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Augsburg Associates Highlight Alumni Travel Program at Spring Brunch

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Kathy Swanson standing near a fence, feeding two young elephants on the opposite side
Kathy Swanson on the Augsburg alumni tour to Thailand and Cambodia.
Lori Moline smiles with a cliffside chateau in the background
Lori Moline ’82 of Seminars International

All Augsburg alumni are welcome to attend the annual spring brunch sponsored by the Augsburg Associates on Saturday, May 6, in Hoversten Chapel. From Velkommen Jul to fundraising for student scholarships, the Associates have been a volunteer-led support for Augsburg for more than 30 years. The theme for the annual brunch is Bon Voyage – Augsburg’s Alumni Travel Program. Katie Koch, director of alumni and constituent relations, will share her experiences and photos from the recent trip to Germany, which celebrated the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. Professor Kathy Swanson, who led the January 2017 trip to Thailand and Cambodia, will highlight her travel stories and photos. Lastly, Lori Moline ’82 of Seminars International will talk about the history of the alumni travel
program and trips on the horizon that are now in the planning stages.

The event will be held in Hoversten Chapel and begins with registration at 9:30 a.m. and the program beginning at 10 a.m. A delicious brunch will accompany the program. The cost of this event is $30 per person. There is also an opportunity to sponsor a student for $30. Friends, family, and all Augsburg alumnae welcome!

Briana Ekstrom
Briana Ekstrom ’18

Register now at augsburg.edu/alumni/events. You may also call Becky Waggoner at 612-330-1085 and provide your credit card number for payment. A parking permit will be emailed to guests prior to the event and will be available at the door to guests without email. If you are not able to attend, please consider making a donation to the Associates‘ scholarship fund at augsburg.edu/giving and THANK YOU!

Your donations to the Associates’ Scholarship Fund help to support students like Briana Ekstrom ’18, of Chaska. Briana is majoring in vocal performance, with a minor in music theater. Her goal is to become a vocal coach, and she is already thinking about graduate school.

Remembering Martin Sabo

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2011 scholarship brunch photo, (from left) Martin Sabo, Juventino Meza Rodriguez, Sylvia Sabo, Renee Van Siclen, and Ben Krouse-Gagne for the Martin Olav and Sylvia Lee Sabo Scholarship for Leadership in Public and Community Service.
2011 scholarship brunch photo, (from left) Martin Sabo, Juventino Meza, Sylvia Sabo, Renee Van Siclen, and Ben Krouse-Gagne for the Martin Olav and Sylvia Lee Sabo Scholarship for Leadership in Public and Community Service.

With great sadness, Augsburg College announced the loss of U.S. Representative Martin Sabo on March 14, 2016. Sabo, a 1959 alumnus of Augsburg College, was a national leader and public servant, and an inspirational legend dedicated to revitalizing the role of higher education in equipping students for active engagement in citizenship and democracy.

Sabo led a full and accomplished life, and the many heartfelt remembrances that have been shared since his passing are a testament to the impact he made in our community and nation as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the College’s Board of Regents. On the College’s website, you’ll find a tribute to the remarkable work and contributions that Martin and his wife, Sylvia, have made to Augsburg.

Augsburg has been blessed by the life and work of Martin Sabo. He will be greatly missed and long remembered. Our thoughts are with his family, including Martin and Sylvia’s daughters, Karin (Sabo) Mantor ’86 and Julie Sabo ’90, and their families.

President Paul Pribbenow spoke about the enormous impact of Martin Sabo with WCCO, and the state, and local and national media covered Sabo’s passing extensively.

Augsburg is deeply honored to be able to carry on Sabo’s legacy with the important work of the Martin Olav Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, where he remained active. Since 1995, 96 Auggies have had the distinction of being Sabo Scholars, awarded to juniors and seniors who have interest in and a commitment to engagement in the political process, public policy, and/or careers in public service.

Professor Phil Adamo learned about Martin Sabo’s passing while he was in the midst of writing a piece about Sabo that describes Sabo’s history, time at Augsburg, and run “For members of the College community,” Adamo writes, “Representative Sabo will always be a part of Augsburg. We knew him when.” Please enjoy this excerpt from professor Phil Adamo’s sesquicentennial history of Augsburg College. Harry Boyte, senior scholar in public work philosophy for the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, shared in a recent Huffington Post article his experiences working with the late Martin Olav Sabo ’59. Continue reading “Remembering Martin Sabo” →

Julia Blixrud ’76 Honored with Memorial Scholarship and Lecture

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JuliaBlixrudAlumna Julia Blixrud ’76 was honored in Washington, D.C., on October 8, 2015, with a memorial scholarship and annual lecture by the Association of Research Libraries. A number of family members attended the fall forum in which the inaugural Julia C. Blixrud Scholarship was awarded and the Julia C. Blixrud Memorial Lecture was delivered. Blixrud, of Lawrence, Kansas, was a longtime staff member of the Association of Research Libraries, most recently as assistant executive director for scholarly communication. She passed away in October, 2014.

Her mother, Eileen Blixrud, shared that in her role as a research librarian, she promoted access to information to libraries locally and all over the world, visiting Turkey, Malaysia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Canada, as well as land grant colleges in the United States.

In a post after her passing, her employer noted: “Julia’s greatest professional legacy is likely her work dedicated to opening up access to information for all. Her personal legacy includes the effervescent energy and uncommon kindness that she generously gave to her family, friends, and colleagues with her enduring optimism, resilient character, and contagious smile. These personal and professional legacies are intertwined in many ways, perhaps illustrated most powerfully in an interview Julia gave to NBC News in 2004, discussing the importance of open access to information in the context of her own serious health challenges.”

Grace Dyrud Honored by Alumni & Faculty

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Grace smallerEarly in life, Grace Dyrud tested seven standard deviations above the mean on a measure of endurance, she joked at her retirement reception in May. Dyrud began teaching in the psychology department at Augsburg in 1962, and in more than five decades at Augsburg she exemplified not only endurance but a deep commitment to her students. Her areas of research include gambling risk and attitudes toward the environment.

At the reception, attended by psychology faculty and alumni from every decade of her career, Dyrud thanked Keith, her husband of 49 years, as well as her children, students, and colleagues. All six of her children are Auggies. Lars Dyrud ’97 and Lara (Dyrud) MacLean ’90—a music major who played the violin at the reception—were in attendance and shared words of support and admiration for her long career. Alumni stood to thank Dyrud for encouraging their path to vocation, speaking truth to power, and supporting feminism at a time when it was unpopular.

Neil PaulsonNeil Paulson ’77, a psychology graduate, initiated an effort to honor Dyrud on her retirement from Augsburg with a scholarship for a female psychology student.

“I remember Dr. Dyrud as a caring instructor who was always willing to talk with her students. For many of her 52 years at Augsburg, she led the psychology department as chair. Through her published research, we have a better understanding of addictions like gambling. Dr. Dyrud represents what was and is still today special about Augsburg—student-centered faculty who excel in their field,” Paulson says.

To date, the scholarship has received $6,000 toward the $25,000 goal. Continue reading “Grace Dyrud Honored by Alumni & Faculty” →