This Summer, Augsburg College launched its new Master of Fine Arts degree. The MFA offers four genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. A fifth genre, playwriting, will be added in 2014. A national book prize and concentrations in publishing, teaching and translation will also begin that year.
“An Augsburg MFA leverages our distinguished faculty and the strength of our undergraduate programs while delivering things no other program in Minnesota or the surrounding states offers, including a book prize, a screenwriting track, and low-residency programming for all four of our genres,” said Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow. “The program and its format show the ability of our school to meet marketplace demand and to use technology to increase accessibility and contain costs.”
The Augsburg MFA includes three 10-day summer residencies, complemented by online coursework as well as individualized mentorship semesters. During the residency, students will participate in daily workshops, readings, and mini-courses focused on literary craft, career skills in teaching, editing, publishing, book arts, advertising, translation, adaptation, and new media.
Trena Bolden Fields ’00, is returning to Augsburg to pursue an MFA degree. “I am excited about this program as it gives writers an opportunity to specialize in a genre as well as gain exposure in another genre of their choice,” said Bolden Fields. “I believe the program will give me the academic grounding I need and want as a creative writer. I look forward to connecting with other writers and being able to finish my next book!”
Learn more on the MFA admissions website.
Pastor and Director of Campus Ministry, effective June 1, 2013. Pastor Hagander, who first joined the Augsburg community in 1998, assumes the duties previously held by Pastor Dave Wold, who retired at the end of May after 30 years as Augsburg’s campus pastor.
Beginning at 7:00 a.m. and finishing about 3:00 p.m., new Auggies will be moving into Urness Hall and because of the large size, some will move into Mortensen and Anderson as well. Come visit with the students and their families as they line up in their cars, vans and trucks all along 21st Avenue South. Food and beverages are provided all day for our new Auggies (playing car hop is always fun)! It’s a great way to welcome new students. Questions? Contact Sally Daniels Herron ’79 at 
On July 12, chemistry alumni spanning more than a half century of graduating classes, met on the Augsburg campus. They renewed friendships and swapped stories with favorite chemistry faculty including emeriti Arlin Gyberg and John Holum and current chemistry department chair Dr. Sandra Olmsted ’69. They toured Science Hall with outstanding science faculty and learned first-hand of impressive research by Augsburg science students in chemistry, biology and physics.
on what would have been his 100th birthday on Sunday, October 13, 2013, at 4:00 p.m., at Normandale Lutheran Church in Edina, MN. This celebration will honor the legacy of “Doc.”