VÄLKOMMEN

MAKE THE SPACE

Wow! The Gustie women in this issue truly inspire me. They embody so many lessons learned by student-athletes through Gustavus liberal arts, such as excellence, perseverance, and the value of community. They also remind me of the enormous impact of Title IX on educational institutions and the associated educational opportunities for women and girls. Title IX is civil rights law. It protects—among others—women and girls from discrimination, exclusion, and sexual harassment as they learn. As I entered Princeton in 1974, Title IX had just been codified into law. While I was never a varsity athlete, I was one of very few women at that time studying chemical engineering. It was exciting to be a part of this important time of change. As a small group of women in engineering, we felt like trailblazers. I developed an internal fortitude and a determination to succeed. At Medtronic, I again found myself in the distinct minority as a female engineering manager. I felt driven to excel and to help forge a path for the next generation of technical women coming after me. I wanted to serve as a positive role model for younger women who were aspiring to careers in science and engineering, and I began actively mentoring them— supporting and encouraging their professional development. I went on to have a 26-year career as an engineer and became the first female vice president for research and development at a global biomedical company, and later, of course, became the first woman president of Gustavus Adolphus College. Along the way I had incredible mentors—men who encouraged me to grow and helped me succeed. I’ve tried to emulate their mentorship. I was frequently invited to speak to women at colleges and universities all over the country. My goal was to inspire them to be leaders, to trust their own capabilities. During the next 50 years, I want Gustavus alumni to provide such mentorship and support to our students and recent graduates, particularly those who have been traditionally underserved by higher education and certain fields of study. Let’s lead with courage like pioneering coaches Nancy Baker ’56, Mary Dahl Williams ’63, Gretchen Koehler, and Sally Hokanson ’69, who launched Gustavus women’s sports before Title IX existed. Let’s make space. For everyone.

GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2021 GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | FALL 2020 Yours in community,

Rebecca M. Bergman President, Gustavus Adolphus College

GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Rev. Jon V. Anderson (ex officio), Bishop, Southwestern Minnesota Synod, ELCA Scott P. Anderson ’89, MBA (chair), Senior Advisor, TPG Capital Grayce Belvedere-Young, MBA, Founder and CEO, Lily Pad Consulting Catherine Asta ’75, JD, Attorney at Law

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, President/Chief Strategy Officer, Fallon Worldwide

Janette F. Concepcion, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Concepcion Psychological Services Edward J. Drenttel ’81, JD, Attorney/Partner, Winthrop & Weinstine Bruce A. Edwards ’77, Retired CEO, DHL Global Supply Chain John O. Hallberg ’79, MBA, Retired CEO, Children’s Cancer Research Fund

John M. Harris ’92, PhD, Associate Director, Protiviti

Mary Dee J. Hicks ’75, PhD, Retired Senior Vice President, Personnel Decisions International

The Rev. Alicia A. Hilding ’09, Co-Pastor, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, New Prague, MN; President, Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations Keith N. Jackson ’89, JD, Assistant General Counsel, Aon

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. Jan Lindman, MBA, Treasurer to the King, The Royal Court of Sweden The Rev. Dr. David J. Lose, Senior Pastor, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

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

Jan Ledin Michaletz ’74, Past President, Gustavus Alumni Association

Thomas J. Mielke ’80, JD, Retired Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Kimberly-Clark Corporation Bradley S. Nuss ’97, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Nuss Truck & Equipment 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 Kent V. Stone ’80, Retired Vice Chairman, U.S. Bancorp

ON THE HILL

Big Data REvolution October 5 & 6, 2021

L to R: Wendy Chun, Canada 150 Chair and Leader of the Digital Democracies Institute, Simon Fraser University; Francesca Dominici, professor of biostatistics, population and data science, and co-director of the Data Science Initiative, Harvard University; Pilar Ossorio, professor of law and bioethics, University of Wisconsin; Michael Osterholm, professor of public health and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota; Cynthia Rudin, professor of computer science, electrical and computer engineer, and statistical science, and director of the Prediction Analysis Lab, Duke University; Rhema Vaithianathan, professor of health economics and director of the Centre for Social Data Analytics, Aukland University of Technology; Talithia Williams, professor of mathematics, Harvey Mudd College

NOBEL 57: BIG DATA RE VOLUTION

How is big data changing our lives, and what challenges and opportunities does this transformation present? In less than a generation, we’ve witnessed nearly every piece of personal, scientifi c, and societal data come to be stored digitally. This stored information is both an intellectual and an economic commodity; it is used by businesses, governments, academics, and entrepreneurs. The velocity with which it accumulates and the techniques for leveraging it grow at a pace that is remarkable and often intimidating. But this revolution also promises hope, in areas as diverse as public health, drug development, child welfare, and climate change. This year’s Nobel Conference will mine these subjects, and more. This year’s Conference is particularly timely. Thanks to public health data, the spread of COVID-19, its variants, and its vaccination rates can be tracked around the world.

The Conference will also welcome— again—epidemiologist and pandemics expert Michael Osterholm, professor of public health and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Fifteen years ago, Osterholm participated in Nobel Conference 42, “Medicine: Prescription for the Future.” His prophetic talk detailed the likelihood and impacts of a global infl uenza pandemic. In November, Osterholm was elected to President Biden’s National COVID-19 Advisory Board to help the U.S. navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

DUE TO COVID-19, the Conference will be virtual. Visit

gustavus.edu/nobelconference

to watch live Oct. 5 & 6, or watch the archive. No pre-registration is needed. The virtual Conference is free.