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Torstenson Community Scholars

Briana Mitchell and Britta Andress pose with sociology alum Mark Johnson (Class of 1975) in front of the Sydney Opera House as they get ready to take on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu.
Briana Mitchell and Britta Andress pose with sociology alum Mark Johnson (Class of 1975) in front of the Sydney Opera House as they get ready to take on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu.

Torstenson Community Scholars were established, based on the generosity of Mark Johnson ’75, to honor the legacy of Professor Joel S. Torstenson ’38. Each year, Torstenson Community Scholars are selected to participate in a variety of research and experiential education opportunities.

Students have worked with Professors Pike, Pippert, and Vela-McConnell on research opportunities that have explored community ties in Two Harbors, MN, stigma within the Catholic Church, the impact of oil extraction in North Dakota, and even traveled to a remote island in the South Pacific.

Torstenson Scholars Marka Wreh, Lillia Miller, Jordan Peoples, and Jessica Mendoza interview law enforcement personnel about how potential impacts of the oil boom on crime levels in northwestern North Dakota.
Torstenson Scholars Marka Wreh, Lillia Miller, Jordan Peoples, and Jessica Mendoza interview law enforcement personnel about how potential impacts of the oil boom on crime levels in northwestern North Dakota.

In addition to research, the Torstenson Community Scholars have helped to organize events for sociology and urban studies students. In 2021, Augsburg students traveled with Professors Pippert and Engen (Theater) to Hallock, MN. The students engaged with an anti-racist book group in Hallock that is organized by Augsburg alumni Kristin Eggerling and Paul Blomquist.

Book club students—organized by the Torstenson Scholars—and faculty members left the Twin Cities to visit Hallock, Minnesota.
Book club students—organized by the Torstenson Scholars—and faculty members left the Twin Cities to visit Hallock, Minnesota.

For more information about the Torstenson Community Scholars, please contact Tim Pippert at pippert@augsburg.edu.