Campus News
Campus News Search begins for new Luther president The search for Luther’s new president is under way. Richard L. Torgerson, who has led the college since July 1999, will end his tenure in the summer of 2013. A committee co-chaired by Luther regents Sandy Lee and Paul Torgerson, working with Bruce Alton of AGB Search Inc., has completed a search profile that: • provides an overview of the college • outlines the achievements Luther has made in recent years • defines the primary challenges and opportunities for which the next president will provide leadership • lists the attributes expected of a successful candidate.
Members and friends of the Luther community are urged to consider people they know who could serve effectively as Luther’s next president or who might know of potential candidates. Forward names of prospective candidates or nomination sources in care of Lutherpres@agbsearch.com. The search committee will contact them. Names may also be refered to Alton at AGB Search at (202) 262-8250 or via e-mail at bta@agbsearch.com. The search committee will begin to narrow the candidate pool in November, and finalist interviews involving the entire Luther campus will be held in February. Read the full presidential search profile online at luther.edu/presidentialsearch.
Editor's note: A year of changes ahead Welcome to the first Luther Alumni Magazine of the 2012– 13 academic year. This year promises to be one of significant transition for Luther. • Richard Torgerson will end his tenure as president of the college, and a new leader will be selected and join the campus community. (See above.) • Luther’s new 1,250 solar panels will come online, bringing campus closer to the Regentsset goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. (See page 23.) • The college will be seeking to add 1,000–1,200 alumni to the list of those who give back to the college, to bring Luther greater visibility, respect, and support. (See page 17.) • And, at long last, those of us who live, teach, and study in Decorah—along with all the alumni and friends who visit—will be able to ride and walk completely around the town on a beautiful new trail that alumni and friends have worked for years to help create. (See page 35.)
Significant changes are happening at the magazine, too. We’re now online! At www.luthermagazine.com, you will find a flipbook version of the magazine as well as extra content such as the full text of the May 2012 commencement speech by Hans Brattskar ’79. Links within the flipbook will also direct you to added content—videos, websites, and more—at the click of your mouse. You will also find the full text of alumni obituaries. In the past, we have had to edit the obituaries for length, but now we list in print the alumni who have passed away, and post their memorials online uncut. We’ve also made design changes in the print magazine. You’ll see more as the year progresses and we strive to make the publication even more engaging. E-mail comments and ideas to magazine@luther. edu, and thanks for reading. — Ellen Modersohn
Left to right: Dennis Flatness ’68, Richard F. Theiler ’72, Chinyere Ukabiala, Lance J. Vander Linden ’79
On board: Four named to Luther regents Luther President Richard Torgerson has announced four additions to the college’s board of regents: Dennis Flatness ’68, Richard F. Theiler ’72, Chinyere Ukabiala, and Lance J. Vander Linden ’79. “By adding three alumni and a current parent, each with distinctive gifts and experiences, we bring to the board individuals who have a passion for Luther and the desire to strengthen and enrich the Luther student experience,” Torgerson said. Dennis Flatness is president and chief executive officer of WFL, a risk management company in St. Louis. He serves in leadership positions with several not-for-profit agencies, is on the boards of civic and educational organiza-
tions, and has been involved with many other community activities and organizations. Flatness has a degree in history and political science. He and his wife Eugenia (Jean) live in St. Louis, and are the parents of John Flatness and Jennifer Romney. Richard F. Theiler served as senior vice president of research and development at Henkel North America from 2003 until his retirement in 2011. After earning a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana– Champaign, Theiler began his career at the Dial Corporation in 1977. Throughout his career, Theiler has held senior managecontinued on next page
Fall 2012 Luther Alumni Magazine
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