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.

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Tim Pippert, Augsburg’s Joel Torstenson endowed professor of sociology, and Graduate Assistant Savannah Mitchell recently highlighted Augsburg Family Scholars on the “.” Created by the University of Pennsylvania Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice, and Research—the podcast explores the pathways, resources, and relationships that empower older youth in foster care as they navigate the journey into adulthood. 

Pippert developed Augsburg Family Scholars for young people with foster care backgrounds to find community and support on their education journey. In the podcast, Mitchell highlights the , an initiative in Minnesota that pays for the cost of college tuition for students with foster care experience to reduce disparities faced by this population when pursuing higher education. Augsburg Family Scholars’ holistic approach provides financial resources, academic mentoring, and community building to student participants.

“Augsburg Family Scholars works here because it takes an entire campus to do this really well,” Pippert says in the podcast. “We work with admissions. When admissions sees a student who identifies with having a foster care background, they let us know so we can reach out to them. When students have an issue with financial aid, we send them to WonWon Bjorklund in student financial services, and WonWon answers their questions, not a random person behind the counter. When we have an academic advising issue, Julie Froslan Ferralez takes care of it. Julie advises all of our scholars. Like WonWon, like Stephanie Ruckel and Stacey Severson in Admissions—they’re just wonderful people.”

Listen to of the 2026 Field Center Aging Out Podcasts.

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“The biggest factor that has propelled our success this year is our confidence. Last season’s successes proved to us that we can compete with the best teams in the country,” defender Tenley Stewart ’26 said. “I think we have leaned into the experiences we had from last season and have used it to focus more on the details this year.”

This season’s efforts showed as . Named to the All-MIAC team were Kate Haug ’26, Nora Stepan ’26, Ella Olson ’27, and Aunna Schulte ’28. Stewart earned All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors and Marissa Paaske ’26 was named to the eight-player All-MIAC Playoff Team. Stepan also received MIAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row, and head coach Elizabeth Bauer received MIAC Coach of the Year.

“Our coaching staff does a great job reminding us that we’re students first and that balance matters,” forward Haug said. “They’re supportive if we communicate about academic responsibilities and encourage us to manage our time well. That support makes it a lot easier to stay focused both on the ice and in other areas of life.”

Q&A with Elizabeth Bauer, Women’s Hockey Head Coach

Tell us a little about your own hockey career, especially as a coach, and how you came to be the head coach at Augsburg.

I’m in my second year as head coach, having taken over from Michelle McAteer, who’s now the . I got to take over a great program—Coach McAteer was here for 14 seasons and led the Auggies to eight consecutive MIAC playoff appearances.

I always knew I wanted to be in coaching. My dad has coached hockey for over 30 years, and he’s my primary role model for coaching. My siblings are hockey players and figure skaters, so we all grew up around the rink. I played hockey at the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire and started professional coaching as soon as I graduated: first at Sports Exceleration in Hudson, Wisconsin, and then at in Blaine, Minnesota.

I loved my experiences as a player. They were very meaningful for my life. So part of coaching for me is definitely giving back to the sport.

How would you characterize the Augsburg women’s hockey program culture, especially this year?

Yes, culture is so important, and it really starts with relationships. We have a team approach that focuses on strong leadership from upperclassmen—which I think is just as important as good coaching—and then setting clear expectations for the whole team. We work on team bonding and building trust on and off the ice. Even if a team doesn’t have all the skills you might want, a good culture can take a team far. Our seven seniors this year have really stepped well into their leadership roles.

In general, Augsburg has a great hockey culture. We co-host an alumni game [where current and former players play each other] almost every season, and host some fundraisers for the program that are well supported by alums. The alums of this program maintain a lot of connections with each other and show up for games. They love to give back, and we really appreciate them. The program wouldn’t be the same without them and all the work they put in as players and now their support as alums.

What’s been the story behind the team’s success this season?

This year’s team is very competitive. They compete with and care for each other. They have a common goal to win and to do it the right way, and they always want ice time. They are happy for others who are succeeding, and that unselfishness is really important in hockey.

How do you help student-athletes maintain balance between athletic, academic, and personal growth?

Being at a smaller university helps, I think. The professors have high expectations and are also willing to support reasonable accommodations for student-athletes. We encourage all of our players to develop strong communications with their professors and to work directly with them on academic matters. Balance is important in life, and hockey is only one aspect. Our players know that missing practice because you’re in class is not a huge deal—it’s part of being a student-athlete. And school really should come first. The team had an aggregate 3.8 GPA last semester. They compete to be good in the classroom and on the ice!

Top image: Augsburg women’s hockey players hold up two fingers, symbolizing their MIAC regular-season championship winning streak. (Photo by Kevin Healy)

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“The opportunity to lead this remarkable institution has been the honor of my lifetime,” said Pribbenow. “I was originally drawn to Augsburg because of its strong sense of place and its Lutheran identity. What I quickly discovered was a community with an extraordinary commitment to meeting students where they are—a deeply engaged urban institution that has been transformed by its richly diverse student body. In many ways, telling this story has been my most important and meaningful job over the last 20 years.”

Pribbenow was inaugurated as Augsburg’s 10th president in the fall of 2006. For two decades, his articulation of a straightforward but powerful vision for Augsburg—“We believe we are called to serve our neighbor”—has strengthened Augsburg’s institutional calling and commitment to place-based community partnerships. This vision served as a touchstone through a dynamic and sometimes turbulent period in higher education, as the Great Recession, COVID-19, federal policy changes, the murder of George Floyd, and Operation Metro Surge profoundly affected Augsburg’s students and surrounding community. 

“Paul Pribbenow has been a transformative leader not just for Augsburg, but for higher education nationally. At the center of his leadership is an understanding of what it means to pursue life in community, whether that’s about Augsburg’s relationships in the neighborhood or the role of higher education in American democracy,” said John O’Brien, chair of Augsburg’s Board of Regents. “As a result, Augsburg has been able to thrive through a period of significant change while staying true to its deepest values and fundamental commitments.”

Over the past two decades, Pribbenow has overseen a sustained enrollment growth strategy predicated on reducing barriers for first-generation and low-income students and building trust with local communities. Today, Augsburg is recognized as the most diverse private college in the Midwest and a national leader in college access, service learning, and civic engagement. “I’m very proud of how the Augsburg community has found ways to respond to our growing diversity and keep our students at the center, even when it has meant changing how we teach or do business,” Pribbenow said. 

A nationally recognized voice on philanthropy and American public life, Pribbenow has focused throughout his presidency on strengthening Augsburg’s culture of philanthropy. He played a key role in advancing Augsburg’s three most successful capital campaigns, helping to raise $55 million to construct the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion, which opened in January 2018; nearly $130 million to strengthen the university’s endowment and other strategic priorities in the Great Returns campaign, which concluded in 2023; and already more than $25 million in the ongoing Promising Futures campaign to sustain academic innovation and Augsburg’s signature public programs. 

In 2017, Pribbenow oversaw the name change from Augsburg College to Augsburg University, a move that reflected Augsburg’s expansive academic mission, excellence in both the liberal arts and professional studies, and global presence. Under his leadership, Augsburg has invested in new academic programs, including doctoral degrees in clinical psychology and physician associate studies; expanded its international programs through new Center for Global Education and Experience study sites in Norway and Northern Ireland; established the John N. Schwartz ’67 School of the Arts, which catalyzed the establishment of a five-school academic structure; implemented a new general education curriculum; launched the Augsburg Interfaith Institute; raised $10 million to endow the StepUP® collegiate recovery program; led a national movement to transform college admissions through the Augsburg Applies to You initiative; and marked the university’s sesquicentennial with the Augsburg150 strategic plan, a vision for sustainable growth in Augsburg’s next chapter. In 2010, Augsburg became the first higher education institution in Minnesota to earn the prestigious Presidential Award for Community Service, the highest national honor for service work. In 2020, Augsburg was named among the inaugural recipients of the Richard Guarasci Award for Institutional Transformation from Campus Compact, recognizing outstanding work in pursuit of the public purposes of higher education. 

“Paul Pribbenow is internationally renowned as a thought leader whose involvement in anchor institution work was critical in revitalizing colleges’ and universities’ understanding of their central civic mission. His exceptional tenure has been marked by a generosity of spirit and a belief in abundance that has truly helped make Augsburg part of our Cedar-Riverside community,” said Paula O’Loughlin, provost and senior vice president of academic and student affairs.   

Nationally, Pribbenow has emerged as a leader in Lutheran higher education in the 21st century, serving as the current president of the 28-member Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities. He also serves on the national boards of the Coalition for Urban and Metropolitan Universities and Campus Compact, sits on the steering committee of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and is active in the Anchor Institutions Task Force. Locally, he chairs the Cedar-Riverside Partnership and serves on the executive committee of the Minnesota Private College Council. Pribbenow received the Distinguished Service Alumni Award from Luther College in 2008, the William Burke Award for Presidential Leadership in Experiential Education from the National Society for Experiential Education in 2012, the Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2019, and the Alum of the Year Award from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2025. He also was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the United International College in Zhuhai, China, in 2015. He is the co-author of “Radical Roots: How One Professor Changed a University’s Legacy” and co-editor of “Through Truth to Freedom: Reconciling a University’s Past, Present, and Future.”

“Paul Pribbenow’s administrative skills, outstanding fundraising abilities, and deep faith have substantially advanced Augsburg’s reputation in Minnesota and nationally,” said Regent Emeritus Ted Grindal ’76, who chaired the presidential search committee that brought Pribbenow and his family—including his wife, Abigail Crampton Pribbenow, and children Thomas ’23 and Maya—to Augsburg in 2006. “The search committee was impressed by his articulate vision for Augsburg, but also for higher education in general. When my wife and I met his talented spouse, Abigail, we knew this was a ‘dream team’—the perfect fit at the right time for Augsburg.”

The Pribbenows’ tenure has been marked by generosity and engagement. Over the past 20 years, they have hosted countless events for the Augsburg community in their home and been a visible presence on campus and at university events. In addition to her work at Yinghua Academy and as a certified funeral celebrant, Abigail Pribbenow has volunteered with the Augsburg Associates, Augsburg Health Commons, StepUP, Campus Kitchen, the Interfaith Institute, Christensen Scholars, and the President’s Leadership Council. Strong supporters of the arts, the Pribbenows sponsored the artwork on the windows of the Hagfors Center main lobby atrium, which features Martin Luther’s handwritten version of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” overlaid with the cell structure of an American elm tree.  

“Every fall at our opening convocation, I tell our entering class what we expect of them as new members of the Augsburg community—that they will show up, pay attention, and do the work,” said Pribbenow. “I’ve done my best to live up to that example as Augsburg’s president.” 

Augsburg Board of Regents Vice Chair Pahoua Yang Hoffman will lead the presidential search committee in the process to select the next university president over the coming months. With support from higher education leadership consulting firm Academic Search, the 15-member committee includes representation from the Board of Regents (representing alumni and community members), faculty, staff, and students, with counsel from the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities. Augsburg’s next president is expected to be named by early 2027 and to officially begin in July 2027. 

Additional information about the presidential search and opportunities to celebrate Pribbenow’s legacy, including the Promising Futures celebration gala on October 2, will be shared in the coming months.  

Media contact: Rachel Farris, farrisr@augsburg.edu

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The ferry moves quietly through the fjord, the water dark and glassy beneath steep rock walls. Waterfalls cut silver lines down the cliffs, dropping hundreds of feet straight into the sea.

For students in the Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE), this isn’t a postcard moment or a pause between lessons. It is the lesson.

Whether the view is in Norway, Guatemala, or South Africa, this is what learning looks like through CGEE: Students stand inside the geography, systems, histories, and questions that shape a place, rather than studying them from a distance.

For more than 45 years, CGEE has built semester-long, customized short-term, and summer programs supported by its long-standing study centers across Africa, Latin America, and Europe—including a new program in Norway and recently expanded offerings in Northern Ireland and Italy. Rooted in community-based learning, long-term relationships, and intentional reflection, CGEE’s model feels especially resonant, both globally and here in Minnesota.

“[CGEE] offers the opportunity to develop relationships with people across lines of difference, to truly engage,” says Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, who has worked with CGEE since the early 1990s and now leads its longest-standing program in Cuernavaca, Mexico, which started in 1979 and focuses on themes of religion and social change, migration and human rights, among others. “Not to just be a tourist somewhere, read about something in a book, but to hear people’s stories, get to know those people, and put human faces and voices to social issues.”

Learning through presence

CGEE programs are designed differently than many traditional study abroad experiences, with the program built on intercultural, experiential, holistic, analytical, and transformative pillars. Students move through their semesters as cohorts, take integrated courses, and live with host families. And they spend significant time outside the classroom, listening, observing, asking questions, and reflecting together.

“We are deeply in relationship with the places we serve,” says John Schwehn, one of Augsburg’s campus pastors, who participated in an Augsburg CGEE program in Central America as a St. Olaf student in 2006. “We’re challenging and inviting students to integrate what they’re learning with their own set of values, their own processes of discernment about who they want to be and the world they want to build.”

That discernment goes hand-in-hand with immersion—in community meetings, at kitchen tables, and in places where theory intersects with real life. Lutterman-Aguilar describes how quickly abstract ideas give way to empathy.

Once students have seen different realities up close, she says, indifference becomes harder to maintain and their engagement increases.

Northern Ireland: conflict, peace, and transition

One of CGEE’s newer program offerings takes students to Northern Ireland, where they study conflict, peace, and social transition in a region shaped by decades of division. The program builds on longstanding partnerships and focuses on how communities navigate reconciliation after violence.

From the late 1960s through the 1990s, Northern Ireland’s history was marked by The Troubles, a period of violent conflict rooted in political, national, and religious divisions that claimed thousands of lives. For Schwen, being physically present in a place shaped by that history deepens the learning.

“Being in places that are post-war, thinking about how religion and faith and identity play a role in the conflict and in building peace after the conflict, that’s a really unique and amazing opportunity,” says Schwehn, who visited Northern Ireland in 2025.

CGEE does not offer students easy answers. Instead, it asks them to sit with complexity, to listen to voices shaped by loss, resilience, and disagreement, and to reflect on what peace looks like in practice, not theory.

Norway: history, sustainability, and shared questions

If Northern Ireland invites students into conversations about reconciliation, Norway draws them into questions of sustainability, social systems, and equity. These themes connect directly to Augsburg’s history and Minnesota’s identity.

Launched in Fall 2025 after four years of planning, the Norway program is based in Fredrikstad, south of Oslo, and examines environmental sustainability, welfare systems, and contemporary social challenges.

For Ben Malovrh ’26, an Augsburg computer science major from Shakopee, the impact came as much from daily interactions as from coursework.

“It just boils down to the people,” he says. “I met friends and folks I never would have met, and was exposed to ideas I never would have been.”

For Liken Hefte ’26, an Augsburg urban studies major from south Minneapolis and part of the program’s first cohort, Norway offered a lived example of a society organized around different assumptions than those they grew up with in the U.S.

“So much of the political and societal infrastructure, including for things like transportation, are just more human-centered than we see in the U.S.,” they say. “It created a contrast for me to see and experience a society set up with a different type of community-building in mind.”

At the same time, the program resists romanticizing Norway. Bettine Hoff Hermanson, who helped build and currently leads the Norway program, pushes students to ask difficult questions about oil production, immigration, indigenous rights, and equity.

“While Norway is considered a utopia in many ways, my job is looking at the bigger questions of, ‘Who is Norway?’ to help students consider the notion that change needs to happen, even in a country like Norway,” she says.

Building on 200 years of connection

In 2025, Minnesota marked the 200th anniversary of Norwegian immigration, a milestone that resonates deeply at Augsburg University, founded by Norwegian Lutherans and shaped by generations of transatlantic ties. CGEE’s new semester program in Norway builds on that legacy while looking forward, inviting students to examine sustainability, equity, and social systems in a contemporary Nordic context. Rather than treating Norway as a symbol of the past, the program asks what ongoing relationships, shared challenges, and critical questions can emerge when history becomes a starting point, not an endpoint.

Reflection as curriculum

Across CGEE programs, reflection is not an add-on; it is core to the curriculum. Students write, talk, and revisit their assumptions throughout the semester.

“Part of my grading is their own reflections throughout the semester,” Hoff Hermanson says. “Their own experiences and growth: that’s important to me.”

Those moments often shape students’ sense of vocation. Lutterman-Aguilar recalls students who changed career paths after witnessing the effects of immigration policy firsthand or seeing community organizing in action.

“Whatever their major is, seeing they can make a difference and contribute to the common good is an important part of their experience,” she says.

Learning across difference, together

CGEE cohorts bring together students from Augsburg and partner institutions across the country. Many arrive with different backgrounds, beliefs, and levels of time traveling abroad. Learning to navigate those differences is part of the work.

“The life and viewpoint diversity in our classrooms is really profound,” says Patrick Mulvihill, Augsburg’s assistant provost for global education and experience and head of the CGEE program since 2017. “Our model asks them to work on those issues together in good faith, even when they strongly disagree with each other.”

That practice feels increasingly relevant.

“Part of these programs is not just to learn about where they’re going,” Mulvihill says, “but about where they’re coming from.”

Students return home with sharper questions about the U.S., about community, democracy, sustainability, and responsibility, and with a clearer sense of how their own lives fit into a global context.

A global legacy, still unfolding

Standing in a fjord, debating social policy with Norwegian peers, or listening to stories shaped by conflict and reconciliation, students encounter something deeper than academic credit.

“One of the things that’s so transformative is these experiences provide a lot of students a sense of hope,” Lutterman-Aguilar says.

And that may be CGEE’s quiet through line: helping students step into the world with curiosity, return with clarity, and carry what they’ve learned—and hope to help change it for the better—into the communities they call home.

Top image: Students bundle up for a hike in Randholmen, a small peninsula located in the Fredrikstad municipality of Østfold, Norway. (Courtesy photo)

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1988

Julie Martin ’88 is the author of “Homespun Alchemy,” which will be published by Finishing Line Press later this spring. This debut poetry collection is about noticing the sacred stitched into the every day, the quiet wisdom of the natural world, and the transformative power of seeing deeply.

1989

Devoney Looser ’89 is the author of “Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive and Untamed Jane,” which was named a USA Today Best-Selling Title in December 2025. She was interviewed by for its December 12 segment on Austen’s 250th birthday.

1990s

1998

In September 2025, Angela Ahlgren ’98 joined the staff at Marshall School as executive assistant to the head of school. Marshall is an independent K-12 institution in Duluth, Minnesota. She is happy to be back in her home state and supporting educators after 13 years as a faculty member in large public universities in Ohio and Texas.

2010s

2012

Christopher Siegried ’12, an outpatient mental therapist, educator, and writer, was recently honored by America’s Best in Medicine as a Distinguished Mental Health Therapist. With extensive experience in clinical settings, he has guided hundreds of adolescents, adults, and families through challenges while striving to improve mental health awareness and access for individuals and families through his work in therapy, writing, and advocacy.

2019

Alyson Astelford ’19 has joined Compass Management Group, a Twin Cities community association management company, as its chief operating officer. In this role, she oversees operations, leads strategic initiatives, and guides company growth. She brings eight years of experience and a Professional Community Association Manager credential to the role.

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Pictured above: Cece ’29, Carly ’30, Haylee ’30, and Brilee ’30 

“I love my friends because they’re always there to support me no matter what the circumstances are.” —Brilee Nelson ’30

Pictured above: Aidan Wippich ’27, Faye Kelley ’28, Hannah Rust ’28, Emmie Sandifer-Stech ’26, Avery Cheeseman ’26, Paul Ellertson ’26, Diego Perez ’28, and Maxwell Danzel-Lage ’27

“I love that my friends are kind and amusing!” —Faye Kelley ’28 

Pictured above: members
Top row: Dejchia Lor ‘27 and Naw Blu ’26
Middle row: Yan Urrizalqui ’27, Jennifer Vo ’26, and Rachelle Cha ’26
Bottom row: Tommy Lee ’26

“It means support from people who are passionate about the same things. It means having a team who’s excited about building and creating projects/events that are for the community.” —Yan Urrizalqui ’26

Pictured above: members Goldy Moua ’27, GaoNou Vang ’26, and Eli Yang ’27

“It means honesty, teamwork, communication, and having each other’s back. It’s knowing how to have a good time and when to take things seriously” —GaoNou Vang ’26

Pictured above: members Cecelia Dauphine ’28, Maya Miller ’26, Camille Hunte ’26, and Ajulu Otong ’26

“Unity, Black sisterhood” —Camille Hunte ’26

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With a repertoire featuring Chappell Roan, Green Day, and Bruce Channel, the Augsburg University Pep Band returned in Fall 2025 with music for everyone. After about a five-year hiatus, the group reassembled with faculty leadership and a new course structure..

Debuting at the Athletic Hall of Fame procession during Homecoming, the ensemble dusted off the Augsburg Fight Song and learned about 20 additional songs to play throughout the year under the instruction of Director of Bands Kenneth Green. In 2025 the pep band also performed at Taste of Augsburg, men’s and women’s basketball games, and one women’s hockey game.

“Pep band is a great way to make new friends, play an instrument for fun, and get into athletic events for free,” pep band manager William Dolezal ’28 said.

While the pep band—which had about 23 members this fall—is passionate about their music, they are there to support Augsburg athletics and bring energy to the games where they perform. At basketball games, the musicians stand throughout the entirety of the game, performing the National Anthem and playing before the game starts, during timeouts, halftime, and after the game. Between these numbers you’ll find the members doing cheers, invested in the game.

Any student is invited to join pep band without an audition, allowing for the group to be made up of primarily non-music majors. As long as you know how to play, there is a place for you in the group. The ensemble creates a space for everyone to participate and connect, bringing together musicians and connecting them to the greater Augsburg community.

Music education student Emily Gilbert ’27 played in her high school pep band, so she is happy to continue the tradition throughout her time at Augsburg. Gilbert started playing the flute in fourth grade and said that playing pop music and attending sporting events is what drew her to join.

“It doesn’t matter if the team wins or loses, we’re there to support the team,” Green said. “But I must say—everything we played for in the fall, all of our teams won.”

Top image: This year’s Taste of Augsburg featured live music from the Augsburg Pep Band. (Photo by Courtney Perry)

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The panel will be moderated by Ted Chen, vice president for equity, culture, and learning at the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, who is a member of the host committee for Augsburg’s Interfaith Symposium on March 25. Following the panel discussion, attendees will share a meal together with table conversations about caring for one another during tumultuous times facilitated by volunteers from the Minnesota Multifaith Network.

Reservations are now open for this free, public reception.

A project of the WF Fund, spotlights overlooked stories of giving back fueled by Muslim American faith. Through storytelling that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of Muslim Americans, the exhibit aims to help break down racialized and stigmatized stereotypes, ignite passion for community, create a sense of belonging, and build bridges between the Muslim American community and the philanthropic ecosystem. Inspired Generosity previously opened in Atlanta and Chicago, with additional showcases in development in Albany, Seattle, Michigan, and Indianapolis. 

The Minnesota exhibit will run for two months, from March 24–May 23, 2026, at the Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) in north Minneapolis.

Event Details and Registration

Inspired Generosity Minnesota: Showcase Opening Reception
March 24, 2026
4:30–7 p.m.

Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center
2001 Plymouth Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55411

About Interfaith at Augsburg

Situated in a neighborhood home to numerous immigrant communities and with an increasingly diverse student body, Augsburg University is uniquely positioned to facilitate building bridges in a polarized world. Augsburg’s commitment to interfaith engagement is central to its mission, identified as a key outcome of its strategic plan, and rooted in its Lutheran theological heritage. Through interfaith education and intentional opportunities to strengthen interreligious communication, understanding, and relationships, Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute advances peacebuilding on campus, in the community, and beyond. Learn more at augsburg.edu/interfaith.

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Bailey’s keynote address, “Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves,” will draw on her work as an ordained minister, public theologian, and national leader in the multifaith movement for justice. 

“Jen Bailey is the right voice for our times,” said Professor Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri Endowed Chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg. “She not only believes in building a better world for all, she embodies it in her ministry, professional work, and personal life.”

Bailey’s career has been anchored in service to community and a commitment to justice. She is the founder of , a Womanist-led organization equipping community organizers, faith leaders, and activists with resources for connection, spiritual sustainability, and accompaniment, and a co-founder of , an initiative that brings people together across lines of difference to engage constructively on issues affecting their communities. Currently, Bailey serves as executive director of the , a Nashville-based philanthropic foundation investing in the leadership of young people and the vitality of the natural environment. An ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, she has been named an Ashoka Fellow, an Aspen Ideas Scholar, an On Being Fellow, and a Truman Scholar.

Following the keynote address, a luncheon and panel discussion will take place at 1:00 p.m., featuring conversation with Anne Doepner, senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Minnesota Vikings; Monica Ibarra, previously of Mayo Clinic; and an Augsburg student leader. 

Event Details and Registration

Keynote Address with Rev. Jen Bailey
March 25, 2026—12 p.m.
Sateren Auditorium, Anderson Music Hall
715 22nd Ave. S., Minneapolis
Cost: Free (advance registration required)

Luncheon and Panel Discussion with Anne Doepner and Monica Ibarra
March 25, 2026—1 p.m.
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
625 22nd Ave. S., Minneapolis
Cost: $20 for community members, free with Augsburg ID (advance registration required)

Learn more and register now.

About Interfaith at Augsburg

Situated in a neighborhood home to numerous immigrant communities and with an increasingly diverse student body, Augsburg University is uniquely positioned to facilitate building bridges in a polarized world. Augsburg’s commitment to interfaith engagement is central to its mission, identified as a key outcome of its strategic plan, and rooted in its Lutheran theological heritage. Through interfaith education and intentional opportunities to strengthen interreligious communication, understanding, and relationships, Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute advances peacebuilding on campus, in the community, and beyond. Learn more at augsburg.edu/interfaith.

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