Alongside other Peace Scholars from our Lutheran sister sites (Concordia College, Luther College, Pacific Lutheran College and St. Olaf College), these two students will participate in the annual summer Peace Scholars program in Norway, designed to deepen students’ understanding of the central issues and theories regarding conflict, war, and peace.��

Aidan Wippich is an incoming senior, pursuing a double major in international relations and public policy with a minor in peace and global studies. His passion for global politics came at a young age during his time in competitive speech in high school. This passion has continued throughout his time in college, studying abroad for a semester program in South Korea his sophomore year and meeting with foreign members of parliament back home. Outside of class, Wippich is the current president for Augsburg’s Day Student Government, focusing on issues that include campus safety, communications, and commencement.��

Around campus, Wippich has worked for multiple branches of government, including an internship at the Minnesota House of Representatives and an internship with US Senator Amy Klobuchar’s home office. In both of these experiences, Wippich has learned first-hand how to communicate with people of differing backgrounds and beliefs in the realm of politics, and how to find common ground through those divisions.��

After college, Wippich plans to go to graduate school to get his masters in either international relations or public policy. He also plans to continue working in the public service sector to ensure that people’s concerns are heard and resolved. In his commitment to serving the people, Wippich looks forward to the opportunities that the Peace Scholar offers, which he hopes will leave him with more knowledge that will help him address the problems and concerns of the people back home.

Tommaso Maritan is a rising sophomore, majoring in business management. He is from Italy and is currently studying in the United States—an experience that has strengthened his interest in cultural exchange and international perspectives. Living and studying abroad has allowed him to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and gain a better understanding of the importance of dialogue and cooperation across cultures.

At Augsburg, Maritan serves as the president of the International Student Organization, where he works to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for students from around the world. Through organizing events and encouraging connections between students of different backgrounds, he hopes to strengthen community and cultural understanding on campus.

Maritan looks forward to the Peace Scholars program in Norway as an opportunity to further explore international perspectives on peace, cooperation, and dialogue. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, running, traveling, and discovering new cultures.

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Students who wish to notify their hometown newspapers of their achievement can do so at their discretion using a .

The post Congratulations to Auggies Named to the 2026 Spring Semester Dean’s List appeared first on Augsburg Now.

Watch via PBS News:

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The Violins of Hope touring collection highlights restored string instruments that survived the Holocaust to tell the stories of those who played, hid, carried, and saved them. Today, the instruments serve as powerful symbols of remembrance and resilience. CBS Saturday Morning about the Violins of Hope on May 9, including interviews with renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman and Mark Bergman, professor of music and artist in residence at Augsburg.��

June 23: Voices of Hope and Resilience

• 2–5 p.m. Symposium and Chamber Music Concert
• 5–6:30 p.m. Cocktail Hour and Dinner
• 6:45 p.m. Pre-Concert Lecture
• 7:30 p.m. Minnesota Sinfonia Concert

Location: Foss Center and Anderson Music Hall, Augsburg University

All events are free and open to the public, but space is limited. All are welcome. ��

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The name change aligns Augsburg’s programs with the professional title adopted nationally by the PA profession—a shift that aims to more accurately reflect PAs’ scope of practice, credentials, and role in delivering high-quality health care. The change will ensure consistency with professional standards and accreditation, while positioning Augsburg to support broader efforts across the state to modernize PA terminology in legislation and public understanding.

“The transition from “assistant” to “associate” reflects the modern role of PAs as collaborative, highly trained medical professionals who practice medicine as part of health care teams,” said Associate Professor Vanessa Bester, director of Augsburg’s School of Health. “This change reflects Augsburg’s ongoing commitment to leadership and innovation in health professions education.”��

The change also brings together Augsburg’s Master of Science in Physician Associate Studies and Doctor of Medical Science degrees into a combined department. The Doctor of Medical Science program, launched in Fall 2025, advances practicing PAs’ leadership expertise in education, research, and health care administration.

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“The Study Abroad and Away Office is committed to making study abroad as affordable and accessible as possible, and the Gilman Scholarship plays a critical role in that mission,” said Sarah Morgan, study abroad and away advisor for Augsburg’s Center for Global Education and Experience. “We offer information sessions, writing workshops, and advising support to help Auggies submit strong, competitive applications.”

Established in 2001, the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program has made study abroad more accessible and inclusive by providing scholarships to outstanding U.S. undergraduate students who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise participate. Since the program’s inception, more than 50,000 Gilman Scholars have studied or interned in more than 170 countries.��

“While we’re proud to be named a Top-Producing Institution, the real credit belongs to our students, who dedicate significant time and effort to earning this prestigious scholarship,” Morgan said. “We’re honored by this recognition and look forward to supporting even more Auggies as they pursue study abroad through the Gilman Scholarship Program.”

To learn more about Gilman Scholarships, visit . The Gilman competition is administered at Augsburg through the Center for Global Education and Experience.

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Reporter Becky Dernbach wrote that President Paul Pribbenow has spent the last few months sharing the story of Augsburg’s response to Operation Metro Surge—supporting both students and the larger community—with university presidents throughout the country.

“I’ve been very careful to say, we’re hoping you don’t have to face this,” Pribbenow said. “But there still are important lessons here about how a community can come together no matter what the challenge is.”

He noted that students came back at a time when it would have been easy to stay away, and the school was able to continue its mission of education.

“It’s not just what we did on campus, but it’s also how we embraced our neighbors,” he said. “It could have gone in very different directions if people had not been supported, or they were too frightened to be here.”

Read the article via Sahan Journal:

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While Hashi’s eventual professional goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in pediatric neuropsychology, he’s drawn to teaching and mentoring young people and sees this opportunity in Uruguay to provide invaluable experience in a global environment. “For me, this opportunity connects directly to my long-term interest in understanding how culture and environment shape the brain and behavior, especially in clinical settings,” Hashi said. “I see it as a chance to step outside of a purely academic perspective and actually learn from a different system and community in a real, grounded way.”

Hashi became particularly interested in Uruguay’s program when he first learned about the country’s strong��educational system, varied population, and cultural life during a Spanish class he took three years ago. He appreciates Uruguay’s commitment to providing free, compulsory education and the programs designed to meet students’ technological needs across the country. He’s eager to learn more about the country’s traditions and festivals highlighting different aspects of Uruguayan culture. “Seeing Uruguay create and nurture spaces that celebrate identity and community reflects values I also admire in the United States,” Hashi said.

As a child of immigrant parents, Hashi said he empathizes with students from diverse backgrounds and can adapt his teaching style to create an inclusive learning environment, even in another country. He grew up in the Twin Cities suburbs, playing sports, joining clubs, and volunteering. When his family traveled to Kenya to take care of his ill grandmother, Hashi adapted to a Kenyan classroom with different expectations and cultural norms. As a Muslim student attending a Christian-affiliated university, interfaith understanding has been part of his everyday life. Additionally, English is Hashi’s second language; he remembers what it was like to learn more than one language during childhood and expects to bring aspects of that experience to his time in Uruguay, especially as he learns from the students in his classrooms.

“I aim to be a living example to them that there isn’t just one way to learn a language,” Hashi said. “In return, I hope they can show me their language and their culture. I hope they can share with me the joys of Spanish outside my textbooks and share with me Uruguayan culture so that I can enjoy it with them.”

Hashi made a strong impression on Augsburg’s Campus Committee Evaluation team—a group of academic professionals who recommended him for the ETA program.

“Zair Hashi is one of the most delightful students I have met in my 30 years of teaching,” deVries said. “Every encounter with him reveals a new story and layer of experience, all of which he recounts with joyful enthusiasm. He is an excellent student, but even more, he brings a collaborative spirit. Zair listens to those around him and seeks to understand.” Established in 1946 as an investment in global peace and American prosperity through educational and cultural exchange, the prestigious Fulbright Program has provided nearly 450,000 students, scholars, scientists, professionals, teachers, scientists, and artists with opportunities to study, conduct research, and teach in over 160 countries and territories around the world. ��Learn more about Augsburg’s strong record of Fulbright awardees over the years.

The post Zair Hashi ’26 receives Fulbright to teach in Uruguay appeared first on Augsburg Now.

Eleven student groups, representing 35 Augsburg students, had a rare opportunity on April 24 to pitch their entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of judges in the spring “Baby Shark” contest.

Modeled after the reality TV series “Shark Tank,” the competition gives students from Augsburg’s School of Business the chance to present business ideas, make the case for investment, and compete for prize money.

“Each of the presentations was very good,” said Kyle Wheaton ’99, one of the judges. “The students are doing a nice job. From an investment standpoint, the ideas were strong opportunities, but investors are also looking for a broader market that can support long-term success.”

The second-place team composed of all seniors—Sena Dangul ’26, Samia Ahmed ’26, Hodan Huran ’26, and Sumeya Mahamed ’26—shared a $2,000 prize for their pitch of K-Mall, a digital app designed for Karmel Mall in Minneapolis. The mall serves diverse communities and includes a wide range of retail businesses, but lacks wayfinding. Dangul said the competition format helped the team to narrow their focus on the business opportunity. In fact, they have already spoken with the mall owner about putting the idea into action. Judges offered advice on pricing, customer acquisition, and how to strengthen the business model.

Like K-Mall, the first-place concept, Pardon Our Produce, aims to solve a community problem. Developed by Max Milbrandt ’26, the idea addresses what happens to misshapen or expired produce that grocery stores can no longer sell.

Milbrandt, who has worked at Aldi for the past few years, said the experience led him to ask what more could be done with food that might otherwise go to landfills. His proposal would use two refrigerated vans to collect unsold produce and deliver it to nearby food shelves in the Seward, Powderhorn, and Riverside communities.

Milbrandt said he was thrilled to receive the first-place prize of $3,000.

Learn more about how the Augsburg School of Business cultivates entrepreneurship.

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Augsburg’s commencement ceremony includes an address by a student speaker and the presentation of two student awards. The Richard J. Thoni Award is given to one member of the graduating class whose actions, commitments, and future aspirations represent commitments to community, hospitality, and innovation. The Marina Christensen Justice Award is given to one member of the senior class whose actions, commitments, and future aspirations most profoundly exemplify Augsburg’s motto: “Education for Service.”��

The ceremony recognizes candidates in Augsburg’s three doctoral, nine master’s, and three bachelor’s degree programs:

• Doctor of Clinical Psychology
• Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Doctor of Medical Science
• Master of Arts in Education��
• Master of Arts in Teaching
• Master of Arts in Leadership
• Master of Arts in Nursing
• Master of Business Administration��
• Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
• Master of Music Therapy
• Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
• Master of Social Work
• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science

Flags displayed at commencement represent sovereign nations of American Indian students and countries of the international students graduating in the ceremony.

Tickets are required to attend in person, but the ceremony will also be livestreamed via and commencement website. Follow the celebration through the hashtag #AuggieGrad on all social media platforms, where students will be sharing images of the celebration.

For more information, including accessibility information, visit the commencement website.

The post Augsburg to celebrate the class of 2026 at commencement on May 7 appeared first on Augsburg Now.