Luther Magazine Spring 2023

Luther magazine

Volume 56, number 3, spring 2023

© Luther College 2023

Editor Kate Frentzel

Art director/designer

Michael Bartels

Contributors

Jennifer Achenbach

Sherry (Braun) Alcock ’82

Jessica Campos Arzate

Kelli Billstein ’07

Armando Jenkins-Vasquez ’21

Mary Elisabeth Kitundu ’26

Karen Martin-Schramm

Katie Schweinefus

Rachel (Schutte) Vsetecka ’09

Luther College Photo Bureau

Luther magazine feedback, inquiries, and ideas may be sent to the Editor, Luther Magazine, Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 521011045; magazine@luther.edu; phone (563) 387-1483

Class Notes submissions, changes of address, and alumni news may be sent to the Alumni Office, Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045; alumni@luther.edu; (800) 225-8664; (800) 2 ALUMNI.

Find us online at luther.edu/ magazine.

6

Serving Iowa

Two state-level appointments put Norse at the center of impactful organizations.

7

Building ethical futures

A new Paideia 450 course takes students to Norway for a look at how design reflects values.

Emily Frett ’22 (back row, center) spent two months at sea as a researcher in understudied Antarctic waters. Read more on page 16.

Cover: Nick Greseth ’23 took this photo of Tala Nengola ’23 (left) and Grace Whiting ’23 outside of the National Gallery in London. Tala and Grace, who were first-year roommates, couldn’t resist the chance to meet up while Tala was on Luther’s Nottingham Year and Grace and Nick were on Luther’s Malta Semester.

11

A wide world

Study-away photos show why global learning is foundational for so many Luther students.

LET’S STAY IN TOUCH

It hasn’t been easy asking Luther alumni to give up their @ luther.edu email accounts. Thank you for understanding that Google’s decision to stop offering unlimited file storage to colleges and universities gave us no other option. In the past year, most of you have transitioned to an @ alumni. luther.edu  or another email account and have given us your new contact info. If you haven’t yet done so, please send us your new email address so you continue to receive college updates and information about class reunions, events in your area, and other alumni news. You can email alumni@luther.edu or call 563-387-1164.

Luther Football quarterback Beau Cornwell ’24 (left) and receiver Andre Atkins ’23 celebrate outside the Norse Awards on April 17.

Luther’s

IMPACT IS GLOBAL

Dear Luther Community,

This year, US News and World Report ranked Luther number two in the nation for the percentage of students who study abroad. It’s a distinction we’re proud of, but it’s not a surprise. Global study has become foundational to so many Luther students over many generations. On Facebook, Martha (Gesme) Nielsen ’79 commented about her Malta Semester nearly 50 years ago, “That experience changed the trajectory of my life and expanded my view of the world, as it should!”

Hannah Hoffmann ’23, one of the students featured in this year’s study-away photo essay, also participated in the Malta Semester. She says it “opened my

eyes to the beauty of being the new face at the table and taking a humble posture when learning from others about their cultures, lives, and traditions.”

We hear again and again from Luther grads who have felt the deep impact of global study. It’s influenced career choice and philanthropy. It’s opened up new passions and interests. It’s developed new trajectories and perspectives.

Critically, our alumni take these new perspectives—and the broader Luther values they’ve adopted—to their future work. From developing culturally supportive housing for Native Americans, like Mike Goze ’75, to influencing planetary health through the United Nations, like Nancy Groves ’96. Another Luther graduate you’ll read about in this issue is Blake Potthoff ’14, director of the Fairmont Opera House in Minnesota. About his Luther experience, he says, “The lens of service, giving back to

the community, and supporting others was important to me. That was a culture I felt at home in.”

Wherever Luther grads find themselves in the world, they carry Luther culture with them. It’s something they feel at home in. It’s foundational.

As you peruse the pages of this issue of our magazine, I hope you will remember the way in which you, too, have continued to be formed by Luther connections and the values that this community lives by. This ethos spreads through your own sphere of influence, and helps us live out our mission to serve the common good, daily, and around the globe.

Grace Whiting ’23 sent in this photo of students on the Malta Semester waving from their apartments in Sliema.

Soli Deo Gloria, Jenifer K. Ward

WHEREVER LUTHER GRADS FIND THEMSELVES IN THE WORLD, THEY CARRY LUTHER CULTURE WITH THEM.”

President Jenifer K. Ward

GENEROUS GIVING

Several generous donors are assisting Luther’s effort to make high-quality education accessible to all students. Recent gifts totaling $4.5 million will increase access and expand learning experiences.

Scholarships for students with high financial need

Bob ’68 and Dell Ann (Kappus) Sathe ’68 pledged $1 million to the Robert and Dell Ann Sathe Scholars Endowments. The funds, which can also be applied to study abroad and applied learning opportunities, will help qualified, underrepresented students with demonstrated financial need.

An estate gift from Audrey Niemann of nearly $850,000 will create the endowed Audrey Niemann Scholarship Fund, which will also benefit qualified students with demonstrated financial need.

New Peace Fellows Program

Lynne Sootheran and Kent Simmonds, emeritus professor of philosophy, gave the college $600,000 to establish the Lynne Sootheran and Kent Simmonds Endowment for Peace. The endowment will support a new Peace Fellows Program, which will provide fellows with funding to complete a project that addresses peace in any discipline of study.

Scholarships for future educators and student musicians

Barbara Lueder ’70 pledged $50,000 to create the Barbara Lueder Scholarship to support students who major in education or participate in music. An additional estate gift of $2 million has been designated to the scholarship’s endowment.

FACULTY PROMOTIONS

At its February meeting, the Board of Regents announced promotion to full professor for Heather Armstrong, music; Sean Burke, religion; and Maryna Nading, anthropology. The board also promoted Nicholas Shaneyfelt, music, to associate professor.

JOY TLOU MEMORIAL AWARD

Congratulations to Mychal Shed ’23, recipient of the inaugural Joy Tlou Memorial Award!

The new award at Luther was established by Hla Tlou in memory of her brother, Bonolo Joy Tlou ’86. It is awarded to students whose character, leadership, and participation in the campus community enhance the quality of campus life and encourage a “community of joy.”

Shed is a psychology major from Teague, Texas. He is captain of the Luther men’s basketball team, president of the Black Student Union, and member of Luther’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. He works in the Admissions Office as a lead student ambassador and is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization.

In reflecting on the award, Shed says, “There is a quote that states, ‘Happiness requires happy circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, sticks around. It doesn’t get chased off by trouble.’ My joy sticks around because it’s bigger than me. I have a very simple, yet meaningful ‘joy triune’: my faith, my family, and my passion in life, which is serving others.”

This fall, Shed will begin graduate school at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.

TED xLutherCollege

In March, Luther students put together another inspiring TedxLutherCollege event, its first in four years. The conference, which carried the theme The Great Unveil, was completely organized and run by Luther student volunteers, with Souksakhone Sengsaisouk ’23 as head organizer.

Speakers William Tuchtenhagen ’23, Laura Meihofer, professor of biology Jodi Enos-Berlage, Brittany (Buczek) Todd ’10, and Cole Blalock delivered compelling talks on everything from the role of bacteria and women in solving the soil crisis to “Truth through the Lens of a Liar” and “How Scaling Back Can Launch You Forward.”

Mychal Shed ’23 receives the inaugural Joy Tlou Memorial Award in the company of (left to right), his father, stepfather, and mother.

MODEL STUDENTS

Four Luther students earned Exceptional Representation Awards at the annual American Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference. Each year, students from 95 schools across the country gather in Chicago for the conference, which simulates the UN General Assembly. Each school team is assigned a country to represent and students act as ambassadors, debating topics such as climate action, global health, and security.

Due to increased participation, this year the Luther Model UN team was assigned two countries: Albania and Serbia. Luther’s 22 participating students were divided into committees, and within those, Exceptional Representation Awards were given to Hannah Hoffmann ’23 and Jackson Geadelmann ’23 for exceptional representation of Albania on the Security Council and Cassandra Norton ’24 and Verena

Mueller-Baltes ’26 for exceptional representation of Albania on the Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization Executive Board.

“Model UN is such a great experience to take what we learn in class and apply it at different conferences,” Geadelmann says, adding that it’s “helped me develop a better understanding of my course material, develop diplomacy and advocacy skills, and become better at collaborating with others to reach a consensus.”

PROUD TO SERVE IOWA

Two members of the Luther campus community have been tapped for state-level appointments.

Luther student Kaylee Martin ’23 (left) and staff member Felecia DeJong ’11 (right) have been appointed to state-level positions—Martin to the board of the Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and DeJong to Governor Kim Reynolds’s Empower Rural Iowa Task Force.

Statewide impact

Martin, a social work major, originally wanted to practice as a therapist or counselor, but courses with Professor Susan Schmidt opened her up to the value of working at a macro level. Last spring, she was elected to the Iowa Chapter of the NASW Board of Directors.

As the bachelor of social work student representative, Martin attends board meetings and offers the student perspective. She also runs a new student subcommittee of the NASW for which she sets agendas and runs monthly meetings. She recently helped one of her members develop a mentorship program that will pair a current or retired Iowa social worker with a current college student.

“It’s an opportunity to network,” she says. “At some schools across the state, the faculty aren’t as close with the students as they are at Luther. So this would give students the opportunity to have somebody to talk to and ask for professional advice.”

Martin hopes to start a graduate program at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, in the spring of 2024. She wants to work from a systems level to help children in foster care or the juvenile system, and she’d love to serve on a statewide board again.

“I’m involved at Luther, but this was on a different level,” she says. “This was statewide, and the NASW can really make impacts. I feel very proud to be a part of a board that has the ability to do that.”

Investing in rural communities

DeJong, assistant director of Luther’s Center for Intercultural Engagement and Support (CIES), was appointed last fall to a two-year term on the Empower Rural Iowa Task Force. As part of its GROW team, she focuses on leadership development, creating welcoming communities, and attracting and retaining residents and workers.

DeJong comes to the position having served as community developer for the city of Postville, Iowa, where she received a Rural Innovation Grant—from Empower Rural Iowa—for her work leading a Community Heart and Soul program there.

In her role on the GROW team, DeJong is a connector, listening to what’s going on in her assigned areas of the state, brainstorming solutions to problems, and connecting people, projects, and funding with other people, projects, and funding. “I love being a part of something that addresses topics that are impacting so many of our communities,” she says.

“I’ve seen some great things come out of this work,” she continues. “Money is going to good projects that are genuinely being invested back into our small communities. It’s really helping our communities do things—it isn’t just for show. I’m proud to be a part of that.”

Building ETHICAL FUTURES

by Kate Frentzel

Snøhetta, a world-renowned architecture firm, is enhancing the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah (mockup at left). The project inspired a Paideia 111 unit, which inspired a brand-new study-away course in Norway. Photo courtesy of Snøhetta.

This spring, US News and World Report ranked Luther number two in the nation for the percentage of students who study abroad. Our students choose to learn off-campus in such great numbers in part because they adopt the Luther ethos of global citizenship. They also learn off-campus because we offer some incredible study-away courses.

Case-in-point: Building Ethical Futures through Architecture, Design, and Narrative in Norway, a brand-new Paideia 450 course that professors Andy Hageman (English) and Maren Johnson (Nordic studies) offered over J-Term 2023.

The thoughtful, high-impact course asked students to think about how the design of buildings and systems reflects the values and ethics of a place.

Funny enough, this farflung course began hyperlocally, with a world-renowned architecture firm putting down roots in Decorah.

A GLOBAL PRESENCE IN DECORAH

Snøhetta is responsible for dozens of heavy-hitting projects around the world: opera houses in Shanghai, Oslo, and Busan; libraries in Beijing, Calgary, and Alexandria; the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion and Times Square in New York; and soon the Vesterheim Commons in Decorah, Iowa.

Hageman says, “We’re seeing a globally significant architecture/design firm that started from humble roots, doing things in their own, very innovative way. And they’re going to help change the landscape of Decorah and downtown.”

Plans for the visionary 7,600-square-foot Vesterheim Commons project began in 2018. Johnson, the Luther representative to Vesterheim’s Board of Trustees, remembers being struck by Snøhetta’s inclusive,

A brand-new study-away course with roots in Decorah teaches students that design reflects values—and that positive change is possible.

collaborative, ethics-based approach to design—and the fact that it started with values. “Built spaces can help us shape the way we tell a story and invite more voices into the conversation,” she says. “In this redesign, we started with the value of the immigrant story. Narrative is a value for the museum, and it’s important for Vesterheim to put the immigrant story and the immigrant experience at the forefront.”

The Vesterheim project inspired Hageman to include a unit about it in the first-year Paideia 111 course in the fall of 2020 and 2021. “It’s really where we welcome students to the liberal arts, which I think of more as a welcome to interdisciplinary studies,” he says. “It got students to think about architecture and design as embodied values, as this intersection of fields. With Snøhetta, we thought about how you’ve got people who do physics and engineering and people who have to understand economics and accounting as they look at their budgets, and then aesthetics, art, design. What narrative does a building tell? And issues of diversity, equity and inclusion—how do we design better with those principles in mind?”

He also lifted Snøhetta up as a model of cooperation and teamwork. “Paideia means learning in community. And part of that is starting out at Luther and realizing that what you’re doing here is not just producing individual papers and analyses,” he says.

LEARNING IN PARLIAMENT

The Paideia 450 course in Norway took three years of planning. When it was offered last J-Term, students jumped at the chance to take their Luther learning full circle—23 out of 24 of them had taken the Snøhetta unit in Paideia 111. “They thought this would be a really interesting way to do their ethics capstone with something that was meaningful to them,” Hageman says.

The group’s tour of Norwegian parliament is a powerful example of how design can reflect—and maybe even encourage—societal values. The Norwegian parliament building is surrounded by a waisthigh gate, which visitors can open themselves

Luther students visited Norwegian parliament, where two parliamentarians talked with them about shared values and how the building design facilitates debate and discussion. Photo courtesy of Leah Crown ’23.

While the course used Snøhetta as a jumping-off point, Johnson says, “The focus became Scandinavia and design—not just physical spaces, but societal and community design and how alternate models of life and society offer different opportunities and challenges.”

Students on the course visited the Oslo office of Snøhetta. Almost all of them had learned about the firm as first-years. Now, they were able to take their learning to the source during their Paideia 450 ethics capstone.

before walking directly to the front door. The Luther group was met by two parliamentarians who represented opposite ends of the spectrum of Norway’s nine political parties. Hageman recalls them saying, “‘We’re going to talk for about half an hour about all the shared values that we have and what we want to accomplish together. Then we’ll take a little time to talk to you about how we disagree on how to get there.’ Then they walked us through things like: how do we together, as opposites, share a sense of health care as a human right, education as a human right, child care as a human right?”

Because Norway has so many political parties, everything has to be done as a parliament, as coalitions, and so its approach to government is a collaborative one.

The parliamentarians took the group down to the main chamber and talked about its design and how it facilitates debate and discussion. They pointed out that if you look out the window where they all sit, you can see up to the palace. They described how that monument to the history of monarchy plays into their ideas of power dynamics, parliament, and democracy.

“There was this openness and this idea that these are sacred spaces where the laws of the country are made, but it’s very possible for everyone to access them,” Johnson says. “There’s this perception there that public institutions like the government are for people.”

Hageman says, “Design and architecture—students understand that, but the narrative part was a little tricky. But that day—that day I think it clicked.”

TAKING THINGS FULL CIRCLE

The course took students through a diverse, highimpact itinerary. They toured the Edvard Munch museum, where groups of students started at different points in the space and moved through it in different ways, so they all got different narratives of it. They also toured the Nordic Black Theatre, a small independent theatre that stages shows largely written, directed, and acted by people of color. The recent immigrant stories they staged tied back to Versterheim’s focus on immigrant stories in Decorah.

The group visited Hans Brattskar ’79, special envoy of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, who is leading a multinational, multibillion-dollar project to combat deforestation of rainforest. They took a few classes at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. They visited a high school for top athletes in western Oslo. And, of course, they visited the Oslo office of Snøhetta, the architecture and design firm that inspired the entire course.

“Snøhetta was one of my favorite units in Paideia 111,” says Jared Penshorn ’23. “I remember admiring their unique architecture styles and the scale of their buildings. More importantly, I remember being fascinated by their visions. They were attempting to overhaul traditional architecture by being environmentally conscious with materials and reusing as many buildings as possible. They wanted to redesign old places more than design new spaces. As a young environmental science major, these ideas were inspiring to me.”

Photo courtesy of Andy Hageman.

About his visit to Snøhetta’s Oslo office, Penshorn says, “I was finally able to see all these concepts and visions with my own eyes. Their buildings are grand and impressive, but I kept marveling at ways they incorporated passive solar heat and local sourcing into their designs. I found Snøhetta to be exactly as I had learned: a firm that’s looking toward the future and reimagining what’s possible in the spaces around them.”

TIME TO REIMAGINE

Principles of design, architecture, and narrative—or DAN, as the group affectionately called it—were the cornerstone of the course. But, as with any Luther study-away course, the lessons students learned extended well beyond academics.

Johnson remembers a trying first day of travel during which the whole group lost its luggage. On the high-speed train from the airport to central Oslo, the announcement came on: The doors are closing. Please sit down. We’re headed to central Oslo. Our trip will take about 20 minutes. Two of the students started crying. When Johnson checked in with them, they explained, “It has absolutely nothing to do with

logistics—it has everything to do with the fact that we realize it matters for us to learn language because we understand. We understand.” They’d studied Norwegian at Luther, and now they saw the value of having learned a language, of understanding how to navigate in a foreign city. It was profound.

Liska recalls Johnson saying that the trip was meant to show them that the world isn’t a scary place—an idea he took to heart. “Our world doesn’t have to be the overwhelmingly depressing, hopeless, and fearful place it’s often made out to be,” he says. “Rather, it’s time for us to reimagine and create the world we want to see.” He developed a new mantra to remind himself of this: to pivot is to trust. He says, “It’s a phrase to remind us that change is possible so long as there is trust in ourselves and each other.”

Anthropology major Sam Liska ’23 left the course with a brand-new outlook. “As a class, we reflected a lot about what it means to be a student and, more importantly, a young adult in this day and age,” he says.

A group of students attended an opera at the Snøhettadesigned National Opera and Ballet, which they studied as first-years in their Paideia 111 course. Photo courtesy of Andy Hageman.

World

Music major Britta Elsbernd ’25 (center) spent January on Symphony Orchestra’s Vienna Residency. In between music practice and performing in worldclass venues, she found time to sightsee with Lily McGohan ’24 (left) and Rob Clower ’23. Here, they stand in front of Belvedere Palace, once the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy. It now functions as an art museum and houses the most famous work of Gustav Klimt, whom the group studied.

Grace McIlrath ’25, an anthropology and Nordic studies double major, spent J-Term on Luther’s English Monsters course. She says, “The ruins of Rievaulx Abbey are situated up north in Yorkshire. This photo came to be after a week of city life, a train ride, and too long of a bus ride. We were given a moment to explore the ruins of the historical abbey, which did wonders for our constitution. No wonder doctors of the past prescribed country air for ailments.”

Rose Sieve ’23, a mathematics/statistics and Spanish double major, studied in Salamanca, Spain, last spring. It was her first time outside the US. She says, “It was amazing to step out of my comfort zone and learn about a completely new culture.” She took this photo in the gardens of the Alcazár of Sevilla, an ancient palace combining Moorish and Christian architecture. “There was so much history in the palace,” she says, “reflecting the variety of people who lived there.”

International studies major Hannah Hoffmann ’23 studied in Malta last spring. She took the opportunity to travel widely, from Amsterdam to Greece to Italy, France, and Spain. She took this photo of the river from Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia. “Studying abroad changed the way I see the world,” she says. “It opened my eyes to the beauty of being the new face at the table and taking a humble posture when learning from others about their cultures, lives, and traditions.”

This year, US News and World Report ranked Luther number two in the nation for the percentage of students who study abroad.

Visual communication major Lauren Schroeder ’23 took this photo of colorful Norwegian buildings in Trondheim, Norway. She spent J-Term on a brand-new Paideia 450 course, Building Ethical Futures through Architecture, Design, and Narrative in Norway.

Psychology major Ethan Bellendier ’23 spent J-Term on Luther’s English Monsters course. He took this photo from Millenium Bridge in London. “During my time in England,” he says, “I felt I was able to learn more than I ever have. Being able to experience a place with such a deep history really helped me to understand more about the world. Traveling abroad, even for just J-Term, helped me to grow a lot as a person.”

Abigail Slininger ’24, an allied health sciences/ exercise science major, participated in Luther’s Religion 220 course, Experiencing Mahayana Buddhism in Japan, where she took this photo of the Great Buddha of Kamakura.

Nick Greseth ’23, a visual communication and sociology double major—and top-notch Luther Photo Bureau photographer—spent last spring on Luther’s Malta Semester. He took this shot of Grace Whiting ’23 in Ronda, Spain. His experience in Malta and the many other countries he visited during his time abroad, he says, “prompted me to challenge and reflect on my own identity in the context of different cultures and places.”

Global health major Lexi Hastings ’23 participated in Luther’s Honduran course, Ethical Engagement in Postcolonial Roatan. The nursing and global health students on the course interned at Clinica Esperanza and also found time for recreation, like hiking and ziplining.

Sociology major John Hottinger ’23 spent J-Term in Tanzania on the Paideia 450 course People and Parks: Pastoralism and Conservation in East Africa, where he took this photo of a Maasai goat herd. He says, “The biggest takeaway from my time in Tanzania was the intercultural dialogue—having conversations with people whose lives have been radically different from my own was a powerful experience, and I’m incredibly grateful for the unique opportunities that came as a result of Luther’s long-standing friendships with the communities that we visited.”

In 2021, 82 percent of Luther seniors reported studying abroad.

Biology and art double major Rachel Heinrich ’24 spent J-Term on the Paideia 450 course Islam in Europe, which traveled to Berlin, Amsterdam, London, and Nottingham. “This is an image of me having one of the best days of my life!” she says. “I am feeding a flock of pigeons in a London plaza. I wanted to remember this moment when I was surrounded by wild birds—I felt like a real-life Snow White!”

Global health major Allegra Garcia ’23 spent January on a program in India, where she visited a fort in Jaipur, wearing a traditional Rajasthan-style scarf. She says, “Studying abroad was this amazing opportunity to challenge myself and embrace the many cultures I experienced in India. I learned about the health care system and the intersection of faith and health both in the rural and urban setting.”

Visual communication major NaviaAyauna Erbst ’23 spent J-Term on Luther’s Tourism Ethnography in Hawai’i course. She took this photo from the summit of Pu’u Kalepeamua, an elevation of 9,487 feet. She says, “Up here the wind was strong enough that my classmates could feel themselves being held up by it, an interesting notion and enough reason for me to take this photo!”

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, last year, Luther students received more than $200,000 in donor-funded study-away scholarships.

Research

AT THE END OF THE EARTH

Chemistry major Emily Frett ’22 adds “Antarctic researcher” to her resume.

Last winter, Emily Frett ’22 got the opportunity of a lifetime when she joined a two-month research cruise to the Antarctic, an area few researchers ever get to visit. A grad student in the Department of Ocean and Earth Sciences at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., Frett researches dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) in the ocean. DOS is an important but understudied element for helping build a better picture of marine and climate processes.

Frett’s trip was led by GEOTRACES, an international effort to track trace elements in the ocean in response to changing environmental conditions. It was the perfect opportunity for Frett to take her science out of the lab and into the field—but it didn’t come without risk.

The dots on the map above show the intended sampling stations for Frett’s cruise. One in the Antarctic circle was canceled because of ice cover, which had to remain below 10 percent for the stop to be considered safe.

Frett (far right) and her cohort stand in front of the instrument they deployed to collect water samples.

CONDUCTING SCIENCE IN BIG WAVES

The waves in Antarctica are legendary. Because there are no landmasses to break up the wind, waves that far south build quickly and intensely, giving rise to nicknames based on southern latitude: the Roaring 40s, Furious 50s, and Screaming 60s.

Frett says that the waves were indeed a battle. Some of her cruisemates were seasick for a month. Luckily, she has a tough stomach, but sample collection was tricky. As a super tech whose role was to collect and preserve samples, Frett says, “There was a lot of balancing safety with this drive for science, and then trying to figure out where the boundary is—how far are we going to push it?”

Another challenge was the pace of the science. Frett’s cruise collected samples from 39 sites not only for the researchers on board but also for labs across the country. The breakneck pace meant that sample collection happened around the clock. “We had so much science planned,” Frett says. “We were nonstop. At any given time, we had

a bunch of different instruments going. We would drop in our rosette to collect the water samples and as soon as that came up, there was another one going in just a couple feet away. As soon as that was up, we would put something else in. And once all that was done, we’d leave for the next site.”

BUILDING A PICTURE OF OCEAN CYCLING

Back at the ODU lab, Frett is analyzing her samples to build a profile of how DOS shows up in the water column (the vertical profile of ocean water). “It’s an important element to study because it has to do with trace metal cycling in the ocean—it can bind to different trace metals and help them stay in the water column or let them fall out,” she says. Now that she’s back on dry ground, the impact of the trip has really hit her. “This is what I really wanted,” she says, “to study the ocean, to travel the world, to look at the different ways geography and geology and chemistry come together.”

—Kate Frentzel

In her research, Frett primarily uses two instruments: an ion chromatograph and a gas chromatograph. She credits Luther with building her comfort level with them.

“Something that’s really unique about the Luther chemistry program is the amount of instruments we got time on,” she says.

“When I was applying to grad schools, I made sure to highlight that. And even now, having had the Instrumental Methods Lab really helped me figure out the instruments that I’ve been using in this work.”

Right: Frett (in blue) and her fellow researchers retrieved the sampling instrument from deployment using yellow poles to grab onto the sides of the instrument to stabilize it as they pulled it up.

Left: Frett’s team collected water samples from the surface of Antarctic waters to as deep as 5,000 meters. After collection, they brought the samples into a lab van, where they pressurized and filtered them before sending them to labs across the country or using them for their own research.

Culturally MEANINGFUL HOUSING SOLUTIONS

Mike Goze’s innovative, compassionate work in supportive housing for Native Americans in Minneapolis sets a national example.

Mike Goze ’75 has a T-shirt that reads, “Native Americans were never homeless before 1492.” It speaks volumes about our complicated history in the US, and it has special significance to Goze because of his work to help people of indigenous descent who experience homelessness.

Goze, who studied sociology and speech at Luther, is chief executive officer of the American Indian Community Development Corporation (AICDC) based in Minneapolis. For the last 15 years, his work has helped put AICDC on the map, setting an example of supportive and affordable housing solutions that strengthen Native American communities.

AICDC’s Anishinabe Campus demonstrates this innovative, culturally specific approach. It’s a threeresidence supportive affordable housing development serving primarily Native American clients. Residents have access to cultural ceremonies and a community sweat lodge, and the staff are mostly Native American.

In addition to the 117-bed Anishinabe Campus, AICDC has six other permanent supportive housing residences, comprising 88 units, as well as permanent supportive housing for elders and families. It also offers withdrawal-management and other services.

“Our clients today are so much more complex than they were even five or 10 years ago,” Goze says. “They’ve experienced so many different levels of trauma. We have a lot of tension regarding race and racism, and the disparities among white and cultural communities have gotten wider.”

Goze—who is of the Ho-Chunk tribe in Wisconsin and whose career has spanned management, real estate, legislative work, and more—has a special passion for housing solutions.

“The homeless piece has always been a focus of mine, having a number of relatives who’ve had periods of homelessness and despair. Seeing some of them get better and have a productive life really gives me the strength to keep doing the work, which can sometimes be very daunting,” he says.

“I’ve even built battleships a time or two,” he says with a laugh. “There has to be a level of fight in all of us to accomplish the things we want to accomplish.”

And he’s accomplished a lot. He oversaw the expansion of AICDC and stretched its influence to reach other supportive housing organizations across the country. During the pandemic alone, AICDC provided services to more than 11,600 homeless individuals. In August 2020, AICDC raised $7.7 million to establish Homeward Bound Temporary Living Facility, a 50-bed, 24-hour emergency shelter—the region’s first homeless shelter targeted to Native Americans.

“I see light at the end of the tunnel. Is it a long tunnel? Yeah, it is. But I have seen enough progress to believe that, given opportunities and resources, we can make a difference,” Goze says.

At the end of the day, his primary measure of success is how he treats people. Goze says, “I try to leave places better than when I got there. The same goes for the people I meet. I try to support people in a way that makes them feel better about themselves.”

—Kelli Billstein

Goze’s work relies on relationship-building, and he’s a self-proclaimed “builder of ships”— friendships, relationships, partnerships.

’07

Planetary health

THROUGH DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

As chief of digital strategy for the United Nations’ Environment Programme, Nancy Groves ’96 helps shape a global story of hope for planetary health.

From her office in Nairobi, Kenya, Nancy Groves ’96 keeps her finger on the pulse of environmental news and policy around the world. As chief of digital strategy for the United Nations’ Environment Programme, she directs strategy and guides communications, sharing information on environmental issues within the United Nations system. Groves has held this high-profile role for the last four years.

“It’s the kind of job where, whether you’re working on the news team, the website, or social media, you have to work 24/7,” Groves says. “I don’t think any of us have the work/life balance we’d like, but we’re able to keep going because we really do care about the work.”

Groves has been at the UN for nearly 20 years, holding roles from associate librarian to head of social media. Now she leads five teams across social media, web, and news/ media, ensuring cutting-edge industry practices and technology. The social media arm of that work is near and dear to her, as she helped to establish the UN’s social media presence, which today is disseminated in eight languages and boasts a following of more than 65 million.

“We use our channels to persuade people and their representatives to make good decisions, like joining a treaty, making sound energy policy

decisions, or promoting better ways to handle waste. We also use our channels to get people to use their voices to then push those who have the power to make the right change with the right facts,” she says.

Groves spends much of her time thinking about the “triple planetary crisis”: climate; nature and biodiversity loss; and chemicals, pollution, and waste. In this, she’s rooted in a world of digital diplomacy, which, in her eyes, translates to leaders and negotiators coming together to tell a joint story and to influence change for the good of humankind.

The biggest thing on her plate right now is supporting the recently adopted Global Framework for Biodiversity, a collective effort from the UN’s member states. The framework is vast in scope, taking into account the public sector, private companies, consumers, and more. It will serve as a foundation for innovative environmental change and sustainability goals spanning food systems, natural resources, trees, clean water, and more.

In this effort, Groves draws hope from last year’s multinational agreement to start the process of drafting a treaty on plastic pollution. “This will be groundbreaking because we’ve filled up our oceans with plastics and there’s no place for it to go,” she says.

It’s Groves’s job to make sure the world hears an accurate story and has all the right information to move forward. “People seem to want to come to an agreement. That’s really going to be over the next two years. It’ll be a part of making history. So I’m really excited to see how this plays out and to help support that process.”

“The whole world has to come together and be creative with solutions to this problem.”

—Kelli Billstein ’07

Creating A WELCOMING CULTURE

Executive director Blake Potthoff ’14 brings Luther values to the Fairmont Opera House.

everyone. That’s what I do now. I go the extra mile to provide experiences for the community they may not otherwise receive,” he says.

Potthoff graduated in 2014 with a degree in opera performance and a minor in religious studies. He returned to his hometown, where he worked as the University of Minnesota 4-H program coordinator for Jackson County, in radio sales, and later as a children’s therapeutic skills and support counselor.

nity, people travel from as far as 60 miles away to see performances. Potthoff believes that having a space like the FOH provides a strong sense of community and culture for the rural area.

“That’s the impact of a theatre like ours. We’re bringing entertainment that’s community-supported through donors, sponsors, and granting organizations to keep it accessible so we can give people cultural experiences,” he said.

A native of the Fairmont area of south central Minnesota, Blake Potthoff ’14 felt immediately at home during his high school visit to Luther. When he learned he could continue his football career while majoring in music, he was sold on the Luther experience.

“I was accepted for who I was. I was a kid from rural Minnesota who didn’t think I belonged at a place as prestigious as Luther College, but I was repeatedly shown by everyone here that I was a part of the family, and this place felt like home. People at Luther are willing to go the extra mile for

A performer at heart, Potthoff had been involved in community theater for over a decade when a welltimed Facebook message changed his life. He was asked to unload equipment for a magic show at the Fairmont Opera House (FOH). By the end of the night, he was acting as stage manager. From there, he progressed to technical director and interim executive director. He was officially named executive director in December 2016.

Potthoff has been recognized throughout the region for his impact on the arts, including as an inaugural member of the Martin County 4 Under 40 Award and appointments to the Minnesota Presenters Network Board of Directors (where he served as chair), the Minnesota Theater Alliance Board of Directors, and several other state and regional organizations.

With 15–20 traveling shows and 30–50 total events staged at the FOH and throughout the commu-

Potthoff credits his broad Luther experience with providing the framework to succeed at his dream position. “Some things I found special about Luther were the people, the connections, and the friendships I made,” he says. “The lens of service, giving back to the community, and supporting others was important to me. That was a culture I felt at home in.”

—Jennifer Achenbach

“People can see things they might not otherwise see, and it’s right here in our back yard. We bring people together regardless of background. Once you’re through the doors of the Opera House, we’re all the same. That’s special to me.”

Thank you!

ON GIVING DAY, 1,800+ FRIENDS GAVE $1,100,901 TO THE LUTHER FUND IN SUPPORT OF STUDENTS!

“I love being on campus on Giving Day. It’s great to see people coming together from all over the country, and all aspects of the Luther experience, to support students and this place.

Athletes, musicians, people who studied abroad, and alumni who love Decorah and appreciate their time on campus all give back and make my own Luther experience possible.

That sense of gratitude becomes a big part of the environment on campus and reminds me that I’m grateful to be here too. Thank you for a great Giving Day!”

SUMMER PROGRAMMING AT LUTHER

Immerse yourself in learning about Nordic culture on the Luther campus July 25–27, and extend your stay to take in Decorah’s famous Nordic Fest, held July 27–29.

Luther’s Nordic Studies Institute consists of short courses and other activities that highlight various aspects of Nordic culture, including music, food, the arts, and the outdoor environment.

MORE INFO at  luther.edu/alumni-friends/ events/nordic-studies-institute.

DORIAN ALL BAND REUNION

June 30–July 2, 2023

Luther College campus

Whether you played in Concert Band, Varsity Band, Wind and Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Band, or whatever the band was called, rally your classmates and friends, practice your instrument, and mark your calendars for June 30–July 2, 2023, for a fun and fulfilling weekend in Decorah!

MORE INFO at  luther.edu/music/festivals-camps/ adult-dorian-retreats.

ERIC HEAD ’23

Class Notes

by Mary Elisabeth Kitundu ’26

’58 Janet (Block) Jarmes

’58 of New Berlin, Wis., retired after 20 years as 1st Congressional District coordinator for Project Citizen. Prior to this, she taught in Ossian and Cresco, Iowa, and was a full-time substitute teacher in the South Milwaukee School District. Jack Jarmes ’61 retired after 27 years as Wisconsin state coordinator for We the People: Project Citizen. Between 2005 and 2011 his Wisconsin program partnered with a civic organization in Ecuador and participated in an international program called Civitas. Before this he taught and coached for 34 years in the Portage, Stevens Point, and South Milwaukee School Districts.

’73 Margaret Sherve of Ames, Iowa, is a retired English professor. After retiring, she sold her house, bought an RV, and traveled around the US, volunteering at several state parks along the way. In Ames, she volunteers at the public library, food bank, and clothing closet.

’79

Paul Morlock of South Bend, Ind., is a fellow in the Inspired Leadership Initiative at the University of Notre Dame.

’80

Ray Harney has worked at IBM in Rochester, Minn., for 42 years. Currently, he is managing the Quantum Control System for IBM Quantum Computers. The project was the subject of a February “Quantum Leap” cover story in Time magazine.

’83

Kevin Hartman of Lakeville, Minn., is a senior strategy and planning consultant at Wells Fargo.

John Johnson of Chicago, Ill., is the national head of distribution and account management for dental, vision, and voluntary businesses for CVS Health/ Aetna.

Caryn Zange (Eittreim) Josephson of Lino Lakes, Minn., is a digital product manager at MOBE.

’85 Joy Schroeder published Voices Long Silenced: Women Biblical Interpreters through the Centuries. She is professor of church history at Trinity Lutheran Seminary and the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Spouse John Birkner ’83 is pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Ohio.

Daniel Streeper is lead pastor for Redeemer Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake, Minn. He and daughter Anna Streeper ’18 sing in the National Lutheran Choir based in the Twin Cities.

’87 Kristin Elliott is the medical director of WeARE The Clinic, Advocates for Reproductive Health in Brainerd, Minn., providing reproductive health care and education to underserved and uninsured/underinsured members of the region.

’88

Joe McArthur of Kent, Wash., retired in December 2022 after 26 years in federal law enforcement. He was with the Immigration and Naturalization Service within the Department of Justice and US Customs and Border Protection within the Department of Homeland Security. He was stationed at the port of entry at Calexico, Calif., and was later an enforcement officer under the CBP Field Office in Seattle.

’90 Vanessa (Grima Baldacchino) Frazier serves as permanent representative of Malta to the United Nations. In February, she served as UN Security Council president.

’91

Robert “Bob” Palmer retired from the National Park Service after a 31-year career, most recently as deputy regional chief ranger for the Pacific West Region in San Francisco, Calif. In January, he joined Luther as the director of campus safety and security.

’92 Wendy (Jaycox) Davidson is president and chief executive officer of the Hain Celestial Group, a leading organic and natural products company.

’95 Owen Newman, a partner at Duane Morris, has been appointed co-chair of the International Arbitration Division within its global Trial Practice Group.

Jon Ploetz has been named vice president—general counsel and secretary at Applied Industrial Technologies in Cleveland, Ohio.

’96 The Norwegian government has appointed Suzanne (Roverud) Mineck honorary consul for Iowa and Nebraska. In coordination with the Norwegian embassy, she will serve as the representative for Norway in both states.

Sara (Franzen) Nelson is the new director of the Iowa Space Grant Consortium. The NASAsupported agency is part of Iowa State University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and works to improve and inspire Iowa’s involvement in STEM education.

’97 Heather (Crowell) Langan is senior pastor at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Claremont, N.C.

’98 Pepper (Hagen) Meyer is director of pharmacy at the University of Minnesota—Boynton Health.

’99 Michael Anderson of North Liberty, Iowa, is chief operating officer at Heartland Anesthesia and Consulting.

J.D. Burton has been named vice chancellor for government relations at Washington University in St. Louis.

Nelle (Henry) Tokheim is an elementary school library assistant with the St. Paul, Minn., schools.

’00 Kim (Baker) Herrema of Minnetonka, Minn., is a principal service designer for Providence Health.

Justin Marovec of Shawnee, Kan., has been appointed director, John Deere financial sales, US and Canada.

Jason Smith of Scottsdale, Ariz., is head of the International School of Arizona. He was one of 20 people selected from across the world to participate in a fellowship program hosted by Columbia University.

’01 April Rowe Neal is an assistant professor of nursing at Winona (Minn.) State University.

David Severtson has been called to be associate pastor at First Lutheran Church in Decorah.

’03 Jim Kowitz is the associate director for global ecosystem partner experiential marketing at Ernst and Young. He is also president of the Luther College Alumni Council.

’05 Ann (Jensen) Birney of De Witt, Iowa, is an analyst for benefit configuration and claims solutions for United HealthCare.

Jeff Clemens won the D-3 Allstars + Radio League, a fantasy football league composed of Luther alumni, for the fourth time.

Mike Flaherty has been named a shareholder attorney at Flaherty and Hood in St. Paul, Minn. He joined the firm in 2011.   Ryan Nilsestuen has been appointed by Wisconsin governor Tony Evers as a judge in the Dane County Circuit Court. Since 2019 he has served as chief legal counsel for the Office of the Governor.

Katie (Gorans) Ross of Spicer, Minn., earned an MS in artificial intelligence from Johns Hopkins University and works at Nova-Tech Engineering as a researcher.

David Zelinskas was promoted to commander in the US Navy Reserves in August 2022 and is currently assigned to the 4th Medical Battalion, Marine Logistics Group, Surgical Company Bravo, in Washington, DC. He is a family physician at Madison County Memorial Hospital in Winterset, Iowa.

’07 Pamela (Berg) Hamann is a food service associate in the Burnsville Eagan Savage (Minn.) School District 191.

Adam Loy is an associate professor of statistics at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.

In March, the ELCA hosted all of the associates to the bishop and directors for evangelical mission from across all 65 synods in Minneapolis. A few Luther grads serving in region 5 took the opportunity for a picture. Left to right: Rev. Jenn (Collins) Pockat ’05, Rev. Kristen Corr Rod ’04, Rev. Dara (Stull) Clifford ’07, and Rev. Dione (Miller) Stepanek

Band members Jake Doty ’13 (acoustic guitar, vocals), Austin Lutes-Swenson ’13 (bass, vocals), Dave Swenson ’81 (electric guitar, fiddle, vocals), and Paul Navara ’78 (drums), also known as Jake Doty and the Swensongs, play at venues throughout central Iowa. Photo by Kara

Class of 1980 friends Judy (Odegaard) Hermansson (left) and Connie Biwer Yaqub live an ocean apart—Judy in Sweden and Connie in Pennsylvania—but the pair has met up in Oslo, Norway; Madison, Wis.; Decorah; New York City; and, more recently, Honolulu.

(Hebrink) Swenson ’83.

Jacob Lembezeder ’15 married Kelsie Verhulst last October in Lake Elmo, Minn. Luther alumni who joined the celebration include brother Nick Lembezeder ’21, mom Jennifer (Carlson) Lembezeder ’86, grandfather David Carlson ’63, and many others!

Erin (Jennings) and Jake Halverson ’19 married in June 2022. They join their parents—Sue (Carr) and Doug Jennings ’90 and Tami (Daiker) and Paul Halverson ’92—as Luther College sweethearts. Many Luther alumni gathered to celebrate the happy occasion!

’12

Create your Legacy

TAKE YOUR IRA FOR A SPIN WITH AN IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER!

Make a difference and support Luther's mission with an IRA charitable rollover gift today!

If you are age 70 1/2 or older, you can direct up to $100,000 from your IRA.

• Satisfy some or all of your annual required minimum distribution (age 73 or older).

• Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions.

• Make a gift that is not subject to the deduction limits on charitable gifts.

• Use your rollover to make payments on an existing pledge.

To learn more about how to make an IRA charitable rollover gift, please visit legacygiving.luther.edu or contact Kelly Sorenson at kelly.sorenson@luther.edu or 800.225.8664. We welcome the opportunity to visit with you!

Luther alumni were part of a choir that presented Handel’s Messiah at First English Lutheran Church in Appleton, Wis., in April. Left to right: Merlin Kneisler ’73, Linda (Rosholt) Hash ’85, Doug Moard ’80, Karen (Runningen) Kneisler ’74, Barry Hoff ’83, and Mike Hodges ’69. Linda says, “It was great to sing this work that was so special to all of us from our days at Luther.”

Five Luther alumni perform together as longtime members of the Waukesha (Wis.) Area Symphonic Band. Left to right: Kelsey (Eisenmann) Shook ’06 (11 years, trombone), Rick Grothaus ’83 (15 years, clarinet), Chris (Herseth) Hoefer ’66 (35 years, flute), James Ripley ’81 (5 years, music director), and Dave Magedanz ’83 (38 years, percussion).

Tyler Schwaller is the student equity officer/Title IX coordinator for the Portland (Maine) Public Schools.

’08 Ryan Fordice is a chaplain and spiritual counselor at Unity Hospice and Palliative Care of Chicagoland.

Ethan Grev of Chaska, Minn., is a business operations principal for Allianz Life.

Elise (Hoehn) and Clayton Ward live in LeClaire, Iowa, on their hobby farm with their four children, fulfilling a community need as a state-licensed foster family. Elise is a preK–6th grade visual arts instructor in the North Scott School District and founder of Fostering Crossroads, a nonprofit providing resources and support for Scott County foster families. Clayton is a regional director for Dial Senior Living and a Disney travel agent.

Carl Westphal of Washington, DC, is deputy director, international monetary policy, at the US Department of the Treasury.

’09 Colton Long, an attorney in the Chicago office of Littler, an employment and labor law practice, has been elevated to shareholder.

Darin Monroe, head softball coach at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Ill., captured his 500th career win. Currently in his 12th season, Darin has a career record of 500-98 (.836). In 2022, Rock Valley became the first softball program in history to win eight consecutive national championships.

’10 Maria Carr of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a hormone therapy program director and clinician at Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania.

Jenny (Fischer) Kittleson of Austin, Minn., is an office assistant for Predictive Technologies.

’11 Molly Anderson of Minneapolis, Minn., works in administration and sales at MUkitchen.

Libby (Dahms) Brunner of Appleton, Wis., is a business analyst II at SECURA Insurance.

Amy Dorman is a researcher at the University of Minnesota Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare.

Katherine (McDonald) Sutherland of Lincoln, R.I, is a biology/ human physiology teacher at Rocky Hill Country Day School.  Collin Thompson of Albion, Maine, is a research farm manager for Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

’12 Ariana Cervantes, store manager for Decorah’s Hy-Vee, has been named board president for the town’s 56th annual Nordic Fest. This is the first time a person of color has served in this role for the nonprofit.

Jake Wittman of Minneapolis, Minn. is a biostatistician/GIS analyst for Cyberdata Technologies.

’13 Molly (Ford) Becker of Des Moines, Iowa, is a recruiting supervisor at Rasmussen Group.  Haley Clark-Simmons is a teacher in the Davenport (Iowa) Community School District.   Emily (Jacobsen) Freeman of North Liberty, Iowa, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Mercy Pediatric Clinic.

Shari Huber of Bettendorf, Iowa, is a senior physical therapist and solutions architect at Rock Valley Physical Therapy.

Maxwell Lafontant of Minneapolis, Minn., is a software engineer at Longevity Holdings.

Hannah (Buehler) Lee-Brown of Long Island City, N.Y., has received the 2023 AMCP Experiential Education Preceptor Award. Given by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, the award honors individuals making a significant contribution in the field.

Lauren (Stokke) and Andrew Papke-Larson ’12 live in Duluth, Minn. Lauren is a pediatric occupational therapist at Essentia Health. Andrew is a landscape architect with Barr Engineering.

Steve Ramsey is a wardrobe consultant at Backroom Clothing in Des Moines, Iowa.

Melanie (Grangaard) Smith of Minturn, Colo., is a development manager at Eagle River Watershed Council.

Sarah Thell of Plymouth, Minn., is a senior regional sales manager for Ameriprise Financial. She received an Ameriprise Financial Outstanding Leader Award in 2020 and 2022.

’14 Eve Christensen is the assistant director of campus life at Augsburg University in Minneapolis.

Stephanie (Lake) Eliason is associate pastor at Canyon Lake United Methodist Church in Rapid City, S.D.

Sam Wetttach of Onalaska, Wis., is an operator certification coordinator for drinking water and wastewater with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He earned a master of natural resources degree from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.

’15 Conner Goetz is head coach of the girls basketball team at Providence Academy in Plymouth, Minn. For the second consecutive year, the team is the state Class AA champion.

Carly Ellefsen is communications manager for Our Streets Minneapolis.

James Odegaard of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is principal technology and analytics consultant at Alexander Mann Solutions.

’16 Matthew Lunning of Allentown, Pa., is a shopper commerce marketer for Ferrero USA.

Claire Seitzinger earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of Minnesota. She is a postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Annē (Wermendal) Williams of Kansas City, Mo., completed Oracle’s health network leadership development program and is a senior team lead/consultant at Oracle.

’17 Sarah Ann (Owens) Butterfass is a field specialist in the Graduate School of Education at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Greta (Schmitt) and Ethan Harris ’18 live in Minnetonka, Minn. Greta is a school-based mental health therapist at Relate Counseling Center. Ethan earned an MA in experiential education from Mankato State University and is an elementary school music teacher in the Wayzata School District.

Emily (Alcock) Henriquez of Chicago is a global events specialist at Willis Towers Watson. Peder Hopkins is a learning and development analyst for Securian Financial.

Jon and Jenna (Dengler) Opdahl ’16 live in Phoenix, Ariz. Jon works at Kyndryl as a technical lead for SAP managed apps. Jenna is a physical therapist.

’18 Olivia Benson is a kindergarten teacher at Eisenhower Elementary in the Hopkins, Minn., Public School District.

’19 David Hyukjoo Lee is a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

’20 Brandon Heilskov is a credit union examiner for the Iowa Department of Commerce. Hallie Simon is a band teacher at Ordean East Middle School in Duluth, Minn.

’21 Salinla Manowong is a member of the consular staff at the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles, Calif.  Claire Panus is the office assistant for KCZQ Radio in Cresco, Iowa.

’22 Sam Bailey of Austin, Minn., is a regulatory accountant at UnitedHealth Group.

Births & Adoptions

‘06

Milo, May 10, 2022, child of Leah (Schwartz) and Jason Ethen

’07

Michael Gene, Sept. 19, 2022, child of Amanda (Pohlman) and Michael Janke Jr. Ennis Robert, Aug. 24, 2022, child of Leah (Kinnaird) and Adnan Vejzovic

’13 Miles Raymond, Sept. 13, 2022, child of Meredith (Hoyland) and Greg Palm

Olivia Jean, Dec. 7, 2022, child of Lauren (Stokke) and Andrew Papke-Larson ’12

’08 Sophia Bethann, Aug. 5, 2022, child of Elise (Hoehn) and Clayton Ward

’10 Beau Cosmos, June 18, 2022, child of Maria Carr and Juan Ginastera

’12 Audrey, June 21, 2022, child of Lynnea and Jeff Babcock

Thomas David, Nov. 4, 2022, child of Amy (Sandager) and Mark Lobas

Otto John, Dec. 16, 2022, child of Amy (Shishilla) and Justin Ratzlaff

Dahlia Lee, April 2, 2021, child of Sarah (Webb) and Charlie Siggelkow

‘14 Imogene, June 08, 2022, child of Madi Johansen and Sam Wettach

’16 Marin, Jan. 2, 2022, child of Katie (Blaser) and Ethan Adams

Griffin, Sept. 4, 2021, child of Lindsay (Lovaas) and Michael Millea

’18 Thomas, April 23, 2022, child of Megan (Broadbent) and Ryan Rush

Ian Ramirez ’25, communication studies

Andre Atkins ’23, management

Diego Lopez ’23, exercise science

Darby Johnson ’23, exercise science

Kaitlyn Vold ’23, nursing

’83 Lu Reeves and Dennis Ward, March 1, 2023

’05

Nana Amu and Akwasi Akosah, June 16, 2022

Jenn Collins and Donald Pockat, Sept. 25, 2021

’06

Nathan McCann and Lauren Goble, Oct. 28, 2022

’13 Sarah Edwards and Niko Koshak, July 2, 2022

Allison Kane and Brandon Pleasant, Aug. 7, 2021

’15 Talia Barber and Christopher Powers, Dec. 10, 2022

Katie Fillmore and Kang-Jui Peng, July 1, 2022

Jake Lembezeder and Kelsie Verhulst, Oct. 15, 2022

’16 Ashley Kappers and Erik Queoff, Oct. 14, 2022

Lauren Mordini and Alex Bishop, Oct. 1, 2022

Anne Wermedal and Alex Williams, Aug. 27, 2022

’17

Leslie Brandt and Joe Putnam ’10, July 9, 2022

Sarah Owens and Samuel Butterfass, Oct. 8, 2022

’19 Lauren Eakes and Zach Loving, June 26, 2022

Erin Jennings and Jake Halverson, June 18, 2022

’20 Melanie Gossman and Jake Hovden, June 11, 2022

Lauren Summers and Colin Lane, Nov. 5, 2022

In Memoriam

’46

Ilene (Knutson) Forde of Plymouth, Minn., died December 19, 2022, age 96.

’47

Norma (Quill) Fisher of West Des Moines, Iowa, died December 10, 2022, age 96.

Jeanne (Gilbertson) Willinger of Battle Creek, Mich., died February 13, 2023, age 97.

’51

Elsie (Nesset) Kittleson of Decorah died June 27, 2022, age 92.

Priscilla (Giere) Teisberg of Bloomington, Minn., died February 11, 2023, age 93.

’53

Irene (Eberling) Buddenberg of Grimes, Iowa, died March 20, 2023, age 98.

’54 Lawrence “Larry” Kipfer of Muskego, Wis., died February 9, 2023, age 92.

’55 Dean Fretheim of Owatonna, Minn., died March 2, 2023, age 89.

Rhoda (Scheibert) Knudson of Albert Lea, Minn., died December 3, 2022, age 86.

Betsy McDowell of Park Rapids, Minn., died December 6, 2022, age 89.

Clair Oren of Cottage Grove, Wis., died January 20, 2023, age 89.

Carrie (Dueland) Witt of Bryan, Texas, died December 24, 2022, age 89.

’56

Randall “Randy” Halverson of Locust Grove, Va., died March 7, 2023, age 88.

’57

Bernis (Flatjord) Geving of McGregor, Minn., died March 23, 2023, age 89.

Marlyn Hyland of Coon Rapids, Minn., died January 5, 2023, age 86.

Beverly (Manthey) Kent of Seattle, Wash., died August 22, 2022, age 87.

Walter Laughlin of Tulsa, Okla., died January 7, 2023, age 93.

’58 Jean (Flom) Carlson of Rochester, Minn., died March 4, 2023, age 87.

Russell Loven of Guttenberg, Iowa, died December 27, 2022, age 88.

John Ranum of Great Falls, Mont., died March 13, 2023, age 86.

’60

Raymond Vangen of Monona, Iowa, died February 13, 2023, age 84.

’62

Paul Heltne of Chicago, Ill., died January 24, 2023, age 81.

Shyrlee (Underbakke) Hill of Story City, Iowa, died March 12, 2023, age 82.

Carl R. Johnson of Charles City, Iowa, died January 6, 2023, age 82.

Allen “Al” Saterbak of Green Valley, Ariz., died February 28, 2023, age 82.

Caroline (Hjerleid) Weis of Decorah died February 13, 2023, age 86.

’63 Judith “Judy” Gotland of Green Bay, Wis., died January 13, 2023, age 81.

Marilyn (Hanson) Holtey of Fairmont, Minn., died January 3, 2023, age 81.

’64 Dale Mundahl of Rochester, Minn., died March 12, 2023, age 80.

’65 John Dettloff of Plymouth, Minn., died December 6, 2022, age 79.

Diane (Mallu) Thompson of Surprise, Ariz., died January 15, 2023, age 80.

’66 Creighton Fuss of Littleton, Colo., died December 13, 2022, age 78.

Curtis Lutz of Broken Arrow, Okla., died June 22, 2021, age 87.

Carol (Betz) Tweten of Rochester, Minn., died February 1, 2023, age 78.

’67 Alan Brakstad of North Myrtle Beach, S.C., died December 16, 2022, age 76.

Jean E. Olson of Story City, Iowa, died February 9, 2023, age 77.

’68 Mary (Kemper) Kjeldsen of Apple Valley, Minn., died February 4, 2023, age 76.

Gerald Wonders of Darlington, Wis., died January 3, 2023, age 79.

’69 Sue (Moline) Larson of Sun Prairie, Wis., died February 23, 2023, age 76.

Jane Sandberg of Kenosha, Wis., died February 23, 2023, age 75.

’70 Karen (Hendrickson) Runge of Carroll, Iowa, died Wednesday, December 21, 2022, age 74.

’71 Michael “Mike” Baker of Clear Lake, Iowa, died February 1, 2023, age 73.

Curtis Buhr of Delray Beach, Fla., died February 24, 2023, age 74.

David Schroeder of Antigo, Wis., died January 26, 2023, age 73.

’73 Cynthia (Peters) Beermann of West Union, Iowa, died December 30, 2022, age 70.

Elsa (Mohn) Stazesky of Brooklyn, N.Y., died December 15, 2022, age 70.

Robert “Bob” Weiler of Indianapolis, Ind., died February 27, 2023, age 72.

’76 Kim Brunssen of Westmont, Ill., died March 10, 2023, age 69.

’79 Dennis Green of Decorah died December 23, 2022, age 80.

’80 Dennis L. Bushkofsky of Henryville, Pa., died February 2, 2023, age 64.

’84 Susan (Anderson) Knutson of Prescott, Wis., died January 18, 2023, age 61.

’88 Jeffrey “Jeff” Stuck of Waverly, Iowa, died March 12, 2023, age 56.

’91 Paul G. Petersen of Cedarburg, Wis., died December 7, 2022, age 54. ’05

Christopher Burton of Clarksville, Tennessee, died January 14, 2023, age 39.

’17 Natasha Walleser of Lansing, Iowa, died February 12, 2023, age 27.

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL

2023 NEW LIFE MEMBERS

Council of Independent Colleges

Randa Duvick ’78 and David Grosnick

Karen (Paulson) Fretheim ’63

Thomas ’77 and Joyce Hansen

† Louis T. Little

Scott ’89 and Laura (Anderson) Stevens ’92

Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc.

Vaho Rebassoo and Maura O’Neill

Estate of Lloyd and Susie Loven

Estate of Audrey Niemann

† Deceased

President’s Council recognizes those who make gifts of $1,500 or more in a calendar year to any designation and gifts of $750 or more for First Decade Society members (alumni in their first decade after graduation). Planned gifts qualify donors for President’s Council membership for one year. Life membership recognizes cumulative cash gifts of $100,000 or more.

Visit luther.edu/magazine to see the full list of 2023 membership, based on 2022 calendar-year giving.

President’s Council members make a positive impact on all aspects of a Luther education, and we celebrate their joyful generosity. I’m grateful for their extraordinary care and enthusiastic support for this institution and the learning opportunities we offer.

These steadfast donors see bright futures and exciting potential in all Luther students and want to support their college journeys.

I’m especially pleased to welcome the new Life Members of President’s Council who attained this philanthropic milestone in 2022 for their cumulative generosity to Luther College!”

—President Jenifer K. Ward

“I’m tremendously grateful for the people and ideas I encountered during my time at Luther College. They opened my world in important ways and provided a firm foundation for life after Luther. Dave and I want to help make sure that students can continue to have the kinds of transformative experiences that Luther offers.”

—Randa Duvick ’78 and David Grosnick

COMMENCEMENT

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Luther College

DORIAN ALL BAND ALUMNI REUNION

Friday, June 30–

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Luther College

NORSE SHORT COURSES

Photography (offered twice)

Friday, June 23–Sunday, June 25

Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23

Culinary Arts (offered twice)

Friday, June 30–Sunday, July 2

Friday, July 28–Sunday, July 30

Luther College

NORDIC STUDIES INSTITUTE

Rosemaling/Sami Bracelet Making/Taste of Norway/Sustainability and Friluftsliv/Woodcarving

Tuesday, July 25–

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Luther College

NORDIC FEST

Thursday, July 27–

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Decorah

DECORAH NAA BENEFIT GOLF TOURNAMENT

Monday, August 7, 2023

Oneota Golf and Country Club, Decorah

FRIENDS OF LUTHER COLLEGE WRESTLING GOLF TOURNAMENT

Friday, August 11, 2023

Jackson Heights Golf Club

Jackson Junction, Iowa

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS OF COLOR WELCOME

Hosted by the Black Alumni Association

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Luther College

NORSE TAILGATE PARTY

Luther Football vs. St. Olaf

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Luther College—Union Deck

FAMILY WEEKEND

Friday, September 22 – Sunday, September 24, 2023

Luther College

HOMECOMING

Friday, October 6–

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Luther College

1963 UNDEFEATED NORSE FOOTBALL TEAM REUNION

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Luther College

ONE TEAM DAY

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Luther College

CHRISTMAS AT LUTHER PERFORMANCES

Thursday, November 30–

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Luther College

15TH ANNUAL KENT FINANGER ’54 GOLF CLASSIC

Monday, March 18, 2024

Arrowhead Country Club

Glendale, Arizona

GIVING DAY

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Luther College

Alumni gathered with President Jenifer K. Ward at the Ignite Sign Art Museum in Tucson, Ariz., on March 17. The event was part of a series of gatherings with alumni in Minnesota, Iowa, and Arizona.