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Studying away from Augsburg

gunderson_abroadIn her three years as an Auggie, Annika Gunderson ’11 has almost spent more time away from Augsburg than on campus. This international relations and Spanish major from Winona, Minn. has studied abroad three times, spending five weeks in Cuernavaca, Mexico, a semester in Central America, and another semester in Brazil.

Gunderson first traveled to Mexico in the summer of 2009 through Augsburg’s Center for Global Education. There, with a group of students, she studied Latin American culture and civilization. “It was a transforming experience,” she says. Continue reading “Studying away from Augsburg”

McKibben featured at Christensen Symposium

mckibben_convoIn college classes at Augsburg and across the country ,there is rarely dialogue between students and the authors of the texts that are used.

Sometimes it is because a textbook is written by a fairly anonymous author or group of authors. Other times, the back-and-forth simply isn’t possible. After all, it isn’t like having Shakespeare visit a classroom is an option.

That is what makes Bill McKibben’s visit to Augsburg so interesting. McKibben, an environmentalist and author, will speak Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Foss Chapel for the Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium.

McKibben, who writes about global warming, alternative energy, and other environmental issues, will talk about “The Most Important Number on Earth: Climate Change and Moral Challenge.”

Continue reading “McKibben featured at Christensen Symposium”

Emma Sutton checks in from Indonesia

sutton_checkinWow! I wish I could say that 3 days in everything has been perfect but unfortunately we just experienced an earthquake, a whopping 7.4. I was sitting up in my room on the 7th floor as the building started to shake and the walls cracked. I ran out into the hall and the program director was staying in the room right next to me and we took shelter in a doorway of the hall until it was over and then we ran down the stairwell, there was some girl flopping down the stairs in stiletto heels that I really wanted to run over so I could go faster. There was no major damage at the hotel or anywhere else, or at least it hasn’t been reported yet. Continue reading “Emma Sutton checks in from Indonesia”

Meeting with the mayor

mayorAfter returning from New Zealand this summer, Richmond Appleton ’09 was so enthusiastic that he wrote a letter to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.

Appleton spent five weeks in New Zealand studying ecology, biodiversity, and climate change with a group of Augsburg students led by biology professor Brian Corner and political science professor Joe Underhill. Their group explored the unique flora and fauna of the island as well as the distinctive political culture that has made it a leader in environmental policy. Continue reading “Meeting with the mayor”

The physics of growth

nate_physicsNate Johnson didn’t take a typical path to becoming a physics major at Augsburg College.

He didn’t take Advanced Placement high school classes in science. He didn’t arrive on campus with tons of calculus experience. Nor did he arrive on campus and immediately begin taking physics courses.

“I took a grand total of one science class in high school,” Johnson said.

But because of an interest in how things work, Johnson was drawn to the problem-solving part of physics. The move has turned out well. Continue reading “The physics of growth”

Recent veterans gain big tuition benefits

militaryWhen Augsburg College officials were preparing for the launch of the new Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, the hope was that veterans who qualified for full benefits would be able to attend Augsburg For Adults classes for little or nothing.

Now they will be able to get an education for free under the legislation that went into affect on August 1.

Last week, the College received word from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that the maximum charge per credit hour had been raised for Minnesota veterans from $326.92 to $750. Continue reading “Recent veterans gain big tuition benefits”

UIC students immersed in Minnesota culture

chinaThe 12 students visiting Augsburg from United International College in Zhuhai, China, find Americans friendly and polite, and believe they exercise more in a healthier environment than found in China. And baseball games, which aren’t found in China, have been exciting.

The students, ages 19-22, arrived in Minneapolis on July 2, just in time to meet American culture at a Fourth of July picnic on Nicollet Island, complete with hot dogs, potato salad, and fireworks. The students are enrolled in an Augsburg summer session course and are participating in a program on Minnesota history and culture. Before returning home on August 7, they will complete a project about Minnesota and Augsburg that they will present in China. Continue reading “UIC students immersed in Minnesota culture”

URGO Summer Research Oral Presentations

urgo_researchThis week, some of Augsburg’s undergraduate researchers will share the work they have been engaged in over the summer.

The office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO) provides summer research grants for students interested in graduate or professional study. The program encourages undergraduate students to conduct research because it displays an understanding of current questions in a field, the ability to collaborate with others, and the persistence necessary to meet the demands of graduate study. Continue reading “URGO Summer Research Oral Presentations”

Augsburg’s Bloomington Center is open for business

bloomingtonFor more than 25 years, Augsburg College has provided working adults with the opportunity to earn a private liberal arts degree and, in turn, change their lives.

This fall, adult learners who begin their college careers at Normandale Community College in Bloomington will have another model and location available to take that associate’s degree and finish their bachelor’s degree.

After launching an inaugural MBA cohort at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Bloomington in January, Augsburg is expanding its adult offerings in the southwest part of the Twin Cities. Continue reading “Augsburg’s Bloomington Center is open for business”

Knowing and serving our neighbors

juventinoThis summer Juventino Meza-Rodriguez has been getting to know Augsburg’s neighbors, and the neighborhood, on a much deeper level than some students usually do.

For his URGO research project, titled Augsburg College Maps and Papers, Meza-Rodriguez is exploring the relationship of the College to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, examining the history, growth, and present relationships. His goal is to identify best practices for colleges and universities that seek to maintain mutually beneficial relationships with their surrounding communities.

Meza-Rodriguez initially sought to determine whether Augsburg really was serving its neighbors, particularly the immigrant communities in the Cedar-Riverside area. “I have been a critic of Augsburg in this area,” he said. Continue reading “Knowing and serving our neighbors”