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Remembering John N. Schwartz ’67

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John Schwartz headshotIt is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Regent John Schwartz ’67 passed away on February 29 surrounded by loved ones.

John was an invaluable member of the Augsburg University community from the time he enrolled as a student. He had transformative experiences singing in the choir, including getting the opportunity to tour Norway, Denmark, and Germany during his sophomore year. John graduated with a degree in business administration and went on to earn a degree in hospital administration from the University of Minnesota. He had a thriving career as a healthcare executive for 40 years in Milwaukee, Oregon, Montana, and Chicago until his retirement in 2010.

John’s passion for choral music and Augsburg’s impact stayed with him throughout his life. He continued to sing after retirement, including with the Apollo Chorus of Chicago. Always thinking of others, John gave back in extraordinary ways. He showed support for Augsburg music students through his incredible generosity and philanthropy. His most significant gifts were made during the Great Returns: We’re All In campaign, which included the Leland B. Sateren ’35 professorship and chair of music and the John N. Schwartz professorship of choral leadership and conducting. His latest gift established the John N. Schwartz School of the Arts. In addition to those endeavors, he and his husband James Mosley created the John N. Schwartz and James A. Mosley scholarship.

“It was one of the joys of my presidency to know John Schwartz, who was a remarkable human being,” Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow remarked. “As an Augsburg graduate, John exemplified our mission in his professional and personal lives. When we sat together in 2023 to establish the Schwartz School of the Arts, I was moved and inspired by John’s humble generosity. We have lost a good friend.”

In 2019, John joined the Board of Regents and served on the advancement, finance, and audit committees. He also was part of Augsburg’s Music Advisory Council. “John brought his years of leadership and business expertise to the Board of Regents as well as his love for Augsburg and its music tradition,” shared Board Chair Dennis Meyer ’78.

“John’s passion, vision and generosity in creating the Schwartz School of the Arts ensures that the arts will be accessible for all and continue to transform students’ lives at Augsburg,” said Paula O’Loughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs. “I am grateful to have known such an amazing man. He will be deeply missed.” 

John firmly believed in the power of a liberal arts education and its ability to set up students for a successful career and a meaningful life. His legacy at Augsburg will be remembered for generations.

Funeral services will be held in Chicago on Saturday, April 27, at 10:30 a.m. at Alice Millar Chapel, Northwestern University, 1870 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL and in Minneapolis on Saturday, May 4, at 2:00 p.m. at Augsburg University, Hoversten Chapel, 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454.

Read John’s full obituary. 

Giving Back to the Place that Invested in her

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Christina OlstadChristina Olstad ’00 ’05 demonstrates what being “All In” for Augsburg can look like. She earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work from Augsburg and remains committed to the university in a multitude of ways. She serves on the board of Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE) and has contributed to the Augsburg Fund and the women’s soccer and hockey programs.

Christina grew up in Apple Valley with the dream of playing soccer in college. Her traveling team in high school played occasional games on Augsburg’s campus. When she began looking into colleges, the Augsburg Women’s soccer coach at the time, Scott Hansing reached out to her. Christina’s connection to Scott, Augsburg’s Lutheran roots, and the close proximity to her family made Augsburg an easy choice. 

In addition to athletics, one class that made a profound impact on Christina was her freshman January term class. “My friends and I did an ‘exploring human services’ course. We would take the bus to go to the MS Achievement Center every day to volunteer. It was because of that class that I knew I wanted to go into social work and I met some of my closest friends,” she reflected. 

Shortly after graduating, Christina secured a position as a hall director and student activities advisor at Augsburg. “I feel like Augsburg has given me so much. They invested in me as a young professional and mentored me through the early stages of my career.” Christina is currently the Dean of Students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and continues to carry the valuable experiences she had at Augsburg with her.  

When Christina heard about the opportunity to participate on the board of Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE), she was eager to help out her alma mater in any way she could. “In my role as Dean of Students, I get the opportunity to interact a lot with our advancement team, so I understand the importance of cultivating a culture of philanthropy.” One initiative she found noteworthy was a campaign they held in collaboration with Augsburg’s Campus Cupboard. “I’m really passionate about food security and ensuring no student goes hungry at my school, so it was rewarding to be a part of that effort.”

Along with her position with AWE, Christina has made gifts to various programs and initiatives at Augsburg. When it comes to giving she is adamant about the belief that any amount of giving helps. “It’s all about how you want to give back and how you want your gift to help leave a legacy,” she said. For Christina, getting in the habit of giving is crucial and it helps to think about what drew her to Augsburg in the first place. “For me, it was my class sizes and the ability to get to know all my professors. Augsburg is an incredible institution that provided me with a lot of opportunities. It’s important to reflect on where you are today and how places like Augsburg helped you get there.”

The Great Returns: We’re All In campaign concluded on May 31 and raised more than $128,000,000 thanks to our generous benefactors, alumni, and partners! Read more about the Great Returns campaign and RSVP for our September 29th celebration event!

Restorative Justice and Healing in Healthcare

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Timaka Wallace HeadshotTimaka Wallace ’23 is a Chicago native who earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree through Augsburg’s DNP Transcultural Nursing Leadership tract and serves as an adjunct professor. Her connection to Augsburg goes back to 2014. “I was already in a psychiatric nurse practitioner program on the East Coast, however, I wasn’t having a good experience at the school,” Timaka recalled. “I thought because I was a bit of an older student, the culture of the school and seeing a representation of myself wasn’t important. But I learned a valuable lesson in never going to a school I didn’t visit.” 

She decided to take a leave from school and, during that time, visited Minnesota to check out Augsburg. After spending two days on campus with Department Chair and Associate Professor Joyce Miller and retired faculty member Janet Lee Stockwell, Timaka knew Augsburg was the right place for her. “Even though this trip was in 2014, every so often over the years they would reach out to me to see how I was doing.” Timaka ended up completing her graduate program and when COVID hit in 2020 she had already been accepted to Augsburg. “It was difficult,” she shared candidly. “The Transcultural Leadership group was going to visit countries and assist with nursing from a variety of cultures and we were robbed of that opportunity because we couldn’t travel, but I ended up getting the community my spirit yearned for so it’s still been a great experience.”

A pivotal moment for Timaka came when she gave a presentation in April 2022 on how daily activities connect to the cross-generational trauma transmission in African American culture. “It was a heavy topic, but the feedback I got from my professor and Joyce demonstrated to me that they understood the change that needs to happen. I knew I was in the right place on that day.” As the nursing program continued to increase its efforts towards dismantling racism in healthcare, leadership intentionally sought out African American representation and leadership in these conversations. Later, Timaka was asked if she would be interested in co-leading a course with Dr. Katie Clark, which she eagerly agreed to.

For Timaka, the opportunities she has received as a student and adjunct professor in the nursing program are centered around stewardship and what it means to give back. She is a recipient of the Lloyd A. and Barbara A. Amundson Nursing Scholarship Honoring Dr. Paul Mueller ’84. “This scholarship is really a full circle moment,” she shared. “It warms my heart to hear they [The Amundsons] formed a connection with Dr. Mueller on their healing journey and paid homage to him through this scholarship, and now Dr. Mueller is leading the Great Returns campaign effort! This is what paying it forward looks like.” Timaka hopes she can find ways to continue these acts of kindness by supporting future nursing students. “It’s so important to have conversations with students like me who are beneficiaries of these scholarships of how to pay it forward as you get yourself aligned to financially do so.”

To learn more about the Great Returns campaign efforts visit our website

Remembering Inez (Olson) Schwarzkopf ’59

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Senior Portrait of Inez

Inez (Olson) Schwarzkopf ’59 passed away on June 24, 2023.

Inez’s connection to Augsburg dates back to her father, Iver Olson ’35, who taught Norwegian and theology at Augsburg for over 20 years. A self-proclaimed “faculty brat,” Inez graduated from Augsburg College, cum laude, with a degree in English in 1959. During her time in school, she was named to the Lambda Iota Tau Literary Honor Society and The Augsburg Guild of Honor, and served as an editor of the school yearbook. All of her siblings (Magne Olson ’58, Jeanette Locke ’57, and Merlin Olson ’64) attended Augsburg, along with several extended family members. One of her daughters, Ilse Rolf, graduated from Augsburg in 1993. Ilse and her daughter Nissa Rolf work in Augsburg’s Institutional Advancement department. 

Inez with her husband LyleInez met her husband Lyall Schwarzkopf when she worked at Messenger Press Bookstore on 22nd and Riverside while she was a student. They were married for 65 years. While raising four children, Inez continued her education and received an MA degree from the University of Minnesota, where she was awarded first place in fiction writing by the Minnesota Daily. Inez built a freelance career in writing and editing before moving into adult education, communication, organizational development, and marketing in the American Lutheran church. 

Throughout the years, Inez acquired many accolades for her work and support of Augsburg, including being named an Augsburg Distinguished Alumna in 1991 and serving as a regent between 1982-1990 and 1992-1998.

Her unwavering faith and generosity led her and Lyall to support many of Augsburg’s efforts over the years. She was a key player in planning for and establishing the Bernhard Christensen Endowment, along with establishing the Inez Olson Schwarzkopf Scholarship, which supports undergraduate students majoring in English.

Inez spent the better part of her later years with her six grandchildren and traveling. She traveled to all seven continents. Her most memorable trips include riding the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Beijing to St. Petersburg and a cruise from South America to Antarctica.

Check out some of Inez’s memorable moments over the years:

 

A memorial service will be held on Friday, July 7, at 11:00 a.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4100 Lyndale Ave South, Minneapolis. Visitation will take place Thursday, July 6, from 4–7:00 p.m. at the Washburn-McReavy Nokomis Park Chapel and one hour prior to the funeral service at the church. Additional details can be found in her obituary.

Please join us in holding all of Inez’s family and friends in prayer as we grieve her loss and celebrate her life.

TJ Bramwell ’03 Aids the Next Generation

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Dr. TJ Bramwell ’03, a biology major, has native roots in Tomah, WI, but when he chose to attend Augsburg, he was not unfamiliar with the area. Bramwell’s father, Thomas D. Bramwell ’78, also graduated from Augsburg.TJ, in a suit, smiles at the camera for the photo

He recalled his parents and grandparents watching him play running back for the Auggie football team throughout his four years of college.

“Part of my interest in joining the football team was that it was right after Augsburg won the conference title,” Dr. Bramwell said. “That excited me, as well as the academics.”

His interest in science, specifically biology, emerged during middle school, developing further in high school, and culminated with his time in the classroom and on the football field at Augsburg.

“Being on the football team and seeing people get hurt, treated, and being able to come back and play again helped me realize that I wanted to be a doctor,” Dr. Bramwell said. “It helped me identify my ultimate goal of being an orthopedic surgeon and helping people.”

He went on to do a few years of research at the Hennepin County Medical Center before getting accepted to medical school at Des Moines University and eventually completing a five-year orthopedic residency at Ohio University/Doctors Hospital, a journey that took nearly 15 years.

“A lot of what shaped my journey at Augsburg is the relationships I formed with my professors, specifically in the biology department,” Dr. Bramwell said. “They helped me navigate the waters of constructing a resume and getting into summer research programs, things that are so important and at the heart of URGO.”

Twenty years ago, when Dr. Bramwell attended Augsburg, URGO (Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity) did not exist. Now, URGO connects students with both new and existing research and scholarship opportunities on campus, across the U.S., and internationally. 

Dr. Bramwell said he gives to URGO because he wants to ensure students have the support they need to succeed, whether that’s MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) practice tests, study materials, or other contributions that will aid the next generation of medical professionals, and you can too.

Learn more and get involved.