Stewart Van Cleve is a librarian and digital archivist at Augsburg University’s Lindell Library, where he is responsible for Augsburg’s Digital Archives (library.augsburg.edu/archives). His passion for archiving began while studying toward a degree in Urban Studies at the University of Minnesota when he had a student position working with the renowned Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies. The Tretter Collection is a vast collection of books, photographs, films, and other historical artifacts that Van Cleve calls “one of the most comprehensive accounts of international queer history in the world.” After receiving his master’s in urban studies from Portland State University, Van Cleve decided to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science at St. Catherine University, in St. Paul.
In 2012, Van Cleve published his book, Land of 10,000 Loves: A History of Queer Minnesota, a wide-ranging illustrated history of queer life in Minnesota. The book contains more than 120 historical essays exploring the earliest evidence of queer life in Minnesota before the Second World War—from Oscar Wilde’s visit to Minnesota, riverfront vice districts, protest and parade sites, bars, 1970s collectives, institutions, public spaces, and private homes. This rich history is illustrated in more than 130 examples, including images of annual “pride guides,” a number of archival photographs, and advertisements from local queer bars.
Having worked at Augsburg for nearly a year, Van Cleve says he loves the “student-centric” nature of the University. On Thursday, April 5, he will be joining the Augsburg Alumni office at its Auggies in the City: Kinky Boots, pre-theater event to discuss his book, and to provide more details on the history of queer life in Minnesota.
Amanda Stramer ‘12 was named recently to the Florida High Tech Corridor’s 2018 “Faces of Technology,” which represents more than 252,000 scientists and technologists. Stramer earned this distinction through her innovative work in the development and commercialization of cancer immunotherapies.
For three years, Stramer has worked at Iovance Biotherapeutics in Tampa, FL. Currently a process development associate scientist, she works to develop immuno-oncology therapies, called tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), to fight aggressive cancers.
Stramer says she chose to study at Augsburg because it was the most diverse private school in Minnesota*, and was small enough to provide for enhanced learning that can result from significant relationships with professors and classmates alike. Stramer graduated with a BS in Biology and Philosophy and was a lead volunteer at the Campus Kitchen. She has found that she can thrive in a small and intimate work environment, such as the one at Iovance Biotherapeutics, thanks to the study habits she developed at Augsburg.
Within a week of graduating from Augsburg, Stramer was offered a job. She immediately moved to Florida, where she started her career as a microbiologist at a small biotech company in Sarasota.
When asked if she could offer any advice to current Auggies, Stramer said, “Although there is always talk about academic careers following STEM programs, the science industry is so huge and versatile; Auggies should never fear to branch out.”
Stramer is a fantastic example of an Auggie making a difference, and Augsburg can take pride in its diverse alumni base, which includes a wide range of professions and accolades.
Do you know a great Auggie who should be in the spotlight? Let us know by emailing alumni@augsburg.edu.
*Augsburg University was the most diverse private school in Minnesota at the time of Stramer’s application.
With so many amazing things are happening at Augsburg, it may be helpful to have a little guidance about just how much is happening this year for the 35 Augsburg groups raising funds this year.
How can you support these initiatives? Read on! We’ve collected some examples of how your gifts this Thursday can make a huge impact in the lives of Augsburg students, faculty, and community members. Thanks for your support!
You can see all of Augsburg’s Give to the Max Day projects, and make your gifts now.
Your gift to the Augsburg Fund helps ensure that Augsburg continues to provide financial aid and scholarships for more than 95% of our student body, keeping access to education for all a priority on campus.
2. Your gift to the Augsburg Health Commons means members of our Cedar-Riverside community who are struggling to provide for their families don’t have to worry about the cold winter ahead.
3. Your gift to Augsburg Campus Kitchens helps expand and improve our campus gardens, where students and community members work together to grow healthy food and integrate green practices into our cities. Watch the video here.
4. Your gift to Augsburg’s Biology Department supports cutting-edge research on issues affecting Minnesota’s agricultural sector, including the health of soybeans. Watch the video here.
5. Your gift to Augsburg’s Chemistry Department gives students like Zach Swingen ‘16 the chance to work closely with Minnesota schools to build new curriculum that gets kids excited about science. Watch the video here.
6. Your gift to Augsburg’s Baseball and Softball teams gives our student-athletes a chance to train in Tucson, Arizona. It also gives Auggie Eagle a little break from the cold weather… watch the video here!
7. Your gift to Augsburg’s SMART group will help raise awareness and advocate for issues related to sexual violence and recovery in the Augsburg community.
8. Your gift to the Augsburg Theater Department’s Production Fellowship helps fund students of color who are exploring a career in artistic production, making the industry more representative and giving future generations of creative people new role models.
9. Your gift to Augsburg’s Peace Scholars Fund helps support the motivated, global-minded group of students who are Augsburg Peace Scholars. Watch the video here.
10. Your gift to Augsburg’s StepUP® Program creates opportunities for students in recovery to spread their message of hope and acceptance throughout the Twin Cities in speaking engagements, activities, and community events.
11. Your gift to the Sabo Center’s Sabo Scholars continues that work that Augsburg alumnus Martin Olav Sabo ‘59 believed in and spent his life achieving—equipping young leaders to move beyond the classroom to listen, value, and support democracy in every facet of community life.
12. Your gift to Augsburg’s Women’s Volleyball program provides our 2016 MIAC Champions with the chance to take their game abroad, as they challenge themselves against tougher opposition and experience new cultures, all while proudly representing Augsburg..
13. Your gift to Augsburg’s Minnesota Urban Debate League program gives young people across the metro area the chance to build their communication skills and confidence, giving them the tools to be successful leaders in their community.
14. Your gift to Lindell Library support an expanded collection of local, Minnesota authors and a speaker series that honors the many contributions our residents have made to the stories of art, architecture, history, literature, politics, and native and immigrant groups.
15. Your gift to any of four Augsburg projects count double. Donations to AWE for Emergence, the Peace Scholars Program, STEM, Biology, and Chemistry will be matched for every dollar, thanks to generous donors willing to help us all do more, together,
16. Your gifts help Augsburg win the Colleges and Universities category that earns the College a $10,000 prize—and each hour on Give to the Max Day, one Golden Ticket of $1,000 will be awarded through a random drawing of all donations transacted during the previous hour. Additionally, two Super-Sized Golden Tickets of $10,000 each will be awarded randomly.
With 36 Augsburg programs participating in Give to the Max, it’s easy to choose the Auggie causes that speak to your heart. Just don’t expect to be satisfied with just one!
Teachers working in designated teacher shortage areas in Minnesota may now qualify for help with their student loan payments. The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) recently announced an assistance program for teachers with student loans.
The Minnesota Teacher Shortage Student Loan Repayment Program, created in 2015, is intended to encourage teachers to teach in Minnesota in designated shortage areas by providing assistance with their student loan repayments.
In general, applicants must currently:
Hold a teaching license issued by the licensing division in the Minnesota Department of Education on behalf of the Board of Teaching
Be employed by a school district to provide classroom instruction
Qualifying teachers who apply by June 30, 2016, may be eligible for repayment assistance of $1,000 per year, up to a total of $5,000. OHE estimates that 194 awards will be made for the 2015-2016 award year, with as many as 1,940 annual awards made through 2019.
The Teacher Shortage Student Loan Repayment Program application is online here.
Please share this information with interested friends or colleagues. For more information, contact Sandy Connolly at 651-259-3902 or by email at sandy.connolly@state.mn.us.
For those of you who attended the Auggie Networking Event on Tuesday, February 9, in Hoversten Chapel, a highlight was the demonstration of using the College’s LinkedIn group to reach out to other alumni or students. Join the Augsburg College group and increase your ability to connect with other Auggies across every field. For those who are open to being contacted for networking or mentoring, join the sub-group Auggie Student-Alumni Connections. Note: you must be part of the Augsburg College group first. For tips on connecting with Auggies across all disciplines via LinkedIn, see the how-to guide shared at the networking event.
The Augsburg Alumni LinkedIn group is in the process of merging with the College’s group. If you’re not already connected with the Augsburg College group now, do so today. The Augsburg College Alumni group will close at the end of April 2016 in an effort to form the most robust group for building connections among Auggies everywhere.
This week is NCAA Division III Week, a celebration of all the wonderful things that Division III is all about. We have so much to celebrate. Congratulations to …
• The men’s hockey team and Augsburg men’s hockey coach Chris Brown, who was named MIAC Coach of the Year for his leadership of the MIAC-champion Auggies. Eight Augsburg men’s hockey players earned postseason honors from the MIAC.
• Enjoy a video of that magic moment when Mack Ohnsted scored in the third overtime to lift Augsburg over St. John’s to the MIAC men’s hockey championship, sending the Auggies to the NCAA Division III national playoffs.
• Augsburg men’s hockey goalie Jordyn Kaufer, named to the CCM Hockey/AHCA Division II-III All-America Team. Kaufer is Augsburg’s 34th All-American in men’s hockey.
• Augsburg women’s hockey qualified for the MIAC postseason playoffs for the fifth time in school history. The Auggies third-place conference finish was the team’s highest MIAC finished since 1999-00, when the team won the conference and regular season playoff titles. See the team video.
• Augsburg’s wrestling team finished fifth at the NCAA Division III National Championships, and had four All-Americans this year.
• Augsburg wrestler Donny Longendyke qualified for a spot in this weekend’s U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in Iowa City, Iowa.
• Stan Nelson ’43 will be honored with the Bud Grant Distinguished Minnesotan Award by the National Football Foundation on April 17.
• Missy Strauch, head athletic trainer at Augsburg College, will receive the Fred Zamberletti Award from the National Football Foundation.
• Augsburg wrestling alumni Scott Whirley ’82 and Henry Gerten ’98 who were inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame.
Stay tuned to Auggie Athletics for the latest. Spring sports, we’re ready for you!
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.
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”→
With more than 1,500 alumni staying connected with Augsburg via social media and in so many other ways, we would love to hear from you. Every month, we at the Augsburg Alumni Association are going to ask you a question via social media and we would love to hear your feedback. We want to hear your ideas about upcoming events, special programs, favorite memories, volunteering, continuing education, and so much more. In every monthly e-newsletter, we will pose a question for you, the alumni, and we’ll follow it up on Twitter and Facebook. We’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas, and we hope you will share your stories with us!
Homecoming planning is already underway here on campus for Sept. 23-24, 2016. The April 2016 #AuggieAsks question is: What would bring to campus for Homecoming? Do you a favorite idea for Homecoming that you’ve never seen or would like to see again? What makes Homecoming great for you?
Have any questions of your own? Tag #AuggieAsks to Augsburg Alumni on Facebook or Twitter, or let us know at alumni@augsburg.edu, and we’ll get back to you right away.
We hear so many stories of lifelong partnerships found at Augsburg—couples who met in their first year, in class, at the Chin Wag, or working on campus—we’re tempted to call Augsburg cupid. Or just lucky to play host to a lifetime of heart-enriching connections of all kinds—lifelong friendships, mentorships, and partnerships. We put a call out on social media to share a photo with Augsburg Alumni if you met your mate at Augsburg College. Thank you to all who shared your photos and stories. This Valentine’s Day, the Alumni Association sends love to Auggies everywhere!
Auggie lovebirds include: Kari Aanestad ’08 and Brian Krohn ’08, with Sean Stanhill ’08, Krista Costin ’08, and Ryan Lisson ’08; Alissa Blood-Knafla ’07 and Patrick Knafla ’04; Anjie (Tonolli) ’93 and Tac ’91 Coplin; Carol (Pederson) ’72 and Wayne ’71 Jorgenson; Caitlin Hozeny ’09 and Seth Lienard ’11; Abby (Johnson) ’05 and Zac ’03 Schnedler; Alisha Esselstein ’15 and Tyler Dorn ’15; Simoné (Johnson) ’91 and Alex Gonzalez ’90; Shannon Connaughton ’13 and Erik Grindal ’13; Cherie (Elliott) ’03 and Brad Christ; Ross Murray ’00, MBA ’09 and Richard Garnett ’07, MBA ’09; Joanne (Varner) ’52 and Harvey ’52 Peterson; Heather Johnston ’92 and Jason Koch ’93; Lisbeth (Jorgensen) ’70 and Earl ’68 Sethre; Joan (Moline) ’83 and John Evans ’82; Hayley Thomas ’12 and Emerson Ball ’14; Becky (Bjella) ’79 and Jeff ’77 Nodland; Barbara (Beglinger) ’63 and Dean ’62 Larson; Laura Schmidt ’11 and Patrick DuSchane ’13; Pam (Hanson) ’79 and Mark ’79 Moksnes; Christine ’09 and Cody ’09 Tresselt-Warren with Noah; Denielle Johnson ’11 and Tim Stepka; Jennifer (Feine) ’94 and Erik Hellie ’93; Molly (Fochtman) ’92 and Greg Schnagl ’91; Bev (Ranum) ’78 and Dennis ’78 Meyer; Nancy (Mackey) ’85 and Paul ’84 Mueller; Emily Crook ’07, MAE ’15 and DJ Hamm ’08, and many hundreds more!
Alumna 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.”
