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Honoring the life of Koryne Horbal

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Koryne Horbal takes the oath as U.S. representative to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, 1977. Gloria Steinem holds the Bible.

This past May, Minnesotans mourned the passing of Koryne Horbal. In her lifetime, Horbal launched the Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus and the DFL Feminist Caucus, served as a U.S. representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and was appointed the DFL party chair at the age of 31. A vocal and unapologetic activist, Horbal was a champion for women, as well as the LGBTQ+ community. Neither the loss of her husband in 2015 nor the three strokes she subsequently suffered stopped her from working on the 2016 presidential campaign for Hillary Clinton. Horbal did not have the money to attend college in the 1950s, but Augsburg University granted her an honorary degree in 2008 due to her work as a consultant with Augsburg’s Women’s Resources Center. Koryne Horbal lives on through her children, grandchildren, and the feminist spark that she ignited in people around the world.

You can read more about the extraordinary life of Koryne Horbal here.

Midwest Home talks with Professor Kristin Anderson about “ordinary” mid-century homes

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Kristin Anderson in stadium
Professor Kristen Anderson

Midwest Home Magazine featured a Q & A with Kristin Anderson, professor of art history and Augsburg University archivist, about her presentation, “Residential Architecture of the 1950s and 60s,” which focuses on ordinary homes from the period.

Anderson developed the presentation after she encountered strong interest in her continuing education class for real estate agents from people outside the real estate industry.

National recognition for Augsburg’s StepUP recovery program

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Nationally, it is estimated that 30 percent of college students are battling substance-use disorders. Colleges and universities are asking what role they can play in helping their students stay sober. Augsburg’s StepUP program is a national leader in the field, with substance-free dorms and counselors available on site. For 20 years, StepUP has welcomed students in recovery, and continues to support those fighting addiction and seeking their degree.

 

The tremendous work of StepUP has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, KSMP Fox 9, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Nobel Peace Prize Forum welcomes Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly, and gun violence debate

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Former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords speaks at Augsburg.

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired Naval Captain and NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly, spoke at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum on Augsburg’s campus in September. Following a failed attempt on Giffords’ life in 2011, Giffords and Kelly formed the “Americans for Responsible Solutions”, an organization centered around reducing gun violence. Citing loopholes in current U.S. gun laws, the organization supports legislation for common sense gun laws and reform.

Listen to the replay of their Peace Prize Forum talk, rebroadcast by MPR News.

Professor Andy Aoki discusses international and local politics on KSTP’s Political Insider

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Augsburg Professor and Political Science Chair Andrew Aoki discusses United Nations, North Korea, and the Minnesota state budget on “Political Insider.”

Augsburg University Professor and Political Science Chair Andrew Aoki joined KSTP’s Tom Hauser on the weekly news segment, Political Insider to discuss President Donald J. Trump’s September address to the United Nations. Aoki also discussed local political dynamics between the Minnesota State Legislature and Governor Mark Dayton in the interview.

Hex Houses for Hurricane Victims and Refugees

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Hex House
Builders work in Murphy Square Park to complete the “Hex House” model. Photo: Kare 11

This fall’s Nobel Peace Prize Forum showcased the innovative “Hex House,” a pop-up emergency shelter created to help respond to refugee and natural disaster housing crises. As part of Augsburg University’s continued commitment to social justice and technology, this six-sided, 510 square-foot prototype was constructed and on display at Murphy Square throughout the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Forum. The tiny houses can be packed in a kit, shipped flat, and assembled with tools and instructions, much like an IKEA design.

See the stories at Finance & Commerce and KARE 11.

 

Augsburg Faculty Receives Research Fellowship

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Alicia Quella, associate professor and program director of the Augsburg University Physician Assistant program.

Augsburg Associate Professor and Physician Assistant Program Director Alicia Quella has received an AAPA-PAEA Inaugural Research Fellowship. This new fellowship program is sponsored by the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Physician Assistant Education Association. Each fellow’s institution will receive a grant of up to $25,000, which will allow recipients to focus on one of a number of research topics developed by the fellowship’s organizers. Quella also was awarded an AAPA Global Health grant in 2015.