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.
Alicia Quella, associate professor and program director of the Augsburg University Physician Assistant program.
Augsburg Associate Professor and Physician Assistant Program Director Alicia Quella has received an AAPA-PAEA Inaugural Research Fellowship. This new fellowship program is sponsored by the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Physician Assistant Education Association. Each fellow’s institution will receive a grant of up to $25,000, which will allow recipients to focus on one of a number of research topics developed by the fellowship’s organizers. Quella also was awarded an AAPA Global Health grant in 2015.
More than 100 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2017 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.
Kirsten Delegard and other Mapping Prejudice researchers talk with KARE 11 about their project.
In a conversation with KARE 11 Reporter Adrienne Broaddus, Kirsten Delegard, Augsburg University scholar-in-residence and director of the Mapping Prejudice project, discussed the lasting impact of historically discriminatory housing policies in Minneapolis.
“People think that because we didn’t have segregated water fountains or waiting rooms that we didn’t have segregation in Minneapolis,” she said, “but racial covenants determined who could live where … We are still living with the legacy of these policies. We can point to all kinds of disparities especially in area of home ownership that we are living with today because of these polices enforced over the last century.”
The Mapping Prejudice project, once complete, will be the first comprehensive map of racial covenants for a U.S. city. Watch the KARE 11 report about the project.
Bridging divisions through dialogue will be focus of leaders, experts
(MINNEAPOLIS) — The 29th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, an international peace congress, is September 15-16 in Minneapolis. The 2017 Forum will focus on dialogue as a bridge to cross lines of difference on a range of contentious issues, from instability in North Africa and the Middle East, to gun violence reduction and the partisan “Red-Blue” divide in the United States. The Forum will also honor the 2015 laureate, the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, recognized for its work toward building a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
Sept. 15
9 – 10:45 a.m. – “The Power of Dialogue: A Conversation with the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet.” Quartet members Mohamed Fadhel Mahfoudh, Hassine Abassi and Abdesattar Ben Moussa will explain how they brought together parties in a deeply divided country to forge a new democracy in the wake of the Arab Spring.
1:45 – 3 p.m. –“Health Care and Peace Building in Africa: Charting a Path Forward.” Panelists including Barbara Bush, CEO of Global Health Corps, will discuss improving health care delivery in Africa from the perspectives of non-profit, private sector, academic and other stakeholders.
Sept. 16
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – “Gun Violence Prevention: Prospects for Progress.” Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords and Capt. Mark Kelly will discuss their work on efforts to reduce gun violence and the pressing aspects of that work in light of recent political changes.
7 a.m. – 6 p.m. – “Concentric Dialogue” art installations. In the spirit of fostering engagement, local and national artists have collaborated to create an outdoor exhibition of installations across the Augsburg University campus. Free and open to the public on September 16 and 17.
The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Forum will be held at the Augsburg University campus, 2211 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454. Information and tickets are available at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum website.
MEDIA CONTACT
Lida Poletz at lpoletz@gmail.com or 612-839-7489.
ABOUT THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM
The Nobel Peace Prize Forum, hosted and presented by Augsburg University, brings together students and community members with Nobel Peace Prize laureates, world leaders and accomplished peacemakers to work on building a world in which people can live full, rich, meaningful lives. Under the auspices of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum inspires peacemaking by focusing on the work of laureates and international peacemakers and peacebuilders. More at Nobel Peace Prize Forum.
ABOUT AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY
Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and the Rochester site. 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.
Researchers in the Mapping Prejudice project review a Minneapolis map. Photo: Minnesota Daily
Under the Mapping Prejudice Project, scholars from the University of Minnesota and Augsburg University have analyzed over 1.4 million historic Minneapolis housing deeds, finding racist language in more 20,000 documents. These racial covenants forbidding the sale of property to people of color are no longer legally enforceable, but researchers hope documenting this side of the city’s history will influence urban planning in years to come.
This article describes the methods that the Mapping Prejudice researchers use to conduct their work and discusses the motivations for the project with project director and Augsburg scholar-in-residence Kirsten Delegard.
The research group plans to map Minneapolis by the end of 2017 and all of Hennepin County next year.
Read the full story at the Minnesota Daily News site.
University’s first-year undergraduate class more than 53 percent persons of color
(MINNEAPOLIS) — As Augsburg celebrates becoming “Augsburg University” on Sept. 5, it also welcomes an incoming first-year undergraduate class of more than 53 percent persons of color.
“As ‘Augsburg University,’ we embrace our leadership role as a university at the forefront of intentional diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Augsburg University President Paul C. Pribbenow.
“We are proud and grateful to welcome to our community the Class of 2021, made up of students of academic ability from an array of diverse backgrounds — including ethnicity, faith, socioeconomic status, gender identity, and more. We know that learning in a diverse community prepares young people to become engaged, thoughtful citizens, and problem solvers.”
The Augsburg University celebration at the Minneapolis campus includes food stations and opportunities for getting an Augsburg University logo T-shirt screen printed on-site, participating in a photo booth, assembling hygiene kits for the Augsburg Health Commons, which serves unsheltered persons who live in Minneapolis, and more. On Sept. 18, the Augsburg University teaching site in Rochester, Minn., will host a special ribbon-cutting to celebrate more than 20 years of providing graduate and undergraduate programs in that community.
PROGRAM and PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
9:20 a.m.: Faculty and staff line up along 22nd Avenue South to applaud students as they process into Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center, for the Opening Convocation.
9:30 a.m.: Opening Convocation in Hoversten
10:30 a.m.: Kick-Off Celebration and Lunch in the Quadrangle
11:30 a.m.: Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow formally launches Augsburg University
12:30 – 1 p.m.: First-Year Students Begin Service Projects
ADDITIONAL FACTS
Augsburg measures diversity beyond ethnicity and culture and welcomes persons in our community of diverse faiths, gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, learning styles, and military commitments. Nearly 10 percent of students self-identify as Muslim. More than 11 percent self-identify as LGBTQIA.
On Sept. 5, the Class of 2021 will donate nearly $35,000 in service work at more than 20 locations in Minneapolis.
ABOUT AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY
Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and the Rochester site. 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.
Screen shot of a time-progression map showing the growth of racially restrictive real estate covenants in the early 20th century.
Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow talks with the Star Tribune’s Randy Furst about how the Augsburg House — and much of South Minneapolis — were once governed by discriminatory housing policies. While the historical covenants are no longer legally binding, Augsburg is seeking a method to nullify the prohibition while still preserving the historical record, “so that we never lose sight of the actions that have segregated and repressed many,” Pribbenow said.
The findings about residential properties in South Minneapolis are part of the Mapping Prejudice project, led by a team of researchers from Augsburg and the University of Minnesota. For more information about the project, see Mapping Prejudice. Go to the Star Tribune article for information about other South Minneapolis homes, a perspective from a Minneapolis real estate lawyer, and an interactive map showing the growth of racially restrictive deeds across Minneapolis from 1910 to 1955.
The Midway at the Minnesota State Fair. Photo: Tom Wallace, Star Tribune
The Star Tribune’s John Reinan talks with Augsburg Psychology Professor Bridget Robinson-Riegler about how the Great Minnesota Get-Together “not only entertains us, excites us and exhausts us — it makes us Minnesotans.”
“Our identity is formed by our memories. Traditions and rituals are very important in identifying who we are,” said Robinson-Riegler, who specializes in the study of memory. “Families are based on shared experiences, and this is one of those shared experiences we have as a state. The State Fair becomes a collective experience. It gives us a sense of belonging, of togetherness.
“This is what we do as a state. It confirms our identity. It becomes who we are.”
As Augsburg’s new executive director for recovery advancement, Patrice Salmeri will work to reduce stigma associated with substance use disorder recovery, inspire additional universities to provide recovery programs, and work with StepUP Program alumni, among other duties. Salmeri has led Augsburg’s pioneering StepUP Program for the past 15 years, and Recovery Campus magazine featured Salmeri in a story about the transition to her new role and the current climate of recovery in higher education.
In the article, Salmeri explained that while she’ll miss daily interaction with StepUP students, she is truly “looking forward to focusing more attention on the alumni and the value they bring to our community as well as advocating on local, regional and national levels.”
(MINNEAPOLIS) — Members of the public have a unique opportunity to build knowledge and understanding of issues that have and continue to shape our world through a book club that is offered in partnership by the Hennepin County Library and Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Participants will explore the stories and writings of leading authors and public figures this summer, in advance of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Forum slated for September 15-16 at Augsburg College.
“Engaged citizens who participate in the NPPF Book Club will gain considerate understanding of some issues and topics we will dig into at the Forum this September,” said Joe Underhill, program director of the NPPF. “In times of great flux and ongoing violence, developing dialogue across differences and compassion for our global neighbors is a key to building the understanding that leads to peacemaking.”
“We are honored to partner with such a venerable institution as the NPPF to offer this opportunity for our community,” said Stephanie Steinwedel, program and events manager for Hennepin County Library. “At a time when our world feels increasingly divided, bringing community members together to discuss ways we can strengthen the ties that bind us feels more important than ever.”
September 7: “Interventions: A Life in War and Peace,” by Kofi A. Annan, contains Nobel Peace Prize winner Annan’s reflections on his 40-plus years of service to the United Nations.
More than 100 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2017 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.
As Augsburg’s new executive director for recovery advancement, Patrice Salmeri will work to reduce stigma associated with substance use disorder recovery, inspire additional universities to provide recovery programs, and work with StepUP Program alumni, among other duties. Salmeri has led Augsburg’s pioneering StepUP Program for the past 15 years, and 
