This week, the Minnesota House Education Policy Committee met to review a Teacher Licensure Advisory Task Force recommendation to eliminate a college-level skills test that teachers must pass before getting a license. Christopher Smith, assistant professor of education and task force member, spoke before the Committee, and some of his comments were published by Twin Cities media. Visit the Pioneer Press website to learn more.

An exhibit by Augsburg College studio art student Maximino Garcia-Marin ’14 recently was featured by the Star Tribune. In the column, “For young graphic designer, the immigration debate gets personal,” Gail Rosenblum described how and why Garcia-Marin created a multifaceted installation that includes 4,900 stenciled, blindfolded faces who each represent roughly 3,000 undocumented immigrants. Read the story on the Star Tribune website.

Augsburg alumnus and former Auggie football player Scott Cooper ’13 recently published an article on Outsports.com in which he described his acceptance on and off the field as a gay student athlete. Cooper’s initial remarks sparked a range of media inquiries. In the past week, he has appeared on KARE 11, KSTP, WDAY, and KAAL television news broadcasts as well as on Minnesota Public Radio.

Kate Woolever Martinez ’11 — a teacher at the St. Paul Preparatory School in downtown St. Paul — visited Bangladesh on a cultural exchange program last year and now brings her international experience into the classroom. According to the Pioneer Press, Woolever Martinez has turned a routine portrait assignment in her class into a lesson about climate refugees and a Bangladesh school that’s trying to improve the lives of families living in a slum. Read about the project and view photos of student artwork on the Pioneer Press website. Woolever Martinez also was included in a Summer 2013 Augsburg Now feature story on Auggie teachers. Visit the Augsburg Now website to read, “Shaping Our Future.”

Lorna “Emmy” Her Many Horses ’15 MAE was featured in an article by The Circle. Her Many Horses volunteers her time and resources to collect donated items and then distributes them at family centers and homeless shelters that serve the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. She collects items from Twin Cities acquaintances and sees her volunteerism as an opportunity to give back to the children and elders of the Rosebud Sioux nation, of which she is a tribal citizen. The article notes that Her Many Horses is working on her master’s degree in special education and plans to work with children. Read more about her work on The Circle website.

Former Augsburg College football player Scott Cooper ’13 wrote an article for Outsports.com in which he described his acceptance on and off the field as a gay student athlete. The Star Tribune then excerpted Cooper’s article on a sports blog, noting that some highlights “he recounted were standing with his partner on Senior Day in November and being asked by his position coach, Mike Matson, to speak in chapel on National Coming Out Day in October.” Visit the Outsports.com and Star Tribune websites to learn more.

Augsburg alumnus Sam Ringstad ’11 was featured in the Star Tribune column “Duets: Years apart, they won’t let this friendship get away.” The story described how the Auggie — age 25 — spends winter months on the ice spearfishing with his 91-year-old friend and mentor. Learn about the pair on the Star Tribune website.

Augsburg College alumna Beth Franklin ’09 was featured in the Star Tribune‘s Jobs section, and she described how her studies led her to a “dream job” as a Certified Public Accountant at a firm serving writers, artists, and musicians. Read the article online.

Christopher Smith, assistant professor of education, recently was featured in an MPR story that asked, “What is the best part of winter in Minnesota?” In the story, Smith discussed his ice fishing hobby. Listen to the report on the MPR website.

Augsburg was one of more than 100 colleges, foundations, and nonprofit groups that took part in a White House initiative seeking to improve college opportunity for U.S. students. Augsburg’s pledge outlines plans that — among others — call for the College to expand its commitments to access through recruiting from College Possible high school program sites and offering a dual-admission nursing program with Minneapolis Community & Technical College to support Minneapolis’ diverse community college nursing student population. Visit The Chronicle of Higher Education to learn more about the Presidential initiative and Augsburg’s commitments.