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Entrepreneurship Students Compete for Cash Prizes in Auggie Cup

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The winners of the 2024 Auggie Cup pose with faculty and supporters in the lobby of the Hagfors Center.On a chilly December afternoon, 14 business and graphic design students brought the heat in Augsburg’s signature entrepreneurship challenge. 

At stake? Reputation, impact, connections—and $30,000 in cash prizes.

The second annual Augsburg Entrepreneurship Cup—better known on campus as the Auggie Cup—engaged three teams of students in a “Shark Tank”-style competition judged by local business leaders. Their challenge was to design and pitch a business and marketing plan for a promising new industrial or medical technology. 

“One of our basic tenets at Augsburg is that experiential learning leads to critical thinking skills,” said George Dierberger, the Thomas ’72 and Karen Howe Professor for Entrepreneurship and chair of Augsburg’s business administration and economics department. “That’s what the Auggie Cup is all about.”

Each team of three or four undergraduates was led by an MBA student coach and assigned to a startup firm with a product on the cusp of commercialization. Ideas were solicited from BETA, a nonprofit early stage accelerator for Minnesota-based technology startups, as well as Augsburg’s Business Advisory Council. This year’s projects included AcQtrac’s non-invasive device to monitor cardiovascular health among pediatric patients, SmartAuger’s portable ground-penetrating radar system, and CorRen Medical’s proprietary ultrasound technology to detect and treat peripheral artery disease. 

Over the course of the fall semester, three teams developed and refined a plan to pitch their products to investors, culminating in a competition on December 6. Members of the Business Advisory Council judged each hour-long presentation on the students’ assessment of the market opportunity and competitive environment, the marketing plan and original graphic arts elements, a rigorous financial analysis, and the overall quality of the presentation. More than 120 guests—business leaders, alumni, students’ families, and Augsburg faculty and staff—attended the evening reception and awards ceremony.

The AcQtrac Medical team placed first, with students Jim Schewe, Salma Gelle, Adela Leville, and Kat Chaney sharing a $15,000 prize. The SmartAuger team of Luke Peters, Jakob Mohrlok, Manny Weiss, Nolan Mehle, and Destiny Azonwu won the $10,000 second prize, and the CorRen Medical team of Patrick McMonagle, Danny Ho, Char Waver, Pachia Vang, and Anthonella Laurens took third place and $5,000. The cash prizes were made possible by generous supporters of Augsburg’s business, innovation, and entrepreneurship programs, including Mike Nathan and Sara Armstrong, Tom ’72 and Karen Howe, Big Stone Capital Group, Modulate Capital, Bill Urseth ’71, and Blaze Credit Union.

“This year’s Auggie Cup was an incredible event full of synergy and teamwork,” said Dierberger. “Our MBA, undergrad business, and graphic design students all did a stellar job at presenting their ideas to the panel of judges and we are grateful they could be rewarded in a real way for their significant efforts.”

While the Auggie Cup is targeted towards business, entrepreneurship, and graphic design students, plans are underway for a campus-wide competition this spring. Students from any academic discipline will be invited to deliver a 2–3 minute pitch, with the potential for the winning ideas to become full Auggie Cup projects next fall.

Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute receives grant to develop Muslim interfaith leadership cohort

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"AVD initials with text 'The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations' in gold."Augsburg University’s Interfaith Institute was recently awarded a grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Funding will be used to create a Muslim-led cohort of students from colleges throughout the Midwest; these students will offer interfaith leadership opportunities for their campuses. Cohort members will receive skill-building around topics like best practices for interfaith engagement in higher education and how to address campus conflicts involving religion. 

“We are excited for this opportunity to share Augsburg’s interfaith learnings with other campus communities,” says Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri Endowed Chair and executive director of the Interfaith Institute at Augsburg. “These students will become interfaith leaders who are equipped to facilitate dialogue and build bridges within their communities and throughout their professional lives.”  

The project aims to build capacity on college campuses for Muslim students to lead interfaith engagement among their peers. Located in the culturally diverse Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, Augsburg is uniquely equipped to carry out this work, with 66% of undergraduate students identifying as Black, Indigenous, or as People of Color, and over 12% as Muslim. Interfaith engagement is a core aspect of Augsburg’s academic mission and strategic plan. The university launched the Interfaith Institute in 2018 and appointed Najeeba Syeed as the inaugural El-Hibri Endowed Chair and executive director in 2022. 

The $189,630 grant will be distributed between August 2024 and July 2026. The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations’ Interfaith Leadership and Religious Literacy program area supports organizations that invest in courageous multi-faith conversations and collaborations.

Congratulations to Auggies named to the 2024 Summer Semester Dean’s List

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Augsburg University SealMore than 80 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2024 Summer Semester Dean’s List. The Augsburg University Dean’s List recognizes those full-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and those part-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.75 or higher in a given term.

View the 2024 Summer Semester Dean’s List.

Students who wish to notify their hometown newspapers of their achievement can do so at their discretion using a news announcement template.

 

Augsburg University Announces 2024 Alumni Awards

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A vase of white flowers and greenery spotlit against a black background, with two votive candles nearby.Augsburg University is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award, First Decade Award, and Spirit of Augsburg Award. These outstanding alumni will be recognized at a public ceremony and reception on October 11 as part of Augsburg’s 2024 homecoming and reunion weekend. 

Distinguished Alumni Award

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes significant achievement in vocation, for outstanding contribution to church and community, and for a life that exemplifies the ideals and mission of Augsburg University. The 2024 honorees are:

  • Brian Greseth ’83, educator and superintendent, Glades County School District (Okeechobee, FL)
  • Vicki Ellingrod ’89, dean of the College of Pharmacy and John Gideon Searle Professor of Translational Pharmacy, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
  • Judge Pamela Alexander ’74, retired Fourth Judicial District judge for Hennepin County (Charlotte, NC)

First Decade Award

The First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of the past 10 years who have made significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community, and in so doing exemplify the mission of the university. The 2024 honorees are:

  • Promise Okeke ’15, CEO, NovoPath (New York, NY)
  • Kirubel Frew ’14, vice president of business development, Viz.ai (Boston, MA)

Spirit of Augsburg Award

The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni and friends of the university who have given exceptional service that contributes substantially to the well-being of Augsburg by furthering its purposes and programs. The 2024 honorees are:

  • Boyd Koehler, associate professor and librarian emeritus (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Martha Gisselquist ’86, Augsburg Health Commons volunteer and supporter (Bloomington, MN)

Learn more about the 2024 alumni award winners.

Augsburg University Recognized for Supporting Transfer Students

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Circular emblem with "Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society," "Transfer Honor Roll," and "2024" text. Features a Phi Theta Kappa key.For a third consecutive year, Augsburg University is one of 228 colleges and universities nationwide that have been named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society 2024 Transfer Honor Roll. Based on key metrics related to the support and success of transfer students, the Transfer Honor Roll recognizes excellence in the development and support of dynamic and innovative pathways for community college transfer students. Some of the metrics taken into consideration are cost and financial aid, campus life, admissions practices, and bachelor’s degree completion rates.

“The goal of most students attending community college is a bachelor’s degree, but few do because of financial barriers and the complexities of the transfer process,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “We are proud to recognize the exceptional colleges and universities that go above and beyond to create accessible pathways to bachelor’s degree completion for community college transfer students.”

Learn more about Augsburg’s transfer admissions.

Congratulations to Auggies Named to the 2024 Spring Semester Dean’s List

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Augsburg University SealMore than 840 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2024 Spring Semester Dean’s List. The Augsburg University Dean’s List recognizes those full-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and those part-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.75 or higher in a given term.

View the 2024 Spring Semester Dean’s List.

Students who wish to notify their hometown newspapers of their achievement can do so at their discretion using a news announcement template.

Augsburg’s Dahn Gim Receives McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship

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Black, white, and red wordmark reading "McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowships"Dahn Gim, an assistant professor of art and design at Augsburg University, has been named one of six 2024 McKnight Visual Artist Fellows. Funded by the McKnight Foundation and administered by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the fellowship provides $25,000 in unrestricted support and a variety of professional development opportunities for outstanding mid-career artists in Minnesota. 

Dahn Gim is an artist, curator, and educator who was born in Busan, South Korea and raised in Canada. Her work reflects the dual perspectives of being both an insider and outsider, shaped by the nomadic ebb and flow of perpetual immigrant status. She explores the complexities of hybrid identity, grappling with the friction and fragmentation of assimilation and dislocation. Her artistic practice is deeply informed by self-inquiry during times of dispersion, uncertainty, and rootlessness. 

Professor Gim channels these experiences through various mediums, including video, sculpture, participatory drawings, durational performance, and installation. After completing her MFA in media arts at UCLA in 2015, Gim has exhibited her work at notable venues and art festivals around the world. 

Learn more about her work at dahngim.com.

Terrance Kwame-Ross Appointed Augsburg University’s Sabo Professor

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Terrance Kwame-Ross smiles at the camera in Lindell Library at Augsburg University. He is a Black man wearing a gray turtleneck and black-framed glasses.Terrance Kwame-Ross has been named the Martin Olav Sabo Endowed Chair in Public Service and Citizenship at Augsburg University, effective June 1, 2024.

“The Sabo professorship recognizes a distinguished academic and citizen whose work at Augsburg University exemplifies the university’s commitment to education for democracy,” said President Paul Pribbenow. “I can think of no member of the Augsburg community who embodies this commitment more deeply and holistically than Terrance Kwame-Ross.”

Kwame-Ross is an associate professor of education whose scholarship, service, and teaching practice focus on how individuals and human groups grow, develop, and change over time. At Augsburg, he teaches critical histories and philosophies of education, school and society, decolonizing social studies methods, experiential learning, and learning and development courses.

“Professor Kwame-Ross’ impressive record of public scholarship, community leadership, and exceptional teaching embodies Martin Sabo’s commitment to education as the path to an inclusive democracy. This appointment affirms his leadership role in advancing this work at Augsburg with and for our students,” said Paula O’Loughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs.

With over 30 years of experience in schools, community, and treatment settings, Kwame-Ross brings an interrogative, interdisciplinary, integrative, and intersectional pedagogical approach to teaching and learning across school, society, family, and church for “whole-beingness.” He holds an M.Ed.in youth development leadership and a Ph.D. in work, community, and family education, both from the University of Minnesota.

Generous alumni and friends of Augsburg established the endowed chair in 2007 to honor the civic legacy of Congressman Martin Olav Sabo ’59. With this appointment, Kwame-Ross succeeds Garry Hesser, Augsburg’s first Sabo professor.

Michael Wentzel Appointed Augsburg University’s Lindstrom Professor of Chemistry

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Michael Wentzel is wearing a white lab coat and green t-shirt and working on a chemistry experiment in a lab.Michael Wentzel has been named the inaugural Terry ’73 and Janet Lindstrom Endowed Professor of Chemistry at Augsburg University, effective June 1, 2024. 

“We are so fortunate to have Michael Wentzel on our faculty,” said Paula O’Loughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs. “He is an extraordinary teacher and an outstanding scientist. Even more significant is his generosity as a colleague and mentor. By engaging undergraduate students as partners in his own impressive research program, he helps students unlock possibilities they never imagined before, both for themselves and for a more sustainable future.” 

Wentzel is an organic chemist whose research focuses on the growing field of green chemistry, a systems-based approach that incorporates sustainability considerations into the the design, development, and implementation of chemical products and processes. As one of the first green chemists to be named a fellow by the Science Communication Network in 2018–19, he also works to help students and other researchers communicate their methods and findings to the public more effectively. 

Wentzel received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 2011. He joined Augsburg’s chemistry department in 2013, where he currently oversees STEM summer research and serves as department chair. He also serves as interim director of Augsburg’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity.   

“Michael Wentzel’s approach to teaching and scholarship is exactly the kind of leadership Terry and Janet Lindstrom desired to support with their transformative investment in our new School of Natural Sciences,” said Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow. “Whether in the lab, in the classroom, or on the chemistry club intramural basketball team, he is steadfast in his commitment to hands-on learning and in saying ‘yes’ to helping our students reach their goals.”

The Terry ’73 and Janet Lindstrom Endowed Professorship of Chemistry was established in 2024. Terry Lindstrom, a current member of Augsburg’s Board of Regents and a retired distinguished research fellow at Eli Lilly and Company, holds numerous patents supporting life-changing drugs, including Evista and Cymbalta. Together, the Lindstroms have provided generous philanthropic support to Augsburg students for more than 40 years.

Augsburg Nursing Faculty Focus on Infant Health Through MDH Grant

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A woman holds a baby at Health Commons. Both are wearing winter hats and jackets.
Health Commons visitors

Augsburg University Assistant Professor of Nursing Katie Martin is the recipient of a $160,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health to support infant health in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Martin is a certified midwife who has been providing care to expecting mothers in the area for over 20 years. Since beginning her academic tenure at Augsburg in 2021, she has become a coordinator at the Health Commons and the director of the BSN-completion program in addition to her teaching responsibilities.

“I have been honored to work at the Health Commons in Cedar Riverside over this past year and am so excited that this generous grant allows us to be able to expand the work we do,” Martin says. “We’ll restart programs that were happening pre-pandemic centered on maternal and infant health through community-led programming and community-based research.”

The funds from this grant will support new projects at the Health Commons in Cedar-Riverside, a health-focused drop-in center that is offered through a decade-long partnership between Augsburg, M Health Fairview, and the East Africa Health Project. Aligned with the grant program’s goal to reduce infant mortality in Minnesota, Martin and the Health Commons team are focused on three objectives: 

  1. Infants in the Cedar-Riverside community are born at term and at a healthy weight.
  2. Infants in the Cedar-Riverside community survive and thrive in their first year of life.
  3. East African Immigrants trust and feel safe with their health care providers in the Minneapolis metropolitan area.

This grant-funded work will be led by an Infant Health Advisory Committee organized by Martin. Much of the activities of the grant include offering infant health educational courses, distributing safe cribs, increasing safe sleep messaging and prenatal care, and hosting monthly birth celebrations at the Health Commons in Cedar-Riverside. Additionally, graduate students will be able to complete a paid internship through this grant and assist in a research project. This grant will also support ongoing programming and health services currently offered at the Health Commons, such as blood pressure checks and movement and mindfulness classes.

“This grant was extremely competitive and is a tribute to Dr. Martin’s expertise in infant health, health equity, and her relationships in Cedar-Riverside,” said Associate Professor Katie Clark, chair of Augsburg’s department of nursing and executive director of the Health Commons.  “Congratulations, Dr. Martin!”

Learn more about Augsburg’s Health Commons locations, range of services, and operating hours.