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ŗ¬Šß²Ż“«Ć½ Announces John N. Schwartz ā€™67 School of the Arts

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ŗ¬Šß²Ż“«Ć½ announced today the creation of the John N. Schwartz ā€™67 School of the Arts, a destination arts hub for music, theater, and art and design. An estate gift from Augsburg alumnus John N. Schwartz ā€™67 will establish the school.

ā€œWith their power to connect, illuminate, break boundaries, and build relationships, the arts have been a vital part of Augsburgā€™s mission and community life for more than 150 years,ā€ said University President Paul C. Pribbenow. ā€œAt a time when support for the arts in public life and education has become contingent and vulnerable, Augsburg is tremendously grateful for John Schwartzā€™s visionary leadership in establishing an institutional home for music, theater, and art for many future generations of students.ā€

The Schwartz School of the Arts will house Augsburgā€™s 12 undergraduate majors in the performing and visual arts, as well as the master of music therapy program. Students and faculty in the departments of theater, music, and art and design will have new and greater opportunities for interdisciplinary, collaborative work across disciplines, including with other areas of the university.

ā€œWe believe that a standalone arts school at a place like Augsburgā€”a university with deep commitments to access and equity, and one of the most diverse institutions in the upper Midwestā€”will send a strong message to potential students that the arts are for everyone. Your gifts are valued here,ā€ said Paula Oā€™Loughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs.

The performing and visual arts at Augsburg have long reflected the universityā€™s mission in the commitments to artistic excellence, intentional diversity, civic engagement, and social justice embodied in each discipline. The new school is a refinement to the universityā€™s institutional structure following the change from Augsburg College to ŗ¬Šß²Ż“«Ć½ in 2017. It also aligns with Augsburgā€™s role as an anchor institution in the Cedar-Riverside community of Minneapolis.

ā€œThe Schwartz School of the Arts will be a key venue for Augsburg to explore with our neighbors and our students how to build and expand access to cultural assets,ā€ said Pribbenow.

As an undergraduate, John Schwartz sang baritone in the Augsburg choir, igniting a love of choral music that persisted throughout his 40-year career as a healthcare executive in Milwaukee, Oregon, Montana, and Chicago.

ā€œMy experiences at Augsburg are a perfect example of how a well-rounded liberal arts education provides a pathway not just to a career but to a full and meaningful life,ā€ said Schwartz. ā€œWhether singing in a choral ensemble, performing in a theater production, or sculpting in the studio, the arts provide opportunities to grow and connect that donā€™t exist anywhere else. With this new school, Augsburg is clearly stating that the performing and visual arts are central to our mission.ā€

A current member of Augsburgā€™s Board of Regents, Schwartz has long supported Augsburg music students. His previous gifts to the university established the Leland B. Sateren ā€™35 professorship and chair of music, the John N. Schwartz professor of choral leadership and conducting, and the John N. Schwartz and James A. Mosley scholarship.

The Schwartz School of the Arts is one of a number of transformational outcomes of Augsburgā€™s ongoing Great Returns: Weā€™re All In comprehensive fundraising campaign. With a goal to raise $125 million, it is the largest such campaign in Augsburg history.

About Augsburg

ŗ¬Šß²Ż“«Ć½ offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees to approximately 3,200 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and nearby Rochester, Minnesota, location. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings. To learn more, visit .

Augsburg Innovation Scholars Present to Mayo Clinic Leaders

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The 2023 Augsburg Innovation Scholars team, faculty mentors, and Augsburg leaders pose in front of a fireplace and wood-paneled walls at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.ā€œWhen we went up there, it was our job to know about everythingā€”the pros, cons, the disease, all of it,ā€ said Connor Thorsten ā€™24. ā€œAs much as public speaking is a fear for a lot of people, we went up with confidence and did a great job.ā€Ā 

With a whoā€™s who of Mayo Clinic licensing managers and innovators in the audience, Thorsten and his teammatesā€”Tom Erickson ā€™24, Lorraine Wongbi ā€™23, and Lily Yang ā€™23ā€”werenā€™t just delivering a typical class presentation. Their subject? A challenging biomedical tech transfer project focused on an implantable cardiac med tech device.

The presentation to Mayo Clinic leaders in early March was the culmination of months of study, research, and preparation the students undertook as participants in the . Working at the intersection of science, healthcare, and entrepreneurship, Innovation Scholars brings interdisciplinary teams of outstanding liberal arts students from 12 Minnesota private colleges and universities together to solve real-world problems in real time.Ģż

ā€œItā€™s one of the best opportunities for students that Iā€™ve seen as far as real-world application and being interdisciplinary,ā€ said Jacob Enger, assistant professor of business administration. Enger served as one of two faculty mentors for Augsburgā€™s team this year, along with Tim Monko, adjunct instructor in biology. Each group was also paired with an MBA student mentor from Augsburg or the University of St. Thomas.Ģż

Throughout the fall and winter, Augsburgā€™s team met weekly or more to research the tech transfer project they were assigned by the Mayo Clinic. (Tech transfer refers to the process of moving from research to application and commercialization.) Bringing expertise in biochemistry, biopsychology, finance/accounting, and physics, they tackled questions like: Is it safe? Is it effective? Is it helpful? What is the potential patient population? Who are the competitors? What is the path to finishing product development and bringing it to market?Ā 

ā€œThe experience made me more aware of the different moving parts that come into play during the roll-out of an innovation,ā€ said Wongbi. ā€œIt really put into perspective the heart and dedication of the inventors, as much of the process requires patience.ā€

In addition to writing a 40-plus page research paper and preparing the content of their presentation, the team practiced and strengthened their presentation skills, from holding a microphone to taking turns fielding questions.Ģż

ā€œThe experience provides such a wide range of areas for students to grow and develop, all with skills they can speak to on a rĆ©sumĆ©ā€ said Enger. ā€œStudents both collaborate and specialize within their area of expertise, whether science or business.ā€Ā 

While confidentiality agreements limit how much they can share about the project, the Augsburg students came away feeling celebratory. Thorsten, a member of Augsburgā€™s 2023 national champion wrestling squad, credits teamwork for their success in Rochester.Ģż

ā€œIt was one of the best out-of-school, real world experiences Iā€™ve had,ā€ he said. ā€œIt was a lot of very hard workā€”crunch time got very busyā€”but we divided and conquered, and when one of us was struggling, we focused on helping them and vice versa.ā€

Students can participate in Innovation Scholars for credit or to fulfill their Augsburg Experience requirement. The application for the next cohort will open in the fall. To find out more, reach out to URGO or .Ģż

Najeeba Syeed Featured on ā€˜State of Beliefā€™ Podcast

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State of Belief logoNajeeba Syeed, El-Hibri chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg, recently joined ā€œState of Belief,ā€ Interfaith Allianceā€™s weekly radio show and podcast, to speak about her background and what the broader interfaith and American community can learn from the teachings of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

ā€œI think the most beautiful thing about [Ramadan] really is the emphasis on building our social fabric with one another, gathering and thinking about, ā€œwhat is the power of self-regulation and self-control?ā€ Self-control over food and also our capacity to not express anger,” she said.

ā€œWhile it is a deeply spiritual practice for Muslim, itā€™s also one where we spend a lot of time in community ā€¦ It is a time where we want to be open to other communities. This is often our interfaith season. It is meant for doors to be open.ā€

Augsburg Students Build Advocacy Skills During Day at the Capitol

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Augsburg students Abby Petersen and Carol Lee smile under the capitol dome during Day at the Capitol 2023 in St. Paul.A group of Auggies got a glimpse inside the legislative process during this yearā€™s Day at the Capitol on March 1. Organized by the (MPCC) in support of the Minnesota State Grant program, this annual event develops student advocacy skills, provides professional networking opportunities, and brings student voices and concerns to the capitol.

The provides need-based financial aid that goes directly to students. Fifty-two percent of Augsburg undergraduates receive funding through the program, with an average award of nearly $6,000. The focus of this yearā€™s Day at the Capitol was to ask legislators and Governor Walz to make a substantial new investment in the program by lowering the share of college costs that the grant formula expects students to cover from 50% to 36%.

Along with representatives from the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, Augsburg students took the Green Line to the capitol and kicked off the day with a training featuring Representative Mike Howard ā€™05. Then, they met in small groups with their hometown legislators to discuss expanding support for the state grant as well as other issues on studentsā€™ minds.

ā€œIt was so eye-opening for me,ā€ said Carol Hei Yue Lee ā€˜24, a social work major, vice president of Augsburg Day Student Government, and Campus Kitchen intern. ā€œAt first I didnā€™t know how the process worked, since my representatives arenā€™t on the committee that oversees the state grant. But MPCC talked us through how legislators talk about issues with their colleagues and get them to sign on to a bill.ā€

Lee met with Woodbury Representative Ethan Cha and Senator Nicole Mitchell. ā€œPeople think legislators look scary, but they are very nice. Representative Cha told us his backstory and experiences as a refugee, fighting for his family and his kidsā€™ rights. I was able to talk about food insecurity, which is a very serious issue and it connects with the state grant.ā€

For Abby Petersen ā€™24, the experience complemented their work as a campus organizer through the Minnesota Youth Collective. ā€œIā€™ve done organizing, but Iā€™ve never had the opportunity to spend a day at the capitol or actually meet a legislator,ā€ they said. ā€œIt was super interesting and it went by so fast.ā€

Both Petersen and Lee noted that the event built connections with other students and helped spur ideas about how to continue their activism on campus. ā€œI was impressed with the number of Augsburg students who showed up,ā€ said Petersen, who transferred to Augsburg last fall and is majoring in social work. ā€œIt was really fun to meet other students who are also interested in doing advocacy work. Our group met with Representative Mohamud Noor, who was so supportive, and people brought up food issues and transit accessibility and asked about expanding the state grant program to grad studentsā€”we had a long conversation about that.ā€

Lee ended the day with a sense of deeper community and expanded horizons. ā€œRepresentative Cha told us, ā€˜You can be legislators too,ā€™ā€ she said. ā€œEverything is possible.ā€

Toronto Star Cites Professor Michael Lansing in “After George Floyd”

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Professor Michael Lansing was recently quoted by the Toronto Star in a major exploration of the dynamics around policing and public safety in Minneapolis following the murder of George Floyd. Lansing and University of St. Thomas historian Yohuru Williams are the co-founders of a public history project that explores the history of policing in the Twin Cities in order to contribute to community conversations about the future of public safety.

Lansing’s comments contextualize the failed public safety ballot measure in Minneapolis in 2022.

Neighbourhoods that voted most strongly against the measure were in the cityā€™s southwest ā€” a white, upper-middle-class area ā€” followed, to a lesser extent, by those in the predominantly Black North Minneapolis,” wrote reporter Wendy Gillis. “It was a ā€œvery odd combinationā€ that was rare in American political history, said Michael Lansing, history professor at ŗ¬Šß²Ż“«Ć½ in Minneapolis.

ā€œNot just polarized, because that suggests two poles. Minneapolis in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the uprising became a place that was deeply fragmented,ā€ he said.

 

George Dierberger Appointed ŗ¬Šß²Ż“«Ć½ā€™s Howe Professor of Entrepreneurship

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George Dierberger headshot. He is a white man wearing a blue and white striped button-down shirt and a dark blazer.George Dierberger, associate professor of business administration and director of ŗ¬Šß²Ż“«Ć½ā€™s MBA program, has been appointed to serve as the inaugural Thomas ā€™72 and Karen Howe endowed professor for entrepreneurship.Ģż

ā€œThe intersection of Tom and Karen Howeā€™s personal experiences as entrepreneurs and George Dierbergerā€™s professional commitment to educate students for entrepreneurial leadership make this new professorship a remarkable opportunity to celebrate the power of philanthropy to transform lives,ā€ said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow. ā€œAs the inaugural Howe Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship, George is dedicated to integrating innovation across the university, ensuring that students in business, science, the arts, the humanities, and beyond, are equipped to be entrepreneurial leaders in their careers and communities.ā€Ā 

Dierberger spent 25 years in a variety of leadership positions at 3M, where he led multi-million dollar sales initiatives, started five new businesses, and implemented product launches ranging from high-tech laser pointers to government-regulated products. His teaching areas of expertise include innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, organizational development, change management, international business and strategic management. He continues to consult for entrepreneurial organizations and oversees MBA field projects that include writing strategic plans for Fortune 500 companies, Mayo Clinic, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits. Dierberger was named a Fulbright Scholar in 2022, spending three months in residence at the Atlantic Technological University in Letterkenny, Ireland.

ā€œProfessor Dierbergerā€™s impressive accomplishments and long-standing commitment to continuous innovation in our business program make him a natural fit for the Howe professorship,ā€ said Paula Oā€™Loughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs. ā€œHis expertise and innovative spirit will take Augsburgā€™s investment in entrepreneurship to the next level across our curriculum.ā€Ā 

The Thomas ā€™72 and Karen Howe Endowed Professor for Entrepreneurship was established in 2022 to strengthen Augsburgā€™s business department and inspire innovation and leadership.

ā€œTom and Karenā€™s visionary gift and Georgeā€™s entrepreneurial leadership will make a difference in the lives of countless students and those they serve for generations to come,ā€ said Pribbenow.

NSF Grant Supports Mathematics and Data for Social Justice Summer Seminar

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Prof. John Zobitz lectures in front of a whiteboard. His laptop is in the foreground.How does math explain the real world?

This question has been at the heart of Professor John Zobitzā€™s career as a mathematician and data scientist. Now heā€™s working to help other faculty bring a social justice lens to mathematics and statistics education.

With a $50,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Zobitz and colleagues from Concordia Collegeā€“Moorhead, Winona State University, and Anoka-Ramsey Community College will convene an inaugural three-day conference for math instructors this summer.

The Mathematics and Data for Social Justice Summer Seminar aims to help faculty at two- and four-year colleges teach math in context, using examples such as credit risk modeling or differential impacts from climate change to illustrate core concepts.

From a teaching standpoint, this means seeking out appropriate data sets, exploring local issues, and developing greater capacity to manage classroom conversations about social justice. Seminar facilitators include Gizen Karaali and Lily Khadjavi, editors of ā€œMathematics for Social Justice: Resources for the College Classroom,ā€ to which Zobitz was a contributing author.

After this summerā€™s gathering, the organizers aim to develop a community of practice that will provide ongoing collaboration and peer support as faculty work to make their teaching more culturally relevant and responsive. They will also share lessons and curricular resources with other institutions through the Mathematical Association of Americaā€™s regional conference.

ā€œOur goal is to enact change in the classroom by starting at the instructor level,ā€ said Zobitz. ā€œBut we also hope that this seminar will serve as a model for professional development aimed at advancing equity in STEM fields.ā€

Augsburg Health Commons Receives $50,000 Award to Advance Health Equity Through Nursing

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A volunteer wearing gray scrubs and a face mask provides a blood pressure check for a guest at the Augsburg Central Health Commons.For 30 years, the Augsburg Health Commons have advanced a model of nursing practice rooted in accompaniment, social justice, and transcultural nursing practice. In early January, the program received a $50,000 Health Equity Innovation Fund grant from AARP and the Center to Champion Nursing in America, a joint initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to deepen and expand this work.

ā€œWe are moved beyond words to be selected for this opportunity,ā€ said Katie Clark, associate professor of nursing and executive director of the Health Commons. ā€œThese funds will not only help relieve some of the suffering people are forced to endure in the immediate term, but will also help cultivate ideas and solutions for the long term in caring for people who experience marginalization.ā€Ā 

The first Augsburg Health Commons drop-in center opened at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis in 1992. Most people seeking care at the Central location live without a permanent residence or are marginally housed. In 2011, a second location in Cedar-Riverside opened in response to a need for accessible, no-cost health care services identified by members of the East African immigrant community located near Augsburgā€™s campus. Both locations center community voices and are led and organized by nursing faculty members, nursing and physician assistant volunteers, students, and community members.

The people who come to the Health Commons are from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Everyone is welcome, and all services are provided free of charge. Health concerns might include nutrition, medication, stress management, respiratory conditions, injuries, skin problems, and chronic disease such as diabetes and hypertension. Frequently, people experiencing these problems come to Health Commons locations for their easy access, supportive environment, and assistance with connecting to other health care resources.

Going forward, the Health Equity Innovation Fund grant project will focus on three interconnected goals.

  • Continuing and expanding care for marginalized communities.
  • Deepening the focus on health equity, systemic racism, and structural inequities in nursing education.Ģż
  • Disseminating knowledge to influence the nursing profession towards greater inclusiveness.

The Health Commons will continue providing opportunities for the most marginalized communities of Minneapolis to live healthier lives as they are cared for in local context. In addition to existing sites at Central Lutheran Church and Cedar Riverside and work with local encampments, the grant will allow staff and volunteers to explore new partnerships at other locations, including in North Minneapolis in collaboration with Augsburgā€™s physician assistant program.Ģż

By providing paid research and practice internships for graduate nursing students, the grant will also support the educational mission of the Health Commons. Students in Augsburgā€™s BSN, Masterā€™s, and DNP programs will continue to learn to decode systems of oppression that are embedded within systems and social norms, and to promote health equity by connecting with others through shared humanity. The project will fund dissemination of research by Augsburg faculty and students through conferences and publishing. In so doing, it aims to create pathways for developing inclusiveness within the nursing profession, both in practice and in the academy.Ģż

ā€œOur Augsburg nursing faculty are excited to be able to dig deeper into naming systemic and structural racism in partnership with people with lived experience in an effort to begin creating needed change in healthcare and the discipline of nursing,ā€ said Clark.

Augsburg Health Commons is one of 16 organizations nationally to receive a Health Equity Innovations Fund award for 2022. The awards through the AARP Center for Health Equity through NursingSM and the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, are for projects offering promising solutions aimed at eliminating structural inequities, particularly structural racism, within the nursing profession, health systems, or community, and for projects that help improve access to care and services for those most disproportionately impacted by health disparities. Projects also support the advancement of one or more of the recommendations in the National Academy of Medicine report, ā€œThe Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity.ā€

or visit the Augsburg Health Commons website.

Great Northern Festival Features New Augsburg Gallery Exhibition

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On January 21, the Augsburg Art Galleries will open a new exhibition featuring nine local, Black women and femme designers. TO ILLUMINATE ABUNDANCE, curated by Olivia House ’20 and Silent Fox ’18 of 13.4 Collective, explores what it means to live a life full of love, freedom, and light.

TO ILLUMINATE ABUNDANCE brings together nine Black designers at various stages in their careers. House and Fox invited contributing graphic designers to reflect on and illuminate a text, quote, or lyric that helps imagine what it could look like to move forward and towards more; to help envision what life is like when it feels full. The exhibition features work by Ashley Koudou, Kelsi Sharp, Leeya Rose Jackson, Marcia Rowe ’22, Olivia Anizor, Sabrina Peitz, and Terresa Moses, as well as House and Fox.

ā€œThis show is meant to express what our world should be: a world in which Black femmes are able to live a life without pain or suffering; a life full of light,ā€ said House.

An opening reception for TO ILLUMINATE ABUNDANCE will take place on Saturday, January 21. The curators and artists of the show will gather for an artist talk on Thursday, February 2 at the Hagfors Center to contextualize their work and their view of the exhibition within a broader landscape of making, community, politics, and futurism. This event is featured as part of The Great Northern festival, happening January 25ā€“February 5 around the Twin Cities metro area. The Great Northern celebrates Minnesotaā€™s cold, creative winters through 10 days of diverse programming that invigorate mind and body.

The exhibition runs through March 24 in Augsburgā€™s Gage and Christensen galleries.

Augsburgā€™s Collegiate Recovery Program Marks 25 Years

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A group of 7 Augsburg StepUP participants stand smiling at the camera with arms linked around each other's shoulders.In 1997, ŗ¬Šß²Ż“«Ć½ was one of just four colleges and universities with a formal collegiate recovery program. Today, StepUPĀ® at ŗ¬Šß²Ż“«Ć½ is one of the oldest and largest residential collegiate recovery programs in the United States accompanied with sober living. More than 700 students have graduated from the program, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022.

The Phoenix Spirit recently published a pieceĀ by Nell Hurley, recruitment and outreach coordinator for StepUP, tracing the programā€™s history and impact.Ģż

ā€œStepUP is so much more than a sober dorm,ā€ Jon Stentz, one of StepUPā€™s Licensed Alcohol and Drug counselors, told Hurley. ā€œItā€™s the connection and the community that students find here that makes all the difference. Itā€™s been said that connection is the opposite of addiction. The StepUP connection is where the magic is. Our students support each other and hold each other accountable. Theyā€™re all in this together, both the college journey and the recovery journey.ā€

StepUP offers a robust program of support and accountability that includes clinical support, random drug testing, weekly meetings, recovery service opportunities, and optional but regular social outings like rock climbing, camping trips, and game nights.

To learn more, or visit the StepUP website.