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.
It’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
TheMinnesota 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
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.
More 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.
Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow and Provost Paula O’Loughlin spoke to national media this week about Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz’s work at Augsburg. Both were interviewed for a CNN feature about Minnesota’s First Lady in the lead-up to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where Governor Tim Walz accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president Wednesday night.
Gwen Walz has held appointments at Augsburg as an instructor of education and a special assistant for strategic partnerships in the Office of the President since 2019. “[W]hat she will say all the time, is, ‘I’ll make it happen,’” said O’Loughlin. “She’s very cognizant of how things affect other people all the time.”
On Thursday morning, Pribbenow appeared on CNN live to discuss Walz’s background, commitments, and connections to Augsburg.
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)
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.”
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 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.
Program Director Keri Clifton (second from left) smiles with participants from the first Community Practice Cohort.
The Reell Office of Seeing Things Whole (STW) at Augsburg University empowers leaders to positively impact their personal and professional communities. One avenue of empowerment is the Community Practice Cohort—an opportunity for anyone who wants to enhance their leadership skills and gain insights around real-life leadership challenges.
“Our inaugural cohort created opportunities for participants to create action in their real-life leadership opportunities. Seeing the spark of passion emerge from each participant was a joy as they moved through the STW process with a community of supporters. These leaders will continue their impact having gained insight and knowledge that revealed their path forward. I am thrilled to continue this impactful work with the next cohort,” Program Director Keri Clifton said.
The second Community Practice Cohort is accepting eight members to embark on a 10-month collaborative journey toward effective leadership, starting September 2024. Participants will gain practical skills and knowledge on leadership topics like articulating a problem, communication, team collaboration, and decision making—as well as personalized roundtables to focus on issues and skills directly related to their organization.
“I entered into this process in the hopes of exploring new ways to approach challenges I was facing in my current role,” said Michaela Clubb, a national program director and participant in the 2023-24 Community Practice Cohort. “I was able to uncover and consider not just the challenge I presented but all of the parts connected to it. I highly recommend this program for anyone who is looking to create intention and impact through their leadership.”
Mentorship is also a crucial part of the Community Practice Cohort, for both the mentors and the participants. The communal learning process brings out the best in everyone and helps create collaborative and innovative solutions to current and future challenges. “Being a mentor in the unique Seeing Things Whole program has been my privilege,” said Michael A. Gregory, author, mediation and negotiation consultant, and professional speaker. “Unlike traditional mentoring, we engage in a two-and-a-half-hour process, listening actively to a leader’s story without offering advice. Instead, we pose open-ended questions to guide the participant in exploring their identity, purpose, and stewardship. This enlightening process benefits the participant and provides mentors with opportunities to discover new and creative approaches.”
There is still time to apply for the 2024-25 Community Practice Cohort. To learn more about this opportunity, contact Program Director Keri Clifton at cliftonk@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1525.
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.”
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.”
It’s not every day that Twin Cities high schoolers get to flex their skills in front of Coach Walz.
