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some contextual understanding of curriculum design and theory, provided by one of our colleagues in the Mikkelsen Library; so it has truly been a shared undertaking by the entire institution to provide the CDF to our faculty,” said Kahl. But even as far back as last year, the CTS had rolled out an Exponential Mentorship Program — aimed at developing additional faculty members into experts that would also benefit students in the classroom. Augustana’s Director of Instructional Technology Sharon Gray said, “We determined which technologies faculty were already using and enlisted those faculty to mentor their colleagues.” Faculty members considered experts in technologies — including tools for screencasting, polling, quizzing and creating content — mentored two colleagues, who each mentored two more faculty members. The first cohort in the fall consisted of 33 faculty members. It worked so well, Augustana
continued the program with more than 20 new faculty members in the spring. That’s when COVID-19 hit. Gray said, “The Exponential Mentorship Program was extremely valuable during the coronavirus ramp-up as we were transitioning all of our courses to remote teaching and learning. Some of these tools are ideal for supporting teaching online — and we had a cadre of experts at the ready!” Augustana Associate Professor of Mathematics Dr. Lindsay Erickson, a lead mentor for Explain Everything, says she had been using the program since 2016 and there hadn’t been much interest from other faculty in the past. “I would say just being more up on technology, it made the transition to online instruction a lot easier for me.” Erickson says she learned early on that if you invest a little bit more in technology on the front end, you’re going to see it pay off quickly. “For example, I have technology that
CLASS NOTES ALUMNI: SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH US
paid for itself within the first semester because I had a student with a learning disability who needed a notetaker, but because I was able to use this iPad and pencil and also record the lectures, it eliminated the need for Augustana to have to pay someone else to do it.” There are some members of the Augustana community who had foreseen the benefits of this kind of programming long before COVID-19 hit. Before the CTS was established, in 2007, AU alumna and former Board of Trustee Chair Dr. Jane (Hemmel) Zaloudek ’72, and her husband Dr. Charles Zaloudek, established The Zaloudek Faculty Research Fellowship to support research done by members of the Augustana faculty. Most recently, they provided gifts in support of Augustana’s Exponential Mentorship Program. Augustana alumnus Joe Floyd ‘58, former president and COO of Midcontinent Media Inc., is helping fund Canvas in its first year of implementation. n
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THE 2020s CLASS OF 2020
CLASS OF 2018
CLASS OF 2016
Hunter Dettler and Brittany Cleveland ’16 were married on June 8, 2019.
Austin Ashbacher graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. He is working as an associate veterinarian at Valley Veterinary Center in Cherokee, Iowa.
Emma Verby is employed as a nurse with Sanford Health in Sioux Falls.
Kira Stiles is a 6th grade teacher employed with Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools in Sioux Falls.
THE 2010s
Stephanie Tuschen and Ryan Benson were married on May 27, 2019.
CLASS OF 2019
Carter Wevik and Sara Byre ’16 were married on May 11, 2019.
Alexa Bruick is employed as the specialty shop manager with Scheels in Lincoln, Nebraska. Baylie Hilgenkamp is employed as a talent acquisition representative with Sanford Health in Sioux Falls. Katherine Jacobs is employed as a scheduler/ receptionist with Behavior Care Specialists in Sioux Falls.
Shingo Bessho is attending the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University working toward his Ph.D. in biomedical science.
CLASS OF 2017
Sara Byre ’16 and Carter Wevik ’18 were married on May 11, 2019.
Emma Anderson and Blake Jans ’16 were married on June 15, 2019.
Brittany Cleveland and Hunter Dettler ’18 were married on June 8, 2019.
Anna Myrmoe is simultaneously pursuing her M.B.A. and her M.D. through the USD Beacom School of Business (2023) and the USD Sanford School of Medicine (2024), respectively.
Kaylynn Erlandson and Riley Hosman were married on June 15, 2019.
Tyler Vaughn is the assistant baseball coach at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
Blake Jans and Emma Anderson ’17 were married on June 15, 2019.
Justin Greenway and Charissa Etrheim were married on May 30, 2020.
THE AUGUSTANA | FALL 2020
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