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Augsburg Mourns Campus Pastor Emeritus Dave Wold

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Pastor Dave in a suitPastor Dave speaking at commencementAugsburg Campus Pastor Emeritus Dave Wold passed away on Thursday, April 12. Following is the message sent this morning, Friday, April 13, from Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow.

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness that I share the news that Pastor Dave Wold passed away last night. Pastor Dave served Augsburg for three decades — 1983 until he retired at the end of the 2012-13 academic year — and was named Campus Pastor Emeritus by the Augsburg Board of Regents in recognition for his many contributions to our campus life and faith community.

One of Pastor Dave’s gifts was that he knew everyone’s name. He knew each of us. It’s hard to imagine how he was able to personally connect with so many people, but he did, and the breadth of his pastoral care strengthened and supported generations of Auggies. He touched thousands of lives and is beloved by alumni and Augsburg community members around the world.

Pastor Dave was also quick witted and loved to craft words and music. I’m sure everyone who knew him can recall how he loved to share jokes as a way of engaging with people. He lent those talents for words and music to the leadership of our Advent Vespers services over the years. He also wrote hundreds of light-hearted parodies, using familiar tunes as a unique means of sharing messages about faith.

Of course, we all know Pastor Dave’s passion for athletics and for working with young people. He was director of youth ministries for the American Lutheran Church (prior to the formation of the ELCA), founded the Holy Hoops congregational basketball league, and supervised many intern pastors. And, while the number of athletic games and matches he announced may not be known, our memory of his distinct announcer voice will not fade.

Our prayers and sympathies go out to Cathy Wold, Dave’s wife, and his family. Pastor Dave was a fiercely committed husband, father, and grandfather. We will share information about memorial services once those plans are confirmed. This morning, those on campus are invited to gather in Hoversten Chapel following our daily chapel service (10:55 a.m.), for a brief time of remembrance, prayer, and song.

I was honored to work with Pastor Dave for seven years, to sing with him before many an athletic contest, and to have him as my pastor on campus.  I join Dave’s many friends and colleagues in mourning his death and the loss of a good and faithful servant.

Faithfully yours,

Paul

 

News reports: Augsburg professor challenges Economist ranking Minneapolis third most expensive in North America

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Jeanne Boeh talks to Kare11
Jeanne Boeh talks with Kare11

When The Economist named Minneapolis the third most expensive city to live in North America, just after New York and Los Angeles, reporters from Kare11, Fox 9, and WCCO turned to Augsburg University Professor of Economics Jeanne Boeh for answers. Kare 11’s Gordon Severson questioned the ranking, given that the latest U.S. Census data listed Minneapolis as the 46th most populated city. The Economist study analyzed 150 items such as food, utility bills, rent, and private schools, but left out the cost of owning a home.

Boeh, also chair of the Business Administration department at Augsburg, argues that the study isn’t exactly accurate. “It doesn’t really reflect the average experience of the people who are living here right now,” Boeh tells Kare 11. “If I go to San Francisco, which technically we’re supposed to be more expensive than, the average cost of a house is well over half a million dollars. So, it doesn’t really make sense that Minneapolis would cost more to live in.”

While the study’s measures may be more applicable for high-end executives who travel internationally, Boeh says it’s not an accurate representation when it comes to the average Minnesotan.

See full story on the Kare 11 website.

Related articles: WCCO, Fox 9

See full report from The Economist on The Economist website.

Star Tribune interviews finance professor Marc McIntosh about new Hagfors Center

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Marc McIntosh, Finance professor

In a recent Star Tribune article, reporter Neal St. Anthony spoke with Marc McIntosh, professor of Finance at Augsburg University, about the new home for the business department at the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.

“It brings alive the course materials,” McIntosh said about the building’s state-of-the art technology. “This building is not just about studying stock-and-bond markets. … We’re active, including working with small business owners from Somalia and Ethiopia. We also work in the area of financial literacy. And also what really separates us is our diversity.”

The article also highlighted other attributes of Augsburg. “The university is best known for its inner-city location, solid academics and presidential recognition for community service; to say nothing of its MIAC-championship basketball team playing in the NCAA Division III tournament this weekend,” St. Anthony wrote.

 

Read full article on the Star Tribune website.

MinnPost features “African-Americans and the Commonwealth of Freedom” by Augsburg’s Harry Boyte

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Frances Harper
Frances Harper by Wikimedia Commons

In a recent MinnPost article, Harry Boyte said that commonwealth was a way for ordinary citizens to develop authority for their claims to equality. The commonwealth vision of civic construction made possible the creation of churches, schools and colleges, women’s organizations like the Council of Negro Women and labor groups like the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Boyte said.

“In a time of eroding faith in democracy and looming threats to the commons, from schools, colleges, and libraries to water resources, coastal areas, and public parks, remembering the commonwealth and the tasks of civic repair can generate the hope we need,” said Boyte, in the article. “The commonwealth vision makes democracy a way of life, not simply a trip to the ballot box, and puts citizens back in as its agents and architects.”

Boyte is a Senior Scholar in Public Work Philosophy at the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship at Augsburg University. He is the architect of the center’s public work approach to civic engagement and democracy, and the creator of Public Achievement.

In the 1960s, he worked for the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a field secretary with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the Civil Rights Movement, where he learned about the commonwealth and the claims from civic construction.

Read full article on the MinnPost website

Adjunct Faculty, Leah Phifer, Appears on the Cover of TIME Magazine Among Other Women Running For Office

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Cover of TIME magazine
Photo-illustration by Sean McCabe for TIME. Photos courtesy of the subjects or shot for TIME.

“The Avengers: First They Marched, Now They’re Running,” reads the headline across the cover. This year, a record number of women are running for office, and among them is Leah Phifer, adjunct faculty at Augsburg University, where she teaches Politics and Policy of Immigration, Introduction to American Government and Political Methodology.

Pifer is running for the DFL nomination for the 8th district seat of the U.S. House. Leah has served Minnesotans through her work at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security and has also worked for the FBI, enforcing laws written in the name of national security.

“Of course, electing more women in Congress would not necessarily lead to an instant federal paid-family-leave plan or national child care. Female lawmakers of both parties tend to elevate issues that men ignore.” states Charlotte Altar, the author of the TIME magazine article. “Women have a long way to go to get to parity in American politics. They hold less than 20% of seats in Congress, just 25% of those in state legislatures and only six of the nation’s 50 governorships.” adds Altar.

Leah’s picture is just below the “T” in “The Avengers.” Part of the word “First” is directly over her hair. This appears in the January 29, 2018 issue of TIME.

Read full article on the TIME website

Political Science Professor, Andrew Aoki, tells Fox 9 the Government Shutdown has Minimal Impact in Minnesota

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Fox 9 logoThousands of federal employees were furloughed across the country due to the government shutdown that began on Friday, January 19. Fortunately, things do not look so bad for the state of Minnesota.

“We have fewer things that are funded by the federal government, in fact we tend to send in more than we get back from the federal government.” Andrew Aoki, political science professor at Augsburg University explains. However, the shutdown has affected both the Mississippi National River Visitors Center and the Science Museum, as both had to close.

Read full article on the Fox 9 website

Congratulations to Auggies named to the Fall Semester Dean’s List

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Augsburg University seal with the text Through Truth to Freedom 1869More than 900 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2017 Fall 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 2017 Fall 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.

 

 

Mike Sime talks with Paul Douglas on WCCO Radio about the start and success of the StepUP® program.

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Mike Sime, Augsburg StepUP® program advisory board chair, talked with Paul Douglas on WCCO Radio Friday about the program’s foundation, success, and work to support other institutions in establishing recovery programs. Douglas called StepUP® a revolutionary program, as it currently is the largest residential collegian recovery program in the U.S. The program is dedicated to students in recovery from drug of alcohol abuse and provides a sober living environment and counseling.

“I look at it as a parent. If you have a student who is newly in recovery, has been sober and now you think about sending them off to college, that would be my worst nightmare, so to have a safe and supportive environment that they can come to that is clean and sober with other students, it really makes sense and creates an unique environment,” expressed Mike about the importance of having such program.

The program began after a student in recovery shared his need for a sober environment, explained Mike. The student expressed that his experience would have been easier if he had a community who was also in recovery with him. Augsburg made the commitment to develop StepUP® and through it, the program has helped over 750 students in 20 years.

 

Listen to the full story beginning at 16:40 on the Paul and Jordana Show website.

Midwest Home talks with Professor Kristin Anderson about “ordinary” mid-century homes

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Kristin Anderson in stadium
Professor Kristen Anderson

Midwest Home Magazine featured a Q & A with Kristin Anderson, professor of art history and Augsburg University archivist, about her presentation, “Residential Architecture of the 1950s and 60s,” which focuses on ordinary homes from the period.

Anderson developed the presentation after she encountered strong interest in her continuing education class for real estate agents from people outside the real estate industry.