bing pixel

Future Auggies get an early start

vento_auggiesEarly this spring, some future Auggies started on their path to college when they were adopted by the Augsburg College admissions staff and by Auggie Eagle.

Anne Gardner, a first grade teacher at Bruce F. Vento Elementary in St. Paul, contacted Carrie Carroll, assistant vice president of admissions asking if Augsburg would be a benefactor to her class and adopt her first graders.

“We agreed to sponsor her classroom and the connection has blossomed,” said Carroll.

Last year, each class at Vento Elementary adopted a college or university to represent his or her classroom. Gardner chose Augsburg in part because her son, Sam Smith, is a student at the College. Students learned about Augsburg, including the fight song. Carroll said the students have Augsburg postcards and pictures in their classroom and they each made their own Auggie pennant to take home for the summer. Continue reading “Future Auggies get an early start”

June commencement highlights science

june_commencementOn Sunday, June 28, undergraduate and graduate students from Minneapolis and Rochester will celebrate their graduation from Augsburg College. For a complete listing of events, go to www.augsburg.edu/commencement.

As in the May commencement ceremony, both the featured speaker and honorary degree recipient are well known for their distinguished careers related to science and education.

Augsburg is honored to welcome Eric J. Jolly, PhD, president of the Science Museum of Minnesota, as the June commencement speaker. Jolly is a member of the Augsburg College Board of Regents and is recognized for his commitment to science and mathematics education, striving to educate young people as the future workforce and to create an informed citizenry that engages science in public policy issues. Continue reading “June commencement highlights science”

A summer in London

rostad_abroadUntil a few weeks ago, Grant Rostad had never traveled outside North America and had never lived more than lived 20 miles from his parents’ home. Now the Augsburg senior is “across the pond” doing an internship with Ernst & Young in London.

“It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” says Rostad. “If you had asked me about this my freshman year, I wouldn’t have even thought of it.”

An accounting and finance major from Bloomington, Minn., Rostad applied for the internship after a friend recommended he participate in a program abroad. He’s working in Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) doing assurance and auditing for the firm. Continue reading “A summer in London”

Auggies in New Zealand

newzealandThis summer, a group of Augsburg students are exploring the biodiversity and environmental politics of New Zealand and the Cook Islands with biology professor Brian Corner and political science professor Joe Underhill. The professors and students have been keeping detailed accounts of their experiences on two blogs: Augsburg BioLOG and Augsburg New Zealand Trip.

At left is Franz Josef Glacier, and what follows is a posting from the BioLOG by Richmond Appleton. Continue reading “Auggies in New Zealand”

Cycling for progress

pedalersThe four bicycles were fully loaded and leaning against a picnic table in Murphy Park on Thursday morning. There were pannier bags stuffed on the front and back of each of the bikes. And before riding away, Tommy Schlaefer, Nate White, Michael Wethington and Jake Quarstad were saying goodbyes to family and friends.

The four—two recent grads and two who will be Augsburg seniors in the fall—are embarking on what will be an interesting summer journey: Ride their bikes to Portland, Ore. in order to gain a better understanding of why that city is considered to be the most bike-friendly in the United States. Continue reading “Cycling for progress”

2009 URGO Summer Research Abstracts

urgo_researchersSome Augsburg students are discovering that summer isn’t just for working a few part-time jobs or perfecting one’s beach volleyball technique. This summer, 32 students will conduct research through the URGO program. And they’re not just studying algae growth. With their faculty mentors, this group is taking on topics like Minnesota’s percussion legends, saliva, Augsburg’s relationship with our neighbors, conspiracy fiction, aquatic insects, and the relationship between religiosity and depression…to name a few.

URGO—the office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity—provides summer research grants for students interested in graduate or professional study. The program encourages undergraduate students to conduct research by requiring an understanding of current questions in a field, the ability to collaborate with others, and the persistence necessary to meet the demands of graduate study. Continue reading “2009 URGO Summer Research Abstracts”

"Crazy Book" shares the lighter side of the Bible

crazy_bookEver thought of the Exile as a 40-year timeout? Did you know Mary Magdelene’s pet peeve is artists who paint her as “that kind of woman”? And has it ever occurred to you that it would be cool if the Salome said to have been at Jesus’ tomb was the very same Salome who bumped off John the Baptist?

The authors of “Crazy Book” have put a lot of thought into questions like these.

This “not-so-stuffy dictionary of biblical terms” was written by assistant religion profs Hans Wiersma and Karl Jacobson, and Karl’s brother Rolf, an associate professor at Luther Seminary.

Continue reading “"Crazy Book" shares the lighter side of the Bible”

Rochester convocation features Paul Horgen

roch_convoPaul Horgen, Former CEO of Think Mutual Bank in Rochester, Minn. will deliver the second annual Rochester convocation address on Tuesday, May 19 at Bethel Lutheran Church at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Horgen completed a 40-year career in 2007 including 21 years as CEO of Think Mutual, the seventh largest bank in Minnesota. His quest for business success started on a family farm in the mid-1960s then took a sharp upward spike in 1969 when he joined the U.S. Army, went to Vietnam, and learned leadership lessons from the ground up.

Simply asking good questions led him to a position in banking and in 1972 to his first CEO job at the age of 24. He held that position with three consistently successful companies for a total of 34 years. Horgen’s address to the Augsburg community, titled “A Search for Satisfaction: Can you Find It in Less than 40 Years of Looking?”, will draw on his business and personal experiences. Continue reading “Rochester convocation features Paul Horgen”

McNair Scholars ready for research

Applicants to graduate school encounter intense competition for admission and funding. The McNair Scholars Program helps increase the odds of acceptance to graduate school by offering students a unique research experience during their undergraduate careers.

Participating students spend more than 400 hours exploring topics, developing a thesis, collecting and reviewing data, and preparing a formal presentation of their findings. Research provides the opportunity to develop a mentoring relationship by working one-on-one with a faculty member. Students also gain extensive skills and knowledge in a discipline, experience using methodological techniques, and writing and public speaking practice by submitting papers to professional conferences and journals.

Rebekah Dupont, North Star STEM Alliance Coordinator, taught the research proposal writing course this year. Starting May 18, the following scholars will be conducting research with a faculty mentor and a library mentor . Continue reading “McNair Scholars ready for research”

Augsburg wins a silver

marketing_awardAfter a while, the marketing materials that land in the mailboxes of high school seniors all kind of look alike.

There are pictures of impressive buildings. There are smiling students in college sweatshirts with backpacks over their shoulder. In many cases, the focus is on buildings rather than experience.

That is part of the reason why the “Auggie Field Guide” that was sent to about 2,000 members of the 2009 high school graduating class stood out. There was a bright orange cover, great photos, and a storyline that tried to explain to high school students what being an Auggie is really like. Continue reading “Augsburg wins a silver”