EMILY YANG ’25

• Biology Major
• PRISM Scholar

What brought you to Augsburg?

I personally prefer smaller schools because they make relationship-building and networking much easier, and Augsburg fits that category perfectly. Not only that, the PRISM scholarship really reeled me into Augsburg and the amount of resources available for STEM students.

What do you value most about Augsburg?

I value my relationship with the Hmong community and professors.

Arabella belleux ’24

• Mathematics
• PRISM Scholar
• Sustainable Land and Water Resources REU, Summer 2024
• AmeriCorp Public Health member in Community Justice, pursuing a PhD in public health or policy

What brought you to Augsburg?

I was brought here for the sense of community and amount of resources available.

What do you value most about Augsburg?

My connections with faculty.

Fun Fact

Outside of academics, I am pursuing a career as a professional soccer referee. I am currently the youngest NCAA ref in the country.

The post Student Spotlight 2025 appeared first on STEM Programs.

• Computer Science Major, Special Focus in Marketing
• Web Developer, Red Wing Shoe Co.

Who is Melissa?
WEC Graduate, AugSTEM Scholar, Web Developer at Red Wing Shoes, Associates Degree in Graphic Design from Brown Institute, Previous work at Hubbard Broadcasting and the Mayo Clinic

What brought you to Augsburg?
The programs and the flexibility offered by Augsburg’s WEC program is what brought me to the college. I knew that I would have to continue working full time while attending classes and Augsburg’s courses fit best with my schedule. My aunt is also an Augsburg WEC alumna so I was familiar with the weekend program.

What advice would you give to a first year student?
Don‟t be afraid to ask for help and don’t put off your studies. Spend some time on your homework each day. Lastly, don’t be intimidated by the coursework. With enough time and effort, you’ll get it.

What do you value most about Augsburg?
Small class sizes. At Augsburg you have the opportunity to get to know your classmates and professors so well. The professors here are very dedicated to their student‟s success; they make themselves available to students outside of class and office hours if needed. The classes are so small that the students and professors will ask “Is ‘so and so’ coming in today?” if you are running late. You are not one in a sea of many.

Why Design?
After high school I knew I enjoyed art, but I was leery of spending a lot of money at a 4 year university without knowing what career path I wanted to take. I started attending Century College and then transferred to Brown Institute to study Visual Communication. I realized that a career as a graphic designer was a great way of utilizing my creativity. After 10 years as a designer I needed more of a challenge and decided to pursue Web Development.

Tell us about your current position at Red Wing Shoes.
I’ve been working at Red Wing Shoes as a Web Developer for the last 2 months. I’m currently working on the team that is responsible for the company’s first e-commerce website. We are a small group of eight and it is because of our size that I have such an amazing opportunity to contribute to (and learn) about all aspects of developing an online retail store. As a web developer, I straddle the line between the creative and technical world. And this is what I like so much about what I do.

What is your average day like?
I work as part of an “Agile” development team, meaning we work iteratively and incrementally with many groups within Red Wing Shoe Company. We have a daily meeting where each member of the team explains what she or he had been working on the day prior and reports any challenges associated with the task, as well as what she or he will be working on that day. Currently I am building a prototype of our first online order process for our B2B customers. Next week I will be traveling to Germany in order to train on the e-commerce platform selected for the project. I will be learning the e-commerce mark-up language and how to plug-in the retail back-end solution into our front-end development.

Do you have any advice for prospective WEC students?
You don‟t have to know or choose your career path at age 18. If something peaks your interest later on in life, go for it. For working adults, I can’t think of a better place to be, with the great professors, students and community here. Also, I have to emphasize to all students that a LinkedIn account is essential. If you put your resume out there, especially as a computer science major, you will be contacted!

Do you have a question for Melissa?
Send her an email at: melcsweeney@gmail.com

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• Ph.D. Candidate, Materials Chemistry, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• Chemistry & Biology Major
• Math Minor

Who is Joe?
Summa Cum Laude Graduate, NSF Graduate Re-search Fellow, Goldwater Honorable Mention, Wallin Education Partners Scholar, Mayo Innovation Scholar (MISP), URGO Student Researcher, Lupus Foundation Research Fellow, ACS President, Tri-Beta Treasurer, Chemistry/Biology Tutor

What brought you to Augsburg?
I had a great experience on my campus tour during my first visit to Augsburg. While watching my guide interact with other students on campus, I noticed a sense of community here. I feel at home when I’m at Augsburg. I also enjoyed not having to walk far for class since Augsburg has such a small campus.

What’s your favorite element?
Praseodymium

What do you value most about Augsburg?
Faculty. Professors at Augsburg are more than willing to give their students extra help. They go out of their way to build great relationships with students, staff and other faculty. My friends and I frequently had “game nights with Joan”, one of our favorite professors.

What experience best prepared you for graduate school?
My experience as a student in the URGO Summer Research Program helped me become an independent researcher. During that summer I got to know my way around the lab and I found out how much I enjoy working with nanoparticles. Before working with Dr. Vivian Feng, I hadn’t even thought about working with nanoparticles. Now I love studying nanomaterials.

Tell us about your current research.
In my lab at the University of Minnesota, I am studying drug loading and release using mesoporous silica nanoparticles. This involves synthesizing different types of mesoporous silica nanoparticles as well as quantifying the amount of drug they can hold and the kinetics of the drug’s release.

Tell us about the photo of you and the first lady.
I was able to meet the first lady as part of the Wallin Education Partners Program. The program had some tickets donated for her fundraiser event at the Walker Art Center. The staff at Wallin Education Partners chose students whom they thought exemplified Wallin scholars to meet Michelle Obama and get their picture taken with her. After the photo op, we had the opportunity to stand near the front during her speech.

What was the most difficult part of your transition from high school to college?
I didn’t think that the transition was that hard. Augsburg is 25 minutes away from my home and I was accustomed to the city. However, I remember being afraid that I wouldn’t make any friends. I bought a flat screen TV my freshman year in an attempt to build my friend group. I don’t even watch TV.

What advice would you give a first year?
Befriend your faculty. Stay involved, but do things that you enjoy. Personally, I wish I would have gotten involved in ACS (Augsburg Chemistry Society) my fresh-man year. Instead, I tried to do what I thought the ‘cool’ kids were doing.

What’s next for you?
This summer (2013) I am doing a rotation in a chemistry lab at the University of Minnesota. The PI has guaranteed me a place in the lab, so if I enjoy my time there this summer I will already have a permanent lab when school begins. In the fall I will start my graduate course-work while continuing my research.

Where do you see yourself in the distant future?
I ultimately want to be in charge of an industrial lab so that I can work with the new students to teach them lab techniques while also being able to do re-search. At Augsburg, I loved working with small groups of students to teach them concepts they didn’t understand, and I feel like this would be a good way for me to combine my love of research with my love for teaching small groups. That’s my ultimate goal.

Do you have a question for Joe?
Email Joe at jbuchman@umn.edu

The post Student Profile: Joe Buchman ‘13 appeared first on STEM Programs.

• Physics and Math Major
• Tekne Scholar
• Phillips Family Scholar
• McNair Scholar
• NorthStar STEM Fellow
• Calculus Workshop Mentor
• Residence Life Residential Executive Coordinator
• GEMS & GISE Youth Engineering Camp Mentor
• Sigma Pi Sigma
• Pi Mu Epsilon

What brought you to Augsburg?
I wanted to be in the city, but close to home. And when I visited Augsburg, I noticed a sense of community and diversity while on a campus tour that I didn’t see at other schools. Watching my tour guide shout to friends across the quad made me feel like this was a place where I would make great friends and thrive.

What do you value most about Augsburg?
I appreciate the small class sizes and how well you get to know your professors. Students at Augsburg have so many opportunities to learn outside of the classroom.

What experiences at Augsburg have prepared you most for life after college?
All of the leadership positions I have been in at Augsburg have given me the opportunity to come out of my shell and share my story. I was very shy before attending Augsburg so these leadership experiences have really helped me grow and prepare for the next stage in my life.

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Contact Jazmine at jazdarden@gmail.com

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Quality Safety Analyst at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota

At Augsburg:

• Biopsychology Major
• AugSTEM Scholar
• McNair Researcher
• Auggie Guide Coordinator
• Welcome Desk Attendant
• Admissions Tour Guide
• Ultimate Frisbee Team Captain

What brought you to Augsburg?
The moment I stepped on campus, I felt like I fit in. While I was deciding which college I wanted to attend, I scheduled an overnight visit and had an opportunity to sit in on classes and meet professors in the Biology department. Overall, I had a great admissions experience. I preferred Augsburg’s small class sizes and heard that the college had strong science programs.

What advice would you give to yourself as a first year student?
Get involved with clubs on campus, even if the activity is outside of your major. You will need some form of respite during your college years. You can’t do all science, all of the time–“Don’t be like Joe Buchman” (One of Charlie’s best friends). Get involved and have a good time. Avoid burnout and start exercising.

What do you value most about Augsburg?
The faculty. I really appreciate how much they care about students and how transparent this caring is. I have always gotten the vibe that Augsburg professors are here for the students. They want you to succeed.

What Augsburg experiences best prepared you for your current job?
I would have to say that my liberal arts education best prepared me for my job at Children’s Hospital. My interviewer commented on how my background provided me with a different outlook than many of the physicians and nurses I would be working with. Attending Augsburg provided me with the opportunity to develop this unique critical lens.

From your experiences, what advice would you give a student applying to graduate school?
Start on your application as early as possible! Also, know that it’s going to be a long, strenuous process. At the end of a full summer of research, you may feel like you need a break, but understand that applying for graduate school is a full-time job. You won’t have much time to work on your application once classes begin. Don’t be afraid to ask for help throughout the process. Ask your professors to help if they’re able and have as many people as possible read your personal statement. Looking back, I wish I would have had more time to do research as an undergraduate. If possible, do research on campus during your sophomore year. Then you can spend the summer after your junior year doing an REU (research experience for undergraduates) off campus and preparing your graduate school applications.

What’s next for you?
I’m using this year at Children’s Hospital to gain experience and determine which career path I would like to take. Currently, I’m thinking about medical or PA school. Now that I’m working in the hospital, I’ve realized just how much medicine interests me. Otherwise, if I were not to attend medical or PA school, I’m also interested in going to graduate school for Clinical Psychology or Neuropsychology.

Where do you see yourself working in the future?
I see myself working with patients on a daily basis, whether that is as a clinical psychologist or as a physician. I enjoy being in a high energy, fast paced environment like the hospital and working on a variety of tasks each day.

Do you often get attached to your patients?
I more often get attached to their files since I am not always in direct contact with the patient. I always hope to see progress each time I check-in. More specifically, I am close with the family of one young patient who insists on calling me “Dr. Charlie”.

How did you prepare for your interview at Children’s?
I had practice interviews with Dixie Shafer in the URGO office and went to the Strommen Center for help crafting my resume. During the interview I was very confident in my ability to handle difficult situations in a healthcare setting, yet I felt very underqualified. Later, my interviewers told me that my liberal arts background and unique experience gives me a perspective that differs from many of my coworkers and that is why I had a successful interview.

What is your typical day like?
Around 6:30 a.m. I arrive in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and talk with all of the night bedside nurses. I ask questions about their quality and safety concerns overnight. (What happened? How severe was the incident? How did it prevent quality care from happening?) After speaking with all of the nurses, I log these cases into a computer program for tracking. Then, I go through charts and look over patient medications and statistics. I also fill out a daily form for each patient which verifies the medication and medical devices a patient has and what he or she needs for the day. During the rest of the day I have meetings with hospital staff outside of the PICU and work on projects aimed at changing procedure and streamlining tasks and communication.

—-

Contact Charlie at charlie.olson57@gmail.com

The post Student Profile: Charlie Olson ‘13 appeared first on STEM Programs.

• Mathematics Major
• President of Augsburg’s Math Club Unbounded
• Honors Program
• URGO Summer Researcher
• AugSTEM Scholar
• Studied in Nicaragua & Budapest

What do you value most about Augsburg?
My relationship with the professors here. They go out of their way to provide students with opportunities, like my internship with Target, and make themselves available for questions and advice. My professors encouraged me to read advanced topics outside of the course material. I probably learned the most as an undergraduate while speaking directly with my professors.

What is your advice for other undergraduates?
“Do what you want to do.” Opportunities will show themselves if you are passionate about what you do and work hard. Just throw yourself into your work and “make it count”.

Tell me about your research.
During the summer after my sophomore year I worked with mathematics professor Dr. Jody Sorensen studying dynamical systems, specifically I investigated properties of invertible functions. Dynamical systems are important to the study of population dynamics such as the growth in a population of deer or the decline of an animal on the endangered species list.

What is it like to work for Target Corporation?
I received an internship at Target Corp. during the summer after my junior year. After going through a series of interviews, I was give the title of Data Analyst Intern and worked with a large customer database. The question that I focused on was why a certain population (guests) was ‘leaving’ Target? This specific group went from being ‘best guests’ or a high spending population to not visiting Target at all. I spent most of my time developing methods for analyzing guests. This research turned into a broad, long range project that the company has now allocated an entire team of researchers to investigate.

How did you find out about studying abroad in Budapest?
I found out about the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics through my undergraduate research mentor, Dr. Sorenson. This semester is intended to be a Pre-Graduate program with a very rigorous curriculum intended to prepare students to be successful in graduate school

The post Student Profile: Austin Wagner ’13 appeared first on STEM Programs.

• Chemistry Major
• Transfer Student from MCTC
• McNair Scholar
• Goldwater Scholar
• NSF Grant Recipient Industry Ambassador
• AugSTEM Scholar
• President of the Augsburg Chemistry Society
• URGO Researcher
• Transfer Regents Award Recipient
• Carl Rogne Scholarship Recipient
• Campus Ministries Scholarship Recipient

Allison Zank is currently doing work in research and development fabricating nanomaterials with electrochemistry.

What brought you to Augsburg?
I knew about Augsburg’s reputation as a school that is really diverse and open-minded. I liked their mission and their service to the community, so I chose to go to Augsburg. I’m really glad that I did.

What advice would you give a new student at Augsburg?
Work hard. Stay open-minded. This is your one chance to achieve what you really dream of doing, so try. And if you struggle, ask for help, because you’d be surprised at how many people are willing to help you with just about anything if you’re honest with them.

What experiences at Augsburg have prepared you most for life after college?
Augsburg structured my education so I would explore all of my options and try several disciplines, and the chemistry department and URGO office told me what I needed to do to achieve my goals. At larger institutions, there are so many people that it’s easier to get lost in the shuffle. That simply can’t happen as easily in a small institution like Augsburg.

What challenges did you face during your academic career?
Because I was homeless as a teenager, I never received a high school education. My classmates in college had already had a preview into chemistry, biology, and math, but I had none. To succeed I had to learn a lot of the basics that most people knew already while keeping up with the class material. That was really difficult. But, this prepared me for upper division classes where I had to learn everything fresh.

What do you value most about the academic community at Augsburg?
There’s prejudice in academia that you don’t experience at Augsburg. There’s ageism and sexism in the sciences. I think it’s important to not let that hold you back and to realize that that’s coming from just one place or person. My pre-calculus professor told me that Augsburg was lucky to have me and that I should keep that attitude. If a school doesn’t appreciate you, then it’s not a good fit and you need to keep looking for the right place.

What surprised you most about your time at Augsburg?
Campus Ministry is powerful and they really care about students’ welfare. There was a time when I had become so distressed by my class load that I withdrew from school. Soon after, I ran into the campus pastor and he asked me how I was doing and I told him that I withdrew. He made a few phone calls and told me just to finish out the year with my math classes. He wouldn’t let me drop out and I got through that semester with his help.

The post Student Profile: Allison Zank appeared first on STEM Programs.

• Chemistry major and Religion minor
• Nursing Station Technician at the University of Minnesota Fairview
• Transfer from Hope College
• Christensen Scholar
• Involved in Urban Neighbors
• Volunteer at Redeemer Health Ministry

What do you value most about Augsburg?
I most value my interactions and relationships with professors. My professors at Augs-burg are truly invested in their students.

What brought you to Augsburg?
As a transfer student, I came back to Minnesota in order to be closer to family during a challenging time. When I transferred, I was looking for a flexible, accommodating college close to my hometown, White Bear Lake.

What experiences have you had at Augsburg?
While attending Augsburg, I have had the opportunity to do microbiology research on the mechanism of probiotics and chemistry research on percentage of sulfite within dry and sweet wines. I have also had the opportunity to participate in the University of Minnesota Neuroscience Research Program. Last year I received a Gilman Scholarship for study abroad. With this scholarship I was able to attend the School of International Training (SIT) last summer (2012) and study traditional medicine and healthcare practices in northern India.

What’s next for you?
After graduating next fall (2013), I plan to apply for Physician Assistant (PA) programs. I am interested in global health and also hope to pursue a Masters in Public Health after obtaining my PA degree. In the future, I would like to work with vulnerable populations and practice medicine internationally.

What advice would you give a first year?
Get involved on campus and use this time to find your passions. Also, get to know your professors well. They will become your mentors and provide you with many networking opportunities.

The post Student Profile: Ali Wolfe ‘13 appeared first on STEM Programs.

• B.S. in Mathematics from Augsburg College
• University of Minnesota Mathematics Ph.D. Candidate

What do you value most about Augsburg?
I appreciated having the opportunity to speak with faculty of-ten. They brought the option of attending graduate school to my attention and encouraged me to apply.

What experiences have you had at Augsburg?
I have worked as a Supplemental Instructor for the Calculus Labs and had the opportunity to participate in the URGO Program and do undergraduate research with Professor Jody Sorenson. I also had the opportunity to do a summer internship at Thomson Reuters. During my senior year I studied abroad in Budapest, Hungary.

What prepared you most for graduate school?
A variety of experiences helped prepare me for graduate school. One of the most useful experiences I had was the REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) I completed at the University of Georgia. My experience in the REU was useful because there I started to learn what it meant to do research in mathematics. Upon the completion of the REU, I had the opportunity to give a talk at the Young Mathematics Conference at Ohio State University. I also took advanced mathematics courses in Budapest, Hungary my senior year and took a mathematics topics course at Macalester College.

Why did you choose to go to graduate school?
I wanted to attend graduate school because I wanted to do original research in mathematics. It is exciting to have the opportunity to work on finding solutions to previously unsolved problems. I also wanted to attend graduate school because it will provide me job opportunities for which I would otherwise not be qualified.

What advice would you give an undergraduate?
Find out what you love and do it for as long as you can. If you think you may want to go to graduate school, start planning for this as early as possible. Understand the commitment you are making when you apply to graduate school because the life of a graduate student, in my experience, is hard work for a long time.

Contact Al at alexander.garver@gmail.com

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