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Reflections on violence in Norway, U.S.

Spikersuppe_Fountain
Photos courtesy of Frankie Shackelford: Spikersuppe is a downtown park and Storting (lion statue) is the national Parliament

Sonja Blackstone ’12 and professor Frankie Shackelford reflect on the violence in Norway which occurred this summer and its connections to Sept. 11, 2001. Blackstone and Shackelford were in Norway during the attacks for the Nobel Peace Scholars program.

9/11-7/22

By Sonja Blackstone

I was living two miles from downtown Oslo this summer, studying peace and conflict at the University of Oslo. On the afternoon of Friday, July 22 my friends and I were enjoying the beginning of our weekend when we thought we heard thunder. Twenty minutes later everything changed. Word of an explosion began murmuring through campus, students who had been downtown flooded back, scared, with stories of broken glass and people running. Continue reading “Reflections on violence in Norway, U.S.”

Distinguished contributions to teaching and learning

ctl_awardsAt the recent Honors convocation, the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Office of the Dean recognized the 2010 recipients of awards for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning.

Professor Robert Cowgill of the Department of English, Excellence in Teaching

Bob Cowgill is a brilliant teacher who is held in high regard by his students and colleagues. A University of Minnesota alumnus, Bob’s primary purpose in teaching is to help students understand their full humanity, and to understand themselves as artists. He is recognized by his students for creating a classroom environment that is intellectually challenging, respectful, and fun. His colleagues marvel at his command of the art of teaching; his students never forget him and Augsburg would not be the same without him. Continue reading “Distinguished contributions to teaching and learning”

Congressman Ellison and Augsburg officials travel to Norway

ellisonMinneapolis’ Fifth District U.S. Representative Keith Ellison is part of a four-person delegation leaving Jan. 6 for a 5-day visit to Norway to learn about Norwegian culture and Norwegian leadership in areas of peace negotiation, environmental policy, and healthcare issues.

Other members of the delegation include Frankie Shackelford, Augsburg professor of Norwegian and chair of the Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies Department; Jeremy Wells, Augsburg vice president of Institutional Advancement; and Lois Quam, who recently joined Piper Jaffray in the areas of environmental and healthcare investment. Continue reading “Congressman Ellison and Augsburg officials travel to Norway”