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Distinguished Alumni Award
Judge Pamela Alexander ’74
Judge Alexander’s call to the legal profession began courageously at the age of twelve when she testified in court as a witness to the rape of her best friend. Judge Alexander’s courageous and exemplary career has continued as she consistently and relentlessly pursues her most central value as a judge and a person: equal justice for all.
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Judge Alexander was the youngest of six children, however in her career she captured a number of “firsts.” Judge Alexander was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college, receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Augsburg College and was the first in her family to attend law school, receiving her Juris Doctorate Degree for the University of Minnesota School of Law.
After beginning her legal career as an attorney for the Trust Department of First National Bank, she left and pursued the career she was meant for as a criminal defense lawyer for the Legal Rights Center where she had clerked while in Law School. Judge Alexander later moved to the criminal division of the Hennepin County Attorneys Office and became the first African American female prosecutor in the State of Minnesota. In 1983 Governor Rudy Perpich appointed her the first African American female Judge in the State of Minnesota, Judge Alexander served as a Hennepin County District Court Judge from 1983 to 2018 with a brief hiatus from the bench from 2008-2013 when Judge Alexander served as the President of the Minnesota Council on Crime and Justice where she focused on criminal and juvenile justice policy reform.
Judge Alexander was re-appointed to the Hennepin County District Court in 2013 by Governor Mark Dayton, where she served in the criminal and juvenile divisions of the Court until her retirement in 2018.
In the 1990 case State of Minnesota versus Gerald Russell, Judge Alexander was the first Judge to issue an opinion acknowledging the unconstitutionally of the crack cocaine laws and the disparate and irreparable effect it had on communities of color, a decision later upheld by the Minnesota Supreme Court and nearly two decades later the US Congress finally took action on this draconian law. Judge Alexander was also one of the first Judges in Hennepin County to advocate for the collection and analysis of race data to ensure that all persons who interact with the Minnesota criminal justice system are receiving fair and equal treatment and outcomes. This was one of the many recommendations issued by the Minnesota Racial Bias Task Force where she served as the Chair of the Criminal and Juvenile section of the task force.
Judge Alexander furthers her commitment to justice and community by being involved with a number of boards and educational institutions. She has served as a member of the Minneapolis Foundation Board of Trustees, the Children’s Defense Fund Juvenile Judges Leadership Council, the Minnesota Supreme Court Equal Fairness in the Courts Committee, the Black Community Crusade for Children, the Way to Grow Board of Directors, Governor Dayton’s Council on Community and Police Relations. Judge Alexander was also an adjunct Professor at the University of St. Thomas Law School and Mitchell Hamline School of Law, she also serves as a mentor and section leader at the University of Minnesota School of Law.
Judge Alexander has received numerous community service awards because of her social justice reform work some of the highlights being the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Justice Award, the David Graven Public Service Award, the Woman of Courage Award from the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, the 2007 and 2017 University of St. Thomas Award for Outstanding Teaching, the Profiles in Courage Award from the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, the Pioneer Award from the Cultural Wellness Center and the Sabathani Community Leadership Award.
Judge Alexander lives by these words: Law is living and changing, we have to live and change with it. Having said that we must be ever mindful of the lives we are impacting. Given who we see, what we see, it is incumbent upon those who are in this position to diligently work towards equal justice for everyone.
Vicki Ellingrod ’89
Vicki Ellingrod ’89, Pharm.D., FCCP, FACNP, is the Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Michigan and the John Gideon Searle Professor of Pharmacy. She is also a professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School. After enrolling in the pre-pharmacy program at Augsburg College in 1986, she then transferred to the University of Minnesota to complete her bachelor of pharmacy (1992), followed by her Doctor of Pharmacy degree (1994). After this she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychopharmacology/pharmacogenetics at the University of Iowa, followed by joining the faculty there as an assistant professor. She was recruited to the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy in 2006. Her research has focused on the identification of pharmacogenetic markers related to drug response in mental illness and has been funded by NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) the FDA, and pharmaceutical and pharmacogenomic industries. She has garnered more than $90M in research support over her career, her research has been cited more than 7500 times, and she has an impact factor of 43.
Dr. Ellingrod’s current research efforts are a testament to her collaborative approach. She is working with clinicians within the University of Michigan Health Systems to implement pharmacogenomic testing in practice, aiming to improve patient outcomes and reduce health disparities. Her collaborative spirit is further evident in her roles as a founding member of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (now the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists) and a fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). She is also a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) and is one of three pharmacist members in the over 50-year history of this organization. Her service as a scientific editor for Pharmacotherapy and the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, as well as her role as an editor on the textbook DiPiro’s Pharmacotherapy a Pathophysiologic Approach, further demonstrates her commitment to collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Dr. Ellingrod made history in 2022 by becoming the first female Dean of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. This milestone, along with her role as associate director of the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) and principal investigator for the K12 program, which provides training and mentoring in translational research for health professionals and junior faculty, showcases her commitment to advancing the field. Both initiatives are competitively supported by the National Center for the Advancement of Translational Science (NCATS). In both roles, Dr. Ellingrod has worked to ensure that science careers are open to all and has spearheaded diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, which have led to greater inclusion of underrepresented persons. Dr. Ellingrod credits her education at Augsburg with instilling in her a commitment to servant leadership, which she has carried with her throughout her career. After her father Robert Ellingrod, passed away in 1995, her mother Avis Ellingrod started a family scholarship at Augsburg for science majors who participate in Augsburg’s music program, as both Dr. Ellingrod and her sister Amy Ellingrod Swain (’95) did just that.
Dr. Ellingrod’s personal life is as fulfilling as her professional one. She has been married to John Ringold for more than 26 years, and they have two daughters, Allison and Ava Ringold, as well as two canine companions, Pepper and Sophie.
Brian Greseth ’83
Brian Greseth is a 1983 graduate of Augsburg College. While at Augsburg, he played four years of basketball and baseball and graduated cum laude with a B. A. in Physical Education with a Specialization in Adapted Physical Education.
Brian taught elementary physical education for thirteen years and coached high school football, basketball, and baseball. He was named Teacher of the Year for his school in 1989. Brian earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University in the spring of 1996 and worked as a elementary and middle school principal for fourteen years in the public school system. Brian was a school principal of schools that had a majority of minority students with all students receiving free or reduced lunch and none of the schools had earned above a “C” status based on a grading system based on proficiency and growth in Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Civics. Every school Brian worked at achieved an ”A” academic status. Brian was named a Turnaround Principal by the Florida Department of Education at three different schools. Brian was also awarded the Commissioner’s Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership, and the Daniel Delagall Award for his work in the African American Community.
Brian was the Principal/CEO of Pemayetv Emahakv K-8 Charter School (PECS) on the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation from 2011-2019 and was a member of the National Native Indian Education School Advisory Committee.
PECS is a unique charter school that was built to help maintain the Seminole culture and the Creek language for the Florida Seminole Indian students. The student body is comprised of over 200 tribal member students, 50 tribal descendants, and 50 staff children.
All students are immersed in the Seminole culture daily. Students start the day with a Creek prayer, attend a Creek language class daily, and have classes that teach them traditional beadwork, weaving, sewing, planting and taking care of a traditional garden, along with their classes in Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
During Brian’s eight years as the Principal/CEO of Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School, the students were able to excel in academics being recognized as one of the top 10% schools in the State of Florida. Brian was also able to enhance the Creek language and culture aspect of the charter school as he was able to receive certification from the Florida Department of Education to recognize the Creek Language as a foreign language allowing students to earn their two high school foreign language credits in their home language. Brian also strengthened the Creek language program starting by bringing in foreign language teachers to assist and train the native speakers with instructional strategies. The school developed a Creek Language curriculum for students in grades K-8. Brian worked with the Florida Department of Education to receive foreign language certification allowing the seventh and eighth grade students the opportunity to earn High School Foreign Language credits in Creek I and Creek II.
The program Brian felt most proud of is the Creek Language Immersion Program. The Immersion Program began with young children who were not yet speaking. These Seminole Tribal students went to a classroom daily where only the Creek Language was spoken. The students learned the Creek language through hearing the language spoken to them and to others and through the use of songs and legends. Students later learned how to grow and cook food the same way their elders used to do. The goal of the program is to create fluent Creek speakers.
Students were asked to attend the Immersion Program year-round so they continue to hear and use the language. Parents were asked to come once a week to learn the Creek Language and were also asked to video themselves with their child conducting an activity at home using the Creek Language. The Immersion teachers met weekly for continuous training in the language.
The Immersion Program has been a huge success. The original group of Immersion students are now in the fourth grade and continue learning most of their school subjects in Creek while also taking an hour a day to be taught in English. The original Immersion students took their first State assessments in Reading and Math last year. Every Immersion student scored at or above grade level proficiency on their State assessments scoring higher than most of their peers.
After over forty years, Brian is still working in Education. He is currently an Deputy Superintendent of a small county public school system.
First Decade Award
Kirubel Frew ’14
Kirubel Frew ’14 is a leader in the healthcare industry with a passion for building teams, developing innovative products, and establishing partnerships at the intersection of healthcare and technology. With over a decade of experience in AI-driven healthcare solutions, Kirubel specializes in utilizing advanced technologies to improve patient outcomes and optimize clinical workflows.
In his current role as Vice President of Business Development at Viz.ai, Kirubel leads strategic initiatives aimed at accelerating the adoption of AI across hospitals and biopharmaceutical companies. His work focuses on driving growth and leveraging AI-powered platforms for disease detection, patient activation, and care coordination, ultimately expediting lifesaving treatments.
Before joining Viz.ai, Kirubel held key leadership positions at Axion Ray and Anumana, where he led partnerships with leading pharma companies including Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson.
Kirubel started his career as part of the founding team at SQZ Biotech and as a Healthcare Investment Banker at Lazard.
Promise Okeke ’15
Promise Okeke ‘15 has been the CEO of NovoPath since 2020. In his current role, he’s responsible for setting the strategic vision and building a high performing team. NovoPath provides operations and workflow management software to diagnostic labs. Promise previously worked at Home Chef, a meal kit delivery platform during its hyper growth phase. Prior to catching the startup bug, he was a management consultant at Bain & Co. He brings expertise to healthcare and software businesses given his industry experience.
Promise graduated from Augsburg University with a bachelor’s in biology and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Born and raised in Nigeria, Promise resides in Miami, Florida with his wife.
Spirit of Augsburg Award
Martha Gisselquist ’86
Martha Gisselquist ’86 has been a volunteer nurse at Augsburg Central Health Commons (ACHC) for over 30 years. Established in 1992 in partnership with Central Lutheran Church, ACHC is the first health commons location started by Augsburg University’s Department of Nursing. This nurse-led drop-in center focuses on providing basic needs with the hope of addressing health inequities and healing in a welcoming and caring space.
Boyd Koehler
Boyd Koehler graduated from Moorhead State University in 1966 with a B.A. in German and piano. He then received a master’s degree in library science from the University of Minnesota in 1967 and later returned for a master’s in journalism.
For 50 years, 1967-2017, he served as circulation, research and bibliographic instruction librarian at Augsburg University with faculty status. In addition to being dedicated to reaching the students at large, he additionally focused on special populations: students with learning and physical disabilities, students with chemical dependencies, international students, and underserved students of color. Koehler team taught a course, Quantitative Journalism, for a ten-year period; the course focused on incorporating statistics into journalistic writing.
During his tenure at Augsburg, Koehler served on numerous faculty committees. He also was the Affirmative Action officer during the 1980s, faculty advisor to the college newspaper (the Echo) for four decades, member of the editorial board of the college’s literary review (Murphy Square and Loose Change), and accompanist for several student voice recitals. Concurrently, he served as the church musician for Camphor Methodist Church in St. Paul for 25 years and at Jordan New Life in North Minneapolis for a ten-year period; both churches had predominantly African American congregations. During the early part of his career, he worked for the American Lutheran Church as an editor in the areas of sexism and racism.
Koehler was deeply gratified to receive various awards during his career at Augsburg: Spirit of Martin Luther King award, Outstanding Faculty award by the senior class of 1995, and repeated Outstanding Service awards from the CLASS office. He was also featured as a “master librarian” by UM librarians at an annual American Library Association convention.
His crowning achievement was receiving the “Above and Beyond” award from the Minnesota Library Association in 2022.