1960

The newest book by Lowell “Zeke” Ziemann ’60 is “America’s First Centennial and the Old West: 1876 A Year to Remember.” This book presents prominent events in the Western Territories during the United States’ centennial year. Incidents of 1876 described in the book include: the Little Bighorn conflict, Wild Bill Hickok’s murder, the capture of Jesse James’ gang, and Bat Masterson’s first gunfight.

1968

The Rev. Mark Hanson ’68, former presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, received the Walk of Faith Award from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service on October 26 in recognition of his career in service to the Lutheran community. The ELCA is the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination. Hanson was ordained in 1974 and has since served as a pastor for three Minnesota congregations, as bishop of the St. Paul Area Synod, and as the president of the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva. Hanson is an advocate for migrants and refugees. He currently serves as the executive director of the Christensen Center for Vocation at Augsburg College.

Regent Emeritus Ron Nelson ’68 was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award at Homecoming. He retired from 3M after 33 years with the company and spent 11 years as vice president and controller. A captain for the baseball and basketball teams at Augsburg, Nelson was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991. He is one of the owners of Thawzall, LLC, located in Alexandria, Minnesota, and is a member of the board of Oakdale-based Hearing Components, Inc. Nelson lives in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, and is an active member of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church. His wife, Mary Kay (Belgum) Nelson ’68, passed away in July after a courageous 11-year battle with leukemia. They were blessed in their marriage with a focus on faith and their family, including daughters Kristy and Becky.

1971

Professor Emeritus and Retired Chair of the Augsburg College Music Department Robert “Bob” Stacke ’71 was honored with the Spirit of Augsburg Award at Homecoming. In retirement, he pursues his passion for photography and continues to be a guide and mentor for music and arts alumni as the leader of Bob’s Band, an ensemble comprised primarily of Augsburg jazz band alumni. Since 2001, he has volunteered at a music camp in Haiti during his summers to share the joy of music with children.

1972

Ray Yip ’72 received the Distinguished Alumni Award at Homecoming. Yip is an international public health leader who has had a significant impact on global public health in the areas of nutrition, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, and tobacco control. He has held positions with UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since 2015, he has served as special advisor with a focus on health and clean energy for bgC3, a think-tank and incubator founded by Bill Gates. Yip lives in Beijing with his wife, Florence Bannicq.

1983

Tim Schultz ’83 has been named private client services market leader for Arizona Bank & Trust, a division of Heartland Financial USA, Inc. He most recently served as regional wealth manager at Johnson Bank and chief operating officer for the western region of BMO Private Bank.

1987

Richard Bahr ’87 released his book, “Amazed: Why the Humanity of Jesus Matters,” in June. The book provides a one-of-a-kind look at Jesus through the lens of his humanity. Bahr and his wife, Carla, operate the Threshold to New Life ministry (threshold2newlife.org), providing relief and restoration to homeless persons. Bahr coordinates the volunteers for a daily breakfast held at Minneapolis’ Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, which serves more than 40,000 meals per year. His blog can be found at richardbahr.com.

Amy Hyland Baretz ’87 had an outstanding pitching career on the Auggie softball team, an accomplishment that earned her induction into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. She set the school record for career victories, twice earned All-MIAC honors, and was a member of an Auggie squad that won the MIAC title and reached the NCAA Division III national tournament in 1984. She also played volleyball at Augsburg. Following graduation, she became the owner of franchise businesses in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

1988

Lee Roper-Batker ’88 received the Distinguished Alumni Award at Homecoming. She is president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, and she has spent her career working to further gender equality, create equal opportunities, and build pathways to economic security for women and girls. Roper-Batker founded and serves on the executive committee of Prosperity Together, a nonpartisan coalition of public women’s foundations that, at the White House in November 2015, publicly committed $100 million to improve the economic security of low-income women and their families in America.

1990

Matt Staehling ’90 is the new city administrator for St. Cloud, Minnesota. He has served the city for 20 years, most recently as the city attorney.

1992

Augsburg volleyball star Tina (Kubes) Peterson ’92 was a dominant player in the early ’90s, securing All-MIAC honors, earning a season MVP nod, producing impressive numbers as an outside hitter, and serving as a multi-year captain. Peterson, who was inducted in the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame, also was a member of the Auggie women’s basketball team. Following her graduation, Peterson has used her health and physical education degree as a teacher and coach. She has coached volleyball and track athletes in Minnesota’s New London-Spicer school district.

Joel Tveite ’92 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his successes on the baseball, basketball, and golf teams. Tveite was an all-around talent for Auggie baseball, pitching and playing third base. On the mound, he set school records with 28 complete games, 253 innings pitched, and 36 starts. He earned All-MIAC honors and was a team captain. Since graduation, Tveite has worked in accounting and management positions, and he has been active in baseball and basketball leagues as a player and coach.

Sharol Tyra ’92, professional certified coach, certified professional co-active coach, mentor, makeup artist, and president of Life Illumination Coaching & Image (lifeillumination.com), and a Lord of Life Canticle Choir member was the 2016 finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year at the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce small business awards luncheon. She was also a 2016 nominee for the Excellence in Leadership Award at the I-94 West Chamber’s small business awards breakfast. Candidates were judged on business strategies, drive for excellence, financial success, and community involvement.

1993

Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Schiltz ’93 was a dominant wrestler for the Auggies in the early ’90s who earned three All-American honors and qualified for national tournament competition four times. He was a MIAC champion in wrestling as well as an offensive and defensive lineman for Augsburg’s football team. Schiltz was a team captain for both sports. Since graduation he has worked in university athletics. Today he serves Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, as a wrestling assistant coach and department equipment manager.

Jodi (Divinski) Walfoort ’93received recognition for her time on the Auggie cross country and track teams when she was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. Walfoort competed in her first athletic season in 1991 at the age of 25 when the Auggies re-started the cross country program. She made the most of her two years as a runner, earning All-Region honors twice, and she was voted a two-time MVP. After Augsburg, Walfoort became an IT professional and went on to start a commercial real estate company.

1994

Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Bill Gabler ’94 transferred to Augsburg and competed in wrestling, football, and baseball. As an Auggie wrestler, he twice earned All-American honors, won a MIAC championship, and was on the program’s first NCAA Division III national title winning team. He later served as an Augsburg assistant coach who helped guide the Auggies to two NCAA national championships. In football, Gabler was a starting middle-linebacker, and in baseball he was the starting shortstop. He has enjoyed a career in sporting goods, fundraising, and corporate promotions.

1996

Robert Anderson ’96was the first Auggie football player to earn All-American honors, and the former defensive lineman was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame this fall. Some of Anderson’s athletic achievements at Augsburg include setting school records for sacks, being named a MIAC conference lineman of the year, and serving as a co-captain. Following his graduation, Anderson has worked as a sales director for the software industry in locations including Australia, Austria, China, Germany, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Bill Kriesel ’96 is one of the top defensive backs in Augsburg football history. He set a single-season school record for interceptions, was named a team MVP on defense, earned All-MIAC first-team honors, and served as a co-captain. Following his graduation, Kriesel played professional football in Germany, earned his MBA, and served on the Augsburg football coaching staff, among other roles. Since 2013, he has worked as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

Jodi Markworth ’96 was hired as the new principal at Cedar Ridge Elementary in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. She had been principal at Sheridan Hills Elementary in the Richfield (Minnesota) School District.

Former men’s basketball player Jim South ’96 was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. South was a four-year starter for the Auggies, and he holds Augsburg’s career record for field-goal percentage. He earned All-MIAC honors in basketball three times and also played on the Augsburg baseball team for three seasons. Following graduation, South worked for Coca-Cola before obtaining a law enforcement degree. He also is an active volunteer who serves as an assistant coach for a high school basketball team.

1997

Derrin Lamker ’97 received Augsburg’s Excellence in Coaching Award in recognition of his impressive career. After quarterbacking Augsburg’s football team to a MIAC championship and several of its best seasons in school history, Lamker moved into teaching and coaching. He served as head coach at Osseo (Minnesota) High School for 11 years, winning three Northwest Suburban Conference titles, two section championships, and a Minnesota Class 6A state title. This season he became the offensive coordinator at Edina (Minnesota) High School, and he also has coached basketball and baseball.

2000

Dwayne Lowman ’00 has been appointed to the inaugural advisory board of Definitely Someday, a nonpartisan firm that helps Minnesotans prepare for a future run for political office.

2004

Melissa “Mel” Lee ’04 has taken the reins as interim head softball coach during the 2017 Augsburg College athletic season after serving as an assistant with the program for the past 12 years. She will continue her duties as an assistant athletic director and an instructor in Augsburg’s health and physical education program. In addition, as a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Lee is one of two 2016 recipients of the Mary Nutter Scholarship. The educational grant will fund Lee’s attendance at the 2016 NFCA National Convention.

2006

Kyle Loven ’06, a Seattle-based performance and visual artist, was recognized with the First Decade Award at Homecoming. His work combines puppetry, projections, objects, sound, and other art forms with the human presence. Since moving to Seattle in early 2009, Loven has created and toured his original works. His shows have premiered at venues such as the acclaimed Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and Seattle’s On the Boards. Loven is the recipient of grants from the Jim Henson Foundation and numerous arts organizations based in Washington state.

Hernan Moncada ’06is the new principal at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion, a K-6 elementary school in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

2007

On July 23, Brett Cease ’07 married Julia Besser in Grand Portage, Minnesota. Auggies in the wedding party included [L to R]: Micah Erickson ’07, Chris Swanson ’07, Eriks Dunens ’06, ���Ի���Lava K.C. ’07.

Wolfgang Laudert ’07 attended the ELCA Grace Gathering this summer and made a pilgrimage in October to the Taizé community in France as the result of receiving a leadership development grant. His European trip ended on a journey to the joint Lutheran-Catholic ecumenical prayer service commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Lund, Sweden, which was attended by Pope Francis.

Laudert says, “I am beyond thankful, inspired, and thrilled at this opportunity. I am incredibly grateful to the Metropolitan New York Synod and my congregation for the chance to do this. [I am] even more thankful for our partnership in the gospel and the ecumenical mission we share together.”

2008

Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’10 MBAthrew out the ceremonial first pitch at the Twins baseball game on August 6. The Augsburg nursing grad and Alumni Board member was given the honor for his community work including homeless outreach and assistance with UnitedHealth Group, his family’s commitment to quality disabled living situations, and his work on the Tix for Tots advisory board.

Matthew Dunn ’08 received his doctorate in sociology from the University of California-Riverside in June. He is married to Gabriela Oliva Dunn. They live in Murrieta, California.

Sara Horishnyk ’08 earned a master’s degree in arts and cultural management from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and is now working at Twin Cities Public Television.

Brian Krohn ’08���Ի���Kari Aanestad ’08welcomed a baby girl, Seora Eileen Aanestad Krohn, on May 11.

2009

Brian Gullick ’09and Matt Tonsager ’09 are custom woodworkers of furniture, games, and décor. Their business is Gullton Wood, and the pair created a set of Augsburg College bean bag boards used at Homecoming in September.

2011

Amy (Satnik) Bachman ’11and her husband, Blair, welcomed a baby girl, Mackenzie Peach, on March 3.

2012

Angelica Erickson ’12 graduated from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota with a master’s degree in arts and cultural management. Her thesis was, “Every Child is a Work of Art: Helping Children Heal through the Arts after Multiple Traumatic Experiences.”

Andrew Fox ’12 is the new manager of the 180-year-old Mendota, Minnesota, home of Henry Hastings Sibley, Minnesota’s first governor. Fox is the point person in a partnership between the Minnesota Historical Society and the Dakota County Historical Society. The state will own and preserve the Sibley site, while the county will staff and operate the three restored houses on the property. Fox studied medieval history at Augsburg.

Kimberly Simmonds ’12, with the MonDak Heritage Center in Sidney, Montana, co-authored the book, “Sidney,” in Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series.

2013

Anthony Gore ’13, Steven Schwartz ’13, Ryan Bachman ’14,and Shea Drenkow ’14, all members of the Minneapolis-based band Porno Wolves, recorded the live album “Young Moon Rising” on a cold evening last winter. The friends formed the rock ’n’ roll band in 2012.

2014

Five Auggies received their white coats this fall as part of the incoming University of Minnesota Medical School class. Congratulations to [L to R]: Anna Weitz ’14, David Bergstrand ’14, Michelle Grafelman ’15, Mahad Minhas ’12, ���Ի���David Fowler ’14.

2015

Riley Hunter ’15 has a new position as assistant service desk analyst in the IT department at Securian Financial Group in downtown St. Paul.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Heidi Kammer-Hodge ’00 MSWjoined Jackson Recovery Centers in Sioux City, Iowa, as a vice president and chief operating officer. Kammer-Hodge’s position at Jackson comes after serving at Resource in Minneapolis for the past 17 years, where she held many leadership roles, most recently as a vice president.

Derek Nord ’04 MSW is the new director of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at Indiana University. Nord previously was associate director of the Research and Training Center on Community Living, part of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration.

Dr. Amit Ghosh ’12 MBA placed third in the 2016 District 6 Toastmasters International spring convention held in April in Minneapolis. Ghosh competed in the international speech category. District 6 is comprised of 290 clubs and 5,000 members. It serves most of Minnesota and southern Ontario, Canada.

Jeremiah Dagel ’15 MPA has joined the urgent care department at the Essentia Health Saint Mary’s Detroit Lakes (Minnesota) Clinic. As part of the urgent care team, Dagel will treat medical conditions that require immediate attention but that are not life-threatening.

Laura (Swanson) Lindahl ’15 MBA and David Lindahl were married May 21 in Dellwood, Minnesota.

AUGGIES HONORED

Karim El-Hibri was recognized with the First Decade Award at Homecoming. He is a strategic advisor and founding board member of the El-Hibri Foundation, which focuses on peace education and interfaith cooperation through grants and awards that recognize leadership, and programs that promote learning and inclusion. He holds a BA in international relations from the American University School of International Service, and graduated from the StepUP^® Program at Augsburg. El-Hibri lives in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area with his wife, Carley, and two children, Roula and Sami.

Norman and Evangeline Hagforsreceived the Spirit of Augsburg Award at Homecoming in recognition of their leadership in the campaign for the Center of Science, Business, and Religion. As community leaders and longtime friends of Augsburg, the Hagfors embody Augsburg’s faithfulness to education grounded in the Lutheran faith and relevant to the evolving needs of our students and the world. Norman served as an Augsburg College Regent from 1989-2001, providing active participation during a critical stage of the College’s growth. In October 2005, he was re-elected to the Augsburg Board of Regents. A chapel on the third floor of the new building will be named for Evangeline’s father, the Rev. Elnar Gundale ’33, who graduated from Augsburg College and Augsburg Seminary and went on to serve as a pastor in the Lutheran Free Church and ELCA.

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They have chosen to support the Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity, known as “URGO,” which aligns students’ interests in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), social sciences, humanities, and the arts with research by faculty. Each year, research by more than 20 Augsburg students is funded by the College for 10 weeks each summer. Because of the committed support of Lindstrom and Sundquist, 16 additional scholars participate in URGO and receive a stipend. This financial support is critical to providing the hands-on, skills-based training students need to successfully apply to graduate school and to shape meaningful careers.

“Fundamentals are absolutely essential,” Lindstrom said, “but it was the research experience that helped me determine what I wanted to do.”

Lindstrom and his wife, Janet, plan to fund URGO students for the next three years, just as they have since 2013, and will ensure the perpetuity of their scholarships through their estate plan.

“Everyone deserves to find the career that creates passion,” said Lindstrom, who retired in 2010 as a distinguished research fellow at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, where he spent 31 years in drug discovery and development.

Eager to find real-world applications to benefit society, Lindstrom earned his PhD in pharmacology and biochemistry at the University of Minnesota after his Augsburg graduation. He led the research teams that resulted in a half-dozen patents for life-changing pharmaceuticals, including Evista for osteoporosis and Cymbalta, used as an antidepressant and for bone and muscle pain. He visited campus this past summer to meet faculty and student researchers—including four students he sponsored directly: Josh Kuether ’18, Taylor Mattice ’18, Adam Pancoast ’18, and Ellyn Peters ’18.

Similarly, since 2006, Sundquist, a member of the College’s Board of Regents, and his wife, Amy, have sponsored research by URGO students. Sundquist visited campus this summer as well to meet with the 12 students he sponsors and learn about their research. As chairman and CEO of Mate Precision Tooling, a worldwide leader in metal products and laser technologies, he has a global perspective and understanding of how scientific improvements propel the economy.

His campus visit was a chance to see the energy, enthusiasm, and excitement in students as they researched projects with their mentors, including Assistant Professor Matt Beckman, Associate Professor Vivian Feng, and Assistant Professor Michael Wentzel.

“These URGO students are very smart and very impressive. They go on from Augsburg to graduate school and medical school and business school with research experience and the confidence to succeed at the next level,” Sundquist said.

Ultimately, generosity of people like Lindstrom and Sundquist has had a transformational effect on thousands of students. Alumni create learning opportunities that prepare students to solve real-world problems, develop lifelong relationships with peers and faculty, and deliver a uniquely Augsburg summer.

[Top Image: L to R]: Terry Lindstrom ’73 watches as chemistry student Taylor Mattice ’18 draws out a chemical reaction scheme from her summer research project with Assistant Professor Michael Wentzel, her faculty mentor.

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That’s just what Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE) is doing through the leadership of Lisa Svac Hawks ’85, vice president of external communications for UnitedHealthcare, who was moved to make a lead gift to fund a mural planned for the interdisciplinary Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.

“When I learned about the way Augsburg is bringing these disciplines together under one roof, I knew this was something distinctive and powerful,” said Hawks. “The Hagfors Center will measurably contribute to shaping greater leaders for tomorrow.”

The mural that AWE will fund, titled “Emergence,” incorporates the image of monarch butterflies with references to symbiosis, textile traditions, geometry, faith, home, prayer, and identity. The $150,000 project will express the College’s commitments to hospitality and serving the neighbor, two core principles of the Lutheran tradition in which the College is rooted. The large-scale mural will adorn the staircase at the end of the west wing.

Making the lead gift for this powerful installation, which will be created by muralist Greta McLain, came naturally to Hawks.

“Art has a special way of helping us experience what it means to come together in a new way. Art helps us visualize new futures. It helps us connect to big concepts and to engage emotionally with them so we can see ourselves in big ideas,” Hawks said.

“As a group of women, we believe that art connects the heart and head. By funding this mural as a permanent beacon in the Hagfors Center, we invite everyone to connect our heads and our hearts, so our hands can get to the good work.”

For McLain, the collaboration between space, artist, community, and construction can take many forms. “We all are asking: In what ways are we shaping the future leaders we need to address the challenges of the future?” she said.

AWE is undertaking this new challenge and commitment to the greater Augsburg College community at the same time it successfully closes out another project for the Hagfors Center. This group of 70 women already raised $130,000 to sponsor a student study lounge in the building.

The AWE-Inspired Philanthropy Council invites all Auggie women to join them in sponsoring “Emergence.” They supported a Give to the Max Day project to raise funds for the work, and are partnering with Donna McLean and Martha Truax ’16 MAL in Institutional Advancement to reach their goal of $150,000 in gifts and pledges by December 31. Email mclean@augsburg.edu or truaxm@augsburg.edu for more information.

View artwork available for sponsorship, including 21 pieces created by faculty, staff, alumni, and artists who have exhibited previously in Augsburg galleries.

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Philip A. Horne ’40, San Rafael, California, age 99, on August 7.

Ruth C. (Kveen) Rydquist ’40, Fargo, North Dakota, age 98, on July 23.

Lila A. (Israel) Erickson ’41, Minneapolis, age 97, on May 20.

Morris E. Ulring ’42, Minneapolis, age 95, on February 5.

Ernest I. Knutson ’43, Spooner, Wisconsin, age 95, on May 21.

Gloria (Burntvedt) Nelson ’43, Minneapolis, age 94, on June 21.

Kenneth A. Gilles ’44, Scottsbluff, Nebraska, age 94, on June 2.

Ralph W. Hofrenning ’45, Fargo, North Dakota, age 94, on May 31.

Lois M. (Black) Ahlbom ’47, Saint Paul, age 91, on May 9.

Myrtle C. (Skurdal) Bar ’49, Williston, North Dakota, age 91, on August 19.

Paul S. Paulson ’49, Spokane, Washington, age 87, on June 12.

Idelle S. (Nornes) Bagne ’50, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, age 89, on May 6.

Charlotte A. (Ellingson) Ennen ’50, Dublin, Ohio, age 88, on May 17.

Kenneth A. Hengler ’50, Eagan, Minnesota, age 91, on May 19.

John T. Garland ’51, Saint Paul, age 86, on August 26.

Olive L. (Nilsen) Zoller ’51, Marine On Saint Croix, Minnesota, age 87, on July 30.

Rebecca “Becky” A. (Skonnord) Johnson ’52,Valley City, North Dakota, age 86, on April 26.

Mildred R. (Zustiak) Baerg ’53, Anoka, Minnesota, age 85, on July 15.

Edmund R. Youngquist ’53, Northfield, Minnesota, age 91, on May 30.

Robert D. Goodrich ’57, Big Lake, Minnesota, age 83, on April 22.

Judith A. (Sather) Suther ’57, Totowa, New Jersey, age 80, on May 18.

Philip H. Johnson ’60, Belleville, Wisconsin, age 79, on June 20.

Ronald H. Stanley ’60,Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, age 78, on July 22.

Phyllis E. (Ebrenz) Wagner ’60, Minneapolis, age 78, on July 11.

Theodore “Ted” P. Botten, Jr. ’61, Rochester, Minnesota, age 77, on June 29.

Jacob “Jack” A. Mayala ’61, Kimball, Minnesota, age 77, on June 12.

John D. Heruth ’62, Rochester, Minnesota, age 75, on June 25.

David L. Faust ’63, Green Isle, Minnesota, age 76, on May 30.

Elaine L. (Legaarden) Swanson ’63, Maitland, Florida, age 75, on May 14.

Linda L. (Benson) Pederson ’64, Frederic, Wisconsin, age 75, on June 23.

Gary M. Ellis ’65, Hendricks, Minnesota, age 74, on June 27.

Michael J. Marcy ’65, Minnetonka, Minnesota, age 73, on June 16.

Larry D. Cole ’66, Minneapolis, age 73, on May 18.

Mary Kay (Belgum) Nelson ’68, Mendota Heights, Minnesota, age 69, on July 18.

Christine A. (Toedt) Olson ’70, Delano, Minnesota, age 67, on June 6.

Donald F. Deming ’71,Fort Mill, South Carolina, age 69, on June 14.

Lillian M. (Sedio) Mattson ’71, Excelsior, Minnesota, age 67, on August 1.

Dolores A. (Sheppard) Carrico ’74, Wyoming, Minnesota, age 86, on March 8.

Audrey C. (Jorgensen) Hanson ’77, Lewiston, Idaho, age 90, on March 21.

Scott A. Hugstad-Vaa ’77, Apple Valley, Minnesota, age 60, on June 2.

Paula A. (Beckley) Beckley-Gildner ’78, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, age 65, on June 8.

Marian T. (Jauquet) Finger ’83, Baraboo, Wisconsin, age 89, on April 5.

Scott E. Herceg ’00, Minneapolis, age 44, on August 12.

Cynthia L. (Cramer) Reed ’11, Rochester, Minnesota, age 59, on August 18.

Assistant Professor of Music Douglas Diamond, Minneapolis, age 59, on May 27.

For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g., an obituary, funeral notice, or program from a memorial service. Send your news items by mail to: Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454, or email alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news at .

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StepUP celebrated its annual gala October 29, and the event focused on the theme of “hope.” The gala is an opportunity to reduce the stigma often associated with substance use disorders by raising awareness—and honoring the accomplishments and contributions—of StepUP’s 100 students and 750 alumni.

At the gala, emcee Don Shelby, an Emmy-award-winning former news anchor and person in recovery, welcomed supportive Auggies, families, friends, and advocates for recovery. Peter Hubbard ’10 spoke about his work with StepUP alumni to create chances for StepUP students to learn about life after graduation, network, and explore concerns with those who have followed a similar path.

The Barbara and Skip Gage family received the Toby Piper LaBelle award in recognition of their longstanding commitment to education at Augsburg. The Gage’s dedicated support of the CLASS program, Lindell Library, Gage Family Art Gallery, and Gage Center for Student Success furthers Augsburg’s ability to live out its mission of serving the diverse needs, gifts, and experiences of its students. In addition, the contributions of The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation were recognized with the inaugural Keystone Award for institutional support.

To continue the deep success of the StepUP Program, the College has launched an endowment campaign for the program. The campaign is nearly halfway to its goal of raising $10 million by 2017. The endowment will allow the College to increase enrollment in the program, to maintain StepUP’s unparalleled community experience, and retain StepUP’s exceptional counselors and staff. .��

Photo by Courtney Perry

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The Alumni Board has made exciting changes to better serve Augsburg College graduates and current students. We reorganized our board committees, and we’re already seeing the fantastic engagement and work of two new groups.

The new Parent and Family Committee shares information about Augsburg and its services with families. We’re thankful to the Parent and Family Committee for helping students move into campus housing this fall. Committee chair Howie Smith ’80 joined Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’11 MBA to help with first-year student move-in day. Committee members Derek Francis ’08 and Hannah Dietrich Swanson ’05 assisted with new student orientation. The committee hosts two parent and family nights per year, and the next event is March 2.

Rick Bonlender ’78, Josh Krob ’08, ’15 MBA, Adriana Matzke ’13, and Brad Randall ’13 on the new Adult Education Committee will focus on the growing adult undergraduate and graduate studies alumni communities. I attended Augsburg College as an MBA student from 2008 to 2010, and I’m inspired by this work.

Whether you remember your time at Augsburg as a cohort, a class, or a team—as a grad student, traditional undergraduate, or adult undergraduate—there is a place for all in the upcoming events at the College. The MBA networking event on October 25 was a welcome chance to see former cohort members for a mini-reunion and to get involved mentoring a future Auggie MBA.

As a board, we strive to better serve the College, our fellow alumni, and— perhaps most importantly—Augsburg’s current students.

We’re looking ahead to our next Alumni-Student Networking event on February 8. Last year, we had 260 participants—a record-breaking attendance that included students, alumni, and faculty. Thanks to all who helped recruit attendees, facilitate introductions, and open doors for Auggies!

I look forward to our continued service and engagement with the Augsburg community.

Jill Watson ’10 MBA, Alumni Board President

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In the six months since the April 29 groundbreaking, McGough Construction and its subcontractors have completed the concrete work for the partial basement and most of the four floors of the north wing, and the three floors of the west wing. As the cement work has finished, the team has undertaken installation of electrical conduit, plumbing, and framing for interior walls.

The Hagfors Center brings together the study of global business, advanced science and technology, and religious dialogue. It is home to eight academic departments:

• Biology
• Business
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Psychology
• Religion

Structural rendering of the Hagfors Center courtesy of McGough Construction

Web extra

Weekly construction updates are available on the Hagfors Center website.

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President Paul Pribbenow met with leaders of the Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial board to discuss Minnesota’s educational achievement gap among children and youth of diverse backgrounds. The state has one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation, and Augsburg is working to ensure all students of academic ability have access to higher education. The College’s pledge to this work includes limited debt pathways to graduation, setting aside dedicated housing for homeless students, increasing financial aid literacy, supporting faculty in creating inclusive classrooms, and increasing access to course materials.

The College was applauded for this leadership through a compelling editorial, “Augsburg College leads the call for campus equity,” written and published by the Star Tribune editorial board on Aug. 30.

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Last spring, a small group of Regents, faculty, staff, and alumni were charged by the Board of Regents with exploring long-term strategy for Augsburg, especially in light of shifting demographics, economic trends, and volatility in higher education.

It was an inspiring process as we reflected on how Augsburg would remain faithful to its historic distinctions, while at the same time being relevant to a changing world. Perhaps the most compelling conclusion of the Futures Group was that Augsburg would be its best self in the years ahead as it remains radically student-centered, meeting students where they are and equipping them for lives of meaning and purpose.

It is not a unique claim, this idea of being student-centered, but it is understood in diverse ways across higher education. For some, the claim means that students are customers or clients who deserve high-quality service. For others, it means that students are lumps of clay to be formed and shaped with particular values. For still others, the claim means that students are deeply engaged in the governance of the college or in its administrative decision-making.

At Augsburg, though, the claim of being radically student-centered means something very different. For our community, each student is a gift, a gift to be received with gratitude and humility, a gift that surprises and engages us, a gift that changes us. Each summer, I tell our incoming students that their gifts of intellect and leadership and passion will make Augsburg a more faithful and successful college, even as we accompany them on their educational journeys. And I mean it.

This issue of Augsburg Now illustrates well how the gifts who are our students have made all of us better. Read about alumna Maya Santamaria ’94, an entrepreneur whose Augsburg education has shaped her community work in Minneapolis. Witness the stories of our remarkable student-athletes, partnering with Special Olympics Minnesota to show how intellectual differences need not get in the way of teamwork and sportsmanship. Hear the stories of this year’s Distinguished Alumni and Spirit of Augsburg awardees, whose lives are testaments to how Augsburg’s mission is lived out across the world and generations.

And perhaps most powerfully, learn about how Gov. Mark Dayton declared August 29,2016, as Augsburg College Equity Day in Minnesota, recognizing Augsburg for its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and justice. As one staff member told me on that special occasion, this work is “a love letter to our students,” a recognition that our remarkably diverse students, who come to us with their many experiences and talents, are gifts that have changed us forever and for the better.

What gifts we have been given for almost 150 years! They ground our vision to be “a new kind of student-centered, urban university, small to our students and big for the world.”

Faithfully yours,

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In addition, the Augsburg Corporation, at its annual September meeting, elected six new members to the Board of Regents and re-elected three members.

Elected to their first term on the Augsburg Board of Regents:

• Nicholas Gangestad ’86, senior vice president and chief financial officer of 3M
• Dr. Amit Ghosh ’12 MBA, a staff consultant, professor of medicine, and medical director of internal practice at Mayo Clinic
• Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, an ordained Lutheran pastor serving All Nations Indian Church of the United Church of Christ and executive director of the Council for American Indian Ministry of the UCC
• Rachel Pringnitz ’02, ’07 MBA, operations administrator for the Division of General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic
• Jill Nelson Thomas, philanthropist and board member for multiple nonprofits, including Family & Children’s Services of Oklahoma
• Noya Woodrich ’92, ’94 MSW, former president and chief executive officer of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches

Elected to a second or third term:

• Mark Eustis, an organizational leadership and governance advisor for health systems
• Alexander Gonzalez ’90, financial consultant at Thrivent Financial
• Pam Moksnes ’79, vice president for gift planning services, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, through the Lutheran Church Extension Fund

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