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Explore the universe from the East Commons

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planetariumJoel Halvorson of the Minnesota Planetarium Society will be on campus Tuesday, Feb. 19 demonstrating the ExploraDome — an 18′-diameter, 13′-tall portable dome featuring high quality, interactive, visual programs for the sciences and science education.

The ExploraDome will be set up in the East Commons of the Christensen Center and available for viewing on Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to drop by and see how the dome can help promote science education as well as enjoy exciting imagery of the cosmos. The dome can accommodate 25-30 students at any one time.

The Minnesota Planetarium Society is dedicated to improving math and science education, and is constructing the Minnesota Planetarium and Space Discovery Center on top of the new Minneapolis Central Library.

Dr. Robin Lovin to speak in Convocation, seminars

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lovinDr. Robin Lovin will present “Reinhold Niebuhr for the 21st Century: Christian

Realism and the New Realities” at the annual Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics. The series of events, to be held, Feb. 28 – March 1, is part of the 2007-2008  Convocation Series “Many Voices Bold Vision.”

Dr. Robin Lovin is a Cary Maguire University professor of Ethics at Southern Methodist University. He joined the SMU faculty in July 1994 and served as dean of Perkins School of Theology from 1994-2002. From 1991-1994, Lovin was dean at the Theological School of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. His teaching career includes service as an instructor at Candler School of Theology of Emory University and 13 years as a faculty member at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. He is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.A.) and Harvard University (B.D. and Ph.D). He is an ordained minister of The United Methodist Church. Continue reading “Dr. Robin Lovin to speak in Convocation, seminars” →

Dr. Ruth Johnson speaks at Vocatio Chapel

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rj_vocatioRuth E. Johnson, MD ’74 will speak in Vocatio Chapel on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 10:20 a.m. in the “Science as Vocation” series, as part of Exploring Our Gifts: The Augsburg College Lilly Grant.

Johnson is a consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School. Her major interests are medical education, medical ethics and women’s health. She founded the Mayo Breast Clinic in 1993 and continues in patient care, education and research for women with benign and malignant breast disease, and women at high risk for breast cancer.

Majoring in chemistry and biology at Augsburg, Johnson earned her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude, graduated from Mayo Medical School and completed her residency at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. In 1996 Johnson was named a Distinguished Alumna; in 2007 she rejoined Augsburg’s Board of Regents. She is married to Phil Quanbeck II, chair of Augsburg’s Department of Religion.

A luncheon at 11 a.m. follows the chapel service. To RSVP for the luncheon or for more information, e-mail Ross Murray at murray@augsburg.edu or call x1151.

Augsburg named to President's Honor Roll for community service

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honors_listFor the second year in a row, Augsburg was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. This Honor Roll recognizes institutions of higher education that support innovative, effective and exemplary community service programs.

Factors considered include the scope and innovation of service projects, the percentage of student who participate and the extent to which service-learning courses are offered.

Of the 528 colleges named, Augsburg was among 127 that were specially honored “with distinction.” In addition, nine colleges received special awards for extraordinary service and special achievement.

At Augsburg, for example, even before starting classes, all first-year students participate in City Service Projects Day. In September, more than 400 students volunteered 1,340 hours at varied locations in the College’s neighborhood and in the city on that day. Continue reading “Augsburg named to President's Honor Roll for community service” →

Peace and war education project on Feb. 20

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peace“Peace and War in the Heartland, ” a peace-and-war education project that focuses on the moral and constitutional issues of war, will offer several events at Augsburg College throughout the day of Feb. 20. The project is attempting to foster an inter-generational dialogue and discussion about the issues facing those of draft age (18-25 years old) in current and past military conflicts.

The project’s visit to Augsburg lands in the middle of a schedule that takes it around the Twin Cities from Jan. 15 – March 9, including the University of Minnesota and Macalester College. For more information on these off-campus events and on the project itself, please visit www.pwh-mn.org .

The Anne Pederson Women’s Resource Center is sponsoring the project’s events at Augsburg on Feb. 20, and the theme for the day’s events is “Women and War.” All of these events will be held in the East Commons of the Christensen Center: Continue reading “Peace and war education project on Feb. 20” →

MSW receives grant to focus on care for older adults

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mswThe Master of Social Work (MSW) program has received a $75,000, 3-year grant in the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education. This program addresses the growing demand for social workers as the nation’s aging population is expected to more than triple by 2050. The grant, in consortium with the University of Minnesota, will support, through a scholarship and additional learning opportunities, the advanced field placement work of second-year MSW students specializing in serving older adults.

Augsburg’s unique contribution will be to launch a program focusing on older adults of color. The College will adopt a program model developed by the New York Academy of Medicine’s Social Work Leadership Institute, with support from the John A. Hartford Foundation.

Peace Prize Forum deadline to register Feb. 18

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deadlineThe 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Forum will take place March 7-8 at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. This year’s theme, “Striving for Peace: Investing in Community,” honors the work of Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank, winners of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

Yunus will give the keynote address to the forum on Saturday morning, March 8. The Grameen Bank, which he founded, extends low-cost loans to individuals in Bangladesh that have resulted in grassroots economic and social improvements. More than six million borrowers are now connected with the bank.

Other speakers include: Continue reading “Peace Prize Forum deadline to register Feb. 18” →

Chrislock lecture to feature Annette Atkins

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chrislock2The 2008 Carl H. Chrislock Memorial Lecture, “The State We’re In: Thinking about Ourselves in Place and Time,” will be presented by Annette Atkins, professor of history and Flynn Professor in the Humanities, at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict.

The lecture takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Marshall Room, Christensen Center. A book signing follows the lecture.

Atkins has recently published “Creating Minnesota: A History from the Inside Out.” She also published “Harvest of Grief: Grasshopper Plagues and Public Assistance in Minnesota, 1873-78” (1984), and “We Grew Up Together: Brothers and Sisters in 19th-Century America” (2001). Continue reading “Chrislock lecture to feature Annette Atkins” →

Do you have dollar/sense?

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dollarsCredit-card debt is a problem that faces many college students. BusinessWeek reported last year that 75% of college students have cards, up from 67% in 1998. Nellie Mae, a student-loan corporation, found that the average outstanding balance on undergraduate credit cards was $2,169 in 2004.

To help students confront this issue, a 2-week program, entitled “dollar/sense,” will be held on campus starting Monday, Feb. 18. Its goal is to inform college students of the intricate and complicated financial world around them. The event will run intermittently from Feb.18 – 28 (see schedule below), and each session will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Christensen Center coffee lounge.  Continue reading “Do you have dollar/sense?” →

Augsburg evaluates its dining services

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diningIn response to student concerns about the quality of food service, Augsburg has formed a search committee to review the options for how our campus is fed on a daily basis. This committee will be made of students, faculty, and staff.

Their first duty will be to shape how Augsburg explains its food needs to potential vendors. This explanation to service providers will take the form of a Request for Proposal (RFP), a document that is typically the first step in alerting contractors of an institution’s demand for services. Interested vendors will reply to the RFP, and the committee will review their responses. Once the field has been narrowed, the committee will taste-test samples from providers, visit other campuses to compare services, and interview the finalists. Taking all this information into consideration, the committee will then choose the best candidate to provide food services for Augsburg. Continue reading “Augsburg evaluates its dining services” →