bing pixel
  1. Home
  2. Category: Media Advisories

Photo Opportunity: River Semester students land Saturday at Gateway Arch in St. Louis

Posted on

College students have paddled nearly 600 miles from St. Paul to St. Louis en route to New Orleans

WHAT

Gateway ArchAfter nine weeks living, studying and traveling on the Mississippi River in a flotilla of 24-foot voyageur canoes and paddling nearly 600 miles, a group of Augsburg College students is slated to land on at the Gateway Arch at 1 p.m., Saturday. The students, who departed St. Paul on Sept. 1 as part of their semester-long journey to the Gulf of Mexico, will land in St. Louis just as the city is discussing the grade of D+ given on the Mississippi River Basin “report card” by a consortium of environmental organizations and as the city celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Gateway Arch.

WHEN

1 p.m., Saturday

WHERE

Gateway Arch, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, 100 Washington Ave., St. Louis 63102

ABOUT THE RIVER SEMESTER

The students participating in this semester-long learning program will earn as many as 16 credits in biology, environmental studies, health and physical education, and political science.  During the trip, students will:

  • Conduct a field research project on a topic such as water pollution, the Clean Water Act, sustainable agriculture in the watershed, political organizing around environmental issues, race relations and social justice, or urban riverfront revitalization.
  • Explore the history, literature, food, music and culture of the Mississippi River.
  • Gain skills tailored to meet the needs of partner organizations, including businesses,  graduate schools, nonprofits and government agencies.
  • Attend town hall meetings and meet with environmental organizations along the river.
  • Hear from guest lecturers about invasive carp, habitat restoration, authors Mark Twain and William Faulkner, ancient river civilizations, American Indian communities and their fight for justice, and the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

An overview of the trip can be found on the River Semester website at augsburg.edu/river

ABOUT AUGSBURG COLLEGE

Augsburg College, a private liberal arts college in Minneapolis, offered the River Semester in partnership with Wilderness Inquiry, a nonprofit and inclusive travel provider that specializes in experiential programming and outdoor travel for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Augsburg College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600 students of diverse backgrounds at its campuses located in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and in Rochester. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. 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.

###

River Semester students to land Oct. 31 at St. Louis Gateway Arch

Posted on

Augsburg College students have paddled nearly 600 miles since Sept. 1

River semester canoes with gear and an Augsburg flag(MINNEAPOLIS) – After nine weeks living, studying and traveling on the Mississippi River in 24-foot voyageur canoes and paddling nearly 600 miles, a group of Augsburg College students is slated to land on Saturday at the St. Louis Gateway Arch.

The students, who departed St. Paul on Sept. 1 as part of their semester-long journey to the Gulf of Mexico, will land in St. Louis just as that city is discussing the grade of D+ given on the Mississippi River Basin “report card” by a consortium of environmental organizations and as the city celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Gateway Arch.

“Students on this trip are seeing and learning first-hand some of the reasons communities along the river are grappling with a watershed grade of D+. The river is used for many purposes and this puts a strain on the ecosystem, the infrastructure, and recreation,” said Joe Underhill, associate professor of political science and creator of this high-impact learning program.

“We have students who, for their individual class projects throughout the trip, are taking water quality samples, looking at chemical concentrations in the river, water treatment and light pollution. Paddling and camping along the river, we have observed first-hand problems with water quality, runoff from farms and factories, and current state of the locks and bridges along the way. This is part of a complex set of political considerations around how to balance all these competing interests on the nation’s iconic river.”

Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow will meet with the class in St. Louis on Sunday, Nov. 1 and Monday, Nov. 2. Continue reading “River Semester students to land Oct. 31 at St. Louis Gateway Arch” →

Augsburg partners in Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology

Posted on

$20 million NSF grant goes to UW-Madison, Augsburg College
and collaborators

Z. Vivian Feng, associate professor of chemistry, will use her expertise as an analytical and material chemist in the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology.

Augsburg College is joining a research group tasked with exploring the benefits and potential risks of nanotechnology.

Augsburg has been added as a partner to the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, a multi-institutional research center based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Supported through a nearly $20 million award of National Science Foundation funding over the next five years, the CSN includes 15 innovative faculty members from research institutions across the United States.

Z. Vivian Feng, associate professor of chemistry, is leading Augsburg’s participation in the center.

Nanotechnology involves the use of materials at the smallest scale, including the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules.

Products that use nanoscale materials range from beer bottles and car wax to solar cells and electric and hybrid car batteries. If you read your books on a Kindle, a semiconducting material manufactured at the nanoscale underpins the high-resolution screen.

While there are already hundreds of products that use nanomaterials in various ways, much remains unknown about how these modern materials and the tiny particles they are composed of interact with the environment and living things.

Feng first became involved in the CSN during the final year of its first grant phase, which corresponded with her 2014-15 sabbatical. Her expertise in characterizations of nanomaterials and model membranes, as well as analytical method development will contribute to the understanding of various interactions at the highly complex nano-bio interfaces.

In particular, Feng will lead a team of undergraduate researchers in exploring the various toxicity mechanisms of nanomaterials to environmentally-beneficial bacteria to provide insight to redesign nanomaterials that are benign in the environment. Under Feng’s direction, Augsburg College students Hilena Frew ’17, Lyle Nyberg ’17, and Thu Nguyen ’16 contributed to the CSN’s initial research phase. Frew and Nguyen will continue working as undergraduate researchers with the support of a stipend from the new NSF grant in the coming year. Find additional information about Feng’s research interests and mentorship on her research site.

Along with UW-Madison and Augsburg, research partners on the grant include the University of Minnesota, the University of Illinois, Northwestern University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Tuskegee University, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Iowa, and Georgia Tech.

CSN funding is provided by the NSF Division of Chemistry through the Centers for Chemical Innovation Program (CHE-1240151).

Media Advisory: River Semester launch is Sept. 1 at St. Paul’s Harriet Island

Posted on

Media invited to paddle in flotilla of 24-foot voyageur canoes from Harriet Island to South St. Paul

(MINNEAPOLIS) – A group of nearly 100 students, parents, high school students and members of the Augsburg College community will launch the nation’s first-ever River Semester on Sept. 1 at Kelley’s Landing on Harriet Island in St. Paul by paddling a flotilla of 24-foot voyageur canoes from St. Paul to South St. Paul.

Members of the media are invited to participate in the kickoff event and to paddle in one of 13 voyageur canoes with students and guests to South St. Paul.

Guests and media will be transported back to Kelley’s Landing and Augsburg College.

The 16 students in the Augsburg College River Semester will continue to travel nearly 2,000 of the 2,350-mile-long-Mississippi River from St. Paul to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. The group will live and study on the river until mid-December.

Members of the media can reserve paddling spots by noon, Thursday, Aug. 27, by contacting Stephanie Weiss, director of news and media services for Augsburg College at weisss@augsburg.edu.  Continue reading “Media Advisory: River Semester launch is Sept. 1 at St. Paul’s Harriet Island” →

Back-to-school for 16 Augsburg students means traveling the length of Mississippi River as part of nation’s first-ever River Semester

Posted on

Students, from Sept. 1 to mid-December, will study, live, travel more than 1,795 miles on Mississippi from St. Paul to the Gulf of Mexico

(MINNEAPOLIS) – A class of 16 Augsburg College students led by Professor Joe Underhill will depart Sept. 1 in 24-foot voyageur canoes to spend the semester studying, researching and living on the river. The students taking part in the nation’s first-ever River Semester will travel nearly 2,000 miles of the 2,350-mile-long Mississippi River to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. The group will depart from Kelley’s Landing on St. Paul’s Harriet Island in a launch event that is open to the public.

Students participating in this hands-on, interdisciplinary program will earn as many as 16 credits studying biology, environmental studies, health and physical education, and political science. Continue reading “Back-to-school for 16 Augsburg students means traveling the length of Mississippi River as part of nation’s first-ever River Semester” →

Back-to-school for Augsburg students means spending a semester canoeing from St. Paul to New Orleans

Posted on

In nation’s first-ever River Semester, students starting Sept. 1 will paddle, study, research, and live on the Mississippi River

WHAT
Augsburg College River Semester: Augsburg College on Sept. 1 will launch the nation’s first-ever River Semester. Students, who will earn as many as 16 credits, will travel the length of the Mississippi River from St. Paul to New Orleans in 24-foot voyageur canoes.

This hands-on, interdisciplinary learning experience begins in St. Paul on Sept. 1 and concludes Dec. 17 when students will arrive back home at the St. Paul Union Depot. Continue reading “Back-to-school for Augsburg students means spending a semester canoeing from St. Paul to New Orleans” →

Augsburg College hits $50 million campaign goal for new, signature academic building

Posted on

Center for Science, Business, and Religion reaches goal a year ahead of schedule

Members of the Board of Regents, students, faculty, staff and alumni celebrate the successful campaign for the new Center for Science, Business and Religion.
Members of the Board of Regents, students, faculty, staff, and alumni celebrate the successful campaign for the new Center for Science, Business, and Religion at Augsburg College.
The Center for Science, Business and Religion will transform the campus.
The Center for Science, Business, and Religion will transform the campus.

(MINNEAPOLIS/Updated 4:06 p.m.) – Augsburg College today announced the successful completion of a $50 million capital campaign for a unique, interdisciplinary academic building that brings together science, business, and religion. The campaign, the largest in the College’s history, met its goal a year in advance of the original schedule.

“Succeeding in today’s world requires an ability to thrive in a world that no longer has fixed boundaries,” said Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow. “That is why Augsburg College is building the Center for Science, Business, and Religion—a place that will support every student in their journey of vocational discernment and pursuit of careers in teaching, civic leadership, service to the church, scientific research, law, medicine, privately owned startup companies, and large corporations.” Continue reading “Augsburg College hits $50 million campaign goal for new, signature academic building” →

Advisory: Private College Commencement Season Kicks Off May 2-3 at Augsburg

Posted on

The first commencement celebrations of Minnesota’s private colleges takes place the weekend of May 2-3 at Augsburg College. Ceremonies for traditional day undergraduates are May 2 and for students of the adult undergraduate, Rochester, and nursing programs and students from eight graduate programs, on May 3. The schedules and details about media photo opportunities are below.

May 2: Traditional Day Undergraduate Program

11:15 a.m. – Student Line Up

Students of the traditional day undergraduate program line up outside Christensen Center (425 students). Nearly 30 percent of students eligible to graduate in the Class of 2015 are persons of color.

12:30 p.m. – Student Processional to Si Melby

Group proceeds, led by drummer, from Christensen Center down South 7-1/2 Street to Si Melby Hall. Faculty, in academic dress, line the streets and clap as students pass. (Photo Opp)

Continue reading “Advisory: Private College Commencement Season Kicks Off May 2-3 at Augsburg” →

Augsburg expands commitment to undocumented, DACA students

Posted on
We Are Called | Auggies
Additional information about Augsburg College’s commitment to undocumented and DACA students will be made available in the coming weeks at augsburg.edu/undocumented.

Augsburg College, on April 7, will recommit and expand its commitment to educating students of ability regardless of citizenship and immigration status in support of United We Dream’s National Institution Coming Out Day.

“We recognize that intellectually talented students of ability come from all walks of life,” said Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow.

“Increasingly, undocumented students are raised right here, in the United States. Augsburg – and every higher education institution – must heed the call to educate students of ability. It is through this call that our colleges and universities can secure economic prosperity not only for students, but for our state and nation.”

Since 2007, Augsburg has set the bar among colleges and universities in Minnesota in its work with undocumented students. For example, Augsburg, for years, has fully reviewed applications of undocumented and/or DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students who graduate from high schools in the United States. These student applications are considered for admission and for all types of private financial aid offered by Augsburg. Undocumented and DACA students admitted to Augsburg College are not classified as international students and are not distinguished from domestic students. Continue reading “Augsburg expands commitment to undocumented, DACA students” →

Max Meyer, Minnetonka Middle School, wins Spelling Bee

Posted on

Winner advances to Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

2015 Spelling Bee: Max Meyer
Max Meyer

(MINNEAPOLIS) – Max Meyer, 12, of Minnetonka Middle School East, was named champion of the 7-County Metro Area Regional Spelling Bee held March 21 at Hoversten Chapel at Augsburg College. He won in the 14th round when he correctly spelled “electrolyte” and “transenna.” He is the son of Carey and Dave Meyer of Shorewood.

Meyer will be sent by Augsburg College with a parent or guardian to the Scripps National Spelling Bee scheduled May 24-29 in Washington, D.C. Other top spellers included:

  • Second place: Mark Kivimaki, 13, of Valley View Middle School, was eliminated during round 13 for misspelling “badigeon.” Kivimaki, who was the 2014 champion, is the son of Mary and Bruce Kivimaki of Edina.
  • Third place: Elise Weier, 13, Shakopee West Junior High School, was eliminated during round 11 for misspelling “zircon.” She is the daughter of Cara Weier of Shakopee.
  • Fourth place: Josephine Spanier, 12, of Anthony Middle School, was eliminated during round 10 for misspelling “neritic.” She is the daughter of Kristine Spanier of Minneapolis.
Max Meyer will advance to the National Spelling Bee.
Max Meyer will advance to the National Spelling Bee.

A total of 47 students from 47 schools competed in the spelling bee. Spellers were from elementary, middle and junior high schools, community and magnet schools, private and home schools.

The head judge of the competition was Dennis Bluhm. He has served for 46 years as an elementary school principal and teacher, and 12 years as head judge of the State Spelling Bee. The pronouncer was David Talarico.

Augsburg College is set in a vibrant neighborhood at the heart of the Twin Cities, and offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to more than 4,000 students of diverse backgrounds. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community that is committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. 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.