Gift Announcements Archives - Giving to Augsburg University

A Gift to Endow a Professorship in Chemistry

Posted on May 8, 2024

Terry ’73 and Janet Lindstrom have made an incredible commitment to establish the Terry ’73 and Janet Lindstrom Endowed Professor of Chemistry in support of the new School of Natural Sciences. Terry and Jan have remained dedicated to enriching students’ education and enabling them to discover their love for science and research. “Everyone deserves a passionate career,” Terry reflected in a past interview.

Terry found his deep appreciation for science while conducting research during his undergraduate years. He graduated from Augsburg in 1973 with degrees in biology and chemistry. After earning his Ph.D. in pharmacology and biochemistry from the University of Minnesota, he embarked on a decades-long career at Eli Lilly and Company, retiring from his position as Distinguished Lilly Research Fellow in 2010.

Terry serves as a member of Augsburg’s board of regents, where he chairs the enrollment management committee. He also stays engaged through volunteering at events such as the annual Agre Symposium, and meeting students when the opportunity arises. “My Augsburg experience was transformational as a result of the faculty and administration’s commitment to rigorous learning, understanding, and critical thinking. This commitment was further emphasized through intense experiential learning opportunities which made the academic work directly applicable to real-world issues. I knew my professors were genuinely invested in my success. These attributes continue at Augsburg University today and it is my honor and privilege to support this outstanding institution,” Terry said.

Along with this most recent gift, he and Jan established the Endowed Lindstrom Research Fund which supports students’ participation in summer research.

Endowed professorships like the Lindstrom Endowed Professor of Chemistry play a vital role in supporting faculty, promoting academic excellence, and ensuring the long-term success of students. “This transformative gift affirms Augsburg’s longstanding commitment to excellence in the natural sciences,” said President Paul Pribbenow. “In a time when scientific knowledge has itself become contested, we are incredibly grateful to the Lindstroms for this investment to strengthen the critical leadership of our faculty.”

“We are thrilled about the creation of this endowed professorship. This position, the first to be embedded within the School of Natural Sciences, will encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and prepare generations of future Auggies to be scientific leaders in their communities,” added Paula O’Loughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Terry and Jan for their unwavering dedication and investment in the future of our students.

Generosity Across Cultures: Fostering Interfaith Relationships Through Listening

Posted on May 6, 2024May 7, 2024

Supporting Generosity and the Harmony of Acceptance

An early life experience encountering the kindness of strangers continues to guide the generosity of Dilnaz Waraich, President of the WF Fund, who has recently made a major gift to Augsburg University.

Dilnaz was just 2 years old in 1972 when her family left Hyderabad, a city in Central India, to come to Chicago. Dilnaz had contracted chicken pox on the plane and was running a high fever. Her mom spoke little English, and she was struggling to manage two toddlers and an unfamiliar place. Her father was waiting for their arrival.

The TWA flight attendant noticed her mother and how sick Dilnaz was. She said, “Hold on! I am going to help you.” They were ushered straight to the immigration desk where again, they saw her mother’s distress. The agents said, “You should go straight to the hospital.” They did a cursory check of their documents and sent them through.

Dilnaz thinks about the difference between then and now and wonders what if she were arriving in 2022 instead of 1972, an immigrant Muslim woman traveling with her children. Would she even be here? She believes they would very likely have been sent back to India.

Born out of generations

The WF Fund was born out of two generations of family generosity; a generosity defined by openness and a non-judgmental approach to deep relationships. This spirit continues to guide the WF Fund in uplifting and empowering communities across the country through strategic philanthropy to support religious pluralism, civic engagement, and human services.

WF Fund president, Dilnaz Waraich, shared that the fund’s work is rooted in the practice of generous listening, something she experienced in her own life during the pandemic. Away at college, one of her sons shared his feelings of isolation, loneliness, and mental health. While Dilnaz was able to connect her son to the necessary resources, the experience inspired the Fund to explore ways to help students navigate the challenges of college life by creating access to Muslim chaplains on campus. The Fund went on to support Muslim chaplains at The Ohio State University, Butler University, and the University of Illinois Chicago.

“We wanted to make sure Muslim students are supported by chaplains and we also know that these chaplains are there to support everyone.” Dilnaz went on to say that it’s noticing in relationships that often drive giving.

“It was when we spoke with Najeeba Syeed, the El-Hibri Endowed Chair and Executive Director of the Interfaith Institute at Augsburg, that we decided to come see the campus for ourselves. Augsburg fosters a connection between leadership, faculty, students, and the broader community. That relational centering is important to us.”

Supporting Acceptance Across Cultures

Last December the WF Fund made a gift of $100,000 to help build relationships and foster generosity among Muslim-led non-profits, family philanthropy, and institutional philanthropy.

“Funding from the WF Fund will support the Interfaith Institute to strengthen interfaith relationships on campus and in the greater Twin Cities community. We are delighted and grateful to have this opportunity to foster multifaith, multisector, and multigenerational connections based on increased understanding and empathy,” Najeeba expressed.

“We want to promote a harmony of acceptance of different cultures and faith backgrounds,” Dilnaz said. “We appreciated seeing this on the Augsburg campus and in how the Interfaith Institute connects with the surrounding community.”

The gift aligns with a new initiative at the WF Fund to foster connections between Muslim Americans and the philanthropic sector by showcasing stories of generosity. Inspired Generosity is inviting Muslim Americans to share their stories of generosity through artistic expression. These stories will be curated into a national showcase opening in Atlanta this September. The Fund believes that we can break down relational barriers and disrupt blind spots by amplifying these stories of generosity, told by Muslims themselves.

As Dilnaz noted, stories about the Muslim community are often told by those outside of the community, which can lead to misunderstanding the generosity of this diverse group.

Dilnaz notes that “it’s not often that we hear stories of generosity from our community. And when we do, who is telling those stories?”

“This gift demonstrates the spirit of collaboration that the WF Fund embodies. Augsburg deeply values the WF Fund’s partnership in our joint work to empower and uplift communities through sharing values and amplifying voices.” Paul Pribbenow

You can learn more about the WF Fund’s inspired generosity project by watching their short video (link https://inspiredgenerosity.org/

Leaving a Legacy of a Lifetime

Posted on August 4, 2023August 4, 2023

Fresh into retirement, Cyndi (Cynthia) Jones, Ph.D. ’81 is as full of spirited youth as she must have been in her cheerleader days, when she launched a career of defying expectations and mastering challenges. Together with husband, Rick Jones, who matches her brainy enthusiasm and generosity, the pair are “all in,” pledging their entire estate to Augsburg as part of its Great Returns campaign.

“We thought it would really make a difference to someone in their lives, as it did for me,” says Cyndi, a nuclear engineer and Augsburg Regent. She earned other degrees from other schools—a Master’s in health physics from Georgia Tech and a Master’s and Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Maryland—but those schools are already well-endowed, she points out, and it’s doubtful their students get the personal support and affirmation that Cyndi treasured at Augsburg. Besides, for many Augsburg students then and now, “every cent counts.”

As a high school student from Foley, Minnesota, Cyndi had no plans to become a nuclear physicist and eventual senior technical advisor for nuclear security at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. If she imagined she would someday monitor Japan’s nuclear crisis, travel the world to teach radiation safety, or enjoy four years living in Vienna, Austria, as the US nuclear safety attaché to the U.S. Ambassador, she didn’t let on. She was busy excelling on the clarinet, editing the school newspaper, and participating in band and theater. She also took physics and chemistry.

When she walked into the physics room that first day, the high school teacher thought she was lost. “Typing is down the hall,” he said, pointing. Cyndi—whose Polish dad was a machinist and English mom sold men’s clothing and spent nine years managing a household without running water—did not flinch. Despite her instructor’s initial vociferous doubts, she flourished. Again and again. The first in her family to attend college, she rejected a full scholarship at St. Cloud State University to attend Augsburg, where she was personally welcomed by its “brilliant band director” and planned to major in music, working three jobs to supplement a partial scholarship.

This time fate would throw down the gauntlet. Climbing into the window of a renovated old house during a toga party, the vivacious Augsburg freshman collided with a bag of cement, breaking her left hand, which needed 13 weeks in an L-shaped cast to heal. Unable to play her clarinet, she spent J-term studying Physics for the Life Sciences with Professor Mark Engebretson, who recognized that she “had a knack.” Physics, Chemistry, and Calculus followed.

“Math and music are closely related,” Cyndi notes. “I had fabulous professors.” Dr. Ken Erickson encouraged her to forego some side jobs to focus on her grades; she became only the third woman to graduate in physics from Augsburg. “He had a profound effect at a turning point in her career,” Rick says. “He gave her sound advice: to follow her passion.”

Career rewards lagged, but Augsburg did offer her a $100/month stipend to teach the weekly Physics lab. And about a year after graduating, Cyndi, in her bathing suit, at her second job at the Fairview-St. Mary’s swimming pool, took a phone call: an offer to fly down to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for an interview as a health physicist (Augsburg Professor Kermit Paulson had introduced Cyndi to health physics). She accepted and was offered the job on-site. “I taught the instrumentation lab for 5- and 10-week health physics courses, and memorized the students’ names by the end of the first week,” she recalls. One of them—Rick—“was really cute.”

Rick remembers thinking the same of her. “She was something else—one very smart lady, very motivated. I told her she was the one I wanted to marry, however long it took.” (One year.) A California native, USC graduate and erstwhile dental hygienist, Rick served eight years in the Navy before transitioning to civil service in Washington, D.C., where he earned a Master’s in radiation biology at Georgetown and retired in 2005 as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Energy. He has been instrumental in advocating for Augsburg, recognizing how much her experience there meant to his wife.

Cyndi also cites the stewardship of President Paul Pribbenow as key to their gifting decisions. “He was genuinely interested in what Augsburg had done for me and has a vision for what he can do for students. He has a personal passion, a real understanding of what alumni have gone through and what kind of future Augsburg can provide for its students.”

Cyndi and Rick have supported Augsburg in several ways, including funding the Professor Kenneth N. Erickson Physics Scholarship and, in 2017, commemorating the new physics lab, nicknamed Landow’s Photon Shop in honor of Cyndi’s dad (her maiden name was Landowski) and aptly subtitled Physics: The Maestro of Science!

“Augsburg was such a unique experience, and I think it’s still that way,” says Cyndi, the white Minnesota girl who got to interact with people from all over the world, study religions unlike her own, and benefit from the small-town, personal-touch vibe in the big-city center. “They make sure they help you finish. They’re not just there to take your money. They know you’re there to learn,” she says. “It’s been a real honor and pleasure to be on the Board two different times.”

And what about that high-school naysayer? Cyndi and Rick invited him to their wedding, where he owned up to his mistake and confessed how proud he was of her, a sentiment the Augsburg faculty and administration undoubtedly share.

Supporting the Needs of Students in STEM

Posted on July 5, 2023June 30, 2023

Dr. Keneeshia Williams, MD ’03 knows that when a student encounters a bumpy college ride full of twists and turns and more downs than ups, helping hands are crucial. That is why she is donating $25,000 to support the Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO) and aid for STEM students.

Now a critical care surgeon at Wellstar Trauma Acute Care Surgery in Marietta, Georgia, Williams has impressive credentials, not only as a trauma surgeon but also as a director of medical student education and an activist for violence prevention. But her path was not always clear or easy.

Growing up in Chicago, Williams was 14 when she witnessed the gunshot murder of a neighbor and determined that her brother, then in prison, was probably safer than she was. A student at Kenwood Academy on the south side, she was plagued by nightmares, depression, and anger. She needed a change and found a sympathetic ear in the Augsburg recruiter who had stayed in touch since her sophomore year.

“When they put me in touch with the basketball coach, I thought it would be a nice possibility for me. I liked playing basketball, and I really did not want to stay in Illinois at all,” she says. She was already familiar with the Twin Cities, having visited with her high school choir.

But academic goals? She wasn’t sure. She had enjoyed being part of a citywide creative writing program so thought English and/or history might work. “Pediatric surgeon” was the goal she’d noted in her high school yearbook, in light of a friend who’d had open heart surgery, so she put “premed” on her application but thought it unrealistic. Her parents had college degrees in theater arts, but her father’s vocation as a hotel bellman and her mother’s as a model turned hairdresser promised limited means.

Augsburg offered her a chemistry scholarship. “I loved school, but chemistry was my least favorite subject,” Williams recalls. She accepted anyway.

“Sometimes it is all about confidence,” she adds. “If you ever needed help, you could go find a professor. There were only three of us in our analytical chemistry class, and the quality was superb. Professor (emerita) Arlin Gyberg even made me like chemistry after all those years.”

Biology proved a better fit, however, and her summer research program studying the coral reef aquarium with associate professor Bill Capman proved pivotal.

“It pushed me more toward medicine. I couldn’t imagine a career in research,” though the experience became key in later medical school interviews, she pointed out, and definitely “made a difference.” Capman’s enthusiasm for his subject matter was infectious, and she loved how he taught and encouraged her to play with ideas, to explore and make them her own.

Capman was only one example of the support Williams discovered in Augsburg friends and faculty. She cites the contributions of now URGO director and former McNair Scholars director Dixie Shafer as well as English professor emerita Cass Dalglish, whose kindness and special attention helped Williams not only improve her writing but also tackle mental health challenges. The campus was much less diverse then, and she often felt isolated. In retrospect, however, she recognizes the positive aspects of such a defining period in her life.

“Something about it makes me want others to experience it,” she says. When her first medical school entrance scores fell short and she could not afford to test again, a benefactor stepped in to pay. She hopes her gift will encourage STEM students and ensure that their essential needs are met.

Williams did eventually return home, dedicated to preventing the violence she’d witnessed and treating its victims. She earned her MD at University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria, intending to specialize in pediatrics or family medicine until a surgery rotation sparked her passion. After her general surgery residency at Mount Sinai Hospital, she pursued trauma and burn research training at Loyola University Medical Center and a surgery critical care fellowship at Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson before spending five years with the Emory University Department of Surgery in Atlanta.

As keynote speaker at the Agre Symposium, Williams returned again this year to Augsburg, where she enjoys sharing her wisdom and experience with future students. With her help, they, too, will be able to flourish in their chosen careers.

Supporting the Next Generation of Artists

Posted on July 5, 2023June 25, 2024

Sheryl Shark’s ’82 affection for Augsburg is stronger than ever after four decades, as she recently demonstrated by designating a $1 million estate plan gift to her alma mater as part of its Great Returns: We’re All In campaign. The musician and actress has long been committed to giving back, and the establishment of the new Schwartz School of the Arts has only fueled that passion. Her previously unrestricted gift will go there instead, ready to help the next generation of artists pursue their dreams.

“I’m just so excited for it. It also gives me a place to direct my gift that I didn’t have previously,” says Shark, who graduated with a music degree in 1982 and fully understands that “people in the arts are always in need.”

Shark’s love affair with Augsburg began in the ‘70s when she was still a student at Dassel-Cokato High School. Already a music and dance class veteran in her teens, she participated in the annual Minnesota Music Teachers Association contest, held on campus. She recalls playing piano in the old music building, then rumored to be haunted. That is where she met the late Professor Emeritus James D. Johnson, who was not only her contest advisor but also an example of the music guidance Augsburg could provide. She liked his comments and support so much that her college choice became obvious.

“Augsburg was the only place I applied,” she said.

As a freshman in 1978, Shark attended classes in the old music building for only about a month before moving to the new one, as the ghosts from the old place began making peace with the football field that would replace it. By the end of her sophomore year, Shark was not only happily taking classes but also beginning to register the benefits of a liberal arts education.

“All of a sudden everything was connected—history to biology to music to physics, even the religion courses—they all started tying together. I was not pushed or prodded. I felt like the universe was putting everything together for me. It was the most astounding experience,” she says. “Those four years at Augsburg were the best years of my life.”

Not that more recent years have been less than great, she is quick to point out. She began playing piano and teaching in Montana, then spent most of her career in southern California, where she discovered that performing for nonprofit fundraisers in famous venues such as the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel was the most enjoyable as well as financially advantageous way to use her talents. She had always intended to return home to Minnesota, however, and recently moved to Wayzata, where she enjoys the walkability, the restaurants and coffee shops, and the chance to take acting classes and participate in the many artistic events available here.

Shark visited campus in April, noting that it seemed twice as large as it used to be. It has moved west, and the old, rundown houses have been replaced by beautiful new buildings, she says. Soon the Schwartz School of the Arts will house a dozen undergraduate majors in the performing and visual arts, as well as a master’s program in music therapy.

“I used to go to Broadway and look at the playbill, which always included at least one actor from a famous liberal arts college on the East Coast. ‘I should have gone there,’ I used to think,” she says. “Now I’m thrilled to know that Augsburg is going to have that kind of program. I hope it brings in another group of students who don’t have to look at Julliard, who can be based in the Midwest. So many wonderful places are here—the Guthrie, the Chanhassen, Mixed Blood, etc.—and for the size of our cities, that’s rare.”

Learn more about Augsburg’s Great Returns campaign.

Continuing the Legacy Her Husband Left at Augsburg

Posted on June 9, 2023June 25, 2024

Pastor Dave, as he was known throughout his three decades at Augsburg, was a larger-than-life presence whose legacy will continue to nurture and support future students through the Pastor Dave & Cathy Wold Endowed Scholarship.

Although he retired in 2013 and died unexpectedly in 2018 at age 72, the former campus pastor is still fondly remembered by many. He was famous for the jokes and puns he inserted into conversations and the enthusiasm he brought to his various campus pursuits, from presiding over daily chapel and weekly Eucharist services to coordinating Advent Vespers and announcing athletic events such as football, men’s basketball, and wrestling. He founded the Holy Hoops basketball league and led the “World Famous Bunch of Guys Chorus” in their performances around campus. Along with providing spiritual guidance, he built and cherished relationships with everyone he met, meanwhile developing a special connection with Augsburg itself.

“He was an encourager,” says his widow, Cathy, who has designated a $100,000 planned gift to establish the scholarship. “He believed in Augsburg so much. He was the campus pastor, but he immersed himself in everything there as much as possible. He tried to get to know every student—their name, something about them.”

Neither Dave nor Cathy were alumni. The two were childhood family friends who reconnected at Concordia College, where Cathy was earning her education degree and Dave was visiting with student groups as part of his ministry. A St. Olaf graduate, he had been ordained at Luther Seminary and was serving Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley when they married in 1974. He became director of the Youth Ministries Division of the American Lutheran Church, but his national and international responsibilities required such extensive travel that the young family yearned for an opportunity closer to home.

Dave was named Director of Campus Ministries at Augsburg in 1983. “He was elated. He just loved it,” Cathy recalls. Their three children also spent much of their time on campus as they were growing up. “Everybody loved Augsburg, and we still love it.”

As a teacher and specialist in early childhood family education for 16 years, Cathy shared Dave’s respect for and devotion to higher education. “He was a big believer in liberal arts, and this is a pretty special place. It’s unique, it’s in the city, and it offers programs that not every college has, such as those for students with special needs. It also draws a really diverse population of students who don’t necessarily have the means to go to college,” she says.

Because Dave spent thirty years getting to know students, providing programs to help them, and watching as they graduated and established successful lives, Cathy thinks he would be pleased with the family’s decision to create an endowed scholarship as part of Augsburg’s Great Returns campaign. It will support students who demonstrate financial need and, preferably, intend to live out their Christian vocations through serving others and building community. During this campaign, more than 150 benefactors have either started a new endowed scholarship or made a gift of $25,000 or more to an existing one.

“Dave positively impacted so many students, and I know that because so many of them have written letters to him over the years,” Cathy says. “I want to be able to have his memory live on at Augsburg in some way, and I believe this is the best way to do that.”

Learn more about Augsburg’s Great Returns campaign.

AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES JOHN N. SCHWARTZ ’67 SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

Posted on April 13, 2023

Repost from the News and Media page

Augsburg University announced today the creation of the John N. Schwartz ’67 School of the Arts, a destination arts hub for music, theater, and art and design. An estate gift from Augsburg alumnus John N. Schwartz ’67 will establish the school.

“With their power to connect, illuminate, break boundaries, and build relationships, the arts have been a vital part of Augsburg’s mission and community life for more than 150 years,” said University President Paul C. Pribbenow. “At a time when support for the arts in public life and education has become contingent and vulnerable, Augsburg is tremendously grateful for John Schwartz’s visionary leadership in establishing an institutional home for music, theater, and art for many future generations of students.”

The Schwartz School of the Arts will house Augsburg’s 12 undergraduate majors in the performing and visual arts, as well as the master of music therapy program. Students and faculty in the departments of theater, music, and art and design will have new and greater opportunities for interdisciplinary, collaborative work across disciplines, including with other areas of the university.

“We believe that a standalone arts school at a place like Augsburg—a university with deep commitments to access and equity, and one of the most diverse institutions in the upper Midwest—will send a strong message to potential students that the arts are for everyone. Your gifts are valued here,” said Paula O’Loughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs.

The performing and visual arts at Augsburg have long reflected the university’s mission in the commitments to artistic excellence, intentional diversity, civic engagement, and social justice embodied in each discipline. The new school is a refinement to the university’s institutional structure following the change from Augsburg College to Augsburg University in 2017. It also aligns with Augsburg’s role as an anchor institution in the Cedar-Riverside community of Minneapolis.

“The Schwartz School of the Arts will be a key venue for Augsburg to explore with our neighbors and our students how to build and expand access to cultural assets,” said Pribbenow.

As an undergraduate, John Schwartz sang baritone in the Augsburg choir, igniting a love of choral music that persisted throughout his 40-year career as a healthcare executive in Milwaukee, Oregon, Montana, and Chicago.

“My experiences at Augsburg are a perfect example of how a well-rounded liberal arts education provides a pathway not just to a career but to a full and meaningful life,” said Schwartz. “Whether singing in a choral ensemble, performing in a theater production, or sculpting in the studio, the arts provide opportunities to grow and connect that don’t exist anywhere else. With this new school, Augsburg is clearly stating that the performing and visual arts are central to our mission.”

A current member of Augsburg’s Board of Regents, Schwartz has long supported Augsburg music students. His previous gifts to the university established the Leland B. Sateren ’35 professorship and chair of music, the John N. Schwartz professor of choral leadership and conducting, and the John N. Schwartz and James A. Mosley scholarship.

The Schwartz School of the Arts is one of a number of transformational outcomes of Augsburg’s ongoing Great Returns: We’re All In comprehensive fundraising campaign. With a goal to raise $125 million, it is the largest such campaign in Augsburg history.

About Augsburg

Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees to approximately 3,200 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and nearby Rochester, Minnesota, location. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings. To learn more, visit Augsburg.edu/about.

TJ Bramwell ’03 Aids the Next Generation

Posted on February 24, 2023February 24, 2023

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.

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.

Bruce ’71 and Pam Santerre Believe in Second Chances

Posted on February 2, 2023

Bruce ’71 and Pam Santerre believe in second chances, leading them to help others who want to evolve, and that’s why they give to the StepUP Program at Augsburg University.

Bruce, a biology and education major, said growing up in northern Minnesota he felt like there were few career paths if he stayed, but he had other plans.

Upon visiting Augsburg, Bruce like many “Auggies” fell in love with the campus and city life. He would go on to enroll at the university and join the football team, playing for four years while finishing his studies.

Unlike Bruce, Pam, an English major, was native to the cities. She lived in South Minneapolis, knew people who attended Augsburg, and her church had an affiliation with the school.

Pam said she knew she wanted to go to college, but at the time there weren’t many career opportunities for women. However, Pam would find her opportunity at Augsburg and work for a number of organizations while putting herself through school.

“We [Bruce and her] formed many lifelong friendships at Augsburg,” Pam said. “That’s just one of the reasons why Augsburg is at the forefront of our minds’ when it comes to giving back.”

The Santerres met at Augsburg and were married shortly after Bruce graduated. Six weeks later, he was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, MO, for National Guard training.

When he arrived back in Minnesota, Bruce began teaching as a substitute teacher for the Minneapolis school system. And Pam was working at the Lutheran Brotherhood, now Thrivent, which started her longtime career in information technology.

Pam received her master’s degree in theology and a certificate in spiritual direction, while working at Andersen Windows, where she later retired from. She continued her spiritual direction practice, companioning people who are exploring a deeper experience of the divine presence.

“A lot of what we do is at a spiritual level and basis,” Bruce said. “This aligns with a core value in the StepUP program.”

While completing his doctorate degree, Bruce, now a retired high school principal, wrote his dissertation on spirituality and leadership. He said part of that experience helped him understand the impact of spirituality in our [people’s] lives’.

“There’s a soft spot in our hearts for the work that the StepUP program is doing,” they said. “So many of those kids are overcoming some of the most incredible odds, and what we’ve seen from Augsburg, in helping their students, we want to be a part of.”

You too can play an integral part in helping Augsburg University students on their growth and evolution toward a brighter future. Learn more and get involved.

Justin Grammens ’96 Helps STEM Students By Giving

Posted on December 16, 2022May 30, 2024

Justin Grammens ’96 is a mathematics major who grew up in Minneapolis. His mother was a teacher for Minneapolis public schools, and his father worked as a doctor at Fairview Riverside, located across the street from Augsburg.

Grammens said he was familiar with the area and Augsburg, and one aspect that drew him to the school were the small class sizes which gave him a better connection to his classmates and instructors.

“My original plan was to start at a liberal arts school [Augsburg], then transfer to an engineering school,” Grammens said. “But when I transferred from Augsburg, I was sitting in a classroom with hundreds of other students and being taught by a TA, and I felt like why am I here?”

He ended up transferring back to Augsburg and completing his degree. But Grammens said it wasn’t just the small class sizes that inspired him to return to Augsburg, it was also the urban environment and the abundance of diversity that Augsburg offers.

At Augsburg, Grammens was able to build relationships with many different people that he maintained after graduation. He has even come back to campus on multiple occasions and spoken with students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields about his career.

Grammens is an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas, teaching a class for their masters of software engineering program. He said that he is proud to bring the skills that he learned at Augsburg and share them with his students.

“A lot of the classes at Augsburg were exploratory and non-traditional,” Grammens said. “It was really about thought process, application, collaboration, and problem solving.”

Around 2006, he started a company that was one of the first in the Twin Cities to develop mobile apps for major companies, and that’s when he said he felt like he had the income to give back.

“It breaks my heart if somebody is kicking butt in math, chemistry, or physics, and they know they want to be an engineer, but the barrier is just that they don’t have the money,” Grammens said. “I’m passionate about giving to STEM programs because those students are working with technologies that are changing our lives, and I want to support that.”

Grammens continues to make a positive impact on the lives of Augsburg students with annual donations to STEM programs, and you can too.

Donate to STEM programs and support Augsburg students as they conduct research with faculty, attend and present at national conferences, and hear from leading researchers.

Any gift made to any program will automatically count towards your class’ total for the Alumni Class Challenge!

Learn more ways to give.