Luther magazine spring 2018

SPRING 2018

Transformative experience of study away

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CONTENTS

Luther Magazine Volume 51, Number 3, Spring 2018 Published by Luther College

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Editor Kate Frentzel

Global learning

Luther students share photos from transformative experiences around the globe.

Art Director/Designer Michael Bartels Contributors Sherry (Braun) Alcock ’82 Sue (Franzen) Drilling ’78 Sara Friedl-Putnam Annalise Johnson ’18 Kirk Johnson ’82 Jon Lund Aaron Lurth ’08 Rozlyn Paradis ’18 Anna Restemayer ’19 Judy Riha Rachel Schunder ’20 Luther Magazine welcomes articles and signed letters to the editor; submissions may be edited for style, clarity, or length. Inquiries and submissions may be sent to the Editor, Luther Magazine, Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045; magazine@luther. edu; phone (563) 387-1350.

Class Notes submissions and changes of address may be sent to the Alumni Office at the address above. Alumni news may be emailed to the Alumni Office at alumni@ luther.edu. Questions and concerns about the magazine may be emailed to magazine@luther.edu.

Alumni Office (800) 225-8664; (800) 2 ALUMNI Admissions Office (800) 458-8437; (800) 4 LUTHER Web luther.edu luther.edu/magazine © Luther College 2018

HAILEY MOHLER ’18

Cover image: Hailey Mohler ’18, a communication studies major, spent spring 2018 on a study-away program in Dunedin, New Zealand. She took the cover photo during a weekend trip with flatmates to Mount Cook National Park.

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Student-faculty research sheds light on WWI

Departments 2 President’s Letter 3 Campus News 26 Alumni

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Luther nurses: Leaders in the future of healthcare

27 42

43

44

Class Notes Marriages Births/Adoptions In Memoriam

46 President’s Council 48 Collections Calendar (inside back cover)

Walkout in solidarity On March 14, Luther students participated in the national walkouts staged across the country in response to the mass shooting that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on February 14. The walkouts served to honor the lives of the 17 victims of the attack and to protest political inaction surrounding gun violence.

LUTHER PHOTO BUREAU

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PR ESIDENT'S LETTER

As I travel around the country meeting with alumni, parents, and friends of the college and talking with them about the plan, it’s clear that they are as excited as I am to elevate the experience of our students.”

and friends of the college and talking with them about the plan, it’s clear that they are as excited as I am to elevate the experience of our students. It’s also clear that our Luther alumni and friends—both local and global—are vital assets in achieving this goal. They are eager to support students as they explore career paths and enter their chosen professions.

Inspired.

Empowered.

Engaged.

It’s an exciting time for Luther College. In February, the Board of Regents approved our 2018–23 strategic plan, Inspired. Empowered. Engaged.

The strategic planning process has been a collaborative endeavor that has drawn on the wisdom of the entire Luther College community, and the outcome is a roadmap that will help Luther become more dynamic and innovative in its support of the 21st-century liberal arts student.

As I travel around the country meeting with alumni, parents,

One example of this is Ervin Liz ’16, cofounder of Minnesota-based coffee-importing business Colombian Coffee Connection (CCC).

Ervin met his business partner, Jon Backlund, when Jon lectured to Ervin’s entrepreneurial class at Luther. The two stayed in touch, and when Ervin was ready to start his business, he reached out to Jon, who became CCC’s cofounder.

You can read more about Ervin on page 35.

A bit further afield, when Alexa Schroeder ’17 (whose stunning photo graces page 12) moved to Norway for her final semester of student teaching in fall 2017, she lived with Ruth Ann Sacquitne ’92 and student taught at Fagerhaug International School, where Cherise (Storlie) Storlie-Kristoffersen ’97 is principal. This willingness to extend oneself for a fellow Norse is a hallmark of the Luther community.

Perhaps no one understands the strength of Luther’s global connections better than Jon Lund, executive director, Center for Global Learning and international admissions. In a new column, Jon brings us a story in this issue about Makito Sugiyama ’83, chief, vice presi-

dent of global business at Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). In January, Makito hosted a J-term class, Working Japan: Culture and Religion in Japan, at TBS headquarters. It was a rare opportunity for American students to explore a high-powered media company in a foreign country, and the experience was possible because of Luther’s strong international network.

Jon writes that his new column is a “modest attempt to help the Luther community connect to the stories of our alumni, students, parents, and friends as they carry out an important component of the Luther mission: to move us into a larger world.” That’s what we do at Luther, and that’s what this issue demonstrates: we call on our strong network of alumni, students, parents, and friends to move us into a larger world. As we start to implement the priorities of our new strategic plan, it’s never far from my mind that our strength is in our connection to one another, and this connection will carry us far into the future.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Paula J. Carlson President

CAMPUS NEWS

LUTHER COLLEGE STRATEGIC PLAN 2018–2023 During the 2016–17 academic year, the Luther College community engaged in a comprehensive process to reflect on the current state of the college and identify the priorities and vision that will drive our future success. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff, administrators, regents, alumni, parents, and friends of the college participated in an iterative series of forums, interviews, and surveys. The process assessed the strengths of the college and affirmed the relevance and power of Luther’s high-quality education.

The final plan was approved by the Board of Regents in February 2018.

Vision Our vision is for a comprehensive student experience that develops whole persons, ensuring that all students are inspired, empowered, and engaged to thrive, serve, and lead in an ever-changing world. Our renewed student experience will lead students through self-exploration, reflection, engagement, and service in a progression of inward to outward discoveries that expand upon place and community during each of their four years at Luther College.

Supporting each aspect of the experience is an emphasis on well-being that will teach students how to integrate their values and goals into lives and careers as servant leaders who are centered and resilient, empowered to serve the common good in an ever-changing world.

Goals and Objectives Our goals and objectives build on our strengths and equip us to achieve our strategic priorities: LEARN AND LEAD We must ensure that our educational

experiences continue to develop whole persons who are equipped with the skills for lifelong learning and leadership.

We must inspire and empower students to solve the most difficult challenges facing our world.

THRIVE AND SERVE We must support students, faculty, and staff, equipping them to thrive, succeed, and serve. We must engage with one another across campus to develop programs and partnerships that enable us to flourish, ensure academic excellence, and invest in students.

INCLUDE AND INFUSE We must become an inclusive

community of welcome, equity, and justice that goes beyond hospitality and fairness. We must find inspiration in a diverse community and ensure that we are able to work across differences.

INNOVATE AND STEWARD We must establish a fiscally sustainable business model. We must innovate and optimize our operations, investing in strategies that deliver on the distinctive character and value of a Luther education.

You can download a copy of the Strategic Plan and learn more at luther.edu/strategic-plan.

LUTHER PHOTO BUREAU

Working Together

Luther’s neuroscience faculty includes (left to right) Stephanie Fretham ’05, assistant professor of biology; Kristy Gould, professor of psychology; and Scott Carlson, professor of biology.

NEUROSCIENCE CARVER GRANT

Luther College was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to enhance curriculum and provide educational laboratory experiences for students in the neuroscience major, which Luther began offering in fall 2017.

President Paula Carlson said that the college is excited to partner with the Carver Trust to “launch the neuroscience major in innovative ways and accelerate the implementation of new technologies.”

The neuroscience major and grant proposal were developed by Scott Carlson, professor of biology; Stephanie Fretham ’05, assistant professor of biology; and Kristy Gould, professor of psychology. Jeanie Lovell, director of corporate and foundation relations, coordinated the proposal process.

Luther will use the award to purchase technology that addresses neuroscience education on the cellular, organismal, and cognitive levels. To study dynamics of the cell, the college will purchase electrophysiology technologies that enable undergraduates to directly study neural function in a laboratory setting. At the organismal level, the college will install cutting-edge ScreenChip technology, which

allows students to directly assess the contribution of specific genes, environmental conditions, and pharmacology to the development and behavior of nematodes. And to investigate cognitive function, the college will purchase equipment that allows students to observe behavior and learning, including a radial maze, operant chambers, and an open-field area.

“The technologies supplied by this grant enhance Luther’s ability to provide state-of-the-art laboratory exercises that explore neuroscience concepts at multiple levels and provide novel teaching and research opportunities for students in our neuroscience major,” Gould says.

“The Carver Trust grant will allow us to incorporate additional lab techniques and enable students to ask their own questions by developing and conducting original research projects,” Frethem says, adding that the new technology “will enhance the educational experience of both neuroscience majors and other biology and psychology students at Luther.”

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CAMPUS NEWS

HANDS-ON READING

Shannon (Miller) Duval ’95

Amy Weldon, associate professor of English, has written a book, The Hands-On Life: How to Wake Yourself Up and Save the World. Described by publisher Cascade Books as an intelligent guide to mindfulness in the digital age, the book describes how to “take back control of your attention, your money, your time, and the health of our society and our planet.”

Anjie Shutts ’93

ALUMNAE

THE WRITER’S EYE

JOIN REGENTS

Weldon has completed a second book, The Writer’s Eye: Observations and Inspiration for Creative Writers, forthcoming from Bloomsbury Publishing. The book is a guide for writers of all experience levels. It includes exercises, writing prompts, and sample texts to help new and experienced writers become more attentive observers of the world and find inspiration in any environment.

Shannon (Miller) Duval ’95 and Anjela Shutts ’93 have joined Luther’s Board of Regents.

Duval, president and chief development officer for Catholic Health Initiatives in Englewood, Colo., received Luther’s Distinguished Service Award in 2015.

Twice she was named a “Forty Under 40” honoree in the Des Moines Business Record and the Corridor Business Journal. She says, “There are tremendous opportunities and challenges facing private liberal arts colleges. I look forward to joining esteemed colleagues . . . as we work to maximize Luther’s relevance and value for students as well as our outstanding faculty and staff.”

Shutts, a partner at Whitfield & Eddy law firm in Des Moines, Iowa, was honored by Best Lawyers in America and Great Plains Super Lawyers for her work in family law matters. She says, “I think of Luther College not just as the place where I obtained my college degree, but the place where I made lifelong friends. Luther . . . challenged me not just in academic ways, but personally. I hope that my work on the board allows future generations of Luther students to have those same experiences.”

Trauma, Taboo, and Truth-Telling

EDWARD SAVARIA JR.

In January, Nancy Gates Madsen, associate professor of Spanish, accepted the Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize for her book Trauma, Taboo, and Truth-Telling: Listening to Silences in Postdictatorship Argentina. The Modern Language Association awards the prize each year to the author of an outstanding book in the field of Latin American and Spanish literatures and cultures.

Nancy (Gates) Madsen and Anne Ruggles Gere

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“I’m delighted the book is receiving such recognition. The topic is a difficult one, as the book addresses the legacy of systematic human rights violations in Argentina, in particular the lingering taboos that surround representations of torture and disappearance,” Gates Madsen says.

The committee that awarded the prize cited the book as “an original, well-written, and important contribution to the body of research on memory and trauma studies in Latin America.”

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CAMPUS NEWS

TENURE AND PROMOTIONS In February, the Board of Regents approved tenure for John Cord, music; Carly Foster, political science; Andrew Last ’97, music; Gregory Patton, management; and Sarah Wilder, communications studies. Cord, Last, and Wilder were also promoted to associate professor. The board approved promotion to full professor for Andrea Beckendorf ’93, library and information studies; Steve Holland, economics; and Amy Weldon, English.

John Cord has taught trumpet at Luther since 2013. He has appeared with more than 30 professional symphony orchestras throughout the U.S. and has presented various clinics and master classes.

Gregory Patton, management, began teaching at Luther in 2013. His research interests include personality, motivation, and employee turnover.

Andrew Last ’97 has taught in Luther’s Music Department since 2012. In addition to teaching voice, conducting, and high school choral methods, he is conductor of Nordic Choir, camp director of Dorian Summer Camps, and director of choral activities at Luther.

Carly Foster joined the Political Science Department in 2015. She has published work on gender and race as they relate to welfare policy, health policy, child welfare policy, elections, and political organizations.

Sarah Wilder joined the Communication Studies Department in 2012. She researches interpersonal and familial communication during and following unpredictable or stressful life events.

PROMOTED TO FULL PROFESSOR: Andrea Beckendorf ’93, library and information studies Steve Holland, economics Amy Weldon, English

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CAMPUS NEWS

A fond farewell

Fourteen faculty members will retire after the 2017–18 academic year.

These women and men contributed significantly to the culture, curriculum, and community at Luther. More than that, for the past several decades, they have been teachers and mentors to the students who have come to Luther to learn and grow.

Joyce Becker (retired Dec. 2017), assistant professor of mathematics, started teaching at Luther in 1984.

Mary Overvold-Ronningen, associate professor of nursing, started teaching at Luther in 1995.

Ellen Drewes-Stoen, assistant professor of health and physical education, started teaching at Luther in 1979.

David Ranum ’83, professor of computer science, started teaching at Luther in 1990.

Paul Gardner, professor of political science, started teaching at Luther in 1985.

Nick Gomersall, associate professor of economics, started teaching at Luther in 1991.

Ruth Kath, professor of German, started teaching at Luther in 1979.

Brad Miller ’86, professor of computer science, started teaching at Luther in 2003.

Ramona Nelson ’75, professor of accounting and management, started teaching at Luther in 1990.

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Wade Shilts ’80, associate professor of economics, started teaching at Luther in 1997.

Terry Sparkes, assistant dean and associate professor of religion, started teaching at Luther in 1990.

Edward Tebbenhoff, associate professor of history, started teaching at Luther in 1994.

Jeff Wettach ’79, assistant professor of health and physical education, started teaching at Luther in 1985.

Jackie Wilkie, professor of history, started teaching at Luther in 1987.

CAMPUS NEWS

Seth Warner ’18 interned under Laura (Meixell) Kuhlmann ’07 through the Wartburg West program this spring. He worked with the homeless population in Denver through the Saint Francis Center.

Partnering for internships

Seth Warner ’18, who interned at the Saint Francis Center under the direction of Laura (Meixell) Kuhlmann ’07, says, “My internship has included working with the homeless population, and there simply isn’t a large homeless population near Decorah.”

Claire Lutter ’18, who interned at the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, agrees: “I work with kids who are involved with the justice system and need additional help or resources. This is a population I intend to work with in the future, and an opportunity like this would be near impossible to find in Decorah.”

Bonita (Bohning) Bock ’75 has been director of the Wartburg West program, which

was founded in 1985, for the past 27 years. “I know how influential Luther’s Nottingham program was for me, but not everyone can do a whole year abroad,” Bock says, citing financial reasons and the difficulty of completing necessary credits while studying off campus.

In addition to internships, Wartburg West includes curriculum learning, and the similarities between Luther’s and Wartburg’s social work curriculums made for a natural partnership. “There was such an even match between the programs, so you didn’t have to go through layers and layers of figuring out whether this was an equitable exchange,” Bock says. “If we were going to start a relationship with Luther having students in Denver, this was a great place to start.”

In addition to Luther students, Wartburg West receives students from Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., and nursing students from Allen College in Waterloo, Iowa. “In this higher ed environment,” Bock says, “we really need to look at how we can be more cooperative rather than competitive.”

In this higher ed environment, we really need to look at how we can be more cooperative rather than competitive.

—Bonita Bock ’75

AARON LURTH ’08

While Luther and Wartburg may be Iowa Conference rivals, the two schools are proving to be great collaborators in the realm of student learning. For the first time this spring, they partnered to offer four Luther social work students internships through the Wartburg West campus in Denver, Colo. The internships give students an urban experience and exposure to situations that aren’t as common in the rural Midwest.

Bonita (Bohning) Bock ’75, director of the Wartburg West program

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CAMPUS NEWS

Padilla heads football program Caleb Padilla, defensive coordinator for the Norse football program since 2015, has been promoted to head football coach. Padilla replaces Aaron Hafner, who resigned in December after serving five years as head coach.

Caleb Padilla

During Padilla’s three years at Luther, the defensive unit has steadily improved.

In 2017, the Norse recorded their highest Iowa Conference finish in scoring defense in nine years. The past two years, the Norse finished first in the league in pass defense and improved to second in total defense and scoring defense in 2017.

WETTACH RETIRES Jeff Wettach ’79, head men’s and women’s track and field coach, retires this May after 33 years at Luther. In addition to coaching men’s track and field since 1987 and women’s track and field since 2006, Wettach was head coach of men’s cross country from 1997 to 2004 and assistant football coach 1985–96 and 2015–16.

A native of West Liberty, Iowa, Padilla previously worked as defensive coordinator at both Division II Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio, and at Albion College in Albion, Michigan. He also served as outside linebackers coach at Colorado School of Mines and as varsity defensive backs coach and junior varsity defensive coordinator at Rangeview High School in Aurora, Colo.

“We are going to provide a unique culture in which maximizing the individual potential of our student-athletes in every area of their life is our focus,” Padilla says. “We will be relentless, detailed, and consistent in improving ourselves each day and working hard to be an integral part of the college and Decorah community.”

Sisk named head volleyball coach Brittany Sisk assumed leadership of Luther’s volleyball program in January.

The sixth head coach in the program’s 39-year history, Sisk takes over from Danielle Lynch, who resigned in November.

Brittany Sisk

Sisk comes to Luther after serving as head volleyball coach at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill. During her year at Dominican, she led the Stars to a record of 17-13 and received votes in the top-25 Division III national poll.

Prior to Dominican, she was the head coach at NCAA II Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, as well as assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and volunteer assistant coach at Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minn.

Over his long and storied career, Wettach has coached 104 IIAC champions, over 500 allconference performers, and 46 All-Americans. A four-year letter winner in football and track and field as an undergraduate athlete at Luther, Wettach was named the IIAC Coach of the Year for men’s track and field in 1995. He has taught classes as assistant professor in the Health and Physical Education Department since 1985 and has directed Luther’s Distance Running Camp since 1997.

Wettach is admired for his commitment to positivity, enthusiasm, and developing wellrounded athletes. He told CHIPS, “For the past 33 years, this is the only job I have ever wanted. It has been the perfect job for me.”

“Luther is an incredible opportunity for me and my family,” Sisk says. “We are looking forward to being a part of the Decorah community. Coach Danielle Lynch has built such a solid foundation for this program; I am looking forward to continuing to build on that and pushing the volleyball program forward.”

• Follow Luther athletics results at luther.edu/sports.

• Stream events live and on-demand at portal.stretchinternet.com/luther.edu.

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CAMPUS NEWS

ORCHESTRA HALL PERFORMANCE WITH CAPTION?

On March 25, Luther’s Nordic Choir shared the stage of Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis with two other top choirs from the state of Iowa, the Wartburg Choir and the Iowa State Singers. The concert, called Celebration of Song, included a solo selection from each choir as well as three combinedchoir pieces. Photo by Will Heller ’16.

—Subscriptions now available—

CenterStage Series

tickets.luther.edu

2018–19

Fall 2018

PUSH Physical Theatre September 8 Cristina Pato Quartet Latina September 21 Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders October 6

Center Stage eries 2018–19

S

Frankenstein October 19 The Blind Boys of Alabama November 3 Lorelei Ensemble November 17

To find out more about the performers, become a subscriber, or join Friends of Center Stage,

visit tickets.luther.edu.

Spring 2019

The Westerlies February 15 Goitse March 14 EVOLUTION April 6 The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain April 12 2018–19 CSS Major Sponsors Decorah Bank and Trust Company Gundersen Lutheran Health System Luther College Diversity Council Winneshiek Medical Center with physician services by Mayo Clinic Health System

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CAMPUS NEWS

LUTHER PHOTO BUREAU

Blessum’s war

A Luther student and professor team up to shed light on political cartoons from WWI Race Fisher ’19 and Anna Peterson, assistant professor of history, collaborated to research a collection of WWI Norwegian political cartoons. They published their results in January.

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In January, Race Fisher ’19 copublished an article with Anna Peterson, assistant professor of history, in Vesterheim magazine.

The article was the product of a summer research collaboration in which the pair researched and provided context for the Decorah-based Vesterheim Museum’s collection of drawings

by Benjamin Blessum (1877– 1954), a Norwegian American painter and illustrator who used political cartoons to chronicle the First World War, including the tensions and domestic turmoil that arose in Blessum’s neutral home country.

About the publication, Fisher, a double history and Nordic studies major, says, “This article means a lot to me not only for being my first published piece, which will look great on a resume, but also because Vesterheim stands as an authority on all things Norwegian American.”

Fisher, who studied abroad this semester in Bø, Norway, plans to attend graduate school and notes, “The whole process of preparing a piece for publication was an amazing learning experience for me. Professor Peterson really pushed me to synthesize the research and present it in the

most effective way possible.

These experiences helped me grow as a young historian.”

Fisher and Peterson have presented their research at the induction ceremony of Luther’s Phi Theta Alpha history honor society and to the local Sons of Norway chapter, and they’ve submitted it to the fall 2018 Northern Great Plains History Conference as well. Peterson says, “Race has been able to use the project to advance his understanding in many ways, to make important connections, and to form professional relationships.”

CAMPUS NEWS

The Agreements The Agreements depicts the serious and fatal consequences of Norwegian trade with both Great Britain and Germany as the war progressed. The cartoon is a perfect pictorial representation of neutral Norway’s position during the second half of the war—trapped between two warring global powers with no means of escape.

King of the Jungle The images on this page are from the Vesterheim NorwegianAmerican Museum’s collection. They were published as part of an article by Race Fisher ’19 and Anna Peterson, assistant professor of history, in the most recent issue of Vesterheim magazine. Fisher provided the captions for this article. All images courtesy of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Decorah, Iowa.

In King of the Jungle, Norway’s national symbol, the lion, is starved and abused in a cage owned by Great Britain and Germany. The cartoon stands as a stark image of how Norwegians perceived their national identity after years of political, social, and economic turmoil that occurred as a result of the war.

Allies Feasting This cartoon depicts the national personifications of the Allies feasting.

Uncle Sam dishes out the food, while a poor and diseased Ola Nordmann, the national personification of Norway, begs on his knees for scraps from the table. Despite signing a trade deal with the U.S., food shortages continued to ravage Norway toward the end of the war. The needs of the Allies were met first, while Norwegian interests were pushed to the periphery due to its neutral status.

Peace on Earth In Peace on Earth, Blessum portrays the magnitude of bloodshed and the aura of pessimism surrounding the First World War with rows upon rows of marked graves covered in snow. At the end of the war, millions of lives had been lost, and even countries who chose to remain neutral in the conflict, such as Norway, suffered great losses.

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BROAD HORIZONS

Students on study-away programs share what they see through the lens.

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Hidden beauty.

Alexa Schroeder ’17 tied up her final semester of student teaching in Norway in fall 2017. She lived with Ruth Ann Sacquitne ’92 in Stjørdal, near Trondheim, and student taught at Fagerhaug International School, where Cherise (Storlie) Storlie-Kristoffersen ’97 is principal. This photo was taken at Skarvan-Roltdalen Nasjonalpark during her first weekend in Norway. “It rained the entire time we were hiking,” she says, “but when we got to our destination, this lake, we were able to explore with our hoods down, and I discovered this beautiful wooden boat. The contrast of colors and light inspired me to snap this photo.”

Meditation. Celia Gould ’19, an accounting and data science double major, spent J-term 2018 with the Working Japan: Religion and Corporate Culture in Japan course. This photo of Eihei-ji, a Buddhist temple in the mountains of the Fukui Prefecture, was taken by her Icelandic classmate, Áskell Jónsson, after a period of long meditation. Gould says, “We were not permitted to leave the monastery or look outdoors for three days, so the sight was even more beautiful to all of us who had missed being able to see nature for such a long time.”

Up close and personal.

Hailey Mohler ’18 studied in Dunedin, New Zealand, in spring 2017 through Academic Programs International. She writes: “This photo was taken from an eight-passenger plane flying from Milford Sound to Queenstown. This was easily the coolest experience I had while I was abroad. Flying over the infamous Milford Sound, seeing glaciers up close and personal, and watching the sunset over NZ was something that will never leave me.”

Discovery. While studying in New Zealand, Hailey Mohler ’18 took the opportunity to backpack with friends. She writes: “This picture was taken at about 6:30 a.m. when the sun woke my friends and me up in our tent somewhere near the base of Mount Somers. We’d hiked about halfway there the night before in the rain and fog with hopes to get to the top the next morning. Since it was so dark and foggy the night before, we had no idea what was around us when we got in our tent to sleep. Needless to say, we were not disappointed the next morning to wake up to this view.”

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Lifelong Norse. Madie Miller ’19, who studied at Holden Village during the Environmental Issues in the Pacific Northwest course over J-term 2018, was happy to discover that Luther grad Travis Houle ’15 worked there as a naturalist, leading presentations and educational excursions. “Not only did our class connect with each other through living at Holden,” she says, “but we are now bonded to past and future Norse, such as Travis, who share our experiences of both places—the Luther campus and the Cascade Mountains.”

Service learning.

Pilar Dritz ’18 took this time-lapse photo in summer 2017 at the summit of Laguna 69 in the Huaraz region of the Andes Mountains. She was studying in Peru on an International Studies Abroad rehabilitation service-learning and languageimmersion program through which she worked in a children’s rehabilitation center for neurological disorders and lived with a host family in Lima.

Sustaining nature.

Biology major Brendan Londergan ’19 took this photo in Flåm, Norway, during an Exploring the Ethics of Sustainable Organizations trip to Norway and Sweden over J-term 2018. “It was the true beauty of nature that inspired me,” he says. “The towering walls of the fjord instilled in me a sense of insignificance but also of protection as it made me feel like I was one with the earth.”

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Cultural connections. Elementary education major Kelsey Chang ’20 spent J-term 2018 with the Language and Culture in Argentina course. She snapped this shot of Calle Florida from the balcony of the historic Cabildo in Buenos Aires.

Architecture.

Abbie Grinager ’20, a dance and psychology double major, spent J-term 2018 in Europe with the How Soccer Explains Europe course. She took this picture at Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium, and says: “I was amazed at the architecture, and to see it lit up at night created a special atmosphere.”

Infinite learning. Rafael Broseghini ’19, a computer science major, traveled to England, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany with the 2018 J-term course How Soccer Explains Europe. About this photo, he says, “There is a sense of infinity here that I wanted to capture and keep forever. Even the car parked sideways does not interfere with the whole.”

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Celebration of life. Spanish and international studies double major Emma Johnson ’20 took this photo at Cementerio de la Recoleta during the 2018 J-term course Language and Culture in Argentina. “The concept of death is much different in Argentina,” she writes, “It is seen as a celebration of life. Cemeteries in that sense are decorated intricately in marvelous tombs and statues. This is the skyline of an area in the beautiful cemetery.”

Painful paths. Teryn Stiefel ’18, a nursing and psychology double major, traveled to Europe with the 2018 J-term course History and Memory of the Holocaust. She took this photo at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, Germany. She writes: “This memorial has 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights and sizes arranged in rows that you are able to walk through.

While walking through the memorial, you start to feel disoriented and even uneasy, and you are able to have space to try to wrap your mind around such an awful event in history.”

Human condition. English major Violet Hatfield ’18 spent J-term 2018 on the English Theatre: Mirror of Society and the Human Condition course that traveled to London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and York in England and Edinburgh in Scotland. She took this photo of the London Eye while crossing the Thames.

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Business and busyness. Celia Gould ’19, an accounting and data science double major, spent J-term 2018 with the Working Japan: Religion and Corporate Culture in Japan course. This, she says, is “a deceiving but natural photo of skyscrapers in Tokyo, the light reflecting off of one to show neighboring buildings in the photo. Tokyo, a dizzyingly busy city, manages to provide a sense of calm as a result of the design and order in which the city functions.”

D.C. activism. Political science major Anna Phearman ’19 studied with the fall 2017 Lutheran College Washington Semester Program in Washington, D.C. She writes: “To me, this photo has all the main components of a classic D.C. experience: a rally of activists, a congressperson, the Capitol dome, and sweat stains from the unrelenting humidity!”

Unanswered questions.

Theatre major Matthew Espey ’19 spent J-term 2018 with the English Theatre: Mirror of Society and the Human Condition course. He writes: “I was not struck by the grandeur of the Fountains Abbey; I was struck by its history. How many people never saw the completion of the structure they devoted their lives to; how many who, in death, only had a dream of what it would look like when completed. Yet there I stood, hundreds of years later, pondering that exact same question.”

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Music-making on the Adriatic Spencer Martin and Andrew Whitfield, Luther music faculty members, had long dreamed of establishing a festival to bring together pianists, string players, singers, and composers for three weeks of intense, collaborative music-making in an inspiring place. When they first visited the United World College of the Adriatic in the picturesque village of Duino, Italy, in 2011, they knew they’d found the right place to launch the International Music Festival of the Adriatic (IMFA).

Over the past five summers, some 131 undergraduate and graduate students (25 of whom hailed from Luther) have spent three solid weeks immersed in a vibrant culture that blends Italian, Slovenian, and Austro-Hungarian history while refining their musical skills, cultivating community, and learning how to collaborate and communicate as a member of a chamber ensemble, a group of musicians that performs without a conductor. This is a new experience for many student musicians.

“To develop our craft, we musicians spend so much time by ourselves, and then we later realize that to be functional as a musician, we have to step back and say, ‘I am not in the center of this picture. I am working with other

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Spencer Martin (left) and Andrew Whitfield

people. I am serving the music. I am serving the composer. It is not just about me,’” Whitfield says. “Students do take that away from IMFA, and that is key for their future development as both musicians and community members.”

So what exactly does the experience entail for program participants? As 2017 participant Sarah Bauer ’18—cellist and current Symphony Orchestra president—related in a blog post last summer, each day kicks off with a glimpse of the Adriatic Sea before heading to breakfast (think Nutella rolls) and listening to morning announcements. The rest of the day is filled with coaching and master classes. Of

course, there is plenty of free time to explore the historic surrounds, and there are lots of concerts—up to 15 concerts are performed by the participants during the festival each summer, giving the musicians the opportunity to showcase what they have learned through hard work.

The formula appears to be working—and working exceedingly well at that. Enrollment has grown each year, from 18 students in 2013 to 39 in 2017, and Martin says they are on track to meet their optimal goal of 40 students for the 2018 program, which will run from June 10 to July 7 and include seven expert faculty members from various institutions, including Martin (viola), Whitfield (voice), and Nicholas Shaneyfelt (collaborative piano) from Luther. This summer’s biggest draw? Paul Kantor of Rice University, one of the most soughtafter violin teachers in the world, will serve for a week as a guest artist in residence. “He is a big deal,” Whitfield says simply.

“Kantor’s participation is an excellent indicator of how far this program has come in stature and reputation in five short years,” Martin says. “And we can’t wait to see how much further we can go in the next five.”

To learn more about the IMFA, visit luther. edu/imfa.

—Sara Friedl-Putnam

Below: Abby Vidmar ’19 (left) and Esther Lazaro, a Maasai translator, worked closely throughout Vidmar’s independent research project in Tanzania. Right: Maasai women and children in Engikaret village teach Vidmar and other Luther students how to bead.

Photos by Jessica Zhou.

Scholarships to the world Scholarships make it possible for many students to learn off campus. These students connect with global issues, broaden their perspectives, and engage in culturally, intellectually, and personally transformative experiences.

Abby Vidmar ’19 was the recipient of the Melin International Studies Scholarship.

Established by Rev. John C. ’70 and Barbara E. Melin and Bennett D. Melin, the scholarship is awarded to an international studies major to manage and meet expenses related to tuition, travel, room and board, and living expenses while abroad in a developing or non-European nation, with preference given to sub-Saharan African nations. Vidmar used the scholarship to travel to Tanzania for Luther’s Ecology and Human Origins course in fall 2017.

Africa had long captured Vidmar’s imagination, but, she says, “I did not want a tourist experience, but rather I wanted to be fully immersed in an African country, society, and culture.”

The experience of studying abroad helped Vidmar, an anthropology and international studies double major, discover her “deep passion for research—specifically for working with people to learn new perspectives and collaboratively investigate possible

solutions to help alleviate challenges and create opportunities for the future. I believe this experience has set me on my future path . . . and taught me to appreciate each moment, take in each experience, and build my world understanding through people, connections, and interactions.”

About the aid she received, Vidmar says, “The Melin International Studies Scholarship was indispensable in providing me the opportunity to travel and live in Tanzania. It allowed me to enjoy my experience because I did not have to focus on on how I was going to afford it. Words cannot express my appreciation for such an incredible gift.”

Students like Vidmar benefit from 30 distinct scholarships that provide more than $110,000 in annual scholarship support to help Luther students connect to a much larger world.

If you are interested in helping Luther students fulfill their dream of studying abroad, contact the Luther College Development Office, giving@luther.edu, or (800) 225-8664.

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Thought leaders, change makers, caregivers:

A closer look at Luther nurses

by Kate Frentzel

LUTHER PHOTO BUREAU

With a 2017 pass rate of 100 percent for the nursing licensing exam, Luther nurses leave their program well prepared. But beyond that, they thrive as bedside practitioners, team caregivers, and leaders at the hospital and healthcare-system levels. Here, we survey a few Luther nursing grads and take a closer look at the program that prepared them for lives of leadership, critical decision-making, compassion, and service.

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Mike Anderson ’99, clinical coordinator and assistant clinical professor of the Anesthesia Nursing Program at the University of Iowa College of Nursing, taught students in Luther’s Nursing 425 course how to administer care to a simulated car accident victim. From left: Victoria Sandeno ’18, Kileigh Dudek ’17, Anderson, Isabel Williams ’17, Coltan Jacobson ’17, Mallory Hinds ’17, and Kate Knepprath ’17.

The liberal arts forge strong nurses Luther’s nursing faculty make a strong distinction between the bachelor of arts degree, which Luther offers, and the bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. Angela Kueny ’02, associate professor of nursing, explains, “Nurses take care of human beings, and medical providers focus on medical pathologies and biological processes. Nurses must understand humans in order to provide care because a nurse is working with how an illness and healing fit into your life—the ‘into your life’ picture is a strength a liberal arts student brings in contrast to BSN students, whose education is primarily science-focused.”

April Rowe Neal ’01, associate professor of nursing and department head, says, “Whenever somebody asks if it’s really appropriate for a nurse to be in the liberal arts, I say, ‘Who do you want taking care of you or a loved one when you’re ill? Do you want someone who’s going to focus on your disease process and how the medicines work, or do you want somebody who can use that knowledge in the context of your human experience?’”

Kueny also points out the broader skill set of a liberal arts student: “They have to take religion, language, a yearlong Paideia class, and other intensive history and intercultural classes in which they have to write a lot.

Nurses have to know how to communicate really well with written language, so our graduates are well prepared in this regard.”

Rural and urban training While Decorah-area hospitals and clinics offer rural experiences for students, Luther leverages its Rochester, Minn., satellite campus and strong partnerships with industry leaders like Mayo Clinic to expose students to urban healthcare as well.

“We’ve started an internship program that allows students to work oneon-one with a nurse in both rural and urban agencies,” Kueny says.

“Some of the nurses who come from smaller-town America want to go back and work in their hometown community hospital or be their town nurse practitioner. Others want to go into a highly intensive large medical institution like Mayo. It’s really unique to have a split campus, one in a rural and one in an urban area.”

The split campus allows students to experience a wider range of healthcare settings—for example, early childhood centers in northeast Iowa or the Federal Medical Center at the federal prison in Rochester—and a wider range of medical situations. And what they don’t experience through clinicals or internships, they experience through simulation.

Simulation fills in the gaps Luther’s state-of-the-art simulation lab, supported by a Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust grant and an endowment by Michael ’99 and Carryn (Ensrude) Anderson ’99, includes three clinical lab rooms and high-fidelity mannequins with audio-visual components.

A nimble, well-designed, and comprehensive program with a keen eye on the future of healthcare prepares Luther nurses to serve in urban, rural, and everincreasing outpatient settings—and to be leaders in the rapidly changing healthcare landscape.

“We don’t have any control over what kinds of learning opportunities students will get in a clinical setting,” Rowe Neal says. “And as fast as hospitals are recovering patients and getting them moved back into their home setting, something as simple as hanging an IV is just one skill that students don’t get to practice very often. Having the ability to do that within the simulation lab provides students a contextualized, standardized learning opportunity that everybody’s going to have.”

“Students have wonderful opportunities to use simulation in every single class on the Luther campus,” Kueny says. “We use our lab extensively. It’s a standout part of our program.”

Preparing for outpatient care As healthcare costs skyrocket, there’s a push to discharge patients earlier, which transfers the burden of care outside the hospital. To address this shift, Luther nursing faculty recently revised the curriculum to require a clinical immersion in outpatient clinic-based areas during a student’s junior year.

“Patients are going back to their homes and communities sicker and requiring more complex support in the ambulatory, or outpatient, environment,” Rowe Neal says. “So we’re really trying to layer the knowledge and skills our students develop to teach them how to examine a problem, dive into the evidence, make sense of that evidence, and effect change as a leader either at the bedside or more formally.”

Rowe Neal cites students who observed in an emergency department and noticed how much work a nurse did just to get a patient back home.

“The patient came to the emergency department too ill to walk but not ill enough to be admitted to the hospital,” she says. “So the nurse had to work really hard with the family, the insurance company, and a transportation company to get the patient safely back home. That was really eyeopening for the students. They understood how to use the nursing process at the bedside, but they didn’t have a good sense of the bigger picture. So it’s been very exciting for us to see how that class helps students develop in their understanding of the US healthcare system as a whole, how it’s broken, and how they might be in a position to help fix it.”

Through extensive hands-on experience, strong partnerships with industry leaders, experience in rural, urban, and outpatient settings, a top-notch simulation lab, and a liberal arts curriculum that teaches a nuanced, holistic perspective, Luther nurses are preparing to take on the full continuum of patient care and instigate change at all levels of healthcare.

Read more about some of these nurses on the next few pages.

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Alpa (Palicha) Uchil ’01 Senior clinical nurse at the Johns Hopkins Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Clinic Describe an impactful nursing experience you had as an undergrad.

My nursing clinical experience at Mayo Clinic was what really exposed me to the concept of nursing and caring for people. Experiences ranged from visiting prisons to people’s homes to caring for the most serious patients at a renowned teaching hospital. I came away from all these instances loving nursing and feeling assured that it was the right path for me.

Is working in your field what you imagined?

Nursing is beautiful in that you go through several aspects of this profession and come out on the other side with yet more to learn.

—Alpa (Palicha) Uchil ’01

Yes and no. Nursing is beautiful in that you go through several aspects of this profession and come out on the other side with yet more to learn.

You learn unfathomable skills, you learn to be super organized and multitask like a maniac, you learn to develop leadership skills, and you learn to be comfortable with strangers who are your patients while understanding the tremendous responsibility bestowed upon you to care for someone you never met.

Elena Geiger-Simpson ’07 Clinical assistant professor at the University of Minnesota; psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner How will the nursing profession change over the next 20 years?

Nurses have always been at the forefront of change, but I think that more nurses are continuing their education and getting advanced degrees. In the next 20 years, I see advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) having full practice authority in every state. Nurses will continue to play an essential role in improving the quality and access to high-quality healthcare. I also think that we will see an increase in doctorally prepared nurses who will become the leaders, policy makers, and researchers at the forefront of changing the healthcare system.

How has your liberal arts education impacted your nursing practice?

Nurses don’t just work in the hospital at the bedside. They are healers, researchers, educators, leaders, policy makers, providers, and change makers.

—Elena GeigerSimpson ’07

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Having a liberal arts education has broadened the lens through which I practice. My ability to see different perspectives, problem-solve, and think critically was in large part due to having a liberal arts education.

For example, I took an environmental philosophy course at Luther that shaped how I look at our actions and how they impact the environment.

Healthcare facilities are generally not good stewards of the environment.

In one of my workplaces, I worked to change processes to incorporate reusable materials to minimize environmental impact. I was also able to study Spanish as a second major, which has equipped me to work more effectively with Spanish-speaking patients.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about nurses?

That all nurses work in a hospital. Nurses don’t just work in the hospital at the bedside. They are healers, researchers, educators, leaders, policy makers, providers, and change makers.

Jess (Mallams) Streeter ’12 Pre-Surgical Testing Department APRN at St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham, Ill. Tell us about your work.

My responsibilities include completing patient histories and physicals on patients prior to surgery, as well as offering education related to anesthesia, surgical risks, and smoking cessation. I also serve as an orthopedic nurse navigator and help teach a bone and joint education class for hip or knee joint replacement patients.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about nurses?

In an advanced nurse practitioner role, people look at us as bedside nurses and do not understand that our advanced education makes us amazing primary care providers.

Elise Heiser ’17 Cardiovascular surgical unit registered nurse (RN) at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minn.

Describe an impactful nursing experience you had as an undergrad.

I had the opportunity to travel to Peru and work with an organization to provide health resources to remote areas. This embedded the importance of health literacy and equity in my priorities. Further, it sparked my interest in public health as an outlet for nursing to make an impact.

When things at work get tough, what do you tell yourself?

I remind myself why I chose this career path in the first place. I tell myself that I work hard to help others, that I have a lot of knowledge that is worth sharing, and that there is purpose in my actions.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about nurses?

Nurses make hundreds of decisions regarding their patients’ care on any given day. Especially in the hospital setting, patient outcomes are directly linked to the ability of the nurse to think critically and prioritize care.

—Elise Heiser ’17

That nurses simply follow orders prescribed by physicians. However, nurses make hundreds of decisions regarding their patients’ care on any given day.

Especially in the hospital setting, patient outcomes are directly linked to the ability of the nurse to think critically and prioritize care.

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Selena LeGarde ’17 Pediatric and adolescent psychiatric unit RN at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Tell us about your work.

I work on the pediatric and adolescent psychiatric unit as a registered nurse.

This is an acute psychiatric unit, so our patients are at a high risk of being unsafe toward themselves or others. . . . As nurses, we do a lot of education for patients and families and a lot of planning for safety after discharge.

How has your liberal arts education impacted your nursing practice?

The profession gives you a lifetime of opportunities and ways to make a difference in the world around you, whether at the bedside, in the classroom, at a community event, or in a congressional office in Washington, D.C. —Kathryn (Onda) Tart ’81

I could not be happier that I had a liberal arts education. I am so much more well-rounded! A couple of non-nursing classes that stand out to me in particular are Intro to Counseling (I apply lots of the skills that I learned in this class every day, and I still reference the books from that class all the time!), Christian Ethics (especially in regard to transgender ethical debates), behavioral statistics (helps me with reading research articles and understanding them better), all the psych classes I was able to take, studying abroad in Vietnam (helps with cultural competency), and I could go ON and ON.

Kathryn (Onda) Tart ’81 Founding dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Houston Is working in your field what you imagined?

I did not expect to become a faculty member or, for that matter, a dean. However, nursing is such a wonderful field. There are so many avenues one can take in this profession. The profession gives you a lifetime of opportunities and ways to make a difference in the world around you, whether at the bedside, in the classroom, at a community event, or in a congressional office in Washington, D.C.

Karin (Robeck) Mayo ’97 Pediatric critical care nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Tell us about your work.

I have worked as a pediatric critical care nurse for nearly 15 years. Much of the care I provide is for children with congenital heart defects. I get to care not only for the patient receiving the medical care, but also their families. For some families, the experience of having a child undergo heart surgery is one of the most stressful times of their lives. I get to work with these families . . . helping them understand what is happening with their child and translating what can often be confusing medical language. Sometimes you are with them for a shift, and other patients may be there days to months, depending on their circumstance.

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Mike Anderson ’99 Clinical coordinator and assistant clinical professor of the Anesthesia Nursing Program at the University of Iowa College of Nursing; certified RN anesthetist at the University of Iowa Tell us about the best or worst day you’ve had on the job.

One of my favorite stories was when I went to see a patient in the preoperative area, and he was extremely nervous. I pride myself on being able to develop a rapport with my patients and alleviate their anxiety. I really struggled to do that in this case. I sat there with him and talked about his medical history and my plan for his anesthetic. I just couldn’t get through to him. At one point I placed my right hand on his knee, and he looked down and noticed my Luther class ring. He immediately sat up and asked if I was a Luther grad, and I responded yes. He sat back on the gurney, and a sense of calm came over him.

He said, “I am also a Luther grad, and now I know that everything is going to be okay.”

How will the nursing profession change over the next 20 years?

He immediately sat up and asked if I was a Luther grad, and I responded yes. He sat back on the gurney, and a sense of calm came over him. He said, “I am also a Luther grad, and now I know that everything is going to be okay.”

—Mike Anderson ’99

Regulatory agencies are recognizing the need for nurses to be able to practice to the fullest extent of their scope of practice and that nurses are leaders in the industry and need to have an equal seat at the table. Over the next 20 years, I see advanced practice nurses filling the void in much-needed areas, especially primary care and psych/mental health. We need to ensure that patients have access to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare, and advanced practice nurses are the answer to this growing problem.

Shelby (Oelschlager) Bowman ’16 Cardiac Care Unit RN at Allen Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa How has your liberal arts education impacted your nursing practice?

I am able to think more critically about a plan of care for each of my patients and personalize these to the patient’s own experience. . . . Luther allowed for clinical experience in a variety of specialties, as well as at different facilities, which prepared me to be any kind of nurse I want to be.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about nurses?

I don’t think everyone knows the entirety of what a nurse’s job entails. Nurses also are counselors, care coordinators, educators, leaders, providers, researchers, secretaries, and teachers. We work to promote health understanding for our patients, families, and communities. We care not only for our patients, but also for their families and loved ones.

40 years of nursing at Luther This spring marks the 40th anniversary of Luther’s first nursing graduating class. The department will mark the occasion at Homecoming, Oct. 25–28. Kris (Thomas) Dreifuerst ’85, associate professor of nursing at Marquette University in Milwaukee and president of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, will deliver the inaugural Ironside Distinguished (Alumni) Lecture in Nursing, funded by Pamela (Magnussen) ’81 and Jay Ironside ’81. Dreifuerst is a leading researcher on nursing simulations and debriefing for meaningful learning, and her work was referenced heavily in developing Luther’s simulation lab protocols.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Jon Lund, executive director of the Center for Global Learning and international admissions

A Larger World: Reflections from Abroad I’m a frequent flyer. And even though being crammed into a small seat for 12–16 hours on end doesn’t sound like fun—and, indeed, is not fun—I’ve come to appreciate the virtually uninterrupted time to reflect. For many long-haul frequent flyers, the discomfort of airline travel is a roadblock to getting just about anything done. I, on the other hand, am well-suited for my job: my legs are short, I sleep well on planes, and I don’t struggle with jet lag. Some friends refer to me as a traveling freak of nature. I like to believe, instead, that I am an organism that has become acclimated to its environment.

Time to reflect is a precious thing. The New York Times columnist and noted author Thomas Friedman, in his book Thank You for Being Late, describes his personal epiphany of finding time in the silent spaces throughout one’s day. He tells the story of waiting for an individual who is running late for a breakfast meeting. He realizes at that moment that during the space created by his waiting, he had in fact “‘found’ a few minutes to just sit and think.” No need to apologize; instead, thank you for being late!

I have lots of time—thankfully—to sit and think, at least while traveling. It was on one of my many flights en route from somewhere to everywhere that I reflected on a special aspect of my work at Luther. You see, I have a job that allows me to gain glimpses into lots of Luther experiences abroad: prospective international students interested in possibly attending Luther, faculty and students engaged in study and research in the world, alumni and parents living out their lives abroad, and the interesting work being carried out by overseas friends of the college, to name a few.

I have the joy of, literally, connecting with Luther at work in the world. And I decided I also had an obligation to share with a larger audience, at least in part, some of the stories I encounter while traveling.

This periodic column—most likely written while in the air over somewhere—is my modest attempt to help the Luther community connect to the stories of our alumni, students, parents, and friends as they carry out an important component of the Luther mission: to move us into a larger world.

—Jon Lund

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Makito Sugiyama ’83 (far right) hosts Luther students and professors Gereon Kopf (religion) and Tony Mutsune (management and economics) on a class visit to the Tokyo Broadcasting System headquarters in January 2018. The group spent their J-Term abroad engaged in a Paideia 450 course entitled Working Japan: Religion and Corporate Culture in Japan.

Makito Sugiyama: The Business of Global Connections In only five minutes of conversation, I was hooked. Perhaps it was the deep and clear broadcaster’s voice. Or the easy and genuine manner. Or the incredibly fascinating stories. I could not identify why, but the what was clear: this would be a memorable conversation.

It was my first meeting with Makito Sugiyama ’83. We had decided to meet high in a Tokyo skyscraper for our initial introduction. What fascinated me most was not the wonderful setting or the incredible view over central Tokyo. No, I was intrigued by Makito (or Mac, as he asked me to call him) and his life’s story. Makito, the son of a Lutheran minister in Japan, came to Luther in 1981 and began his major in both political science and international studies. After two years at Luther, he traveled back to Japan to complete his bachelor’s degree in political science at Sophia University, Tokyo. Shortly after graduation, Makito was hired by Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), where he cut his teeth in the television newsroom as a reporter and broadcaster. A career spanning nearly three decades at the same organization is not entirely unusual in Japan. But a career as unique and varied as Makito’s is remarkable indeed.

As the chief, vice president of global business at TBS, Makito’s been deeply involved in expanding the global business portfolio of the station. And even though TBS may not be a household name here in the States, Makito and his colleagues have been responsible for connecting audiences around the world to Japanese culture and content through programs that are widely known here, such as Ninja Warrior, American Ninja Warrior, Takeshi’s Castle (known as MXC in the U.S.), and America’s Funniest Home Videos. Makito’s global reach does not stop there, though. He is also a voiceover artist and bilingual narrator for hundreds of TV and radio commercials promoting companies as well known as Toyota, Ford, Oracle, Sony, Evian, and Budweiser, and artists and musicians as varied as Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Pavarotti, and Tom Jones. One of his favorite projects was working on the U.S.-Japan coproduction film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, produced by the legendary directors/producers Francis Ford Coppola and George Lukas.

Perhaps my conversation with Makito resonated so much for me because in some respects, he and I are kindred spirits. We’re both about the business of global connections.

Makito’s life’s work has focused on creating and distributing content that connects people to continents and cultures in memorable ways. And I like to think that my small contributions to Luther College ultimately lead to a similar end.

ALUMNI NEWS CLASS NOTES

By Annalise Johnson ’18 and Rachel Schunder ’20

’57 Eli Crogan

of Watertown, Wis., serves on four committees for the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. He is chairman of the state’s Mr. Basketball selection committee and mentoring committee.

Warren Luckner of Stillwater, Minn., is professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Steve Mau of La Crescent, Minn.,

’70 Liz (Tenold)

and Paul Tokheim ’69 of Centennial, Colo., are retired.

retired from Principal Financial Group.

Lake Worth, Fla. Deborah was director of community programs at FamilyMeans in Stillwater, Minn. Joe was assistant superintendent of Roseville (Minn.) Area Schools.

Duane Monick of Yakima, Wash., retired from medical practice.

Judy (Wangen) Newton of Eagan, Minn., retired from Faribault Senior High School as K–12 language arts coordination teacher.

Gerald Petersen of Elkhorn, Wis., is retired.

John Rollefson of San Luis Obispo, Calif., retired as pastor at Lutheran Church of the Master.

Jerry Twedt of Orlando, Fla., published his fourth book, Just a Thought or Two . . . : Observations of the 21st Century from a 20th-Century Man, available on Amazon.

’61 Barb (Kumm) Nelson

Ken Rose retired from We Tired Acres (Scottish Highland Cattle) in Wilton, Wis.

Mike Ruzek of Austin, Minn., is retired.

Scott Lee retired again. His first retirement was from 33 years of teaching at Trempealeau (Wis.) Elementary School, and his second was from teaching environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin– La Crosse.

retired as choir director of four congregations after 52 years and as community choir director and accompanist after 40 years.

’68

David Bornfleth is a volunteer math tutor at the Learning Center at Rochester (Minn.)

Community and Technical College.

Nancy (Arnold) VanderVort

Karla (Stelling) Brown of Durango, Colo., works for Telluride Mountainfilm.

Joan (Bauer) and Len Bruce of Bettendorf, Iowa, are happily retired.

Susan (Usack) Burrows is program coordinator at Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy in Morton Grove, Ill.

Mark Engebretson is professor emeritus of physics at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

Karen Erickson-Brandt of St. Paul, Minn., is retired.

John Franke of Raleigh, N.C., is professor emeritus of mathematics at North Carolina State University.

Lenny Graves of Decorah retired as dean of CTE at Northeast Iowa Community College.

Nancy (Buenzow) and Bernie Hermanson of Cresco, Iowa, are

Bob Sathe of Cincinnati is chairman of MCF Advisors and a volunteer committee chair for the capital campaign of Children Inc., a nonprofit organization in Covington, Ky. Funds raised by the campaign will help Children Inc. complete its mission to fight poverty by providing high-quality educational services for children and family support through a multigenerational approach.

retired as executive director of the Minneapolis law firm of Felhaber Larson.

’72 Karen Smith

of Leeds, Mass., will retire in June 2018.

is retired.

Susan Yeager of Grand Junction, Colo., retired from Colorado Mesa University.

Karolyn (Kraling) Zbornik was ordained into the ministry of the Wesleyan Church in 2010 and is leader of the Congregational Care Team at Cedar Valley Community Church in Waterloo, Iowa.

’69 David Franks

Nancy (Johnson) Justus is a part-time substitute teacher at Prairie School, a private school in Racine, Wis.

Park, Minn., is retired.

of Marblehead, Mass., retired as pastor at Clifton Lutheran Church.

Meredith Kvalness of Saint Louis Daniel Melamedorf of McKinney, Texas, is retired.

Jean (Hausknecht) Whipple of Olympia, Wash., is a passionate wheat weaver. She has been a member of the National Association of Wheat Weavers since 1995. Her wheat art is on display and available for purchase at Verksted Artist Cooperative Gallery in Poulsbo, Wash. She keeps this dying art alive by teaching classes and encouraging others to try out the historical craft for themselves.

’74 Craig Cornelius

is senior software engineer at Google in San Francisco. He was featured in an article in the Seattle Times for his work helping release a language learning app and Osage language keyboard for Google’s online products. His work contributed to efforts of Osage people hoping to keep the native Osage language alive.

W. D. Foster-Graham lives in Mounds View, Minn. He was named one of the Best Poets of 2003 by the International Society of Poets. He is also one of the founding members of Grammy Award–winning gospel group Sounds of Blackness.

Douglas Strand retired from teaching and coaching after 40 years at United Township High School in East Moline, Ill. He still serves on the Black Hawk College Board of Trustees, spends time at his cabin in Hayward, Wis., plays golf, and plans to travel.

Paul Shafland of Boca Raton, Fla.,

retired.

Ed Kramer is director of the Bjornson Male Chorus of Chicago and organist at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ingleside, Ill.

’71 Kate (Stadler) Haugen

is former associate vice president of student affairs for North Dakota State University. She was keynote speaker at the Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling 2018 Leadership Summit, where she spoke about her career path with regard to leadership and management.

’75

’73 Joyce Johnson

Kevin Nelson of West Des Moines, Iowa, retired as an IT specialist at NASCO last year. He celebrated with a trip to the United Kingdom and now enjoys spending time with his granddaughter.

Deborah (Corey) and Joe Wemette of Woodbury, Minn., are

Chuck Storla of Marietta, Ga., published

of Chevy Chase, Md., coauthored a book, Lizard Bites and Street Riots: Travel Emergencies and Your Health, Safety and Security. The book focuses on remote areas but is applicable to travel anywhere. It includes topics like motion sickness, rabies, wild animal attacks, hostage survival guidelines, and travel insurance, among other things. Johnson was a Red Cross volunteer to St. Croix, Virgin Islands, immediately after Hurricane Irma and during Hurricane Maria. She was also a Project Hope disaster worker after Hurricane Haiyan in the Philippines.

retired and spend their winters in

his first book, Zen and the Art of Christmas Letters, available on Amazon.

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ALUMNI NEWS

’76 Cheri (Wiedenmann)

and Scott Francik live in Marion, Iowa. She retired after 37 years teaching math for the Anamosa (Iowa) Community Schools. He retired after 36 years as a counselor at Anamosa State Penitentiary.

’77 Connie Houdek

is a licensed spiritual practitioner at Cityside Church in Chicago.

Karen (Brandt) Monsen is associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing in Minneapolis.

Juliann Nelson-Duffy retired as an actuary at Securian Financial Group in St. Paul, Minn.

Paul Schattauer is a family practice medical doctor at the Green Medical Practice in Oak Park, Ill.

Eloise (Hanson) Shipman of Corwith, Iowa, retired in 2015 from Corwith-Wesley-LuVerne (Iowa) Community Schools after 38 years as a drama director and art teacher.

’78 Marti (Tieskotter)

Andera is owner of Marti and Co. in

Kim Outten Stubbs of Nassau, Bahamas, is deputy director of the National Museum of the Bahamas.

Marcia (Hoff) Pitzenberger of Lansdale, Pa., retired as a research biologist with the Merck Company Foundation.

Beth (Hoven) Rotto is cheese and chill buyer at Oneota Community CoOp in Decorah.

David Werner is IT consultant at

as director of assessment and institutional research at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D.

gastroenterology and director of Mayo Clinic Care Network in Rochester, Minn.

Becky Lynch teaches first grade at Frassati Catholic Academy in St. Paul, Minn.

Candice (Angerer) Morales is a transfer specialist at Athene in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Rich Nicklay of Okoboji, Iowa, retired after 39 years as an instrumental music teacher.

Ron Njus is partner at NYCO Property Tax Consultants in San Antonio.

28

SPRING 2018

is professor of music at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis. He led a 275-member band at the 2017 Iowa High School Music Association All-State Festival at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

Nancy (Hermeier) Hershfield

toddler teacher at Open Arms Child Development Center in Glenview, Ill.

Mark Larson is a consultant in

’81 James Ripley

scientist at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston.

Carol (Schroeder) Endres is lead

a private practice licensed clinical psychologist.

Dan Landsverk is district sales

Pamella Ford is senior research

a retired dentist.

Michael Jorn of Milwaukee is

director of choirs for the Ankeny (Iowa) Community Schools.

is superintendent of the Yoncalla (Ore.) School District.

Cameron Elmer of Ellston, Iowa, is

’79 Phil Finanger

(pictured with his daughter Anna) retired after 35 years of teaching and coaching at Edina High School. He has been a member of the “chain gang” for the Minnesota Vikings for the past 23 years. His ten-person crew gets front-row seats at games played at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as they carry the stakes marking first downs, recording penalties, and signaling commercial breaks for games. This year the group worked the Super Bowl.

Dayton Henderson of Kimberly, Wis., is retired.

Paul Jentz is senior recruiter of nurses and nurse supervisors for Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas/ Fort Worth, Texas. He received the Caldwell Award for Dedication and Excellence from the Human Rights Campaign.

Kim Hand is senior regulatory compliance specialist at Barr Engineering Company in Duluth, Minn.

Lisa (Wangberg) Kelsey is

’82 Brian Berry

director at South Beloit (Ill.) Public Library.

Lisa (Lyle) Deyo teaches fourth grade for the Austin (Minn.) Public Schools. She is also owner of an indie book and candy store called Sweet Reads in Austin.

Steve Haydon is senior vice president of regulatory affairs and chief legal officer at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Decorah is a retired teacher.

Doreen (Volz) Dalman is library

Wis., retired as deputy director with Rock County Development Disabilities Board. He is now an adjunct instructor for Upper Iowa University.

Barbara (Vaske) Norland is director of development and communications at YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade. In March, she was awarded the AXA Advisors Businesswomen of the Year Award for Outstanding Philanthropy from AXA Advisors and the Coral Gables Chamber.

Rebecca (Adams) Searcy of

Karen (Toft) Younger retired

John Hanewall Jr. of Janesville,

Paul Cleven works in the rechargeables lab at Spectrum Brands in Middleton, Wis.

Everett Schmidt Jr. is youth coordinator at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wis.

Barb Anderson-Bacon of De

adult ESL and literacy at Jeffco Public Schools in Golden, Colo.

Kris (Wurtzel) Church is senior category manager at Readerlink in Minneapolis.

Elkader, Iowa, is a retired teacher.

Cresco, Iowa.

Karen Caddoo is coordinator of

elementary physical education at Bear Creek Elementary School in Monument, Colo.

Kathy (Jacobson) Ruhser of

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research in Basel, Switzerland.

Pere, Wis., is retired.

Karla (Nelson) Balk teaches

Mary (Bakke) and Steven Nurre of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are retired after working in Asia (Seoul, South Korea, and Shanghai, China) for 30 years. They have enjoyed returning to Iowa and reconnecting with friends and family. Steven continues to coordinate teacher recruiting for Concordia International School Shanghai.

is associate vice chancellor for advancement at the University of Illinois in Chicago. In January, she completed an 18-month training process and became a certified professional coactive coach.

Nancy (Nickerson) and Hans Lee live in Minneapolis. She is director of arts programming at Washburn High School and managing director of the Cedar Summerstock Theater Company in St. Ansgar, Iowa.

He is pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

Cindy (Vanderford) Penney is vice president of nursing for SSM Health at St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis.

Olaf Trytten is an embedded software developer at CSA Group in Redmond, Wash.

’83 Jim Angstman

is a commercial realtor at Coldwell Banker Hedges Realty and a real estate developer with Vintage Living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

manager for Sysco Food Services in Baraboo, Wis.

Sonja (Green) Link is senior staff accountant at Courier Express Holdings in Marietta, Ga.

Greg Lonning of Maplewood, N.J., was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame.

Brenda (Severson) Meyer of Readlyn, Iowa, is a consulting actuary for Jacobson Group.

Kathie (Johnson) Nycklemoe is associate pastor at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Bloomington, Minn.

Wayne Ostlie is director of land protection for the Minnesota Land Trust in St. Paul.

June (Carolan) Rosett-Laures is a substitute teacher for New Hampton (Iowa) Community Schools.

Christine Rosheim is a nurse practitioner at Indian Health Service in Clive, Iowa.

Sherry Sanden-Will is fashion designer and owner at Sherry Lynn Fashions in Rochester, Minn. Her style was featured in a Rochester Post Bulletin article in December. She is also director of missions and service at Mount Olive Lutheran Church.

Arlette (Lindflott) Trana is administrative assistant at TJT Capital Group in Stamford, Conn.

Karen (Schlender) Trepton of Oconomowoc, Wis., is a real estate agent with Shorewest Realtors.

David Venne of Manassas, Va., is a self-employed consultant.

ALUMNI NEWS Ronald Walsh is an entrepreneur and attorney at Entitle in Bloomington, Minn.

Jane Wiemerslage is vice president of quality improvement at the Mentor Network in Edina, Minn.

’85 Gary Fulsaas

of Decorah is retired after 28 years as head athletic trainer at City University in New York.

Kris (Hahn) Henderson is vice president and general manager of cash products/banking and cash analytics at Ameriprise Financial in Minneapolis.

’86 Tim Watson

is executive director of Providence Place in Fremont, Neb.

’87 Lisa (Palmquist) Dailey

is owner of Chocolaterie Stam in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Kris Ferkin is pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Eyota, Minn.

Robert Grant is a cardiologist at

’92 Stephanie Agresta

of Little Silver, N.J., is cofounder of the Scale Collective. She joined the board of SheWorx and is taking an equity stake in the company. In New York City in November 2016, the Scale Collective gathered 300 investors, female founders of technology companies, and industry experts to accelerate growth for women entrepreneurs. She and her cofounder will support SheWorx as advisors, provide counsel to founders, and evangelize the organization’s global mission.

Joe Dobrowits is senior engineer at Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee.

Amie (Barsch) Odahl is a chaplain and teaches religion at Salem Lutheran School and First Lutheran School in Glendale, Calif.

Scott Putman is director of global strategy at UnitedHealth Group in Minneapolis.

Lisa (Blatti) Ratgen is risk advisor and department manager of North Risk Partners in Rochester, Minn.

Mosaic Life Care in Kansas City, Mo.

Paula (Nixon) Hughes is a

Union, Iowa, is district associate judge of the First Judicial District Court of Iowa.

’90 Jennifer (Birgerson)

and D. Allan Boettger ’89 live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Jennifer is director of advancement services at Coe College, and Allan is senior director of corporate and community outreach at the University of Iowa.

’91 Steven Arndt

is chief financial officer of the Nerdery in Bloomington, Minn.

Cathy (Severson) Sedacca is cofounder, principal, and executive vice president of Sage Business Credit in Minnetonka, Minn. She also serves on the board of Shobi’s Table, a St. Paul nonprofit that supports homeless and housing-insecure individuals, and is on the finance committee at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.

’93

seasonal tax accountant at Clifton Larson Allen in Austin, Minn.

in Chaska, Minn.

and

Dennis Heimdal ’93 live in Milford, Iowa. Kari is a SMART room interventionist at Okoboji Community Schools. Dennis is an environmental lab technician at the University of Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory.

Christopher Shockey is director of human resources for Freeport (Ill.) School District 145.

Becca (Radke) Leach is a special education paraprofessional for the Prior Lake–Savage (Minn.) School District.

’95 Joe Waterman

Joel Lipetzky is information technology director at Land O’Lakes in Shoreview, Minn.

’96 Sarah (Voorhees)

Jason Nosek is senior systems administrator and HCIS imaging manager at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Kris (Korman) Novak of Minneapolis is a self-employed technology consultant.

Carrie Siewert is strategic accounts director at Mentor Mate in Minneapolis.

Karen (Weber) Sims of Frederick, Md., is security manager for the U.S. Army.

Kari (Van Auken) Stern teaches Norwegian immersion preschool at Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji, Minn.

Joellyn (Kilburn) Veninga of

Allison (Huth) DeGraaf is director

Tim Schmidt is CFO at QualiTech

’94 Kari (Thompson)

Minn., is director of planning and administration at Ameriprise Financial Services.

Benoy Benny is founder of the Merrilyn (Moetsch) Berg is a

Thomas Marquardt is a podiatrist for Mayo Clinic Health System in Decorah.

Kari (Gere) Larson of Eagan,

Mitchell Thompson is senior project manager at Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis.

Spine and Sports Center in Houston.

at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. He was selected as the recipient of the Terry Presidential Professorship, an award recognizing faculty achievements.

supervisor at John Deere Dubuque (Iowa) Works.

Wayne Anderson is lecturer in rhetoric at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

for Landmark Hospital in Naples, Fla.

John Hatle is a biology professor

Kerwin Kilian is service information

Ted Rohlwing is territory brand manager at Kraft Heinz Company in Minneapolis.

Gary Crangle is materials manager

of teaching and innovation for the Janesville (Wis.) School District.

certified public accountant at Guinn, Vinopal, and Zahradka in River Falls, Wis.

is lead massage therapist at Massage Logic in San Francisco.

Hershberger is interim pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Sunbury, Pa.

Ghea McPhee is a customs and revenue officer for Bahamas Customs in Grand Bahama.

Vance Prigge is president of Atlas Insurance Brokers in Rochester, Minn.

Linnea (Nelson) Nicol of West

’89 Melanie (Fisher) Doyle

Sonya (Lindquist) Jansma is a

Mark Zobel is director of annual giving and adjunct professor of arts administration at Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill.

Maria (Sjosten) Oberg is county treasury administrator for the County of Santa Clara in San Jose, Calif.

preadmission screening specialist at Metro Area Agency on Aging in St. Paul, Minn.

is chief financial officer at Van Meter Industrial in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Mary (Cumming) Hoskins is senior prospect specialist at Sunlife Financial in Kansas City, Mo.

Lena (Katzenmaier) Christiansen is a principal for the St. Paul (Minn.) Public Schools.

Sara (Peterson) Connelly is operations specialist at Buckingham Strategic Wealth, formerly called Stevens Wealth Management, in Deerfield, Ill.

Shelly (Vangen) Ferner is a certified occupational therapy assistant at Learning Charms Therapy in Charlotte, N.C.

Eden Prairie, Minn., is vice president of human resources at Ecolab.

Jon Walsh is director of bands and chair of the Fine Arts Department at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, Ill. In 2017, he was awarded the Inspire, Empower, and Succeed Award for Outstanding Teaching in Glenbard Township High School District 87. He was also elected president of Illinois Music Educators Association District IX.

Carrie (Mahlum) Wees is quality manager at Minnesota Vet Diagnostic Lab at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

’97 Julie (Bush) Buerman

of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was named the Iowa Golf Association (IGA) Women’s Player of the Year. Buerman posted numerous top finishes and was the Forever 39 Match Play in 2017. She was also a medalist at the IGA Women’s Club team event, a semifinalist in the IGA Women’s Match Play, and a third-place finisher at the IGA Women’s Four-Ball (with partner Janelle Carter). She teaches chemistry for the Cedar Rapids Community Schools and is head girls’ golf coach at Kennedy High School.

’98

Suzanne (Dabroski) DeKay is director of safety, security, and transportation for UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla.

Diane (Sarafolean) Durnick earned the master of arts degree in education from Hamline University.

She teaches social studies for St. Paul (Minn.) Public Schools.

Jay Kautt is advanced sales counsel, Individual Product Solutions Group, for Securian Financial Group in St. Paul, Minn.

Kat Shaner is assistant professor of New Testament at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, N.C., and serves as pastor for the North Carolina Synod.

LUTHER MAGAZINE

29

ALUMNI NEWS

’99 Brandis (McFarland)

Negrin is a licensed mental health counselor. After 14 years in private practice, she opened her own practice, Brandis McFarland Mental Health Counseling, which focuses on eating disorders and related mental health issues in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Amy (Hinshaw) Nyren is a registered nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee.

Jason Wilken is associate professor and director of collaborative research and development at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City.

’00 Elizabeth (Kephart)

Reisinger is communications and marketing manager for Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. A recent episode of the CBS news program 60 Minutes featured HMML and its global preservation work.

’01 Heather (Svoboda)

Morris is director of global communications and brand at Entrust Datacard in Shakopee, Minn.

Sharran Srivatsaa is president of brokerage, Western region, for Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Newport Beach, Calif.

Robb Sellmeyer is a portfolio

Tina Muell is a training specialist

Tyler Strand is writer and editor

underwriter at Western National Insurance in Minneapolis.

at Pearson Professional Center in Baltimore.

Ryan Elizabeth (Meyer) Wuertz

Dain TePoel is instructor of sport

is operation specialist for education at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

administration at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.

’03 Erin (Clark) Benedict

’06 Megan (Murphy) Bey

at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement in Iowa City. He wrote the cover feature on legendary Hawkeye coach Hayden Fry for the September 2017 issue of the Iowa Alumni Magazine.

Bronson Power is tax manager at

Jill (Dinkla) Borrall is family

Morken Eckberg Steiner in Mankato, Minn.

medicine department administrator at University of Iowa Healthcare in Iowa City.

is a foster parent and staff training specialist at Lutheran Social Services in Peoria, Ill.

Brooke Sanders of Clive, Iowa, is a career and college consultant with FutureU. Nate Veldman of Apple Valley, Minn., is account executive at Reynolds and Reynolds.

Aaron Weiss teaches history and is department chair at Walter Payton College Prep, a Chicago public school.

He was named the Illinois History Teacher of the Year in 2017 by the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History.

’04 Sarah (Bowman) Andrus earned a doctorate in K–12 education from Edgewood College. She is superintendent of Sharon (Wis.) Joint School District 11.

Jon Butler is vice president and broker of record at Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Pasadena, Calif.

Erik Fern is member-manager at Putnam, Fern, and Thompson in Decorah.

Jacob Johnson is CEO and founder of Innovosource, an innovation tech scouting and investment consulting firm in Minnetonka, Minn.

’02 Heidi (Helling) Barr

of Lindstrom, Minn., is a wellness coach with Noom Inc. She recently published Prairie Grown: Stories and Recipes from a South Dakota Hillside (Avenida Books), available on Amazon.

Tina (Christiansen) and William Mabuce live in West Des Moines, Iowa. Tina is a substitute teacher and music librarian for the Arrow Academy of Music. William is a licensed professional engineer and a certified water distribution and water treatment operator. He was elected associate director of the Iowa Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Bryan Rieck is developer at LightEdge Solutions in Des Moines, Iowa.

Jennifer (McAllister) Rose is pastor at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hartland, Wis.

Alexander Schwarzhoff is a project engineer at Interstate Engineering in Fergus Falls, Minn.

30

SPRING 2018

Jeff Miller Jr. earned a master of legal studies degree from West Virginia University and is senior manager at Wipfli in Minneapolis.

earned a master’s degree in music education from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

Todd Brown is a guidance and control engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Over the last few years, he has been part of the team that flew the Cassini spacecraft toward Saturn.

He led the guidance, navigation, and control team for the launch of the spacecraft in 2015. He is currently helping design the Europa Clipper spacecraft, which is a mission to study Jupiter’s moon Europa and search for life there, planned to launch in 2022.

Ian Cawley is account manager at

Mark Strohbehn earned a master’s degree in international security studies from Georgetown University.

He is senior program manager at Development Transformations in Washington, D.C., where he manages a portfolio of humanitarian relief, economic development, and analytical programs implemented in Syria on behalf of the U.S., U.K., and German governments.

Jud Taylor is clinical research associate at Abbott in Plymouth, Minn.

Whitney Welsh is complex coordinator for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

’08 Paige (Richards) Albjerg

of Decorah is assistant attorney general for the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa.

VWR International in Iowa City, Iowa.

Britta Anderson is senior scientist at Millipore Sigma in St. Louis.

Dan Herman is a special agent with

Jesse Angelo is a master of

the U.S. Department of Justice in Las Cruces, N.M.

philosophy graduate student in education of the arts and creativity at St. John’s College, University of Cambridge, England.

Hoda Hersi is a project manager for the British Broadcasting Corporation in Gaborone, Botswana.

Rachel (Bails) Jeffrey is a broadcasting teacher and technology specialist at Skyview Middle School in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Mike Schmalfeldt is cofounder and owner of Prostart Sports in Whitefish Bay, Wis.

Angela (Grunder) Ventris is a development officer at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa.

Heather (Buckner) Wilensky

Katie Benedix is development manager at Brucemore National Trust in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Lindsey (Bulger) Bina is pastoral associate at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in North St. Paul, Minn.

Zach Booz is an education consultant for several nonprofit organizations in Denver.

Katie (Shaw) Brandt teaches fourth grade for the Bemidji (Minn.)

Area Schools.

fifth grade in the Pasadena (Texas) Independent School District. She is also curriculum instructional materials manager and on the campus leadership team. In 2015 and 2017 she was named Teacher of the Year.

is executive director of alumni engagement at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement in Iowa City.

Nina Catterall is senior student support advisor and internship lead at Madison College in Reedsburg, Wis.

’07 Duffey Ainsworth Jr.

Amy Christenson of Windsor,

Erica (Wanless) Rheinschmidt

Christina (Gaard) Baumgart

coaches winter cheer at Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

is a clinical pharmacy specialist in ambulatory care with Veterans Affairs River Valley Outpatient Clinic in La Crosse, Wis.

Steffanie Purucker teaches

Chris Walline is co-owner of 4 Seasons Restaurant in Mahtomedi, Minn.

Tiffany (Jones) Wogsland is director of youth and family ministries for Ezra Church in Stoughton, Wis.

is scrum master at LKQ Corporation in Nashville, Tenn.

Susie (Bissen) and Zach Esker live in Kansas City, Mo. Susie is a physical science technician at GIPSAUSDA, and Zach is an actuary at Swiss Re.

’05 Erin (Radke) Flaherty

Amy (Schmeidel) Klein is a

James Meyer is senior systems

Garrett McAllister is a planner for

is a development communications manager at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

sales engineer at MMCI Automation in St. Louis.

palliative care physician at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. the city of The Dalles, Ore.

Victoria, Australia, is founder of the Dharana Lab.

Jake Christopherson is independent rental accounts manager at Ford Motor Company in Atlanta.

Erin Claussen is an orthotist at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

Laura (Anderson) Cochrane is a physician assistant at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Student Health Center.

Allison (Gray) Cory of Quantico, Va., is a family nurse practitioner with Benefis Health System.

Taryn (Kloster) Cramer is information technology consultant at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, Calif.

ALUMNI NEWS

LUTHER PHOTO BUREAU

Sustainably addressing development challenges in Africa is key to preventing grave human tragedies like Rwanda’s 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. This is what continues to drive me every day to make a difference.

—Cynthia Kamikazi ’05

From refugee to human rights leader Cynthia Kamikazi ’05 spurs economic and social change in Africa At 12 years old, Cynthia “Kami” Kamikazi ’05 asked, “How could this happen?” From the late 1950s through the mid-1990s, Tutsis and moderate Hutus were targeted and killed by extremist Hutus. As a result, Kami moved between Burundi and Rwanda during her early years, growing up primarily as a refugee in Burundi. In 1994, the decades-long sporadic killings that led to her displaced childhood culminated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, killing more than 1 million Tutsi and moderate Hutu in less than 100 days.

Kami and her family returned to Rwanda in July of 1994. As they drove across the border,

Kami recalls, “There were cadavers everywhere, and dogs eating them. However much my parents tried to shield us from this, there was no way of escaping the scene.

The whole country smelled of death.” Nearly all of Kami's extended family who had remained in Rwanda had been killed or were missing.

The devastation caused Kami to ask how the international community, particularly the United Nations, allowed it to happen. “In that moment, at 12 years old, I thought, I must make sure to be in the UN's senior management and stop this from ever happening again,” she says.

Reaching the UN was a promise she made good on. She gained admittance to Luther despite speaking little English (it’s her fifth language) and graduated in three and a half years having studied psychology, business, and

French. She moved to the UK to earn a master’s degree in the theory and practice of human rights from the University of Essex, and soon after, she achieved her dream. She first became a human rights project coordinator for the Lutheran World Federation at the UN. From that position, she was recruited to become an advisor on human rights and development issues for the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland.

She describes the work she did during this time as very political, and slow to see results. “I did not see much impact,” she says. “We were defending human rights issues and passing resolutions, but beyond this, I could not see much result achieved on the ground.”

In 2010, Kami began working with Gavi, a Geneva-based global alliance for vaccine and immunization, influencing policymakers in the developing world to invest in vaccines. It was gratifying for her to see the real-world impact of her work through declining mortality rates, but, she says, “I still that I had not reached what I was called to do. I also felt far from the people I wanted to help.”

Enter the African Development Bank (AfDB), a finance institution that provides investments and grants for development projects in Africa. AfDB

mainly invests in infrastructure (clean water, sanitation, energy supply, and more), agriculture, human development (health, education), jobs for youths, women's development, and good governance.

Kami now serves as chief for partnerships and resource mobilization within the Gender, Women, and Civil Society Department at AfDB. Kami and her team work toward ensuring women’s economic development by providing required support to African regional member countries, including pushing for equal rights for women and men as well as inclusive financial services for women (e.g., access to business financing, financial literacy, mentorship, and networks).

Kami joined AfDB because it is one of the leading institutions making a difference in Africa, investing in the continent and empowering Africans to realize a better future. “Sustainably addressing development challenges in Africa is key to preventing grave human tragedies like Rwanda’s 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. This is what continues to drive me every day to make a difference, to do everything I can to make sure that no young child anywhere in the world ever has to experience the death and destruction I saw growing up.”

—Kate Frentzel

LUTHER MAGAZINE

31

ALUMNI NEWS Sigrid (Espe) Dabelstein

Ally (Nilsen) Smalley teaches music and is performing arts department chair at the Prairie School in Racine, Wis.

Sarah Denkinger is training and development coordinator at American Engineering Testing in Chanhassen, Minn.

Anna (Knaeble) Quirk earned a master’s degree in educational literacy from Hamline University and is a literacy specialist for the Minneapolis Public Schools.

Jana (Kemp) Tucker is customer care manager at Stryker in San Jose, Calif.

Lindsey (Voth) Dutchak is a math

Sara Wenzel Edstrom is an

center tutor at Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park, Minn. She also coaches Termite hockey with the Hastings Hockey Association.

associate attorney, commercial real estate with Briggs and Morgan in St. Paul, Minn.

earned a master of music degree in choral conducting from Michigan State University. He is artistic director and conductor of Lincoln Lutheran Choir in Lincoln, Neb., and a vocal music director at Lincoln East High School. He received the Lincoln Public Schools Inspire Educator Award in 2016.

teaches fifth-grade mathematics at Marcy Open Elementary School in Minneapolis.

Christa (Fiedler) Engquist is owner of Hoppy Trails Child Care in Minneapolis.

Matt Field is a veterinary surgeon at Arkansas Veterinary Emergency & Specialists in Little Rock.

Brianna (Helland) and Sam Weyers live in Crystal Lake, Ill. Brianna teaches kindergarten for the Crystal Lake Public School District.

Sam is an attorney with Kelleher & Buckley.

’09 Laura Dickson

principal engineer at Dell Technologies in Eden Prairie, Minn.

is a certified pharmacy and compounding technician at Sterling Drug in Northfield, Minn.

Amy (Larson) Freeman is a nurse

Emily (Dyess) Klepperich is the

Pete Freeberg is software quality

practitioner at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Pain Associates.

’11 Brett Epperson

Nicole (Wilson) Goetzl is senior consultant at Comcast Cable in Englewood, Colo.

Will Layton earned a master of divinity degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary and became an ordained ELCA pastor in 2017. He is pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in St. Donatus, Iowa, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in La Motte, Iowa.

6–12 choral music director at Central Public Schools in Norwood Young America, Minn.

Camille (Stenhaug) McVenes of

manager at U.S. Bank in Minneapolis.

Spencer Knapp of Farmers

Seth Fulton is investment advisor representative at Signator Investors in Boston.

Branch, Texas, is cloud enterprise account manager at IBM Global Services in London.

Nick Nienhaus is a residential

Emily Gaustad is all-school visual

Cory Lee is senior auditor at Athene USA in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Chris Froisland is account

arts teacher at Shanghai High School International Division in China.

Erin (Davis) Gibbons is resource developer at Sparkhouse in Minneapolis.

Megan Selvig is program director at Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center in Portland, Ore.

is psychotherapist intern at CLUES in Minneapolis.

Amelia (Larson) Harless is owner

Kristin Swedlund is philanthropic

of Anthem Archery in Decorah.

Steve Hogan is studying full-stack software and web development at Prime Academy in Minneapolis.

Mary Ites is senior consultant at CliftonLarsonAllen in Minneapolis.

Jordan Jensen is Midwest sales

Linnea Graffunder-Bartels

Nicolette (DeHaan) Kelley is

Nicole (Gesch) Grochowski

fellow at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction for mathematics from Concordia University–Portland. She is a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual in Germantown, Wis.

Elizabeth Koenig is professional

Rachel Haug Root is flute

development director at National Youth Leadership Council in Minneapolis.

gallery manager at Schmitt Music in Minneapolis.

Melanie Loso is a teacher at Noble Academy in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Maritza Navarro is care coordinator at HealthFinders Collaborative in Northfield, Minn.

Kyle Nelson is director of coaching for Decorah United Soccer Club in Decorah.

32

SPRING 2018

Andrew Peterson is career readiness coordinator with AchieveMpls at Edison High School in Minneapolis.

Taylor (Froehle) Schmahl is operations coordinator at Pratt, Kutzke & Associates in North Mankato, Minn.

Greg Siems is assistant director for the Institute for Freedom and Community at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Alyse (Eggebrecht) Simondet is director of annual giving at St. Paul Academy and Summit School in St. Paul, Minn.

Scott Sundstrom is a teacher, summer school coordinator, and tennis coach for the Mounds View School District in Shoreview, Minn.

Andrew Weckwerth is a business analyst at Optum in Eden Prairie, Minn.

’13 Kayli Bullard

earned a degree of applied science in radiography from St. Catherine University. She is a radiologic technologist at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, Minn.

Laura Christensen teaches mathematics at Muscatine (Iowa) High School.

Shannon Koenders is serving as a volunteer optometric services to humanity intern during her final year of graduate school at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) Rosenberg School of Optometry in San Antonio, Texas. She was awarded the Mission Award and Scholarship for the UIW Rosenberg School’s class of 2018.

’10 Kate (Haller) Ailabouni

is a development assistant for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in St. Paul, Minn.

manager for Steeltech in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Kris Klein is a postdoctoral research

’12

Samantha Anderson is an animal caretaker at Williamson County Animal Shelter in Franklin, Tenn.

research manager at Morgridge Institute for Research in Madison, Wis.

is senior community development specialist for Oakdale, Minn.

a pediatric ICU registered nurse at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora.

estimator and contract sales representative at Superior Building Center in Monona, Iowa.

Emily Shriver earned a master’s degree in education from St. Mary’s University. She teaches English at Cotter High School in Winona, Minn.

Malory (Hendrickson) Giraldo

Shoreview, Minn., is a stay-at-home mom.

Courtney Guntly earned the master’s degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. She is a coordinated entry network specialist for the Institute for Community Alliances in Des Moines, Iowa.

Elisabeth Archer is associate attorney at Weinhardt Law Firm in Des Moines, Iowa.

Allyson Batis and Aaron Schmaltz live in Minneapolis. Allyson works at Esker Grove, a restaurant at the Walker Art Center, and Aaron is director of operations at Bortel & Co.

Hannah (Swanson) Booth is an occupational therapist at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago.

Michelle Boursier earned a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is a postdoctoral research fellow at Promega Corporation in Fitchburg, Wis.

Jonathan Grieder earned a master’s degree in political science from the University of Nebraska– Omaha. He teaches social studies for the Waterloo (Iowa) Community School District.

Evan Neubauer is a casualty claims representative at Cottingham & Butler in West Liberty, Iowa.

Clara Olson teaches math at Open World Learning Community in St. Paul, Minn.

Regina Preston is membership services coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Peter Sandstedt earned a master’s degree in communication from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Caitlin Stensrud-Smith is psychotherapy intern at Metro Family Therapy in Norman, Okla.

Sarah Thell is a technical writer for Ameriprise Financial Services in Minneapolis.

ALUMNI NEWS

A non-binary actor

WILLIAM DIBBLE/PANFOCAL PHOTOGRAPHY

What’s in a pronoun? Plenty, says Woodzick ’07 Though exceedingly brief, the conversation was intensely impactful for actor and director K. Woodzick ’07, an MFA student in contemporary performance at Naropa University in Boulder, Colo.

Late last fall, Woodzick was stopped on campus by Leigh Fondakowski, the Emmynominated writer of The Laramie Project and a guest artist in residence at the university.

Seeking monologues for trans and non-binary people—individuals who don’t identify as male or female—Fondakowski inquired whether Woodzick knew if a database of such pieces existed.

Woodzick, who uses the pronouns “they,” “them,” and “theirs,” knew of no such resource but promised to research the topic. “I told her that if I could not find one, I would create one,” they say.

Thus the Non-Binary Monologues Project was born. Within a couple of hours of that brief conversation, Woodzick had tapped into their extensive social media network to create a database of monologues from “non-binary, gender-fluid, gender-queer, trans-masculine, and trans-feminine characters.” Within two weeks, the site had received more than 1,200 unique hits. To date, it has published more than 50 monologues by 38 playwrights, and that number continues to grow.

“It was important for me to try to increase the range of options for non-binary actors,” said Woodzick when interviewed about the project by NPR last November. “If our goal as actors in the audition room is to show a piece of our soul, to let the director see who we truly are, having access to these mono-

logues is a crucial part of the equation for non-binary actors.”

A natural actor

Acting has always been in the blood of this Madison, Wis., native, who discovered Luther while on a trip to Decorah with their mother to visit the Vesterheim NorwegianAmerican Museum. The just-opened Center for the Arts and the caring Luther faculty made an indelible impression on Woodzick, who declared a theatre-dance major upon enrolling at the college in 2003. “I knew Luther was a place where I would be supported and my passions encouraged,” they say, fondly recalling faculty members Jeff Dintaman, Jane Hawley ’87, and Bob Larson. “I was able to cultivate skills in all aspects of theatre in which I had an interest.”

After graduation, Woodzick debated the practicality of actually pursuing a career in theatre, even as they kept in close contact with the arts. Through AmeriCorps, they worked in marketing and education at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) in Langley, Wash. In 2011, they enrolled in an MFA program in arts leadership at Seattle University, completing a year before determining it was not the right fit. While managing external relations for the Seattle-based nonprofit Hedgebrook (an acclaimed organization that nurtures women writers), Woodzick launched a podcast, Theatrical Mustang, featuring interviews with trans theatre artists and activists. “It was then that I started really questioning my gender and seeing myself in some of the people I interviewed,” they say.

Their questions were answered in early 2016, when Woodzick was cast in a WICA production of Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps that required them to play more than 15 male roles. “That show opened up a lot of things for me professionally and personally. Because of that show, I identified as non-binary and gender queer. . . . The male roles felt like an extension of who I am, of my gender,” they say. “During that production, because of that production, I changed my pronouns from ‘she,’ ‘her,’ and ‘hers’ to ‘they,’ ‘them,’ and ‘theirs.’ It was both the hardest and the best decision I have ever made.”

That life-changing decision was followed quickly by another. In summer 2016, Woodzick packed their bags and moved from Seattle to Boulder to begin graduate studies at Naropa. Their studies culminated this academic year with the creation of the Non-Binary Monologues Project and the production of their master’s thesis, the docuplay TransActions, at the Theatre Made in Boulder Festival.

The show, which featured eight trans and gender-nonconforming actors, sold out three weeks in advance and was staged in the festival’s largest venue. “My goal was to explore why making theatre-training programs more inclusive of gender diversity is so important,” they say. “I hoped to spark a dialogue about how the theatre industry can become more inclusive of gender diversity, and I think I accomplished that.”

Now that the theatre industry is talking more about non-binary roles, how does Woodzick envision moving the conversation about gender non-conformity beyond the stage? “I see it happening by sitting down and talking one-on-one, and hopefully transforming a lot of hearts and minds as a result,” says Woodzick. “It’s a lot easier to not accept a concept than it is to not accept a person.”

Woodzick begins the University of Colorado– Boulder’s PhD program in theatre and performance studies this fall. To learn more about Woodzick and the Non-Binary Monologues Project, visit www.woodzick.com.

—Sara Friedl-Putnam

LUTHER MAGAZINE

33

ALUMNI NEWS Berta Antonieta Tilman Pereira is a political and economic research analyst for the Australian Embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste.

’14 Anna (Derdzinski) Banks

is an accountant at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Des Moines, Iowa.

Katherine Blocker earned a doctor of physical therapy degree from the University of Iowa. She is a physical therapist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Hannah (Delzer) Christenson is a STEM teacher for the Proctor (Minn.)

Public Schools and K–6 general music teacher for the Stillwater (Minn.) Area Public Schools.

Laura Davis teaches third grade at Larson Elementary School in Wasilla, Alaska.

Pat Fagan is choir director at

owner at BrightPeak Financial in Minneapolis. Zach is an education and community outreach specialist at the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance in St. Paul, Minn.

Rebecca (Girvan) and Matt Zellmer ’13 live in St. Paul, Minn.

Rebecca is senior actuarial associate at Securian Financial Group, and Matt is a physical therapist at Fitness Focus.

’15 Erik Anderson

of Iowa City, Iowa, earned a master’s degree in medical sciences from Loyola University in Chicago.

Paige Clark earned a master of social work degree from Loyola University in Chicago. She is a transplant social worker at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

Kirsten Norderhaug is customer success manager at SPS Commerce in Minneapolis.

Benjamin Nordquist is lead retreat facilitator at Youth Frontiers in Minneapolis.

Caity Nowosatka-Sander and Caleb Sander live in Sioux City, Iowa. Caity is work study/student financial coordinator at Morningside College. Caleb is a tuner, servicer, and builder with Darrow Pipe Organ.

Braun Oldenkamp earned a master’s degree in music, voice performance, from the University of North Texas. He is adjunct professor of voice at Adrian (Mich.) College.

Lauren Rauch is a laboratory

Sarah Guhl teaches orchestra at

Laura Hayes is a reporter for

music for Shakopee (Minn.) Public Schools.

Kiersten (Swenson) Kralovetz teaches third grade at the Brevig Mission (Alaska) School.

Tanya Maas teaches general music and is the choral instructor at Marrs Middle School in Omaha, Neb.

Sarah Nolte is a sexual abuse specialist at Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center in Winterset, Iowa.

Megan (Gress) Park is a client success agent at LeadCrunch in San Diego.

Tessa Romanski is youth education coordinator at Matthew 25 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Katie Scherr is church relations and development assistant at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains in Denver.

Erin Schmidt is a nurse at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Orange, Calif.

Connor Stanton is an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.

Rachel (Roe) Stevens teaches music at Hamilton Elementary School in Coon Rapids, Minn. She is also a private music teacher at TakeLessons.

Katie (Switzer) and Zach Tubbs live in Minneapolis. Katie is product

34

SPRING 2018

Sarah King is senior analyst at Rabbit Relevance in Minneapolis.

Adrienne Kulzer is an assistant and medical scribe at the Foot and Ankle Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Jennifer (Schmidt) Lundell is a registered nurse at Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester, Minn.

Chloe Meyer is health unit coordinator at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Andrew Nelson is database administrator for Temple Israel in Minneapolis.

Joshua Nelson is HPAI animal health technician for the USDA: APHIS Veterinary Services in Des Plaines, Ill.

Lauren Nelson is a care team assistant at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Shelby Nelson is executive assistant to the CEO at COCO Coworking and Collaborative Space in Minneapolis.

Linh Nguyen is communications consultant for the World Wildlife Fund in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Travis Nietert is a licensed massage therapist and sole proprietor at Thixo Therapeutics in Woodbury, Minn.

’16

Tricia (Glotfelty) Martin is an

Davenport, Iowa.

Celia Garner-Prouty is orchestra director for the Storm Lake (Iowa) Community School District.

Bridget Keenan teaches vocal

Rachel (Ruonan) Zheng earned a master’s degree in marketing from Baruch College, City University of New York, and is a contributing writer at Jing Daily in New York City.

Evan Obert is a police officer in

Holly Fusco teaches middle school music for the Waukegan (Ill.) School District.

the Press & Journal newspaper in Middletown, Pa.

Justin Velzke is food and beverage manager for the Aparium Hotel Group in Chicago.

Hannah Dailey is a tutor with Educational Resource Associates in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Sam Raiche is praise team director

Roosevelt Middle School in Blaine, Minn.

associate at Fairview Health Services in St. Paul, Minn.

sales manager at Anthropologie in Bloomington, Minn.

Britta Nyberg is department

Carly Ellefsen is communication specialist at Self Esteem Brands in Woodbury, Minn.

Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Joshua Swanson is psychiatric

for First Presbyterian Church in Marion, Iowa. technician at Red Star Yeast Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Ryan Readinger is assurance associate at RSM US in Des Moines, Iowa.

Cole Reedy is health plan accountant at Centene Corporation in St. Louis.

Tara Rehovsky is a mental health practitioner for the Associated Clinic of Psychology in Minneapolis.

Collin Richman is senior application developer at US Foods in Chicago.

Kat Richman is a phlebotomist at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Kalyn Roisum of Stoughton, Wis., is a site horticulture technician with American Family Insurance.

Cadence Sawyer of Madison, Wis., is a technical services analyst at Epic Systems.

Matt Scheidle is program therapist at Catholic Health Initiatives in Glenwood, Iowa.

J.J. Sirios is a technology consultant at Arthrex and account manager at Aflac in Denver.

Luke Stennes is senior editor and team leader at Hudson Legal Group in Chicago.

Imsouchivy Suos is a government official of the ASEAN office at the Ministry of Commerce, General Department of International Trade, Department of Asia and Pacific, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

accounts clerk for Lee Enterprises in Waterloo, Iowa.

’17

Madison Brace is an intake patient care coordinator for the VGM Group in Waterloo, Iowa.

Mic Farrin is a support broker with Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan in La Crosse, Wis. Connor Fitzpatrick is a mobile developer with Stryd in Boulder, Colo.

Kyla Grau interned at two nongovernmental organizations in Togo, West Africa, after graduating from Luther. He teaches elementary students through the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) in Orléans, France.

Marlene Jones teaches English grammar and conversational lab classes at Université de Bretagne Occidentale in Brest, France.

Sidney Larsen is a language assistant through the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF), where she works with middle school and high school students on their English and conversation skills at Lycée Robert de Mortain in Mortain, France.

Allison Meier is a sexual abuse advocate with Family Resources in Davenport, Iowa.

Sara Nelson is a senior research analyst at Optum in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Shari-Ann Pan-Oy is director of marketing and membership at the Spencer (Iowa) Family YMCA.

ALUMNI NEWS

Ervin Liz ’16, cofounder of CCC, buys coffee directly from farmers in his native Colombia. Pictured (left to right) are: Liz, Manuel Andela, Isidro Liz, Misael Muse (CCC’s primary farmer), CCC cofounder Jon Baklund, and Tara Baklund.

Ethical entrepreneurship Ervin Liz ’16 knows a thing or two about coffee. He grew up the son of a coffee farmer in the Tierradentro region of the Andes Mountains in Colombia. His village didn’t have roads or electricity until 2003, but the Nasa tribe coffee farmers who formed Liz’s community worked hard to grow beans at an elevation of 6,500 feet above sea level. It’s a difficult living, since only about 1 percent of coffee-trade profits funnel back to the community.

So a year ago, when the economics major, who lives in Bloomington, Minn., was thinking about next career steps, he figured: Why not help myself and my community at the same time? He got in touch with Jon Baklund, an entrepreneurial inventor who had lectured to Liz’s entrepreneur class in 2014, and the two cofounded Colombian Coffee Connection (CCC).

Liz and Baklund aim to provide a superior product. They note that coffee grown at high elevations takes three to four

months longer to mature, giving it time to build flavor and a higher caffeine content. CCC coffee is bought directly from farmers. It’s hand-screened by Liz’s father, Isidro, and it’s delivered to the warehouse an astonishing three weeks after harvest.

The beans are hand-roasted and hand-packed by Liz. And CCC pays farmers three times what coffee co-ops do.

“Fair trade, Rainforest Alliance Certified, equal exchange— none of those labels really apply at the personal level,” Liz says.

“Coffee companies buy from the co-ops, and the co-ops are supposed to distribute that income to the famers, but that rarely happens. I say this from personal experience, because my father was a coffee farmer until 2010.

He always complained about the low price, that they never really get paid what the co-ops and ‘fair’ labels suggest the farmers are getting paid.”

Liz continues, “The only companies that create positive

impact are those that go directly to the farmer, and you can count them on your fingers.”

In addition to paying farmers fairly, CCC uses 10 percent of its profits to help elderly Nasa tribespeople in need. The company, with the help of 24 donors, built a new house for an elderly woman last summer and is currently fundraising to build a second house in Liz’s home village.

“It’s something that comes from the heart,” Liz says. “For Jon and me, it’s really about bringing the best we can bring and treating people the way they should be treated. That’s really all it takes to make a difference.”

Learn more about CCC at colombiancoffeeconnection.com.

—Kate Frentzel

LUTHER MAGAZINE

35

ALUMNI NEWS

You tell us!

Last issue, we asked about your favorite concert at Luther.

Here’s what you had to say: In the late ’80s we welcomed a fiery young band from Wales—the Alarm—onto the Luther campus. I had joined the concert committee with the hope I could meet some semi-famous people and be close to the action. . . .

I will never forget their opening band. Two guys showed up in a van, and I helped unload their equipment. I thought there would be more members, but it turned out to be a duo—but they rocked the house. The band was House of Freaks, and some friends and I ended up following them to Madison for their next gig with Midnight Oil. I still listen to all these bands today and fondly recall when I helped bring their talent to Luther College.

The headline act for the 1971 fall concert at the Luther College field house was a band called the Happenings, who had a couple of top-10 hits in the ’60s. But it was the backup act, a solo troubadour by the name of John Denver, who stole the show. With a country-boy charm and a sunshinetenor voice, he soon won over the Luther College crowd that night with his music and tales.

Denver’s first hit, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” had just reached the top 10 on the music charts nationwide.

Denver told the crowd he didn’t let the success go to his head, but grinned and added, “However, I do pull over to the side of the road just to listen whenever the song comes on the car radio,” before launching into his performance of the number.

—Jeff Howard ’74

—Todd Mithelman ’90

Ramsey Lewis on my 20th birthday in ’81 and Spyro Gyra in ’82. Ramsey Lewis and his band were about as tight as you can get, and Spyro Gyra brought the energy of the fusion/smooth jazz of the time. I saw both bands again 33 years later in ’14 and ’15.

Spyro Gyra saxophonist Jay Beckenstein said he appreciated my Luther memories. Drummer Lee Pearson hadn’t even been born yet! Watching Lewis at the age of 79 sounding just as sharp as he did in ’81 was incredible. Fantastic then and now!

— Julie Hall ’82 The black-and-white photos, above right, are from the Luther Pioneer yearbook. Hall took the color photos at a Ramsey Lewis concert (left) and a Spyro Gyra concert (right) 33 years after she saw them at Luther!

You tell us!

This time we’d like to know: Which Luther course had the biggest impact on you and why? Email your story in 100 words or less to magazine@luther.edu.

36

SPRING 2018

I remember the Friends of Distinction in 1969 or so in the field house. It was a great concert with their great—and very popular—music.

—Robert Schneider ’70

ALUMNI NEWS

Even before coming to Luther College in 1968, I felt drawn to the West. And then, during my freshman year, John Denver performed in concert at Luther and sang those iconic words: “I guess I’d rather be in Colorado, where the sky is like a pearl after a rain.” His songs resonated with me. I spent the next three summers in Yellowstone, but after graduation in 1972, I headed to Colorado, and I have been here ever since!

— Judy

THANK YOU! #luthergives18

$478,193 raised for the Luther Fund

15,793

Hetager Litsey ’72

I saw a lot of good concerts at Luther between 1975 and 1979, but I think the most impactful was when Harry Chapin came to Luther. It was a magical evening of song storytelling. We had anticipated this concert for a while because it was one of the very first to be held in the recently completed Center for Faith and Life.

Harry seemed genuinely glad to be there even though he was at the pinnacle of his career. He played all his hits, such as “Taxi” and “Cats in the Cradle.” We all marveled at the sound and the beautiful acoustics of this new building on our campus.

—Roger Wetlaufer ’79

My favorite concert was Pure Prairie League.

They had recently taken on a new lead singer who took the stage in a thick, bushy beard and bib overalls, but boy could he pick that guitar. Come to find out shortly after the concert that the young performer was none other than Vince Gill!

unique page views on the Giving Day website

1,546

donors made gifts that day

147

brand-new donors made their first gifts EVER to the Luther Fund

170

faculty and staff members gave

103

amazing alumni volunteers shared, tweeted, snapped, partied, and spread the word

— Kip Nordstrom ’81 LUTHER MAGAZINE

37

ALUMNI NEWS SNAPSHOTS

1

3

2

4

1

Liza (Demmer) Ness ’09 sent this holiday photo of Luther grads in her family. She writes, “We took this picture after being the good Norwegians we are, eating lutefisk and lefse at our grandparents’ home in Austin, Minn., on Christmas Day.” Back row (left to right): Mitch Adams ’17, Janna Akkerman ’17, Hannah Demmer ’12, Kalle Akkerman ’15. Front row (left to right): Trista Akkerman ’20, Liza (Demmer) Ness ’09. Photo credit: Liza (Demmer) Ness ’09.

2

In January, Brandon Fields ’04 traveled to Nashville, Tenn., and took the opportunity to reunite with former classmates. Left to right: Sarah Henning ’04, Brandon Fields ’04, Jesse (Peterson) Aanasted ’04, Christian Aanasted, and Jon Aanasted ’04. Photo courtesy of Brandon Fields ’04.

38

SPRING 2018

3

Steven McArthur ’91 and his wife, Kristy, were invited to attend a holiday reception with vice president Michael Pence and his wife, Karen, in December. McArthur works for the Secret Service and is currently assigned to the Presidential Protective Division, Special Operations Branch. Left to right: vice president Michael Pence, Karen Pence, Kristy McArthur, Steven McArthur ’91. Photo courtesy of the Office of the Vice President.

4

Classmates of Andrew Last ’97 gathered at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the first stop of Nordic Choir’s 2018 Midwest and West Tour. Back row (left to right): Rockne Cole, Michael Poggenklass. Front row (left to right): Amanda (Alcock) Freese, Andrew Last, Chad Meacham.

ALUMNI NEWS

5

6

7

5

Three Luther roommates from the class of 1972 traveled to the Duoro Valley in Portugal with their wives last year and took this photo to commemorate the trip. Left to right: John Strand, Jim Lantz, Sid Larson.

7

When Luther’s Board of Regents met for a meeting in February, Regents Peter Espinosa ’81 and Wendy (Jaycox) Davidson ’92 discovered a funny connection. Davidson is the president of the US Specialty Channels Division of Kellogg Company, which manufactures Fruit Loops cereal, while Espinosa is cofounder of Decorah’s Pulpit Rock Brewery, which released a Fruit Loops–flavored beer in March. Photo by Judy (Johnson) Vijums ’88.

6

Several Luther alumni performed W. A. Mozart’s Requiem with the Chicago Chorale at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Chicago on Sunday, March 25, 2018. Left to right: Tambra Black ’80 (soprano soloist), Karen (Gesme) Brunssen ’75 (alto soloist), Ryan Fordice ’08 (chorister), Bonnie Gunzenhauser ’90 (chorister), Bruce Tammen ’71 (artistic director), Esther Menn ’80 (chorister), Colton Long ’09 (chorister).

LUTHER MAGAZINE

39

ALUMNI NEWS SNAPSHOTS

9

10

8

8

Mike “Marv” Martin ’81 of Grapevine, Texas, and Bob Gatchel ’82 of Hartland, Wis., were table workers for the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., in March.

9

Class of 1961 sweethearts Nancy (Skinner) and Al Stoa were featured in a special Albert Lea Tribune Valentine’s Day article about their lives, love, and 60th anniversary. Many of the couple’s children and grandchildren and their spouses also attended Luther, including Kirsten (Stoa) Meyer ’81, Kari (Stoa) Balk ’82, Randy Balk ’79, Jordan Balk ’10, Anna (Balk) Smallwood ’18, Dylan Smallwood ’16, Kirk Stoa ’90, Leif Stoa ’93, and Lisen (Nylander) Stoa ’96.

10

Christopher Wuebker ’09 is a deputy with the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Department in Decorah. He was honored with the 2017 Enrique S. Camarena Award from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa and the Drug Enforcement Administration for his commitment to reducing drug abuse. Left to Right: Decorah chief of police Bill Nixon, Wuebker, and U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Pete Deegan.

40

SPRING 2018

ALUMNI NEWS

11

12

13

11

Pyi Phyo Aung ’17 teaches music at the International School Yangoon. This year, he took students to the AMIS Honor Choir Festival in Berlin, Germany, where he met fellow Luther alumni (left to right): Jason Mott ’10, Edie Copley ’74, Luther Rauk ’98, Adrienne Gerst ’00, Pyi Phyo Aung ’17.

13

Sara (Donhowe) Goldberg '00 is director of development for Humanity & Inclusion (formerly Handicap International) in Takoma Park, Md. She hosted two Luther student interns over J-Term, Cheragh “Ali” Yazdani ’18 and Lauren Knuckey ’18, who helped the organization with the launch of its new name and website, hi-us.org.

12

On January 20, Erik Wilson Weiberg ’81, Becky (Leschensky) Hoffman ’81, and Scott Kramer ’81 joined 275 other people of faith on Faith Advocacy Day in Olympia, Washington, to lobby state legislators on issues related to homelessness, hunger, gun violence, and climate change.

LUTHER MAGAZINE

41

ALUMNI NEWS

Your source for Norse apparel.

Valdez Diaz ’18 and Jenna Iverson ’18

Luther College Book Shop luther.edu/bookshop 563-387-1036 MARRIAGES

’79 Leslie Hubbard ’82 Marlene Grimme ’98 Nicole Winke Aaron Gentes ’01 Meredith Miller ’02 Alex Schwarzhoff ’04 Erik Fern ’06 Andrew Foltz ’07 Andy Numedahl

and Greg Corwin, Jan. 13, 2018 and Charles Traganza, Sept. 10, 2016

and

, Dec. 10, 2016

and Dana Tenneson, April 23, 2016 and Becky Boyd, March 10, 2018

and Beth Kalemkiarian, March 11, 2017 and Jack Lynch, Sept. 24, 2016 and Katie Kuelbs, Aug. 26, 2016

Genevieve Plagens and Nathaniel Swanson, Dec. 9, 2017

’08 Joey Corbin

’09 Emily Dyess

and Helga Kaasin, Aug. 12, 2017

Sigrid Espe and Alex Dabelstein, Dec. 16, 2017 Amber Gallaher and Dylan Joseph, Aug. 19, 2017 Sara Wenzel and Joel Edstrom, Sept. 30, 2017 and Bryan Klepperich, July 21, 2017

Megan McNamara and Boise Wilcox, Oct. 8, 2016 Ashley Uecker and Josh Nettesheim, June 17, 2017

’10 Bonnie Garvens

42

and Anthony Brown, June 3, 2017

Nicole Gesch and Matthew Grochowski, Aug. 5, 2017 Sarah Luloff and Kyle Lilly ’09, July 8, 2017 Andrew Peterson and Kirsten Bock, Nov. 3, 2017

SPRING 2018

’11

Zach Hall and Katie Elliot, July 16, 2016

Adam Kruse and Ashley Turk, Aug. 26, 2017

’12 Abby Christian

and Brian Gwyin, June 10, 2017

Taylor Froehle and Braidon Schmahl, May 6, 2017

’13 Jessie Conley

and Eric Ostrander, Oct. 6, 2017

Maria Kempf and Jason Block ’12, May 21, 2016 Cole Matteson and Leah Klapps, Oct. 22, 2016 Julia Walter and Jordan Sonntag, June 25, 2016

’14 Anna Derdzinski

and Alan Banks, Nov. 5, 2016

Rebecca Girvan and Matt Zellmer ’13, June 24, 2017 Megan Gress and Austin Park, June 5, 2017 Jess Landgraf and Katrina Nichols, Nov. 25, 2017 Austen Perry and Benjamin Anderson, Oct. 8, 2016 Jaimie Rasmussen and Aaron Burk ’12, Nov. 18, 2017 Cydney Roelandt and Matt Weitzel, Sept. 23, 2017 Tess Romanski and David Savino, Feb. 18, 2018 Katie Switzer and Zach Tubbs, Dec. 9, 2017

’15 Jordan Kuchera ’16 Emma Cassabaum

and Dan Pugleasa, Oct. 29, 2016

’17 Alex Dana

and Keegan Patterson, Feb. 10, 2017

Tricia Glotfelty and Bill Martin, Nov. 4, 2017 Dakota Gray and Harlie Holloway, Sept. 9, 2017 Sara Ranscht and Jarred McLain, June 3, 2017 and Ryan Ehrhardt, Dec. 30, 2017 Ana Hafner and Patrick Dawn, Sept. 8, 2017 Peter Kephart and Alice Gullekson, June 9, 2017 Kourtnie Skillings and Lucas Hunter, July 8, 2017

ALUMNI NEWS BIRTHS AND ADOPTIONS

’91

Sheila and Reynolds Cramer, a son, Benjamin Arthur, Jan. 2018

’98 Suzanne (Dabroski)

and James DeKay, a daughter, Charlotte James, Feb. 2017

’00

Meleah and Scott Numedahl, a son, Milo Marc, Dec. 2017

Keely and Kevin Oppermann, a son, Odin Daniel, June 2017

Jana (Kemp) and Zach Tucker ’07, a daughter, Blakely, April 2017

’07

Katie (Lane) and Kevin Utoft, a

Oct. 2017

Katie (Vaske) and Justin Wright ’04, a son, Weston Roland, Oct. 2017

Katie and Duffey Ainsworth, a son, Boone Badger, Jessica and Chris Angelica, a daughter, Rose Lind, Oct. 2017

daughter, Alexandra Paige, July 2017

Katie Kuelbs and Andy Numedahl, a daughter, Halley Marie, Dec. 2017

Anna (Amundson) and Tor

’02 Sara (Rink)

and Daniel Buis, a daughter, Natalie Joy, born March 2012, adopted Dec. 2017, and a son, Zackary Edward, born Sept. 2013, adopted Dec. 2017

Tammy (Swenson) and Kevin Kampfe ’00, a son, Eli Evin, May 2016

Angela (Richards) and Aaron Tatone, a daughter, Adelaide Marie, Oct. 2016

’04 Bridget Boehmer

, a son,

Josiah Fritz, Nov. 2017

Melissa and Jacob Johnson, a daughter, Clara, Dec. 2017

Laura (Lenius) and Steve Nelson, a son, Jack William, June 2016

Stef (Dickens) and Chris O'Keefe, a son, Harvey, Sept. 2016 Tara (Wilkins) and Erik Sheridan ’03, a daughter, Evelyn Charleen, July 2017

Amanda (Reck) and Matt Thoendel, a daughter, Hazel Rey, Oct. 2017

’05

Oksnevad, a son, Leif Erik, March 2018

Katie (Lovell) and Ross Stedman ’08, a son, Wilder, June 2017

Darci (Kunz) and Josh Wilson ’06, a daughter, Elaina Jillmarie, Jan. 2018

Katie (Harrold) and Seth Worthington ’08, a son, Joseph, May 2016

’08 Rachael (Moore)

and Aaron Ahart, a son, Lowen, June 2017

Ashley (Widmark) and Bennett Berning, a son, Walter King, Jan. 2017 Laura (Titusdahl) and Karl Boleen, a son, Peder Douglas, June 2017

Katie (Shaw) and Myles Brandt, a daughter, Linnea Danielle, Oct. 2017

Allison (Gray) and Christopher Cory, a daughter, Meredith Ruby, May 2017

Candice and James Meyer, a son, Ryan Oliver, April 2016

Jana (Smith) and Nick Larson, a daughter, Grace, June 2016

Paige and Aaron Richards, a daughter, Lennox Marie, Oct. 2017

Erika and Dave Milne, a son, Hunter, Nov. 2017

Jen (Stoa) and Adam Joyce, a son, Finley Adam, Nov. 2017

Lydia (Haug) and Michael Muehrer, a daughter, Eleanor Marie, June 2016

’06

Kelsey (O’Connell) and Brad Nelson, a daughter, Berit Paige, Oct.

’09, a daughter, Esmae Evelyn, Sept.

2017

Elizabeth (Brokish) and Bret Kressin, a daughter, Reagan, Oct. 2017

Michael, Aug. 2017

’10

Rachel and Aaron Zander, a son, Henry Aaron, Feb. 2018

’11

Laura (Davis) and Nathan Dahlke, a son, Rhett Willard, Jan. 2018 Steffanie and Erik Mortens, a daughter, Sophie, Jan. 2017

’12 Abby (Christian)

and Brian Gwyin, a daughter, Isabella Joy, June 2017

Samantha (Stykel) and Tyler Stevenson, twin daughters, Camille Ruth and Elinor Mary, Sept. 2017

July 2017 Lacey and Seth Fulton, daughters, Eden, May 2016, and Alba, Dec. 2017

Lauren (Kraus) and Dave Keller

and

Chris Graverson ’07, a son, Collin

Kathleen (Lunsford) and Dan Durbin ’06, a daughter, Fiona Hazel,

Libby (Nussdorfer) and Charlie Chmielewski, a son, Callum, April 2017

Amanda (Payne) and Glen Bramstedt, a son, Dennis, Oct. 2016

’09 Sara (Walters)

2016 Holly and Zach Nordby, a son, Odin, July 2016

Anna (Knaeble) and Drew Quirk, a son, Thatcher Francis, March 2017

Julia (Stuebner-Holt) and Max

’13

Kristina (Nienhaus) and Timothy Mansheim, a daughter, Claire Marie, Dec. 2016 Christina (Storlie) and Andrew Weckwerth ’12, a daughter, Heidi Sharon, Nov. 2017

’14

Hanna (Gesing) and Patrick Kelly, twin sons, Clayton William and Collin Patrick, Sept. 2017

Salzman, a daughter, Harriet, Aug. 2017

LUTHER MAGAZINE

43

ALUMNI NEWS IN MEMORIAM

Professor emeritus Roger W. Anderson ’48, 93, of

Whitewater, Wis., died Dec. 26, 2017.

Born Sept. 30, 1924, in Newry, Minn., Anderson was inducted into the army in July 1943 . He eventually joined the Anti-Tank Company of the 101st Regiment of the 26th Infantry Division. Following the Battle of the Bulge, he was awarded a Bronze Star. He graduated from Luther in 1948.

In 1958, he became an assistant professor of education at Luther. In 1964, he became Luther’s Education Department head, a position he held until 1985, when he became registrar and associate dean of the college until retiring in 1989.

Throughout his career at Luther, Anderson served on several state commissions and task forces and spent a term as president of the Iowa Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. He was also very involved with Phi Delta Kappa, an honorary fraternity of educators. He and his wife, Alma “Amme” Dannen, were active members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. In 2013, he and Amme moved to Whitewater, Wis., to be closer to family.

Anderson was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters. He is survived by wife Amme Anderson (Whitewater, Wis.); sons Dr. Kevin Anderson ’76 (Dr. Cindy [Ortgies] Anderson ‘76) (Oak Park, Ill.) and Marshall Anderson ’82 (Whitewater, Wis.); grandchildren Mark Anderson ’03 (Tanya [Leake] Anderson ’03) (Middleton, Wis.) and Lindsey (Charles Ihediwa) Anderson (South Milwaukee, Wis.); and great-grandchildren Lily and Sam Anderson (Middleton, Wis.); as well as several nieces and nephews and many cousins.

44

SPRING 2018

Professor emeritus

Professor emeritus

Walden Leo Heino, 87, of Grand

Conrad Røyksund (born Conrad Simonson), 86, of Tuscon, Ariz., died Feb. 1, 2018.

Røyksund was born Dec. 5, 1931, near Graham, Wash. The oldest of seven children, he slept with his brothers in a chicken coop from primary school through high school. Røyksund was the first member of his family to attend college, paying his way by fishing with his father in Alaska. After graduating from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, he served Christ the King Lutheran Church in Fremont, Calif., for over a decade. He eventually earned a PhD from the University of Chicago and taught management information systems at Luther from 1969 to 1998.

Røyksund was a philosopher, poet, fisherman, cook, and carpenter. A lover of words and ideas, he wrote thousands of poems and kept a blog at smokesound. blogspot.com. As a carpenter, he built a log house in Sattre in Winneshiek County, Iowa; a twostory sun house (Sol Huset) on the back of his home in Decorah; two boats, including the 26-foot cabin boat Second Mate (named after his second mate, Mari Heltne ’68); and many pieces of furniture.

Røyksund and his ex-wife, Margaret Simonson, had four children: Paul Simonson; Kathryn (Steve) Nichols (Ian and Colin); Gail (Marty) Weis (Spencer Weis ’21 and Sophie); Heidi Simonson (partner Jack and children Nicole, Dylan, and Kaia). Røyksund and Mari Heltne ’68 were married at the Sattre log house in 1982, adding Mari’s sons Michael Hubbard (son Jao), and Daniel (Ellie Chen) Hubbard (Elliot and Laura). Røyksund and Heltne adopted Marcia (Miller) McIntyre ’91 in 1991 (Walter, children Makaila and Dominick).

Rapids, Mich., died Jan. 29, 2018.

Heino was born April 13, 1930, in Eveleth, Minn. He served in the United States Army in the Philippines as a survey-team mathematician and demolitions expert from 1947 to 1949.

He earned a chemistry degree from Itasca Junior College in 1951 and a PhD in chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 1957. Heino married Harriet I. (Nelson) Alsen on June 21, 1953, in Coleraine, Minn. (they later divorced), and the couple had two children, Mark and Lynne.

Heino worked as a research chemist for Du Pont and Company from 1957 to 1963, living in New York and Delaware during this time. He then taught inorganic chemistry at Luther from 1964 to 1992.

Heino retired to Grand Rapids, Mich., where he spent his remaining years. He enjoyed fishing, reading, nature, radio, animals, chemistry, contributing to charities, and spending time with his family and friends. He will be remembered for his quick wit, intelligence, quiet grace, sense of humor, and strength.

Heino was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Susie Reid; nephew, Gary Paul Reid; stepson, Bernard Alsen; son-in-law, Tom Gigliotti. He is survived by his son, Mark Heino ’77 (Lynn [Luren] Heino ’79) of Carroll, Iowa; daughter, Lynne Gigliotti of Grand Rapids, Minn.; five grandchildren; two great grandsons; and numerous other relatives.

ALUMNI NEWS IN MEMORIAM Obituaries are posted at luther.edu/in-memoriam.

’39

Hazel M. (Milbrath) Amundson of Decorah died Dec.

’50 Dwight Baumgardner

16, 2017, age 100.

of Minnetonka, Minn., died Nov. 10, 2016, age 93.

’41 Adeline D. (Vick)

Ward Conley Bergene of Adams, Minn., died March 13, 2018, age 89.

2018, age 98.

Glenn Upham Boggs of Midland,

Lillibridge of Decorah died Jan. 12,

’57 Kenton Howard

Evenstad of Monona, Wis., died Jan. 20, 2018, age 81.

Eugene Reynold Halvorson of Jefferson City, Mo., died Dec. 27, 2017, age 82.

Mich., died May 15, 2017, age 89.

Waldo Arthur Kalsow of McAllen,

Daniel Johann Jordahl of Sun

Texas, died Jan. 2, 2018, age 84.

’66 Sandra J. Rettschlag

of Clyman, Wis., died June 1, 2017, age 73.

’68 Roger Allen Krahn

of Plainwell, Mich., died Dec. 21, 2017, age 71.

Nassen of Dallas died Feb. 2, 2018,

City, Ariz., died Dec. 17, 2017, age 90.

Lavonne (Christensen) Larsen

Kennard John Loveland of Alexandria, Minn., died Oct. 27, 2017, age 70.

age 95.

Vernon Kalvestrand of Redding, Calif., died May 13, 2016, age 89.

of Mercer Island, Wash., died Feb. 20, 2018, age 82.

Harlan G. Sanderson of Eastman,

’43 Albert Paul “A. P.” ’44 Naomi (Flugstad)

Bekkum of Madison, Wis., died Feb. 5, 2018, age 95.

Justine (Holum) Lionberger of Decorah died March 16, 2018, age 89.

Florence L. (Thompson) MoeOlson of La Crosse, Wis., died Nov.

’45 Barbara A. (Sample)

Schuler of Waupaca, Wis., died Nov.

9, 2017, age 95.

17, 2017, age 95.

Kenneth W. Peters of Onion Creek,

’47 Knut T. Gundersen

Monte C. Smalley of Bellevue,

Texas, died Dec.19, 2017, age 89.

of Bremnes, Norway, died Feb. 22, 2018, age 95.

Wash., died May 16, 2016, age 88.

Milford Norman Lunde of

Iowa, died Sept. 10, 2016, age 92.

Waukesha, Wis., died Feb. 1, 2018, age 93.

Sylvia H. (Schey) Norland

Donald V. Wahlgren of Gowrie,

’51 Karl E. Aschim

of Decorah

died Feb. 28, 2018, age 91.

of Virginia, Minn., formerly of Montevideo, Minn., died Feb. 13, 2018, age 92.

Eleanor Jeanne (Erickson) Hagstrom of Alexandria, Minn., died

’48 LaDonna Marilyn

Norman “Norm” Simondet of

(Olson) Hawkins of St. Peter,

Minn., died April 17, 2017, age 89.

Donald R. “Mac” McDowell of Park Rapids, Minn., died Oct. 21, 2017, age 94.

Dorothy (Hanson) Pederson of Fargo, N.D., died Dec. 19, 2017, age 91.

Doris E. (Hoel) Rickleff of Stoughton, Wis., died Nov. 13, 2017, age 91.

’49 Navarro Fosse

of Aliso Viejo, Calif., died Feb. 23, 2016, age 90.

Truman Hadoff of Whalan, Minn., died Jan. 7, 2018, age 89.

Alfred Jacobs of Fergus Falls, Minn., died Feb. 14, 2018, age 95.

Walter E. Korsrud of Davenport, Iowa, died Feb. 16, 2018, age 92.

Jan. 24, 2018, age 90.

Mound, Minn., died Dec. 18, 2017, age 89.

’53

Oakley J. Stockdale of Ostrander, Minn., died Dec. 8, 2017, age 86.

’54

Helen Marilyn (Bidne) Hendrickson of Decorah died March 22, 2018, age 86.

’55 Marlys Joan (Anderson) Awes of Madison, Wis., died April 2,

2017, age 84.

Vernon E. Awes of Madison, Wis., died Dec. 10, 2017, age 85.

’58 Paul R. Hjelle

of Decorah died Oct. 31, 2017, age 80.

Eugene W. Kamin of Eden Prairie, Minn., died March 14, 2018, age 81.

’59 Janet Ann (Natvig)

Dotseth of Waverly, Iowa, died Nov. 5, 2017, age 80.

Allan G. “Pete” Pederson of Lake Mills, Iowa, died Dec. 11, 2017, age 80.

’60 Norman J. Hanson

of LeRoy, Minn., died Feb. 18, 2018, age 82.

Brad Hustad of Marana, Ariz., died Feb. 23, 2018, age 81.

’62 David Louis Brislance

of Lutsen, Minn., formerly of Isle, Minn., died Jan. 31, 2018, age 77.

Anna Elsa Jass of Marshalltown, Iowa, formerly of Alden, Iowa, died March 15, 2018, age 80.

’72 Lorraine Houck

of Decorah died March 1, 2018, age 85.

’73 Ruth (Rem) Thickpenny of Brodhead, Wis., formerly of Brooklyn, Wis., died Jan. 9, 2018, age 66.

’74 Lorena (Barth) Ellingson of Decorah died Dec. 9, 2017, age 95.

Norma Elaine Hammon of La Crosse, Wis., died Nov. 28, 2017, age 62.

’76 Sandy Myhro

of Brightwaters, N.Y., formerly of Rushford, Minn., died Dec. 4, 2017, age 63.

’78 Walter Edwin Wagner

of Ossian, Iowa, died Dec. 23, 2017, age 63.

’63 Albert G. “Al” Bernatz

’91 Marcia Kaye

Gene Haugland of Edina, Minn.,

Calmar, Iowa, died Jan. 16, 2018, age 62.

of Decorah died Jan. 12, 2018, age 77.

died Jan. 10, 2018, age 76.

Richard Allan “Dick” Kleppe of La Crescent, Minn., died Sept. 24, 2017, age 76.

Janice M. (Phillips) Notbohm Lehmann of Stoughton, Wis., died

died March 31, 2018, age 87.

Feb. 25, 2018 age 76.

of Hazleton, Iowa, died Dec. 30, 2017, age 86.

’69

Mary Jo McKenzie of Rockford, Ill., died May 22, 2017, age 70.

died April 27, 2016, age 75.

David Sime of Diamondhead, Miss.,

Alvin Berg of Vancouver, Wash.,

’56 William H. “Bill” Losen

Wis., died Nov. 27, 2017, age 74.

(Linderbaum) Bullerman of

’96 Jenna Lovie (Dulas)

Sculley of Eagan, Minn., died Feb. 5, 2018, age 43.

’65

Eric Norland of Palm Springs, Calif., died Oct. 21, 2017, age 74.

Stephen Sit of Portland, Ore., died Jan. 28, 2018, age 82.

LUTHER MAGAZINE

45

President’s Council E

ach spring, I have the honor of presenting diplomas to our graduating seniors. This is a time of celebration and reflection—for the graduates, their families, and our faculty and staff who have watched these young women and men learn and grow over the past four years. Commencement is the pinnacle of the academic year and showcases the impact a Luther education has on every individual who proudly crosses the stage.

2018 List of New Life Members

Another highlight of spring is recognizing the charitable giving of our President’s Council donors. The generosity of Luther’s key stakeholders—alumni, parents, regents, faculty/staff, friends, and foundations—is inspirational, and your steadfast commitment to Luther ensures a strong future for the college and the students we serve.

Anonymous

Within Luther’s President’s Council, we especially celebrate the extraordinary commitment of our Life Members, donors who have contributed cumulative outright gifts of $100,000 or more.

In 2018, we have the privilege of welcoming a record number of new members to this prestigious group. For some, this is the culmination of decades of unwavering support to their alma mater.

For others, it’s the result of one transformational gift. Their individual stories of generosity are all inspiring to me, and the college is honored by their dedication to Luther’s mission in higher education.

Thank you to all members of the President’s Council! A full listing of the 2018 membership, based on 2017 calendar year giving, is available on Luther’s website. Your gifts make a tremendous difference for the people and programs on our campus, and we are grateful you have chosen to share your philanthropic support with Luther.

Soli Deo Gloria!

(based on CY giving in 2017)

Carol Birkland ’67 and Thomas Woxland Wendy (Jaycox) ’92 and Thor Davidson ‘93 Mark ’70 and Vicki (Mohlis) Donhowe ’70 Bob ’66 and Lynne Fjelstul Terence ’56 and Faith (Luzum) Fretheim ’56 †Andrew ’92 and Carrie Gray Richard Simon ’53 and †Rita Hanson Mark ’71 and Lois (Lebakken) Helland ’71 Connie (Jolstad) ’60 and †John Nelson Duane ’66 and Denay Oyen Robert ’68 and Dell Ann (Kappus) Sathe ’68

Paula J. Carlson President

†Rolf ’61 and †Janice Storlie Robert and June Swenson Diane (Baum) ’72 and Gaylord Thormodsgard

A full list of the 2018 President's Council membership, based on 2017 calendar year giving, is available on Luther’s website at luther.edu/magazine.

46

SPRING 2018

Estate of J. Dean Fardal ’51

PR ESIDENT’S COUNCIL

We have chosen to support Luther College over the decades because it has had such a positive influence on our lives, as well as on the lives of our daughters and thousands of others. Not only did we meet one another there, but we met others and developed rich friendships, many of which continue to this day. Though ever-changing, Luther remains a place where good people work, teach, and learn; the result is lifelong efforts toward the goal of making this world a better place.

—Mark ’70 and Vicki (Mohlis) Donhowe ’70

I [Carol] transferred to Luther at the beginning of my junior year. Though I was a Luther student for only two years, the experience was transformational and set me on the path to a career that most people can only dream of, traveling all over the world working for the Lutheran Church. Our giving has been centered on providing students with some of the experiences that, we hope, will make them wise and responsible global citizens.

—Carol Birkland ’67 and Thomas Woxland

AARON LURTH ’08

LUTHER MAGAZINE

47

COLLECTIONS

ANTHROPOLOGICAL SLEUTHING

AARON LURTH ’08

This beautiful beaded bandolier bag was handmade in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century by members of the Ojibwe tribe of the Upper Great Lakes region. The bag pictured is one of four that were donated anonymously to the college.

Senior Alison Gau, a double major in anthropology and German with a minor in biology from Piggs Peak in northern Swaziland, decided to research these items because of their beauty and the lack of information about them. She began work a year and a half ago using various methods of research learned in her anthropology classes at Luther. “It was nice to take something physical and apply what I have been learning. I have been really careful not to misrepresent the group . . . and to try to do these bags justice,” she says.

Before Gau’s research, it was known only that the bags were made by Native American Woodland tribes. Gau uncovered everything beyond that, like the specific tribe from which they originated, the time period they were crafted, various beading techniques used in their creation, and thoughts on where the artists received their inspiration. Gau designed and installed a display for the bags this spring in Preus Library.

Gau graduates in May and plans to study forensic anthropology in graduate school. At the thought of parting with the bags in just a few months, Gau says, “It will be kind of sad saying goodbye. They have been both a challenge and a pleasure!”

48

SPRING 2018

—Roz Paradis ’18

SCOTT HALVERSON ’89

C A LENDA R

Several players and coaches from the 1968 Luther College baseball team gathered at Luther prior to the Luther-Loras baseball game on April 22 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their Iowa Conference championship season. Attending were (left to right): head coach Rich Halverson ’59, Bob Bishop ’69, assistant coach Roger Svendsen ’66, Barry Bishop ’69, Don Tresemer ’69, and Jim Helgason ’70.

Luther Commencement Sunday, May 27 Luther College

Nordic Choir Companion Tour Wednesday, May 28— Friday, June 8 Throughout Germany to Prague, Czechia; hosted by President Paula Carlson and Rev. Dr. Thomas Schattauer

Decorah NAA Benefit Golf Tournament Monday, June 4 Oneota Golf and Country Club

Twin Cities NAA Benefit Golf Tournament

Hefto Era Football Reunion Friday, July 13–Sunday, July 15 Luther College

Luther Comes to the Heartland Picnic

Family Weekend Friday, September 21— Sunday, September 23 Luther College

Sicily and Malta Tour

Sunday, July 15 Heartland Park Park Rapids, Minnesota

Sunday, October 7— Saturday, October 20 Hosted by Uwe Rudolf and Ruth Caldwell

Des Moines NAA Benefit Golf Tournament

Hiking Tour of Vietnam and Bhutan

Wednesday, July 18 Tournament Club of Iowa Polk City, Iowa

Monday, October 8— Friday, October 26 Hosted by Ann Highum and Jerry Freund

Friends of Luther College Wrestling Golf Tournament

Saturday, October 27 Luther College

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Black Student Union Saturday, October 27 Luther College

Christmas at Luther Thursday, November 29–Sunday, December 2 Luther College

Giving Day

Alumni Council and Class Agent Luncheon

Thursday, March 7 Luther College

14th Annual Kent Finanger ’54 Golf Classic

Monday, June 18 Golden Valley Golf and Country Club Golden Valley, Minnesota

Friday, August 3 Jackson Heights Golf Club Jackson Junction, Iowa

Friday, October 26 Luther College

Iowa State Fair Booth

Dorian Choral Retreat for Alumni, Parents, and Friends

Thursday, August 9– Sunday, August 19 Iowa State Fair Des Moines, Iowa

Friday, October 26– Sunday, October 28 Luther College

Friday, June 29–Sunday, July 1 Luther College

The Legacy of the Luther Nurse: 40 Years

Homecoming

Saturday, March 23 Tuscany Falls Golf Club at Pebble Creek Goodyear, Arizona

Luther alumni events are open to all alumni and friends of the college, including parents and other family members of graduates and students. Please note that some dates listed are tentative; specific information about upcoming events will be mailed or emailed to alumni, friends, and parents who live near the event sites. If you need more information or if you’re interested in planning an event in your area, call the Alumni Office at (800) 225-8664. We’d love to hear from you!

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOLINGBROOK,IL PERMIT NO. 467

NONPROFITORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOLINGBROOK,IL PERMIT NO. 467

Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045

Kien Dao ’20, Chi Pham ’19, and Giang Nguyen ’21 shared food and smiles at Luther’s annual Ethnic Arts Festival on March 3.

LUTHER PHOTO BUREAU