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Augsburg Student Justin Holewa ’23 Wins Boren Scholarship

Justin Holewa ’23Augsburg University biology major Justin Holewa ’23 has received a $25,000 Boren Scholarship to study Korean in South Korea for a full year.

Boren Scholars study a wide range of critical languages, come from diverse fields of study, and immerse themselves in the language and cultures of selected world regions through study abroad. Scholarship recipients make a commitment to work in the U.S. federal government for a minimum of one year. Having recently completed a summer of research under the mentorship of Dr. Leon van Eck, Holewa envisions working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including on a plant disease called citrus greening.

An initiative of the U.S. Defense Language and National Security Education Office, the Boren awards focus on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study critical to U.S. national security that are not emphasized in other U.S. study abroad programs. Applicants are selected through a national merit-based competition that emphasizes both academic achievement and a strong commitment to public service.

General public ticket sale for Bill Nye starts Dec. 8

‘The Science Guy’ talks Feb. 14 on how science can save the world

Bill Nye PosterWhat

Bill Nye “The Science Guy” will share his love for science when he speaks Feb. 14 at Augsburg College in an address that is open to the general public. Nye, who will be on campus for the College’s Scholarship Weekend, will speak with academic depth and humor about planetary science, climate change, evolution, environmental awareness and more in his address “How Science Can Save the World.”

Who

Bill Nye is a mechanical engineer who wants the world to know and appreciate the passion, beauty, and joy (the P, B & J) of science. Nye’s show, “Bill Nye The Science Guy,” has garnered 18 Emmy awards. Nye won seven of those Emmy awards as host and head writer of the show. These days, Nye travels the globe exhorting audiences to change the world. He has a day job as the CEO of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest non-governmental space interest organization. Nye’s newest book, “Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation,” was released in November.

Where

Augsburg College’s Kennedy Center, located in Si Melby Gymnasium (715 23rd Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55454)

When

  • Doors open at 10 a.m., Feb. 14
  • Presentation from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Feb. 14

Ticket Information

  • Sale begins at 10 a.m., Dec. 8
  • Students: $12
  • General Public/Adults: $28
  • A $3 service charge will be applied to each ticket at the time of checkout.
  • Purchase tickets at augsburg.edu/tickets 

About Augsburg College

Augsburg College is set in a vibrant neighborhood at the heart of the Twin Cities, and offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 4,000 students of diverse backgrounds. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. 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.

Augsburg receives $600,000 grant for STEM scholarships

stemUpper-division students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) can apply for new academic merit scholarships for as much as $7,000 per year beginning Fall 2012.

The AugSTEM scholarships will be funded by a nearly $600,000 grant recently received from the National Science Foundation. The grant means that as many as 30 students in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics will receive important financial support as they pursue their academic careers. Continue reading “Augsburg receives $600,000 grant for STEM scholarships”

Auggies receive career advice and inspiration at NSBE conference

nsbeconferenceAt the end of March, junior physics majors Gottlieb Uahengo, Mohamed Sheikh-Mohamed, Amir Rose, and Fred Vedasto attended the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. The conference included workshops and programming for grade school, collegiate, graduate, technical professional, and international entities of the Society. Their travel was funded through the NorthStar STEM Alliance, an initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) which is intended to double the number of African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Alaska Native and Pacific Islander students receiving baccalaureate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Continue reading “Auggies receive career advice and inspiration at NSBE conference”

Sorum presents winning poster at AAAS annual meeting

sorum_aaasAt the 2012 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) international meeting in Vancouver B.C., biology major Alex Sorum won the student poster competition in the medicine and public health category. Alex won with his poster titled, “Effects of Airway Epithelial Secretions on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation” which presented the research he did as a Sundquist Scholar with biology assistant professor Jennifer Bankers-Fulbright during 2011.

Sorum did research on the bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria that affects about 80 percent of cystic fibrosis patients by the age of 18. The bacteria is difficult to treat because it forms a biofilm in the lungs that protects it against antibiotics and white blood cells. He harvested secretions from a non-cystic fibrosis lung model and applied them to the bacteria to test whether the lung secretions would inhibit the formation of the biofilm. Continue reading “Sorum presents winning poster at AAAS annual meeting”

Jazmine Darden '13 receives Tekne Scholarship

darden_tekneAt the Minnesota High Tech Foundation awards ceremony held earlier this month, mathematics and physics major Jazmine Darden ’13 [left] was one of eight Minnesota undergraduate students to receive a Tekne Scholarship. The scholarships are awarded to students seeking careers in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields or in STEM teaching.

At the ceremony, Darden was able to network with representatives of many of Minnesota’s leading technology companies and make connections for future internship and career opportunities. “It was like the Academy Awards of the technology industry in Minnesota,” she said. “Everyone was there.” Continue reading “Jazmine Darden '13 receives Tekne Scholarship”

For some Auggies, summer means research

mathconferenceWhat would persuade an active young college student to spend eight hours a day for 10 weeks of her summer in a laboratory looking over carbon uptake data? Ask Jazmine Darden, a sophomore mathematics and physics major from Brooklyn Park.

“You learn what a career would be like,” she says. “You can’t sleep until noon because you have to be at work, and it helps you realize what you want to do.” Continue reading “For some Auggies, summer means research”

June commencement highlights science

june_commencementOn Sunday, June 28, undergraduate and graduate students from Minneapolis and Rochester will celebrate their graduation from Augsburg College. For a complete listing of events, go to www.augsburg.edu/commencement.

As in the May commencement ceremony, both the featured speaker and honorary degree recipient are well known for their distinguished careers related to science and education.

Augsburg is honored to welcome Eric J. Jolly, PhD, president of the Science Museum of Minnesota, as the June commencement speaker. Jolly is a member of the Augsburg College Board of Regents and is recognized for his commitment to science and mathematics education, striving to educate young people as the future workforce and to create an informed citizenry that engages science in public policy issues. Continue reading “June commencement highlights science”

Augsburg teachers training teachers

math_science2 Augsburg College was recently selected as a partner in the Minnesota Mathematics and Science Teacher Academy initiative. According to the Minnesota Department of Education, the Academy is a result of Governor Pawlenty’s efforts to improve teacher effectiveness particularly in the areas of math and science.

The Academy is comprised of nine regional teacher centers, each including at least one K-12 school district or education service cooperative and one higher education institution. Augsburg is partnering with Resource Training & Solutions in St. Cloud to provide training for 19 districts in Region 7. Approximately 140 teachers will participate in the program, which begins with a summer institute to be held August 11-15, 2008 at Apollo High School in St. Cloud. Continue reading “Augsburg teachers training teachers”

Training math and science teachers

academyAugsburg College was recently selected as a partner in the Minnesota Mathematics and Science Teacher Academy initiative. According to the Minnesota Department of Education, the Academy is a result of Governor Pawlenty’s efforts to improve teacher effectiveness particularly in the areas of math and science.

The Academy is comprised of nine regional teacher centers, each including at least one K-12 school district or education service cooperative and one higher education institution. Augsburg is partnering with Resource Training and Solutions in St. Cloud. Augsburg math professor Tracy Bibelnieks is one of three instructors leading the training for the St. Cloud center. Continue reading “Training math and science teachers”