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Augsburg Launches Minnesota’s First Doctor of Medical Science Program

In fall 2025, Augsburg University will welcome the initial students to a first-of-its-kind doctoral program in Minnesota. The Doctor of Medical Science program offers physician assistants/associates (PAs) a pathway to career advancement in health care leadership and administration, research, public policy, academia, and specialized clinical practice. 

“Augsburg has a proud history of innovation, from establishing Minnesota’s first PA program in 1994 to now launching the state’s first PA-doctorate program,” said Associate Professor Vanessa Bester, director of Augsburg’s School of at Health. “The Doctor of Medical Science program continues this tradition of excellence, equipping PAs to excel as leaders, educators, scholars, entrepreneurs, and administrators.” 

The DMSc degree is an applied doctorate that emphasizes practical, real-world skill development in health care leadership and scholarship. Delivered in a fully asynchronous online format, Augsburg’s DMSc is a four-semester, 16-month program designed for working PAs seeking professional advancement. To be eligible for admission, students must hold a master’s degree in PA studies (MPAS, MSPAS, or equivalent) or a bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of five years practicing as a licensed physician assistant.

“Augsburg’s DMSc program is unique in its whole-person approach,” said DMSc Program Director Diana Soran. “The curriculum prepares students to develop critical leadership, research, and management skills while also aligning their coursework to support career growth. This intentional design prepares graduates for long-term success and fulfillment both professionally and personally.”

Career possibilities for DMSc graduates include director of clinical operations, graduate faculty member, principal investigator, health policy advisor, health startup development, and advanced practice provider in complex or specialized care settings.

“PAs bring a unique and indispensable perspective to health care, bridging gaps in care and fostering collaboration across medical teams,” said Bester. “By integrating health equity, inclusion, and innovation into real-world application, this transformative pathway empowers PAs to drive meaningful change in health care and in our communities.” 

In addition to the DMSc, Augsburg offers doctoral degrees in nursing and clinical psychology. 

To learn more, visit the DMSc program website.

Revolutionary Love: Augsburg University Interfaith Symposium to Feature Valarie Kaur

Valarie Kaur is wearing a black top with red and white patterns. She has black wavy hair and is standing in front of a wall with a mirror and framed pictures.
Photo by Jiro Schneider

Augsburg University will offer its third annual Interfaith Symposium at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 27, 2025, featuring visionary civil rights leader Valarie Kaur. The Interfaith Symposium is an annual invitation to students and community members to learn about religious, spiritual, and worldview diversity and connect with exceptional interfaith leaders. This event is free and open to the public.

Kaur’s keynote address, “Revolutionary Love Is the Call of Our Times,” will draw on her work to inspire and equip people to build beloved community through the Revolutionary Love Project she founded. Rooted in the belief that an ethic of love is essential to birthing a healthy, multi-racial democracy and a sustainable planet, the Revolutionary Love Project produces educational tools, training courses, artwork, films, music, and mass mobilizations to empower citizens from all walks of life to harness love as a force for justice.

As a civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, and educator, Kaur has led visionary campaigns to tell untold stories and change policy on issues ranging from hate crimes to digital freedom. A daughter of Punjabi Sikh farmers in California, she lifts up her vision for America in her acclaimed TED Talk and #1 LA Times bestseller, “See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love.” She is also the author of “Sage Warrior” and a children’s book, “World of Wonder.”

“Valarie’s message of revolutionary love is critically important at this time,” said Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri Endowed Chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg. “In particular, I look forward to the ideas she will offer our students to address social justice issues that impact their daily lives through coalition building strategies that she has used throughout her own career as a human rights lawyer and activist.”  

Following the keynote address, a luncheon and panel discussion will take place at 12 p.m., featuring conversation with Ted Chen, vice president for equity, culture, and learning, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies; Tamara Gray, founder and chief spirituality officer, Rabata; and Anantanand Rambachan, professor emeritus of religion, St. Olaf College. A limited number of seats will be available for $35. Sign up for the luncheon waiting list through the event registration link.

About Interfaith at Augsburg

Situated in a neighborhood home to numerous immigrant communities and with an increasingly diverse student body, Augsburg University is uniquely positioned to facilitate building bridges in a polarized world. Augsburg’s commitment to interfaith engagement is central to its mission, identified as a key outcome of its strategic plan, and rooted in its Lutheran theological heritage. Through interfaith education and intentional opportunities to strengthen interreligious communication, understanding, and relationships, Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute advances peacebuilding on campus, in the community, and beyond. Learn more at augsburg.edu/interfaith.

Augsburg Charts Future Course With Five-School Model

Exterior of Hagfors Center with "We are called Auggies" signAugsburg University has transitioned to a new academic structure to prepare students for successful careers, meaningful lives, and active citizenship in an integrated, constantly evolving world. 

As of the 2024–25 school year, Augsburg’s academic programs are organized into five schools focused on the arts, business, health, humanities and social sciences, and natural sciences. Each school is led by a faculty director. Previously, the academic programs were grouped into two large divisions focused on professional studies and liberal arts and sciences. 

“This is an exciting new chapter in Augsburg’s long tradition of academic excellence and our evolution as a student-centered university,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow. “The five-school model leverages our unique strengths while creating new ways for students, faculty, and staff to collaborate and build community.” 

The move to a schools-based model is designed to foster collaboration, encourage innovation, and facilitate interdisciplinary exchange. It does not change the curriculum, the admissions process, or degrees granted by Augsburg, nor does it involve any changes to campus facilities at this time. 

“Ultimately, a schools-based model better aligns Augsburg’s organizational structure with who we are, how we work today, and how we want to work in the future,” said Paula O’Loughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs. “The schools serve as smaller academic neighborhoods where students have closer ties with peers and mentors, greater support for career exploration, and a deeper sense of belonging—all of which empowers them to succeed in their professional lives and as leaders in their communities.”

John N. Schwartz ’67 School of the Arts

The John N. Schwartz ’67 School of the Arts (Christopher Houltberg, director) houses the narrative, performing, and visual arts at Augsburg. Drawing together Augsburg’s strength across the arts, the Schwartz School is home to 10 undergraduate majors, two graduate programs, five performing ensembles, three art galleries, multiple annual theater productions, and the Design & Agency trans-disciplinary design studio. With linkages throughout the vibrant Twin Cities arts community and an intentional focus on building collaborative skills, Schwartz School students graduate with ready-made professional networks and enhanced job opportunities across diverse creative fields. 

School of Business

The School of Business (Jeanne Boeh, director) cultivates experiential learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship to equip students for successful careers. Close ties with the corporate community provide a wealth of practical expertise and career opportunities for students at the undergraduate and graduate level. The school offers 12 undergraduate majors, two graduate programs, and signature hands-on learning experiences like the Augsburg Entrepreneurship Cup and the Innovation Scholars program.

School of Health

The School of Health (Vanessa Bester, director) unites the strengths of Augsburg’s nationally accredited nursing, physician assistant, clinical psychology, and social work programs to develop graduates who meet the diverse health and wellness needs of local and global communities. Students prepare to practice in a range of professional environments through community-based experiential learning with an emphasis on social justice, clinical excellence, and inter-professional collaboration. With two undergraduate majors and seven graduate programs, the School of Health builds on Augsburg’s strength as a regional leader in healthcare education and workforce development.  

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Lori Brandt Hale, director) advances Augsburg’s rich tradition of liberal arts education to equip students for full participation in a diverse and complex world. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences carries the heart of Augsburg’s mission-based commitments to cultural awareness and engagement with community into the curriculum through 36 undergraduate majors, two graduate programs, and a host of experiential learning opportunities on campus, in the neighborhood, and around the world. Graduates pursue careers in law, primary and secondary education, higher education, government, non-profit agencies, public policy, religious leadership, publishing, and more. 

School of Natural Sciences

The School of Natural Sciences (Ben Stottrup, director) prepares students to excel in STEM-related fields and graduate education. State-of-the-art classrooms, equipment, and labs in the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion facilitate interdisciplinary learning in 14 undergraduate majors and across the curriculum. The School of Natural Sciences is a hub for student research through programs like PRISM Scholars, TRIO McNair Scholars, and Zyzzogeton, Augsburg’s annual student research symposium. Working closely with natural sciences faculty, students develop a growth mindset and explore professional opportunities, preparing for careers that exist today and those that will be created in the future.

Federal Grant Expands Mental Health Supports at Augsburg

Students talk and study in the hallway of the Hagfors CenterLike many colleges, Augsburg University has seen a rise in demand for mental health services in recent years. But despite the growing need, students who are BIPOC, low-income, or first-generation often experience unique barriers to seeking help with mental health or substance use issues. 

“Two of the gifts of our community—our diverse student body and our location in the heart of Minneapolis—mean that a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to mental health doesn’t work here at Augsburg,” said Michael Grewe, dean of students. “Many of our students come from immigrant communities that have experienced multiple forms of oppression and trauma, and our campus sits just a few miles from where George Floyd was murdered in 2020. This translates to a significant need not only for trauma-informed mental health services but also for a trauma-informed campus community.”

Augsburg recently received a grant of nearly $300,000 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to improve students’ ability to access culturally relevant mental health and substance use prevention and intervention services. The grant will support the Auggie Well-Being project, an initiative to promote help-seeking and reduce stigma among underrepresented and under-resourced students.  

Systemic barriers to seeking help can stem from cultural stigma, fear of discrimination, past experiences of discrimination or criminalization, lack of comfort with Western mental health care systems, or lack of awareness about mental health challenges that could benefit from counseling or other interventions. The Auggie Well-being project calls for outreach, training, and community programming to address these barriers. Over the three years of the grant, Augsburg will: 

  • Educate students about mental health concepts and services through campus-wide and targeted promotion initiatives in multiple languages, including Spanish, Hmong, and Somali.
  • Implement required training for faculty, staff, and student leaders on evidence-based strategies to identify and respond to mental health or substance use-related issues.
  • Promote help-seeking behavior and reduce stigma through programming on culturally relevant mental health and wellness frameworks and resources. 

“Our goal is ultimately to normalize and make it easier to ask for help, especially for our students with complex challenges,” said Grewe. 

Augsburg is one of 30 institutions nationally to receive a grant in 2024 through SAMHSA’s GLS Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program. The program aims to support a comprehensive public health and evidence-based approach that enhances behavioral health services for all college students, including those at risk for suicide, depression, serious mental illness/serious emotional disturbances, and/or substance use disorders that can lead to school failure; prevents and reduces suicide and mental and substance use disorders; promotes help-seeking behavior and reduces stigma; and improves the identification and treatment of at-risk college students so they can successfully complete their studies. SAMHSA, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, leads public health efforts to advance behavioral health.

“Coach” Gwen Walz Lifts Up Student Debaters at 2024 Mayors Challenge

Minnesota Urban Debate League logoIt’s not every day that Twin Cities high schoolers get to flex their skills in front of Coach Walz.

Coach Gwen Walz, that is.

Just a few weeks into the school year, four high school debaters faced off tonight in front of state and local leaders, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz opened the program at the Minnesota Urban Debate League’s 12th annual Mayors Challenge event, held at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

“What educators and coaches work at and dream of is the possibility of transformation—for students to find their voices, to articulate their ideas, and to challenge, most of all, themselves,” said Walz, a member of MNUDL’s board. While Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is known for his time as a football coach, Gwen Walz started and coached the debate program at Mankato West High School, where both Walzes taught prior to their time in public office.

On Wednesday night in Minneapolis, Ani McQuillen of Roosevelt High School, Minneapolis, and Max Ulven of Central High School, Saint Paul, argued the affirmative on issues related to AI. They debated Laura Afriyie of Tartan High School, Oakdale, and Sai Yang of Johnson High School, Saint Paul, arguing the negative. All are members of their schools’ debate teams, hosted by MNUDL.

“Debate is more than an extracurricular program: It’s a leadership pipeline for our young people,” said Amy Cram-Helwich, MNUDL’s executive director. “Students gain crucial skills in debate that set them up for success in the classroom and in life. Our vision is that these benefits should be available to every Minnesota student.”

Following the debate, the students interviewed Frey and Carter onstage, asking questions about climate change, education, city parks, and the process to change policy. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, also a former speech and debate competitor, delivered a fireside chat on AI and election integrity. Minnesota Representative Cedrick Frazier received the 2024 Champion of Change award for his work in education, criminal justice reform, and workforce development. MNUDL gives out the award annually to a changemaker who models courageous leadership.

Since 2012, the Mayors Challenge event has brought together education advocates from across the Twin Cities to watch an empowering, informative showcase debate and invest in the future of urban debate. Debate has been shown to positively impact literacy, self-esteem, critical thinking, attendance, and test scores. Students who participate in debate develop the capacity to engage in civil disagreement and civil discourse, skills that are essential for citizenship in a multicultural democracy.

“If ever there was a time to lift up the idea of finding respectful ways to disagree with one another, it is now,” said Walz. “If ever there was a time to research, and discuss, and engage one another in issues of great importance, it is now. We come together around the most important of ideas: of enhancing education for the good of our students, of making schools better with discourse that is not all of one mind but is diverse and varied and rich in its contemplation—and in hopes that our democracy might look much more like a debate team.”

About MNUDL

The Minnesota Urban Debate League is a program of Augsburg University that provides resources and programming to support competitive academic debate in Twin Cities high schools and middle schools. The mission of MNUDL is to empower students through competitive academic debate to become engaged learners, critical thinkers, and active global citizens who are effective advocates for themselves and their communities. Currently, MNUDL serves more than 1,300 students at 40+ partner schools and has seen sustained growth in student participation since its inception in 2004, in programs including national topic policy debate, middle school debate, Spanish Debate League, East African Debate, Financial Literacy Leadership Debates, and MDAW Summer Speech & Debate Camp.

About Augsburg University

Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees to more than 3,200 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities. In 2023, U.S. News & World Report identified Augsburg as the most ethnically diverse regional university in the Midwest. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.

Media contact: Rachel Farris, farrisr@augsburg.edu

Democracy Up Close: Augsburg’s Connection to the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

Gwen Walz wears a plaid scarf and a dark jacket over a red top. She has blonde hair and is smiling softly at the camera against a brick background.
Photo by Courtney Perry

Democratic engagement is a deeply held value at Augsburg University. This year, an unusual connection to the 2024 U.S. presidential contest promises an extraordinary level of interest and opportunity for Augsburg students around the upcoming election. 

Since 2019, Minnesota’s First Lady, Gwen Walz, has held appointments as an instructor of education at Augsburg and as a special assistant for strategic partnerships in the Office of the President. At Augsburg, she has helped develop and co-teach a master’s-level education course called “Connecting Policy, Practice, and Advocacy for Educational Equity.” She has worked to build connections between campus programs and state agencies to offer internships and experiential learning opportunities. And she has worked closely with the Provost’s Office to encourage voter participation and democratic engagement. 

Now, students who were used to seeing Walz on campus will see her in a different context. On Tuesday, Vice President President Kamala Harris announced Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in the November presidential election.

“Governor Walz’s selection as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for education and engagement around this election cycle,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow. “It’s a wonderful reminder for our students that whether on a college campus or in our nation’s capital, the hard work of democracy, at its core, is the same: finding ways to come together across difference to work for the common good.” 

Read more about Gwen Walz in the March 2023 issue of Augsburg Now. 

About Augsburg University

Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees to more than 3,100 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities. In 2023, U.S. News & World Report identified Augsburg as the most ethnically diverse regional university in the Midwest. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings. Learn more at augsburg.edu.

Media Contact

Rachel Farris
Director of Public Relations and Internal Communication
farrisr@augsburg.edu
612-330-1476

Augsburg Rolls Out Fully Online RN-BSN Program

Augsburg University will offer a fully online Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion Program starting in Fall 2024. The program provides flexible scheduling, multiple starts per year, and asynchronous courses to support registered nurses in broadening their career opportunities. Students can start in any semester and proceed at their own pace, completing the program in as little as one year. In addition, free upper-division credits are available for qualifying students who pass the NCLEX-RN exam.

While courses will be offered asynchronously online for maximum flexibility, Augsburg RN-BSN students have access to unique, hands-on learning opportunities as part of their studies. Students can complete required community health practicum hours at Augsburg’s Health Commons drop-in centers throughout the Twin Cities and participate in global immersion courses in Namibia, Guatemala, and Mexico. 

“Augsburg’s nursing programs have a long history of community-based education and teaching anti-racist nursing practice,” said Katie Martin, assistant professor of nursing and program director. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer this same focus on transcultural nursing and health equity in a more accessible format for our BSN completion students.” 

Health systems, hospitals, and public health employers increasingly prefer or require nurses to hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The BSN is also a foundational requirement for nurses who wish to pursue graduate nursing education to become a midwife or nurse practitioner. Augsburg’s BSN completion program offers two pathways for students to obtain a master of arts in nursing: an accelerated RN-BSN to MAN and a bridge AD-RN to MAN for nurses with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees. 

Learn more about Augsburg’s BSN Completion Program and apply today.

 

Paul Pribbenow Joins College Presidents for Civic Preparedness

Paul Pribbenow wears a gray jacket, a gray and maroon bow tie, a white collared shirt, and black-rimmed glasses.

Recognizing this urgent moment for American higher education and our democracy, Augsburg University President Paul C. Pribbenow is joining 70 other college presidents of diverse institutions from across the country to advance higher education’s pivotal role in preparing students to be engaged citizens and to uphold free expression on campus. 

Through College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, a unique consortium designed by the presidents and convened by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, participating presidents are dedicated to preparing the next generation of well-informed, productively engaged, and committed citizens; defending free expression, civil discourse, and critical inquiry as essential civic norms; and increasing thoughtful engagement and better understanding by students for the effective functioning of our democracy. The consortium, first announced with 15 members in August 2023, has grown significantly, demonstrating momentum for this movement. 

Participating presidents will take campus-specific and collective action, reflecting three shared Civic Commitments: 

  • Educating for democracy is central to our mission. 
  • We will prepare our students for a vibrant, diverse, and contentious society. 
  • We will protect and defend free inquiry.

Taken together, these fresh commitments embrace both free speech and diversity, two values often pitted against each other, by instead emphasizing meaningful engagement and inquiry with different voices and viewpoints. The commitments stress diversity as a strength of both American democracy and campus life and affirm the truth-seeking role of higher education through curiosity and inquiry. They also enable campus leaders to take substantive action to promote democratic engagement among students, with public accountability for progress through publication of an annual impact report.

“At Augsburg University, we honor our commitments to a vibrant civic life, to the liberal arts, and to the diverse students we serve, by setting a table where all voices are heard, all life experiences are valued, and all of our fellow travelers are engaged in support of a vibrant democracy,” said Pribbenow.

In addition to championing these commitments on our own campuses, the presidents will undertake together and through the Institute a set of collective actions:

  • Meet regularly and confidentially for peer learning and the exchange of information, ideas, practices, and tools, including on such topics as the 2024 elections and student activism;
  • Help faculty engage effectively with free expression and civil discourse in the classroom by participating in the Faculty Institute on Dialogue Across Difference; and
  • Create and seize opportunities for shared advocacy and public outreach on civic preparedness in higher education.

“Higher education has a responsibility to provide students with critical civic skills and knowledge to participate effectively in our constitutional democracy,” said Rajiv Vinnakota, President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, a nonprofit that cultivates talent, ideas, and networks that develop young people as effective, lifelong citizens. “College campuses are among the most diverse spaces in our country, and college is an important time for students to develop the habits, practices, and norms to live in a multicultural and interconnected democracy. Doing so can create a ripple effect, making young people more optimistic and increasingly committed about their future and our nation.”

Learn more about Augsburg’s commitment to civic preparedness.

Announcing the Lindstrom Endowed Professorship of Chemistry at Augsburg University

Augsburg University is pleased to announce the establishment of the Terry ’73 and Janet Lindstrom Endowed Professorship of Chemistry.

Terry and Janet Lindstrom have generously supported Augsburg for over 40 years. Their philanthropic support includes the Augsburg Fund, summer research opportunities, the Student Emergency Fund, and the Hagfors Center. After a distinguished career in drug discovery and development at Eli Lilly and Company, Terry retired in 2010. He joined Augsburg’s Board of Regents in 2018, where he chairs the enrollment management committee.

Endowed professorships like the Lindstrom Endowed Professor of Chemistry play a vital role in supporting faculty, promoting academic excellence, and ensuring the long-term success of students. “This transformative gift affirms Augsburg’s longstanding commitment to excellence in the natural sciences,” said President Paul Pribbenow. “In a time when scientific knowledge has itself become contested, we are incredibly grateful to the Lindstroms for this investment to strengthen the critical leadership of our faculty.”

Learn more about the Lindstroms and the Lindstrom Endowed Professorship.

Advisory: Augsburg Celebrates Class of 2024 at Commencement on May 8

Close-up of a student in cap and gown amidst the crowd at 2023 Augsburg commencementAugsburg University will celebrate the class of 2024 at an in-person commencement ceremony at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday, May 8 at 6:00 p.m.

Augsburg’s commencement ceremony reflects the diversity of its community, as graduates traditionally wear stoles and cords of different colors that represent affiliation with various communities and programs. Flags displayed at commencement represent sovereign nations of American Indian students and countries of the international students graduating in the ceremony.

Tickets are required to attend in person, but the ceremony will also be livestreamed. Follow the celebration through the hashtag #AuggieGrad on social media platforms.

For more information, including accessibility information, visit the commencement website.

Media contact:
Rachel Farris
farrisr@augsburg.edu
(612) 330-1476