out of his suburban neighborhood. “I thought since I’m going to be a teacher here, I should learn more about Minnesota history,” he said.

Nicole Coutris, a senior studio art and art history major, has enjoyed hearing Anderson talk with enthusiasm and in great detail about the sites they visit. A Cleveland native, Coutris said she has learned a lot about Minnesota culture and history from the class.

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