“Hamline is thriving. Hamline is vibrant. And above all, Hamline is consistent.”
Fayneese Miller, PhD President, Hamline University
02 PRESIDENT’S NOTE
Academic Freedom and DEI
Hamline charts a path forward for 2023 as part of a national debate.
Hamline Keeps the Lead
Higher education is more complex, and more important, than ever. Learn how Hamline keeps the lead through innovation and affordability.
Four Within Four
It’s more important than ever that
society receives leaders from
and
See how Hamline’s graduates do upon leaving college and learn about young alumni making a difference.
The challenges facing higher education are great. Hamline is determined to be even greater
07 ACADEMICS All Rise
Melissa Houghtaling ’02 is appointed Fourth District Judge by Governor Walz.
08 SPOTLIGHT Classes of
2022 and 2023
Relive the big day with our newest alumni!
10 HAPPENINGS ON HEWITT
Hamline’s Way of Giving Back
Alumni give back to Career Mentor Program.
13 HAPPENINGS ON HEWITT New Drew Residence Hall
Hamline University continues to provide first-class housing services for its students.
14 HAPPENINGS ON HEWITT
Too Big a Price to Pay
In the past, states and counties sent parents the bill for their children’s foster care. Trish Skophammer’s research proved the practice was inefficient.
15 ATHLETICS
A New Era in Hamline Athletics
Alex Focke took over as Hamline’s new AVP/director of athletics.
16 HAPPENINGS ON HEWITT Pipers Take the Lead Meet the 202223 Wesley Award Winners - students, faculty and staff. Alumni News 24 IN MEMORIAM Remembering those we lost.
NOTE: Class notes, which detail the accomplishments of Hamline alumni and friends young and old, are now kept on the Hamline website. For more information, please visit everywhere.hamline.edu.
From the President
Letter From Our President
DEAR FRIENDS OF THE HAMLINE COMMUNITY:
Since 2015, I have had the honor to lead this great university on an innovative, student-centered path that will position Hamline to succeed for many, many years to come.
As you may know, I will retire from this place that has meant so much to me and has bonded so closely with my heart, effective in June 2024. This does not mean that my work is done; on the contrary, it shows that in my remaining time at Hamline, it is important that I, and we, redouble our efforts to leave our beloved university an even better place than it was when I came here.
I depart with Hamline on a sound financial footing. Recently, Moody’s bondrating service once again left our rating unchanged, reflecting our commitment to fiscal responsibility along with providing world-class education for our students. This magazine highlights other improvements, including one I’m proud to mention. The Pipers to Professionals program will offer paid internships to Hamline students whose internship employers do not offer a wage. Too often, students must make uncomfortable choices—food or books, rent or tuition. Food insecurity is a real issue for some of our students.
With Pipers to Professionals, a student will no longer have to choose between an unpaid internship that will help on a chosen career path and some other
financial priority. We thank our entire congressional delegation, and most especially Representative Betty McCollum, for championing our cause in Washington and gaining the university a $1 million grant in the process.
You will find a detailed article showing how Hamline keeps its brand promise of “taking the lead” in the field of education. We have even come a long way since 2015, with new majors and programs designed to help graduates become upwardly mobile from the moment they enter the workforce.
“OUR COMMITMENT TO RIGOR AND QUALITY ... EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO”
FAYNEESE MILLER, P h D
And, finally, you’ll read about the issue that has brought Hamline national and international attention over the last months. The debate over academic freedom came to us in December and while we were the subject of much speculation and conjecture, much of it unwarranted, regarding our commitment to this core academic principle.
You have doubtless heard about this controversy. Litigation prevents me from answering critics directly, but I can say this: There are two sides to every story and Hamline’s side has yet to be told. But it will be, and it will be told with great passion and commitment.
In fact, we will tell this story with the same passion that you hold for your alma mater. I believe we can do no less and still stay true to ourselves and our mission. For over 150 years, Hamline has stood for freedom, inclusion,
today’s and tomorrow’s world. Change in higher education, like in the rest of the world, is inevitable. We, therefore, must continue to change and adapt to our new realities. Students today want different things, expect different things and, above all, need different things than the students of generations past.
diversity and the freedom to teach in an appropriate and respectful manner while allowing robust debate.
I have over 30 years of experience in higher education as a professor, dean, scholar, author and university president. I would not be where I am today without the freedom to teach as I chose. My love for that concept has never changed, and it certainly is not reflected in some of the unfair and inaccurate portrayals you may have read in the media.
Because you probably didn’t hear it in the media, you should know that Hamline’s accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, reviewed the facts of our situation and concluded that Hamline acted within accepted norms. This was something we knew from the beginning, but official confirmation is always welcome.
Therefore, I hope this issue of Hamline Magazine helps set the record straight on what we truly stand for here. Above all, the one thing we stand for, and must always stand for, is our commitment to students.
Faculty, staff and administration are united on this basic truth. Without students, there is no Hamline. Students remain, as during your time at Hamline, the bedrock of the institution. You chose Hamline because you had a strong sense it was where you belonged. Students today must and should feel the same way. So, the way we treat our students, and the way we respond to their needs, must reflect our understanding and appreciation for who they are. The world they are experiencing is much different than that of the past. Constant exposure to digital media, intensive efforts to unite across various differences, and different lived experiences mean that we have to do more to teach ourselves how to educate them for
continued on next page
This does not mean that we cannot strive for the same goals—the advancement of knowledge, the search for truth and a desire to advance justice for everyone. These goals define academia, and in a world where the only thing you can be sure of is that change is inevitable, these bedrock concepts remain vital and unchangeable.
It is said that “it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” At the end of the day, this is the core principle behind all liberal arts education. Many things have changed in my eight years at Hamline, but I am very glad this concept never did—and that it never will.
And a more recent example: Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. said, “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.”
That philosophy leads to a search for what is true and real. That leads to change. That leads to justice. And that, my friends, leads to a better world.
It has been my honor to serve this institution as its 20th president. I treasure the relationships I have built here, which will remain with me for the rest of my life.
On the day I announced my retirement, I told the media that when I leave, my heart will stay at Hamline. I mean that with every fiber of my being. It is impossible to have been surrounded by such amazing people as I have been and not feel that way.
For that gift, I extend my deepest and heartfelt thanks. I have had the pleasure of working with amazing people and interacting with some of the best students imaginable. Together, we changed Hamline. And I can say with great pride that you, the people of Hamline, changed me. We did good together. Please use that spirit to continue to do all the good you can.
Sincerely,
FAYNEESE MILLER, Ph D President, Hamline University
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Academic Freedom and DEI
They
can, and must, coexist.
BY JEFF PAPAS | EDITOR, HAMLINE MAGAZINE
Over the course of 2023, Hamline University has been at the center of a national conversation regarding the balance between academic freedom and the need for cultural sensitivity when teaching the modern university student.
This has had disruptive results—delaying publication of this issue of Hamline Magazine being just one of them—but has also opened the door for genuine discussion about one of the largest issues facing academia today.
The media have reported at some length on this issue—sometimes rightly, sometimes not as much—so the purpose of this article is to outline some of the key issues under consideration.
It might be helpful, before delving deeper into the subject, to explain not what this article will be, but rather what it will not be. It will not be a discussion of the pending litigation spawned by this controversy. It will not be an attempt to ascribe any motives to any particular side of the discussion. And above all, it will not be muckraking. That would violate a core tenet of a liberal arts education, which is to listen to opposing arguments with respect and civility.
Hamline’s Civility Statement points this out in great detail and at some length. So, with those ground rules established, let’s begin.
Academic Freedom: What Is It?
In 1940, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) published its definition of academic freedom. It reads:
1. Teachers are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.
2. Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject.4 Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other aims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at the time of the appointment.
3. College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. As scholars and educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.6
Hamline University has accepted these principles, and they are repeated verbatim in the university’s faculty handbook. This spring, the university welcomed to campus a special AAUP committee that investigated the issues at hand. The AAUP, while criticizing certain aspects of the university’s response, did not place Hamline on its list of institutions where academic freedom is threatened. That said, the debate on this important issue is beginning to expand. There are a large number of academics who believe that the power and principles of academic freedom are inviolable. As a liberal arts institution, Hamline University absolutely respects this viewpoint, which is held by faculty of higher education institutions the world over.
There are also an increasing number of academics who are looking for middle ground. They note that academic freedom is a bedrock principle, and it should go hand in hand with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles rather than be seen as an attempt to undermine them.
One of those academics is Stacy Hawkins, professor of law at Rutgers University.. She has worked with diversity issues for her entire career, including with the Pennsylvania State Bar Association. She has served for two years as vice dean of the Rutgers Law School and is scheduled to visit Hamline during the fall 2023 term. In February 2023, she wrote an article for the Chronicle of Higher Education addressing the issue of the balance between DEI and academic freedom.
While dependent on academic freedom for her own teaching—a fact Hawkins makes abundantly clear—she also believes that concept and DEI need to coexist, a position many academics worldwide, including at Hamline, also hold.
“Universities are obligated to provide a nonharassing environment,” she added.
“My lived experience involves enduring these kinds of (harassing) environments and noxious speech. I understand the impact it can have on students. It’s increasingly important to get this right.”
Or to put it a different way: “Our student population is diversifying and faculty are not diversifying as rapidly,”
Feature Story
Hamline Keeps the Lead
BY
Hawkins said. “You (still) have a power differential that makes the disparity even more acute. We have to be mindful of what people in positions of power do—they control the situation on behalf of everyone else.”
Hawkins is quick to note that academic freedom should not take a back seat to DEI, but she has two important caveats.
First: “As a (professor) you have the right to academic freedom but you have professional responsibilities,” Hawkins said. “If you are doing things in the name of academic freedom that are not in line with those responsibilities, you do not have the academic freedom you think you have.”
And second: “These issues are fraught. There are no easy answers. I won’t play ’Monday morning quarterback,’ but I do know that we can’t be absolutists in any regard. We have to consider both perspectives and balance them. We are called upon to do that and we can’t abrogate our responsibility in that area. You can say you have to allow all speech, but it’s also a matter of actually doing it.”
Hamline has heard from students, faculty and alumni in great detail and volume about your positions on these matters. The university retained a consulting firm to run a survey of our entire campus community and to report its findings.
on page 19
The last three and a half years have been extremely challenging for the world and for the Hamline community. But throughout these challenges, Hamline has proven nimble and resilient by pivoting and adapting while keeping a sharp focus on meeting students’ educational and emotional needs in the 21st century. As we emerge from those tumultuous times and embrace the new normal, Hamline keeps the lead as befitting Minnesota’s first university and the first to award bachelor's and master's degrees to women and men. Here are several ways Hamline continues, post-pandemic, to help students excel in the classroom as they prepare for successful careers and begin a lifetime of learning.
Liberal ArtsGrounded Business Classes
Following an extensive program review, the School of Business developed concentrations (or majors) that meet the needs of the business world by offering
business classes that are grounded in the liberal arts.
The business school is also making its classes accessible to all Hamline students as it strives to help them see how economists view the world. This has resulted in changes to introductory economic classes.
“Instead of offering separate macro and micro economics classes, we’ve combined them into Introduction to Economics and added a class that looks at how economists use big data in their analysis and research,” said Beth Gunderson, dean of the School of Business. “We’re trying to be forward thinking and liberal arts—grounded by looking at current business needs and trying to project five years into the future.”
Another change for the business school has been sunsetting the international business concentration after the program review indicated the need for a global flavor in all courses, not just a specific concentration. Because today’s students might work anywhere in the world, all students will benefit from classes with a greater global flavor.
“Faculty members are always thinking about how they can help students move toward graduation and finding a job. Working together and creating opportunities for students is what we’re all about.”
BETH GUNDERSON, PHD DEAN, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
The business school aims to provide students with realworld experience by requiring all students to complete an internship in an area they plan to work in. Capstone projects and senior seminar courses also provide valuable experience by using real data and learning to analyze and develop business models.
The Career Mentor Program connects students with business professionals who help them relate their studies to the real world, as well as show them how to prepare for interviews so they’re ready to work. Many of these business professionals are Hamline alumni who are giving back by helping today’s students get ahead.
“Today, our faculty members are much more aware of meeting students where they are and willing to do that outside office hours,” added Gunderson. “Faculty members are always thinking about how they can help students move toward graduation and finding a job. Working together and creating opportunities for students is what we’re all about.”
TOM BRANDES MALS ’93
“Our COVID keepers include hybrid delivery, some online modules for modeling, and separating those things that matter, such as more active, handson learning, from things that don’t, such as attendance policies ... focused on core skills including collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving.”
MARCELA KOSTIHOVA, PHD DEAN, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
College of Liberal Arts Mines ’COVID Keepers’
Recognizing the changing needs of students and society, the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) began an extensive program review in early 2021. CLA staff assessed student needs and student success to identify “COVID keepers”—things they discovered during the pandemic that serve their students well.
“Our COVID keepers— include hybrid delivery, some online modules for modeling, and separating those things that matter, such as more active, hands-on learning, from things that don’t, such as attendance policies,” said Marcela Kostihova, dean, College of Liberal Arts. “As a result of the review, we rethought ways to remain relevant by ensuring all minors are focused on core skills, including collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving.”
A key realization was that despite offering numerous options for students, the university wasn’t adequately serving those who started but haven’t finished their degrees. To rectify this, the university offers an online degree-completion program, with majors in business and psychology. Kostihova, who has been privileged to teach in the program, has found the students to be incredibly motivated, smart and organized.
CLA, through the School of Education and Leadership, also launched Minnesota’s first fully online paraprofessional pathway to help adults who are currently working in schools and want to be teachers. These are people who work as paraprofessionals but lack the required licenser credentials; they frequently haven’t finished their bachelor's degree.
“These paraprofessionals are working in schools full-time, so going to school in traditional ways is not an option. We now
offer a fully online option that allows them to pursue a license in special education, which is new to Hamline, and to finish their BA,” added Kostihova.
“We’re also close to launching a pathway for elementary and ESL licensure. The purpose of these programs is to bring in as many students as possible.”
Hamline is explicitly focused on skills development—skills that are in demand by employers.
According to Kostihova, students with strong liberal arts skills tend to be far happier and satisfied in their jobs, and they make more money compared with others.
Students are interested in longterm careers that are meaningful, relevant and transformational, and they want to have an impact.
Hamline is helping students achieve these goals.
Two Campuses, One Community
The Hamline to Hamline Collaboration is a unique, robust partnership between Hamline University and neighboring Hamline Elementary School. This partnership places more than 100 university students in elementary classrooms as tutors and mentors while also providing elementary students with access to the university campus on a continual basis. Elementary students make their first campus visit during kindergarten and return often for cultural experiences and academic enrichment, including musical performances, author readings and special events. Elementary students benefit by gaining exposure to new adults and learning what a university campus is like. The hope is that they'll see they can go to college someday too.
The Hand in Hand volunteer mentoring program brings elementary and university students together weekly, and they participate in fun, special
events on campus throughout the year. Mentors work closely with elementary teachers, providing one-on-one support for learners at all levels and building positive relationships with elementary students. Some mentors and their buddies remain paired for multiple years.
“This is a warm, cordial relationship that has lasted for more than 125 years. In 1991, the schools formally created a lab school partnership, the first university—elementary partnership of its kind in the nation,” said Director of Communications Jeff Papas.
“Being on the cutting edge is very important. Lab schools apply the most progressive and effective research-based methods for teaching children, and our education students gain practical experience in educating tomorrow’s leaders.”
In 2018, the partnership was expanded, creating an innovative program that brings best practices in elementary education theory and research into the classroom. The partnership gives the university students an opportunity to learn and receive near on-the-job training. They also gain insight into teaching, including how to handle a classroom full of energetic children so they know what they’re getting into.
“This relationship makes both campuses unique by providing learning experiences that extend well beyond the classroom walls,” said Hamline Elementary Principal Kristin Reilly. “When we were working to increase enrollment, we knew our relationship with Hamline University would be our greatest asset. There’s something magical about so many people— families, staff, elementary and university students, faculty, and community—all coming together to add their vision and voice to this project.”
Enhancing Student Health and Well-Being
Patti Kersten’s role as VP dean of students is to think about students’ experience outside the classroom and support the full range of student services on campus, including counseling, health and public safety. She recognizes the vital social aspect at the heart of being part of a university community, and she's worked to help students feel involved and engaged.
The COVID-19 pandemic was incredibly isolating for many students and made it difficult to connect with others. As we move past that era, student needs have changed. Kersten has spent much time considering how to move forward with the information and data we’ve gained about supporting students and keeping everyone safe.
“Vector Solutions, the online onboarding program, has added mental health and diversity modules in order to value and support new students before they arrive on campus, and also returning students,” said Kersten. “The counseling staff is more flexible, offering remote or in-person counseling, with 15– to 20-minute or 50-minute sessions depending on students' needs.”
The four licensed PhD counselors on campus all have more than 10 years' experience (one has 15 years' experience) working with college students. Counseling and health services now share a combined office: An integrated approach to providing physical and mental health is viewed as optimal. Students can receive medications by seeing the MD or nurse practitioner, and the student health fee now covers everything without copays and eliminates insurance headaches.
Peer health educators, or students trained to talk to other students about how to be a healthy college student, coordinate programming. Political Affairs Committee grants support and help students learn about the range of resources available at Hamline.
The dining hall has been enhanced as more students arrive with different nutritional requirements. There’s a new gluten-free area; halal (permissible) meats are available at virtually every meal and are featured in the exhibition station at a majority of meals. Finally, open-gendered and accessible restrooms have been added in the residence halls to support students in their identities.
“The office of the Dean of Students is along on students’ journey of lifelong learning,” added Kersten. “Our goal is to help them begin their own growth and self-exploration by supporting and encouraging them in this endeavor.”
“The counseling staff is more flexible, offering remote or in-person counseling ... depending on students’ needs.”
PATTI KERSTEN, E d D '19
VICE PRESIDENT AND DEAN OF STUDENTS
All Rise
BY JEFF PAPAS | EDITOR, HAMLINE MAGAZINE
Melissa Houghtaling ’02 JD ’07 has been appointed district judge in Minnesota’s 4th Judicial District.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has appointed Melissa Houghtaling JD '07 as district judge in the state’s 4th Judicial District, which encompasses Hennepin County. Houghtaling previously served in the 4th District as a district court referee in the Civil and Criminal Divisions, presiding over housing, harassment and petty misdemeanor cases.
“Ms. Houghtaling’s previous service as a judicial officer, combined with her lifelong dedication to equity and justice initiatives to help improve the lives of LGBTQ+ Minnesotans, will serve her well as a district court judge,” noted Walz at the time of her appointment in June 2022.
Houghtaling earned a BA in sociology, women’s studies and religion at Hamline in 2002 and holds a JD degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She comes from a military family, but chose a law career over military service because she was unwilling to closet herself during the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Instead, she focused on a life of public service.
“Although my work as a judge often involves making hard decisions that negatively impact someone’s life, I hope that when people leave my courtroom, they feel that their voices have been heard and that they have a better understanding of the complexities of the law and why I made the decision I did,” Houghtaling said.
Houghtaling’s legal career includes service as a human services judge at the Minnesota Department of Human Services and clerkships with three judges at the Minnesota Tax Court. She has been a shareholder and attorney at Heltzer & Houghtaling, PA; a chair of the St. Paul's Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission; and a chair of the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association.
Houghtaling has taught at Hamline, Mitchell Hamline School of Law and Inver Hills Community College. She has volunteered as a mock trial judge for the Minnesota bar's High School Mock Trial Program and has served on the 4th Judicial District Equal Justice Committee.
“I’m extremely humbled by my appointment as 4th District judge,” Houghtaling said. “I know that people are appearing before me on their absolute worst days. They have faith that I will do what’s right based on the law. I’m grateful for that trust and the opportunity I’ve been given to serve the public.”
Commencement
Class of 2022 gathers in St. Paul for their annual commencement exercises.
Class of 2022 Gather in St. Paul for their a nnual commencement exercises.
BY JEFF PAPAS EDITOR, HAMLINE MAGAZINE
PHOTOS BY CORY RYAN
Commencement 2023
Class of 2023 gathers in St. Paul for their annual commencement exercises.
BY JEFF PAPAS EDITOR, HAMLINE MAGAZINE
ON MAY 14, 2022, the Class of 2022 gathered with family and friends at St. Paul RiverCentre for the annual commencement exercises. It was a day to celebrate great achievements in a warm, festive atmosphere. Former Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and trustee Winston Folkers ’57 received honorary degrees. Congratulations to all our new alumni!
ON MAY 14, 2022, the class of 2022 gathered with family and friends at St. Paul RiverCentre for the annual commencement exercises. It was a day to celebrate great achievements in a warm, festive atmosphere. Former Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and trustee Winston Folkers ’57 received honorary degrees. Congratulations to all our new alumni!
PHOTOS BY CORY RYAN
ON MAY 13, 2023, the Class of 2023 gathered with family and friends at St. Paul RiverCentre for the annual commencement exercises. Hamline’s honorary degree recipient was Jeff Green, founder and CEO of US Merchants, a global merchandising and supply company employing over 6,000 nationwide. Green started his academic career at Hamline. Congratulations to all our new alumni!
Giving Back
Alumni Give Back to Career Mentor Program
|
BY TOM BRANDES MALS ’93
Commencement. The word conjures images of caps and gowns, feelings of relief and excitement, and an overwhelming sense of personal accomplishment. It also signifies a new chapter in a graduate’s life: the beginning of their professional career and— for many—their first experience with full-time employment.
As students work to get the most out of their courses and excel academically, some postgraduation practicalities, such as how to effectively navigate the job market, may fall by the wayside. Seeing this need, Hamline School of Business launched a mentor program in 2017 to ensure students get the most out of their education after they leave campus.
The Career Mentor Program (CMP) enhances the great education Hamline students receive with valuable, realworld knowledge and guidance provided by experienced mentors. As a result, more than 80% land a job in their desired field after they graduate. The impact of a mentorship is visible beyond statistics, too.
As the first cohort of mentored students graduated in 2020, they felt the desire to give back by developing an alumni branch of the program.
The alumni now host events for current students, where they do a bit of mentoring themselves by answering questions and concerns about entering and succeeding in the contemporary workplace. “We’ve had students
come back to us as they’re getting ready to graduate and tell us they’d like to give back and work with other students,”
program advisor Kay Lillig Cotter said. “They’ve had the full experience and have seen the program evolve.”
Set Up for Success
The mission of the CMP is to prepare business school students to launch their careers and to make better career choices by improving career management necessary for a first internship, a first job and an entire career.
Students are introduced to the program during their first year at Hamline, when Cotter visits classrooms and invites students to join the program during their second year. Alexandra Pick ’20 was one of those students.
“I had a really impactful experience in the program, mainly due to the great partnership I had with my mentor throughout my years, starting as a freshman and not really knowing what I wanted to do with my life,” Pick said.
As a sophomore, Pick started focusing more on her first steps toward a career.
“The mindset for me shifted a little bit. When I was applying for internships, I was looking all across the board,” she said.
“One of the things the mentor program helped me decide on was that I wanted a really structured internship experience, so I started applying to mostly bigger companies that were able to give me that.”
“I had a really impactful experience in the program, mainly due to the great partnership I had with my mentor throughout my years starting as a freshman and not really knowing what I wanted to do with my life.”
ALEXANDRA PICK ’20
Pick eventually landed an internship with Wells Fargo the following summer.
“Even during the summer I had calls with my mentor, talking about the internship and how things were going.”
Mentors work one-on-one with students to assist with drafting résumés and LinkedIn profiles, developing interview skills, and exploring potential career paths. The program builds on the content that Hamline’s Career Development Center offers to all undergraduates.
“Our mentors can give very special, individualized help to our students, which really sets them apart and gives them that extra advantage,” Cotter said.
Exploring Opportunities
Foujia Ahmed ’20 joined the program later than most, enrolling in her junior year.
“I really appreciated having a mentor throughout different places in my career, especially in school,” Ahmed said. “I actually had my first internship as a high schooler at US Bank, and I had a mentor then and I really appreciate their value and insight. So, I had a good understanding of the value of having a mentor. It was a no-brainer for me when I saw the mentorship program at Hamline.”
Ahmed entered the program having a good understanding of what she wanted out of her career. She was pursuing a business analytics degree, so she was a bit surprised when she
“My last year at Hamline I really spent time working on myself and what skills I was going to bring to my workplace. Without even knowing what the job landscape looked like, it was really valuable to keep going through the program and learn about networking and leadership.”
was assigned a mentor who was a retired criminal defense attorney.
“It’s interesting: He didn’t seem like he fit with the business school, but he was incorporated into the program because he owned his own law firm, so he was an entrepreneur,” Ahmed explained.
“Through my time with him, I learned not to have narrow tunnel vision. I thought I knew what I was going to do—I had a plan—but throughout the program, I learned that it’s OK to look at other opportunities. It definitely opened my eyes to other opportunities I hadn’t thought of before.”
Ahmed graduated with a legal studies minor, in addition to her bachelor’s degree.
Ahmed’s classmate, Pick, didn't have as clear a career vision when entering the program.
“I didn’t know much about corporate America; I came from a small town. I didn’t know a lot of jobs or possibilities necessarily existed,” Pick said. “When I took part in the Career Mentor Program, I really saw that within the mentors and also the students who were older than me—I saw all of them getting these cool jobs working for these interesting companies. The variety I saw in mentors and other students pushed me to explore career paths and opportunities.”
Pick eventually settled on the business management major and now works as a senior compliance tester at Discover.
“The career I’m in right now is risk and compliance for banks. ... I find it so fitting for my life and interests and I wouldn’t have known that existed,” she said. “To bring these career paths and experiences to other students, particularly via recent alumni, I felt like it was an untapped resource. I wanted to help students explore their interests and find something they love and are passionate about.”
Giving Back
Going into her final year at Hamline, Pick learned her internship would be converted into a full-time job upon graduation. With post-commencement employment secured, Pick was afforded the time to hone the skills needed to make her an outstanding hire.
“My last year at Hamline, I really spent time working on myself and what skills I was going to bring to my workplace,” Pick said. “Without even knowing what the job landscape looked like, it was really valuable to keep going through the program and learn about networking and leadership.”
As her time at Hamline was ending, Pick was looking for a way to stay connected to the program. She was eventually put in touch with two other like-minded graduates: Ahmed and Amanda Peterson. Together, the three developed an alumni branch of the program, providing a “low-stakes environment” that gives students access to current information.
“’Low stakes’ in the sense that you’re basically just meeting with one of your peers to ask them about their job, or going to an event where you’re going to learn about their jobs and experiences,” Pick said.
The addition of an alumni network means CMP students get a comprehensive understanding of the career landscape, through access to peers with contemporary professional experience as well as to careerveteran professionals.
“Since we had gone through the program ourselves, we felt we could provide valuable insight to our fellow classmates,” Ahmed said. “We had just gone through the process and were diving into our careers, so we were able to relate to them more.”
Recent alumni are also uniquely equipped to give students a unique perspective on entering and navigating the post-pandemic work environment.
“Sometimes it’s nice to have fresher perspectives, especially since we’re moving on to a different type of work,” Ahmed said. “Remote work and hybrid work are definitely becoming more of a thing. There are questions about what they should do to be productive working from home. Things have gotten a lot harder and people are more competitive in the workforce, so they want to know how they, as individuals, can stand out amongst other peers they’re competing against.”
Ahmed, Pick and Peterson also organize special workshop events each semester. The events feature breakout sessions with a panel of alumni and mentors. In the past, sessions have focused on building a personal brand, developing interview skills and turning internships into job offers.
“We felt like this would bridge that gap between the mentors who have the expansive, incredible career and people who are just starting their first job,” Pick said.
Happenings on Hewitt
New Drew Residence Hall
Hamline University continues to provide first-class housing services for its students. Recently, Drew Residence Hall underwent a face-lift, and we hope you like the results. The changes include improved accessibility, two new laundry rooms and a new kitchenette, remodeling of the corridors, and door replacement on all rooms, among numerous others.
BY JEFF PAPAS EDITOR, HAMLINE MAGAZINE
ALEXANDRA PICK '20
Happenings on Hewitt Too Big a Price to Pay
In the past, states and counties sent parents the bill for their children’s foster care. Trish Skophammer’s research proved the practice was inefficient and not cost-effective, and now her work is helping to change the system.
BY MARLA HOLT PHOTO COURTESY MARLA HOLT
Trish Skophammer DPA ’17, director of the Ramsey County Child Support Services division in the County Attorney’s Office, first heard of the practice of charging parents for their children’s time in foster care in a conversation with a mother who was struggling to support her family in the face of financial hardship.
“She owed the county money based on her teenage daughter’s foster care placement, and her debt was driving her deeper into poverty,” Skophammer said. “I recall thinking that there couldn’t possibly be such a policy.”
Over the course of her 25 years working in the child support system, Skophammer came in contact with many such families who were required to reimburse the cost of their children’s out—of— home placement. She learned that the system she worked for was a vehicle for collecting those reimbursements.
When Skophammer began her doctoral program in public administration at Hamline in 2011, she became one of the first to question such a practice by looking at the cost effectiveness of collecting those debts.
Skophammer examined case data from the Minnesota child support program to compare and contrast the resources the state expended toward the collections effort versus the actual amount collected. She found that the state recovered only about 30 cents for each dollar that was owed, concluding “it’s really not costeffective to spend more money trying to collect than what we’re bringing in,” she said.
Skophammer found that reimbursement fees are charged almost exclusively to the poorest families. “Eighty percent of the families that showed up in my data were earning less than $10,000 annually,” Skophammer said. Research has also shown that the reimbursement practice can delay reunification of parents and children—a goal of the child welfare system—because the added debt often makes it harder for families to pay for such things as travel to visit their children, treatment programs and adequate housing.
While presenting her findings at national conferences of child support professionals, Skophammer urged that more studies be done on the practice. Soon, other states
discovered similar findings.
“Reimbursement for the cost of foster care is messy and often error prone. I recommended more uniformity in collections and the development of best
“Eighty percent of the families that showed up in my data were earning less than $10,000 annually.”
TRISH SKOPHAMMER DPA ’17
practices in terms of the best interest of the child,” she said.
“I also recognized that we needed to determine if it’s even a good idea, based on costeffectiveness and its impact on families.”
Skophammer’s research, combined with that of studies conducted in other states, has begun to change the system. In its 2022 session, the Minnesota state legislature passed a statute that permits charging families for foster care placement but no longer requires it.
“Now, if counties choose to charge for out-of-home placement, they must first have a finding that it’s in the child’s best interest to do so, and that the practice is not exacerbating a family’s financial burdens,” Skophammer said. She is currently leading a working group—comprising county and state child support and child welfare professionals, nonprofit leaders in foster care, and tribal partners—that will develop statewide policies that provide clear direction for a reimagined reimbursement program.
Although she knows there’s more work to do, Skophammer is pleased that states are now reconsidering the impact of charging impoverished families for their children’s foster care.
“Seeing these policy and legislative changes after 10 years of working on this issue is really rewarding,” she said. “For parents to be able to make a decision to place their child in care without the worry of financial harm is life-changing for them.”
A New Era in Hamline Athletics
Alex Focke takes over as AVP/director of athletics.
BY JEFF PAPAS EDITOR, HAMLINE MAGAZINE
For Alex Focke, it's all about togetherness. “When one team does well, we all win,” Hamline’s new assistant vice president and director of athletics said recently. “If the cross-country team wins, we all win. When the football team does well, we all win.”
The team attitude should serve Focke well as he begins new responsibilities at Hamline. Focke succeeds Jason Verdugo, who left in June to take over as athletic director at UW—Eau Claire.
“Jason was a great mentor to me,” Focke said. “He gave me a ton of opportunities to see how the department worked so I would be ready to take over if that time ever came. He knew that this job was one I always wanted to have someday.”
“WHEN ONE TEAM DOES WELL, WE ALL WIN.”
ALEX FOCKE AVP / DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
Focke knew his career path while still in college. After playing a range of sports at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, he attended the University of Minnesota—where, as a sophomore, he became an assistant for his old high school team, the Raiders; he also assisted at Henry Sibley High School in St. Paul.
“It all came back to basketball then,” Focke said. “And for a long time, that’s where it stayed.”
After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2007 with a major in communications studies, Focke became a men’s basketball graduate assistant, first at his alma mater and then at
South Dakota State University as it finished its transition from NCAA Division II into Division I and the Summit League. While there, he completed his master’s degree in sports pedagogy. Then, it was on to Hamline. He served as assistant men’s basketball coach for Jim Hayes for five years, and then took over the women’s program. The team finished third in the MIAC last year and reached the conference tournament semifinals for the second straight year in 2022—23. The Pipers were 18—10 last season, with senior Chan’el Anderson-Manning winning all—MIAC recognition as the conference’s defensive player of the year. Focke has grown to wrap himself in the Hamline ethos and isn’t shy about saying so. “We have a lot of pride in our athletic department,” he said. “Our student-athletes take a lot of pride in being Pipers and there’s a lot of camaraderie here. Our students work well with our faculty, our SAAC (Student-Athletic Advisory Committee) is very active and that’s what we want. That’s who we are at Hamline.”
Focke knows he owes a lot to Verdugo, who leaves big shoes to fill in the department.
“Jason was our leader,” he said. “He motivated us to be our best and pushed us to reach our full potential. He was always there for me, and I know the department will miss him, but his lasting legacy is to set up the department to succeed moving forward, to put me in a position to take over and step into his role.”
Focke often ran staff meetings and served as Hamline’s NCAA compliance director in addition to his role as head women’s basketball coach. “He (Verdugo) let me in on those meetings with coaches and the day-to-day operations, showed me why he made decisions the way he did, and let me know what it’s like to be an athletic director.”
As he gets his feet on the ground in his new role, Focke eventually hopes to have the same influence Verdugo has at the NCAA level but knows that will take time.
“OUR STUDENT—ATHLETES TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN BEING PIPERS.”
ALEX FOCKE AVP / DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
“Jason was, and is, very involved with the NCAA at all levels,” Focke said. “For now, I just want to take a deep dive into our athletic department and be there for our student-athletes and our coaches, especially the younger ones. Right now I’m diving into campus work.”
He has also handed over the reins of the womens’ basketball program to longtime assistant Josh Hersch. “He is ready to move up,” Focke said of the new head coach. “I always said I don’t want to recruit against him or coach against him because he does a great job and I know he’ll be great now. I want him to be at Hamline.”
As Focke leaves one position and assumes another, he does have one long-term goal in mind.
“I’d like to pay the mentorship forward,” he said. “I have been very fortunate to have mentors in coaching and administration, and it’s cool now to be in this position—to think about doing that for some of our younger coaches. I got responsibility from Jason, and I’m looking forward to passing that knowledge along.”
PHOTO BY CORY RYAN
Happenings on Hewitt
Pipers Take the Lead
Four students and one staff member have been honored for their leadership and service to the university and beyond. BY MARLA HOLT
Meyer is a recipient of Hamline’s Corner-Rose Scholarship, which is awarded to a female undergraduate for outstanding performance in an internship during the second or third year of college. She also was honored for her outstanding leadership and self-advocacy at People for PSEO.
Rainer Meyer ’22 (BA in history, political science and public health; Edina, Minn.) held several leadership roles in the Hamline Undergraduate Student Congress (HUSC), including chairing the political affairs committee and serving as the external copresident in 2021 22. She was a student coordinator at the university’s Center for Justice and Law and further developed her advocacy, leadership and organizational skills as a public policy intern for AARP and as a policy center coordinator for People for PSEO (postsecondary enrollment options). She interned on statewide political campaigns, including as the Minnesota Young DFL campaign manager for Kelly Morrison’s run for the Minnesota State Senate.
RUBEN DOMINQUEZ ’22
Ruben Dominquez ’22 (BA in political science and global studies; Maplewood, Minn.) was an active member of the HUSC, serving as its internal copresident in 2021 22. He was also a global mentor and head delegate for Model United Nations, a student member of the Diversity Summit planning committee and a new-student mentor. He was an economic development intern for the City of Roseville and a Spanishspeaking intern for The Arc Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“I have advised Ruben in multiple capacities, and he has proven himself one of the premier leaders at Hamline, not to mention the most motivated and dedicated student leader I’ve ever had the privilege to work with,” said Patrick Haught, assistant director of student activities and leadership development. “Ruben is a diligent, creative, caring and engaging leader who is capable of making extraordinary connections with people. He lives out the words of John Wesley every single day, and I have the utmost confidence that he will serve as an excellent ambassador for the Wesley Award.”
PEARL BUABENG ’23
Pearl Buabeng ’23 (BA in biology, with a minor in neuroscience and a concentration in genetics, molecular and cellular biology; Maplewood, Minn.) was a three—time resident assistant and an executive board member of both Women Boss Up and the Black Student Collective. She also was the student representative on the Diversity Initiatives Steering
Committee, a tutor at Hamline Elementary School, and an employee in the Office of the Dean of Students. Her remarkable leadership presence was felt across campus. A professor of English had this to say about Buabeng: “Pearl is among the most qualified, capable, compassionate and impactful leaders I’ve worked with in my 20 years at Hamline. She puts the vitae in curriculum—embodying a spirit and generosity that amplifies the leadership all around her, shaping Hamline (and the Twin Cities communities she serves) now, but also empowering future leaders who will carry on the work. Pearl has my tremendous respect, and although I don’t have as broad and deep a connection to the impact she has on her peers, I saw the indicators of her influence even just in the one course we had together. She is a foundational force in a Hamline community that has faced some extraordinary challenges over the last two years.”
KAYDEN RINZEL ’23
Kayden Rinzel ’23 (BA in social justice; Wauwatosa, Wis.) was actively involved in Hamline’s Feed Your Brain Campaign, a student-led initiative to increase awareness of food insecurity on college campuses. She also was the access coordinator for Hamline’s Food Resource Center and worked as a student operations assistant in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. She volunteered at local food banks and with Destination Imagination, a nonprofit
organization that fosters creativity and innovation through project-based learning.
Rinzel is a concert pianist, competitive handler at the Milwaukee Dog Training Club, and Hand in Hand volunteer. Her awards and honors include the Allison Durfey Endowed Scholarship, the Gilmore Music Award and Hamline’s writing department scholarship.
“Kayden is the face of the food justice fight at Hamline,” said Ella Swiston ’23, a legal studies student at Hamline. “She has worked to grow the Food Resource Center by drawing on her experiences with Feed Your Brain and as a Hamline fellow for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Kayden exemplifies the charge of John Wesley to ’do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can,’ living her life instinctively in service of others.”
2022 JOHN WESLEY TRUSTEE AWARD FOR STAFF RECIPIENT
LYNETTE WAHL ’86 MPA ’97
Lynette Wahl ’86 (MPA ’97) has dedicated her entire career to Hamline. She first worked in the Office of Financial Aid as a student.
After earning a BA in psychology, she accepted a full—time position in the office, continuing to gain responsibility while earning a master’s degree in public administration. She eventually advanced
to the director’s role, which she has held for 17 years. Wahl is known for her accessibility to parents and students; she is adept at listening to families’ needs and working with them to create the best possible financial aid package.
As the COVID pandemic progressed, Wahl was crucial in working through the many governmental grants issues and parameters to ensure that students who were eligible received their grants, all while maintaining the day-to-day operations of the financial aid office. Without her care and expertise, Hamline would not have been able to provide $6,055,828 in U.S. Department of Education grants to the university’s eligible students. Wahl is a respected colleague who is at the center of student success and retention. She cares deeply about Hamline students, and the university is a better community because of her.
2023 Wesley Award Winners
STUDENTS:
Anika Besst (she/her) is from Coon Rapids, Minn., and graduated this spring from the College of Liberal Arts with a BA in theatre arts and journalism, an emphasis in social justice, and an English minor. Besst was involved in theatre, undergraduate research and the dance ensemble. She also served as a student ambassador, a newstudent mentor and editor in chief of the Oracle.
Aram Wedatalla (she/ her) is from Woodbury, Minn., and graduated this spring from the Hamline School of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration, a management concentration and a psychology minor.
continued on page 19
Academic Freedom/DEI
Continued from Page 04
Piper Profile: Sacred Spaces
REBEKAH
MARZAHN COFFMAN ’12
BY JEFF PAPAS EDITOR, HAMLINE MAGAZINE
As the first curator of religion and community history at the Chicago History Museum, Rebekah Marzahn Coffman ’12 explores the connections between religious identity and historic landscape, collaborating with Chicago’s diverse communities to meet educational and interpretive goals that reflect a more equitable representation of the city’s history. Coffman also works as a freelance heritage consultant, specializing in assisting at-risk religious institutions with re-imagining the use of sacred spaces. She previously was the historical society manager for the City of Plymouth,
Minnesota, for which she led the transition of its history museum from volunteer-led to city-owned. As a former director of the Minneapolis-based Historic Wesley Center, Coffman was responsible for the site management of its nationally and locally registered historic building.
Coffman has written about and presented on how belief and spirituality remain a fundamental framework for understanding the world. Her essay “The Sacred Shift: Expanding Heritage Narratives through Adaptive Reuse” received a commendation for the 2020 James Morris Prize from the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain. She was a co-lecturer and curator of student exhibitions on Islamic art and architecture at Hamline during spring terms 2020 and 2021. Coffman earned a BA in art history and religion, summa cum laude, with a minor in Spanish at Hamline. She also holds an MA in historical and sustainable architecture from New York University at NYU London.
NEAR MISS: “When I arrived at Hamline, I was leaning toward studying science, either environmental studies or biology. But Emeritus Professor Aida Audeh, former chair of the department of studio arts and art history, pulled me aside in my art history first—year seminar and said, ’You were meant to do this.’ I responded politely: ’Thank you. I thought I’d study science.’ But she encouraged me to take more classes, and with her guidance and gentle prodding, I came to realize she was right.”
LIBERAL ARTS APPROACH:
“Hamline offered so many opportunities to engage with a lot of really interesting topics, which was very impactful at a
young age. Both the departments of religion and art history were so supportive of me, allowing for much discussion around issues of faith, theology and ethics, which helped me to re-frame and re-conceptualize how I thought about the world. I connected with so many people around beliefs and topics that were important to me.”
RETHINKING PLACES AND THINGS: “My first museum experience— in part thanks to Emeritus Professor Leonardo Lasansky in the fine arts department—was as an Ehlers Fellow at the Minneapolis Institute of Art as a curatorial assistant in the Department of Decorative Arts, Textiles and Sculpture. It certainly foregrounded my interests now, in that it led me to think more about place-based research and how objects can be a means of telling the story of a place. For example, where did this chair come from? Who was it made for? What does it tell us about the rooms it occupied?”
NEW VOICES: “Museums are thinking of new ways to engage in history that are more equitable. My role at the Chicago History Museum is centered around the themes of religion and community, which can be very expansive. I’m working to bring forward voices that expand the museum’s representation of religious experience and community life.”
WHAT’S NEXT: “I’m excited to collaborate with community partners across the museum’s educational and interpretive goals. It will be rewarding to see, as a curator, how we can work together to create spaces and exhibits that reflect our community and that are welcoming to everyone.”
“Hamline offered so many opportunities to engage with a lot of really interesting topics, which was very impactful at a young age.”
REBEKAH MARZAHN COFFMAN ’12
HAMLINE MISSION STATEMENT
At Hamline University, our mission is to create a diverse and collaborative community of learners dedicated to the development of students’ knowledge, values, and skills for successful lives of leadership, scholarship, and service.
found a sharp divide in the answers: Staff generally said yes, faculty and alumni generally said no, and students were more divided in response. So, what does this tell us? For one thing, better communication of Hamline’s mission and values is needed, as well as accountability on how the university is doing on living up to those values. That is one of the purposes of this magazine, and going forward we will place extra emphasis on this core concept.
One of the questions asked was in regard to whether respondents felt Hamline is living up to its mission. We
continued from page 17
2023 Wesley Award Winners
Wedatala served as president of the Muslim Student Association; a Catalyst service-trip site leader; a programmanagement intern with the Food Resource Center; student leader for Pathways; trainee with Interfaith America; and event leader for the Career Mentor Program.
Caleb Lueders (he/him) is from Houston, Texas, and will graduate in the spring of 2024 from the Hamline School of Business with a BBA in business management and a BA from the College of Liberal Arts in communications. Lueders has served the Hamline community as a new-student mentor, Piper IMpact executive member; Habit for Humanity and Be the Match volunteer; All— Sports campus counselor, and as a member of the Hamline football team.
Secondly, we’ve learned that absolutism is not a worthwhile course of action. To use Hawkins’ words: “There is a way in which the conversation has long been had around academic
freedom that presumes it is an inviolate principle. And I think that is wrong. I'm pushing back against the accepted notion that it is all or nothing. The concepts can coexist and they need to coexist.”
Note: These concepts will be discussed in a live panel discussion including Professor Hawkins on Tuesday, September 12 titled “As One: The Hamline University Academic Freedom Forum.” This free event will be held in the Anderson Center Forum and will be webstreamed. Watch hamline.edu for more information on how to access the event.
STAFF:
Gwenn Sherburne (she/her) has worked at Hamline for 25 and a half years, and for the past nine has served as the university registrar. One of her nominators said, “She has not only stayed with Hamline through many challenging times, but she has provided leadership for the institution at many critical points. Gwenn has given countless hours of her time to service that supports all Hamline students through her many committee and service responsibilities.”
Summer Seeger (she/her) has been at Hamline for over eight years and serves the Hamline University community as the medical administrative assistant in the Counseling and Health Services office. She helped organize COVID testing for students and developed new procedures for students to access our services. When the director of Health Services departed, Seeger was part of a lean staff that worked hard to continue to serve students.
FACULTY:
D
r. Kris Norman is an alum of Hamline University. She was tenured in 2008 and promoted to full professor in 2013. She has devoted much time to serving in many ways, including as a department chair and a member of the Faculty Council, the University Academic and Student Affairs Committee, and the Committee on Race and Ethnicity. Norman also has worked on various Higher Learning Commission accreditation efforts, including for our online MPA, the university's first online program.
Dr. Rebecca Neal started as a professor in the Hamline School of Education in 2015. In 2017, she was appointed as the director for the Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching, tenured in 2018 and appointed as the Saunders’ Chair in 2021. Since being hired, she has submitted many journal articles and presented at many conferences. Neal is a dedicated faculty representative to the football program and supportive of all other sports students in general. Our team grade point average has been over 3.0 since she has become the leader of our weekly study table program.
Four Within Four
It’s no longer enough to say a college education creates well-rounded students.
BY JEFF PAPAS EDITOR, HAMLINE MAGAZINE
In a political environment where educators have to watch their every step, where competition for the right to educate students is more fierce than ever, and where the word of a ratings agency may make the difference between a student staying or leaving, it’s important to “get it right” in more than one way.
Obviously, students want and need jobs after they graduate. They need good-paying work that provide them with security, sometimes for the first time in a student’s life. And to achieve that, they need to attend institutions that can give them those opportunities.
Students also want and need jobs that are fulfilling and that help serve personal and community needs.
Hamline University is at the forefront of this ongoing realignment in higher education. We know this because progress in these areas is measured in more than one way.
THE THIRD WAY
In 2022, the nonpartisan think tank Third Way gave Hamline a distinction that is literally unique in Minnesota and unusually rare across the Midwest.
The organization rated every university in America on “upward mobility”; that is to say, they ranked institutions on how they do in educating students to earn good-paying jobs once they graduate against the cost of attending the institution. Universities are ranked in five tiers.
Hamline received a Tier I ranking, which is of course wonderful, but there’s more to it than that. Hamline was the only private institution in Minnesota to earn that ranking. There were none in Wisconsin. There were none in the Dakotas. In fact, the closest Tier I university to Hamline can be found near Des Moines, Iowa.
Hamline University and Harvard University were only seven places apart in the organization’s alphabetical listing, but the actual Third Way ranking between the two was miles
apart. Hamline was rated 134th in the United States for economic mobility. Harvard was ranked 847th.
“A lot of good people are working extremely hard to create an environment where students of all backgrounds can excel,” Hamline University president Dr. Fayneese Miller said. “When you consider that 47 percent of our students are eligible for federal Pell Grants and an increasing number of our students are of color, this designation means even more. We excel for all our students, but it is especially gratifying to see students of low- and moderate-income backgrounds getting the chances they need and deserve.”
WHAT THE OTHERS SAY
Other, more traditional, rankings also had good news for Hamline in 2022. U.S. News & World Report, one of the major college-ranking groups, told us in September what we already knew before.
For the second consecutive year, the publication ranked Hamline as the top regional institution in Minnesota and 12th in the Midwest. Hamline was ranked as the top Best Value University in Minnesota among regional institutions and third in innovation among Midwestern regional universities, which are defined as four-year institutions offering a limited number of doctoral degrees. 2023 rankings will be announced in late September.
And it gets even better. Washington Monthly rated Hamline as the best master’s university in Minnesota and a best college for student voting, for which the university has already received national attention in the past.
So what does this all mean? Obviously, good rankings are great news, but how do they translate into the real world?
Meet four examples of the kinds of students and leaders Hamline University is graduating. We know they will make you proud.
Travis Whitt ’17 found success after graduation doing what he loves— teaching school in his hometown.
Four Within Four Success in a Fortnite Career Change for the Better
A native of Racine, Wisconsin, Whitt graduated with a double major in English and education, and now he teaches creative literature and American literature at Racine's Horlick High School. He’s also the offensive line coach for the football team.
But he’s also found a new niche—he’s the school’s e-sports coordinator.
“About a year into teaching, some kids came to me and asked why we don’t have e-sports,” Whitt said. “We worked together as a district and now we have a three-season program.”
The program started in 2018. “You can letter in it,” Whitt said. “We’ve been very competitive and each year we’ve sent teams to state in their games.”
Two years ago, Whitt was invited to be a scholastic fellow for NAESF, which is the national e-sports scholastic foundation.
“The best part of it is that we are the only activity in the district that is open and available to everybody, regardless of ability level of physical standing,” he said. “We are more related to the workplace and more diverse. It’s a way for kids to compete who have no other ways to compete and couldn’t have been on a team of any other kind.”
The students play Super Smash Bros and Smite in the fall, Fortnite and League of Legends in the winter, and Rocket League and Valorant in the spring. “We wanted to be sure we played games that everyone had access to,” Whitt said. “In the Milwaukee/ Racine/Kenosha area, where I live, not everyone has that chance.”
Whitt credits his Hamline education with helping in both his current job and his e-sports endeavor. “I had a great group of professors and advisors who allowed me to seek my own path within the courses they offered,” he said. “I had a class on video game literature that was incredible for that.”
This also means Whitt gets to teach life skills. “I have football players who come out for e-sports but I coach them the same way,” he said. “Can you handle adversity? Do they have the tools? How do we speak to students through a video game? It’s all there.”
She wanted something different in her life and knew just how to get it.
“I wanted to move from service delivery to management,” she said. “It was the best decision I ever made and Hamline was instrumental in it.”
And it didn’t take Roselle long to find her dreams. Just last year she was named vice president of business development at Niznik Behavioral Health—and has since moved on to something even better.
“I’m now the chief growth officer at Heymaker Media,” Roselle said. “And it would be easier to ask what this position doesn’t do rather than what it does!”
Heymaker Media is a boutique digital marketing agency, with employees in Florida and the United Kingdom—“and me in Minnesota,” Roselle said.
“We’re now diving into the world of launching an awesome new business, and anything that is part of the growth of the company I have my hands in. Sometimes it’s financial projections or working with the financial team; sometimes it’s just pulling all the pieces together. I lead the sales team and work with marketing, finance, you name it.”
Kate Roselle ’19 was already a licensed counselor with a master’s degree when she came to Hamline.
Central to Roselle’s success is her Hamline MBA. “It changed the course of my career,” she said. “There is no chance I would be where I am today without the MBA program. I was a licensed clinical therapist, working as a clinician, and wanted to get out of that and get to the business side of life. Impulsively, I applied to Hamline Business School, got in, and was obsessed with the program.”
HBS's MBA is by far the best program I have ever done,” she said. “Walking away from that with those letters after my name, it opened so many doors I couldn’t even have dreamed of before. It has informed how I think about business. They know that when I keep asking them why for everything, I’m channeling my instructor, Peggy Andrews.”
“So often, someone wants to slap a bandage on a problem or find a shiny object to fix things,” Roselle said. “Step back, take some time, do the research and ask questions. It’s amazing. And it will change your life.”
TRAVIS WHITT ’17
One Small Step, With One Giant Leap
FRANK
MEMS ’19
Frank Mems ’19 grew up, as he puts it, “five minutes from Facebook.” A native of Menlo Park, California, Mems was looking for self-direction and an impetus to finishing his education a few years back.
“I knew,” he said, “that if I stayed in California, I wasn’t going to graduate from college. There are distractions that come with comfort.”
So, after spending two years at a community college, he transferred to Hamline. What brought a young man from California all the way to Minnesota to finish his educational work?
“I looked at Augsburg and it didn’t look right for me, so I transferred to Hamline in 2016,” he said. “When I was in California, I didn’t know what I wanted my major to be or what I wanted to do. I thought about criminal justice or sports science; but a friend told me about Suda (Ishida) and how good she was in communications. That made up my mind for me.”
Mems, who also played football at Hamline, graduated with a Hamline degree three years ago and has since returned home to make a positive difference in the Bay Area.
He is a residential counselor at a mental and behavioral center in the Menlo Park area. “I lead NA (Narcotics Anonymous) and AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings, and I’ve done public speaking events in the community,” Mems said. “I go to various school districts and work with the kids there. Going through Hamline’s department definitely prepared me for the world. I’m a lot more confident than I was before, especially as a speaker.”
An Amazing Journey
“CONNECT WITH PEOPLE ON AN INTERPERSONAL LEVEL.”
And Mems would be the first to tell you that he is far from finished learning.
“I’ve had managers come up to me and say, ’Get your master’s and clinical license and start a private practice,’ which is more in line with what I really want to do,” he said. “The school atmosphere for a social worker or counselor isn’t always ideal, and I wouldn’t mind having a marriage-andfamily counseling practice.”
Hamline’s core values resonated with Mems, who took them to heart and worked to make them part of his postcollegiate life. “I’m an empathetic person,” he said. “I like to connect with people on an interpersonal level, and going through the program at Hamline definitely helped me out.”
Additionally, Hamline allowed Mems to finish his football career and he’s now a varsity coach at Sequoia High School.
“I lead team meetings and help motivate kids, and that’s fun,” he said.
“Hamline is a close-knit family,” he added. “Once you decide on your major, your advisor is with you every step of the way, to let you know what classes to take, how to meet the graduation requirements. I never felt left alone, like I had to navigate college myself.”
“Professors cared about me personally,” he added. “I had some financial trouble while here and I wondered if I would be able to stay. Immediately, I got an email from my department to ask what was happening. Here, I am not just a number: People know me, and I could get help where I needed it.”
Ope started his Hamline career with premed as his goal. But then he met Dr. Lifeng Dong in the physics department and everything changed.
“I was looking into the difference between bioengineering and biotechnology. A strong theme that summer in the application of what we learned in physics and engineering to biology. The Malmstrom Lecture that year brought in John Rogers, professor of bioengineering at Illinois at the time. After that, I spoke with Dr. Dong about changing (study fields).”
It’s a long way from southwest Nigeria to a PhD from the University of Illinois. But for Opeyemi Arogundade ’18, that journey is nearing completion and it couldn’t have happened without Hamline University. Along the way, the man universally referred to as “Ope” by those who know him best learned a lot about himself and the role he wants to play in the world.
“I was involved in the EducationUSA program through the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria,” he said. “They organize events for Nigerian high school graduates, to study in the United States, and you learn about various schools. I ran across Hamline through those programs and that got me interested in applying.”
Chance was one factor that brought Ope to Hamline. The university itself was another.
“There was a very good teacher-tostudent radio, a good U.S. News & World Report ranking, but I was really drawn to the school by the admission letter I got,” he said. “It was inspiring. It ended with ’Come over here and make your mark.’ You weren’t part of the vast world. You were in a place where the individual could excel.”
For Ope, Hamline gave him a crucial leg up on his mission to “make his mark”.
“What a great community,” he said. “For me personally, Hamline is very good at creating a community that allows students to thrive. Also, you have that community of students starting with the first-year seminars and your first group of friends on campus, which, in my case, were international students. That led to me joining more groups. You can easily meet people and hang out with friends, get help when you need it, and you are never lost or alone.”
There was another added benefit, though. “The confidence I built over that four years is significant in terms of the opportunities I had to shine in the system,” Ope said. “There was that perspective and it is important.”
There was another added benefit, though. “The confidence I built over that
Graduating with a degree in physics in 2018, Ope then turned back to Illinois, the home of John Rogers, for his next career step. “I went straight to the PhD program in bioengineering there,” he said. “It’s a long program there but I am doing well.”
four years is significant in terms of the opportunities I had to shine in the system,” Ope said. “There was that perspective and it is important.”
Ope completed an internship at McKinsey & Company in Chicago last summer. “It was a business internship, so it was a little bit far out there from my research, but a liberal arts education and learning for its own sake told me I could succeed.”
“I still tell people that my music composition class at Hamline was great. I didn’t know much about music, but my experience wouldn’t have been complete without it and the honors program. That’s now part of who I am. Those experiences (along with a business internship) continue to be a central part of what I want.
And it’s fairly obvious to anyone who knows him that Opeyemi Arogundade has it within himself to succeed—at whatever he puts his mind to.
WEEK HOMECOMING
In Memoriam
Alumni Hamline Alumni Magazine extends its deepest sympathy to the families of the following alumni, faculty, staff and friends.
We learned of the passing of the following alumni and friends between spring 2021 and fall 2023.
Dr. Richard E. Pontinen ’55
Former chair of the physics department and a faculty emeritus, Richard E. Pontinen ’55, passed away July 28, 2022, at the age of 88.
A native of Sparta, Minnesota, he graduated from Gilbert High School on the Iron Range, and then received degrees in physics and math from Hamline. He earned his PhD in low-temperature physics from the University of Minnesota in 1962.
Pontinen began his teaching career at Hamline in 1959 while still a doctoral student. He remained at Hamline for 41 years, touching the lives of thousands of students with a strong sense of humor, as his formal obituary noted, “even those students not too interested in physics.”
Dick’s brother Paul and his two children, Kathy and Gary, also attended Hamline; his children even took. In his spare time, Dick sang tenor in the Hamline A Cappella Choir, and was a charter member of the Oratorio Society of Minnesota. Yet it was at Hamline where he left his greatest marks. Dick remained active and vital in the university long after his retirement.
He created the Richard E. Pontinen Endowed Scholarship, and his family asked that donations to that fund be made at hamline.edu/giving in lieu of memorials
Arthur Hage ’53
John Honzalek ’53
Douglas Kielmeyer ’53
Marilyn Milbauer Montzka ’53
William Paukert ’53
Lloyd Thorgaard ’53
Beda Boardman Lewis ’54
Mary Jo Borglund Monson ’54
John Eddy ’54
Carolyn Hawley ’54
Zelda Hogren Fauth ’54
Tharen Jones Robson ’54
Glenda Olson Minerman ’54
Karen Williams Burton ’54
Juan Witherspoon Turner ’54
Marilyn Anderson Sackariason ’55
Fauntie Cutler Wilcoxon ’55
Undergraduate
Frances Diehl Van Zomeren ’38
Evelyn Raff Jones ’38
Ethel Watson Diggs ’40
Helen Randall Nelson ’41
Neil Sawyer ’41
Rosalind Martinson Cooper ’42
Jane Strane Willard ’42
Guinevere Smythe Fausch ’43
Dorothy Fridlund Ruttger ’44
Virginia Sathrum Milette ’44
Betty Dixon Jenkins ’45
Phyllis Olson Rasmussen ’45
Bruce Rice ’45
Agnes Rife Hall ’45
Lillian Vidas Meyer ’45
Donald Allert ’46
Olga Anderson Myers ’46
Philip Blackford ’46
Lucille Johnson Hagberg ’46
Barbara Phillips Beimer ’46
Rollie Seltz ’46
Nancy Trost Carlson ’46
Ella Bear Jacobson ’47
Sanford Cadwell ’47
Ilene Christgau Rice ’47
Jean Davidson LeMaire ’47
Ruthanne Evans Bennett ’47
Lois Garrett Beckstrand ’47
Elizabeth Kraft ’47
Elsie Lundberg Sveiven ’47
Arlene Saxton O’Donnell ’47
Harlan Strand ’47
Jean Stromberg Olson ’47
Marjorie Stronach Auld ’47
Bruce Willett ’47
Doris Aker Harrison ’48
Steve Alencich ’48
Phyllis Anderson Shannon ’48
Isla Anderson Tomkinson ’48
Kathryn Chenhall Rocker ’48
Sanford Dean ’48
Anna Eoloff Chamberlain ’48
Marion Gustafson Frazier ’48
Martha Leathers Payfer ’48
Marian Mueller Rasmussen ’48
Margaret Sanden Olsen ’48
Lois Sunderman Hildebrandt ’48
Joan Tollefson Carlson ’48
Duane Anderson ’49
Don Goette ’49
Bette Lee Dunn ’49
Edythe Peden Cascini ’49
Dorothy Peoples Johnson ’49
Irma Tatvitie Gagnon ’49
Evelyn Wahl Carlson ’49
David Westergren ’49
Eleanor Wilcoxon Clauson ’49
Jack Alwin ’50
Mary Barkemeyer ’50
William French ’50
Patsy Greene Gerde ’50
John Helling ’50
Alvin Hemenway ’50
Neal Moede ’50
Thomas Purcell ’50
Elvira Reilly Reid ’50
Rolland Richardson ’50
Marlys Schwitzky Illsley ’50
E. Steinke ’50
Victor Vriesen ’50
Julian Arnquist ’51
Leonard Boche ’51
Yvonne Burleson Styrlund ’51
E. Anne Erlougher Hesselroth ’51
Priscilla Giere Teisberg ’51
Jane Kaehler Starr ’51
Dorothy Kerr Pine ’51
Beverly Lien Lambert ’51
Stewart Mills ’51
Dorothy Rydbert Leborious ’51
Luther Schmidt ’51
Edwina Smith Helling ’51
Kermit Gill ’52
Joan Hoyer Gullickson ’52
Marilynn Lenmark Stoxen ’52
Donna Wann Moncrief ’52
June Weckman Carpenter ’52
Helen Bell Cox ’53
Bernice Clobes Hinds ’58
Richard Dietz ’58
Mary Fahey Fiscus ’58
Jackie Goff Lerdahl ’58
Joanne Guddal Johnson ’58
Richard Johnson ’58
Sylvia Larson Wiczek ’58
JoAnn Lilja Hanson ’58
Robert Reid ’58
Jacqueline Thaemert Grove ’58
Paul Vandersteen ’58
William Beck ’59
Fred Bjork ’59
Mary Boyle Goonrey ’59
Carol Erickson Brocato ’59
Jerry Foley ’59
George Gloege ’59
Michael Dunphy ’55
Darlene Fjelde Berglund ’55
Richard Hanson ’55
Janice Ivance Chisholm ’55
Carol Judd Edwards ’55
Merlyn Kinkel ’55
Dick Pontinen ’55
Elizabeth Schoch Langlois ’55
Marlene Blomberg ’56
Bob Boyd ’56
Geraldine Carlson Peterson ’56
Carol Evans Miller ’56
Eloise Folkers Nenon ’56
Sarah Haseley Pierson ’56
Caroljean Hempstead Goulder ’56
Patricia Holmquist Kinkel ’56
William Kingman ’56
Robert Lamp ’56
Don Larsen ’56
Lora Martens Thompson ’56
Doris Meyer Frace ’56
George Minehart ’56
Barbara Reinhold Dengler ’56
Sharon Reitz Wahman ’56
Cheryle Schwert Haugen ’56
Carol Serr Snow ’56
Evelyn Wood Welsh ’56
Joan Anderson Wraalstad ’57
Roger Appeldorn ’57
David Bean ’57
George Carisch ’57
Virginia Carlson Anderson ’57
Marilyn Defoe Preston ’57
Lavonne Lemke Violett ’57
Janet Nichols Schroeder ’57
Gary Nimmo ’57
Carolyn Sechrist Zirbes ’57
Donna Swanson Stevens ’57
Joanne Thompson Berg ’57
Forrest Watson ’57
Nancy Wenger Benjamin ’57
Gerane Wharton Park ’57
William Young ’57
Tom Carew ’58
Sharon Clarke Henschel ’58
Karen Novak ’66
Michael Osborn ’66
Ruth Piorier Davis ’66
Barbara Awsumb Simon ’67
Dorothy Davidson ’67
Dale Peterson ’67
James Stone ’67
Carol Bogue Earhart ’68
Stephen Clark ’68
Lynda McNeil Bohnsack ’68
Joseph Bastian ’69
William Borst ’69
Bob Lowe ’69
Richard Stark ’69
Kristin Stoll Harvieux ’69
Erik Tollefson ’69
Kathryn Colwell ’70
Carol Grossbach Asmus ’59
Theodore Hecht ’59
Janice Ireland Baker ’59
Kenneth Johnson ’59
Earle Maendler ’59
Newman Olson ’59
John Rindahl ’59
Robert Sackariason ’59
Dennis Dailey ’60
Leslie Hutchins Ostrem ’60
Nancy Lowe Gundersen ’60
Donald Pederson ’60
James Rogers ’60
Juleann Torgersen Crever ’60
Daniel Bumgarner ’61
Jean Jackson ’61
Bruce Zemlin ’61
Judith Anderson Johannsen ’62
David Cartwright ’62
Lane Fridell ’62
Brent Gaylord ’62
Sharol Plooster Jacobson ’62
George Posavad ’62
Carma Ude Menze ’62
Eileen Becklin Wilkie ’63
Joseph Cotton ’63
George Grodahl ’63
Karen Johnson Archibald ’63
Sandra Klinefelter Springmeyer ’63
Gene Meredith ’63
Richard Peik ’63
Michael Stenwick ’63
Bruce Ahlquist ’64
Donn Driver ’64
Daniel Holje ’64
Kent Musegades ’64
Judith Nelson Stenwick ’64
Rodney Smith ’64
Barbara Stewart Peterson-Royle ’64
James Theros ’64
Thomas Wright ’64
Frederick Gridley ’65
Rex Jenson ’65
Marlene Murphy Pelton ’65
Tom Eckart ’98
Bruce Devenny ’99
Joe Schoenig ’99
Derek Haehnel ’07
Jessica Marshik ’08
Leslie Willis ’10
Anthony Paladie ’18
Shay Torgerson ’18
Danny Andrews ’19
Sam Burton ’19
Sam Arseneau ’22
Graduate
Joy Borum JD ’80
James Coleman JD ’77
Michael Colgan JD ’77
Jon Latcham ’70
Darlene Roth Larson ’70
Joe Stafford ’70
Beverly Stahly ’70
Richard Bergwall ’71
Carol Erickson Sykes ’71
Cathy Hofer Reid ’71
Al Larson ’71
Margaret Richey ’71
Ann Sommers Hoke ’72
Sandra Vanliere Elfstrom ’72
Mark Baxter ’73
Thomas Jensen ’73
Gregory Johnson ’73
Richard Lesher ’73
Del Sachwitz ’73
Larry Celander ’74
Kenneth Warwick ’74
Michael Hyden ’76
Mark Jorgensen ’77
Thomas Skare ’77
Ann Mellgren Fourakis ’79
Dean Linnell ’80
Linda Olson Runeborg ’80
Kent Guptil ’81
David Johnson ’83
Charles Neff ’85
Jonathan Stern ’85
Linden Dahlstrom ’87
Denise Doty ’87
Linda Knighton ’87
William Barry ’88
Jennifer Ness Smith ’89
Jane Ann Runquist ’89
Thomas Metsa ’90
Benno Schuhbauer ’91
Laura Bryan McQuiston ’92
Brian Koland ’93
Josephine Reed ’93
Derek Sundlee ’95
Missy Mannausau ’96
Karissa White Isaacs ’96
Audrey Babcock ’97
Erik Solem ’97
Jonathan Mencel JD ’09
Elissa Cottle MFA ’13
Jack Rupert Jr. JD ’13
Katie Lockrem MAT ’15
Selamawit Ayalkebet MAED ’18
Will Stackhouse MAED ’18
Aaron Sather MAPA ’19
Friends and Former Staff
Connie Bakken (Emerita Trustee)
David Berg (HSB Faculty)
Carol Binder (Friend)
Martha Benjamin Unke (Friend)
Fred Bjork ’59 (Emeritus Trustee)
Constance Bowman (Friend)
Mark Gruesner JD ’77
Ralph Hall JD ’77
Kenneth Holker JD ’77
Mark Halverson JD ’80
Thomas Courtney JD ’81
Mark DeCaria JD ’81
Nancy Nightengale Ponto JD ’82
Edward Redding JD ’82
John Grunow JD ’83
Joseph Mattise JD ’83
John Roemer JD ’83
Pamela Unternaehrer JD ’83
Gary Hildebrand JD ’84
Patricia Arnold JD ’85
Jeremiah Brunnette JD ’85
Richard Swanson JD ’85
Thomas Eggert JD ’87
Nancy Oyen JD ’87
Iris Fried MALS ’89
Patrick Morgan JD ’90
Linda Odegard MALS ’90
Monica Savageau Flynn MALS ’90
Paul Johnson JD ’91
David Rubedor MAPA ’91
Gail Stremel MAPA ’91
Alice Studt MALS ’92
Barbara Schubring MALS ’93
Jerry Ellis MALS ’95
Thomas Jackson MALS ’95
Margaret Johnson Koberoski ’95
Barbara Melamed MALS ’95
Rebecca Woodruff Rollefson MAED ’95
Norman Andersen MALS ’97
George Slade MALS ’97
Louann White MAED ’97
Dean Frantsvog JD ’00
Zola Hardwick MALS ’01
Tom Trant MAPA ’01
Laurel Engquist MAED ’04
Sue Ellingwood MAPA ’05
Carolyn Buzza MNM ’08
Caroljean Coventree MFA ’09
Marilyn Butts (Friend)
Betsy Congdon Mason (Emerita Trustee)
Thurman Coss (Emeritus Trustee)
Charles Cunningham (Friend)
Betty Dahlberg (Trustee’s Spouse)
Julia Dayton (Friend)
Shirley Decker (Friend)
Ted Deming (Trustee’s Spouse)
Walter Enloe (HSEL Emeritus Faculty)
Richard Fredericks (Parent of Former Student)
Curman Gaines (Emeritus Trustee)
Mary Gotz (CLA Emerita Faculty)
Jerry Greiner (CLA Emeritus Faculty)
Bill Harris (Friend)
Don Helgeson (Emeritus Trustee)
Thomas Hepola (Former University Staff)
Josephine Jensen (Former University Staff)
Paul Jessup (CLA Emeritus Faculty)
Pamela Landgren Peterson (Parent of Student)
Georgia Lauritzen (Former University Staff)
George Lawrence (Friend)
Kay Lentsch (Former University Staff)
Georgia Loughren (Former Graduate Staff)
Walter Mondale (Honorary Doctorate)
Arden Nichols (Former University Staff)
James Oerichbauer (Parent of Former Student)
Carol Ann Olsen (Former University Staff)
Rodney Olsen (CLA Emeritus Faculty)
Justin Osnes (Friend)
Jon Pekel (Friend)
Gerry Phillippi (Former University Staff)
Dick Pontinen ’55 (CLA Emeritus Faculty)
Kathleen Ridder (Friend)
Robert Ridgway (Friend)
Babs Robinson Bohrer (Former University Staff)
Elliott Royce (Friend)
Albert Schroeder (Friend)
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski (Honorary Doctorate)
George Slade (Emeritus Trustee)
John Smaby (Former University Staff)
Gloria Tew (Friend)
JoAnn Thomas Pederson (Trustee’s Spouse)
Jane Wacker Zophy (Friend)
Darwin Wilson (Parent of Former Student)
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Hamline Alumni Magazine
Sunrise at Hamline University (photo by Cory Ryan)
