Bing tracking

Using History to Better Understand Public Safety

An event sponsored by Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE)

Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Virtual Event
7:30 – 8:45 pm
Free of charge 

Register

Headshot of Dr. William Green and Dr. Michael Lansing against a maroon backdrop. The Augsburg Women Engaged logo appears at under their photos.

Join AWE for a free online presentation and discussion with Augsburg faculty Dr. William Green and Dr. Michael Lansing. Dr. Green will speak about his article, “An Ever-Present Impulse: The Legacy of Anti-Black Violence and the Paradox of Minnesota Exceptionalism” and Dr. Lansing will present his article “Policing Politics: Labor, Race and the Police Officers Federation in Minneapolis, 1945-1972”. Professors Green and Lansing are planning for generous time to field questions from attendees about their essays and related issues. Engaging the history of race and community-police relations in Minneapolis provides context and perspective to consider as citizens weigh options for moving forward.

 

Moderator

Babette ChatmanREV. Babette Chatman ’06 is an Augsburg University graduate and serves as one of our University Pastors. Prior to joining the campus ministry team full time in 2019, Pastor Babette served as a community collaborative partner with Campus Ministry and was the Associate Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. She also co-chaired the Mission Table on the Minneapolis Area Synod Council.

 

Making an Impact Through Problem Solving

Brynn Watson ’89 is Lockheed Martin’s Vice President in the Digital Transformation Program. As COVID-19 moved most of Lockheed Martin’s work online, Brynn’s work became more important than ever, helping her teams pivot to a digital platform. She has been pleasantly surprised that productivity and efficiency have continued and says her teams have adapted positively to online programs to stay connected. While this has been a big change for most of the company, it’s a change Brynn embraces, especially in her leadership role.

“We’re more empathetic about work-life balance. Parents are teaching their kids. We’ve become more accepting about dogs barking in the background of a phone call. I like that change. It’s a good thing.”

Brynn has an award-winning record for her leadership abilities: Lockheed Martin Space NOVA Full Spectrum Leadership Award; Tribute to Women Honor by the YWCA of Silicon Valley; and Lockheed Martin Space Ed Taft Diversity Leadership Award.

In 2018, Brynn was recognized with Augsburg’s Distinguished Alumni Award for her commitment to helping young women in STEM.

Brynn’s dedication to helping others through community building started long before her work at Lockheed Martin. It started in middle school with the influence of another Auggie: Ertwin “Ert” Jones-Hermerding.

Ert graduated from Augsburg in 1969 with a degree in Speech, then moved to Robbinsdale to teach speech and theater at the middle school. This is where Brynn first met Ert and first learned about Augsburg.

“What he had our theater groups focus on was not only our craft, but our community. I got into the focus on service really young.”

Brynn thought Augsburg sounded like the best college from Ert’s depiction. In fact, when applying for college, she only applied to Augsburg.

“I followed in the footsteps of my favorite teacher,” says Brynn. “I was really motivated to go to a place where I could learn and also make an impact on my community.”

At Augsburg, Brynn was involved in campus life as a resident advisor, a cheerleader, and as part of ODK, a national organization that recognized students with responsible leadership and service in campus life skills. And it was in her math class that she developed a love for problem solving. Dr. Lawrence Copes, Chair of Math Computer Science, challenged Brynn and her classmates to think differently about math.

“He opened our minds to what math is, he called it a beautiful language and problem solving language.”

Brynn credits Dr. Copes’ coaching and mentorship for steering her into the aerospace industry. When she thought about what to do with her mathematics degree, she thought about solving hard problems. And the industry growing at the time of her graduation—the industry that presented all the hard problems—was the aerospace industry.

Leadership Through Mentorship

Brynn graduated from Augsburg, then went on to earn her master’s degree in applied mathematics from the University of California at Riverside. After a few years at Aerojet Electronic Systems, she attended a job fair where she met a female executive, Amy Flanagan, who was focused on recruiting women to Lockheed Martin. Brynn was so impressed with Amy that she decided she wanted to work for her.

“I honed my focus on service at Augsburg, but when I met Amy, I was introduced to her passion and I wanted to work for her and work for the place she was committed to.”

At Lockheed Martin, Brynn has held a variety of positions, including vice president of Navigation Systems Operations and deputy for the Global Positioning System (GPS) III program for Lockheed Martin Space.

“I have a lot of great memories and experiences of

developing products, launching satellites, those are awesome and amazing things that are doing wonderful things for our country and our world.”

When asked what she is most proud of in the time since graduating from Augsburg, Brynn says raising her daughter to be an amazing young woman. Brynn is also proud of her work mentoring others, especially women.

Augsburg prepared her to go out into the world and make an impact, and Brynn sees this impact in her daughter, in her daughter’s friends, and in others she’s mentored over the years.

“It’s visiting classrooms, it’s one kid that got a spark from that visit. That’s amazing to be able to create those sparks that can solve the next big challenge for the world.”

Brynn has mentored several women in her career, including college students who now work at Lockheed Martin. She is also on the Executive Steering Council for Lockheed Martin’s Women’s Impact Network, and is co-chairing this year’s virtual women’s leadership forum.

“As much as I believe we are making a lot of progress in our quest to improve the diversity metrics—particularly the female to male ratios—there’s a lot of work to do. I always make sure that people surround themselves with mentors and sponsors and champions. You are creating a network of support so as you need to make difficult decisions—whether it’s technical decisions within your day job or it is advice on how to find that next opportunity—you’ve got that support network.”

Brynn’s daily work doesn’t include typing code or doing math problems on the white board like she used to, but she believes her work is still about solving problems and making sure the barriers her teams might be facing are addressed.

“Sometimes you think you have to do it all on your own and that’s never the case. I got to where I am because of mentors and teachers and my parents, all those people are the shoulders that I stood on to get to where I’m at.”

Meet Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Brynn A. Watson ‘89

Brynn WatsonBrynn A. Watson ‘89 is an award-winning leader in the aerospace industry, nationally recognized for her technical expertise, executive leadership, and advocacy for STEM education. She currently serves as Lockheed Martin’s vice president for the Future Enterprise Program overseeing the corporation’s transformational digital technology operations.

In her nomination letter, the Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE) Council said, “Brynn’s accomplishments during her career at Lockheed Martin stand for themselves. We are so proud to see an Auggie woman pioneering for other women in STEM.”

Watson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in mathematics from Augsburg University and a Master of Science in applied mathematics from the University of California at Riverside.

In prior leadership roles at Lockheed Martin, Watson was vice president of Navigation Systems Operations and deputy for the Global Positioning System (GPS) III program for Lockheed Martin Space. GPS III is the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation program improving position, navigation, and timing services to all users.  Before that, she was vice president of an engineering organization in the Space line of business leading more than 5,300 engineers, responsible for personnel management and development, engineering and technology strategy, engineering processes, tools and training, and product technical validation. Prior to that assignment, she served as director of software engineering, responsible for the execution and strategic direction over 1,200 software engineers; leading a strategic initiative focused on maximizing digital integration and end-to-end system modeling. Additionally, she served as director of engineering, collaboration, and operations for Corporate Engineering and Technology, and deputy to the vice president of Engineering.

Watson began her aerospace career as an engineer at Aerojet Electronic Systems in Azusa, Calif., where she held positions in a variety of systems and software engineering areas.

Watson is a member of Women in Aerospace, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Lockheed Martin Women’s Impact Network.

She has been recognized for her leadership, receiving the 2013 Lockheed Martin Space NOVA Full Spectrum Leadership Award; the 2012 Tribute to Women Honor by the YWCA of Silicon Valley; and the 2008 Lockheed Martin Space Ed Taft Diversity Leadership Award. In 2015, Watson’s essay, “A Look Inside Lockheed Martin’s Space-Age Operations,” was published by the Harvard Business Review.

Watson’s enterprising spirit and accomplishments mirror the tenacity of Auggies around the world, who, through study, experience, and hard work, ascend to prestigious positions among today’s leading companies.

Watson credits her time at Augsburg as helping her to think big and believe that she can accomplish anything with hard work and perseverance. She also feels that her strong advocacy for women was built by the dedicated women she interacted with during her time at the university.

Homecoming Auggie Talk: A Hagfors Center Pilgrimage – Hosted by AWE (Augsburg Women Engaged)

Auggie Talks, Hagfors BuildingSaturday, Oct. 13 from 3 – 3:45 p.m.

Join Auggie women on a special exploration of the new Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion. This tour, led by Religion professor Marty Stortz, will begin with reflection in the Gundale Chapel, highlighting the vocational journey of Augsburg students; then a visit to the Food Lab; and along the way, reflect on the inspirational art that captures the intersections between science, business, and religion.

About Auggie Talks:

They’re back by popular demand! Join us for 30-minute, insightful sessions presented by professors and fellow alumni on topics spearheaded by your class reunion groups. Talks will be published as they become available on social media and in upcoming communications.

Space is limited. Please register today for Auggie Talks.

Other Auggie Talks:

A Friendship to Last a Lifetime

Auggie Friendships Forever

Mike Scott ’71 admits that talking about friendship isn’t his strongest point, but he’s more than happy to acknowledge that his Augsburg friendships were the best part of his Augsburg experience. Mike and four of those Auggie friends—Larry Stewart ’72 , Tim Casey ’71, Mike Good ’71, and Bruce Santerre ’71—have maintained communication since graduation, and their friendship has survived the test of time. As a group of five, the men have put a priority on keeping in touch; they have celebrated marriages together, consoled each other in difficult times, and gotten to know each other’s children. As far as friendships go, these men share a connection so strong they consider themselves ‘almost’ family.

When Four Became Five

The five men pulling their infamous pose.

In the fall semester of 1967, the academic year was pushed back for a short period of time to accommodate the completion of Urness Tower. All non-commuting football players were accommodated in Memorial Hall until the semester started and they could be placed in permanent residence halls. It was there that Mike Scott met his very first college roommate, Larry Stewart, as well as Tim Casey and Bruce Santerre, who roomed next door. Besides playing football, the men shared another common thread; they were all from rural out-state. The four men connected as teammates, as neighbors, and by their rural upbringings—and they became friends. When the fall semester eventually started, the four were moved to Mortensen Hall where they would be living on a full-time basis. As chance would have it, on moving day Mike Scott encountered a familiar face and an old acquaintance, Mike Good. The young men had met years earlier through coincidence, when Mike Good was visiting family in Mike Scott’s hometown of Renville.  If this was not surprising enough, the men discovered that Mike Good had been assigned to be Tim Casey’s roommate. This sealed the deal; the initial group of four quickly became five and a friendship blossomed that would span the course of the rest of their lives.

Say Cheese

As the delayed academic year trickled into summer, on one lazy afternoon when they were feeling bored and desperate for entertainment, the five men, along with some fellow Mortensen Hall buddies, decided to take a hilariously posed photograph where they flexed their arm muscles or “guns.” Little did they know at the time that this photograph would be the start of a picture-taking tradition that would mark the significant times of their lives, like weddings and reunions.

Throughout college, the five either lived together, or within one house of each other. As life took them on their individual journeys, they continued to support each other and strengthen their friendship.  From babysitting one another’s children, to taking on important duties for each other (Larry is the godfather of Mike Scott’s son, Kelley), to incorporating spouses and ‘special’ friends – their friendship has never wavered.

Today, although the friends are not physically together (due mainly to career paths that led each to his own location), the group continues to share an incredibly strong bond. At the 2017 Augsburg University Homecoming in October, the five men reunited for another photograph. Although time has changed the faces in the photographs, the deep friendship of these funny freshmen who were inspired by boredom to take a silly photograph in 1968, lives on.

The four friends posing with their arms in gun (L-R Tim Casey, Mike Scott, Bruce Santerre, Larry Stewart and Mike Good)
Reunited at Homecoming 2017 (L-R Tim Casey, Mike Scott, Bruce Santerre, Larry Stewart and Mike Good)

Auggies in the City: Waitress

The Augsburg University Alumni team are serving up a slice of fun! Come and join us at Tony nominated musical “Waitress” on Wednesday, November 22 at Orpheum Theater. Featuring music and lyrics by 6 time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles, the show is guaranteed to be a great time– and at $34 per ticket, this deal is as sweet as pie!

Starting at 6 p.m. we will be hosting a pre-theater reception at the Brave New Workshop with plenty of pie, soft drinks and a cash bar. At this reception we will be hosting a talk by Theater professor, Darcey Engen ’88, on the significance of “Waitress” serving up Broadway’s first all-female creative team.

This is an event you wont want to miss– described by Vanity Fair as “a black-and-white cookie where the comic and tragic edges touch but don’t mix” where “you’re laughing one minute… [and] you’re engaged with the difficult things these characters are going through the next”.

Tickets for this event are unfortunately sold-out but if you’re interested please call Becky Waggoner on 612-330-1085 to be put on the wait list!

Access: It can change your life

Danielle Stellner smiling on a roof in St. PaulAs a child growing up in Chicago, Danielle Stellner ’07 heard mixed messages in her community about the importance of education. But in her family–a family of modest means–there was never any doubt that excelling in school was non-negotiable. Her mother made that clear.

Then, at the age of 18, Stellner herself became a mother. She knew her son was a real blessing. She also knew she yearned for something more in life, but she wasn’t sure what.

As she looks back over the years now, she is impressed at how dramatically access can change one’s life and trajectory. Access to college, access to job opportunities, access to mentors.

Stellner stands with her partner above the ruins of Machu Picchu
Danielle and her partner Herbert on a trip to Peru

One such mentor for Stellner was Erik Nycklemoe, an early supervisor in her career whom she sees as the first person to care about her career and life development. He made it possible for her to earn her B.A. from Augsburg, she says, making her the first in her family to earn an undergraduate degree. Access to evening/weekend study at Augsburg’s Weekend College (now Adult Undergraduate program) was a real break for Stellner, who needed to balance studies with being a working mom.

Moving to Minnesota in search of a safer life for Deion, her three-year-old son, Stellner landed an internship at a 24-hour news station in downtown Minneapolis, then moved on to editing, producing, and hosting. This experience helped hone her skills in content creation and delivery, and she later joined Minnesota Public Radio (a “happy accident”), where she now serves as Managing Partner of Business Planning. She sees public radio as more relevant today than ever. “You can trust public radio to rise above the pack and provide not only relevant news without slant, but arts and cultural programming that consumes you,” she says, and then quotes Thomas Jefferson: “…wherever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government….”

She also found time to complete an MBA from the Carlson School of Management, where she had access to another mentor, Lisa Bittman–a Godsend, and a grounding force through some tough years, she says.

In the whole process, Stellner fell in love with Minnesota and with her now-husband, Herbert Stellner, and they later welcomed two more children into the family, Herbert Stellner IV (9) and Clara Gem Stellner (7).

Stellner poses in cap and gown with her three children
Stellner completed her MBA at the Carlson School of Management

Stellner recalls her student days at Augsburg with gratitude, especially the fantastic lecturing of Dr. David Matz (sociology). In recent years she has reconnected with her alma mater, thanks to Shelby Andress ’56, who introduced her to the Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE) group–”the most incredible group of women I’ve ever met,” says Stellner. She is grateful to now be serving as co-chair of the AWE Council.

Stellner also serves on the board of Friendship Academy of the Arts, a blue-ribbon school that serves predominantly African American students, and on the board of Isuroon, an organization committed to self-sufficiency of Somali women and their families. Recently elected board secretary, Stellner is drawn to the organization by its dedication to changing the narrative that is portrayed in mainstream media to one that more accurately reflects the true family values of Somali culture.

Even with a demanding work schedule, Stellner and her family manage to keep a garden, and take delight in eating the fruits of their labors. But they wouldn’t mind some additional time with no agenda–time for family play, reading for pleasure–and perhaps a few extra hours of sleep. During Homecoming this fall, Stellner will be honored with Augsburg’s First Decade Award.

–by Cheryl Crockett ’89

Join AWE for an evening of women in music

Close-up of Riverside Singers performing. Text reads "Augsburg Women Engaged. Join AWE for an evening of women in music. Sunday, March 26 6-9 p.m."Join the Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE) Philanthropy Council for an evening of choral music by, for, and about women!

Nancy Grundahl will lead the Augsburg College Riverside Singers in the annual WomanVoice: Voice of Hope choral concert. Women’s choirs from around the area, including the University of Minnesota Women’s Choir and Encore! of the Twin Cities Women’s Choir will join hearts and voices to sing music by, for and about women.

Sunday, March 26, 2017
6-7:15 p.m.    Pre-concert reception sponsored by AWE
                        Oren Gateway Center lobby
7:30-9 p.m.   Voice of Hope choral concert
                        Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center, Augsburg College

Space is limited. Parking permits will be provided. RSVP by March 20 to Becky Waggoner, Alumni Relations Program Coordinator, at 612-330-1085 or waggoner@augsburg.edu.

About the Riverside Singers
The Riverside Singers, directed by Nancy Grundahl, carry on the long tradition of treble choirs at Augsburg College. The singers participate with other Augsburg musical organizations in the annual Advent Vespers each Christmas season at Central Lutheran Church. Participating in chapel services several times during the year is an important part of the choir’s mission, as is hosting an invitational treble choir festival each fall.

Nancy GrindahlAbout Nancy Grundahl
Nancy Grundahl is a conductor, composer and soloist and holds vocal performance degrees from St. Olaf College and the University of Minnesota. In addition to her position with the Riverside Singers of Augsburg College, she is the conductor of the Angelica Cantanti Concert Choir, a youth choir based in Bloomington, Minn. and is the Director of Music at Mayflower U.C.C. in Minneapolis. More than sixty of her arrangements and compositions for choirs have been published by Kjos, Hal Leonard, Augsburg Fortress, Alliance, and Santa Barbara music publishers. She conducts honor choirs throughout the upper Midwest and is active as an adjudicator, clinician, soloist, and guest conductor.

Logo: Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE) - Connecting. Learning. Giving.About the Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE) Philanthropy Council
The AWE-Inspired Philanthropy Council was created in 2015 to function in an advisory and support capacity to Augsburg’s Office of Institutional Advancement. Our goal is to strengthen the culture of philanthropy among Augsburg women of all ages. We focus on ways to educate, engage and celebrate Augsburg’s alumnae donors and women in the community.

AWE-Inspired Philanthropy Council: Shelby Andress ’56; Debby Crowley ’76; Rachel Engebretson ’98; Lisa Latham ’83; Joni Marti MAL ’05; Lori Moline ’82; Kris Pearson ’78; Cindy Sisson ‘83; Danielle Stellner ’09; and Lisa Zeller ’81, MAL ’89.

Augsburg Women Engage Philanthropy

AWE logoAugsburg Women in Philanthropy (AWE) is excited to formally create the AWE-Inspired Philanthropy Council. The Council functions in an advisory and support capacity to the Office of Advancement. Our goal is to strengthen the culture of philanthropy among Augsburg women of all ages. We will focus on ways to educate, engage and celebrate Augsburg’s alumnae donors.

Just two years ago, a small group of AWEsome women put up a bold goal—to raise $100,000 and sponsor a student study lounge in the Center for Science, Business, and Religion. We went on to surpass our goal and to date have raised $126,000. There is still time to be a part of this landmark campaign that will close on December 31, 2015.

This shows what a committed group of women can do. It is no surprise that the secret to making positive and lasting change in the world is hidden in plain sight. In fact, it is more than half of the population. Women vote more, volunteer more, and give more to charities than men. They control more than half of the total wealth in America!

Brick5Buy a Brick, Build a Legacy
This campaign has generated so much enthusiasm and renewed so many wonderful memories and stories of Augsburg legacy. Before the campaign closes on December 31, there is still time to honor a special person, a faculty member, Auggie family members, and classmates. The personalized brick wall will have a prominent space in the new building.

Some inspiring examples include:

Brick4“Thank You, Dr. Norma Noonan” • “Our friendship is a Phoenix: Britt, Wendy, Jen, Tash, Steph, Jodi” • Delta House ’72-’74: Lien, Lus, Tesmer, Turrittin • Mrs. Pete, Teacher, Mentor, Friend” • “Psalm 25:  O Lord … teach me your paths” • “Thank You Augsburg College!”; AWE-Inspired!

There is still time to participate! Contact Donna McLean at mclean@augsburg.edu to plan your tribute.

We are women.  We are Auggies.  Leading the way – creating confident, joyful donors!

The AWE-Inspired Philanthropy Council: Lisa Zeller ’82, ’89 MAL • Shelby Gimse Andress ’56 • Kris Pearson ’78 • Elizabeth Tweeton Odegaard ’04 • Rachel Olson Engebretson ’98

Capturing the Imagination

KariLoganWhen Kari (Eklund) Logan ’82 agreed to assist a client in raising public awareness of the value of trees, she decided to hang huge price tags on the trees in the front yard of Minnesota’s State Capitol. The client, the Minnesota DNR’s Division of Forestry, was pleased. In fact, the rush of media attention that followed resulted in the act’s replication by foresters across the country and even other parts of the world.

At CEL Public Relations (Plymouth, Minn.), where Logan heads up the media relations team, capturing the public’s imagination is the norm. With eight years’ prior experience in TV news and programming (WCCO-TV and KSTP-TV), Logan is well-connected and can pull out all the stops (websites, newsletters, TV coverage, campaigns, and numerous other marketing communications) in order to assist CEL clients. Primarily a writer, she especially enjoys the diversity of subjects that cross her desk every day, including CEL’s signature areas of service—education, urban forestry, financial services, and the arts.

Having joined the firm in 1990, when it was only two years old, Logan has helped increase awareness in numerous areas, including pregnancy and infant loss, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and eldercare. She has worked and dined with famous chefs, including Ina Garten and Andrew Zimmern. In 1993 she became a partner in the firm.

Kari Ren Fair-2When she isn’t writing, you may find her singing in a theatrical production. Logan recalls her first visit to Augsburg, as a junior high student, to see Godspell with her older sister, Lori (Eklund) Quello ’77, then a student at Augsburg. That night, Logan knew she “had to be part of Augsburg Theater.” Continue reading “Capturing the Imagination”