Augsburg’s Physician Assistant graduates of 2007 earned a mean score that was more than 100 points above the national mean score, placing Augsburg at least among the top three schools in the country, for the third time in the last seven years.

Senior chemistry major Caryn Quist was chosen for NSF’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program through the University of Florida. She will research and study in Strasbourg, France, through December.

Two Augsburg 2008 graduates were selected as Fulbright teaching assistants for 2008-09. Ashley Stoffers, a biology major, will spend a year in Korea, teaching at a secondary school and living in a Korean homestay. Erin Olsen, an international relations major, will travel and teach in Venezuela.

Introducing the Mcgyan process
In March, at its second press conference this year, Augsburg announced the discovery of a new process to produce biodiesel that is much cleaner, more effective, and less costly than current methods. The Mcgyan process—named for its three inventors, Clayton MCNeff ’91, Arlin GYberg, and Ben YAN—uses plant materials or waste oils and produces no by-products or pollutants.

The discovery began with summer research by chemistry major Brian Krohn ’08, working with Gyberg and McNeff’s SarTec Corp. Since production using the McGyan process can significantly impact the global market, Augsburg and the scientific team received a great deal of press, both local and regional. To read more, go to the story on p. xx. For links to press coverage, go to the Auggie Press Room at http://augnet.augsburg.edu.

Brian Krohn to Posters on the Hill
Brian Krohn was one of 70 students nationwide chosen by the Council on Undergraduate Research to present a poster and their research to legislators at Posters on the Hill in Washington, D.C., in April.

Augsburg scholars at the State Capitol(March 2008)

Three Augsburg students participated in the Minnesota Private College's 2008 Scholars Day at the Capitol. The poster session, held in the Capitol rotunda, highlighted the work of undergraduate students who contributed new knowledge to their fields or advanced their own creativity in exceptional ways.

The Augsburg presentations were:

• Kari Aanestad with English professor Dal Liddle—Ragnvald Aanestad and the Lutheran Sermon , Examines Ragnvald Aanestad's attempts to interpret world events of the 1940s and 1950s to a small, traditional Lutheran congregation in the Midwest.
• Chau Nguyen with business administration professor Steven Zitnick—Economic Impact of Vietnamese Businesses in Minnesota. Considers the impact of Vietnamese businesses to Minnesota's economy finding that they benefit by supplying and creating new jobs for Vietnamese immigrants.
• Holly Tapani with music therapy professor Roberta Kagin—Supporting College Students with Brain Injury through Music and Movement. Identifies the need for intentional social mentoring for college students with brain injury and highlights alternative learning approaches using music and movement.