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.
Shayna Sheinfeld, assistant professor of religion and philosophy, received the 2023 Frank W. Beare Award from the Canadian Society for Biblical Studies for her book, “Jewish and Christian Women in the Ancient Mediterranean.”
Co-authored with Sara Parks and Meredith J. C. Warren, “Jewish and Christian Women in the Ancient Mediterranean” is the first undergraduate textbook dedicated to introducing women’s religious roles in Judaism and Christianity in a way that is accessible to students from all disciplines. In addition to contextualizing overviews, it includes explorations of specific topics in women’s religion, including leadership, domestic ritual, women as readers and writers of scripture, and women as innovators in their traditions.
The Frank W. Beare award recognizes an outstanding book in the areas of Christian origins, post-biblical Judaism, and/or Graeco-Roman religions.
Minnesota Public Radio and the Sahan Journal recently featured Cameron PajYeeb Yang ’18 as part of a series celebrating transgender and nonbinary Minnesotans throughout LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
A self-described “lifelong storyteller,” Yang spoke with MPR about growing up in St. Paul, organizing for police accountability, and cultivating relationships within the Hmong queer trans community. They are currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Minnesota with a focus on education equity for marginalized students and families.
Augsburg was among three universities recently honored for making bold moves to improve access, equity, and inclusion in higher education. Encoura, an educational data science and research organization, announced the winners of the annual Innovation Awards Program at Eduventures Summit 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Augsburg was recognized for the Augsburg Applies to You enrollment management approach, implemented in Fall 2022. This multi-pronged initiative seeks to create a more equitable and sustainable college admissions system through direct admissions, student success coaching, and inclusive academic belonging.
“Augsburg Applies to You aims to lower barriers, foster a culture of belonging, and ultimately change systems to address historically rooted inequities in higher education,” said Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow. “I want to recognize the courage and commitment of our strategic enrollment management division staff, every one of whom took ownership of the project and contributed to its successful launch this year.”
Now in its seventh year, the Eduventures Innovation Awards Program honors organizations and teams that are shaping the future of higher education. Eduventures received a record number of submissions that showcased innovative and transformative projects this year. Entries are designed to identify higher education institutions that have demonstrated significant innovations when developing and deploying programs that impact enrollment, student experience, or outcomes.
“More than ever, global society relies on innovation to help evolve humanity and make our lives more productive, healthy, and equitable,” said Cara Quackenbush, Encoura’s executive vice president of research. “We are thrilled to be honoring the institutions that have created new, actionable, and innovative programs that are changing the landscape for higher education and their shared commitment of serving their student bodies and the larger community.”
Today Augsburg University announced the close of its Great Returns: We’re All In comprehensive fundraising campaign. The largest campaign in Augsburg’s history, Great Returns raised over $128.8 million, surpassing the campaign goal of $125 million.
“I have had the privilege of meeting many Auggies during my time as chair of this campaign and it’s evident how much people love Augsburg,” said Regent Emeritus and campaign chair Paul Mueller ’84, MD. “The investments made by Great Returns benefactors will yield transformational results for Augsburg students and faculty for generations to come.”
Nearly 15,000 alumni and friends of the university made more than 55,000 gifts over the course of the campaign. Campaign priorities included endowed funds for scholarships, teaching and programs; campus improvements; athletics; and unrestricted operating support to provide flexibility in responding to students’ needs in an ever-evolving higher education landscape.
$6.1 million raised to support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
$1.6 million raised for the President’s Strategic Fund
“We are humbled and grateful for the extraordinary show of support for Augsburg’s mission and vision from the thousands of alumni and friends who participated in the campaign,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow. “These investments will transform the lives of our students, who go on to lead and serve in their communities and throughout the world. From all of us at Augsburg: thank you.”
Augsburg University is one of 208 colleges and universities nationwide that have been named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society 2023 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.”
El-Hibri Chair and Executive Director of Interfaith Institute Najeeba Syeed
Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg, has been named a senior fellow of the Oxford Interfaith Forum. Reciprocally, Director of the Oxford Interfaith Forum Thea Gomelauri will join Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute as a senior fellow this fall. This mutual fellowship is a distinct characteristic of the institutions’ partnership, which will focus on issues of peace, justice, intercultural and interfaith education, and furthering interreligious learning across the globe.
Gomelauri is a faculty member of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford and has extensive experience in research, teaching, and consultancy in different international, and intercultural contexts. She is a member of the Jewish-Muslim Research Network, the Bible and Religions of the Ancient Near East Collective, and the British and Irish Association of Jewish Studies.
Director of the Oxford Interfaith Forum Thea Gomelauri
As Augsburg’s El-Hibri chair and executive director of Interfaith Institute, Syeed serves as a national ambassador for the interfaith movement and faculty advisor for Augsburg’s Interfaith Scholars. She is a professor, expert practitioner, and public speaker in the fields of interfaith studies, mediation, conflict resolution, deliberative democracy, and social, gender, and racial equity.
“This fellowship serves as an anchor for our collaborative work of Interfaith Institute at Augsburg University and the Oxford Interfaith Forum,” Syeed says. “We look forward to collaborating in the United States, United Kingdom, and across the globe.”
More than 855 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2023 Spring 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.
Inside Higher Ed recently interviewed Robert Gould, vice president for strategic enrollment management, about the shift in admissions counselors’ role under the Augsburg Applies to You platform and its direct admissions approach. Augsburg will welcome its first class admitted fully through direct admissions this fall.
The move reflects “a culture shift and a new operational model at the institution,” according to Inside Higher Ed. “Admissions counselors, traditionally the spokespeople for the university in enticing a student to apply and enroll, are shifting from their role from transactional to more of a student success coach.” This includes multiple touch-points after a student has been admitted to identify and prioritize financial and academic goals, provide personalized support, and build relationships.
Following a national search, Rachel Bergman has been named the inaugural Leland B. Sateren ’35 Professor and Endowed Chair of Music at Augsburg University.
The Augsburg Music Department focuses on music-making as an act of healing, an act of global citizenship, and an act of anti-racism. The Sateren chair works to advance the department’s commitments to inclusion, access, equity, and belonging. In this role, Bergman will serve as a local and national spokesperson for the department’s distinctive programs and learning opportunities.
“The Sateren chair honors Augsburg’s long tradition of musical excellence,” said President Paul C. Pribbenow. “Dr. Bergman’s appointment builds on this legacy as we celebrate the rich diversity of our students’ musical gifts, experiences, interests, and expressions. We are delighted to welcome her to Augsburg and the Schwartz School of the Arts.”
Regent John Schwartz ’67, who established the endowed chair in memory of renowned Augsburg choral conductor and composer Leland Sateren ’35, noted that Bergman joins Augsburg at an exciting time. “The university is poised to move into a new era of interdisciplinary curriculum in the arts with energetic and creative faculty like Dr. Bergman leading the way.”
An active flutist and advocate of new music, Bergman currently serves as director of academic initiatives and arts outreach at Sheridan College in northern Wyoming. Her previous roles at Sheridan College include dean of visual and performing arts and dean of online learning. She has also served as associate professor of music theory and director of graduate studies for the School of Music at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and as a flute instructor at the Skidmore Summer Flute Institute in Saratoga Springs, New York.
“I am thrilled to be joining Augsburg University this fall,” said Bergman. “I’m particularly excited about serving in a liberal arts institution with a focus on students and community. I truly believe that music should be accessible to all, and I look forward to working with the Music Department to strengthen the role of music throughout the university and with our neighbors.”
In addition to teaching, Bergman researches, promotes, and performs contemporary works for flute in solo and chamber settings. Her academic research focuses on the works of Viktor Ullmann, a Jewish, Austro-Hungarian composer who was killed in the Holocaust. A past president of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic and a member of Assisi Performing Arts (Italy), Bergman has presented papers and lecture-recitals both nationally and internationally. She holds a doctorate in music theory from Yale University and a bachelor of arts in music and mathematics from Skidmore college.
“Dr. Bergman’s lifelong commitment to meeting students where they are, along with her track record as a dynamic leader, effective administrator, and tenured professor at a large research university, make her a stellar addition to our faculty,” said Paula O’Loughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs.
“Rachel Bergman’s vision for music at Augsburg aligns with the trajectory of our talented music faculty,” said Ryan Haaland, dean of arts and sciences. “She brings a wealth of experience as an educator and leader that will serve our students and campus well.”
Augsburg offers a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music, with specializations in music business, music education, and music therapy, plus choral and instrumental ensembles that are open to all students.
On National College Decision Day, Inside Higher Ed published the latest in a series of articles examining direct admissions as a new trend shaping higher education enrollment management.
“All year, Inside Higher Ed has been watching Augsburg University, which is one of the few colleges to admit all its students this year through direct admissions,” wrote editor Scott Jaschik. Robert Gould, vice president of strategic enrollment management, cited increases in deposits, students of color, Pell Grant-eligible students, and male students in the first year of the Augsburg Applies to You direct admissions model. At the same time, the academic profile of the incoming class is slightly higher than last year’s.
“Gould said his message for others in admissions is very simple: “copy and adapt” what Augsburg has done.”
Shayna Sheinfeld, assistant professor of religion and philosophy, received the 2023 Frank W. Beare Award from the Canadian Society for Biblical Studies for her book, “Jewish and Christian Women in the Ancient Mediterranean.” 
Inside Higher Ed recently interviewed Robert Gould, vice president for strategic enrollment management, about the shift in admissions counselors’ role under the Augsburg Applies to You platform and its direct admissions approach. Augsburg will welcome its first class admitted fully through direct admissions this fall.
