The Augustana: Summer 2016

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 3

The THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY

FOOD & DRINK

Summer 2016

VIEW FROM SUMMIT AVENUE

T

he great American writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau once wrote that we should “pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.”

In other words, the road to joy, happiness and success isn’t always straightforward and clear. As travelers on this journey called life we often encounter unexpected detours, traffic jams and one-way streets.

As human beings, our minds power our engines. But, if we’re lucky, our hearts are what steer us. And if we’re really lucky, the morals and values we’ve learned along the way serve as our compass.

The individuals you’ll read about in this issue have each, as Thoreau so wonderfully said, pursued a path in which they can indeed “walk with love and reverence.”

None of the alumni we feature in the pages that follow planned to open their own food or drink establishments. They were biology majors, political science majors, sociology majors, and more. They started out as wildlife preservationists, business and health care professionals, and communicators.

Yet throughout their personal and professional journeys, each said it eventually became impossible to ignore the voice from deep inside urging them to follow their true passions.

So they did.

And, they tell us, they are happy. And fulfilled. Their hearts, they say, are joyful while their minds are forever learning and growing and creating.

In today’s world, we often hear about the importance of specializing in one skill and the value that comes from learning and perfecting a trade.

At Augustana, we believe there’s more to life than learning just one skill and performing just one job. Here, we believe in nurturing students to help them discover their true vocation.

We believe in providing a broad-based education rich in history, language, art, science, religion and more, in addition to helping students develop specialties in their areas of interest.

Along the way, our students develop what we call 21st century skills: the ability to communicate effectively, think critically, interpret and analyze, act with global awareness and – of significant importance in today’s world – the ability to adapt to change.

The alumni we’ve featured in these pages each told us, because of the education they received at Augustana, they weren’t afraid to change course. They weren’t afraid to travel down a new path in order to find true joy and happiness.

They are courageous, curious, passionate and determined.

Without question, their lives and actions symbolize the Viking spirit.

I hope you find as much joy and inspiration in reading their stories as we do in sharing them.

Enjoy this issue!

Yours, for Augustana,

Rob Oliver President PS: We hope you and your family will make plans to come home again and celebrate Viking Days with us, Oct. 14-16.

Find all the details for the weekend inside!

CONTENTS

THE AUGUSTANA The Augustana is published three times per year for alumni, parents and friends of Augustana University by the Office of Advancement.

Send correspondence, name changes and address corrections to: The Augustana, 2001 S. Summit Ave., Sioux Falls, S.D. 57197 or via email at alumni@augie.edu.

Visit the magazine online at augie.edu/magazine. Find more news about Augustana at augie.edu.

Editor: Kelly Sprecher, Communications Co-Editor: Kaia Chambers, Communications Class Notes: Carolyn Cordie and Adrienne McKeown ‘00 Contributors: Rob Oliver, President Bob Preloger, Vice President for Advancement Katie Foutz ‘00, Communications Bruce Conley, Sports Information Jackie Adelmann ‘14, Photography Matt Addington ‘95, Photography

DEPARTMENTS News from the Huddle 14

OUR MISSION Inspired by Lutheran scholarly tradition and the liberal arts, Augustana provides an education of enduring worth that challenges the intellect, fosters integrity and integrates faith with learning and service in a diverse world.

Notes from the Green 15 Viking Days 2016 21 Navy & Gold 26 Alumni News 29

OUR VISION

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FEATURES 4. The Foodpreneuer Meet Kylene Guse ‘03, co-owner for Gyst Fermentation Bar in Minneapolis.

Fermented golden beet with orange and ginger, anyone?

8. A SuFu Brew Introducing Blake Thompson ‘10, part owner and brewer of Fernson Brewing Company in Sioux Falls.

16. The Island Baker Biology major Eric Cox ‘90 is the owner of Papa’a Palaoa, a bakery in Hilo, Hawaii.

Augustana aspires to become one of America’s premier church-related universities.

26. From Viking to Viking Augustana Viking standout CJ Ham ‘16 has signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

CORE VALUES Central to the Augustana experience are five core values. The community lives them and honors them, and they infuse the academic curriculum as well as student life: Christian, Liberal Arts, Excellence, Community and Service.

CONNECT WITH US! Augustana is an affirmative action, Title IX, equal opportunity institution.

ON THE COVER: Kylene Guse ‘03, co-owner of Gyst Fermentation Bar in Minneapolis.

Photo by Jackie Adelmann ‘14.

© Augustana University 2016

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#AugieGrad They entered to learn. And now, they leave to serve.

On Saturday, May 21, Augustana University recognized more than 400 men and women from throughout the U.S. and around the world at the 2016 Commencement ceremony.

Senior Sarah Kocher delivered the student address, “Search On.”

Dr. Paul Nesheim directs The Augustana Choir.

Dr. M.C. “Terry” Hokenstad ‘58 delivered the Commencement Address, “Augustana University: Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve.”

The Faculty Gauntlet following the Commencement ceremony — one last opportunity for professors to wish their students good luck — is a long-standing tradition at Augustana.

See more photos and videos from Commencement weekend at www.augie.edu/commencement.

AU graduates Ally Brown and Taylor Brownrigg wave to family and friends.

Kylene Guse ‘03 stands outside Gyst in Minneapolis.

Photos by Jackie Adelmann ‘14.

A fan-favorite at Gyst, the “Mother” is an eye-catching collection of cheeses, meats, pickled and fermented vegetables, and fruits served on a rustic wooden board.

THE FOODPRENEUER Meet Kylene Guse ’03, co-owner of Gyst Fermentation Bar in Minneapolis.

Fermented golden beet with orange and ginger, anyone?

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hile living in Brazil more than 20 years ago, Kylene Guse ’03 fell in love with a different way of eating.

Immersed in the country as an exchange student, the Sioux Falls native woke most mornings to a light breakfast of fresh fruit, cheese and homemade bread.

Her mid-day meal – what most Americans call “lunch” – was typically the largest meal of the day, both in food content and time. While lunch for Americans often means a quick sandwich or burger from a drivethrough window, Brazilians enjoy fresh, homemade mid-day meals that can linger for hours through multiple courses over good and lively conversations among family and friends.

For Guse, that farm-to-table experience of enjoying locally grown, homemade food would stay with her for the next two decades, eventually influencing her decision to open Gyst, a fermentation bar in Minneapolis, along with her sister, Mel.

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Gyst (pronounced gist – as in the essence or, the point) specializes in “all things fermented,” including artisanal cheese, craft beer, wine, cider, kombucha, pickles, vegetables, salami, yogurt creations, chocolate, coffee and more.

The staff does all of its fermenting in-house and is committed to working with local producers and suppliers.

“Our goal is to work with producers who’ve nailed the art of doing things like cheese, wine, coffee, beer and cider,” Guse said. “We’re buying fresh produce to serve to our customers. Our wine program focuses on smaller production wines from around the world.

When it comes to beer, we don’t have just any beer on tap. We try to think about its history and how it’s made.

For our cheeses, we’ve worked really hard to find U.S. artisanal cheese makers and we try to work directly with farms as much as we can.”

Guse says Gyst’s approach – from the types of food it serves to how it chooses its suppliers – makes it the 5

ultimate creative food business.

“The fermentation bar is one aspect,” Guse said. “But, it’s really the idea that we collaborate with our community.

Finding Her Way For Guse, the path to becoming a food-and-restaurant entrepreneur was long and winding.

She majored in sociology and Spanish at Augustana and, after graduation, took a job working for Planned Parenthood, first in Portland, Oregon, and later back in Sioux Falls. Eventually, she decided to pursue a master’s degree in sexuality studies at San Francisco State University. Her research earned her a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Rio de Janeiro, where she further examined gender inequality and how it relates to health, disease and socio-economic conditions.

After grad school, she took a position with the University of Chicago working on a project for the Center for Digital Storytelling.

The initiative chronicled the lives of young people in the context of gender inequality – examining how it affected their lifestyles, health and daily living conditions.

It was rewarding and inspiring work, Guse said, but deep down, she missed San Francisco.

So, she returned to the West Coast, did some consulting work, and became roommates with her sister, Mel. At night and on the weekends, the pair talked about their dream of owning a business together.

Following the death of their grandfather, the sisters realized just how short life really is. So, they decided to make their dream a reality.

After doing some research, they chose Minneapolis as their market, began building partnerships with wine and fermentation experts, and did site visits at different creative food venues, including Shed in Heraldsburg, California, a locally owned, nationally known shop featuring everything from fermented products such as kombucha and vegetables, to spices and salts, to housewares and more.

They secured a location in what Guse described as “a vintage building in an up-and-coming neighborhood” near downtown Minneapolis. From there, the sisters organized a Kickstarter

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Gyst co-owner Kylene Guse ‘03 presents the“Mother,” a fan-favorite featuring cheeses, meats, pickled and fermented vegetables, and fruits served on a rustic wooden board.

“... the idea is to create really great experiences for our guests, as well as our farmers, community and local food economy ...”

— Kylene Guse ‘03 campaign to raise the money necessary to refurbish the building.

Gyst officially opened for business in November 2014.

A Food Community Guse describes a fermentation bar as something that “celebrates the benefits of preservation in food and beverage. Fermentation creates diverse tastes, health benefits and food sustainability.”

Diverse tastes, indeed.

In addition to fermented food, the menu at Gyst also features fan favorites such as the “Grilled Cheese,” made with artisan cheese and sauerkraut; the “Sandor,” featuring peanut butter and kimchi; and

the “Mother,” an eye-catching collection of cheeses, meats, pickled and fermented vegetables, and fruits served on a rustic wooden board.

The foundation of the menu, Guse says, is the restaurant’s commitment to buying and serving locally grown food.

“The idea is to create really great experiences for our guests, as well as our farmers, community, and local food economy while building a global food culture.”

“At the end of the day, there’s just a huge difference in taste,” she said. “If you grow your own produce, you can taste the difference.

People want to eat real food. People want good food. I truly believe that. And, once you’ve experienced that, it’s hard to go back.”

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A SUFU BREW Meet Blake Thompson ’10, part owner and brewer of Fernson Brewing Company in Sioux Falls.

Blake Thompson ‘10 stands at the bar of the Fernson taproom with a variety of his beers from a pale ale to a stout.

Blake Thompson ‘10, part owner and brewer of Fernson Brewing Company, pours a pint of one of Fernson’s original brews, the Farmhouse Ale.

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lake Thompson’s passion for his job shines brightest when he’s pouring you a beer.

“Galavant is a pale ale. There’s a dash of fruit, peach and mango. And there’s bitterness there but it’s not overpowering. It’s one of our most popular beers.”

The 2010 graduate is part-owner and brewer of Fernson Brewing Company, a Sioux Falls brewery he started with business partner Derek Fernholz in 2014.

To these two, making and serving beer is all about the experience.

“We wanted to create an environment that would spark a fun conversation with you and your friends,” Thompson said. “When you come here, you don’t usually see people sitting on their phones like at other places.”

Their taproom doesn’t have any TVs, and visitors are encouraged to play board games provided at the bar or sit and enjoy a conversation together.

When coming up with a name for their brewery, they kept this philosophy in mind: “We had a bunch of names picked out including the name Overture because we wanted a company that would bring people together over a beer,” Thompson said. “Just like a musical overture, the beer was the beginning of something larger.”

They found with some research that Overture was already a winery owned by a big company and their lawyers advised them to pick a different name.

“So we went back to the drawing board and my mom said, ‘Why don’t you call it Fernson?’” Thompson said. “Which we knew would be completely unique because it’s a combination of our last names, Fernholz and Thompson. Four months later, Fernson was officially the name of the brewery.”

In their logo, the “o” in Fernson is represented by a drawing of a 10

man, whom Thompson says is the characterization of Fernson.

“Fernson is supposed to be this guy, kind of like a Gandalf character, an old mystical figure, who calls the shots.”

Thompson’s sense of humor is shared by his partner and their employees who, together, produce 4,500 barrels of beer annually.

But getting to this stage was not an easy road for Thompson.

From T-Shirts to Cellars Even before he chose to study business administration at Augustana, Thompson had entrepreneurial experience from starting a t-shirt business called Moose Friendly, LLC., based on a moose drawing he’d been doing since middle school.

“A friend of mine said, ‘Hey, if you put that on a shirt, I’d buy it.’”

Thompson said. “So I did.”

He has sold shirts all over the world and has been a go-to favorite for Augustana organizations. But after graduation, Thompson was hungry to start something bigger.

“I wanted to start a business, but I didn’t know what,” he said.

In the spring of 2011, he started making beer with his friends as a hobby.

“By no means was it good beer,” Thompson said. “It’s probably one of the worst things I’ve ever tasted in my whole life, but just doing it inspired me to take advantage of this winery opportunity.”

His parents, Jana and Vance Thompson, are part owners of Jessup Winery in Napa, California and had invited Thompson to come work for them in a position he says is known in the winemaking industry as a cellar rat.

“We do whatever the winemaker tells us to do,” he said. “It was a nice opportunity to go do something different and I jumped on it.

Plus, I knew there were all these breweries out there who asked for

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experience.”

Thompson said it was a good experience and he learned everything about the winemaking process including sorting grapes, filling barrels, maintenance, tasting and fermentation, which is also used in making beer, “but unfortunately breweries didn’t think wine experience translated to beer experience.”

After working at the winery, he applied for brewery jobs all over the country but was told he needed more experience.

“It’s really hard to get experience when no one gives you a chance,” he said. “But it was fine, because it all worked out.”

Becoming a Master Brewer Thompson decided he could best get experience through a master brewer program and began applying to schools.

He was accepted to the Master Brewer Program at the Siebel Institute in Chicago and eventually got a job at Bitter Esters Brewhouse in Custer, South Dakota, as the assistant brewer in 2012. With loftier goals beyond being an assistant brewer, however, Thompson was excited to find out that summer he was accepted to the Master Brewers Program at University of California-Davis.

With these two additional programs and his experience at Bitter Esters, Thompson again began to look for brewer positions across the country. Again, he had no luck.

“So I said, ‘Screw it. I’m going to start my own brewery in Sioux Falls.’”

Thompson told Rob Green ‘11, a friend from Augustana, about his plans to start his own brewery and learned Green’s brother-in-law, Fernholz, was also planning to start a brewery in Sioux Falls.

“So we met and hit it off,” Thompson said. “We started making beer together and officially formed a company in the summer of 2014. Then, February of 2015 was our first brew day, and it’s all been crazy since.”

Being One of the First When it comes to starting a business, some ventures are riskier than others. Breweries for example? Definitely a risk. Especially when you’re one of the first in the area.

“If you look at other markets around the country — Minneapolis, Omaha and Colorado — there are breweries everywhere,” Thompson said. “But there weren’t a lot of breweries in South Dakota and we drink a lot of beer here.”

Gandy Dancer came to Sioux Falls in 2013 and was the only brewery in town before Fernson.

“It seemed like the perfect opportunity for us,” Thompson said.

They began by brewing the two most popular beer styles from the coasts, an India Pale Ale (IPA) and a Farmhouse Ale. “We might have come out of the gate with the wrong beer styles right away,” Thompson said. “They’ve been slowly coming to South Dakota, but most of our palates here aren’t used to that. We came out ambitious thinking we’re going to change everyone’s palates and we’re going to change the way people think about beer and it’s been a little harder than that.”

Thompson says they tried a number of new beers after the IPA and Farmhouse, but it wasn’t until about the tenth beer they created, a German-style lager called Lion’s Paw, that Fernson finally got the attention of South Dakotans.

“After that came out, every one of our beers started to sell better.

So now we’re maxed out. We can’t even make more beer than what we’re making right now.”

Currently, Fernson can brew six different kinds of beer at once in their 60-barrel fermenters. Two of those fermenters were just recently delivered to help keep up with the demand for Lion’s Paw and their original IPA and Farmhouse beers, which they package and sell in South Dakota and western Iowa.

“Sioux Falls is drinking us dry right now, which is a good problem to have.” Thompson said. “But it will always be a big risk because we

Fernson currently has six 60-barrel fermenters in its brewery.

are trying to grow constantly. We are trying to be the big regional brewery covering all the way down to Texas, up to Canada, and then we’ll probably try to expand beyond the borders of the U.S.” With those big dreams, Thompson says their current space just north of I-90 on Robur Drive won’t be big enough for long and they will have to start shopping for another location sometime in the near future.

Fernson recently took the national stage at the Republican National Convention, held July 18-21, as the exclusive craft beer provider for a party during the RNC. As Thompson told the Argus Leader, “The convention party is a huge step for us. Launching our brand in a new market is exhilarating. We can’t wait to see how our beers resonate with RNC attendees from across the country. This is our first time on a national stage – people from every state will be in attendance.”

Thompson, Fernholz and their team have busy work weeks that

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Thompson comes up with new beers all the time and likes to have a variety on tap while also keeping up with the demand for their most popular beer, Lion’s Paw.

“Wine is 90 percent the quality of the grapes and where they are grown and the last 10 percent is the winemaker ... and a little bit of luck.

Beer is probably flip-flopped from that, meaning 90 percent of the success of a beer is the people making it, how clean you are, and how thorough you are in your process. The last 10 percent is the ingredients you get.”

— Blake Thompson ‘10 require careful planning.

“We wear many hats here,” Thompson said.

They prepare for brewing on Mondays and begin to brew and package at 5 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and work until they’re done, which he says could be 5 p.m. or it could be 8 p.m.

“We start early because problems that happen on a big system usually become big problems and they can take a while to solve.”

Fridays are left to catch up on computer work, accounting, inventory and planning out future brews.

“The most challenging thing is trying to manage people,” Thompson said. “It’s the best part about it and the worst part. Running this business is all about picking the right people to work for you and we’re trying to offer the best experience possible for beer drinking, which is a lofty goal.

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“It’s also a very expensive business to get into,” he said. “Beer is not an expensive item so you’ve got to sell a lot of it to make money.”

Planning Ahead Recently, Fernson opened a taproom in downtown Sioux Falls.

“We put a lot of thought into that,” Thompson said. “We set up a pretty cheap budget and came in below our budget somehow next to a great pizza place, Breadico.”

Thompson said the partnership with Breadico has worked out well.

“We thought, ‘How great is it that we can offer the beer and wine and the food can come from right next door to us!”

Continuing to dream big, Thompson says they have ideas to start a brewery focused on aging beer in oak and “trying out some funky flavors” in the next three to five years.

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TOP: AU senior Dan Schmidtman at work in the lab on “Isolation of Native Microbes for Use in Commercial Brewing,” a project that will provide Fernson Brewing Company with yeast strains from South Dakota to use in its brewing process.

RIGHT: Schmidtman, Thompson and Dr. Paul Egland review the yeast strains at Fernson.

A STUDY IN BREWING An Augustana scientific research project will provide Fernson Brewing Company with local yeast strains to use in its brewing process.

Beer 101: The main ingredients to make beer are grain, hops, water and yeast. The first three account for much of the taste in beer while yeast plays a key role in fermenting them to make alcohol.

At Fernson Brewing company, Blake Thompson ‘10 has locally sourced his water, hops and grain for years, but by the end of this summer, he hopes to be able to say that Fernson beer is a 100 percent locally sourced product with the help of Augustana senior Dan Schmidtman and biology professor Dr. Paul Egland.

Schmidtman, a biology and Spanish major from Sioux Falls, received a South Dakota Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN) Grant to work with Fernson and Egland. The BRIN Grant gives students the opportunity to help local industry and strengthen the biomedical research infrastructure in South Dakota.

Researchers hope this 10-week project, titled “Isolation of Native Microbes for Use in Commercial Brewing,” will provide Fernson with yeast strains from South Dakota to use in their brewing process.

“What we’ve done, so far, is isolate and characterize yeast strains in the area using selective enrichment techniques like a low pH and antibacterial environment,” Schmidtman said. “Then it’s about isolating the yeast that can be used for fermentation.”

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After one week of research, Egland and Schmidtman had an incubator full of 20 different cultures.

“Yeast is everywhere,” Egland said. “We just set up culture conditions that favor the yeast we want.”

They’ve even collected yeast samples right on Augustana’s campus.

Next, they will be testing the yeast’s ability to make CO2, “which is good for the brewing process,” Schmidtman said.

At the end of the summer, they plan to hand off the yeast they’ve deemed good for fermentation to Fernson and hope to see a successful brew that is uniquely South Dakotan.

“And since yeast is a living organism, they can grow more and use it for years to come,” Egland said.

Why Local?

“Many people think that using locally sourced products is better for you, not just economically, but for your own health,” Egland said. “As our bodies adjust to our local environment, we build up what are called normal microbiota in our systems (bacteria natural to your body). Eating and drinking local foods is thought by some scientists to be easier on your body as it matches the microbiota you already have in your system.”

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NEWS FROM THE HUDDLE

Faculty Awards Announced at Commencement Augustana honored the following faculty members with awards at the 2016 Commencement ceremony, held on Saturday, May 21: ASA Faculty Recognition Award, presented to: DR. ANDREW STRANDJORD (CHEMISTRY) Selected by the Augustana Student Association (ASA), the annual ASA Faculty Recognition Award recognizes outstanding teaching and contributions to the Augustana community by a faculty member. Students nominate professors they feel display one or more of the five core values of the University (Christian, Liberal Arts, Excellence, Community, Service) as well as how those faculty members have positively impacted students’ experiences at AU. Carole Bland Cultivating Faculty Excellence Award, presented to: DR. RUSSELL SVENNINGSEN (MUSIC) Named to honor the life and work of Dr. Carole Bland ‘68, longtime member of the Board of Trustees and assistant dean for faculty development at the University of Minnesota Medical School, the award provides funding for research to help create and sustain a culture of inquiry about teaching and learning at Augustana. The award focuses on an aspect of cultivating excellence in teaching, and the intersection between research or creative work and classroom teaching; and faculty mentoring at AU, with outstanding new and mid-career faculty being paired with senior faculty members.

Clara Lea Olson Endowed Chair in Christian Values, presented to: DR. STEPHEN MINISTER (PHILOSOPHY) This professorship was established by Clara Lea Olson in recognition of her long term support of Augustana and her concern for the spiritual well-being of the students at the University. She also wanted to acknowledge the value of the educational opportunities presented in the Christian environment at Augustana.

The recipient must show a concern for spiritual wellbeing and exemplify Christian values in their conduct, teaching and research.

Frederick C. Kohlmeyer Distinguished Teaching Professorship, presented to: DR. BARRETT EICHLER (CHEMISTRY) Dr. Kohlmeyer, through a gift to Augustana upon his death in 1990, established this distinguished professorship to recognize and reward outstanding teaching.

The recipient receives a summer stipend for each of the two years of the award. All full-time faculty of AU who are tenured and have served the University for a minimum of eight years are eligible for this award.

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Chair In Religion, presented to: DR. RICHARD BOWMAN (RELIGION) This three-year chair appointment is made by the President and Dean of the University based upon the recommendations of the Chair of the Religion, Philosophy, and Classics Department and the Humanities Division Chair. The individual to be chosen must be a member of the Religion, Philosophy, and Classics Department holding the rank of at least Associate Professor. An annual stipend is also awarded.

Orin M. Lofthus Distinguished Professorship, presented to: DR. DUANE WEISSHAAR (CHEMISTRY) The Orin M. Lofthus Distinguished Professorship is a three-year appointment with a stipend to support summer scholarly activities. Recipients of this award are faculty who are regarded as outstanding teachers; people who have made important contributions to the campus; and individuals who have demonstrated the capacity to use this award to further their scholarly activities. Dr. Lofthus, a biology professor, served Augustana from 1935-1945.

National Endowment for the Humanities Chair of Regional Heritage, presented to: DR. MICHAEL MULLIN (HISTORY) Established as a result of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and matching money raised by AU to support scholarly work related to the life, culture, history, environment and study of the development of the Northern Great Plains. This faculty member must be an excellent teacher and scholar who has a personal and scholarly interest in questions surrounding the prairie west.

Vernon and Mildred Niebuhr Faculty Excellence Award, presented to: DR. PAUL EGLAND (BIOLOGY) Established to provide an annual award to recognize excellence in teaching, the selection process for this award is based on votes from alumni celebrating their fifth anniversary and full-time faculty. The winner is chosen for brilliance in classroom teaching. The award, provided by an endowment created by Dick Niebuhr ‘66, is named in honor of his parents, Vernon and Mildred Niebuhr, “…because they loved Augustana dearly and because they were my first and best teachers.”

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Stanley L. Olsen Chair of Moral Values, presented to: DR. RICHARD SWANSON (RELIGION) Augustana established The Stanley L. Olsen Chair of Moral Values as a result of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and matching money raised by the University. It was named in memory of Stanley L. Olsen, longtime professor of philosophy at Augustana from 1937 to 1979. The chair is to provide leadership to the campus in the areas of ethics and moral values by challenging faculty and students alike to confront value questions in our society, in our campus community, and in our individual private lives. This three-year appointment goes to a tenured associate or full professor who enjoys a reputation of being an excellent teacher and scholar and who has a personal and scholarly interest in questions of meaning and value.

Ralph and Susie Wagoner Student-Faculty Research Award, presented to: HALEY McCARRON WITH DR. SUSAN SCHRADER (SOCIOLOGY) This endowment was created to foster and underwrite a cooperative student-faculty research project that is fruitful, creative and academic. Students apply for funding for projects that may include primary research, artistic exploration, travel, summer work stipend or publication. After the project is completed, the recipients present their findings to the Augustana campus through a presentation, publication or performance. It was created by Augustana’s 21st president, Dr. Ralph Wagoner, and his wife Susie.

Jane and Charles Zaloudek Faculty Research Fellowship presented to: DR. DARCIE RIVES-EAST (ENGLISH & JOURNALISM) The Zaloudek Faculty Research Fellowship was established by Jane Hemmel Zaloudek ‘72 and Dr. Charles Zaloudek to provide an annual fellowship to support research by a member of the Augustana faculty. The purpose of the fellowship is to support with a stipend, faculty scholarship that extends the scope of research beyond the normal confines of the classroom. The driving principle behind the development of the fellowship was the belief that, “Faculty research, particularly when combined with undergraduate student research, expands thinking, emboldens the spirit of inquiry and has the potential to significantly improve the human condition.”

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NOTES FROM THE GREEN

Senior Deeksha Mohan presents her research at the 2016 Arthur Olsen Student Research Symposium.

SYMPOSIUM CELEBRATES STUDENT RESEARCH Scholarship and excellence are alive and well at Augustana University as more than 70 students participated in the 2016 Arthur Olsen Student Research Symposium on Saturday, April 16.

During the event, held in the Humanities Center on campus, 38 oral presentations and 26 poster presentations were on display for students, faculty and community members. Some of these presentations and posters are on their way to professional conferences later this year.

“This truly is a celebration of student excellence and the work they have done for the past year or so,” said one of this year’s event coordinators, Assistant Professor of Spanish Dr. Michael Rueter. “It’s easy for student work to get lost in the classroom, so to see it in a visible forum like this symposium is a great opportunity for the community to gather around and lift up the work these students have done.”

The symposium also featured a keynote discussion on “Shaping Perceptions from Misconceptions?

Analyzing Myths and Realities of the Contemporary U.S. Immigration Debate,” by alumna Dr. Cari Lee Skogberg Eastman ‘96. She was presented with a commemorative plaque during her presentation This is the 16th year a student research symposium has been held on campus and is the second year since it has been named for Dr. Art Olsen, professor emeritus of philosophy and religion at Augustana and former provost. Olsen served the University for more than 40 years, retiring in 1996. He passed away in May 2014.

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Symposium keynote speaker Dr. Cari Lee Skogberg Eastman ‘96 with Ruth Olsen, wife of Dr. Art Olsen.

endowed gift to support the Augustana Symposium and student research. In honor of that gift and in tribute to Dr. Olsen’s many contributions to the campus community and student research, the Augustana Symposium was renamed the Arthur Olsen Student Research Symposium.

The Arthur Olsen Student Research Symposium is supported by the Office of Academic Affairs, Civitas, Mikkelsen Library and UBG. Save the date for the 2017 Arthur Olsen Student Research Symposium, set for Saturday, April 8, 2017.

Learn more at www.augie.edu/symposium.

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THE ISLAND BAKER Meet biology major Eric Cox ’90, owner of Papa’a Palaoa Bakery in Hilo, Hawaii.

Eric Cox ‘90, owner of the Papa’a Palaoa bakery in Hilo, Hawaii.

Photos by Mimi Berkstrom.

The Papa’a Palaoa storefront in Hilo, Hawaii.

Photo by Mimi Berkstrom.

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ric Cox lives in a small house nestled inside a lush rainforest on the eastern edge of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Six days a week, Cox leaves home just before midnight and drives about 20 miles to the city of Hilo, maneuvering through the quiet city streets until he hits Kilauea Avenue. There, he unlocks the door to his bright blue-painted bakery, Papa’a Palaoa, and gets to work.

While most of the island sleeps, Cox measures and mixes ageold recipes for breads, scones and muffins, pies, cakes, cookies and more, and looks forward to the day ahead.

As the clock inches closer to 7 a.m. – the hour the bakery’s doors will officially open for customers – heavy, heavenly and homey scents begin to fill the air. You know the kind – those cozy, feel-good, almost-intoxicating smells of warm apples, cinnamon, yeast, melted chocolate, and freshly ground coffee.

Once the doors are open, Cox waves to his regular customers and greets those who say they were drawn into his shop simply by the scent of fresh baked goods.

“My favorite thing is seeing people pass the front window, come back, walk in and say, ‘It smells so good. What are you making?’

That makes me so happy,” Cox said.

The happiness he finds in making people good food, combined with his adventuresome spirit and a belief in the power of possibility has propelled this 1990 Augie grad throughout his life. And, throughout the world.

This is the story of how the Island Baker came to be.

Finding His Way A native of Colorado, Cox majored in biology at Augustana because it was his favorite subject in high school.

“I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do after graduation.

I’d thought about becoming a teacher. I’d thought about going to seminary. I even thought about going to culinary school. I just figured a job would come along,” he said.

His experience working in restaurants during high school enabled him to receive a work study position within Augustana’s

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food service beginning in his freshman year.

“I worked upstairs in the kitchen doing everything from serving to prepping to washing dishes. I also worked on the grill in the Huddle.”

In the classroom, he developed an interest in environmental studies. He and a group of fellow students founded Augie Green, a student organization dedicated to environmental awareness and the promotion of sustainability.

After Augustana, he headed north – way north.

Following graduation he took a job as a fisheries observer for the commercial fishing industry in Alaska. From there, he entered the Peace Corps where he supported local fruit farmers in Senegal, West Africa, for two years before returning to Alaska. He went on to work for the United Way of Anchorage where he served as the agency’s director of resources, overseeing the organization’s computer systems, managing various programs, and coordinating corporate donations.

In 2005, he got, what he calls, “the bug to move to Hawaii.”

The Next Journey After arriving in Hawaii, Cox lived in a small cabin during the construction of his permanent home. At the time, he said he struggled to find a bakery that offered good-tasting, fresh baked bread.

“So I started baking bread at home,” Cox said. “Friends loved it and told me to sell it at farmer’s markets. So, one weekend I decided to try it. I took it to a farmer’s market and it just grew from there.”

In 2006, he and his partner, Paul Lackner, opened Papa’a Palaoa Bakery. The name means “slice of bread” in Hawaiian.

Cox describes it as “a kind of neighborhood, old-school bakery.”

“We came here and really wanted to be part of the community – that’s why we buy local as much as we can. We buy locally grown chicken and beef to use in our sandwiches and we buy from about 10 different local egg producers. We want to be in the community and part of the community. That means using as much

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Fresh bread at Papa’a Palaoa. The name means slice of bread in Hawaiian.

“Food has always been a vehicle to connect with people.

There’s just some sort of joy that I get from making people happy with food.”

— Eric Cox ‘90

local agriculture as we can.

“We’ve gotten to know hundreds of people and are really part of their lives. We have our regular customers who come every single week. We even get invitations to their weddings and their birthday parties – and not just to bring the cake – but to be guests,” Cox said, laughing. “We love being part of this community. We have people who come in on a daily basis and say, ‘I’m so grateful you’re here and that you provide good food for us. Thank you and bless you.’ I really appreciate that. That means I’m doing my job; it means I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

A Day in the Life of a Baker Cox says his entrepreneurial spirit has been key to running and growing the bakery.

“Starting out, I knew nothing about running a business. My partner, Paul, however, was excellent at it,” he said. Over time, and through trial and error, Cox said he and his team have developed best practices and techniques to improve efficiency and grow profitability.

“We started out small and didn’t grow too big too fast,” he said.

“Today we’re making 140 dozen cookies and close to 1,000 loaves of bread each week.”

Among the fan favorites are the chocolate chip walnut cookies – made from Cox’s mother’s recipe.

In addition to its retail customers, the bakery also serves whole-

sale clients and still visits some local farmer’s markets on weekends.

Looking back, Cox says being a part of Papa’a Palaoa Bakery has made him happy.

“Food has always been a vehicle to connect with people. There’s just some sort of joy that I get from making people happy with food. I’ve cooked all my life so it’s not a surprise that I ended up where I ended up.”

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The Truchard Vineyard in the Carneros AVA of Napa Valley, Jessup’s main sources for Pinot Noir, Merlot and Chardonnay.

BLENDING ART & SCIENCE Meet the Blues: Dan ‘81 and Becky ‘81 and their kids, Ian ‘10, Julia ‘14, Elliot ‘16 and Mason. Together with their friends, they are vintners of a California winery with South Dakota roots.

Q: What prompted you to pursue winemaking?

How did Jessup get started?

Dan: We were introduced to Napa and the world of wine through Becky’s cousin and husband who recently started a winery called Jessup Cellars. Later that same year, Becky and I traveled to Napa. We were exposed to the beauty of the valley and the complexity and variables of wine making. We were hooked. The following year we returned and invited our friends from medical school, Vance and Jana Thompson to join us. From that point we made this an annual event. With every trip the desire to be more involved grew. In July 2005 we became the owners of Jessup Cellars and began the process of taking a start-up operation to a sustainable winery committed to creating wines of the highest quality and creating memorable moments for our customers.

much deeper appreciation for each wine I taste after having a part in the tremendous amount of care that goes into each bottle.

Q: What are Jessup wines known for?

Dan: Jessup wines are known for the “art of the blend.” At Jessup we make around twenty different wines, some single varietal wines and many that are blends.

Handwritten wines focus on AVA (American Viticultural Appalachia) regions of Napa Valley. Our other winery, Humanitas, focuses on vineyard designated wines.

Q: What is it like to start a winery?

Dan: Being in the wine business is very challenging. It is very competitive with high capital demands. It takes between two and a half to three years from the time you harvest the grapes until you are able to sell your product. We chose to focus on a direct to consumer model for sales. This allowed us to surround our great wine with an experience that has rewarded us with great customer loyalty. It is a slow and laborious process but one that has many rewards and satisfaction.

Q: How has this become a family business?

Dan: From the beginning we have been very “hands on” for the day to day operation as well as strategy. We have been blessed with great staff who are committed to our values. Two of our children and two of our nieces have had the opportunity to work in the business from wine production to sales to marketing and product development.

Ian: Almost all of us have had a chance to be involved in the winery in some way. While at Augie, I took a summer internship at the winery and learned more about the wine business from a production and sales perspective. After graduating, I spent a couple years working on the marketing side of things and helped with the launch of our sister winery, Handwritten.

Q: Who has been involved and in what capacity?

Dan: Becky and I along with our partners oversaw the day to day operation for the first eight years. As the operation grew we hired a CEO/ general manager and full management team.

Julia: I worked as a harvest intern following graduation from Augustana where I studied biology. This gave me the opportunity to use my biology degree in a very unique and fun way. I loved working in the cellar preparing yeast, tracking the sugar and temperature levels, and monitoring the fermentation process. Learning how science is used to execute the artistry of wine making was what really amazed me. I have a 20

Q: What’s the most interesting part of the winemaking process?

Dan: There are so many aspects to this business. I love the surroundings and culture. I am amazed by the variables that go into making great wine — hardcore chemistry to farming to the blend of art and science. And the challenges of business from financing to marketing. At the end of the day to be able to enjoy some of the best wine available. I love it all.

Ian: One of the most interesting parts of the winemaking process is the farming and the detail that goes into it. It’s well known that the Napa Valley is special for its optimal grape growing conditions, but within this small area there is also a huge variety of soils and microclimates that come into play. These variables in the land and climate along with different growing techniques provide for very distinct characteristics in the fruit. The grapes are where the winemaking process begins, so it’s a very important piece.

Q: What is your ideal food and wine pairing?

Dan: I appreciate wine most when it is paired with food. Last night’s beef tenderloin with the 2012 Handwritten Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon was perfect!

Becky: My favorite is to cook a roast or grill a burger from beef raised on my brother’s farm and pair it with a bottle of Juel, named for our dad.

Ian: I usually tell people to drink whatever tastes good to them, but right now I’m feeling Zinfandel and a cheeseburger.

Q: What’s been most rewarding throughout the process of starting and running Jessup?

Dan: To have beaten the odds. This was a bigger challenge than we probably appreciated in the beginning. Through a strong commitment to our values and business ideal we have been able to build brands and a business that is respected in the Valley. It is very humbling and exciting. We have been blessed with great partners, a talented and caring staff and others along the way that have helped us on this journey.

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VIKING DAYS 2016

JOIN US FOR

VIKING DAYS 2016 SEE THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND CELEBRATE AUGUSTANA WITH US OCT. 14-16!

FRIDAY, OCT. 14

SATURDAY, OCT. 15

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS (see the complete schedule at www.augie.edu/vikingdays)

9 a.m. Langskip 5K, starts at 29th Street and Summit Avenue by the Seminary. Registration required.

ALL DAY: EXHIBIT, “Rivers, Wings & Sky,” Center for Western Studies.

ALL DAY: EXHIBIT, “Contemporary Prints by Kat Burdine ‘08,” Center for Visual Arts.

9:30 a.m. Viking Days Pancake Feed, located in the large white tent near Commons Drive on Grange Avenue. Purchase some hotcakes to benefit the Performing & Visual Arts Department. Tickets sold at the event.

9 - 11 a.m. Honor Guard Coffee & Social Time, Siverson Lounge, Morrison Commons. Graduates from 1966 and earlier.

10 a.m. Worship, Chapel of Reconciliation.

10:30 a.m. Viking Days Parade, University Place to 33rd Street on Grange Avenue. Bring your family, see friends and enjoy the studentmade floats.

11a.m. Augustana Soccer vs. Bemidji State, Morstad Field.

11:30 a.m. Honor Guard/1966 Class Luncheon, Falls Room, Holiday Inn City Centre. A festive luncheon for graduates who have celebrated their 50th class reunion and members of the Class of 1966 who will be inducted into the Honor Guard at this event. Registration required.

11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Froiland Science Complex and Heritage Park open for self-guided tours.

1:30 p.m. 50th Reunion Memorial Service, Chapel of Reconciliation.

The class of 1966 will remember and honor departed classmates.

5:30 p.m. 50th Class Reunion Event (1966), Schulte Room, Washington Pavilion. Social begins at 5:30 p.m. Dinner to follow at 6 p.m.

Registration required.

5:30 p.m. Alumni Achievement Award Dinner, Leonardo’s Cafe, Washington Pavilion. Invitation Only.

6 p.m. Athletic Hall of Fame Social Hour & Banquet, Starlite Room, Holiday Inn City Centre. Social begins at 6 p.m.; dinner begins at 7 p.m. Registration required.

7 p.m. Gallery Reception and Artist’s Talk, Center for Visual Arts.

Exhibition by alumni artist Kat Burdine ‘08; artist’s talk at 7:30 p.m.

PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTS

11:30 a.m. Viking Days Tailgate and Vikingland, outside KirkebyOver Stadium. Bring your family for lunch and games for the kids before kickoff. Tickets sold at event.

11:30 a.m. 50th Class Reunion Tailgate, Fellows’ Presidential Residence, 37th Street and Grange Avenue. The class of 1966 is invited to this special lunch. Registration required, free event.

1 p.m. Homecoming Football Game, Augustana Vikings vs.

Minnesota State Mankato, Kirkeby-Over Stadium.

Tickets at www.augietickets.com

Friday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Washington Pavilion

7:30 p.m. Command Performance, Great Hall, Washington Pavilion.

Featuring appearances by Augustana’s bands, orchestra, choirs, percussion ensemble, Northlanders Jazz Band and more, this new musical event will offer something for everyone! The first inductees to the Performing & Visual Arts Hall of Fame will also be recognized.

Don’t miss this! Tickets required. To purchase tickets for this event, please call 605.368.6000 or visit www.washingtonpavilion.org 9 p.m. 50th Class Reunion After-Party, Schulte Room, Washington Pavilion. Featuring music by the Fabulous Jadesmen.

SEE THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE, LEARN MORE AND REGISTER: WWW.AUGIE.EDU/VIKINGDAYS

SATURDAY, OCT. 15 JOIN US AT THE

THE BLAST! THE ULTIMATE AUGUSTANA PARTY

6:30 p.m. The Blast: The Ultimate Augustana Party, The District, 4521 W. Empire Place.

All alumni, faculty/staff, parents and friends of Augustana are invited to the Ultimate Augustana Party, celebrating and recognizing the reunion classes ending in 6 and 1.

We’ll honor the reunion classes ending in 6 and 1, but ALL alumni, parents, friends and members of the campus community are invited to celebrate Augustana and the special Viking connections we share. Registration required.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• An interactive photo gallery featuring historic photos • Great food and a cash bar • DJ, dancing and plenty of games • Join your classmates for a special reunion class photo • Share pictures from the night with the selfie photo booth

SUNDAY, OCT. 16 10 a.m. Viking Days Worship, Elmen Center. Join us for this festive worship service with music by The Augustana Orchestra and The Augustana Choir.

11:30 a.m. Viking Days Brunch, Ordal Dining Room, Morrison Commons. Tickets at the door.

1 p.m. Augustana Soccer vs. Minnesota Crookston, Morstad Field.

SEE THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE, LEARN MORE AND REGISTER: WWW.AUGIE.EDU/VIKINGDAYS

PIONEERS IN PIZZA Meet Jeremy ’99 and Heidi (Bergerson) ’99 Seefeldt, owners of Boss’ Pizza and Chicken, a dine-in and delivery restaurant business operating in Sioux Falls, Iowa, Nebraska and Minneapolis.

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f you’re a recent Augie grad, odds are you still have a special place in your heart for Boss’ Pizza and Chicken – the place just a couple blocks from campus where you could get pizza until 3 a.m. or later.

Boss’ owners are the husband-and-wife team of Jeremy Seefeldt ‘99, a political science major originally from Clark, South Dakota, and Heidi (Bergerson) ‘99 Seefeldt, a political science and Spanish double major from Moorhead, Minnesota. They met their freshman year at Augustana, began dating sophomore year, and have been together ever since.

We caught up with the pair to learn more about their story.

Q. Tell us how Boss’ Pizza and Chicken came to be.

Jeremy: While I was in college I worked at Tomacelli’s Pizza. Once I graduated, I still worked there for about six months. I eventually got in on the ground floor at Citibank as a sales associate. I worked in the retention area. Within about a year and a half, I was promoted to a sales coach. Then I became a sales manager. After a number of years, I left Citi to work for a medical supply company.

But after a while, I started looking for opportunities to create something on my own. I always thought about when I was in college, out with friends, and “closing time” would come around. We’d always have to run home early to call Domino’s to get some food delivered late – that was really our only pizza option. And, at that time, there was also no place offering pizza and chicken.

I thought, “This [pizza] is what I know how to do.” I contacted a former colleague of mine from Citibank and we partnered up to open up this little hole in a wall shack at the corner of 27th and Minnesota. We opened in September of 2005.

Q. Can you tell us the story behind the name Boss’ Pizza?

Jeremy: Yes. My nickname growing up was “Boss.” My dad said he started calling me that because I was a bossy little kid. He started calling me that as early as 3 or 4 years old. The nickname stuck all through high school and college.

Q. What are some of the benefits and challenges that come from owning your own business?

Jeremy: The biggest benefit is the flexibility, especially now with kids. I never miss any of my kids’ games. We go pick up our kids together from school. To me, that’s the biggest benefit – to be able to spend quality time with our kids.

The challenges – well, we have stores in Lincoln, Nebraska; Sioux City, Iowa; two stores in Sioux Falls; and one in Minneapolis that I recently sold. With that volume of business and the number of staff we have, the bookkeeping aspect can be challenging.

“The Founding Father,” a fan-favorite at Boss’ Pizza and Chicken, features pepperoni, Canadian bacon and beef. Cheese, crushed red pepper and ranch dressing is baked in.

The biggest challenge in this industry is distinguishing yourself among all the other restaurants in town. You have to find unique marketing concepts to try to set yourself apart. Thankfully, I’ve been successful at getting the message out there to encourage people to at least try us once. From there, the quality of our service and the quality of our product brings them back.

Q. Tell us about some of your most successful marketing tactics.

Jeremy: About five years ago, Augie Athletics approached me about doing a promotion to offer pizza coupons when the men’s and women’s basketball teams reached 20 three-pointers each night between both games. Back in the day, when they played in the Elmen Center, students would be chanting “Boss’ Pizza! Boss’ Pizza!” You can’t buy that kind of promotion. Obviously we don’t make money on a $3 pizza, but we get the volume of customers coming in, we get customers who order additional pizzas, and we earn new customers. So it’s a positive thing. Our slogan is “Order from the local guy.” And people do. In an average week, between the stores in Sioux Falls, we probably sell about 2,500-3,000 pizzas. We also sell a lot of chicken, too.

Q. For most people, the idea of starting a business is daunting. And scary.

How did you do it?

Jeremy: I knew everything about this business because I worked at a pizza place in college and I knew that I enjoyed it. I knew there was a need in this town for late night pizza – I knew that was a niche I could fill.

Yes, it was scary to quit a job that provided a solid income and benefits but, I wasn’t overly concerned that it wasn’t going to work.

Q. What’s your favorite pizza on the menu?

Jeremy: My favorite is called the “Founding Father.” Since the day we first put it out, it’s been a huge hit. It’s a three-meat pizza – pepperoni, Canadian bacon and beef. From The AUGUSTANA

there we add cheese and crushed red pepper and ranch dressing. Then we bake it all in. It’s among our top five best-selling pizzas.

Q. Tell us about the “Boss Hog.” Jeremy: The “Boss Hog” is a 28-inch, 11 pound pizza. It’s the size of three and a half extra-large pizzas. You need two people to carry it out. We’ve had roughly 250 teams of two try to finish it within an hour to receive $250 in gift certificates. There’s been 12-13 teams that have finished it. The team record is 38 minutes. Once we even had a professional food eater come in and finish it in 16 and a half minutes.

Q. Serving those in need within the community is a big part of your culture.

Can you tell us about that?

Heidi: One of the reasons I fell in love with Jeremy is because he has such a big heart.

He does things that really make a difference. He’s hired people with special needs and people who need second chances.

Years ago, we started offering a free meal on Thanksgiving day in our main Sioux Falls store. Our food vendors donated some turkeys and his parents, my parents, and other family members came together to make homemade green bean casserole, stuffing, gravy and so much more. The first year we had about 200 people that came in.

Then we started sending tickets home with kids who are part of the Backpack Program, an initiative organized by Feeding South Dakota to provide at-risk students in the Sioux Falls School District with nutritious, easy-to-prepare foods during weekends and holidays when school is not in session. Every year since then, our Thanksgiving meal has just grown and grown. Last year we had more than 1,000 people come through between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. A few years ago, we partnered with Costco to help us with desserts. Our friends have also joined in to provide free sweatshirts and goodie bags for kids. We just love doing it and it feels so good to be able to help.

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NAVY & GOLD

FROM VIKING TO VIKING Augustana Viking standout CJ Ham ‘16 has signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

CJ Ham practices with the Minnesota Vikings.

Photo by the Minnesota Vikings

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rowing up, CJ Ham was targeted by bullies simply because he stuttered.

Seeking refuge from tormenters, the youngster looked to his faith for inner strength and to sports to showcase his athleticism. The decision ultimately shut down the bullies, and brought to fruition Ham’s long standing dream of playing professional football.

In May, a few days before graduating from Augustana University, the 6-foot-1, 238-pound running back signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

“I couldn’t have asked for more,” Ham said. “Just to be given the opportunity to try out with the Vikings was great. Then I was offered a contract and it was like, I’m going to be a part of a NFL (National Football League) team, and the team is in my home state. All the hard work and time I put in paid off. It was a dream come true for me.”

In the end, bullies did not beat down Ham but instilled in him the desire to succeed both as a student and athlete.

“I started playing sports because I didn’t have to speak and that way no one would know I stuttered. When I was on the field I wasn’t being judged on my disability but rather on my ability. I started standing up for myself a little more to show people I didn’t like being bullied and I wouldn’t be pushed around. It definitely stops the bullying for the most part.”

When he entered middle school, friends and teammates began calling Ham “The Bus.” The tag referenced Jerome Bettis, the 5-11, 260-pound Pittsburgh Steelers running back and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. It was a sign of respect … no one messes with a bus.

“I went to the Boys and Girls Club every single day,” Ham said. “I wanted to be around people who had a positive influence on others.

Being bullied as a kid gave me the inspiration to help others who were being bullied.”

Ham played football at Denfield High School in Duluth, Minnesota.

He lettered three years, was a two-year starter, and twice was an allconference choice at linebacker. As for college, it came down to the University of Minnesota-Duluth and Augustana.

He opted for Augustana since the Vikings wanted him to run the ball. And in the spring he could compete in field events with the track team. It’s a decision he would repeat without hesitation.

“No regrets at all,” said Ham. “I was able to compete in two sports and the Augustana education is top-notch. You say you went to Augie and you go to the top of the list.”

Jerry Olszewski, Augustana head football coach, found Ham to be inspirational.

“CJ was the heart of our team and a perfect selection as captain for the 2015 Vikings,” Olszewski said. “His work ethic, leadership and passion were some of the most important components of this team and led us to a division championship. With over 1,500 all-purpose yards

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and 19 touchdowns, his play was almost as impressive as his leadership. As great of a player as CJ is, he is even a better person and that’s what makes him so special. I will miss seeing him every day as he made me want to be a better coach and leader.”

Ham caught the attention of NFL scouts with a monster senior season. He ran for 1,097 yards and 16 touchdowns, while catching 39 passes for 431 yards, and three touchdowns.

He possessed the tools needed for the pros — size, speed, soft hands and strength (he holds school records for the indoor weight throw and outdoor hammer throw).

“I believe that CJ has a very unique set of skills for a man his size and athleticism,” said Olszewski. “In my opinion, his skill sets match up very well for the NFL game. His size, speed, agility, power, and ball skills make him a tremendous asset on any roster as a fullback or third-down back. He will also be an impact in the special teams game which is how many players keep their jobs at that level. I am very excited to see what God has next in CJ’s journey and pray that his prayers are answered as he uses the gifts given him to the greatest amount. CJ is a great example of Augustana, and our student-athletes, as he stays humble and is thankful for all that he has been given.”

He was an Academic All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate choice in 2014 and 2015, and was named to the All-NSIC second team in 2015.

In 2015, Ham was named winner of the Glen Galligan Award by the NSIC football coaches.

The recipient is a “student-athlete who participates at his institution for four years and is academically superior while making a positive contribution to his institution.”

Ham served as an educator and mentor in the Sioux Falls School District beginning his freshman year. He was a weekly volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club in Sioux Falls and

CJ Ham practices with the Minnesota Vikings.

Photo by the Minnesota Vikings

“CJ is a great example of Augustana, and our student-athletes, as he stays humble and is thankful for all that he has been given.”

— Jerry Olszewski Augustana Vikings Head Football Coach worked with Habitat for Humanity. He also volunteered as a speaker in advocacy groups for children with disabilities.

His message: “Embrace your differences and make the best of it. Don’t let your disability or difference affect your ability to reach your potential.”

A video titled “CJ’s Story” was produced and shown at all Embrace Church campuses in Sioux Falls. In it, Ham tells of his struggle with stuttering and how his faith was strengthened by putting matters in God’s hands. He shares a story of how he felt a television interview didn’t go well because of his stuttering.

He told Coach Olszewski how bad he felt and the coach responded, “God made you that

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way and I love it.”

Ham credits God for “leading him to this point in his life for a reason,” and “I hope and pray I get my shot.”

Chris Haugan, campus pastor for Summit Avenue Embrace Church, said: “For someone who has already accomplished a lot in his life, CJ’s humble heart about it all is his most endearing characteristic. He is one of my favorite people.”

Ham’s biggest game as an Augustana Viking was the clash with the University of Sioux Falls in 2015. His big day included 29 carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

His second scoring run was a classic 31-yard dash with 22 seconds remaining in the game rallying the Vikings to a 35-28 win.

“It was by far the biggest game of my career,”

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he said. “Coming back from fumbling on the three-yard line and then to score the winning touchdown was certainly one of my favorite runs.”

Hurting emotionally as he walked off the field following the fumble, Ham came face-toface with Coach Olszewski.

“He told me to forget about it,” Ham said. “He said you’re going to make a big play for us. It helped a lot. I had possibly lost the game, but Coach and my teammates did a great job of building me up.”

It was a gesture Ham plans to pay forward throughout his lifetime.

“I would love working in the non-profit field like the Boys and Girls Club. I want to give back to troubled youth.”

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES Visit www.augielink.com for daily updates & photos.

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2010s

CLASS OF 2015 Danielle Anderberg is employed with the Harrisburg School District as a middle school tutor.

Emily Ayres is teaching 6th-12th grade vocal music in Beresford, South Dakota.

James Duffy is an officer in the U.S. Navy.

Leah Hiller is in Tobal, the Marshall Islands, an area that is less than one square mile, with a population of about 15 people. She teaches English and is learning about the local culture, as well as how to live in a drought in a place that lives on rainwater.

Sarah Larimer and Mason Voehl ‘14 were married on Aug. 29, 2015, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Sarah recently started a business, Two Pines Candle Co., selling her own handmade soy candles and giving a percentage of the profits to charity. She and Mason are living in Rapid City, South Dakota, and hoping to open a bakery soon.

Riley McManus and Hannah Phelps were married on June 20, 2015.

A Message from the Alumni Office Greetings, Augustana family!

It is my distinct honor and privilege to serve as your new director of the Alumni Association, and I am so excited to be back “home” at Augustana.

For the past 16 years since graduation, I have been blessed to use my Augie education to go out into the world to serve my employer, provide for my family, and give back to my community. Life was going according to plan. Then one day, I felt a call to return to this great place and serve here.

It’s only been a short time since I started, but what a blessing it has been.

Those of us who have had the opportunity to be a part of Augustana know how special this place is. While a student, I received a world-class education, double majoring in journalism and communica-

tions with a minor in English. I also participated in many activities, some of which included writing for The Mirror, co-chairing the Viking Days Central Committee, serving as the Augustana Student Association secretary/treasurer, suiting up as Augie Doggie, and cheering on the Viking football team as a member of the Spirit Squad.

But most importantly, I learned life skills — thinking, leading, loving, and serving.

As this new journey begins, I look forward to meeting you and learning about your Augustana experience. And in this place for possibilities, I am especially excited to work with you to serve Augustana and explore how together we can continue to create many more great days to be an Augustana Viking!

Yours, for Augustana, Adrienne (Hoverstadt) McKeown ’00

Molly Seberg is attending Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, and is working towards her master’s degree in occupational therapy.

CLASS OF 2012 Brittany Brown is working as a traveling nurse in California and recently started a job at Kaiser San Diego in the definitive observation unit.

Ali Ramsley was hired as a sales coordinator at the Hilton Garden Inn-Downtown (under Hegg Hospitality) in Sioux Falls, after finishing up classes in January 2015. In October 2015, she was hired as the Outreach Coordinator at the USGS EROS Center.

Zachary Truelson is employed with S-Network Global Indexes, Inc., as the marketing manager.

He is currently living in Brooklyn, New York.

Jared Drenkow received his M.D. from the University of South Dakota in May 2016. He is currently a resident at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Michelle Ritter married Brayden Meyers on Jan. 2, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

Seth Vogelsang and Alison Goers were married on Oct. 24, 2015.

Vitaliy Pastushok is working as a registered nurse on a medical/surgical floor at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.

Jennie Romsdahl married Bret Johnson on June 13, 2015, in Butterfield, Minnesota.

Elise Sperling is abroad in Cambodia for a year with Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM).

Mason Voehl and Sarah Larimer ‘15 were married on Aug. 29, 2015, in Rapid City, South Dakota.

CLASS OF 2013 Travis Beniak and Gabi Swoboda ‘15 were married on Aug. 9, 2015.

Gabi Swoboda married Travis Beniak ‘13 on Aug. 9, 2015.

Kelli Bolton earned an M.A. in kinesiology and sports science from the University of South Dakota in 2016.

Matt Thompson has been accepted into the Edgewood Management Group Executive Director in Training program. Matt will be based in Spearfish, South Dakota.

Kristina Johnson is still working at Click Rain in Sioux Falls and was promoted to account strategist last spring.

Chelcie Weber married Daymian McGraw on Oct. 17, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

Carmen Mercy is the property manager at Crow Peak Lodge in Spearfish, South Dakota.

CLASS OF 2014 Megan Bordewyk is attending Loyola University in Chicago and is working toward her master’s degree in public history.

Peter Meyer, accountant at TSP, Inc., since June 2014, recently received the designation of Certified Public Accountant. Meyer began as an intern with the architecture, engineering and planning firm in September 2013.

Kristi Boyle and Jacob Anderson ‘11 were married on May 30, 2015.

Chelsie Peters married James Miller on May 28, 2016.

Jesse Fonkert has accepted a position in Hartford, South Dakota, as the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development director.

Sanna (Horsley) Strenge received her Master of Education in student affairs administration from South Dakota State University in May 2015.

Kyle Kopplin and Echo Bartos were married on July 25, 2015, in Canton, South Dakota.

Jake Tupa and Emma Konold were married on June 27, 2015.

The AUGUSTANA

CLASS OF 2011 Jacob Anderson and Kristi Boyle ‘14 were married on May 30, 2015.

Justin Grassmeyer and Chelsea Christians were married on Sept. 26, 2015.

Brady Holm and Sammie Sheffield were married on Sept. 5, 2015.

Kim (Hibma) Knips and Kyle Knips ‘08 welcomed a son, Bennet Paul, on Nov. 24, 2015.

Maren Peterson completed an MBA in public and nonprofit management at Boston University in May 2016. She is now working for Year Up, a national workforce development nonprofit, as manager of institutional giving in Boston.

CLASS OF 2010 Michael Anderson is working as legal counsel for First Dakota Title in Sioux Falls.

Amanda (Schnepel) Brandon serves as the 5th-12th grade band director at Riverside Community Schools in Oakland, Iowa.

Adam Broin and Joy (Lussenden) Broin welcomed a daughter, Maren Grace, on Nov. 12, 2015.

Erik Henriksen graduated Pi Delta from Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine.

Next he begins residency at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island.

29

ALUMNI NEWS Shanna (Alverson) McCann and husband, Dave, welcomed a son, Neeson Foley, on April 22, 2015.

Emily (Vadner) Lemmon and husband, Jonathan, welcomed their third son, Landon Charles, on Sept. 2, 2015.

CLASS OF 2003 Justin Latterell is a senior research fellow at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Leslie Sawatzke is a licensing administrator in the legal department of Life Time Fitness in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

Matt McDougall, MD, was elected to the chairelect position for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Organization of Resident Representatives on March 6, 2016.

Erin Nelsen married Christopher Mullen at Camp Ketcha in Scarborough, Maine, on July 4, 2015. They live in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Zephanie Skow married Matthew Cole on June 11, 2016.

Blake Thompson and wife, Kayla, welcomed a son, Fitzgerald Michael, on Sept. 16, 2015.

Andy Zell and his wife, Dr. Anne Zell, assistant professor of social psychology at Augustana, welcomed a baby girl, Virginia Irene, on Feb. 19, 2016.

THE

CLASS OF 2009 Justine (Lueth) Murtha was recently promoted to senior content strategist at Click Rain in Sioux Falls.

She has been employed with Click Rain since February 2014.

2000s

CLASS OF 2008 Kyle Knips and Kim (Hibma) Knips ‘11 welcomed a son, Bennet Paul, on Nov. 24, 2015.

Justine (Ferguson) Peterson and husband, Austin, welcomed a baby boy, Lewis Thomas, on Oct. 24, 2015.

Nate Sletten was a quarterfinalist for the 2017 Grammy Music Educator of the Year Award and was also a quarterfinalist for the 2015 Grammy Music Educator Award. Nate is the 5th-12th grade director of bands in the Earlham Community School District in Earlham, Iowa.

He and his wife, Mindy (Bjelland) Sletten ‘08, have two girls, Adeline (5) and Ella (2).

Jaime Jones-Trummer married Bryan Trummer on Jan. 13, 2016.

CLASS OF 2007 Jeremy Aylward and wife, Andrea, welcomed twin girls, Violet Ann and Lucy Evelyn, on May 19, 2016. They join big sister, Nora. Jeremy serves as the coordinator of business operations and financial specialist for the USD School of Health Sciences Department of Nursing and Parry Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation.

Alicia (Kurkowski) Frelich and husband, Tom, welcomed a son, Carson John, on March 3, 2015.

Jenny (Keiser) Hanssen and husband, John, welcomed a daughter, Hailey Joy, on Jan. 12, 2015.

Molly Moor married Eric Eisner on March 27, 2016. Molly is the director of research at Aventura Hospital in Aventura, Florida. She and her husband reside in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

Rena Olsen has authored a book coming out in August of 2016. The Wall Street Journal states: “A shattering home invasion launches ‘The Girl Before,’ by Rena Olsen, moving between past and present to uncover a mystery.”

Kierstan Peck and husband, Nic Sabatke, welcomed a son, Anders David, on May 24, 2016.

Seth Walter and Mara (Sand) Walter ‘05 welcomed a baby girl, Alena Marie, on May 26, 2016.

CLASS OF 2005 Jaci (Sutton) Aberson and Micah Aberson ‘04 welcomed a daughter, Andie Mae, on March 5, 2016.

Gregory Asplund has accepted a leadership position with the Denver Public Schools effective August 2016. He will be the senior instructional team lead at Harrington Elementary School. He will be relocating from Las Vegas.

Tami (Markham) Bertelson and husband, Jerald, welcomed their third child, a daughter, Kennedy Eileen, on May 6, 2016.

Randi (Quade) Hubert and husband, Clayton, welcomed a son, John Clayton, on Oct. 11, 2015.

Alexa (Stern) Maud and husband, Martin, welcomed a daughter, Morgan Eave, on Jan. 2, 2016.

Melanie (Feehan) Miriovsky and Daniel Miriovsky ‘07 welcomed a daughter, Caroline Therese, on Oct. 3, 2015.

Kevin Stillson took a new position at WestSide Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls as director of music and communications. He will also be working with Table of Grace in Harrisburg, South Dakota, as they begin their ministry.

Mara (Sand) Walter and Seth Walter ‘06 welcomed a baby girl, Alena Marie, on May 26, 2016.

Daniel Miriovsky and Melanie (Feehan) Miriovsky ‘05 welcomed a daughter, Caroline Therese, on Oct. 3, 2015.

CLASS OF 2004 Micah Aberson and Jaci (Sutton) Aberson ‘05 welcomed a daughter, Andie Mae, on March 5, 2016.

Jodi (Jansen) Oliver and husband, Noa, welcomed their second child, a daughter, Eowin Quincy, on April 21, 2015. She joins big brother, Griffin (4).

John Anderson is an assistant professor of religious studies at Presentation College in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Nathan Schwartz was promoted to western U.S. business manager at MicroSurgical Technology.

Stephanie (Christensen) Entringer joined the nursing faculty at Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls in July 2015.

CLASS OF 2006 Erin (Toft) Castle and husband, Jonathan, welcomed a son, Oscar Edward, in February 2016.

30

Ann Rosendale and husband, Kyle Alberty, welcomed a son, Arthur Adolph, on Feb. 27, 2016.

CLASS OF of 2002 Emily (Gress) Lindee and husband, Justin, welcomed their second child, a daughter, Julia Elizabeth, on Aug. 15, 2015. She joins big sister Miriam (4). Emily is an assistant professor of nursing at Winona State University.

Jen Rude is the new university pastor at Pacific Lutheran University. She most recently served as program director for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries in Chicago and as a colleague in ministry at Grace Lutheran Church in Evanston, Illinois.

CLASS OF 2001 Jill (Eckdahl) Spors and husband, Brian, welcomed a daughter, Ruby, on March 10, 2015.

CLASS OF 2000 Adrienne (Hoverstadt) McKeown has returned to Augustana to lead the Alumni Association as its new director. She began her new position on June 1, 2016.

April (Schossow) Stahl lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, with her husband, AJ, and children, Maxime (3) and Jacques (2). She has been business partners with her father for 15 years, selling real estate with Sotheby’s Intl.

Realty, and currently works part-time.

Marie (Liggett) Tuhy joined the development team at the Science Museum of Minnesota on March 1, 2016, as the supporting membership and annual fund manager.

Katie (Thompsen) Vander Ark and husband, David, welcomed a daughter, Amelia Ruth, in March 2015.

CLASS OF 1999 Christine (Swanson) Balgord and husband, Andy, welcomed a son, Wyatt, on Nov. 17, 2015. He joins big sister THE Olivia (3).

1990s

Marcine Ellwein and husband, Jonathan Polasky, welcomed twin girls, Annabeth and Elleanor, in 2015. They join big brothers Jacob (4) and Jackson (2). Marcine works as a pediatrician in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Nancy (Drake) Flack passed away on March 29, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

Rebecca (Aden) Grev and family moved back to Sioux Falls, where she currently stays at home with her 3-year-old son, Jody.

Jen Haar lives outside of Madison, Wisconsin.

She works in the City of Madison’s clerk’s office.

Emily Cole-Jones is the director of development at Stages Theatre Company, a theater for young artists and audiences in Hopkins, Minnesota.

Jenn (Evanson) Lee recently released her first worship album, “Secret Place,” in August 2015.

The AUGUSTANA

ALUMNI NEWS James Swenson was promoted to the rank of professor in the mathematics department at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He and his wife of 17 years, Rebecca, live in Platteville with their two children, Daniel (13) and Sarah (9).

Kevin Veldhuisen and wife, Anne, welcomed a son, August Ray, on March 30, 2016.

CLASS OF1997 Laura Eiesland began her first year as the development assistant with the Augustana University A-Club in the Athletic Department.

Rebecca (Stromstad) Glaser wrote the text for “Holy Moly Story Bible: Exploring God’s Awesome Word,” published by Sparkhouse.

Carla (Kjorness) Nelson and her husband, Dave, welcomed a baby girl, Trinity Marilyn Nelson, to their family on May 20, 2016. Trinity is joined by big sisters, Lauren, Noelle, and Hope, and brother, Luke.

CLASS OF 1996 Eric Johnson was appointed to serve as a magistrate judge for the Second Judicial Circuit by the South Dakota Supreme Court. He began his duties on March 28, 2016.

CLASS OF1994 Janet (Hauff) Holte and husband, Jonathan, welcomed a daughter, Joanna Joy Holte, on May 5, 2016. She joins big sisters Jenessa (10), Julianna (9), Justina (7), and Jessica (6).

CLASS OF1993 Daniel Weight, 49, died Feb. 7, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

CLASS OF 1992 Matt Bien was elected governor of the South Dakota Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP). He has a full-time internal medicine and pediatrics practice in Brookings, South Dakota, where he lives with his wife, Darcie (Stevermer) Bien, and their three children.

Dina (Micke) Castro recently started a new job with the Family Life Program at Ft. Houston in Texas. She and her family made a military move to San Antonio, Texas, in 2015.

Brian Kittelson continues to live in Sioux Falls with his wife, Dena, daughter, Emme, and son, Carter. This past year, Brian celebrated 20 years of service as a physical therapist at Sanford Hospital.

ily and young adult ministries at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. Marnie and her husband, Jeff, have two sons, Harrison and Finn.

Pauline (Stockinger) Duimstra passed away on June 9, 2016.

Kari (Rolfing) Halling is in her fourth year of teaching preschool at Wooddale Church in Edina, Minnesota. Kari and her husband, Bart, have two children in college and two in high school.

Johnny Sundby owns a photography studio in Rapid City, South Dakota. He and his wife, Stephanie, have two high schoolers, Evan and Emmy.

Steve Syverson works at Odin State Bank and lives in Odin, Minnesota, with his wife, Kim (Rolfing) Syverson ‘92. They have one daughter in college and a daughter and son in high school.

Mary (McConahie) Toso accepted the position of director of internships at Augustana and began her work in the Student Success Center on March 1, 2016.

THE

CLASS OF 1986 Sandy (Kruse) Hamman and husband, Phil Hamman ’80, recently released their book, “Gitchie Girl.”

The book profiles the 1973 mass murders of four teenagers in Gitchie Manitou State Park just outside of Sioux Falls.

1980s

CLASS OF 1985 Myra Heckenlaible-Gotto received her M.A. in special education and an Ed.D. in school psychology and counseling. She also started her own business called Crossing Life’s Bridges, LLC. In April of 2016, she became certified in the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method. Myra lives with her husband in Windom, Minnesota, and has three grown sons.

Bob Otterson was recently named VP for Advancement at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota.

CLASS OF 1984 Kristin (Anthony) Sims has joined the leadership team of Mid Coast Health Services in Brunswick, Maine, as the VP for Nursing and Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer.

CLASS OF1982 Mark Smith, 56, passed away March 8, 2016.

Sara (Bakken) Lee recently received her Master of Public Affairs degree with a public health concentration from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

She has been employed at Mayo Clinic for the past 15 years.

CLASS OF 1981 John Albano was recognized by his peers and was awarded Fellow status in the Aerospace Medical Association in May 2014.

Jeanna (Vickney) Miller graduated in May 2015 with an education specialist degree in educational leadership and administration and continues to work for Bloomington Public Schools at the district office.

CLASS OF 1980 Phil Hamman and wife, Sandy (Kruse) Hamman ‘86, recently released their book, “Gitchie Girl.” The book profiles the 1973 mass murders of four teenagers in Gitchie Manitou State Park just outside of Sioux Falls.

CLASS OF 1990 Marnie (Dahle) Backer is the director of famThe AUGUSTANA

CLASS OF 1978 David Fryxell will be co-authoring three books with faculty experts from Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy: “Nutrition and Healthy Aging,”“The HeartBrain Diet,” and “Achieving Peak BrainPower Through Nutrition.” He continues as managing editor of the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter.

He lives in Tucson, Arizona, with wife, Lisa (Forman) Fryxell ‘78.

THE

1970s

CLASS OF 1977 Eileen O’Connor, 74, passed away on Jan. 26, 2016.

Sandy (Anderson) Winter is now semi-retired and sold her alterations business to her daughter in April of 2015.

CLASS OF 1975 Janet (Waite) Bergan, 70, passed away on March 26, 2016, at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls.

CLASS OF 1974 James Eugene Anderson, 69, died Feb. 9, 2016.

Nancy Kaye (Peterson) Bornhorst passed away April 27, 2016.

Mae Dilly, of Madison, South Dakota, died on May 10, 2016.

CLASS OF1973 Curtis Bevers retired in January 2016 after spending 42 years in the transportation industry. He and wife, Deb (Fritz) Bevers ‘73, plan to enjoy their two grandchildren and travel. They currently live in Madison, Wisconsin.

Ivan Jacobsen, Sioux Falls, died June 21, 2016.

Linnea (Bessler) Natwick passed away March 12, 2016. She was a resident of Stillwater, Minnesota.

Douglas Nelson, of Bern Township, Pennsylvania, died on May 7, 2016.

CLASS OF1972 Gene Hoyme, chief of genetics and genomic medicine at Sanford Health, received the David W. Smith Award for Excellence in Genetics and Birth Defects Education from the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is now semi-retired and has relocated to Arizona. He is working remotely for Sanford Health as well as working part-time as senior advisor for the Center on Applied Genetics and Genomic Medicine at the University of Arizona.

Joanne Warner was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in October 2015. In March 2016, she was honored with the Sr. Bernadette Armiger Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

She recently retired as Dean of Nursing at the University of Portland (Oregon).

CLASS OF 1971 Douglas Luebke died on June 24, 2016, in Armour, South Dakota.

31

ALUMNI NEWS THE

1960s

CLASS OF 1969 Pamela Carson, 68, passed away on Dec. 25, 2015, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Marilyn (Fjelstad) Jennewein died May 20, 2016.

Larry Kane, 75, passed away on May 6, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

Noel Wingate, 69, of Mapleton, Iowa, passed away July 2, 2016.

CLASS OF 1968 Lynne (Blinco) Earle died on Jan. 29, 2014.

CLASS OF 1967 Phyllis (Wimer) Detlefsen, of Adel, Iowa, passed away April 26, 2016.

CLASS OF 1966 Dean Libra died June 16, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

Zane Torgrude retired as VP and senior financial advisor with BMO/Harris Financial Advisors on March 31, 2016. He is currently president of the board and founder of the GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

CLASS OF 1965 Teri (Decker) Parlet passed away June 21, 2016.

CLASS OF 1964 Orville Sayler, 73, of Sioux Falls, died Jan. 10, 2016.

Dana (Gerlach) Wittrock of Sioux Falls, died March 26, 2016.

CLASS OF 1963 Sharon (Sondeno) Johnston of Billings, Montana, passed away on March 1, 2016.

Deloris (Nesheim) Robar, 81, died Feb. 24, 2016.

Wanda Synhorst passed away Dec. 2, 2015.

CLASS OF 1962 Helen (Rasmussen) Jensen, 95, of Okoboji, Iowa, died on Dec. 30, 2015.

Herman Van Lier passed away in Warm Beach, Washington, on May 4, 2016.

CLASS OF 1961 Tom Campbell celebrated his 50th anniversary as an active priest in the Episcopal Church by preaching at Calvary Cathedral on Dec. 20, 2015, at the invitation of Bishop John Tarrant and Dean Ward Simpson.

Alan Stanga received the 2016 Weston H. Noble Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given each year to a conductor in recognition of lifetime achievements and outstanding contributions to the choral art.

THE

1950s

Sonja (Johnson) Jossart, of Bismarck, North Dakota, died on June 14, 2016.

Leah (Winter) Grotte, 78, died on March 7, 2016.

Gladys (Mattheis) Musch passed away on Jan. 27, 2016.

Doris (Rollag) Nelson, 81, died on April 8, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

Donavan Twite, 78, passed away on March 7, 2016, in De Smet, South Dakota.

CLASS OF 1958 Robert Gehler retired on April 5, 2016, after 47 years as the city attorney in Commerce City, Colorado.

Inez (Sprucelake) Haan of Watertown, South Dakota, passed away on March 28, 2016.

Allen Herman, 78, died July 18, 2015, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kerin (Solberg) Hankin, of Laramie, Wyoming, passed away on March 9, 2016.

Donadee (Strombeck) Nicholson, 79, passed away on Dec. 31, 2015, in Storm Lake, Iowa.

Don Niedringhaus passed away on April 5, 2016. Don graduated from Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and served parishes in Badger and Brandon, South Dakota. He also served as the director of church relations at Augustana and served as an interim campus pastor.

Charlene (Gobell) Trygstad of Colorado passed away on Jan. 16, 2013.

THE

1940s

CLASS OF 1949 Catharine (Velotte) Cashman, 91, passed away March 8, 2016.

Jean (Rogers) Thiersch died May 25, 2015, in Seattle, Washington.

CLASS OF 1948 Fern (Buhler) Loken passed away Jan. 7, 2016.

CLASS OF 1947 Avis (Quissell) Aanestad, 90, died Sept. 11, 2015.

Adeline Erickson passed away on June 5, 2016, in West Fargo, North Dakota.

Marjorie Perry, 90, died on Dec. 8, 2015.

Iona (Kirkegaard) Raines died Jan. 6, 2016.

CLASS OF 1946 Eldores (Pearson) Allan, 91, died on Jan. 22, 2016.

Kenneth Christopherson, 89, died Feb 7, 2016.

Jean (Oberlander) Lajewski, 91, died March 18, 2016.

Gene Shirley (Anderson) Maluchnik, 93, passed away on Feb. 19, 2016.

CLASS OF 1944 Fern (Wolf) Clifford, 94, died Jan.7, 2016, in Watertown, South Dakota.

Adelyn (Lokken) Hickman died July 13, 2015, in Gig Harbor, Washington.

Janet (Harestad) Tower of Machias, Maine, died on May 14, 2011.

CLASS OF 1942 Glenn Bragstad, 96, passed away April 23, 2016.

Barbara (Brown) Jenkins of Tampa, Florida, passed away on May 28, 2016.

Ruth (Stumley) Hanson died June 5, 2016, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Phil Nelson died on May 1, 2016, in Australia.

Joy (Rasmussen) Marks passed away on April 10, 2016, in Claremont, California.

Pearl Machmiller, 93, died on March 24, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

H. Jean (Carlson) Odland, 84, passed away on Dec. 29, 2015.

32

CLASS OF 1950 Carolyn (Hinderaker) Demorest passed away on Oct. 30, 2015.

CLASS OF 1957 Sidney “Sid” Dvoracek died on May 10, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

CLASS OF 1954 Fernard “Fred” Norlien, 91, of Duluth, Minnesota, died Feb. 23, 2016.

CLASS OF 1960 Ardella (Rasmussen) Hahn, 78, of Watertown, South Dakota, passed away on April 4, 2016.

Leo Parts, 88, passed away on March 13, 2016.

Luzerne (Clauson) Rensink died Jan. 9, 2016.

CLASS OF 1959 Allan Boade, 79, passed away on March 20, 2016.

MaryAnn (Fox) Catchpole passed away on May 28, 2016.

Mike Pavey has worked in various industries throughout his career and previously owned a country club in Texas. He is currently employed with McCoy-Wright Realty, Inc. as the director of business advancement.

CLASS OF 1951 Lawrence Dybdal, of Hartington, Nebraska, died on May 7, 2016.

Glen Peterson died June 24, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

Anna (Agrimson) Sondeno, 96, died on April 11, 2016, in Billings, Montana.

CLASS OF 1941 M. Bernice (Jensen) Bragstad, 96, died Feb. 27, 2016.

THE

CLASS OF 1952 Shirley (Miller) Griffith, 85, passed away on Feb. 3, 2016.

Joel Eugene Strasser died on Jan. 12, 2016.

The AUGUSTANA

1930s

CLASS OF 1939 Phyllis Hanse died on May 14, 2016, in Webster, South Dakota.

Emma (Hovrud) Rodvold, 98, died Feb. 29, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO

BE A VIKING Today on campus, a new era in Viking history is dawning.

We are inviting high school seniors who we believe have what it takes to BE A VIKING to visit us. Here, they’ll learn more about our 107 majors, minors and pre-professional programs, meet our talented faculty and tour the village that generations of Vikings have called home.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A VIKING? We’re looking for men and women of character – curious individuals who are passionate about learning and are committed to making the world a better place.

If you are fortunate to know such a person, ENCOURAGE HIM OR HER TO VISIT CAMPUS AND LEARN MORE about Viking life today!

Helmets and gear – including the world’s softest t-shirt – will be provided upon their arrival.

THE PLACE FOR POSSIBILITIES

WWW.AUGIE.EDU/VISIT

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE 2001 SOUTH SUMMIT AVENUE SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA 57197

PAID PERMIT NO. 5 SIOUX FALLS, SD

JOIN US! Augustana University invites you to the campus community’s celebration and dedication of the

Dr. Sven G. Froiland Science Complex 4 p.m.

Friday, September 23 An open house will follow the ceremony.