FALL 2020 800 WEST COLLEGE AVENUE SAINT. PETER, MINNESOTA 56082
Act Next How We
Things will look different this fall as the College welcomes students back for on-campus living and learning, but we know this: the power of the Gustavus community remains the same. Harnessing that collective spirit, President Bergman introduced a new acronym that will guide students, faculty, and staff—“Gusties ROAR!” The letters stand for “Respect Others, Act Responsibly.” The College’s plans for safe on-campus operations were developed this summer by 12 COVID-19 action teams focusing on areas ranging
from dining service to residential life to academic spaces to personal protective equipment and more. Among other changes, we will have socially distant classrooms, plexiglass safety barriers, daily self-assessments for COVID-19 symptoms, and on-campus testing and contact tracing. Pages of detailed plans will guide our learning and living, but it boils down to students, faculty, and staff doing the right thing to protect fellow members of the Gustavus community. We all know that Gusties shine. This fall, we will ROAR!
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Achieve financial, institutional, and environmental sustainability.
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Diversify and expand the Gustavus community.
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Deliver a distinctive and integrated liberal arts education.
The pandemic, racial justice, the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan, and where we go from here. PAGE 10
MEET CHRISTEN GIBSON ’23
For Alumni, Parents, and Friends FALL 2020 | VOL. LXXVI | ISSUE 3 STAFF Chair, Board of Trustees Scott Anderson ’89 President of the College Rebecca Bergman Vice President, Marketing and Communication Tim Kennedy ’82 Vice President, Advancement Thomas Young ’88 Director, Alumni and Parent Engagement Angela Erickson ’01 Director, Editorial Services Stephanie Wilbur Ash | sash@gustavus.edu Alumni Editor Philomena Kauffmann H’15 | pkauffma@gustavus.edu Visual Editor, Production Coordinator Anna Deike | adeike@gustavus.edu Design Brian Donahue | bedesigninc.com Jill Adler | adlerdesignstudio.com Contributing Writers JJ Akin ’11, Mara Klein, CJ Siewert ’11 Contributing Photographers and Artists JJ Akin ’11, Kris Drake, Joe Howell (for Vanderbilt University), Mara Klein, Randall Nelson, CJ Siewert ’11, Sydney Stumme-Berg ’22, Stan Waldhauser ’71, Gustavus Adolphus College Archives Printer John Roberts Company | johnroberts.com Postmaster Send address changes to the Gustavus Quarterly, Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement, Gustavus Adolphus College, 800 W. College Ave., Saint Peter, MN 56082-1498 GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE Saint Peter, MN 56082 507-933-8000 | gustavus.edu Articles and opinions presented in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or official policies of the College or its Board of Trustees. The Gustavus Quarterly (USPS 227-580) is published four times annually by Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, Minn. Periodicals postage is paid at Saint Peter, MN 56082, and additional mailing offices. It is mailed free of charge to alumni and friends of the College. Circulation is approximately 42,800. Gustavus Adolphus College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.
In July, the hackberry tree outside Jackson Campus Center came down after it could longer be safely maintained with support cables. Under that iconic tree, rumored to have been standing since the College moved to Saint Peter in 1876, Gusties met future spouses and best friends, greeted each other at Chapel break and between classes, protested injustices, and walked out from Christ Chapel as newlyweds. If trees could talk...
“I am so grateful that my Heritage Scholarship donor has made a commitment to support me for all four years I’ll spend at Gustavus. This scholarship makes higher education possible for me, and I love having an opportunity to form a relationship with my donor.”
BRIDGING THE GAP
HERITAGE SCHOLARSHIPS AT GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE
- Christen Gibson ’23 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major
Carla Clasen established a Heritage Scholarship to honor her late husband, Mark, a Gustavus graduate who became a physician and professor of family medicine. Carla was thrilled to learn the first recipient of the Mark Clasen ’69 Heritage Scholarship is likewise planning to go to medical school. Christen will hold the scholarship during her four years at Gustavus, allowing her and Carla to continue building their connection. In support of academically talented students with demonstrated financial need, Heritage Scholarships provide funding for an important group of students who desire to attend Gustavus but whose families have limited resources. This visionary program invites a four-year commitment of $12,000 ($3,000 per year), which bridges the gap between academic scholarships and federal aid. For more information, contact Nicole Swanson, Special Gift Officer for Heritage Scholarships, at 507-469-8314 or ncswanson@gustavus.edu.
GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT gustavus.edu/showtheworld/priorities/scholarship
IN THIS ISSUE
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TRAIL BLAZED
May’s controlled burn of the Coneflower Prairie removed invasive woody trees, shrubs, and other plant species. It was totally lit.
During the past five years of the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan, we’ve seen major successes fueled by your support. Now, in the midst of great challenges, this is what’s next.
24 26
HERITAGE: THE BLACK STUDENT ORGANIZATION
In the 1970s, pioneering Gusties started the Black Student Organization. Here’s what they remember.
22
IN EVERY ISSUE 4 VÄLKOMMEN
AFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT
5 ON THE HILL
We’re also at the midpoint of the public phase of Show
8 SHINE PROFILES
the World, our comprehensive campaign. Checking in.
22
SPORTS
23
FINE ARTS
32
GUSTIES
40
VESPERS
32 GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
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HOW WE ACT NEXT
1
2
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
Trail Blazed
Despite appearances, the metal bison sculpture Tatanka, 2019, created by Gustavus art students and located in the Coneflower Prairie, does not breathe fire. This is the beginning of May’s controlled burn, a small, slow backfire culminating in a large, fast, head fire that swept quickly across the prairie. It was scheduled (the last one was four years ago) to manage the habitat and vegetation in this prairie. The habitat depends on fire to remove invasive woody trees, shrubs, and other plant species. The prairie’s true self has since reemerged from the ashes. She is as ready as she can be for a new semester.
Välkommen
G U S TAV U S A D O L P H U S C O L L E G E B OA R D O F T R U S T E E S The Rev. Jon V. Anderson (ex officio), Bishop, Southwestern Minnesota Synod, ELCA
THE GREAT CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME.
Scott P. Anderson ’89, MBA (chair), Senior Advisor, TPG Capital
It will come as no surprise that the last six months have been
Tracy L. Bahl ’84, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer, OneOncology
among the most challenging in the College’s history. Each day presents new obstacles, prompting new decisions to be made. And yet, every day, we move forward. Despite the toll the pandemic has made on all of us, despite the impact George Floyd’s murder has taken on all of us, despite the daily uncertainty of the economy, we move forward. Here’s what I know: Our students, faculty, and staff want to move forward in their intellectual, spiritual, and social journeys. Our Board of Trustees wants our college to be financially strong. All of us want an equitable culture that affirms that Black lives matter on our campus and everywhere else. With my background as a biomedical engineer, I have always practiced evidence-
Grayce Belvedere-Young, MBA, Founder and CEO, Lily Pad Consulting The Rev. Kevin D. Bergeson ’02 (ex officio), Senior Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church and Schools; President, Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations Rebecca M. Bergman (ex officio), President, Gustavus Adolphus College Suzanne F. Boda ’82, Former Senior Vice President, Los Angeles, American Airlines Robert D. Brown, Jr. ’83, MA, MD, Staff Neurologist, Professor of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and John T. and Lillian Matthews Professor of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Kara K. Buckner ’97, Managing Director/Chief Strategy Officer, Fallon Worldwide Janette F. Concepcion, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Concepcion Psychological Services
based decision-making. So has Heather Dale, the director of the Gustavus Health
Edward J. Drenttel ’81, JD, Attorney/Partner, Winthrop & Weinstine
Service (see page 8). She says, “We don’t have all the evidence, so we have to be
Bruce A. Edwards ’77, Retired CEO, DHL Global Supply Chain
flexible and nimble and willing to admit that some things need to change.” That’s a challenge, Gusties. That’s also the power of the liberal arts—the ability to take in data from a variety of sources, explore it from multiple perspectives, and make the best possible decisions. Then we evaluate, adjust, and move forward again, together. Our strategic plan calls on us to act on the great challenges of our time. The two significant challenges Gustavus currently faces—systemic racism and the pandemic— both require all of us to work together, to do the right thing, and to adjust our behaviors as we go forward for the wellbeing of all. At the end of each day, I am grateful. Walking alongside me through these difficult
James H. Gale ’83, MA, JD, Attorney at Law John O. Hallberg ’79, MBA, Retired CEO, Children’s Cancer Research Fund Susie B. Heim ’83, Former Co-owner, S and S Heim Construction Mary Dee J. Hicks ’75, PhD, Retired Senior Vice President, Personnel Decisions International The Rev. Peter C. Johnson ’92, Executive Pastor, St. Andrew Lutheran Church Paul R. Koch ’87, Managing Director–Private Wealth Advisor, Senior Portfolio Manager, Koch Wealth Solutions, RBC Wealth Management Dennis A. Lind ’72, Chairman, Midwest Bank Group, Inc.
times are critical thinkers, problem solvers, tireless seekers of justice, and committed
Jan Lindman, MBA, Treasurer to the King, The Royal Court of Sweden
Gustie professionals who work to ensure the safety and success of our students.
The Rev. Dr. David J. Lose, Senior Pastor, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church
As we begin the academic year—likely one for the history books—I hold onto our vision statement. We may not fully solve the great challenges of our time, but with all the knowledge we have before us, and all the elements that are within our control, we will act.
Gordon D. Mansergh ’84, MA, MEd, PhD, Senior Behavioral Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (serving in a personal capacity) and Past President, Gustavus Alumni Association Mikka S. McCracken ’09, Executive Director for Innovation/Director, ELCA Leader Lab, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
Jan Ledin Michaletz ’74, Past President, Gustavus Alumni Association Thomas J. Mielke ’80, JD, Retired Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Rebecca M. Bergman
Bradley S. Nuss ’97, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Nuss Truck & Equipment
President, Gustavus Adolphus College
Marcia L. Page ’82, MBA, Founding Partner, Värde Partners The Rev. Dr. Dan. S. Poffenberger ’82, Senior Pastor, Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church Karl D. Self ’81, MBA, DDS, Associate Professor, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry Ronald C. White ’75, President, RC White Enterprises The Rev. Heather Teune Wigdahl ’95, Senior Pastor, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
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ON THE HILL 60
The Gustavus pandemic response as represented in the number of Google Hangout Chats.
ACTIVE ROOMS
45
30
15
Dec 22
Jan 9
Jan 27
Hangouts Chat 1-day created rooms
Feb 14
Mar 3
Hangouts Chat 7-day created rooms
Mar 21
Apr 8
Apr 26
May 14
Jun 1
Jun 19
0
Hangouts Chat 30-day created rooms
600
ACTIVE USERS 450
300
150
Dec 22
Jan 9
Jan 27
Hangouts Chat 1-day active users
Feb 14
Mar 3
Hangouts Chat 7-day active users
Mar 21
Apr 8
Apr 26
May 14
Jun 1
Jun 19
0
Hangouts Chat 30-day active users
V I R T U A L C O N N E C T I O N S , V I R T U A L LY P E R F E C T When the College announced its transition
management system, and implemented
to online course delivery this spring, faculty
a laptop loan program for faculty and
and staff scrambled to reimagine what
staff who typically work from a desktop
training sessions for faculty had 375 total
the rest of the semester might look like.
computer on campus. The Web Services
attendees. Eight more staff sessions were
As soon as the announcement went out,
team quickly created the College’s
joined by 175 employees. More than
questions started rolling in: Could staff
COVID-19 webpage with daily updates
18,000 Google Meets were created by
take their monitors home? How could they
and frequently asked questions. Technology
Gustavus accounts—everything from class
log into systems that only run on the on-
Services personnel worked with faculty
sessions and department meetings to long-
campus network? Would keycards still work
and staff to ensure access to systems and
distance happy hours and the first-ever
to access buildings?
data while working from home—and that
virtual meeting of the Board of Trustees.
They set up processes for virtual meetings
employees could use digital materials while following good data security practices. “For the last several months, our work has
What did that look like? Twenty virtual
Next up: Fall semester, which features a mix of face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses—and the possibility that the College
and classes, helped professors move
been about access—making sure people have
will go virtual again at the drop of a hat.
materials to the College’s online course
the tools and resources they need,” Chief
Whatever happens, GTS will be ready.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
Behind the scenes, Gustavus Technology Services (GTS) staff jumped into action.
Technology Officer Tami Aune ’82 said.
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ON THE HILL
PRETTY GOOD NEWS Sarah Mersch ’21 received the ThinkSwiss
campus experts,
Teaching Excellence at the College’s
Research Award funded by the Embassy
alumni, and others
virtual Honors Day Convocation in May.
of Switzerland in Washington, D.C.
to explore the
Nominated and selected by students,
The scholarship promotes and funds
intersections
the award honors the memory of two
research opportunities
of liberal arts
Gustavus students and members of
in Switzerland for
learning, current
the Student Senate, Greg Swenson ’91 Greg Kaster
and Holly Bunn ’92, who died in a car
American students with
events, and
the intent of fostering
problem solving from the Gustavus
exchanges between
campus. The first season (10 episodes)
universities and research
is available on nearly all platforms
Two alumni
including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google
made a $2.65
Podcasts, and RadioPublic. Transcripts of
million gift
environmental studies major, whose
each episode will be available online at
to support
previous research (with chemistry
gustavus.edu/news.
the College’s
institutions. Mersch is a junior chemistry and
Sarah Mersch
professor Jeff Jeremiason) traced metals
Counseling English professor
and Pb isotopes in an African Crater Lake. Gustavus Adolphus College launched a new podcast hosted by history professor Greg Kaster. Learning for Life @ Gustavus features Kaster interviewing
accident in 1989.
Rebecca Fremo
Center. Mark
Terri DeGiusti Henneman and Mark Henneman
Rebecca Fremo
Henneman and Terri DeGiusti
was named the
Henneman, both members of the Class
2020 winner of
of 1983, will help fund current staffing
the Swenson-Bunn
and establish an endowment to ensure
Memorial Award for
future services to students.
To minimize the risk and spread of COVID-19, the College adjusted its fall semester schedule. Most first-years will begin on campus with online classes except for their FTS or CUR-100 course. At press time, sophomores, juniors, and seniors will return to campus beginning Sept. 25, at which point courses will transition to in-person, online, or a hybrid. After Thanksgiving, the College will transition back to online course delivery for the last week of classes and final exams, concluding on December 15.
NOBEL CONFERENCE 56, NOW ONLINE The 2020 Nobel Conference will be delivered in an online format. It will still take place October 6 and 7, with its signature mix of expert lectures, discussions, and audience GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
questions live. In addition, beginning
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in September, the conference will release videos and interactive activities specifically created for our online format and available for access at any time. The topic remains as it was before the pandemic: Cancer in the Age of
The 2020 conference will be offered online at no charge. Current ticket holders
Biotechnology.
will be offered a full refund. Register to watch online at gustavus.edu/nobel.
CAMPUS SOCIAL @gustavusadolphuscollege @gustieathletics
@gustiestudentlife Either IKEA was having the world’s worst yard sale or our awesome Physical Plant staff was recently taking some of the (really) old built-in dressers out of Complex....
@gustavusadolphuscollege Quiet summer days on the hill. #whygustavus
@gustavusadm Our summer tour guides took their artistic abilities outside on a beautiful morning to paint the rock in front of Old Main! Come check out the rock and all the other beautiful parts of campus by scheduling a visit today at
Follow /gustavusadolphuscollege
https://gustavus.edu/admission/visit/. #whygustavus
@gustavusalumni Bake-Off Finalists Jennessa Runia-Bade ’15 and
@gustavusadolphuscollege
Leif Runia-Bade ’14
“We need a nest, and vastness. We need safety, and risk.”—Minnesota storyteller
Follow /gustavusathletics
With their traditionally themed Swedish Kringle.
Kevin Kling ’79 to #Gusties20 grads.
Beautifully decorated with Gustavian roots in mind.
#whygustavus.
/gustavusfinearts
/gustavusalumni
Follow @gustavus, @gustiealum
“We can easily go to either camp: Chicken Little or ‘We’re all going to die.’ Neither are true. And it’s the truth that’s hard.” —Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and a current leading voice during COVID-19 pandemic, speaking 14 years ago about the consequences of a global pandemic at the 2006 Nobel Conference
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
10:00 a.m. Time for Reflection
7
ON THE HILL
SHINE: HEATHER DALE, PA-C Behind Our COVID-19 Response THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SERVICE AND ASSISTANT DEAN OF STUDENTS REMINDS US TO CONTROL WHAT WE CAN CONTROL.
“I think of the Serenity Prayer,” Dale says. “‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.’ That is what spring was about.” When the threat of COVID-19 reached Minnesota, Dale was among the first people College leadership turned to for help in making decisions. As chair of the Infectious Disease Committee and the director of Health Service, Dale was the clinical expert in the room, guiding the health decisions and processes necessary to keep students and staff safe. This summer, it’s been all about making plans for fall. There are things Gustavus can control…somewhat, Dale says. “We are preparing campus with protocols to mitigate the spread of infection. Classrooms, offices and the dining hall will follow public health guidelines,” But—and it’s a big but—“residence halls and after-hours time will be our greatest challenge to control.” Consider your own Gustavus years; it’s unlikely “social distancing” was a priority. So how do you create a social environment for the pandemicera college student? At press time, 12 action teams made up of more than 125 Gusties are working on it, including at least one student on each team. Faculty, staff and students have been educated about COVID-19 and asked to take the Gustie ROAR pledge: Respect Others, Act Responsibly. “It has absolutely been a team of warriors,” Dale says. That’s no surprise to her. For more than a decade, Dale has worked across campus divisions and college life to keep Gustavus healthy, including six years as a head resident in Sohre and Sorensen. If the spring and summer were about the Serenity Prayer, what will the fall be about? “We will make mistakes along the way,” Dale says, “because ultimately this is a huge scientific experiment. Science is all about making hypotheses and testing them, and most of the time they fail. But we must persist with new ideas and creative solutions.”
who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. To do so, Health Service staff must wear the personal protective equipment Dale is sporting here. Contact tracing, isolation and quarantine are other important actions to minimize spread. The College has set aside housing for students and their contacts who test positive.
COMMUNITY
Gustavus will test Gusties with COVID symptoms, as well as those
SHINE: CONRAD ODDOYE ’20 The Surprising Grace of the Pandemic A LAST-MINUTE COLLEGIATE TRACK CAREER, A MUSICAL SCORE TO FINISH, AND THEN THERE WAS COVID.
Basketball got him to Gustavus from Alberta, Canada. But always there was music, which Oddoye had been playing since he was seven and composing since he was ten. “I was producing music in my room in Co-Ed,” he says, and soon it was all he could think about. Sophomore year he stepped away from the court to play in several bands, including the cleverly named Bandated Reporters, so called because three of the members were Gustavus mandated reporters. But the thought of singing live at a gig and failing miserably terrified him. Finally, he went to the Gustavus Counseling Center, where his counselor named it: performance anxiety. Oddoye had an “aha” moment. “That was a huge part of my basketball career—being awesome in practice, then hands shaking, legs feeling like Jello in games, worried about letting a team down.” He sang at that gig, and it’s been easier ever since. One day, track & field assistant coach Nathan Harder, admiring Oddoye’s height, invited him to try the high jump and discus. Oddoye didn’t like it. “Then I saw the sprinters,” he says. “That looked fun.” Plus, he didn’t experience as much performance anxiety—he wasn’t a top sprinter, so not much hinged on his success. And every single week of practice he was earning a personal best. He ran one collegiate 200-meter race before he was off to Spain for a semester. He was about to run another race and begin rehearsals for the spring musical when COVID hit. Talk about anxiety. “I was extremely stressed out,” he says. “When you don’t know where you’re going to live in two weeks, it’s hard to focus on the assignment that’s due on Wednesday.” He ended up as one of the 70 or so students—mostly international students—approved to stay on campus through the spring semester. He then stayed through the summer, waiting for his visa so he can work in the U.S. and pursue graduate school in counseling psychology. When life opens up fully, he’ll play live shows again. Until then, he’s pretty zen, spending the summer making music in his on-campus apartment, walking a professor’s dog, and not being too hard on himself. “I feel like everyone
E XC E L L E N C E
deserves grace,” he says, “especially during a time like this.” Oddoye was .75 credits short to graduate when he signed on to compose the music for the production of Mother Courage. He worked from the existing libretto and led the cast in recording their parts from home, thanks to the pandemic. “It’s very difficult to collaborate across distance,” Oddoye says. “But I was able to make it really easy for people to listen and hear how it should sound.” He also produced the album. For more on the show, see page 23.
How We Act Next Our strategic plan, the pandemic, racial justice, and where we go from here. Achieve financial, institutional, and environmental sustainability.
Diversify and expand the Gustavus community.
Deliver a distinctive and integrated liberal arts education.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
THIS IS THE GUSTAVUS ACTS STRATEGIC PLAN 2.0. During the past five years we saw major successes, fueled by support from you—our alumni, family, and friends. We then prioritized our next targets, and put our community to work seeking innovative strategies to reach them. Then, the pandemic. Then, the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. How quickly the world changed. And how quickly this plan flexed to accommodate that change, just as we intended when we, the Gustavus community, built this strategic plan. Now, we lean into year five. It will be a historic year for Gustavus and for the world. This is the midpoint. This is the world we are living in. This is how we act next.
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HERE’S WHERE WE’VE BEEN SO FAR.
a Gustavus education and a major goal of the strategic plan
an unprecedented $75 million to fuel Gustavus Acts
June 2016 Gustavus Board of Trustees finalizes the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan; it rolls out shortly after
Feb. 2017 Teams for each of the three Gustavus Acts goals assemble and share plans with Gustavus Board of Trustees
Feb. 2018 Nobel Hall of Science Expansion and Renovation project, the College’s largest facilities undertaking ever and a keystone project of Gustavus Acts, breaks ground
Nov. 2016 President Bergman and her husband, Tom, announce their $4 million gift to the College, among the first multi-million gifts to fuel Gustavus Acts Jan. 2017 Trustee and Heritage Scholarship programs launch, a cornerstone of access to
April 2017 Faculty vote on a new general education curriculum Nov. 2017 An anonymous $25 million grant creates the Center for Career Development Jan. 2018 In just 18 months, the College raises
May 2018 Gustavus named a U.S. Dept. of Ed Green Ribbon School for Environmental Sustainability January 2019 A Cabinet-level position for Mission, Strategy, and Innovation is created
April 2019 The new general education curriculum, now named the Challenge Curriculum, is approved for implementation in 2020-2021 Sept. 2019 The College announces its largest fundraising campaign ever, Show the World, to further fuel the strategic plan (see progress, page 26) Nov. 2019– Jan. 2020 Open sessions gather input on priorities from the Gustavus community for the next three years of Gustavus Acts
Feb. 2020 Funding is underway for the expansion of Lund Center, another keystone project March 2020 Global pandemic. In response, the College switches to remote learning and working, adding additional technology strategies to Gustavus Acts April 2020 Gustavus Acts 2.0 priorities established, cross-community teams reassembled and re-charged May–June 2020 George Floyd’s death and worldwide outcry. The College
announces anti-racism actions, adding additional strategies to Gustavus Acts Aug. 2020 Faculty and staff move into the new Nobel Hall of Science, and prepare for the 2020-2021 academic year Aug.–Sept. 2020 The College welcomes students— including a large firstyear class—to live and learn through on-campus, hybrid, and online modules; with room for flexibility in the event of swift, needed change Onward…
times are good. It is not what we want to do, someday, if the stars align. It is what we will do.
Plan. Act. A message from Rebecca Bergman, president, Gustavus Adolphus College
But we made a plan with the intention of acting. We will not let up. As every day creates a new,
Plan. Act.
unprecendented challenge, Gustavus
Here at the midpoint, we’ve already
faculty and staff continue to do some
seen transformative change from our
heavy lifting to keep the Gustavus Acts
actions, brought forth by the impactful
Strategic Plan moving forward. They
engagement of our faculty, staff, students,
are discerning, prioritizing, adjusting,
alumni, friends, and donors. The Nobel
adapting. As a college, we must critically
Hall of Science, the Center for Career
examine every single dollar. We must
Development, a new curriculum, new
demonstrate who and what we truly
endowed professorships, new faculty-
stand for.
student research opportunities, millions
Heavy lifting has never deterred a
of dollars for new scholarships and our
Gustie. In fact, when the weather gets
endowment, and an enrollment goal met
rough, Gusties tend to show up in greater
or exceeded three years in a row. In the
numbers, roll up their sleeves, and push
first half of our work on this plan, we’ve
harder. I ask you now to do just that. See
I have said it from the start: This is a
changed the trajectory of this college
in these pages what we planned for, where
living document.
at a time when many institutions are
we are now, and where we are going.
struggling.
Then help us push.
The Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan is the blueprint of our planned actions. It is not
We are at a pivotal moment now.
We built this plan from within, from
a series of loose leaf pages stuffed into a
The world is tilted on its edge. The push
the ground up, together. Just look at
binder and slid onto a dusty shelf. It is
forward is uphill, steeper than any of us
what we’ve done together so far. Imagine
not a wish list, bits of dreams to fulfill if
could have imagined.
how much further we can go.
During this past year, I have been proud
our strategies adjust, our tactics change.
to serve under President Bergman with
We must grow as individuals to do the
the charge of advancing the strategic plan.
work the world calls on us to do. We press
What I have seen, particularly in recent
forward, methodically and thoughtfully.
months, is how desperately the world
It’s called a strategic plan for a reason.
needs what Gustavus and its graduates
And those three main goals? They are
have to offer and how truly special the
as true today as they were five years ago.
College and its people are.
They will be true five years from now.
It would be so easy to shelve this plan for a while. We don’t take the easy road
When we achieve them, we will be the Gustavus we know we can be.
accountable to make the changes we said
Activated.
we would. We now have 18 strategic
OUR VISION
leaders meeting monthly—a doubling
Gustavus equips students to lead purpose-
A message from Kathi Tunheim, vice president for mission, strategy, and innovation
of efforts over last year. The reality of COVID-19 and the renewed urgency for racial justice have prompted decisive and necessary pivots. Our priorities must shift,
ful lives and to act on the great challenges of our time through an innovative liberal arts education of recognized excellence. We are leaning into it, as we said we would. Join us: gustavus.edu/gustavusacts.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
at Gustavus. Instead, we hold ourselves
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Midpoint, Mid-Action. With Input from the Gustavus Community
THIS WINTER, THE GUSTAVUS COMMUNITY assessed the progress of the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan and weighed in on next priorities. College leadership listened, and landed on the action items below. The strategic plan is, indeed, a living document. Some of the strategies below may be completed before print. Some may take lesser priority as our world changes and needs shift. Others (planned but not included here) we have yet to work on. That’s to be expected. When the College’s vision statement calls on us to equip students to act on the great challenges of our time, the College too should be equipped to do so. As it stands now, here’s what we’ve done so far, as well as our progress in process. GOAL: ACHIEVE FINANCIAL , INSTITUTIONAL , AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
√
Completed Conduct three consecutive years of the Gallup Employee Engagement Survey*, improving the baseline results. Implement an emerging leaders pro-
Conduct a facilities condition assessment. Replace air structure and mechanical systems in the Swanson Tennis Center. Plan and implement a signage and wayfinding project.
fessional development program for 20
Raise total gift income of $20 million per
high-potential employees.
year (annual view).
Revise and implement the employee
In Process & On Track
onboarding program. Complete a staff compensation analysis and financial impact analysis.
78%
number of volunteer leaders by 10
50%
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
percent per year for three years.
12
Establish a baseline and strategy for annual giving and increase average annual giving by one percent per year. Generate new scholarship funding of $250,000 per year toward the goal of meeting the financial need of families.
10%
Alumni events (Homecoming
and Reunion Weekend) by 10 percent annually. 40%
Establish a measurable baseline for and increase internal
cross-campus departmental partnerships to build mission-central engagement.
Rounding the midpoint of the strategic
cash contributions to the
plan, the College checked in with the Gustavus community. During a listening and engagement period from November
Raise $100 million total by
2019 to January 2020, and in response to
2026.
the COVID-19 pandemic, two new strat-
Adjust Gustavus non-faculty
financial, institutional, and environmental
employee total compensation
based on staff compensation analysis. 10%
Increase attendance to Signature
Raise an average of $10 million
endowment annually
Establish a baseline and increase the
40%
p. 14 – 15
egies emerged for achieving the goal of sustainability. These strategies are: Develop a robust and sustainable technol-
Adjust Gustavus faculty total
ogy infrastructure.
compensation based on compen-
Implement environmental stewardship
sation analysis.
and sustainability principles and practices across the College.
GOAL: DIVERSIFY AND EXPAND THE GUSTAVUS COMMUNITY.
Completed
Increase employee engagement as
Increase the percentage of enrolled do-
Index.*
diversity, equity, and inclusion training to
In Process & On Track
100 percent.
mestic students from historically underrepresented groups annually to match or exceed the demographics of Minnesota’s college-age population. (In 2020, 22 percent of Minnesota high school students fit this identifier, and 22 percent of Gustavus students.) Develop and implement a diversity recruitment and retention plan for students. Offer all employees diversity, equity, and inclusion training and development annually. Identify and collect baseline data to determine percentage of employees from historically underrepresented groups.
measured by the Gallup Inclusiveness
70%
Create and implement an organizational structure for
oversight responsibility and accountability for campus diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. 30%
25%
10%
Increase the percentage of employees participating in
Develop and implement a plan to more closely align the percentage
of employees from historically underrepresented groups across all job categories with the percentage of historically underrepresented students.
Increase the percentage of student financial need met,
moving toward the overall goal of meeting 100 percent of that need. 30%
Fund the endowment for need-based aid, equating to $90
The killing of George Floyd had the College asking, how can we do more? Our response, page 17.
million additional dollars.
GOAL: DELIVER A DISTINCTIVE AND INTEGRATED LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION.
√
p. 18 – 19
Completed
Create a Lund Center renovation and
Implement a new general education cur-
a fundraising plan for it.
discernment with a goal of 50 percent
In Process & On Track
for the Class of 2024.
riculum to advance the College’s vision. Create a three-year academic program review process.
Form a Presidential Task Force on vocational and purposeful living to prepare our students with the skills to lead purposeful lives.
Increase the percentage of graduating seniors reporting situated.** Transition the Gustavus Mentoring Program from the Peer Education program to the Center for Career Development.
expansion feasibility study and implement
80%
Increase the number of students selecting Career Interest Clusters
by 20 percent per year to reach all registered students. 65%
70%
70%
60%
Program to reach 50 percent of graduating seniors by 2021.
Develop and approve a postbaccalaureate Athletic Training
and receive external accreditation approval. 40%
Increase the number of students participating in Mentoring
engagement in vocational
Program, create institutional systems,
Increase students’ self-reported perceived career readiness.
Increase first-year student
30%
Implement a three-year academic program review process. Purposefully and programmatically integrate academic and
co-curricular experiences annually through a Great Challenges theme.
Complete the Nobel Hall of Science expansion and renovation and fully open. *The Gallup Employee Engagement Survey measures actionable workplace elements with proven linkages to performance outcomes. The Inclusiveness Index is a subset of it **“Situated” means a student’s next step is one they wanted to occur, a positive result.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
√
p. 16 – 17
13
GOAL: ACHIEVE FINANCIAL , INSTITUTIONAL , AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. It’s all about systems and structures that maximize the College’s long-term success and viability. We’ve made great strides in strengthening our greatest resource: our people. The College has completed staff and faculty compensation analyses and developed programs for new employees and emerging leaders. The College is creating internal cross-campus partnerships to build mission-central engagement. And we’ve increased employee engagement and satisfaction. We need to in order to recruit and retain employees of the highest caliber. In terms of environmental sustainability, Gustavus has created an innovative wastestream process on the way to becoming a zero-waste institution. And for being mindful of the environmental impact of the new Nobel Hall of Science, the College received nearly $200,000 in energy rebates from the City of Saint Peter. That’s not to mention the impressive leadership of students around climate justice. And of course there’s the necessary work of facilities updates, especially considering all of the post-tornado, 20-year roofs put on Gustavus buildings more than 20 years ago.
The President’s Council for Environmental Sustainability is a crosscampus working group reporting directly to President Bergman. Strong student leadership on this team comes from the Environmental Action Coalition, a conglomerate of student groups focused on environmental sustainability.
The financial instability of the global pandemic cuts across all sectors of society, in the macro and micro. It’s particularly destabilizing to liberal arts colleges that serve residential students. Gustavus is in a solid position to weather the pandemic. Our community continues to drive the strategic plan forward, though we must shift resources to keep the community safe and healthy. We need you. Whether that’s your Gustie spirit at signature events, your mentorship and career guidance with students and recent grads, or your monetary gifts to the College, we need you.
3
highly active student groups combined to form the student-led Environmental Action Coalition
$186,388
amount in energy rebates from the City of Saint Peter, reflecting more than 1,000,000 kilowatt-hours of energy savings from careful management of the Nobel Hall of
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
Science expansion and renovation
14
“A revitalized Lund is going to have
“Thank you, Gustavus donors, for
an effect on our college and our
everything you do and all that you
enrollment. It’s going to affect
give, which will keep this academic
everyone on campus.”
community thriving.”
—Tom Brown, director of intercollegiate athletics.
—Thomas Young ’88, vice president for advancement
8%
three-year increase in employee engagement, via the Gallup Employee Engagement Survey
A rendering of the new field house as proposed in the plans for the Lund Center expansion and renovation.
18
different listening groups on Lund with multiple opportunities to come to campus and visit with the community in groups and in individual meetings
17,600
square foot increase in space for cardio and weight training in the Lund Center renovation and expansion. A wellness
The Promise of a New Lund Center Tens of thousands of people visit Lund Center every year, yet no space has been added to it since it opened in 1984. All the while, our competitors have built new wellness and athletics facilities.
area benefiting the entire Gustavus community is its number one priority.
$28 million yet to raise to fully fund the Lund
It’s been almost 40 years, and Lund is ready to take it to the next level.
Center renovation and expansion.
A new and improved Lund will better serve our entire community and attract
“We need to meet our goal soon so
prospective students and families to Gustavus. “Our plans meet the community’s needs,
we can get a shovel in the ground,”
identified through 12 months of research,” says Tom Brown, director of intercollegiate
says Tom Brown.
athletics. “It’s been an incredibly collaborative effort, and it’s exciting to know the impact this will have on the college and community for the next 30 to 50 years.” Plans are still being finalized, and fundraising continues, but the renovation and expansion of Lund will likely increase its the facility’s current size by more than 75 percent, dramatically changing its capacity to meet the needs of varsity, club, and intramural sports, as well as growing academic programs in the health sciences.
78%
increase in the total square footage over the existing Lund Center in the
Here’s just some of what’s in store:
proposed expansion and renovation
• an academic wing that will house classrooms, faculty offices, a lecture hall, training programs • new, adaptable workout spaces for athletes and the whole Gustavus community
Achieving this goal relies on gifts to
• a 60,000-square-foot field house for all-season practice, exercise, and recreation
the College. For more on gift giving for
• a new athletic office suite for coaches and administrators • new locker rooms that exceed current standards for safety and efficiency • better wellness opportunities for all students, faculty, and staff • more functional and efficient space for athletics, academics, and recreation
scholarships, the endowment, the Gustavus Fund, affinity groups, and building projects, and to learn how the Show the World campaign fuels the strategic plan, see page 27.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
and a Human Performance Lab that’s necessary for exercise science and athletic
15
GOAL: DIVERSIFY AND EXPAND THE GUSTAVUS COMMUNITY. The next five years will focus on building programs to reach and support more people so that students study in an environment that reflects the world in which they will live and work. So far, the College has developed and implemented a diversity recruitment and retention plan for students, collected baseline data on diversity among faculty and staff, and begun to offer all employees diversity, equity, and inclusion training and development. Current efforts include increasing the percentage of enrolled U.S. students from historically underrepresented groups, the percentage of employees of color, and the percentage of employees participating in DEI training. The College is also creating an organizational structure for responsibility and accountability for campus DEI efforts.
The President’s Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is a working group reporting directly to President Bergman, with faculty, staff, and student representation at the table.
Here in Minnesota, a state that has had a historically white majority but is changing rapidly, the Gustavus community must reflect that change. In addition to racial diversity, Gustavus seeks a community rich in geographical, social, and economic diversity, one that encompasses a variety of identities and affinities. As an institution, we must provide a campus climate that truly welcomes and values difference. It can be hard to measure campus climate, but student and surveys of inclusiveness and cabinet-level lead-
cent of student financial need. Doing so would make us as competitive as Carleton and
32%
Macalester for the best students of all identities from all around the world.
full-time students attending Gustavus
ership in diversity, equity, and inclusion will be a strong start. The biggest lever for diversifying and expanding the Gustavus community, though, is the ability to attract high-achieving students from a wide variety of backgrounds. In a competitive marketplace, this largely (though not exclusively) means meeting 100 per-
In other words: the cost of a Gustavus education should not be a barrier to anyone who is able to and desires to study and graduate here, and the campus climate should welcome and value all.
increase in the number of non-white from 2010 to 2020
27
number of student-led diversity organizations, a steep uptick over
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
the past three years
16
“An inclusive and equitable campus
“We need to be affordable for families
depends on the intentions and efforts of
of all backgrounds. Many families cannot
$90
the whole Gustavus community.” —Siri
be here without our support.” —Kirk
meet 100 percent of financial need to
Erickson, Chaplain of the College and
Carlson ’95, Associate Vice President
attract and retain top students from a
Special Assistant to the President for
for Enrollment and Associate Dean of
variety of backgrounds, including his-
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Admission and Financial Aid
torically underrepresented groups
million
additional endowment funds needed to
On Recruitment The percentage of students from historically underrepresented groups has increased.
ACTIONS TOWARD ANTI-RACISM
The goal is to match or exceed the state of Minnesota, where 22 percent of high school The killing of George Floyd in south
students are non-white.
Minneapolis this summer—and the PERCENT OF STUDENTS FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS
subsequent anguish felt throughout the
(INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS):
world—put the need for racial justice into
2016 2020
17% 22%
sharp relief. Gustavus leadership responded with the acknowledgement that the College has not done enough to address
Our demographics will continue to change, as evidenced by projected
issues of systemic racism and foster
percentages non-white public high school graduates.
anti-racism. The College also announced specific actions to take moving forward,
MINNESOTA NATIONALLY
many of which dovetail with Gustavus
2020 2020
Acts strategies. Below is a sampling of
22 percent
48 percent
2025 2025
25 percent
51.5 percent
2030 2030
29 percent
49 percent
On Heritage Scholarships One of the strongest drivers in meeting student need is scholarships. In response to the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan, new Heritage Scholarships were created. These scholar-
those actions: • an independent review of the College Bias Response Team’s membership, processes, and practices • a new mental health counselor position with a primary focus on supporting students of color • a new Cabinet-level leader whose work will focus on race, equity, and inclusion • expanded physical space and other
ships are awarded to bright students with demonstrated financial need. With a four–year
resources for the Center for Inclusive
commitment of $3,000 per year, the scholarship is awarded to a first-year student and
Excellence (formerly the Diversity
remains with that student during all four years at Gustavus.
Center)
This is a named scholarship that can be presented in the donor’s name, the name of a family or group, or in honor of a special person.
• external review of hiring practices for staff positions, as well as a plan to more closely align the percentage of employ-
IN FOUR YEARS:
ees from historically underrepresented
118 students were awarded a Heritage Scholarship
7 “Class Of” scholarships were created (by individual class years)
135 donors gave (122 unique donors + 13 donors for multiple scholarships)
3 We Believe scholarships were created (by Gustavus faculty and staff)
groups across all job categories with the percentage of students • implicit/unconscious bias training for Gustavus leadership
On Retention and Graduation Rates
interfaith strategic plan
Overall, our four-year graduation rate has hovered around 80 percent for the past five years, higher than the majority of colleges in our class, and we have the second highest
To see the complete list of anti-racism
graduation rate among Minnesota private colleges for students of color. On our prior-
action steps and to read the full state-
itized list of next actions: Increase graduation rates for students from historically underrepresented groups to be equal to or exceed overall graduation rates.
ment from President Bergman and the Gustavus Cabinet, see gustavus.edu/ racialjustice.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
• implementation of Gustavus’s new
17
GOAL: DELIVER A DISTINCTIVE AND INTEGRATED LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION.
Some of our accomplishments to date relate to facilities that serve students, specifically
400
the completion of the $70 million Nobel Hall of Science expansion and renovation.
Gustavus mentor this year
“Integrated” means a student’s experiences in and out of class operate in tandem to build a transformative college experience. “Distinctive” means notable and desirable, recognized excellence.
Some relate to co-curricular enrichment, such as the expansion of the Center for
Gustavus students will have a
and think of possible solutions for society’s most perplexing problems. It’s exciting to
225
facilitate deep conversations outside of the classroom.”
Challenge Curriculum
Career Development and the growth of mentoring and peer education programs. And then there is the partnership among student life divisions, “to come at great societal challenges from a co-curricular, campus-life perspective,” says JoNes VanHecke, vice president for student life and dean of students. “Students are ready to make sense of
And the anchor of this strategic plan goal takes the stage as you read this. This is the inaugural year of the Challenge Curriculum, the result of five years of discovery and design by Gustavus faculty. This new general education curriculum launches during a global pandemic. But like much of the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan, this curriculum is built to flex with the world around it, and, in doing so, teach students (and all of us
new courses approved for the new
0
majors eliminated, unlike
who serve those students) to become more resilient. In other words: The Challenge
many colleges and universities around
Curriculum will meet its challenges in an integrated, interdisciplinary way, so that
the country
students may go forth in the world and do the same.
28
average ACT score of the Class of 2023
70%
of students complete some form of experiential learning through internships, career explorations, undergraduate
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
research, and study away programs
18
“Through the COVID-19 experience,
“We need to never lose our passion for
our faculty took a student-centered
the development of 18- to 22-year-olds,
approach. They asked, ‘How are our
nor the engaging way Gustavus does
students going to best receive this
community—like very few colleges in the
instruction I am trying to deliver?’
country. There is abiding appreciation
This retained the relational aspects
for the undergraduate liberal arts
Arts, and Math; the liberal arts concept
of what we do and do well.”
experience.” —JoNes VanHecke ’88,
embodied by the new theatre space
—Brenda Kelly, Provost and Dean of
Vice President for Student Life and
between the Anderson Theatre lobby
the College
Dean of Students
and the south entrance of Nobel
STEAM Science, Technology, Engineering, the
A GENERAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE UNLIKE ANY OTHER Hundreds of new and contemporary courses have been developed by faculty and approved for the Challenge Curriculum. Here’s an interdisciplinary sampling of new semester-long offerings. • Revolution & Rebellion in Modern French Culture
Welcome to the Challenge Curriculum
• Ethics in Politics • #college: College Life in the Media • Discovering Arts in Community
This is not the liberal arts education of yore. The new general education curriculum sharpens the best skills we know employ-
• Understanding Environmental Issues through Documentary & Film
ers want from applicants: written and verbal communication skills; the ability to work
• The Nature Movement
within teams and across cultural, geographic, and language boundaries; and creative,
• Foundations of Wellbeing
multidisciplinary problem-solving of open-ended problems.
• Personal Finance
“We want to encourage students to get out of the checkbox mentality of general
• Women in East Asian Literature
education courses,” says Brenda Kelly, “to allow students the opportunity to integrate
• The New Testament
concepts across all courses, across their time at Gustavus.” The world is not a linear,
• The Individual and Morality
checkbox world. A Gustavus education shouldn’t be either.
• Sex, Race, Money, God
HERE’S WHAT’S NEW
• Experiments in Arts Technology
Global Affairs and Cultures These courses examine past or present topics of global
PLUS: A SPECIAL TOPIC COURSE—
reach, from multiple perspectives and including diverse voices, in relation to human
THE CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME.
populations in their social, economic, cultural, political, or ecological environments.
These interdisciplinary offerings, delivered online and asynchronously, are
U.S. Identities and Difference These courses examine multiple and non-majority
tailored to the Class of 2024. Amid the
social constructions of identity in the US, including the intersectionality between race/
current challenges of the COVID-19
ethnicity and at least one other category of identity (gender, class, sexuality, etc.).
pandemic, course options examine these spectives, including public health, racial
the culmination of a student’s general education experience. It is an opportunity for a
justice, international commerce, media
student to examine, respond to, and reflect on contemporary questions and challenges
and communication, and the role of the
from an interdisciplinary perspective, as well as their personal values, plans for life after
artist. Introducing students to online
college, and their future role in the world.
academic communities, they help prepare
WHAT STAYS THE SAME
In classic liberal arts fashion, all courses stem from five areas of study: the arts, humanities, natural science, human behavior and social institutions, and theological studies. Most students are introduced to the Gustavus learning experience through a First-Term Seminar. The Three Crowns Curriculum (formerly Curriculum II) remains.
students for work in a digital landscape. Have something to offer a current Gustavus student or recent grad? They need mentors, informational interviews, and jobs. Reach out: gustavus.edu/career.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
challenges from diverse disciplinary perThe Challenge Seminar A bookend to the First-Term Seminar, this capstone course is
19
Who Leads Next DIVERSIF Y AND EXPAND THE GUSTAVUS COMMUNIT Y
DELIVER A DISTINCTIVE AND INTEGR ATED
JESÚS HERNÁNDEZ MEJÍA
TOM FLUNKER
VALERIE BANSCHBACH
Associate Dean of Financial Aid
Director, Center for Inclusive Excellence
Associate Provost and Dean of
Excited about: Making Gustavus more
Excited about: The fact that we are on
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
Sciences and Education
20
affordable. What a difference the new
our toes, looking for ways to get better.
Excited about: The new Challenge Sem-
scholarships make, particularly in our
Impressed by: How the goals for Presi-
inar. It connects the dots of a student’s
number of students from historically
dent’s Council for Diversity, Equity, and
experiences through the general educa-
underrepresented groups.
Inclusion are infused into the strategic
tion curriculum. It’s where they’ll apply
Impressed by: Our good job commu-
plan. It holds us accountable.
all they’ve learned.
nicating with students this spring, the
Will need: Support that addresses the
Impressed by: This living strategic plan.
quick decision to reimburse students
bigger constructs affecting historically
We interact with it on a daily basis. It
their room and board, to loan computers.
underrepresented student groups. Schol-
truly guides decision-making.
It showed Gustavus really cares.
arships don’t relieve all of the pressures of
Will need: Time to develop new courses,
Will need: To keep our scholarships go-
college life.
patience as we experiment, and vigilance
ing so that students can focus on getting
In progress: Our Black male students,
to make sure we increase equity for dis-
a Gustavus education that will prepare
one of the least connected groups, have
advantaged students.
them for the world.
started a group.
In progress: We are adapting to the chal-
In progress: Making plans for social
distancing on campus. “A lot of the direction we get comes from our students. We will be more of what our students want us to be.”
“Are we going to back off of diversity,
lenges of COVID-19 in the short term
equity, and inclusion endeavors when it’s
and asking how we can turn this adapta-
no longer convenient? We need our stu-
tion work into further innovation.
dents and alumni to keep being vocal.”
“The new Challenge Curriculum will leverage interdisciplinary connections and highlight the best of Gustavus.”
Spread out through the College is a vast network of leaders and experts providing guidance, insight, and management. Here are just some of the folks driving the strategic plan safely and securely through shifting sands. LIBER AL ARTS EDUCATION.
ACHIEVE FINANCIAL , INSTITUTIONAL , AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILIT Y.
ANDREW COSTON
TAMI AUNE ’82
CURT KOWALESKI
Executive Director, Center for Career
Chief Technology Officer
CFO, Vice President for Finance,
Development
and Treasurer Excited about: Every single classroom
Excited about: Watching students leave
experience is unique. How do we find
Excited about: Kicking off Lund Center,
with the skills to go out and navigate, to
tech solutions that support that rich and
thinking about all the benefits students
find something they can be successful at.
diverse learning environment?
will get from it.
Impressed by: Our alumni base. They’re
Impressed by: The efforts and conver-
Impressed by: This well-defined stra-
passionate. They want to help current
sations around Gustavus mission, vision,
tegic plan and the many ways we keep it
Gusties.
and strategy.
alive. This is what we need to do to make
Will need: Alums to let us know about
Will need: Obviously funding and bud-
our college as vibrant and great as we
opportunities for work, internships, job
geting is a challenge. So is finding and
want it to be.
shadowing, career treks. Call us. Let’s
retaining excellent staff.
Will need: Discernment around the
talk through how you can help.
In progress: Technology-based respons-
reallocation of funds. Especially in higher
In progress: Integrating the vocational
es to COVID-19, providing access and
education, you can’t just keep increasing
and the educational. We don’t want stu-
making sure people have the tools and
the revenue line.
dents to think of career development as
resources that they need.
“We want students to be able to adjust to any circumstance that might occur. The great challenge is having a Plan B
“We love change, we live for change, for the challenge of a constantly evolving environment.”
In progress: Agreeing on what the top
priorities are and allocating resources to fund them. “We need to keep an eye on the longterm success of the College.”
and a Plan C.” Are you in? What can you do? gustavus.edu/gustavusacts.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
something they do in their senior year.
21
SPORTS
Gustie head football coach Tuddie Lindenberg bids farewell to the Gustavus enlisted Naval servicemen during the 1944 season. That season featured seven non-conference games. Once the servicemen returned to campus after World War II, Coach Tuddie led the 1945 Gusties to the MIAC championship with a perfect 4-0 MIAC record (6-0 overall).
E C H O E S O F N E A R LY 8 0 Y E A R S A G O
In August, the Minnesota Intercollegiate
cancellation and postponement of sports
Athletic Conference made the difficult
affects all 23 varsity teams. During WWII,
students to lead purposeful lives and
decision to postpone all athletic
Gustavus athletic teams still competed
acting on the great challenges of our time.
competition until January of 2021.
in exhibition games with the students
Right now, we face a great challenge, just
who remained on campus. This fall, even
as Gustie athletes did during the first half
intramurals are a no-go.
of the 1940s. How we react will shape
A fall with few conference sports is not exactly unprecedented, though. There was GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
also an absence of intercollegiate athletics
22
during World War II. It’s hard to compare firearms to
The best approach here is one that channels our indomitable Gustie spirit,
Gustavus prides itself on equipping
our future. In the meantime, what are traditionally
one of optimism. Imagine a football game
fall sports will continue to practice
facemasks, but let’s take a shot at it. Back
at Hollingsworth Field on a beautiful
this fall, preparing for spring victories
then, we were battling a global war.
Saturday afternoon in April. Imagine a
and waiting for competition season to
Today, we combat a global pandemic.
spring season with twice as many athletic
begin. And when we are reintroduced to
During the 1940s, there were less than
options. Want to watch volleyball and
intercollegiate competition in January,
a dozen Gustie teams participating in
softball on the same day? That may well
it will be with an anticipation and
intercollegiate competition. Today, the
be our unprecendented reality.
excitement unlike any time before.
FINE ARTS
“I hope the audience saw the indomitable spirit of these characters and took a little bit of that with them when they left.” —Morgan Fuller ’20, theatre honors major, actor and codirector of the online production of Mother Courage, seen here in miniature scale.
T H E C O U R A G E T O C R E AT E D U R I N G C O V I D
Everything about this year’s Gustavus
researching and designing the set for the
communicating to their fellow student
Adolphus College Department of Theatre
flexible space as part of her theatre honors
actors via phone, digital files, and Zoom
and Dance production of Bertolt Brecht’s
project.
meetings. “The show was a montage of
As building was about to start, the
unorthodox: 10 directors, a three-inch
College moved to online instruction due
scale model of the set, and original music
to COVID-19.
innovative solutions to making art under quarantine,” Seham says. Morgan Fuller ’20 had been cast as
recorded by students living thousands
But Meyer found a way forward. She
Mother Courage in the final piece of her
of miles away from each other. And, of
built her own three-inch scale model of the
theatre honors project. She was in most
course, its delivery to an audience, in May,
set in her garage, complete with scaled-
of the scenes, and directed some herself.
via Google Meet.
down figures of the actors in the play.
Her dad was behind the camera, her
The original plan for this year’s
Professor of Theatre Amy Seham
brother acted. She even sourced a wagon
mainstage production was to perform
seized the opportunity to use the virtual
from a neighboring farm. “This situation
in the new Rob and Judy Gardner
production and a learning experience for
allowed me to use the theatre skills of
Laboratory Theatre. Set designer
her beginning directing class. The 10
adaptability and creativity and apply them
Nicole Meyer ’20 spent several months
students each directed, interpreting and
in a new way,” she says.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
war-time play Mother Courage was
23
REMEMBERING THE BLACK STUDENT ORGANIZATION
During the 1970s, many Black students from racially segregated areas of the U.S. attended Gustavus. These pioneering Gusties started the Black Student Organization, which became the Pan African Student Organization, out of which grew the Diversity Center, now the Center for Inclusive Excellence. This summer, the Quarterly joined video chats with several BSO alumni. Here are excerpts from the conversations. For extended excerpts, visit gustavus.edu/rememberingthebso.
Heritage
FIRST IMPRESSIONS Eric Johnson ’76 (Louisiana and Los Angeles) In 1972, Minnesota cast a huge number of [presidential primary] votes for Shirley Chisholm. I thought, what kind of state is this? Isacc Birdlong ’78 (Greenwood, MS) I was in Co-Ed on third floor, and I kept seeing only white people. I started crying. Then I saw one Black person coming. It was Otis Zanders (’77). I ran into him so hard I got knocked down. It became a running story. STRUGGLES IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM TR Coverson ’78 (Atlanta, GA) It was more demanding because the competition was set at a higher pace than where I had come from. Add to that, there were very few cultural relaxation points. One time, this guy comes up to me out of the blue and says, “I hate Black people.” I ask, “What Black people have you ever known?” He says, after a long pause, “George Jefferson.” Terry Handy ’80, (Sledge, MS) I got to do some new things— snow skiing and riding a snowmobile. Being away from campus was a nice departure because lots of people on campus and in Saint Peter had never seen a Black person before. Bridgett McCarthy ’78, (Houston, TX) We had study groups—not with our major, with all of us. We needed encouragement from each other until we were confident enough to go out and associate with white students.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BSO Carol (Nelson) Browder ’79 (Memphis, TN) Going from an allBlack to an all-white community, having that support system when I needed a taste of home, that was important. Michelle (Swann) Hightower ’82 (Marrietta, GA) It was my foundation. It was my strength. I had someone to talk to about my experiences. It got me to where I am today.
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WHAT THEY LEARNED AT GUSTAVUS Thomas Joubert ’76 (Houston, TX) It taught me how to deal with adversity, to get through business people knowing you’ll have to work harder for a job, to use resources to get what you need and want, and to have a good time. Hightower I learned how to talk to the racists, the advocates, the middle-of-the-road. If I had not had that experience, my introduction to corporate America would have been harder. I had to figure out how to navigate, to move up the ladder. I learned that being at Gustavus.
Gustavus needs to be clear about what it will and will not tolerate; say what you mean and mean what you say. Provide a safe space for unpacking issues and anger. Students and staff: Be learned. —Patricia Clark ’78 (Chicago, IL)
You don’t clap your hands and say, ‘Now we’ve arrived!’ with inequity and racism. Stay in the game.”—Lucy (Nelson) Zanders ’77 (Memphis, TN)
“The Black Room was a kind of a haven, a psychological reprieve in an academic and racially tense situation. Was a cultural escape.” —TR Covington ’78. Back, l to r: Walter [unidentified], Marylyn Nixon [year unkown], Geraldine (Lafayette) Coverson ’78, Patricia Kelow ’77, Thaddeus Campbell ’77, PJ [unidentified], Eddie Robinson ’76, Michelle (Swann) Hightower ’82, Lucy (Nelson) Zanders ’77, Patricia Clark ’78, Cheryl (Brackery) Watts ’77; front l to r: Mary [unidentified], Isacc Birdlong ’78, Beverly (Davis) Clayborn ’76, Eric Johnson ’76, Al Sawyer ’79, Curtis Wilburn ’78; front: Otis Zanders ’77. Recognize friends who are unidentified here? Let us know: alumni@gustavus.edu.
In addition to being at the midpoint of our 10-year strategic plan when the pandemic hit, we were also at the midpoint of the public phase of our comprehensive campaign. Despite the physical distance between us, we’ve forged ahead even stronger. We now sit with just 23 percent of our goal to go. Will you lift us to the top? Will you help us Show the World?
Affirming Our Comm tment GOAL
$225 MILLION
RAISED
$173 MILLION
CONFIDENCE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE COLLEGE A lot has changed since the Show the World campaign had its public launch a year ago. The campaign leadership team gathered this summer to assess the College’s current position and to look ahead to a successful conclusion of the most ambitious campaign in Gustavus history.
In September 2019, 450 Gustavus alumni and friends celebrated
Young ’88, the meeting was an opportunity to provide an
the public launch of the Show the World comprehensive campaign.
update on the campaign’s progress to the Show the World
The announcement of the $225 million campaign, the most
chairs––Mary Dee Johnson Hicks ’75, George Hicks ’75, Bob
ambitious in the College’s history, was made at the annual dinner
Schnell ’81, and Beth Sparboe Schnell ’82––and to the alumni
honoring winners of Alumni Association awards. In the following
who are helming the fundraising work for the renovation of
months, the campaign made remarkable progress, with gifts large
Lund Center, Marcia Page ’82 and John Huepenbecker ’80.
and small. Then the world entered a time of historic upheaval. At the end of June, alumni advisers to the College’s
After receiving a report on the positive enrollment and fundraising news, the committee members were unanimous in
development efforts met to assess the campaign’s current state,
their praise of President Bergman and the College leadership.
after the crises of recent months. Led by President Rebecca
“We see behind the scenes just how capably the College’s
Bergman and Vice President for Advancement Thomas W.
leaders have responded to this crisis and steered Gustavus
WH E R E G I F TS AR E G O I N G DOLLARS IN MILLIONS
RAISED
RAISED
CAMPUS FACILITIES
Nobel Hall of Science, Lund Center, athletic fields, campus spaces
RAISED
$84 ENDOWMENT
Chairs and professorships, scholarships, student research, signature events
$21 $225 MILLION GOAL
GUSTAVUS FUND
Unrestricted support, day-to-day operations, financial aid
RAISED
$16 DESIGNATED CURRENT USE
Music and arts, library, arboretum, academic departments, athletic teams
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
$52
27
through these difficult times,” said Mary Dee Hicks. Even after the pandemic brought a shutdown of the economy,
Huepenbecker, “we’re not just throwing long passes in hopes of big gifts. The College is also building a steady ground
the Show the World campaign continued to move toward its
game, pushing forward with five-yard runs off tackle. It’s good
goals, bringing in major gifts such as Mark ’83 and Terri DeGiusti
to make those long passes into the end zone every once in a
Henneman’s ’83 $2.65 million gift to the Gustavus Counseling
while, but you need to work forward with discipline.”
Center. “The fact that the campaign moved further this spring,
Given their collective experience in the finance and investment
gives us even more confidence in the direction of the College,” said
sector, the committee members addressed the reluctance some
Marcia Page.
might have in giving charitably. “Now more than ever, it is
The committee agreed that the more impressive
important to invest in education,” said Bob Schnell.
accomplishment of the campaign has been the consistent
“Years from now,” added George Hicks, “we’ll be able to
support from hundreds of friends and alumni. Alumni, parents,
look back on this as a time when Gustavus faced another crisis
and friends have been giving in a variety of ways. Alumni
and made it through.”
responded immediately with gifts to the Student Emergency
At a time of economic, political, and public health crises,
Fund. The Gustavus Fund raised more than $3.3 million, with
support of research and education are vital, they stressed. In
more than 10 percent of donors giving to the College for the
addition, the disruption brought by COVID-19 has given us all
first time. An anonymous gift of $500,000 enabled the College
greater awareness of the important role played by institutions
to carry out technology improvements necessary for expanding
of education, health care, and other public services. “We have
online learning. Meanwhile, longtime Gustavus supporters have
all become more appreciative of organizations that provide an
made new commitments to the College in their estate plans.
important service to people,” observed Beth Schnell. “And this
“To use a favorite football analogy,” said John
MEET PRESIDENT BERGMAN
is exactly what Gustavus does.” She’s online and engaging with Gusties around the country and the world.
Visit gustavus.edu/showtheworld for when and where.
WH E R E WE STAN D
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
ENDOWMENTS
28
FY 2019 | DOLLARS IN MILLIONS
CARLETON $892,353 MACALESTER $770,782 ST. OLAF $544,840 ST. THOMAS $540,611 SAINT JOHN’S $208,738 GUSTAVUS $203,365 CONCORDIA COLLEGE $143,479 HAMLINE $100,550 ST. BENEDICT $83,506 AUGSBURG $50,786 CONCORDIA UNIV $43,415 Chronicle of Higher Education/NACUBO
CHANGE IN ENDOWMENT MARKET VALUE GUSTAVUS 9.77% ST. BENEDICT 6.92% CONCORDIA COLLEGE 6.52% SAINT JOHN’S 6.08% AUGSBURG 5.32% CONCORDIA UNIV 4.42% ST. THOMAS 4.22% HAMLINE 3.40% ST. OLAF 2.64% CARLETON 1.58% MACALESTER 0.42%
2019 | (%)
WH Y I G IVE :
Joel Wiberg ’60 It was not until my senior year at Gustavus that I decided to go into
I saw the Civil Rights struggle of the 60s and 70s on TV. Some of
ordained ministry. I had started in the pre-engineering program,
these men grew up in the South, living witnesses to life under Jim
but concluded this was not the right path. My older brother Mark, a
Crow laws. Sadly, they also experience racism here in Minnesota. I
1958 Gustavus graduate, had followed his call into ministry. He was
am becoming aware of how widespread and persistent racism is in
a wonderful brother and pastor, and he was a fine model to follow.
our culture, including our churches and colleges. This has prompted
My first call after seminary was to
me to take an honest and deep look at
Tanzania, where I had served part of an
myself. My white privilege has become
internship. I served in the Northwest
very clear for me.
Diocese of the ELCT with my late wife,
As one response in this evolving
Nancy Anderson Wiberg, also Class of
process, Nancy and I created an endowed
1960. The experience was life-enriching
scholarship at Gustavus and named
and life-changing. Returning from Africa,
it simply “Justice.” We wanted this
we joined Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in
scholarship to advance social justice in
Minneapolis, a congregation with a strong
support of American students of color
emphasis on social justice.
from underrepresented and marginalized
Over the years I became aware that
communities, students who are often the
I had a number of African friends,
first in their families to attend college.
but virtually no African American
When I met the first student scholar to
friends. A few blocks from Holy Trinity is
receive assistance from the Justice Fund,
an African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.)
she told me, “It is difficult to be a woman
congregation with whom we had very little
of color at Gustavus.” That hit me with
connection. I ventured to join a monthly
surprise––and sadness. Despite growing
Men’s Prayer Breakfast consisting primarily
commitments to social justice, there are
of men of the four A.M.E. congregations
still deep and lingering inequalities. This
of the Twin Cities. I did not know what this might lead to, but I
scholarship is one small yet significant step. I am heartened and encouraged by President Bergman’s recent
Thanks to these connections with historic black congregations,
response to the killing of George Floyd. Her plan is a clear and
I have had solid friendships evolve into rich and meaningful
thoughtful call to action. As a college and a nation, we know
relationships. We are doing some dreaming and planning about
there’s a long road ahead that requires our commitment and
actions we could take together. These friendships with A.M.E.
engagement. What I have done is just one person’s response––still
brothers greatly increased my awareness of racism in our country.
very much in process––to our national sin of racism.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
Retired chaplain and therapist Joel Wiberg created an endowed scholarship that
supports a Gustavus student every year. The first goal of the Gustavus Acts strategic plan recognizes that the College needs students of all economic backgrounds, both to fulfill its mission and secure its future. A key strategy toward that goal is meeting all students’ financial need.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
was warmly welcomed and included as a member.
29
WH Y WE G IVE :
Todd Peterson ’91 and Roberta Bell TODD: We choose to give to Gustavus because the College
everything. You can be really good at solving the problem
has meant so much in making me who I am, not just in helping
sets in class, but that’s not really what you do as a scientist.
me get where I am professionally but also helping to shape me
Students have to get an early introduction to the frustrations
as a person. People like Dick Fuller had an important impact
of doing science. By being able to work side by side with faculty
in my life. The experience I had with him and others in the
members, you see what the life of scientist is like. When I was
physics department was so critical in my
at Gustavus, I was in the lab with
decision as to what I wanted to do. We
Chuck Niederriter trying to figure out
decided to make it possible for students to
how to wire stuff together and make
have that same opportunity. And because
measurements. Experiences like these
Roberta and I have both spent our careers
inform your decision to go to graduate
in higher education and research, we
school and shape the kind of mentor
understand the importance of investing in
you seek.
the lives of young people at that stage of
It’s interesting that at many elite
development.
universities there has been a deliberate
ROBERTA: One of the things that
opportunities for students to interact
connections between students and faculty.
with faculty outside the classroom, to see
From our visit in the summer of 2019, we
professors as real people. But that’s just the
saw firsthand the investments Gustavus
way Gustavus has always been. The faculty
makes in their community from small class
are committed to all aspects of education
sizes to frequent informal opportunities to
at Gustavus—teaching, mentoring, even
build an academic and social bond around
interacting with students in the evenings
learning. We were also happy to see how
at music performances or plays. Gustavus
actively engaged the faculty were with
faculty offer a model for students to see
students and the deep impression that made with students. It’s clear
that someone can be a researcher, an intellectual even, and yet still
that places like Gustavus attract the kind of faculty member who
care about people.
really wants to interact with their students. My past research has
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
When Roberta and I visited campus last year, it was so important
shown that this is a critical key to student success. Gustavus appears
for me to see that, even as the physical infrastructure of Gustavus
to be doing it very well.
has improved, most notably the science facilities, its culture is
TODD: The opportunity for undergraduate research is
30
effort in the last few years to create more
Gustavus does very well is strengthening
still there.
RESEARCH & ACADEMIC SUPPORT: Todd Peterson and Roberta Bell have spent their entire careers in higher education. Todd is now Director of Nuclear Imaging at Vanderbilt University’s Institute of Imaging Science. By giving to the Fuller Fund for Physics Research, they help Gustavus work to the strategic plan’s second goal: delivering a distinctive and integrated liberal arts education.
WH Y I G IVE :
Seth Graebner ’92 My experience at Gustavus was essential in steering me toward a
is a life of the mind, that this life deserves cultivation, and that it can
career in higher education. Claude Brew in the French department
lead to happiness and fulfillment.
put an enormous amount of time into supervising my independent
I direct my giving to library acquisitions––the purchase of
research projects, which were essential preparation for graduate
books and journals. Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library has many
school. I was also able to spend a short time in Morocco, a trip
supporters, including those who are primarily concerned with its
that changed my life and my professional
collections. As a researcher and teacher,
interests. I was already interested in France
I am so concerned; as a donor, I am
itself, but other members of the French
so motivated. Libraries are not mere
faculty–– Anne-Marie Gronhovd, Laurent
buildings with books. They are instead
Dechery, and Pascal Kyoore––prepared
marvelous, unpredictable machines,
me to see Morocco in a way that sustained
making knowledge. Yet they also have
me through my graduate school years and
budgets. When someone tells them to
early academic career.
save money, the acquisitions budget,
Gustavus professors still remind me how
especially for printed books, is often the
to teach, especially when I have to present
first cut.
material outside my specialization. As I
Contrary to conventional wisdom, not
plot a new class session, still sometimes I
everything students need for learning is
think: What would Eric Eliason have done,
online, nor will be soon. Arguably, not
or Ann Brady? How would Will Freiert, or
everything should be. Access to material
Marlene Flory, or Lisa Heldke have taught
off-line opens up an enormous world
this? All of them did in the classroom what
away from our computer screens. Reading
I hope to do: they modeled, attractively,
on paper differs significantly from reading
the life of the never-quite-satisfied mind.
on screen, as solid research has repeatedly
My decision to give back to Gustavus comes from a belief in reciprocating generosity, especially in the
several things happen: we understand better, we retain better, and
places it can do the most good. Gustavus gave generously to me,
ultimately we think better.
and I can make an impact for future students. Lately, I’ve been
Moreover, digitization of books and journals does not equal
encouraged by everything that shows a focus on the College’s
access. It does not equal true ownership of and investment in the
academic mission. I appreciate in particular the initiatives that show
printed resource. Books continue to be published on paper, and it is
students not only what it might mean to think, but also that there
essential that everyone at Gustavus continue to have access to them.
SUSTAINABILITY:
Associate Professor of French and of International and Area Relations at Washing-
ton University in St. Louis, Seth Graebner understands the importace of alumni support for higher education. Seth’s support of library acquisitions is a step toward the strategic plan’s goal of ensuring financial, institutional, and environmental sustainability. Gifts to the Gustavus Fund, the endowment, and to specific current-use funds help the College reach this goal.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
shown. When we read print on paper,
31
G USTIES HOME IS WHEREVER WE’RE WITH YOU LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, HOMECOMING WILL LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS FALL. In years past, the Great Gustie Gathering has been an opportunity for us to celebrate everything that’s special about the Gustavus experience, well beyond a football game. It’s been a chance for alumni and friends of all ages and life stages to plug into our community, revel in the relationships they’ve made and maintained, connect with Gusties who share common interests and passions, and “come home” to the timeless beauty and
Our goal is to bring a bit of Gustavus to wherever you are this year.”
energy of campus in the fall. This year, none of that will change. Only the delivery will be different. From virtual tours and engaging learning opportunities, kid-friendly activities and affinity-based celebrations, a virtual version of our “Gustie Pub,” and much more, our goal is to bring a bit of Gustavus to wherever you are this year. They say home is where the heart is. We hope part of yours remains with us, no matter where you are and how long it’s been since your time on the hill. We look forward to gathering with you in person when it’s safe. In the meantime—make time to celebrate with us this Homecoming! Visit gustavus. edu/alumni/gather/homecoming for the most up-to-date information and schedule for virtual Homecoming 2020.
28 32
Alumni Association
CLASS NEWS and information to be included in the Alumni section of the Quarterly should be sent to: Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement, Gustavus Adolphus College, 800 West College Avenue, Saint Peter, MN 56082-1498 alumni@gustavus.edu | 800-487-8437 | gustavus.edu/alumni
2020 ALUMNI AWARDS THESE AWARDS ARE TYPICALLY GIVEN IN PERSON AT THE GREAT GUSTIE
2020–21 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
GATHERING. THIS YEAR, WE WILL CELEBRATE THIS GROUP IN PERSON AT A BANQUET IN APRIL. STAY TUNED.
Michael Bussey ’69 , (president) senior consultant, Donor by Design Group, LLC.
FIRST DECADE AWARD
Cathy Carlson ’76 is chair of the
MBA from Northwestern University
Department of Veterinary Clinical
and is the director for public policy
Sciences at the College of Veteri-
at Minnesota Farm Bureau. She leads
nary Medicine, University of Minne-
the public policy team representing
sota and was awarded an honor-
nearly 30,000 Minnesota Farm fami-
ary doctorate from the Swedish
lies on the state and federal levels.
Amber Hanson Glaeser ’10 holds an
University of Agricultural Sciences Gilles “Gee” Ouedraogo ’10
in October 2018.
received his master’s from the UniArdena Flippin ’68 spent most of her
versity of Minnesota in public affairs
career as the senior attending emer-
and is currently the Regional PMER
gency medicine physician for Cook
(planning, moderating, evaluation,
County Bureau of Health Services.
reporting) Advisor for Africa with
She has an MD from the University
the Lutheran World Federation,
of Minnesota Medical School and an
living in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
MBA from the University of Chicago Executive Program.
SILVER ANNIVERSARY AWARD
Heidi Kennedy Manning ’90 holds
Elisabeth Potts Dellon ’95 is a pediat-
a PhD in physics and is dean of
ric pulmonologist, adult cystic fibrosis
the College of Arts and Sciences
physician, and clinical researcher, and
at Misericordia University, Dallas,
assistant professor of pediatrics at the
Penn. She was a visiting research
University of North Carolina Hospi-
scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space
tals. She trained at Harvard Medical
Flight Center in
School and completed a master’s of
2006 and
public health as well as pediatric pul-
again in 2012-13. Arlene Waxlax Sonday ’54 is the author of the
monology training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY AWARD Dennis Lofgren ’70 is a former producer, writer, and director for both
Sonday System for first- and
documentary and reality television
second-grade reading levels.
shows. His documentaries covered
She has served as vice presi-
wide-ranging issues, such as death
dent of the International Dys-
and dying (Can’t It Be Anyone Else?/
J. C. Anderson ’82 , (vice president) partner/ attorney, Lathrop GPM Dan Michel ’90 , (treasurer) director, digital media, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Esther Mulder Widmalm-Delphonse ’08 , (secretary) attorney, labor law, United States Department of Labor Rick Barbari ’91 , head of enterprise data management, US Bank Mark Bergman ’79 , president and owner, Bercom International, LLC Mary Booker ’91 , executive director, student financial services, University of Delaware, Newark Jen Brandenburg ’02 , pharmacist, Abbott Northwestern Hospital Sara Schnell Elenkiwich ’10 , sourcing manager, Sparboe Farms Bruce Ensrud ’90 , wealth advisor, Thrivent Financial Alissa Fahrenz ’13 , analyst, Excelsior Energy Capital Amy Zenk James ’94 , sales and outreach director, Meadow Woods Assisted Living Peter Kitundu ’92 , vice president, chief compliance and privacy officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield Todd Krough ’85 , senior investment officer, Tealwood Asset Management Bill Laumann ’66 , retired schoolteacher/ librarian, Albert Lea ISD #241 Jessica Martinez ’15 , assistant to the principal, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Jason Mischel ’96 , vice president of sales and marketing, Valley Queen Cheese John Moorhead ’68 , retired co-owner, Lindskoog Florist Jace Riggin ’16 , admissions officer, Macalester College Deb Johnson Rosenberg ’79 , director of retirement plan consulting, Stiles Financial Services, Inc. Mary Anderson Rothfusz ’83 , retired attorney, Cisco Systems Mark Scharmer ’77 , retired executive vice president, insurance operations, Federated Mutual Insurance Company Daniel Sellers ’06 , executive director, Ciresi Walburn Foundation for Children
lexia Association and trained
ABC) to child sexual abuse (Beyond
more than 40,000 teachers to
The Secret/HBO) to reality competi-
Vidya Sivan ’02 , digital communications specialist, Harvard Kennedy School
tions (Survivor/CBS).
Marcia Stephens ’73 , retired financial advisor
increase student achievement.
Ann McGowan Wasson ’82 , homemaker, volunteer
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI CITIATIONS
33
GUSTIES
MY GUSTAVUS Ty Moore ’12, Management Major “MY MOM SAID, ‘YOU'RE GOING BACK. WE WORKED TOO HARD TO GET HERE.’”
In the weeks after George Floyd was murdered, I spent a lot of time out in Minneapolis. I grew up on the north side. This is my city. I helped a friend clean up broken glass after his store was looted. I was on the 35W bridge when the tanker truck drove through a crowd of protesters. I’ve been thinking a lot about race and justice and change. I’ve been thinking a lot about my own journey as a Black man in America. As a student at North High School in Minneapolis, I was recruited to play basketball at Gustavus. Even as a high school student, I knew that coming from the inner city to a place like Saint Peter would be an abrupt change. I visited campus and knew it wasn’t for me. My high school counselor changed my mind. He convinced me that Gustavus was a place where I could get a great education and continue to play basketball. I didn’t like Gustavus at first—I remember vividly how much I stood out. The basketball guys made me feel welcome, but I was only around them for a few hours a day. I had my guard up all the time. I was close with a couple of other Black students, Reo Patton ’12, who I went to high school with, Shoubert “Prince” Polynice ’11, and Fred Sowemimo ’12, but I didn’t connect with anyone else. Outside of those guys and the team, nobody really reached out, and the feeling that I didn’t belong just kind of built up. Nobody ever said it, but I was convinced they didn’t think I should be here. Instead of staying on campus for J-Term as a freshman, I went home to Minneapolis. I told my mom I wasn’t going back. She’s always been one of those sturdy, no-nonsense moms. She said, “You’re going back. We worked too hard to get here.” I was the first in my family to finish college. We didn’t know how the FAFSA worked but we figured it out together. I knew I owed it to my family to stick with it.
When I got back to campus, everything was different. I was still resentful, but Reo, Fred, and Prince had made all these connections over J-Term. They got to know people, started hanging out with others outside of our little group. It was like they discovered something brand new and they wanted to share it with me. I started opening up to students, professors, and staff. Tom Brown was amazing. Jeff Owen and I connected over economics and basketball. I had dropped a class I took with professor Kate Knutson, but she emailed me regularly to check in and make sure I was doing okay. And Virgil Jones in the Diversity Center? He’s the reason I stayed. He was the connection between me and the rest of campus. I rejoined the basketball team. I volunteered with Building Bridges. I was a member of the Pan African Student Organization. After graduation, I worked at United Way in downtown Minneapolis. Today, after being a commercial banker at Choice Bank for six years, I’m transitioning into a new role as a senior talent management specialist. I want to be a role model and I’m excited to put my experience and passion to use making change. We all play a role in building a community. It’s up to me to help set an example for how we can all work together.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
Coaching Perspectives
34
One of the ways that Moore helps bridge the racial gap is by coaching the next generation of basketball players. He’s coached youth teams in Orono, Wayzata, and Minneapolis. “What I’ve had the chance to do is give these kids perspective,” Moore says. “Whether they’re from the suburbs or the inner city, having a Black coach who they’re comfortable with helps erase that racial line. I want them to look at me and see someone they can count on.”
Gloria Piesold Schwanenberg, San Antonio, TX, celebrated her 94th birthday in December. She sings in choir every week and goes to the senior center five days a week.
52|
Ed Nelson, Rogers, resides in a senior living facility. He celebrated his 92nd birthday in February.
59|
Donald L. Tiegs, Ortonville, keeps busy playing on a bowling league, dancing, and working at a local golf course.
60|
David E. Wold, Saffle, Sweden, has retired from his publishing company, English Language Services.
63|
Marcia Day Anderson, Cleveland, TN, is an associate missionary, traveling to South Korea, Ethiopia, and Kenya to teach.
63|
Lillian Tan, River Falls, WI, is retired from being chair of the music department at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls.
64|
Shirley Smith Franklin, Arden Hills, is a co-founder and developer of the PUSHPA Project, which helps migrant communities in Andhra, India. David J. Garms, Fairfax, VA, is the current manager/owner of Shenandoah Cedar. Marlys Olson Waldron, Camarillo, CA, is retired as president of Altair Instruments Inc. and has been living in the same house for 50 years.
65|
Betty Sexe Anderson, Decorah, IA, is the parent
of two Gustie alumni and spends her winters in Green Valley, AZ. Harvey P. Bartlett, Bradford, VT, a Presbyterian pastor, continues to serve at both the South Ryegate Presbyterian Church and Ryegate Corner Presbyterian Church. Shannon Shawbold Foster, Sanibel, FL, spends six months living in Florida and the other six months residing in Minnesota. Marion G. Southers, Jr., Maryville, TN, volunteers with a children’s ministry, Child Evangelism Fellowship of Tennessee, Knoxville Chapter. Sandra Spaulding Welte, Rockford, IL, retired as service assistant and co-owner of the JulianPoorman-Welte Funeral Home.
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David M. Franzen, Durham, NC, is a pastoral psychotherapist, still doing pastoral counseling. He is the recipient of the Christus in Mundo Award for lifetime achievement in pastoral care, counseling, and supervision.
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Ardena L. Flippin, Chicago, IL, an emergency room physician, is the principal of FlippinonHealth.com that develops health and wellness programs for small and medium-sized businesses; so employers can have healthier employees. John Moorhead and Kris Lundberg Moorhead, Naples, FL, spend their winters in Naples and summers at Lake Vermilion. John also serves on the Gustavus Alumni Board. JanaLee Sponberg, Albuquerque, NM, moved into a new home in Albuquerque.
Stephen B. Streed, Fargo, ND, has been the chaplain for 30 years at Eventide Lutheran Home in Moorhead.
now librarian and chair emerita of research services at Louisiana State University, Shreveport.
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Jon P. Skaalen, Stillwater, retired after 20 years as program director for Very Special Arts Minnesota and continues to volunteer for the Minnesota Access Alliance.
for the St. Paul School Dist. in 2017 and has since been working as a substitute nurse for the district. Tom Hassig, Savage, has retired as the high school choral music teacher for Prior LakeSavage School District. Scott E. Olson, North Mankato, is the interim senior pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Waseca.
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Dave Benson and Sue Brekke Benson, Aitkin, enjoy one-day-a-week childcare for their one-year-old grandchild.
Bruce R. Anderson, Burnsville, retired as a math teacher at Burnsville/Eagan/ Savage ISD #191. Jim D. Colt, St. Cloud, retired from his private dental practice, Colt & Jacobson. Mindy Rittenhouse Greiling, Roseville, had her memoir published by the University of Minnesota Press, titled, Fix What You Can: Schizophrenia and a Lawmaker’s Fight for Her Son. Kathy Gunderson, Merritt Island, FL, has retired as a media specialist at Jefferson High School. Dee Johnson Henderson, Edina, retired from working at Good Earth Restaurant. Jerry Krieger, Forest Lake, retired as manager of Elmhurst Cemetery. Dean Kunze, Virgin, UT, retired from working for the City of Le Sueur. Linda Gilkey Lichty, Apple Valley, retired as a technical specialist for Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in St. Paul. Carol Riedel Millar, Springfield, VA, retired as an instructional assistant for Fairfax County schools. Nancy Hanson Nash, Haines, AK, retired as a private music teacher. Allene Munson Waldorf, Bozeman, MT, retired as a registered nurse at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. Julienne Wood, Shreveport, LA, retired in September and is
Deborah Jean Templin, New York, NY, is performing in Unsinkable Women: Stories and Songs from the Titanic at the Hopewell Theatre in Hopewell, NJ.
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Dave Hedlin, New Lenox, IL, authored a book called The Questions Kids Ask About God. The book has now been translated into Spanish.
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Sarie Dale Bohmbach, Red Wing, is the designated coordinator/teacher for ProAct, serving people with disabilities. Dan H. Carlson, Castle Rock, CO, retired as a managing director for Marsh USA. Mark D. Helgeland, Thief River Falls, is a retired ELCA pastor who just completed a processional cross that he made for his former church. Joy Nelson Lundeen, Ivins, UT, retired from working as a neurofeedback/behavioral medical practitioner for Biohealth. Sue Weber Wieman, Bloomington, retired as a project manager for Integra Telecom. Ward J. Wieman, Bloomington, retired as an informatics consulting manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota.
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Mary Harrison, Minneapolis, retired from school nursing
Al Behrends, Saint Peter, has worked part-time as manager of the Saint Peter High School performing arts center since retiring in 2017 as director of fine arts at Gustavus and has now retired for a second time. Mary Pederson Behrends has retired from Saint Peter High School, after a 42 year teaching career. She also coached the Saint Peter Academic Decathlon team which took the state title six times. John Dinsmore, Fergus Falls, retired in January after 20 years serving the public, most recently as the county administrator and community services director for Otter Tail County. Allan Fackler, Garland, TX, is a licensed practical/vocational nurse for Children’s Home Healthcare, Dallas. Mark Scharmer, Lakeville, has retired as executive vice president of insurance operations for Federated Mutual Insurance Company, Owatonna. Susan Lutz Schreiber, Lee’s Summit, MO, is working part-time at Cass Regional Medical Center in the intensive care unit. Susan J. Torkelson, Shakopee, has retired after 32 years as an OB/GYN physician at Park Nicollet Health Services.
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Michael Kincade, Weymouth, MA, is communication and outreach coordinator for the Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment and Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Boston. Lynn Flogstad Lenort, Bloomington, is working as a health service associate for Bloomington Public Schools. Ron Lundquist, Minneapolis, retired from Penguin Random House. Karen Sholtz, Austin, TX, began working as director of retirement recordkeeping for Fringe Benefit Group. Steve Solbrack, Golden Valley, retired as president of Solbrekk Business Technology Solutions. Mike Sperl, Prosper, TX, retired as president of Direct Export Company in Dallas.
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Kevin L. Anderson, Dubuque, IA, continues to work with Wartburg Theological Seminary as registrar and assistant to the academic dean. Corliss Robinson Vadner, Chisago City, has retired from her position with Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge and now works part-time on the hospitality team for Mattson Funeral Home in Forest Lake.
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Timothy R. Hoover, Naples, FL, recently retired from Arthrex as the senior director of product management after 20 years. He has relocated to Wheatland, WY. Martha Keller McBurney, St. Paul, is a bioproduction associate at Cell Culture Company in Coon Rapids.
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Renee Kampf Beattie, Blue Earth, is assistant vice president at First Bank Blue Earth. Mary Anderson Rothfusz, Fargo, ND, is a retired attorney for Cisco Systems. Ross A. Wastvedt, Des Moines, IA, is the new provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at Southwest Minnesota State University. David C. Brown, Vadnais Heights, has been appointed by Governor Tim Walz as the District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Second Judicial District, Ramsey County.
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Paul D. Modean, San Marino, CA, has been a flight attendant at Delta Airlines for 35 years. Jeffrey Fossell, West Des Moines, IA, is working as vice president of global credit for American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company.
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Deb Osborn Kreuer, Maple Grove, is working for Wells Fargo as a marketing strategy consultant. Zibby Tully Nunn, Edina, is working at Sports and Orthopedic Specialists as an athletic trainer. Jody Swanson Ross, Edina, is the director of business transformation for Stella Health in Eagan.
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Carmen Barker Lemay, Minneapolis, is a founder and principal consultant at Transform in Minneapolis. Transform deals with energy and climate issues. Shawn R. Mai, Minneapolis, is the manager of spiritual care and pastoral education at United Hospital, Allina Health.
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Cheri Bishop O’Hagan, Spirit Lake, IA, is an art teacher at Spirit Lake Middle School and is theater director for the middle school play. The 8th grade play was to be performed at the end of March. As the director, she decided they needed closure, so she created a video with some of the actors reciting their favorite lines of the show.
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Tom Bessinger, Eden Prairie, is the vice president, division sales lender for TCF Capital Solutions. Kurt A. Elling, New York, NY, was featured in the cover story of the May issue of Jazz Times. Sven E. Erlandson, Stamford, CT, is the author of six books and works as a therapist and lecturer for his own company, Badass Counseling in New York. Kerri J. Nelson, Minneapolis, is an attorney and shareholder for Bassford Remele.
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Richard Clark Jr., Joshua, TX, is a senior clinical advisor for MicroPort CRM. Clark Eichelberger, Shorewood, is working as principal manufacturing engineer for Northrop Grumman in Plymouth. Greg Lerud, Champlin, is a city administrator for Shorewood. Shari Zeiszler McGuire, Maple Grove, is a realtor for Keller Williams Classic Realty. Kim Giles Ottesen, Cumming, GA, is the librarian for the Forsyth County Public Library. Greg H. Sands, Edwards, CO, is the director of construction for Resort Concepts.
KNOW SOMEONE WHO WOULD MAKE A GREAT GUSTIE? There is a $4,000 scholarship waiting if you recommend them. High school students—particularly seniors—who choose Gustavus under the endorsement of an alum receive a $4,000 scholarship from the College. It’s that simple. How do you refer someone? Go to gustavus.edu/ alumni/referral, or call 507-933-7676. Students must apply by November 1, 2020. They must choose to attend by May 1, 2021. (Note: Students with immediate family members who have graduated from Gustavus are instead awarded a Gustavus Legacy Scholarship.) Thank you for helping us shape the future of Gustavus by finding the best and brightest young people to join our community.
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Jeff Sinn, Charlotte, NC, is a professor of psychology at Winthrop University, Rock Hill.
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Stephanie Meskan Bagby, Anamosa, IA, is a shift supervisor/staff nurse in the emergency department at Mercy Medical Center. Chris Gomez Schmidt, Madison, WI, is director of enrichment for
Galin Education. She also serves on the Madison School Board. Kristine Haukoos Voeltz, Saint Peter, is a physical education and health teacher for Saint Peter High School.
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Teresa L. Harland, Moorhead, is a wealth advisor for First International Bank and Trust in Fargo.
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Chad T. Fitterer, North Mankato, is working as the business unit president for Taylor Corporation. Tom Nelson Laird, Bloomington, IN, is professor for higher education and student affairs and director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University School of Education. Beth Getchell Rogers, Hugo, is an independent insurance agent for Preferred Insurance Services. Clinton W. Swenson, Lakeville, is the clinic practice director at Park Nicollet Clinic in Burnsville. Jill Woods, Minneapolis, is the CEO of Port in St. Cloud.
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Kris Fredrick, Lino Lakes, is running for Minnesota State Representative for District 38A.
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Steven D. Schmidt, Dellwood, has been named head of technology investment banking for Piper Sandler Companies. April D. Valentine, Hammond, IN, received her master’s degree of science in technology with a concentration in industrial engineering technology from Purdue University Northwest.
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Jennifer McNamara Byrnes, Victoria, is a principal consultant for Accelare in Minneapolis. Margaret Ormesher Kirkwold, Pella, IA, is the Lincoln Elementary School principal for Pella Community School District.
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Kevin R. Calgren, St. Paul, founded his own digital marketing agency, Web Javelin. Ryan J. Clausnitzer, Alameda, CA, is a general manager for the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District. Callista Brown Isabelle, Saint Louis, MO, works at Washington University as the director of Religious, Spiritual and Ethical Life. Heather Larson-Ritter, West Roxbury, MA, is the executive assistant for Berkshire Partners in Boston. Lisa Singer Martin, Lakeville, is director of national retail for Breakthru Beverage Group. Kara Trapp Oien, Owatonna, is an IT analyst for Federated Insurance Company. Charles T. Wilfahrt, Bloomington, is lead reporting analyst at Target Corporation. Elliot T. Wright, Suva, Fiji Islands, is working as a private sector development consultant.
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Brittany Meyer McFadden, Hanover, is the store manager for the Wise Penny Thrift Shoppe in Buffalo, which donates its net proceeds to West Lutheran High School and Christian Life Ministries. Becky Smith, Urbana, IL, is associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary
Medicine, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.
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Marne Gulley, Aurora, CO, is a secondary literacy specialist for Denver Public Schools. Sarah M. Kruse, Zumbrota, is a construction project manager for The Boldt Company and just completed a two-year addition on the Mayo Mankato Hospital. Katherine Medbery-Oleson, Lynnwood, WA, is a full professor and chair of the Communication Studies Department at Bellevue College in Washington. Shelly Hochhalter Talcott, Baltimore, MD, is the senior director of integration and initiatives leading the merger of Lutheran World Relief and IMA World Health. Erin Holloway Wilken, Carver, has been named chief operating officer for Good Leadership Enterprises, Minneapolis. Rachel Willson-Broyles, St. Paul, is a freelance translator of Swedish to English and just completed translating Swedish recording artist Jason Timbuktu’s memoir, A Drop of Midnight.
Sarah Nelson Conlon, Saint Peter, is the technical solutions consultant for Taylor Digital in Mankato.
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Liz Bronson, Madison, WI, is an attorney/general counsel for United Liquid Waste Recycling in Clyman. Janie L. Hanson, Blue Earth, is co-founder and president of Croptomize, an online business tool for farmers to help address grain marketing, capital management, and succession planning. She is also interim executive director for the Twin Rivers Council for the Arts (TRCA). Becca Swanson Kodesh, Rice Lake, WI, is the preschool director and also a teacher at Kids at First Preschool. Josie M. Thulien, Aurora, CO, is an occupational therapist for The Medical Center of Aurora.
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Jane Loosbrock Cornell, St. Paul, teaches 10th grade general biology at South St. Paul Secondary School.
Sarah Schueffner Borgendale, Minneapolis, is manager of recruiting, inclusion, and diversity for Fredrikson & Byron in Minneapolis. Ty Haschig, St. Paul, is a State Farm owner/agent at Ty Haschig State Farm Agency. Erik N. Ruser, Andover, works for Digital River, an E-commerce company. Matt Swenson, Minneapolis, was recently promoted to serve as director of CEO Communications for Cargill.
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Karen Martinson Cherwien, Batesville, AR, is self employed as a spiritual advisor cultivating authenticity, resilience, and growth through her company, Becoming Real.
Sam Archbold, Victoria, is vice president, head of corporate and commercial banking marketing for US Bank in Minneapolis.
Ahmed Bachelani, Eagan, is an attorney at Bachelani Law Office in Bloomington and was published in the Hennepin Lawyer magazine for May/June 2020. Jill M. Bailey, Belle Plaine, has been named the varsity boys head tennis coach for New Prague Schools. Heather Rossow Dickey, Delano, is an account manager at NPARALLEL in Plymouth. Alex S. Dunn, New Orleans, LA, is an attorney manager at the Gori Law Firm. Alex Groth, Jenkintown, PA, is a vice president for Momentum Advanced Planning.
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Christine M. Dornbusch, Waterloo, IA, is a recruiting solutions manager for Ameriprise Financial. Maggie Hedlund Forster, Shakopee, is the coordinator of donor relations for the Minneapolis Jewish Federation. Katie Goodpaster, Elk River, competed in the Cupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, the most prestigious world tournament for baking, as one of three members of Team USA. Goodpaster is a pastry chef at Patisserie 46 in Minneapolis. Evan J. Hilsabeck, Coralville, IA, is the managing director at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. Amanda Staker Houk, Aiken, SC, works as senior scientist A for Savannah River National Laboratory. Erik M. Knoll, San Francisco, CA, is the senior analytics engineer for Netflix. Ahna Gilbertson Lloyd, Big Lake, is the life enrichment director at Presbyterian Homes The Farmstead of Andover, a senior living community.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
Connie Nelson Laird, Bloomington, IN, is a teacher/ community social worker and educational consultant for St. Mark’s Nursery School. Justin W. Pagel, Long Lake, is an investment executive for Feltl and Company in Minneapolis. Sheldon E. Wagner, La Crosse, WI, is a professor and athletic trainer at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
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Heidi E. Marston, Saint Louis Park, is chief programs officer for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Ashley Paul, Plymouth, is the elementary school principal for Wayzata North Woods Elementary. Lisa Witbeck Wolle, Lake Crystal, is the director and teacher at Trinity Daycare & Preschool in North Mankato.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
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Geoff Alexander, Denver, CO, is a project manager for AARP/Public Policy Institute in Washington, DC. Brianna Bren, Savage, is a physical therapist for Fairview Institute for Athletic Medicine. Krista R. Carlson, San Antonio, TX, is a physician and captain in the U.S. Air Force. Zack Coles, Golden, CO, is a choir teacher for Boulder Valley School District. Kelsey Cowdin, St. Paul, is the customer service supervisor at Abbott Labs. Nick Harper, Minneapolis, is an attorney and civic engagement manager for The League of Women Voters Minnesota. Derek A. Hilding, Golden Valley, is an attorney for the State of Minnesota. Derek C. Holm, Bloomington, is working in the customer operations department at 3M. Emma Iverson, Golden Valley, is a clinical program manager at Fraser, an autism service provider in Minneapolis. Kelly Nelson Jensen, Madison, WI, is a PhD student and teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jamie M. Laird, Minneapolis, is tax manager of Allianz Life Insurance
in Minneapolis. Lynn Hillen Linne, Minnetonka, is an attorney with Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. in Minneapolis. Jessica Moertel, Byron, is a family practice physician for Mayo Clinic Health System in Owatonna. Rochelle J. Molitor, Rochester, is an anesthesiology specialist at the Mayo Hospital and Clinics. Maren A. O’Neill, Minneapolis, is an academic specialist at Spring Lake Park Schools. LeeAnna J. Pekel, Wayland, MI, teaches second grade at an international school in Venezuela. Bryan D. Pelach, Seattle, WA, is an environmental planner and policy specialist at 48 North Solutions. T.J. Ridley, Vail, CO, is completing an orthopaedic surgery sports medicine fellowship at The Steadman Clinic. Diana K. Scott, Norwalk, CT, is the owner and founder of BlueCastle IT Solutions in Cheshire. Adam Strand, Sioux Falls, SD, received his master’s in public administration and policy from American University, and is an internal medicine resident at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Megan A. Thompson, Durand, WI, is a veterinarian at Northern Valley Animal Clinic. Sara E. Thorstenson, Woodbury, is a registered nurse at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul. Matt Wood, Oakland, CA, is a business values services advisor at Salesforce in San Francisco. Drew Yackel, Northfield, is pastor at Urland Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls.
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Rebekah Jorgenson Cleary, Willmar, is a scrum master at
Nova-Tech Engineering. Joshua J. Elledge, Minneapolis, is an account executive for Apex Systems in Minneapolis. He is also appearing as a contestant on a season of The Bachelorette, currently being filmed. Anna Ahlbrecht Theis, Gibbon, is the safety manager and head of training and community engagements for Jackson Electric. Ben Wolf, Beaverton, OR, is a senior acoustical consultant at ABD Engineering & Design in Portland.
Suzanne E. Mundhenke, Columbia, MO, is a second year anesthesiology resident at MU Healthcare, University Hospital. Evan Odean, Duluth, is a third year pharmacy student at the University of Minnesota. Sarah Strand, Minneapolis, is an RN at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in The Mother Baby Center in Minneapolis. Paige Zimmerman, North Mankato, is an executive legal assistant for Fredrikson & Byron.
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Danika P. Anastasi, West St. Paul, is the executive director at New Perspective Senior Living in Eagan. Anthony J. Cesnik, San Francisco, CA, is completing his postdoctoral research in analytical chemistry at Stanford University. Elizabeth A. Coco, Minneapolis, is a VISTA Program Manager for Minnesota Council on Foundations. Nara S. Higano, Cincinnati, OH, is a research associate at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Rikka Holiday, Bozeman, MT, is a client success manager at Foundant Technologies. Rachel A. Hylton, St. Paul, is a multi-club support specialist for Anytime Fitness for eight locations across the Twin Cities. Lee G. Kenyon, Rochester, is a family medicine resident at the Mayo Clinic. Rachel Chase, Minneapolis, works as an elementary Spanish paraprofessional for Rochester Public Schools and is a jewelry consultant for Zales. Alissa Fahrenz, Bloomington, is an analyst for Excelsior Energy Capital.
Adwoa A. Afreh, Minneapolis, is a program coordinator for Genesys Works, which helps provide pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities. Rachelle Eide, Edina, is a meeting planner for Allianz Life. Joshua P. Heinzen, Brooklyn, NY, is the transplant coordinator at Mount Sinai Health System in Brooklyn, NY. Bryce Kroells, Minneapolis, completed an MBA at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management in December 2019.
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Erik Carlson, St. Louis Park, is a support specialist, shared spaces for Plus Relocation in Minneapolis. Emily Ford, Duluth, is a gardener at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Kadie L. Habana, St. Paul, is a housing specialist for Avivo in Minneapolis. Carly Klass, Richfield, is an elementary educator in the North St. Paul School District #622.
Andrew K. Lonneman, Wichita, KS, is the Senior Business Analyst at Cargill. Jessica Martinez, Minneapolis, is assistant to the principal at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. Shaeffer Olson, Victoria, is working as a quality assurance engineer for Scientific Games in Chicago, IL. Brittany S. Salisbury, Brandon, SD, is working at Elior North America in Sioux Falls. Matt Timmons, Minneapolis, is a customer partnership representative for Kipsu. Beth Wiese, Rochester, is a PhD candidate at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Emma R. Wilde, Edina, is working as a digital specialist for NordicClick Interactive.
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Logan Boese, Hundhamaren, Norway, works in implementation services for Epic Systems Corp. Emma L. Breitenstein, Edina, is a fourth grade teacher at Jeffers Pond Elementary School and was named a Prior Lake Teacher of the Year. Haley Coller, Brooklyn, NY, is a national board member at Genesys Works. Kirsten A. Lundgren, Hager City, WI, is an office operations coordinator at Slalom Consulting in Minneapolis. Caroline Pokrzywinski, Providence, RI, works as a state outreach associate for ActBlue. Griffin Reed, Mantorville, is a resident physician at Rhode Island Hospital (Brown University) and graduated from medical school at Dartmouth College.
Sartell, on 6/10/20. The third of six children, he grew up in Miltona. After graduating from Gustavus, he worked for Arthur Anderson & Company, Van Dusen Air, and G. R. Herberger's, where he ultimately became president and chief operating officer until his retirement in 1994. He served in the U.S. Army for two years, and then on a multitude of civic, nonprofit, and foundation boards, include the Gustavus Board of Trustees. As leaders in Minnesota philanthropy, he and his wife, Shirley, provided many scholarships and countless, generous gifts to Gustavus and other organizations. He is preceded in death by Shirley and a son, David ’95; and is survived by two daughters, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, as well as four sisters including Elaine Torrey Magnuson ’59. He often quoted Luke 12:48: “To whom much is given, much is expected.”
Jace Riggin, Minneapolis, is an admissions officer at Macalester College. Joseph Wiley, Mendota Heights, is a senate majority researcher for the Minnesota Senate in St. Paul.
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Megan A. Nelson, Minneapolis, is a global marketing and sales analyst for 3M.
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Marilin Benn, New London, is an elementary school teacher for Litchfield Public Schools. Emma Jones, Minneapolis, is a sustainability specialist for Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
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Le Doan, Dallas, TX, is a tax analyst for Borden Dairy Company. Meghan J. Gallagher, Chanhassen, works for United Way of Utah County. Emma Leigh Myhre, St. Paul, is a communications and events associate for Children’s Hospital Association. Orissa Nitibhon, Downers Grove, IL is a graduate student at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine.
WEDDINGS Laura MacBride ’05 and Michael Cothroll, 09/28/19, Milwaukee, WI
Andreas Aarsvold ’10 and Greta Hanson, 12/07/19, St. Paul Jennifer Halvorsen ’10 and Christopher Celaya, 11/02/19, Florence, AZ Derek C. Holm ’10 and John Zdanowicz, 11/21/15, Bloomington Kyle S. Hunt ’10 and Greta Hunt, 10/19/19, North Oaks Megan A. Thompson ’10 and Jake Weisenback, 09/08/18, Durand, WI Alicia Alvarado ’12 and Kyle Bodie, 12/14/19, Minneapolis Stacy Backstrom ’12 and Jacob Denman, 10/12/19, Maple Grove Haley Moritz ’12 and Ryan Hartzell ’10, 08/31/19, Forest Lake Amanda Croonquist ’13 and Ethan Nagel, 09/28/19, Roseville Ellen Liebe ’13 and Kyle Radtke ’13, 12/31/18, Savage Alex Eide ’14 and Rachelle Blaschko ’14, 08/31/19, Edina Maura Bremer ’15 and Lance Peterson ’15, 09/07/19, Minneapolis Jennifer Strom ’15 and Kevin Gronseth, 08/04/18, Madison, WI Andrew K. Lonneman ’15 and Kelsey Lonneman, 07/15/17, Wichita, KS Brittany Salisbury ’15 and Whitney Davenport, 10/08/16, Brandon, SD Zachary Anderson ’17 and Madeline Jentink ’17, 06/15/19, Villa Park, IL Casie Carlson ’18 and Kate Sulzle, 02/29/20, Hutchinson
and Christa Harrison Heupel ’05, on 10/02/19 Fiona, to Therese Gay Miller ’05 and Justin Miller, on 03/13/18 Walter, to Kate Swenson Palmer ’05 and Nick Palmer ’06, on 10/18/19 Matheo, to Sam Engh Chadwick ’06 and Matthew Chadwick, on 11/12/19 Zara, to Ahmed Bachelani ’07 and Averyel Bachelani, on 04/22/20 Grace, to Chris Fogderud ’07 and Sarah Demke Fogderud ’07, on 02/24/20 Sibley, to Kiley Sather ’07 and Daniel Sather, on 07/15/19 Alexander, to Andrea Astrup Becker ’08 and Jeremiah Becker ’07, on 04/05/20 Brooks, to Kari Holway ’08 and William Holway, on 08/22/19 Poppy, to Rachel Poppy Wiegand ’08 and Bradley Wiegand, on 12/12/19 Julia, to Becky Borg ’09 and Colton Borg, on 03/06/20 Ellie, to Maggie Hedlund Forster ’09 and Anthony C. Forster ’08, on 03/14/20 Murray, to Jenny Moreland ’10 and Maxwell Moreland, on 09/16/19 Violet, to Peter Michaletz ’12 and Alexa Michaletz, on 01/25/20 Hudson, to David Krebs ’14 and Whitney Willaert Krebs ’16, on 01/31/20 Blair, to Drew Olinger ’14 and Hanna Manitz Olinger ’14, on 03/18/20
BIRTHS
IN MEMORIAM
Mateo, to Lisa Singer Martin ’00 and Aaron Martin, on 02/21/18 Andre, to Marne Gulley ’02 on 2/12/29 Warren, to Chris Wagener ’02 and Emma Wilson, on 09/24/19 Keira, to Paul A. Heupel ’05
Earl W. Carlson ’41, Chippewa Falls, WI, on 4/12/20. A former Lutheran pastor, he served various parishes in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Wisconsin. He is survived by four children and a brother Reuben ’56.
Marbury E. Anderson ’45, Naples, FL., on 4/14/20. A former Lutheran pastor who served various parishes in Texas, Colorado, and Minnesota, he is survived by his wife, Sylvia, and two children. Elaine Paulsen Brant ’45, Minneapolis, on 2/19/20. A lifelong learner, Elaine worked as an ESL teacher, a diaconal minister, a licensed psychologist, and a hospital chaplain. She is survived by three children. Kenneth Kirby ’45, Cedar Rapids, IA, on 2/15/20. A biochemist and former chairman of Penick and Ford Company, he is survived by two children. R. Howard Fehr ’49, Eau Claire, WI, on 2/27/20. He was an ordained Lutheran pastor and served various parishes in Michigan and Wisconsin. He is survived by six children. Virgil F. Juliot ’49, Geneseo, IL, on 4/15/20. A World War II veteran and former Lutheran pastor ordained by Augustana Lutheran Church, he served parishes in Washington, Minnesota, and Illinois. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, and five children. Eugene C. Lindbad ’49, Blair, NE, on 4/6/20. A former chemist for Union Carbide Company, he later taught chemistry at Dana College and is survived by his wife, Nancy, and three children. Victor K. Miller ’49, Lockport, IL, on 4/17/20. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates but unable to report for training camp due to World War II, when he joined the Navy. After his discharge and finishing college, he became the superintendent of buildings and bridges for E.J.E. Railroad. He is survived by his wife, June, and five children.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
REMEMBERING GEORGE TORREY ’55
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Robert L. Johnson ’50, San Antonio, TX, on 2/27/20. A Navy veteran, he worked as a credit manager for Allen & Allen Company and is survived by his four children. Thomas G. Musser ’50, Marshall, on 1/28/20. An Army veteran and a high school teacher and coach, he is survived by his wife, Virginia (Ringstrom ’53), and three sons, including Steven ’84. Duane Aldrich ’59, Osseo, on 2/12/20. He worked several years for General Mills and later started his own insurance agency. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and three daughters. Earl F. Nelson ’50, West St. Paul, on 9/10/19. A Lutheran pastor for various parishes, he is survived by his wife, Betty (Sampson ’52), and three children including Lee Ann Diedrick ’78 and Mary Maycock ’85. Weldon Burchill ’51, Lansing, MI, on 4/26/20. A Korean War Army veteran who later went on to become a dentist in private practice. He is survived by three children including Weldon Jr. “Wally” ’83. Kenneth Eastlund ’51, Westwood, NJ, on 4/16/20. A longtime employee with 3M Company, he is survived by his wife, Ruth, and three children. Helen Friedline Chadwick ’51, Winona, on 1/17/20. A World War II Navy veteran as a cryptologist, she later worked as a nurse. She is survived by a son. Elaine Samuelson Butler ’52, Minneapolis, on 3/5/20. A former nurse and active volunteer, she is survived by her husband, Gary, and three daughters.
Lois Carlson Johnson ’52, Minnetonka, on 2/1/20. A wife, mother, and former social worker, she is survived by two children including Kristen Ragozzino ’78. LeRoy A. Erlandson ’53, Minneapolis, on 4/5/20. He served as a Lutheran pastor for 60 years, including 12 years as a chaplain at the VA Medical Center. He is survived by his wife, Charlotte, and six children including Daniel ’80, Karla ’82, David ’84, Sven ’89 and a sister, Eleanor Erlandson Stenoien ’56. Philip K. Olson ’53, Belgium, WI, on 2/14/20. After college, he served in the Army and later became a teacher and school psychologist serving multiple schools in Northern Wisconsin. He is survived by his wife, Judith, and four children. Rudy F. Semeja ’53, Virginia, on 3/6/20. He had a long career as a teacher and coach, first for Babbitt High School and later for Vermilion Community College. He is survived by two children. Donald A. Miller ’54, Mankato, on 1/20/20. A standout athlete in high school and college, he went on to teach math, coach multiple sports, and become the athletic director for Mankato East. He is survived by his six children. Gerald Schwarz ’54, Worthington, on 3/2/20. An Army veteran, he worked in electronics and started his own company, Schwarz Manufacturing. He is survived by a daughter. Phyllis “Phyl” Johnson Wegner ’54, Red Wing, on 1/6/20. She had a long career as a physical education and health teacher, and coached at various schools. She is survived by her three sons.
Clarence Engwall ’55, Rochester, on 3/16/20. A former employee of Pfizer and a long-time employee for Jostens, recognition division, he is survived by three children. Nancy List Sebo ’55, Cannon Falls, on 3/9/20. She was a wife, mother, and church organist and is survived by two sons. Carlton O. Anderson ’56, Park Rapids, on 3/11/20. A member of the Gustavus Athletic Hall of Fame, he was a long-time high school English teacher and coach at Park Rapids High School. He is survived by his wife, Anita (Lien ’59), and two daughters, Laura Lobo ’86 and Lynn Tomlinson ’88; his son, Paul ’90 preceded him. Lois Moran Sprain ’56, Lindstrom, on 1/8/20. A wife, mother, and long-time elementary school teacher, she is survived by her three children. Jerry A. Carlson ’57, Hutchinson, on 2/29/20. A high school and college swimmer, he started the Tigersharks boys swimming team in Hutchinson in 1961 and coached for 46 years. He was inducted into the Minnesota Swimming and Diving Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife, Malene, and two sons, Jon ’88 and Daniel ’94. Alice Tuomi Taylor ’57, Tower, on 1/23/20. A former elementary teacher at various locations, she also taught U.S. military children on bases in Germany and England. She is survived by two sisters. Susan Soldin Thorsheim ’57, Norwalk, CT, on 2/10/20. A former high school English teacher before working in the publishing business with Greater Media Newspapers, she is survived by two sons.
Wayne P. Panning ’58, Belle Plaine, on 2/16/20. After completing his medical degree, he joined the U. S. Navy and later started a solo radiology practice in Marshall, serving 11 area rural communities. He is survived by his wife, Arlys, and two children. Scott W. Griesman ’59, Las Vegas, NV, on 2/3/20. A mathematics teacher, U.S. Navy pilot, and later a commercial pilot for Eastern Airlines, he is survived by two children and special friend, Carol Johnson Heyl ’59. Herbert N. Johnson ’59, Lindsborg, KS, on 3/6/20. A former Marine sergeant, he later became an ELCA Lutheran minister and served churches in Kansas and Missouri. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and three children. Robert C. Moland ’59, Alberta, Canada, on 3/27/20. A former Lutheran pastor, he served parishes in Minnesota, Winnipeg, Yukon Territory, and Calgary and is survived by his wife, Marilyn, and three children. Richard C. Duerr ’60, Minneapolis, on 2/11/20. A former member of the National Guard and Lutheran pastor serving various parishes, he is survived by his wife, Carol (Ofelt ’62), and two daughters. Josephine Jensen Tollefson ’60, Minneapolis, on 2/20/20. A former nurse, she finished her career with 30 years in public health for Anoka County and is survived by her husband, Dean, and four children. DeWayne Tuma ’60, Crystal, on 3/21/20. His career was in the commercial insurance field, retiring as vice president for T.C. Field and Company. DeWayne
is survived by two daughters and a granddaughter, Alexa Paulson ’22. Sandra Allumbaugh Bolin ’61, on 2/11/20. She had a long career in Balaton, first teaching physical education, then making a midcareer switch to elementary education. She is survived by three children. George Richard “Dick” Dalton ’61, Cannon Falls, on 5/2/20. Dick was the fourth generation to be president and editor of the Cannon Falls Beacon. He is survived by his wife, Kathy (Walden ’63), and three sons, including Michael ’88 and Mark ’91. Noel Estergren ’61, San Diego, CA, on 4/10/20. He had a long career as a Lutheran pastor, retiring from First Lutheran Church in San Diego. Noel is survived by his wife, Gretchen (Bittrich ’61), and two daughters. Carol Olson Heath ’61, Minneapolis, on 10/31/19. A former English teacher who earned a masters in library science, she is survived by two children and a brother, Charles Olson ’63. Robert “Bob” W. Schwartz ’61, Shakopee, on 1/8/20. He worked for Green Giant/ Pillsbury for 32 years, retiring as the director of international operations and development. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn, and a daughter. Stephen Geyer ’63, Rockford, IL, on 3/15/20. He was a former high school teacher, then principal, and later joined the corporate world starting his own business, Geyer Company. He is survived by his husband, Ernie, and two brothers. Rochelle Dahlen Reed ’63, Plymouth, on 5/5/20. A former Spanish and art teacher, she later became a registered
Saint Paul, on 2/1/20. A graduate of Los Angeles County General Hospital School of Nursing and UCLA, she spent most of her career in public health nursing in California and Minnesota and was recognized with numerous awards. She was an assistant professor of nursing at Gustavus from 1972–1978 and prior to her retirement she worked as the director of Ramsey County Public Health Nursing Service and the Board of Governors of the University of Minnesota Hospitals. She is survived by five children, and one stepdaughter.
REMEMBERING BOB BELLIG ’60 Bemidji, on 1/21/20. A former long-time biology professor, he graduated from Gustavus in 1960 and finished his PhD at Virginia Tech University. He returned to Gustavus in 1964 teaching biology and life sciences until his retirement in 2001. He was preceded in death by his wife, Tucki Lund Bellig ’60 and is survived by three children including Paige Bellig-Strand ’90.
REMEMBERING ERAZIM KOHAK Sharon, NH, on 2/16/20. A former philosophy professor, who was a Czechoslovakian immigrant and the son of parents who both were sent to concentration camps. Both survived and the family fled the country. Erazim earned his high school diploma in Honeoye Falls, NY, his bachelor’s degree at Colgate, and his master’s and PhD at Yale University. He taught at Gustavus from 1958–1960, then joined the faculty at Boston University where he served as professor and senior lecturer. He returned to the Czech Republic in 1989 after the fall of the communist regime, where he contributed to the re-establishment of Czech philosophy. He is survived by his three daughters.
investment advisor and estate planner. She is survived by her husband, Don, and two children, including Paige Reed Sawyer ’93, and a sister, Rosemary Dahlen Welsh ’70. Joanne Peterson Cowan ’66, Windom, on 4/13/20. She taught for several years and then made a mid-career switch to be a State Farm insurance agent. She is survived by her husband, Collin ’66, and two sons. Charles L. Nelson ’68, Saint Cloud, on 2/12/20. A former longtime assistant professor of earth science at St. Cloud State, he is survived by five siblings. John B. Idstrom ’66, Minneapolis, on 4/23/20. An accomplished architect, John was a founder of the firm Partners 4 Design, and is survived by several nieces. William L. Lindberg ’69, Hallock, on 2/19/20. A former schoolteacher turned farmer, he took over the family farm. He is survived by his wife, Linda “Charlie” (Neuleib ’68) Lindberg, and son, John ’03. He was preceeded by son, Andrew ’00. William Luetke ’69, Red Lodge, MT, on 4/14/20. After completing post graduate work in biophysical ecology, he was a long-time oil rig worker in various western states until his retirement. He is survived by three siblings. Michael P. Simonson ’69, Highlands Ranch, CO, on 3/4/20. He was a former director of national accounts in the foodservice and telecommunications industry and is survived by extended family. Bonnie Buck Kelso ’70, Minnetonka, on 2/1/20. A wife,
mother, and daycare provider for more than 20 years, she is survived by her husband, Larry, and three daughters including Laura Kelso Rodrigue ’97 and Melany Kelso Terrazas ’01. Jane Ohnstad Douglas ’71, Milton, WI, on 1/9/20. She taught kindergarten in the Milton School District for 34 years and traveled the country teaching educators innovative ways to improve their programs. She is survived by her husband, Dennis, and two daughters. Paul R. Hammarberg ’71, Minneapolis, on 4/30/20. He served as a Lutheran pastor at parishes in Burnsville, Maple Grove and Eden Prairie. He is survived by his wife, Porat, two daughters, four stepchildren, and two siblings including Linda Hammarberg Willette ’64 and Jon ’68. George Hinderaker ’74, Willmar, on 5/4/20. He worked for various companies including ten years at Hutchinson Technology and had just completed a nursing program to start a new career. He is survived by his mother, Joan Hinderaker, and three siblings. William O. Jennings ’74, Atlanta, GA, on 2/26/20. A former employee of Prudential Insurance Company, he is survived by his daughter, Adrienne, and three siblings. He was preceded in death by his wife, Otheria Roberson Jennings ’73. Dan K. Prochnow ’78, Colorado Springs, CO, on 1/24/20. An attorney who practiced law in Minneapolis and Hutchinson, and an entrepreneur with three businesses holdings, he is survived by his wife, Laura, and three daughters.
Tim Hoyt Duncan ’79, Columbia, SC, on 5/7/20. He was a Presbyterian pastor who most recently served Shandon Presbyterian Church in Columbia. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and six siblings. Garth Engwall ’81, Champlin, on 3/6/20. He was a management data analyst for United Behavioral Health and is survived by his wife, Holly, two daughters, his mother, Vianne Lager Engwall ’54, and two siblings including Meredith Engwall Walsh ’82 and Craig ’86. Ann C. Nelson ’85, Minneapolis, on 1/20/20. She worked as a legal assistant for Associated Paralegal Consultants and is survived by her partner, Mike Boisvert, and a brother. Kyle J Hegna ’85, Chaska, on 1/18/20. An attorney and founding partner of the Wilkerson and Hegna Attorneys at Law, he is survived by his wife, Patricia, two daughters and his parents, Wayne ’55 and Carolyn Hegna. Milena M. Rudolph ’86, Austin, TX, on 1/25/20. She was employed by Novartis/Alcon Vision Care and is survived by her parents and a sister. Stephen T. Brownlow ’88, Albert Lea, on 4/22/20. He worked his entire career with the Arends family and most recently was a senior consultant at Intellicents. Steve is survived by his wife, Gayle, three children, his mother, and three siblings. Linda Houser-Marko ’92, Oak Park, IL, on 1/9/20. She earned her doctorate in psychology and was working as a research assistant for Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation. She is survived by her husband, Shaun, two daughters, her parents, and two siblings.
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
REMEMBERING BARBARA V. O’GRADY
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GUSTIES GATHER
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1. Nine Gusties met up in Seattle, WA, at a Pearl Jam concert to help raise money for the city’s homeless crisis. Back, l to r: Jason Kivo ’95, Hugo Meyer ’96, Jon Knutson ’95, Karl Dexheimer ’95, Ray Peterson ’95, Todd Whalen ’95, and Scott Hoss ’95. Front, l to r: Mark Benson ’95 and Brian Buckley ’95.
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2. Friends from the Class of 1988 celebrated birthdays together on Anna Maria Island, FL, in January. Pictured from left to right are Kari Hubbard, Julie Elvestrom Kuehn, Anne Sarkinen White, Mary Schoenfelder Lee, Kristen Amundson Gritters, and JoAnn Wackerfuss Quackenbush. 3. Karen de Boer ’94 completed a multi-year section hike of the Appalachian Trail with her father, Sipke, in 2019. They began their hike at Springer Mountain in Georgia in 2008. Completing the 2,192-mile long hiking trail took them nine separate trips over 12 years.
4. While in Singapore with the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble tour, Jen Brandenburg ’02 had a chance to catch up with her sophomore year roommate, Emily Weitz Christiansen ’02. Emily and her family moved to Singapore last fall, and brought her family to the concert at the Singapore Botanical Gardens that evening.
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5. As in many of your personal and professional lives, Alumni Association business was also conducted virtually this spring — and included a toast to departing members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Top row L to R: Kara Buckner ’97, Angela Erickson ’01, Marcia Stephens ’73, Philly Kauffmann H’15, John Moorhead ’68; Row 2: Mike Bussey ’69, Damon Larson ’84, Ann McGowan Wasson ’82, Deb Johnson Rosenberg ’79, J.C. Anderson ’82;
Row 3: Dan Michel '90, Mary Booker '91, Sara Schnell Elenkiwich '10, Vidya Sivan '02, Daniel Sellers, '06; Row 4: Mark Bergman '79, Jen Brandenburg '02, Todd Krough '85, Esther Mulder Widmalm-Delphonse '08, Sarah Schueffner Borgendale '06; Row 5: Cathy Villars Harms '85, Rick Barbari '91, Zach Dilger '15, Katie Ackert Schroeder '03, Bill Laumann '66.
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6. Many Gusties work at Be The Match. This photo represents about half of the Gusties there Front L to R: Katie Carlson Schoeppner ’02, Anna DeSalvo, Rachel Lohn Schuler ’03, Nicole Amegashie ’13. Back L to R: Kristina Suneson Bloomquist ’91, Chew Vang ’09, Anna Yost ’12, Stephanie Schuh-Greenwald ’02, Cory Starkweather ’02, Ray Sajulga ’17. 7. Gustie Teachers at Lincoln K-8 Choice Rochester stopped to take a photo. L to r: Grace Lee ’20, Allison Hoff Robelia ’92, Elizabeth Massaro Koehler ’88, Beth Robelia Napton ’93.
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Vespers “Youthful and vigorous, man stands in the universe,” wrote Bea Tourtelot ’65 of "Man and the Universe" in The Gustavian Weekly in 1962. The sculpture was cleaned recently as prep for the opening of the newly renovated portion of the Nobel Hall of Science. Facts: The man holds a dodecahedron and a caliper (or compass). He is done in bas relief by Donald Gregory ’47, art professor for more than 40 years, with aid from Gary Kenning ’64 and Kermit Swanson ’62. The mural is 18' by 37' and weighs 52 tons. Man. Universe. That's some
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020
really heavy stuff.
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MEET CHRISTEN GIBSON ’23
For Alumni, Parents, and Friends FALL 2020 | VOL. LXXVI | ISSUE 3 STAFF Chair, Board of Trustees Scott Anderson ’89 President of the College Rebecca Bergman Vice President, Marketing and Communication Tim Kennedy ’82 Vice President, Advancement Thomas Young ’88 Director, Alumni and Parent Engagement Angela Erickson ’01 Director, Editorial Services Stephanie Wilbur Ash | sash@gustavus.edu Alumni Editor Philomena Kauffmann H’15 | pkauffma@gustavus.edu Visual Editor, Production Coordinator Anna Deike | adeike@gustavus.edu Design Brian Donahue | bedesigninc.com Jill Adler | adlerdesignstudio.com Contributing Writers JJ Akin ’11, Mara Klein, CJ Siewert ’11 Contributing Photographers and Artists JJ Akin ’11, Kris Drake, Joe Howell (for Vanderbilt University), Mara Klein, Randall Nelson, CJ Siewert ’11, Sydney Stumme-Berg ’22, Stan Waldhauser ’71, Gustavus Adolphus College Archives Printer John Roberts Company | johnroberts.com Postmaster Send address changes to the Gustavus Quarterly, Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement, Gustavus Adolphus College, 800 W. College Ave., Saint Peter, MN 56082-1498 GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE Saint Peter, MN 56082 507-933-8000 | gustavus.edu Articles and opinions presented in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or official policies of the College or its Board of Trustees. The Gustavus Quarterly (USPS 227-580) is published four times annually by Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, Minn. Periodicals postage is paid at Saint Peter, MN 56082, and additional mailing offices. It is mailed free of charge to alumni and friends of the College. Circulation is approximately 42,800. Gustavus Adolphus College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.
In July, the hackberry tree outside Jackson Campus Center came down after it could longer be safely maintained with support cables. Under that iconic tree, rumored to have been standing since the College moved to Saint Peter in 1876, Gusties met future spouses and best friends, greeted each other at Chapel break and between classes, protested injustices, and walked out from Christ Chapel as newlyweds. If trees could talk...
“I am so grateful that my Heritage Scholarship donor has made a commitment to support me for all four years I’ll spend at Gustavus. This scholarship makes higher education possible for me, and I love having an opportunity to form a relationship with my donor.”
BRIDGING THE GAP
HERITAGE SCHOLARSHIPS AT GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE
- Christen Gibson ’23 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major
Carla Clasen established a Heritage Scholarship to honor her late husband, Mark, a Gustavus graduate who became a physician and professor of family medicine. Carla was thrilled to learn the first recipient of the Mark Clasen ’69 Heritage Scholarship is likewise planning to go to medical school. Christen will hold the scholarship during her four years at Gustavus, allowing her and Carla to continue building their connection. In support of academically talented students with demonstrated financial need, Heritage Scholarships provide funding for an important group of students who desire to attend Gustavus but whose families have limited resources. This visionary program invites a four-year commitment of $12,000 ($3,000 per year), which bridges the gap between academic scholarships and federal aid. For more information, contact Nicole Swanson, Special Gift Officer for Heritage Scholarships, at 507-469-8314 or ncswanson@gustavus.edu.
GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT gustavus.edu/showtheworld/priorities/scholarship
FALL 2020 800 WEST COLLEGE AVENUE SAINT. PETER, MINNESOTA 56082
Act Next How We
Things will look different this fall as the College welcomes students back for on-campus living and learning, but we know this: the power of the Gustavus community remains the same. Harnessing that collective spirit, President Bergman introduced a new acronym that will guide students, faculty, and staff—“Gusties ROAR!” The letters stand for “Respect Others, Act Responsibly.” The College’s plans for safe on-campus operations were developed this summer by 12 COVID-19 action teams focusing on areas ranging
from dining service to residential life to academic spaces to personal protective equipment and more. Among other changes, we will have socially distant classrooms, plexiglass safety barriers, daily self-assessments for COVID-19 symptoms, and on-campus testing and contact tracing. Pages of detailed plans will guide our learning and living, but it boils down to students, faculty, and staff doing the right thing to protect fellow members of the Gustavus community. We all know that Gusties shine. This fall, we will ROAR!
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Achieve financial, institutional, and environmental sustainability.
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Diversify and expand the Gustavus community.
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Deliver a distinctive and integrated liberal arts education.
The pandemic, racial justice, the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan, and where we go from here. PAGE 10
