This section of the News and Media Services department site tracks stories in print and broadcast media that feature Auggie faculty, students, and staff. The area also is home to material developed for University-related programs, events, and more.
The La Crosse Tribune ran a story about Augsburg’s River Semester, “Augsburg students stop in La Crosse during ‘Semester on the River,’” on September 26. The story, which includes photos of the catamarans the students are using to travel down the Mississippi, gives readers a snapshot of the experience. Professor Joe Underhill and student Zoe Barany ’23 spoke with the reporter about the experience. “What I learn I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” Barany said.
Augsburg University has received recognition for its undergraduate teaching in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 Best Colleges rankings. The publisher placed Augsburg fourth for its commitment to teaching undergraduates among Midwest regional universities. It also ranked #24 among best regional universities in the Midwest and #38 among best colleges for veterans.
Star Tribune recently published in their business forum section a joint commentary written by Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow and Fairview CEO James Hereford, who also serves in Augsburg’s Board of Regents. The publication focuses on how both Augsburg University and Fairview Health Services, while focused on their specific missions through the pandemic, have also continued to embrace their responsibilities as the anchor institutions that their communities rely on, specifically in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
On August 31, NBC reported on schools recognized by Campus Pride for being LGBTQ-friendly campuses. Augsburg received a perfect score of 5 on the Campus Pride Index. The NBC story, “These 10 religious universities earn high marks for LGBTQ inclusivity,” noted that Augsburg was one of only three religiously affiliated universities that received a score of 5 on the index.
Dua Saleh ’17 plays the new character Cal in the third season of the award-winning Netflix show “Sex Education,” available now. Cal is the first non-binary character on the show. Saleh has been written up for their new role in publications such as Newsweek and Teen Vogue. You also can also find an interview with Saleh, “Meet the Actor Playing ‘Sex-Education’s’ New Non-Binary Character Cal,” on Netflix’s website.
Augsburg University announces that a significant gift has been made for a new leadership position: the El-Hibri Endowed Executive Directorship for the Interfaith Institute.
This new role is thanks to a gift from Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri. They first learned of Augsburg while researching higher education options for their son Karim, who was in recovery from substance issues. The family has been actively engaged with the university since then and Karim has meanwhile graduated from Augsburg’s StepUP program.
In 2019, Augsburg University established Interfaith at Augsburg: An Institute to Promote Interreligious Leadership. This program illustrates the many ways in which our commitment to interfaith learning and leadership can shape our work on campus and in the wider community, and this work requires a strategic leader and distinguished scholar to provide direction.
Nearly 100 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2021 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.
Sod House Theater, co-founded by Darcey Engen ’88, professor and chair of Augsburg’s Department of Theater Arts, is offering a new production in September and October: “Arla Mae’s Booyah Wagon.”
The show was described as “a delicious comedy” in the Star Tribune’s weekly “Our Friday Best” column on August 26.
Engen and her husband, Luverne Seifert ’83, who co-founded the theater with her, serve as its co-artistic directors.
KSTP aired a story on August 23 about potential holiday toy shortages.
Jeanne Boeh, chair and Sundquist endowed professor of Augsburg’s Department of Business Administration, was quoted about the role of the pandemic in inventory problems.
Smithsonian Magazine on July 26 published “How Wheaties Became the ‘Breakfast of Champions,” a story on the history of Wheaties cereal and its ties to athletics. Professor Michael J. Lansing, chair of Augsburg University’s Department of History, was one of the primary sources for the story. Lansing, who is working on a book on the history of the milling industry in Minnesota, spoke about the product development and marketing behind the cereal. He also noted that Major League Baseball first began broadcasting games on television, thanks to the influence of Wheaties, which was a major advertiser during both radio and television sports broadcasts.