Meet Ryan Rivard ’06. Ryan summited Mount Everest on May 20, 2024.
What keeps you busy these days? What are you doing for work and for play?
Currently, I am the agency owner of Bespoken Directive and the founder of the nonprofit Let’s Fuel Growth, which focuses on mental health and helping individuals in recovery find community and purpose through events and activities. I recently summited Mount Everest, and in my free time, I enjoy outdoor adventures, playing hockey, and spending quality time with my family, including my four children. I also love traveling, being active in the community, and participating in endurance sports racing.
What is a piece of advice you would give to a current Auggie or young alumni? Don’t wait until you’re older to accomplish your dreams. Life is short—get living and make the most of every opportunity.
How did Augsburg shape your path? Or, how is Augsburg continuing to shape your path? Augsburg provided a solid foundation in psychology and music, fostering a passion for helping others and creativity. This foundation has been integral in both my professional and personal life.
What makes you excited to give back to Augsburg as an alumni? Or, what inspires you to give to Augsburg? Augsburg’s commitment to community and personal growth inspires me to give back. The support and education I received there have been instrumental in my journey, and I want to ensure future students have similar opportunities.
Meet Collin Katainen ’14 MAE. Collin is a member of the Augsburg Alumni Board.
What keeps you busy these days? What are you doing for work and for play?
Occupying hockey rinks with my two children in the winter, my son is a Peewee goalie, my daughter a 10U forward; in the summer we love spending time at our cabin up north. I went on to get my Educational Specialist degree and am a high school principal for a private school in St. Louis Park. I also coach and mentor new teachers as a consultant with a professional development company called Northshore Learning. While a student at Augsburg, I also acquired my real estate license and have been working as a Realtor ever since; it’s a fun profession and pairs nicely with an educator’s schedule.
Who or what is something or someone that motivates you? My family, friends and students are influences, each in their own way help motivate, challenge and humble me in ways that keep me grounded. I have come to learn the importance of a work/life balance and the need to break away from life’s responsibilities and just stop, sit in nature and listen to the world around you.
What makes you excited to give back to Augsburg as an Alumni? Or, what inspires you to give to Augsburg? As an educator, anytime I can help shape the future outcome of a situation or opportunity where my experiences or knowledge improves or makes life easier for someone else is a win. I hope I can find a way to improve the Augsburg experience for any student as an alumni resource.
Who is an Auggie (alumni, faculty/staff, friend, etc.) that inspires you or that has impacted you and why?
Along with the many great courses and instructors who were always willing to spend time sharing their experiences; I always found Anne Kaufman, Ph.D. Professor Emerita and Co-Director, Augsburg Paideia Program (Retired) to have had the greatest impact on my successes in the classroom. Even after graduating, when I was a young teacher, Dr. Kaufman would be a sounding board as I tried to incorporate Paideia into my lessons.
If you are unfamiliar, Paideia (pie DAY a) is a pedagogy that encourages student-centered, democratic discussions around a common text. Paideia principles surround the idea that the primary cause of genuine learning is the activity of the learner’s own mind, sometimes with the help of a teacher functioning as a secondary and cooperative cause; that the three types of teaching that should occur in our schools are didactic teaching of subject matter, coaching that produces the skills of learning, and Socratic questioning in seminar discussion.
The annual Paideia Summer Institute held in July at Augsburg University is a great course to take for anyone in the education field.
Thank you, Collin!
Auggie Spotlight is a project that features Augsburg Alumni in all walks of life, and further connections in our Augsburg Alumni community. If you would like to be in the spotlight, or if you’d like to nominate another alumni, please fill out this form.
Meet Berlynn Bitengo ’21, ’23 MBA. Berlynn is serving her fourth year on the Alumni Board and is the Augsburg Alumni Board President 2024-25.
Who or what is something or someone that motivates you? My family and friends. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by amazing, ambitious, passionate and hardworking individuals who are constantly inspiring and challenging me to go beyond what I think is possible.
What is a piece of advice that you would give to a current Auggie or young alumni? Be your strongest and loudest advocate because nobody is going to go hard for you the way you will.
What makes you excited to give back to Augsburg as an Alumni? Or, what inspires you to give to Augsburg? What makes me excited to give back is knowing how impactful it is to the students and what inspires me to give is Augsburg’s commitment to ensuring all the students that pass through Augsburg are successful not only while they are at Augsburg but also years after.
Thank you, Berlynn!
Auggie Spotlight is a project that features Augsburg Alumni in all walks of life, and further connections in our Augsburg Alumni community. If you would like to be in the spotlight, or if you’d like to nominate another alumni, please fill out this form.
We look forward to celebrating commencement on May 8, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. CST. Commencement will take place at the Target Center in Minneapolis. We can’t wait to celebrate Auggies as they graduate and become our newest Auggie Alumni.
We are thrilled to share a new book published by some of our talented faculty and staff members! “RadicalRoots: How One Professor Changed a University’s Legacy” tells the story of Augsburg University sociology professor Joel Torstenson ’38.
Co-authored by President Paul Pribbenow, Associate Professor Katie Clark, Professor Tim Pippert, and former staff member Green Bouzard, “RadicalRoots” examines Torstenson’s legacy at Augsburg over the past 60 years. At the core is a story of transformation that outlines how Augsburg deepened its understanding of the public purposes of higher education by embracing its urban setting. The book offers lessons for colleges and universities across the country committed to democratic engagement in their work at the intersections of mission and place.
We hope readers who purchase the book feel inspired and have a renewed sense of commitment to the public work of higher education in a rapidly changing world.
On February 27, Augsburg hosted a Career Exploration Day for first-year students. One workshop offered to the students was titled, “Navigating the Journey: Things I wish I would have known as a first year Auggie.”
This workshop was led by the Augsburg Alumni Board and included Alumni Board members (Berlynn Bitengo ’21, Charlotte Deegan ’12, Ian Heseltine ’21, and Jay Lepper ’95) and other Augsburg Alumni (Kristin Bunge ’12, Lori Higgins ’94, Sarah Korbel ’12, and Chase Webber ’20).
Over the course their two workshops, seven alumni panelists and one alumnus facilitator spoke to around 70 students about their various career journeys and experiences at and after Augsburg.
Thank you to our amazing Alumni for giving back to Augsburg and sharing their wisdom, offering bits of their stories, and helping first-year students to think about what they can do now to prepare for their careers in the future.
Meet Devoney Looser ’89, BA (English) minors in French and communication, summa cum laude, with Honors. Devoney is an internationally recognized expert on the history of women’s writings, feminist literary criticism, and Jane Austen—has worked in higher education for thirty years. She is Regents Professor of English and Global Sport Scholar at Arizona State University, where she’s taught since 2013 and a recipient of this year’s Augsburg Distinguished Alumni Award.
What keeps you busy these days? I’m working on a new book, Wild for Austen, for St. Martin’s Press, for publication in fall 2025, to coincide with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth. For play, I’m skating with a wonderful roller derby team, Roughneck Roller Derby, in Tulsa, OK. (I work in Arizona, but I spend weekends with my husband and our younger son in Tulsa.)
How did Augsburg shape your path? Augsburg completely transformed my path. I was a first-generation college student, who needed (and received!) not only financial support but a lot of guidance. I started college as a shy and quiet student; I ended up with so many opportunities to grow, through student leadership roles in the newspaper, yearbook, and literary magazine, as well as the orientation program and the library, where I worked. Augsburg’s faculty and staff shaped—and still shape—my path, through their generous sharing of wisdom, support, and opportunities.
Who is an Auggie (alumni, faculty/staff, friend, etc.) that has impacted you and why? The fact that there are so many Augsburg faculty and staff I could name who had a positive impact on me is inspiring, right? The one I’d like to mention here is English Professor Cathie Nicholl. Cathie is the person who first suggested I should go to graduate school. What she said during an advising session was, “Don’t drop your French class. You’ll need that for graduate school.” I always joke that, at this moment, I thought to myself, “Wait a minute! I’m going to graduate school?” But there’s some truth to that! It’s a moment that felt like a light bulb going off in my head, and her support and encouragement is what set me on the path to the PhD and to a career as an academic and a writer.
What is a fun or favorite memory of your time at Augsburg? I have very happy memories of our rushing to meet late-night editing and production deadlines for the Echo newspaper. That’s where I first started to drink coffee but, more importantly, made lifelong friends. I also remember fondly a winter night hanging out with Echo staff, including co-editor Steve Aggergaard, that ended with our making snow angels in Murphy Square.
Augsburg is looking to add additional members to it’s Alumni Board starting this summer. Are you passionate about keeping alumni connected to Augsburg? Do you want to think creatively about ways to connect alumni with current students? Do you like helping to bring Auggies together at various events? If you’re interested, please reach out to Nate Berkas at berkasn@augsburg.edu to learn more.
The Augsburg Alumni Board is an opportunity for alumni from all programs and class years to build relationships with each other and the University today. Members connect with institution leaders, faculty, and students to better understand and support the mission. For more information, visit the Alumni Board page.
Meet Navid Amini ’19, MBA. Navid is serving his third year on the Alumni Board and is the Augsburg Alumni Board President 2023-24.
What keeps you busy these days? Spending time with my children (12, 10, and 5). I current serve as the Director of Client Strategy for Laguna Health which is a Healthtech AI company transforming care management. I enjoy playing the piano when I find time and traveling to my second home in Florida.
Who motivates you? I have seven brothers who serve as my personal “board of directors” and they inspire me immensely and push me hard to continue thriving.
How did Augsburg shape your path? Attaining my MBA from Augsburg taught me a lot about myself as a person and instilled the spirit of paying it forward. I am honored to continue remaining connected with the institution through the Alumni Board.
What is a fun or favorite memory of your time at Augsburg? Slamming coffees late at night with my team as we figured out how to draft the best market analysis report out there!
Thank you Navid!
Auggie Spotlight is a new project that will feature Augsburg Alumni in all walks of life, and further connections in our Augsburg Alumni community. If you would like to be in the spotlight, or if you’d like to nominate another alumni, please fill out this form.
Evangeline “Vangie” Hagfors passed away peacefully on October 4, 2022 at her home.
Vangie’s deep connection to Augsburg began when her father, Elnar Gundale ’33, emigrated from Norway and attended Augsburg Seminary. Vangie attended classes on Augsburg’s campus from 1957-1959 as part of the Nurse’s Training Program through the Lutheran Deaconess Hospital. And three of Vangie’s siblings – John Gundale ’67, Stephen Gundale ’70, and Ruth Gundale ’73 – also attended Augsburg.
Vangie married Norm, a University of Minnesota graduate, and together they had two children, Mark and Rachel. Norm joined Augsburg’s Board of Regents in 1989 and both Norm and Vangie have faithfully served on Augsburg’s President’s Council since its inception in 2018. They embodied Christ’s teaching to love your neighbor, a core tenant of Augsburg’s mission.
Dr. Paul Mueller ’84 shared, “We are saddened by the passing of Mrs. Vangie Hagfors and extend our condolences to our friend, Norm, and the entire Hagfors family. Vangie understood the tremendous value of an Augsburg education rooted in our Lutheran faith. Over the years, the Hagfors have been leading benefactors of Augsburg University. Their lead gift in 2015 resulted in the construction of the campus’ signature building, the Hagfors Center for Science, Business and Religion, in which our students—and future leaders—learn about and explore the intersections of these three disciplines.”
The Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion is a multi-discipline complex that opened in January of 2018 and serves more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year.
Norm and Vangie Hagfors visiting the construction site of the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion with President Paul Pribbenow and architect Bill Blanski.Vangie is pictured above ready to cut the ribbon and officially open the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.
Vangie’s gentle and generous spirit will be missed dearly by the Augsburg community. She truly clothed herself in “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” as we read about in Colossians 3:12.
Evangeline “Vangie” and Norm Hagfors pictured together in the Gundale Chapel in the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion on Augsburg’s campus.
President Paul Pribbenow shared that “It is a most sad day for all of us who have come to know and love Vangie. Her historic ties to Augsburg through her father, the Rev. Elnar Gundale ’33, are fittingly celebrated in the beautiful Gundale Chapel in the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion, and her deep faith was an inspiration to all of us. One of the greatest joys of my time at Augsburg has been to witness the remarkable vision and generosity of Norm and Vangie, whose legacy is forever secure in the remarkable Hagfors Center – a transformative academic building that still takes my breath away with both its architectural beauty and its impact on our students and faculty each day. Along with her family and friends, we grieve Vangie’s death and celebrate a life so faithfully led.”
The funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 24, at Saint Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi. Visitation will be held from 3 PM to 6 PM on Sunday, October 23, at Bradshaw, 4600 Greenhaven Drive, White Bear Lake, and one hour prior to the service at church. Read Vangie’s official obituary.
How One Professor Changed a University’s Legacy” tells the story of Augsburg University sociology professor Joel Torstenson ’38.
