AUGUSTANA FALL 2019 • VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 1
THE
BFA: PAINTING A FINE ACADEMIC PICTURE FAITHFUL TRANSFORMATIONS RESEARCH UNCOVERS A LOOK INTO PAST THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY
YOUR GUIDE TO
#VIKINGDAYS OCT. 11-13, 2019 AUGIE.EDU/VIKINGDAYS
FRIDAY, OCT. 11
SATURDAY, OCT. 12
ALL DAY: EXHIBIT, “Life with the Arts: The Eide Ceramic Collection & Paintings and Drawings" by Diane Eide Center for Visual Arts
9 a.m. Cookies in the Classroom/Tour Outdoor Classroom, between the Froiland Science Center and the Madsen Center
9 - 9:45 a.m. Fryxell Humanities Dedication Hamre Recital Hall
10:30 a.m. Viking Days Parade University Place to 33rd Street on Grange Avenue
9:30 - 10 a.m. Honor Guard Coffee & Social Time Chapel of Reconciliation – Graduates from 1969 and earlier
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Visit Heritage Park South of 33rd Street between Grange and Prairie Avenue
10 a.m. Worship Chapel of Reconciliation
11 a.m. Viking Days Alumni & A-Club Tailgate, Augieville Outside Kirkeby-Over Stadium
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Honor Guard/1969 Class Luncheon Falls Room, Holiday Inn City Centre
11:15 a.m. Alumni Band Reunion/Pep Band Rehearsal Lillehaug Instrumental Room, Fryxell Humanities Center
2 p.m. In Memoriam Chapel of Reconciliation - The class of 1969 will gather to remember departed classmates
1 p.m. Augustana Football vs. St. Cloud State Kirkeby-Over Stadium
3 p.m. Dedication of new Svendsbye Apartments Summit Avenue, across from the Froiland Science Complex 3:30 p.m. Campus Tour Tour begins in the Madsen Center Rotunda
4 p.m. Rendezvous Presentation Back Alley of Morrison Commons 4 p.m. Soccer vs. Winona State Morstad Field
5 p.m. 50 Class Reunion Banquet (1969) Falls Room, Holiday Inn City Centre th
5:30 p.m. Trustee/Heritage Societies Dinner Starlite Room, Holiday Inn City Centre – Current/former trustees and Heritage Society members 7:30 p.m. Command Performance Mary W. Sommervold Hall, Washington Pavilion
4:30 p.m. Alumni Choir Rehearsal Hamre Recital Hall, Fryxell Humanities Center 5:30 p.m. Alumni Achievement Awards & Blast Alumni Achievement Awards, 5:30 p.m. Blast, 6:30 p.m. - Orpheum Theater
SUNDAY, OCT. 13 8:30 a.m. Alumni Choir Warm-up Chapel of Reconciliation 10 a.m. Viking Days Worship Chapel of Reconciliation 11:30 a.m. Viking Days Brunch Ordal Dining Room, Morrison Commons 1 p.m. Augustana Soccer vs. Upper Iowa Morstad Field
W
hat a beautiful fall it’s been so far! Spring semester and summer went by quickly and here at Augustana University, we welcomed back new and returning students for what will be an exciting and energizing year. One of the things I’m proudest of is our students’ success. The spring semester demonstrated that our students excel in so many different ways. One of which was that 42 percent of our undergraduates earned the distinction of being named to the spring dean’s list. And, for the second time in history, our women’s softball team brought home the 2019 NCAA Division II Softball Championship trophy! As you may recall, men’s baseball won the College World Series in 2018 so this gives us two back-to-back national championships to celebrate. It's because of our commitment to our students and excellence that we're earning national recognition. In early September, we were named by U.S. News & World Report as being a Top 10 Best Regional University and ranked number two for best value in the Midwest. This puts us in a whole new category, elevating Augustana above other universities in our area. A career placement think-tank also named Augustana as the second-highest university nationwide for post-graduate employment. This ranking complements the continued accolades for the great city of Sioux Falls, being ranked number one in the country as the Best City for Young Professionals. Sioux Falls was also named in the Top 10 for Best Cities for Entrepreneurs and Best Places to Live, and took the number 15 spot on the Happiest City in America list. Augustana is blessed to belong to this thriving community! As you’ll read in this edition of The Augustana, we have many new and exciting campus updates. This fall, the university launches a Bachelor of Fine Arts program (BFA). It’s been a dream of many here on campus and for those who want that professional fine arts degree and now it’s a reality (pages 16-17). Our Vikings will also notice an even more beautiful landscape as they navigate their way around campus. As this magazine was going to print, we were putting the finishing touches on a number of campus building projects. We celebrated a brand-new outdoor classroom, a space that encourages appreciation for our physical environment, and opened the Svendsbye Apartments — the newest apartment complex on Summit Avenue — named after Augustana’s 19th President, Rev. Dr. Lloyd Svendsbye. Renovations were also completed inside the Fryxell Humanities Center, and the dedication for the Larson Track and Field and Vance Butler Field Events Area was held on Sept. 20. As we forge ahead with our goals for Vision 2030, Augustana is assessing and planning for the future. You can read more
about the approved aspirational goals and strategic planning process at augie.edu/vision. You’ll find everything outlined there, including updates, FAQ’s and timelines. Part of our strategic goals includes the growth of our diversity and inclusion efforts. Willette Capers joined the university earlier this year and has already made great strides with campus programming and implementation of the university’s diversity and inclusion plan. We are so grateful Willette joined the Augustana community (pages 8-9). Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Augustana and its mission. As a member of the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities, our common calling as an institution committed to the liberal arts and inspired by the Lutheran scholarly tradition is to be a place — a very special place — where our students are 'called and empowered to serve the neighbor so that all may flourish.' This common calling serves not only our students, but also each and every one of you — alumni and friends of the university — who know, serve and care for one another. Warmest regards,
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, President
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Cover Image: "Viva Van Gogh", painted by Augustana University student Jenna Siganos, created this oil-based piece as part of a class assignment. She was drawn to replicate this painting by Vincent Van Gogh because of its colors, reflections and patterns. Jenna, a Sioux Falls native, is majoring in biology and art and has a planned graduation year of 2021.
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UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP: Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, president Nikki Troxclair, vice president of strategic communications & marketing
FEATURES
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THE AUGUSTANA
EDITOR: Greta Stewart, editorial strategist
WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR ANCESTORS
CONTRIBUTORS: Elizabeth Duffy Elliot Nathan South Dakota Synod DESIGNERS: Kami Gladis Peg Ustad
CONTINUING GOD'S WORK:
Sustainability is important to Augustana University. The pages within The Augustana are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
SD Synod says goodbye to Bishop Zellmer, welcome to Bishop Hagmaier
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Visit the magazine online at augie.edu/magazine. Find more news about Augustana at augie.edu. Augustana University creates, debuts
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS PROGRAM
Send correspondence, name changes and address corrections to: Augustana Magazine, 2001 S. Summit Ave., Sioux Falls, S.D. 57197 or via email at alumni@augie.edu. OUR MISSION
CONTENTS
FALL 2019
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#SeeUs Movement: Courtney Place
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AU: Vision 2030
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What's New at AU?
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Creating Change through Diversity & Inclusion
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Where Are They Now?
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Changing Perspectives, Influencing People
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"Calling All Years Good": New Podcast Series Launched
Inspired by Lutheran scholarly tradition and the liberal arts, Augustana provides an education of enduring worth that challenges the intellect, fosters integrity and integrates faith with learning and service in a diverse world.
OUR VISION
Augustana aspires to become one of America’s premier church-related universities.
CORE VALUES
Pathway to Peace
22 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! Augustana Softball Wins 2019 DII Title 24 Softball Coaches Named NFCA Staff of the Year 25 Stitching Together a Legacy
Central to the Augustana experience are five core values. The community lives them and honors them, and they infuse the academic curriculum as well as student life: Christian, Liberal Arts, Excellence, Community & Service.
CONNECT WITH US! augie.edu/connect
26 New Faculty/Staff
Augustana is an affirmative action, Title IX, equal opportunity institution.
28 Class Notes
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!
augie.edu/readership-survey
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© Augustana University 2019
"It was time to fight for something I am passionate about." — Courtney Place
Founder of See Us Movement
BY GRETA STEWART
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movement with national aspirations is now a reality for its founder and Augustana graduate Courtney Place, '19. Place was announced as one of 20 worldwide winners for Victoria's Secret PNK GRL Project for creating the See Us movement in 2018 while a student. Place, and the other 19 winners received $10,000 each to pursue their dreams and jumpstart their bright futures. Winners were notified through a video call from one of the GRL PWR Project judges; their individual(s) hero, a woman in their life who they admire; or a PINK executive. "It's a movementthat spreads awareness about female athletes being underrepresented, sexualized, and judged on appearance rather than ability," Place said. "I hope that it just spreads awareness and starts conver
sations that didn't happen before, and I think that it's a hard subject to talk about, and a lot of people are afraid to discuss female empowerment in general but with sports especially, and I want it to become a nationally-known thing." The GRL PWR Project is an opportunity for women between the ages of 18 and 25 who are leaders, trendsetters and go-getters in their communities to apply for funding that will help make their GRL PWR goals a reality. The GRL PWR Project received more than 5,000 submissions, and the judges selected winners based on how the applicant’s project empowered themselves or others. “The GRL PWR Project is important to the PINK brand because we are always looking to encourage our customer to find their voice and to support the
dreams of young women who exemplify ambition, optimism and confidence,” says PINK’s Chief Executive Officer Amy Hauk. “We are very excited to be celebrating the inaugural class of the GRL PWR Project, each of whom have been selected because of their bright contributions to the future." n The See Us movement was a project initiated with the Augustana Public Relations Student Society of America and went on to win at the Minnesota Public Relations Society of America Student Classics Award. The Student Classics Awards are presented annually to college students in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin who have successfully demonstrated exemplary skill and creativity within the communications, public relations, marketing and advertising industries.
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BY GRETA STEWART
“Seeing a student 'get it' is the best..."
— Dr. KC Carlson
Dr. Carlson shows artifacts dug up by a gopher over the spring. These artifacts show what kinds of materials are at the site.
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rchaeology is defined as the scientific study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. In simpler terms, it’s a window into the past – how other cultures and peoples adapted to life in often difficult conditions. We often hear about the famous digs in the Nile Delta and other locations throughout Egypt from famous archeologists like Zahi Hawass and others, but closer to home lies the story of a civilization waiting to be rediscovered. The Oneota (or Western Upper Mississippian) is the name given to the last prehistoric culture of the American upper Midwest and they are the study of Dr. KC Carlson, Augustana’s assistant professor of anthropology. Her research project, titled, “Oneota Expansion and Ethnogenesis on the Eastern Great Plains,” aims to determine how the early settlers of the Plains came to the area and how they lived among other cultures. For the last decade, the focus of her research has previously been predominantly on Paleoindian bison kills; however, she’s shifting gears to focus on tracking human interactions to environmental changes at a site in Nebraska that is approximately 1,000 years old. The site in north central Nebraska is in Lynch, and it has seen multiple excavations – including one in 1959 that revealed lightly built houses dating back to the 13th century. As a result of a drought in the late 1200s, the Oneota people migrated west, leaving behind a migration pattern, and pottery, that clearly depicts the way
Students and faculty excavate the Lynch site this summer.
people lived in the wide open prairie. Part of Dr. Carlson’s research focuses on what the site in Lynch looks like underneath the ground and where to focus the data based on multiple excavations. We know that during the period of the Central Plains Tradition, life consisted of settled villages, farming, and hunting bison, which played a big role in their diet. However, the pottery found around the Plains tells an even more in-depth story. The Oneota had a distinct pottery style; large pots with capacities up to 10 gallons that used shell as a temper. Their globe-shaped ceramic vessels had smoothed exteriors and other idiosyncratic details such as bone and shell hoes, and are indicative of not just their agriculture, but their way of life. This summer, Dr. Carlson went back to the site and, along with a crew of 25, focused on excavating an area of the property that was bladed down in the 1930s. “We were hopeful the site was
completely intact despite the blading,” she said. “Unfortunately, the living surface is in fact gone. There are still lots of pits and things that were dug down below the occupation layer and those pits will give us information about what people were eating, where they were trading, and what materials they were using. The pit contents also give us an idea potentially of neighborhoods and pottery types that may indicate different social groups living together in different ways. We, however, will be moving our excavations up to a higher slope in future years to get at the living layers of the site.” Dr. Carlson did discover something priceless on this particular excursion. She explains the site is ancestral to the Pawnee and Arikara tribes and had members of the tribe join the excavation. “They provided information that cannot be obtained any other way by sharing their history from their perspectives and oral traditions as well
as sharing things like their origin stories. This kind of information has, in the past, been seen to be unnecessary to archae ological analysis but we as a discipline are realizing that those insights are priceless.” This is the fascination Dr. Carlson feels towards the field of anthropology and she imparts that to her students, in the classroom and in the lab. She says, “when I’m not teaching, I’m overseeing students while they analyze archaeo logical materials from the Lynch site.” However, the most fulfilling part of her job is seeing that 'aha' moment in her students’ faces. She adds, “seeing a student 'get it' is the best and what 'it' is changes depending on the student.” Dr. Carlson calls this trip a very successful one and students are now back at work in the lab on campus, completing independent research, and pulling together results on posters to be presented at national and international conferences. n
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GOALS:
Described by many as bold and inspiring, Vision 2030 is comprised of aspirational goals that will expand Augustana's educational reach over the next 11 years to meet the needs of a growing and diverse population. New academic programs and real-world research, learning and leadership opportunities will equip and empower an entirely new generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, athletes,and visionaries to impact the workplaces and communities in which our graduates will work, live and serve.
• • • • • •
Adapt the academic structure of the university to most effectively support the liberal arts core, new graduate degree programs, the performing and visual arts and a professional school. Grow total enrollment to at least 3,000 students. Establish strategic academic scholarships that enhance affordability and diversity. Transition to a Division I intercollegiate athletics conference. Make dramatic improvements to the physical campus and IT infrastructure. Increase substantially the university’s endowment and other financial resources to reach these goals.
STRATEGIC PLANNING TIMELINE:
To develop the Vision 2030 strategic plan, significant research and analysis from Augustana University stakeholders have taken place over the past year. The planning process involves several stages, for which the Augustana President’s Council and the Board of Trustees provide oversight.
SEPTEMBEROCTOBER Strategic plan will be drafted based on work by steering committees and task forces and feedback solicited from campus community meetings.
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
President’s Council, in collaboration with the steering committees, will finalize the strategic plan.
Final draft of the strategic plan will be presented to the Board of Trustees.
FAQs: Augustana has developed a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) based on feedback received from our campus constituents, alumni and friends of the university. The FAQs are categorized based on the approved aspirational goals and the strategic planning process. See the FAQs at augie.edu/vision/FAQ.
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THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT AUGUSTANA! To see articles written about Vision 2030 and our strategic planning, visit augie.edu/vision/news.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VISION 2030, VISIT AUGIE.EDU/VISION
What's New? CAMPUS TRANSFORMATIONS FRYXELL HUMANITIES RENOVATION
LARSON TRACK & FIELD The Larson Track & Field Complex and Vance Butler Field Events Area is a one-of-a-kind facility and serves as the new training home of the Augustana track and field program. The new facility features an eight-lane, 300-meter Beynon surface track; long jump and triple jump runway and pole vault; throws area and 100 yards of interior turf. Dedication of the complex was held Sept. 20.
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM Returning students and faculty members are noticing new and refreshed corridors throughout the humanities building. The band and choral practice rooms each received full renovations; complete with new risers and acoustical upgrades. The basement practice rooms have all been renovated as well and are equipped with new technology to enhance students' learning experiences. Adding to the functionality of the building, a new elevator was also added. Dedication of the building will be Friday, Oct. 11 at 9 a.m.
The new outdoor classroom between the Froiland Science Complex and the Madsen Center is now open and ready for learning outside the traditional classroom. The project was part of a $375,000 sustainability grant anonymously given to Augustana.
SVENDSBYE APARTMENT COMPLEX The third apartment complex for upperclassmen, located at 33rd Street and Summit Avenue, opened. The apartments, keeping with the tradition of naming student halls and apartments after presidents who have served Augustana, was named the Svendsbye Apartments after Augustana's 19th President, Rev. Dr. Lloyd Svendsbye. The dedication will be Friday, Oct. 11 at 3 p.m. THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
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BY GRETA STEWART
“I saw that I could be the authentic me in the workplace. It was an opportunity to grow a department and I was ready to take that on. It was what I had been preparing myself to do.” — Willette Capers, director of Diversity & Inclusion
“S
egregation still exists. Blacks and whites are still separated in the South, and while that may not necessarily be happening in the Midwest, we can’t ignore it’s there and it’s real. I want to expand people’s perspec tives and open minds to change.” That’s exactly what Willette Capers, director of diversity and inclusion at Augustana University, wants to do in her role. Augustana University's Diversity and Inclusion Office supports a community of learners who value and support diversity, cultural competence and multicultural education. “We provide institution-wide leadership, consultation and programming that promotes diversity as a means of achieving educational excellence and enhancing the quality of life for all members of our campus community,” Capers says. “A primary goal of our office is to provide academic and cultural programming with personal support that in essence helps all to develop intellectual, social and leadership abilities with all aspects of diversity.” Capers says when it comes to diversity and inclusion, the entire Augustana community needs to welcome and embrace people from all walks of life because it supports our core 8
THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
values. “Whether you are a student, a member of our faculty and staff, an alumnus or a visitor, we want you to experience Augustana University as a place where you can just be who you are.” SMALL-TOWN GIRL; BIG ASPIRATIONS FOR EDUCATION Capers was born and raised on a dairy farm in an extreme rural community in South Carolina, on the coast. “Agriculture is in my blood,” she says. “My grandfather farmed fields of fruits and vegetables, and my dad had dairy cows and pigs." As the middle child, between two brothers, she was encouraged by her Vietnam veteran father, who passed away from a massive heart attack when she was 15, to make education a priority. “He always pushed education on me. The other girls were focused on popularity and boys; not me. It was all about school for me, and summers were no different. I took classes all year.” Capers, who is of Gullah/Geechee heritage, and a desce ndant of West African slaves, says it wasn’t until she went to college that her interest in diversity started. “The education I received wasn't as forward-thinking as other parts of the world,” she says. “My dad, who rarely talked about his
experiences in Vietnam, had global views. He talked about the people he met and his experiences in other parts of the world. I think drawing from his stories and then heading to college, were two very different views. I wanted more.” The active Call of Duty gamer and avid music fan attended Claflin University for her undergraduate degree in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and earned her degree in English and theater. From there, she went to North Carolina Central University and got her master’s in English literature. After graduation, Capers began her career in higher education at Coastal Carolina University. Soon after, she found her calling. “The turning point for me was meeting a girl at Coastal. We got to talking and realized we grew up two football fields away from each other. She was white and went to the private school in our county; I was black and went to the public school. It was then I realized I had to dig into why kids in the same tiny community were still separated. It was the 21st Century. Why had we never met before?” Capers then moved to Atlanta where she eventually received her master’s in higher education administration at Troy University. She says she flourished there for 10 years but even tually needed a new challenge. She enrolled at Northeastern University in Boston, and pursued her doctorate, which she will complete in December 2020. “My research centers around women of color, specifically looking at why black women are leaving the field of student affairs.” During her studies, she learned about Augustana. “I knew I wanted to work with a university that had a passion for diversity,” she said. “When this opportunity came up, it was right in my wheelhouse, and it’s what I’ve been studying for years — it was the perfect opportunity.” She says she visited Sioux Falls and despite the frigid temperatures, she knew she would accept the offer right away if she was given the opportunity. “I saw that I could be the authentic me in the workplace. It was an opportunity to grow a department and I was ready to take that on. It was what I had been preparing myself to do.” There was one person who wasn’t thrilled with her decision, however. “Oh my mama was mad,” Capers says, laughing, “She didn’t want me to leave. But she eventually helped pack me and (my four-year-old shih-poo) Bailey up and helped me move.”
manual for faculty and administrators. We’ve held community forums and have had some deep conversations with students. But there’s so much more I want to do. A peer-mentor program is kicking off in the fall semester of 2019, and will be a support system for everyone on campus. “I just want everyone to feel connected.” Capers’ office is filled with educational books on how to incorporate diversity in higher education and when she isn’t packed with meetings, she says she sneaks in some reading time. “I don’t want to do what’s always been done,” she says passionately. “I am always going to ask questions and seek feedback. This position has been humbling and amazing all at the same time.” What’s the best part of her job? “It’s seeing people’s eyes opening to a new perspective or idea. It’s seeing that 'aha' moment with our students. It’s truly inspiring.” She says her office is always open. She invites everyone in to sit and have conversations with her. “It’s more than an office,” she says. “It’s an opportunity for everyone to be included and feel safe with whatever issue they may be facing.” She is excited about the future at Augustana and embraces the bold future of the university. “Be open,” she exclaims. “Be open to learning new things, new changes, new ideas, new perspectives and new ways of life. It can only lead to success.” n
“It’s more than an office,” she says. “It’s an opportunity for everyone to be included and feel safe with whatever issue they may be facing.”
“WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED” Capers left the warm sun and beaches of the South and officially started at Augustana in December 2018 and has been extremely busy. “We’ve come so far in these first several months. We’ve met several initial goals of creating diversity advocacy certifications, and developing a diversity training
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Recent Grads Share:
Where THEY ARE NOW "My favorite class during my time at Augie was my Advanced Analytical Chemistry course. We were set to design a personal research experiment for the class, but I was approached by my chemistry professor, Dr. Weisshaar, and my anthropology professor, Dr. Hannus. The Historical District of Deadwood discovered old medicine bottles and I was offered the task of identifying the constituents of what remained in the bottles. It required a combination of chemistry lab skills and archaeological research. The results were presented at the Plains Anthropological Conference and I am currently working with professors to get it published in the Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry." HOPE MAUNDERS ‘19, Chemistry & Anthropology, Researcher, Inanovate Inc.
"Attending the sophomore retreat was a great opportunity for me to reflect on my vocation and spend time thinking about how I wanted to serve the world. I learned about numerous resources available at Augie that would help me succeed in the future. I also served as a mentor for this retreat and enjoyed sharing with other students about our questions and aspirations regarding our calling."
"The Student Success Center was instrumental in helping me find and secure the internships that I completed. I am now an Executive Team Lead for Target in the Nebraska District and am excited to have a store I can actually call ‘mine.’"
DARWIN GARCIA ‘19, Physics & Mathematics, Graduate Student, Mayo Clinic School of Biomedical Sciences; Biomedical Engineering & Physiology track
ALEXA BRUICK ‘19, Business Administration
I chose AU because it is one of only 15 colleges in the country to offer an accredited Bachelor's Degree in Sign Language Interpreting. After touring and seeing the beautiful campus and learning about the program, I knew I had found the right school. It checked all my boxes - smaller size, liberal arts, the right distance from home, and a friendly, community feeling.
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LAUREN MILLS ‘18, Sign Language Interpreting, Self-employed Sign Language Interpreter
I will be teaching 5th Grade in the Omaha Public School District at Fontenelle Elementary. This university helped me reach outside of just South Dakota and grow in places all around the United States. I had the chance to learn just how important relationships with co-workers, peers, friends, and professors are within my life and how I can use that to help me in my career and the rest of my life. ROCHELLE RAMHARTER ‘19, Elementary Education & Special Education
"Augie was the last college I was going to visit my senior year, and after visiting 10 other undergraduate programs, Augie definitely came out on top. Entering college, I knew I wanted to be a speech-language pathologist, and AU offered a unique hands-on program that piqued all of my interests. I also loved that Augustana really encouraged students to explore their passions. For me that meant joining the Angelus Choir, gaining impactful hands-on experiences in the Sioux Falls community, and studying abroad in England, Greece, and Norway."
"My favorite learning experience outside of the classroom had to be my summer internship with Sanford Medical Center in their Intensive Care Unit. What made the experience so great was it provided experiences that you wouldn’t normally get as a student. They allowed me to do 98 percent of the tasks an ICU nurse would normally do (with supervision, of course)." AUSTIN VANDERWEIDE '19, Nursing, Nurse, Sanford ICU
KATELYN DERBY ‘18, Communications Disorders & Special Education, Graduate Student, MSU-Moorhead; Speech-Language Pathology
"I plan on attending the University of South Dakota School of Law in Vermillion. While the prospect of law school is pretty daunting, I feel like I’m more prepared than others who went to larger schools because of Augie's smaller class sizes, which make you not just punch your time card and show up to class and leave, but instead push you to consider issues critically and think on your feet in a way that a large lecture at a bigger school wouldn't." JACK BROWN ‘19, Government/International Affairs
TO READ MORE ABOUT OUR RECENT GRADS' EXPERIENCES, VISIT AUGIE.EDU/RECENTGRADS
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minoring in theatre." I blended in really well because I spoke Turkish like I was a native." Despite her ability to blend in, it was risky to send JuJu to school where violence against Kurds was the norm. In an effort to keep her safe, her family kept her out of school for several years. Finally, at 13, JuJu and her family were placed in Sioux Falls as refugees. After graduating from Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, JuJu came to AU to study theatre. She loved the art, the drama, and the stories, but soon understood what she loved most was bringing a message to the audience. "I realized that in every aspect of my life, there's a sprinkle of social justice. In theatre, I pick scripts that are about social justice. When I teach science, I say, 'Hey, we're all equal and the same DNA.' There's always some sort of sprinkle of social justice in those things," she says. Abobakr has taken her personal experiences and is now using her peaceTo read the Peace Scholars blog posts, visit augie.edu/Peace2019 promoting efforts as a platform on campus. Last March, she put together a celebration of the Kurdish new year, called Nowruz, to bring awareness to the Kurdish culture. ”I think that when you share your culture, you plant a seed of empathy in other people's hearts,” says Abobakr. “Planting a BY ELIZABETH DUFFY seed of empathy in other people's hearts by sharing your culture is the first step to achieving any sort of peace.” ugustana is one of eight colleges that make up the She has continued to weave that thread of peace over the Nobel Peace Prize Forum consortium, each of which summer as she traveled first to Lillehammer for the Nansen sends two students to Oslo, Norway, every summer for Dialogue Summer School, then to the University of Oslo for the a one-of-a-kind program. The Peace Scholars are immersed in seven-week Peace Scholars Seminar. experiences to advance their education and understanding of “I was able to learn from individuals who have dedicated war and conflict, diving into democracy's role in creating a their whole life to peacemaking, and also experienced the more peaceful world. This opportunity called out to one AU academic setting of a large, diverse, courageous environment. student on a deeply personal level. I want to bring that knowledge back to the Augustana For much of her young life, Chofian (JuJu) Abobakr longed community,” she says. for peace. After escaping violence in Iraq when she was nine This unique experience sets the stage for JuJu’s plans for a years old, JuJu and her family spent four years in Turkey hiding career in international relations to advocate for the millions of the fact they are Kurdish. families and children around the world who have been "It was a really hard time, but I didn't understand a lot of it. displaced due to war, poverty, and violence. What I did understand was that we had to say we were Arabs JuJu and fellow Peace Scholar Ryan Solberg will be sharing and not Kurds," says Abobakr, a senior government, inter their experiences at various events throughout the year, as well national affairs and communications major who is also as on their blog posts on the Peace Scholars Program site. n
PATHWAY TO PEACE
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CONTINUING GOD'S WORK:
SD Synod Says Goodbye to Bishop Zellmer, Welcome to Bishop Hagmaier BY GRETA STEWART AND SOUTH DAKOTA SYNOD
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he Rev. Constanze Hagmaier was elected June 1, 2019, to serve a six-year-term as Bishop of the South Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held May 31 and June 1 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Bishop Hagmaier succeeded Rev. David Zellmer and took office on Sept. 1, 2019, with an installation service on Sept. 7, 2019. The South Dakota Synod is composed of 205 congreg ations across the state of South Dakota with over 100,000 members. The bishop serves as the synod’s pastor and is called to administer sacraments, preach, provide pastoral care, advise, ordain, advocate, interpret, and serve as the ecumenical officer. We sat down and got to know both bishops. THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
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QA &
Where are you originally from? I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but I spent most of my childhood in Minot, North Dakota. Where did you go to school? I finished high school in Ponca City, Oklahoma, and then graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford with a Bachelor of Science in Experimental Psychology and Sociology. I then received my Master of Divinity from Luther Theological Seminary and was ordained in the American Lutheran Church (a predecessor church body of the ELCA.) How long have you served the ELCA? I have served as an ordained pastor for 38 years. I started parish ministry in 1981 in rural Aberdeen, South Dakota, at a three-point parish (Scandinavia Lutheran Church, Bethany Lutheran Church and Bethesda Nursing Home). After my first call, I then served Trinity Lutheran Church in Mitchell from 198593. In 1993, I was called to be the Senior Pastor of Lutheran Memorial in Pierre. In 2007, I was first elected as Bishop of the South Dakota Synod. In 2013, I was re-elected for a second and final term.
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BISHOP DAVID ZELLMER What were some of the challenges you’ve faced during your term? Some of the challenges in this ministry included the constant travel and time away from home and family. It was also hard to maintain friendships due to lack of time. The 2008-10 recession was tough for many reasons. It was then followed by the 2009 vote to allow LGBTQIA+ to serve as pastors and deacons. The combination of the recession and congregations choosing to leave the ELCA resulted in a loss of one-third of the mission support received. It went from 2.4 million in 2009 to 1.6 million in 2010. There were also challenges in finding new pastors and deacons to serve in the synod due to a decrease in seminary enrollment and dramatic drop in semi narians’ willingness to serve in South Dakota.
What has been your greatest joy while serving your term? One of the greatest joys serving as the bishop has been an eyewitness to the amazing ministries in the ELCA and being able to see what the church is doing in the country and around the world. The second best is getting the right person at the right place at the right time and seeing what the Holy Spirit can do. The third was getting the synod back to work in 2011 after the 2009 Human Sexuality vote by the Churchwide Assembly. We were able to create a new mission statement and vision for the synod as well as onboard communities of faith to this new vision as we moved forward as the church. The fourth greatest joy was the gifts received during the “Listen! God is Calling" campaign to do the work necessary to raise future leaders of the church. Finally, it has been a blessing to have the support of friends, family, and colleagues to do this ministry for 12 years. Without them, this work would not be possible. What advice do you have for Bishop Hagmaier? Pick really good staff to work with. Give them the resources they need, clear direction, and then move out of their way. What’s next for you? I will take four months off work; then we will see. Being a pastor is one of the best vocations. I’ve had an incredible life because of this work. I love being a pastor and it’s been a joy for me and my family. I deeply appreciate the comm unities of faith that have invited me to be their pastor or as the bishop. Pastors are the only group of people that get invited into being a part of their lives. I would invite people to explore that call to a vocation in ministry.
Where are you originally from? I was born and raised in Walsrode, Germany, a small community in the state of Lower Saxony.
What has been your greatest joy, so far, professionally? My joy was and continues to be to work with the people God places in my life. I especially enjoy working with little humans, as faith is so concrete, and they have so much to offer and teach.
Where did you go to school? I attended the Ruprecht Karl’s University in Heidelberg, Germany, where I grad uated with my Master of Divinity degree in 1999. Please tell us about yourself. My husband, the Rev. Dirk A. Hagmaier, and I met in college during our theo logical education. We married in 1996. Our son Paul was born in 1999, our foster son Lymann, who is a member of the Omaha Nation Tribe, joined our family in 2012. In 2015, our daughter Emma was born. Paul now lives in Germany and is training to become a cabinet maker/carpenter, Lymann attends Haskell Indian Nations in Lawrence, Kansas, and hopes to become a teacher on the reservation, and Emma attends preschool and loves all things that involve glitter. I am an avid runner, only for leisure, not competitive, but have put running on hold t so be able to spend more time with my daughter. She has developed a love for running, so I am sure, in the near future you’ll find us both running side by side. I also practice yoga, love to cook and bake, read crime novels, nurture relationships and am always enjoying a good conversation. How long have you served the ELCA? My husband and I were ordained on February 10, 2001, at NeSoDak Bible Camp, but we started serving as interns for the Waubay Lutheran Parish in October 1999.
What are you most looking forward to doing while serving in South Dakota? Meeting the people across South Dakota, being with them, serving them, experiencing with them what God is up to these days.
BISHOP CONSTANZE HAGMAIER How did you end up in the United States/South Dakota? I had the opportunity to be a Rotary exchange student in 1987-88 and attended Brandon Valley High School as a junior. It was there that my mentors, the late Rev. Don Niedringhaus, David and Jean Brunkow, and Tim and Pam Homan encouraged me to find a place in the church. Upon my return to Germany, I pursued the call and when my family was granted an immigration visa in 1999, we took our then 6-month-old son and started an adventure that was spiritdriven and has led us here.
What are some long-term and short-term goals for the South Dakota Synod? Today’s church is the place where community in the truest sense can be experienced. It is my hope that during my tenure we are able to create spaces where we show up for our neighbor’s sake, not my own; where we practice empathetic and active listening for my neighbor’s sake and not mine. We have a lot to learn from the early church where, even under trying circumstances, the church grew because they trusted the Word of Life to actually do what it says, create life. We need to nurture that trust on all levels of the church. Because the world and culture around us are rapidly changing, we need to be able to nurture our leaders with what they need to master those ever-changing waters with confidence and hope. Spiritual care for leaders and congregations is important in an ever-changing culture with a solid spirit-led vision for the church of South Dakota. n
To read the full Q & A of both bishops, visit augie.edu/BishopQA THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
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BY GRETA STEWART
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tudents who are serious about their professional future in the arts now have a new, creative option to pursue. Earlier this year, Augustana University announced a new Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), effective this academic year. The BFA prepares students for a serious professional degree in the visual arts and builds on Augustana’s strong reputation of art curriculum. It is expected that many students obtaining this professional degree will continue their education with a Master of Fine Arts. “We have a fabulous track record of liberal arts students going on to be studio artists, but we see the student choosing the BFA as the student who wants to fast-track professional opportunities such as going on to a master of fine arts, and it will be the track for students who want to leave with a deeper portfolio,” said art department chair Lindsay Twa. Similar to Augustana’s existing bachelor of arts program, candidates will select at least one emphasis area from the seven offered: ceramics, drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking or sculpture. Courses specific to the major will be available for current and future students starting this fall. The first cohort of majors will graduate in spring 2021. With a thriving bachelor’s degree in arts, many current students have already taken some of the required courses with faculty such as John Peters, Scott Parsons, Gerry Punt, Anna Reich, Tom Shields and Twa. For more than 30 years, the art department has been offering the 53-60 credit hour “pre-professional” track in art as an equivalent to a BFA. The term “pre-professional art” major, however, does not have the same industry recognition as
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the BFA. “Our graduates must offer additional explanations on their resumes to signal how their degree is professionally equivalent,” said Twa. “So, it’s been a longtime dream to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts,” Twa said. “And the opportunity truly felt right when we became Augustana University. We’re fully embracing our liberal arts roots, but as we now offer many more graduate and professional programs in nursing and education, for example, it seemed like the moment was right to launch this professional art degree program.” The program is both intersecting and tailored, she added, so students will be exposed to a broad-based liberal arts education in their first two years and can apply to the Bachelor of Fine Arts program during their sophomore year. Kiel Mutschelknaus ’07 is a full-time faculty member at the Maryland Institute College of Art in the graphic design department and has his own active freelance studio. He reflects fondly on the unique education he received at Augustana. “The most important thing the Augie art department provided me was a desire to constantly learn and explore,” he writes. “In a field like graphic design where the tools and landscape are changing and evolving constantly, I've found that to be incredibly important. Perpetual learning continues to be the foundation of my studio and teaching practice. And having a liberal arts experience alongside my B.A. helped round everything out.” “Augustana is committed to fostering great thinkers and innovative problem-solvers,” said Dr. Colin Irvine, dean of the university and senior vice president for academic affairs. Students will also take a professional practices class in their
“The accreditation and classroom experience that accompany a BFA will only provide students a more thorough education, a more immersive experience, and help provide an edge post-graduation..." — Kiel Mutschelknaus ’07
senior year to help them learn the business side of being an artist and prepare them to apply for grants or enter graduate school. Augustana’s other bachelor of arts tracks within the art department prepare students for careers in art education, architecture and other art-related fields such as art therapy while allowing them to double major. The BFA will include a heavier emphasis on time in the studio and is “a true commitment on the part of the student and their mentors," Twa said. “Students will go through a portfolio review before being invited into the BFA track. Not every student will or should do
of our art students have multiple exhibition opportunities throughout their career. It’s a key cornerstone to having a professional degree, with portfolio reviews every spring and the opportunities to do a professional summer exhibit. Our seniors will have a month-long exhibition leading up to graduation.” Augustana’s Eide/Dalrymple Gallery, located in the Center for Visual Arts, provides an outstanding venue for students’ work, and the university connects its student artists with other exhibition opportunities at the Washington Pavilion, 8th & Railroad Center and the growing number of commercial galleries in Sioux Falls.
such a heavily weighted degree, but there is growing interest and a growing notion that in creative industries, people with a BFA can plug into a wide range of creative businesses where that extra depth will serve them.” Mutschelknaus says his education was top-notch at Augustana but having the BFA will raise the bar even higher for students when it comes time to find a job. “The accredita tion and classroom experience that accompany a BFA will only provide students a more thorough education, a more immers ive experience, and help provide an edge post-graduation,” he says. Augustana students also enjoy some of the best art-focused facilities in the region and extensive access to internships, apprenticeships and exhibition opportunities, Twa says. “All
“We have phenomenal facilities for an undergraduate institution of our size,” Twa said. “It is jaw-dropping the quality of our spaces, both exhibition opportunities and the spaces where students get to work.” “I think everyone, students and faculty, is excited about this new addition to our art program,” Twa said. “It’s been a dream for many years, and now for those who want that true, professional degree, we’re able to offer it.” Mutschelknaus agrees with Twa on that statement. “While I've loved the history and tradition at Augustana — having drawing class in the Barracks with the immortal Carl Grupp — I'm more excited about its future. It's great to see the department evolving and moving forward.” n THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
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“A creative life is a life well-lived and the arts are professions that heal as much as medicine. " — Scott Parsons '87
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CHANGING PERSPECTIVES,
Influencing People BY GRETA STEWART
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ugustana University art professor Scott Parsons has dozens of awards under his belt. But perhaps one of his biggest accolades came from a former student who told him, “You can’t learn how to draw until you can see. Thank you for teaching me to see.” The award-winning artist has received numerous public art commissions across the United States and Canada. His portfolio includes percent-for-art and private com missions for churches in Sioux Falls and across the nation, museums, airports, hospitals, research facilities, university buildings and transportation centers. In 2018, he received an award from Sioux Falls Arts Council’s Awards for the Arts in the category of Individual Excellence Awards for Artists. A 1987 Augustana graduate, Parsons has been a faculty member at the university since 2005 and currently teaches print making, architectural art glass, and drawing. He received his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his bachelor’s degree in art from Augustana University, where he studied under the highly respected professor and former department chair, Carl Grupp [1939-2019]. Parsons says Grupp influenced him from the moment they met during a campus visit and transformed into a profound relationship. “It was a blessing for me to have met Carl Grupp years ago when I was searching for a college to attend. I knew then that I was in the presence of a real artist, and decided to come to Augie to study with Carl. "That changed my life. I had the chance to be
with Carl this summer before he passed [on May 28, 2019]. From his hospital bed I told him I loved him and he said the same to me. Thank you dearly, Augustana, for giving me the opportunity to know him,” he says. That relationship has allowed Parsons to take what Grupp built and expand the arts program even further. “He had such a gift,” he says. “It’s my honor to continue his legacy.” Parsons says when it comes to art, he views it as something that changes and influences people and their perspectives. “For me, art is one of the great adventures humans participate in to probe the depths of what it means to think and feel deeply about the world. You get to wrestle with the relationship of physical material to the spiritual,” he says. “Looking at the work of other artists has taught me so much about the ways people see. A lot of it is probably the assurance that someone else felt this, saw that, or knew this to be true, even as the world around them was falling apart.” “In my own practice,” he continues, “I have learned a great deal about things I never would have if I had just stayed in my studio,” he said. “I have gone to some pretty amazing places because of that — from refugee camps and war zones to traditional spiritual centers embedded in the landscape. My work is about going out and putting the pieces into specific sites, so you have to learn something about where the artwork is going to do some thing relevant and meaningful.” Parsons takes particular interest in having his works in churches and comm unity centers here in the United States THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
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"As an artist you just try to honestly see, and feel, and say something about your time and your place." — Scott Parsons '87
as well as international locations and says he feels those places are where his true calling lies. “It’s faith in action — wellness and wholeness infused with a sense of beauty,” he says. “When someone is moved to tears by an image you designed, or proposes marriage in a space you’ve helped create, that feels right and good. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about liturgy. It bored me as a child, but now I realize it reminds us of how we are all in this together. I think art does that in ways that are often hard to articulate, but essential to our collective experience.” He may already have his glasswork on display in several places of worship but Parsons has one goal he hopes to accomplish. “I’d love to have a window in a European cathedral; wouldn’t that be fantastic?” When it comes to his students, he takes great pride in seeing them transform from students into true artists. So what advice does he give them? “Art is about studying your passion,” he states. “It is often easy for students to dive in but I encourage them to dive right into the deep end of the pool. A creative life is a life well-lived and the arts are professions that heal as much as medicine. Art often recalls what is absent. So many people who retire want to paint or draw. You never hear an artist say, ‘I wish I had spent
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more time doing tax forms and showing up at the office early.’” It’s a philosophy that has extended to his two daughters as well. “They will ask me how much a lawyer earns, or a singer, a soccer player, etc., depending on the context,” he says. “I tell them find what you love to do first, and then do it really, really well, and eventually you will be rewarded.” That’s one reason why Parsons says he’s expanded his own hobbies too. “Sometime before the last midterm elections I simply maxed out on politics and quit reading the news,” he says. “Instead I took up the guitar after many years. I bought the cheapest Martin on sale and it’s helped shape how I feel about the world each day now.” When it comes to his own legacy, Parsons simply hopes he’s been able to spread light in the world. “Bruce Cockburn [Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist] recently stated, ‘part of the job of being human is just to try to spread light, at whatever level you can do it.’ As an artist you just try to honestly see, and feel, and say something about your time and your place. Working in glass, I am assured that I have indeed spread some colored light around. For those who come after me, I hope that physical experience will once in a while also invoke a spiritual one.” n
Parsons shows the distinct features in a stained glass panel at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls.
CALLING ALL YEARS GOOD:
New Podcast Series Launched BY GRETA STEWART
I
n popular culture, vocation is often reduced to adult work or church ministry. Rarely do we consider childhood or old age as crucial times for commencing or culminating a life of faith in response to God's calling. Last year, Augustana offered a reading series, Calling All Years Good. This book addresses that gap by showing how vocation emerges and evolves over the course of an entire lifetime. In September, Studio 47 launched its own podcast based on the popular book and enlisted campus speakers to address each life stage. The seven podcasts cover childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, later adulthood, and older adulthood. n
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(left to right) Campus Pastor Ann Rosendale, Ass't. Professor of Communication Studies, Katie McCollough,and Ass't. Professor of Music, Peter Folliard, get ready to record a podcast in Studio 47, located in Fryxell Humanities Center.
INTRODUCTION: This is a two-part introduction to vocationand what it means.
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CHILDHOOD: The first childhood episode shares how the youngest among us have a calling through the baptism of a child and the call to re-imagine our vocation through a visit to the preschoolers of the Campus Learning Center. In the second episode, a 25-year elementary school teacher shares lessons in vocation offered by our most vulnerable children.
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ADOLESCENCE: We explore the upheaval, humor, and hardships of growing into changing roles with a 16-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son.
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YOUNG ADULTHOOD: In the first episode, you’ll see this vocation through the eyes of two sophomores as they get insight of vocation gleaned at Augustana’s Sophomore Retreat. The second and third episodes draw from two Augustana seniors who reflect on their own sophomore retreat.
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MIDDLE ADULTHOOD: Hear from an alum who discovers how our callings may work to challenge our limits. Augustana President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin shares how her paths to meaningful vocation include the call to being a mother. Finally, the granddaughter of a former Augustana president and her husband offer a glimpse into vocational navigation during busy daily routines.
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LATER ADULTHOOD: Augustana’s 23rd President, Rob Oliver and his wife Angie discuss their vocational transition to retirement and the ways our vocations often surprise us. Also, we’ll follow the call to care for aging loved ones, opportunities for new adventures, and coming to terms with mortality.
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OLDER ADULTHOOD: Trace the vocation at the end of one’s life. We’ll share lessons learned following the death of a spouse, and a discovery of moving forward. Be sure to download and listen to the entire podcast at augie.edu/podcast THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
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AUGUSTANA SOFTBALL WINS 2019 DII TITLE
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Photo credit: Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos
Photo credit: Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED: GAME 1 • • • •
BY ELLIOT NATHAN & GRETA STEWART
A
dd the 2019 softball team to the latest roster of Augustana Division II national champions. Needing a pair of wins on Memorial Day, the Augustana Softball team knocked off Texas A&M-Kingsville, 6-4, in game one and outlasted the Javelinas, 6-4, in game two to claim the 2019 Division II Softball National Championship. The Vikings claimed their second national title in program history, the first in 1991 under legendary head coach Sandy Jerstad. Augustana (61-11 for the season), also tied the program record for wins in a single season with 61. Augustana earned six spots on the DII all-tournament team, including pitcher Ashley Mickschl who was named most outstanding player. Mickschl pitched a total of 26.1 innings, allowing eight earned runs and striking out 14. Augustana head coach Gretta Melsted is proud of the program for not only winning the title but playing the game the right way and representing Augustana. "Just an incredible day and an incredible performance from our program," Melsted said. "We always tell them — if you play the game the right way — if you're respectful of the game, the game will give back. We feel like today, the game gave back." n
Augustana tied the single-season program record for wins, ending the year with 61. Maggie Kadrlik hit two home runs, finishing 2-for-4. Shannon Petersen collected a game- high three hits. Maggie Dunnett crushed a two-run homer to start the scoring.
GAME 2
• After trailing 4-0, Augustana scored six unanswered runs. • Samantha Eisenreich had a team-high two hits. • Petersen's double in the fifth tied the game at 4-4. • Kendall Cornick had the game- winning hit and RBI, connecting on a two-run single in the 6th. • Mickschl came into the game in the second inning, and shutdown Kingsville to the tune of 0 runs, four strikeouts, and three hits in 5.1 innings.
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BY ELLIOT NATHAN
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ot only were they national champions, Augustana University Softball coaches took home some hardware as well. On June 12, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) named three Viking coaches, Augustana head coach Gretta Melsted, assistant coaches Nat Wagner and Kelsey Thompson, to the NCAA II National Coaching Staff of the Year. The national honor marks the first in the career for all three coaches. Earlier in the month, the Viking coaches were named the NFCA Central Region Staff of the Year. The coaching trio helped the Vikings tie the school record with 61 wins as well as shatter nine single-season program records. Throughout 2019, Augustana established new marks for runs (491), hits (699), doubles (129), home runs (94), runs batted in (458), total bases (1155), stolen bases (131), and slugging percentage (.576). The Viking pitching staff was equally impressive, finishing in the top 10 of numerous single-season categories including wins (61), innings pitched (464.0), strikeouts (417), and opponent batting average (.197). Earlier this season, Coach Melsted also claimed her 500th career win at Augustana and 600th overall victory. In 16 years as a head coach, Melsted has a career record of 609-312. Congratulations, Coach Melsted! n
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E
ALUMNUS REMEMBERED THROUGH BASEBALL
xactly a year after he passed away, alumnus Jere Ohme’s ’68 family gathered during a pregame ceremony at Ronken Field to present a unique gift to Augustana University. Following Jere’s 5-year battle with cancer, his family and friends raised $25,000 for AU baseball. To memorialize the gift, daughter Jackie Payne and son Derek Ohme ’01, looked to The Baseball Seams Company, based in Sioux Falls, and its founder, Nathan Rueckert. Commissioned by the siblings, the 20-inch Viking head is crafted from 22 baseballs used by AU's team during the 2018 NCAA DII National Championship season. The intricate design took 20 hours to make and used only colors and materials from the baseballs themselves. “If a ball wasn’t good enough to use in a game, Coach Huber would mark it with a blue Sharpie. That’s the blue you can see in the artwork," explains Jackie. Jackie and Derek felt this artwork honored their father’s legacy. Part of historic Coach Kessinger’s team in the late 1960s, Jere’s love for AU baseball extended beyond his years as a center fielder. He loved to watch his son pitch for the Vikings and even saw his grand sons play at Ronken Field on special occasions. “Knowing we are keeping his memory alive at a place he loved so much is really special,” says Jackie. “Combining his love of baseball, family, and Augustana made it the perfect way to honor him.” n
BY ELIZABETH DUFFY
Derek Ohme (L), artist Nathan Rueckert and Jackie Payne presented the finished artwork to AU on May 3. THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
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NEW FACULTY STEPHANIE BRUGGEMAN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, BIOLOGY
JENNAPHER LUNDE SEEFELDT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GOVERNMENT
JOSEPH PATTESON ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SPANISH
Dr. Bruggeman comes to Augustana University from South Dakota State University (SDSU), where she was the assistant professor of crop production. She holds both her B.S. and M.S. in microbiology from SDSU and got her plant science Ph.D. from there as well. Some of her research includes detecting and monitoring brine spills using remote sensing as well as identification of differential agronomic traits.
Dr. Lunde Seefeldt is on the tenure track in government. She comes to Augustana University from Centre College, where she was an assistant professor of politics and international studies. She has her B.A. from Augustana College and received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Northeastern University in Boston.
Dr. Patteson is on the tenure track and holds a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he gained several years of experience teaching Spanish language and Latin American cultures. His area of expertise is contemporary Latin America, with a focus on the intersections of intoxicaÂtion and culture. Dr. Patteson has received grants to study Portuguese language and Brazilian culture and for fieldwork in Mexico City. He also holds a B.A. in Spanish from the University of North Carolina and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
KELCIE VERCEL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SOCIOLOGY
MATTHEW VOLANSKY PROGRAM DIRECTOR, DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAM
MATTHEW WILLARD ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Vercel is on the tenure track and is a sociologist specializing in family, culture, and consumption. She offers courses in research methodology, the optional emphasis area in family and community service, and topics in cultural sociology. She holds a B.A. in sociology from Asbury University, and received her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. 26 THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
Dr. Volansky comes to Augustana University from the University of Mount Union, where he was an assistant professor and faculty senator in the department of physical therapy. He holds a B.S. in physical therapy from the University of Toledo at Medical College of Ohio, his MBA in healthcare from Baldwin-Wallace College, his DPT from Northeastern University, and will defend his Ph.D. in biomedical informatics from Rutgers University this fall.
Dr. Willard was formerly an assistant professor of strategic management, organizational behavior, introduction to business, and small business management and entrepreneurship at Doane University. He comes to Augustana University with a B.A. in political science, a M.S. in management science and engineering, and both a M.A. and Ph.D. in international relations and organizational behavior from Stanford University.
DANIEL PERRY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, MATHEMATICS
Dr. Perry is on the tenure track and teaches mathematics. He comes to Augustana University from Montana State University where he was a graduate teaching assistant. He holds a B.A. in mathematics from Stonehill College, and received his M.S. and Ph.D. from Montana State University.
SARAH B. RUDE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, ENGLISH/JOURNALISM
Dr. Rude is on the tenure track and teaches classes in the SOPHIA core curriculum as well as the survey of British literature and upper-level seminars on literature of the Middle Ages and English Renaissance. She also serves as the advisor to Augustana’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society. Dr. Rude earned her M.A. from North Dakota State University and her Ph.D. from Baylor University.
JAMIE SCHOENHERR ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, ESS-ATHLETIC TRAINING
Schoenherr comes to Augustana University from Buena Vista University, where she served as instructor of exercise science and program director of kinesiology. She holds her B.A. in athletic training from Buena Vista University and her M.S. with an emphasis in kinesiology from Western Illinois University.
NEW STAFF ROBIN ANDERSON THORMODSGAARD DIRECTOR, ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT
Robin is responsible for managing fundraising efforts and working with donors. Robin's most recent position was director of development at UC Santa Barbara. She was a standout basketball player at Clear Lake High School (Deuel) and went on to play for the University of Iowa. She is a member of the South Dakota Basketball Hall of Fame and South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.
JOEL GACKLE SENIOR DIRECTOR, ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
Joel serves as the Senior Director of Alumni Engagement, and also holds a vital role in development. Joel spent over a decade in higher education leadership prior to joining Augustana University, including serving as the Director of Alumni and University Relations. Joel is a graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, with an MBA from Vanguard University in California.
RYAN HILGEMANN ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS
Ryan is responsible for external communications in the athletic department at Augustana University. Before joining Augustana, he worked in the athletics department at the University of South Dakota, focusing on NCAA Division I men’s basketball, women’s soccer, and men’s/women’s golf. Ryan holds a degree in sports marketing and administration from Northern State University.
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CLASS NOTES Visit augie.edu/alumni for updates, news, events and photos.
ALUMNI: SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH US! Listed on the following pages are news and notes about your fellow alumni. You can also stay in touch with us on social media: Facebook: Augustana (SD) Alumni | Twitter: @AugieAlumni Visit augie.edu/classnotes and log in to share your news via our online alumni directory.
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2010s
CLASS OF 2019 Jenna Glassburner is attending Texas Tech University and majoring in Classics.
CLASS OF 2016 Austin Ashbacher is attending Iowa State University studying veterinary medicine with an anticipated graduation date in 2020.
Megan Lindely is employed at the College of Saint Mary as an event coordinator.
Keegan Carda has joined the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities as an advancement associate with the College of Biological Sciences.
CLASS OF 2018
Becca (Worden) Frahm and Dalton Frahm ’18 were married on June 9, 2018.
Shi Almont began working as a publishing operations specialist at West Academic Publishing in June of 2018. Maggie Donovan is a biology instructor at Augustana University. She is attending the University of South Dakota working towards her physician assistant degree and anticipates completion in 2021. Dalton Frahm and Becca (Worden) Frahm ’16 were married on June 9, 2018. Logan O’Farrell and Andy Buchele were married on Aug. 18, 2018. Nate Velander joined the City of Hartford as its recreation director in February 2019. Emily Wimmer is employed as a targeted case manager at Mental Health Resources, Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota. CLASS OF 2017 Benjamin Konold has accepted a position as an underwriter with United Healthcare in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Ryne Lees and Sydney Rome were married on July 1, 2018. Elizabeth Renner is currently attending Kansas State University studying aquatic, ecology and fisheries management with an expected completion date in 2022. She is also working as a graduate research assistant at Kansas State University. Kevin Waggoner is working as a pediatric intensive care registered nurse at Children’s Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. He is also attending Nebraska Methodist College studying nursing education and expects to graduate in 2021. 28 THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
C.J. and Stephanie (Stevens) Ham ’15 welcomed their second daughter, Stella Renee, in November 2018. Kayla Taylor Ivic is currently employed with the Harrisburg School District in Harrisburg, South Dakota, working as an ELA teacher/substitute teacher. Danielle Magdzas accepted the assistant volleyball coaching position at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. She received her master's degree in educational leadership from Winona State University in May 2019. Casey and Mariah (Lammers) Schilling welcomed a son, Tucker Clayton, on May 1, 2019. CLASS OF 2015 Ashley (Limmer) Haflett is employed as the assistant women’s soccer coach at Missouri Western State University. She graduated from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, with a Master of Science in kinesiology on April 27, 2019.
Ana-Marie Nelson completed her Doctor of physical therapy at Creighton University in 2018. Sarah (Larimer) Voehl and husband Mason Voehl ’14, live in Missoula, Montana. Sarah is a product manager at AirTreks, designing a travel app for people to travel around the world. They are proud dog parents to Bear and Summit. CLASS OF 2014 Kara Bartels and Nate Hewes ’13 were married in Kansas City on Sept. 29, 2018. Jesse Fonkert and Kelsey Junget were married on Oct. 6, 2018. Deann (Naab) Tims earned her Doctor of pharmacy at the University of Minnesota in 2019 and is working at the Mayo Clinic as a PGY-1 pharmacy resident. Mason Voehl and wife, Sarah (Larimer) Voehl ’15, live in Missoula, Montana. Mason will graduate in May 2019 with a Master of Arts in environmental philosophy and has accepted a position as an instructor for the Wild Rockies Field Institute. They are proud dog parents to Bear and Summit. CLASS OF 2013 Elizabeth (Anderson) Clute is employed with the Good Samaritan Society as an affordable housing developer. Elizabeth and Joran Clute were married on Dec. 2, 2017. Nate Hewes and Kara Bartels ’14 were married in Kansas City on Sept. 29, 2018.
Bryce Haflett and Ashley (Limmer) Haflett were married on Dec. 16, 2017.
Chelsie (Peters) Miller and husband, James, welcomed their son, Connor, on Dec. 12, 2018.
Stephanie (Stevens) Ham and C.J. Ham ’16 welcomed their second daughter, Stella Renee, in November 2018.
CLASS OF 2012
Eric Herst graduated from Harvard Law School with honors in the spring of 2019. Emily Huntley married Sean Sendelbach on July 13, 2019. She is employed with Avera McKennan Hospital as a registered nurse. September Symens-Lacroix married Adam Lacroix on Oct. 20, 2018, in Omaha, Nebraska.
Tyler Coverdale is employed with Goosmann Law Firm as an attorney. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Iowa in 2015. Nathan Hults and Katharine (Demke) Hults ’11 welcomed daughter, Elliott Hope, on Oct. 12, 2018.
CLASS OF 2011 Christopher Bohlen and Ashley (Mercer) Bohlen ’08 welcomed a daughter, Lauren Louise, on Jan. 1, 2019. She was the first baby of the New Year in Sioux Falls! Eric Ellingworth is a college scout with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. Brady and Samantha (Sheffield) Holm welcomed a daughter, Leona, on May 1, 2019.
Jessica (Maske) Kingsborough and husband, David, welcomed a daughter, Matilda Addaline, on Oct. 10, 2018. CLASS OF 2008 Ashley (Mercer) Bohlen and Christopher Bohlen ’11 welcomed a daughter, Lauren Louise, on Jan. 1, 2019. She was the first baby of the New Year in Sioux Falls!
Katharine (Demke) Hults and Nathan Hults ’12 welcomed daughter, Elliott Hope, on Oct. 12, 2018.
Kelsey (Aakre) Buchholz became a National Board Certified Teacher as approved by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards this year.
Emily Lincoln is employed as a special education coordinator at the South Dakota Human Services Center in Yankton, South Dakota.
Kraig Kronaizl and wife, Morgan, welcomed a son, Christian, in April of 2018. Kraig is employed as an attorney with Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun P.C. in Sioux Falls.
Blake and Lauren (Beaumont) Ridgway welcomed a baby boy, Theodore Winston, on Nov. 7, 2018.
CLASS OF 2007
CLASS OF 2010
Jennifer (Fisher) Adams and husband, Tony, welcomed their second son, Everett Rowan, on Feb. 2, 2019.
Andrew Adam is employed with Keller Williams working as a real estate agent in Sioux Falls.
Tiffany (Eichstadt) Geveshausen is employed part-time as the member relations director with Active Generations in Sioux Falls.
William Dietzler is employed with Encore Event Technologies as a sales manager/event technologist.
Stephanie Hartberg earned her doctorate in organizational psychology from Ashford University in October 2018. She currently works for the Veterans Health Administration conducting psychological testing and supervising doctoral interns on psychological assessment. She was also selected to present her dissertation research findings on employee engagement at an academic research conference in November 2018.
Katie Hassebroek married Adam Plagge in April, 2018, in Des Moines, Iowa, where they currently reside. Katie Olson earned her master’s degree in nurse anesthesia at the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia in 2018. She is currently employed as a CRNA at Hennepin Healthcare. Jennifer (Andersen) Ryan and husband, Joshua, welcomed a son, Anders James, on Feb. 7, 2019. Erica (Sorenson) Wendlandt earned her master’s degree in human resources at Concordia-St. Paul in 2018. Amanda (Leisten) Wermers and husband, Ben, are owners of their own business, Game Chest, located in downtown Sioux Falls. www.sfgamechest.com
THE
2000s
CLASS OF 2009 Lisa Bengtson recently completed her doctorate degree (Ed.D) in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University. Miranda (Bolen) Fox and husband, Brian Fox ’05, welcomed twin boys, Harrison and Hudson, on Nov. 18, 2017. Sara (Eiesland) Gillis began a new job with the Sioux Falls Development Foundation in March of 2019. She is employed as the director of talent and workforce development.
Lucas and Kelly Spillman-Kramer welcomed their third son, Nolan Thomas, on Oct. 19, 2018. He joins big brothers, Ryan (5) and Ethan (3). Betsy (Homan) Schuster and husband, Matt, welcomed a son, Ryker Matthew, on April 24, 2019. Michelle (Sonnek) Slatcher and husband, Zachary, welcomed a son, Nolan Zachary, on May 25, 2018. CLASS OF 2006 Christine (Koehler) Aberson was recently named vice president of private banking at Great Western Bank. Tracey (Troost) Fredrick began working at the Metropolitan Emergency Services Board as the radio systems program coordinator in November 2018. Prior to moving to MESB, she had been with the State of Minnesota in various agencies and roles for 12 years. Tracey, husband Aaron, and greyhound, Ramsey, continue to reside in St. Paul, Minnesota.
CLASS OF 2005 Brian and Miranda (Bolen) Fox ’09 welcomed twin boys, Harrison and Hudson, on Nov. 18, 2017. Amy Hanson is studying nursing at Metropolitan State University and expects to graduate in 2021. Marta (Madsen) Klug and husband, Jason, along with daughter, Adaya, and son, Jonathan, welcomed Emmalyn Sue to their family on Jan. 20, 2019. Katie (Keiserman) Van Groll, LCSW, recently began a new position as the Runaway and Homeless Youth Services Director with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley in Wisconsin. CLASS OF 2004 Kim Brake has been employed with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for 15 years. She accepted a position as a nurse manager for the Medical/Thoracic Floor on the St. Mary’s Campus in June 2016. She also continues to work as an adjunct clinical instructor for Winona State University. CLASS OF 2003 Courtney Huse-Wika earned the honor of being chosen as the 2019 Distinguished Faculty award winner at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. She teaches English at the University. CLASS OF 2002 Charles Garman left his position as committee legal counsel for the Nebraska legislature to join the estate planning law firm, Legacy Design Strategies, as probate and trust administration counsel. Charles and wife, Kristina, welcomed their fourth child, Kinley Kristine in Oct. 2018. Julie Kraft is employed at the University of Göttingen as a researcher working on the Electronic Corpus of Anonymous Homilies in Old English (ECHOE) Project. CLASS OF 2001 Nathan Reyelts and wife, Kellie, of Fairmont, Minnesota, welcomed a daughter, Bethanie, born Dec. 10, 2018, at United Hospital District in Blue Earth, Minnesota. Bethanie was welcomed home by her sisters Annie (9), Julia (5), Mollie (4), Lauren (2), and brothers Evan (8), and Collin (7). CLASS OF 2000 Emily (Rohr) Hamner and husband, Nathan, welcomed a daughter, Avie Jane, in May 2018. Jennifer Hallenbeck Orr and husband, Derrick, welcomed a son, Miles Oliver, on June 17, 2018.
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CLASS NOTES
Marie (Liggett) Tuhy joined the American Brain Foundation as the annual fund manager in August 2018. On Jan. 30, 2019, she became the director of mission advancement for the foundation.
THE 1990s CLASS OF 1998 Jessica Benson is employed with the Aurora, Colorado Public Schools working as an itinerant teacher of the deaf. She is also attending the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs working on her master’s degree in special education.
THE 1980s
THE 1970s
CLASS OF 1989
CLASS OF 1979
Sonja (Olson) Brazell is celebrating her 20th year of teaching in St. Charles Illinois school district #303. She taught high school English for eight years, and now twelve years teaching eighth grade language arts and math. She and Dr. Sandra Looney will be touring England and Wales this summer. Her son, Ben is graduating this year and heading off to college.
Gregory Duerksen, 61, of Richmond, Virginia, died suddenly on Jan. 31, 2019.
CLASS OF 1987
CLASS OF 1978 Virginia (Davis) Boyd passed away on May 20, 2019, in Gilbert, Arizona. David A. Fryxell’s next book will be; The Family Tree Scandinavian Genealogy Guide. It will be published by Family Tree Books in October 2019.
CLASS OF 1997
Jim Walery is a medical doctor currently residing in Alaska. He is working as an associate program director at Providence Family Medicine Residency.
Brian Bodnar is employed as a senior financial analyst with Marriott International.
CLASS OF 1986
CLASS OF 1977
CLASS OF 1995
Paul Armendariz passed away on Aug. 14, 2017, after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.
Rebecca Egan, 64, of Sioux Falls, passed away peacefully at Avera Dougherty Hospice on Feb. 13, 2019.
Ray Daniels, 72, died on Oct. 8, 2018, after a sudden heart attack at home. Amy (Bame) Kooistra was recently honored as the recipient of the Supporting Excellence award by Sales and Marketing Executives in Sioux Falls. Amy has developed her skills for the past 16 years at Wireless World and was nominated by a coworker. CLASS OF 1994 Jennifer Gerrietts-Masters was recently promoted to the position of senior corporate writer with CentralSquare Technologies. CLASS OF 1993 Chad Wenzel, 48, passed away on March 5, 2019, at Avera St. Benedict Hospital in Parkston, South Dakota. CLASS OF 1991 Greg Handel has been named Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Louisiana. Kitty Ann Pedersen, 63, of Colton, South Dakota, died on Feb. 27, 2019, at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls. Eric Pentico and wife, Sheryl, welcomed a daughter, Gracie LeAnne, on Dec. 30, 2018. CLASS OF 1990 Linda Egge, 65, died on May 7, 2019 in Sioux Falls.
30 THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
Sandra (Kruse) Hamman and husband, Phil Hamman ’80, recently released their book; Gitchie Girl Uncovered, which rose to a #1 national bestseller on several of Amazon’s True Crime lists. This is a companion book to their 2016 bestseller; Gitchie Girl. CLASS OF 1985 Grant Dugdale is an attorney with the Department of Health and Human Services in Lincoln, Nebraska. Margaret (Papka) Charlton, 87, of Lennox, South Dakota, died on June 14, 2019, at Edgewood Prairie Crossings in Sioux Falls.
Lisa (Forman) Fryxell, won Judge’s Choice and Second Place awards in the 4th annual Tucson Quilters Guild Quilt Fiesta.
Bernice Jorgensen, master's degree at Augustana, 97, of Lennox, South Dakota, died on March 24, 2019, at the Centerville Care and Rehab nursing home. Larry Puthoff was inducted into the Inaugural Deaf America Distance Running Hall of Fame on May 2, 2019. The induction ceremony and reception was held in Austin, Texas. Puthoff was inducted as a cross-country and track coach. He coached varsity cross-country and track and varsity basketball at the former South Dakota School for the Deaf from, 1970 to the late 1980s. CLASS OF 1974
CLASS OF 1982 Delaine (Weets) Shay recently published; And Then, We Laughed a Memoir of Hope & Healing, a compelling story of loss, perseverance, inspiration, faith and laughter. She has a degree in health and hospital administration and is also a certified spiritual director, having attended the Benediction Peace Center in Yankton, South Dakota. CLASS OF 1980 Phil Hamman and wife, Sandra (Kruse) Hamman ’80, recently released their book; Gitchie Girl Uncovered, which rose to a #1 national bestseller on several of Amazon’s True Crime lists. This is a companion book to their 2016 bestseller; Gitchie Girl. Jacquette “Jakki” Neuroth passed away peacefully with friends by her side March 19, 2019.
Mark Kuehn (master's degree at Augustana), 71, of Snohomish, Washington, passed away peacefully on May 9, 2019, at home surrounded by his family after a battle with liver cancer. Joan (Kerslake) Murphy became a foster mother in 2018. CLASS OF 1973 Keith Hogie is retired after 43 years at NASA/ GSFC working in satellite communication and data processing. He and his wife, Paulette, live in Laurel, Maryland, and are spending more time traveling. Steven McEnroe passed away at his home on March 15, 2019, after a brief illness.
CLASS OF 1972 Esther (Vanden Bosch) Cleveringa (master’s degree at Augustana), 89, of Rock Valley, Iowa, passed away on May 13, 2019, at the Whispering Heights in Rock Valley. Paul Hansen retired from the University of Nebraska Medical Center as a full professor in May of 2018. He received the Battenhorst award in both 2017 and 2018 voted by the students as the most influential teacher in their four years of dental school. He is now working at the University of Missouri - Kansas City in the School of Dentistry directing the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program.
CLASS OF 1966
THE 1960s CLASS OF 1969 Todd Biegler, 71, passed away from metastatic melanoma on Feb. 11, 2019, in Yorba Linda, California. Loren Larson, 72, of Dubuque, Iowa, passed away peacefully at home on March 11, 2019, surrounded by his family.
CLASS OF 1971
Kathy (Abel) Stauffer has published six books since she retired from teaching—the last being, Summoned—released in April 2019. Each book is a combination of intrigue, suspense, and scripture all inspired by real-life events. The last is an anthology which includes a novelette and six short stories plus discussion questions.
Karen (Anderson) Thune Tegen died March 5, 2019, surrounded by her loving family.
CLASS OF 1968
CLASS OF 1970 Kathleen Larson passed away on Jan. 21, 2019. Dale Pommer released his third CD in September 2018 titled Family Recipe with 11 family and love songs including two co-written with his son, Travis, who sings one of the songs with Dale singing background vocals. Dale also won Song of the Year and Pop Song of the Year at the 36th annual Tennessee Songwriters Association International awards show on April 9, 2019. William Smith, 71, formerly of Salem, New Hampshire, died peacefully on Feb. 26, 2019, at Wolfeboro Bay Center in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, after a courageous battle with dementia and diabetes.
Glennis (Paulson) Formwalt, 71, of Janesville, Iowa, died of pancreatic cancer on March 23, 2019, at the Bartels Lutheran Home in Waverly, Iowa. Terry Hinz died on May 11, 2019, at St. Therese in New Hope, Minnesota, from complications of Parkinson's and Crohn's. CLASS OF 1967 William Busse, 74, of Rapid City, South Dakota, passed away on May 29, 2019, in his daughter's home surrounded by his family. Yvonne Doss, master’s degree at Augustana, 98, of Sioux Falls, passed away peacefully on Jan. 31, 2019, surrounded by her loved ones. Judy (Tveidt) Lakin, a resident of Garretson and Sioux Falls, South Dakota for a significant part of her life, died March 13, 2019, at her home in Portland, Oregon, with her family by her side.
Paul Haanstad passed away in his home on May 2, 2019, after a tenacious 20-year battle with prostate cancer. W. Robert “Bob” Koch, 76, died on March 24, 2019, at Good Samaritan Nursing home in Lennox, South Dakota. Peter Van Vooren, 75, died on May 28, 2019, under the care of Avera At Home Hospice at his residence in Minneota, Minnesota. CLASS OF 1965 Waunda (Holland) Johnson, 96, of Inwood, Iowa, died on Feb. 20, 2019, at Sanford CantonInwood Medical Center in Canton, South Dakota, following a brief illness. Ione (Siemers) Ronell died Jan. 23, 2019, at the Good Samaritan Society in Albion, Nebraska. Sharon (Stark) Skally passed away from cancer on May 27, 2019, surrounded by family. CLASS OF 1964 Donald Evenson is the president and director of SCSA Diagnostics in Brookings South Dakota. Charles Hoff, 76, of Prior Lake, Minnesota, passed away on March 13, 2019, at Walker Methodist Care Center, in Minneapolis. Allen Lewis, 77, of Sioux Falls, passed away on April 29, 2019, at Avera McKennan Hospital. John Loner, 77, of Sioux Falls, died May 17, 2019, at Sanford USD Medical Center. Stephen Nelson, 76, of Lakeville, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at his home on April 25, 2019.
Carl Grupp (b. 1939, Moorhead, Minnesota) has long been recognized as one of South Dakota’s and the region’s most preeminent artists. He died at age 79 on May 28 surrounded by family at the Sanford USD Medical Center. From 1969 until 2004, Grupp was a professor at Augustana, and also chaired the art department from 1986-2002. He helped to inspire, develop and guide the careers of several generations of artists. Grupp founded the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery at Augustana, with an ambitious exhibitions program and permanent art collection, which is now named for him. Over the years, he helped build the Carl Grupp Permanent Art Collection that now numbers nearly 4,000 objects and includes significant examples of works on paper from a range of important historical and contemporary artists, including: Marc Chagall, Degas, Homer, Matisse, Picasso and Warhol.
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CLASS NOTES
Roger Van Roekel, 81, of Rock Rapids, Iowa, died on Jan. 30, 2019, at the Rock Rapids Health Centre in Rock Rapids. Lee Ytreeide died in his home in Rapid City, South Dakota, on March 3, 2019. CLASS OF 1963 Esther (Jensen) Anderson, 77, of Burnsville, Minnesota, died peacefully on April 23, 2018. Dale Holtz passed away peacefully on April 26, 2019, at the Mayo Hospital in Mankato, Minnesota. Barbara (Davis) Thode, 75, died on Feb. 26, 2017, in Casper, Wyoming. Mary (Anderson) Treiber, 77, passed away peacefully on Feb. 23, 2019, at Bethesda of Beresford in Beresford, South Dakota. Joan (Larson) Zabel, 77, died on April 15, 2019, after several years of declining health. CLASS OF 1962 Malon Anderson passed away peacefully at home in the house he built and loved on May 7, 2019. Donald Espeland died on Jan. 20, 2019. CLASS OF 1961 Herbert Glanzer passed away on April 20, 2019. Shirley (Holbeck) Goehrs, 79, of Baltic, South Dakota, passed away on April 26, 2019, at the Dells Area Hospital in Dell Rapids, South Dakota. Carl Grupp, 79, of Sioux Falls, passed away peacefully on May 28, 2019, at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls with family at his side. Donald Harper, 86, died on March 13, 2019. Kenneth Reaves, 83, passed away at Luther/ Mayo Hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on March 25, 2019. Lois (Loon) Topping passed away peacefully on May 30, 2019. CLASS OF 1960 Richard “Dick” Ambroson, 81, of Sioux Falls, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on March 10, 2019, at Good Samaritan Luther Manor. Delmar Kroon passed away on March 11, 2019.
THE 1950s CLASS OF 1959 Deanna (Seaton) Carleton, 81, died May 4, 2019, under hospice care in the Claire Bridge Memory Care unit of Brookdale Green Mountain in Lakewood, Colorado. Gordon Iseminger retired in May 2019 after teaching history at the University of North Dakota for fifty-seven years. Janice (Rysta) Rabbitt, 81, of Jefferson, South Dakota, passed away on May 27, 2019, at a hospital in Sioux City, Iowa. Earl Rogness passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on May 8, 2019, after a short battle with cancer. Ruthmary (Bone) Wiley, 80, passed away on March 26, 2018. CLASS OF 1958 Joanne Ambroson, 82 of Sioux Falls, died Feb. 6, 2019, at Dougherty Hospice in Sioux Falls. Laverne Espeland, 82, died in peace on Feb. 3, 2019. G. Arla (Endahl) Johnson, 82, of Mt. Vernon, South Dakota, died on March 12, 2019, at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital.
32 THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
CLASS OF 1955 Gaylord Rasmussen passed away on Feb. 24, 2019. Arlan Selland, of Mitchell, South Dakota, (formerly of Letcher, South Dakota) died peacefully with his family by his side on April 29, 2019, at the Avera Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell. CLASS OF 1954 Franklin Jones passed away on April 29, 2018. James Knudson, 89, of Kansas City, Missouri, formerly Sioux Falls, passed away April 12, 2019. Donald McKee, 86, of Sarasota, Florida, formerly of Appleton, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Feb. 14, 2019. Carol (Fischer) Sutterer, 86, passed away on Jan. 31, 2019, at her home. CLASS OF 1953
Dorothy (Lee) Swanberg Josephson passed away peacefully on May 25, 2019.
DeLores Mae Krenz, 87, of La Mesa, California, formerly of Plankinton, South Dakota, passed away Feb. 14, 2019, at Grossmont Gardens in La Mesa.
Leila (Young) Pfeiffer, 82, of Rapid City, South Dakota, died April 3, 2019, at the Rapid City Regional Hospital.
CLASS OF 1952 Gary Gefke, 89, died on May 18, 2019.
CLASS OF 1957 Maxine (Shelsta) Bohl, 97, of Hayti, South Dakota, passed away on April 12, 2019, at the Estelline Nursing Care Center in Estelline, South Dakota. Mary (Hinzman) Combs died on April 15, 2019. Dean Hinders died peacefully, surrounded by family on May 29, 2019, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Anna (Ostrem) Nelson, 84, passed away on June 13, 2019, at Ava’s House in Sioux Falls. James Unverzagt passed away on Jan. 28, 2019. CLASS OF 1956 Wayne Anderson, 85, of Papillion, Nebraska, formerly of Sioux City, Iowa, died May 14, 2019, at Hillcrest Country Estates Memory Support in Papillion. Lorraine (Lehr) Johns passed away at home on Oct. 20, 2018, surrounded by her family.
Berdine (Nydam) Kok, 82, formerly of Corsica, South Dakota, died April 30, 2019, at Covington Care & Rehabilitation Center in Sioux Falls.
Richard Gildseth, 88, of Wittenberg, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on March 15, 2019, at the Homme Home of Wittenberg. Robert Hagen, 91, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, passed away on March 5, 2019. Richard Madison, 88, died peacefully on July 27, 2018, in Goliad, Texas. Marjorie (Moe) McIntosh of Chattanooga, Tennessee, formerly of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, passed away on the morning of March 5, 2019. CLASS OF 1951 Arla (Simons) Ailts, 90, died in her home in Sioux Falls surrounded by her family on June 15, 2019. Arline (Foley) Bagaason passed away on April 11, 2019. Kenneth Henseler, 95, of Yankton, South Dakota, died on March 10, 2019, at his home.
Academy Class of 1969 Back row, left to right: Alice Hofstad Loddigs, Luther Holt, Thomas Daniels, Linda Peterson Martinell, Dave Ellison, Al Jergenson, Owen Aaland. Front row, left to right: Barb Jacobson Mauney, Sharon Worthington, Nicholas Isika, Sandra Isika, Beth Krikac Auwarter
Each summer since 1975, Augustana University has hosted an all-school reunion for alumni and friends of Augustana Academy, the former Lutheran high school in Canton, South Dakota. This summer, Augustana Academy had its final reunion. Close to 500 people took part in the event July 26-28 and had opportunity to reminisce and meet up with former classmates and friends. To view all class reunion photos, visit augie.edu/Academy
CLASS OF 1950 Robert “Bob” Binger, 94, of Sioux Falls, passed away peacefully at the Good Samaritan Village on May 21, 2019. Carroll “Bill/Chris” Christiansen passed away at home surrounded by his family and caregiver on May 18, 2015. Harvey Erickson died May 12, 2019, at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, South Dakota. Helen (Haug) Lehr passed away on March 17, 2019. Darrell Moseson, 92, of Sioux Falls, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2019, at Dow Rummel Village with his beloved family at his side. Dorothy (Schiager) Pool, 91, of Bloomington, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on March 20, 2019.
Robert McKillop, 91, died after a short battle with pancreatic cancer May 24, 2019. Dwight Miller, 96, of Port Washington, Wisconsin, died April 27, 2019, at Lawlis Family Hospice in Mequon, Wisconsin. LaDell (Miller) Tornberg, 87, peacefully passed away surrounded by her loving family on Feb. 13, 2019. CLASS OF 1948 Jean (Hansen) Burgess, 95, passed away on May 8, 2019. Burnell Lund, of Amarillo, Texas, died on June 21, 2014. Vernon Raker, 86, passed away on March 1, 2009. Marvin Schoenfish passed away on April 1, 2019.
CLASS OF 1949
CLASS OF 1946
Frances Brager-Farley passed away on Sept. 2, 2018.
Lynne (Stout) Blumberg, 96, died at Riverside Health & Rehabilitation in Missoula, Montana, on March 28, 2019.
Phyllis (Johnson) Larson, 91, of Menomonie, Wisconsin, died on March 8, 2019, at The Neighbors of Dunn County. Marilyn (Monder) Liming passed away peacefully on June 6, 2019.
Arlyce (Locken) Ogren, 94, passed away on Feb. 14, 2019, at Marshall County Healthcare Center in Britton, South Dakota.
CLASS OF 1945 Evelyn (Olsen) Williams, 96, died peacefully on May 14, 2019, at York Gardens in Edina, Minnesota. CLASS OF 1944 Constance (Langloss) Opland, 97, died on Jan. 29, 2019, at the Dells Nursing and Rehab Center in Dell Rapids, South Dakota. Melvin Pekrul, 100, of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away on March 27, 2019. Anna (Maynard) Peterson, 93, died on Jan. 11, 2016, in her home surrounded by her children. CLASS OF 1943 Eileen (Simon) Rogers, 97, of Rapid City, South Dakota, formerly Lennox, South Dakota, died on Feb. 8, 2019, at the Courtside Assisted Living Center in Rapid City. CLASS OF 1942 Eleanore (Rowan) Moe died on March 7, 2019, after living a challenging and gratifying life.
Editor's Note: The class notes sent to Augustana University come directly from alums and/or their family members. The editor does not edit submissions outside of grammar and spelling, which may not reflect the editorial style guide of the university. THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2019
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