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. 

Read: Gwen Walz and Tim Walz are known as a team. But Minnesota’s first lady has been a powerful force in her own right (CNN)

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.